Angels Part 1: Our Defenders Kathryn Kuhlman

For a few minutes, you and I are going to have a good heart -to -heart talk about something that concerns all of us. And I hope that after I would have left your home today, you'll know how real is your protection, how secure you really are. if you are one of God's children. Now, the subject of angels is so prominent in the Scriptures that somehow whenever I speak to you regarding the ministry of angels and the fact of angels, I feel sort of inadequate in trying to present to you. in dealing with this subject fully. And the half hour passes so very quickly. I don't know whether I'll be able to finish out a little heart -to -heart talk or not. You can't study the Word of God without realizing that angels are real creatures created by God. And they were created even before the world was made. They are created beings. They differ from man in that angels have no souls. Their homes, habitations in which to dwell, they also possess some kind of a body. That is one thing that you cannot argue. The fact that Angels do have some kind of a body, a physical body. They had hands. They had feet. They eat. That to me was always most interesting. I'll never forget the very first time that I got light on this fact from the Word of God. Because as a child in that little Methodist Sunday school in Concordia, Missouri, my teacher evidently didn't know too much about angels or about the Bible because all that I can remember from what she taught me was the fact that angels had beautiful wings. Oh, the most beautiful wings. I always wanted more than anything else to be an angel when I died. Oh, that worried me so as a child. I wanted my wings to be so big and so beautiful, just like the angels. And I could never associate an angel with food. And yet, as you study the Word of God, you find out they not only possess a body, they also eat. For in Genesis 18, angels were entertained by Abraham in his tent. He prepared a feast for angels, and they ate of the meat and the bread which he had prepared. But I also find that angels also have a very... kind of diet. For the Bible speaks of angels food. We always talk about an angel food cake and an angel dessert. The Bible clearly speaks of angels food. And in the 78th Psalm, We're told what it was. The author of this psalm describes it as follows. And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of the heaven. Man did eat angels' food. He sent the meat to the full. Read it. It's in the 24th to 25th verse of the 78th Psalm. Now, the manna on which Israel lived for 40 years in the wilderness is called by God, angel's food. Sure, if you weren't God's children, you know all about that wonderful manna that was sent from heaven, fresh each morning, and the children of... Israel went out to gather it. They thrived on it. It was delicious. It was marvelous. We speak of heavenly manna, the manna that the children of Israel lived on low those 40 years when they were in the wilderness. But did you fully realize that that manna that God sent from heaven was really angels food it came down from heaven god opened up the angels bread box for his people now i kid you that was pretty wonderful that was pretty special literally god the father opened of the angel's bread box in heaven that take care of his own people. And they ate out of the angel's bread box for low 40 years in the wilderness. Oh, I think that's wonderful. And do you want to know what I believe? That when we get to heaven, we too shall... eat angels' food. You say, now you're getting a little far out, Miss Goodman. Oh, no, I'm not. Read, if you will, please, in the second chapter of the book of Revelation. It's about the 17th verse. To him that overcometh, will I give to each of the hidden Now, let's go a little further into the ministry of angels. And if you'll notice something, God has no time for lazy people or lazy angels. God believes in work. Sure. Go back to God's law for men and women. Six days shalt thou labor. It was never God's plan that man should only work three days out of every week or four days out of every week. God never had a union that made it possible for man to only work five days a week. No, ma 'am. Six days, God says, you work. Six days. No lazy people in God's outfit. Then the seventh day you come and rejoice and give praise unto the giver of every good and perfect gift. And so it is with angels. Angels have a ministry. Angels do not just sit around and do nothing. Enjoy themselves. No, ma 'am. When the prophet Elisha was surrounded by the... armies of Syria and how often I brought it to your remembrance because to me this is so glorious. You remember that he prayed to God to open the eyes of his servants and when the servant's eyes were opened, he beheld the mountain filled with horses and chariots of fires to protect Elisha. If we too could only see that which Elisha saw, we too would be filled with wonder and amazement at the marvelous sight. For I believe that as surely as God gave protection to Elisha and his servant, God protects his own. He protects you. He protects me. If in that hour, when we are so worried, so frustrated, fear gripping every part of our being, if only in that moment we could really see the unseen host. The angels of the Lord that surround us would be so ashamed of our fear. That's right. Angels are ministering hosts. They are angels that protect us. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them who love him, who fear him. who are obedient unto him. I believe with every atom of my being that many a time I came face to face with some disaster. There would have been an accident. I was near danger. Something would have, could have happened to me physically had it not been for the protection of the... angel of the Lord. That is a part of our inheritance as God's children. Angels are busy creatures in God's wonderful universe. They are never said to sleep or to rest, but they're constantly active, night and day, constantly. Oh, sure, beloved. There's more involved through God's plan for His children, our protection, our provision, than any of us fully realize. And it's just like that. The Word of God says, Are they not all ministering spirit sent forth to minister for them who shall be? heirs of salvation? Mm -hmm. Take heed 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. I often wonder How little children ever grow up to be adults. Then I watch children play, and I see how near they come to danger. I don't know if I could take it or not if I was a mother and... Oh, I would worry so about that youngster. I would almost... feel like not letting it out of my sight, you know, kind of like that. When I see children play, sometimes they come so near being hit, so close to falling off of something or out of something. I am convinced that the only way they ever grow to be adults is because Because there are angels who protect them. I believe that. Take heed that he despised not one of his little ones. For I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Now Satan would destroy all God's elect if he only could and if God would permit. But God has charged these angels with the responsibility of protecting his own. If he didn't, if there was not some protection or some provision made for our protection, we'd fall before Satan's onslaught as sure as we're born. He's made protection for us all through life. Now this ministry of angels seemed to continue all through our lives, all along the way. When God was about to destroy Sodom, he made it known to Lot by angels in order that he might escape from the fire and the brimstone. When Daniel was in the lion's den, he was protected by angels. For if you know your scripture, in the sixth chapter of Daniel, Daniel himself testifies, my God sent his angels and hath shut the lion's mouth. Wasn't that some testimony? Daniel knew that he was not alone. With perfect trust, with perfect confidence, he knew that his God would not permit him to be destroyed. Perhaps at the time he didn't know how, but he had confidence in his God. And God used angels to literally close the mouth of lions. That's real. Peter too was in prison. Read it. It's in the fifth chapter of Acts. It was an angel who came to deliver him. And he gives the testimony. The angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them forth. And I don't believe that that angel had to pick that lock on that prison door either. No, sir. He wasn't the safecracker or anything like that. I believe that he opened that door just as easily as though the door had never been locked. Sure, it's so simple, so natural. The angel of the Lord, by night, Peter knew when it happened, opened the prison doors and brought them forth. And this was repeated later again in the life of Peter when once again an angel led him out of the prison. He said, come on, Peter, follow me. Just come on. I'll show you the way. Just follow me and you'll be all right. Sometimes, you know, I wonder myself, I will do something not knowing why I was led to do it. Oh, I know we say the Spirit of the Lord led us and we look back not knowing why we did things and why we went thus and so. More than once I believe that as surely as an angel led Peter out of the prison, you and I, not knowing it, not being conscious of it, not being aware of it, had been just as definitely led of an angel of the Lord. Just as definitely have we had angels open the door, have we had the protection of angels, we have been just as sincerely, just as surely surrounded by legions of angels as Elisha was that day. Let's try. Oh, what? a glorious, comforting thought for the believer. To know that God has ordered His angels not only to protect us, but to deliver us in times of trouble. If we only realize that the armies, the hosts of heaven, are really at our disposal. If we could really know that, believe it, I believe that we should place less pressure Confidence then in the arm of flesh, less confidence in the physical weapons to defend ourselves and rest more securely in the power of our God. You know, we get so that we forget to lean on our God. We find ourselves trying to fight our own battles. Then we find ourselves getting into a mess. We were in a mess to start with. And then when we try to fight, we get ourselves into a bigger mess. And then it is long before we find ourselves just batting our heads against a stone wall. Oh, honey. Why don't you just stop? leaning on your own devices. Why don't you just start leaning on the Lord? He'll not only protect you, He'll deliver you. He has ways and means of delivering us in times of trouble. That's right. Therefore, we're told that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they should never be carnal, but spiritual. Right now, look up and say, I too am one of God's precious children. If he gave protection to Elisha, he'll give protection to me. If he'll open the prison door for Peter, he'll do it for me. If he led Peter out of prison, he'll lead me out of my troubles and my material prison. That's our God. Amen.