Thoughts for Life: #20 We Are Important to Angels

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel- You should rejoice in the glorious fact that you are never alone. Even children seem to have an accompanying angel (Matt. 18:10). God's angels are always watching you (1 Cor. 11:10; 1 Tim. 5:21).

Paul said, "We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men" (Cor. 4:9). There is not a moment of your life when the eyes of the angels are not on you. (Google image, Five angels)

No doubt they are the ones who keep God's books in which all your thoughts, words, and deeds are recorded (Rev. 20:12; Dan. 7:10), enabling God to reward your prayer and loving service to Him (1 Cor. 3:11-15).

God uses His manifold goodness to us, His providential coordination of our lives, and our service to Him to illustrate to the angels His perfect plan, will, and ways. thus our lives become educational tools by which the angels can know God better.

"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 3:10).

Angels Are Usually Invisible

In God's infinite wisdom He apparently prefers to withhold the sight of angels from human eyes. We often recognize, however, that God has wonderfully protected us. How does God do this?

Probably He has called on one or more of His angels. I well remember an occasion while on furlough from the mission field. En route to Christian ministry in Ohio, an oncoming vehicle went out of control at a curve and slid sideways toward my car.

Just before the other car struck mine, it suddenly straightened out, narrowly missing. Upon passing, the vehicle again slid out of control. Instantly I knew God's angel must have thrown a shield around my car.

On another occasion an approaching car veered across the center line toward me. I could see the driver's head roll to the side as if he were asleep or drugged.

Suddenly, as if an unseen hand were placed on the steering wheel, that car pulled to the proper lane and safely passed by. I saw, to my horror, that the driver's eyes were closed. I thanked God, knowing again that He had used His angel to protect me.

Sometimes Angels Are Visible

Occasionally, however, God permits His angels to be temporarily visible. When Rev. Lawrence Schaper was hospitalized in Jefferson Barracks, and army hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, the third night after his operation he felt so ill that he prayed, "Jesus, I'm so sick, You come sit on the bed by me."

Jesus sat beside him on the bed. When Lawrence awoke the next morning, the heavenly beings were still there. Rev. Schaper told them good-by. "Jesus was the first in the room, and the last to leave." The crisis passed. Today, forty-eight years later at ninety-two years of age, Rev. Schaper is still loving and serving the Lord.

My mother was converted as a girl in a country church during special revival meetings. As she went forward and knelt at the front of the church, she saw angels beside her.

In midlife she became very ill. For more than four years she suffered attacks of pneumonia, pleurisy, partial paralysis, and heart trouble, one after another. During that time she could lie on only her right side, could not use her left side because of the paralysis, could not endure any sound—even of moderate intensity—and could not bear normal light.

For four years we carried on conversations in whispers in the home, stopped the clock from ticking, padded doors with cloth, and kept heavy, dark fabric around her bed to close out the light.

One day Mother felt led to ask her brother's family and another Christian family to meet in our home to pray for her. Suddenly she heard a voice, "Look, the windows of heaven have opened for you." Opening her eyes, she saw angels beside her. Instantly she leaped to her feet, completely healed. She lived for more than thirty years after that.

When Sadhu Sundar Singh, beloved barefoot Indian evangelist, was sacrificially proclaiming the gospel amid the snow and cold the windswept plateau of Tibet, he had many wonderful experience of God's protection and aid.

One of his amazing experiences was his visit to the town of Rasar. The head Buddhist lama had Singh arrested and sentenced him to death for preaching Christ. He was thrown into an empty, deep well—one of the two main forms of execution.

Sundar Singh sank into this charnel pit of bones and rotting flesh of those who had died there before him. The stench seemed unbearable and, for three days and nights, he was at times only partially conscious. Wherever he touched, there was rotting flesh.

On the third night as he prayed, he heard a key grating in the lock of the lid overhead. To his surprise the lid was removed. At that moment a voice called down to him to grasp the rope being lowered and, as he did so, he was gently drawn out. The lid was replaced and locked again, and instantly Singh's deliverer vanished.

Sundar Singh praised God and the next day resumed his preaching in the town. The lama again had him seized and angrily demanded to know who had stolen the only key and released him. Upon search, the key was found on the lama's own belt. In fear of the evangelist's God, he asked Sundar Singh to leave town before they were all killed by this mighty power!

(Chapter 7, pp. 53-55, italics added for emphasis)

Used by permission

of the Duewel Literature Trust, Inc,

Greenwood, Indiana

Available by phone

317-881-6755, ext, 361

or www.duewelliteraturetrust.org

Let's pray-

"Dear Lord, forgive me for trying to fix other people’s problems when they are not mine to fix. Today, I’m committing to watch, to listen, to pray, and to love. Help me not to get in Your way of what You are doing in someone else’s life.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen"

Germine Copeland

Prayers that avail much

Today's Bible verses-

  Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

  Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

  Psalms 145:18 says, "The Lord is close to all who call on him in truth, He grants the desires of those who fear him."

Today's quote-

~ Liberty Savard- "We can speak words containing curses and spiritual death in them without realizing what we are doing. we need to practice the words of God, speaking in love, with patience and kindness in every sentence. We need to speak with humility—forsaking rudeness, anger, and self-seeking.
We need to loose wrong reactions to offenses, keeping no record of wrongs. We need to abhor evil, speaking words of rejoicing and truth. Our words should protect and express our trust in others, offering hope and showing willingness to persevere for what is right. Our words should express our trust in the work that God is doing in others. These words will never fail us or others (1 Corinthians 13)." (p. 131 of SHATTERING YOUR STRONGHOLDS.)

Words of wisdom-

~ Is the fruit of Christ's Spirit evident to those around you? How about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Are they evident in your Christian walk? Let someone know they are loved today by phone or text, maybe even a card with a note in it.

Popular post- a very timely message!

There's Going to be Wind in Your Sails

Cindy Jacobs: This is a prophetic word by Cindy- For the Lord would say, "You're going to get the wind at your back.

And right now, I see that there are some people that you're like a ship, and the ship has no wind in the sails..."And you just feel like you're stuck, you're stopped, you can't go on your journey."

The pastors and elders of the CFC churches in northern NY, will provide a daily devotional: "Streams in the Desert"

and provide a short Scripture reading and a brief message from one of the pastors or elders every day for the coming season.
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