Category: Trials and Tribulations

Bible Verse of The Day – 3-20-12

(Eccl 3:7 NKJV)  A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak…

There are times when we need to keep silent. This is easy for those that don’t mind being quiet in the midst of a storm. Some people don’t really care to talk about anything; they like to listen and take everything in. But for those that have a mouth and like to use it, well this verse may hit home.

There is a balance to everything and we need to understand that God can and will bring balance to us. We are not too far gone to where He cannot help us.

There are times to keep silent; this simply means that we don’t always get to speak when we think we should or FEEL like it, or when someone makes us mad or challenges us. There is a time to be still and let Him deliver us without us opening our mouths!!

Then there are times when we need to speak, whether we feel like it or not. We need to stand up and be strong and say what God has placed in our hearts to say.

We want to make sure we get God’s wisdom, understanding and that we wait on His timing.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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Bible Verse of The Day – 3-19-12

(1 Cor 15:57 NKJV)  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be encouraged today. Know that no matter what you’re going through, there will be victory!

We don’t always know how or when the victory will come, but it will come.

We don’t always know what that victory will look like, but God will give us victory.

If you’re going through a trial or a struggle today, we call forth the victory in the name of Jesus!

Lift up your head and look to the One who gives life. He is our sustainer, our provider and our redeemer. There is nothing too big for Him to handle.

No matter what’s standing in front of you right now and no matter how difficult your circumstances are right now, stand knowing that God has the final word.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 2-29-12

(Mat 19:26 NKJV)  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

How many of us are facing something today that man says is impossible to overcome?

Have you lost your job? Has someone you love betrayed you? Are you seeking healing for an affliction? Is there something in your life that you just can’t seem to overcome, no matter how hard you try?

Is it alcohol, drugs, lust, pornography, cigarettes, weightloss? None of these things is too big for God. Seriously.

We may face many, many obstacles in life and some of them may seem too big to overcome. And this might be true with man.

But with God, nothing is impossible. He is the God of making the impossible, possible!

I know this may seem like something that’s easier to say than to do, but sometimes we need to really stretch ourselves and BELIEVE that God can do what He says He can do.

Sometimes all we need to do is put forth the effort and believe God for the results. Other times, we just need to trust God 110% and let Him take care of it.

Listen for His voice and hear what He has to say about your situation, your dilemma or your trial.

With God all things are possible.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 2-15-12

(Gen 37:10-11 NKJV) So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” {11} And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

I felt bad for Joseph as I read this. He was probably so excited to have such a dream, only to get rebuked by his dad. And his brothers envied him for it.

I don’t think that was the response that he was expecting to get. If only he’d known, he might not have told anyone. How many of us today have gotten this response to something good that God wanted to do in our lives?

God has things for us to do sometimes and others may not understand it and they may react out of envy and jealousy. Some may not want anything to do with us and they may turn their backs on us.

It hurts. I’m sure there were times when Joseph hurt because of what his brothers did to him. But nevertheless, God was with Joseph all of his days.

There may be days when we feel we are walking alone. Always remember God will never leave us. He will always be there for us. We are not alone. Don’t give up on what God has called you to do!!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 1-24-12

(Acts 3:1-7 NKJV)  Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. {2} And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; {3} who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. {4} And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” {5} So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. {6} Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” {7} And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Today was a particularly hard day for me. There were a couple of things that came my way this morning that tried to ruin my day and set me on a bad course.

God had prepared me for this, though, so I had to lean on Him and pull on Him to keep from spending the day hanging my head and letting the enemy get the best of me.

Have you ever had one of those days? I thought so!

But because we have God on our side, He tells us to RISE UP and walk. We have no excuse for lying down and letting ourselves be depressed or miserable.

We can choose to lie down and lick our wounds or we can grab God’s hand and let Him pick us up and strengthen us. Which will you choose?

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 1-19-12

(Heb 13:6 NKJV)  So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

God is our helper at all times, through thick and thin. If we need help, He is there! If we don’t need help… He will still be there, waiting for when we do!

We may think at times that God is not listening, He doesn’t want to help us, He doesn’t realize what we have been through or what we are going through right now. Sometimes we may feel like He has left us.

