Acts 12:1-8
...After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him.
In Acts Chapter 8, an angel appeared to Philip and brought him to the Ethiopian eunuch. In Acts Chapter 10 and 11, an angel appeared in a vision to Cornelius. We see from these passages that the work of angels is very important. Hebrews 1:14 tells us clearly that angels are ministering spirits, and are different from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but an angel is just a ministering spirit. Angels can only appear on the outside, and help to protect us from the outside, but the Holy Spirit can change us from inside out. Although the angels can protect us from the outside, they cannot change our hearts from the inside. Only the Holy Spirit can live within the hearts of the people, to bring about change. For each believer, God prepared for us a guardian angel. Matthew 18:10 tells us that God has indeed prepared to angels to protect us, just like in this passage - Peter was in prison, and an angel rescued him.
Several years ago, the church youths went camping in Yosemite. I was driving back from the Yosemite mountains and was stepping on my brakes all along the way. It did not take long before I started to smell the burning tires. I pulled over to the side, and told the youths to get off the car, planning to rush the car off to the garage for repairs. Unexpectedly, when I started the car and stepped on the accelerator, the car started to slide backwards. There were small wooden sticks on the road behind my car, but these did not stop my car from sliding down the hill. At this time, I heard what sounded like a loud thunder, and the car suddenly came to a stop in the middle of the slope, stuck among three trees. When I saw this scene, it was like a hand had grabbed hold of my car. I suddenly realized that it was the work of angels that saved my life. Do you know that God has sent an angel to protect you on your way today?
Pray with Pastor Tong
Lord, we thank you because you sent angels around us to help us and protect us. We pray, Lord, that you open our eyes to see that your grace and protection is always in our lives. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.