IN THE FACE OF YOUR OPPRESSOR, REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR!

"Our inordinate fear of man is a tacit forgetfulness of God. When we disquiet ourselves with the fear of man, we forget that there is a God above him, and that the greatest of men have no power but what is given them from above..." - Matthew Henry

"God, the Creator and Redeemer, presides over all. He is unchanged. He ever lives; and though the universe should pass away, it will be only at His bidding, and under His direction." - Barnes'

Notes

"There is no higher proof of omnipotence than the work of creation; and hence, God often appeals to that work to prove that he is the true God, in opposition to idols." - Barnes'

Notes

Hebrews 1:10-12 says of the Lord Jesus - "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: They shall perish, but Thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail."

Here we see the superior excellence of the Lord Jesus elaborated on. This passage of Scriptures depicts His eternity... omnipotence... dignity and excellency...and right to govern the world.

The present form, frame, or fashion of the world will pass away and be destroyed. Heaven and earth will wear out. All created things will grow old. Yet Jesus will remain - without any change or alteration whatsoever. Unlike creation, He will continue forever the same.

It is so important that we as Christians get a glimpse of Jesus as the Great Creator & Eternal God. When arguing that He is indeed God, the writer of Hebrews did not fail to mention the fact that he is the Creator of the universe.

Genesis 1:1 starts it off for us - "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." This is Elohim - signifying the Strong and the Mighty One. What did He do? He "created" - made something new... gave being to something new...made something out of nothing.

John 1:1-3 says - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made." Here we are introduced to the Logos - the manifestation or expression of God called the "Word." He was "with God" - meaning that He is distinct yet closely connected in intimate and close union with God for He "was God" in essence and substance. He is the eternal deity from whence the universe derived its being. "Without Him was not anything made that was made."

Revelation 3:14 refers to Him as "the beginning of the creation of God." He is the head and governor of all creatures...the King of creation...and the efficient cause of every creature.

It is He Who "laid the foundations of the earth" (Job 38:4).

Isaiah 48:13 says of Him - "Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath spanned the heavens..."

Isaiah 51:13 adds - "...that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth..."

Isaiah 51:16 once again confirms that He is the One Who "plants the heavens; and lays the foundations of the earth..."

In Jeremiah 32:17, the Prophet broke out into praise of Him with these words - "Ah Lord GOD! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm..."

The Prophet in Zechariah 12:1 identified Him as such - "...saith the LORD, Which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth..."

In Psalm 8, David added this in His praise of Him - "When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained."

What these Scriptures all confirm is the fact that Jesus Christ is the One and only true God and indeed the God of power and might. Resultantly, we can trust in Him at all times.

He is the Creator Who has all power and is abundantly able to deliver. Because His hand "laid the foundations of the earth" and "stretched out the heavens", He is said to have a far reach. The "heavens" are "the work of His fingers." He is the Being of all power, life, motion, and perfection.

Why is it so important that we as the Church emphasize these Scriptures or attributes of the Lord Jesus?

Because it proves that He is well able to defend His people and deliver them from their foes.

In Isaiah 51:11-12, we find this word from the LORD - "I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the LORD thy maker, That hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?"

Every day...hour...and moment the people of God were fearing and trembling before their oppressors. They found themselves always in a panic. Their focus was on the fact that there was an oppressor - Babylon - and that it was furious and had specific designs against them. They actually trembled before an image in their minds of an enemy who they felt was ready to crush them in the dust or cut their throat. Their problem was that they were focusing on the wrong thing. They totally forgot the Lord God Who was on their side - the God Who was the Creator of heaven and earth and had all power at His disposal.

Today is no different. We, too, have to face the "fury of the oppressor" every day...hour...and moment. He also presents himself as "ready to destroy" and, unfortunately, many of God's people are buying into his lies.

However, God has a question for His church today - In the light of the Lord Jesus Christ - the One Who "stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth." That question is - "Where is the fury of the oppressor?" (Isaiah 51:13)What is there to dread when you have the Creator of the universe on your side?

Romans 8:31 says - "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Psalm 118:6 says - "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?"

Why are you fearing every day...hour...and moment because of some "oppressor" who is harassing you?

"Remember now thy Creator..." (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

Read again the opening quotes -

"Our inordinate fear of man is a tacit forgetfulness of God. When we disquiet ourselves with the fear of man, we forget that there is a God above him, and that the greatest of men have no power but what is given them from above..."

"God, the Creator and Redeemer, presides over all. He is unchanged. He ever lives; and though the universe should pass away, it will be only at His bidding, and under His direction."

"There is no higher proof of omnipotence than the work of creation; and hence, God often appeals to that work to prove that he is the true God, in opposition to idols."

Your God is the true and living God. He has all power. He is eternal, and He will never change.

"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: They shall perish, but Thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail" (Hebrews 1:10-12).

O Saint of God, you have nothing to fear! Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth, is on your side!

If Anointed Child has been a blessing or source of encouragement to you please consider supporting us by making a donation. Your contribution big or small, is deeply appreciated. Be Blessed!

=>> 30 Days of Prayer <<=

=>> There Is Power in Prayer! Your Prayers Have the Power to Profoundly Impact Your Destiny. <<=

Prayer is the most powerful weapon against trials. The most effective medicine against sickness. And the most valuable gift to give to yourself and your loved ones. Through prayer, you can conquer all things.

Jumpstart your prayer life today with empowering, uplifting and inspiring 30 Days of Prayer. Act Now! Don’t let the enemy cheat you out of your divine destiny! Invest in your prayer life today, and begin to unlock your destiny through powerful prayers!

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer! People are testifying of financial breakthroughs, business breakthroughs, job promotions, marital breakthroughs, academic breakthroughs, healing and so much more, after 30 Days of Prayer!

~ Act Now, Tomorrow Is Promised to Man! Take the Challenge Today & Begin to Unlock Your Destiny Today! Tomorrow May Be Too Late! ~

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18: "Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

=>> 30 Days of Prayer <<=

=> 30 Day Prayers for Favor

=> 30 Day Prayers for Singles

=> 30 Day Prayers for Fasting

=> 30 Day Prayers for Healing

=> 30 Day Prayers for Success  

=> 30 Day Prayers for Prosperity

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Family

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Children

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Marriage

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Finances

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Business

=> 30 Day Prayers for Every Situation

=> 30 Day Prayers to Unlock your Destiny  

=> 30 Day Prayers for Stubborn Situations 

The Key to Answered Prayers:

1. Have faith.
2. Be obedient.
3. Seek God’s will.
4. Repent your sins.
5. Pray without ceasing.
6. Pray with perseverance.
7. Praying with persistence.
8. Pray in the name of Jesus.
9. Give thanks and praise to the Lord.

WE ALL KNOW OR KNEW SOMEONE LIKE THIS!

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd..'

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him,knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him..

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses,and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks.' They really should get lives.

He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!' There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.

As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.

I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes.

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday! He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.

I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship..

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!' He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.

"Thanks," he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began 'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends... I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.'

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.

He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

'Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.'

There is no beginning or end. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

If Anointed Child has been a blessing or source of encouragement to you please consider supporting us by making a donation. Your contribution big or small, is deeply appreciated. Be Blessed!

=>> 30 Days of Prayer <<=

=>> There Is Power in Prayer! Your Prayers Have the Power to Profoundly Impact Your Destiny. <<=

Prayer is the most powerful weapon against trials. The most effective medicine against sickness. And the most valuable gift to give to yourself and your loved ones. Through prayer, you can conquer all things.

Jumpstart your prayer life today with empowering, uplifting and inspiring 30 Days of Prayer. Act Now! Don’t let the enemy cheat you out of your divine destiny! Invest in your prayer life today, and begin to unlock your destiny through powerful prayers!

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer! People are testifying of financial breakthroughs, business breakthroughs, job promotions, marital breakthroughs, academic breakthroughs, healing and so much more, after 30 Days of Prayer!

~ Act Now, Tomorrow Is Promised to Man! Take the Challenge Today & Begin to Unlock Your Destiny Today! Tomorrow May Be Too Late! ~

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18: "Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

=>> 30 Days of Prayer <<=

=> 30 Day Prayers for Favor

=> 30 Day Prayers for Singles

=> 30 Day Prayers for Fasting

=> 30 Day Prayers for Healing

=> 30 Day Prayers for Success  

=> 30 Day Prayers for Prosperity

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Family

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Children

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Marriage

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Finances

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Business

=> 30 Day Prayers for Every Situation

=> 30 Day Prayers to Unlock your Destiny  

=> 30 Day Prayers for Stubborn Situations 

The Key to Answered Prayers:

1. Have faith.
2. Be obedient.
3. Seek God’s will.
4. Repent your sins.
5. Pray without ceasing.
6. Pray with perseverance.
7. Praying with persistence.
8. Pray in the name of Jesus.
9. Give thanks and praise to the Lord.

MOVIES AND STAYING CONNECTED IN MARRIAGE => MARRIAGE MESSAGE 28

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight" (Philippians 1:19). And that is our hope for you -- that you'll continually explore new ways to increase your love connection with each other in your marriage in "knowledge and depth of insight" otherwise, you're in danger of drifting apart in your relationship.

"It's possible to be married to someone for 35 years and still not know them because you never take the time to explore the deepest recesses of their heart" (Dr David Jeremiah). Being married and living in the same house doesn't equal knowing each other deeply. You'd think it would, but life has a way of shoving us apart unless we make the intentional effort to stay connected.

Before marriage, we spent quality time with our spouse which helped us to fall in love with them in the first place. So why not keep doing what it takes to CONTINUE in your love with each other? If you don't continually do what it takes to connect with each other in meaningful ways, your relationship is in danger of becoming stagnant. And we don't mean just going somewhere together sometimes but never really talking WITH each other. Too often married couples fall into the bad habit of talking AT each other rather than WITH each other. And that's cause for trouble!

Recently, we've given you a variety of suggestions in the Marriage Messages for how to stay connected in marriage. We've given you the top ten reasons for "Dating Your Spouse", the "22 Minute Date Idea", the "10 Second Kiss Idea" (which you can find in Marriage Message #26), "Marriage Maintenance Measures" as well as other ideas. And you can find even more ideas at www.marriagemissions.com in the "Romantic Ideas" section. Plus, we have articles posted on the web site for those of you who are geographically away from your spouse.

But we'd like to give you another idea to help you connect, and that is by watching movies together and discussing different aspects of the movies. Make it a fun and informative time as well -- getting to know more about each other through this avenue of connecting. We've found a number of tools that could help you in this.

Recently, we mentioned that the movie "Fireproof" has a wonderful pro-marriage message. It's now out on DVD. There is also a book that goes along with the movie called "The Love Dare" that we believe can help your marriage. Plus, we have "Fireproof Discussion Pages" posted on our web site to use as a tool to help you connect. Even if you never see the movie (which we hope you can and will), the Discussion Pages has content that could help your marriage.

There is also a "Movie Discussion Guide" (from Smartmarriages.com) for the movie "The Story of Us" starring Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer. The guide provides excellent discussion questions designed to give couples deeper insights into their relationship. We must warn you though, that although the movie is very pro-marriage in its content, it has quite a bit of profanity in it. We found it difficult to get past the profanity, but we're glad we did because the message of the movie and the helpfulness of the discussion guide is truly something that could help couples. Again, you will benefit the most if you see the movie, but the Discussion Guide itself makes some great points.

We have a link to the discussion guide (that you can download for your use)posted on our web site in this Marriage Message. (If you don't have access to the internet to find and then download the guide, perhaps you can find a friend who can do it for you.)

And for those of you in the U.S. and Canada and other parts of the world that can view American Movies, you could find the following web sites helpful in guiding you so you know more about the contents of the movies you could watch to know if you want to view them on your date nights):

www.pluggedinonline.com -- Their mission as a Focus on the Family publication is to equip adults, parents, youth leaders, and ministers with essential tools that will enable them to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which they live.

www.christianitytoday.com/movies -- This award-winning website is devoted to film reviews, interviews and commentary, written from a biblical perspective. Their mission is to "inform and equip Christian moviegoers to make discerning choices about films through insightful reviews and interviews, educated opinion,and relevant news -- all from a biblical world-view."

www.movieguide.org -- This is a ministry dedicated to redeeming the values of the mass media according to biblical principles, by influencing entertainment industry executives and helping families make wise media choices.

www.crosswalk.com/movies -- while this web site is not primarily dedicated to movie reviews, they are a great resource on many levels (and this part of their web site deals with movies). They are a religious corporation dedicated to bring glory to God by building up the Church.

www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/home.html -- The primary goal of this web site is to provide accurate, biblical answers on a wide variety of questions asked by Christians and non-Christians. This part of their web site deals with movies and DVD's.

http://christianity.about.com/od/christianmovies/Christian_Movies_and_Christian_MovieReviews.htm -- This is a Christian movie resource page with Christian movie reviews, interviews with Christian actors, favorite Christian movies and top Christian movie picks and more.

These web sites can help you be selective in what you view. But always keep in mind what the Bible warns: "I will set before my eyes no vile thing" (Psalm 101:3). 1 Corinthians 6 tells us to "Flee from sexual immorality." Plus, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28). In other words... stay true to each other and abstain from viewing that which brings another person visually or physically into your relationship. Connect with your spouse and not with anyone else!

We hope you will find this helpful in drawing you closer together as husband and wife.

God Bless!

By Cindy and Steve Wright

If Anointed Child has been a blessing or source of encouragement to you please consider supporting us by making a donation. Your contribution big or small, is deeply appreciated. Be Blessed!

=>> 30 Days of Prayer <<=

=>> There Is Power in Prayer! Your Prayers Have the Power to Profoundly Impact Your Destiny. <<=

Prayer is the most powerful weapon against trials. The most effective medicine against sickness. And the most valuable gift to give to yourself and your loved ones. Through prayer, you can conquer all things.

Jumpstart your prayer life today with empowering, uplifting and inspiring 30 Days of Prayer. Act Now! Don’t let the enemy cheat you out of your divine destiny! Invest in your prayer life today, and begin to unlock your destiny through powerful prayers!

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer! People are testifying of financial breakthroughs, business breakthroughs, job promotions, marital breakthroughs, academic breakthroughs, healing and so much more, after 30 Days of Prayer!

~ Act Now, Tomorrow Is Promised to Man! Take the Challenge Today & Begin to Unlock Your Destiny Today! Tomorrow May Be Too Late! ~

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18: "Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

=>> 30 Days of Prayer <<=

=> 30 Day Prayers for Favor

=> 30 Day Prayers for Singles

=> 30 Day Prayers for Fasting

=> 30 Day Prayers for Healing

=> 30 Day Prayers for Success  

=> 30 Day Prayers for Prosperity

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Family

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Children

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Marriage

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Finances

=> 30 Day Prayers for your Business

=> 30 Day Prayers for Every Situation

=> 30 Day Prayers to Unlock your Destiny  

=> 30 Day Prayers for Stubborn Situations 

The Key to Answered Prayers:

1. Have faith.
2. Be obedient.
3. Seek God’s will.
4. Repent your sins.
5. Pray without ceasing.
6. Pray with perseverance.
7. Praying with persistence.
8. Pray in the name of Jesus.
9. Give thanks and praise to the Lord.

GOD'S ANVIL

“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29

Recommended Reading Jeremiah 23:28-29

When we hear attacks on the Bible, it’s important to remember that they aren’t new. The faith of every generation of Christians has been criticized and challenged; and opposition to God’s Word is as old as Satan himself, who, in Genesis 3:1 asked,“Has God indeed said ..?”

Consider this. The Bible was written in sixty-six installments over a period of 1600 years in three languages on three continents. It has more than forty authors from all walks of life, writing under diverse conditions, and writing on hundreds of controversial topics. Yet it all fits together, seamlessly and without error or contradiction. When we hold the Bible in our hands, we aren’t holding an anthology or a bundle of scattered and miscellaneous thoughts. We’re holding one comprehensive, cohesive volume with a logical beginning and ending, telling us one story centered around one Person—Jesus Christ.

It’s as though a Master Author was behind it all, which there was.

When we hear someone attack the Bible, we shouldn’t be too alarmed. The Bible has a habit of outliving all its critics.

Hammer away ye hostile hands; your hammers break, God’s anvil stands.

By Charles Spurgeon

If Anointed Child has been a blessing or source of encouragement to you please consider supporting us by making a donation. Your contribution big or small, is deeply appreciated. Be Blessed!

=>> 30 Days of Prayer <<=

=>> There Is Power in Prayer! Your Prayers Have the Power to Profoundly Impact Your Destiny. <<=

Prayer is the most powerful weapon against trials. The most effective medicine against sickness. And the most valuable gift to give to yourself and your loved ones. Through prayer, you can conquer all things.

Jumpstart your prayer life today with empowering, uplifting and inspiring 30 Days of Prayer. Act Now! Don’t let the enemy cheat you out of your divine destiny! Invest in your prayer life today, and begin to unlock your destiny through powerful prayers!

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer! People are testifying of financial breakthroughs, business breakthroughs, job promotions, marital breakthroughs, academic breakthroughs, healing and so much more, after 30 Days of Prayer!

~ Act Now, Tomorrow Is Promised to Man! Take the Challenge Today & Begin to Unlock Your Destiny Today! Tomorrow May Be Too Late! ~

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18: "Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

=>> 30 Days of Prayer <<=

=> 30 Day Prayers for Favor
=> 30 Day Prayers for Singles
=> 30 Day Prayers for Fasting
=> 30 Day Prayers for Healing
=> 30 Day Prayers for Success  
=> 30 Day Prayers for Prosperity
=> 30 Day Prayers for your Family
=> 30 Day Prayers for your Children
=> 30 Day Prayers for your Marriage
=> 30 Day Prayers for your Finances
=> 30 Day Prayers for your Business
=> 30 Day Prayers for Every Situation
=> 30 Day Prayers to Unlock your Destiny  
=> 30 Day Prayers for Stubborn Situations 

The Key to Answered Prayers:

1. Have faith.
2. Be obedient.
3. Seek God’s will.
4. Repent your sins.
5. Pray without ceasing.
6. Pray with perseverance.
7. Praying with persistence.
8. Pray in the name of Jesus.
9. Give thanks and praise to the Lord.