Month: November 2011

Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-17-11

(Eccl 3:1 NKJV)  To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

Seasons come and seasons go.

There are times when I am so happy the way things are going that I don’t want to move, afraid I might mess it up. But, when we serve the Almighty it’s always good and things will change.

For even in the hard times (times of tribulation) it still remains good because He is there! It’s in the hard times when we look up the most and lean on Him the hardest and He shows us His strength.

The good times are just as rewarding.

Try to remember in the hard times as well as the good times that God is with us and will walk us through whatever season we are in and we will learn as we come through. He is faithful!

Praise Him today for seasons!!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-16-11

(2 Tim 4:2 NKJV)  Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

We never really know when God will use us to speak into someone’s life. Sometimes we might meet someone who needs a word of encouragement. Another time we may meet someone who needs words of correction. Yet other times we may meet someone who needs words of love and kindness.

One thing is for sure; we need to always be prepared for those moments in time.

Today I spent many hours on a plane. During my first flight I ended up seated way in the back of the plane. Let me tell you that the back of the plane is my least favorite place to sit. For some reason, I just prefer to sit further toward the front.

Today, though, I learned why I was sitting in the back, as I got to share with someone who was going through a very tough time in their life. I got to encourage this person and give this person some words of teaching and even some loving correction. He seemed encouraged and uplifted as we got off the plane.

Ordinarily I would have looked for another seat as soon as everyone was done boarding the plane, but today I didn’t do that, and it ended up being a blessing.

Now, please understand that we shouldn’t go around trying to create those opportunities, but when God opens the door, we need to be step through it. Be ready for God to use you at a moment’s notice. You never know when it might happen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-15-11

(Psa 103:12 NKJV)  As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Have you ever done anything you regretted? Have you committed sins in the past that you look back on now and they make you cringe? I think we can all answer that with a definite “yes”.

Not a single one of us has lived perfectly. We have all sinned and disappointed God and ourselves, as well as those around us.

Maybe you did this before you knew God, or maybe afterward. Or maybe you don’t know God yet, but you’re seeking Him.

Here’s the good news. God has said that He will forgive us and our sins will be removed as far away from us as the east is from the west. That’s pretty far!

Now, maybe you’re having trouble understanding what that means, so just know that when you ask God to forgive you for something, and you’re sincere about it, He will remove that sin from our life and it will be gone… period. There is not a trace of it left, as far as He is concerned.

So if you’ve ever wondered about those things you’ve done in your past, stop wondering. Ask for forgiveness, ask God to help you not to do it again and then keep moving forward and looking ahead.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-14-11

(Gen 1:16-18 NKJV)  Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. {17} God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, {18} and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

The neat thing about this scripture is that if you go out at night and you look up, all this is right there to see.

It is amazing how God set it all up for us even before we were born. He knew what we would need to be able to see during the day and even into the night.

My husband sometimes goes out fishing in the evenings, well into the early morning hours. He doesn’t use anything to see but the lit up sky. After being out there for awhile some nights he says it’s so light out there he can’t even catch a fish, because the fish can see his shadow!!

You know, the funny thing is that we have never seen God in person, but yet His hand is everywhere we look. He designed this world for us to enjoy, giving us just enough of everything!!

Praise be to God our Creator!!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-12-11

(Acts 8:7-8 NKJV)  For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. {8} And there was great joy in that city.

Wherever the spirit of God is present, great things happen.

Jesus walked the earth, performing miracles and showing people the love of God.

After Jesus had left the earth, His disciples picked up where He had left off, performing the same miracles, healings and deliverances.

God still moves like this today. Unfortunately, we don’t see it as often. But it’s not because God prefers to move less often. It’s more because man has pushed God out and replaced Him with traditions, rituals and rules.

The Holy Spirit and His gifts have been imitated, mocked, exploited and worse, to the point where very few people even believe that these things can happen any longer.

How the world could be changed if we would only get back to the basics of God and do away with the foolishness of religion.

I long to see God move again, see miracles happen on a regular basis and see demons cast out of people.

It can happen. We just have to want it badly enough.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-11-11

(Psa 31:3 NKJV)  For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me. Run to our safe place today!!

God is waiting for us and He wants to hear what we have to say. Sometimes we hold back when we get into His presence, but I say, LET IT GO!

Do we really think that the concerns we have every day are too big for God? God is waiting for us to open our mouths and share them with Him, so that He can move forward and help us work it out.

A fortress is a place, or source, of refuge or support. We have to understand this; in order to move forward we need to trust Him and give Him everything.

Well, how do we give Him everything?  Some of us have a hard time letting go. I already feel my hands tightening up and getting ready to grip something. If you have a hard time with this, ask God to help you learn to let go of those things that He’s asking for.
Letting go and letting God lead us brings VICTORY in our everyday
living!!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-10-11

(Acts 16:24-25 NKJV) Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. {25} But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Paul was no stranger to adversity. He was shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, bitten by a poisonous snake and the list goes on.

