Month: July 2014

Bible Verse of The Day – 7-18-14

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV) So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.

As we walk though our lives and we encounter various situations, trials, difficulties, etc., we often call on God to help us or deliver us from them.

When we do, we always seem to have preconceived ideas as to how God should do it. Most times these ideas involve God swooping down in some miraculous way, making a grand display of His power and might, crushing our problems with His awesomeness!

On the contrary, though, it’s almost never this way.

God rarely does things the way we expect Him to. He does things the way they need to be done and in a way that we would never have figured out in advance, so we can’t take the credit for it and to build our trust and faith in Him.

So if you’re in a bit of trouble right now, or if you encounter trouble in your future, go ahead and ask God to help you, but don’t expect it to be the way you think it should be.

Not by might nor power, but by His spirit!

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 – 7-17-14

(Hebrews 10:30 NKJV)  For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.”

When something happens in our lives and we feel hurt, there is only one way to get through it and that one way is to immediately give it to God.

How do we give it to Him? We start by admitting to God that what they did hurt. Let Him know that we are having a hard time letting go of what they did. Ask God to help us to work it out within ourselves so that we can be free from it.

Holding on to what others have done to us is only going to hurt and constantly torment us.

We don’t need to wait and watch for someone to get what we think they deserve before we can let go of the situation. We need to let go of it before it affects us even deeper.

Live your life today. God says vengeance is not ours, but His.

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 – 7-16-14

Matthew 11:28-29 (NKJV) 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Are you heavy laden? Are you burdened with the cares of the world and the things that come against you, relentlessly pounding against you like waves in a storm?

Sometimes we can feel so helpless and powerless to do anything about the battles that we face each day.

But God isn’t powerless. He sent His Son to give us rest. Jesus came so that we could lay our burdens down and find rest in Him.

The battles that we fight here on earth can suck the life from us. They can leave us feeling like we’re finished and can’t move ahead one more inch.

But it’s not over. We’re not finished and we’re not defeated.

Reach out and take hold of Jesus and rest in Him. Draw your strength from Him. Don’t worry right now about what you’re to do next. Just rest and let Him breathe new life into you.

We can never win battles when we are weary. It’s only after we find rest and get our strength again that we can see clearly and move forward.

But for today, rest.

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 – 7-15-14

(Luke 23:34 NKJV)  Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Jesus set a perfect example for us as to how we should be toward all people; Forgiving.

I used to have an office position. My boss’s father would come in every day. He would come in and tell nasty jokes, using vulgar language, knowing that I didn’t find them humorous at all. And they were very offensive. He would laugh, thinking it was funny.

I used to sit at my desk and cringe every time he would say the Lord’s name in vain. I would let him say what he wanted, and share the nasty jokes and the bad language, but when it came to the Lord’s name in vain I would speak up in a kind way and say to him, “why do you have to use His name that way? He didn’t do anything to hurt you.” He would just glare at me and not say a word.

This went on for years. I was kind to this man, no matter what. I felt compassion for him even though I never saw any change in his behavior. The day came when it was time to move on from that job.

As years went by I heard that this man was in the hospital. Not knowing for sure if he would want me to visit him, I felt I needed to go. So I went to the hospital. There, lying in the bed, he looked old and weak.

As I walked into the room, I jokingly said, “What are you doing here?” He looked up and said to me very seriously, “I’m dying.” I said “you are, huh? And where are you going, Heaven or Hell?” Looking scared, he said, “I don’t know.”

I asked him if he would like to hear a story and he very calmly said, “Yes.” I knew it was my turn to share Jesus Christ. That day, the man who was so haughty, loud, obnoxious and rude to me and my Savior, accepted and received Him into His heart.  He was healed and went home from the hospital and lived many more years.

In order for that man to ever hear me or the story I had to share with him, I had to be able to hear him, to forgive him and pray for him, in spite of the things he did to me.

Forgive them, for they do not know what they do.

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 – 7-14-14

Titus 2:11-12 (NKJV) 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age…

This is how we portray Christ to the rest of the world.

Our lives speak volumes to the people around us. The way we conduct ourselves and handle the things that we encounter and come up against says a lot about who we are and it will ultimately be a reflection of God to those who know us.

So God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. We should live soberly, righteously and godly.

