You and Your Angels:

 When Good Angels Talk

     The Bible tells us that God sends angels at various times to bring
     messages of His divine intent to people who are open to His saving
     grace. The Bible documents many such messages. I am encouraged
     when I read about them in the Bible, because I know that when God
     speaks mercy and kindness to one human being, He is ready to speak
     the same thing to anybody in similar circumstances or need. God does
     not have favorites. 

     God cares about you. He cares about your needs, your longings, your
     fears, and your future. Have you ever wondered if God will fulfill your
     longings? Does it seem that your future is uncertain? Do you feel
     trapped in an area of your life? Are you navigating through a tough
     storm? Whatever your situation is, God has a message of hope for you!
     That message is intended to help you realize your destiny and His
     ultimate goal for your life. 

     We will look at four times in the Bible when angels came at God's
     direction to tell people what God was going to do for them. Be assured
     that the Eternal God wants you to hear the same type of messages in
     your life. 

     Before we begin, it is important that we all have a common
     understanding. We do not depend on angels to give us a message from
     God: for He has given us His revealed Word, sent the Holy Spirit, and
     given us His Body His Church. But when God's angels do speak, we
     would be wise to listen to what they say. 
 

  THE TRUTH ABOUT ANGELS

     When angels talk, listen carefully. Angels are real beings.  The Bible,
     our primary Source-book, contains a wealth of information about
     angels. It tells us that angels are intelligent beings who were created by
     God. It also tells us that there are good angels and evil (fallen) angels. 

     The evil angels have rebelled against God and are not in God's order.
     They live in the darkness and speak a message that leads a person
     down a dark path. If a person tries to relate to them, there can come
     about every kind of confusion and destruction in his or her life. This is
     not the kind of angel that I am writing about in this message. 

     God's angels point the way to Jesus Christ. They do not want to be
     sought out or worshipped; they are messengers from God who speak
     His message of tender care to those who are open to His saving grace.
     If we are going to hear anything about what these angels may say, we
     need to be in a place where we can hear God's Word and take its
     authority with reference to our lives. 

     Genesis 2:1; Isaiah 14:12-15; Psalm 34:7; 103:20-21; Matthew
     25:41;2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Ephesians 6:10-13; Colossians 1:16;
     Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 12:3-4,9 

     Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had been promised a child by the Lord.
     But years had gone by, and now they were past their childbearing
     years. It seemed that this this promise of a child would be unfulfilled
     unless a miracle happened. One day, the Lord came with angels to
     Abraham to say that God was going to keep His promise-Sarah would
     soon bear a son. Within the time appointed, Abraham and Sarah
     became parents of a baby boy, Isaac.

     GOD'S MESSAGE: 
     God will fulfill your longings. 

     God fulfilled Abraham and Sarah's lifetime longing for a child. God did
     what He had promised, and He will fulfill His promise to you.

     HIS PROMISE: 
     Psalm 37:3-5; Proverbs 3:5-6 
     . 

     MY PRAYER: 
     "Dear God, thank you for the words of hope and promise You spoke to
     Abraham and Sarah. This encourages me to believe that You will also
     fulfill Your promises to me. I believe Your Word that if I trust You and
     delight myself in You, You will give me the desires You have put in my
     heart. Even though the answer may be slow in coming, I will trust in
     You and commit my way to You. I praise You for Your faithful promise
     that You have a good plan for me. In Jesus' name, Amen." 
     . 

     Jacob was running for his life. He had reason to believe that his
     brother, Esau, wanted to kill him. While Jacob was asleep one night, he
     saw a vision of angels ascending to heaven and descending to earth on
     what appeared to be a huge ladder. The Lord spoke to Jacob that night
     to reaffirm the promise that God would establish Jacob's descendants
     on this land. He spoke these comforting words to Jacob: "Behold, I am
     with you and will keep you wherever you go." 
     GOD'S MESSAGE: 
     God will secure your future. 
     Jacob didn't think he had a future, but God sent angels to let him know
     that there was angel care surrounding him. Through this vision of
     angels, God was saying to Jacob that He will send messengers to
     proclaim the presence and the promise of God even when we are in
     fearful situations. 
     . 
     HIS PROMISE: 
     Jeremiah 29:11; Philippians 1:6 
     . 
     MY PRAYER: 
     "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the message that You love me
     and care about me. Thank you for the assurance that You hold my
     future in Your hand. No matter what the circumstances look like now,
     I'm persuaded that You will bring to completion the good work which
     You have already begun in me. Through Christ, my Lord, Amen." 
     . 

