Angels [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan writing as I think about life and I think about my life in so many that I have loved and ministered to over the years. The question really that leaves me baffled is not why have not been Angels there. In some instances, but the bigger question I have is how is it that we make it through such a hazardous life as long as that's pastor excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series higher power is presented with an old church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout our entire program today to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries so as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us@pastor.org that's pastor at an.large E or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but right now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright are you ready for some good news. Your life is protected and comforted and nourished in unseen ways by mighty angels that God dispatches on your behalf when you talk about Angels we been in a long series about the power of God. And it's only fitting to include in this and the exploration of these magnificent creatures and their role in our lives, because after all they are so prevalent in the Christmas stories. Let's look at some of the texts Luke chapter 1 verse 11. There appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense and Zechariah was troubled when he saw, and fear fell upon him and the angel said to him, do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard. Luke 126 the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph.

He came to her and send greetings O favored one, the Lord is with you Luke to verse eight and in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord appeared to them in the glory of the Lord shone around them, they were filled with great fear and then in verse 13 and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom needs please Matthews account also features these majestic mighty warriors messengers of God.

Matthew one verse 20 as he Joseph consider these things the hold an angel the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit and later after the Magi had departed. In Matthew 213, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him. Angels have never seen one. I know some people who have one time after a morning worship service.

A reliable mature Christian came to me after the service and said while I was preaching. She saw an enormous angel in the sanctuary.

I believed huge creature. She said like wings coming around to me you had a time in which you feel like there's no other explanation except for an angel story have told a number of times but II can't even find words for how terrifying the moment was for me even to tell the story inside a shutter at my folly, and then I am so grateful to think of the goodness of God.

When our son Bana was little. Maybe he had not yet turned water was one and we lived in Durham at the time and one evening I went out into the cul-de-sac in front of our house where there was a basketball goal and sometimes I would shoot baskets there and I took the basketball full-size regulation basketball and went out and had Bennett just to be outside get some air and I thought some reason be fun. I would just hold onto Bennett. He couldn't really walk or anything yet. I just hold knees and arms and holding Bennett and I'm just taken the basketball and I'm shoot some baskets like this and talk a little bit and enjoy the evening air. It was it was foolish. I came up and I was sort of underneath the basket and a shot with my right hand shot the basket but I hit the bottom of the round real firm and it just ricocheted straight back and mellow baby's head was just watching me shoot what looking up see the basketball and the basketball came off of the rim really hard right at Bennett's head and it you know how your brain can in a moment, have a thousand calculations and I knew we are going to the hospital. This could break my child's neck worse and I was it was just also fast.

It was a me there is no no way to shield it in no way do anything about it.

You know a baby who is just developing enough neck muscle Stephen hold his head up and a basketball comes full speed and I'm just telling you what happened. The ball ricocheted hard to back up almost back to the room again and then it's head did not move his head did not bounce back.

It didn't touch me in his head didn't move and he just kept looking up Smiling. I am convinced his a great angel of his shield. The physically the ball bounced back. You may have stories like an I want to think about angels with you for these moments because to think of angels is to be comforted by their presence and knowing how much God is for you and it is to build your faith and make you grateful so that think a little bit about angels and who they aren't. I can't be comprehensive, but we can look at some scriptures together and be encouraged. Here is the definition that I have developed. Angels are exceedingly powerful moral spiritual creatures who worship and serve God as he wills for God's glory and the well-being of God's children. I want to swap to this definition, exceedingly powerful, almost every example in the Scripture of someone confronting an angel and the people are terrified ever knows I in the Christmas toys first thing angel say is don't be afraid because people are trembling, so our cute Christmas tree ornaments and an hour are pretty winged cherubim that are so sweet is not really the picture in the Bible something much, much more glorious than that. They are called in Psalm 103 mighty ones.

Bless the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who do his word. They do mighty warfare as we see in Revelation chapter 12 verse seven the war arose in heaven. Michael and his angels fighting against the Dragon so there's a cosmic battle and unseen warriors are doing battle on behalf of the people of God, and the plans of God. There's a story in second Kings 19 of one angel that strikes down 185,000 enemy Syrians verse 35, the night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 of course you know the story of the resurrection in Matthew 28 to Boulder was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone so this massive stone in the angel just rolls it so Angels are mighty in his excellent book on the subject. Billy Graham tells the story of Pastor John Peden Patton pioneer missionary and a remote island that early on before befriending any of the locals was surrounded.

One night my hostiles, who were intent on burning down there missionary center and then killing them and the pastor's wife just prayed all night to this terrifying situation and at daybreak, they saw the attackers had left, and no harm had come to them. A year later, the chief of that tribe came to Christ under their ministry and so the pastor was able to talk to about that night and asked him what happened in the chief said we decided not to attack because of all the men that you had their standing guard. The pastor said we had no soldiers. The chief argued with him, declaring that there were hundreds of strong armed soldiers standing around there missionary center in Allen Wright will have more teaching moment from today's imported series better marriage.

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We are happy for Misty as I thanked him. Allen right ministries, 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor and got a whack. These teaching you once again is angels are mighty and I put in the definition they are moral, meaning the sense that they have from the beginning. They had some sense of moral choice and some send and fell 2nd Peter two verse four.

God did not spare angels when they send that cast them into hell and committed them to change of gloomy darkness, to be kept until the judgment.

So there are those angels that are fallen by their own choice of rebellion. That's what we call demons, but those it did not fall. Those that did not rebel they eternally love and worship God, and they are morally pure and unfallen and there called elect and holy first end of the five verse 21 in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels. I charge you to keep these rules elect angels is damage to say that those angels that did not rebel against God are pictured in the Scripture is not being capable of falling they are elected. They are God's own and they are going to be eternally pure and always will be. So they are mighty their moral and their spiritual Hebrews 114 is a good picture for us. Speaking of angels, are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who would inherit salvation so they are spiritual.

They are spirits they may take on physical manifestation. They variously as Scripture, pure and bright raiment, bright light, and they can appear as if human but they, the Angels are not physical beings. Their spiritual being, and this is important up in the definition they are creatures, meaning they are created, so they're not gods, and then not to be worshiped. They are glorious and wonderful creatures. Psalm 148 verse two praise him all his angels praise him let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded, and they were created, angels were created. Colossians 116 pauses by him all things were created in heaven on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through and for him. Which means since there creatures. They are limited is important to remember that they're not omniscient creatures and not gods but not omnipotent. They're not omnipresent.

They they are in specific locations at specific time like back to our story in Luke 126, the six month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. So they're not everywhere. Gabriel was sent by God. And so when he's in Nazareth.

He's not anywhere else, so they're not creatures they mustn't be worshiped is is is the problem of all New Age thought is like looking for an inner spirit guide. That's not what angels are all good. That's beautiful, wonderful, marvelous, mighty moral creatures and though there are limited and where they can be. The good news is there are myriads and myriads of angels. In fact, it might be that every child is assigned an angel. Matthew 1810 Jesus said see that you do not despise one of these little ones tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my father, I tend to think God just he's very very kind towards the little children and Jesus speaks here as one from the perspective of eternity. Having seen that the Angels had the privilege of looking directly on the face of God, and it may be that every single person every single child is given an angel but in any event, I think that there are billions and billions of angels they worship and serve God as part of my definition because that's what they do. They glorify God, and they do whatever God wants them to do is a picture of Isaiah and his call in Isaiah 6 is beautiful the year, King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne. I lifted up train of his robe filled the temple and above him stood the seraphim each had six wings two he covered his face to face to covered his feet to a flu one call to another and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts whole earth is full of his glory so they are these glorious creatures who are seen in visions encircling the throne of God, who are unable to do anything except call out his wonder same picture.

In Revelation, John sees in his vision apart. Most Revelation 5.

I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and elders. The voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb who was again Hebrews 114 they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve. So angels are glorifying God and serving God. That's in short who angels are much more could be said they are magnificent mighty they are moral creatures. The elect angels are not fallen and never will fall, so they don't they're not redeemed, as it never fell and yet they are creatures made by God and not to be worshiped and not really to be sought for prey to in any way.

They're God's messenger software angel means and his mighty warriors.

As I just reflected over the Christmas stories again this year thinking about these angels and read the stories afresh on. I'm encouraged in several ways. As I read the stories afresh. I realized how taken I am by the commitment of God to providentially ensure the safety direction and well-being of his people and the glorious announcement that he is making of a new era and this is comforting because it means beloved that you can be assured that God likewise is caring for you.

Alan Wright news message today is titled angels in the series higher power and greed. You stay with his pastor alum is accurate in the studio, sharing his parting good news thought for the day and just have a better marriage. You don't need marketing you need more good news.

Marriages like people are changed by human effort or even applying principles change by the gospel and race sessions and lead you and your spouse into a fresh encounter with God's grace. A simple grayscale process that makes great communication discover the freedom of forgiveness and celebration to learn how to pray for your last one another with ground when you're in the video series licensing company is going through some special challenges when your marriage is a powerful transformational tree is for your marriage. Marriage the grace of God is shared when you get Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today we look for any special offer that we are in our final days of offering the special product. We are happy for Misty as I thanked him Alan Wright Ministries, 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor out and got a work blessing your life grayscale vision for your free grace and encouragement is free.

Pastor I got away with Mr. Allen reported good news thought for the day okay and you couldn't go through a series of higher power without talking about angels right there. There's a fascination with angels and I was thinking about them especially much during the Christmas season past Christmas and how there's a fascination with angels all they are certainly not the little cherubim owner Christmas trees here to prosecute Lorna Mitzie. These are the mighty warriors of God, and the messengers and heralds of good news and so when we learn about angels, what is it do for us builds our faith and increases our gratitude to God, so that's what I'm hoping to do today and tomorrow is less learn about angels learn about who they are and let's have confidence that God according to the promise of his word is assigned as angels, and that we can take comfort in that. And we can also really look back over our lives and go. Oh well, you've always been, thanks for today. Visit us online@pastor.org or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860 if you only caught part of today's teaching. Not only can you listen again online also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox free.

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