Ministry of Angels

Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Hebrews 1:14
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Acts 12: 5, 7
Peter, therefore, was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto GOD for him...And, behold, an angel of the LORD came upon him, and a light shone in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly". And his chains fell off from his hands.

Angels are dispatched from GOD. They are the "response team"sent to reply to the prayers of people. Angels minister to a special group of people, the heirs of salvation. We can understand this as being those who are born again and part of the family of GOD. Romans 8:16,17 says this very clearly: " The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of GOD; and if children, then heirs-heirs of GOD, and joint heirs with Christ-if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." Galatians 4:7 underscores this point: "Wherefore, thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of GOD through Christ."

It is to the heirs of salvation that the ministering angels are sent. They are light, they speak and they have great power to deliver the sons of GOD from the chains that bind and the prisons that enclose. When these chains fall off and the prison doors are open, the heirs can bring forth the Gospel of JESUS Christ so that all who hear can be saved.

Why does GOD send His angels to free us to minister? It is the will of GOD that all will be saved. GOD goes to great length to make sure that all people will hear the good news of JESUS Christ and cling to Him and be heirs of salvation.
TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER, FOR EVER AND EVER MORE

TRUTH ABOUT ANGELS-continued

Monday, January 31, 2011
Psalm 103:20
Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word.

In this one verse, we see the function and action of angels. There is little doubt about them, after reading this verse. Who are they and what do they do?
1. The angels belong to the LORD, they are "His angels".
2. They excel in strength.
3. They do the commandments of the LORD.
4. They hearken, listen and follow, the voice of JESUS, the Word of GOD.

This week, we are going to look at the Ministry of Angels. To whom do they minister and in what way do they function and act. Billy Graham calls the angels,"GOD'S invisible helpers", so we will look at how the angels help the children of GOD.

BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME BLESS HIS HOLY NAME

TRUTH ABOUT ANGELS-continued

Saturday January 29,2011
The Revelation 19: 4-6
And the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped GOD that sat on the throne, saying, AMEN. HALLELUJAH! And a voice came out of the throne, saying, PRAISE OUR GOD, ALL YE HIS SERVANTS, AND YE THAT FEAR HIM, BOTH SMALL AND GREAT.
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
HALLELUJAH! FOR THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH!

We end this week with a song of praise. I encourage all of you who read this devotional today to stop what you are doing and join your voices with angels and the archangels and all the company of Heaven who laud and magnify the Holy Name of JESUS, evermore saying:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD GOD OF POWER AND MIGHT; HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE FULL OF YOUR GLORY; HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST, BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST! AMEN AND AMEN

TRUTH ABOUT ANGELS-continued

Friday January 28, 2011
I Thessalonians 4:16
For the LORD Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangels and with the trumpet of GOD; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

"Let all mortal flesh keep silence and with fear a trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded for with blessing in His Hand
Christ our GOD to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand."

"Rank on rank the host of heaven spread its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of Light descendeth from the realm of endless day,
that the powers of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away"

"At His feet the six-winged seraph, cherubim with sleepless eye.
Veil their faces to the Presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Lord Most High."

Who are the Seraphs, the cherubim and the archangels? Who are the host of Heaven who have the sleepless eye and give glory to GOD endlessly?

The Seraphim are the six-winged, "burning ones" who pray and praise GOD day and night endlessly. They cry out and declare the Glory of GOD as they veil their faces to the Presence with two wings covering their face and two wings covering their feet. They fly with two wings shouting: "Alleluia, LORD Most high".

The Cherubim, guard the Throne of GOD. They flank and defend GOD'S holiness from the onslaught of sin. They flank the Mercy Seat in the Presence of GOD, never lifting their head, always bowing to Him in praise. In Genesis 3:24, there is the account of the Cherubim being placed at the gate of the Garden of Eden with a flaming sword that whirled around. The Cherubim, guarded the Tree of Life from sin defiling and sin becoming immortal.

The Archangels, have the authority over the army of GOD. There are three archangels mentioned in the Canon of Scripture and one in the Deutero-Canon. Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer are mentioned in the Canon Scripture; Raphael is spoken of in Tobit, in the Apocrypha.