In the verse above he had been thrown in jail for preaching the gospel of Jesus. What I’d like to focus on today is how Paul & Silas reacted to this seemingly terrible situation.

First, though, I want us to think about how we would react to being thrown in jail for something like preaching the gospel. How would we behave? Would we moan and whine, wondering why this had happened to us, or would we rejoice and ask God how He would want us to handle this situation?

So let’s get back to Paul & Silas. They had been cruelly tossed into jail with their feet in stocks. But while they were in there they didn’t waste their time crying and complaining. Instead, they prayed and sang to God!

Ultimately, an earthquake took place that broke the doors of the prison cells. Through this turn of events, Paul & Silas were able to share the gospel with the prison guards and many people received Christ as their savior because of it.

Could we say that we would do the same? I know that God has been working on my attitude for many years and I’m thankful for the work He has done in me. But I have in no way arrived. There is still much work to be done in me… that’s for sure.

Let God check your heart and then ask yourself if you could sing songs and pray in a situation such as this.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-9-11

(Mark 10:45 NKJV)  “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus came and walked this earth for one purpose; to pay the price for our sins and take our place on the cross.

While He was here He did so many incredible things. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cast out demons, and the list could go on and on. These are all very awesome things that He did to set an example for us, but His ultimate purpose was to give Himself for us.

Have you ever really thought about this? Has it really ever hit home with you and caused you to have a revelation of what Jesus really did for us?

Think about it. Jesus left heaven and came to this earth as a man. He came here as a baby, living out the complete human experience and walking every single step of human life, so He could see and feel everything that we see and feel. We can never say that He doesn’t understand what we go through!

Ultimately, Jesus gave His life for us. He died the cruelest death at the hands of the Romans… a civilization that had perfected cruel deaths on mechanisms such as the cross. The Bible says He was beaten beyond recognition. I don’t believe that any of us can ever fully understand the extent of the physical punishment He took at the hands of the Roman soldiers, in our place.

If you have never embraced the death of Jesus and accepted the sacrifice that he made for you on the cross, consider it right now. Understand that everything He suffered, He suffered for you and for me.

Embrace Him today. Ask Him to forgive you for your sins and ask Him into your life. Forgiveness of your sins is the most incredible gift you will ever receive during your entire life.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-8-11

(Mal 3:10-11 KJV) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Let’s ask ourselves a question today. Are we struggling financially? Are there projects we want to do but we never seem to have the finances to do them? Can we ever get ahead?

God is giving us a choice to honor Him with our tithes (a tenth of our income).  He says, bring into the storehouse.

What is a storehouse? Merriam Webster dictionary defines a storehouse as a building for storing goods (as provisions): An abundant supply or source.

As we bring our tithe to God and the place He has for us to store it in, He provides for us out of His storehouse. He takes from His storehouse and cares for our needs. But we must obey Him in this.

We want, want, want from God but we don’t necessarily want to give to God and honor Him with our tithes. Remembering that everything is HIS. The way to get things is to start by giving.

As we honor Him today with our tithe, He will turn our situations around!!

Be blessed!!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-7-11

(Exo 20:12 NKJV)  “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

This is a verse that is so commonly used when teaching children. It is a good thing to instill in our children’s hearts and minds.

How about us adults? Do we honor our father and mother?

Over time things can happen. Disagreements can take place. Points of view can change. People can take different directions in life. It happens to all of us.

But how do we look at our parents? Do we honor them? Do we show them respect?

We don’t have to idolize our parents or hang on every word they speak, but God has commanded us to honor them.

Maybe we have taken a different path than our parents did, but that doesn’t mean that we should disrespect or dishonor them. Maybe they have done things to offend us. Maybe they have disrespected us.

Maybe we have offended them and they have expressed this to us. Maybe we have disrespected them and they have told us that this is so. Either way, we need to honor them. God has told us to.

Do we honor our parents? If not, we need to ask God where to start. He will be faithful to show us and teach us if we keep our hearts and minds open to Him.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 11-6-11

(James 5:16 NKJV)  …The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Two weeks ago we sent out an email, asking everyone to pray for our nephew, John. He had been in a terrible car accident and was in critical condition.

During these past two weeks, John has been through very much. He has been kept in a medically-induced coma in an effort to reduce the swelling in his brain. He had severe head trauma as a result of the accident.

We wanted to give you an update. We have had many people write or call and ask us how John is doing. We wanted to reply to everyone, but we also wanted to have something to report, so we chose to wait until today to send an update by email.

As of today, Saturday, John is finally regaining consciousness. He has opened his eyes several times during the past 24 hours and is no longer on a respirator.

He knows who he is and he recognizes his Mom. So his brain functions appear to be coming back slowly.

We want to thank all of you so much for praying for John, for sending us emails of encouragement and for being genuinely concerned about him and about us.

We need to continue to pray for healing over his entire body. We need God to do a miracle and restore his motor functions 100% so he will not have to spend weeks or months in physical therapy learning how to do basic things all over again.

We are believing for a miracle. Will you continue to join us?

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
401-377-5400

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