Tag: What the Bible says about obeying God

Bible Verse of The Day – 11-6-20

Judges 13:1 (NKJV) 1 Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

I have spent a fair amount of time in the Old Testament over the last few months.

During this time, I have made an observation that is truly saddening. In fact, this morning while I was shaving, I was listening to the book of 1st Chronicles, and I heard the phrase “and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” yet again.

I literally shook my head in bewilderment at the people of Israel, wondering how they could have been so callous in their attitudes toward God. How could they continue, over and over again, to defy God and turn their backs on Him?

My question was somewhat rhetorical, I guess, because I already knew the answer.

Their hearts were never really for God. They just wanted whatever He would give them.

Time and time again we read how God would bless His people. They would serve Him for a short period of time, and then they would turn to other gods.

Eventually, God would become agitated with them, and His wrath would be poured out on them in one way or another.

This was usually in the form of various sicknesses or diseases. Sometimes it was in the form of being captured by foreign leaders and taken into captivity for a number of years.

God clearly punished them for their lack of loyalty. But the punishment was also for their behavior; their abhorrent actions that were a stench in the nostrils of God.

One other thing I noticed is that it wasn’t just the nation as a whole that was guilty. Individuals carried this attribute too, doing evil in the sight of the Lord. And they paid the price also.

But in all of this, something else stands out clearly. And it is this; when the people’s hearts turned, and they sincerely repented, God’s mercy was always right there to make a way for them to come back to Him and live under His blessings.

There is so much we can all learn from this when it comes to how our actions affect the path of our lives.

And here’s the “moral of the story”. Love God. Put Him first in everything. And walk in His favor.

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 – 10-31-20

Romans 5:19 (NKJV) 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

The rewards for an obedient heart are more than we could ever imagine.

Our goal on this earth is to walk in Jesus’ example, for He was the ultimate obedient Son to His Father. He was perfect, and He only did what His Father showed Him.

Because of His obedience, even all the way to the cross, we can have eternal life. Thank you, Jesus!

And He made a way for us to have the most beautiful, personal walk with our Heavenly Father while we too are here on earth.

It’s important that we also learn to walk in such obedience, that we too can make a huge difference.

It’s not about getting degrees. They’re nice, but that’s not the be all and end all.

It’s not about having the biggest estate.

It’s not about how much money we have in our bank account, IRA, or 401K.

It’s not about our net worth, even though some may say that this determines our status and how people may look up to us.

Our worth here on this earth does nothing for us or for others. But our obedience to God and our love for others is what will leave behind a story and a legacy worth talking about. Amen.

What’s our story looking like today? It’s never too late to start writing a good one!

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 – 10-24-20

Deuteronomy 1:42 (NKJV) 42 “And the Lord said to me, ‘Tell them, “Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; lest you be defeated before your enemies.” ’

This is something we all need to watch out for. If God is not with us, then we are on our own. It’s as easy as that.

And if we think He’s kidding, just watch and see.

How many have had experiences where we thought we were doing what God had shown us and then, bam! It falls apart.

We know. We’ve been there.

God can teach us some very good lessons from these types of things if we let Him. On the other hand, We can get angry and bitter if we don’t let God teach us.

We know that it can sometimes be hard to tell which path to choose. And many times we may think we are stepping out in faith.

But God does not fool around with things He wants us to do. He will usually make it very clear. It’s usually our flesh and our desires that complicate things.

Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV) 9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

We need to make sure that before we begin anything, we ask Him for His steps by praying and listening. He will guide us in whether to move forward or put the brakes on.

The results of the steps we take will show whether He was in it or not and whether those steps were the right ones.

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 – 10-15-20

Deuteronomy 28:2 (NKJV) 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God…

When we obey the voice of the Lord God, His protection and blessings will be with us.

Obedience will activate the blessings of the Lord upon our lives.

Now, the blessings may not always be what we think they will be. But they will be what God knows is good for us and what we need at that time. Trusting Him with this is a sign of spiritual maturity.

Take, for instance, the Manna in the wilderness for the Israelites (Exodus 16:4). They were blessed, whether they realized it or not. The Manna kept them nourished and fed. God knew it would.

But they, on the other hand, complained and wanted meat.

God did eventually give them quail. But come on! The manna would have been more than sufficient for them.

Exodus 16:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

Who’s complaining that what God gives them is not enough?

Are we going to be satisfied with what God knows is good for us, or will we be like the Israelites and want more and more?

Let us learn to desire and want what God knows is good for us and be OK with it. Focus on obeying. Everything else will come supernaturally, by the hand of God. And it will be exactly what we need at any given time. Amen.

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 – 10-13-20

Deuteronomy 32:48-50 (NKJV) 48 Then the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; 50 and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people;

As I read this verse today, my first thought was, “aw…poor Moses.”

I felt so bad that he didn’t get to enter the promised land, but was only able to view it from a distance.

I thought, “boy, he really got in trouble with that little maneuver he pulled, when he hit the rock to get water, instead of obeying God  and simply speaking to the rock”. (Numbers 20:8)

Even though he did get water from the rock by hitting it, it shows us that God does not look at the outcome of a situation. What means the most to Him is our obedience.

This is a very good lesson for us all.

How many of us have not entered into our promised land? And for what reason? Because we didn’t obey and do what He has told us to do.

Maybe God has let us look at what might have been ours if we had obeyed Him. Ouch.

I know this is hard to accept, but maybe it’s time for some of us to move on.

Don’t dwell there. Pick up the pieces, learn from it and keep walking.

God is a good God; He has a plan for us even if we miss it or mess things up at times.

It may not be exactly what we were hoping for but we can assure you that, because He is a loving Father, it will be better than we think.

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 – 10-3-20

Ephesians 5:1 (NKJV) 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

What does this mean?

It means we do what He says to do in His word.

This is why it is so important for us to know what His word says, so we can follow it. We need to understand that we can’t just pick it up and follow it when we feel like it, or when we are in the right mood.

Maybe we are going through a hard time and we don’t think we have to follow because we are struggling.

No. Even in times of hardship and desperation, we need to put our feelings aside and continue to walk in love, being imitators of Him.

Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV) 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Not walking in love isn’t an option. God expects us to follow His lead.

In today’s society anything seems to go. But in God’s family it doesn’t work that way. Nothing in His word has changed just because we are hurting, struggling, weak, or because we have been through tough situations. The command has not let up or been removed.  It remains the same at all times.

Imitators of God, walk in love. Sometimes it is a tough love and sometimes it is a soft love. Either way, if we follow and listen to Him, the right one will show up at the right time and help the situation greatly.

Follow and imitate Him in all we do dear children of God.

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 – 9-29-20

Proverbs 13:4 (NKJV) 4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

If we want to make the most of our lives while we are here on earth, we must be willing to surrender to God and obey Him.

There is such a reward in obedience.

I had a vision one day and I’d like to share it with you.

I was on top of a very high mountain. The highest in the land.

On one side of me was the devil saying, “I love evil”. He was making a motion to try to grab and kill me.

Over my head was the cross, forming a shield or ring of protection.

In front of me was the Bible, and under my feet was a ladder that led me to the top of that mountain.

On each step of that ladder the word “obey” was written across it.

Most importantly, God showed me my heart. It was huge inside of me!

You see, when we begin to love God with all our heart, it will cause us to want such obedience in our walk.

Every step of obedience I would take would lead me higher, toward the very top of that mountain.

I know with Moses, God would often meet him on the mountain. A lot of things happened with Moses on the mountain.

Symbolically speaking, God wants us all on that mountaintop with Him.

Yes, the enemy will try and fight us, to prevent us from getting there. He may be a big distraction at times.

We may also want and desire things after our flesh that can keep us from getting closer to the top.

But if we listen and follow God instead, how much more blessed will that mountaintop walk with Him be every day? Praise be to God!

We all want to do right by God. And we can, as we obey Him one step up that ladder at a time.

1 Samuel 15:22 (NKJV) 22 So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

We may have good intentions but not quite what God is looking or asking for. He will pinpoint it, but it’s up to us to nail it.

Maybe today we have not asked God to be our Father, we just took it for granted that He is.

Make it happen. Repent and ask for His Son Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior.

Make it personal and let Him have first place in all we do.

Maybe we have never given to Him from our firstfruits and we say, “I never have been able to and now today I am ready to make that commitment”.

Take that step of obedience and don’t look back. He will provide for your every need.

Maybe our motives, our mouths and actions have not been what we know they should be. We want to turn a new leaf and start taking that step of obedience today.

We don’t’ know where anyone is at on this ladder, but every step we take is so very important.

Be diligent in taking the next one. We shall be made rich in His blessing as we obey.

Amen.

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 – 8-21-20

Numbers 31:14 (NKJV) 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.

God had spoken to Moses and told him to send Israelite warriors into Midian to slaughter them as vengeance for what some of their women had done.

These women had seduced some of the Israelite men. And once they had seduced them, they had coaxed them into worshiping their idols and false gods.

God’s anger burned against them, and against the men who had allowed themselves to be seduced and led into idolatry.

As punishment for the Israelite men, God had ordered them to be put to death. Later, as punishment for the Midianite women, God had ordered the attack on Midian and the complete destruction of the entire nation.

So, as the soldiers returned home with plunder, including the women of Midian, Moses confronted them with what they had done. He then gave them specific instructions as to how they could remedy the situation and make up for their poor judgment.

It is important that we listen closely when God speaks and follow His instructions and His leading as closely as possible.

Sometimes we will get it 100% right. Other times we may miss the mark. Thankfully, as we grow and mature, we will miss the mark less and less frequently.

But as we go through the growing pains and we learn more of God, His mercy is available to us.

In the days of Moses, many thousands of people were put to death over the years due to making wrong choices. If they failed in their mission due to disobedience, it often meant losing their life for their lack of obeying.

Today, living under grace, we have the opportunity to confess and repent, and then learn from our poor choices.

As I often ponder on these types of situations that I read about in the Old Testament; I am surely glad that we don’t live in those days. But that we live under the blood of Christ, where God’s grace prevails.

Amen.

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 – 8-17-20

Numbers 20:28 (NKJV) 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

As I was studying recently, I was reading through this passage and the verses before it.

The preceding verses tell of how God had told Moses to take Aaron and his son to the top of the mountain, remove Aaron’s priestly garments and place them on Aaron’s son, and that Aaron would then die there.

Earlier in this journey, Moses and Aaron had disobeyed God. Because of their disobedience, God had told them that neither of them would enter the land that He had promised the people of Israel. This was the price they would pay for their disobedience.

And on this day, Moses would see God keep His word, as Aaron died there on that summit.

Fast forward to today, we now live under grace. We don’t have to worry about God telling us to go to the top of a mountain and die there as punishment for not obeying Him.

This event, though, shows us the importance of obeying God when He wants us to do something. He takes it seriously.

Living under God’s grace doesn’t give us a perpetual permission slip to take these types of things lightly and do as we please.

On the contrary, as we obey God, it shows Him that we’re serious about our relationship with Him, and serious about pleasing Him.

And as we walk out the things He wants us to do, we’re doing it because we want to, not because we live in fear of being told that today is the day we will die for our disobedience.

Honor God. Put Him first. Do what He asks. And walk in His blessings.

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 – 7-25-20

1 John 2:3 (NKJV) 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

What was John referring to when He so often said “if we keep His commandments”?

In reality, He was referring to much more than an itemized list of “you shall” and “you shall not” orders.

He was doing what He always did; pointing to our heart.

Everything about our walk with God boils down to what’s in our heart. If our heart is right, everything else will also be right. Not perfect, but right. There’s a difference.

Perfect means that there is no sin. Right, on the other hand, means that we understand sin and we understand temptation. But we choose to do right, even if we fail sometimes.

Right means that we have God at the forefront of every choice we make, even if we might not hit the target dead-center sometimes.

Right means that we seek God in what we do, before we make choices and decisions.

Right means that we love God enough to consider Him when we are at a crossroads and we are forced to choose which way to go.

Right means that our thoughts are on Him each and every day.

Right means that we long to please Him in everything we endeavor to do. And because we want to please Him, we will listen intently for the Holy Spirit’s leading, giving Him preference over ourselves, even when we might not feel like it in the flesh.

And, lastly, right means that we stay alert every minute of every day, watching and listening for the wiles of the enemy, standing our ground, not by our own strength, but by the power of God’s spirit, ready to thwart his attacks as God has equipped us to do.

We can never, ever be perfect. But we can be right!

Put God first. Spend time in His word. Talk to Him and listen to Him. And then do what He tells us to do.

Do this, and we will get it right!

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 – 7-24-20

1 John 2:4 (NKJV) 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Today’s New Testament commandment-related scripture is a tough one.

John didn’t hold back when He spoke these words. He told it like it was. No fluff. No sugar coating.

Sometimes we need to hear the hard things. We need someone to get in our face and speak truth in a way that might not be easy to hear, but that will give us a little jolt to wake us from our slumber or cause us to face a hard truth.

John was loving and gentle most times, but He also had no problem saying what needed to be said at the right moment. And this verse is one of those things that He said that exposes things that we might not like to look at.

John was emphasizing that we need to be honest and truthful, especially when it comes to our walk with God. We shouldn’t try to fool anyone; especially ourselves.

If we say that we love God, but we fail to keep His commandments, or follow His precepts (as David liked to say), then we absolutely have to question where our heart really is, and where our loyalty lies.

This is not written to question anyone’s salvation. But the actions of our lives speak much more loudly than the words of our mouths. And if those actions don’t align with God’s word (His commandments), then we need to check ourselves.

As hard as it is, we need to be thankful for brutal honesty sometimes because it can help us see ourselves and push us back toward where we should be, rescuing us from whatever we may have fallen into.

Do we say we love Him? If so, do we keep His commandments?

This is a great measuring stick for us to use when gauging our walk with Him.

Does our walk measure up?

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-315-0902

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