Month: June 2019

Every summer it is a  theme from someone of something, A Summer of….reading, movies under the stars, of love. There are endless themes but I was inspired to step up with some extra posts on angels, so here we are, A Summer of Angels.

A majority of people will say they believe in angels. Whether they really do or not, they may just say so. But believers have to know so. It is so imperative in this day and time to know they are at work for us, just like God is.

How often are we rescued by unseen hands, or are spared from some disaster? We may never know, would God even bother to tell us when we get to heaven? Possibly so, for you see, one day we will judge our guardian angels. Did you know that?

Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 1 Corinthians 6:3 The passage is in reference to the judicial system, lawsuits , testimony, and how the church is to appoint leaders, the same way the natural world works. Now, if we can judge earthly things as believers, we can also judge heavenly ones.

And judging righteously is according to His Word, not being judgemental, hypocritical or self righteous. Many people really get into offense and heated debates but it is in there, and personally, my angels get a glowing report, for I do know some times that had it not been for His love and protection I would not have been here to write this. And I’m smart enough to know I don’t know everything or every time that an angel has stepped in. The brakes that worked, or the gas heater that wasn’t lit properly, the appointment that was postponed. You get the idea.

How will you judge your angels, do you even know about that verse? Do you even pray for God to charge them, send them to work for you. It is a matter of time before He separates the wheat from the tares, true believers from sinners or those who dabble in different beliefs and practice nothing. We are in perilous times, the Bible says, but protected times, God says as angels move on our behalf.

God is our righteous judge. We will have to bow before our Maker. The Lamb of God will open the Book of Life. But before that, the Rapture or catching away, just as the tribulation is shortened for the elect’s sake, I believe our time on earth is. Many will be deceived then and face eternal death. Many are now, but as believers we do not want to be deceived but know Jesus as Lord.

Part of that wisdom is to know His Word, He will make it beautiful in His time, and we can thank Him for that and the gift of His beloved Son. And we have angels to thank and tell them what great work they did for us. Praying you have a blessed and safe summer, and find a few minutes to visit.

And we can have some summer fun reading and learning about them, how to pray, what they do, and some lighter notes as well, as we enjoy a summer of angels.

Rebecca Jones

This lovely picture was cropped from a ragged Holy Card.

Hearts and angels may make you think of Valentine’s Day, but rest assured that angels deal with hearts everyday. They are sent by God, the Father, on the wings of the Holy Spirit to minister His love to us daily and especially in time of need, though they are always near.

Angels may whisper ideas to us, phone a friend, buy some flowers, pray for someone. We may not be aware that these whispers are either from the Lord or one of His angels, but I can promise you that He works that way, the other night in prayer I was praying for a particular person as led by the Lord. Then the next day I hear a similar incident on the news. It was no who I was praying for but something very much like it, so it made me think He was saving people from this problem.

You may not always know who or what the Spirit helps you pray, even with the gift of tongues, it isn’t necessary for it all to be interpreted unless in church or He tell you it should be. God is so good and works in many mysterious ways.

He can undo anything that has caused you heartache or break and restore it better than before. So be careful when something or someone is on your heart or mind to pray for them. Use your spiritual gifts, or sk the Lord to allow the Holy Spirit to help your pray.

Many times the gift of tongues will move angels at His command to where they need to be, He just allows us to intercede. God really doesn’t need our help. He just wants us to love each other and prayer can do that. You may never know who you have helped until you get to heaven.

God touches our hearts everyday and calls us to Him. We need Jesus and hearts and angels are a just an added benefit.

Bless the LORD, O you His angels,
you mighty ones who do His word,
obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the LORD, all His hosts,
His ministers, who do his will!
Bless the LORD, all His works,
in all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Psalm 103:20-22 read the whole Psalm I am leaving a link, and there is a beauty secret in verse 5.

https://biblehub.com/esv/psalms/103.htm

While many think you die and go to heaven and become an angel, the Bible doesn’t back that up.  But we have this verse,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1, angel can be that cloud of witnesses, and those who have gone before us could be as well.

I don’t believe they know everything here on earth or that would not be heaven to them, would it? It’s just they are hoping to see souls saved and family members but should they not be, that memory would be gone or as I said it would not be heaven.

I believe people remain themselves, but are in a spiritual, glorified body, that is how we would be like angels. Angels were created and were servants, they never had to be saved, though they are interested in salvation

But it’s safe to believe that the angels are there to cheer us on, to do battle and be our guardians. And while we are to run a race with faith, we are also to rest in His love and to seek His peace, He has already given it to us, but we must just look to Him.

 

 

Isn’t this lovely?  Truthfully, I didn’t know what a diptych was. It is like a folded pair of painted tablets. I like those screens you see painted, most of them, are large and have three panels. But this is so exemplary of being hedged in by angels.

Angels had to protect Jesus, people wanted to kill Him even before He was born, and as a baby, and as He ministered. He had to slip in and out of crowds. There were Judases before there was Judas.

We get that phrase from the book of Job, God lowered that hedge when the devil took notice of the righteous Job. I was taught that Job’s fears caused it to lower, that the devil is fear, and he is, too. But God did not just sick him on Job or use him to torture a righteous soul. He prayed through the whole ordeal and was restored, with double.

We must remember that the book of Job is old, he lived in Joseph’s day. The devil also went after Peter, asked for him too. Jesus tried to warn him, just as God spoke to Job. Truthfully, I avoided Job. Most people are like, poor old Job. No, Job was prosperous. If in fact, if he did live in Joseph’s day, he was probably in a position that was prominent. I can’t say that for sure but Joseph has a man with the same name as one of the friends in his story.

We are not here to debate about the time and trials of Job. The enemy may have went after him because of fear, but it says he considered a righteous man. And he will go after you to prevent God’s plans, why we need the Spirit. We are here to find out about a hedge of protection, that I believe could be angels. You see, Jesus made us righteous by His death on the cross. Galatian 3:13 says he was cursed because of, it he took our place and was innocent or we would never have obtained righteousness.

Listen to the devil’s complaint. Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Job 1:10. And this verse. Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him Ecclesiastes. 10:8 KJV. Even a cut off head of a snake can bite or inject venom up to three days, that’s why they should be buried, Jesus was in the tomb doing just that cut off the enemy and burying him.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.  2 Corinthians 10:4. Our weapons are our prayers, casting down imaginations, the pleading His blood, using His name. He has given us authority, Luke 10:17.

You may hear a lot of criticism from people about televangelists, spiritual gifts and money. But people don’t always know what they are talking about, there is too much dissention among believers. In researching this I found a lot of it. The enemy is the author of confusion. God is the God of peace, and He has the final say, and yes, I believe He prospers us, it is not wrong to give to ministries who help others if you choose to, it is not anyone’s business.

Yes, God built the hedge, not just a row of shrubbery but in Biblical times brambles and thorns, comparable to a barbed wire fence. I hope he falls right into that thicket. And yes we can built it with our prayers over our homes and children. Psalm 91 is good for that.

We must know our enemy, use every weapon, walk in love, forgive, keep our spiritual armor on. Yes, Job was afraid, yes, the devil is fear, the father of lies and a tormentor, he accuses night and day, that’s why we need a hedge of protection.

What is the hedge? Something God shields us with, the blood of Jesus, he can’t cross. It is His words spoken over us and our agreement with His covenant of peace. But is it more than that? It is the power, love and sound mind of His Spirit, and the angels that go with Him. And I like to think that I’m protected by a hedge of roses and thorns. if not angels, fed and nurtured like the baby cardinals. I was amazed how those little feet walked hopped about the bushed stepping lightly over the small thorns and avoiding the larger ones.

And He wore a crown of peace in exchange for a crown of peace. He loves me and I am hedged in by that love, even fear cannot sway me He understands and I overcome that by His blood and my testimony. Jesus encompassed us with love and hedges us in His protection.

Rebecca Jones

 

 

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilton_Diptych

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been researching a lot of art and here is another wonderful painting by Rembrandt, what better story for Father’s Day that the angels visiting Abraham? As we know God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as many as the stars and only He can count them.

