Month: January 2020

Bible Verse of The Day – 1-20-20

1 Peter 1:13 (NKJV) 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Peter tells us to “gird up the loins of your mind”.

Take note of what he tells us to gird up the loins of; our minds.

Let’s break this down a bit and see what it really means to us.

What does it mean to “gird up our loins”?

In the days that this was written, men wore gowns and robes. The problem with these was that if someone needed to move quickly, or have the ability to be agile, their clothing would impede them in, making it extremely difficult to move quickly or freely.

As a means of overcoming this obstacle, they would use a belt or band to pull in, or gather, all of the excess, loose material and hold it in place. This would give them the ability to do whatever it was that they needed to do, without fear of being tripped up by their garments.

But here Peter is telling us to gird up the loins of our minds. There is some symbolism here that we need to look at.

First, our minds are not tangible, so how can we “gird them”?

Metaphorically, we are to gather up the loose ends, or the wanderings of our minds that might cause us to stumble in our walk with God. We need to push aside the ways of the world and its influences, focusing instead on God’s grace and what He has for us.

Second, “loins” is a figure of speech used to indicate the area of our anatomy that reproduces offspring; the part of us that conceives and gives birth.

So, in light of this, the loins of our minds would be the part that conceives, or gives birth to, ideas, schemes, plans, etc.

We need to make sure we allow the Holy Spirit to protect the loins of our minds, so as not to allow it to give birth to corruption, lust, hatred, malice and other kinds of evil thinking.

1 Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV) 1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

So, let’s be sure to gird up the loins of our minds, being diligent in our walk with God, to live in a way that brings honor and glory to Him in everything we say and do.

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 – 1-19-20 – The Famine Factor – Part 2

Please click to watch the video now.Greetings in the awesome name of our Savior, Jesus Christ! 

We hope you have had a great week. 

In this week’s video, The Famine Factor – Part 2, we continue our discussion on letting God teach us how to face seasons of famine in our lives. 

We’ve had some very good feedback from people who watched part 1, so we hope you will give this one a watch too. 

Please click here to watch the video now. 

Let God teach you how to become the head and not the tail! 

Sincerely in Christ, 

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 – 1-18-20

Luke 24:45 (NKJV) 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

Jesus opened the understanding of the disciples because there were some things they didn’t get.

Don’t ever try to make something out of the scriptures if we don’t get exactly what they are saying. Let God open our understanding so that we too can comprehend what He is saying to us through them.

His word is His word. Be careful to listen, to follow, and very careful not add to it.

Deuteronomy 12:32 (NKJV) 32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Never should we add to scripture or take away from it. That will get us in trouble, and it won’t help anyone by doing such a thing.

It’s like the blind leading the blind.

This happens when people try to tickle the ears of the listeners, or they water down what the gospel is really saying.

This is not good, and we must watch out for such teachers, pastors, priests, etc.

The word of God is there to bring correction and help us to grow. It will not coddle us, and sometimes it will make us feel very uncomfortable.

That’s OK. We need to be uncomfortable sometimes. That is what gets us moving.

The word of God is for inspiration, correction and for instruction in righteousness. Let God open our understanding that we may comprehend it all.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…

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 – 1-17-20

1 Peter 1:8-9 (NKJV) 8 … Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

The end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.

This is the summation of everything we do here on earth, as we walk with God and live according to how He calls us to live.

We each walk with Him individually, uniquely, according to who He made us and what He asks us to do.

Sometimes we take baby steps. Other times we take giant steps.

Sometimes the places where our feet land are plainly visible before we ever step ahead. Other times, we step forward with very little visible evidence that our feet will land on something that’s solid, safe and stable.

But we step, nonetheless.

Why? Because we know that this walk is not just about the here and now, but about the eternal goal; the salvation of our souls.

It is this, our eternal salvation, that keeps us going, keeps us running the race, even when our own physical strength is long gone and we are relying purely on the power of God, by His Spirit, to complete the race.

Not only do we get to walk this earthly walk with God by our side, but we do so with the full expectation of spending eternity with Him.

Remember the end of our faith; the eternal salvation of our souls.

