Tag Archives: angels

God’s Envoys, September 14, 2020

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.          

19 Next, the angel of God, who was going ahead of the camp of Isra’el, moved away and went behind them; and the column of cloud moved away from in front of them and stood behind them. 20 It stationed itself between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Isra’el — there was cloud and darkness here, but light by night there; so that the one did not come near the other all night long.

21 Moshe reached his hand out over the sea, and Adonai caused the sea to go back before a strong east wind all night. He made the sea become dry land, and its water was divided in two. 22 Then the people of Isra’el went into the sea on the dry ground, with the water walled up for them on their right and on their left.

23 The Egyptians continued their pursuit, going after them into the sea — all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and cavalry. 24 Just before dawn, Adonai looked out on the Egyptian army through the column of fire and cloud and threw them into a panic. 25 He caused the wheels of their chariots to break off, so that they could move only with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Adonai is fighting for Isra’el against the Egyptians! Let’s get away from them!”

26 Adonai said to Moshe, “Reach your hand out over the sea, and the water will return and cover the Egyptians with their chariots and cavalry.” 27 Moshe reached his hand out over the sea, and by dawn the sea had returned to its former depth. The Egyptians tried to flee, but Adonai swept them into the sea. 28 The water came back and covered all the chariots and cavalry of Pharaoh’s army who had followed them into the sea — not even one of them was left. 29 But the people of Isra’el walked on dry ground in the sea, with the water walled up for them on their right and on their left.

30 On that day, Adonai saved Isra’el from the Egyptians; Isra’el saw the Egyptians dead on the shore. 31 When Isra’el saw the mighty deed that Adonai had performed against the Egyptians, the people feared Adonai, and they believed in Adonai and in his servant Moshe. (Exodus 14:19-31 Complete Jewish Bible)

God’s angels are an interesting study. They appear periodically in scripture, sometimes to share a message from God, sometimes to guard or protect, sometimes to destroy. These created beings perform tasks at God’s bidding and their power, through God, always amazes me. 

In this instance, God’s messenger acted as both guide and protector for the young Israelite nation. Around him stood a cloud by day and a fire by night, visible to the entire encampment who fled Egypt. Also visible to any who happened to be anywhere near the Israelites. I expect the vision of the cloud and fire surrounding God’s angel must have looked like an isolated storm cloud rising from the ground instead of falling from the sky. We’ll come back to that in a moment.

Other instances of God’s envoys include the two men who visited Abram and told him about their mission to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God gave them the task of destroying the wicked cities and the plains in which they were located. Their mission, rain down the fire and brimstone we hear about and ensure God’s plan happened. 

Later, Jacob wrestled with one of God’s messengers who obviously took it pretty easy on him by only touching his hip at the end of a long night of Jacob struggling with him. Just a single touch and Jacob limped the rest of his life, while Jacob wore himself out trying to overcome this angelic being. 

One of God’s warriors went through all of Egypt and killed all the firstborn in every household without the Passover blood painted on the doorpost. One of God’s warriors went through the Amalekite camp, killing many, and creating such chaos among the rest that they killed each other. Another of his warriors killed 185,000 Assyrians laying siege at the walls of Jerusalem as Hezekiah prayed to God for deliverance. Gabriel brought the message of Jesus’ coming birth to Mary and Joseph. Michael fought Satan’s warriors before delivering God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer. 

Angels sat atop the stone at Jesus’ resurrection and caused an earthquake as they touched ground, frightening the tomb guards to a state of unconsciousness. A legion of angels stood by ready to rescue Jesus from the cross should he give the word. Angels transported Lazarus to Abraham’s bosom in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The only story Jesus told with names instead of using terms like “there was a man, or there were certain men, or there was one.” Perhaps not a parable after all, but scene he saw before his incarnation.

So, let’s go back to the angelic guide God sent to the Israelites to protect them from the Egyptians right after their escape. Pharaoh changed his mind, as God knew he would. Cheap labor (just the cost of enough food, clothing, and lodging to help them survive) was as important in Pharaoh’s day as it seems to be in ours. After they left the country, he realized his cheap labor disappeared and it would take conquering another country to enlist more slaves, something he was not ready or willing to do. 

Probably few besides Moses had left Egypt and knew anything about the wilderness they traveled. They needed a guide to get them to the place God promised their ancestors those centuries earlier. The tornado of a cloud in front of them, provided that compass. Then the chariots came. Horses move significantly faster than children on foot. The angel became more than a guide, he became a fence. 

