Proverbs 3: 13-15; 21-26

"Happy- blessed, fortunate, enviable, is the man who finds skillful and godly 'wisdom', and the man who gets understanding--drawing of it forth from God's Word and life's experiences. For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it than fine gold. Skillful and godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her. (Job 28: 12-18)
"My son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound wisdom and discretion. And they will be life to your inner self, and a gracious ornament to your neck (your outer self). Then you will walk on your way securely and in confident trust, and you shall not dash your foot or stumble. (Prov. 10: 9; Psalm 91: 11-12). When you lie down you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down and your sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of Sudden Terror and panic, nor of the stormy blast, or the storm and ruin of the wicked when it comes-- for you will be guiltless. For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught in a trap or hidden danger."

     "During our trip to Israel, we visited with two saintly women from the Lutheran Sisterhood of Mary. This is a wonderful ministry founded by Basilea Schlink, who is now in her eighties and lives in Germany. The two sisters in Israel have a compound on the Mount of Olives, where they have labored in ministry for the Lord for thirty-six years. I have known them for all of those years, and they are godly, precious women of the Lord.
     When the Six Day War broke out in 1967, the sisters faced an immediate crisis. Their house was surrounded by the Jordanian army, which dug in for battle. One of the Jordanian military officials warned the sisters, "You'd better flee this house. The war is going to break out shortly, and there's going to be a lot of bombing. You will be caught in the middle of it all."
     But the sisters prayed about their situation, and the Lord gave them the same word he gave Gideon: "Don't be afraid, I will be with you." So, under the Spirit's direction, they stored a small but adequate supply of food and water in the basement, and they moved downstairs to ride out the war.
     Within days, the Israeli army invaded from the left, and the Jordanians remained dug in on the right. Suddenly, the sisters were caught in the middle of intense warfare, as bullets and shells began flying overhead and landing around them. They huddled together in the basement of their house, spending hours in prayer.
     At one point the house itself was shelled. One shell dropped through the roof, causing the walls of the house to collapse. The only wall left standing bore a plaque with a scripture promising God's protection. Another shell landed in the house, but it didn't break through to the basement. Then another shell landed on a pile of carpets stored in a corner, causing no harm.
     What blessed me most as the sisters told us this story was that throughout their ordeal, Jesus' presence became overwhelming to them. His Spirit filled the basement as they sat huddled in prayer - and soon all their fears vanished. In fact, the sisters said it was the most blessed experience of their entire lifetime.
    These women had food, water, and shelter and they were protected from their enemies. No bullet or bomb could touch them. Yet even this supernatural provision in the worst of circumstances paled in the light of the glorious presence of Christ Himself. The sisters testified to us, " In all of our years in Israel, those were the most precious hours we've ever spent, because Jesus manifested himself to us so clearly in that basement. We experienced his presence as we had never known it."
     "I believe that in the coming days of crisis, we are going to see manifestations of the presence of Jesus as no other generation ever has seen. Yet, the greatest need in Christ's church right now is for godly saints to seek a deeper craving for His presence - in their hearts, their homes, and their churches. We won't have this craving for Him in hard times unless we pray for it now. We need a quiet place, a room or a spot where you can be alone with God and cry out to Him for the company of His presence. Go the way of love, that is what our Lord wants for us in the coming storm! - David Wilkerson- founder of Teen Challenge and pastor of the Times Square Church in New York City.

We stand on a pinnacle overlooking our world. The world that was and the world we now live in. We weep. We grieve. We pray. We are consumed with fear about the things to come. We are like little children who need comfort, reassurance and love. Many seek solutions in all the wrong places and lose hope. But there is hope. And that hope is in Jesus, the Son of God.

"Fear not, for I am always with you, no matter where you go. If you trust, rely on and cling to ME, I will open the doors of Heaven and shower you with My peace. I will cradle you in My arms because you are my child. I will enlist angels to surround and protect you. I will hide you in MY secret place of safety and no harm will come your way. Whisper my name, child, and you will know that I love you more than anyone ever has loved you. Take My hand and I will lead you through these dark days to the glorious end I have promised you. I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you, for I always keep My promises to my beloved. Be still now as never before, and know without a doubt that I AM your GOD. Seek Me and you will find Me. Peace be still...I will calm your troubled heart."
This is what Jesus is saying to us right now. We would do well to listen intently and obey. God bless America Again. ---by Tara Hart (copyright 2001)

11 Chronicles 20:9,15, 17, 20b

“ If, when evil comes on us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in His presence (for His name is in this house), and cry out to Him in our affliction, then He will hear and help. Thus says the Lord to you, be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the BATTLE IS NOT YOURS! BUT GOD'S!”

“You will not need to fight in the battle; set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them; for the Lord will be with you. "Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so will you be kept safe; believe His prophets, so will you prosper.”

Psalm 37: 23-25, 39-40

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he will not be utterly cast down; for the Lords holds him with His hand. I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have never seen the righteous (Christians) forsaken, nor his seed (children) begging bread. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord will help them, and deliver them, He will deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.”