Michael and Gabriel are often sent as "messenger angels". Michael, to fight for the anointed of GOD and Gabriel to announce the WORD of the LORD to a human. The Archangels have a direct relationship with humans as defender and messenger from GOD. Lucifer, was a cherub and was not loyal to GOD (Ezekiel 28: 14). Lucifer and his rank of angels were thrown out of Heaven by the command of GOD (Isaiah 14:12-17). Raphael was sent by GOD to heal Tobit of his blindness. This story is not in the Canon of Scripture, but does tell of the Archangel being sent by GOD.

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the Throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN TO RECEIVE POWER, AND RICHES, AND WISDOM, AND STRENGTH, AND HONOR , AND GLORY, AND BLESSING."

TRUTH ABOUT ANGELS-continued

Thursday, January 27, 2011
Genesis 3:24
And He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword, which turned every way, to guard the way of the Tree of Life.

ANGELS AND THEIR ORDER IN HEAVEN

Yesterday, we discussed the order of Seraphim, who are described, so well, in Isaiah 6:2. This Order of Angels are called the "Burning ones" and they worship and adore GOD day and night. They have a voice, and with that voice they cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD".

The next Order of Angels are the Cherubim. These Angels "guard" the very Throne of GOD. They are not cute little, plump, cupid angels, like you see in the stores. These are the Angels who flank and defend the Holiness of GOD from the onslaught of the enemy. They have a sword, which turns every way and guards the way to the Tree of Life. These are the two angels who are atop the Ark of the Covenant, with two wings touching each other as they bow before the presence of GOD. They guard the Mercy Seat and the entrance to the Holy of Holies.

The army Angels are the Archangels. These angels have authority over the army of angels in Heaven, who relate and reveal GOD to humankind. There are three archangels mentioned in the Canon of Scripture: Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer ( who rebelled against GOD and was thrown out of heaven). There is one mentioned in the Deuterocanononical books: Raphael, the angel of healing.

ALL THE ANGELIC HOST IS COMMANDED BY JESUS AND WORSHIP THE LORD GOD IN HIGH PRAISE.

TRUTH ABOUT ANGELS-continued

Wednesday, January 26,2011
Psalm 91:11,12
For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hand, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

To whom do the angels obey and by whom are they "commanded"? I Peter 3: 21b, 22 tells us: "but the answer of a good conscience toward GOD, by the resurrection of JESUS Christ, who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of GOD, Angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him." ANGELS ANSWER TO THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST.

Now, look at the verse from Psalm 91. It is JESUS who gives the angels charge over you, to keep you in all of your ways. He tells them to bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. Your are guarded by a host of angels, who must do the bidding of JESUS. JESUS, who shed His Blood for your redemption and took your place, buying you back from the grip of Satan; JESUS, who loves you with eternal love, commands the angels to protect you.

OH LOVE, HOW DEEP, HOW BROAD, HOW HIGH. WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS, O MY SOUL.

TRUTH ABOUT ANGELS-continued

Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Isaiah 6:1-3
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the Seraphim: each one had six wings, with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, HOLY, HOLY,HOLY is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.

Angels do have wings and they do fly.

Many people have an understanding that the angels float around on clouds, carrying and playing harps, like cute, little, round, musical beings. From this verse in Isaiah, I get the picture of awe, glory, honor, praise and power, around the Throne of GOD. Even though these are of the Seraphim class of angels, known as "GOD'S burning ones", they are spoken of as having six wings. Two cover their face and two cover their feet, this is to cover themselves in the presence of the Holy One. They honor the Holy One with a call of reverence for GOD; Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD. ANGELS BOW AND GIVE HOMAGE AND RESPECT IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD GOD, day and night. With two wings, they fly, sounding the call throughout the earth: Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God of hosts.

These "burning ones" bring a flame of Holy Fire to the earth. A glory cloud and a pillar of fire to lead humankind into the Holy Place of the LORD where people, of every tongue and Nation, can
join their voices with the Angelic Host, praising GOD and saying: Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.

Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD.