The Widow's Gift

Luke 21:3  

And he said, "Of a truth I say unto you, 

that this poor widow hath cast 

in more than they all." 

         He looked up and he saw many people flinging their offerings into the treasury and then came a poor widow. All she had in the world was two mites. It was the smallest of all coins, so the offering of the widow was worth one twentieth of a new penny. But Jesus said that it overvalued all the other offerings, because it was everything she had.
         There is the spirit in which a gift is given. A gift which is unwillingly given, a gift which is given with a grudge, or a gift that is given for the sake of prestige or of self-display loses more than half its value. The only real gift is that which displays the outflow of the loving heart. 
        There is the sacrifice which it involves. That which means nothing to one man may be a costly sum to another. As the rich flung their offerings into the treasury, it did not really cost them much; but the two mites of the widow woman cost her everything she had. They no doubt  calculated how much they would give; but the widow gave with that generosity which could give no more.
        Giving does not begin to be real giving until it hurts. A gift shows our love only when we have had to do without something or have had to work hard in order to give it. How many of us give to God like that?
        Amen!

Reading: (Luke 21:1-4)
               (Mark 12:41-44)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

Power To Continue

Acts 1:8

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: 

and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, 

and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

        The power of the Spirit was going to make them Christ's witnesses. That witness was to operate in every place possible, first in Jerusalem, then throughout Judaea; then Samaria, the semi-Jewish state, which would be a kind of bridge leading out into the heathen world; and finally this witness was to go out to the ends of the earth.       

        Luke has talked about waiting for the coming of the Spirit. And I'm sure we do not think that the Spirit came into existence now for the first time. It is possible for a power to always exist, but for men to experience it must be received at some given moment in time. So knowing that the Holy Trinity is, God The Father, Jesus Christ The Son, and The Holy Spirit, there came a special time  when they experienced, and a time when all ages will experience that full power which has always been present, and once received gives power to continue as witnesses for Christ. 
        Let us look at certain things about Christian witness. First, a witness is a man who says I know this is true.  For instance; In a court of law a man cannot give evidence a made up story; it must be his own personal experience. Second, the real witness is not of words but of deeds. " The witness of a man's life is irresistible.
        Third, in Greek the word for witness and the word for martyr is the same  A witness had to be ready to become a martyr. To be a witness means to be loyal no matter the cost.  My friends, as Believers in Jesus Christ, we must stand for what we, by faith believe to be true, and give our life for the Gospel Of Jesus Christ.
        Amen!

Reading: Acts 1:6-11
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr

The Cross Life Ministry

        

The Question Of Christ Commission

Luke 20:8  

And Jesus said unto them, "Neither tell 

I you by what authority 

I do these things".

        When anyone has received a divine commission, he should not have to prove it. His credentials are written large upon his life and message. It was so with John the Baptist. There was no need for him to argue his claims. The crowds in the Jordan valley; the multitudes he baptized were sufficient to attest him as God’s servant. What he said about God and sin found corroboration in their hearts. So it was with our Lord. The masses of people that followed Him and hung on His words had no doubt that He (Christ) was the heir of the vineyard.
        The leaders professed to doubt it, because, when they used the language of the parable that follows, they were reluctant to surrender their claims to the ownership of the vineyard.  Probably, sufficient stress has not been laid upon the supreme intellectual power of our Lord, which was displayed so clearly in these conflicts with the Hebrews specious, deceptive, and their oversubtle reasoning in which Jesus always came out the conqueror, by the sheer force of His mind. “We should have the mind of Christ Within Our Self !”
        Amen!!

Reading: (Luke 20:1-8)
               (Matt.21:23-27)
               (Mark 11:27-33)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

The Entrance Of The King

Luke 19:29,30  

And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, 

at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 

Saying, "Go ye into the village over against you; in the which 

at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never 

man sat: loose him, and bring him hither."

                                             
         From Jerusalem to Jericho was only seventeen miles, and now Jesus had almost reached his goal. Jerusalem, His journey's end, lay just ahead. The prophets had a regular custom that they made use again and again. When words were no effect, when people refused to listen and understand the spoken message, they resorted to some dramatic action which put their message into a picture that none could fail to see. It was just such a dramatic action which Jesus planned now. He proposed to ride into Jerusalem in a way that would be an unmistakable claim to be the Messiah, God's Anointed King. Let's look at certain things about His entry into Jerusalem. 
        It was carefully planned. It was no sudden, impulsive action. Jesus never left any thing until the last moment, He Went by God's time clock. He had his arrangement with the owners of the colt. The Lord needs was meet a long time long ago. It was an act of glorious defiance and of superlative courage.
        By this time there was a price on Jesus' head. It would have been natural that, if he must go into Jerusalem at all, he should have slipped in unseen and hidden away in some secret place in the back streets. But he entered in such a way as to focus the entry upon himself and occupy center stage. It is a breath-taking thing to think of a man with a price upon his head, an outlaw, deliberately riding into a city in such a way that every eye was fixed upon him.
        It is impossible to exaggerate the sheer courage of Jesus. It was a deliberate claim to be king, a deliberate fulfilling of the picture in (Zech. 9:9).  "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." The ass in Palestine was not the lowly beast that it is in this country. It was noble. Only in war did kings ride upon a horse; when they came in peace they came upon an ass. So Jesus by this action came as a king of love and peace, and not as the conquering military hero whom the mob expected and awaited. However my friends, Christ' next entry will be the Conqueror of The World.
        Amen! 

Reading: (Luke 19:28-44)
               (Matt. 21:1-11)
               (Mark 11:1-11)
               (John 12:12-19)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry  

The Waiting Cross

Luke 18: 31

Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them,

"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things

that are written by the prophets concerning

the Son of man shall be accomplished." 

        There are two kinds of courage. There is the courage of the man who, suddenly and without warning, is confronted with some emergency or some crisis, and without hesitation and even being reckless flings himself into it. There is the courage of the man who sees a terrible situation looming ahead and knows that nothing short of running can avoid it, and who yet goes steadfast and forward. There is no question which is the higher courage. Many a man is capable of the heroic action on the spur of the moment; it takes a man of supreme courage to go on to face something which haunts him for days ahead and which, by turning back,  he  could escape.

       With the frequent warning of what was to happen to Jesus in Jerusalem, we sometimes wonder why, when the cross came, it was such a shock and such a shattering blow to His disciples. The truth is that they simply could not take in what He was saying to them. They were obsessed with the idea of a conquering king; they still clung to that hope that He would let loose His power in Jerusalem and blast His enemies off the face of the earth.  I'm sure that some of us today holds that same hope every now and then.

       Here is a great warning to every listener. The human mind has a way of listening only to what it wants to hear. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. There is a kind of wishful thinking which believes that the unpleasant truth cannot really be true, and that the thing it does not want to happen cannot happen. A man will always struggle against the tendency to hear only what he wants to hear.

       Jesus never foretold the cross without foretelling the resurrection. He knew that shame lay before Him, but He was equally certain that glory lay before Him, too. He knew what the malice of men could do, but He knew also what the power of God could do. It was in the certainty of ultimate victory that He faced the apparent defeat of the cross. He knew that without a cross there can never be any crown.  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matt. 16:24).

        Amen!

Reading: (Luke 18:31-35)

Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

God Of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:5

"For as the sufferings of Christ abound

in us, so our consolation also

aboundeth by Christ."

        Sometimes there falls upon a man's spirit the burden and the mystery of this world we live in. In the early years of Christianity a man who chooses to become a Christian, will also face trouble. There might be abandonment by his own family, hostility from his heathen neighbors, and persecution from nonbelievers. It is always a costly thing to be a real Christian, for there can be no Christianity without its cross. 

        The answer to this suffering lies in endurance. As the silver comes purer from the fire, so the Christian can emerge finer and stronger from hard days. The Christian is the athlete of God whose spiritual muscles become stronger from the discipline of difficulties.
        Amen!!

Reading: (2 Cor. 1:1-7)
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Idolatry Explained

Isaiah 57:5 "Inflaming yourself with idols under every green  tree, slaying the children in the valley under the clefts of the rocks."          The Jews were guilty of idolatry before the captivity; but here they are being condemned once again. Their zeal in the worship of false gods, may shame our indifference in the worship of the true God. But remember service of sin is disgraceful slavery; and those who do, therefore turn themselves to hell, and will justly have their portion there. Men incline to a religion that inflames their unholy passions. They are led to do any evil, however great or vile, "if" they think it will atone for crimes, or purchase indulgence for some favorite lust.          This explains idolatry, whether pagan, Jewish, or anti-christian. Any of those who set up anything instead of God, for their hope and confidence never will come to a right end. Those who forsake the only right way, wander in a thousand bypaths. The pleasures of sin soon tire, but never satisfy. Those who care not for the word of God and his Providences, show they have no fear of God. Sin profits nothing; it ruins and destroys.         Amen!  Reading: (Is. 57:1-12)  Ref: (HGSB) May God Bless You And Your Family Minister Robert A. Lail Sr. The Cross Life Ministry

Being Grateful

Luke 17:17  

And Jesus answering said, "Were 

there not ten cleansed? but 

where are the nine?" 

         As Christ was passing through Samaria and Galilee; ten leapers got His attention from a distance and asked Him to have mercy on them, and to heal them. He sends them to the priests. This was to say you are cleansed. It would have been useless to have them pronounced unclean to the priests, and they knew it. They took Christ's word, and go away with this conviction, for they were immediately healed on their way. 
        Nine of them, satisfied with reaping the benefit of Christ power, pursue their journey to the priests, and remain Jews, not coming out of the old fold. Jesus, indeed, still acknowledged it; but they only acknowledge Him so far as to profit by His presence, and remain where they were. They saw nothing in His Person, nor in the power of God in Him, to attract them. They remain Jews.
        But the tenth, recognizes the good hand of God. He falls at the feet of Jesus, giving Him glory. The Lord bids him depart; "Go thy way; thy faith hath saved thee." He had no longer need to go to the priests. He had found God and the source of blessing in Christ, and goes away freed from the yoke which was soon to be judicially broken for all. This man seen and believed. How much more a blessing to believe and not see. 
        Amen!

Reading: (Luke 17:11-19)
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

     

The Right Use Of Money

Luke 16:11  

"If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon,

Who will commit to your trust the true riches?"

        We are all stewards, but how much do we waste! Well; might our Master deprive us of our position and trust! The unjust steward used his opportunity to get himself in with the tenants at the landowner’s cost. He had secured for himself a welcome to their homes, when his actions came to light he was dismissed. Christ did not commend his fraud, but pointed out that the children of this world are mainly for themselves when it comes to their future and prepare for its contingencies. If sinners make a wrong use of money to provide for the future, how much more should Christians make a right use of it. Doing so in the acts of good works, so when we die we may be welcomed to the eternal home by those whom they have benefited!
        Money is described as unrighteous Mammon, the name of the heathen god of wealth. It is so often associated with cheating. Money is "the least" and "not that which is our own," but God’s, to be used by us as His servants and at His direction,
        Amen!

Reading: (Luke 16:1-15)
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

Accept, Or Decline?

Genesis 28: 20,21

"And Jacob vowed a vow, saying If God will be with me, and will

keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and

raiment to put on, So that I come again to my fathers house:

and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely 

give the tenth unto thee."

        God promised Jacob two things: He assured Jacob that he was the promise carrier of both the seed and the covenant of Abraham, He also assured him of his personal safety and blessing. Now anytime an offer is made one of two things must happen; Accept or Decline. Jacob Accepted these promises by faith and desired to commune with and to serve the Lord. Many see this as being the time of Jacob's conversion.  
         As believers in the works of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we also have been promised several things of which we must;  Accept or Decline:  Redemption from sin, (Gal. 1:4; 1 John 2:1-2), Eternal Life, (John 6:47; 1 John 2:25), and a Comforter, (John 15:26; 16:7-8). If you have accepted this promises than you have also accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. That means you have made a commitment to commune and to serve the Lord. If one declines, the penalty for sin is  death, (Romans 6:23).
        My friends Jacob is in the birth line of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, however he himself had to make the choice to accept or decline, after the Lord had came to him in a dream. (Gen 28:10-22). Through the Scriptures we know that he did. I pray that all who accepts God's promises, truly accepts them by faith, and commune and serve Our Lord Daily.  
        Amen!

Reading: (Gen. 28:10-22)
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry    

Let Go And Go With Christ

Luke 14:27  

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, 

and come after me, cannot 

be my disciple."

         All must be forsaken in this world; every link with this world must be broken. The nearer anything is to the heart, the more dangerous it could become, therefore the more it must be detested. Not that the affections are evil things; but everything that binds us to earth must be sacrificed for Christ. Cost what it may, He must be followed; and one must know how to hate one's own life, and even to lose it, rather than grow lax in following the Lord. To take up one's cross, therefore, and follow Him, is the only way to be His disciple. Without this faith, it would be better not to begin building; and being conscious that the enemy is outwardly much stronger than we are, We must meet everything by faith in Christ. Everything connected with the flesh must be broken away from. "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Luke 14:34-35). We as believers are called to bear a peculiar testimony, to witness to the character of God Himself, and of Jesus Christ, of which the cross is the true Gospel. If we as disciples can not do this, then we are worth nothing. Christ had disciples that were worthy. Has the Church maintained this character of  disciples? A solemn question for us all!
        Amen!

Reading: (Luke 14:25-35)

               (Matt. 5:13)
               (Mark 9:50)
Ref:  (HGSB; DSC)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Repentance, Faith, And Prayer

Joel 2:12  

"Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me

with all your heart, and with fasting, and 

with weeping, and with mourning:"

        To repair a tear in a garment is easy, but a broken and remorseful heart can be changed only by the Grace of God, and through faith, believing in His Son Jesus Christ. The love of God should bring us to repentance. He takes no pleasure in our miseries and if men repent and turn from their sin they find an immediate and loving welcome to the Father’s heart and home. Joel had called for the trumpet to announce war; he now directs the trumpet blast to summon the people, from the highest to the lowest, to plead for help. Prayer and true repentance and faith bring an immediate answer.
        The great things God did against Egypt and Babylon are an earnest of what He will do again. The earth, Joel 2:21; the lower animals, Joel 2:22; and, above all, the children of Zion, literal and spiritual, Joel 2:23, have good reason to rejoice in what awaits them. God promises not only to forgive sin, but to make us happy and well provided as if the locust and canker worm had never settled upon our lives, if we turn to Him.  
        Amen!! 

Reading: (Joel 2:12-27)

Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Are You In A Safe Place

Psalm 27:1 

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? 

the LORD is the strength of my life; 

of whom shall I be afraid?"

         This psalm dates back to the time when the exiled king, surrounded by his enemy's, looked from his hiding place beyond the Jordan to the Holy City, where the Ark was. One thing he desired above all else, was the same that all Christians desire today. "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13-14).
 Here we have assurance, Ps. 27:1-6. God’s house for us is His presence. We may live day by day in the New Jerusalem, which needs no light of sun or candle. We are in it, though we know it not. Oh, that our eyes might be opened to see where we are!  "And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria" (2 Kings. 6:20). How Great, and beautiful our God is, who has made the Heavens and Earth!
        Amen!

Reading: (Ps. 27:1-14)
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry  

Guest And Host

Luke 14:11 

 "For whosoever exalteth himself shall

be abased; and he that humbleth

himself shall be exalted"

        We must guard against a false humility, which chooses a low seat in the hope of being invited forward. Let us watch this, because we are sometimes careless of notability except as it gives us wider opportunity. The unconscious humility and meekness of a little child are very dear to Christ. Dwell on your own defects and on the excellencies of others till you realize that you are the least of all saints! "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Phil. 3:8).
        Our Lord’s words about invitations to our houses strike at the root of much of our so called hospitality of modern society. Did not our Lord intend His words to be interpreted literally? They are imperative in their tone. He meant what He said! Some of us get so much thanks down here that there will be very little left to come to us at the resurrection of the just, when we shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive our rewards. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2Cor. 5:10).

        Amen!!

Reading: (Luke 14:7-14)

Ref: (HGSB, MSC)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

 

Both Repentance And Fruitfulness Required

Luke 13:6 

He spake also this parable; "A certain man had a fig tree 

planted in his vineyard; and he came and 

sought fruit thereon, and found none." 

        
        Our Lord did not hesitate to place great lessons on passing events. It is a art to lead men’s thoughts from the outward and transient to the unseen and eternal. The Holy Spirit often gives us Scripture to use in the happenings of His work, and when men’s hearts are awed and softened there is a outstanding opportunity for striking home.
        We have no right to suppose that sudden disasters prove the presence of special sin in those who are involved in them. Yes, Sin is avenged in this life, but in natural sequences than by some sudden "act of God."  Accidents are not necessarily punishments, and we who witness the sad fate of others, we have no right to congratulate ourselves on our moral or spiritual superiority. Instead of judging others, let us look into our own hearts and repent. "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1).     
        The parable of the fig tree, with its three years of effort to secure fruitfulness, was intended primarily for the Jewish Nation compared with our Lord’s three years of Ministry. But it is also of universal application. God is always seeking fruit; love is ever pleading, but sometimes may have to end in judgment.

