Betty Burks 2006-12-30
0 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Belief in angels is still prevalent in todauy's society -- not high society. Southerners have been brought up with the image of an angel as a person who's white, has a robe on, and wings on her back. The archangel is a man in white. Ninety-seven percent of white evangelical Christians trust in their existence. When we read the Bible, we read of the suffering of Christ and the glory of Christ. The angels know who Christ is as they have seen Him in His glory.
The Christian life is the dynamic Spirit-filled life which does not come from what we know intellectually. Belief in angels declined with advanced education. But overall, 81% believe in the existence of angels. They can come to us in different forms, perhaps a bluebird, a butterfly, a fat, fluffy singing mockingbird high up in a tree of holly at the bus stop. God has his angels watching over us in times of great peril, some in human form like the stranger who yelled when I almost walked in front of a speeding car downtown (the drivers here act like maniacs behind the wheel of an auto and are never charged when they kill a pedestrian). Angels can appear unseen as the one who saved me from being choked to death by a paid assassin (he, too, was never charged). Were it not for God's intervention, I'd been a goner a long time ago, but He has left me here for a purpose I've yet to determine.
When the angels saw Jesus bleed and die on the cross of Calvary, it was beyond their comprehension. Some things are left to God's will. "He gave his only son..." There is real power in love, which motivate us the most and is deeply fulfilling. Any time we do things with the wrong motive, we do not find happiness. We all have troubles, difficult times to deal with in our lives. Many people live without hope and believe there is no hope. "If I can't see it, I won't believe it" is still alive and kicking. We must believe before we can see. We walk by faith, not by sight.
God speaks of beautiful angels as reakm created beings. Some believers doubt spiritual things which they have not experienced in their own lives. Whe God "tests and puts us through trials," it is to purify us, to remove the bad so we can come forth as gold. I've started wearing a little monogramed gold ring which Brett gave to me years ago. I haven't figured out what the "P" stands for, but when I wear it now, I have a semblance of peace in hy hectic life. Satan (the devil) tries to get to us through our minds; he works in our thought life. If I'd doen this or that, things might be different. Don't believe him, as God is omnipresent and works in His own time for our good and fate doesn't come into this matter. Some say that angels are like ghosts, Santa Claus, the spirit; it's an attitude. At times of desolation when we feel that all is lost, we can go into His presence and ask of Him what we need -- ask and receive God's blessings.
Do you believe in angels? Have you ever felt their presence? My first encounter was as a child in the throes of a high fever. "She" was beautiful with black flowing hair. After my fever broke, I searched everywhere for the "neighbor" who had stood at the bed and just looked down at me. Not until I had a strange "illness" as few months after my marriage, my husband would read to me and I discovered that my angel looked like Poe's "Ligeia" -- the most beautiful woman in the world. Believe -- "because it is written." Blessed is the man who...he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth the fruit in his season; his leaf also shall wither; shall prosper." Happiness is four-fold: We are planted -- with firm footing. We are productive -- bringing forth fruit. We are permanent -- living forever. We are prosperous -- in whatever we do. Believe, and it shall be granted.