     Peter was locked in prison for sharing his testimony of Jesus Christ. He
     was placed in the innermost dungeon of three tiers of cells. To escape
     was humanly impossible. At night when Peter was asleep, an angel
     appeared and said, "Follow me." In what Peter thought was his dream,
     he got up and followed the angel. Each of the prison doors opened
     automatically before the angel, and each guard in succession at the
     three respective doors was struck with sleep. Peter, still in a dreamlike
     state, walked out of the prison completely free. As Peter stood there
     amazed, he suddenly realized that this wasn't a dream and than an
     angel of God had delivered him. 
     GOD'S MESSAGE: 
     God will free you from your prison. 
     You may not be locked in a physical jail like Peter, but it is possible
     that there is something in your life that has trapped you. It could be
     the bonds on an addiction or a ferocious temptation. It could be a past
     injury or trauma that has registered pain in your soul and imprisoned
     your emotions or your mind. 
     If you have a place in your life that is encased in a prison, know that
     the Lord Jesus Christ was sent "to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim
     liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are
     bound." 
     . 
     HIS PROMISE: 
     Isaiah 61:1; Revelation 1:18; Psalm 142:6; Psalm 91:15 
     . 
     MY PRAYER: 
     "Father, I am grateful that You are all-powerful and that You hold the
     keys to death and hell. Lord, I invite You to free me in those points of
     my life that are bound.  I join my prayer with the Psalmist who cried,
     'Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Your name.' Whether
     You free me from my prison instantly or one step at a time, I thank You
     for Your promise which says if I call upon You, You will answer me; You
     will be with me in trouble; You will deliver me. In Christ's name I pray,
     Amen." 
     . 

                                                  .
     The apostle Paul and nearly 300 others were on a ship on the
     Mediterranean Sea during the autumn season. They got caught in a
     vicious storm system called the Euroclydon. (This same type of storm
     occurs in that part of the world to this day.) For many days they
     battled this storm, and it appeared that they were about to be
     shipwrecked. Loss of the ship and heavy loss of life seemed inevitable.
     In this situation, an angel came to Paul who told him not to be afraid.
     The angel told Paul there would be no loss of life-only the ship would
     be lost. What the angel said came to pass. Although the ship was
     destroyed, all the passengers escaped safely to the island of Malta. 
     . 
     GOD'S MESSAGE: 
     God will bring you through the storm. 
     In the middle of Paul's storm there came the comfort and the
     confidence of God's presence by an angel messenger. The message to
     you is that God will bring you through the storms you face.  As you go
     through things that threaten to destroy you, He will attend to your way
     and bring His full deliverance. 
     . 
     HIS PROMISE: 
     Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 46:1-3,7 
     . 
     MY PRAYER: 
     "Dear Lord, thank you for the assurance of Your presence through the
     stormy seasons of my life. I take heart in the fact that Your loving
     presence will guide me through whatever difficulties I face. Through
     Jesus my Lord, Amen." 
     . 

     . 
     God will fulfill our longings. God will secure our futures. God will free us
     from our prisons. God will bring us through the storm. These are just a
     few of the messages our loving Heavenly Father longs to communicate
     to us. 
     In the Bible, God sent faithful angels to deliver these messages.  They
     spoke the message God spoke. 
     As God speaks to us, may we hear the Word of the Lord and faithfully
     apply it in our lives. 
     . 
 

"You and Your Angels: When Good Angels Talk" 
© 1995 Jack W.
     Hayford, Living Way Ministries,
Van Nuys, CA 91405.
Used by permission. 
 
 

     Dr. Jack Hayford is the Senior Pastor of The Church On The Way in
     Van Nuys, California. He has authored more than two dozen books and
     composed over 400 gospel songs, perhaps the best known of which is
     "Majesty." Dr. Hayford's teaching can be heard across the country on
     LIVING WAY radio and television. His ministry is geared to people who
     know they are children of the Kingdom and who are learning to move in
     the freedom that comes from understanding and implementing the
     Word of God in their lives. 

     What the Bible Says About... 
             Starts With (Example: "love" finds   Love, Lovefeasts, Lovers.) 
            Exact (Example: "love" finds Love.)