        Amen!!

Reading: (Luke 13:1-9)
Ref: (HGSB)
        (MSC)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry

 

The Mighty Savior

Isaiah 63:8  

"For he said, Surely they are my people, 

children that will not lie: 

so he was their Saviour." 

         For many years there had been violent hostility between Israel and Edom. It began when Esau and Jacob were young. It broke out in bitterness when Edom denied Israel the right of passage, "And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him" Num. (20:20-21). When Babylon had triumphed over Jerusalem, Edom urged that her walls should be leveled to the ground, "Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof" (Ps. 137:7).
        What a change in the scene here! The prophet stands at the division of the two countries, looking south, from the foothills of Judah across the sandy waste. In the distance he beholds the mighty Warrior (Christ) coming up from Edom, His garments wet, not with His own blood, but with Edoms; therefore to stand as sentinel between Edom and Israel, so Israel will not fear invasion anymore.
        If Edom stands for sins of passion or for the hatred of unscrupulous foes, see how safe and blessed you are. Jesus, the Mighty to save, stands between you and your besetting sins, between you and your fears, between you and the power of the adversary, "But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earths" (Ps. 63:9). Let us all stand on our faith and "Share the lovingkindness of the Lord!"
        Amen!

Reading: (Isa. 63: 1-9)
               (Num. 20:14-21)
               (Ps. 63:1-11)
Ref: (HGSB)
        (MSC)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Our Christian Mission

Isaiah 61:1 

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD 

 hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he

hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim 

liberty to the captives, and the opening of 

the prison to them that are bound;" 

        At Nazareth our Lord applied these words to Himself. Let us care for the outcasts as He did; but to do so, we need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit, who rested so mightily on Him. The acceptable year is clearly that of Our Lord, but notice the quoting stopped at the comma, because the day of vengeance is not yet. "To preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:19).  Note, that it is only for a day!
        In days to come the ruined cities of Palestine shall be restored. And in a spiritual sense, we also may appropriate this promise. When we receive the Holy Spirit and the endowments we are given, we also witness the restoration of all the wastes, that our sins have caused in our own lives and in the lives of others. Let us embrace our faith within our hearts; and stand firm on the foundation on which it was built. For Jesus Christ is the true bridegroom of our soul. God not only delivers, but anoints and crowns.
        Amen!!

Reading: (Isa. 61:1-11)
Ref: (HGSB)

 Help Others As

Christ Helped You

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.
The Cross Life Ministry

The Tragic Nature Of Sin

 Isaiah 59:1,2

 "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; 

neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities 

have separated between you and your God, and your

sins have hid his face from you, 

that he will not hear

       
        Much of our suffering in life results from our sins, which cut off God’s help to us. Let us not blame God, but set ourselves to discover the cause of controversy. Instead of stamping out evil in the egg, the sinful heart hatches it out, and it yields the poison of vipers. Result; the cursed doomed state of the ungodly! Their feet, and their thoughts, and their paths, are fatal to them to their own and to others. The way of peace can be entered only at the Cross, and maintained only by constant watchfulness. "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79).
        Troubled souls pour out their complaint before God, confessing, first, the bitterness of their sufferings and then the blackness of their sins. The roar of the hungry bear for food and the dove’s mourning for her mate, Isa. 59:11, are descriptions of the complaint of the penitent soul. It is a good sign when a man cannot lift up his eyes to heaven and beat upon his breast, "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13). 
        Amen!!

Reading: (Isa. 59:1-15)
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

,

No Peace For The Wicked!

Isaiah 57:4

"Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom

make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? 

are ye not children of transgression, 

a seed of falsehood,"

        A terrible scene is given here of the idolatries and impurities into which Israel had fallen. These scenes under "the oaks” and in the valleys remind us of the constant evils associated with idolatry which Apostle Paul has recorded in Romans; "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;" (Rom. 1:23-28)
        They refused to retain God in their knowledge, and He gave them over to a reprobate mind; that is, He ceased to restrain them. But among the degenerate nation, there was a handful of elect souls. God is always careful against rooting up the tares, lest one stalk of wheat perish. Among the destruction that must overtake the guilty land they that trusted in Him, would not be overlooked. "When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people" (Isa. 57:13-14).
        With what comfort the chapter closes! "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isa. 57:15, etc).  We may have been covetous and froward, and have deserved wrath and chastisement, but God will not always chastise. Only return to Him! He will revive your heart, and “restore comfort” to you. and will bring you near, through the blood of the Cross. "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh" (Eph. 2:16-17).

        Amen!!

Reading: (Isa. 57:1-21)

Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

The Blessedness Of Keeping The Sabbath

Isaiah 56:1, 2  

"Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation 

is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is 

the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold 

on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, 

and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." 

        Special emphasis is laid on Sabbath keeping because it was the special sign of God’s connection with Israel. It was also a type and pledge of the redemption rest, soon to be brought in and perfected by Christ’s finished work, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (Heb. 4:9-10).
        What an ideal, that is presented here for character and conduct! To keep God’s rest in our heart; the rest of faith; to cease from ourselves; to be joined to the Lord by one Spirit; to minister to Him; to love His name; to be His servants! What more could we imagine as characteristic of the Christian soul! Let us ask God to bring us to His "holy mountain" and to make us "joyful" in His "house of prayer."

        Amen!!

Reading: (Isa. 56: 1-12)
Ref: (HGSB)
        (MSC)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry

                

God's Pardoning Grace

Isaiah 55:10, 11  

"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, 

but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed 

to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth 

out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall 

accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper 

in the thing whereto I sent it." 

         God has a design in giving His Word to all people. He has as distinct intention in His Word as He has in sending down rain upon the earth. Whatever God's design in giving the Gospel is, it shall be accomplished. It is never spoken in vain, and never fails to produce the effect which He intends. The Gospel is no more preached in vain than the rain falls in vain. And though it often falls on barren rocks, or on dry sands; on extended plains where no vegetation is produced, or in the wilderness "where no man is," and seems to our eyes in vain, it is not. 

         God has a design in each drop that falls on sands or rocks, as in the plentiful showers that falls on fertile fields, and so the Gospel often falls on the hard and barren hearts of men. It is addressed to the proud, the sensual, the greedy, and the unbelieving, and seems to be spoken in vain, and to return void unto God. But it is not so! He has some design in it, and that will be accomplished. It is proof of the fullness of His mercy. It leaves people without excuse, and justifies himself. 
         When long presented and apparently long in vain, it ultimately becomes successful, and sinners are at last brought to abandon their sins, and to turn unto God. It is often rejected and despised. It falls on the ears of people as the rain falls on the hard rock, and there are, so to speak, large fields where the Gospel is preached as barren and unfruitful of any spiritual good as the desert is of vegetation, and the Gospel seems to be preached to almost entire communities with as little effect as is produced when the rains fall on the deserts of Arabia, or of Africa. 
        But there will be better and happier times. Though the gospel may not now produce all the good effects which we may desire, yet it will be ultimately successful to the full wish of the widest benevolence, and the whole world shall be filled with the knowledge and the love of God.
        Amen!!

Reading: (Isa. 55:1-13)
Ref: (HGSB)
       (MSC)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

The Wondrous Love Of God

Isaiah 54:5  

"For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; 

and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of 

the whole earth shall he be called."

        We have heard the exiles summoned to leave Babylon, and have beheld the Savior becoming the sin-bearer. Here our attention is recalled to the still desolate condition of Jerusalem. Jehovah says, Sing, but Israel replies that she cannot sing so long as she lies desolate. In reply God declares His inalienable love: (love that is not transferable). He is their husband still and has sworn that the waters of death and destruction shall never be able to separate them from Himself. His kindness and mercy is everlasting, and His covenant of peace shall forever be.
        In the closing paragraph, Isa. 54:11-17, we behold the chosen city emerging from her heap of ruins. Watched by the eye of the great Architect, wrought by unseen hands, tested by the line and plummet of righteousness, she arises to fulfill her mission to the world. To inspired hearts it seems as though her common stones are jewels. Her children are taught of the Lord. Every accusing voice is hushed. All weapons of destruction are no longer. The New Jerusalem seems to have come down from heaven. 
        Amen!!

