David Won, So Can You

1Samuel 17:49  

"And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, 

and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, 

that the stone sunk into his forehead; and 

he fell upon his face to the earth." 

   
    David did not wait until his enemy had crossed the valley, he ran and selected the pebbles needed for his sling. Goliath made fun of such a champion and cursed him. To this boasting and blaspheming, the God of Israel would assuredly take up the challenge, and vindicate His servant’s faith. Then all Gentile nations would see that the God of Israel was a living reality, while Israel also would learn the too long and forgotten lesson that God saveth not by sword or spear.
    So confident was the Philistine that he did not trouble to draw his sword or let down the visor of his helmet. One thrust of his heavy spear, he thought, was all that would be required. But less in a moment more Goliath was lying helpless on the ground. It is this reason that God’s champions, in every age, have gone out against giant wrongs,  and it is this reason that we may confidently overthrow the sins that claim supremacy over our lives. 
Amen!

Reading: (1Sam. 17:41-54)
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

No Place Like Home!

Genesis 46:28 

"And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct 

his face unto Goshen; and they came 

into the land of Goshen."

    There’s an old joke that poses the question: Why did Moses and the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years when the actual distance between Egypt and the Promised Land was very short? The answer: Because men refuse to ask for directions! While this may be true of some men, Scripture tells us that as Jacob and his family approached Egypt, he sent Judah ahead “to get directions to Goshen.”  So it’s true, wise men do ask for directions! 
    But other than proving this point, why was this detail included in the Bible? We know that every  word and every letter mentioned in Scripture has meaning and a message for us. What’s the message in this? Jacob wasn’t just sending Judah ahead to get directions; he was sending him to prepare a place to study God's Word, his home.  No place can be called home unless it is a place where people will study the Word of God. 
    Every believer knows what a person can do to earn rewards in this world and the afterlife. Among them are honoring one’s parents, doing acts of kindness, visiting the sick, praying for others, and several other honorable actions. However, studying God's Word is above all things. How can that be? Is sitting inside a study hall pouring over ancient texts really better than visiting the sick? 
    The answer is Yes. We should read and study the Bible because it is God's Word to us. The Bible is literally "God- breathed" and the more we study the Bible, the more we will engage in all those virtuous deeds.  Just as water makes everything grow, Studying God's Word makes us grow. It turns us into more caring, kinder, godly people. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," (2 Tim 3:16). That verse reminds us of how important it is to make Bible study a consistent part of our lives. We may already know this, but doing it is something else. Life is busy with many things to do. But as this verse teaches, the more we study, the more we will be busy with  "Our Heavenly Fathers Work." 

Amen!

Reading: (Gen. Chap: 46)

Ref: HG SB 

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

“Our Refuge and Strength”

Psalms 46:1 

"God is our refuge and strength, a very 

present help in trouble."

    God is our refuge and strength. Not our armies, or our fortresses. Israel's boast was and still is in Jehovah God, just as all believers, in the only living and true God. Others build their castles on impassable rocks, and secure them with gates of iron. But God is a far better refuge from distress than any other. When the time comes to carry the war into the enemy's camp, the Lord stands His people in better stead than all the valour of legions.
   Soldiers of the cross, remember this, and count yourselves safe, and make yourselves strong in the Lord. never forget the fact that God is our refuge now, in the immediate present. As David said long ago, "God alone is our all in all." All other refuges are refuges of lies, all other strength is weakness, for power belongs to God. He never withdraws Himself from His afflicted, He is their help constantly. He is present, and always by their side. Our God is all sufficient!!
Amen!!  

Reading: Ps. 46
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

    

God’s Choice of His Anointed

1Samuel 16:13  

"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst 

of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon 

David from that day forward. So Samuel 

rose up, and went to Ramah."

    The Jews recognized that the Messiah, the Christ, would come from David's descendants, "Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?" (John 7:42). One of the key titles given to Jesus during His earthly ministry was "Son of David,"  "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us, (Matt. 9:27).  "And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?" (Matt. 12:23), emphasizing His heir-ship of all  of David's royal prerogatives, as well as His fulfillment of the messianic promises to David (Ref: 2 Sam. 7:8-17, Matt. 22:41-45, Luke 1:32,69). 

    The anointing of the young shepherd, with his ruddy cheeks and deep, poetic eyes, is a beautiful episode, in very marked contrast to the events preceding. He had already given proof of his courage, "And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:" (1Sam. 17:34). They had to fetch him from his sheep, which he was pasturing beside the still waters and on the hillside. God had found him beforehand, "I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him,"  (Ps. 89:20-21).

