ANGELS & DEMONS - Lesson 10

Today we completed our series Angels & Demons with a review of all that we have learned. Angels are God's messengers and serve a very important function in God's overall plan.

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them." Psalm 34:7

 We begin our series Marriage Builder, August 7th. This is a series for both married couples and singles.

ANGELS & DEMONS - Lesson 9

What is the ministry of Angels to unbelievers?

Unlike believers... Angels don't guide unbelievers. They don't protect them. They don't watch over them. They don't deliver them at death to the presence of God. They don't deliver answers to prayers. All they do is wait until the time when they're dispatched to carry out judgment. They "... inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Angels are God's executioners to the unbelieving.

Throughout the Bible we read stories of how God dispatched His angels to carry out horrendous acts of death upon those who rebelled against Him: Sodom and Gomorrah, Pharaoh, the Assyrians, Herod, and more (see lesson slides). Angels act only on God's command, but they do so without hesitation.

One such story: In 2 Samuel 24, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel because of David's census of the people. It resulted in the Lord sending an angel to perform a pestilence on Israel resulting in the deaths of 70,000 men. "And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, 'It is enough; now stay your hand.'" (2 Samuel 24:15-16)

That's what angels do! They are God's executioners on the ungodly--those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. In the final days, the angels will sound the seven trumpets before time is no more and the mystery of God is finished! (Revelations 6-19)

Next week (24th) will be our final lesson on Angles and Demons. Then, the 31st will be our 5th Sunday where we will learn more about one of our couples, or singles, from our class. Next up: The Marriage Builder series will begin August 7th.

ANGELS & DEMONS - Lesson 8

Sunday's lesson came to me during a few quiet minutes I had with God on Sunday morning. I was prepared to teach on the "Ministry of Angels to Unbelievers." Instead, I shared a personal testimony of God's mercy in our lives.

As instructed in Mark 5:19, Jesus told the man who was freed from demons to "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." This is what I believe Jesus wants us to do, too. So that is what I did on Sunday. I shared with the class the mercy, miracles, and blessings that God had poured out on our lives over the last three years--especially during the last four months.

Looking back and placing the events on a timeline shows God's miracles. There is no better way to encourage other believers towards a life of permanent (24/7) faith than to see God's mercy and miracles in the lives of others around you. In Romans it says, these things were written to Abraham "...not written for his sake alone, but for ours also." (vs. 23-24)

I highlighted the passage in Romans 4:13-25, concerning Abraham, in order to emphasize the blessings that are waiting for those who, like Abraham, "In hope he believed against hope...as he had been told." (v. 18). Often we find ourselves in darkness--a place where all hope seems lost. But as it says in Isaiah, "I will give you the treasures of [while you are in] darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord..." God has given us over 6,000 promises covering practically every possible concern. The catch is that we have to believe them.

Oswald Chambers writes: "My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me. Before I can say, 'I saw the Lord,' there must be something in my character that conforms to the likeness of God. Until I am born again and really begin to see the kingdom of God, I only see from the perspective of my own biases. What I need is God's surgical procedure--His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification."

The trials and test we experienced were God's surgical procedure through the use of external circumstances. Because of them, we see Him more clearly. And while we thank Him for his mercy, miracles, and blessings, we quickly lay them at His feet so as not to claim ownership or take credit. It is ALL about Jesus, not what He has done for me!

ANGELS & DEMONS - Lesson 7

The ANGEL of the LORD...

When you read in the Bible "the angel of the Lord" it is referring to the 2nd Person in the trinity--Jesus Christ. It was the manifestation of Christ before His incarnation. The reference only occurs in the Old Testament from the time of Abraham to the last mention in Zechariah. The angel of the Lord speaks as God, identifies Himself with God, and exercises the responsibilities of God.

Amazingly, the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament parallels the ministry of Jesus Christ in the New Testament toward His people (see lesson notes or slides).

Below you will find my lesson notes from last Sunday which includes the many scriptures that will allow you to dig deeper into "the" angel of the Lord.