Angels Part 2: Psalm 91 & Angels At Our Death Kathryn Kuhlman

We were right in the middle of something so interesting, so thrilling, so real, when I looked up and, yon behold, it was time for me to leave your house. And I had to leave you so quickly because my time was up. And so here I am again, right back exactly where I left you in our conversation about... Angels. We were talking about the provision that God has made for his children in protecting us, in surrounding us, in providing for us. Oh, I'll tell you, angels are mighty busy creatures. And never forget, you do not fight that battle alone. You're not walking that mile alone. You are never alone, night or day. He has made provision for you as his child to be protected. That's why that 91st Psalm is loaded. Oh, let me read it. And you precious ones listening to me this moment, whose mind and whose life is so filled with fear, how can you be afraid? How do you dare be afraid if you believe God's word? He that dwelleth in the steep... place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Now here's the secret. This is the opener. This is the question. Are you abide in Him? And does He abide in you? First of all, we've got to get this relationship where it should be. That's the big question. Where are you living? How are you living? Now, the rest of this portion of the Word of God does not involve you if you do not have the right relationship to Him. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say the Lord, he is my refuge, my fortress, my God. In him will I trust. Surely he will deliver thee from the snare of Apollo and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness. nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Why? Because thou hast made the Lord. which is my refuge, even the most high, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee. Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. Now, where is there room for fear? Where is there cause for worry? Where is there place for anxiety and frustration if your trust and confidence is in Him? The mighty God of this universe has said, Because thou hast made the Lord, which is thy refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, Because you've done so, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he's made provision. He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. That was the reason that Elisha could look up and pray, Lord. Open the eyes of my servant who is scared stiff. He can't see. He has no spiritual vision. He has no knowledge of your protection. Open his eyes just for a minute. Let him literally see your protection. And he saw. And the mountains were full of chariots and fire. And, oh, my word, all of heaven was surrounding. Thanks. the reason. Daniel without fear. I believe as Daniel stood there there was no uncertainty about a thing. There was no frustration. There was no nervousness. He stood there with complete confidence. He knew God would protect him. He didn't know how. I doubt. that Daniel even thought that God would close the mouth of the lions. Say, oh, that was something. Can't you see that angel walking right up? And do you know what I believe? Daniel perhaps did not see the angels, but I bet those lions did. Yes, ma 'am. Peter knew that somehow, someway, God would protect him and give him deliverance. And he did. Opened the door and let Peter right out. On another occasion, led him right out of the prison. Oh, that's wonderful. But watch something. There's more involved when it comes to angels. Do you know that angels are interested? In our redemption. Our salvation. Now remember something. Angels can never know the joy of being redeemed. Never. Because angels have no soul. Angels. Can never know the thrill. The joy. The peace. That comes into. the mind and the life of an individual who has found salvation. But they nevertheless are deeply interested in the plan of our salvation and our redemption. Because in 1 Peter, the first chapter, we're told that they desire to look into this great plan of salvation. It speaks to us of the curiosity of the angels as they marvel and as they wonder at God's plan for man's redemption. And they rejoice when a soul is saved, for Jesus plainly tells us there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner. That repented. You and I may not know the value of a soul. The angels do. You and I may take for granted the salvation, the conversion of a human being. When an altar call is given and you see men and women accepting the Christ as their Savior, we may take it very much for granted. There may not be much emotion. or much excitement among us. But I'm going to tell you something. There's plenty of emotion. There's plenty of excitement. There's plenty of rejoicing among the angels in heaven because they know the value of one's soul, that repentance. There is joy, the Bible says, in the presence of the angels. angels of God over one sinner that repented. That's right. Say, do you want to know something? The angels are present when we worship the Lord. That's right. Paul tells us in his letters in speaking of a woman's place and her conduct in the assembly of the church. that they are to keep their head covered because of the angels. Now, correctly translated, this passage so often is misunderstood. This is what he is saying, because of the presence of the angels. God has ordered the angels to be present at our worship. that they may observe our conduct in gratitude to God as we worship Him. All of this is wonderful. I'm deeply moved. I am involved in all of this. But the grand finale to me is the greatest. The most glorious climax of the entire ministry of the heavenly angels comes at the time when we need them most. I know of no more comforting truth in the entire scripture concerning the angels than their ministry to us at the hour of our death. Should we die before the Lord comes? Remember, when a saint dies, His soul and his spirit go directly into heaven while his body is just temporarily placed in the grave until the resurrection at the return of Christ. Now, will you please remember that in order for the spirit of the saint to go into heaven, it's necessary for it to pass through the atmosphere, the air which surrounds this earth. But the atmosphere surrounds... our earth is the particular abode of Satan and his fallen angels. The traditional enemies of the saints. The enemies of not only Christ, but all who belong to him. Satan is literally called in the scriptures the Prince of the power of the air. We might therefore just logically expect that the passage of the saint at death from earth to heaven would be very vigorously contested by Satan and by his angels. Because it's his last, it's his final opportunity to attack the believer on his final journey home. Were it not for the promises of God, therefore, the saint might never even reach heaven. But God has made a wonderful provision, a glorious provision. There's a special army, a special host of angels, whose particular duty, it seems, is to escort the souls of his people. the saints at the time of their death into their heavenly home and into the very presence of the Savior. Oh, to me, this is one of the most thrilling duties of the angels. Do you want to know something? If you're a Christian, you don't have to worry about a thing. Not a thing. My goodness, stop worrying about going to the poorhouse. Stop worrying about the roof over your head. Stop being afraid about things that don't amount to a hill of beans. Stop worrying about death. He hasn't forgotten a thing, not one thing. I know that. When I take a trip and I go someplace, I work up to the very last minute. I think I've taken care of every detail. And then the last thing, when the suitcases are all in the car and I'm settled in the car, before we drive away from the house, I say to myself, now have I taken care of everything? Do I have the tickets? Now, do I have... my Bible and do I have my white shoes that I wear on the platform? Now, have I made provision for everything? And I think, yes, everything is there. But you know, even though I have made provision for everything before leaving the house, something could happen to me on the trip before I arrive at my destination. But God has thought about everything. He's not only thought about all of the details of our living and made provision for our bodies and the material things while we're here in the flesh, but he has made provision. He has made dead sure that we arrive in... Heaven safely. Protected all the way. Oh, that's glorious. That's marvelous. Notice, in Luke, and it came to pass that the baker died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. Not escorted by angels, but carried. by the angels into Abraham's booth. Carrie, oh, what an experience that must have been for Lazarus. What an experience it must be for all of God's home -going saints. It almost makes one want to die. For it must be a glorious experience to have an army of heaven to bring us home. It certainly takes the fear out of death. Instead of a dreaded experience, It'll be the most glorious thrill. What a climax to a life of trial and struggle. What a glorious climax. Carried by angels. We read of the world's great when they come home. How the crowds are waiting. The cannons saluting. The flags are waiting. The army is marching. All the... that he is going through the air. The ticker tape parade. And the great man is riding in a special car with other great ones, surrounded by secret police on every end. A great array of military protection. But, beloved, that's nothing compared to the thrill of dying for the believing Christian. They've come home to leave these old clods of clay, to be loosed from this old earth, to say goodbye to all of our tears, to all of our sufferings, to all of our disappointments. Oh, don't fear death. Don't dread death. You're leaving all the sham. You're leaving all this false world. You're leaving all that has hurt, that has given you sorrow. I'm telling you, this old world isn't such a marvelous place after all is said and done. It's a struggle from the beginning to end. It's a struggle from the time the little old baby makes his first cry until the day that old pain wrecks its body. Oh, it isn't so wonderful. My goodness, the life to come home to leave all this stuff and then surrounded by heavenly hosts to be carried by the angels into God's own wonderful presence. O grave, where is thy victory? O death, Paul says, where is thy sting? Confidence in God, trust in the Heavenly Father takes out the sting of death. Sure. Is this what death really is? Is this dying for the believer? It sure is. It certainly is the thing that I've been talking to you about in the last 30 minutes. It's exactly what death is for God's child. That's the reason that David... could say yea though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death i will fear no either but thou art with thy rod and thy staff they In death, we are never alone. You are not alone now. He will not leave you alone tomorrow. He will be with you to the end. That is what it means to be a Christian.