If it's a major cosmic event, angels are there. For example, the miraculous event of God coming to earth to be with us began with the archangel Gabriel appearing to and talking with a peasant girl from Galilee. Later angel choirs filled the heavens with their glorious singing when the baby Jesus was born. And just as an archangel set up the first coming of Christ, so will an archangel mark the coming of Christ when time as we know it runs out.
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God..."
(1Thess. 4:16 NIV)

Humans tend to freak out when angels show up. We often quiver in fear or fall down in shocked wonder. I believe we should expect to not only see angels in our midst, but to join with them in serving the living God to advance the Kingdom. Angels are always ready to work with us, to help us, to cheer us on.

Should We Worship Angels?

Colossians 2:18 tells us not to worship angels in Colossians 2:18. We aren't even to exalt their works because their works are the will of God. Once a few years ago an angel saved me from taking a serious fall. I turned to thank him and he said in the most gentle, humble voice I ever heard, "Oh, don't thank me, thank Him." I can still hear that sweet voice. We are never to pray to angels because like all others in the divine realm, they are praying with us.

We need to remember that God made us, not angels, in the image of Himself. And Jesus calls us, His followers, God's heirs, not the angelic host. Angels live in God's great presence and can clearly hear God's commands. We humans, however, are made to walk not by sight, but by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Angels in Our Lives

God speaks to His people. He is ever communicating with us. He sends messages through angels, messages of warning, and comfort in times of danger and fear, of help. Angels are called God's messengers. They are His holy diplomatic envoy. Angels never meddle and never play roles as Mr. Fix-Its. Angels are our helpers in responding to the Truth. Angels respond solely to God's voice and God's will. They do not act of their own accord. They ALWAYS and ONLY do God's bidding.

I love how angels guide us in the way God wants us to go in specific situations, sometimes calling us to take specific action. They gently whisper in our ear, or nudge us in a certain direction. My mother was zooming along in her car one day and when she heard a voice, "Dorothy, slow down." She immediately slowed down and when she did, she barely missed hitting another car speeding through the intersection.

I recently heard a wonderful story of an angel showing up to help a man who was under his car fixing something when the car fell off its jack crushing the poor guy against the pavement. He was alone in his locked garage and the pain was so agonizing he couldn't even squeak out a call for help. Then he saw feet and the cuffs of jeans at the side of the car and heard a voice, "Don't worry. I'll help you." The car was lifted up and the wounded man was able to roll out from under it. But when he looked around nobody was in the garage and the door was still locked - from the inside!

Angels as Fierce Messengers

In their protective roles, angels are in no way cute little dolls with pretty faces and puffy wings. Angels can be the fiercest of warriors and the swiftest of rescuers. Scripture shows that they have the fierce task of delivering judgment. When God passes judgment on injustice, the angels are often the once who carry out the sentence. The usual image is that they use flaming swords, but not always. "Right away an angel of the Lord struck Herod down. Herod had not given praise to God. So he was eaten by worms and died." (Acts 12:23)

"That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp." (2 Kings 19:35 (NIV))

Are All Angels Good?

No. God's angels have their counterparts on the dark side as demons. These fallen angels have no message of their own to tell, they only have lies so they can undermine Almighty God and His word. Since they no longer have their natural purpose, the demons' very existence is twisted up and broken. Satan, who fell from heaven, can come disguised as an angel of light. Demons can pretend to be God's angels, but unlike God's angels, they try to puff you up or divert you from Jesus or Scripture. Or, a demon will whip up your doubts until they blaze like a firestorm in your head. And they seize most any opportunity to rank themselves higher than you and the Lord Jesus Himself.

Angels are not "spirit guides."

God's holy angels will not try to control your life. They perform their assigned tasks and then fade into the background like the angel with the cuffed jeans who lifted the car off the chest of the trapped man. The angel simply vanished. God's angels want no glory or attention. They live to please the living God and perform His will. Spirit guides will appear to be helpers, but their aim is to control.

God's Angels Don't "Channel"

Do not be deceived about this. God's holy angels do not "channel" in the sense that New Age proponents teach. God's holy angels do not speak through you, nor do they speak for the dead. They were created to serve the Living God and Him only. They exist solely to love, worship and serve Lord and do His will. They have lived in His Holy Presence since before the world was created. Their only goal and purpose is to serve Him, and that's why they rush to help you. God's holy Angels do not inhabit human beings.

We often use an expression like, "Oh he or she is such an angel," but this is not even remotely possible. We aren't in the slightest angel-like. We are created in s God's image, not in the image of angels. Humans and angels both were created to love and worship the Living God and Jesus Christ, His Son, and that's where we are similar, period.

God's angels won't possess you. The Bible explains God's holy angels stand beside you, helping, guiding, loving, protecting you - bringing you closer to God and aiding you in your divine walk in the Kingdom of God on earth.

Often people who are demon-controlled or possessed can't give an explanation for the things they do, the choices they make, the work they engage in, or the things they might say. They don't know it, but somewhere along the line they gave themselves over to demonic forces that are now controlling them. These forces are often so cunning that in outward appearance the person seems normal, but in certain areas of that person's life there is chaos and even madness.

Listen for Your Angels

You are surrounded by loving angels. Psalm 91 says the Lord has given us angels to watch over us, to guard us. You can trust Jesus. You really can. You are never alone. Not only are you treasured by your Heavenly Father, and not only has the Lord Jesus promised you "Lo, I am with you always," and not only are you filled with the magnitude of the Holy Spirit, you have angels at your side to do God's bidding on your behalf!

Angels guide, protect, help and warn, they even pray for us, as did the angel in Zechariah 1:12. Angels exist to praise God and bear God's messages to the world of humans, especially those who love Him. They will appear to people of all religions, or even of no religion at all, when God wills it. Sadly, we humans are so burdened with cares and troubles and the effects of sin and evil that we can't hear the gentle whispers of His angels or the voice of God.

The key to hearing the voice of God and hearing the voices of our angels? It's found in Galatians 5:25: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Walk in the Spirit.

Read Galatians 5. It's terrific. It's beautiful. It's for you. God is sending angels to you to help you live a dynamic, wonderful life on this earth. This is SO exciting, isn't it? Let's praise Him!

These three teachings on angels are by no means all inclusive. I could write about angels until the Rapture. Hmm. Not a bad idea.

Keeper of His Word,
Marie