Category Archives: Joy and Happiness

June 5th 2019 – Don’t Compromise, Stand For Christ

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

It seems today that it’s open season on Christians. People attack us as intolerant, Bible-thumping bigots. Because we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, we are dismissed as simple-minded fools.

What are we to do? We should keep praying. We should keep preaching. And we should keep living the Christian life and not compromise our principles.

It’s interesting to note that when Daniel was attacked for his faith, he didn’t change a thing. As a Jew living in a foreign country, his custom was to open his windows, face Jerusalem, and call upon the name of the Lord. It was a habit of prayer. From the time that he was a young man, he always took time to pray. He established that grid in his life, and even in his nineties, he was still praying.

But Daniel’s enemies had set a trap for him. They convinced the king to sign a decree that made it illegal for him to continue his daily practice of prayer. Yet for Daniel, to not pray would be a compromise.

There are certain things in life that you won’t feel comfortable doing. Listen to what God’s Spirit is saying to you, and don’t compromise. Don’t deny Him. Sometimes to not confess Him when the occasion arises is to deny Him. An unbeliver may say something like this to a Christian, “I have been watching you. You’re different. What is it about you? Where do you get your value system? Why are you happy all the time?”

I have heard Christian’s say things in response like this, “Oh, I was brought up well. It’s just my way. You may choose to live differently. I don’t want to push my beliefs on you.”

No, tell them it’s because of Jesus Christ and the change He has made in your life. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

“Don’t Compromise, Stand for Christ!”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You your forgiveness of my sins and for saving my life. Thank You for inviting me to be part of this great adventure of following You. Thank You for the gifts You’ve given me. Lord, I pray that You use them for Your Kingdom. Help me to get rid of any selfishness and to put others first. Keep me from ever not sharing the real reason why others may see me as different, for why I may glow with happiness and have values that are not of the world. The real reason is because of You Lord! Thank you for changing my life! 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

May 26th 2019 – Learn Wisdom Reading God’s Word

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My son, pay attention to my wisdom; Lend your ear to my understanding, That you may preserve discretion, And your lips may keep knowledge.” (Proverbs 5:1-2)

Every living person has choices to make. No matter the size, we all must choose. The question is not whether or not we will have to make a decision; rather the question is, “What will we base that decision on?” In the book of Proverbs, God delivers great wisdom to all of humanity. Some of it is common sense and other parts of it are contrary to what we would normally believe. So, why would God give us all these bits of wisdom? Because He is a loving Father desiring to see His children live a blessed life.

Understanding the reality of God’s wisdom in scripture is easy enough, using it to guide our lives is the tough part. For instance, Proverbs may speak of the blessings of correction but who really praises God when they are called out for doing something wrong? He also warns us against the dangers of all sin, even laziness and pride, yet each day we all forget or flat out reject these truths. So what is the solution? First, we must know God’s Word and trust that it is best. Secondly, we need to ask His Holy Spirit to strengthen us to walk in God’s wisdom. When we are directed by God’s Word and empowered by His Spirit, we will find our life is truly blessed.

“God’s wisdom brings a preferred choice or direction for experiencing His best in our lives.”

Prayer:

Heavenly father, I know that I have made some foolish choices in the past. I desire to understand Your ways and to live by them because they are best. Fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit so that I can understand Your Word as well as put it into practice. Even in those times I fall short, I will praise You for the grace I find in Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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

If you do not have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Please read 4 Steps to Jesus.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 25th 2019 – Living Words

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Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You alone have the words that give eternal life. (John 6:68)

Words are very interesting things. Some are long and complicated and some are short and sweet. Some encourage and some discourage. Sometimes you can receive the most encouraging words from some of the least likely sources. The Lord seems to be able to use anyone at anytime to speak to us wherever we are.

It is amazing. There is only one place to receive these kind of words, the Holy Word that gives eternal life, that is from Jesus. There have been many clever men over the years who have said many astute things, but no one has ever uttered words with such power and wisdom as Jesus. No one has ever given us the words to know how to receive eternal life other than Jesus. That is why we are here, listening to Jesus, learning about His Words. Lord, we agree with Peter, you alone have the Words that give eternal life. Your words are Living!

“We should be reading and listening to the words of Jesus everyday.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Words of eternal life. They are just that… the only Words that offer true life. Open my ears to Your instruction and give me feet that move swiftly to Your path. Please guide me around every possible barrier that could keep me from You. Reveal to me the difference between tolerance and conviction. Keep me from compromise and help me choose the narrow path. Search me and know my heart. Lead me in Your way everlasting. 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

May 23rd 2019 – Focus on the Things Above

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“The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (John 11:44)

Symbolically, Lazarus is like many Christians. The Bible speaks of us passing from death unto new life when we get born again. But it is also true that in the physical and emotional realm, we bring our “grave clothes” from our old life with us (i.e. habits, attitudes, depression etc.), …and we need to be “loosed” to fully enjoy our life as Christians.

Our emotions and attitudes follow what we think. When we focus our attention on our problems, they are magnified out of proportion. When we neglect our problems and think on God’s provision, the answer is magnified and the problem shrinks. Whatever we think upon is going to dominate us. If we think on depressing things, we’ll be depressed. If we think on uplifting things, we’ll be uplifted. If we think, “by His stripes, we are healed”, we’ll be healed. If we think on sickness, we’ll be sick.

Godly contentment isn’t dependent upon circumstances. That is totally opposite of the way most people think today. No one really desires depression but very few feel any responsibility or authority to maintain positive emotions in the face of negative circumstances. They think emotions follow circumstances. That’s not true. Emotions follow the way we think, and we can chose to think on things that are lovely, true, of good report, and so forth regardless of our circumstances. As we think, is how we respond emotionally.

Focus your attention on the invisible truths of the spiritual realm that are eternal, instead of the visible things of this physical world that will pass away.

“We all have a measure of faith. It’s what we choose to put our faith in will ultimately guide our decision making, our perspective and the course of action for our lives.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the love You have shown me through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Help me to hold firm to this Truth so that my faith will continue to grow. Fill me with Your Spirit daily so that I will stop hearing the lies from the enemy. Protect me and help teach me that I can have real hope. Encourage me to focus on Your written word when You feel distant in my life. Also help me share with anyone who needs to hear the Gospel message. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Put your faith and trust in Jesus! If you do not know Him personally please read below.

Jesus Christ says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20)

The Bible promises eternal life to all who receive Christ: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13)

If you have not asked Jesus into your life you can receive Jesus Christ right now by faith through prayer. Please click here to learn more. 4 Simple Steps to Jesus

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 14th 2019 – Looking into the Face of God

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“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15)

I recently read an article, it stated that a baby’s sight is the last sense to develop. However, even before they can focus, newborns look toward faces. The study showed that infants also begin to read faces when they are very young. They feel positive vibes from a smile and smile back. If a mother frequently smiles and interacts with her newborn, the infant smiles in anticipation as soon as she enters the room.

Likewise, babies recognize when a face shows displeasure or disgust. If the Mom is preoccupied or angry and doesn’t return the smile, the baby’s smile will fade, the eyes look perplexed, and the face becomes blank. A baby learns to take cues from others in the room, especially its mother.

If infants don’t receive positive interaction during early development, they are stunted in personal interactions. As older children, they show little emotion in response to others. In some areas of the world, orphans sit alone in cribs and get little positive contact with adults. As a result, they are severely underdeveloped emotionally. Even physical growth is stunted. The study showed that Face to face interaction is completely necessary for healthy development.

As adults, we continue to watch faces. We subconsciously observe how people respond. We can tell if our audience is pleased, amused, delighted, or displeased. We see it in their faces, and we adjust. We sometimes will embellish our story for greater response, add more detail to support our view, or we end the conversation quickly. We take our cues from faces around us.

Maybe we’re created that way so we will properly relate to God.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. (Psalm 27:8)

David is the the only person in the Bible that repeatedly talked about God’s face. Likewise, David is the only one we’re told was a man after God’s heart. Do you think that David could have gained a heart after God’s heart because he was practiced in looking into the face of God? Could it be that David got his cues from God rather than from those around him?

If, like a baby, we look into God’s face for cues, He will lead us with His eyes. As we allow His eyes to guide us, our lives will reflect His righteousness. As a baby responds to loving parents, we will delight in His pleasure.

The problem is that sometimes we’re too busy to gaze into His eyes. We’re also distracted by gauging what our friends, our church and society think of us.

If we don’t seek the face of God, we’ll we be like those third world babies, trapped in a crib, stunted in our spiritual growth. We won’t reflect our God to the world. I don’t want to be stunted. I want to reflect the righteousness of God to those around me.

