Category Archives: Obedience

November 2nd 2017 – Seek Jesus In All Seasons

“God has made everything beautiful for its own time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Life is full of up’s and down’s, sometimes we are going through mountains, and other times we go through valleys. We go through successes, and we go through failures.

With the weather, there are four seasons. But in life, there are many different seasons. And every season of life includes both good and bad times.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) identifies many different life experiences: “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace”

Life is a combination of many seasons. All sunshine and no rain makes a dry baren desert, too much rain causes a flood. If you’re following God’s will, if you’re trying to live your life according to the way God wants you to live, then you’ll eventually see that these experiences can have purpose and value in your life.

You may think that the only time you’re in God’s will is when you’re in church or having a quiet time with the Lord.

You can be in God’s will as you’re at work. You can be in God’s will as you’re making dinner for your family. You can be in God’s will when you move to a new town or stay right where you are. There’s a time and season for everything.

When your going through a season and it seems like all hell is breaking loose, seek and lean on Jesus for peace in the storm. Scripture reminds us that God has made everything beautiful for its own time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Because the Bible is saying that God can take even the bad things, and in the proper season, turn them around and use them for good in the way he intends.

You may be going through a season right now that is not beautiful. Your finances look bad. Your health looks bad. Your marriage or a relationship with your children looks bad. Maybe a friendship looks bad. Your forcast for the future looks like storms after storms.

But God can make something good out of it as you trust him with the broken and damaged pieces.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I praise you for the good seasons that You have blessed me with. And during the not so good seasons I will continue to seek You. Thank you Lord that with You we can victorious over every season, every storm, every broken relationship and every trouble or obstacle in life. Thank you that you have overcome sin, and death, and any evil that we may face today. And because of you, we too are overcomers. We too can have victory, and we can walk strong in your peace in every season and especially in the raging storms when my very survival looks hopeless. I trust in You that something good and beautiful will be revealed as I trust You with the broken and damaged pieces. 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

 

November 1st 2017 – An Important Privilege

“Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.” (2 Chronicles 26:3-4)

If you were to take a poll of the world’s most important jobs, you would no doubt find teachers, policemen and others like them at the top of the list. While those in these positions are indeed important, I wonder how many would place parents at the top of that list. God tells us in His Word that children are a blessing from the Lord and yet many parents today seem to see children as a hindrance. Children are not a hindrance to abundant life but can be a catalyst for mothers and fathers to experience life to the fullest. The key is to see parenting as the sacred task that it is. When we do, we realize the importance of guiding our children into the arms of Jesus.

(Proverbs 22:6) ” Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Each person’s life will impact the world in some way. It may be good or bad depending on choices made, but it will impact someone. When a mother and a father dedicate their lives to demonstrating Jesus to their child and speaking about the things of God, they are adding years to their lives impact. The legacy left to their children will echo throughout their life and on into the next. In fact, it could be said that the influence we have on our children echoes into eternity. We see this clearly in the passage above. Uzziah was crowned at sixteen and because his father led him in the ways of the Lord, he was prepared to lead the people according to God’s Word. We may not be over kingdoms, but how we lead our children can impact their lives and the lives of their children and their children’s children forever.

“Parents you have been given a sacred task in raising their children in a godly manner.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your love and for the opportunity to be Your child. Lord, I thank You for the children You have given me and for the honor of being a parent. Help me to come alongside my children to raise them according to Your Word. Give me wisdom and insight in how to encourage and discipline rightly so that they may see Jesus in 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

October 29th 2017 – The good Gardener

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:1-2)

What an amazing and loving Heavenly Father we have.  He is always at work within us to help us grow up.  Many people look at verse two and see the words “takes away” and think that God gets rid of those who do not bear fruit.  That is not what it is saying.  This verse means that God lifts up those who are having problems bearing fruit and works with them.

A wise farmer doesn’t destroy his branches, he lifts them up, cleans them, and reties them to the vine.  Our loving Father does the same thing.  He is out for our best and will keep working with us to produce much fruit.

Remember, good trees naturally bring forth good fruit. We are good trees planted in the house of the Lord. If you love God and you have accepted His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ then God’s love is poured out on you. God is working on the inside to help you produce a great harvest that will last you throughout all eternity.

It’s important to know that it’s not what you do, but it’s letting Him do the work within you.  Too many times, we say, “I need to do this or I need to do that” before God will work in my life; it’s just being legalistic. God wants to do the good work within you and as He does and good things develop within your heart, you will see that these fruits of the Spirit will become obvious to others.

