Category: Scripture

“For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: ‘In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ‘And the future of the Temple will be greater than its past glory,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ‘And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” (vv. 6-9, NLT)

“Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the remnant of god’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their Go. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: ‘I am with you, says the Lord! ‘

So the Lord sparked enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies on September 21 of the second year of King Darius’s reign.” (vv. 12-14, NLT)

“What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime! No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the Lord or draw near to its God. It’s leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of its prey. Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions. But the Lord is still in the city, and He does no wrong. Day by day He hands down justice, and He does not fail. But the wicked know no shame.” (vv. 1-5, NLT)

[The Lord said]”My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings. On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for your will no longer be revels against Me. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on My holy mountain. Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.” (vv. 10-12, NLT)

“For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies o your enemy. And the Lord, Himself, the Kind of Israel, will live among you! As last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster. On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, ‘Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you wiht joyful songs.” (vv. 15-17, NLT)

“Gather together-yes, gather together, you shameless nation. Gather before judgment begins, before your time is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls and the terrible day of the Lord’s anger begins.

Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow His commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you- protect you from His anger on that day of destruction.” (vv. 1-3, NLT)

“This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk:

I have hear all about you, Lord. I am filled with the awe by Your amazing works. I n this time of our deep need, hep us again as You did in years gone by. And in Your anger, remember Your mercy.

I see God moing across the deserts from Edom, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with His praise. His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. Rays of light flash from His hands, where His awesome power is hidden. When He stops, the earth shakes. When he looks, the nations tremble. He shatters the everlasting mountains and levels the eternal hills. He is the Eternal One!” (vv. 1-6, NLT)

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” (vv. 17-19, NLT)

“This message concerning Nineveh cam as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh.

The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose Him and continues to rage against His enemies.! The Lord is slow to get angry, but His power is great and He never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays His power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath His feet.” (vv. 1-3, NLT)

“The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him. But he will sweep away His enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue His foes into the darkness of night.” (vv. 7-8, NLT)

“O Lord, protect Your people with Your shepherd’s staff; lead Your flock, Your special possession. Though they live alone in a thicket on the heights of Mount Carmel, let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead as the did long ago.

‘Yes,’ says the Lord,’I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from Egypt.’

All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the Lord will do for you. They will be embarrassed at their feeble power. They will cover their mouths in silent awe, deaf to everything around them. Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the Lord our God. They will fear Him greatly, trembling in terror at His presence.

Where is another God like You, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of His special people? You will not stay angry with Your people forever, because You delight in showing unfailing love. Once again You will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under Your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

You will show us Your faithfulness and unfailing love as You promised our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.” (vv. 14-20, NLT)

“How miserable I am! I feel like the fruit picker after harvest who can find nothing to ear. No a cluster of grapes or a single early fig can be found to satisfy my hunger. The godly people have disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth. They are all murderers, setting traps even for their own brothers.” (vv. 1-2, NLT)

“Don’t trust anyone – not your best friend or even your wife! For the son despises his father, and the daughter defiles her mother. The daughter-in-law defiles her mother-in-law. Your enemies are right in your own household!”

But as for me, I look for the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For thought I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned agains Him. But after that, He will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. The Lord will bring me into the light, and I will see His righteousness

Then my enemies will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying, ‘So where is the Lord-that God of yours? With my own eyes, I will see their downfall; they will be trampled in the mud in the streets.”( vv. 5-10, NLT)

“What can we bring to the Lord? Wha kind of offerings should we bring Him? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer Him thousands of rams and ten thousand rives of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is right and good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (vv. 6-8, NLT)

“But you, O Bethlehem, Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until a woman gives birth. Then at last His fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. And He will stand to lead His flock with the Lord’s strength. In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. Then His people will live there undisturbed, and He will be highly honored around the world. And He will be a source of peace.” (vv. 2-5, NLT)