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 – 1-16-20

Luke 11:33 (NKJV) 33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.

Are we afraid to shine? Do we keep our mouths quiet when we should speak out?

I know how you feel. I have a very hard time with speaking up, or with standing out in any way at all.

Most times for me it is the fear of rejection that stops me. Other times it is the fear of being wrong in what I’m saying, and looking silly because of it.

I was raised in a big family. I fell somewhere closer to the younger ones. I listened and learned a lot. It was kind of a neat place to be. As my siblings would say, I had it easy compared to them.

I learned to watch my siblings and to know the do’s and don’ts. I knew what to expect. I had a head start on things.

But, one thing I learned is that if I was quiet during certain situations, the attention would not be drawn to me. And I would miss out on punishments that were dealt out to the rest of my siblings. Quietness had its advantages as a child.

And so it is sometimes now. And as an adult, I will be still.

But there have been times when it has also hurt me by not speaking up. Sometimes it even hurts others, by me not sharing things that I knew I should have shared. Don’t be afraid to speak when we have something we need to say. Don’t keep it hidden. Speak up. Let out that light that is in you.

Sometimes people are happy to hear what we have to say. It will actually help them. But I will add, sometimes they are not happy at that moment, but maybe later they will find out that what was said or done was for a good reason. And in time it will bring healing and maturity into the situation, even if they don’t agree.

Keeping the things of God hidden in us is not helping anyone. Let it be put on a lamp-stand and shared with others.

If I could say one thing, it would be this; don’t feel like we have to be still all the time. There is a time to speak and bring light into situations. His light lives in us; His wisdom, and understanding.

Speak it and let it do its work in the right timing.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 (NKJV) 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak…

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 – 1-15-20

1 Peter 1:3 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

In the verse above, let’s focus today on one little phrase; “begotten us again”.

When I read this verse, those three words stood out to me more than anything else.

According to the abundant mercy of God, He has begotten us again!

What does that mean?

Well, in order to be “begotten again”, it means that we had to have been “begotten” once before. What does “begotten” mean? It means that we were born.

But then we had to have died. Otherwise, we could never be begotten again.

We were born once, in the natural, when our mother gave birth to us. But we were born dead (spiritually), because of sin. And we lived our life separated from God, the One who created us.

But then, by His abundant mercy, He breathed life into us again!

And He gave us a living hope. He did this through Jesus, whom He raised from the dead.

But take note of the word begotten in the actual context of the verse above. It’s a verb.

And the context that it was used in shows us that God took action by “begetting us again”!

He was purposeful and He pursued us. Why? Because He wanted us back. He wanted us alive again, so we could know Him, walk with Him and, ultimately, spend eternity with Him, not separated from Him.

That’s a really big deal!

Thank you, God, for caring enough about us that you would pursue us and give us the opportunity to be begotten again, by your abundant mercy.

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 – 1-14-20

1 Samuel 15:23 (NKJV) 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

Rebellion and stubbornness usually work together. If we are not willing to listen to God and change what we are doing, we are rebelling and being stubborn about making the necessary changes.

King Saul was not listening to God’s commandments. He turned his back. Exactly what we do when we are not listening. We turn our back on God.

1 Samuel 15:10-11 (NKJV) 10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.

God regretted choosing Saul as king. So sad. This is where stubbornness will get us.

We hope and pray today we are not being like Saul, doing whatever we want, instead of obeying Gods voice and promptings.

It could be in the simplest way. It could be in raising our children, maybe we are letting them watch or wear certain things that can taint them.

Or maybe in our career, we need to take steps or stop participating in certain activities.

It could be that in our ministry we are not following His direction, thinking it’s OK to do the same ole same ole when He is trying to make changes and get us to do it differently.

It could be in our relationship with our spouse. Maybe we are not respecting them, talking down to them or mocking them, setting a terrible example for our children, grandchildren, etc.

Let us examine ourselves today and make sure we are listening, and that God is not disappointed in the way we are doing things.

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 – 1-13-20

Luke 5:31 (NKJV) 31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

God is the ultimate physician. He is a healer, a surgeon, and everything else we need when it comes to our bodies and our spirits.

I had surgery recently to remove a lump from my back. It was nothing life-threatening, and I am fine now 🙂

But there was a period of a few weeks immediately afterward that I experienced some discomfort that wasn’t very nice. In time, though, it all healed up and I am back to 100%.

The funny part is that the surgery itself was supposed to be very minor, taking only about 45 minutes. Because of this, and because I wanted to keep the cost down, I opted to stay awake and have them use only local anesthesia.

Well, 90 minutes into it, I was questioning my decision, as the surgeon dug deeper and deeper to remove the small tumor. When I began to feel her tools hitting my rib cage, I was seriously questioning my sanity!

Thankfully, though, it all went well and, as I said, I healed up very nicely.

That got me to thinking, though, about how God “does surgery” on us sometimes.

God is the ultimate surgeon. He operates with precision, removing the things that we have given Him permission to remove. And He does it with perfection, as He does with everything.

Just like medical surgery, it can sometimes be a bit uncomfortable. If what He is removing has been there a long time, or if we have become attached to it, it might be very uncomfortable.

We might even feel like there is a void, an empty space, where the thing was that He removed.

But He is faithful to help us heal up and be even better than we were before His “surgery”.

Oh, and that void that is left after the surgery? He will fill that empty space with Himself if we let Him.

And over time, as we follow His instructions, not only do we heal, but we learn that the end result is worth whatever pain and suffering we had to endure.

Will we have scars? Yes, probably. But just think of them as part of the cost of winning a battle.

So, if God shows us something in ourselves that He needs to remove, it’s OK. There is nothing to fear. We just need to trust Him with it.

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 – 1-12-20 – The Famine Factor – Part 1

Please click to watch the video.Greetings in Jesus’ name. 

The word “famine” usually causes us to be fearful or to feel dread when we hear it. Famine is, after all, not a very nice thing. 

In today’s video, The Famine Factor, we talk about letting God use seasons of famine to teach us and train us, preparing us for those seasons in a way that allows us to go through them without fear and dread. 

This is part 1 of a 3-part series. We hope you will watch it and that it will bring you some new understanding in this area. 

Please click here to watch the video now. 

We pray that this video blesses you as you watch it. 

Love in Christ, 

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 – 1-11-20

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Entering into this new year with confidence in ourselves is not going to get us anywhere. It takes learning how to let God transform us, and then walking confidently in Him.

This will not only cause us to remain humble, but we will do things we never imagined we would be doing. We will go places where we never thought we could go.

We will have wisdom, understanding and strength for things we never thought we would have.

It’s not what we do by our own strength or knowledge. It’s what we allow God to do through us as we let Him transform our way of thinking.

Start this new year by putting Him first. First in our relationships, first in the steps we take, first in our finances, etc. Come back to our first Love!

Revelation 2:4 (NKJV) 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

How do we do this? By reading His word, praying, listening and watching. He will guide our steps.

His way of doing things is not going to be the same as our way. So, we must pay attention.

It may be very different than what we are used to or have even thought of. But that’s not going to hold us back, because we are ready. And we trust Him.

It’s a beautiful walk when we humble ourselves and let Him lead.

James 4:10 (NKJV) 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Happy New Year!

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 – 1-10-20

John 15:5 (NKJV) 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

So many of us try to do everything on our own, by our own strength and our own understanding.

This always gets us into trouble, especially when it comes to doing the things God has asked us to do.

You see, if God has asked us to do something, He will surely give us what it takes to get it done.

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

This doesn’t always mean that it will be easy or effortless. On the contrary, if God is equipping us, it’s because it requires His wisdom, His understanding and His Spirit in order to accomplish it.

Just as giving birth to a baby is hard, yet rewarding, so is doing the things that God asks us to do.

Yes, there may be pain and struggles. Yes, we may feel like we are alone sometimes, even though we really aren’t. We just need to remember that it’s in Him that we are able to do it.

And it’s in Him that we find our solace and our reward, not in the world that we live in.

So, go ahead. Do that thing that God is prompting you to do. Just be sure to do it with the tools and the weapons that He has equipped you with to get it done His way.

And then look to Him, and thank Him for being the Source of everything we need.

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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