Month: December 2019

Bible Verse of The Day – 12-20-19

Colossians 3:12-13 (NKJV) 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

If we were to request a guide by which to conduct ourselves, especially regarding how we treat fellow believers, this would be it.

God’s word covers everything. He never leaves us in the dark. Ever.

If we were to study the list of attributes above, and if we could get them ingrained into our hearts, and we lived by them, actively practicing them, how much different would our lives be?

I dare to say that they would be vastly different!

Not a single one of us is perfect. We all have flaws and weaknesses that we wrestle with. We may try to use this as an excuse for ourselves, to justify not living these attributes out in our lives.

But God already knows this, and He has given us everything we need to be able to get it done!

The Holy Spirit is our helper. He came after Jesus had left the earth, to guide us every step of the way, each day that we live and breathe. Without Him we would be pretty helpless. But with Him, we can do some pretty amazing stuff.

Looking at the list above, it seems pretty lengthy. It may seem nearly impossible for us to be able to master each of them. But with the Spirit’s help, it’s safe to say that we could tackle them one at a time!

Let’s start with kindness. Kindness seems to be in short supply these days, doesn’t it?

Kindness is not a “cure-all”. It won’t fix every problem in the world. But it will go a long way toward making our lives, and the lives of those we encounter, much better, and more pleasing to God.

So, let’s start working through the list today, letting the Holy Spirit remind us to be kind to those we encounter. And watch how it becomes contagious. Not only will we make others happy, but we will be pleasing our Father in heaven.

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 – 12-19-19

Jonah 3:4 (NKJV) 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

“Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

These were God’s words to Nineveh. After Jonah spoke this to the people of Nineveh, they believed it and they all took it to heart and began to fast. God saw their repentant hearts and chose not to bring disaster upon them.

This made Jonah angry because he didn’t get to see the city overthrown. He actually cried out to God and told Him to take his life. He thought he would be better off dead than to have the words He spoke on God’s behalf not come to pass.

Jonah 4:3 (NKJV) 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

I’d say Jonah was more worried and concerned about his reputation and how he would look than about the change and repentance of the people’s hearts.

Thank God that He did not do what He said he would do through Jonah. Instead, He had mercy on the people and spared their lives and their homes.

It’s a good thing God is God and we don’t have a say at times in what He does. Sometimes we care more about things that shouldn’t matter than the things that should matter, like peoples lives or their salvation. In Jonah’s case, he cared more about his ego or his pride.

God knows what He is doing. We don’t. Let’s let Him do His job. and let’s set ourselves aside long enough that He can do what He needs to and bring change when, where and how it needs to be brought.

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 – 12-18-19

John 10:10 (NKJV) 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

It’s funny how the world will pervert the things of God, turn them upside down and then convince people that it is truth.

Think about it. We hear so much about different kinds of “freedom”. The “freedom” to be who we want to be, no matter what that is. The “freedom” to do what we want to do. The “freedom” to act the way we want to act.

At a quick glance, there might not seem to be anything wrong with this. After all, didn’t Jesus come to set us free?

Well, yes. But not that kind of free.

Many, many times, the things that we hear about freedom are twisted, perverted versions of freedom. Biblical truth has been either removed or warped in some way that causes it to become quite contrary to what God intended.

We see it a lot these days, and it is truly very sad, because much of it leads people into bondage, not into freedom.

If it feels good, do it. It’s your life, so just live it the way you want. Be whoever and whatever you want to be.

These are just a few of the catch phrases that we hear tossed around to represent what we’re told is freedom. There are many, many more.

This is the world’s version of freedom vs. true freedom in Christ. One isn’t freedom at all. The other is true freedom.

How do we know true freedom from the counterfeit offered by the enemy?

The counterfeit will lead us into things that we feel trapped in; adultery, sodomy, addictions, fornication, thievery, rebellion and much more. In the end, they all lead to death, either spiritually or physically.

Oh, they might seem like freedom at first because we are doing whatever we choose. But sooner or later the walls begin to close in on us, or come crashing down around us. And then we are scurrying around, looking for a way out.

Jesus is the way out. He is the way to freedom. The freedom He brings will deliver us from the counterfeit freedom that the world has promised us.

And the best part about freedom in Jesus is that it is true freedom, not smoke and mirrors or something fake.

So, if you have been told you’re free, but you don’t really feel free, you probably aren’t.

John 8:36 (NKJV) 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

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 – 12-17-19

Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV) 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

There are so many books and teachings today on being built up in ourselves. Although it is good to have confidence in who God made us, we need to remember our roots and our Maker.

The way that the world portrays this is that we look to ourselves to do the building, to achieve things on our own, with no help whatsoever. That way, we give ourselves all the credit and all the glory!

They try to make it look like we are so powerful and wise that we don’t need anyone or anything to help us, causing us to become arrogant, prideful and almost unbearable to be around.

Remember why the enemy got kicked out of heaven. He was trying to take over, thinking he was self-sufficient.

We must remember our roots no matter where we are in our lives. And those roots are in Christ. We are to be built on these roots, that they stay embedded in our hearts forever.