Psalm 56: 1-4, & 11

“Be merciful to me, O God, for men would swallow me up. Their fighting oppresses me. My enemies would daily swallow me up because they are many that fight against me. O Thou Most High! What time I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God will I praise His word, in God have I put my trust. I will not fear what flesh can do to me.”

“In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid what man can do to me.”

The tragic events that we have recently faced and the prospect of a war looming in our future, has caused fear of a magnitude most have never experienced. In order for each of us to conquer this griping fear we must fight this battle in the spiritual realm. We do not battle flesh and blood. Our battle is with Satan and all his cohorts. It is he that clutches our hearts and wrings out our courage, until we in panic and fear fall down in defeat, while confusion overwhelm us. The terrorists propagated and instilled terror in our minds. The only one who can remove the negative emotion of fear is God Almighty. The Word of God instructs us not to allow fear to rule our lives. We must with every fiber of our beings seek His peace.
We must rely on Him to bring us strength, hope, courage, comfort and purpose to withstand our enemies in the troubled days just ahead of us. We are a strong loving people who are now seeking the God who birthed this nation and guided men of integrity to lead a godly people. He is the God who welcomed home the victims that Satan killed. The God who sent angels to usher out the throngs of people trying to get out of the burning inferno. He is the God who wrapped His arms about the grieving, suffering people. He is the God who gave the firemen, policemen, and rescue workers the fortitude they needed, to dig through the debris searching for survivors.
He is the God who stopped the other attacks that were to come. He is the same God who spoke into our fear, confusion and shock. He is the God who said. "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden. Speak My name and I will answer your call of help."

My Word is a lamp unto your feet and a Light unto your path. We must read His Word more now than ever before, and seek His Face for guidance and safety. I pray the following verses will eradicate any fears that now invade our peace. God Bless America again, Tara Hart

Psalm 57: 1-2
"Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me; for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.
I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me--Who brings to pass His purpose for me and surely completes them!"

Isaiah 41:10-13
"Fear not, there is nothing to fear for I am with you. Do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties; yes, I will help you. Yes, I will hold ;you up and retain you with My victorious right hand of righteousness and justice. Behold, all they who are enraged and inflamed against you shall be put to shame and confounded. They who strive against you will be as nothing and shall perish. You will seek those who contend with you and shall not find them; they who war against you shall be as nothing, as nothing at all.
For, I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand. I, Who say to you, Fear not, I will surely help you!"

Phillippians 4: 6, 13, 19
"Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition (a definite request) with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
"I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me - I am ready for anythng and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me (that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency."
"My God will supply all you need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus".

John 14: 27
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Isaiah 26: 3
"He (God) will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is focused on Him."

Psalm 29: 4
"The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The Lord will give strength to His people, He will bless His people with peace".

Psalm 27: 1-6
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom will I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom will I be afraid? The Lord is the refuge and stronghold of my life. When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, come to me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host (multitude) should encamp against me, my heart will not fear, though war should arise against me, in spite of this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble He will hide me in His pavillion; in the secret of His tabernacle will He hide me. He will set me up upon a rock.
Then will my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me, therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy. I will sing, yea, I will sing praises to the Lord."

1John 4:18
"There is no fear in love - dread does not exist; but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out the doors and expells every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment and so he who is afraid has not yet grown reached the full maturity of love -- is not yet grown into love's complete perfection.

1John 5:4
"For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our Faith .

2Corinthians 1: 2-4
"Grace (favor and spiritual blessings) to you and heart peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercies) and the God (Who is the Source)) of every consolation and comfort and encouragement; Who consoles and comforts and encourages us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to console(comfort and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the consolation with which we are ourselves are consoled and comforted and encouraged by God."

Psalm 91
"He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High will abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust. Surely He will deliver me from the snare of the fowler (enemy) and the raging epidemic. He will cover me with His feathers, and under His wings will I trust. His trust will be my shield and buckler. I will not be afraid because of the terror by night, nor by the arrow that flies by day, nor because of the epidemic (contagious illnesses) that walks in darkness, nor for the destruction that destroys at noonday. A thousand will fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come close to you! Only with your eyes will you behold and see the reward of the wicked. (Praise God!). Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation (dwelling place), there will no evil (harm) befall you, neither will any plague come near your house. For He will give His angels charge over you, to keep you in ALL your ways. They will hold you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and adder, the young lion and the jackal will you trample under foot. Because He has set His love on you, therefore will I deliver him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Joshua 1:9
"Haven't I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Micah 7: 7-8
"Therefore I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation, my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, o mine enemy when I fall. I will arise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light."

2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord does not delay and be tardy or slow about what He promises, according
To some people´s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) towards you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance.”

Psalm 94: 16-23
“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will standup for me against
the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord had been my help, I would soon have dwelt in the land where is silence. When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my anxious thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul! Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with You, they who frame and hide their unrighteous doings under
the sacred name of the law? They band themselves together against the life of the
Consistently righteous, and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord has become my high tower and defense, and my God, the rock of my refuge. And He has turned back upon them their own iniquity, and will wipe them out by means of their own wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.”