As A Men Needs

James 1:9-10 

"Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as 

the flower of the grass he shall pass away."

    Christianity brings to every man what he needs. As the despised poor learns self respect, so the proud rich learns humiliation. Christianity brings to the poor man a new sense of his own value. He learns that he matters in the Church. In the early church there were no class distinctions. It could happen that the slave was the minister of the congregation, preaching and dispensing the sacrament, while the master was no more than a humble member.
    In the Church the social distinctions of the world are obliterated, and no one person matters more than any other. We have learned that we matter in the world. It is the teaching of Christianity that every man in this world has a task to do. Every Christian is of use to God and even if we be confined to a bed of pain, the power of our prayers can still act on the world of men.  My Friends, we matter to God for no man is worthless for whom Christ died. 

    The great peril of riches is that they tend to give a man a false sense of security. He feels that he is safe; he feels that he has the resources to cope with anything and to buy himself out of any situation he may wish to avoid. In the desert places, if there is a shower of rain, the thin green shoots of grass will sprout; but one day's burning sunshine will make them vanish as if they had never been. 

    To some it all up: If life is so uncertain and man so vulnerable, calamity and disaster may come at any moment. Since that is so, a man is a fool to put all his trust in things like wealth which he may lose at any moment. He is only wise if he puts his trust in things which he cannot lose. My Friends, we all must admit our essential human helplessness and humbly is to put our trust in God, who alone can give the things which abide for ever. 

Amen!

Reading: James 1:1-11

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry  

Christians, We Have A Goal!

Hebrews 12:1  

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so 

great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every 

weight, and the sin which doth so easily 

beset us, and let us run with patience 

the race that is set before us,"

     In our Christian life we have a goal! The Christian is not an unconcerned stroller along the byways of life; he is a wayfarer on the high road. He is not a tourist, who returns each night to the place from which he starts; he is a pilgrim who is for ever on the way. The goal is nothing less than the likeness of Christ. The Christian life is going forward, and it would be wise if, at the end of each day we were to ask ourselves: "Am I any closer today than yesterday"?
    In our Christian life we have a presence, the presence of Jesus. He is the goal of our journey and the companion as we travel on our way. The wonder of the Christian life is that we press on surrounded by the saints, oblivious to everything but the glory of the goal and forever in the company of Him who has already made the journey and reached the goal, and who waits to welcome us when we reach the end. 

Amen!

Reading:  Heb. 12:1-11

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You 

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry

                 

 

O' How Your Loved!

Psalm 147:4

"He telleth the number of the stars; he 

calleth them all by their names."

 

    Few things compare to looking up at the night sky and gazing at the brilliant stars. On a clear night we might be able to spot a few thousand stars. But how many stars are actually there? According to astronomers, our Milky Way alone contains about 400 billion stars. However, there are many other galaxies in the universe, about 170 of them, some of which are estimated to contain more than 100 trillion stars! So how many stars are there in the universe? Astronomers estimate approximately 1024 stars. That’s a one followed by 24 zeros. 
    No matter how you figure it, that’s a lot of stars! Given that number, we now have a new appreciation for David’s claim in Psalm 147 that God determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 

    This single verse expresses the incredible magnitude of God’s omnipotence. God created each of the trillions of stars. He knows exactly how many there are and where each one is located. However, even more amazing is that God has a relationship, so to speak, with each and every star. He looks at each individual star, assesses its qualities, and gives it a fitting name. God knows each star intimately, by name.

    So what does this have to do with the seven billion human beings that occupy planet Earth? Often, many God fearing believers make the mistake of thinking that while God surely created the world and guides its course, He has very little to do with the nuances of our personal daily lives. Why would the Creator of the world care what I have for dinner tonight? Why would God take the time to listen to my prayers when there are billions of prayers being offered every day? However, as David teaches us, if God can have a relationship with every single star, how much more so is He involved in, and does He care about, the tiny details of every human life?

    God is involved in every aspect of life, no matter how big or how small, how important or how insignificant. In fact, every blade of grass has  God's personal attention over it, encouraging it to grow. If that’s the kind of attention grass warrants, can you imagine how much God cares about us?

    Next time you look up at the night sky and marvel at the billions of stars in the universe, take a moment to appreciate the fact that just as God knows them and loves them all, so does He know and love each of us infinitely! 
Amen!

Ref: Ps. 147
Space.com > Science & Astronomy

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Joy In Serving God

 Ecclesiastes 12:13

 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, 

and keep his commandments: for this 

is the whole duty of man"

    So why is it, that of all books in the Bible, we choose to read Ecclesiastes?  It’s not exactly an upbeat book. Yes, it is profound, wise, and even life changing. But it doesn’t have much to do with joy. After all, the underlying theme of the book is that we are all going to get old and die. Everything that we do in life, at least on the physical plane, is ultimately meaningless. We leave it all behind when we die.

    Friends, we often mistake the valued commodities of this world such as money, possessions, prestige, fame to be true wealth, when the real diamonds, acts of kindness, good deeds, faith are all around us. As Solomon explained at the end of Ecclesiastes, the only important thing is to fear God and follow in His ways. Those are the real diamonds, and they are available to us all.
    Let us remember, whether we come with a little or a lot "To God,"  Ecclesiastes gives us the proper perspective on life. It doesn’t matter how much we have because that’s not where our joy will be found. True joy comes with serving God, and that, my friends, is priceless. 

Amen!

Reading: Eccl. 12:1-14

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

God Takes Care Of His Own

Psalm 37:7

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:"

    As human beings we have the tendency of not wanting to wait on anything in our lives. However, as Christians we must learn to wait on our Lord. Everything in this world is on God's time clock, and all things have their allotted time and place. Jesus lived by God's calendar throughout His life, and he tried to teach His disciples to live by that timetable. 

    Often a time of waiting corresponds to a "dip" in our lives. For a while our lives move up and to the right, but then that growth slowed or stopped, and we felt as though we were in a dark valley. We've probably all had that experience some time in our lives.  This is a time while in the "dip" we fail our marriages, family, our ministry and our self. But on the other side of the "dip" is where we will see the most spiritual growth and fruit. 

    My friends, as we start this day let us start with prayer and guidance from God. "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say , on the Lord" (Ps. 27:14) 

Amen!

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    

God Will Fix What Is Broken

Amos 9:11

"In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, 

and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up 

his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old."

    Only something that is empty can be filled. Only that which is broken and isn’t whole can be made whole by God. God spreads peace and wholeness over the broken and rejected. There is a time when our brokenness is celebrated, and it is through our emptiness that we are able to receive God.

    We may regret all the things we do wrong in our lives, but not with what went wrong with our lives. Because our broken places create ideal spaces in which to receive God. My Friends, during the rest of this year and the upcoming year, let’s pray that God will fix all that is broken, both in our own personal lives and also in our world. Let us pray too, that God may spread  His shelter of peace over Israel and the world.
Amen!

Reading: Amos 9:11-15
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Look Out For One Another

Galatians 6:10

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do

good unto all men, especially unto them

who are of the household of faith."

    Paul encouraged the believers in Galatia to see anothers needs. This was based on the principle that whatever a man sows he will also reap, (Gal. 6:7). We will reap at the proper time if we don't give up. Paul places a lot of emphasis on being good, especially for those of the household of faith. Needs of others are important every day, and especially during times of disaster.
    We see on Television and Online, during and after a disaster Celebrities and other organizations appeal for money and supplies, and this calls us into action and many of us give a donation of some kind. There is nothing wrong with writing a check for 100.00 dollars of course. But consider this, is it unusual to write a check for 100.00 to be sent to third world countries instead of our own church's.
    Paul puts emphasis on the household of faith (the church). Is he wrong?  I say No! My friends I ask you to look at our churches around us. Some churches that once were full are now empty and closed. Some of our churches can't pay their bills, because of to much money being sent to third world countries, plus attendance has dropped in some churches because they can't afford to buy the materials they need to aid them in teaching the Word of God. My friends, again let me say there is nothing wrong with giving donations to any Charity of your choice. However, I will ask you to always put, Our God First. 
Amen!

Reading: Gal. 6:6-10
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. 

The Cross Life Ministry