Angels Tend To The Heirs

Are (angels) not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Hebrews 1:14

Angels are spiritual beings that serve in many facets; one being messengers of God… Angels were the very beings that came to tend to Jesus after His fast and temptation by Satan in the wilderness. Angels brought forth the decrees to Mary about her immaculate conception and visited Joseph about taking Mary as His wife. It was angels who visited Zechariah about Elizabeth conceiving and it was angels were the ones spoken of in John’s revelation about the bowls of God’s wrath being poured out from the 4 points of the earth… Angels serve very prominent and powerful positions in the kingdom of God… The bible records the love and affection that God had for His creation of man and how everything on this earth was under his authority; however, Hebrews 2 reminds us that as powerful as man was and is, he was made “a little lower than the angels…” I quote this verse from the book of Hebrews to echo the divine rank that angels hold. Through the grace and mercy that He continues to display toward us, God wants us to take courage in knowing that there have been ministering spirits placed throughout the world and our daily journeys to encourage, uplift, and comfort us. 

This passage brings me to understand that there will be days when I am frustrated, there will be times when I want to give in or give up, there will be points in this walk when I will become unglued and feel like the weight of the world is upon my shoulders… In these perilous times, we should find encouragement in knowing that God has designed spiritual beings for the purpose of “ministering. One of my favorite passages from the bible is Psalms 91; this psalm speaks to the shelter that one finds in the shadows of the almighty… In this 91^st Psalm, the writer records in the 11^th verse that God will deploy angels to journey with you, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” As you go up the rough and steep incline that is your daily mountain, know that Angels are there aiding you, pushing you and even sustaining you… This is why our focus verse starts by posing a question concerning the duties of angels… Make no mistake about it; Angels are all around you, conducting works that you don’t even know are being done…. 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Christ Provides A Clean Slate

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

You aren’t a child of God if your lifestyle and attributes have not changed… Paul (the writer of this letter to the church of Corinth) once recognized himself as the chief sinner; however, after His encounter with the Lord on the Damascus road, his outlook on life changed... This same thing can be said for Nicodemus after speaking with Jesus in the night; the bottom line being that when we become a member of the body of Christ we are a “new creature”, your life cannot be the same. I recall several stories that people have told me regarding different things that they experienced in their respective lives. Near-death experiences, death-defying stunts that completely altered their way of thinking. The same is to be said about encounters with the Lord. The things your eyes are opened to defy the odds, they defeat the stronghold of death and temptation and they expose you to God’s sovereign power and the might He possess to pull you out of near-death experiences… Paul was headed to hell if it were not for the grace and mercy of God… When you really come to understand that Jesus loves you, when you really come to understand and know that God thought enough of His creation to save you, your life cannot be the same. When I hear about kind words that have been spoken about me they impact my life. When I hear about the potential that someone sees in me that means more than you can imagine. These are the same things that God says and thinks about you. This is why He was willing to allow His son to lay down His life for you… Christ gave you a clean slate so that you could experience and become all that you were designed to be... 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Fast With A Purpose

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 

Isaiah 58:6

I find it ironic how many times we throw our hands up in despair and wonder why God would allow trials and tribulations to ravage our lives. We continually find ourselves complaining and becoming frustrated as we proclaim that we are trying to live a Christian life, but things are just too complicated and are never easy. Isaiah declared to the Israelites the same thing that he declares to us today; God has not caused your pain and chaos, it was of your own doing. The Israelites had become so prideful amongst themselves, they believed that they could just do want they wanted and if things got dicey God would show up and deliver them out of whatever it is they were facing; sound familiar? They remembered slavery in Egypt, they remembered the cloud by day and fire by night, and they remembered the red sea and manna from heaven. They just knew that God would always provide for them and never allow them to see pain, even if they deserved it! Sound familiar? Today, Isaiah reminds us that the desires of God are “To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens…” The plan that God has for creation didn’t involve suffering, it didn’t involve persecution nor did it involve pain; however, through the enticing that is our sinful nature, we incurred several complications which caused unnecessary chaos and confusion… This is why our prayers fall on deaf ears, this is why the children of God fasted and the movement of God was not felt… We oftentimes pray about situations and then go on with our lives doing exactly what we are not supposed to do… God desires more than just prayer, He desires more than sackcloth and ashes (which is written in the previous verses of this chapter)… He desires a willingness and determination to bind wickedness; break strongholds and set the captives free… The true fast isn’t simply giving up food for a period of time; it involves a total sacrifice of mind, spirit and body… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Forgiveness Leads To Answered Prayer

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mark 11:24-25

The key to prayer isn’t the words you speak or how long you are in conversation with God. The faith you have in the Lord you serve over the situation you face determines whether or not your prayer reaches the ears of the almighty or stops at your ceiling… Mark reminds us that just as much as we desire we must believe… “…when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them…” This passage taken from the gospel of Mark speaks to the heart of a Christian; in that, we may go to God in prayer, but we must have faith and not doubt… In the verses before these scriptures, Jesus has made is entry into Jerusalem and while in Bethany went up to a fig tree that had no fruit (when Jesus arrived, the tree wasn’t prepared but that’s for a later day and time), in front of His disciples, Jesus cursed the fig tree and when the men returned they found that the tree had withered (died)… The disciples were amazed, but Jesus goes on to tell them that we (as believers) have the ability to do miraculous things (move mountains), but we must have faith in God and not waver about His abilities… Whatever you ask of God believe that He not only hears you but will respond to your prayer… 

