THE ENEMY

John 10:10 

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:

 I am come that they might have life, and that

 they might have it more abundantly." 

Our Real Enemy!

    As we search the Scriptures, we see that God is not the one sending us to Hell.  He is not the one causing all the tragedies in our everyday life.  If we can understand this, perhaps it would be possible for man to see Our Real Enemy, the one that want's to destroy us by any means possible, and it is not God!  "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil," (1 John 3:8). 
During Jesus' earthly ministry, He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out devils, teached and preach the Kingdom of God and repentance. Demonic powers exist and cause evil. In addition, man has a free will to cooperate with evil and to disobey God's instructions if he chooses to. 

   Many do not realize that evil powers are very real. I am not saying that there is a demon behind every tree. Most of the times the evil and troublesome things that occur are result of man's own disobedience, not the devil. However we have seen kidnapping and torture of little childern, plus the shootings that have taken place in our schools and shopping centers. There are wicked people out there, but to do something like that is "beyond mean."  That kind of evil can only come from the demonic realm, not just a crazy person.  

   My Friends, In his warfare against God, the enemy uses the human race which God created and loved. Therefore God's forces of good and Satan's forces of evil, have engaged in a deadly conflict since the dawn of History.  Apostle Paul tells us not to be ignorant of Satan's devices.

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices," (2 Cor 2:11).

One thing Paul was certain of; not all the world could defeat Christ. He did not live in pessimistic fear, but in glorious optimism. Paul knew the unconquerable majesty of Christ.

Amen! 

Reading: 1 Peter 5:8

Ref: HGSB

May God Bless You

 And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail

The Cross Life Ministry

Are We Entitled In God's House?

 John 3:36  

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: 

and he that believeth not the Son 

shall not see life; but the wrath 

of God abideth on him." 

Are We Entitled To Live In God's House? 

   Suppose you knocked on the door of the most beautiful and expensive home in the country, and told the owners, "I'm moving in with you." What do you think they would say? The answer would be NO! Why would they welcome you? You have no relationship with them. So you who questions God's fairness, live your entire life having nothing to do with God, even denying that Jesus is the Son of God. You then come knocking on God's door at your death and say "Excuse me; I'm moving in with you!"

   Why would you think you have the right to move into God's House? Why should He let you in? You never ask Him to be your Father, after He offered Himself to you during your life on earth. As a matter a fact you denied His Son as your Lord and Savior, who told you that the only way to Heaven was through Him;   Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also."  (Joh 14:6-7a).

   You say, "He knows me, and He supposed to be a loving God!" He knows you exist but he don't know you personally. He is not your God, He is your creator. "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity," (Matt. 7:23). How terrible would that be to hear from the lips of God? 

   My Friends. The fact that God gives us a choice to have a relationship with Him, proves that He is a Loving God. It is up to us to make that choice to have a relationship with God. Let me end this with a good note: We all know our life will end one day, and there will be a choice of two homes we could go to; Heaven or Hell!  Now my friends, let me give you the punch line.  YOU NEED TO CHOOSE RIGHT NOW!!! 

Amen!!

Reading:  Acts 4:12

                  Rom. 3:30, 10:9-10

                 1 Tim. 2:5

                John 1:12

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

7 Cry's From The Cross

John 19:25  

"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's

sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene." 

7 Cry's From The Cross (pt-2) 

     Just a Quick review, we have only covered Jesus' first and second cry from the cross.  the order of events were, (1) The arrival at Golgotha. (2) The offer of the stupefying drink was refused. (3) Jesus was crucified between two thieves. The soldiers part His garments, and the Jews and the thieves mock Jesus, but one repents and believes.

   The Third Cry From The Cross:  When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! (John 19:26). After that Jesus told the disciple standing with Mary,  "Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." (19:27).  Our Lord was put on the cross at (9:am) ("the third hour") of the day. Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land from noon until (3 p.m.) ("sixth" till " ninth" hour,"). Therefore here the ("sixth hour") could not be Hebrew time (noon), but (6:am) "When the morning was come," (Matt. 27:1). 

   The Fourth Cry From The Cross:   "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46). Our Lord was speaking in Aramaic. The pronunciation of the first word of His cry from the cross, "Eloi" or "Eli," (Matt. 27:46). It is very similar to the Hebrew Pronunciation of "Elijah" or it's Greek counterpart, "Elias"  The Fifth Cry From The Cross:  "After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst." (John 19:28). If Jesus was ever to redeem man, He must become man. He had to become what we are in order to make us what He is. That is why John stresses the fact that Jesus felt thirst; He wished to show that He was really human and really underwent the agony of the Cross.

   The Sixth Cry From The Cross: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost, (John 19:30.  My Friends, I don't believe this was a cry; it was, "The Shout Of Victory."

 During the three hours which the darkness continued, Jesus was in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and suffering his Father's displeasure against the sin of man, for which he was now making his soul an offering. Never were there three such hours since the day God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; it was the turning point of that great affair, man's redemption and salvation.

   The Seventh Cry From The Cross:  "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." (Luke 23:46).  Christ, just before He gave up His spirit, spoke in His full strength, to show that His life was not forced from Him, but was freely delivered into His Father's hands. He had strength to defy the powers of death: and to show that by the eternal Spirit He offered Himself, He cried with a loud voice, Then He yielded up His Spirit. The Son of God did die by the violence of the pain He was put to upon the cross. His soul was separated from His body, and so his body was left really and truly dead. It was certain that Christ did die, for it was needful that He should die. He had undertaken to make himself an offering for sin, and He did it when He willingly gave up His life. 

   My Friends, The rending of the veil signified that Christ, by His death, opened a way to God. We have an open way through Christ to the throne of grace, (the mercy-seat), and to the throne of glory, from now to hereafter.

Amen!

Reading: Same As (pt-1)

Ref: HGSB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

7 Cry's From The Cross

Matthew 27:46  

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, 

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God,

 my God, why hast thou forsaken me"? 

7 Cry's From The Cross (pt-1)

   Christ was led as a Lamb to the slaughter, a Sacrifice for all mankind.  Taking the cross from Him, they compelled Simon to bear it.  Make us ready, O Lord, to bear the cross thou hast appointed us, and daily to take it up with cheerfulness, following thee.  And when we behold what manner of death He died, let us in that, truly see the depth of His  love for us.  As if His death, so painful a death, were not enough, they added to its bitterness and terror in several ways. 

   When they arrived at Golgotha, known as the place of the Skull. Christ was offered a stupefying drink. Christ did not take it. Why? Because He knew that it was mixed with medicine that was given for pain to all who were crucified. Our Lord knew the pain and agony that He had to bare for our sins. Christ had to suffer everything for us, from being crowned with thorns and mocked, beaten to the point that a normal man could not survive let-alone, stand and carry His own Cross.  Then Jesus was nailed to the Cross and placed between two thieves. 

   My Friends, We wonder why was the two thieves tied to their cross and Jesus was nailed to His. The answer is the thieves were tied down, to hold them until they were nailed to their cross. Jesus was nailed because of our sins, there was no need to tie Jesus down, because His love held Him to The Cross. So after they raised His cross Jesus responds with this;  The First Cry From The Cross: "Then said Jesus,  Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do, and they parted his raiment, and cast lots," (Luke 23:34). The soldiers ripped His garments in pieces then divided them up between them.  The  Jews mocked Him, even the thieves mocked Jesus but one repents and believes. The thieve that repented was saved, so there is no need to worry, If You Believe, You Will Receive.  A sign was placed over Jesus' head, written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, saying This Is The King Of The Jews. The two thieves argued, but the one that believed said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.  The Second Cry From The Cross:  "And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise," (Luke 23:43).  

   Let us not take what Jesus said as just words in the Bible.  Jesus made a promise to the one believing thieve hanging beside Him; That he would be with Jesus in a twinkle of an eye. Jesus made that same promise, to all mankind that, believed Jesus is our Saviour and our Lord.   

Amen!!

Reading:  Devotional Scripture 

                   Matt. 27:33-44

                   Mark 15: 22-32 

                   Luke 23:33-43

                   John 19:17-24

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry