Tag: Bible verses about putting God first in everything

Bible Verse of The Day – 10-1-18

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

So many times we hear this verse used to teach about faith and all of its virtues. And that is good.

But we have to be careful not to ignore the last part of this verse; He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

So many of us are seeking something from God. It’s probably pretty safe to say that most of us are. But are we doing what God asks of us?

No, this isn’t about works vs. faith. It’s about obedience, and about understanding that most times, God will ask us to take steps in order to bring something to fruition.

We have fallen into the habit of thinking that just because we ask God for something, or tell Him that we want something, that He is obligated to give it to us.

But if we are treating God like a magic piggy bank, we’ve got it all wrong.

God needs to come first in everything. We need to seek Him diligently, for the sole purpose of wanting to know Him more and growing our relationship with Him, not just to get rewarded.

If our motives are wrong, our seeking is largely in vain. As Jesus taught, we are to seek the kingdom of God first, before anything else. Then, and only then will the blessings and rewards come.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

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 – 7-12-18

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Seeking God and His righteousness, before seeking anything else, should be our goal as a follower of Christ. Doing this on a personal level is the key to how all these things are added to us.

As we grow as a Christian, we learn to work toward allowing God to become everything in our life. We surrender even those things that we think are for us to decide on, and we give it to Him so He can show us what He has to say regarding them

It takes time to learn this. We will notice that on some days it is easier to do than other days. Why is this?

Because our emotions and feelings are fickle. One day we can decide on something, and the next day we can change and do just the opposite. We can be quite indecisive at times.

Giving God control over our lives, even when we are feeling in control, is the first step.

For example, when we pull back and say, “Lord, I believe I know what I need to do in this situation, however, I would like you to confirm it for me and show me, just in case I may be off in any way”.

That is one way to get His answer and direction. Seek Him first. Don’t just take steps and then have to pay for it later. Put some time and effort into it and really go after Him for His counsel and direction.

He is speaking to some today and asking if we are willing to seek Him and His righteousness first, that He may, in return, add to 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 – 6-22-18

John 12:37 (NKJV) 37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him…

The problem here was not that they didn’t have enough signs. There were other underlying issues.

People don’t always want to see things for what they are. There’s something that takes place when we do. For one, we need to admit we were wrong and two, there is usually a change that needs to come along with it.

No one can make anyone see things if a person is not willing to see it. And no one can change a person if they are not willing to change. They have to be willing to see with their own eyes and to change in their own heart and mind.

In the scripture above, Jesus gave them an opportunity through many signs, to see Who He was and believe in Him. Why didn’t they believe? Because of their will.

We can teach, we can train, and we can go out of our way to make sure we do all that we need to do to help people. But what it comes down to is if their will is not in it, and they are not willing to see, listen and take action, nothing is going to happen.

They just aren’t willing. And we may never know why. We just need to do our part and move on.

Sometimes we don’t want to change because we are not willing. Other times it’s because we like what we hear and see around us.

John 12:43 (NKJV) 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Some of us love the praise of men more. How sad is that?

We care more about what people may say or think about us than what God has to say. And because of this, we let them control our thinking, our actions and all that we do.

Man did not influence Jesus. Nor did they pressure Him into doing anything or have control over Him.

John 5:41 (NKJV) 41 “I do not receive honor from men.

Man could not move Jesus. Jesus was moved by His Father only.

Is our will lining up with God’s will for us today? Or is it lining up with man’s will for us, because we love the praise from their lips?

Know this; that man is fickle and as soon as we say no or disagree with them, they will turn their backs on us like they never knew us. God will stick with us through thick and thin!

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 – 6-21-18

1 Samuel 7:3 (NKJV) 3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

Many have drifted away from God. Maybe it’s someone you know. Maybe it’s you.

Foreign gods can come in many forms. They don’t even have to have specific names, or even specific religious rituals to follow.

They just need to be able to take our attention off of the one true God long enough to cause us to put Him on the back burner for a while. Or maybe we move Him down our list of priorities, to somewhere lower than at the top.

There are many kinds of “Ashtoreths”, false goddesses, that we keep images of in our hearts and our homes; Money, fame, social status, self-vanity, sports stars, movie and musical celebrities, and so many more. They each hold a special little piece of our hearts.

Those pieces of our hearts are places where God is not allowed. Oh, He can look. But He can’t touch.

Many of us are facing our very own “Philistines” in our lives. We are standing in front of giants that taunt us and mock us, laughing out loud and daring us to step forward and just try to slay them, knowing that our false gods have weakened us and caused us to become spiritually impotent.

Our hearts can no longer afford to be divided between God and “Ashtoreth”. The division only makes us weak and feeble, unable to conquer a single foe, let alone a menacing giant.

It’s time for us to return to God with our whole heart. It’s time for us to put away the foreign gods and the “Ashtoreths”, and get serious with God. We need to serve and obey Him alone. When we do this, He will deliver us from the hand of the Philistines in due time.

Menacing giants or victory? Ashtoreth or God? It’s up to us; we choose.

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 – 6-19-18

Mark 12:30 (NKJV) 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

This commandment comes first for a very good reason. If we can love God like this, nothing can stop us from being in His will.

Our heart, soul, mind, strength; These are the very parts of us that help us to conquer and make right decisions. Loving God with all our strength will help us to be able to physically and mentally take the steps He’s ordering for us.

If we can learn to love Him in such a way, this love will bless our hearts, our lives, and our whole beings. We will walk daily in His will and His blessings for us.

A good test for us to try is to ask ourselves where we are right now in our walk with Him. Can we say that we are loving Him this way? If not, don’t give up or get discouraged. Look at what we are doing and where the changes need to come. Ask God to help us make the adjustments.

Obedience comes through love. So we need to make sure we love Him more than the activities we participate in. Love Him more than wealth, more than work, more then titles, alcohol, drugs, spending money, traveling, and love Him more than we love ourselves and others. Our love for Him must be first.

If we love Him more, we will put Him first. And His commandments will not be burdensome.

1 John 5:3 (NKJV) 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

LOVE activates obedience.

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 – 5-17-18

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

God wants to bless us. And it’s safe to say that we all want to be blessed.

So, why is it that so many of us lack? Why is it that we can never seem to “get ahead”? And why do our lives so often feel empty and meaningless?

Most times it’s because we have our priorities a bit mixed up.

Most of us want to have a strong relationship with God. We want to please Him and do what’s right in His eyes. But we never seem to quite get it right.

So, what’s the solution to this never-ending dilemma? How do we get our lives turned around and stop feeling like we’re being dragged through the dirt all the time, never able to break free and get cleaned up?

When we peel away all of the layers of mystery that man has created that seem to put God back behind the veil that was torn when Jesus died, it comes down to one simple thing; seeking first the kingdom of God.

We absolutely need to be putting God first in everything about our lives. There is no other way to say it and no other way to accomplish it. God comes first. Everything and everyone else comes after Him.

This is not some magic formula to riches beyond our wildest dreams. It’s not a specific sequence of steps that we follow, from A to Z, that will “open the heavens” and cause blessings to suddenly pour out.

But it’s a Biblical truth that, when we finally get it, and we put it into practice, will turn our lives around, little by little.

And, as we continue to put Him first in everything we will see more and more how God is shaping us, molding us and moving us through, and past, all the obstacles before us.

Deuteronomy 28:13 (NKJV) 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

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 – 4-30-18

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV) 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

This is a promise.

I have seen this happen in my own life, the more I turn to God. And I mean turn to Him for everything. He has turned my life around and made it beautiful! I can honestly say He knows me better than I know myself.

This verse is telling us something that I personally wish I had gotten earlier in my walk with God. I was a Christian since childhood and I am just now starting to understand what God is saying to me here.

I did a lot of things in my life. I’ve been through a lot of different kinds of trials. Most of these things I brought on myself. Some were very hard to get through. But nevertheless, God was there with me and helped me through it all.

How much easier and enjoyable my days would have been if only I had taken this verse and applied it to myself. If only I walked it out at an earlier stage in my life, I may very well have been able to avoid a lot of things that brought pain.

It’s OK, though, because I do understand it now. We know the saying; better late than never, right?

I share this with you all today because we love each and every one of you. You are very dear to Pastor Curt and me. We want God’s best for you and for you to be able to have the desires of your heart!

We have not met most of you face to face, but there is a spiritual connection that God has connected us with, and we believe we are closer than we realize.

This verse is beautiful! God is saying, if you put me first in all that you do, you will live out a life that is simply beautiful. And at times when you reflect on it, you won’t even know how it happened.

Have fun, enjoy Him, go after Him. Draw near to our Lord…let Him be our delight.

The rest will be history!!

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 – 3-23-18

Matthew 22:37 (NKJV) 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 

Want to know the secret to living a life of fulfillment? 

Want to know what it means to be successful? 

How about learning how to love others, even when they don’t love you back? 

Want to know how to be blessed in all things? 

There are many other things that could be listed here that most of us desire or think are important when it comes to the quality of our lives. 

Regardless what it might be that we desire, none of it will matter until we get this one thing right; love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 

This might seem like an over-simplification. And it might be when looked at from certain viewpoints. 

But, the reality is that if we put God first in everything, and love Him with all our heart, soul and mind, most of the rest of our lives will fall into place. And even if we aren’t overflowing with material blessings, we will love our life because it will be a life built on honoring and loving God. 

And nothing gets any better than that. 

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 – 3-8-18

Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV) 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Where do our treasures lie? Are they in the material things that we possess? Or are they in the things of God, the things He shows us and the things that draw us closer to Him?

As we endeavor to draw nearer to Him and strengthen our relationship with Him, the things that are in our heart will either help us or hinder us in our walk with Him.

The things of this world can develop a very strong grip on our hearts if we’re not careful to guard it.

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Everything that we set our minds and hands to do takes up our time and requires our effort to accomplish. Many times, we don’t see or understand how many “little extras” are required when we get involved in something or buy a new possession.

We might take on a task and only see the surface of it, the time or effort that we think is involved. But, once we’re into it, it actually requires much more time and energy to pursue and master. And each minute or hour we give up to this is less time that we have in our relationship with God.

It’s important that we count the cost and not make sudden or rash decisions and choices.

Luke 14:28 (NKJV) 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it…

We obviously need some “down time” once in a while. God isn’t against us spending time doing things we enjoy. But He also wants us to make our choices carefully, letting His spirit lead us as we make those choices and decisions.

And if we can learn to do that on a regular basis, we’ll find ourselves getting into less things that cause us to become too busy and preoccupied with activities that can suck up our time and energy, leaving God in last place.

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 – 1-22-18

Mark 4:19 (NKJV) 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

How is our walk with God today? Have we lost Him somewhere in the shuffle? Is our heart so bogged down with the cares of the things around us that He seems far away, off in the distance somewhere?

Time to put on the brakes, slow down and pull back on some things. Time to put first things first, get back on track and stop toying with things that are only there to distract us from what we really need to be doing.

It happens. The cares of the world try to take over. It’s up to us to stop it from happening!

We need to be seeking God, first and foremost. Everything else will work its way out as we do this.

He is our Anchor. He is our Rock. He holds us together. Don’t let Him be the One that is lost. Everything else comes after Him.

Today, let’s make a decision within our hearts to slow it down and get back on track. He is our #1 priority, before anyone or anything else.

Let’s not lose Him in the shuffle.

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 – 12-13-16

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV) 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Are you tired today? Be still and know that He is God.

Are you mourning a loss? Be still and know that He is God.

Are you feeling alone and left out? Be still and know that He is God.

Do you feel like you just can’t go on any longer? Be still and know that He is God.

Are you celebrating a victory in your life? Be still and know that He is God.

It doesn’t matter what season of our life we’re in right now. It doesn’t matter if we’re at the top of the mountain or in the deepest valley.

It doesn’t matter if we’re laying flat on our back, looking up, or if we’re soaring with our hands raised high.

The most important thing we can do is to be still and know that He is God.

When we celebrate, He should be the reason we’re celebrating. When we’re struggling, He needs to be the One we look to for strength, wisdom and understanding.

In all we do, our accomplishments will never mean anything until we sit still and know that He is God. Without Him we would all be nothing. But with Him we can do all things.

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

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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