Tag Archives: Forgiveness

February 19th 2017 – Amazing Grace

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“But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 8:3)

Once there was a ruthless hit man who hated Christians. he did whatever it took to get them arrested, even murdered. Countless Christians were persecuted and killed because of this vicious man. Some time later, this man wanted to become a Christian. God forgave him and accepted him, despite all of His children this man abused.

We cringe when we read stories like that one. It seems like God is way too compassionate. We sometimes just want evil, vile people to get what they deserve. To get what they have coming to them. But even though God is intensely (and rightly) angry at evil, He offers grace and forgiveness to sinners, even the people we would define in our eyes as the “worst” of sinners. God will forgive any sinner, no matter how awful, if they repent, accept Jesus’ payment on the cross for their sins, and follow Him. God is extravagantly merciful. He is beyond.

The man described in the intro is actually someone your possibly familiar with: Saul, or Paul as we know him. Read his story in Saul’s Conversion Acts 9:1-20

Some questions to ponder.

  • Is God to soft? – What use is it denouncing murderers if they can simply repent and God will show them mercy.
  • What kind of God would do such a thing? “Is He neither tame enough more tough enough?

God is outrageously merciful. His mercy pulls the weight of guilt out from under any sinner. As His children, He wants us to follow suit. When people wrong us, God calls us to be like Him, to drop it. To forgive. To pull the weight out from under our case against them. God can forgive whomever He chooses to forgive. And He has chosen to forgive anyone who accepts His offer of salvation. While that is sometimes tough to swallow, how can we question the very grace by which we ourselves were saved? guilty of sin, we are all closer to murderers than we are to Jesus. Yet we’ve been forgiven by the God who’s beyond what we can imagine.

Prayer :

Heavenly Father, thank You for forgiving me of my sins and accepting me into Your kingdom even though, at times still sin against You. I often ask for forgiveness, however I also need mercy. I love You and want to please You, Your Grace is more then sufficient for me, anything above that is truly a blessing from You Lord, because I don’t deserve it. In Jesus’ name Amen.

If you have not asked Jesus into your life and experienced His Amazing Grace. Please Click Here to ask Jesus to be your Lord and savior.

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scriptutalseeds.org

January 4th 2017 – I Messed Up, Again!

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Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” (John 4:13-15)

Have you ever messed up so badly that it left a sense of believing that God wants nothing to do with you? If your answer is “yes,” then you’re in good company, because we all have. We’ve all made poor choices and bad decisions. A bad decision can cost you your marriage, job, friendships and even your peace of mind.

But, if you’re willing to admit you’ve messed up, you’re a prime candidate for an encounter with Jesus. In fact, He specializes in ministering to messed-up people. One of the many things I love about Jesus is that He gravitates toward those who are typically ignored, ridiculed, hated and rejected.

One of the greatest examples of this is found in the book of John. In chapter 4, Jesus encounters a woman at a well. This nameless woman meets Jesus while she performs one of the most mundane tasks in her messed-up life — drawing water out of a well.
She quickly learned a lesson we all need to know as well — the mundane can become momentous when we let Jesus clean up our mess-ups and radically change our lives. Jesus wants to clean up our mess-ups so much that He will break down every possible barrier to do so.
For example, to meet the woman at the well …
Jesus overcame a cultural barrier. Jesus traveled through a region that His people “the Jews”  would always avoid. Jesus saw culture, not as a barrier to compassion, but as a bridge to ministry.
Jesus overcame a moral barrier. This woman carried a terrible reputation. Her past put her in the category of a Hall-of-Fame sinner. She had been married five times and was now living with a man who wasn’t her husband. With this track record, everyone in her community knew her, and no man would dare to speak with her in public. No man, except Jesus! Jesus engaged with this woman, and we see her fess up to her mess-up.
We live in a culture that teaches us to hide our mess-ups and call them anything except the sins that they are. Jesus demonstrated through this woman that He will forgive us when we are willing to confess our sin to Him.
Jesus is not intimidated by our past. He sees beyond our failures and offers us a faithful future. You can’t do anything so bad that it will cause God to love you less.
If you’re reading this today and feel like Jesus wants nothing to do with you, I want you to know that He will break every possible barrier to reach you. Jesus is so serious about the task that He left heaven and came to earth to restore anyone who is willing to be cleansed. Today, you can meet with Jesus, bring Him your mess-ups, and allow Him to clean you up.

“Addiction does not always kill the addict. But it kills the hearts of the family and friends that love you and tried to help!”