If you let God do this pruning within you, you will see that the fruits of love, joy, and peace will start growing, and you’ll look back and say, “Is this really me?” Remember, the fruits of the Spirit are not works of law but gifts of grace.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank you for always being “The Good Farmer”, Its Your pruning that produces good fruit in my life. I welcome the planting of the seeds through Your Word to grow and live in me. As I do, You will clean my heart so that the fruits of the spirit can operate big time within me.  I praise You for all that you do in my life. 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.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 28th 2017 – The Journey

“Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.” (Genesis 28:10-11)

Jacob had quite a journey in front of him. He would be traveling hundreds of miles to eventually reach his destination. Even though Rebekah and Isaac sent him to find a wife, the reality of his brother Esau wanting to kill him was there. This journey was not like the journey we would be taking today. This would be a journey in a wilderness, traveled by foot. At this point in the journey Jacob had been walking all day. He was tired enough to lay his head on a stone and fall asleep.

Right before this journey we see that Jacob received a promise from his father. He was told that he would have the fat of the land, plenty of grain and wheat, people would serve him, and that he would inherit land. Now in the wilderness, on the run from his brother, that thought had to be conflicting. It would be to anyone? Jacob had been told that he would inherit the promise, but the promise was yet to come.

Do you find yourself there today? Has God given you a word for your life, but you are stuck between the promise and fulfillment of the promise. Take heart because God is using scenarios in your life to do an amazing work in your life. God will fulfill His promise in due time. In the meantime He is doing a transformative work in your life.

“When you find yourself in the place between the promises and fulfillment, Take heart that He is doing a transformative work in you.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for always working on my behalf. Give me the strength to Trust You in the good times and bad. I am thankful You are always faithful even when I question or don’t understand. Continue to do Your work in my heart. 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.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 26th 2017 – Commitment

“And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.” (John 19:17-18)

It is painful to consider what Jesus went through for us and to think about what He endured on our behalf. The remarkable truth I keep coming back to time and time again is that it was His decision. He decided to endure these things… the suffering, the beatings and the crucifixion. It is convicting because I know how little in comparison it has taken to rattle my endurance at times. I have never been beaten for Jesus much less crucified.

It comes down to each and every one of us making a commitment to Jesus. How far will you follow Jesus? Until it gets inconvenient, uncomfortable, or what about when it becomes painful? Are you willing to follow Him all the way? Let us follow our Jesus, who is so worthy, all the way until the end. Until we hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.” God bless you as you follow Jesus.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,You have called me to a disciple’s life. I want to embrace that life, yet there are times when I look back. I am Your disciple. I will go where You lead me. Please help my faith I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Invitation:

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 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.

If you have done this, 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..

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

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 25th 2017 – Stop the Whining

“But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” (1 Corinthians 10:5-6)

Have you ever seen a child watching their cartoons? They sit happily watching the colorful characters they love on the screen. But, it’s interesting to watch what happens if you were to shut off the show. That once happy child turns into a loud, demanding whiner. “I want to watch it,” they demand as they kick and scream when they are told “no.” I wish this picture stopped at childhood. Sure… we’ve toned it down a bit, but how often do we find ourselves discontented and whining for the next job, house, car or spouse? This is not a new phenomenon by any means. In fact, Moses was threatened many times by a mob of angry whiners.

(Numbers 11:5) “We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

The children of Israel had been receiving supernatural food from heaven and yet they were whining for something more. God has provided all eternity for us through Jesus. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection we can be forgiven. Because of His great love we can have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. With this Truth forever on our minds, how could we ever whine again? Instead, we should live content, thankful lives because the God of all creation loves us unconditionally.

“We need to stop the Continual Whining and take notice of our Blessings.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the life You have given me. Lord, forgive me if I have whined or complained about life when You have blessed me in so many ways. Help me to see the amazing blessings all around me today and to share those blessings with others I meet. Fill me with Your Spirit and use me to reach others with the message of the Gospel. 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

October 23rd 2017 – Falling Short

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1)

It’s an excellent question to ask ourselves. When we see the rest of the verses in Psalm 15 we see how we all fall short of God’s glory.

(Psalm 15:2-5) “He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.”

The truth is that none of us can dwell in God’s presence. None but Jesus that is. Yet through Jesus we can partake of His forgiveness, and through His forgiveness we can partake of the power of Christ, that raised Him from the dead, to walk in the ways of the Lord. All of us have failed to speak truth, have failed in loving our neighbor and speaking to our neighbor the way Jesus loved us. Yet, as we partake of Jesus, we can partake of the newness of life and as we do we can walk in the promise:

(Psalm 15:5) “He who does these things shall never be moved.”