“Jesus will return at the
End of time, and we will
See his face and enter heaven
Undefiled, cleansed by his blood,
Saved by his grace.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Help me turn my eyes to You and to gaze into Your eyes. Like David, I want to seek Your face, I want to live my life pleasing to You Lord. I want to see You smile. Thank You for giving me life and for being the ultimate Father. 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.scripturalseeds.org

May 12th 2019 – Mothers Day

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“Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do” (Ephesians 6:1)

Today, many of us will gather again in worship and celebrate Mother’s Day. We will cook our mothers dinner or take them out to eat. We will seek to spoil them in the same way that they have spoiled us. We will express our thanks for all that our mothers have done for us. We will thank God for how our mothers have shown to us a glimpse of what God’s grace and love are all about.

But Mother’s Day is not always a happy time for everyone. For some, it will remind them of the loss of their mother. For some, it will be a reminder of how they have not been able to be a parent. For some, it will remind them that their relationship with their mother has not been healthy and has hurt them in some deep way.

My hope and prayer for those who will struggle today is that they will experience the love of God who longs to hold them and comfort them in their grief. My prayer is that they will experience the love of God in a way that they perhaps never experienced with their own mothers. I pray that they will experience the love of Jesus who speaks of how he longs “to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” (Matthew 23:37)

So, for those of you celebrating Mother’s Day with your mothers, thank God for the gift of love and grace shown to you through them. Let your mothers know how special they are.

For those of you being celebrated todaas mothers, rejoicing in your children, thank God for the gifts and blessings God gave you and know how much we appreciate all that you have done.

For those of you who have been like a mother to others – even without ever having children of your own – may this day bring recognition of your caring and love that you have shown.

And for those of you who grieve this weekend, reminded of a mother who is no longer with you, may God surround you with comfort and love. For those of you who grieve this weekend because you have lost a child, whether through miscarriage or stillbirth or premature death, may God hold you even closer and may you know that God holds your child even now in everlasting arms.

For those who struggle today, because you are not a mother, whether by your own choice or by infertility, I pray for God’s strength and encouragement. May you know what a gift you are, just for who you are.

And for those of you who have complicated relationships with your mother, who did not feel the love of a mother growing up, who may not have ever known their mother, we pray that you may know God’s love in a special way, in a way that goes beyond the imperfections and hurt that we as human beings often show to one another.

As for me, and many others who have lost, or are taking care of their Moms in the final stages of life. I lost my mother on July 2nd 2016. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss my Mom. I take with me, an image of a mother that spent the last 4 years of her life extremely ill, and a season of my life that for most would have seemed completely overwhelming. Circumstances providing for her care that required everything that I had and then some, all while working a full-time job. As hard as it was, Know that as overwhelming and hard as it seems, it also can be a very special blessing. I will never regret this time, It allowed me to show my mom how much I loved her and that she was not alone. That her struggles were also mine. It also brought me into a closer relationship with Jesus, leaning on Him for strengh when I had no more of my own to draw from. Thank you Lord.

That is love, the best of love that we as human beings show to one another, a love that lets us see only a glimpse what God’s love is all about.

I miss you Mom..

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank you for our Mothers and the precious life that You Lord gave to us through them. I lift those that are hurting to You today, comfort them and hold them close. Remind them of the safety and security as a child being in their mom’s arms. Show them that they can experience this type of love everytime they seek You. I lift up those who are in difficult relationships, that today You will heal them. For everyone else that will be with their mothers today, remind them to cherish these times, and set aside any type of indifference. That they would have an abundance of blessing, healing and joy on this mothers day. In Your 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.scripturalseeds.org

May 9th 2019 – Jesus, A Friend Like No Other

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Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15)

Jesus asked two very insightful questions of Mary at this point: “Why are you weeping?” and “Whom are you seeking?” Often in life, we find ourselves in a place where we feel like crying and other times find ourselves in tears. Jesus sees those tears and wants to dry them… if we will let Him.

We need to allow Jesus, through the hands and wisdom of others, to tend to our tears. Sometimes though, we become strangely comfortable with pain and sadness. They become almost like old familiar friends. Jesus wants to be the better friend. For some, it may mean breaking a cycle long established and for others, it may mean coming out of a short season of pain.

Seek Jesus. Realize that in the midst of trial, trouble, turmoil and temptation, He is there with you. You may need to turn around to face Him. He wants to pull you out of your problems and liberate you from sadness, but before He does, He wants to walk with you through the valley. Even when you are in the valley of the shadow of death, He is there. May you know He is there to dry your tears, lighten your load and be a closer friend than any you have ever known. Loved one, right now take a few minutes out of your busy day and turn to Him. You will be glad you did. And so will He.

“I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (John 28:20)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for sticking by me through good times and bad times. You are the true friend. Sometimes, I become content to wallow in self pity. Please forgive me for that and humble me to allow You, through the hands of others, to comfort and even challenge me to step out of the mire. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Experience a friend like no other. If you do not know Him personally, I encourage you not to pass up the precious gift of His love and eternal life. Jesus died on the cross for you and me. Jesus loves us and wants to help us through the storms. If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior please click here 4 Simple Steps to Jesus

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 8th 2019 – Challenging Moments

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Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. (John 18:10)

Sometimes in life, we face challenging moments. This moment was a summons to contest for Peter. Even with all that Jesus had taught him and with all that he had learned, he still had to make personal application. Peter had to learn how to do it God’s way and not his own. Do not lean to your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

I think that is something all of us have to learn. We would like to learn it all at once or all in one sitting, but that’s not the way it happens. Most of us will have many opportunities, in some, we will succeed beautifully and in others, we will fail miserably. Each day that we awake, however, brings us the glorious chance for a fresh start and a new beginning. It is important to remember that and, in that process, we need to be careful of the ears.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for growing me. Thank You for not being content to leave me as I am because what I am is not as good as what You want me to be. Lord, I may squirm and protest against the process but please continue to conform me to the image of Your Son. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, Don’t wait! In a flash of a second it could be too late!” Click Here to read Four Simple Steps to Jesus.

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 6th 2019 – Love As A Verb

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“[Love] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6)

Many years ago a popular Christian group wrote a song titled, “Love is a Verb.” there is much truth in the lyrics of the song. Love is not simply a feeling or intellectual process but an active expression. This view of love seen in scripture is purposeful and benevolent. It actively engages others, thinking of them above ourselves. Biblical love is not hindered by anything but seeks with passion to be shared with anyone and everyone.

How is this possible? How can we even begin to love in a way that looks for opportunities rather than excuses? Simply put, we plug into the source of love. The God of all creation left everything in heaven for you and me. He stepped from the throne of God and wrapped Himself in our weak flesh in order to die on our behalf. That kind of love is life changing. That kind of love will fuel our lives so that we too can love like our Savior. Today, seek out an opportunity to love. Whether it’s a kind word, act of service or a merciful response, let’s love like Jesus. That kind of love will never be stopped – no matter how you spell it.

“Love will find a way. A lack of love will find an excuse.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I praise You for the amazing love You have shown me. Help me to grasp this love so that I will be equipped to love others in the same way. Strip me of any excuses and use me to reach others with the love of Jesus. In His name, Amen.

Don’t have Jesus in your life? Don’t put off Experiencing His Ultimate Love

Jesus Christ says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20)

If you have not asked Jesus into your life you 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.

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.

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 4th 2019 – Finding True Peace

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“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.” (Galatians 2:20 )

People all around us are seeking peace in their life. They seek that peace through lots of different ways. For some, it’s entertainment, for others it could be relationships, food or even in drugs or alcohol. Some may even turn to religion for peace, yet fail to find it because human religions are based on man working his way to heaven. There is no real rest for the person who seeks to earn peace through rules and regulations.

But, then came Jesus.

Jesus came into the world to live the life we could not. He was perfect, blameless and humble. He lived in obedience to God the Father and fulfilled the law. Then as He hung on the cross He cried out, “it is finished,” thereby completing our salvation. Now, we come to God by faith in Christ and we are accepted. It’s by His grace we are saved, not works. Unlike the man made religions around us, Christianity is God coming to mankind and offering salvation on His works not ours. All we must do is rest, by faith, in the One who died so that we could be forgiven.

“To be able to ‘rest in your faith’ or have peace, you must be trusting in Christ alone.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the work done on my behalf. Thank You that I do not have to work my way to Heaven, but instead can place my faith in the grace of Christ. Please give me rest and an abundance of peace in my life. Help me to continually seek You in my life, because it is in You where I will find true peace. Today open up opportunities to share this truth with the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you would like to seek true peace in your life, try seeking Jesus. click here to learn more

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

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