Month: August 2013

Bible Verse of The Day – 8-19-13

(Zechariah 2:8 NKJV)  For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.

Have you ever been around your friends, family or those closest to you, but you are not really happy because when you are around them you can’t be yourself?

When you are around them, do you feel like you have to conform to the way they want you to do things and be the person they want you to be? If you don’t, do you know you are going to have to listen to them correct you and tell you what you are doing wrong?  When you try to be yourself do you feel uncomfortable because you know they are watching every move you make and judging you for it?

What a hard place to be. If we continue to allow this behavior to control us, then we really aren’t being ourselves. We are being who everyone else wants us to be.

God wants us to be us. He wants us to be REAL! Even if we might not like what we see in ourselves or how we act at times. To Him, we are the apple of HIS eye.

If we are always acting like someone else, we will never see the true person that we are and we will never get help in the areas of our lives where we need it most.

If we continue on this road we will be unhappy all the time. We won’t change if we never see who we really are. Instead, we just hide it. This is not happiness; it’s not what living is about.

Today, know that we are the apple of God’s eye, He loves us and wants to help in all areas of our life, but we have to be real with ourselves for Him to be able to reach us.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-17-13

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NKJV) 17 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.

In keeping with yesterday’s teaching, let’s look just a little more at trials.

As mentioned yesterday, trials, in reality, are usually nothing more than an inconvenience… a problem that we have to overcome.

Today’s scripture backs this up by teaching us that our afflictions (trials) are indeed light and temporary when compared to eternity.

This is not to take away from anyone’s tough situations or circumstances, because there are some people reading this who may be going through some very tough times and things that you never, ever thought you would have to face.

But when we take our troubles and we hold them up and compare them to the BIG picture and the grand scheme of things, they are, in fact, very small and “but for a moment”.

As believers, children of The King, followers of Christ, we need to make sure our perspective is right; that we are looking at things through eternal eyes, not temporal eyes. This is something that takes a lot of practice and there is not a single one of us who will get it right 100% of the time.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try! We can all let God work in us and change our perspective. We just have to want to.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-16-13

James 1:2-4 (NKJV) 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

None of us likes trials. In fact, not only do we not like them, most of us detest them.

Whether we realize it or not, trials show us what we’re made of. Trials can put pressure on us and squeeze us. And when things get squeezed hard enough, what’s inside of them eventually comes out!

Trials can be a major inconvenience, but most of them never really hurt us or cause us harm. The problem is that there isn’t a single one of us who likes inconveniences.

But as we grow in our faith, we should start to see and understand that many trials can benefit us, if we let them! You’re probably wondering what I’m talking about, so let’s look a little more closely.

When we’re babes in Christ and our faith is young, tender and still very small, we only look at trials through human, natural eyes. We seldom see things beyond that. Trials are messy, a nuisance and an all-around bother to deal with.

But as we grow in Christ, we begin to look beyond the surface of things and start to see that there is usually more to many things than meets the eye. Then, as our understanding in this grows, we will start to see God’s hand at work in the trials that we face.

So if you’re going through a trial today, step back and try to look at it through spiritual eyes… the eyes of a believer, not through natural eyes. Because somewhere in all of the mess and confusion, God is offering you His peace and understanding. And whether we can see it right now or not, there is probably a blessing wrapped in that trial.

So count it all joy, not just those things that are pleasant and easy to take.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-15-13

Malachi 3:8-9 (NKJV) 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse,

For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

Have we cursed ourselves with a curse?

When most people think of the above verses and they discuss tithing, they typically focus on the fact that if we aren’t tithing, we’re robbing God. But today, let’s look at this from a different angle.

Did you notice that it says “you are cursed with a curse”, in verse 9? Yes, it does!

And do you know why they are cursed with a curse? Because they have robbed God by not giving of their tithes and offerings.

So let’s look at this from the opposite point of view. If withholding our tithes and offerings from God brings a curse, then giving our tithes and offerings offers protection from that very same curse.

It’s true. As we give of our tithes and offerings, we are allowing God to place a layer of protection around us that prevents us from being “cursed with a curse”. If we withhold our tithes and offerings, we cause this protection to be removed and make ourselves vulnerable to this curse.

Furthermore, our tithes and offerings are more than just a “lip service” that we pay to God. Giving to God strictly out of a feeling of obligation is an insult to Him.

Tithing, giving of our finances, should be done as an act of worship to the God who supplies all our needs.

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV) And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

It should be our way of saying “God, everything I have is from you and because of you and because I understand this and I’m thankful, I want to give you honor and glory by giving back to you and your work”.

This should be the true essence of tithing in the New testament church today.

So let me ask; are we cursed with a curse or are we covered by God’s protection over our finances?

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-14-13

Matthew 5:43-44 (NKJV) 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.

Bless those who curse you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who spitefully use you.

That is a tough pill for some of us to swallow! It’s a tall order that many of us have a hard time fulfilling.

It’s easy to curse someone when they curse you. You know… an eye for en eye? But Jesus taught us a new and different way. We are no longer to take an eye for an eye.

Luke 6:31 (NKJV) And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

So if someone cusses us out and gives us a piece of their mind, it isn’t OK if we do the same back to them, even when we really, really want to!

If you’re in your car and someone lays on their horn and starts waving their hands at you, it’s NOT OK to do the same thing back!

Like I said, this isn’t always easy to walk out, but it is a necessity. We need to learn to “turn the other cheek”, walk away and ask God to bless that person. We need to pray that God will bless them, prosper them and shine His light in their life.

There will be days when this is harder than at other times and there will be times when we will have harsh words right on the tip of our tongue to hurl back at someone who insults us or speaks evil of us, but we need to restrain those words and be kind to that person, even when it hurts.

If we will commit to doing this, and then start to walk it out, God will help make it easier for us and before we know it, it will become second nature.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-13-13

(Matthew 5:41 NKJV)  “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

This is how God wants us to treat others. This is His heart for each one of us; simply do more then what is required… On the job, in the home, at school and in the church etc.

Take this verse today and apply it wherever we go and whoever we come in contact with.

If they ask of us to do anything, remember how our Father teaches us to do things. Push aside any negative feelings we may have toward the person asking you and follow God.

Don’t let intimidation or fear keep us from doing what is right. Sometimes it is the simplest little things that make a huge difference.

Let’s make a difference today!!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-12-13

(Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; {7} and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Praying for the things we need and being thankful for where we are at will bring peace in our life.

Do we always need to see everything we pray for before we are thankful for it? This is the question we need to ask ourselves today.

How many times do we pray for things and then walk around with a doom and gloom face, negative attitude, and angry at the world, until we get what we asked God for?

This is not how it happens with God. This is a bratty, selfish and childish way.

When we do this, WE are trying to manipulate God and others into doing what we want. We are saying to Him, “God, I have asked you for what I need and now I am not going to be happy or thankful until I get what I asked for”.

This might have worked when we were little and our parents gave in to us, but I guarantee you this will NOT work with our Heavenly Father.

This childish behavior has to stop in all of us. This will not get God to move for us in any way, shape or form. This behavior will cause more problems and slow the process down.

So let’s put away the pout face, the attitude and the agenda and start praying. And let’s be thankful and let God’s peace and understanding guard our hearts today! Amen

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-10-13

Ephesians 2 (NKJV) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins…

We were all dead in our sins. Every single one of us. And sadly, very few of us even knew we were dead.

It is our sin that separates us from God. It is the great canyon that stands between us and the Father. This canyon is so vast that the human eye cannot see across it.

There is no bridge that can be built across this canyon, except for one. That one bridge cannot be built by human hands or human engineering. It is a bridge created in the spirit realm. That bridge is created across the shoulders of Immanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ.

It is held together with the large nails that were driven into His wrists and feet. And it is painted in His blood, the precious blood that washes our sins away.

And yet, even though we were dead, we have been made alive! Amen!!

Jesus paid the price for our sin… our terrible sin, and offers us redemption through His brutal death and beautiful resurrection.

This, the ultimate sacrifice, is the one thing that can make us alive and put our sin so far from us that it cannot be found or seen again.

Thank Him today for this incredible bridge that was built in a way that no man and no demon can destroy it.

Thank Him and give Him glory and honor.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-9-13

(Deuteronomy 4:29 NKJV)  “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Seek the Lord today for yourself. Find Him. Don’t give up until He touches your heart and blesses you with His Peace, His Love and His Joy.

God can handle whatever we bring to Him. He can take our problems and our troubles and make them a vapor, as we seek Him for the answers. WE don’t have all the answers in this life, but HE does.

Some of us may feel ashamed to come to Him for different reasons. Maybe we feel like we blew it; we had our chance and we didn’t take it. Maybe we feel it’s too late. Don’t let anything or any thoughts get in the way of seeking God.

God is a loving, caring, wonderful, compassionate and forgiving God! We can come to Him no matter what we have done.

Remember the story about the prodigal son? (Luke 15:21-24 NKJV)  “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ {22} “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. {23} ‘And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; {24} ‘for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

This son messed up big time, but the key here is that he acknowledged his sin… his shortcomings, and humbled his heart and came home. He came back to his father. This is an example of what God wants us to do; repent and come home, back to Him!!

Is this you? Are you that prodigal child today? Have you done wrong and you want to make things right?

Well, open your heart to God. He is waiting for you to come home and make things right. Seek God with all your heart and He will help you through! Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-8-13

1 John 2:28 (NKJV) And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Today we’d like to bring a very simple, direct, straight-forward word.

Abide in Him.

Abide: To continue in a place

We need to continue in Christ, not wavering in our faith or straying from the path He has set before us.

Over the past two decades we have seen many, many people fall away from God, turning their backs and walking away from Him. Some of these instances happened very quickly and deliberately. Others happened slowly, over a period of time.

One of the biggest common denominators in all of the people we know who walked away from God is that they were the last ones you would ever expect to do such a thing, based on their outward behavior… the way they acted or spoke.

They were very vocal when in a church service, always shouting the loudest amen or worshiping God in what appeared to be a very reverent way.

But when the rubber met the road, trials came or something happened that they couldn’t understand or they didn’t agree with, these were the first to turn and run as far as they could get from God.

So we want to encourage you today; abide in Him. Stand strong in your faith. If you’re struggling with something, get godly counsel. If you have questions, seek answers from people you trust.

Never let your faith grow stagnant. Keep it strong and growing. And always, always run toward God, not away from Him.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-7-13

(Acts 2:17 NKJV)  ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

It is not uncommon for God to give us a vision, dream or a word of prophesy. But when He does, let us be sure to wait on Him for the explanation or interpretation.

Some things He shows us may have symbolic meaning, while others may need to be taken literally. When God shows us something, we should never try to figure it out on our own, based on our human intellect or understanding.

(Genesis 41:15-16 NKJV)  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” {16} So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

This is important to remember, so there will be no confusion, stress, or uneasiness in what God shows us. His answer will bring us PEACE.

The worse thing we can do is ignore our dreams and visions simply because we don’t understand them or because we think they mean something bad. Anything that God shows us is for our own benefit, even if it might not seem like it at the time.

To bring balance to this, know that not all dreams, visions and prophesies are from God.  Be prayerful when receiving them, especially if someone comes to you with what they claim or believe is a prophecy or “a word from God” for you.

God will help us get clarity. In the scripture above He used Joseph to show Pharaoh what his dreams meant. Sometimes He may lead us to someone that can help and sometimes He may just show us Himself, with no one else involved.

Don’t be afraid of dreams… they may be the answer we are looking for or the warning that will save us from danger.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please enter your email address in the box near the upper right corner of this page!

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