For interested readers here are my top journal entries that are receiving the most traffic:
(1) The Battle of Temptations: http://buddymartin.net/blog/2011/04/the-battle-of-temptations/
(2) The Gospel is like a Caged Lion: http://buddymartin.net/blog/2011/04/the-gospel-is-like-a-caged-lion/
(3) My Testimony: http://buddymartin.net/blog/testimony/
(4) Salvation: http://buddymartin.net/blog/salvation/
Journal,
There is so much in the Scriptures that relates to the well-being of believers. Included in our well-being we have, the blood covenant, our eternal seal of security in Christ, our heavenly citizenship, the Holy Spirit of God, the promises of God, the ‘catching away’ promise, the very armor of God Himself, and much more. Yet there is one aspect of our well-being that we don’t hear much about. It has to do with the ministry of angels. There are tons of books about the demonic. What gives?
Who are these holy angels of God, and what is their special role among believers? In this entry we will consider some of the basic issues that relate to God’s holy angels. However, the study of angels is a vast domain. I simply wish to let you see just how wonderful these heavenly creatures are and how they affect your life. 
Note: Place your cursor over a Scripture reference and it will appear.
Messengers of the Throne
The Hebrew word for angel is mal’ak. Greek is ággelos. These terms carry the meaning of, ‘to dispatch as a messenger’. While they can be applied to a human messenger, most often in the Scriptures they have to do with God’s holy and majestic angels. One of their duties is to be a messenger of the throne, and in many other ways to carry out the will of God.
Angels are commissioned servants of God. There are various orders of angels but I’ll keep things simple and just talk about angels in a general sense.
Let’s begin here:
“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the LORD, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word!” (Psa 103:19-22)
In the book of Hebrews, angels are said to be ‘ministering spirits.’ With this in mind they have a very unique role with regard to the people of salvation. Listen:
“But to which of the angels has He ever said, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for Your feet’? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb 1:13-14)
Heavenly involvement
Angels are much more involved in our lives than we realize. Notice carefully that it says the angels render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation. God knew every one of His people from eternity long past. Today the angels also know every child of God. Fact of the matter is that every person who is ever going to be saved, their name is already written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Cf. Rev13:8; 17:8
As for being ministering spirits, angels don’t often take on human form, but they can. Angels are awesome in their natural state. However, the Lord knows that seeing angels in all their majesty could be somewhat disconcerting to believers. So angels for the most part always keep a low profile. Most often they are the unseen servants who attend to that which God assigns them.
The list is endless about how angels attend to our lives. It appears that their realm of being is deeply affected by God’s children on earth. Jesus said that there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents. (Cf. Luke15:10)
We also know that angels attest to a believer’s confession of Jesus Christ. (Luke12:8) Angels go with believers to heaven. (Luke16:22) They gather all God’s elect at the proper time. (Mark13:27) Angels are involved in the judgments of God. (2Th1:7; 2Kings19:35) Angels do every deed that the voice of God speaks.
Spiritual strength
A very interesting aspect of angels is that believers most likely have drawn on the strength of angels without realizing it. We see this in the life of Jesus. There are two particular instances where Jesus as a man actually receives strength from an angel. Once is following His temptation. The other is in the garden.
Here they are:
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”‘ Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.” (Mat 4:10-11)
“…saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.” (Luk 22:42-43)
If Jesus in His humanity needed extra spiritual strength, could it be that we also need that strength? Jesus is noted as the firstborn of many brothers, and of course, sisters. We are heirs and joint-heirs with Christ. A major difference is that angels had been in the company of Jesus from the time of their creation. He is Lord and God. While we don’t have that level of experience, yet we are the very children that Jesus came to redeem. Cf. Rom8:16-19.
As messengers of God, here are some references: Cf. Heb1:13,14; Gen28:12,13; Psa91:11; Luke 1:12,13; 1:28-33; Mat1:19-23; 2:13.
Do we have special angels
The angels of the Lord go to and fro from His throne. In the ancient Hebrew tradition there was a belief that every nation had a special angel, and that a certain class of angels nearest to the throne of God, had charge over God’s children. These angels were called, ‘Angels of the Presence’, or, ‘Angels of the Face.’ (mal’aki panim) They had constant contact with the Father. It appears that Gabriel
was of that class. (Cf. Luke1:19)
In the book of Revelation, there are angels assigned to churches. It is also possible that each child of God has an attending angel, or at least an angel that would come from the throne of God to aid the believer at special times. The Lord drew attention to this in a warning to the world:
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 18:10)
Lord, send your angels
Is it alright to ask the Lord to send His angels to meet a special need? I don’t know why not. I also think this is an area where we can ask the Lord to guide us in our prayers. We do know that when Jesus told the disciple to withdraw his sword, He said:
“Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Mat 26:53)
Yes, we are heirs and joint-heirs with Christ. And always remember what the Prophet Elisha said to his servant:
“Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’
“So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2Ki 6:15-17)
Think about it. There is so much more to be said. Let the Lord fill your heart and mind with the good things of His kingdom.
In the meantime, listen to this wonderful song. ‘Lord Send Your Angels’ by Candy Christmas.
Always your friend in Christ,
Buddy
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