Month: May 2012

Bible Verse of The Day – 5-18-12

(John 16:21 NKJV)  “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

Some of us are struggling today because we know that we have to face some major decisions. We have to choose Christ’s way and not our own way.

Part of us wants to cry and run because we know it won’t be easy, but the other part of us knows it is the right thing to do and there is no use in prolonging it.

Today, choose Christ’s way. No matter how hard it may seem, it will be well worth it and joy will come!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-17-12

(2 Cor 4:17-18 NKJV)  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, {18} while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Wow… now how many of us can honestly say that we think of our trials in that way?

As we go through the things that come our way each day, each week and each year of our lives, how awesome is it to know that they are only temporary? No matter how tough things get, they are not here forever, but just for a while.

God has created us to be eternal beings, living a natural life while we’re here on earth and then living eternally when our time on this earth is done. We should understand fully that there is more to our lives here than just things in the natural… that even though we live in a tangible, natural environment, there are many things that happen in the spiritual realm, behind the scenes.

But even in this, we know that everything we go through will bring us closer to God and bring honor to His name, if we let it.

What are you going through today? Are you fighting any battles? Some of us are facing some very tough things; decisions, choices, accusations, persecution, loss of loved ones, loss of finances, divorce, breakups, homelessness, despair, depression. The list could get pretty lengthy, because we’re all facing something!

But know that God is working things out within us and strengthening us through every one of these trials. No matter how tough it gets, cling to Him and trust Him with every fiber of your being. Don’t give up hope.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-16-12

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  • Love

(Eph 5:2 NKJV)  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Love is the ultimate gift that we’re given and that we can also give.

Love conquers all. Period.

Sometimes this is very hard for us to comprehend. We like to handle things our own way and make sure people know how we feel and what we think. But God wants us to love. He wants us to show people who He is by the way we love.

Love truly overcomes all evil. Think about this; if we speak to someone with an angry tone, how often does that person return our words with kindness? Not often, right?

But, what about if we speak to someone with kindness and sincerity? More often than not, we will get a softer response than if we spoke to someone harshly.

When I was in Bible College, one of the instructors made a statement that has stuck with me ever since. He said “Nobody really cares how much we know until they know how much we care”.

We need to make sure we’re loving people, not just showing them how much we know or how spiritual we are.

Make it a point to treat people with love and then take notice of how they react to you.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-15-12

(Gal 6:7-8 NKJV)  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. {8} For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

If only more of us could grasp this very important biblical truth, how very different our lives would be!

Most of us immediately think of money or finances when anyone teaches on sowing and reaping, but it covers so much more than this.

Finances definitely are part of this principle, but so are a lot of other things that we can sow. God had a little chat with me a couple of days ago and was reminding me of all the things He wants us to sow, so I want to share them with you.

So here we go: finances, kindness, love, forgiveness, patience, compassion, mercy, generosity, and the list could go on even further. But I think these are enough to make the point!

Sometimes when we sow, we might not necessarily reap right away. In fact, sometimes it can seem like it takes a very long time. But other times, we reap a harvest very quickly.

So if we’re lacking in an area of our lives, maybe we need to take a serious look at what we’re sowing in that area. Do we need to step up our sowing a little?

God will be honest to tell us if we ask Him and sincerely want an answer.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-14-12

(Jer 1:19 NKJV)  They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the LORD, “to deliver you.”

How many times do we feel like someone is coming against us? How many of us can testify that we are fought hard when we are trying to do the right thing?

You would think that people would like it when you are living right.The first thing people say is, “your being judgmental” or “you think your better then us!” They try to make you think there is something wrong with you.

So many of the people that don’t want to walk according to God’s Word like to throw stones at those who do. Not all of them do this, but many do.

Just as this scripture says, though, “They will fight against you, but they shall NOT prevail”…the LORD will deliver us!

Stand strong in the Lord and keep doing what’s right. No matter how hard it seems to get, we will prevail with God’s strength and His help.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-12-12

(Prov 13:3 NKJV)  He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Here’s a good one for the weekend!

Sometimes our mouths are our worst enemies! We try to point the finger at others when we hear them talking, but most times we fail to hear ourselves when we start gossiping or speaking about things that are better left unsaid.

There’s an old saying that I really like, and sometimes I have to remind myself of this to help keep me accountable. The saying goes like this: If a person will talk to you about someone else, they will also talk to someone else about you.

We need to make sure we’re not the ones doing the talking! Oh, and we also need to make sure we’re not listening when a person starts talking about someone else.

Let’s make a conscious effort over the weekend to refrain from talking negatively about anyone else. I bet we’ll catch ourselves more often than we realize!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-11-12

(Prov 3:13-15 NKJV)  Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; {14} For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. {15} She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

Wisdom is a very valuable thing. We can’t get wisdom simply by wishing for it. It comes by way of years of trials and tests, laboring, learning, struggling, battling and pressing into God.