As we do these things, we prove to others who God is to us. If we live the way God has commanded us to do, it leaves a lasting impression on those who watch us, leading others to God through our actions and our words.

There is nothing deep or mysterious about this. It’s simple truth, played out each day in our lives.

So let’s remember that as we go through our day, let’s keep ourselves from those things that are ungodly and worldly. We just never know who is watching us and how we impact their lives with the things we do and say.

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 – 7-12-14

Proverbs 27:20 (NKJV) Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

The eyes of man are never satisfied. How true this is!

As humans we have a very bad tendency to never be satisfied. We long and work for something. And when we obtain or achieve it, we are satisfied for a season. And then we start all over again.

This is evident in the number of material possessions we amass over the years.

We want a house. We buy a house. It’s OK for a while and then we begin to grow dissatisfied with it. We want it to be bigger, so we add on. Or we want it to be more modern, so we sell and buy another one.

We want a car. We buy a car. We’re satisfied with it for a season. And then it’s not fancy enough, big enough or fast enough. So we buy a new one. And the cycle begins all over again.

We want a spouse. We find someone, fall in love and marry them. But then we see their flaws and we begin to become discontent. We want something or someone more. So our eyes wander. And before we know it, we are in an adulterous affair and then we are divorced. Or we just grow tired of the one we’re with and move on, leaving them behind, thinking the grass will be greener on the other side.

And then we find out it’s not. It’s the same color as where we were.

As followers of Christ, we need to learn to be content and satisfied. Only when we learn this will we also learn to be thankful for what we have been blessed with and stop striving to always be collecting more stuff.

God is our source. He should be what our satisfaction is based on, not the things that we can buy or store up.

We encourage you today to ask God to teach you how to be satisfied and content with the things He blesses you with. This is a lesson we all need to learn to some degree.

Be blessed in all you do and stay strong in 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 – 7-11-14

(Revelation 3:16 NKJV)  “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Learning how to walk with God takes discipline and sacrifice. There might be things we enjoy that we will have to let go of.

When I was a child going to Sunday school, we sang this song, “be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear, and be careful little hands what you do…because there’s a Father up above And He’s looking down in love”. Not just as children, but as adults as well, we need to be careful.

The things we see, hear and do are the open doors to our heart. These are the doors we need to be protective of, only letting in those things that are good and will keep us on the right path.

Being lukewarm is when we are dabbling a little in things that we know aren’t good for us and also a little with God. We don’t commit to one or the other.

This kind of behavior can cause us to become desensitized to the things that are not good for us, and before we know it, we are heading down the wrong path and our relationship with our family, friends, and those that we were once close with, including God, begins to change.

Be careful and alert to the things we are not supposed to be watching, listening to and participating in. It does affect our walk with God and the protection on our lives as Christians.

(John 14:23 NKJV)  Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with 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 – 7-10-14

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV) pray without ceasing…

Pray without ceasing. How can we ever live up to this command that we were given by God? How can we possibly pray non-stop?

Good question. Let’s talk about this for a minute or two.

It’s possible to pray without ceasing once we understand what prayer is and what it isn’t.

Praying is communicating with God. Plain and simple.

It means that we talk to God and we listen for Him to speak to us. It’s a conversation that goes both ways.

Sadly, prayer has been twisted and corrupted by people to the point of being misunderstood. Most people, when they think of praying, automatically think of folded hands, closed eyes and long discourses using flowery language and various tones of voice. Some people are complimented on how well they pray because they word things just so and use just the right tones and volume.

No offense intended, but this is not what prayer is about. We’re not saying that you can’t pray this way, but prayer doesn’t have to be done like this to be effective!

Talk to God. Tell Him what’s on your heart. Tell Him how you feel; what hurts, what makes you smile, what you’re disappointed about, what your hopes are. Just tell Him.

And then listen. Let Him speak back to you. Give Him your time, as He gives you His. Let Him share His heart with you and tell you about His plans and hopes for you.

Communication works both ways and this is exactly what prayer is at it’s most basic level.

Pray without ceasing. Watch your life change and see yourself grow as a child of God.

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 – 7-9-14

(Proverbs 18:10 NKJV) The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.

We were planning on doing some fishing last night. As we headed out to the lake, we had already checked the weather forecast and it said there was only a 20% chance of rain. That wasn’t enough for us to be concerned about.

After about five minutes of driving we looked up at the sky over the area where we were headed, only to see a huge cloud that was formed in the shape of a giant bear’s head. We were admiring it, thinking how cool that was!

After we realized that it was in the direction we were heading to, we felt prompted to check the forecast again. As we checked the weather forecast, it had changed from the previous 20% chance of rain to an 80% chance, with heavy storms, thunder and lightning! We were disappointed and knew we needed to turn back.

As we turned back and headed home, we couldn’t get over how that cloud looked so much like a bear. We chuckled to each other and thought how neat it was that seeing the cloud shaped like a bear prompted us to check the weather. And by doing so, it saved us from having to drive all the way to the lake, only to get caught in a dangerous storm.

We wondered if that could possibly have been God’s way of protecting us from wasting a lot of time, energy and gas, and also keeping us safe.

Sometimes it’s just as simple as that, paying attention to those little signs may help us stay safe in a big way! 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 – 7-8-14

Luke 6:47-48 (NKJV) 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

Have you ever known anyone who seemed like they had it all together? Their life just seemed like it was always good and things always went their way. Nothing ever seemed to go wrong.

And then one day it was as if the rug got pulled from under them and their whole world came crashing down. No matter what they tried to do, nothing could seem to make it better.

And when the heaviest part of the storm hit them, their whole world collapsed.. fell apart right before their very eyes, and in front of your eyes too. You saw it. That person who’s life seemed so perfect was in shambles and they didn’t know what to do about it.

Have you known someone like that? Or is that maybe a good description of you at some point in your life? Maybe even today…

You see, there are two possible endings to these kinds of scenarios. The first would be that the person simply loses everything and never recovers. The emotional trauma is more than they can handle and they simply fall apart, never to fully recover.

But the second possibility is that they (or you) had their life built on the rock, the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. And when the storm came, it shook the house. It rattled the windows a little and it might even have caused them to stagger a bit under the pressure.

But because this person had their life anchored in God and not in material possessions or earthly status, they recovered and became even stronger than they were before the storm hit them.

So if you’re facing trials today and it feels like your house is about to crumble and your world is about to get sucked up in a tornado, check yourself. Make sure your hope is in God and anchored on the rock of Jesus Christ.

You will come through the storm. And you will not just come through and be barely standing, but you will come through with victory. Oh, you may have some scars from the battle, but you will be stronger than ever and your faith will never be able to be shaken, no matter what you face.

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

(1 John 5:21 NKJV)  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Checking ourselves periodically to make sure we are not putting anything or anyone on a pedestal is a good thing to do.

One of the hardest things Christians have to be careful of, when God uses a man or woman to do His work, is that we don’t look at the person more than we look at God Himself.

We always need to keep our eyes on God. It’s one thing to show respect and be thankful for the man or woman of God that has spoken into our lives, but we need to be careful to remain balanced in our thoughts, remembering they are mere humans and are not perfect people. We all make mistakes; we all sin, and fall down.

I got saved as a young child. I loved my Pastor and looked up to him. He was always there for me and my family. I looked at him as the greatest man ever; he had all the answers and could help me solve my problems. He was my safety net and I cherished him.

As I grew up, God was moving me on from his church for various reasons. When I explained this to my pastor, he didn’t like it and tried to keep me there. I explained my situation to him, hoping he would understand and be happy for me. But instead, it was the opposite. He got very upset with me and told me he would never come to visit me again.

I was a young adult at this time in my life and it hurt me terribly. I thought from the things he had taught me through the years that we would be able to continue our friendship, no matter where we served God. But apparently it wasn’t going to be that way.

As I stood at my door, with tears running down my cheeks, and watched this man walk away, I learned a big lesson that day and God was there to pick up the pieces and mend my broken heart. It was my own fault and I never blamed the pastor for any of my pain.

This is what happens when we put anyone or anything other than God on a pedestal. When we look more highly at someone than we should, we will be disappointed and sometimes our heart ends up hurt or broken.

There is only One that we can idolize and worship. The pedestal was made for ONLY One. One that is worthy! That is our Lord God and Savoir, the perfect ONE! 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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