ANGELS: GOD'S SECRET SERVICE AGENTS

"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." - Psalm 34:7

As humans, we have a desire for security. Self-preservation is a common aspect of the human condition. We desire protection. Some seek protection through the accumulation of firearms. Others seek protection through an expensive security system. A guard dog is often used as a form of security. Large businesses actually hire people to serve as security. Our nation has a military that is constantly guarding our country.

Famous people, like actors and musicians, may hire bodyguards to keep them safe. Of course, the average man cannot afford this kind of security.

The President of the United States is protected by our government. The Secret Service has agents assigned to travel with the President. Their job is to shield the Commander and Chief as he circulates in public. A secret service agent has a dangerous job.  It is his task to keep the President safe, and if necessary, be a human shield and take a bullet to protect the President.

Do you know that the followers of Jesus have secret service agents? No, they aren't paid for by our tax dollars. Instead, God has created angels to provide security for us.

Many people are mystified about angels. Unfortunately most Christians have an incorrect view of angels. Many learn from songs, TV programs and fictional stories about angels. The Bible is the only real reliable source for us to refer to about angels. The Bible has much to say about this subject.

1. ANGELS ARE CREATED BEINGS

First of all, angels are not divine. They are created beings. God created angels. He created them for a specific purpose.

2. ANGELS SHOULD NOT BE WORSHIPED

In the Scriptures, we find men kneeling before angels. When they did, they were reminded not to worship angels, but instead, worship the Lord. I find too many people have a more worshipful attitude about angels than they do about the Lord Himself. This is idolatry.

3. ANGELS ARE MINISTERS

One of the assignments that the angels are given is to minister to us. Hebrews 1:14 teaches us this. In fact, Hebrews chapter 1 has much to say about angels. Take time to reach this powerful chapter of the Bible.

4. ANGELS ARE ASSIGNED

Jesus said, “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.” This verse seems to indicate a specific assignment of angels for individual people.

5. ANGELS MAY TAKE DIFFERENT FORMS

In Biblical days, there were times that angels took a human form and were visually seen by others. At other times, angels took human form and were not distinguished as angels. Hebrews 13:2 says, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Most of the time, angels are unseen. Their job is not to make much of themselves, but to simply obey God.

6. ANGELS PROVIDE PROTECTION

Angels provide us protection. Well, at least one angel does. Our text, Psalm 34:7, teaches us: "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." Just as the President is guarded by the Secret Service, God has a secret service agent agent assigned for your protection. Can you think of times that your life was spared? You have the Lord to thank for that. He may have used an angel to provide that protection. Angels operate at God's command, so the real praise for such deliverance belongs unto the Lord.

Keep in mind that angels may not always spare us from the consequences that arise from our foolish decisions. Sometimes we must reap what we've sown.

7. ANGELS TRANSPORT BELIEVERS TO PARADISE

At least this happened to Lazarus in Luke 16:22. We tend to think that such is the case for other believers as well. To have an angelic transport to glory is a precious event in our future. I think this also teaches us that the angelic protection is not meant to keep us immortal on this earth. There is an appointed day when we will leave this world. If Luke 16:22 is symbolic of all believers, then we realize that we'll have an angelic departure, and our transition will be safe and secure.

Angels are God's secret service agents, operating at His beckoning call. There's no doubt that each of us have been protected by their intervention.

Thank God for these ministering spirits called angels!

PERSONAL TESTIMONY

"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." - Psalm 34:6

What is your personal testimony? Could you share, in just one sentence, what the Lord has done for you? If you're like me, the Lord has done far more than can be described in a short statement. Yet, David does this in Psalm 34:6. He writes about himself in the third person, describing what God has done for him.

As we read this brief verse, we may find our own testimony coming into close alignment with David's. Notice three things that we find in his testimony.