    He knew that David was a man after His own heart. David had been faithful in a few things and was now to be made ruler over many. The anointing oil reminds us of the anointing for service which was communicated to our Lord at His baptism. In David’s case it was accompanied by a glorious Pentecost, (1Sa. 16:13).
Amen!

Reading: (1 Sam. 16:1-13)
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

"For My Name's Sake"

1Samuel 12:19  

"And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for 

thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that 

we die not: for we have added unto all 

our sins this evil, to ask us a king."

     Having handed his office over to Saul, who henceforth was to shepherd and lead the Chosen People, Samuel assured them that the Lord would not forsake them, "For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people," (1Sam. 12:22).  Oh, take these words to heart, and let them linger like a strain of sweet music in your memory! You may have missed the mark, lost your way, and drifted from God, but the love of God has not forsaken you.  Being disappointed, it lingers; being repelled, it returns; being buffeted, it entreats. God’s name which is, "His honor," is at stake. "For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.  For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another," (Is. 48:9,11)
    Terrified by the thunder storm, which was God’s endorsement of His servant’s faith, the people entreated for Samuel’s continued prayers; and the aged seer assured them that he would count it a great sin if he ceased to pray for them. Prayerlessness is not only an evidence of a obsessed and demoralized nature, but is in itself a sin which requires confession and cleansing. When the heart is right with God, prayer arises like a fountain, from unseen depths. 
Amen!

Reading: (1 Sam. 12:14-25)
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

 

Close Encounters

Genesis 44:18

"Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, 

let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's

 ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy 

servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh"

    Beginning with the first confrontation between Judah and Joseph, the reading deals with several more encounters. Many loose ends are tied up as different people are brought together. Shortly after Judah defiantly stated his case before the man he believed to be Egyptian royalty, Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers. The 22 year saga came to an end as the brothers were reunited and made amends. 
    That reunion was followed by the equally dramatic meeting of Jacob and Joseph when Jacob himself traveled to Egypt. Then later, Pharaoh encountered Jacob and his sons. It was a meeting between two powerful leaders and laid the foundation for the lengthy stay that the children of Israel would have in Pharaoh’s land.
    In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon teaches us that there is a time for everything. Among the "times" that he lists, Solomon wrote that there is, "A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:7). While other Scriptures teach us about the importance of breaking away from others or holding back from speaking, Solomon teaches that there is also a time to speak up and a time to come together.
    It was time for Judah to speak up on behalf of his brother, no matter what the consequences. It was time for Joseph to reveal his true identity. It was time to heal old rifts and mend broken hearts. "It was time." 
    Confrontations are not always pleasant, so we tend to avoid them. But there is a time for everything, and sometimes, we need to do what we must. If there is a confrontation that you have been avoiding, you may want to take this week to think things over. Although difficult at first, speaking up and coming together when the time is right, can lead to healing and peace.  

Amen!

Reading: (Gen. chap 44-46:31)

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

Saul Was Taken

1 Samuel 10:22; 23a

"Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, if the man

should yet come thither, and the Lord answered,

Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.

And they ran and fetched him thence:"

    That Saul was "taken" means that lots were drawn, probably out of an urn. This selection was carried out by process of elimination, beginning with selection of the tribe of Benjamin and ending with the selection of an individual from the clan of Matri and the family of Kish. The lot fell upon Saul. The Jews understood the drawing or casting of lots to be the means of discovering God's will. As for the necessity of casting lots, Saul nor Samuel had told the people of Saul's prior anointing (v.16) so this action was necessary to show the people that Saul was to be their King.

    Only divine wisdom can fully understand the choice of Saul for King. Yet Saul fully satisfied the desires of the people. He was a man of great stature from the most military tribe in all of Israel. Who better, they thought, to lead them in battle against their enemies? Saul was also a man whose own spiritual life mirrored that of the majority of Israel, he was a house built upon the sand, whose lack of saving faith was made clear when the storms came. Any life or nation built upon such a foundation will surely fail.

    Nevertheless, the purposes and design of God are never circumvented by the wickedness of men, "If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him?or if thy transgressions be multiplied what doest thou unto him?" (Job 35:6).  However, soon after Saul's failure, David was Chosen as the next King. Saul's reign revealed the motive of the people's demand for a King. Even if Saul had been obedient, his reign was destined to be temporary, for the tribe of Judah was the royal tribe, from which the King of Glory would come from, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be," (Gen. 49:10) 

Amen!

Reading: (1 Sam. 10:20-24)

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry