A Shepherd's Joy

Luke 15:4

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, 

if he lose one of them, doth not leave the

ninety and nine in the wilderness, and

go after that which is lost, 

until he find it?"

        The shepherd was personally responsible for the sheep. If a sheep was lost the shepherd must at least bring the fleece home to show how it had died. These shepherds were experts at tracking, and could follow the straying sheep's footprints for miles across the hills. There was not a shepherd for whom it was not all in the day's work to risk his life for his sheep.

        Those whose flocks were safe would arrive home on time and bring news that one shepherd was still out on the mountain side searching for a sheep that was lost. The whole village would be upon the watch, and when, in the distance, they saw the shepherd striding home with the lost sheep across his shoulders, there would rise from the whole community a shout of joy and of thanksgiving.
        That is the picture Jesus drew of God. Jesus said, "that is what God is like." God is as glad when a lost sinner is found as a shepherd is when a strayed sheep is brought home. "God, knows the joy of finding His children that have gone astray. 

        Amen!!

Reading: (Luke 15:1-7)

               (Matt. 18:12-14)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Persistent And Not Deterred

Luke 11:7

"And he from within shall answer and say,

Trouble me not: the door is now shut and

my children are with me in bed, I

cannot rise and give thee."   

        The late arrival of the traveler which confronted the man in is home was an embarrassing situation, because his cupboard was empty and he could not fulfill the sacred obligations of hospitality.  It was late, so he went out to borrow from a friend. The friend's door was shut. In the east no one would knock on a shut door unless the need was imperative. In the morning the door was opened and remained open all day, for there was little privacy; but if the door was shut, that was a definite sign that the homeowner did not wish to be disturbed. But the seeking traveler was not deterred. He knocked, and kept on knocking.
        "This story," said Jesus, "will tell us about prayer." The lesson of this parable is not that we must persist in prayer; it is not that we must batter at God's door until we finally compel Him from weariness to give us what we want or to coerce an unwilling God to answer.
         A parable literally means something laid alongside. If we lay something beside another thing to teach a lesson, that lesson may be drawn from the fact that the things are like each other or from the fact that the things are a contrast to each other. The point here is based, not on likeness, but on contrast. What Jesus says is, "If a cruel and unwilling homeowner can in the end be coerced by a friend's shameless persistence into giving him what he needs, how much more will God who is a loving Father supply all his children's needs?" "If you," He says, "who are evil, know that you are bound to supply your children's needs, how much more will God?
        Amen!

Reading: (Luke 11:5-13)

May God Bless You

And Your Families

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Ask, Seek, Knock!

Matthew 7: 7

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek

 and ye shall find; knock and it

 shall be opened unto you;"

        Any man who prays is bound to want to know to what kind of God he is praying to. He wants to know in what kind of atmosphere his prayers will be heard. Is he praying to a grudging God out of whom every gift has to be squeezed and coerced. Is he praying to a mocking God whose gifts may well be double-edged?  No! He Is praying to a God whose heart is so kind that he is more ready to give than we are to ask? 

        This scripture was given to us, to show us three ways we can get God's help. It is three ways we access to through prayer, "Ask, Seek, and Knock. But if you really think about it we are slack on using them for godly purposes.  Ask, Seek and knock are words from God. These are steps God gave us for getting His help in our own lives and family and friends as well. If we use them and not include God, they are useless.
        There is a lesson here; God will always answer our prayers; but He will answer them in His way, and His way will be the way of perfect wisdom and of perfect love. If God answered our prayers as we desired every time, it would be the worst thing possible for us; because in our ignorance we often ask for gifts which would be our ruin. Jesus tells us, not only that God will answer, but that God will answer in wisdom and in love. "Just Three Words Can Change Your Life; Ask, Seek, Knock."
        Amen!!

Reading: (Matt. 7:7-12) 
               (Luke 11:1-13)

May God Bless You

And Your Families

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Trust God More

Psalm 40:4a

"Blessed is the man that maketh

the Lord his trust,"

        One of the greatest lessons I have learned, and one of the greatest privileges of my life, "is to trust God."   My fellow Christians, learn how to walk by faith! The more you trust God the more confident you will be to trust God for greater things, than you are now. What a great opportunity it is for us to walk with the King Of Kings everyday, from the time we awake in the morning, until we go to bed at night.

        I thank my Lord for sacrificing His Life, so that my family and I, as well as any other who calls upon His name, and  "Believes in Him,"  shall be in our Fathers House. " In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2-3).

        Amen!!     

Reading: (Ps.40:1-11)

May God Bless You

And Your Families

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Count It All Joy

James:1:3

"Knowing this, that the trying of

your faith worketh patience." 

        The Bible has many Scriptures about the spiritual benefits of suffering. Peter said, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you (1 Pet. 4:12). Paul assures us, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). And James makes the incredible statement, "My brethren, count it joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience (James 1.2-3). 
        In light of this we must confess that there are mysterious blessings, that are associated with trials and suffering. These trials and sufferings indicates, that they develop the very character traits which mark those who will be candidates for the Kingdom Of Heaven.
        My Friend, patience is a requirement for those who are redeemed out of this world. Patience is developed by test and trials. This clearly teaches us that suffering may indeed be a necessary process for our preparation for Heaven. So, brethren let us count it all to be Joy for "Our Lord!"          

        Amen!!

Reading: ( James 1:2-18)
               ( 2 Tim 3:10-17)
               ( 1 Pet. 4:12-19)

May God Bless You

And Your Families

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Keep The Throne, God's Throne!

Ephesians 4:6:

"One God and Father of all, who

is above all, and through all,

and in you all."

        On the authority of God's command we know that we are praying according to His will when we ask Him to fill us, and to control and empower us. Therefore we can expect Him to fill and empower us on the basis of His command and promise; "If" we truly in our heart show the desire to be filled and empowered by His command and promise.

        It is such a simple truth; and yet, in it's purified essence, that is what the Christian life is all about; "Keeping God The Father, And Jesus Christ Our Saviour, On The Throne." We do this when we understand how to walk in control and power of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit came for the express purpose of glorifying Christ by enabling the believer to live a holy live and to be a productive witness for our Lord and Saviour. Therefore; My Friends, let us go fourth filled with the Holy Spirit, and with the power of God's Promise, and spread The Gospel of Jesus Christ to this dark and sinful world.

        Amen!! 

Reading: (Eph. 4:1-9)

May God Bless You

And Your Families

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

 

The Day Of The Lord Is Coming!

2 Peter 3:9

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count

 slackness; but he is  longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that

 any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

        Some people speak of a delay so long that they can safely assume that the Second Coming is not going to happen at all. But of course they are the type of people that see things based on man's knowledge, and has no wisdom of God in them. We must see time as God sees it. With him a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day. "God does not pay every Friday night."  In any event God's apparent slowness is not a deliberate act of delay. It is, in fact, mercy. He holds his hand in order to give sinning men another chance to repent and find salvation. My friend today is the day of choice, for "The Day Of The Lord" is coming!
        Amen!

Reading: (2 Peter 3:1-10)

May God Bless You 

And Your Families

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry