Angels are not something that most people think about. Think about or not they are very much there and part of God’s connecting with our world. Have you ever thought about Angels? How big are Angels anyway? Do they have wings of something like that? So many folk stories surround them.
In the Bible there are many accounts of Angels given to us. You will find that they show up every time God has another important announcement or task to be done. They are obedient to him and are there to serve the almighty God.
John, a minister friend of mine lived in a difficult situation. As a minister he was called by God to live and serve among drug addicts in an inner city setting. The apartment that his family lived in was in a building that was almost the centre of much of the drug happening. Deals were regularly cut in the hallways or entrance areas of the building. The people dealing had little fear of anyone – but instead produced fear in every one. No one would cross these men and women.
John lived there with his wife and two children. The apartment was strung out along the side of the building, as all apartments are, with the kitchen, dinning room and living room on the left as you come in and the bedrooms and bathroom to the right of the entrance.
It had been a difficult day for John. He had been trying to intervene on behalf of young man that was caught in the swirl that comes along with an addiction. The young man’s mother and sister were desperate for help and had worked closely with John. Finally that day they had been able to get him into a special shelter away from the drug scene. With God’s help and help from a team that would work with him he perhaps could straighten his life out. It had been a long day.
John was effective in what he did within his ministry. But John also was under attack from frightening thoughts. Fear would seize him at times and almost paralyzed him. As he described the scene of that evening I could feel the Fear as well.
As John sat in his lazy boy chair reading he could here a commotion in the hallway outside his apartment door. People were talking to each other – at times with animated and loud. Then the sounds escalated to an apparent fight taking place a short distance from his door. There was silence and then a knocking at his door – normal at first and then it became more urgent. John’s vision locked on the door. Opening it at this stage was not a prudent thing to do – he knew that. His wife and children were sleeping just down the hallway. There was danger outside the door.
The knocking stopped and then there was silence… broken only by a muffled noise not far from his door.
It was in the next while that Fear began to grip his thoughts. The thoughts began small and then grew – until they were swirl of rage firing from every side. It made his heart beat faster and he felt riveted to his chair. The one major thought was, “I will get your family...” This thought was not his own – but rather a very real Satanic orchestrated attack designed to render him useless… perhaps even drive him out of the building with his family in tow.
As I listened to John tell me his story I saw the Fear again and identified with what he was saying. I had personally been in this kind of Fear Filled situation as well – not the same kind of thing that John had faced – but one that paralyzed me with the same feelings. I knew what he was talking about.
John continued… As he sat there sensing what was happening around him he prayed, “God help us. God protect us. God what will I do?” Fear had a strong hold on him in every way.
This was not the first time it had happened either. The sense this time was that his family was at risk and that they needed to flee.
As John sat in his chair he looked at the door hearing a muffled noise again. It was definitely not real but yet it was real. A hand appeared slowly from the crack in the door. Not a human hand but rather something that looked as if was from a horror movie. John realize then that this reality around him had moved into kind of a vision state… where he was seeing what God would have him see. This was the world around him and this was the cause of the Fear that he felt. This was a demonic hand trying to reach into his apartment and life with every intention to destroy them all. This was the Fear itself.
As the now vision continued the arm was followed by the upper body and then the grinning head. It was now part way into his very apartment and looked down the hallway to the bedrooms of his sleeping family. It was heading there next.
John in desperation cried out, “Jesus help us. What will I do?”
Quite suddenly a light began to appear inside his apartment door. There in the middle of the light was a very, very large Angel. This Angel was much larger than the creature that was now part way into the entrance way. John said the Angel’s arms were massive – almost as big as a man’s thigh. The Angel stared at the creature and then drew his sword hanging from his side. With one definite swish, the arm of the demon was severed. In the same instant it disappeared and was gone. The Angel crossed his arms and stood to attention – ready for any further action that might come his way. This was God’s man and he was there to protect him.
As John told me this powerful vision that he had I was filled with awe. God had allowed John to see a world that was there – but couldn’t be seen with John’s eyes until God opened his spiritual eyes to see.
John said the most amazing thing happened in the next moments as he sat in his chair – the Fear had vanished. It was gone completely. All was well again – there was perfect peace in his little apartment.
I have been in that kind of frozen moment as well with Fear swarming from every side until you can hardly breathe. I am sure that many of us have been as well. Maybe you have been so over come with thoughts and actual happenings around you that you felt that you just can’t go on. John certainly did this particular night. But few of us realize that God has power there for us when we don’t even know about it. We have his power and his strength – in many forms including Angels that we are not even aware of… what a wonderful thought that is.
Over these past years I have thought of John’s account many times. I have stopped many times to remember that God showed John his Angel. Then in a very special moment God let me know that he has reserved a good platoon of really big Angels just for me… and though I can’t see them – they are on guard all the time.
Any worries bugging you today? If there are I ask you to consider talking to God and in the name of Jesus address your problems in front of God. Tell him what you are frightened about. Tell him about the overwhelming Fear that surrounds you so often. Tell him about the little frustrations that have left you so angry that you cannot go on. Just tell Him.
God has stationed some really big help just outside your door. You cannot see them but they are there. They will not talk to you unless God directs it so… but if it happened it would be real and for a purpose. And guess what they are not afraid of anything!
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
(PS – the eyes watching you today are the eyes of young friend of mine name “Angelo” – very appropriate don’t you think?)
Perhaps you need a real boost today… please check out this story in a Bible near by you today… You can find this one in
2 Kings 6: 8 - 238 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place."
9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there." 10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?"
12 "None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."
13 "Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan."
14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.
16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19 Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.
20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?"
22 "Do not kill them," he answered. "Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master."
23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory.
