Category Archives: Grace and Mercy

February 27th 2017 – Godly Leadership

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“For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.” (Amos 2:1)

As Israel was coming through the desert to the promised land, Balak, the king of Moab attempted to bribe God’s prophet to curse God’s people. Obviously, Balak was not a good leader as time and time again he dismissed God’s words in order to advance his own kingdom. While Balak had the opportunity to submit to God, he chose not to and he and his people ended up suffering the consequences. Unlike the Moabites, it’s important for the church to have godly leaders.

Leaders inside the church have a responsibility to remain faithful to scripture and stand firm on God’s Word so that others will see this and be encouraged to do the same. In 1 Timothy, the Lord supplies qualifications for those who enter into leadership. These qualifications include being faithful to the body of Christ and their families. They must be self-controlled, peace loving and gentle. Living inside these guidelines, leaders are best equipped to guide others into a life dedicated to our Lord.

“Strong leadership in the church is important.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Word and for the godly leaders in my life. Father, I pray that You would continue to be with those in church leadership as they seek You. Give them wisdom and discernment as they teach, counsel and care for those in the body of Christ. Lord, protect them from the enemy and fill them with Your Spirit. 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

February 26th 2017 – Keep Looking Up

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“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

Each week our world seems to brace for some kind of new disaster. Whether it’s an earthquake, hurricane or economic collapse, we experience regularly the evidence of this fallen world. To the unbeliever, these events bring uncertainty and fear. After all, if this world is all there is and it’s clearly unpredictable and broken, how can they know what to do? Yet to a follower of Christ, we look at these things from a different perspective…a biblical perspective.

Jesus told us that we would have tribulations. The Bible is very clear that because of sin, this world has been corrupted and therefore, we will experience its effects. But that is not the final word. Yes, this world is broken. Yes, we have natural disasters and horrific events like we witnessed on 9-11. Yes, these things will increase as we get closer to the end. BUT, it will end.

When we see these things happen, look up. When you witness the suffering around the world, look up. When you experience the loss of a loved one, look up. When you see people and governments turning against God, look up, because your redemption is near. In the end, Jesus will stop it all. He will make all things right and heal this broken world. Until then, we look up and proclaim to this broken and beat up world the peace they can find in Jesus. Sin caused these problems. Jesus will solve them.

“No matter what the future holds, we can know WHO holds the future.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace on my life and the peace I can have through Jesus. Father, help me to trust You in every situation, no matter how hard it may be. Each time I see or experience the pain of this broken world, help me to look up and be reminded of Your return. 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

February 25th 2017 – Never Alone

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“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1-3)

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalms 23:1-4)

We see in today’s scripture that the Shepherd leads, guides, helps, and loves us. Now, in verse 4, it changes from the Shepherd’s actions and love for us, to our own actions.  You see, in life there are going to be times when we don’t listen so that we get ourselves in places we shouldn’t be.  Here it’s called “the valley of the shadow of death”.

Have you ever had times like that?  You find that the grass isn’t green and the stream is dirty and you say, “how did I get here?” You see that it was through your own decisions, or you didn’t take the time to listen to the Shepherd’s voice, that you opened doors that should have stayed shut.

Even in these times, even when we mess up, the Great Shepherd doesn’t leave us. No! He promised us that He would never leave us or forsake us.  Never means never and here we see the same promise.  I will fear no evil, why?   FOR YOU ARE WITH ME!  What a promise.  When we mess up, we need to “fess up” and He, the Great Shepherd, forgives and restores.

Even when we open doors to the evil one, our Shepherd takes out His mighty rod and grabs hold of us with His wonderful staff and brings great comfort to our lives.  What security, what comfort, what hope we have because of our amazing Jesus.

So take heart today that there is no sin too strong that the blood of Jesus can’t wash away. Rest in His loving arms and hear His heartbeat as you lay your head upon His chest.  Know that He loves you and will always protect you against anything that the enemy might bring against you.  He’ll even protect you when you open a door that you shouldn’t have.

“Although you may feel alone at times, You are never alone, God is right there waiting for us to call on Him.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the blood of Jesus that has washed me white as snow.  I thank You that no matter what comes against me or even when I’m walking in the valley, You are there to comfort and to restore.  What a God I serve. In Jesus precious 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

February 20th 2017 -The Door is Still Open

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“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” (Romans 11:25)

“The fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” The New Living Translation puts it this way, “this will only last until the complete number of Gentiles comes to the Lord.” So, there are a fixed number of Gentiles who will come to the Lord and then that is it…no more.

Genesis chapters 6-8 is the record of Noah building an ark as God commanded, which spared him and his family from God’s judgment on the whole earth. The Bible says that once the ark was loaded with animals, Noah and his family were inside the ark for seven days before the flood waters came upon the earth. Now think about this, Noah, over the course of a hundred years, built a giant covered barge on dry land in preparation for a world-wide flood. “Where’s the flood, Noah?” “Looks like rain, Noah, you better hurry!” “You’re crazy, Noah!” Can you imagine the jokes and teasing he was enduring? Those who mocked him were the same people banging on the door when the floods hit. Unfortunately, the door to the ark had been closed by God. They had made their decision, and God honored it. Things, as they are now, will not last forever. The door is open now. There will come a day when that door is shut. Don’t wait until it rains friend, it may be too late.

“Things will not be as they are forever. A time is coming when it will all change. Don’t get left on the wrong side of the door.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ. Your love is clearly revealed to me by the prophetic truths of the scriptures. Thank You for Your infinite grace and mercy toward me. Lord, through Your Word, You have reminded me afresh of the importance of living ready. I am surrendered to Your will to do the work of the ministry. Thank You for the church and the relationships that are built there. Like minded brothers and sisters struggling at times to get it right, just like me. Thank you for Your endless pursuit of me so that I would not be left behind when the door gets shut. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and have made the decision to ask Him into your heart. Here is a simple prayer to get you started.

Dear 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! Today you were accepted a new life in Christ! You have God’s Word that he answered your prayer.

What’s Next? Click Here to learn more about a new Life in Christ.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scriptutalseeds.org

 

February 18th 2017 – Stability in Marriage

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“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Stabile Marriage… Everyone desires to have one.. After all, who wants a mariage in chaos? Unfortunately, life doesn’t always give us a choice. Each morning when we open our eyes we await things that will catch us off guard. Good or bad, these elements in life are part of living in a broken world. The good news is that we are not alone, and there is a source outside the chaos that we can lean on in times of instability and dougt in our marriages.

(Psalm 94:22) “But the LORD has been my defense, And my God the rock of my refuge.”

Throughout Scripture, God is referred to as a rock. This is not to say that he is made of granite, but it is a reference to his steadfastness. Like a mighty mountain, God is immovable and secure in all His ways. Because of this, He is our source for security and strength. When life brings surprises, we can stand on our God. When people change, our God will not. When situations arise, our God is our refuge. As you wake up this morning, spend time in God’s Word and get to know Him more. Read His promises with great anticipation. Grasp His love and mercy and allow that to strengthen you today. The more you know about God, Jesus and His might and power; the more you will be equipped to stand strong during the storms of life. Life may bring instability in our marriage but with God we can remain stable.

“The more mature you grow in the Lord, the more stable you become in our relationships and in all of lifes matters.”

Are you loving your spouse unconditionally as Jesus loves us?

The Mariage Test

Prayer:

Dear God, Thank You for Your great love for me and for Your steadfastness. Your Word tells me that You will never change and that Your mercy endures forever. Lord, help me to find stability on You, my Rock. Bring to mind Scriptures in my times of doubt and encouragements in my times of need. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I will remain brave, strong and steadfast in the faith. 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

February 17th 2017 Unforsaken

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“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Those are familiar words. Jesus spoke them from the cross, but they were first spoken by David when he was going through a severe trial.

Jesus Christ was forsaken that we might not be forsaken. God the Father forsook His Son on the cross when He was made sin for us.

But David says in, (Psalm 22:4-6) “Our fathers trusted You, and You took care of them; now I’m trusting You, and nothing seems to happen” We can envision David saying, “I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people” He did go through that. But our Lord went through it to an even greater degree. Can you imagine the Lord Jesus, who said, “I am the Good Shepherd,” saying, “I am a worm”? But He became a worm for us so that we might become the children of God.

We cannot be forsaken because the Savior was forsaken in our place. We can’t be forsaken because of His promise to never leave or forsake us. We cannot be forsaken because of His abiding and eternal presence with us. We cannot be forsaken because of His purpose to work all things together for good to those who love Him.

And what is His purpose? That we might be conformed to the image of His Son. David became a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he had to suffer to do it. In spite of your circumstances and feelings, remember: God will not forsake you.

When you go through trials, your circumstances and feelings can deceive you into thinking God has forsaken you. But the Bible promises us that He will never forsake you. Next time you feel forsaken, remember that God is always true to His Word and will accomplish His purpose of conforming you to the image of His Son Jesus Christ…

“God will not forsake you id you have asked Him to be you Saviour.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for never forsaking me and always being her with me, even when I don’t call on You for help. You are the one true God and I find strength everyday knowing that I can always call on You. Please continue to draw me close to You and strengthen me with you Holy Word. I Love You Lord.  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

February 16th 2017 – Grace First

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“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Ephesians  1:1-2)

In his various letters to people or churches, grace always comes first in Paul’s greetings. It is always grace followed by peace. In his letters to Timothy and Titus he added mercy; “Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is a beautiful lesson for us. You see friend, we need God’s grace to have peace with Him. We, by His grace, are invited to believe in Jesus as our Savior and through our faith in Him we are saved. Now we are forgiven and at peace with God! Grace and then peace! God shows us great mercy and love in this.

“We have to know God’s grace before we can know God’s peace.”

You can have much greater peace in your life if you give more grace to all of the people in your life. Forgive those who have wronged or hurt you. Be merciful. Love. Give them grace like God gave grace to you… you will lighten your emotional load and the joy of the Lord will be your strength. You want more peace in a relationship? Put more grace in the relationship. Grace is like gravy, it goes on everything and makes everything better. Every relationship you have can be improved with grace.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for Your grace to me. Thank You for Jesus. I am sorry for the times I have lacked grace and destroyed peace. Please help me give grace to the people in my life. Show me how to be merciful and loving to them like You are to me. As I give grace, please bring peace to my relationships. 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

February 15th 2017 – Feeling Helpless or Hopeless?

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“Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.” (Ezra 10:4)

God may be the director of the universe, but He has given us power to make decisions. You have a decision to confess your sins to Him and to ask for His forgiveness. You have a decision whether to serve the Lord, give to the Lord or share the Gospel with others. No matter who you are, you have an opportunity to change the world through your decisions.

(Joshua 24:15) “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

As you read this devotional, there is a world filled with people who desire peace. They desire love. They desire hope in something greater than the economy, the president or their own ability. As a follower of Christ, we can make the decision to share with them how to change their life and those things by sharing the Gospel. We can serve them. We can offer them our time, resources and compassion. God will empower us to do mighty things, but we must decide to do it. Choose this day who you will serve, and do it!

“You are not helpless or hopeless. Your destiny is in your hands and in the hands of a God that loves you and wants to bless and protect you.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I desire to choose You above everything else. I decide this day to serve You and to serve others. Give me a heart of compassion and a willingness to think of others before myself. God, use me to change the world. 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

February 13th 2017 – Choose to Love

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“Let all that you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)

 

In 1 Corinthians 16:14, we find such a simple command. Simply put, we are to do everything with love. While this may appear simple in direction, it’s not simple in action. Because we are broken vessels in an evil world, it can be difficult to do everything with love. After all, our first reaction is to preserve ourselves. Our emotions, our lives, our stuff; these are the things we strive to maintain at all cost… and love demands we lose them for the sake of others.

(Galatians 2:20) “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

As Christians, we are no longer slaves to ourselves. We have been freed to love others just as Christ loved us. He is our great example as well as our strength. We cannot love rightly on our own. We must depend on Jesus. So next time someone in traffic causes you to see red, look to the cross of Christ and the blood that He shed for you. He died for us when we didn’t deserve it so now we can forgive others even when they don’t deserve it.

“You’re not living until you give your life away and start to love.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I am so grateful for Your love and grace. Because You loved me, I am able to love others in every circumstance. Give me strength to walk in obedient love and to look for opportunities to care for others around me. As Your love increases in me, may my selfishness decrease. 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

February 10th 2017 -Unstoppable Joy!

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“Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples, For you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor.” (Hosea 9:1)

Joy, it’s something we strive for and yet so many people miss it completely. In the time of Hosea, God tells the people of Israel NOT to rejoice. He does not refuse them joy because He is cruel; He is simply stating a fact. They had rejected a relationship with God and because of that, they had rejected joy.

Around the world today there are countless people who are seeking joy. They try to find it in relationships, careers, activities and possessions. Unfortunately many turn to drugs and alcohol. These things may bring a temporary joy or happiness, but each one of them is unable to sustain joy for long. Compare this to the words of Jesus in John chapter 15.

(John 15:10-11) “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Jesus gives us the answer to complete joy in life and that answer is a relationship with Him. An active relationship with Jesus through prayer, reading the Bible and serving others helps us walk in fulfillment and joy. As we see others blessed, we are blessed. When we understand the promises of God and how they relate to us, we are encouraged. So, if you are lacking joy in your life, look to the One who promises full joy. Find Jesus and find joy.

“Complete, unstoppable joy is found in an active relationship with Jesus.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the relationship You offer me through Jesus. Thank You for the promises of Your Word. Help me to remember those promises, and give me the strength to love and serve others. I know that as I step out in obedience to You, I will find complete joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Is Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life? Or have you turned your back on Him? There is no better time then now to claim your Unstoppable Joy!

Pray this prayer and start a new life, or recommit to to Jesus.

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. I admit that I am not right with You, and I want to be right with You. I ask You to forgive me of all my sins. The Bible says if I confess with my mouth that “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead, I will be saved (Rom. 10:9). I believe with my heart and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank You for saving me!
In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer for the first time, we would like to know. Click here to send us an e-mail or share your testimony.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org