| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net What about the angels? For the next couple of weeks we will explore the subject of angels. But, before we do, I would like to say something from my heart about this year's girls basketball team. What a wonderful thing they accomplished. How hard they must have worked; corporately and individually. How wonderfully they were coached, and how they reacted to a brutal final game. I know precious few of them, but am very proud of them all. I don't want the year to go by without us remembering them, so I am taking liberty with my pen. Now to the angels. There have been countless shows and movies dedicated to the subject. Many misconceptions about them, and if you only got your info from Hollywood, you would think them little winged babies carrying a bow and arrows, clad in barely a scarf --- like cupid. Most TV angels are female, while there are none in the Bible. Some believe they are or act as a council to God, as His senate. Some believe they prove there is no trinity; that the "let us" from Genesis, is God talking to the angels. Some believe there are about two hundred angels controlling the stars, and that one controls the seas. Still another controls the balance of nature. A prominent Rabbi taught that every blade of grass had its own angel. Some Gnostics of Paul's day worshiped angels (Colo. 2:18). With the exception of the two angels in Sodom and Gomorrah, who appeared as men, every time a human encountered an angel, they either passed out or nearly did. The angel would say: "be not afraid", or "peace unto you", and sometimes even have to revive the principal before he could impart his message. Why? Because the very appearance of them is horrible indeed. Not horrible ugly, but horrible in stature, power, presence. In Daniel and Revelation, they are about 9 feet tall, wielding 6 foot swords. One angel killed 185,000 Assyrian troops in one night with the sword. (I think the only reason it took all night was because he had to use a sword). They are so overwhelmingly impressive that the inclination is to worship them - as John attempted in Revelation. We'll get back to that. What do we know for sure? 1) Angels were active in the giving of the law - Acts 7:53. 2) They are created beings - Col. 1:16. (Jesus created them). 3) 2nd Kings 19:35 (as well as Jude 9) shows that they are Very Powerful. There are messenger angels (Gabriel); there are Cherubim and Seraphim who's ministry seems to revolve around praise - Isaiah 6, and there are warring angles such as Michael. But the main thing Un-fallen angels do is found in Hebrews 1:14. They minister. They serve. But whom do they serve? Not us. Some folks believe the angels are free roaming agents seeking to serve us (humans) if the need is sufficient, or if the one asking is worthy, or the cause noble enough. Not. They serve God. They are His servants. In fact, there is no indication anywhere in the Bible that they have any regard for us one way or another. Not to put to fine a point on it, but if God sends an angel to protect you, you are indeed protected. If however, He sends one to destroy you, you are toast - (see Balaam's donkey in Numbers 22:21 and following). So, go ahead and read about this talking donkey, (not Eddie Murphy), and next week we will see what exactly God's angels do, and what it means to us in the 21st century. God bless, and thank you Cottonwood Girls: Champions by anyone's definition. |
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