Start On The Right Path Of Life

Proverbs 22:6 

 "Train up a child in the way he should go: 

and when he is old, he will 

not depart from it."

        The Scriptures tells us to, "Start our children off on the right path, and as they get older they will not turn from it."  One sure way to turn out amazing adults is to raise great kids. Our children only get one childhood, which impacts them the rest of their life, so we need to do all we can to teach them well. However, I think there is another lesson here for us adults as well. Just as childhood is practice and training for adulthood, every day of our lives is practice and training for the moments that count the most.

        If you want to have unwavering faith in the face of a challenge, strengthen your faith today. If you want to do a great act of kindness one day, do small acts of kindness every day. If you want to be able to hold your temper on a day you are deeply and unexpectedly provoked, practice patience now. If we set ourselves on the right path today, we will not stray from it in the future.

        Amen!

Reading: (Ps. 22:1-29)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Serve God, Not Man!

Isaiah 2:22

"Cease ye from man, whose breath is

in his nostrils: for wherein is he

to be accounted of?"

        Isaiah put it this way when he said, "Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?" It’s interesting how Isaiah chose to describe humans as those “who have but a breath in their nostrils.” Remember how man was first created back in Genesis? "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7).

        Human beings not only live dependent on the breath of their nostrils, but it is God who put and continues to place the breath there in the first place. This underscores the absurdity of serving man over God. All humanity has, and all that they are, is due to God. It makes far more sense to go straight to the source of all goodness and blessings.

        Yet, for many of us, pleasing others is a difficult habit to break. But consider the following: choosing to please people over God will make us miserable. We can never please them enough. Valuing the opinions of people over God’s can make us miss our life’s purpose since we might end up living a life someone else has chosen for us instead of what God has called us to do. Consider all we have to lose by striving to please others; then consider all we might gain by choosing to please God instead. Which will you choose?

        Amen!

Reading: (Is. 2:5-22)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

A Gift For God

Psalm 116:12

"What shall I render unto the Lord

for all all his benefits toward me?"

        Think of a time when you have been the beneficiary of such kindness that you simply had no words to thank the giver. How about our parents, our friends and family who have supported and loved us? Can we ever thank them enough? How about God, who gave us everything that we have, including our very lives? Can we ever sufficiently thank Him?

        In Psalm 116, King David found himself asking this same question: "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?"  King David described a time when he had been close to death and then was saved by God. He said that God stopped his tears from flowing and his feet from stumbling. But how could he, a mere mortal, thank God? What could he give to the One who lacks nothing? Here was David's answer; "I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord" (Ps. 116:13). David gave back to God in the way that God had prescribed: by bringing Him sacrifices.

        But what can we, who no longer have the option of bringing sacrifices to the Lord, give to God today? My Friend, the sacrifices brought to God were not about the meat or wine or flour that was presented to Him. It was about the closeness made possible by the sacrifice. By serving God, the worshiper became closer to Him. As the prophets explained time and time again, God has no desire for mere rituals. What God wants is us. God wants our hearts. He wants to be a part of our lives. He wants us to turn to Him in prayer, with our troubles and our gratitude. As our loving Father in heaven, He wants nothing more than closeness with His children. God loves us infinitely, but to have a relationship, we need to love Him back.

        When we offer up our prayers, we bring a gift to God. When we sit and read our Bible, we give a gift to God. When we apply the teachings to our lives and make God the focus of our lives, we give Him great pleasure. God gave us our bodies; we bring Him our soul.

        Amen!

Reading: ( Ps. 116)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

Companionship

Ecclesiastes 4:12

"And if one prevail against him, two shall

withstand him; and a threefold cord

is not quickly broken."

        The concept of unity and working together is something that is seen throughout Scripture. From the phrase "a threefold cord is not quickly broken," it is clear that Solomon is pointing out the advantages of companionship. He illustrates to show how God's mercy provides help to those who will depend on Him. (Eccl. 4:9-11).  Solomon also explains how this concept of companionship is beneficial. He shows us that there are definite advantages to working together. However, He revealed how terrible the circumstances would be if one had to face adversity alone.

        Let's look into some of the Scriptures where God provided companionship. God Gave Adam help, "And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him a help meet for him," (Gen 2:18). Even Christ, in the commissioning of His disciples, "After these things 

the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come,"  (Luke 10:1). Christ knew that they would face adversity and persecution from the world. In providing companionship, they would be able to lift one another up and continue their ministry even when they are prosecuted. 

        The concept of unity is very important in all areas of our lives. We may not be the disciples like Christ choose and sent out into the world. However you are His disciple, (IF) you believe in Him. My friends, God planned this world for us, and He has given us every thing we need to get through. What we must do is grasp, and hold on to all those things, and when done, it must be done in unity. There is not a day that goes by that we don't have to work with one or more individuals.  A godly Life has faith, wisdom and unity. My friend, A Threefold Cord Is Not Quickly Broken.  

       Amen!  

Reading: (Eccl. 4:9-11)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

            

 

Time For All Things

Ecc 3:15  

"That which hath been is now; and that 

which is to be hath already been; and 

God requireth that which is past."

 

        Not only has God made everything, but there is a beauty in this arrangement where all is unforeseen to us, but all is fixed by Him. "He hath made everything beautiful in its time," and for myself, the season that holds love and wisdom seems the best. "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the creation;" and, so to speak, each day that dawns, though its dawning include an earthquake, a battle, or an overwhelming of each day that dawns, however many it surprises, is no surprise to Him who sees the end from the beginning, and who in each evolving incident sees the fulfillment of His  counsel and the picture of the future. "MY GOD IS GREAT"
        Amen!

Reading: (Eccl. 3:1-15)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

All Ends Have A New Beginning

Ecclesiastes 1:4

"One generation passeth away, and another 

generation cometh: but the earth 

 abideth for ever."

        The time of our enjoyment of life here is very short. We continue in the world but for one generation, which is continually passing away to make room for another, and we are passing with it. Our worldly possessions we very lately had from others, and must very shortly leave to others, and therefore to us they are vanity.
        We give God the glory of the constant succession of generations, in which the world has its existence, and will till the end of time. We see daily God's patience with the sinfulness of this world and the species of it. We must do the work of our generation diligently, and serve it faithfully, because it will be over shortly; and, in concern for mankind in general, we should consult the welfare of succeeding generations. But as to our own happiness, let us not expect it within such narrow limits, However; eternal rest awaits those who know Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. All ends have a new beginning, I pray that when that time comes and it will, yours will be in Heaven with Jesus Christ Our Lord.
        Amen!

Reading: (Ecc. 1:4-8)
Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    

Change Comes From Within

Genesis 22:16

"By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, 

for because thou hast done this thing,

and hast not withheld thy son,

thine only son:"  

        There are times when we become disheartened as we look at what is happening around us. We hear how the world is losing its faith. We encounter people who make it more and more difficult to believe how the future could still be brighter and happier.

We must keep our courage! Though we think we are alone, we are not at all on our own. Though we think we can do so little, God can still do so much as He makes us instruments of His love.

        Change can begin from within ourselves. It begins when we refuse to lose hope no matter how dark things seem to be. It begins when we forgive and when we become channels of mercy to those around us. We may not see now how our little deeds can change the world. But let us trust God. He is the One who multiplies five loaves of bread so it can feed thousands. He is the One who receives every little sacrifice we make so He can bless so many others along the way.

        Amen!

Reading: (Gen. 22:16-18)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

 The Cross Life Ministry