Category Archives: Free Will

May 19th 2017 – Faith and Trust

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“A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth. O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy .” (Habakkuk 3:1-2)

Babylon was about to take Judah; Babylon, who’s gates must have bulged with wickedness, more so than all of Israel. Habakkuk couldn’t understand how God could use evil in the lives of the righteous to produce His good purposes. You’ve probably have pondered the same question.

It is so difficult to understand how God, in His sovereignty, is able to use bad things to produce good results – yet He does. Do you ever look back at the potholes of your life and realize God was at work? It’s so much easier to comprehend God’s work in your life looking back than when in the midst of trials, yet we should be confident that God is ultimately in control.

(Psalm 20:7) “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

It is so hard not to place our trust in man’s wisdom – man’s creations and power – our assumptions. Yet there is One who calls it all foolishness. When troubles come, where do you place your trust? Your actions reveal it. Where do you go? The Bible, prayer, godly counsel – these are the refuge of those who place their trust in God. Faith is not only what you believe in, it’s what you put your trust in. When in the midst of trials, know that God is with you. Don’t lose heart!

“Faith isn’t just what you believe in; it’s what you put your trust in.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for who You are and for Your love, grace, and mercy. Lord, I am so grateful You are patient with me. I thank You for all the things You have so freely given to me. Lord, there are things in my life that I need to change. It’s not easy to trust sometimes, and I am sorry. Help my doubt. Help me to keep my eyes on You. Empower me through my trials and uncertainties to trust in You. I submit my life to You wholeheartedly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scriptutalseeds.org

April 24th 2017 – Nicodemus at Night

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Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

In the quietness of the night Jesus is approached by Nicodemus a rich religious ruler and teacher in the nation of Israel.  Jesus looks at Nicodemus eye to eye and tells him he must be born again. Nicodemus is confused. After all he is in the highest ranks in terms of the influence he has as a teacher of God’s Word. Jesus continues to appeal to the very confused Nicodemus explaining that he must be born of the Spirit. Jesus goes on later to explain that the Spirit is blowing like the wind and we can neither detect nor see where it comes from.

(1 Peter 1:23) “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”

When a person claims to be born of God there should be some evidence of Christ becoming more of a regular part of their nature. When we plant an apple tree in the ground we get apples. When the Gospel of Jesus Christ is planted in your heart by faith and you have confessed to Him to receive His forgiveness and Spirit you get more of Jesus in your life.

(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

It’s true that we continue to struggle with our sinful nature as Christians. Paul speaks about this in Romans 7 and even toward the end of his life he declares himself the chief of sinners. That’s not because he went unhinged in sin, but as Christ grew in him he saw how far away he was from being like Jesus in everything.

This resulted in him relying on Jesus’ mercy and grace even more than he ever had before. Is Christ growing in you more and more? If not, could it be that you need to heed the words of Jesus more seriously than you thought?

(John 3:7) “So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.”

“There is a distinct difference between ‘the struggle’ with sin as a believer and the blatant disregard of God’s Word. He knows if we are His or not.”

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, I acknowledge that You sacrificed Yourself and died for my sins and that You rose from the grave so that I could have eternal life. Please forgive me of all my sins and come into my heart and be my Lord, my God, and my Savior. Please give me the power of Your Spirit to live for You all the days of my life. In Your heavenly name, Amen

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

April 21st 2017 – Coming Back Soon!

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“then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,” (2 Peter 2:9)

Since Adam and Eve was cast out of Eden for disobeying God’s command. (Genesis 2:16-17) The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Ever since, the world has been in a battle of good and evil. We see people do evil deeds and desire to see justice done. Sometimes, we can even get impatient waiting for justice. After all, wouldn’t it be best for God to get rid of all the evil people that commit sin in the world?

Fact is, if He did, then none of us would be here. The reality is that God’s grace is on us all. He is perfect in his justice and will punish those who do evil. However, He is also full of mercy and desires that none should perish. Peter puts it this way…

(2 Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

One day, God will return to punish evil, but until then, He is giving evil people time to turn to Him for forgiveness and grace. Because of His patience, men like the apostle Paul went from being a hater of Jesus and His followers to being the greatest missionary to walk the planet. That same change is happening all over our world as people’s hearts are changed by the Gospel.

“God is patient in judgment. He will punish or reward in (His perfect time) Don’t wait until it’s too late!”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace and for being so patient with me. Father, help me to walk in that grace and to share Your love and mercy with others. In this world of pain, help me to trust in You even when I may not understand all that is happening around me. Please help me share with my friends and family, that have not trusted in You to be their Saviour.  Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you have not asked Jesus into your lifeYou can receive Jesus Christ right now by faith through prayer.

Prayer is just talking with God. He knows your heart, so don’t worry about getting your words just right. Here is a suggested prayer to guide you:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Saviour and Lord. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen.

If you have done this, then congratulations! (Luke 15:7) says that when one sinner accepts Jesus Christ as his or her Saviour the angels rejoice. So there’s a party going on in heaven right now over your decision! Remember this date as your “second birthday,” the day you were born into a new life in Christ! You have God’s Word that he answered your prayer.

Please take a moment to contact me at roblavallee@gmail.com, I would love to pray with you personally for this wonderful new journey you are on..

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

April 20th 2017 – Look To Jesus

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“The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” (Hebrews 1:3)

There is just something about the name of Jesus!  His Name is the most beautiful of all names.  This verse shows us that Jesus radiates God’s very glory, and He expresses the very character of the Father.  Jesus said that he who has seen Him has seen the Father.  He and His Father are one.

The reason this is so important is that many times we do not fully understand God, because we have never seen Him.  But when we look into the Gospels and we read about Jesus, He shows us who God the Father is.  You see, Jesus was a healer, and a provider.  He let John lay His head on His chest.  Jesus is the One that calmed the storms and raised the dead.  He is the One who promised those that believe in Him that we will have eternal life.

When we understand that to look at Jesus is to see the Father, we know that the Father will heal us, and the Father will calm the storms in our lives.  He will provide for our needs, and He wants us to lay our heads near His heart and rest in Him.  You see, the Father loves us just like Jesus does.  The Father and Jesus are one, and the great love that Jesus showed by going to the cross to die for you and me is the same love that the Father in heaven has for us.

That is why Jesus said not to pray to Him, but to pray to our Father in heaven in His Name, and He will answer us.  So today, get to know the Father.  He loves you and cares for you.  To know Him is to know life.  So enjoy His presence in your life each and every day!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I praise You in all circumstances Lord, Thank You for your overwhelming love that You have for me. I want to know my Father better and see all that my Father is, and the place that He wants to take in my life. Please help me share who You are to everyone. I pray this in Jesus’ glorious name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

April 19th 2017 – The Right Path

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“Those who follow the right path fear the  LORD; those who take the wrong path despise him.” (Proverbs 14:2)

In life, there are some questions that we must ask ourselves. These questions can be hard because they cause self evaluations, yet they can be beneficial in the long run. As a Christian, one of those questions is, “Do the actions of my life reflect the words I speak and the Truths I believe?”

While it’s true that none of us will live perfectly, that should not mean that change is not occurring in our lives through our faith in Christ. After all, if I believe He forgave me of my sins, then I will become more likely to forgive others. If I believe that His Word is the source of life and direction, then I will base my life around the bible and not my own desires. In the end, our life will be a reflection of the things that are important to us.

As I get older many of the things that were once very inportant to me have changed. I ask myself was it all of the dissapointments and loss, or is my spirit growing more Christ like?

(Romans 12:2)  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

God still has alot of work to do in my life… I try so hard to live out my walk. I still fail, I still sometimes allow my anger to get the best of me when my values are questioned. The good news is that we are a work in progress as God works and molds our life.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Open my eyes so that I can ask the tough questions in my life. Give me understanding on how to live out the Truth I believe. Shower me with Your grace when I stumble, and fill me with Your Spirit so that I can live for You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

April 14th 2017 – A Case for Christ!

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“But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Matthew 28:5-7)

The Bible mentions several people involved in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is something that you rarely, if ever, find in fairy tales and folklore. You find Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimethea, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and five hundred other witnesses. Either this was the most cleverly arranged hoax ever perpetuated on the world, even fooling Roman politicians and Jewish spiritual leaders, or it really was the most pivotal event in human history.

The intriguing thing to note is that how you look at this tells how you look at heaven, hell, life, death, faith, love and forgiveness. There were five hundred witnesses and some of them were famous. There was overwhelming and undeniable proof!

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus are historically recorded events. Based of the eye whitness statements, and evidence. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ would stand up in a court of law.

Millions of lives today have changed because of this, including mine. The calendar itself forever changed with the birth and death of Jesus (BC and AD). The church would forever after worship on Sunday. Are you still waiting for more information? You have enough information to make an educated decision, but it still requires a step of faith. Take the chance. I did. My life was forever changed for the better. Today can be the start of a brand new life for you. Ask God to forgive you right now and He will.

“Jesus claimed the power to heal illness and He claimed He had the power to forgive sins. (Fact) He did it and still does!”

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, Thank You for dying for me so that I could be forgiven. Thank You for being resurrected, and that I could have a new life. I ask You to forgive me of all of my sins. Lord, I have done wrong things, and I am sorry. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Please give me the power to live for You, all the days of my life. Amen.

Congratulations, you just made the best decision you will ever make or recommitted yourself to, your life will never be the same.

Please forward this to anyone if you are unsure of their faith in Jesus.

Lee Strobel’s “The Case for Christ” Movie Trailer

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

April 10th 2017 – Rejecting God’s Light

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“But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:21)

Perhaps Nicodemus is having reservations about Jesus’ message to him that he must be born again. The Lord is making it clear, for both Nicodemus and the religious establishment he represents, that they are not believing in Him. Jesus said to Nicodemus “you don’t know these things” (John 3:10), “you do not receive Our witness”(John 3:11) and “you do not believe” (John 3:12).

(John 3:19-20) “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”

One of the greatest tragedies in the world is the rejection of God’s light inside the glorious Gospel. When people reject Jesus it’s often because there is a secret sin that is more important to them rather than intellectually needing more information to believe the Gospel. Nicodemus perhaps loved the prestige of being a Pharisee, a well-known teacher, and a rich influential part of the religious establishment more than the Lord.

We all have a proclivity towards the darkness in our own sinful nature. Sometimes these dark spots surface in our relationships with others that are broken. It can also poison our love for anything that is not from Christ. It’s really important for us to see that His sacrifice for our sins is more than enough to amend our broken and dark ways so that we might be in the light with Him.

(1 John 1:5-7) “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

“It’s not that people don’t believe because they don’t know; it’s because they don’t want to know.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You that You give me the opportunity to approach You so that the truth of Your love might be revealed in me. Thank You for Your death for my sin and for giving me the opportunity to look to You and lean on Your sacrifice for my sins so I wouldn’t have to succumb to death and darkness for eternity. Please continue to shine in and through my life and the lives of those I fellowship with in the body of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

2017-04-09-11-15-12

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

March 14th 2017 – The Handwriting on the Wall

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“And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of each word. Mene: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; Peres: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
(Daniel 5:25-28)

The King Belshazzar was definitely afraid. The fingers appeared out of nowhere in the midst of a party where he defiantly mocked the God of Israel,  and also celebrated the false gods of Babylon. We can all easily look at this and think, ‘The King was worshiping idols’. But we know in the word, that coveting leads to idolatry.

(Ephesians 5:5-7) “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.”

Is there anything that we put before the Lord? Is He first in your time, talent, treasure, and circumstances? If not, then what is first? No matter how good it may be or noble that thing is, if it is before the Lord it is considered an idol. Perhaps the Lord has revealed something to you this morning that you have allowed to slip into being in front of the Lord.

Are you reading His writing from His word before He issues His corrective and loving judgment against that idol? The Lord loves us so much that He graciously many times allows us to judge ourselves in light of His truth before bringing a corrective hand into our lives.

