Trust In Him

Isaiah 50:10-11  

"Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of 

his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him 

trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God. Behold, 

all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about 

with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in 

the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye 

have of mine hand; ye shall 

lie down in sorrow." 

    Grace usually appears most in believers when in darkness, Those that truly fear God, obey the voice of Christ. A servant of God may for a long time be without views of eternal happiness. 

Put your trust in the name of the Lord; and keep yourselves upon the promises of the covenant, and build your hopes on them. Let yourselves trust in Christ, trust in His Holy name, The Lord our Righteousness; stay in union with God and let Him be your God.

   Sinners are warned not to trust in themselves. Their own merit and sufficiency are what they base their life on. But their comforts are as sparks, short lived, and soon gone; yet the children of this world, while they last, seek to warm themselves by them, and walk with pride and pleasure in the light of them.  

   My Friends, Those that make the world their comfort, and their own righteousness their confidence, will certainly meet with bitterness in the end. A godly man's way may be dark, but his end shall be peace and everlasting light. A wicked man's way may be pleasant, but his end will forever be utter darkness.

Amen! 

Reading: Is. 50:10-11

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

The Last Judgement

Matthew 25:32-34  

"And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate 

them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from 

the goats:  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but 

the goats on the left "Then shall the King say unto them

 on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, 

inherit the kingdom prepared for you 

from the foundation of the world:" 

    This is a description of the last judgment. It is as an explanation of the former parables. There is a judgment to come, in which every man shall be sentenced to a state of everlasting happiness, or misery. Christ shall come, not only in the glory of His Father, but in His own glory, as Mediator. The wicked and godly dwell together, in the same cities, churches, families, and are not always known one from the other; and death takes both. But in that day they will be parted forever. Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd; He will shortly distinguish between those that are His, and those that are not. What ever you are at death saint or sinner holy or unholy, that state will remain forever. The happiness the saints shall possess is very great. It is a kingdom; the most valuable possession on earth; yet this is but a faint resemblance of the blessed state of the saints in heaven. It is a kingdom prepared. The Father provided it for believers  in the greatness of His wisdom and power; the Son purchased it for all mankind; and the blessed Spirit, is preparing believers for the kingdom 

    It is prepared from the foundation of the world. The Saints shall inherit it. What we inherit is not got by ourselves. It is God that makes heirs of heaven. We are not to think that having a lot on this earth will entitle us to eternal happiness. Good works done for God's sake, through Jesus Christ, will be noticed as marking the character of believers made holy by the Spirit of Christ, and as the effects of grace bestowed on those who do them. 

    My Friends, The wicked in this world were often called to come to Christ for life and rest, but they turned from His calls; and justly they will depart from Christ, because they would not come to Him. Condemned sinners will in vain offer excuses. The punishment of the wicked will be an everlasting punishment; their state cannot be altered. Life and death, good and evil, the blessing and the curse, are set before us, that we may choose our way, and as our way so shall our end be.

Amen!

Reading: Matt. 25:31-46

Ref; HG SB; OSB

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Go Ye Forth To Meet Him

Matthew 25:1 

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which 

took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom." 

    The circumstances of the parable of the ten virgins were taken from the marriage customs among the Jews, and explain the great day of Christ's coming.  As Christians we profess to call upon Christ, to honor Him, also to be waiting for His coming. Sincere Christians are the wise virgins, and hypocrites the foolish ones. Those truly wise or foolish, are so in the affairs of their souls. Many have a lamp of profession in their hands, but have not, in their hearts, sound knowledge and a settled resolution, which are needed to carry them through the trials that they may face. Our light must shine before men in good works; but this is not likely to last long, unless there is a fixed, active principle in the heart, of faith in Christ, and love to God and our brethren. 

    My Friends, The delay represents the space between the conversion of the true believers and the coming of Christ, to take them away by death, or to judge the world. But though Christ tarry past our time, He will not tarry past the due time. The wise virgins kept their lamps burning, but they did not keep themselves awake. Too many real Christians become negligent, and one degree of carelessness makes way for them to allow themselves to slumber. A startling summons will be given. Go ye forth to meet Him, is a call to those prepared. The notice of Christ's approach, and the call to meet Him, will awaken! Even those best prepared for death have work to do to get actually ready, "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (2 Peter 3:14)".

Amen! 

Reading: Matthew 25:1-13

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Vision Of The Future PT-4

Matthew 24:29-30  

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the 

moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the

powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  And then shall appear the 

sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the 

tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the 

Son of man coming in the clouds of 

heaven with power and great glory."  

    Christ foretells His second coming. He foretold that there shall be a great change, in order to  make all things new. Then they (we) shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds. At his first coming, He was not excepted well and was treated and crucified like a criminal. but at His second coming, Christ will be the one to be admired. Sooner or later, all sinners will be mourners; but repenting sinners look to Christ, and mourn after a godly sort; and those who sow in those tears shall shortly reap in joy.

    Sinners shall see Him whom they have pierced, and, though they laugh now, they will mourn and weep in endless horror and despair. The elect of God are scattered abroad; there are some in all places, and all nations; but when that great gathering day comes, there shall not one be missing. No matter where you are as a believer, none will be kept out of heaven. Our Lord does declare that the Jews should never cease to be a distinct people, until all things He had been predicting were fulfilled. His prophecy reaches to the day of final judgment; therefore Jesus in v-34,  foretells that Judah shall never cease to exist as a distinct people, so long as this world shall endure.

    Men of the world scheme and plan for generation upon generation, but most don't plan with reference to and the approaching, of Christ's second coming, which shall do away with every human scheme, and set aside for ever, all that God forbids. 

    That will be a surprising  day,  just as it was overwhelming to the old world. Apply this, first, to temporal judgments, particularly that which was then hastening upon the nation and people of the Jews. Secondly, to the eternal judgment. Christ here shows the state of the old world when the flood came. They were secure and careless; they knew not, until the flood came; and they believed not. Did we know aright that all earthly things must shortly pass away, we should not set our eyes and hearts so much upon them as we do. 

    The evil day is not that further away; but  mankind keeps putting it far from them. What words can more strongly describe the suddenness of our Savors coming! Men will be at their respective businesses, and suddenly the Lord of glory will appear. Women will be in their house employments, but in that moment every other work will be laid aside, and every heart will turn inward and say, It is the Lord! Am I prepared to meet Him? Can I stand before Him? And what, in fact, is the day of judgment to the whole world, but the day of death to every one? 

    My Friends, To watch for Christ's coming, is to maintain that temper of mind which we would be willing that our Lord should find us in. We know we have but a little time to live, much less do we know the time fixed for the judgment. Our Lord's coming will be happy to those that shall be found ready, but very dreadful to those that are not. If a man, professing to be the servant of Christ, be an unbeliever, covetous, ambitious, or a lover of pleasure, he will be cut off. Those who choose the world for their portion in this life, will have hell for their portion in the other life. May our Lord, when He returns, pronounce us blessed, and present us to the Father, washed in His blood, purified by His Spirit, and fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.  

Amen!

Reading: Matt. 24:29-51

Ref: HG SB; OSB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry

Vision Of The Future PT-3

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2  

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and 

by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, 

or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, 

as that the day of Christ is at hand" 

    The disciples had asked concerning the times, When these things should be? Christ gave them no answer to that; but they had also asked, What shall be the sign? This question He answers fully. The prophecy first covers events near at hand, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Jewish church and state. The calling of the Gentiles, and the setting up of Christ's kingdom in the world; but it also looks to the general judgment  What Christ said to His disciples, meant more to promote caution than to satisfy their curiosity; more to prepare them for the events that should happen, than to give a distinct idea of the events. This is an understanding of the times which all should possess, instead of being interested in what Israel ought to do. Our Savior cautioned all His disciples, then and now to stand on their guard against false teachers. 

    Jesus foretells wars and great commotions among nations. From the time that the Jews rejected Christ, and He left their house desolate, the sword never departed from them. "All must See what comes of refusing the gospel."  Those who will not hear the messengers of peace, shall be made to hear the messengers of war. Where the heart is fixed, trusting in God, it is kept in peace, and is not afraid. It is against the mind of Christ, that His people should have troubled hearts, even in troubles times. When we looked toward to the eternity of misery that is before the obstinate refuters of Christ and his gospel, we may truly say, "The greatest earthly judgments are but the beginning of sorrows." However It is comforting that some shall endure even to the end. 

    "Our Lord foretells the preaching of the gospel in all the world. The end of the world shall not be till the gospel has done its work."  Christ foretells the ruin coming upon the people of the Jews; and what He said here, would be of use to His disciples, for their conduct and for their comfort, and it would also be of use for believers today. If God opens a door of escape, we ought to make our escape, otherwise we do not trust God, but tempt Him. It becomes Christ's disciples, in times of public trouble, to be much in prayer, and that is never out of season, but in a special manner seasonable when we are distressed on every side. Though we must take what God sends, yet we may pray against sufferings, Amen!   

    My Friends, Christ foretells the rapid spreading of the gospel in the world. It can plainly be seen today. Christ preached his gospel openly. So should we! The Romans were like an eagle, and the ensign of their armies was an eagle. When people, by their sin, make themselves as a dead carcasses, nothing can be expected, except that God should send enemies to destroy them. It is very applicable to the day of judgment, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in that day. Let us give diligence to make our calling and election sure; then may we know that no enemy or deceiver shall ever prevail against us.

Amen!

Reading: Matt. 24:4-28

Ref. HGSB; DSB; OBS

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

Vision Of The Future PT-2

 Matthew 24:7-8  

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 

and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,

in divers places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows." 

     Emil Schurer, a German theologian sums it up in his book,The history of the Jewish people in the age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C.- A.D. 135). He shares with us, the Jewish ideas of the day of the Lord, ideas from Jewish literature and what everyone knew in the time of Jesus."The sun and moon will be darkened, swords appear in heaven, trains of horses and foot march through the clouds. Everything in nature falls into commotion and confusion. The sun appears by night, the moon by day. Blood trickles from wood, the stone gives forth a voice, and salt is found in fresh water. Places that have been sown will appear as unsown, full barns be found empty, and the springs of wells be stopped. Among men all restraints of order will be dissolved, sin and ungodliness rule upon earth. And men will fight against each other as if stricken with madness, the friend against the friend, the son against the father, the daughter against the mother. Nation will rise against nation, and to war shall be added earthquake, fire and famine, whereby men shall be carried off." 

    Such were the terrible pictures of the day of the Lord. The verses are (Matt. 24:6-8) and (Matt. 24:29-31). Some verses deal with the persecution which the followers of Christ will have to endure. These are (Matt. 24:9-10). Some verses deal with the threats which will develop against the life and purity of the Church. These are (Matt. 24:4-5, Matt. 24:11-13 and Matt. 24:23-26). Some verses speak directly of the Second Coming of Christ. These are (Matt. 24:3, Matt. 24:14 and Matt. 24:27-28). 

    Remember Chapter 24 started with the disciples showing Jesus the buildings of the Temple, and what His reply was. Well the Temple angle stones have been found which measure from 20 to 40 feet in length, and which weigh more than 100 tons. How they were ever cut and placed in position is one of the mysteries of ancient engineering. Little wonder that the Galilean fishermen looked and called Jesus' attention to them. Jesus' answered; "that the day would come when not one of these stones would be left standing upon the other" and Jesus was right. In A.D. 70 the Romans, finally exasperated by the rebellious intransigence of the Jews, gave up all attempt at pacification and turned to destruction, and Jerusalem and the Temple were laid waste so that Jesus' prophecy literally came true. 

    My Friends Here spoke Jesus the prophet and our Lord.  Jesus knew that the way of power politics can end only in doom. The man and the nation which will not take the way of God are heading for disaster even in material things. The man and the nation which refuse the dream of God will find their own dreams shattered as well..  

Amen!

Reading: Devotional Scriptures

Ref: HG SB; DSB

Emil Schurer Author  

History Of Jewish People in time of Christ 

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry 

The Vision Of The Future (PT--1)

Matthew 24:3  

"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, 

saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the 

sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"  

    In Chapter 1 Matthew gathers together things that Jesus said about the future and gives us the vision of things to come. Matthew put together sayings of Jesus about different aspects of the future; and it will make this difficult chapter much easier to understand (if) we spiritually focus and look at them one by one. It will be best if, first of all, we look at these verses as a whole; next, we set down the various aspects of the future with which they deal; and last, we try to assign each section to its place in the pattern. We cannot claim certainty but, the general vision will become clear. 

    There is the composite vision of the future which Matthew collects for us; lets now try to understand the various parts in it. Some verses which foretell the terrible days of the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, the Roman general, a siege which was one of the most terrible in all history, (Matt. 24:15-22). Some verses tell of the ultimate complete destruction of Jerusalem and its reduction to a heap of ruins, (Matt. 24:1-2).  

    Some verses gives us a picture from the Jewish conception of the Day of the Lord. The Jews divided all time into two ages, this present age, and the age to come. The present age is wholly bad and beyond all hope of human reformation. It can be mended only by the direct intervention of God. When God does intervene the golden age, the age to come, will arrive. But in between the two ages there will come the Day of the Lord, which will be a time of terrible and fearful sudden violent, change like the birth-pangs of a new age. (BSB).

    In the Old Testament itself there is many visions of the Day of the Lord; and in the Jewish books written between the Old and the New Testaments these visions are further developed and made still more vivid and still more terrible. It will be a time of terror. "A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zeph. 1:14-18).  It will come suddenly. "The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" (1Thess.5:2).  The universe will be shattered to pieces. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood (Joel 2:30-31; Is. 13:10; Is. 13:13). 

    My Friends, It will be a time of moral chaos, when moral standards will be turned upside down, and when even nature will act contrary to herself, and when wars and violence and hatred will be the common atmosphere of life. We must look around and see these signs that God is given us! Prepare for Jesus Christ return!!  

Amen!

Reading:  Matt. 24:1-31

Devotional Scriptures

Ref: KJV, HGSB; DSB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Shutting The Door

Matthew 23:13

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 

for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: 

for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer 

ye them that are entering to go in"  

 

    Here Jesus directs a series of seven woes against the Scribes and Pharisees. They all began with these words: "Woe to you!" it is hard to translate for it includes not only wrath, but also sorrow. There is righteous anger here, but it is the anger of the heart of love, broken by the stubborn blindness of men. a pretender, one who acts a part, one who wears a mask to cover his true feelings, one who puts on an external show while inwardly his thoughts and feelings are very different. To Jesus the Scribes and Pharisees were men who were acting a part. What he meant was this. Their whole idea of religion consisted in outward observances, Still so much like ours today. To Jesus these Scribes and Pharisees were men who, under a mask of elaborate godliness, concealed hearts in which the most godless feelings and emotions were held. And that accusation holds "TRUE" in greater or lesser degree of any man who lives life on the assumption that religion consists in external observances and external acts! There is an unwritten saying of Jesus which says, "The key of the Kingdom they hid." His condemnation of these Scribes and Pharisees is that they are not only failing to enter the Kingdom themselves, they shut the door on the faces of those who seek to enter. What did he mean by this accusation? 

   The Pharisees preferred their ideas of religion to God's idea of religion. They had forgotten the basic truth that, if a man would teach others, he must himself first listen to God. The gravest danger which any teacher or preacher encounters is that he should erect his own prejudices into universal principles and substitute his own ideas for the truth of God. When he does that he is not a guide, but a barrier, to the Kingdom, for, misled himself, he misleads others. 

Amen! 

Reading: Matt. 23:13-26

Ref: HG SB; BSB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry