Tag: Bible verses about putting God first

Bible Verse of The Day – 11-21-17

1 John 4:19 (NKJV) 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

The most important thing we can do in this life is follow the verse above and truly fall in love with our God. Fall in love with our Creator, our Lord, our Provider, our Healer, our King of kings and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

What do we mean by falling in love?

Some of us might not even know what love really is. Maybe some of us have never been loved the way we should have been. And the love we think we know isn’t love at all.

Jesus is our example of LOVE.

Jesus’s love for us is true love. He loves us so much that He gave Himself for us. Literally. That’s right. He died a cruel death for you and for me.

And while He was here, He served us. He healed us. He clothed and fed us. He delivered us from demonic attacks. He protected us from our enemies. He made a way for us to have a relationship with Him. And He made us a home in Heaven for when it’s our time to leave this place.

This love is for us all.

Go after Him. Find Him. He will teach us how to love like this as we walk in a relationship with Him.

A relationship takes two people, talking to each other, hearing each other, serving each other, respecting each other, caring for each other. We go the extra mile for each other. Even unto death. These are all things we will do when we truly love.

Start a relationship with our beloved Jesus Christ. Everything else around us will fall into place, one piece at a time. We will learn how to love and deal with things accordingly.

Our words will be tempered, our anger, unforgiveness and bitterness will eventually go away. Our cares will be more for others than for ourselves. We will handle ourselves differently and our situation will change for the better.

Focus on falling in love with Him first. He will work out all the other details over time.

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 – 11-17-17

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

As followers of Christ, it’s important that we never forget who we are and Who we belong to.

We have a tendency to sometimes forget this. We like to think we’ve got it all together and don’t need anyone’s help; not even God’s help.

But this is completely wrong. This is a fatal mistake on the part of believers. We can reach a point where we become self-confident and feel like we can handle anything and everything on our own.

When that happens, we begin stepping out and doing things on our own, without even bothering to get with God first. This is where we get ourselves into trouble.

Jesus himself told us that we can do nothing without Him.

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.

We need to be cautious of starting to feel like we don’t need God any longer. Yes, He will equip us to do the things that He asks us to do. But we should always go to Him and lean on Him to accomplish those things.

When we reach a point of feeling like we no longer need Him, we are almost implying that we can take His place and do His job for Him. We become like little gods. Sound far-fetched?

It’s more common than we might think. And it can happen to anyone, if we get our priorities mixed up or listen to the wrong voices.

The Holy Spirit will always point us back to God… For everything. It doesn’t matter how big or how small the thing is that God wants us to do. God’s spirit will never, ever steer us away from God or His word, to someone or something else.

So, let’s be cautious and diligent to stay close to Him, seek Him in everything we do, and hold His word close to our hearts so He can remind us of it when we need Him to.

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 – 10-28-17

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

Finding ourselves in love with God, and Who He is, is one of the most wonderful things that could happen to us here on this earth.

Some try to find happiness in material things. Some try to find happiness in a certain lifestyle. Some try to find happiness through being married and having a family. Some may even go after a certain crowd of friends. Some think they will be happy with a certain title.

It’s sad but true, that some have spent their life chasing after happiness and never really found it.

If we would take all that trying and put it toward going after our first love, we will find sound, grounded, pure happiness. And through it all, God will bless us with the desires of our hearts.

1 John 4:19 (NKJV) 19 We love Him because He first loved 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 – 10-7-17

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

So, what exactly happens when we seek first the kingdom of God? We get fed, we get clothed, we get taken care of. Wow, how rewarding!

Matthew 6:31-32 (NKJV) 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

God will take care of these things. Is that the reason why we should seek God and His righteousness? No! We shouldn’t have a motive other than wanting to do the right thing and be closer to Him. But it sure is nice to know that by doing so all these things will be added to us.

It is a gift. It is a privilege. It is an honor and a blessing, all wrapped together in seeking God.

Now, don’t make the mistake of thinking that following God means that He just makes everything we need fall into our laps from unknown sources. Yes, sometimes that can happen. But, most times He will require steps and action on our part. In turn, He provides for us in ways that are just as rewarding, and sometimes even miraculous.

Jesus gave His precious life so that we can have access to our Father. Let’s go after Him with everything in us. Seek first the kingdom!

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 – 10-5-17

1 Kings 3:5 (NKJV) 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

If God appeared to us today and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”, what would be our answer? What would we want?

Some of us may have a list of things we need more than anything right now. But would that be what God wants to hear?

When God approached Solomon in a dream, Solomon, being a king, asked for one thing. He asked God for an understanding heart to help him to discern.

He knew he did not have the experience to discern justice correctly for the people. He wanted to be pleasing to God and do right by Him. He wanted to help the people and care for them correctly, fairly and justly.

Who was Solomon thinking of when he asked for understanding? Not himself. He could have asked for anything, but he chose understanding.

His answer to God showed his heart condition, and it was exactly what helped him not only get understanding, but everything else that he could have ever needed and wanted.

1 King 3:11-12 (NKJV) 11 Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.

What would we ask God for today? Would we give Him the answer He is looking for? The answer that would please Him?

Having wisdom and getting understanding is more precious than material possessions. It is important. It is the very thing that helps us every day in discerning our steps. It helps us to make clear decisions and to take the right actions in any given situation.

Proverbs 4:7 (NKJV) 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

What would we ask for?

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 – 10-4-17

Ecclesiastes 1:14 (NKJV) 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. 

Life can seem as though it has no meaning sometimes. We can go from day to day, wondering why we’re here, why we’re alive, and whether our life has any real value. 

Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. He was also the richest man who ever lived. He had everything that any man (or woman) would ever want or need. 

And yet, after living and experiencing all that he walked through, he concluded that life is only vanity and grasping for the wind. 

We might look at Solomon’s life and wonder why he would say that. After all, he had everything. He had wealth, wisdom, pleasures and so much more. Why, after being blessed so abundantly, would he write such things? 

The answer is simple. He saw the frivolity in those things. He saw how people spent their lives chasing after wealth, pleasure and other tangible things. And he understood that those things are worth nothing when compared to living a life that pleases God. 

Solomon had more wives and concubines that possibly any other man that lived. He didn’t lack attention or physical pleasure. 

He had more wealth than any other man has ever been able to accumulate. He never lacked any kind of possessions. 

And he had a kingdom of people at his service. He was well taken care of. 

So, there is a valuable lesson for all of us in his words. 

If someone who had as much as Solomon did would speak such words about life being vanity and grasping for the wind, while being so abundantly blessed with worldly materials and comforts, it would benefit each and every one of us to pay close attention and make sure that our time and efforts are put into pursuing God, and not the things of this world. 

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

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 – 7-28-17

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.’

God wants our whole heart. He desires us to walk closely with Him every minute of every day.

As human beings, we sometimes have a hard time with this. We get pulled on from so many different directions. We end up with our affections divided between so many things and our time spent scattered in many ways. Before we know it, God is only a tiny little slice of our lives.

One of the most important things we can learn as followers of Christ is that He comes first, before anyone and anything else. It’s His heart’s desire. It’s the reason He created us; to worship Him and walk close to Him.

There is a never-ending list of things we can put before God. Money, careers, family, relationships, etc., etc. It’s different for each of us.

But it doesn’t matter what it might be. If it pulls us away from God and causes our relationship with Him to falter or if it keeps us from growing closer to Him, then we need to take a serious look at it and consider making some changes.

God does not force us to love Him. It’s not in His nature to do so. He has given us the option; love Him or not. But if we do love Him, He wants us to do it of our own free will and give it 100%.

It’s amazing how our lives are transformed when we put Him first and give Him 100%. Our heart changes. Our outlook on life changes. Our attitude changes. We become more compassionate. We forgive more easily. We genuinely care about others. We put things aside that used to mean a lot to us.

And we do it all willingly. Why? Because our love for God overshadows everything else in life. And when our love for God reaches that point, there is nothing that can come between us and Him.

Nothing.

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 – 7-14-17

Matthew 7:7 (NKJV) 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Jesus told us that if we ask, we will receive. This is a truth to live by. God is a good Father who gives us what we need in our lives here on earth.

Many times, we hear this quoted by people claiming that we can and should use this principle to gain abundant amounts of material wealth and prosperity.

That is not the truth. That is a perversion of scripture that has taken a simple verse and twisted it to promote a dangerous doctrine. And people with itching ears have flocked to it, with their hopes and hearts set on getting rich. God is treated as a magic piggy bank that can be shaken and manipulated until money falls out.

Based on that teaching, wealth comes first. And, sadly, God is placed somewhere below first place. He is a means to an end. A Genie in a lamp, to be rubbed and used to fulfill wishes on demand.

But God always needs to come first. Our number 1 priority should be to grow closer to Him and please Him. God has told us that if we do that, He will honor our commitment and bless us. But the blessings should never be the motivating factor.

Clearly, God has no problem with us becoming wealthy. But becoming wealthy requires hard work, dedication and perseverance, not just speaking it into existence or hoping that God will drop it out of the sky because we ask Him over and over again.

So, let us give to God. Let us give with a pure heart and no motives. And when we’re in need, we can ask of Him without shame and with expectancy that He will give to us also.

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

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 – 7-8-17

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

There is one true source for happiness and contentment. It isn’t money, homes, cars, jobs or any other tangible item.

God is our source. He is the One who holds us up and carries us through everything that we face in our lives.

As His children, it’s important that we look to Him for our happiness and contentment. He will never fail us. He will never let us down. And He will never leave us or forsake us.

When we trust Him and put Him first in everything, we can never go wrong!

And as we delight ourselves in Him, He will transform us and change the way we see things and the way we think.

When we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart.

Delight yourself in Him. Put Him first in everything and watch Him transform your heart and your life.

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 – 6-8-17

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.

God rewards those who diligently seek Him. This is something that we all need to understand. But we need to make sure we look at it with the correct perspective.

Many times we can get caught up in the rewards and spend our time seeking after them. But in reality, we need to seek after Him, and not worry about the rewards.

The rewards will come when we put Him first and put our time and energy into seeking Him and growing our relationship with Him first, before everything else.

Because we live in a materialistic world, many have gotten off the path and spent their time focusing on what we get if we follow after God. This is not at all what God intended. Yes, the rewards are good. But the close relationship with Him is so much better.

And if we’re seeking after Him solely for the rewards, then we’ve got things a bit mixed up. And seeking rewards will cause our relationship with Him to become twisted and performance-based. Again, this is not what God intended.

So we need to be sure that we are seeking God solely because we want to have a strong walk with Him, not for any other reason.

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

Seek Him first. The rewards will take care of themselves.

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 – 4-20-17

John 14:13 (NKJV) 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Are we asking or are we just waiting? If we are asking then the answer is here, or it’s in the works as we believe.

If we are just waiting to see what God will do and we haven’t asked Him for whatever it is that we may need or want, then it is what it is. Nothing is happening. We can’t blame it on God if we don’t follow directions.

We may say, “well, I don’t want to ask Him because there are many people who are worse off than I am. They need the help more than we do”. So does this mean that God must only have a small inventory, a limited supply?

It’s up to us to follow commands, not make them.

This is not a prosperity teaching. This is about learning how to ask God to help get us out of what we got ourselves into. And it’s about being relieved from bondage; the things that hold us down and keep us from entering into all that God wants from us and for us. We have to get free from those things that put distance between us and God.

You see, if we have bondage then we are not able to walk out the plan that God has for us to its fullest. We may do a little here and a little there, as time allows but never as fully as we could if we weren’t in bondage to other things.

Bondage to anything spells captivity. That thing takes up the time that would otherwise be available for us to do the things God may have for us to do, even if all He asks us to do is to sit at His feet and rest. If God wants us to take the time to do it, we have to be able to say, “yes God, I am here”.

Some of us today are not in a place to be able to do this. But, that doesn’t mean it has to stay this way. It just means we need to fix it, by asking God for help.

God wants all of us, not just a little piece of us. He wants us to be free to move when He asks us to. He wants our minds to be clear and rested, not stressed and overwhelmed.

If we are stuck owing everyone something, like our time, our money, and our energy, then we have not made ourselves available for Him. We are slaves to our own plan.

It’s time to start asking God to help us get completely free of the things that we are in bondage to.

The first step is to understand that God expects us to come to HIM for help and ask. We ask through the precious name of His perfect Son, Jesus Christ.

It’s important that, before we ask, we get His understanding and knowledge on what will be good for us to ask for. Sometimes we may already know. But if for some reason we don’t, we shouldn’t just start rambling things off that we think we need.

Let Him guide us in our prayers. Let it be serious and focused. And take notes. Pay attention to every detail, and be expectant.

Remember, it is God’s will to help us. It is His will to give to us as we ask. We don’t ask so that we may prosper in our own way, or for selfish reasons.

Our goal should be that He can have MORE of us and be glorified through us.

That’s why we ask. 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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