Angels and Demons | About God's "Secret Agents"

Today's episode of a new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library of free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith serve a specific ministry in the life of the artist to assist the minister to us. Sometimes God sister Greg and Lori Susan angels are the Bible says you need to were to write down angels in this very sent to serve those who will inherit eternal life. You look bad. New inaccurate reporting baby sitting on cloud.

We don't have two wings of a glowing halo and not all angels are the truth about Pastor Greg Laurie has the answer to a new beginning only reliable source wired by God Bible right now all around us is a supernatural world. It's an invisible world around us right now are thousands of mysterious created beings called angels. Most of them are holy. I'm sorry to say, some of them are not.

Some of them are fallen, but you find what the Bible says about angels in both the old and the New Testament affect the Bible mentions angels nearly 300 times that there are so many misconceptions about angels. Let me just say first off the job of an angel is the kind of work undercover. I like to compare angels to Navy SEALs, you know, Navy SEALs are that elite force that we dispatch in certain situations to take care of business to go into things all the time and we often don't hear about what they did they just get the job done. That sort of a good description of angels they get the job done for God are not there to draw attention to themselves or not there to have us have extended conversations with them. Though it's possible you spoken with an angel and I'll tell you why believe that the few moments but you probably were aware of it.

If you were speaking with an angel.

I would suggest you. There are 200 angels of spoken to you what you probably didn't know it was an angel but they're very interesting creatures sort of working behind the scenes working undercover sort of like God's secret agents, but there's a lot of misconceptions. As I said, for starters, people think that that when we die we might become an angel, you know I've heard it said when someone dies. Well, God must've needed another angel in heaven. Well, God doesn't need anymore angels in heaven. More to the point people don't become angels when they got angels are created being there other group all and of themselves. When we die we receive a new body and and so forth but but we have no connection to angels made to break this to you girls, but in every appearance of an angel on earth. It was a guy not a girl, I know that is hard for some people to believe because we use the term angel sometimes in a feminine way. She's as pretty as an angel right we don't generally think he's as handsome as an angel but actually all of the appearances of angels are appearing as men in the Bible and so these are amazing created beings that are there working constantly in our life. It would appear from Scripture that they are eternal, it would seem as though they never die. Speaking of those who have died and gone to heaven. Jesus said in the chapter 20.

Neither can they die anymore, for they are equal to the Angels now angels have a specific ministry on the life of the Christian they are dispatched from heaven to assist us to encourage us to minister to us sometimes to protect us occasionally to speak to us. Hebrews 114 says angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit eternal life. There's many instances in Scripture were angels intervened and angel spoke to Philip and told him to go to the desert. He went and men came to faith from Ethiopia and then we have the story of Peter, who was taken to prison and then and he was going to be executed because James had already been put to death by King Herod and the church pray and an angel was dispatched to wake Peter up and get him out of jail.

So an angel was sent as an answer to prayer is a story in the book of Genesis where God was speaking to Jacob at this show on the world of angelic activity and in Jacob had a dream and in this dream or vision he saw stairway or a ladder of angels going up and down the stairway or up and down the escalator if you will just angels constantly at work moving between heaven and earth doing the work of God and is already set. It's entirely possible you've met an angel is a will.

How would that be well.

Hebrews 13 to says, don't forget to entertain strangers bread doing so. Some people have entertained angels without knowing it. So you know you you might survive how what I know you probably wouldn't know. Maybe you'll know when you get to heaven and you'll be walking around in some angel want to say thanks for get me that burger but what got me that burger we met with Matt, never that homeless guy that you ran into in this date and I was hungry and I said can I get a meal and you took me into In-N-Out Burger, and you got me a great burger double double. As I recall, animal style still remember it, even in heaven want to thank you for that. You are an angel.

Yes, I was because the idea is that when you dinner for a stranger. Somebody that was Anita Goodman in angel undercover so it's possible you've met an angel. It's possible there's angels in the room right now and I know they're here in the invisible realm, but it's not entirely outside of the realm of possibility that the good be an angel as a person to look around the ground. You never know the look for feathers or anything like that would be mind blowing. If an angel appeared to us right now. I tell you what if an Angel did appear to be very tempted to worship the angel that actually happened to the apostle John in angel appeared.

He was so blown away, fell down to worship it in the said do not worship me worship God. But there's so incredible. There's so awe-inspiring, you'd be inclined to worship but imaginative Gabriel or Michael or another angel appeared before a friend. I did hear a story about a time in a church service when the devil himself appeared so here people at church and all of a sudden Satan appears on the stage, people are screaming and freaking out, climbing over each other to get out of the church are climbing out of the windows running up the doors they're terrified the church is empty then just seconds except one older man sitting in the second row, the devil says why aren't you running do you know boy and limits as I know who you are and the devil says I am the devil. I have a lot of power I could bring a lot of misery in your life where it you afraid of me. The old guy said I would married to your sister for 46 here.

That's a true story. Notice this one of those lean preacher jokes. I even angel of the Lord appeared, we would certainly be amazed that sometimes the question is asked that we have guardian angels. I don't know the answer to that but I think the answer is maybe. I mean, I know we have angels evolve in our lives.

But do we have a specific angel that is assigned to us like that your job you watch over that child or you watch over that person.

We can know with certainty, but there is an interesting statement were Jesus says in Matthew 1810 don't look down on these little one. Speaking of children pride tell you there angels in heaven always see the phase of my father in heaven. Interesting phrase there angels in heaven, so that would imply maybe a guardian angel going back to the story of Peter when he was sprung from the prison by the angel. He showed up at the house were a bunch of dresses for praying and he knocked on the door and that they they can believe in God and answer their prayers so quickly and so when someone said it was actually the main rotor. She said Peter is standing at the front door knocking.

One of the other said well it's probably just his angel. They loved him not giving for me. If an angel knocks on him. I'm in the mid-have FedEx box.

I open the door. When I opened the door for an angel. And so that's a curious thing but it's interesting that they think maybe it's his angel so maybe there are guardian angels that there are or there are not, that's really not that important. You can just be confident of this. You have angels actively involved in your life protecting you watching out for you. As I said, God's secret agents Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. So many listeners have commented on the help they received from these daily messages God's word ministers to them and often gets them through some of their darkest hours. Pastor Greg prior to last year my physical body was immense.

After many different medical procedures. They transferred me to an assisted living facility there. I shared a room with a very crabby woman who would yell at me for having my radio too loud or my light on.

She claimed that she was a Christian but was a very bitter person because of a tragic event that happened to her son. Well Greg, I was determined that I was going to hear your radio program new beginning. Even if I had to lay on top of my radio and surprisingly, one morning my roommate asked me to actually turn my radio up. She said to me, I like administer and what he saying I not only was able to show her that Jesus did exist, but I gave her what if your new believers Bibles.

Yes, God still works miracles.

As for me I'm home now an independent. My health is improving and I'm much stronger God is my hope and it's a joy to be alive. Thank you so much Pastor Greg for letting me share my story were so grateful to hear of the change lives through harvest ministries.

If you have a story to tell of how these studies have touched your life or that of a family member.

Hope you'll contact us today drop Pastor Greg an email greg@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.org today. Pastor Greg is offering insights from his series, the afterlife and the eternal with insights today based in Genesis 3 let's continue.

So the title of this message is angels and demons. So this is what, perplexes us is where the heck did the demons come from, why do we even have to have demons while they're out there for sure in this simplified a demon is a fallen angel God did not create demons as we know them today he created angels what he gave to these angelic creatures of free will and an ability to choose as hard as it is to believe one third of the angels followed a high ranking angel known as Lucifer, the son of the morning and a rebellion server is also known as Satan and the devil.

So, before I address where demons came from. Let me just talk about where the devil came from the forward as the word of the devil come from most of you would probably say how the double came from. No, actually that's not true. The limits are. You are the devil really came from the double came from heaven. That's right. Now he wasn't the devil in heaven.

He was, as I mentioned Lucifer this beautiful angel.

Maybe an archangel if not certainly a high ranking angel on the level of maybe a Gabriel prayer. I don't think of Michael but taught certainly a high ranking angel, but he rebelled against God. In fact, it's described in vivid detail over and Ezekiel 28 word is said of Lucifer, you were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, you were in Eden, the garden of God, you are anointed as a guardian sheriff Friar Dean you you were on the holy mountain of God. You walked among the fiery stones. I don't know what the fiery stones are, but he walked among them you were blameless in the day you were created listen to all wickedness was found in you and through your widespread trade you are filled with violence and you send and I drove you in disgrace from the mountain of God, but I expelled you all guardian, sheriff from among the fiery stones.

Your heart became proud, on account of your beauty and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor, so I threw you to the earth and made you a spectacle before kings while so what happened to Lucifer wickedness was found in him.

It's also spoken of in Isaiah 14 the fall of Satan, Lucifer allowed his perfection to be the cause of his corruption.

He wanted the number one job Satan says in Isaiah 14 again I will be like God, I will be like the most likely one of the top job and the Lord said, you're outta here and so he lost a position he once held in one third of the angels followed him. Instead of wanting to worship God. He himself wanted to be worship you know it's interesting that it says he was filled with violent you know that this is so insane. These shootings and you we always want to find the motive all first of all those in the political world want to find out is he a Republican or is he a Democrat and then make it all a political discussion OR what we would race was he was he.

Why was he black with a Hispanic they missed the big issue there is a spiritual dynamic going on and we forget the fact that there's evil in the world today and there's a devil booth full of wickedness and full of violence that inspires people to take the lives of other people.

That's what I mean when I say word a spiritual battle I sent out a tweet meds and let's pray for everyone who is in office right now whether you put them there or not.

I got liberals and conservatives mad at me. What is wrong with you people and so I think the thing that we don't realize is this is a spiritual world that we get caught up in the political fights and caught up in the these other little things we forget were children of the most high in our kingdom is in heaven were ambassadors of the kingdom of God. We need to remember that and so we'll talk about that more next time. In our message on spiritual warfare. But anyway, so the devil yet sees no longer in that exalted position in heaven. This might surprise you. He has a backstage pass into the presence of God, you say well how do you know that because we read about it multiple times in Scripture. The book of Job is the account of the Angels of the Lord, presenting themselves before the Lord. So here's all the Angels and go to shows up blue surfer is there and the Lord says that what you been up to. Says is devil going back and forth across the earth watching everything that's going on in an interesting description is just like roaming around.

He's looking for trouble right with what happened to my rack. What would misery can I bring a wood life can I potentially destroy. That's where the Bible describes him as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. That's him you know and that's when a lion is like a hunting for prey. The devil never takes a vacation would be nice to be that when any great about. We can announce a we just found out Satan's taking August off no devil in August, you know, I think even if Satan took August off we would still get ourselves in the trouble unto the filing so but the devil doesn't take a month off the devil doesn't take a week off. He doesn't take a day off. He doesn't take an hour off. He's always at work. If he's beaten, he rises again. If he can't come in the front door he'll come in the back door if he can climb down the road built total up through the floor still find a way to get in and he's looking from vulnerability is looking for someone he can grab you and Rebecca lines and are usually the easiest way from line to get their lunch or dinner is when they watch that little herd of antelope or whatever it is, there chasing after there's always the lacquer right as a group and then there's one guy you know 20 feet behind Google doodle appliances looks like lunch to me. You want to know something surprising though more people are killed in Africa by hippos then alliance yachts drew lines kill some, but all hippos kill way more in the funny thing about a hippos they don't even look threatening you know what I plead hungry. You both are so cute you know you gone the jungle Cruise ride in Disneyland and though there was a little ears and they do that are reliable or around like that and then uniting how dangerous are they there very dangerous and did you know the really fast on land.

I noticed as I went to Africa years ago we stayed in the tented camp and and they took us to our tent and they warned us about the hippos that come out at night.

Hippos are you serious.

I should be scared of hippos goes on.

They move fast in the attack people so I bring that up because the Bible does not say that your adversary the devil is like a hippo running around okay says is like a lion but the point I'm making is sometimes all you what's up with the lives of the devil can come to him anyway sometimes and come in all of his depravity and wickedness and perversion in other times and come to you as an angel of life but always with the purpose of deceiving or miss leading you and he is a well organized network of demon powers doing his bidding, and those are his demons. We read numerous passages that refer to Satan and his minions, not those minions, these minions of Matthew 1224 speaks of Beelzebub, which is another name for the double. The prince of the demons.

Then in Matthew 25, 41, the devil and his angels.

Revelation 12 seven. The Dragon another phrase for the devil and his angels, and of course hell is the future of dwelling place of the devil and his angels. Now it seems to me that the purpose or objective of demons is twofold. Number wanted is to hinder the purposes of God. Number two it is to extend the power of Satan.

Again, the purpose of demons i.e. fallen Angels is twofold.

They want to hinder God's purpose in your life and they want to extend the power of the devil. So I know that kind of a scary movie talk about things like this and it's true that one third of the angels followed Lucifer but it's also true that two thirds of the Angels are on our side.

More importantly, God is on our side. So were on the winning side and great glory. Close look at the world of angels and demons today on a new beginning. There's more to come in this message you grade those of us who shared our faith often of a need for some kind of resource to help follow-up with people who come to Christ. We don't want to just walk away and say well, have a nice day.

Hope it works out for you. Yes exactly, you have a resource we could have on hand for those moments when we want to follow up with someone we shared with that's very true, David. You keep me in your car for your lady can keep it in your birds if you're a guy, it would even fit in your back pocket right so this is called the new believers guide to effective Christian living. This is been one of the best received resources we've ever offered. It's basically a pocket-size version of Christianity 101.

I mean, you literally could put it in your back pocket.

You can keep it in your purse, you can keep it in your car and what a great resource.

It is to give to a believer, no matter how far along in the life they are or if they're just starting out. It's especially effective for a new Christian, I talked about things like discovering the will of God.

How to resist temptation, how to share your faith, how to grow spiritually through prayer and fellowship, how to study the Bible and a lot more yet it's written in a very straightforward simple way and you can read it in one sitting.

So I'm encouraging you to get your own copy of the new believers guide to effective Christian living.

Keep a bunch of extras on hand. I'm sure you gonna find them useful. Absolutely. What a great tool for your own personal ministry efforts.

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