The Great Promise Delivered

Daniel 3:25 

"He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the 

midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form 

of the fourth is like the Son of God." 

   Let Nebuchadnezzar heat his furnace as hot as he can, a few minutes will finish the torment of those cast into it; but hell- fire tortures, and yet does not kill. Those who worshiped the devil  and his demons have no rest, no pause, no moment free from pain. "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name," (Rev. 14:10-11).

   Now was fulfilled in the letter That Great Promise. "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee," (Is. 43:2) Leaving it to that God who preserved them in the fire, to bring them out, they walked up and down in the midst, supported and encouraged by the presence of the Son of God. 

   My Friends, Those who suffer for Christ, have his presence in their sufferings, even in the fiery furnace, and in the valley of the shadow of death.  If we could see into the eternal world, we should behold the persecuted believer safe from the malice of his foes, while they are exposed to the wrath of God, and tormented in unquenchable fires.

Amen!

Reading : Is. 3:19-27
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

We Don't Stand Alone

2 Corinthians 4:8-9  

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, 

but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; 

cast down, but not destroyed;" 

   Life has surrounded us with infirmity, although Christ has surrounded us with glory, so that we may remember that the infirmity is ours and the glory is God's, and recognize our own utter dependence on Him. We are pressed at every point but not hemmed in. There are all kinds of pressure on us, but we are never in so tight a corner that there is no way out. It is characteristic of the Christian that, even if his body be confined in some difficult environment or some narrow circumstance, there is always an escape route, and that My Friends, is turning all things that is out of our control over to God. We can stand against COVID-19 Virus, because we don't stand alone. "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." (2 Cor. 4:16).
Amen!

Reading: Devotional Scripture
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Law Of Liberty And The Life Of Mercy

James 2:12-13  

"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed 

no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment."

   The Christian lives under the law of liberty, and it is by the law of liberty we will be judged. We as  Christian's are not men whose lives are governed by the external pressure of a whole series of rules and regulations imposed on us from without. We are governed by the inner compulsion of love. We follow the right way, the way of love to God and love to men, not because any external law compels us to do so, but because the love of Christ within our heart makes us desire to do so.

   My Friends, The Christian must always remember that only he who shows mercy will find mercy. This is a principle which runs through all Scripture.  And James goes even further,  for in the end he says that mercy triumphs over judgment; (v-13c). by that he means that in the day of judgment the man who has shown mercy will find that his mercy has even blotted out his own sin. 

Amen!

Reading: James 2:1-13

Ref: HG SB; Study Notes

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr

The Cross Life Ministry

Believe For God's Biggest Dream

Proverbs 24:3-4  

"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding 

it is established:  And by knowledge shall the chambers 

be filled with all precious and pleasant riches." 

   You will find that achievement is easy when your goals become an inner commitment. Even though we have the Holy Spirit, we still need to prepare; we are just better equipped to do so. God's first choice for us in any situation is not disorder and waste of funds or resources. That's why proper planning is so important. Believe for God's biggest dream. When you plan, look to the future, not the past. You can't drive forward looking out the rear view mirror. 

   My Friends, Always involve yourself with something that's bigger than you are, because that's where God is. We all have opportunity for success in our lives. It takes just as much energy and effort for a bad life as it does for a good life; yet most people live meaningless lives, because they never took the time to keep their dream alive and follow it through. Know This; If you don't ask God for the things you want, and if you don't see the things you ask God for, maybe you are not Trusting God enough. 

Amen!

Reading: Devotional Scripture

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

 And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

  

The Message, Hear It, Believe It,Trust It

Romans 10:8,17  

"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, 

and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we

preach; So then faith cometh by hearing, 

and hearing by the word of God."

    Moses explained to the people that they knew what they had to do to please God, "For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?  Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it," (Deuteronomy 30:11-14). 
   The message he left is clear and we all should open our eyes, ears and heart to it.. No one would have to go to heaven or to the place of the dead to get it so that they would know what to obey. No one has to go up to heaven to bring Christ down as though he had never been incarnated; Christ himself has already come in the flesh, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14). No one has to go into the grave to bring Christ up from the dead; Christ has already been resurrected.
   Just as God’s message was clear to the people of Moses’ day, so it should be clear to us today. The words leave the reader with an immediate opportunity to respond. The message is as close and available to us as it can possibly be. What message is that? Salvation comes from trusting Christ, and it is within everyone's reach.
   My Friends, I will say again, as I have said many times before.  People need to hear the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ in order to believe it, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).  Faith does not respond in a vacuum or respond blindly. Faith is believing what you have been told about God’s offer of salvation and trusting the one who has been spoken about.
Amen!

Reading: Rom. 10:1-17
Devotional Scriptures
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

Protector And Deliverer

Psalm 3:3-5  

"But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, 

and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the 

LORD with my voice, and he heard 

me out of his holy hill. 

Selah.  

   Here David shows his confidence in God, when he wrote these words: “Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me.” That is a protection that will surround a man entirely, a shield above, beneath, around, without and within. Oh what a shield is God for His people! He warns off the fiery darts from Satan and the storms of trials around us. And by faith we look upon God, honoring and glorifying him. O for grace to see our future glory amidst our present afflictions! Indeed, there is a present glory in our afflictions, if we could only discern it; However we must have fellowship with God.

Amen!

Reading: Ps. 3:1-8

Ref: HG SB

   

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

His Soul A Blessed Portion

Matthew 5:3-11  

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they 

shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed 

are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: 

for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are 

persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and 

shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."  

   Death is our penalty for sin, and it was Christ death that delivered the power of grace. We will see the glory unveiled in the face of Jesus Christ and we will be able to approach God's throne boldly, because the glory in Christ face is the proof of redemption and the perfect putting away of our sins, for He who bore them has them not on Him in glory.

   We are to consider the Cross simply in respect of our sins. In coming to God it is the only right, the only possible way. But when at peace with God, we weigh what it is, we shall find every moral question brought before man: absolute wickedness, that is, rejecting God in goodness with scorn and hatred; Satan's full and universal power over him. Man in perfectness in Christ-absolute obedience and absolute love to the Father; God in righteousness against sin in the highest way,  and infinite love to the sinner; all is brought out on the cross in Christ, and all to our blessing, so that we can be in glory with Him, and like Him, "His soul a blessed portion." 
Amen!

Reading: Devotional Scriptures
Ref. HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

"I am In The Mist"

Matthew 18:20  

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, 

there am I in the midst of them," 

   If we lack many of the skills and advantages in which others excel, let us be more than satisfied to possess Christ. And let's always remember that Christian worship seeks to realize the presence of Him who said: “I am in the midst.” Without that a Church is an empty void; with that, a barn will be heaven. 
  My Friends, One earnest man can arouse an entire community. Let a fire glow in our hearts, and it will spread.  Be assured of God’s presence and favor, Our Nation will be healed quickly from this COVID-19 virus. It is time for all Christians to renew their vigor and  to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your Church doors might be shut, but remember these words; "I am in the mist of them."  
Amen!

Reading: Devotional Scripture
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

 The Cross Life Ministry

Place It In God's Hands

Psalm 91:9-10  

"Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, 

even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no 

evil befall thee, neither shall any plague 

come nigh thy dwelling." 

   We as Believers have a state of blessedness under the shelter of of God's care, which encourages us to practice our "Faith."  We may say we have faith, but when we say, "I have faith, I will place this in God's hands." We must see and believe what we just turned over to God. God needs to see our faith in our heart and our actions.

   My Friends, Our conceptions of God’s care is narrow. We fail to make enough use of the power, love, and presence of His fatherhood which, He is waiting and longing to be called upon. Only we must exercise an appropriating faith. 

Amen!

Reading: Ps. 91:1-16

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

  

Will You Hear?

2 Timothy 4:1  

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, 

who shall judge the quick and the dead 

at his appearing and his kingdom;" 

   Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead. Some day our work will be tested, by none other than Jesus himself. As Christian we must do every task in such a way that we can offer it to Christ. We are not concerned with the criticism of men. The one thing that a Christian looks forward to is the, "Well done!" of Jesus Christ. If we all did our work in that spirit, the difference would be magnificent. It would save us from the touchy spirit which is caused by criticism; it would save us from the self important spirit which is concerned with personal rights and personal prestige; it would save us from the self centered spirit which demands thanks and praise for its every act; it would even save us from being hurt by men's ingratitude. 

   My Friends, The Christian should keep his life in order so that at any moment he is ready for the coming of Christ. The day will come when the kingdoms of the world will be the Kingdom of the Lord. Our work must be such that it will stand the scrutiny of Christ. Our lives must welcome the appearance of the King. Our service must demonstrate the reality of our citizenship of the Kingdom of God. Will You Hear "Well Done" when that time comes.

Amen!

Reading: 2 Tim. 4:1-5

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

The Gospel

Romans 3:23-25 

 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely

by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God 

hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to 

declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that 

are past, through the forbearance of God"

   The supreme problem of life is, How can a man get into a right relationship with God? How can he feel at peace with God? How can he escape the feeling of fear in the presence of God? In a court of law, if an innocent man appears before a judge, then to treat him as innocent is to acquit him; we call it justification. But the point about a man's relationship to God is that he is utterly guilty, and yet God, in his amazing mercy, treats him, reckons him, accounts him as if he were innocent. That is what justification means. 

   When Paul says that "God justifies the ungodly," he means that God treats the ungodly as if he had been a good man. How can I know that God is like that? I know because Jesus said so. He came to tell us that God loves us, bad as we are. He came to tell us that, although we are sinners, we are still dear to God. When we discover that and believe it, it changes our whole relationship with God. We are conscious of our sin, but we are no longer in terror and no longer estranged. Regretful and brokenhearted we come to God, and we know that the God we come to, "is love." 

   My Friends, That is what justification by faith in Jesus Christ means. It means that we are in a right relationship with God because we believe with all our hearts that what Jesus told us about God is true. We are no longer terrorized strangers from an angry God. We are children, trusting in their Father's love for forgiveness. And we could never have found that right relationship with God, if Jesus had not come to live and to die to tell us how wonderfully he loves us. 

Amen!

Reading: Rom. 3:19-26

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

What Is Our Aim In Life?

2 Timothy 3:14  

"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned 

and hast been assured of, knowing of 

whom thou hast learned them;" 

     As individuals, we should sometimes ask ourselves: "what is our aim in life?" As parents and as teachers we should ask ourselves, what should we teach our children that would be most beneficial,  is it "knowledge or life?" We should also ask ourselves what is the underlying purpose? In all life there is nothing so creative or productive as a clear consciousness of a purpose. Stand on your faith, and complete belief that God's commands are binding and that His promises are true. 

    We must have patience with people. It is the ability not to lose patience when people are foolish, not to grow irritable when they seem unteachable. It is the ability to accept the folly, the perversity, the blindness, the ingratitude of men and still to remain gracious, and still move forward, that is love.          
    My Friends, This is God's attitude to men. It is the attitude which bears with everything men can do and refuses to be either angry or bitter, and which will never seek anything but their highest good. To love man is to forgive them and care for them as God forgave and cares for us.  It is only God who can enable us to do that. Scriptures give the wisdom which will bring salvation. 
Amen!

Reading: 2 Tim. 3:14-17
Ref:HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry

Times Not On Your Side, God Is

2 Timothy 3:1  

"This know also, that in the last days 

perilous times shall come." 

    This present age is altogether evil and it get's more ungodly every day. The good news is the age to come is to be the "Golden age of God," and in between is "The Day of The Lord." It's the day when God will personally intervene and shatter the world in order to remake it. That Day of the Lord will be preceded by a time of terror, when evil will gather itself for its final assault and the world will be shaken to it's core. 
    It will be the inaugurating day of the eternal rule of God and the triumphant day of Christ's return to earth in glory. This is when man's day will close, "man's judgment," "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self," (1 Cor. 4:3). It will be inaugurated with the rapture of the Church, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality," (1 Cor. 15:51-53).
    My Friends, The day of the Lord in prophetic times will cover the time of the coming tribulation Rev. (6-19) and the reign of Christ on David's Throne (Rev. 20). It will be brought to an end by the judgment of the Great White Throne (Re. 20:11-15) and the ushering in of the new heavens and earth called "The Day of God" (2 Pet.3:10-13). This is just a peek into the coming of the last days. However, there is a complete study of the book of Revelation on my Blog, under the Tab study of Revelations.  
Amen!

Reading:Devotional Scripture
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    
    

Don't Live In Fear

2 Timothy 1:7  

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; 

but of power, and of love, 

and of a sound mind." 

