All this time — I thought I knew.
I mean I had heard the Bible stories of angels visiting those in history to guard them or bring messages. I knew of people who had been rescued by mysterious strangers. [@more@]I knew the scriptures of God giving His angels watch over us. I knew to pray over my home and my family and to believe that with God’s protecting hand comes the presence of angels. And during my life there had been many “close calls” when I knew that God had protected me. Many times at night, I knew that the Lord was watching over my home. And many times after hurtful or sorrowful experiences, God’s comfort would come to me with the words of a scripture or the words or melody to a song. I knew that Jesus said He would never leave me alone, nor forsake me, and that the Holy Spirit is our guide and comforter.
Psalm 91:11-12 is the familiar scripture; “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”
He will give His angels charge…the archaic (or more primitive) definition of “charge” is “to lay or put a load on”. A newer definition is “an assignment”. An official, even militant, assignment over you!
“The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear Him, and delivers them.” Psalm 34:7
There are angels who stay before God, their only job, to worship Him. There are messenger angels, warring angels, announcing angels, singing angels, guardian angels, ministering angels, delivering angels, interceding praying angels and according to Job 25:3 and Hebrews 12:22, they are all innumerable! (“Is there any number of His armies?” “…unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.”)
Revelations 19:10, says “And I fell at his feet (the angel’s) to worship him. And he said unto me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!” A fellow servant with us that hold to the testimony of Jesus!
And here I am sitting at my desk when God begins to show me a spiritual picture of an angel standing beside me. He is standing in such a way as to imply that he had been and would be there for quite a while. He is dressed comfortably and just looking straight ahead, his arms folded behind his back. His clothing are light colored and there are no wings visible, but as I observe this, God shows me a glimpse of him flying. To say his wings are strong would be saying it lightly; they are powerful and huge, as they sweep open. His appearance grows dark as he flies and then there he is standing just as before, right beside me. “Who is this,” I ask God, even though I knew. “This one works for me.” says the Lord. “Whoa!” I am in awe because God is now speaking directly to me, and not just a picture being revealed. As I think why is he here, “Strength,” says the Lord. “One who is with you for strength; one here to lift you up, and here to encourage you; one to share your joys and share your pain, one who is concerned.”
As God is speaking I am seeing and feeling bits of my life, and as He is finishing I am crying. I can see in my spirit that this angel from the Lord has been with me through out my life and the reality of this gift, so personal, from so great a God is so moving, so powerful, all I can answer with tears running down, is…
“I didn’t know — I didn’t know.”
(Matthew 18:10, “Take heed that you 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.”)
Vickie Hieb, Texas, USA
In Response:
This is strange, but last night about 9:00 or 9:30, I was watching TV, and I suddenly and very quickly, saw a glimpse of the Lord moving. There was a great feeling of anticipation. I tried to regain the spiritual insight, because it was so fleeting. I kept trying to look and listen in the spirit but nothing was open to me except the lingering of that momentary sensing that something big is up.
That’s the way I like to see things. There are times when the Holy Spirit pulls me to go to a quiet place and to stop and look in the spirit because He has something to show me. Sometimes I open my spiritual eyes and look into the spirit by faith and know that I see.
This is a most poignant time. I can feel it in my spirit. It is heavy with excitement and the fear of the Lord. We are being changed. We are at a place where the church is truly going to go from glory to glory. Our vision is being fine tuned to the spirit. We will not survive if we continue in this earthly way of seeing with just our fleshly eyes.
The spiritual bond between our spirit and the spiritual world of God is becoming stronger and stronger. To be in Christ – to be able to say to the enemy, "You have no place in me!" is crucial at this time.
Seeing in the spirit, heavenly visitations, is not new. We just didn't know. Now we do!
Rev. Tura Zapata, Texas, USA
April 9, 2006