I wanted to start a thread here for us to post encouraging scripture from the Bible. They help to make sense and order out of a world where there seems to be none. I'll start and you guys can join in, or just read <img src="smile.gif" border="0" alt="" />

This first one is a long one, part of a chapter... when you read it, imagine Charlton Heston's or James Earl Jones' voice and feel the assurance God is trying to convey to His people, as real today as ever:

Isaiah 51:1-8

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;

look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many.

The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

"Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations.

My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.

"Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults.

For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Good Idea mi hermano!!!

Palms 71:19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?

{20} Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

{21} You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

{22} I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

{23} My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-- I, whom you have redeemed.

{24} My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

God bless you
Steve

Psalm 44:4-8

"Thou art my King, O God;
Command victories for Jacob.
Through Thee we will push back our adversaries;
Through Thy name we will trample down those who
rise up against us.
For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me.
But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries,
And Thou hast put to shame those who hate us.
In God we have boasted all day long,
And we will give thanks to Thy name forever."


Psalms 18:30-36

"As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the Lord is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
The God who girds me with strength,
And makes my way blameless?
He makes my feet like hinds' feet,
And sets me upon my high places.
He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
Thou hast also given me the shield of
Thy salvation,
And Thy right hand upholds me;
And Thy gentleness makes me great.
Thou dost enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped."
GO GOD!!!!!

Psalm 5

1
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.
2
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
4
You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.
5
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.
6
You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
7
But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.
8
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- make straight your way before me.
9
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.
10
Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
11
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
12
For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

/

nice ones <img src="smile.gif" border="0" alt="" />

Here's another whole chapter, one that a song we sing is based on. See if you can spot the lyrics:


Psalm 121:1-8 A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Isaiah 14
26
This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations.
27
For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
28
This oracle came in the year King Ahaz died:
29
Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.
30
The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.
31
Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
32
What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? "The LORD has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

PSALM 64
1 O God, listen to my complaint. Do not let my enemies' threats
overwhelm me. 2 Protect me from the plots of the wicked, from the scheming
of those who do evil. 3 Sharp tongues are the swords they wield; bitter
words are the arrows they aim. 4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent,
attacking suddenly and fearlessly. 5 They encourage each other to do evil
and plan how to set their traps. "Who will ever notice?" they ask. 6 As
they
plot their crimes, they say, "We have devised the perfect plan!" Yes, the
human heart and mind are cunning.
7 But God himself will shoot them down.
Suddenly, his arrows will pierce
them. 8 Their own words will be turned against them, destroying them. All
who see it happening will shake their heads in scorn. 9 Then everyone will
stand in awe, proclaiming the mighty acts of God, realizing all the amazing
things he does. 10 The godly will rejoice in the LORD and find shelter in
him. And those who do what is right will praise him.

Wonderful!!!

Psalm 46
1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
6Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields[2] with fire.
10"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
11The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
/

Psalm 91:1-7

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

[ 09-16-2001: Message edited by: Allen ]

I was reading 2 Chronicles 20 today and to me, there are soo many similarities to our present day situation... Bush reminds me of Jehoshaphat...

Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea." (Terrorists)

Now Jehoshaphat was new to his reign and brought faith into the office which was previously headed by someone who lacked it...(Bush-Clinton)

Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.
The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. (United Government, United America, Prayer back in schools and a turning to the Lord)

Prior to the events of this week, Bush had been criticized by some as being a religious fanatic because he gets up early each morning to read the bible. I wonder how many of those critics are singing a different tune right now?...

Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said: "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.
O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying,`If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'

"But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. (First hit on the WTC in 1993)

See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance.

O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. (National Day of Prayer and Rememberance)

"Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: `Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'"

Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.

After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever."

We can only pray this is how it'll play out...

The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

You may have different views on this, but it was something that just jumped out at me...

Praise you Lord that your Word will not be Shaken!

/

That's so funny, embie...because I was thinking the same thing about 2 Chronicles 15 as I read it...

2 Chronicles 15
1
The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.
2
He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
3
For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law.
4
But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.
5
IN THOSE DAYS IT WAS NOT SAFE TO TRAVEL about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil.
6
One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.
7
But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."
8
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple.
9
Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
10
They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.
11
At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back.
12
They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.
13
All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.
14
They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns.
15
All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.


Don't anybody read this and think that I'm saying we should kill everyone who doesn't turn to God...or that we should start sacrificing again...that was under the LAW. So now under grace we must show grace...he who is forgiven of much forgives much. But in that passage I see a desparate need to turn to God for the restoration of a nation...I believe that is what God is calling for in order to bring glory to His name...and I believe it is the only way that our nation will heal and become stronger rather than bandage our wounds and simply carry on with life as it was.

[ 09-16-2001: Message edited by: foreverchanged ]

John 16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

I like that one...here's another:

John 14
26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

gunna ad these to rotate randomly on the front page if you guys would like to add some that are just a verse or 2 <img src="smile.gif" border="0" alt="" />

Exodus 15
9
"The enemy boasted, `I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.'
10
But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11
"Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you-- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

Psalm 144

1
Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
2
He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

Psalm 27

1
The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?
2
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.