    Now I am not talking about fearing the power of God, but the things you can't control see or hear and especially the unknown. I believe that not knowing the outcome of any one situation stirs up a fear in us all. As Christians, we must have control of ourselves in the face of panic or passion. It is Christ alone who can give us that self control which will keep us from being swept away and from running away. No man can ever rule others unless he first controls himself. 

   My Friends, Any suffering is healed in the power of God. To the world, the gospel is the power to live. "God gave men life, but some men take their own lives away"(by choice). The gospel was, and is, power, power to conquer self, power to master circumstances, power to go on living when life is unlivable, power to be a Christian when being a Christian looks impossible. Don't live In Fear, call upon Jesus Christ and be Saved today!

Amen!

                                            "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;"                                                             

Reading: Devotional

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Deluding Ourselves And Others

2 Peter 2:13

"And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure

to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting

themselves with their own deceivings

while they feast with you;" 

   What Paul is saying here is not only religious truth but also sound common sense. The pleasures of the body are subject to the law of diminishing returns. They soon loose their thrill, so as time goes on it takes more and more of them to satisfy. There is self-destruction in fleshly pleasure! To make such pleasure the be-all, it will end-all! It is a suicidal way of life and in the end even the pleasure is lost. The point Peter is making is this, and it is eternally valid; If a man dedicates himself to these fleshly pleasures, in the end he destroys himself in bodily health, and in spiritual and mental character, that he cannot enjoy them. They are like blots on the Christian fellowship; and makes it unfit to be offered to God.
   My Friends, "The hand and the eye, are the brokers of sin." As Jesus said, such people look in order to lust "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart," (Matt. 5:28). Today many men and women
have come to such a stage that they cannot look on anyone without lust in their heart and mind. Now is the time to put our trust in God. "We must lay everything on God's table to be sanctified, before we can sit at God's Glorious Table"   
Amen!

Reading: 2 Peter 2:12-14
Ref: HG SB; BDSB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Return And Rest In God

Isaiah 30:15  

"For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; 

In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness 

and in confidence shall be your strength: 

and ye would not." 

   The method God used to guide Israel into salvation and strength was, "In returning and rest shall ye be saved." The God that knew them, and knew what was proper for them, and desired their welfare, gave them this prescription; and it is recommended to us all. Would we be saved from every evil and calamity and guarded against the temptation of it and secured from the curse of it?  It must be in returning and rest, in returning to God and placing our rest in Him. Let us return from our evil ways, into which we have gone aside, and rest and settle in the way of God and duty, and that is the way to be saved. Return and rest satisfied in the will of God, and then you may trust Him with your safety.  Return through reformation of your hearts and lives, and entire submission of your souls to God and rest in God. 

   My Friends, Would we be strengthened to do what is required of us and to bear what is laid upon us? It must be in quietness and in confidence; we must keep our spirits calm and a continual dependence upon God, and His power and goodness. We must maintain into ourselves a holy quietness, and keeping the peace in our own minds. And we must rely upon God with a holy confidence that He can do what He will and will do what is best for His people. And this will be our strength. It will inspire us with a holy fortitude and will carry us with ease and courage through all the difficulties we may face. "Remember God's prescription: In returning and rest shall ye be saved."
Amen!

Reading: Is. 30:15-18
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family 

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

We Must Be Reminded

2 Peter 3:1-2  

"This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which

I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye 

may be mindful of the words which were spoken 

before by the holy prophets, and of the 

commandment of us the apostles 

of the Lord and Saviour:" 

    Here Paul is talking about the principles of preaching. He is reminding us that it is necessary to have Scripture said over and over again to get it embedded in our minds. Having God's word repeated over and over is not weariness, but safe as Paul said in (Philippians 3:1), " Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe."

   My Friends, We are all guilty of wanting to hear new things, when what is needed is to hear repetition of the eternal truths which we so quickly forget and we so often refuse to see. There are certain foods that we don't get tired of, that's necessary for our daily sustenance that are set before us every day. We speak about a man's daily bread and there are certain great Christian truths which have to be repeated again and again and must never be pushed to the back in the desire for other things of much less importance.

Amen!

Reading: Devotional Scripture 

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry