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Angels
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Angels
At Cracker Barrel, I met a woman who wanted me to tell her family story. She is a Christian and this story has encouraged her entire family. She said it actually happened to second cousin and his minister.
Her second cousin and his wife were traveling with their minister and his wife. They were vacationing in Colorado and it started snowing. It was getting dark and they were growing concerned about the road conditions.
As they were driving along, the car started making noises. They pulled off the very deserted road and coasted into the one gas station. The attendant had no tools and no knowledge of working on cars. He was closing and not interested in helping.
Discouraged, the minister walked back to his car. He prayed as he walked.
When he got to his car, a man in a three-piece suit walked up to her car. He asked if he could help. The minister explained their predicament. The man was carrying a very impressive took kit. He climbed under the car and worked on the car. He told the minister to go start the engine.
The minister got in the car and started the engine. It immediately cranked. He got out thanking the man but the man had disappeared. They never saw him again.
These two families believe that God sent them an Angel to fix their car on that cold and stormy night.
As I heard this story, it was vaguely familiar. It is possible it is one of the many miracle stories that travel through e-land. The familiarity of it made me doubt the validity of the story.
Many people I have met have told me angel stories. I have published a couple of them but I always hesitate.
I believe in Angels. I have felt the protection and encouragement of angels. I ask God to send angels to protect people I love.
The word “angels” is mentioned 96 times in the Bible and “angel” is mentioned 205 times.
They are mentioned in the Old and New Testament.
Genesis 32:1
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
(from New International Version)
Genesis 19:1
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city.
(from New International Version)
Luke 1:26-28
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
(from New International Version)
God’s ways are mysterious. Angels are there protecting all of us, even if we do not see them. We are promised that the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him.
Psalms 34:7
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
(from New International Version)
Angels will be present at the second coming of Jesus Christ. They will help do the work of the Lord.
Revelations 7:2-3
Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
(from New International Version)
We told that our children have angels that always see the face of God.
Matthew 18:10
"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
(from New International Version)
An angel strengthened Jesus himself.
Luke 22:39-44
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
(from New International Version)
Perhaps I hesitate to write angel stories because I also know that Satan is capable of posing as an angel of light.
2 Corinthians 11:14
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
(from New International Version)
Satan has his own angels.
Matthew 25:41-42
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
(from New International Version)
Our society’s fascination with angels concerns me. Angels are popular at a time when it is unpopular to talk about God. Satan would love us to base our faith only on visible demonstrations of power. It would weaken our faith. Faith believes without seeing. We do not need proof to believe in the power of God. Many people want to use their angel stories as the reason they believe.
2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
(from New International Version)
Satan is deceitful and he will even use symbols of the Holy God to confuse us. There are many popular angel books out today that are shaping people’s faith and thoughts. Many of them are not based on Christianity. Beware. Non-Christian books about angels are not from God.
Matthew 13:25-26
But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
(from New International Version)
I talked to this woman a little about her own story. She is Christian but has had a difficult life. Parents and a husband have abused her. She works on Sunday and has lost touch with her church. She believes this story and does base her belief in God on what she believes was His demonstration of His power. Her personal relationship with God and Jesus is currently suffering. She does believe in Jesus Christ and the Bible.
Possibly her family needed this miracle to carry their faith through their difficult circumstances. God may have sent a visible angel as a demonstration to this family. This could have been the family I was reading about on that internet story.
This may have been God’s way to get this minister back safely to His congregation. We are promised that angels are protecting us. God may have been simply protecting the minister.
It is possible that someone read this story on the internet and just said it happened to them. Family members could have believed the story and have been circulating them ever since. God will even use this to send his message of love. This story obviously helped this woman.
God’s ways are mysterious. Instead of second-guessing the validity of this woman’s story, I wanted to take moment to look at how God has used this story.
This story is helping this woman hang on. It has been told at many family gatherings, including a grandmother’s funeral. There is a lot of pain in this family. This story has helped them all.
This story gave her something to discuss with me. We talked about faith and a restored relationship with church and Christ. She desperately needs a deeper faith.
This story helped me to do a study of angels and find out what the Bible really says about them.
God is real. He never misses an opportunity to teach his children. He has angels to help with his work. They certainly appeared to people in the Bible. His word is everlasting and is recorded for us in the Bible.
God can heal this woman of the pain of her past. Take a moment to pray for her.
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