Praise the Lord for Angels:
Praise the Lord for angels. Angels are encamped all around us. That is clearly what the word of God tells us. And, I want my guardian angel near me because I know God has him there to watch over me and to protect me. To make sure I don't dash my foot against a stone. (Matthew 4:6)
The reason I am saying this is I want to point out before I go on any further that I am not against angels. I don't want anyone misinterpreting what I am about to say in this article regarding them. What I do want to say, however, in my way of thinking, there are too much emphasis being made on angels and not enough on the creator of angels! God Almighty! God is the creator of all things in Heaven and in earth; He created the angels, but He didn't create them for us to worship.
The TV show "Touched by an Angel" is a really nice show, but it is not Biblical in the complete sense of the word. Although things seem to be of God, many times they are not. And that goes for all kinds of TV programs,
especially the religious ones.
Now I am not saying because you watch "Touched by an Angel" that you are worshipping angels, what I am saying is, that show places more emphasis on angels than on God. That is my opinion.
We Are Not to Worship Angels:
I subscribed to a magazine a while back about angels, but quickly discontinued the issues when I discovered that they didn't have much to say about God. It was as if they were worshipping angels. The magazine was all angel oriented. It's ok to talk about angels. It's ok to speak of their existence for they do exist and we should acknowledge them. However, let us remember that God is the one that dispatches angels. God is the one who gives them their power, their orders and assignments. God deserves the worship and the credit for all the things that the angels do. We are not to put too much emphasis on angels without reiterating that God is the one that created them.
Lets Not Forget From Whom Angels Get Their Power:
God sent an angel and delivered Daniel:
Daniel 6:22 says, "my God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me." Notice Daniel didn't only say that an angel shut the lions' mouth, but that God hath sent His angel and hath shut the lions' mouths. The words, "God hath sent His angel" is very important. Let me point out not just any angel showed up that day. That angel was owned and operated by God. And, if God hadn't of sent him, Daniel would NOT have been delivered. Angels just don't show up anywhere; they show up somewhere. And that somewhere, is where God sends them.
Have you ever heard someone say, "that was heaven sent?" Well, the angel that shut those lions' mouths, wasn't just "heaven sent' but "God sent."
We Are Commanded to Worship God and Him Alone:
The first commandment says, "Thou shall have no other gods before me." But lately so many are speaking of angels to the point it's as if God doesn't exist to them. I see wonderfully designed websites with beautiful angels on them with no mention of God or our Savior, Jesus Christ, anywhere. This hurts me. I really like surfing the net and seeing all the talent people have so proudly displayed on their sites but I would really feel better if some of them used the name of Jesus more often. (I am not trying to offend anyone so please read my note at the beginning of this article)
Jesus says in John 12:32, "if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." We need to lift up the Lord Jesus.
Too Much Credit Given to Angels, Not Enough to God:
Have you ever put a lot of effort into a project only to have someone else steal the whole concept and walk away with all the credit? Maybe you came up with a great moneymaking plan that you knew would go over extremely well and would help with the finances of your church. It was your idea and your plan but someone else walked right off with all the praise and appreciation that you deserved. Well, just think about how God, our Heavenly Father, feels. He saves lives everyday by dispatching angels to help people, but yet how many really appreciate it and thank Him for it? Many people know an angel delivered them, but they don't seem to know where the angel came from. We need to give God the praise and the credit for all the times we are delivered and touched by His power.
Keeping Angels in Proper Perspective:
Paul was sent an angel of God:
Paul says in Acts 27:23-24, "For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar; and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee."
This angel was sent by God to tell Paul not to fear, that he must appear before Caesar and to tell him no lives would be lost in this storm at sea. Paul made it clear by saying, whose I am and whom I serve, that he was worshipping God not the angel that was sent to him. Also, notice that Paul said "the angel of God" not the angel or an angel, but THE ANGEL OF GOD. We need to keep our minds on God and His Word.
Matthew 6:33 says this, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you." If we need angels, God will send them. But we are to seek His face and His kingdom. We are not to seek angels.
We Are Not to Pray to Angels, Nor Pray to See Them:
When we are in trouble we are NOT to pray to angels and ask for help, we are to pray to God for help. Jesus said, "if you ask anything in my name, I will do it." He did NOT say, "pray to angels."
Another thing, we are NOT to pray to SEE angels. If you are doing this, I suggest you stop. If God finds it suitable that you should see an angel, you'll see one, otherwise you won't. Just realize that your angel is near and that's all you need to know.
Not All Angels Are From God:
May we not forget that satan was an angel before he fell from Heaven. And although now he is a "fallen angel" he does transform himself into an "angel of light" from time to time to deceive people.(2 Corinthians 11:14)
And, may we not forget that many other "evil spirits" fell out of Heaven when satan fell and also transform themselves into "ministers of righteousness."(2 Corinthians 11:15)
So not all angels are from God. We need to remember this and stay alert because satan is our adversary and he walketh about seeking whom he may devour. (I Peter 5:8)
Some Final Thoughts About Angels:
God sends angels to us. They are our friends, but we are not to worship them or to put too much emphasis on them.
Not all angels are from God. There are "good angels" and "bad angels."
If we are in danger, God will send the appropriate angel to help. So don't panic!
Angels hearken to God's Word, not ours, so don't try to contact them personally.
Copyright 2000 by Darlene Osborne
