Category Archives: Grace and Mercy

December 15th 2016 -Through the Eyes of God

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“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!” (2 Corinthians 5:16)

 

It’s always easy to find something wrong with someone else. Often it’s so easy that some people see it as a spiritual gift. I assure you, this is not one of the gifts of the Spirit. After all, people found things wrong with Jesus and He was perfect. The religious leaders were looking at Him from their own perspective rather than a heavenly one.

This change in perspective makes all the difference, especially in the church. The reality is that whenever humans get together, you are going to have some conflict, but when we look at each other in light of God’s saving grace, things change. Rather than condemn my them for their sin, I will look at them and see the forgiven Child of God who is my sibling in Christ. When someone acts wrongly toward me, I can look at them and see a sinner who has been saved by God’s grace and in turn, show that same grace.

This reminds me of the song written by Christian artist Brandon Heath called “Give Me Your Eyes.” Here are a few lyrics:

“Give me your eyes for just one second. Give me your eyes so I can see. Everything that I keep missing. Give me your love for humanity.” See link at the bottom of the page for the video

Begin today by looking at others with God’s eyes.

“We should seek to look at people, possessions and events in a new way – in the way the Lord sees them.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I am grateful that You look at me through eyes of grace and forgiveness because of Jesus. Help me to have those same eyes as I go throughout my day today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Give Me Your Eyes – Brandon Heath

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

December 14th 2016 – Christmas Grace

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“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:10-11)

Gold, frankincense, and myrrh…these were the first Christmas gifts ever. These three things were precious and valuable. But more precious to God were the three people who fell in worship of Him.

Growning up for me was very lonely, I didnt have any family other then my parents, I didnt have siblings to play with either. My father didn’t enjoy being around people so even having friends over was very scarce.

It wasn’t until I had my own family and children did I start trying to enjoy Christmas. I do have fond memories raising my children with trees, carols, wreaths, lights, feasting and the joy of family and friends gathered together. However I didnt really understand what Christmas was all about. I only understood the secular view…Santa Clause and television commercials teaching children greed and selfish gain.

My parent’s never discussed Jesus when I was a child, mostly because neither of them knew Him themselves. It was not until I endured a life changing tragedy, only at that time did I come to know Jesus personally.

I do understand Christmas now, its not what the world teaches. Its not all about gifts and trees with lights. Its not even about my desires or wants. Its a celebration of Jesus birth.

God wants us to enjoy this season and He wants to bless us with good things, including His GRACE –  God’s – Riches  At Christ’s Expense.

You know what God desires? His desire is for your heart. Christmas is an opportunity. Not an opportunity for selfish gain, but an opportunity to give God the gift He desires. Maybe you gave your heart to Jesus years ago and wandered. Maybe you’ve never given your heart to God.

As we celebrate Jesus giving Himself to us, won’t you take the opportunity to give yourself to Jesus?

You are precious to God.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, Thank You for loving me so much. Thank You that You would leave heaven to come, suffer and die for me. You are such a precious gift. I have neglected the gift that You gave and I am sorry. Lord, I have been blessed by You. Thank You for Your incredible plan for my salvation. I give all of my life to 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

December 10th 2016 – Be Quick to Show Grace

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“Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (Acts 15:10)

 

It is a sad reality that few Christians are willing to extend grace to one another as Jesus showed grace to us. On the day that we asked Jesus to forgive us of all our sins, He extended His grace toward us. God extends this same grace to each of us every day. What about your friends and family? Do they need grace? What about co-workers or maybe the person sitting next to you in church?

How quick we can be to call out the sin in others while we ignore the sin in our own lives. This shows just how poor our understanding is of what Jesus did for us. If we truly understand just how far down God had to extend His merciful hand to reach us, certainly we should be willing to reach out with the same grace to others.

Think about this. When we accept God’s grace for ourselves, but are unwilling to show grace to others, are we not claiming the gospel of grace for ourselves while charging the law to others? What pride! Colossians 3:12-13 reads, “Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

Be quick to show grace. Be ready to show mercy. After all, if when you look at someone else you see their sin, what do you think they see when they look at you? God’s grace is not only sufficient for us, it’s sufficient for us to show others.

“Grace is not just something we receive, it is also something we give.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace. Please forgive me for the times when I have not shown that same grace to others. Help me to show grace from now on so that others will see You in me. 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.scripturalseeds.org

December 7th 2016 – God Answers Prayers

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“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.” (Romans 1:9-10)

God always hears and answers the prayers of His children. He may not answer them in the way we want Him to, but God does answer. His answer may sometimes be ‘no’. But even so, praise Him. God knows our needs much better than we do. Too often when we pray, it is like we are writing up a contract that we ask God to sign.

“Alright God, just need your signature right there and we’re done. I’ve got it mapped and planned out. No reason for You to get involved in the ‘hows’ or the ‘whys’. Just sign and we’re all done.”

Sound familiar? Instead, we should pray for great things with a willing heart seeking to be obedient to God’s will. We should give thanks in all circumstances and say…

“Lord, thank You for loving me. What is Your will in my situation? You know my needs and my desires, but I want Your will to be done in Your own way. Use me however You want to Lord.”

Do you have a willing heart?

“God answers prayer in His own timing and in His own way.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You that Your will for me is good. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Lord, You know my needs and wants. You know my troubles and fears. I want Your will to be done in my life in Your own way. Use me however you want to. 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.scripturalseeds.org

December 5th 2016 – My Absolute Surender

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“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,” (2 Timothy 1:8-9)

Are you fully surrendered to God’s will for your life? I believe many of us would eagerly say “yes” because we desire to be obedient to God. Of course, the question gets a little hard when you add, “Even if it involves suffering?” This is where the rubber meets the road and where we have to ask ourselves the hard questions. After all, comfort is nice, but in order to experience life to the fullest, we need to trust and walk out God’s plan, not our own.

I still struggle in this area personally. I have often ask myself “why do i continually face all of of the obstacles day after day? Im greatful that my faith would never change, however I still get discouraged at times.

In the life of Paul, we have a front row seat to a life dedicated to the Lord–no matter what. Paul had been mocked and criticized, beaten, shipwrecked and more, yet he remained obedient without batting an eye. How? Why? Because he loved God and knew that a life dedicated to Jesus would mean that he’d endure sufferings like our Lord did. So with that in mind, I’ll ask again, “Are you surrendered to God’s will for your life?” Then get moving and watch God do amazing things in your life.

“Exercising our faith requires action, especially during difficult times.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I am so grateful for Your grace and mercy. Lord, I don’t want to be content with a life of comfort. I desire to be obedient to Jesus even if it means suffering. Give me the strength to endure and the faith to trust in You no matter the cost. In Jesus’ name, Amen

God loves you and wants only the best for us, His children.. If you have not fully surrendered your life to Jesus, or would like to take this time to reconnect with Him, 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.or

November 28th 2016 – What Do You Seek

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Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” (John 1:38)

That’s the question we need to have answered in our lives isn’t it? “What do you seek?” Is it a better marriage, a promotion at work, more money to invest, more notoriety or to see your kids walking with the Lord? Are we seeking the Lord’s hand of blessing more than we are seeking the Lord Himself?

They then asked Jesus where he was staying. He told them to come and see. Where is the Lord in our lives? The Lord is saying to come and hang with Him. We ask where. The cross.

(Luke 9:23-24) Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”

When we come to Jesus not for His hand of blessing but for His will to be done in our lives, and when we are willing to lay down our life for his sake, then He begins showing us things greater than we could possibly imagine. Later in this chapter, Jesus sees Nathaniel having devotions under the tree…

(John 1:50) Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

Please prioritize the Lord in your devotional life. Jesus is taking note. He then tells us “You will see greater things than these.” When we lay our life down for His sake, we find that all we ever needed was Jesus.

“You don’t know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, please help me continue to seek You because I want to know You not just what You can give me. Please forgive me when I fail in this. Give me the power of Your Spirit to set my devotion upon You and Your will for me. I thank You Lord because I can trust You’ll do even greater things with my life as I trust in 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

November 27th 2016 – Forsake Foolishness and Live

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“Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.” (Proverbs 9:6)

None of us would like to say we are foolish at times. When we think of foolishness, we often dream up images of individuals who are acting in a childish manner or speaking in ignorance. While those may be foolish things, the Bible paints a more direct picture of foolishness. In essence, foolishness equals the rejection of God and His Word. After all, doesn’t (Psalm 14:1) say, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” This is at the root of foolishness.

To believe in God and His Word is the epitome of wisdom. To walk in light of God’s Truth is to experience a life of understanding. This leads to great blessing, and it all starts with our relationship with God. If we understand God and that His word is true, we will understand that we are sinners in need of a great Savior, Jesus Christ. This understanding brings us to faith in Christ which leads us into a relationship with God Himself. Imagine, broken human beings given the honor of being children of the God of all creation. I cannot imagine a greater blessing. And it all started by forsaking foolishness and walking in the way of understanding.

“The abundance of life is summed up by the quality of one’s relationship with the Lord.”