Reading : (Isa. 54:1-17)
Ref : (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Hearing Doing Believing

Luke 8:21  

And he answered and said unto them, "My mother 

and my brethren are these which hear 

the word of God, and do it." 

         Inconsistency, unkindly words and acts, disobedience to our known duty will prevent our light from shinning. If Christ has illuminated your soul, see that you trust Him to find for you your stand, from which you may emit the clearest rays. You are a light to be shined!
The closest relationship to Jesus is not that of nature but of grace. To listen in your heart to God’s voice, to hear it in His Word and in Providence and then to do as it decrees, will bring you into the closest relationship with your Lord.
        Be prepared for storms if you link your lives with Christ. But they cannot hurt you. Men and demons will rage against you; but there is a limit to their power. Jesus rules the waves. "The sea is His and He made it." If only you can include yourself and Christ in that pronoun "we" of  Luke 8:24  "And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm."  You can never perish although there be as many demons against you as tiles on the roof of a house. In the Book of Isaiah God's Word tells us; "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD" (Isa. 54:17).
        Amen!!

Reading: (Luke 8:19-21)
               (Matt. 12:46-50)
               (Mark 3:31-35)
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross life Ministry

      

 

A Forgiven Sinners Love

Luke 7:44   

"And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? 

I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: 

but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped 

them with the hairs of her head."

        What a trio! Christ stands here as a manifestation of the divine love, as it comes among sinners. The love of God is not dependent on our merits; the word frankly, in Luke 7:42, is "freely." It is not turned away by our sins: she is a sinner. It manifests itself as the clearing of debts. But it demands recognition and service: "Thou gavest me no kiss. But this women, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss feet."
        The woman represents those who express sorrow for sin and wrong doing and lovingly recognize the divine love. She was not forgiven because of her love; but her love was the sign that she had been forgiven and recognized it. What will not God’s love do! What Jesus did for her He can do for our many sins. Pardon will lead to much love, and love becomes the gate of knowledge and the source of obedience. "And he said to the women, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace (Luke 7:50)."

        Amen!!

Reading:( Luke 7:40-50) 
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Faithfulness Brings Worthiness

Luke 7:5  

"For he loveth our nation, and he 

hath built us a synagogue

         "For he loveth our nation;" The Jewish nation, which was Christ's nation, as well as theirs, he being a Jew;  "Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?" (John 18:35). This they mention as an argument to induce him to have a regard to the centurion, though he was a Gentile; since he was a friend of the Jews, and well affected and disposed to them, which was very rare: it was not common for the Gentiles to love the Jews, any more than the Jews the Gentiles; there was an hatred, yes, an enmity between them; but this man, very likely, was a new convert to their religion, as the following instance seems to show: "and he hath built us a synagogue;" at his own private charge, and by the assistance of his soldiers under him, whom he might employ in this work:
        The centurion built them a Synagogue and had paid for it himself, and then he goes to Jesus on behalf of his servant who was sick. The love and care he had for others showed in his actions and therefore the elders of the Jews said to Jesus, "That he was worthy for whom he should do this" (Luke 7:4)
        My Friends, it is a blessing for others to count you worthy, because  they have seen the grace and love of God within you. However remember as Christians we do not do things just to be counted worthy.  I will leave you with this. Faithfulness Brings Worthiness.
        Amen!!   

Reading: (Luke 7:1-10) 
               (Matt. 8:5-13)
               (John 4:43-54)
Ref: (HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

The Year Of Our Lord

Psalm 40:5  

"Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, 

and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up

in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, 

they are more than can be numbered."

        One of the greatest lessons I have learned, and the most wonderful privilege of my life is trusting God. My Christian Brothers and Sisters, in 2016 we must unite and walk in "true faith" and learn to put complete trust in God. The more you trust God the more confident you will be in your service to Him, and be able to handle even greater things that God has in store for you.
        What a wonderful opportunity it will be to walk into a New year with a New beginning with the King of Kings. Every day from the time we awake in the morning until we go to sleep at night is a Blessing to serve The Almighty God. I thank You Lord for allowing me to be able to Worship with all the Cross Life Readers another year.  
        Amen!!

"God Bless Our Nation

In 2016" 

Reading: (Ps. 40:1-11)

Ref: ( HGSB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry