Tag Archives: The Good News

July 8th 2019 – Be of Good Courage?

“Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.” (Ezra 10:4)

God may be the director of the universe, but He has given us power to make decisions. You have a decision to confess your sins to Him and to ask for His forgiveness. You have a decision whether to serve the Lord, give to the Lord or share the Gospel with others. No matter who you are, you have an opportunity to change the world through your decisions.

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

As you read this devotional, there is a world filled with people who desire peace. They desire love. They desire hope in something greater than the economy, who is president or their own ability. As a follower of Christ, we can make the decision to share with them how to change their life and those things by sharing the Gospel. We can serve them. We can offer them our time, resources and compassion. God will empower us to do mighty things, but we must decide to do it. Choose this day who you will serve, and do it!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I desire to choose You above everything else. Lord, give me courage to step out on to the battlefield to serve You and share your glorious message to others. Give me a heart of compassion and a willingness to think of others before myself. God, use me to change someone’s life by directing them 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.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

 

July 7th 2019 – Memory Full, No Space Available

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

I’ve been known to fill up the storage space on my smart phone. I take lots of pictures, reminders of things needed for work, friends and family. I keep them all on my phone. I often back them up to my computer but I keep alot of them right there on my phone, many are of them are the important people in my life and my pets and I enjoy looking at them. But just the other day I was trying to save a document, and my memory was full.

Wouldn’t it be great if, when the devil comes knocking at the door of our minds with an illicit thought, a message pops up that reads, (Memory is full with the Word of God.) There’s no room for you or your thoughts. Don’t even bother? Far too often we have a lot of storage available, and we’re willing to entertain those thoughts.

Temptation, in most cases, comes through the doorway of our minds. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

When our guard is down and those flaming arrows of ungodly thoughts come our way, we are to “Cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Paul also said, “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise worthy meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Let’s think about things that will build us up not things that will tear us down.

Trials and temptations will come. Take steps now to be prepared for that.”

Prayer:

Thank You for loving me. I know that I have done wrong and have sinned against You. Father, please forgive me and fill me with Your Spirit so that I can fight temptation. We call upon You in the times that ungodly thoughts and temptations enter our mind. Give us the strength to delete these spiritual attacks right away. our heavy burdens, until we can again feel the warmth and love of Your divine compassion. Protect us in our temptations. Be mindful of us and have mercy on us while we struggle to comprehend life’s trials and temptations that come in our of life. When fear and panic, shock and dismay are close by, so are you. Maywe always recconize you ,  Keep us ever in Your watch until these storms of life pass. In Jesus’ precious and glorious 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.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

July 6th 2019 – Destination Heaven

Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live.” (John 14:1-3)

Heaven is an actual place.

It isn’t an “idea” or a “state of mind”; it’s a location, like Phoenx or New York City or Paris. We often think of Heaven in sort of a mystical way, and our minds gravitate toward the versions we have seen in childrens books or TV, where people in white robes floating around on clouds with a halos over their heads, strumming a harp.

How mundane! That is certainly not the Heaven of the Bible. The Bible uses a number of words to describe Heaven. One word it uses is paradise. In the Gospels, we’re told that Jesus was crucified between two thieves. When one of those thieves, in the final moments of his life, put His faith in Jesus, he said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” And Jesus replied, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

Heaven is also compared to a city. In (Hebrews 11:10) we’re told that this city’s architect and builder is God Himself. And then (Hebrews 13:14) says, “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”

Now, we know that cities have buildings, culture, art, music, parks, goods and services, and events. Will Heaven have all of these things? We don’t know. But we can certainly conclude that Heaven will in no sense be less than what we experience here on earth with the exception of all things harmful or evil.

Heaven is also described as a country. (Hebrews 11:16) says, “They desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.”

Heaven is a paradise, a city, a country . . . and so much more that we can’t begin to wrap our limited minds around it. But one thing I do know: Jesus is expecting me, and He’s prepared a place for me. What more could I ask for?

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth and remember we can only get to Heaven by Jesus.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, 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 and give me the power to follow You all the days of my life.  I also thank You for the hope You have freely given to me through Your Son Jesus. Lord, help my doubt when I cannot see. As I eagerly wait in expectation of Your coming, strengthen me to persevere in the calling You have laid before me. I know that all things work together for good to those who love You. Lord, I commit my life to Your purposes today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Do you trust Jesus enough with your life?You should, Jesus died on the cross for you and me. He loves us and wants to help us. If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior don’t miss out on your destination to paradise! please click here 4 Simple Steps to Jesus

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here and we will pray for you..

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

June 14th 2019 – In the Shadow of the Cross

“After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.” (1 Corinthians 15:6)

They had known Jesus before His death and again saw Him after His resurrection. Surely, this group of believers was blessed to know Christ personally. I can imagine there would be no other group of individuals on earth who would long more passionately for His return. After all, they had sat and listened to His teaching. They broke bread in fellowship with Him. They experienced the pain of watching Him die and then experienced the pure joy of seeing Him alive again! After He ascended to heaven, they must have thought, “Any day now He will come again for us.”

Now let’s fast forward 2000 years… and we still wait. While we may never have spoken to Jesus face to face, we continue to go to Him in prayer. While He has not eaten at our dinner tables, we take communion at His. Each day, we stand in the shadow of the cross and what He has done for us, and we long for His return. But waiting is not passive, it’s active. Until He comes again, we continue to share the amazing story of God’s love for sinners and the death of Christ on our behalf. It’s a timeless truth that will ring throughout eternity from today in our world until long after He has come again.

“We should live in the expectation of the return of Jesus.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I look forward to the coming of Your Son and His Kingdom that will follow. Help me to remember that this world is a temporary place and that my true home is with Christ. Until He returns, give me strength, wisdom and opportunities to tell others about our coming King. Keep us in the Shadow of the Cross we will wait for Your Glorious and Triumphant return. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you would like to request a prayer Click Here

Have you ever received Jesus as you Lord and Savior? If you do not know Him personally,you will never be truly free. 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

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

June 13th 2019 – Reignited

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6)

Have you ever watched a fire begin to burn down to the point that all you have left are coals? It looks as though there is no fire actually left, because the coals may be under a layer of ash. You can’t really see much. But when you take a fresh log and toss it on top of those coals and stir it around a bit, suddenly it ignites, and you have a whole new fire going.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). That phrase stir up the gift means to fan it into full flame.

There may be live coals in your life, but you have allowed the fire to go down. You haven’t been using the gifts that God has given you, the talents He has given you. It’s time to fan them into full flame again. It’s time to be reignited. It’s time to say, “Lord, how can I use what You have given me for Your glory until You return?”

It’s easy for our Christian faith to go stale. We say the right words and go through the right motions while having a cold heart toward God. One thing that causes our faith to become stagnant is we forget that Christianity is not about a set of ideas; it’s about the most important person in all history – Jesus Christ, who came from heaven to earth not only to provide a way for us to escape hell after we die, but also to show us a better way of living before we leave this world.

We need to take advantage of the opportunities that are out there. If we will humble ourselves and take what we have and offer it to God, if we are willing to do what He has set before us and be faithful in the little things, then He will give us more to do.

Any time you take a chance, you can fail. But it’s better to try than to never have anything happen in your life. I would rather try and fail than never try at all.

“It’s time to be reignited.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your love for me and the faith that has grown in my heart. I ask that You fan my flame and ignite my faith into a towering infernal for you Lord! I want to use my life and talents to please You. Help me share Your love and the message to others. Keep my heart full of faith during in the often trials of my life, that I may be on fire to inspire others and glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Seeking a personal relationship with Jesus?

