Tag: angels

ADVENT Story Revealed part 13

The Call of the Shepherd

Luke 2:8-9
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…

It is the day after Christmas and my thoughts lingered on the shepherds who were priviliged to be visited by an angel and instructed to seek the babe who would be the Savior of the world. I can imagine them coming together on the hillsides after watching a cascade of fiery angels lighting up the night sky and filling them with awe. I can just see them all wanting to head into the sleepy town of Bethlehem, but then some of the older shepherds hesitated to leave their flocks alone. So, some relunctantly stayed with the promise that they will be later relieved to seek out the Christ child also. Most eagerly rushed down the darkened hillside. They split up to scoure the overcrowded town, waking up the households with new born babes. There were probably a number of irated parents that night. For the shepherds woke them up and insisted to see their new born but quickly left because they have yet to find the new born in swaddling clothes laid in a manger. Of course, they found the house where Mary gave birth inside the empty animal pens. One of them blew a ram’s horn to signal the other searchers that the right babe was found. When asked of why this large group of shepherds came asking about Mary’s new born, they made known to them the statement which had been told them about this Child. When they eventually left…

Luke 2:20
The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

You know, shepherds were not highly thought of by the big wigs of that time. But God loves them. In the Old Testament, God favored them. Look up the stories of Abel, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who were all shepherds. One shepherd in particular was so favored by God that he became Israel’s greatest king. He contributed a fair number of songs (psalms) in the Bible one of which was about ‘The Shepherd’ of them all.

Psalm 23:1-6 (A Psalm of David)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

I know why God sent the angel to appear to the sheherds first. You see, He desires us to be shepherds just like them. I don’t mean literal shepherds but spiritual ones.

Like Jesus…

John 10:14-15
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Then we should…

Acts 20:28
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

And…

1 Peter 5:1-4
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

As to The Shepherd who look over us…

Psalm 79:13
But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

BIBLE Q & A with Johann – #8

Questions about Guardian Angels

People have many notions about guardian angels. It is safe to say that much of it were based on personal experiences of supposed angels that had kept them in one way or another from getting into trouble, getting hurt or other disasters. But are these notions biblical.

Here is what Crosswork.com say – “While angelic activity fills the pages of the Bible, the Bible is not very forth coming when talking about the particulars of the ministries of ‘guardian’ angels.” *

Ok! There is nothing specific, however, let us explore anyway what the Bible says in regards to specific questions below.

Do Christians have angels that protect them?

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:10

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14

What Do Angels Do?

Spiritual beings or angels carry out God’s purpose in the natural world.

In the Old Testament, angels brought great news to Abraham and Sarah that they will bring forth a son in their old age. Those same angels also saved Abraham’s nephew Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was an angel that came to Jacob three times in his lifetime. There was the Angel of Death that struck down the first borns of Egypt at the same time, sparing the Israelites. It was an Angel of the Lord that led the slave nation of Israel out of Egypt and in the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness as a column of cloud by day and a pilar of fire by night. Angels came to help prophets like Daniel and Elijah. The angel of the LORD killed a large number of the Assyrian army. There was even an angel who communicated to Balaam by the mouth of an ass.

In the New Testament, the Angel Michael appeared to Zechariah to proclaim the miraculous birth of John the Baptist. Months later, he again appeared to a 14 year old Mary of Nazareth and declared that she will be the mother of Jesus. Then again he gloriously appeared with a host of heavenly angels declaring to startled shepherds of the birth of the messiah. An angel came to Joseph in a dream three times. From time to time an angel would stir the water in the pool of Bethesda. God had sent spiritual messengers to minister to Jesus several times. An angel appears twice near Jesus’ tomb declaring, to Mary, Mary Magdalene and others, that the Lord has already risen from the dead. God had sent the angel of the Lord to free Peter and John from prison. An angelic being appears to Philip the Evangelist and commands him to travel to Gaza. During his travel he runs into an Ethiopian eunuch, explains the gospel to him, and ultimately baptizes him. One of the greatest New Testament interactions with an angel occurs when one is sent to the Apostle John. He journeys to the apostle, who has been exiled to the island of Patmos, to reveal prophecies to him that will ultimately become the book of Revelation.

Do they have names?

Yes, angels do have names, however, we only know with certainty the names of four angels.

    • Michael (Dan 10:13,21) (Dan 12:1) (Jude 1:9)(Rev 12:7) – Michael is called an “archangel” in (Jude 1:9), and based upon the times he is mentioned in the Bible, it appears he might be God’s chief warrior angel.
    • Gabriel (Dan 8:16) (Dan 9:21) (Lk 1:19.26) – Each time the angel Gabriel is mentioned, he is delivering messages from God.
    • Lucifer (Isa 14:12) – Based upon the description of Lucifer in (Isa 14:12-15), Lucifer appears to be Satan, who is a fallen angel (Lk 10:18).
    • Abaddon/Apollyon (Rev 9:11). – “Abaddon/Apollyon is also a fallen angel who is mentioned as ruling over the “bottomless pit” in the end times.

[Do angels have names? by Steve Shirley]

Can departed loved ones actually return to “watch over” us here on earth?

Once we die, we die. Either we go to Heaven or to Hell depending on whether we received God’s free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12 and John 3:16). It is impossible for those who have died to return to earth in any form whatsoever (Luke 16:19-31). *

Do people become angels when they go to Heaven?

Despite conventional wisdom, humans are not transformed into angels when they die.

For example, in a discussion of whether or not marriage exists in Heaven, Jesus said, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matthew 24:38).

Note that we are like angels—but we are not angels.

Paul teaches on many occasions that we keep our own identities, personalities and enough of our earthly features to be recognized by others in eternity (1 Corinthians 13:11-12). While we will be transformed into the likeness of Christ (1 John 3:2), we will remain distinctly who we were on earth—and we will not be angels. *

[* from Crosswalk.com article “Do we have guardian angels” by Dr. Roger Barrier]