1. DESTITUTION

First of all, there was destitution. David referred to himself as a poor man. Certainly David had humble beginnings. He was the least of his brethren, tending sheep when he was anointed to be the next king of Israel. However, the destitution he refers to is a spiritual poverty that all men without God experience. A man may have millions in stocks, bonds and cash, yet be spiritually bankrupt. To be rather honest, regardless of your financial stability, you are spiritually bankrupt without Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." Through Jesus Christ, there is relief for the spiritually bankrupt. The riches of God's grace is enjoyed by those who come to Christ in repentance and faith. On a personal note, I was spiritually bankrupt myself. I had an incredible debt because of sin and I had no way to bail myself out of the mess I was in. It was a mess that I was solely responsible for. Like David, I was destitute.

2. DESPERATION

Destitution leads to desperation. David's desperate need led to him to cry out to the Lord. My desperation led me to do the same, what about you? Despite being raised in a Christian home --- even a preacher's home --- I had a desperate need that only God could help with. Throwing aside my self-righteous efforts, I humbly cried out to God for help. Human pride often stands in the way of men finding the help they desperately need. That is why the Bible says that God gives grace to the humble. Our arrogance not only hinders us from finding help, it is actually part of our problem. Only desperate men can come humbly to God for help.

3. DELIVERANCE

Destitution leads to desperation. Desperation leads to deliverance. When David cried out to God, things began to happen. Notice two things that occurred when David prayed. First of all, God heard him. It is an amazing fact that God hears the desperate cries of those seeking mercy. Does God refuse to listen to some prayers? I believe so. The Bible says that God resists the proud. Proud men may impress others, but they will never impress God. However, humble men receive the favor of God. God resists the proud, but gives grace tot he humble. The second thing that happened when David prayed was that God saved him out of all his troubles. Notice that the word "trouble," is in the plural form. He had troubles. Yet God saved him from them all.

That is my testimony. I had a lot of troubles. Many of them were self-inflicted. To put it bluntly, all of my trouble involved sin. I was in over my head. I was spiritually bankrupt. I was facing death because of my guilt. I cried to God and He heard me! He saved me from ALL of my troubles. Praise His Name!

Like David, I was destitute. Like David, I got desperate. Like David, I was delivered by the grace of God.

Is this your testimony, too? Then let me give you some advise. Share your testimony with others. There is nothing that will bless your soul like sharing your testimony. Furthermore, you'll probably find that others need to hear your testimony. Most of all, the Lord deserves the praise for your testimony.

Thank the Lord above that He still saves people from their troubles!

GLOWING IN THE DARK

"They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed." - Psalm 34:5

As I get older, I seem to be more sentimental about my youth. I have fond memories of my childhood. For instance, I recall visiting my grandparents on Belcher Mountain and playing outside until it got dark. I recall the "lightning bugs" flying around. Some refer to these bugs as "fireflies," but I will always call them lightning bugs.

I recall capturing a lightning bug and watch it light up my hand ... just before I let it go. I never did harm these creatures, but I was mystified about them. I thought there was nothing like a summer evening with lightning bugs moving around.

To be honest, I haven't seen many lightning bugs during the past few summers. Maybe I go to bed too early. Lightning bugs were a visual treat for a kid like me. To see them emitting light during the darkness of night was impressive.

We are living in a world of darkness. The darkness of sin has blanketed our land. Yet Jesus has designated Christians to emit light in this dark world.

To be rather honest, many professing Christians seem to just blend in with the darkness. Sometimes it is hard to spot a Christian. But that is not what Jesus is calling us to do. We are called to let our light shine. God has called us to be different from the unbelieving world. Yet how does this take place?

When Moses spent time with God in private, he would come back to the Israelite camp with his face all aglow. I still think that time spent alone with God can pull back the curtains of sin from the heart so that the light can shine brighter to the world around us.

In Psalm 34:5, David wrote about people who, "looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. It makes a difference when a person looks to Jesus! Here are a couple of things that happen when a man looks to the Lord.

1. LOOKING TO THE LORD WILL BRING SALVATION

The Bible says, "Look unto me and be ye saved." This was the text that a young boy heard one snowy morning. In an instant, he looked to Christ and was changed. His name was Charles Haddon Spurgeon. A man can look to the church building and leave disappointed. A man may gaze at a denomination and get disheartened. A man may look at spiritual activity and get depressed. But if that man will look, by faith, to Jesus, he will be saved.

2. LOOKING TO THE LORD WILL BRING STRENGTH

The book of Hebrews says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." After giving us a grand tour of the hall of fame of Faith, the writer of the book of Hebrews challenges believers to move forward in their faith. Realizing that the Christian life is more of a marathon than a sprint, the writer provides us help for the grueling race ahead. A runner does not find strength by looking back at the starting line. Neither does he find sustaining strength by looking at the onlookers along the way. Instead, his motivation is found by looking ahead to the finish line. Our finish line will take us into the presence of the Lord. Knowing He is just ahead should motivate us to press on to the end.

David wrote that those who look to the Lord "were lightened." They had a glow on their face. They were not ashamed because they loved the One who put that glow in place.

There are so many demands on our schedule. I believe this is a ploy of the enemy, because we cannot cultivate intimacy with God while we're continually busy. It takes personal discipline to carve out time to meet with God. Staying busy in ministry is not even a substitute for this. We need to deliberately get alone and look to the Lord. Over time, we may find that old glow returning.

In this world of sin, we need believers who glow in the dark!

DELIVERANCE

"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."

- Psalm 34:4

We tend to think of David as a man of courage and valor. He is the man who slew the giant, Goliath. His reputation as a warrior was well known. It may come as a surprise that such a mighty man once struggled with fear. In the above text, David shares his spiritual autobiography.

By his own admission, David once was shackled by fear. Fear can be a scary prison. Sadly, many reside in the dungeon of fear. Unable to free themselves, they remain prisoners indefinitely. David was once among that crowd himself.

How does a man go from fear to faith? How does a person rise from cowardice to courage? I think David's testimony gives us the answer to these questions.

David did not free himself from fear. The Lord did that for him. David experienced true freedom that comes when the Lord delivers a man.

Notice what happened to change David's life.

1. DAVID SOUGHT FREEDOM

First of all, he prayed. The Bible says, "I sought the LORD ..." Tragically, most people seek quick relief rather than genuine deliverance. These days many seek motivational speakers rather than the Master.

Programs may be good up to a point, but true deliverance can only come through supernatural means. God must deliver. David looked up for help. He sought the Lord in prayer.

Do you need deliverance today? Look to Jesus. Call upon Him. Pray to the Lord in honesty and sincerity.

2. DAVID WAS SET FREE

Secondly, deliverance was experienced. In response to David's prayer, the Bible says, "... and he heard me." When I was in the fifth grade, our teacher encouraged us to write to an organization. I chose to write to the FBI. To my surprise, I got a package from them, describing the work that they do. I was pleased to get an answer to my letter. How much greater it is to receive an answer from God Himself when we pray!

Furthermore, David wrote that God, "delivered me from all my fears." God delivered him! Notice that David was delivered from ALL his fears. Notice that the word, "fears" is plural. He struggled with more than one fear, yet God delivered him from them all.

Do you need deliverance? Then look to the Lord and seek Him today. God delivers people today, yet they must come on his terms. Like David, you must come humbly. Quit trying to deliver yourself. Lay aside your pride and seek God. Next, you must come honestly. Quit pretending to be someone that you're not. You are in need of help. Confession is good for the soul. Pour out your soul to God. Also, you need to come dependently. Trust Him alone for deliverance and help.

Don't be held prisoner in the dungeon of fear any longer. Deliverance may be just one prayer away!

THE CASE FOR THE LOCAL CHURCH

"O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." - Psalm 34:3

Lee Strobel was once an outspoken atheist. Now he is a born-again believer. He speaks and writes with the intent of reaching skeptics with the Gospel. His best-known books include, "The Case For Christ," "The Case For Faith," "The Case for Miracles," and so on. Like a lawyer presents his arguments, Strobel uses the printed page to make his case for Christianity.

In this message, I want to make my case for the local church. You see, these days so many have devalued the church. Sadly, the degrading of the church has come from professing believers. Many "believers" use their blogs and books to drive people away from local churches.

While it is true that church attendance does not make you a Christian, it is wrong to assume that Christian discipleship can be conducted properly apart from the church. It is true that there are many good Christians who are physically unable to attend church. Yet even these believers would testify that they would love to attend church if they could.

What has happened to the American Church? I think many are believing the lie that the church is not very important. Church attendance is a low priority for many people. Church involvement is even less important. Yet many of these people have no problem using a church for a family member's wedding or funeral.

The fact is that the local church is a place where believers come and worship together. The psalmist wrote, "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." While it is true that we need to pray and read the Bible at home, we must confess that there is a need to worship God together. I find that when we omit the church from our lives, our spiritual vitality quickly diminishes. Our spiritual growth seems to hinge, in part, on our involvement with a local body of believers.

Look at the contrast between American Christianity and the persecuted believers of other countries. In some countries, it is forbidden to attend a Bible-believing church. Instead, believers risk their lives to assemble. Sometimes they gather in an abandoned building. At other times, they will secretly meet in someone's home. It isn't uncommon for Christians to gather in the woods and have a service. They believe in public worship and risk their lives to sing, pray, have communion and hear a Biblical sermon. Here in America, church members mow grass, go shopping, go hunting or sleep while churches are having services.

The local church is the place where the ordinances of baptism and communion are properly administered. The local church is the place where believers come to worship together. The local church is the location where Christian fellowship thrives. Furthermore, at a local church Biblical messages are proclaimed to instruct, challenge and help us. The local church is a place where believers can utilize their gifts, talents and abilities to advance God's program. At a local church, believers are trained to evangelize and do the work of ministry.

Read the book of Acts. God's work was accomplished through local churches. In his missionary journeys, Paul was instrumental in establishing churches. Many of our New Testament epistles were written to encourage and challenge churches. The book of Revelation has two chapters dedicated to seven specific local churches in Asia. There is not one verse of Scripture in the New Testament that indicates that the local church is unimportant or is a low-priority matter.

The blogs and books that many pattern their lives after are wrong and dangerous. Instead of reading their books, we need to get back to reading God's Book. Instead of following a blogger, we need to follow the Lord and His Word.

There are just a few institutions that God has created and ordained. He instituted marriage, government and the church. All three are under assault by the enemy. You'd think that Christians, of all people, would be strong supporters of the church. Our failure to emphasize the importance of the church is one of the reasons that the institutions of marriage and government are failing miserably.

Perhaps you've had a bad experience with a previous church. Maybe you are appalled at hypocrisy in some churches. These things shouldn't rob you of the blessing that comes from being in a good church. Find a good church. In a recent tweet, Steven Lawson wrote, "Go to a church, not of your convenience, but of your conviction."

So let me challenge you to be in church this Sunday. Bring your family with you. Quit making excuses. Start going to church and don't quit. Make it a high priority to worship the Lord publicly.

"O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together."

BOASTING IN THE LORD

"My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad." - Psalm 34:2

I must confess that I try to avoid arrogant, proud people. Such people are obvious to spot. They are usually bragging on themselves. They like the spotlight. They enjoy the attention that others give them. I don't like to be around such people. What I hate most is when I find this kind of behavior in my own heart.

King David wrote, "My soul shall make her boast in the LORD." This form of boasting is what we need today. In an age when people are "looking out for number one," it is refreshing to find someone who declares the LORD to be number one.

It seems like a paradox for a man to be humble and bold at the same time. We tend to identify boldness with pride. However, the Christian is called to be humble when it comes to himself, but bold when it comes to the Lord. That is what David was doing as he wrote Psalm 34.

We tend to take ourselves too seriously. We are easily offended by criticism. We are hurt when we are overlooked for promotion or praise. Yet when we humble ourselves, we tend to look away from ourselves and begin focusing on One who is worthy of our attention. As we get to know Him better, we find ourselves boldly trusting His Word, worshiping His glory and declaring His Gospel.

We humbly serve God while confidently trusting Him to keep His Word. Our soul boasts in Him. We give glory to Him. Others may praise a sports team for winning a championship, but we praise God, who is the only real victor.

When the humble hear that David is boasting in the Lord, they are glad. They, too, glory in the same One. Rather than having a tyrant king, the humble see that King David is just an humble servant himself, serving the eternal King.

This boasting in the Lord is what Paul meant when he wrote, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Paul was humble, yet bold.

Yes, I sometimes find pride rising up in my own heart. How deceitful the heart really is! Yet at the foot of the cross, this sin, like others, needs to die. While on my knees in repentance, I find my spirit soaring. When I look away from myself and behold the spotless Lamb of God, I get a proper perspective. He deserves praise, not me. While I am humbly at His feet, I am in the best position to boldly declare my love for Him. His Name is the only Name that should be uttered from my lips. More and more, I need to be humble, yet bold.

Boldness has nothing to do with me and everything to do with him. May others see Him rather than myself. Like John the Baptist, I need to say, "He must increase, but I must decrease." 

I have nothing to boast in. I have done nothing worthy of glory. Yet the One who reigns above is worthy of all the praise. So, like David, I say, "My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad."

BLESS THE LORD

"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."

- Psalm 34:1

The tragic truth about American Christians is that we are better at complaining to the Lord than we are praising the Lord. We are experienced at belly-aching but we are novices when it comes to expressing gratitude. We tend to see the glass as half full while also complaining that the glass is too small.

The fact is that we can't see the forest for the trees. We nit-pick about small inconveniences while overlooking the huge provisions that we are granted daily. If 99 items were perfect and only one didn't meet our expectations, we'd forget about the 99 and spend our time whining about the one.

If we look at ourselves as God see us, we'd have to confess that we act like a bunch of spoiled brats. We are never content despite that abundance of blessings that we receive daily. Even worse, some act as if they are entitled to more and that God should respond to their complaints; as if God is their slave.

A truly honest view of our situation would result in a different attitude. God is not our slave. We aren't entitled to any blessing. We have been blessed far beyond our capacity to repay. God has been good to us, but in response, we haven't been very good to Him.

We need to learn from David. David wrote, "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." God is good all the time, thus He deserves our praise all the time. As recipients of His blessings, we should bless Him at all times.

If God were to withhold all of His blessings from your life for just 60 seconds, just think of what would occur. You see, we can't live one second without Him. His blessings continue to be poured upon our lives 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I must confess that some days seem better than others, but every day is a blessing.

God deserves much better than we give Him. Like David, we should bless the Lord, "at all times." It is easy to sing hymns on Sunday morning, but doesn't God deserve our praise on Monday mornings, too?

Furthermore, David advocated public praise. So many like to practice "silent praise." While there is a place for private worship and meditation, we need to also be verbal in our praise. David wrote, "... his praise shall continually be in my mouth." We don't seem to have problems verbally praising our sports team around the water cooler. We don't seem to be slow in our praise of a singer, politician or actor. Yet when it comes to the Lord, we prefer to just be silent saints. God deserves better than this. He has blessed us in many private matters, but He has also blessed us openly. He deserved to be praised openly by us.

The real test of faith comes during our most difficult days. It isn't hard to praise the Lord when the bills are paid and your family is healthy. But when you loose your job, get a bad medical report or loose a family member, it is much more difficult to praise the Lord.

As you study the Scriptures, it is obvious that men of faith were men of praise. David could praise the Lord even though his circumstances were depressing. Paul and Silas sang from a prison cell, even though their backs were probably bleeding from the beating they had just received. John worshiped from the Isle of Patmos although he was left there alone with little expectancy to survive.

David said, "I will bless the LORD at all times," (emphasis added). David was determined to praise the Lord, not just in good times, but at all times.

We would be wise to do the same.