Angels Part 3

 

    The wise men left Jesus  and his family.  They were the last of the visitors that would spread the good news.  An angel came to Joseph in a dream letting him know that it was time to flee.  They were to go to Egypt.  They were to stay there until the angel told them to return.  If they did not flee, then Herod would kill baby Jesus.

    When Elizabeth was six month pregnant with John the Baptist, God sent the angel Gabriel to Galilee to speak with Mary.  Mary was engaged to Joseph.  When Gabriel appeared to Mary he sent greetings and called her favored woman for God was with her.  He scared her and blessed her.  He told her how she would be the mother of Jesus.

    When Jesus was born, there were some shepherds in a field nearby.  God's angel came to them to tell them the good news of Jesus' birth.  He sent them to Jesus to be witnesses.  He told them where and what to look for.  Then there was a vast number of angels singing their glory to the birth of Jesus.  They went and saw in awe, then they went back to their flocks.

    Joseph did as the angel commanded and Jesus grew up into a responsible man.  Once he was ready to start his ministry he fasted for 40 days and night.  When he was most vulnerable, Satan came to tempt him by manipulating scripture.  The second temptation was if Jesus were to jump off the highest point in Jerusalem, then the angels would catch him.  Jesus fought back with scripture too.  He said do not test God.

    Jesus called himself the son of man.  He plants good seed.  The field is the world and the seed represents God's people.  The weeds are Satan and his minions.  He plants weeds to choke out Christians.  The harvest is the end of time.  The harvesters are the angels.  Do not look down on anyone.  The angels in heaven are always present with God.

    Before Jesus was killed he went to a garden to pray.  He wanted his apostles with him, but they were tired and kept falling asleep.  An angel did come to him to give him strength.  His people wanted to be there for him, but they didn't understand the urgency.  God's messengers do.  They do not get distracted like people.

    There was a sudden great earthquake because the angels of God came down from Heaven as Jesus woke from being dead.  They rolled the massive stone covering his tomb away.  Jesus' face shone like lightning.  His clothes were pure white.  The guards saw this and fainted.

    It is a mistake to not know scripture.  Without knowing scripture, you don't know the power of God.  He raises the dead.  In Heaven everyone lives in harmony.  No one is married and we will all live like angels.  The resurrected are beyond the boundaries of titles when they go home.

Matthew 2:13, 4:5-7, 13:37-39, 18:10, 28:2-4, Mark 12:24-25, Luke 1:26-38, 2:8-20, 20:34-36, 22:41-46, & John 1:50-51

Angels Part 2

 

    God sent a plague upon Israel.  The plague killed 70,000 people.  Then He sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem.  As the angel prepared to destroy the city, God relented and called back the angel of death.  He was at the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite.

    Pray to God and He will answer.  Look to Him for help and you will find radiant joy with no shame. Pray in your desperation and He will save you from your troubles.  God's angels will guard and defend all who fear God.

    God heard the people and was furious.  His fury burned against Israel for their unfaithfulness.  They did not trust Him to take care of them.  He commanded the skies to open up as the doors of heaven opened and He rained down manna to provide.  He gave them food of angels.  He gave them what they needed and now they didn't believe.

    Make God your refuge, your shelter and no evil can conquer you.  He has ordered His angels to protect you where ever you go in life.  They will hold you up where evil can't even touch you.  They will enable you to defeat your enemies.

    Angels praise the Lord and they carry out His plans.  They listen for each of his commands.  God's army of angels serve His will.  Everything God creates worships Him, but people.  Doesn't that show how people misuse free will.  Praise God and see the truth.

    When you make a promise to God, do not delay in the follow through.  God doesn't take pleasure in fools and only fools do not honor their word.  It is better to say nothing, than to make a promise you will not keep.  Do not allow your mouth to cause you to sin.  Do not try to back peddle.  A promise is a oath.  There are no excuses to not fulfill an oath.  Lie to God and He may send His angels to kill you.  Talk is cheap unless you back it up with action.

    God's love is unfailing, so praise God for all He has done.  Rejoice in His mercy and love.  Be grateful to be called His people and do not betray Jesus.  When you suffer remember how much more Jesus suffered to rescue you.  His love redeems you.  However if you rebel, then you will grieve the Holy Spirit and God's angels will carry out His vengeance.  

    Daniel declared long live the king.  God had sent His angel to shut the lions mouth.  The angel kept the hungry lions from hurting him because Daniel was innocent.  He did not turn his back on God when people told him he had to.