“Jesus wants nothing more than to forgive you of your past and give you a brand new fresh start, confess your sin, ask for forgiveness and ask Him into your heart”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me so much that You destroy every possible barrier that could keep me from You. Help me to quickly fess up to my mess-ups, so that I can receive the wonderful forgiveness that is only found in You. Please help restore my life and help restore the relationships that I caused pain to. Come into my life and rescue me 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 and want to quench yor unquenchable thirst. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 7th 2016 – When its Hard to Forgive

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“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

Learning how to forgive others is one of the most unnatural duties in the Christian life. It goes against our human nature. Forgiving is a supernatural act that Jesus Christ was capable of, but when we are hurt by someone, we want to hold a grudge. We want justice. Sadly, we don’t trust God with that. There is a secret to successfully living the Christian life, however, and that same secret applies when we’re struggling with how to forgive.

Understanding Our Worth

We are all wounded. We are all inadequate. On our best days, our self-esteem hovers somewhere between feeble and fragile. All it takes is disapproval—or perceived disapproval—to send us staggering. These attacks bother us because we forget who we really are.

As believers, you and I are forgiven children of God We have been lovingly adopted into his royal family as his sons and daughters. Our true worth comes from our relationship to him, not from our appearance, our performance or our net worth. When we remember that truth, criticism bounces off us like a freeway pebble hitting a armored car’s front windshield. The trouble is that we forget.

We seek others’ approval. When they reject us instead, it hurts. By taking our eyes off God and His acceptance and putting them on the conditional acceptance of our boss, spouse, or friend, we set ourselves up to be hurt. We forget that other people are incapable of unconditional love.

Understanding Others

Even when other people’s criticism is valid, it’s still hard to take. It reminds us that we have failed in some way. We didn’t measure up to their expectations, and often when they remind us of that, tact is low on their priority list. Sometimes our critics have ulterior motives.

Some people try to be tall by cutting off the heads of others. They try to make themselves feel better by making others feel bad. You have probably had the experience of being put down by a nasty remark. When that happens, it is easy to forget that others are broken just like us.

Jesus understood the Brokenness of the human condition. No one knows the human heart like him. He forgave tax collectors and prostitutes, and forgave his friend Peter, for betraying him. On the cross, he even forgave the people who  killed him. He knows that humans—all humans—are weak.

For us, though, it usually doesn’t help to know that those who have hurt us are weak. All we know is that we were injured and we can’t seem to get over it. Jesus’ command in the Lord’s Prayer seems too hard to obey: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)

Understanding the Trinity’s Role

When we have been hurt, our instinct is to hurt back. We want to make the other person pay for what they did. But exacting revenge steps over the line into God’s territory, as Paul warned,

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

If we cannot take revenge, then we must forgive. God commands it. But how? How can we let it go when we have been unjustly hurt?

The answer lies in understanding the Trinity’s role in forgiveness. Christ’s role was to die for our sins. God the Father’s role was to accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf and forgive us. Today, the Holy Spirit’s role is to enable us to do those things in the Christian life we cannot do on our own, namely forgive others because God has forgiven us.

Refusing to forgive leaves an open wound in our soul that festers into bitterness, resentment, and depression. For our own good, and the good of the person who hurt us, we simply must forgive. Just as we trust God for our salvation, we have to trust Him to make things right when we forgive. He will heal our wound so we can move on.

In his book, Landmines in the Path of the Believer Charles Stanley says:

 “We are to forgive so that we may enjoy God’s goodness without feeling the weight of anger       burning deep within our hearts. Forgiveness does not mean we recant the fact that what happened to us was wrong. Instead, we roll our burdens onto the Lord and allow Him to carry them for us.”

Rolling our burdens onto the Lord—that’s the secret of the Christian life, and the secret of how to forgive. Trusting God, Depending on Him instead of ourselves. It’s a hard thing but not a complicated thing. It’s the only way we can truly forgive.

Who will you forgive today?  Maybe even yourself?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come to you today with an injured heart and ask that you would take this thorn from my side. Please remind me how you always forgive me and continue to love me even when I fail you and sin against you. Please give me compassion and love for the person I am struggling to forgive. Please continue to  lead me in you teachings so that I can reflect You more clearly in my everyday walk. I love You and thank You for you unconditional love. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

September 19th 2015 – IN THE BEGINNING!

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“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

What an amazing statement.  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  It doesn’t say I hope God did.  It sure doesn’t show God trying to prove that He did.  It just says, He did it.  One thing is sure, and that is, that God is sure of Himself.  We need to just believe it His way, and everything works out.

When you think about what this verse has in it, that God, with His Word created everything that we can see, and the things that we cannot see. He made the stars, the planets, the moons that circle the planets.  He made every living thing, from human to animals to angelic.  He made it all.