God has also provided another way for us to gain wisdom; two other ways, actually. First, we can gain wisdom by conferring with people who have been through things in their own lives, and asking them about their own experiences. Second, we can glean wisdom from God’s word.

Regardless of the method by which we obtain wisdom, it’s something that helps us when we need to make choices or take action in situations.

God’s word is the final authority in all situations, so if you get your answers from others who have been through things in life, always be sure to compare it to the word of God.

Our Daddy will never steer us wrong!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-10-12

(2 Tim 4:3-4 NKJV)  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; {4} and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

We live in a time where people like to “have their ears tickled”. We don’t have to look far to find teachers who are willing to do that. The TV is full of them. The internet is full of them. Churches are full of them.

Sadly, the truth of God’s word has been buried beneath so many false teachings or teachings that offer just enough truth to make it seem legitimate. We need to have razor-sharp discernment to know truth from half-truth or outright lies.

Here’s a little tip that can help us spot false doctrines and false teaching: Is sin ever mentioned? In the teachings of some of these people, does sin ever get addressed, or is it all about positive thinking and feeling good?

It’s great to encourage people, but if sin is never addressed we can never grow as believers and draw closer to God.

Choose the words and teachings that you listen to very carefully and very wisely. God wants to bless us, but sometimes He has to address things in our lives before He can do so.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-9-12

(Mat 18:21-22 NKJV) Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” {22} Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Jesus surely makes it clear to us that we are to forgive, no matter how many times we’re required to do so.

It is in the forgiveness that we offer to others that we are, in turn, forgiven and freed from bondage. Many types of bondage, like sickness, disease and torment can stem from us withholding forgiveness from others.

A lack of forgiveness on our part can cause us to be bitter & mean, and simply not have God’s peace within ourselves.

When someone does something terrible to us, forgiving them doesn’t mean we have to go and be their best friend after we forgive them. We don’t necessarily even need to be around them. We just need to forgive them and move on.

When Jesus asks us to forgive someone for something that they have done deliberately to us, it is for our own good. It is something we need to come to within ourselves. Forgiveness brings freedom, peace and victory in our lives!

If you are carrying unforgiveness in your heart today, this is the day you need to ask God to help you get rid of it. There is FREEDOM waiting for you.

Let it go today and live in PEACE!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-8-12

(Prov 18:21 NKJV)  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

We have power in our words. We can build up. We can tear down.

Have you ever said something and then immediately wished you could take it back? I know I have. This is something we all stumble on sometimes.

Our words may not literally kill someone, but they can rob people of their joy, take away their encouragement and kill their hope. I can bet that every single one of us has had this happen to us at one time or another. It never feels very good, does it?

But guess what. We can also use our words to lift someone up, bring them joy and speak life into their situation.

God has given us the ability to use words to pick people up when they’re down. We can encourage them when they’re disappointed and we can give them hope when they’re depressed.

This might seem like something very small at first, but if we look at the impact we can have on those around us, day after day, it’s a pretty major thing!

Let’s choose our words wisely, bring life to people and bring glory to God!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-7-12

(Lev 19:4 NKJV)  ‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God.

Back in the day when this commandment was written, idols were common. Statues were created and worshipped as being gods.

Nowadays, we don’t think so much about “graven images” or statues being worshipped, even though they do still exist and are worshipped in many areas of the world.

We deal with many different idols these days that can seem much more subtle, but are still just as dangerous as any other kind of idol. Let’s take a look at some of them and see which one(s) we are falling prey to.

TV – How many hours of TV do we watch each week? This might be a good time to take account here.

Computer/Internet/Games – This is a monster time consumer for some people! Virtual reality is fun, but it does nothing for eternity and our souls if we’re not using it for God’s glory.

Food – Ooh… here’s one that many of us can really use some help with. Are we putting food before other things, or even before God? Are we eating way too much? Or are we obsessed with dieting? How about hoarding food? Do we have cupboards and pantries full of food, just in case we might need it?

Hobbies – do we have hobbies that become idols? Do they consume our time and our thoughts, and even our finances? Do they come between us and our relationships with people or between us and God? There are so many of these: Golf, baseball, soccer, football, basketball, fishing, hiking, sewing, knitting, gardening, and many more. These are all great things to do, but are we letting them bet between us and God?

Addictions – alcohol, tobacco, drugs, food, porn, sex, and many more. These are all very powerful and some of them can be life-altering or life-threatening. Most of these are driven by demonic forces that can control our lives if we don’t seek deliverance and help from God.

Any one of us can be under the negative influence of any of these idols, but God offers us hope! He has given us His son, Jesus Christ, who overcame all of these things by His death and resurrection.

Ask God to help you and deliver you from these idols and addictions. He is faithful to do what we ask.

Start your week off on the right foot and take a huge step toward putting these idols behind you.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-377-5400

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