Ministry of Angels Part One

Ministry of Angels Part One

The angels that are guarding us.

Psalms 91:11   ¹¹ For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

The bible teaches that a guardian angel watches over every human being that is born into this world.

Hebrews 1:13-14   ¹³ But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

¹⁴ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Angels are the princes of Heaven who stand before God. They are also ministering spirits to those who are heirs of salvation.

Angels are of a different order than human beings, but closely resemble humans in appearance.

They have bodies, but not physical bodies, yet they have the power to appear as physical beings at such times they choose.

Angels are of a higher order than man in his present state. The bible says that man was made a little lower than the angels.

Psalms 8:4-5   ⁴ What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

⁵ For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

These are different orders of Angels. Including seraphim, cherubim, archangels, and guarding angels.

The seraphim angels are described as having three pair of wings; they are attendants of the Lord and have special duties in proclaiming the Holiness of the Lord.

Isaiah 6:5-6   ⁵ Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

⁶ Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

The cherubim or living creatures have two pair of wings and have certain responsibilities in guarding the throne of God.

Revelation 4:6-8   ⁶ And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

⁷ And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

⁸ And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Many Angels don’t have wings; if they did they would not be mistaken for human beings.

The activity of angels is ceaseless. Even though we do not see them and don’t suspect their presence they are always around.

Angels are immortal, and do not die. They are said to be innumerable. If it were not for the vigilant protection of these heavenly guardian angels the lives of Christians would be in serious trouble from evil spirits. 

Angels are always watching over all believers protecting them from the unseen dangers and evil.

Psalms 91: 11-12   ¹¹ For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹² They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

The bible speaks of three archangels: Michael, who is one of the chief princes at the time of the great tribulation. He will fight for the children of Israel.

Another archangel is Gabriel. He ranks high in the angelic order. Gabriel appears to be associated with the redemptive work of God.

The third archangel was Lucifer the fallen angel.

The guardian Angels…. Every one born into the world has a guardian angel assigned to him or her. It is the angels’ mission to watch over him or her.

They are delegated by divine command to accompany him or her through life.

Although an angels’ purpose is to protect us, he has not been granted unlimited authority in this respect.

If this were not so, no children would die in infancy.

God may foresee circumstances ahead in which it would be better for them to be removed from the scene and taken by the angels to the paradise of God where he or she would grow up.

Psalms 34:7   ⁷ The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

Angels do not watch over Gods people in their youth only, then neglect and forget them when they come to maturity.

Daniel 3:28   ²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

Gods plan is that angels should attend his people all the days of their lives: they are ministering spirits unto those who are heirs of salvation.

Although the bible speaks clearly of guardian angels who watch over the saints, the evidence is that if sin is carelessly indulged in, the angel will finally take his departure and leave the person to his fate.

This is true of an individual, true of a city, and God can withdraw His protection from a whole community as He did at the flood of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Angels record the deeds of our lives, whether they are good or bad.

Acts 3:19   ¹⁹ Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

There is another mission performed by these invisible messengers of God. They mark the men and women who are prayer intercessors.

If you are a faithful prayer intercessor Gods angels will place a mark of protection upon you.

For those who have fully consecrated their lives to God there is special angelic protection.

This promise is not for all, but he that dwells in the secret place of the most high, shall abide under the shadow of the almighty.

Psalms 91:1 and vs 11   He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.   ¹¹ For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Here is the promise of protection over evil, the plague, accidents and the power over Satan.

When we enter into eternity and all things are revealed, we will learn that there were times we were in danger, but the angels of God saw our danger and placed our lives in the hand of God.

In the world to come, the righteous are equal to angels.

In some respects the redeemed will excel angels, for the over comers will become the very bride of Christ.

It is a privilege which is not given to angels.

There is no higher position for created beings than membership in the bride of Christ Jesus.

Luke 20:36   ³⁶ Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Child-like Faith

I.       Weekly Scripture: “So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.” (Romans 10:17 AMP)

A.    Many times this verse is quoted from the King James Version, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  

A.    The Amplified gives us a bit more precise information. It isn’t just any word. Hearing what the Word says about the grace, power and authority that we have through Jesus is what causes faith to come.

B.     Focus this week on the fact that Jesus is the one who does everything, our job is to ask for it to be here on Earth.

II.     (CH 9) Pastor Durham teaches us the “child-like faith” opens Heaven. (Matthew 2:18-24) We need to ask ourselves, “How does a child act?”

A.    A child knows that all things come from Mom and Dad.

1.     One of the first things I had to teach my children is how not to constantly ask for things when they are in a store. It gets real annoying when you continually hear, “Can I have candy… can I have chips… can I have new shoes…” Even before they have complete sentences, children ask, for “some” or “more” instinctually.

a.     We need to be unafraid of asking God for things.

B.    Children are persistent: if they don’t get it the first time, they ask again and again until you tell them to stop asking. If Mom says no, they will ask Dad (unless you put consequences in place…)

1.     “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

C.    A child will ask for a new bike or a pony without ever considering where these items will come from. They really don’t want to know, all they need to know is that it comes from Mom and Dad. As kids grow older, many will begin to reason these things out, but small children who know that their parents love them, like the one Jesus sat in His lap, just ask and expect that Mom and Dad will be able to get if for them.

1.     This is one of the reasons why we give testimony and listen to the testimony of others about what Jesus has done. This way we have examples of what God has done with others so that faith for the same thing can come to us.

a.     God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11) What He does for one, He will do for another, because we are all covered by the same blood of Jesus and that is what He sees, His Son, Jesus.

b.     Can you do anything better than what Jesus did? No one can. This is why we all look the same to God. Jesus is perfection and that is what God is looking at when He sees us through the sacrifice of Jesus.

2.     This is one of the reasons we are not to forsake the assembling together of believers, so that we can share what God is doing and each be encouraged by it. (Hebrews 10:25)

D.   Children fear their parents as God instructs us to fear Him, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God;” (Deuteronomy 10:20 King James)

1.     The Amplified version gives a more insight: “You shall fear [and worship] the Lord your God [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect];”

a.     One of the most typical words that refer to the fear of God is “yirah” and can have several different meanings including: awe, wonder, amazement, mystery, astonishment, gratitude and worship.

b.     We should fear the wrath of God, because of His mightiness, but remember that wrath was poured out on Jesus, and we have taken Him as our Savior from that wrath.

2.                 I remember the first time I blew a bubble with my gum in front of my kids. They were so amazed… how did I make that happen from the gum!

a.     This is what the Word is talking about when we “fear” God, but to a much greater degree. Our response when we think about God with childlike amazement at how great He is compared to what we know of the world should make us tremble at His greatness.

E.    Little Children love to spend time with their parents. They want to do EVERYTHING with them.

1.     God has sent the Holy Spirit to us, to walk with us each and every moment of the day. He is just waiting for us to acknowledge Him, then He will move in greater and greater measure in our lives.

a.     “In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]” (Proverbs 3:6 AMP)

III.  (Ch 10) Durham states God loves us and gives us all good things (James 1:17) and that we have an enemy (Satan, that old Dragon) who is the one who brings bad things in our lives.

A.    God is always the same

1.     Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.

B.    We take refuge in Him where we find protection.

1.     “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]” (Psalms 91:1-2)

C.    Sin gives Satan an opportunity to bring charges against us in the courts of Heaven so that he has a right to send bad things into our lives.

1.                                      “Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness]” (Ephesians 4:26-27 AMP)

2.                                       “Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

a.                          The word “enemy” in the original Greek is “antididos” meaning “one who brings a law suit.

b.                          Jesus is referred to as our “advocate” meaning our legal representative (Hebrews 12:24, 1 John 2:2)

c.                           God is called our Judge (Hebrews 4:5, Dan 7:10)

3.                                      We have already won all the cases, because we have been covered by the blood. However, just like here on Earth, if no one shows us, the accuser wins.

4.                                      This is why we “plead the blood.” In court you plead guilty or not guilty, we plead, “Because of the blood of Jesus all cases in Heaven against us must be dismissed.” (1 John 2:2)

5.                                      God sent me a dream one night to reinforce that this is how it works in Heaven: A group of us arrived by boat at a cute little town. Many of us took shelter in a local inn, others chose to camp in a tent. As soon as the sun went down, everyone in the town when straight to bed. Our group stayed up chatting and joking.

I wondered outside where lampposts were stationed at regular intervals. I saw a little great blob-ish monster slither over to a post and it slid up to the top. At first I was concerned that it would attack, but all it did was watch as I hurried to where a couple had put up a tent and were singing by the campfire.

Morning came and we prepared to leave. As be marched toward the beach, a police officer approached. “Hold up a minute,” he said, “There are a few charges you must see to before you go.”

“What charges?” I asked, “We were told the stay was free?”

Flipping open a pad of paper he began to read a list of ridiculous charges, “Talking after sunset, walking after sundown, singing after sunset…” and so on.

As he gave the total price on these items, I knew the few coins we had in the boat would never be enough and told the officer so. “You will have to appear before the Judge in the morning to see if you can get them dismissed,” he informed me.

The officer escorted us back to the inn and I noticed an area set apart by a chain-linked fence. It was full of worn and tired looking people locked inside. It was a shabby looking compound with rundown buildings. I knew that this is where we would be if we couldn’t get the judge to dismiss those charges.

a.                          The small town is Earth

b.                          The Inn is our time here

c.                           The green monsters are demons sent to watch each and every one of us: they report to Satan in Heaven

d.                          The charges are charges, bogus cases, Satan files against us in Heaven

e.                           Unless we go before the Judge and “plead the blood” of Jesus over any cases against us, we are imprisoned by our sin

6.     This is why bad things happen to good people. They perish for lack of knowledge (Hebrews Hosea 4:6). They don’t know they have cases against them and they don’t know they have to plead the blood. It gives Satan access to them.

7.     This verse confirms that Satan is in Heaven accusing us before God night and day and during the tribulation, he will be cast out of Heaven.

8.     Pastor Roland Buck confirmed this in his book Angels on Assignment when the Archangel Michael appeared to him and told him that for now God only lets him disperse buildups of Satan’s army, but the day is coming when God will let him kick Satan and every demon out of Heaven – no one knows the day or the hour but God, but he looks forward to it coming. Michael also told him that Satan puts charges against God’s people night and day and Satan doesn’t really comprehend that he has already lost those cases because of the blood of Jesus.

D.   Take time to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal if you have any of these in your heart. He is our helper, many times He is the only way we can get these out of our lives.

1.  “But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things.

IV.  (Ch 10)  Blessing others each and every day should be a habit for all Christians. It can be as easy as breathing if you will ask the Holy Spirit to help you. The following are some types of blessing

A.    Wishing someone well

B.    Giving someone heartfelt thanks

C.    Giving a gift

1.     Blessing someone by giving them a parking space even though you were there first

2.     Helping watch a neighbors kid

D.   Giving of our time to help others

1.     Opening a door for someone

2.     Carrying a heavy bag for someone

V.    Next Week: Read Chapters 10 & 11

A.    Don’t forget to invite the Holy Spirit to teach you

1.     JOHN 14:26 (NKJ) "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…”

2.     Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I thank you for the Holy Spirit. Your word says that He is our Helper who will teach us all things. I ask, Holy Spirit, be with me as I read. Reveal Jesus to me. Show me what I You would have me know. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

The Fullness of God

John 1:1-5   1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.

³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

What does John mean by “the word”?

The word was a term used by theologians and philosophers, both Jews and Greeks in many different ways.

In Hebrew scripture, the Word was an agent of creation.

Psalms 33:6   ⁶ By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

The source of Gods message to his people was through the prophets, and Gods law, His standard of holiness.

The Greek philosophy “the word” was the principle reason that governed the world.

While in Hebrew thought “the word” was another expression for God.

John’s description shows clearly that he is speaking of Jesus.

Jesus. A person who was known and loved, but at the same time was the creator of the universe.

John 1:10   ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

The ultimate revelation of God is the living picture of God’s holiness, the one who holds all creation together.

Colossians 1: 17-19   ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

John 1: 15-17   ¹⁵ John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

¹⁶ And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

¹⁷ For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

After Christ came people could know God fully, because he became visible and tangible in Christ.

Christ Jesus is the perfect expression of God in the Human form.

Errors people make about Jesus are to minimize his humanity, or minimize his divinity. Jesus is both God and man.

Colossians 2:9-10  ⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

¹⁰ And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

In Christ Jesus the fullness of God lives in a human body, making Him the Godhead.

What this means is that all of God was in Jesus’ body: his human body.

When we have Jesus we have everything we need for salvation and righteous living.

This is one of the strongest statements about the divine nature of Jesus found in the bible.

Philippians 2:5-9   ⁵ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

John 1:1   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Jesus is supreme over all creation: including the spirit world.

We as believers must believe in the deity of Jesus Christ.

If we don’t our Christian faith is hollow, misdirected and meaningless.

This is the central truth of Christianity. We must oppose those who say that Jesus was just a prophet, or a good teacher.

Galatians 4:4-5   ⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

When the right time came God sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins and Gods timing is perfect.

Sometimes we wonder when God will respond to our prayers. He always responds at the right time.

As you impatiently wait, trust Gods judgment. Trust that he has your best interest in mind… always.

Ephesians 3:19-20   ¹⁹ And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

²⁰ Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

This fullness is fully expressed only in Jesus Christ.

In union with Jesus, and through the empowering spirit, we are complete.

We have all the fullness of God available to us. We must appropriate “or set apart” that fullness through faith and through prayer as we live daily for Him.

Ephesians 4:11-13   ¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

The Holy Spirit has given each Christian special gifts for building up the Church.

Of you don’t know what your gifts are, ask God to show you. As you begin to recognize your area of service, use your gifts to strengthen and encourage the church.

God has given His church “which means the body of Christ” an enormous responsibility to make disciples in every nation.

This involves preaching, teaching and yes bible studies.

As the body reaches its fullness of God we can accomplish more together than we could ever dream as being possible.

Working together we can express the fullness of God through his son Jesus Christ.