If you have never taken that step of faith, trusting in Jesus for salvation, you can pray this prayer.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, I believe You died for me so that I could be forgiven. I believe You were raised from the dead so that I could have new life. I know I have done wrong things, and I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Give me the power to follow You all the days of my life. 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

November 19th 2016 – Thank You for Being Patient with Me

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“But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Genesis 15:16)

God is responding to Abram in a dream after the promise that Abram had been given that his descendants would be as the stars in the heavens. God spoke to him showing that the Lord would be the one completing the promise. It’s interesting to note that the promise God gives concerning the land is hinged on allowing four hundred years longer for the people who lived there to dwell in it. God was graciously allowing time for them to change their ways and repent.

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

Often our circumstances can cause us to respond with a shortsighted emotional reaction that can produce depression or  or even anger and frustration . Usually this happens because things aren’t done in ‘our time’ or ‘our way’. Yet we see the Lord declaring to Abram not only am I going to fulfill my promise to you, but in addition to that I’m waiting on this whole other people group, the Amorites, to reach the point of no return before I give your descendants the land.

God is so patient with you and me. But He is also patient with everyone else. Could it be that He is inviting all of us to walk in the same patience and mercy that He has towards us with our spouse, kids, boss, co-workers, and even those we don’t get along with? God’s given us time to repent, now let’s get wisdom from Him so we can walk toward others helping them repent as well and redeem the time He has given us. As we see in Ephesians

(Ephesians 5:16-18) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit”

“God’s covenant with Abraham was not just for a nation, but for the nations. That covenant ushered in Jesus, who came with the promise of righteousness for each of us.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, for being so patient with me and allowing me the opportunity to repent and turn to You so that I can be forgiven. Thank You for saving me. Lord, please help me have the same grace and patience with others that You have toward me. Help me Lord, to share with them that it is by Your goodness and grace that they have the chance to repent and receive Your forgiveness and salvation. I trust You to lead me and complete Your patient work in me for this. In Jesus name I pray, 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

November 17th 2016 – God is Waiting

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“Their arrogance testifies against them, yet they don’t return to the LORD their God or even try to find him.” (Hosea 7:30)

In the book of Hosea, the people of Israel find themselves in a frightening spot. God has given them over to their enemies, yet they continue to sin. They are weary, heartbroken and homesick, yet they refuse to look to God. Like a loving father who watches his child continue to hurt themselves, God desires to step into the scene and heal them. He desires to bring them hope, freedom, prosperity and peace.

While the situation may be different for each of us, the reality is the same. We all have moments in life where we feel beat up and knocked down. Our marriage is struggling, our job is on the line, we’re concerned about our health; all these things come at us and we have a choice to make. Will we look to God or will we look to ourselves or the world for answers. Of course, the even greater picture is in regards to our salvation. Each of us stands before God guilty because of the bad things we have done, and we have a choice. Do we admit guilt and ask for mercy, or do we deny guilt and run from the very One who desires to forgive us? All of us have a choice… choose wisely.

“God desires to forgive us, but we must come to Him first.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner and in need of Your grace. I also know that without You my life would simply fall to pieces. Help me to trust in You during the hard times and celebrate that I have been saved by Your grace through Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I can share this Good News with others. 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

November 9th 2016 – Blessings and Spiritual Rewards

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“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.” (1 Corinthians 9:16-17)
When competing in a competition, Lets face it we love to win.  Whether it’s a paycheck on payday, a trophy at the end of a race or your presidential candidate won the election. We as  all enjoy receiving a reward for our efforts. Did you know that the Bible tells us that we will receive rewards for the good we do here on earth? Salvation is free and comes when we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Once we accept Christ as Savior, the Bible speaks of God rewarding those who served Him while here on earth.

(Matthew 16:27) “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

Imagine our Lord coming in all His glory and with Him rewards that will be given to those who served Him and helped build His Kingdom. Yes, we serve our King because He is worthy of our service. Yes, we show love to others because we love Him. Yet, we also serve Him in great expectation of the rewards He has prepared for us. So the question is, “Will you receive rewards?” Are you serving the Lord and therefore storing up treasures in Heaven? You have all eternity to enjoy your rewards but only a short lifetime to earn them. It’s either rewards or regrets – you get to decide now.

“We should all desire Your spiritual rewards….”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You that You have made a way for me to be saved. I praise You for Your grace and mercy. Lord, I also thank You that after all that You have done for me You allow me to earn rewards in Your Kingdom. Father, fill me with Your Spirit and guide me by Your Word in this great time of renewing for our country. I pray that our nation will return back to You and that a great revival will sweep across this land. May our Nation be healed and that we will Shine like a City on the Hill. Give me the wisdom and courage so that I will use every opportunity to share the Gospel and lead even more to you. In Jesus’ Holy name. Amen.

 

god-bless-america-1

 

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