Stop neglecting to show hospitality to strangers, for by showing hospitality some have had angels as their guests without being aware of it. Hebrews 13:2 ISV
What a wonder of wonders!
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Stop neglecting to show hospitality to strangers, for by showing hospitality some have had angels as their guests without being aware of it. Hebrews 13:2 ISV
What a wonder of wonders!
thedailylily.com 
If Lot hadn’t invited the two angels in that came to visit him, welcomed them and ‘entertained’ them with a meal, he may never have made it out of Sodom alive (Gen 19). So the scripture above seems very important for us to heed. Also, the Lord may be testing our hearts to see our response to strangers that He may send our way to show hospitality to.
Debi, your thoughts are very interesting…I have always thought Lot knew they were men of God from the start. I had always thought and expected to have been in the presence of strangers and find out later they were messengers of God.
I guess Angels, Strangers, Messengers of God all are so vast my mind jumps with wonder. The writer and singer, Michael Smith, writes and sings, Angels Unaware…
“…lMaybe there are things you just can’t know
But can you say there are no mysteries in that house you choose to dwell
Maybe we are entertaining angels unaware
Maybe there’s a place where we will fly
But some say God is dead like Nietzsche said and faith has made me a fool
But maybe there is more than meets the eye
Who’s that stranger there beside you? Don’t be smug and don’t be cruel
Maybe we are entertaining angels unaware
Battles of the heart and of the mind
We stay caught in mental purgatory ’til our existence can be defined
Meanwhile on the shores of parallel
There may be a holy conference held somewhere discussing all mankind
Maybe we are entertaining angels unaware
I say maybe we are entertaining angels unaware
Angels unaware…”
Great song and you can I tune or ringtone as well as other ways to hear.
In Genesis 28:12 Jacob dreamed of a ladder between Heaven and earth and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. They do come, as Alex will report later in his book how he conversed with them and how they comforted him at times when the Lord sent them and when he went up to Heaven for a visit. Some come to warn. Some come to comfort. Some come to rescue, as the 5 angels did in the accident scene in THE BOY WHO CAME BACK FROM HEAVEN.
Wouldn’t we mend our ways if we truly believed we were in the presence of angels, pure and holy. And we are! But how much MORE should we preserve our protocol, propriety, sober speech, attitude and demeanor since we are in the presence of the living God by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, every moment of every day! Selah!
Sara I love the lyrics to that song!
I love the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den found in Daniel 6. Daniel was placed in the lion’s den because he refused to abstain from his prayer three times a day to HIS God or to bow his knee to King Darius. If caught he knew he would be thrown into the lion’s den. What happened the next day? Verses 19-23 Then the king (Darius) arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
Here we see the angels come to Daniel’s aid when he was found innocent by God. God sent the angels to stop the attack from of the lions.
At the Savior’s birth, an angel of the Lord appeared in the darkened Bethlehem countryside, startling shepherds with this now-familiar pronouncement: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10).
As Christmas is upon us I think of how it must have been when Mary was visited by an unexpected angel to announce she would by the power of God would be giving birth to Christ – the one the world had been so much waiting for. The one who would become the Savior of the World. Later she journeyed with her husband, Joseph, to Bethlehem where she gave birth to Jesus. On the night of this magnificent birth, shepherds were in the fields taking care of their sheep by night and suddenly on the scene an angel appeared to tell of Jesus’s birth. Had they seen an angel before? Perhaps not, but they focused in on the messenger and believed. Then there appeared a whole heavenly host of angels who raised their voices in praise, glorifying God. Mary and the shepherds entertained angels- angels of GOOD NEWS. Perhaps we will enterain angels in the days to come and hear good news! Certainly we are blessed by the news Mary and the shepherds received of long ago! We will hold tight to that NEWS!
I believe we are surrounded by Angels. And, I believe messengers are speaking and hearing is in the listening.
When Peter was in prison in the Book of Acts, an angel came and released him. His chains fell off, the prison doors opened and they passed through unnoticed and then the angel escorted him to where Peter could find his way to the house where the Christians were praying for his release.
God does send His angels, for they are messengers, flames of fire to minister in the behalf of the saints. That’s us! We are grateful to GOD for the angels’ ministry.
We may not know when an angel will appear to us for a purpose…like the one that appeared to Gideon (who seemed to be minding his business threshing wheat) to tell him what a might man of valor/warrior he was and then gave him some battle directives. He didn’t recognize immediately that it was the angel of the Lord.
“Angels, We Have Heard on High… Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!” Words translated from French to En lish by James Chadwick in Crown of Jesus, 1862. And, Music: Gloria (Barnes), French carol melody; arranged by Edwin S. Barnes
Wonder what was stamped on the minds and hearts of these great men as they wrote, sang and saw the Heavenly Host praising God?
Luke 2:13-14 “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
O, how the heart years to see and hear “Men of God” rise up, write and sing and praise God and preach of His Power and Glory! I do thank God for the writers of these great hymns. Just think they were men on earth like us but saw the Angels…
The dictionary defines angel like this: “a spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God, conventionally represented in human form with wings and a long robe.”
I’d like to encourage us today, with a scripture in Psalms. (Psalm 91: 11 & 12) “For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”
Sara,
I believe you told me one time, that you read a book by Dr. Billy Graham, about angels. Do you have the title of that book?
I had just heard a sermon on the “Focus on the Family” radio station about angels. The Pastor was preaching on how the angels saw Jesus. The angels had always seen Him as the Son of God. They had always seen Jesus in Heaven with power and authority. They had never seen Him in flesh until He was born in a manger. They watch him walk on earth as a man. Jesus was a man who had feelings and emotions. Jesus was a man who felt hunger, thirst and pain. Jesus was a man who glorfied God in all He did. Jesus, the Son of God was in a man’s body who was beaten and tortured and nailed to a wooden cross with the weight of sin on His shoulders. Jesus, the Son of God was in a man’s body who had the weight of my sin and your sin on His shoulders as He took His last breath. Jesus, the Son of God who came to earth in a man’s body, lived His life without sin and died for sin. Jesus the Son of God is the ultimate sacrific that has ever been and will ever be. He is the gate we must travel through to get to Heaven. The angels had never seen the Son of God in that way until He was born in a manger over 2000 years ago. Imagine how the angels felt as they watched the Son of God crying in pain and gasping for breath as He hung on the wooden cross. What an amazing God we have to sacrific so much for us. Thank you Lord for all you have allowed, Thank you Jesus for your sacrific and thank you angels for watching over God’s people.
Matthew 28: 1-7 “Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an ANGEL of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightening, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. The the ANGEL spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
Needles, the book is “Angels” by Billy Graham. Great book.
You can buy it on Amazon at a good price.
CF, how interesting to think of how the angels saw and still see Jesus. YAY! They are looking at us as well as Jesus.
Then we read the scriptures Needles has posted that says, now get ready, it says, “the angels will hold you up with their hands….”
It looks like angels even set up camp around us when we are in right relationship with the Lord.
“The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers.” Psalm 34:7 Message
When I walk through malls, shops, and assorted stores, I so miss Christian Christmas music. How I would love to hear Handel’s Messiah, Hallelujah. How I would love to see worship of the new born King in public arenas. I heard where some of this happened in Canada in a restaurant in a mall. The owners said the customers had no complains and just loved the surprise when they heard HaLLelujah. An American news reporter said we may never see that in America again. The Canadian said, O, I am not sure they recognized this as Christian. They of course probably knew it was Handel’s Messiah but Christian?
Yes, let us sing, “Glory to the new born King.” Yes, we carry the angels with us to the mall. After all Debi just showed us from God’s Word that for us the Angel of the Lord encamps around us.
Maybe some think invisible but let us open our hearts and see the new born King, the angels and Worship with all that is within us. Jesus is Alive and He is coming to earth again. Yes, again, Glory to the new born KING! Hark the Herald Angels sing……
Thank you, Sara.
Hope all can hear the Hallelujah Chorus by Anthony Burger who has gone on to heaven and played for the Gaither. This U Tube was recorded on tour in South Africa.
King of Kings and Lord of Lords
he shall reign forever and ever.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Thanks Rena for the link. I sat here and worshiped the Lord to that glorious sound of Handel’s Messiah played by Anthony and chorus and orchestra. What a thrill!
And yet, can you imagine what it will be like in Heaven when we join with all the saints from the ages and eons past and to come, before the throne of the Heavenly God? The angels will join in but in the eyes and the ears of the Lord God Almighty there is nothing that can or ever will compare with the song of the” redeemed”. Those of us who were the lost, the wounded, the wrecked, the abandoned, the bitter, the angry, the enraged, the rejected, deep in sin, on our way to hell. BUT GOD! God and God alone rescued us according to Ezekiel 16; spiritually “cast out in an open field for you were loathsome and abhorrent on the day that you were born. And I (the Lord God) passed by you and I saw you rolling about in your blood and I, the Lord God, said to you, LIVE!” And He sent Jesus Christ His Son to fulfill that prophetic command according to Luke 2 and Isaiah 53:4…surely He has borne our sicknesses, weaknesses and carried our sorrows and pains….but He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities and by His stripes we are healed and made whole and saved and redeemed and destined for Heaven.
That’s the true meaning of Christmas…what that Little BABY JESUS did for us. The greatest Christmas Gift of all which was presented and received on the first EASTER SUNDAY.
It was wonderful to hear Anthony Burger praise the King on his piano. May all who have been given musical gifts, singing gifts, speaking gifts, etc use them mightly this Christmas and always.
How does one show hospitality to strangers? How does one open their hearts to this great phenomenal? If the heart is closed and the mouth is open, does that cause the angels to mute?
Only by the Spirit can one discern the “angelic character” of a stranger. Mothers have told their little ones all through the ages, ‘don’t talk to strangers’. So we must rely on the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to the true character of those ‘strangers’ whom we encounter in our lives. If we are chattering and blabbing it is hard to hear the Spirit speaking to our hearts. The angels probably clap their hands over their ears when the chattering mouths become excessive.
How do you show hospitality? One definition is ‘receptiveness’ or the
‘relationship between a guest and a host’. When you think of it this way that means we must be willing to listen with the intention of acting upon/responding to what we hear. And in order to really listen we have to be quiet. In order to have a relationship with the one speaking we have to respond back with appropriate careful words or we won’t have much of a relationship and why would a person, let alone an angel, want to stay and try to speak with or engage us?
Samuel had this response when he heard the voice of the Lord speaking,
(I Samuel 3:9 NIV) “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
Mary, the mother of Jesus, responded to an angelic visit concerning the message about the birth of Jesus the Savior.”Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38 NKJ). Both were receptive and related or responded humbly.
I heard recently the saying: Cracked pots allow the light to come in. This means to me that we are the human pots and through our cracked lives and those of us who choose Jesus the light comes into our lives and gives chase to the darkness that is within us. Our hearts are therefor open at this point (not closed) for Jesus to work in our lives to despel the darkness. We are one of Jesus’s precious children. Children of God.
If angels are messengers of God, then those who know HIS voice will receive the message of angels. According to John 10: 4 After he has gathered his own flock (his cracked vessels), he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
If you are attuned to the voice of God and await his voice with great expectation in all that is heard during your daily task, surely you will hear the messages the messengers of God (angels) speak to you.
Otherwise if closed, you have no mail from God.
Do you know the difference between Seraphims and Cherubim? If not, are you missing a blessing?
I didn’t know the difference but looked up some scriptures from myBible index to try to find out. Some differences/characteristics I found: Seraphim have 6 wings (Isaiah 6:2) and Cherubim have 4 (Ezekial 10:21). Cherubim guarded the garden of Eden after God drove Adam and Eve out (Gen 3:24). God hHimself rode upon a Cherub ( 2 Sam 22:11). Seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips w/ a live coal from the altar and told him his iniquity was taken away and his sin purged. Ezekial 10: 21 describes Cherubim as also having four faces and hands under their wings like a man’s. Isaiah 6:2 says Seraphim have a face.
Most interesting descriptions of angels that is given by the prophets. As Christmas approaches, and we pause to reflect on the reason and purpose for the season, we make notice that angels played, plays and will play an important and aggressive part in the second coming of Christ. They have played an important part in history and our present.
To be just, we must also mention the evil angels described in the bible. Apollyon the keeper of the abyss and Lucifer (satan) who attempted to tempt Christ after His fast in the wilderness are both fallen angels. Their work is to frustrate the plans and will of God but Jesus Christ conquered evil on the cross and resurrection. Nonetheless, they can and do manipulate mankind if they allow the evil ones to control their lives.
Jesus said the little children have guardian angels that always behold the face of My Father.(Matthew 18:10)
Some very interesting scriptures in the NT on angels. As children we have angels. In death we have angels. And, then angels waiting to see if we are going to confess Jesus…..
Jesus said to his disciples, “Take head that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” (Mat 18:10)
“the beggar died , and was carried by the angels to the bosom of Abraham.” (Lk 16:22)
Jesus says, “whoever shall confess me before me, shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God” (Lk 12:8)
Paul tells us: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”(1Thessalonians 4: 16-17).
Jesus also said that at the end the angels will harvest the fields and gather the the wheat into My brans but they will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. In this endtime prophecy that Jesus spoke the angels were the harvesters.
The book of Revelation speaks often of angels and describes their various assignments. In Rev 14 one angel flies through the sky “carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people” warning people that time is short and all should worship Him and fear Him (vs 7).
And Numbers 22 lets us know that animals see angels. A donkey saw one and heeded the angel (vs 23), although his rider Balaam did not see nor heed the warning. Finally the Lord had to open the rider’s eyes and then he saw the angel (31).
Gospel Of Matthew:
Angels bring God’s directions and instructions:
When Joseph thought to quietly divorce Mary, since she was ‘with child’, an ANGEL spoke to Joseph and told him not to be concerned for the child was conceived of the Holy Spirit and he was to take her home as his wife, as they had planned.
Angels bring warnings:
When Herod the King put forth his hand to murder all the baby boys two years and younger, an ANGEL appeared to Joseph and warned him to take the Child and His mother and flee into Egypt for safety. Later when Herod had died the ANGEL instructed him to take Jesus and Mary and go back to Israel. Then the ANGEL instructed him to take up residence in Nazareth for that was a safer area at that time.
Angels can come to strengthen us in real ways. An angel came to touch Elijah when he desired to die. Not only did the angel encourage him to get up and eat, but the angel supplied a cake baked on coals and a jar of water! So he ate and then slept and then the angel touched him again and told him to arise and eat and he did so and then he went in the strength of that angelic ministry for 40 days. (I Kings 19:5-8)
How easy it is for one to ramble through life with little, if any, understanding of God’s Angels and His Kingdom. As I prayed The Lord’s Prayer this am, I paused to think, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done: on earth as it is in heaven…” How much of this do I understand and how much should I understand.?”
What part, if any, does the Angels and the saints of God play in this? Then what part does Wal-Mart and Target play?
What part, if any, does the Angels and the saints of God play in this?
Psalm 103:20 says that there are armies of angels and that they carry out God’s will on this earth…they play a big part in ‘thy kingdom come’.
“Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!”
Saints have a part to play also. Jesus set the precedent by declaring in John 6:38 NIV “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” Then we are told in such places as Romans 12:2 that we must ,…”learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” And in Hebrews 13: 21 that God wants to equip us to do His will.
In the Lord’s prayer, ‘thy kingdom come’, if part of this meaning is that God’s kingdom become evident on earth in the lives of angels and believers, the only way we can have a part in this kingdom is to do His will. Jesus warned us that we wouldn’t enter into this kingdom unless we do God’s will. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ” Matt 7:21 NKJ