(1 Corinthians 11:31-32)
“For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

“Beware of the corrosion, corruption, and compromise that comes from covetousness.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank you for revealing Your righteous judgements and truths to me from Your Word. Please forgive me when I prioritize my time, talent, and treasure towards something else instead of You first. Please give me the grace and the ability to be Your disciple that I may allow Your Spirit to direct me and to be disciplined to walk in Your truths continually. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

March 13th 2017 – Who’s Your Scapegoat?

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“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

We may hear a husband say I’d be doing awesome things for the Lord if it wasn’t for my wife. Or a wife may mutter the complaint, if it wasn’t for my careless husband I’d be a better follower of Jesus. Perhaps we may think if it wasn’t for having to deal with my kids or boss I could give my whole heart over to God and serve Him. Don’t be fooled, it is a trick and a trap for us to find ourselves given over to other things first. As good and noble a blessing marriage, family, and a career may be they are not to be priority number one.

In the Hebrew Scriptures we see, as a part of the feast on the Day of Atonement, there was a release of a Scapegoat by the priests to take away the sins of the nation. Often we have our own ‘scapegoats’ that we pass off as our reason for lack of service to God’s Kingdom. Yet we see that Jesus upon His death on the cross tore the veil of the temple. This veil guarded the Holy of Holies where only the high priest could go once a year into the presence of God. It was extremely thick and torn from top to bottom to show it was God’s work, so that the presence of almighty God was now opened up to us. He removed His veil so we could have fellowship with Him. Now we, the bride of Christ, those who put our faith in Him, have to choose to remove our ‘veils’ our ‘scapegoats’. God has removed His veil. Why do we still wear ours? This is the key to our Spiritual Growth and surging forward in the power of Christ. Removing those things that have priority over the Lord in our lives. Only then can we see all the glory of His presence and be empowered to love and serve our spouses, families, and coworkers effectively for the kingdom.

“We miss out and our loved ones miss out, when we don’t follow the Lord in our lives.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank you for removing the veil that was between You and me so that I can come into fellowship with You. Give me the courage to prioritize You first in my life so that I too may remove my veil and scapegoats that I use to excuse myself from seeing and following You. I thank You for what You have done so I can boldly come before the throne of Your Grace to receive Your help in my time of need. Help me continue to walk in Your power as my number one priority. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

March 6th 2017 – Commitment is not Bondage

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“So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow.” (Acts 18:18)

Paul had taken a Nazarite vow that he would not touch a dead body; he would drink no wine, eat no grapes, eat no raisins, and allow his hair to grow before cutting it off as a sign of purification (see Numbers 6). But wait, isn’t Paul the one who told us that those under grace should not be under bondage? In (Galatians 5:1), he wrote, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

This was not bondage for Paul because it kept the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ relatable to the Jews. It was also profitable in that it gave Paul the opportunity to model service and sacrifice as an example for other Christians. I am going to let you in on something that may surprise you, commitment is not bondage. It is by God’s grace that we have been given the opportunity to serve Him.

How do we serve God? We serve Him by serving others and His church. Is commitment service or sacrifice? It is both. Every Christian should be ready to serve and be ready for sacrifice. What was the model set forth for us by Jesus? It was one of service and sacrifice. If we are to be “Christ-like” then we must be ready and willing to commit ourselves to live by the example He set for us. We hold ourselves to commitments every day. Commitments we make at our jobs, with our family and friends. What about our commitment to Jesus and to His church?

(Proverbs 16:3) reads, “Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed.”

Service or sacrifice, whichever it may be, I’m ready. That is the mindset of a true servant of God.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. Help me look for ways I can commit to serving others. Help me to be willing and ready when asked to serve. Lord, when my serving requires sacrifice, please help me not to grumble or complain. Help me to be glad that I can sacrifice my time and effort in serving others, and in turn recognize that I am serving You. Thank You Lord for Your serving and sacrifice for us. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scriptutalseeds.org