This is true not just when we are going through a trying time; this is also true when we are dealing with relationships. Sometimes the most difficult situations we find ourselves in are due to people we have embraced or encountered. No matter how much or little we are to blame, we must be willing to go before the Lord and admit our faults, but more importantly, forgive those who have wronged us (faith comes in trusting God to deliver and also trusting God to mend). So many of us carry the offense of another on our shoulders or in our hearts and because of that, there is no room for God to work in our lives.  Remember God said whatever is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven, and whatever is bound on earth will be bound in heaven, so forgive and forget, so God can do the same for you on earth, but more importantly when you go from labor to reward! God will open doors in your life that you never thought possible, but you must be willing to close the doors of malice, resentment and anger first; this requires faith that believes and never doubts…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Put On The WHOLE Armour

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:10-11

There are two things that are certain as we journey through life, the first is that we all shall physically die and the second is that we cannot stand against the devil alone… When we come to know and accept these things, we learn that physical death, as well as the devils' attacks, can all be overcome by Jesus Christ… Paul has written this letter to the church of Ephesus and in the preceding chapters has given them instruction on how to live. He has taught them how to bring honor and also how to obey the word and will of God. At this point in his letter, Paul is concluding by reminding them that they must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Notice the way in which this letter is formed, we are reminded how to live (being a child of God), but the most important point comes at the end and that is that we must put on His armor… The church of Ephesus had endured hardships (just like you and I); it had gone through ridicule and demise. I believe that we can draw a direct parallel to our lives and know that these same situations have been presented to us. 

As we continue on this Christian journey the road becomes steeper and harder to climb, Paul wants us to refocus and have a renewed faith in the power and strength of God. The same God that delivered you before is the same God that will deliver you now… Paul says, “be strong in the Lord,” stop trying to handle every situation on your own, stop trying to figure everything out and live according to your own agenda… Paul is saying that we must live by faith; we must humble ourselves before the Lord and trust that He will move at His appointed time… Often times we pray about situations and then go out trying to resolve them… Paul is telling the church to ignite their faith in Christ by seeking His might… We must understand that we are nothing and powerless as a people, but as Paul stated in his letter to the church of Philippi “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me…” Know where your strength comes from, know who has all power in the palm of His hand and take your situations BOLDLY before His throne, lay them before the Lord and leave them their… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Promotions Come From Above

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.  But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Psalm 75:6-7

Isn’t it ironic that so many people get upset and question God when things are going negatively in their lives…? So many people want to go to their pastor or friends for an answer to their troubles; so many people want to hear an encouraging word to keep the faith when storms come their way… It never ceases to amaze me how many people will look at the negatives in this world and use that for the basis of their argument against the realness or existence of God? How often do we apply this same measure when we are blessed or things are going well… When the storm passes and the rainbow shines, how much praise do we lift up to the Most High? See today’s focus verse teaches us that all promotions, all blessings come from the works of God and not your own hands… James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Understanding this fact leads us to a question that we all must answer, how often do we take credit for a level of success in our lives? How often do we thank our boss for recognizing the work we have done or contributed to the excelling of a company? The psalmist reminds us of who is in charge and has the final say in our everyday situations. Understand that nothing can be done without the approval of God, remember Job was successful but was stricken when God allowed the devil to wreak havoc upon him, remember Jonah was fleeing and God caused a storm to rise upon him and humble him to the point where he could be used. Job received far more than he had before. Jonah went on to preach and get a city to repent from danger. Job later says do we take good from God and not evil? We have to come to the conclusion that God holds our fate and has promised to provide all that we need. So, when you are low on funds and receive that bonus, thank God. When you are worried out of your mind about your job and your Boss assures you of your safety, praise God. God is the judge, He will humble whoever needs to be humbled; likewise, He will lift up whoever deserves to be lifted! 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Seek Him; He Can Still Reach The Loss

But if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.

Nehemiah 1:9

The bible declares in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…” The sooner we come to the realization that we need Christ in our lives, the sooner we can begin to live and live more abundantly… The people of God have been uprooted, scattered throughout the land; however, Nehemiah comes and reminds them that no matter how bad things appear, God can still hear and heal “…if you return to me and obey my commands…” Disobedience led to the alteration of God’s children’s lives and this defiant attitude will lead to our demise as well… Notice the call Nehemiah puts forth in our scripture reading today; if you want prosperity, if you want peace, if you want health, if you want joy, you must obey… When you obey God, “…then, even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there…” Your call is to walk according to the will of God, not worry or chase souls… This passage taken from the book of Nehemiah reminds us of the importance of staying focused on our Christian journey… God spoke to Joshua when Moses had passed and told him “not to turn to left or the right…” Isaiah spoke of the path of righteousness in the 30th chapter of his prophetic book and said that we aren’t to “go to the left or the right…” The children of God had lost their way and were in great suffering; however, God speaks through Nehemiah and reminds them that His grace still abounds when we have turned away, His mercy is everlasting even when we have strayed and that if we return unto Him and obey His commands He will hear our cry and gather us unto Him… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!