It’s in Him that we are built up. Not in and of ourselves. Not in and of anyone else. No professor, no pastor, parents, etc.

They can help steer us in the right direction at times, guiding us, but the building up of ourselves is found in and through Christ alone.

Keep our eyes on 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 – 12-16-19

Proverbs 23:17 (NKJV) 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;

A Better Understanding of God Will Lead Us to a Healthy Fear of Him

As we learn of God and get a better understanding of Him, we will develop a “healthy fear” of Him.

This is not the cowering, dreadful kind of fear that causes us to shrink back from Him, worried about being struck down if we do something wrong.

It is a reverent kind of fear that honors Him and who He is because we have begun to understand His awesomeness and His holiness.

Think of it as the kind of healthy fear that a child should have toward their parents. They don’t fear being beaten. But they understand the authority of their parents and want to do their best to abide by their parents’ desires.

The respect that a child should have toward their parents is similar to the reverence we should have toward God, but our reverence toward God should be exponentially greater.

The Fear of God Leads to Right Choices

When we fear God, we will be more likely to make right choices. We will be less likely to choose things that are harmful or sinful.

This isn’t based solely on fearing His retribution. Instead, it is based on the fact that when we fear God, it is because we have an understanding of Him, we know Him and we love Him.

Those three things will change the way we make choices every minute of every day. It will be plainly obvious in our lives. And since wiser choices lead to better consequences, our lives will change overall, for the better.

We will become better examples of Christ, bringing glory and honor to God by the things we do and the things we say.

So, we encourage you to dig into His word. Learn of Him. Get understanding in the things of God. As you do this, you will begin to grow and mature, and you will understand the fear of God in a way that you never did before.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this series and it has helped you gain understanding in the area of “The Fear of The Lord”.

Please feel free to reply to this email and write to us if you have any questions, comments or feedback.

Sincerely 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 – 12-15-19 – Love, Mercy or Fear – Part 2

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

We hope that you have been enjoying our devotional series on the fear of God. And we hope that last week’s video gave you a head start on the topic. 

This week’s video, Love, Mercy or Fear – Part 2, is now live. 

In this one, we pick up with the topic of reverence, and the important part that it plays in our walk with God. 

We hope you’ll take a few minutes and give this video a watch, as we wrap up this study. 

Please click here to watch the video now. 

Enjoy your day! 

Love 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 – 12-14-19

Proverbs 22:4 (NKJV) 4 By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.

God’s Awesomeness

Awesomeness is defined as inducing or causing an overwhelming feeling of reverence.

In reality, there are no human words to describe God’s true awesomeness.

There are no adjectives to accurately communicate or convey what this really means. Maybe think of it as being so in awe that there are no words in any human vocabulary to accurately define or describe it.

Believe it or not, there is an element of fear in this that does actually refer to literally being afraid. This comes when we begin to realize and understand who God really is. He literally holds life and death in His hands.

He created everything we see. He set the worlds in motion. And He did all of this with only words. Just words!

He didn’t have to use equipment. He didn’t have to obtain supplies. He just spoke it all into existence.

Now that right there, the One who holds this incredible power, is something to be feared.

It’s when the reality and the depth of this starts to sink in that we start to understand the true fear of God. It’s not bleak or dismal. It doesn’t instill dread or torment.

It’s an incredible, awe-inspired kind of fear that has a wondrous, ultra-reverent side to it.

Psalm 33:8-9 (NLT) 8 Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. 9 For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

Monday, as we wrap up this series, we will talk about how having this incredible, reverent fear of God benefits us and impacts our lives as a whole.

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 – 12-13-19

Proverbs 14:27 (NKJV) 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.

Healthy Fear 

Fearing God is part of a healthy relationship with Him.

That might sound contradictory to some. How can we and why should we love someone if we are in fear of them?

Well, let’s talk about that for a minute, so we can better understand it.

As we mentioned earlier on in this study, fear doesn’t always mean being afraid of someone in the sense that the fear brings dread or other related emotions.

A “healthy fear” of someone means that we recognize and honor them in a way that helps keep us from rebelling against them, what they teach us or what they ask of us.

A good example of this would be the relationship between children and their parents.

Children should have a healthy fear of their parents in the sense that the children want to obey the parents, knowing that if they don’t, there will be consequences for them and disappointment on the part of the parents.

Fear and Reverence Go Hand in Hand

As with the fear of God, reverence toward God has also been lost in much of today’s world, even in the church body.

Reverence is more than just respect. Reverence is deep. Reverence toward God will cause us to bow before Him and worship Him. Reverence, in its deepest sense, can cause us to become completely speechless before Him because we simply can’t find words powerful enough to convey what we’re feeling.

This can come upon us at any moment, as God gives us a revelation, shows Himself to us in a specific situation, gives us understanding about a specific topic, or any other number of things.

This has actually happened a few times as we have been writing this series. There are things that we want to say about God, but can’t find words that are worthy of being used when it comes to His attributes or His splendor.

The fear of God is kind of like reverence, but deeper still. The fear of God comes when we begin to get an understanding of His incredible awesomeness. But the word awesomeness here doesn’t just mean awesome in the typical sense used by so many people.

In fact, it will take a bit of time to dive into His awesomeness and try to do it justice. So, let’s talk about that tomorrow!

Psalm 47:2 (NKJV) 2 For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.

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 – 12-12-19

Proverbs 10:27 (NKJV) 27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

Love or fear? Which is more important?

Yesterday we talked a little about the fact that many people will intentionally ignore or disregard the topic of “the fear of God” because they prefer to focus on God’s love and mercy.

So, today we will spend some time talking about those two things; God’s love and His mercy.

God’s love and mercy are truly incredible. The fact that he loved us enough to send His Son to die for our sins is beyond comprehension.

His love for us is so fierce that He was willing to surrender Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, to atone for our sinful, wicked ways.

John 3:16 (NKJV) 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

It’s this incredible, unfathomable love that causes people to stumble when they think about the fear of God. The two, His love and the fear of Him, don’t go together in their minds.

Many people can’t comprehend how a God that loves us so much, and shows us such incredible mercy, should also be feared. In their minds, the two simply can’t be reconciled.

It’s absolutely true that God’s love and mercy are critically important. Without them, not a single one of us would have any hope of a future, or even a worthwhile existence here on earth, let alone eternity in His presence.

But fearing Him is also important.

As we mature, and we get a better understanding of His love and mercy toward us, we will also learn to fear Him. For a God who can love us as fiercely as He does, despite our sin and wickedness, is surely also to be feared.

Again, it comes back to getting an understanding of who He really is. Only when we begin to get this kind of understanding will we also begin to grasp the concept of fearing Him without living our lives being afraid of Him.

We hope that this is starting to help everyone make sense of the Biblical concept of the fear of the Lord, and put it all into perspective.

Once we “get this”, so many other things will fall into place in our minds. It will all begin to make sense as we ponder on who God really is. And our perception of so many things will be forever changed as God brings understanding in this area.

Tomorrow we will continue by discussing the relationship between fear and reverence.

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 – 12-11-19

Proverbs 15:33 (NKJV) 33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.

Why isn’t the fear of God talked about more?

The fear of God is something that is very seldom taught about or discussed. Why is that?

Well, it’s not always pleasing to speak about the fear of God. It bothers some people. It even offends some people.

Why? Because they don’t understand it. They don’t understand it because they don’t like it. And because they don’t like it, they don’t want to spend the time to get understanding.

It’s like a vicious circle that has no end, simply because so many people don’t want to take the time to get understanding.

Still others don’t want to know about it because they prefer not to think of God in a way that relates to any kind of fear.

The word “fear” typically conjures up images of dread, apprehension, anxiety or trepidation.

Some people don’t like to think that God is to be feared. Most people would rather think about, and talk about, God’s love and mercy.

Love and mercy are easy to talk about. They’re nice. They’re pleasant. And they carry no negative images with them.

But God’s own word speaks many, many times about learning to fear God being something wise to do.

Proverbs 15:33 (NKJV) 33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.

So, if His word says so, who are we to argue? What ground do we have to stand on when it comes to disagreeing with His word?

In reality, we have no ground to stand on. All we have are our emotions and our opinions. Neither of these hold any validity when compared to God’s own words.

It’s time for us to move beyond what makes us feel good. Even if it makes us a tad uncomfortable or uneasy, in the words of the author of Hebrews, we need to learn to eat meat, not just prefer milk.

Hebrews 5:12 (NKJV) 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

Join us again tomorrow as we discuss loving God vs. fearing 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 – 12-10-19

Psalm 34:11 (NKJV) 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Now, let’s talk about what the fear of God really is.

Now that we have covered what the fear of God isn’t. let’s talk about what it is. Here are some tidbits from various scriptures, just to get us pointed in the right direction.

Psalm 111:10 (NKJV) 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV) 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…

Proverbs 14:27 (NKJV) 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life…

Just these three verses should give us a really good idea about the foundations of the fear of God and what it really is.

As you can see, these are all positive things; things that bring good into our lives. The beginning of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge and a fountain of life!

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

As we get understanding about the fear of God, we realize that to fear Him isn’t to constantly be afraid of Him. Instead, it is understanding who He really is, the wonder of Him, the incredible awesomeness of who He really is, and using that to put everything into perspective.

Does that mean that we should never be afraid of Him? No. There should be times when we are afraid, but not so much in a way that causes dread to overcome us.

More in a way that says, “God, I know how mighty and powerful you are. I know that you spoke the worlds into existence, and that you have the power to give and to take away. And I understand that my mind can never fully comprehend any of that, but I will honor you with my life in every way possible”.

This is the fear of God in the life of a believer. This is how to explain it in a way that goes way beyond the dreadful fear that most people think of when the word “fear” is used.

Our fear of Him isn’t based on dread. It is based on understanding. This kind of understanding is what takes us beyond childish fear and brings us into a mature awe of who He is.

Proverbs 14:26 (NKJV) 26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.

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!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

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