I can picture the scene as the Egyptians see their prey just ahead and then this wall lifts from in front of the Israelites and lands yards in front of them. It looks like a cloud but is impenetrable. Scouts try to push through the fog in front of them and as soon as they enter, they seem to lose all sense of direction and come out exactly where they went in. They try other means to get through before darkness overshadows them, but to no avail. Every time they try to go through the cloud, they find themselves right back where they started. They can’t get through. 

Darkness falls. On the Egyptian side of the cloud, it’s the darkest night they’ve seen since the plague of darkness that struck the country weeks ago. They can’t see anything, even when they try to light a candle, the light seems swallowed by the unusual blackness. On the other side of the cloud, the Israelites face light as bright as daylight coming from the same wall. God’s envoy provides darkness and a wall to the Egyptians and light for the Israelites. Moses tells them to head toward the Reed Sea to continue their escape. The people look dumbfounded. There are probably not enough boats in all of Egypt to carry them and their cattle across the sea.

Then Moses holds out his rod and the east wind picks up speed. It’s hard to stand in the tumult. It’s not just a breeze, but one of the strongest winds they’ve ever seen blazing across the sea. Moses gives the order to march. The first of those reaching what should be the shore start to yell, praising God for his great power. The nation crosses on dry land. But the Egyptians follow. 

The cloud has once more moved in front of the Israelites leading them across the sea and into the wilderness toward their promised future, but perhaps the angel leaves the cloud for a moment to break those chariot wheels, add a little water to the sea basin creating a little mud for the chariots and horses. Maybe he cut a few reins and loosened a few shafts. Whatever happened, the Egyptians didn’t fare well when they crossed the sea and suddenly, they faced the onslaught of the rushing water pouring over their armor-clad bodies.

Why all this talk about angels? To remind us that as we walk through the days ahead, God remains in charge. One of his names is God of Heavens Armies. Note that it’s not just one army at his disposal, but armies as in many. If one angel can create the kind of protection we see for the Israelites, or Elijah, or Jesus, imagine what an army of angels could do. And God has armies of angels at his disposal to do whatever he wants done. 

Should we worry about the state of the world? No. God has it under control. He gave us a mission to take care of it for him. We haven’t done a very good job of it. He takes care of his children. We don’t do a very good job of that based on the headlines around the world. But God can at any moment intervene to guide and protect those who follow him. Will he take us out of the predicament we face? Not always. 

Sometimes we get into them by the choices we make and so suffer the natural consequences of those choices. Sometimes we suffer at the hands of others. Why? I don’t know. I don’t understand, except that we live in a fallen, broken world, far from the one God created when he said all he made was good. We’ve kind of messed it up. But God is still God and just like with Moses and the Israelites, just like with Jacob and Mary, and Daniel. God can and does make his plans known and executes them with or without us through the agents of his creation, human or angelic. 

Maybe knowing God has a plan for you and has incredible resources to put at your disposal when you need them will help you get through whatever you face today. He will never let you face more than you can handle when you follow him. He knows us better than we know ourselves and we can’t see around the bend in the road to know how he will use what we face today to help us or someone else tomorrow. Trust him to do what is best for his people.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible-based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day. 

Scriptures marked CJB are taken from the COMPLETE JEWISH BIBLE (CJB): Scripture taken from the COMPLETE JEWISH BIBLE, copyright© 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. www.messianicjewish.net/ jntp. Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources Int’l. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Barred from the gate (Revelation 22:14-15), May 23, 2017

Today’s Podcast


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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Today’s words remind me of the pictures I’ve seen of those high end nightclubs. I’ll tell you how in just a moment.
  3. Scripture
    1. Revelation 22:14-15
    2. Jesus: Blessed are those who wash their garments. In the end, they have rightful access to the tree of life and will enter the city through its gates. 15 The dogs, the sorcerers, those who commit immoral acts, the murderers, the idolaters, and all who love and practice deception must remain outside the gates for all eternity.
  4. Devotional
    1. I’ve never been to a club, but if the most popular are anything like depicted on TV shows and some documentaries, they remind me of these words of Jesus.
      1. Someone larger than the average NFL linebacker stands at the door
      2. A line stretches around the corner filled with people wanting to party
      3. The linebacker keeps the number of people inside just below the maximum allowed by the fire marshall
      4. Some of the more attractive or that look like special partiers are pulled out of line to enter ahead of the crowd
      5. Anyone the linebacker thinks wouldn’t add to the atmosphere of the party inside is barred from entering the door
    2. Heaven will be more selective than those nightclubs
      1. At the end of time there will be a judgment
      2. Those who believe in Jesus will have their names written in the Book of Life, authorization for entry
      3. Those not found worthy because of their unrepentant heart, their unforgiven sin will be barred from entry
      4. Jesus gives us a short list of the kinds of characters barred
        1. The dogs,
        2. the sorcerers,
        3. those who commit immoral acts,
        4. the murderers,
        5. the idolaters,
        6. all who love and practice deception
    3. Jesus has something much better than the NFL linebacker
      1. Remember the Garden of Eden
      2. Angel blocked the entrance to keep Adam and Eve from returning
      3. Pillar of fire blocked the Egyptian army from reaching the Israelites before they reached the Red Sea
      4. Jesus has a legion of angels at His disposal to block the unforgiven from the entrance
    4. Those who enter will live eternally without evil destroying the kingdom
      1. All evil banished
      2. All will be finally separated from the broken world in which we live
      3. All there will be surrounded by nothing but good
      4. No tears, no dying, no evil
      5. Only God’s presence, His holiness, His grace
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

He gave Himself (Matthew 26:52-56) June 28, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Kings 19-22

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 26:52-56
Jesus: Put your sword back. People who live by the sword die by the sword. Surely you realize that if I called on My Father, He would send legions of messengers to rescue Me. But if I were to do that, I would be thwarting the scriptural story, wouldn’t I? And we must allow the story of God’s kingdom to unfold. (to the crowds) Why did you bring these weapons, these clubs and bats? Did you think I would fight you? That I would try to dodge and escape like a common criminal? You could have arrested Me any day when I was teaching in the temple, but you didn’t.
This scene has come together just so, so that the prophecies in the sacred Scripture could be fulfilled.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Did you ever stop to think about the resources Jesus had at his disposal to protect Him from those who would try to harm Him? If you look back through His ministry, you’ll find plenty of opportunities for His enemies to destroy Him but they didn’t. His home town elders wanted to push Him off a cliff, but He slipped through them. The chief priests went after Him several times, but failed in their attempts. Even Satan tried to get Jesus to fall, but he too failed in his schemes against the Son of God.

Time after time, Jesus slipped out through the crowd, confounded the leaders in front of crowds so they couldn’t take Him in front of them. Disappeared in the night as He walked across the water or to another town in the middle of the night. Jesus was elusive to the and just couldn’t be caught.

In fact, John describes this scene a little differently than the other gospels. He records that as the guards came forward to take Jesus, they fell back and fell to the ground. Only after Jesus asked as second time who they were looking for and Judas betrayed Him with a kiss did the soldiers come forward and take Him. The power and protection surrounding Jesus made it impossible for those Roman soldiers to arrest Him until He allowed them to come near and grab hold of Him.

Jesus knew no one could assault Him until He allowed the events to unfold. But He had already talked to His Father about the matter. He was ready to sacrifice Himself for our sins. He was ready to do the Father’s bidding and become the atonement for us. So Jesus gave Himself up to that crowd of soldiers and priests and the betrayer.

The spiritual battle ended in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus already prayed through on the matter. He settled everything with His Father and His Father’s will trumped His own. He would be the sacrifice for us. I think He could still call on the angels of heaven to rescue Him if He chose, but He willingly gave Himself us for us. The soldiers who took Him were helpless against Him as John records, and it was Jesus’ willingness to give Himself over to them that led to the brutality they inflicted against Him.

But we must remember Jesus could have called for relief at any time during that whole ordeal. At the first strike of the whip, He could have broken His chains and turned on the Roman guard with immediate justice at the hands of an avenging angel. When the crown of thorns was being woven by the soldiers, He could have escaped the pain inflicted on His brow by calling on His heavenly attendants to deliver Him and they would. Before He carried the beam for the cross to Golgatha, Jesus could have called for the army of heavenly hosts to come and destroy those who wanted to crucify Him and they would have done just that.

But instead, Jesus endured the pain, the humiliation, the agony of the cross to pay the death penalty required by our sins. He didn’t ask for relief, but instead sacrificed Himself for us. He didn’t have to, but He did. He could have escaped it all, but He remained for each of us.

Where is the so what in there for us today, though? First, we recognize His indescribable love for us. The fact that He would allow all of these things to happen to Him when He could easily escape them and get full retribution against those who tried to harm Him demonstrates just how much He cares for us. Second, We owe Him a great deal, more than we can every repay. He gave His life that we might live. Paul tells us our reasonable worship is to give ourselves as living sacrifices for Him. Anything less than that is unacceptable. It is out reasonable sacrifice for Him.

Third, when we walk with Him and He adopts us into His family, those legions of angels are also at our disposal. We need not fear circumstance around us. We need not feaar the things going on in the world or the politics and trends that seem so evil. God is still in charge. He will take care of His children. We can call on Him and He will be there. Will He immediately transport us from the problem and let us escape the pain and ridicule and persecution we might be under? Maybe not. But He will be right there with us to the end.

Finally, Jesus went through more than most of us will ever endure in our lifetime. He voluntarily gave Himself to the agony for us. When we suffer the slings and arrows society throws at us because we follow Him, it’s nothing compared to what Jesus went through. So when you think you’re under pressure, stress and strain for you faith, think about the cross. If Jesus could endure the cross, surely we can endure the little suffering the world gives us for His sake.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God’s guarding your heart (Matthew 28:1-10) November 28, 2015

Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 28:1-10

Set – Matthew 28; 1 Thessalonians 3

Go! – Matthew 28; 1 Thessalonians 1-3

Matthew 28:1-10
1 After the Sabbath, as the light of the next day, the first day of the week, crept over Palestine, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb to keep vigil. 2 Earlier there had been an earthquake. A messenger of the Lord had come down from heaven and had gone to the grave. He rolled away the stone and sat down on top of it. 3 He veritably glowed. He was vibrating with light. His clothes were light, white like transfiguration, like fresh snow. 4 The soldiers guarding the tomb were terrified. They froze like stone.
5 The messenger spoke to the women, to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.
Messenger of the Lord: Don’t be afraid. I know you are here keeping watch for Jesus who was crucified. 6 But Jesus is not here. He was raised, just as He said He would be. Come over to the grave, and see for yourself. 7 And then go straight to His disciples, and tell them He’s been raised from the dead and has gone on to Galilee. You’ll find Him there. Listen carefully to what I am telling you.
8 The women were both terrified and thrilled, and they quickly left the tomb and went to find the disciples and give them this outstandingly good news. 9 But while they were on their way, they saw Jesus Himself.
Jesus (greeting the women): Rejoice.
The women fell down before Him, kissing His feet and worshiping Him.
Jesus: 10 Don’t be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. Tell them I will meet them there.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

There is a dimension of life you seldom see in your everyday life. It’s all around you and when you read My word you become aware of its existence, but often people do not acknowledge the importance of the realm I speak of. There is a spiritual realm where a battle between good and evil takes place. Sometimes the spiritual realm’s beings break in upon the physical realm you see with your five senses. When it does the reaction is always the same – fear, terror.

When you see My warriors, you tremble in their presence. Look through My word at the experiences of every those who have seen My messengers. They all fell on their face or froze in place at the sight of one of My angels. Fearsome warriors with powers beyond human measure. Yet they are nothing compared to Me. On that first Easter morning, one came to visit the empty tomb. He rolled away the stone so those who came to finish the burial preparation could see that I was not there.

My messenger just sat casually on the stone while all who saw him cowed in his presence. Just the touch of his foot cause the ground beneath it to quake. The light of his clothing shone like the sun. The soldiers froze and trembled. These soldiers, feared by all who saw them, fell to the ground and cried like babies. The women trebled in fear. All who witnessed the scene remembered it forever just because of the fear the sight of this one figure brought to mind.

Now imagine the scene when My heavenly armies appear. Imagine a vast army of those warriors too numerous to count filling the hillsides and the sky coming to fight My battles. Imagine the power that army holds in their hands. If one messenger can cause the world’s best fighters to fall silent before him, imagine what an army of My warriors can do.

I have legions of armies at My disposal ready to do My bidding, one at a time or armies at a time. They operate in a dimension outside your sight, but they are there nonetheless. They fight for Me and for those who have faith in Me every moment. They keep the evil one at bay. They defeat Satan’s minions and ensure My plans succeed. They act as My hands and feet in the spiritual realm just as you act as My hands and feet in the physical realm.

Occasionally, I allow My messengers to cross over to be seen by you. Sometimes I let them interact personally with you. There are times they act as recipents of your grace and mercy as, unaware, you minister to My angels. So when you minister to them, I disguise them such that you do not recognize them. When they minister to you, they terrify you in their angelic form. Still, none compare to the power and majesty of the triune Godhead. When My messengers see Me, they fall on their face in honor and praise.

Why do I tell you all these things today? Because today you might need to know that you’re not alone. You might not see My messengers at work with you, but they are there at your side. They are working with you to keep you safe from the evil one, guarding your heart.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.