Don’t believe it for one second, He will not leave us or forsake us, no matter what. In those quiet times when we don’t hear anything from Him, we just need to wait. Wait patiently until the door opens. We will know when it does.

Think about this; we have Christ, the Messiah, His Spirit living in us. This Man is the Son of the Almighty God, The God that created this world! He has the Power to do all things, the way He wants to and He is on our side!

There is NOTHING to be afraid about. (John 14:26 NKJV)  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Man can’t touch us if we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and let God lead us. If we stop being afraid of every little thing and trust God, He will lead us into VICTORY!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 1-5-12

(Gen 39:23 NKJV)  The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.

Joseph was a prisoner in jail, but the keeper did not pay to much attention to what Joseph did because the things he put his hands to, prospered. Why? Because God was with him!

You say, God was with him even in prison? Oh yes! He goes with us, He stays with us, no matter where we go. You see we can be in a place that we dislike or a position that is not what we prefer and He can still bring good out of it. Why? Because God is with us even in an awful place, an awful situation, even in situations that we don’t even deserve.

As we trust in God and lean on Him, He will prosper those things we touch. It doesn’t matter where we are at as long as we remain in Him, close to Him, and obeying Him.
So be encouraged today! You may be in the worst place ever, just like Joseph. But God was with him and the things he touched prospered. You too will prosper.

Don’t give up, and be sure keep your attitude right. Keep working hard and don’t look at your neighbor to see what he or she is doing and getting away with; that’s not our concern. Our concern is to keep being positive and looking to God for the victory! It will come…

Keep our eyes on Christ, no matter what it looks like around us!!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 12-26-11

(Job 2:9-10 NKJV)  Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” {10} But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job holds a special place in my heart. He was a man who faced incredible adversity and yet he never gave up on God.

Job’s own wife told him to just curse God and die. Hmm… not very loyal, was she?

But seriously, what did it take for Job to hold fast to God while losing everything he had, including his family, and while everyone in his life who remained was telling him how foolish he was to hold onto his faith?

It took an absolute trust in God. It took a faith that could not be shaken by situations or circumstances. It took a faith in God that went beyond human logic and understanding.

We all need faith like that. We all need to learn to put our circumstances and situations lower on our list of priorities and put God first and let Him work our situations out for us.

Don’t get me wrong… it’s not always easy to do, but it’s something that we need to do. We need to learn to give our situations to God and keep our faith strong, even when the world around us is telling us to curse God and die.

So as I wrap this up, I want to share a little something with you that God showed me many years ago. Many of us have probably heard people talk about the patience of Job, but God showed me that Job had more than patience. He had incredible faith. So in the future, when you think of Job, remember his faith.

We all need faith like Job’s faith.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 12-24-11

(Luke 8:23-25 NKJV)  But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. {24} And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. {25} But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

This is Jesus… our Savior. He is the one who gave His life for us and whom we follow.

He spoke to the winds and they stopped. He spoke to the dead and they lived again. He touched blind eyes and they could see. He rebuked demons and they fled.

What is it that we really have to worry about? Isn’t our trust in the right place if we’re truly trusting God, through our faith in Jesus?

Our minds wander and they blow things out of proportion. We always tend to think the worst.

But if we truly learn to trust God, our worries will fade away and they will be replaced with peace and joy.

Tests and trials will surely come. It’s a fact of life. But worrying doesn’t have to follow right behind the tests and trials.

Let God build your trust and then give Him your worries.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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Your Daily Bible Verse – 12-16-11

(James 4:13-14 NKJV)  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; {14} whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Every once in a while we all need to be reminded of how fragile life is and that not a single one of us is promised a tomorrow.

I know this is something we’ve touched on before, but it’s always worth repeating, simply because it’s a hard truth.

Our lives can change forever in a split second, either by a choice we make or because of something that someone else does. Either way, we can never go back and rewind and change what happened.

We need to know that when these trials and tests come we are not alone. God is there for us. We just need to reach out to Him and trust Him, no matter what the circumstances look like.

In our lives, every choice we make has a consequence. But when we make bad choices, or when someone else makes bad choices, and the consequences for those choices come our way, we will never be left alone.

If you’re going through a tough time right now, trust God. Let Him help you through your trial and bring you victory.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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

401-377-5400

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