Gtcotr/ss102608
Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (NIV)
Angels are everywhere and you may encounter them unaware of who they are and what they are sent to do.
What do angels do?
Angels intervene in the affairs of man on behalf of God.
* They reveal God’s will to men, women, boys and girls. From John the Baptist’s father to Samson’s mother, from the Prophet Samuel when he was but a little boy to Mary the mother of Jesus when she was a young maiden, angels are sent on assignment from heaven to earth.
* An angel stood in the way of Balaam the prophet when he was determined to curse the Children of God.
* An angel was sent on assignment to interpret a dream for Daniel and another to shut the mouths of the lions.
* Angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds watching over their flocks near the town of Bethlehem that first Christmas.
* Angels were stationed to guard the way to the tree of life so that no person could live forever without the blood of Messiah, the Lamb of God.
* Angels do heavenly warfare against demons of darkness in a struggle between good and evil.
* Angel armies are now awaiting their deployment in full force against the anti-Christ in the last battle over earth and the souls of man.
* Angels open prison doors, offer the prayers of men on the altar of God, carry the souls of saints to heaven and walk among us as unknown agents of God’s providence.
* Angels are everywhere!
* They appear to saints and sinners alike: Cornelius; Hagar; Lot and the men of Sodom; Balaam; King Nebuchadnezzar and so many others.
So, now that we know what angels do … how do we get them to do it? This brings us to our Key Scripture for today.
Key Scripture: Psalms 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Angels excel in strength.
Angels are well able to whatever needs doing.
Angels move at God’s command.
An angel’s priority is to do whatever God commands them to do. God’s direct orders hold top priority for their activities.
However angels, like man, are not always under direct orders from heaven. Much of what angels are responsible for fall under the category of their prime directive:
They operate much like us Believers do. We respond to God’s commands, those “Thus saith the Lord” moments. Those directives which hold singular priority over every other good thing we are doing. When God speaks we drop what we are doing and respond to Him.
It’s something like I taught my children to do. Early in their upbringing, just after conception, I began to program them to recognize the voice of their father. I would continually get close to their mother’s stomach and speak to them words of comfort, words of encouragement and words of future. I quoted scriptures to them constantly, much like what God does in bringing us to our new birth.
After they were born I continued and expected them to understand. I told them that they would always know my voice and respond to me differently that they did other voices. When they were old enough I trained them to pick my voice out of the voices of many people speaking at the same time. It may seem a stretch but I instructed them that they did not have the right to not hear my voice when I spoke to them but that they should have their ears tuned to my voice. For what it’s worth, it worked for me and my family.
I tend to give my children great latitude in life. I taught them right and then let them experience life with the principles I had given them. I knew that I would not always be there to answer their questions, so I put them into situations early on where they had to make decisions on their own based on the principles from God’s Word which I had taught them.
I gave my children the right to live their own life within the guidelines we had set up for our family. In that sense and within those confines, they pretty much did their own thing. However, no matter what they were busy doing, when daddy called, whistled or otherwise attempted to get their attention, it was imperative that they leave what they were doing and attend to my command.
This ‘training up of a child in the way they should go’ took a lot of dedicated time but I believed that I was teaching them how to respond to God’s voice and how to prioritize their lives. Like I said, for me and my family … it worked and I would do it all over again the same way.
I see this as a Kingdom pattern. God has given us marching orders, limits, guidelines and goals. When we are not on a ‘commanded march’ for God, we are free to live our lives in accordance with the principles of God’s Word and our Prime Directive.
The Prime Directive for every Believer is to go into all the world and tell every person about Jesus, teaching them to observe and to do all that He has commanded. This can be done in so many ways and most of the time we are free to decide how we are going to do it.
However, when God calls us to a specific task, it holds priority and we must drop what we are doing and respond with our full attention and focus on the command of God.
I see angels as no different. When God commands them to some specific task, they are focused on that assignment. However, when not engaged in a ‘command’ from God, they go about their daily affairs attempting to accomplish their Prime Directive.
What is the Prime Directive of the angelic host of heaven?
Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
An angel’s prime directive is to serve the saints with the will of God.
Last week we read in Acts 12 that an angel came to deliver the Apostle Peter in direct response to the prayers of the church.
We also read the scriptures that tell angels attend to the prayers of the saints. In other words, angels pay special attention to our prayers. Some prayers are echoed throughout heaven, such as prayers of repentance while others are taken carefully in their hands and released in the face of God for His personal consideration.
Angels have a prime directive to listen to and attend to what you say.
After Daniel had prayed for twenty one days the Angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel and told him:
Daniel 10:12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. (NKJV)
Angels have the abilities beyond our imagination and they are willing to serve us and help us if only we will direct them by giving voice to God’s word.
Psalms 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
This confirms every scripture you have ever heard about faith and confession.
Angels are on assignment to listen to your words. They are waiting for you to rise up in faith and be a voice for God’s word.
Angels are sent from heaven under the prime directive to serve the heirs of salvation, the Believers, those Born Again Children of God.
Unless your words, desires or intentions violate God’s commands, angels will go forward at your word.
Explain these scriptures … who actually does the work? Angels do!
Proverbs 18
20 A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
John 14
13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
James 4
1 ¶ From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Angels don’t go around doing whatever you ask when you ask against God’s will. However, they will do anything for you that is God’s will … and that’s a pretty good deal! Just …
Stick to the will!
What do angels do? They intervene in the affairs of man on God’s behalf.
How do we get them to do it?
We become a voice for God’s Word which is God’s Will.
Angels have a prime directive to serve you. When they are not actually engaged in a priority command from God they are present with you, listening to you, waiting for your faith filled words to be their next command.
God’s Word is God’s Will. Angels are enforcers of God’s Word in the earth. God has commanded Angels to serve you.
Believe the Word; Speak the Word; Pray the Word and angels will make it happen.
Personal accounts of modern day angelic intervention.
