Category Archives: Joy and Happiness

August 16th 2017 – Celebrate Your Uniqueness

“I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.” (Haggai 2:19)

If you found yourself on trial as a Christian, would they have enough evidence to convict you? This important question is good for us to ask because it causes us to assess our walk with the Lord. While this is helpful, be careful not to fall into the trap believing that all Christians look the same.

We all have trusted in Jesus for salvation, but the work He has for us is often different. Look around you. Is there someone hurting or in need of God’s Truth? What are your skills or spiritual gifts? Are you using them for the glory of God? You see, each of us is created to glorify God, but we all do that in different ways. Each of us is at a different level in our Christian walk, but we are all walking with the same person, Jesus. So this morning, look at your life and ask God to show you how you can show Him to others in a way that only you can. He’s saved you. He’s equipped you. Now, it’s time to move.

“Celebrate your uniqueness in the Lord.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for creating me the way that You have. Each aspect of me is part of Your creative Spirit. I pray that You show me how I can use my gifts for Your glory and for the furthering of the Gospel. Help me to walk outside my door and be ready to engage those around me for Your purpose. 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.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

 

August 6th 2017 – Fruit of the Spirit (P4)

We are on the 4th day of a 9-day journey to learn about all of the fruit of the Spirit – the gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that come from God.

Patience (Longsuffering) — We are “strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:11)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

“Patience” in Galatians 5:22-23 literally means “long temper,” in the sense of “the ability to hold one’s temper for a long time.” The NKJV translates it “longsuffering.” A patient person is able to endure much pain and suffering without complaining. A patient person is slow to anger as he waits for God to provide comfort and punish wrongdoing. Since it is a fruit of the Spirit, we can only possess patience through the power and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

God is patient with sinners. (Romans 2:4) says that God’s patience leads to our repentance. (Romans 9:22) points out that only God’s patience prevents Him from destroying “the objects of his wrath.” Paul glorifies the Lord for His “unlimited patience” that saved him, “the worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:16). Peter highlights the patience of God in (1 Peter 3:20), pointing out that God had immense patience with the evil people of Noah’s day, delaying judgment as long as possible

The opposite of patience is agitation, discouragement, and a desire for revenge. God does not want His children to live in agitation but in peace (John 14:27). He wants to dispel discouragement and replace it with hope and praise (Psalm 42:5). We are not to avenge ourselves; rather, we are to love others (Romans 12:19; Leviticus 19:18).

God is patient, and His Spirit produces the fruit of patience in us. When we are patient, we leave room for God to work in our hearts and in our relationships. We lay down our schedule and trust in God’s. We thank the Lord for what and whom He’s brought into our lives. We let God be God.

“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).

“Today, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved” 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace and for being so patient with me. Father, help me to walk with patience and 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. 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.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

August 4th 2017 – Fruit of the Spirit (P2)

We are on the 2nd day of a 9-day journey to learn about all of the fruit of the Spirit – the gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that come from God.

What is the Fruit of the Spirit?
When you think of the word fruit, you probably think of something like an apple or a banana, right? Well when Paul talks about the “fruit of the Spirit” he is not referring to piece of fruit that you might eat with your lunch. What Paul has in mind here is what comes out of a person who has been filled with the Holy Spirit.

Lots of things and situations can make us happy, but what does it mean to have joy? True joy comes from knowing and following Jesus, and God gives us joy as one of the fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus said to His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). That sounds almost too good to be true! How can we experience this fullness of joy?

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

Unfortunately, the world has a shortage of joy and a surplus of fear, worry, discouragement and depression. Even the “pursuit of happiness” and obsessive pleasure-seeking do not bring deep and lasting joy.

Biblical joy—the true joy—comes from filling the spiritual void with good relationships, primarily an intimate relationship with the One who is pure joy. Jesus put it this way: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit”(John 15:5). That fruit includes much joy!

What then? Our unique joy begins because Christ lives in us. (Galatians 2:20). He tells us to “rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). We then have an intimate relationship with the One” Psalms 43:4 calls “God my exceeding joy.” In His presence “is fullness of joy” (Psalms 16:11).

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I welcome you into my heart. I thank you for your Joy and Happiness, and the spiritual fruits that you gave to me. True Joy is not possible without the presense of Your Holy Spirit in me. I love You Lord.. In Jesus’ name I thank you and praise you. 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.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org