For a childless couple, who had left Ur and idol worship, been through Egypt, where Sarah was kidnapped by  the king and where Hagar enters the picture, it must still have appeared impossible to them and we know it’s not for God, we have the benefit of hindsight.

Even though a  change made His name father of many nations, Sarah decided to help God along and let him go to Hagar, not only allowing it, she insisted he father a child with the handmaiden, but that was not His promise. Isaac was the child of promise. And we know that caused problems later on, it is a cautionary tale to be sure.

Even so they are visited as depicted in the painting, by three angels. One of whom is the Angel of Lord, Jesus, Himself. He inquired of Sarah, and she prepares a meal. When she hears Him say that she will have a child when He returns the next year, she laughs. And even though she denies it to Him, He is not angry but says again she did.

Then He asks Abraham, His friend, as He refers to him if He should withhold what is about to happen. So Jesus proceeds to explain that Sodom and Gomorrah is about to be destroyed. And asks about the righteous, He wanted to save more people just like now, it was a time of grace, there was now law yet given.

But wicked people are paying the price everyday, when they have a savior before them and Jesus is still looking for the righteous. We are made righteous because as Galatians 3:13 says, He was cursed because cursed is every man that hangs from a tree. God imputed righteousness to  us and Jesus took our unrighteousness. Nothing was a fair exchange for Jesus, but He was willing to die in order to save souls and to give us access to His Father, as a believer we are crucified with Him, and heirs to salvation.

So as we celebrate Father’s Day, for earthy fathers or to remember them, what about our Heavenly Father, He deserves love and praise, for giving us the gift of eternal life. And if you don’t know Jesus or maybe, your father or sons don’t, it is a good day to get to know Him. He will love you like no one else can, like He kept a promise to Abraham, He keeps His promises and would love to visit you.

This pair of angels could be goodness and mercy but one has a book and the other a blooming branch of some kind. So, perhaps they represent Jews and Gentiles being grafted into the covenant. The book could represent the Lamb’s Book of Life and the branch, the rod of Aaron that budded in the Ark of the Covenant.

The colors of their close are close to the colors used in the temple. And of course, Jesus is now our High Priest and it is His blood on the mercy seat of our hearts, as it is in heaven.

The pair could be ministering spirits sent to inspire the Word of God to both Jew and Gentile, we should pray for His angels to be sent wherever they are need and to whomever. regardless of the faith or lack of, God can put angels into place we and situations, we might not even realize, and souls need salvation, and help from the heavenlies is not out of the question, nothing impossible for Him.

Like the angels, we can be the head and feet of Christ and demonstrate our Father’s love toward others, by offering a kind word or sharing the promises of His Word

Rebecca Jones

 

There is a story and poem about pennies from heaven, that they are dropped by an angel to make you smile or from a loved one. I don’t think they are necessarily dropped like that but nevertheless, the pennies are there and we find them, maybe the sun is shining on them and they are often found a coppery, small reminder, of little things.

I have also heard that God winks. He lists that as flattery, but if He does, it is not the untrusted and hush, hush, bribery. It is more of ” nice going ” or  ” I’m proud of you. ” A little, secret smile between Father and child.  A twinkling star, that to me, would be a God wink.

And the pennies, they too, whether dropped by angels or not, are good reminders that God cares for the little things. Sparrows, for instance. So what else would God like for us to remember. I wrote a poem about what angels do. So if they dropped you a penny today, what would it be?

A kind word? A special memory? The sweetness of song? The joy that comes from Jesus? Is it the blue sky after a storm, did angels breathe away the clouds? Is it a breeze? A dance? Or laughter? Angels do behold our father’s face and would know just how to cheer us up.

Is it a loving e-mail? Or something shared with a friend? Was it a kiss? Was it something totally unexpected, one of favorite word is serendipity, which means just that? Was it a bird singing or flowers blooming?

A bee? A butterfly? A hummingbird? I used to watch children on bug hunts and their admiration of slow moving snails in the garden. I too, was always amazed that God could make creature so large and also so small.

It might even make you feel slight or insignificant, a lilliputian, but that is not so. God counts stars, grains of sand, He know my hair color and every strand is numbered. He loves every dimple and every tiny wrinkle.

He is enamored with us to the point of giving us His Son, but we have to believe that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6, that is faith, believing what you don’t see yet. Resting in His promises.

So, I have had a double rainbow over my house. I have seen clouds that look like doves, angel, and wings, and I have found lots of pennies. But most of time our pennies from heaven aren’t really pennies at all, just any small reminders of our Heavenly Father’s love.

And if an angel drops a penny or a feather, that’s just even more of a reminder.

‘Twas the night of our dear Savior’s birth. A star was born to guide the wise men to the manger, I believe that was the very glory of God from heaven, if not a real star reflecting it. It was bolder and brighter and the magi had to know the heavens in order to follow it.

There were astronomers, God created the stars for signs and seasons, a calendar. It was Nimrod who polluted it with astrology and occult practices. The stars are meant  to be enjoyed and studied, they make up constellations and galaxies, and even the signs of the Zodiac had original meaning and one was discovered on a temple floor in Israel.

Take Virgo for instance, God was showing His plan of redemption. Even a serpent runs the length of it. The whole story is there. I once studied an book by Dr. D. James Kennedy, it gives a very detailed account of all the constellations, the Zodiac, and how it was meant to be interpreted.

Many cultures have interpreted their own stories, mythological and otherwise, but the original intent of them will remain the same, it was meant for signs and season and guide wise men. It tells the story of Christ from beginning to end, and beyond because there is no end. Only eternity.

Stars, die and glory departed but He gets the glory when we remain in His love. Stars are always being creation, God’s spoken word flung them into existence , and maybe there was a cosmic big bang as atomic energy exploded into galaxies that are still being formed.

He counts the stars and calls them all by name. Psalm 147:4, and every minute of everyday, a star is born.

Check out the Helix Nebula on my board, shot by the Hubble telescope, the Eye of God.

 

We have no idea what fruit Eve took and ate and gave to Adam, an apple is mentioned in some ancient Jewish text and so that’s where we get the idea. The Bible speaks of many fruits, even figs and pomegranates. There are a lot of theories. what was the forbidden fruit? We can’t really say with certainty.

Pomegranates were on the bottom the high priest’s robe, they have 638 seeds representing the many other laws than the Ten Commandments. And of course, Jesus cursed a fig tree because it  had leaves and no fruit.

And He is now our High Priest with commandment to love one another encompassing the rest.  Many people are like the fig tree, leaves but no fruit. Figs are a possibility  because they made their clothes from fig leaves. Other suggestions have been wheat and mushrooms, but basically it was just the disobedience that brought them the knowledge of evil.

Personally, I like the idea of the grape as it alludes to wine and communion, but that is not what we think of as a tree but a branch. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:15 Berean

So an apple a day to keep not only the doctor but enemy away is good. Jesus wants to be the vine  and we, the branches. We are to bear fruit. we can’t without communion with Him, and I like taking Holy Communion, even at home. You just have to proclaim His death until He comes and remain repentant. His blood covered so much, and He is our bread from heaven.

In order to bear fruit  we have not be cut off from Him, as Adam and Eve were. Jesus came to restore Adam’s authority, and whatever fruit, which is peri in Hebrew, is nothing to worry about, only keeping Him first, we want His mind, who needs evil?

Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.…Matthew 7:17-19

 

 

Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli worked in Milan,  is is a detail from the painting of Christ in the Garden of  Gethsemane in 1612, He painted altarpieces, but also the Gifts of the Magi and the Beheading of John also a last Supper that is darker, more sepia than the DaVinci one we are familiar with. It is at the Met but not currently on display. He also painted Jacob wrestling the angel, which is likely a pre-incarnate Christ.

And while Gethsemane is in proximity to the Mount of Olives, it was far different than when He taught the Lord’s Prayer that day as a parable. Still an angel very much like this was was right behind Him, instead of a cross and a cup, she may have just offered Him the shade of her wings.

Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (detail), c. 1612, Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli (Italian, 1573–1626).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pier_Francesco_Mazzucchelli

His peace, Rebecca Jones