Pastor Curt

Bible Verse of The Day – 9-14-22

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Acts 11:16 (NKJV) 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

After we repent, accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For this is the promise to us, and to all that the Lord our God will call.

Acts 2:38 (NKJV) 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirt is our gift. He bears witness to the reality of the exaltation of Jesus and is given to those who believe, have faith and obey Him.

The most important thing we can learn is to surrender to Him.

There will be times when our flesh does not understand fully what the Holy Spirit may be impressing on us to do. It’s in those moments that we need to trust Him and not try to follow our intellect.

Why? Because our intellect doesn’t understand the things of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will always line up with God’s word. He will never have us do something that goes against the Word of God.

Walking in the gift of the Holy Spirit will enable us to pray in tongues, as the Spirit gives utterance and as we open our mouth by faith and let it come out.

Acts 2:4 (NKJV) 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Step out in faith. Obey the Holy Spirit. And as we do this, He will become more active in our lives.

Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 9-13-22

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1 Corinthians 3:4 (NKJV) 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

Yesterday, we talked about factions and two reasons why factions exist within the body of Christ.

Today, let’s look at a third reason.

  1. False teachings.

False teachings can bring great division within the body of Christ.

Sometimes this is due to intentional actions that were created and taken solely to create division. Other times, it is due more to people breaking away from the truth to follow these false teachings, resulting in them separating from those who stick more closely to the truth of God’s word.

Between yesterday and today, these are only 3 examples. And within these 3 examples there are dozens (or possibly even hundreds) of ways to break them down more precisely.

The list of things that divides the church is endless. And much of it is petty indeed.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is something new. It’s not. It’s been happening since the days when Jesus walked among men.

How do we fix this?

It’s simple, but yet very complicated. That’s just the way of human beings.

The simplicity lies in God’s word, and in us being dedicated enough to study it and learn it without prejudice. In other words, we need to be willing to read and study it honestly, so that God can show us His truth, without influence from unholy or inaccurate sources.

The complicated part comes when we have to lay aside our own (mostly pre-conceived) opinions and acknowledge that our own belief may be wrong.

Because the body of Christ is made up of (mostly fickle) humans, we will never get it 100% right.

But it would behoove us to pay close attention to the Holy Spirit as He leads and guides us, so that we can see and hear truth for what it is.

And then, if we are shown that what we believed to be true is off, even a little, we need to humble ourselves enough to allow God to change or adjust that belief.

If we refuse to allow God to change our minds, we are not offending people, but God Himself, with our pride and stubbornness.

Let us not be as the Israelites were, a stiff-necked people who ignored God’s leading and spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness on what should have been a 12-day journey.

Exodus 32:9 (NKJV) 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 9-12-22

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1 Corinthians 1:11-13 (NKJV) 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

These verses bring to mind one word; factions.

Factions is defined as small, organized dissenting groups within a larger group.

Factions within the church are not of God. They are not Biblical, and they are not Christlike.

To be clear, factions are not the cause of the division. Division causes the creation of factions.

The church is full of factions that are thriving.

You may ask, “how so?”.

Let’s take a look at just a few of the things that cause division, leading to various factions within the body of Christ.

  1. Denominations.

Denominations are not Biblical or of God. They are manmade.

Denominations divide the body of Christ based on differences in overall interpretations of scripture, or because of differences in beliefs that sum up their opinions on what scripture says.

Some of these are minor. Others are very major. We will not cover the actual differences here, but suffice it to say that this is a very big deal.

  1. Personal opinions or preferences.

Personal opinions or preferences can cause great divisions between individual members of the body of Christ. And those divisions can spill over into localized bodies of believers, creating a larger overall divide.

Let’s talk more about factions tomorrow, and we will wrap this up then.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 9-11-22 – Two Bottles and a Box

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Please click to watch the video now.Greetings in the precious name of Jesus. 

We have published another new video for everyone. This one is called, Two Bottles and a Box. 

This video is a bit different than most of our “normal fare”. 

In it, we teach about some of the things that are pulling Christians down and trying to destroy us. 

We felt it was important to get this message out, so we hope you’ll give this a watch and share it with others. 

Please click to watch the video now. 

We love you all! 

Sincerely, 

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie 

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443 

401-439-3780 

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 – 9-10-22

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Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV) 17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Watch out for those who tell you not to take advice or listen to someone who may have already walked through some things that you also may be facing.

It’s important to make sure that when someone talks to us or offers advice, we don’t just shrug them off as being negative because what they say causes us to have to think a little deeper or requires us to take a step we are not comfortable taking.

God brings people around us to speak and sharpen our countenance. And that may not always be full of joy and excitement.

Sometimes it just may be correction that we needed to hear.

Oops, I said that word, correction!

This may sting a little for those of us who don’t like to think we may have missed it, or think we have all the answers, and yet we are heading down the wrong path.

We need to be careful not to get so prideful or arrogant that we don’t want to hear what others say. For instance, they may not necessarily line up with how we think and feel.

This is called iron sharpening iron. And without it, what happens?

Whatever refuses to be sharpened will grow dull and not be able to accomplish the very thing that is necessary for us to be who God is calling us to be.

We have got to grow up and mature.

We need to stop trying to go through this life thinking that everything is going to be easy, doing what we want, saying what we want and spending what we want, etc.

This life is not easy. It never will be. The only thing that is easy is the yoke of Jesus. That’s it.

Matthew 11:30 (NKJV) 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Let Him lead, even if that means hearing those that we need to hear when we might not like what they say.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 9-9-22

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Romans 8:1 (NKJV) 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Happy Friday! Let’s wrap up the work week with one more short study on some verses from Romans.

On Monday and Wednesday we discussed the power of God’s grace, faith in Christ and how applying them to our lives will help us obey God and break free from habitual sin that leads to death.

Today, let’s talk about the results of obeying God, and what that means for us.

Verse 1 above states that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Let’s dig into that.

Condemnation: the finding of fault, guilt or an unfavorable judgment. Denunciation, disapproval.

Now, some translations don’t include the second half of verse 1, “who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”.

That phrase is basically a qualifier that helps us better understand what the first half of the verse means.

But let’s look and see what is meant by the first half of verse 1 so we can get a deeper understanding of what it really means, even without that second half.

Being “in Christ Jesus” insinuates or infers a relationship; something that is genuine and active, not just a casual, occasional or intermittent on-again-off-again faith that is not visible, active or being genuinely walked out in one’s life.

If we are “in Christ Jesus”, we have a functioning, healthy relationship with Christ. Our life will reflect it by the fact that we walk “according to the Spirit”, not according to the flesh.

We can take heart in the fact that Christ has paid the price for our sins. And because our faith in Him sets us free from our old, sinful ways, we are no longer condemned.

We have been found not guilty!

This is amazing when we consider who and what we used to be and who God has made us.

We were rescued from death and brought into eternal life through His blood and His sacrifice.

This in itself is miraculous and unexplainable by natural standards.

Only the blood of Christ can do this.

Thank you, Father, we give you glory and honor for your incredible grace over our lives. Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 9-8-22

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Luke 4:1 (NKJV) 1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness…

Jesus was led into the wilderness. There He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. In Luke 4:2, it says, afterwards He was hungry.

The devil came to Him right after and said, “if You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread”.

What a temptation! After not eating for 40 days, bread would taste mighty good, wouldn’t it?

But Jesus was onto him, through the help of the Holy Spirit. And His reply was that of the Son of God, a Man filled with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Matthew 4:4 (NKJV) 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

The devil came to Him two other times and tempted Him while in the wilderness. And each time Jesus rebuked his offer, and replying with the Word of God.

Praise You, Lord, for Your focus and strength to stay on track.

If Jesus, the Son of the Mighty God, needed the Holy Spirit to fill Him and work through Him, we most definitely need Him moving and helping us daily.

We all need to stop trying to be the hero on this journey of life as a believer. We don’t help God. He helps us.

We aren’t doing anything for Him in and of ourselves. His word says that without His help, we can do nothing.

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.

This may be a hard thing for some people to swallow. But so many have it backwards; we need God in order to win battles, to move mountains and to lead people to Christ. He sent us a Helper because He knew we would need Him.

The devil will tempt us daily, hourly, minute by minute. We must be strong enough to resist Him and do just that.

James 4:7 (NKJV) 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Be filled with our Helper, the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus was filled.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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 – 9-7-22

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Romans 6:16 (NKJV) 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

In keeping with the topic of Monday’s devotional, let’s take a look at some more verses in chapter 6 of Romans.

On Monday we established that God’s grace, and Christ’s redemption set us free from our old selves and the sin that bound us. We also confirmed that His grace toward us is not a license to willfully, habitually sin.