    God charged Judah for their deceitful ways.  It was Jacob paying for all his lies.  In the womb Jacob fought Esau.  Then as a man, he fought with God.  He wrestled an angel and won.  He wept and begged for a blessing and found himself face to face with God: Lord of Heaven's armies.  This was the final warning for Judah to come back to God.  They needed to act in love and justice because they depended on Him instead of themselves.

1 Chronicles 21:14-15, Psalm 34:4-7, 78:21-26, 91:9-13, 103:20-22, Ecclesiastes 5:4-7, Isaiah 63:7-10, Daniel 6:21-22, & Hosea 12:2-6

Angels Part 1

 

    Angels are beings that live in the spiritual world unseen by most humans.  They were created by God to serve His purposes.  It comes from the Greek word angelos.  The Hebrew word is malach.  They both mean messenger.  The Aramaic word is mal'ak.  The Latin word is angeli.  

    Two angels came to the entrance of Sodom where Lot was sitting.  When he saw them he stood to greet them and welcome them.  He showed respect and inviting them to his home to clean up and stay the night.  Then he told them that they could wake up early in the morning and be on their way.  He knew the town he lived in and was trying to protect them.  

    They volunteered to spend the night in the square, but Lot insisted.  They had a feast in Lot's home, but once it was almost time to go to bed the men of the community showed up insisting that Lot give the men over to them for sex.  Lot tried to reason with them and even offered his virgin daughters over what they proposed.

    This made the men angry and the angels had to pull him back into his house to save his life.  They also blinded all the men outside.  Once Lot was inside the angels informed Lot how the city was going to be destroyed.  Lot had to get his family out of town before dawn.  God was trying to be merciful to Lot and his family.  

    When Abraham arrived to the designated location, he build an alter to God.  He tied up his only son prepared to sacrifice him as God had commanded.  At that moment God sent an angel to stop him.  Abraham had proven his faith and God was proving a different sacrifice.

    Abraham did not want Isaac to ever go to Canaan.  He wanted Isaac to stay in the promised land for all of his descendants.  He trusted God's angels to provide a wife for his son.  He sent a servant knowing that the angels would prepare Isaac's wife to come to him without ever meeting Isaac.

    Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran.  He found a good place to set up came at sundown.  He found a stone for a pillow.  When he fell a sleep he saw a stairway to heaven.  On the stairs were angels going up and down.  

    Joseph brought his two sons to Jacob as he was dying.  Jacob placed blessings on the two boys.  He just didn't do it as was expected.  Then he blessed Joseph to multiply, angel protection, and name preserved.

    God sent an angel before His people to protect them in their journey to the promised land.  They were ordered to listen to Moses and not rebel because he was God's representative.  If you follow God intentionally and carefully, then your enemies are God's enemies.  Trust that the angels go before you and will destroy all who oppose God's will.  All you have to do is worship God and only God and walk life in obedience.

Genesis 19:1-22, 22:9-12, 24:6-8, 28:10-12, 48:12-16, & Exodus 23:20-24

Andrew

 

    Andrew is a Greek name that means "manly", "brave", "strong", "courageous", and "warrior".  It originated from the ancient Greek name Andreas (same in Latin).  In Hebrew it was translated to אנדרו (still Andrew).  The Aramaic is the same Andrew (אַנדּרֵאוָס).  In classic Syriac, Andrew is And'raʾwās (ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ).  English took the name straight from the Greek word and it became popular in the 1990s.

    Jesus was walking along the beach of the Sea of Galilee.  He came upon two brothers: Simon (also called Peter) and Andrew.  They were fishermen, so they were working when Jesus called out to them: Come follow me and I will teach you how to be fishers of people.  They left what they were doing to follow him immediately.  They didn't wait and say as soon as we are done.  They obeyed without understanding why.

    A little time passed and Jesus had 12 disciples that followed without hesitation or returning back to their real lives over time.  Their lives changed to follow him obediently.  Jesus gave them the authority to cast out evil spirits and heal people.  They are listed in order of joining Jesus:  Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Mathew, James, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas.  Peter and Andrew were the first to see and obey.

    Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across from the Valley from the Temple.  Peter, James, John, and Andrew were meeting with him in private trying to prepare them for what was about to happen to him.  They did not understand.  They could not comprehend life without Jesus.  

    After Jesus ascended, the apostles walked half a mile back to Jerusalem to their rented room.  Those present were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, Simon, and Judas (James' son).  They met together and prayed. Jesus' mother, Mary, and several other women were present along with Jesus' brothers.

Matthew 4:18-20, 10:1-4, Mark 13:3-4, Luke 6:14-16, John 1:35-44, & Acts 1:12-14

Ancient

 

    The word ancient has many meanings depending on the context.  It is generalized as "beforetime, "yore", and the general remote past.  Ancient belongs to the very distant past for things that no longer exist including languages and cultures.  Hebrew has many words for ancient, but atik (עַתִיק) may be the most common.  The Greek word is Archaíos (Αρχαίος).  In Latin it is antiqua.  The Latin word led to the German word (used by Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) in which English adopted into ancient.  It became part of the modern English vocabulary in 1500s.

    Eliphaz's response to Job was to compare him to the evil people of ancient times.  He did not understand that sometime people suffer who have not sinned.  He was warning Job to repent or God would take his life.  God is the only one that can bring back all that Job had lost.  He wanted Job to rid himself of what he perceived as evil thinking.  The righteous will be happy and the wicked will be destroyed and consumed by fire.  

    David asked the ancient gates to open to allow the King of Glory to enter.  The King of Glory is God.  God is strong, mighty, and an invincible warrior.  The ancient gates needed to open for God to enter with His heavenly army to bring glory to His name in times of human troubles.

    Do not make Christianity difficult for people or they may turn away from God.  Instead, teach them how to redirect their thinking, attitudes, and actions.  The Laws of Moses are ancient laws, but they only benefit people.  They need to still be taught, but in a way that connects with people.  It needs to be taught in the manner that Jesus taught it.

    An angel descended holding the key to the bottomless pit in one hand and a heavy chain in the other.  He seized the Satan and locked him away where he could no longer deceive nations for 1,000 year.  After 1,000 years he will be released.  Satan is ancient, but he has no power compared to God.  If you choose to follow the ancient evil, then you will pay the consequences.  If you choose to follow God, the eternal power, then you will only benefit.  It just may not be immediate.

Job 22:15-20, Psalm 24:7-10, Acts 15:19-21, & Revelations 20:1-3

Anchor

 

    Anchor in Hebrew is le'agen (לְעַגֵן).  In Greek it is ánkyra (άγκυρα).  We get the English word Anchor from the Latin Word anchora.  The Latin word came from the Greek word which means a device used to moor a ship.  

    Anchor is a symbol of hope and stability in the Bible.  It represents God and faith.  In the world is it a literal thing that is attached to boats to keep them grounded in the ocean.  Christians use the world anchor to explain their hope in God's promise that came through Jesus: salvation.  It is a gift from God that came through Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection that represents God's love and ties us to His history in the world.

    When people take an oath they are calling on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it.  An oath is binding.  There is no question about that truth.  God bound Himself to the oath of salvation.  That means He will never change His mind.  

    The way to salvation will never change because it is impossible for God to lie.  This should give you confidence in your salvation if you have it.  This hope is an anchor for your life and soul.  Salvation is strong and trustworthy as it anchors you to God's inner sanctuary.  Jesus led the way and is waiting for us to join him for eternity.

Hebrews 6:16-20

Ancestor

 

    An ancestor is a person from whom a person or a group of people descended from.  It can be literal or figuratively.  Ancestor as a noun is av kad'mon (אָב קַדמוֹן) in Hebrew.  In Aramaic it is abāhātā.  In Greek it is Prógonos (Πρόγονος).  We get the English word from the Latin antecessor.  It was introduced in English in the 14th century.  

    God spoke through his prophets to say that King Manasseh of Judah had done many detestable things.  He was even more wicked than the Amorites which were considered very evil.  He led God's people to sin. The consequences are that disaster was to come to Jerusalem and Judah.  It brought horror to all who heard about it.  Jerusalem was going to be judged as if it was not God's city because God was rejecting them for their great evil.  It was the worst it had been since their ancestors had left Egypt.

     Paul thanked God for Timothy.  He served God like his ancestors.  In this case it was a good thing.  He followed Jesus.  Paul reminds us that the people that follow Jesus need prayer.  It is not an easy path and it comes with a lot of obstacles, but it leads to a life of real purpose and eternal glory.  The path may tear you apart from people you care about, but remember that you will see your fellow Christians again in Heaven.  Hold on to your genuine faith.

2 Kings 21:10-15 & 2 Timothy 1:3-4