If you do not know Jesus 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. He loves us and wants to help us. 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

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

June 6th 2019 – A Fading Ember

“And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the LORD). But still the people acted corruptly.” (2 Chronicles 27:2)

“I don’t need to be in church to be a Christian.” This statement has been uttered by many people throughout the years and often times is the sign of a struggling believer. The statement itself is correct. Anyone can have a relationship with Jesus Christ whether they are part of a church or not. Yet, God created the church to be a crucial tool for spiritual growth.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Like a burning ember that’s been pulled out of the fire, Christians who are not connected to a church often struggle to burn brightly in this dark world. This is one of the many benefits of fellowship. When we meet together under the banner of Christ, we stir each other up to good works. We are able to hold each other accountable as well as hold each other up during difficult times. While there may be times of transition when a believer finds themselves alone, our goal should be to find other like-minded Christians who can encourage us in our walk with Christ. Needing other believers is not a weakness; its how God designed it so that we could demonstrate love to one another in a way that changes the world.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the church and for the fellowship of other believers. In Your infinite wisdom, You created the church so that we could know You more and be equipped to share the Gospel. Father, I pray that You would give us unity as believers and help us reach out in love to others who may be on the edges. 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

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.

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

June 4th 2019 – Strong Hands

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building.” (Zachariah 8:9)

When the world is looking for strength in a person, the ones that come to mind are our military professionals, emergency responders, athletes or the well known CEOs who exhibit power and endurance. These men and women work hard to push through and accomplish their goals. Granted we can learn from those who have done these things, yet God points us in a different direction when we are looking for strength. In Zechariah chapter 8, God tells Israel to “let your hands be strong,” but He does not just leave it at that. He points them to the source of their power.

“These words by the mouth of the prophets,”

God, in essence, is telling Israel to be strong because He has spoken promises over His people that can be trusted. When they face difficulty in rebuilding the temple or face trials from other nations, they can be strong because God said that He would one day bless them in a mighty way. This is great for Israel to hear, and yet this Truth is the same for us. Throughout the Scriptures, God has spoken promises over us. Each one can be held on to with complete confidence that it will come to pass, because they are the words of a God who cannot lie. These promises from God are to be trusted above our emotions, above our circumstances and above the wisdom of the world. These words from the Lord will drastically change our lives – if we believe them with all our heart and trust in the One who spoke them.

“When we are weak and hurting, Our strength is found in the Word of God.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I praise You today for the power of Your Word to change my life. Thank You for the promises of Scripture that are for my good. Thank You for the corrections in the Bible that help me to become more like Jesus. Teach me to trust in each one more and more each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

Interested in experiencing forgiveness and love found in Jesus? Please click here to learn more about how to ask Jesus into your heart. 4 Simple Steps to Jesus

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 29th 2019 – Stability

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Stability… Everyone desires to have it in life. After all, who wants to live life in chaos? Unfortunately, life doesn’t give us a choice. Each morning when we open our eyes we await things that will catch us off guard. Good or bad, these elements in life are part of living in a broken world. The good news is that we are not alone, and there is a source outside the chaos that we can lean on in times of instability.

“But the LORD has been my defense, And my God the rock of my refuge.” (Psalm 94:22)

Throughout Scripture, God is referred to as a rock. This is not to say that He is made of granite, but it is a reference to His steadfastness. Like a mighty mountain, God is immovable and secure in all His ways. Because of this, He is our source for security and strength. When life brings surprises, we can stand on our God. When people change, our God will not. When situations arise, our God is our refuge. As you wake up this morning, spend time in God’s Word and get to know Him more. Read His promises with great anticipation. Grasp His love and mercy and allow that to strengthen you today. The more you know about God, Jesus and His might and power; the more you will be equipped to stand strong during the storms of life. Life may bring instability but with God we can remain stable.

“The more mature you grow in the Lord, the more stable you become in life and in all matters.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your great love for me and for Your steadfastness. Your Word tells me that You will never change and that Your mercy endures forever. Lord, help me to find stability on You, my Rock. Bring to mind Scriptures in my times of doubt and encouragements in my times of need. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I will remain brave, strong and steadfast in the faith. 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

May 23rd 2019 – Focus on the Things Above

“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

2017-07-21-05-57-35

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org