This is not to say or insinuate that we will no longer sin. But that we are no longer slaves to sin. He has empowered us to break free from those things that held us in bondage.

In the verse above, Paul tells us that we are slaves to whatever we present ourselves to.

More plainly stated, we become slaves to whatever we choose to obey.

We can be slaves to sin, or we can be slaves to righteousness.

Additionally, Paul very boldly tells us that being a slave to sin will lead to death. Whereas obeying God leads to righteous living.

Some may try to complicate this, but in reality, it is very simple; obey and have life, or disobey and choose death.

Repeated willful sin will lead us away from God and toward spiritual death (separation from God).

Submission and obedience to God, on the other hand, will lead us to righteous living a closer walk with God, our Creator.

Only we can choose which path we will walk.

Let us choose wisely. Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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 – 9-6-22

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2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV) 1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

This is what we do as believers. After we have been saved by the precious blood of Jesus, we do away with a lot of the worldly desire in us.

As we eliminate those things that are filthy in God’s eyes, we began to draw near to Him. And as we get closer to Him, our relationship grows deeper.

We begin to get a taste of what it means to perfect holiness each time we give up or let go of the things that put distance between us and God.

We will never be perfect here on earth, but we will definitely be building and strengthening our relationship with God.

Being clean is very important. We need to work on this on a daily basis, not just one day every once in a while.

We should constantly be open to the Holy Spirit reminding or convicting us of the things that could taint our relationship with God.

How do we know when we are being reminded?

Everyone is different, and the Holy Spirit will let us know in whatever way will get our attention. However, we will definitely know. And at that point we need to make a decision whether to listen or to ignore His promptings.

I was talking to someone one day. They asked me, “why didn’t you stop so and so from doing what they were about to do?”.

I said, “you can talk till you’re blue in the face, and if they don’t hear you, they are basically choosing what they want to do. They will do what they enjoy, or maybe what they are addicted to. You can’t force someone to make the right choice”.

Cleaning ourselves is going to come by making the right choices each day as we hear the voice and heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Pray for His guidance, help and strength. He is faithful!

Isaiah 40:29 (NKJV) 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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 – 9-5-22

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Romans 6:1-2 (NKJV) 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Sometimes the way various translations word a verse, or a group of verses, can make it harder to understand than is necessary.

These 2 verses are an example of that. But I’d like to break this down to make it clear and easy to know what is being said.

Verse 1 starts off with a question; “What shall we say then?”.

The wording of the question indicates that it is referring to something that was previously stated.

In this case, Paul is referring to the last part of Romans chapter 5, where he reminded the Roman people that, through Adam, sin brought death into the world, but in Christ came new life through the grace of God.

Under God’s grace, through the obedience of Christ (and our faith in Him), our sins can be forgiven.

Some of the Romans mistakenly thought that the abundance of God’s grace gave them a license to also abundantly sin, knowing that forgiveness was available.

Paul corrected them in the first section of Romans 6. This explains his question in the opening lines referred to above.

I remember reading these verses 30 or so years ago. It was life-changing for me because it showed me that God’s grace does not give us a license to sin, but that He actually desires that we live righteous lives.

The end of Romans 5 explains it very thoroughly. But verse 2, above, sums it up nicely in very few words when Paul states, “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”.

If we have put our faith in Christ, we have died and been born again.

When we died, our old (sin-laden) self also died.

The new person in Christ is no longer bound to the old, habitually-sinful self. The chains were broken and the new man/woman is no longer bound to their old lifestyle.

The new creation in Christ has an obligation to leave their old sins and their old lifestyle behind. That might be hard for some to accept.

Again, Paul stated it very plainly saying, “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”.

God’s grace is indeed abundant and sufficient for our sins.

But He wants us to let Him show us how to live lives that are no longer built around the old self, the old habits and the old way of life.

Very simply put, as people who have died to sin (in Christ), let us no longer live under the bonds of sin.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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 – 9-4-22 – Forward Motion

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Please click to watch the video now.Greetings! 

As followers of Christ, God never wants us to be stagnant. He always wants us to be moving forward. 

In our newest video, Forward Motion, we teach on this and discuss what it means for believers. 

We hope you’ll give this short video a watch. 

Please click here to watch the video now. 

We love you all! 

Sincerely in Christ, 

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie 

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443 

401-439-3780 

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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