Jesus wasn’t moved away from God’s will and as we trust in Him we won’t be easily moved outside of His will either.

“We could not go to God on His Holy Hill. God came to this earth from His Holy Hill, to die for our sins, so we can be declared righteous and innocent, and then we can go to God’s Holy Hill.”

Prayer:

Havenly Father, I thank You that You were able to walk to that Holy Hill to die for my sins. Now by Your power I can have Your freedom and forgiveness and stability. Please give me Your power to walk in it 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.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 20th 2017 – Trusting God In All Things

“But [Joseph] did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus” (Matthew 1:25)

Some people are good at the immediate. They can jump right into anything, but they are not always good at “keeping on keeping on.” And other people are good at lasting, but it takes them a long time to get there.

To live the exciting life of faith that God has planned for you, you need to be good at both the immediate and the lasting. And both of those require that you keep on trusting.

Joseph didn’t understand what it meant for Jesus to have a virgin birth, he didn’t understand Jesus would be God in human flesh. But he knew what God told him to do, so Joseph kept on trusting. He was a newlywed who didn’t get a honeymoon, and his new marriage was not anything like he planned, but he still kept trusting.

What are you going to do when life doesn’t work out like you planned or wanted?

I want to encouraged you by what the Apostle Paul says in (2 Corinthians 4:8) “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit”.

I don’t know why some people are diagnosed with terminal cancer. I don’t know why some children rebel so strongly against their parents. I don’t know why so many things happen that don’t make sense. So it’s encouraging to hear one of the greatest men of faith say, “I don’t know why things happen as they do, but I still choose to not give up.”

It’s good to know that we can trust God and that he knows things we don’t. He has promised that one day He will set everything right. One day He will bring together everyone who trusts in him.

Until then there are two ways you can live your life. You can live feeling like God owes you an explanation or you can live realizing God has given you great gifts.

If you live life feeling like God owes you an explanation, you will only wind up in a constant state of bitterness, because God doesn’t owe you anything.

But even though He doesn’t owe you anything, He has given you everything. He gave you his own Son. He gave you the gift of eternal life. He gave you the promise of being together with him forever. Those are great gifts.

“Do you trust God for the things that you don’t understand? Or do you seek the answers for yourself”

“When we don’t understand what God is doing in our life, consider the source – Who is it that you’re trusting, God or yourself?”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I ask that you place within me your obedient spirit so that I may be obedient to your instruction.  Help me Lord to walk by faith and not by sight.  I don’t always understand what you’re doing in my life, but I make a decision to trust you God, In all things, I ask that you place within me your spirit of joy, peace and rest to endure all that comes my way. Right now, I make a decision to trust you Lord because I know that you’re in control of my life even when my life seems to be out of control. Lord, I thank you for clarity, guidance, provision and strength.  I pray and ask for these things in Jesus name’ Amen.

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

If you have never asked Jesus into your heart or want to recommit. Click here to learn more.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 17th 2017 – When God Closes Doors

“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.” (Acts 16:6-7)

Have you ever had God close a door that you thought was previously open? What was your reaction? Did you get upset and complain, or did you thank God for the closed door while praying about what to do? Prayer is a good thing. Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), but this doesn’t mean to stop looking for other open doors. You can pray while taking action. What did Paul and his crew do when the Lord closed a door? Did they sit around and moan to one another about how difficult it was to be a Christian and how they wanted to minister in Bithynia but the Lord would not let them? No, they didn’t! They kept moving forward as God revealed to Paul the door that He had opened.

(Acts 16:10)
“Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Although God closed some doors for Paul and his group, God opened the doors to Macedonia in order that Lydia would be saved and the door to Europe would be opened to the Gospel. You see, sometimes the door that God closes opens the door to something awesome that He has in store. What should we do when God closes the door? Don’t try to kick down the door! Don’t try to sneak a peek. Instead, prayerfully try another door. Take a step of faith. The rest is up to God. Press forward.

(Philippians 3:13-14)
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

“Considder the fact that maybe God closed that door, because He knew you were worth so much more.  God has so much more for you, Trust in Him”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for saving me. Thank You for allowing me to serve You in whatever way You have planned for me. Please forgive me for the times that I have tried to force open doors that You closed. Give me eyes to see the doors that You want me to go through and the courage to go through them. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen

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

If you have never asked Jesus into your heart or want to recommit. Click here to learn more.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 11th 2017 – A Gift of Grace

“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 nu 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 have never asked Jesus into your heart or want to recommit. Click here to learn more.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org