God, our heavenly Father is truly amazing, and one day we will share in this wonder of His.  It says in 1 Corinthians 2:9  But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Now that should get your hope and expectation going.  God has given us little glimpses of heaven and the new earth, things like streets of gold, no pain or sickness, the lion laying with the lamb.  One day it will all happen and we will live before Him and with Him.  One day we will see our Jesus.  

I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to hear Him say, “Well done you good and faithful one”.  Yeah, that’s going to be heaven right there.  So go ahead, look at all God has created because He created it for you and for me.

My Heavenly Father, You made all of this world for us to live in and enjoy.  You gave us dominion to live a life of abundant blessing. Today, I choose that life over the life of sin and death. I thank you for saving me from destruction and death and restoring my life that i would have a new beginning. I love you Lord. Amen.

looking for a new beginning? Click Here! Ask Jesus into you life. You will have a new beginning. It was the greatest decision I ever made. Before Jesus rescued me I was broken and literally dying.  I invite you to keep coming back and seeking the Jesus. It will change your life.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

September 13th 2015 – Eternal Confidence in Jesus Christ!

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“Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)

We live in a world where some people find hope, but few things are certain. People change. Circumstances change. There is always the question of what lies ahead tomorrow and thereafter. This uncertainty often causes us angst. There are so few things we can rely on confidently.

But one thing we can count on as Christians is eternity with Jesus. Yes, we can be “fully confident,” as Paul says, that when we are absent from our earthly bodies we will be at home with the Lord forever.

The saved can count on this with absolute certainty. But being saved is more than belonging to a church or having head knowledge about the Bible and the Christian faith. It comes from a personal relationship with Jesus.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Salvation comes when we confess our sins and invite Jesus to be our Lord and Savior and live within us through the work of the Holy Spirit. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24)

Today, as someone who is saved, you can have full confidence that what awaits you in heaven is far better than anything this earth has to offer.

Lord, thank You for the invitation to live with You forever. I confess my sins and surrender my heart and life to You again. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and impart to me assurance of salvation. Amen.

What is Salvation? How do I obtain it?

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

September 6th 2015 – Are any sins too big to be forgiven by God?

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“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

Many people make the mistake of believing that God forgives “little” sins such as lying, anger, and impure thoughts, but does not forgive “big” sins such as murder and adultery. This is not true. There is no sin too big that God cannot forgive it. When Jesus died on the cross, He died to pay the penalty for all of the sins of the entire world. When a person places his faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, all of his sins are forgiven. That includes past, present, and future, big or small. Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins, and once they are forgiven, they are all forgiven.

“In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Everyone has sinned” (Colossians 1:14)

“All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” (Acts 10:43)

We are all guilty of sin (Romans 3:23) and deserve eternal punishment (Romans 6:23). Jesus died for us, to pay our penalty (Romans 5:8). Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation is forgiven, no matter what sins he has committed (Romans 6:23; John 3:16). Now, a murderer or adulterer will likely still face serious consequences such as (legal, relational, etc.) for his evil actions – more so than someone who was “just” a liar. But a murderer’s or adulterer’s sins are completely and permanently forgiven the moment he believes and places his faith in Christ.

Everyone can be saved through Jesus

It is not the size of the sin that is the determining factor here; it is the size of the atoning sacrifice of Christ. If the shed blood of the sinless Lamb of God is sufficient to cover all the sins of all the millions of people who would ever believe in Him, then there can be no limit to the size or types of sins covered. When He said, “It is finished,” sin was made an end of, full atonement and satisfaction for it were given, complete pardon was obtained, peace was made, and redemption from all sin was achieved. It was sure and certain and complete; nothing needs to be, or could be, added to it. Further, it was done entirely without the help of man, and cannot be undone.

What happens when we repent?  (Asking for forgiveness before God)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

God loves us more deeply than I think we’ll ever know, but He hates our sin with a passion. That’s why He sent Jesus to die for us, so that our sin could be removed. Sin forms a wall between man and God, even in a believer’s life. The Blood of Jesus is the only thing capable of removing such a wall. When we repent (confess and forsake our sin), it opens the flood-gates to receive our heavenly Father’s rich blessings and goodness in our lives!

If today’s message applies to you, please seek Jesus in prayer and and ask for forgiveness. If you do not know Jesus personally and are at this website, please know that it is by no mistake. Please consider praying the prayer with me below.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, Please click here and scroll to the bottom and let us know. If you would like to be contacted, please select yes and I will personally contact you and discuss the next step. Congratulations and welcome to Gods family.. I am so proud and happy that you made this life changing decision. Your life truly will never be the same…  🙂

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries