JUNE 16

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

*** ***

Hebrews 1:14

“Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”

Matthew 16:27

“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

Matthew 26:53

“Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?”

Matthew 4:11

“Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

Matthew 13:49

“So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,”

Psalm 78:25

Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full.

***  ***

We are reading a book by Corrie ten Boom, with daily recordings she made to broadcast over Trans World Radio.  Her Dutch family  sheltered Jews during the Nazi invasion of Holland.  As a result, she, her sister Betsy and their father were taken to concentration camps in Germany. The Lord did many miracles to allow both Corrie and Betsy to bring the Gospel to the other women in their camp.   Their father was murdered in an extermination camp and Betsy was sick, dying just two weeks before Corrie and the rest were freed.  After her freedom, Corrie traveled the world, telling everyone even in remote areas, about salvation through Christ, besides radio and writing many books.  This one is entitled, “Not I, but Christ.”

*** ***

THE WORK OF ANGELS

Angels have the gift and the task to praise and thank the Lord.  They were present when the earth was created.  In the book of Job we can read about their task and discipline; they had to come before God at regular intervals.  In Job 38:7 we read about the angels’ choir being present at the creation.  Best known is their singing in Bethlehem’s fields, where one of them brought the message and the multitude sang “glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14).

Angels are not all-knowing, but they know more than we do. The Bible says that we are a little lower than the angels, in Psalm 8:5.  It is evident that they are interested in us because the Lord Jesus says that there is joy in heaven over every sinner who repents (Luke 15:7), and I am sure that the angels express their joy in singing.

There are ranks among the angels, but we do not know how many.  The Bible tells us about two groups – cherubim and seraphim.  When Adam and Eve were driven out of paradise, a cherub stood at the eastern entrance with a fiery sword in his hand to prevent their coming back. 

Hezekiah, a man who knew much about God and the things of eternity, walked, if I may put it like this, with the Lord in a child-like way.  He took the nasty letter he received from Rab-Shakeh, the Assyrian general during the siege of Jerusalem, to the temple and laid it before the Lord.  He then prayed a wonderful prayer that began with these words: 

“O Lord God of Israel, who dwells between the cherubim, You are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; You have made heaven and earth.”  (2 King 19:15).

In Ezekiel we read about cherubim, and about wheels and wings.  One passage describes  a tremendous happening in the temple where the cherubim glorified God with a loud voice.  It was incomprehensible.  The cherubim are described as strange beings, but with hands like those of men (Ezekiel 10:21).

The angels who work in the earth are often described in the Bible as kind, understanding helpers.  Read about Peter’s liberation in Acts 12:1-11.  The Jews so appreciated the murder of James that the king decided to kill Peter too.  He was taken into prison and guarded by a large number of soldiers.  He slept with his hands chained to two soldiers.  Guards stood at all the doors in the corridors.  After the days of Passover he would be tried,   The Christians were together in a twenty-four-hour prayer meeting to entreat God to release Peter.

Then an angel of the Lord came into the cell and at once there was a light. It seemed that all the guards were asleep.  Read what the angel did and how.  At first He nudged Peter til he woke up and told him to get up.  “arise up quickly”   (vs 7) he said.  The chains dropped to the floor.  The angel said, in effect, “Get dressed and put on your sandals” and then, “Put on your overcoat and follow me.”  It is wonderful to read how the angel arranged all the details.  At first Peter could not believe all this was real.  He thought it was a vision or a dream.  The angel went before him through the open doors, through the gate, and even down the street some distance.  Then he disappeared, and Peter found himself all alone on the street in the middle of the night.

In our days the angels are not less active than in those days.  In the Congo, missionaries told me of an experience they had.  In a home, a kind of boarding school, lived two hundred children of missionaries.  Rebels decided to kill all the children and their teachers.  Around the house was a low hedge and a few soldiers were in the house, but this was little protection against such a multitude of enemies.  When those in the home saw a great number of rebels coming, they all knelt and prayed for protection.  Suddenly they saw the rebels turn and run away.  The next day the same thing happened, and the third day again.  After this, they stayed away.

One of the rebels was injured, and was taken to the hospital by the people who found him at the roadside.  The doctor who was dressing his wounds asked him, “Why did you not enter the house since you intended to kill us?”

The man answered,  “We could not.  We saw hundreds of soldiers in white uniforms and were terribly frightened.”

Now soldiers in Africa never wear white uniforms.  Those men had seen angels.  The missionaries understood that the angels had protected them.

How great our God is and what a loving Father we have, that He sent those ministering spirits to protect those who will be heirs of salvation!!!

*** ***

Thank You, our Father in heaven, that we know that Your angels are here – Your angels who not only were active in Biblical days, but who are today surrounding us.  Thank You for the great love that is behind this.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Published by liveinthelightofourlord

View all posts by liveinthelightofourlord