Pastor Curt

Bible Verse of The Day – 6-4-15

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Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV) 10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.

God has a way of taking things that look dark and ugly and bringing something beautiful out of them.

Have you ever had to face something that made you weak at the knees, but somehow you remained standing in spite of the news you had just received? Did you ever have to be strong for someone else when you yourself felt so emotionally drained?

I remember when I was at the hospital many years ago, and the doctor came in to tell us that my little niece had passed away. As dark as that moment was, I found myself standing there and able to hold and comfort those around me that needed it.

It’s not that I was a super strong person, or didn’t have my own emotions that I was dealing with. My pain was just as bad; it hurt just as much and I felt the loss just like they did.

2 Corinthians 12:9-11(NKJV) 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

It was simply God’s strength working in me, holding me up. His strength was made perfect in my weakness.

Don’t be discouraged today if you are feeling weak. Let Him be your strong tower. Let His strength be made perfect in you today.

He has what it takes to keep us standing, to keep us strong and to keep us from losing it.

Run into His arms.

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 – 6-3-15

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2 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”

God has chosen to dwell in each of us if we are His child.

Because of this, there are things that we should and should not do. He is a holy God and wants us to live holy lives.

We are made righteous by the blood of Christ, clean before God, with our sins forgiven.

We are, however, called to live lives that are pleasing to Him, doing our best to stay away from things that are unholy.

Coming out from among them doesn’t necessarily refer to physically segregating ourselves from the world. It does refer to differentiating ourselves from the world in our behavior.

According to Galatians 5:19-21, here are some of the things we need to avoid: adultery, fornication, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.

And those are just some of the things we are to avoid!

What’s equally important is the condition of our heart, too. We can avoid all of the things that God tells us to stay away from, but if our heart is far from Him, we are just going through the motions and our abstaining is nothing more than legalism.

But when our heart longs after God and truly wants to please Him, we will do whatever is necessary to avoid the things that displease God and do everything we can to please Him.

So let’s ask ourselves today; where is our heart? Do we partake of the things that displease Him, or do we live to please Him?

Only we can answer that question.

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 – 6-2-15

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

Jesus has made a way for us to be FREE indeed.

He paid the price for our freedom when He died for our sins, on the cross. We are free through the repentance of our hearts and believing He is our Lord and Savior! What a beautiful thing He did for us.

Freedom is a beautiful thing. He does not want us to be in bondage to anything or anyone.

He has made a way for us to stay free from those things that try to put us in bondage.

So, I have this thing that I love; it’s my hot chai tea. I would have one every day, or even twice a day if I could. It would put a smile on my face and make me feel so happy!

However, I have learned that if I am not careful, something as little as that cup of chai can become a stumbling block. You might say “how can that be? It’s just a foamy cup of tea”.

How can something so small turn into an issue and cause me to have to pull back and take a break from it? Well, it’s like anything we love. It could be something completely different for you, but for me it’s my Chai.

You see, at first it starts off as just being a treat; something I enjoy. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! God wants us to have things that we enjoy.

It’s when it becomes more frequently needed than an occasional treat that it can become a problem; when it becomes something I begin to think about a lot. When will I get my next treat?

This is where the problem lies. Because I have to have it, it is no longer a treat but a need. I need it more frequently and if I don’t have it, it can change my mood. Now, it makes me or breaks me.

It now has control over me. Nothing, nowhere and nobody should have this kind of control over us. Remember… we are free!

This is when I decide it’s time to take a break and fast from it, and put it back in it’s proper place. And if I can’t do this and keep it there, then I give it up completely.

This might seem like something very small and insignificant to most people. But it can help us to see things that might have a hold on us that we didn’t see before.

Is there something that we do on a regular basis that we feel like we have to do, or it ruins our day if we can’t?

Let God help us to discern this. It is so important to stay free in Christ, in everything we do. Even over things as small as a cup of tea!!

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 – 6-1-15

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Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

As a child of God, we have some pretty special privileges.

We have been told that we can come boldly to the throne of grace when we are in need.

So what does this really mean, anyway?

We have heard this taught from so many different angles that the simplicity of this verse has almost been obstructed from view, making it difficult to discern the true meaning of it.

But here it is, without all of the fluff that we so often hear these days.

God has granted us the privilege, because we are His children, to approach His throne boldly, when we are being tempted and when we are feeling weak.

We don’t need to fear coming to Him. We can come boldly, without fear of reprisal or admonishment when we have made a mistake, or even several mistakes.

God’s grace is abundant and sufficient. It is not lacking and we don’t need to earn it or buy it. It is given freely to those who ask.

Please don’t let some crazy teachings of today water this down or twist what it really means. This doesn’t give us license to go before God and demand things of Him. It doesn’t give us the right to turn God into a divine ATM or magic genie who will give us our every wish, or cater to our every whim.

It is about His grace and mercy and how it applies to our lives. Nothing more and nothing less.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”…

So when we are in need of His grace and His mercy, let’s approach His throne boldly, not shrinking back, but seeking His strength and His forgiveness.

It is there before His throne that we find exactly what we need.

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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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-30-15

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Proverbs 1:10 (NKJV) 10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

Temptation comes to us in many ways.

Most times we find ourselves being enticed by people we know. They want us to join them in their follies, inviting us to partake of things and practices that we know aren’t pleasing to God.

Although it may sometimes seem difficult, it really just comes down to us saying yes or saying no. Very simple indeed.

Some things can seem so good on the surface and we may be tempted to follow along when people are doing things that we know aren’t right. But our conscience and the Holy Spirit will always be there, nudging us in the right direction.

It’s up to us to choose the right thing.

The best thing in the world for us to do is to say no and immediately turn away. The longer we linger and ponder on it, the more likely we are to be persuaded and give in, only to regret it later on.

We need to put God first in everything. When we do this, following this simple proverb will become much easier for us.

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 – 5-29-15

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Psalm 30:4-5 (NKJV) 4 Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

We go through some things in life that aren’t pleasant. Some of them are due to choices we have made. Others may be out of our control and may even be a sort of “test” for us.

Not that they are necessarily set in motion by God, but more that we will learn a lot about ourselves as we walk through them.

During these kinds of times we will face some very dark moments. Some moments, in fact, may make us feel like it’s the end and we just can’t go on any longer.

But whatever you do, never give up hope. For when it’s the darkest and we are at our lowest, daylight is not far away.

I spend a lot of time on the water at night during the summer months. It can get pretty dark out there! One thing is true, and it is this; it is always darkest right before the daylight.

So as you’re walking through this dark time in your life, look up. Focus on God, not on the problem at hand.

We may not yet know how He is going to bring us through the darkness. But the fact of the matter is that He is going to bring us through. And joy comes in the morning!

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 – 5-28-15

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Philippians 4:7 (NKJV) 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It’s God’s peace that keeps us on the right track. Having His peace leads us into making the right decisions and doing the right things.

I know that there have been many times when have I wanted to make my own decisions, without consulting Him first, because I feared the answer He would give me would be something I wouldn’t want to hear. I’ve paid the price at times because of this, and have many regrets.

What would we rather have, God’s peace or to be doing what we want to do? We are the only ones that can answer this question for ourselves.

If we want to walk in God’s peace, there may be times we will have to say no to things we would love to be doing, and it will be pretty tempting to do the opposite. But when we walk in the peace of God, and experience the feeling it brings, we will never want to go back to walking outside of it.

There will be sacrifices we will make at times to continually stay in His peace, but it will be well worth it!!

Choose God’s peace today. 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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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-27-15

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Galatians 3:28 (NKJV) 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

People have a tendency to put labels on everything, including other people.

We categorize people and try to put them into molds or stereotypes, thinking that because they are of a certain color, nationality or other identifying factor that they must all be the same, whether white, black or otherwise.

But God never put us into these categories. We created them all.

What’s critical to understand is that we were all created uniquely, regardless of our skin color, sex or country of origin.

The world will try to put us all in various kinds of boxes and make us fit into what they think we should be like; how to act, how to look, how to speak and even how to interact with each other.

It’s time for believers to push this nonsense aside and be who God created us to be!

Let’s shed the stereotypes and labels, including denominational labels, and let God move and work in us as He intended to do, setting Him free to move in our lives on a daily basis.

If we can get this even partially right, our lives will change drastically and we will impact the world for Christ in ways that haven’t been seen for decades, or possibly even centuries.

Set God free and watch what happens.

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 – 5-26-15

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James 5:16 (NKJV) 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Giving our lives to Christ causes us to change on the inside. When He comes into our lives, our hearts will change.

Our thoughts, our cares and our concerns for others will grow stronger. We will find ourselves having compassion for people and situations that we don’t even know personally. We will want to reach out and help.

The first step in helping others is learning how to ask God to help us with our own trespasses, our own sin. There will be those people that God will lead us to that we can talk openly with about our sin, and through confessing and praying, there will come healing.

Don’t hold onto sin and try to hide it. Don’t keep it locked up on the inside. It will eat us up.

Become transparent today and let the healing begin. 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!

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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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-25-15

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Matthew 19:21-22 (NKJV) 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

A very wealthy young ruler had come to Jesus and asked Him what he needed to do to have eternal life.

Jesus gave him a short list of important things that he should do. The young man replied that he was already doing those things and asked if there was anything else he needed to do.

As the young man waited for Jesus to answer, he was very likely thinking that he was in pretty good shape due to the life he led and the fact that he was already following all of the things Jesus had told him to do.

But then Jesus told him that he would need to sell all of his possessions and give to the poor. Upon hearing this, the young man went away sad.

Why did he go away sad? It wasn’t because he was rich. It was because he held so tightly to his wealth that he wasn’t willing to give it away, even at the expense of his eternal destiny.

What about us? How well would we handle this same scenario? Would we also walk away sad?

We don’t have to have great wealth to be greedy or to hold too tightly to what we have. But what we do have, we need to be willing to let go of, if God requires of us to do so.

When we are blessed with material possessions, we need to hold them loosely, so that if, or when, God asks us to give them away, we won’t have a hard time doing so.

And if we don’t have great wealth, it doesn’t excuse us from giving, either. Whether we have little or we have much, God requires of us to give!

Luke 21:1-4 (NKJV) 21 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

So let’s ask God to search our hearts in this and ask Him to show us if we’re holding too tightly to what we have been blessed with.

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 – 5-23-15

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Psalm 103:1 (NKJV) 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

God is worthy to be blessed and praised every single day of our lives.

We may be on top of the mountain or we may be sitting in the lowest of valleys.

But no matter what we’re facing or what our situation looks like, God is worthy to be praised!

How do we bless God?

By praising Him, by sharing with others about the things He’s done for you, by loving on Him and telling Him how much He means to you.

It doesn’t take a lot to please God and let Him know how much you love Him and need Him.

And if you feel like maybe you’ve dropped the ball in this area of your life, it’s never too late to start.

So make today the day that you start thanking Him and praising Him for everything. And by doing this, you will bless 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!

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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