Author: Pastor Curt

Bible Verse of The Day – 2-5-24

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

It seems like every day I hear another Biblical mistruth.

Some are common. Others are rather obscure.

The scripture above is one that has been frequently misunderstood and improperly translated into a phrase that we all hear often.

It goes like this; God will never give you more than you can handle!

This phrase is repeated often, even by people with a lot of influence.

Many of the well-known people who repeat this misleading phrase are not Christians.

But having it get passed around even by influential nonbelievers can cause a fair share of misunderstanding and confusion for believers who are young in their faith or not well studied in God’s word.

So, let us look more closely at this so as not to fall into the trap that has been so smoothly laid by the enemy.

If we look closely, we will immediately see that this verse has nothing at all to do with the trials we face or burdens we bear. It clearly states “temptation” in the first few words.

In the original Greek, temptation and tempted can also be replaced with test or tested, as in the testing of our will when it comes to resisting sin.

Knowing this, we could also read it as this; No test has overtaken you…

Next, we need to consider the word, overtaken. Overtaken simply means confronted or challenged.

The words, common to man, imply that no temptation we face is unique. We are just like everyone else, facing the same kinds of tests of our will.

So, no temptation or test that we are confronted with is unique to us. We are not special, nor do we face any temptation that is more difficult than what anyone else faces.

Take note that the next thing we read is that God is faithful. Of course He is!

And then what?

He will not allow us to “be tempted (have our will tested) beyond what we are able (to bear or overcome).

And look at that last part; with the temptation (test) (He) will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear (overcome) it.

Now, when we hear someone saying that God will never give us more than we can handle, we will know the truth about what this verse really means, right down to the tiniest detail!

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 – 2-4-24 – Come After Me

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

We serve a God who is incredible in every way and worthy of our praise and worship. 

We have a new video for you today! 

In today’s video, Come After Me, we teach about learning what it takes for God to give us the desires of our hearts. 

This video is simple and insightful, with important truths that will help everyone when it comes to taking our walk with God to a new level of trust. 

We hope it will speak to you. 

Please click here 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

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Bible Verse of The Day – 2-3-24

Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV) 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

With any relationship, we get out what we put in.

Our relationship with God is no different. It will grow on the same scale as the effort we put into it.

If we truly desire to know Him and serve Him wholeheartedly, we will intentionally make the time needed to grow and mature as a believer.

This isn’t something that we always think of or understand when we first become a child of God.

In fact, it is something that is not taught nearly enough.

While the forgiveness of our sins is monumental, if we do not feed our spirit with the word of God, it will be in danger of withering and dying.

Jesus taught about this when He shared the parable of the sower and the seeds.

Matthew 13:20-21 (NLT) 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.

This is why we need to be sure to put forth the required effort to keep ourselves fed and growing.

It is something that no one can do for us. Yes, we can have people help us, lead us and guide us, especially in the beginning of our new walk with God. But in the end, we are the ones who are responsible for whether we grow or not.

Think of it like a newborn baby. When the baby is small, it requires constant help and nurturing. But as it grows older and older it must learn to take what it has been taught and use that knowledge to grow and mature on its own.

This is why it is paramount for each of us to do whatever is necessary to feed ourselves with the word of God.

God tells us that as we make the effort to seek Him, we will find Him if we seek Him with all our heart.

The key lies in the phrase, “with all your heart”, since God spells it out for us right there.

Suffice it to say that effort on our part is required. And that effort is something that we must be willing to put forth.

It may not always be easy or comfortable, but we need to keep in mind the incredible sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross. This will usually put things into perspective and help motivate us to do what it takes to mature and grow as a believer.

And as we do this, let us liken ourselves to a runner in a race, disciplining ourselves, shaking off all that tries to hold us back, and doing all that is necessary to claim the prize at the finish line.

For the prize we race toward is eternal.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV) 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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 – 2-2-24

John 15:9-10 (NKJV) 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Now that we have had a refresher, and we have been reminded of the foundations of what salvation is and what it is not, let us move on to talk about what God asks of us once we become His child.

This is something good for all of us to ponder on because it can be easy to get off track and lose sight of the foundational things that our faith was built on.

So, now you are a child of God.

What next? How does this new life in Christ work?

The first answer to that is found above, as Jesus said that if we love Him, we should keep His commandments.

To clarify, this is about more than following a set of rules. Jesus wasn’t referring to simply following the 10 Commandments and living happily ever after.

He was implying that anyone who claims to love Him should prove it by willingly following the ways that He taught us.

What did He teach us?

To keep our priorities in order, always putting God first in everything.

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

If we can get this one thing right, so many other things about our lives will fall into place.

And how do we know what He asks of us when it comes to keeping Him first?

We use the “tool” that He supplied us with; His Word!

The Bible is our handbook for life; a user’s manual that gives us knowledge and understanding in every topic we need to grow and mature in Christ.

It is more than just a book with printed pages. It is alive and breathing; a timeless word from God to the world, sharing His love and magnificence with anyone who will take the time to read it and seek the treasures that are contained within its pages.

We urge you to make the time to get into His word. Treat it as it should be treated; like something that is necessary for our survival.

And as we consistently put Him first by learning of Him, we will begin to see ourselves change, from the inside, out, as God replaces our thoughts with His thoughts, our heart with His heart, and our desires with His desires.

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 – 2-1-24

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

As we work our way through this Essentials of Faith series, we will continue today by talking a bit more about our salvation.

The two verses above can give us a much better understanding of what salvation really is, and what it is not.

What is salvation?

It is a gift offered to us; the gift of God.

It is God presenting a way for each of us to make ourselves right with Him.

What is it not?

Salvation is not based on our works, or our ability to earn it. It cannot be earned.

Why can it not be earned?

Because salvation is never about bragging rights or favoritism.

God judges equally and fairly. He is not biased and does not show favor.

Sin is sin, and every one of us is equally guilty.

Therefore, when we are forgiven, we are equally forgiven.

Romans 3:23-24 (NKJV) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Salvation is given freely to those who ask for it. If we fail or refuse to ask, or if we choose not to accept the gift that God has freely offered, we will not receive it.

And how are we saved?

We are saved through faith, as shown in verse 8 of the opening scripture.

You see, if we cannot earn our salvation, we can never boast about it. We can never brag about what we did to gain it.

And because of this, we can never justifiably look down at or judge others.

If we have received forgiveness and redemption because of God’s favor, as a gift, who are we to then look at those around us who are still in sin and cast stones at them for their sinful state?

How quickly we forget how lost we once were, and how lost we would still be had it not been for God’s incredible grace and mercy.

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 – 1-31-24

John 3:19-20 (NKJV) 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

As we ended yesterday’s devotional, we mentioned that some people will reject God’s offer of salvation, choosing instead to continue their evil practices.

This is a perfect example of human nature in play.

The natural man loves sin. It feels good. It brings a type of carnal pleasure that our (spiritually dead) flesh craves.

This can often make it hard to break away from it even when we know it is wrong.

Even the offer of God’s forgiveness, redemption from sin, and eternal life with God isn’t enough to coax us away from it at times.

Why? Because this would require us to forfeit (give up) that sin. And that thought is just too much for the flesh of many people to bear.

As God draws us to Him, His light shines on us. This light exposes our sin.

That exposure embarrasses many, causing them to shrink back and withdraw into the darkness where their sin is concealed.

For many, though, the opportunity to break free from the sin that so badly ensnares them is life changing.

They feel God’s love through His wooing, causing them to cast their apprehension aside and run headlong into His open arms, embracing His forgiveness and forsaking their sinful ways in exchange for that perfect redemption that only He can offer us.

At that moment, they enter into God’s family and become His child; a forgiven soul grafted into the body of Christ.

Jesus said that the angels in heaven rejoice when a lost soul comes to repentance.

Luke 15:10 (NKJV) 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

So, we ask you today, are you struggling with sin? Will you give that sin to Him? Will you accept His offer of forgiveness and go from darkness to light, death to life?

God’s forgiveness is complete. We just need to sincerely ask Him for it.

He will give us the power needed to forsake our sinful ways. And He will change our heart if we let Him, making us a new creation in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Surrender your sin. Let Him make you new. You will never regret it.

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 – 1-30-24

John 1:11-12 (NKJV) 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Because of the love of God, which we discussed yesterday, we are offered the privilege of becoming a child of God.

God’s incredible love for humanity was on full display by way of the arrival of Christ on earth, and the ultimate sacrifice that He made for you and for me on the cross.

His blood that was shed offered redemption for everyone by way of complete atonement (redeeming payment) for our sins.

That perfect, holy blood paid the debt for the sins of all humanity.

Because of this, we can be grafted into the family of God (see Romans 11:17-18), becoming His children, as mentioned in John 1:11-12, above.

Many have the misconception that all people are God’s children. His word clearly shows this is not true.

We are all His creations, but we can only call ourselves His children if we have accepted His offer of redemption by recognizing our lost condition, seeking His forgiveness, turning from our sinful ways (repenting) and putting our faith in Christ as our Savior.

While this may sound like a complicated process to walk out, it is something that can happen in a matter of mere seconds.

In a matter of seconds, we can cross over from death to life.

We need to understand that this is representative of spiritual life, not natural life.

Jesus taught Nicodemus that we must be born again if we wish to inherit eternal life and enter the kingdom of God.

John 3:3 (NKJV) 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

When we are born again, we begin a new life as a child of almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth.

We should also understand that the shedding of Christ’s blood does not mean everyone will be saved. It means that all of humanity can be saved.

But many will reject that opportunity, choosing instead to continue living in their sins.

Let’s talk more about this tomorrow.

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 – 1-29-24

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.

Sometimes it is good for us to remember and reflect on the foundations of our faith.

Life gets busy, and as we walk through our day-to-day things, we can sometimes get sidetracked and forget Who we are children of and what our faith is really about.

So, over the next several days, we will be walking through our new Essentials of Faith series. We hope you enjoy it, learn from it, and are reminded of what our walk with God is about.

Let’s get started!

John 3:16 is one of the most often quoted verses in the entirety of God’s word. And there is a good reason for this.

These words spoken by Jesus take us past all the dos and don’ts that people often get hung up on when they think of God.

He wanted us to know that God is a God of love, not just a God of laws and regulations, as was so often perceived by the Jews.

You see, the Jewish leaders so frequently expounded on the tenets of The Law, they completely tossed out the love of God. Sadly, this was done partially because it made keeping the Jews under their control much easier.

But Jesus came to swing the wrecking ball, so to speak, destroying the narrative of the Jewish leadership and showing who God really is.

He was, after all, Emmanuel, God in the flesh walking among us.

This should also serve as a reminder to each of us that God’s love is the source of our salvation, not our own righteousness.

Our own righteousness is worthless, as so accurately stated by the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV) 6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

The NLT translation says it this way:

Isaiah 64:6 (NLT) 6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

It is only God’s love for us that can overcome our unrighteousness and make a way for us to be saved.

Thank you, Father, for loving us despite ourselves.

Please join us again tomorrow.

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 – 1-28-24 – When God Shines His Light

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

We pray that you are walking in God’s blessings. 

We have another new video for you this morning. 

As you may already know, the book of Job is full of lessons that we can learn from. Today’s video uses more gems of knowledge from Job’s life to teach a valuable lesson. 

In this video, When God Shines His Light, we teach about what we can learn about ourselves when we face difficult trials. 

This is something that we should all learn and understand. So, we hope you enjoy the video. 

Click here 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 – 1-27-24

Isaiah 43:16 NKJV) 16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters…

The Lord is saying, this is Me, the One who will make a way for you today!

How many of us are having a hard time?

Maybe things have changed and our situation is looking bleak.

This past year has taken its toll on us all.

We need a God-given path through the sea and the stormy waters. We need to get to the other side and leave it all behind, welcoming the fresh new start ahead.

We can relate. We feel your struggles and know the sorrow you’ve been through. It does feel good to know we are not alone on this journey.

Thus says the Lord; He makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters.

That is our word for you today!

What He says, He will do!

What is He saying to you, what promise has He given you?

Hold on, stand firm and don’t stop believing.

He will make a way!

Amen

Mark 11:24 (NKJV) 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

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 – 1-26-24

Luke 21:19 (NKJV) 19 By your patience possess your souls.

As Jesus spoke to His disciples, He began warning them of some things that were to come that would signify “the end of the age”.

His first warning was that no one fall victim to the deceptive tactics of the false messiahs who would come.

He went on to tell them of numerous signs and events that would take place that would be very difficult for those who had to endure them.

There will be great earthquakes, pestilences, fearful sights, and great signs from heaven.

He then expounded on the great persecution that His followers will be subjected to during that time.

Part of this persecution involves “them laying their hands on you” and “delivering you up to synagogues and prisons”.

And “they will put some of you to death” for your faith.

Why will this happen?

Because His followers will be hated for His name’s sake.

These are not easy things to talk about or to imagine having to endure.

But Jesus was speaking truth that we must all embrace the reality of.

None of us knows if we will face these things. But we must all understand that it is a real possibility, and that we must be prepared for it should it happen.

Jesus didn’t speak of this to scare His disciples. He spoke of it to prepare them!

But after all His warnings, He reassured them that “not a hair of your head shall be lost” if they stood firm, patiently enduring and persisting in their faith.

What would they gain by their patient endurance?

Here is what 4 different translations say:

NKJV – By your patience possess your souls.

NLT – By standing firm, you will win your souls.

AMP – By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls.

NIV – Stand firm, and you will win life.

These 4 translations each state this truth a bit differently. But the meaning is the same. Stand firm and protect our eternal destiny.

Faith in Christ is not for the weak or the faint of heart.

It is not something we should approach flippantly or lightheartedly.

Let us all do whatever is necessary to make our calling and election sure.

2 Peter 1:10 (NKJV) 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

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!

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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