Angels and Demons | Angels Are Real

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast supported by harvest partners for more ways to deepen and challenge your spiritual walk and roll and pastor breaks free online courses sign and harvest out a word very involved in the life as we describe God's secret agents, angels have been so theorized fictional on coming up today Greg more helps us understand the biblical angels are real and they may be real here. The Bible is filled with stories of work delivered by sometimes, by angels, so an angel around you right now.

Chances are, they don't know a lot what they do know comes removing the program to make it would be a mistake to just throw out the concept of angels you today on a new beginning for Greg Laurie points out angels or real plan of God, was he not all angels liable God was wondering how things were going on earth. So we just fetched a high ranking means old earth to check things out bring back a report little time Garcia do attorneys the Lord things are not looking good on planet Earth. I have to tell you, in all honesty, 95% of the people are bad and only 5% are good Lord that I want to get a second opinion he sends another angel to earn the angel spent some time here returns back to Kevin says, Lord, it says the other angel said 95% of the people are bad and only 5% are good so the Lord wanted to encourage those who were good so he sent them a text. Something to keep them going. You want to know what that text said oh you didn't get one either, so that's a silly story obviously fictitious one but it reminds us of a very real truth and that is simply that angels are real angels move back and forth from heaven to earth and are actively involved in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ right now you and I live in the visible world were in physical bodies. But just as real as this physical world is this spiritual world just as real as the visible is the invisible just as real as the natural is this super natural so I want to talk a little bit about the work of angels. In general, but I want to look at what they were doing the bulk of Baxter's story in the book of Kings second Kings of the prophet Elisha and his servant to his side.

One night it turns out that their enemies were closing in on them and duties I saw this and began to freak out and he woke up the sleeping prophet and Elisha probably a little bit irritated about being woken up in the middle of the night simply said this, don't be afraid because those that are without some more than those that are with them and then he said, Lord, open his eyes that he may see in the servant's eyes were open and second Kings 617 says behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. That's my prayer for us as we contemplate this for a few moments together, open our eyes that we may see okay angels how many angels are there simple answer a lot. Lots and lots of angels.

Second question, how many angels can dance on the head of a pin number that that's the dumbest question I've ever heard. Who cares what you think.

Angels on the dance on the head of a pin. There's lots of angels, according to the Bible.

There's thousands and thousands of angels. Now here's the good news and the bad news.

The good news is two thirds of the Angels are on our side. Bad news.

One third of the angels are on the double side because you've ever wondered where demons come from God did not create demons and for that matter, the devil himself, as he is God created the devil as Lucifer, who was once a high ranking angel all talk about that a little bit more in a few moments and demons which are real and powerful are fallen angels. Now here's the thing that we don't realize about angels that very important dimension in the Bible at least 300 times that there's a lot of misconceptions about angels. They could best be described as God's secret agent or another way to put it is angels are like Navy SEALs okay so the Navy SEALs you don't know what they do most of the time because her job is to go in completed operation come back. Hopefully all in one piece. We remember the stories of seal team six going in and finding and killing Osama bin Laden that that's the way the seals roll they do their job. They operate under cover, but they're very efficient and what they do and in a similar way, that's the way angels roll. They do their job, they don't draw attention to themselves. They generally don't appear to listen identify themselves as angels, though occasionally they do, but they're out there doing the work of God. We don't realize how many times angels have actually stopped us got this out of tight situations or protected us from harm or even spoken directly to us in the book of acts is filled with angels that the book opens with angels after Jesus ascended into heaven, we read the angel CNX 111 men stood by in white robes, also angels cemented gallantly. Why do you stand looking into heaven.

This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. I was talking with my grandchildren the other day actually only my granddaughters. In this instance and we started talking about angels, and they asked me Papa when angels look like I said, well, when they appear they do. Sometimes the Bible. They always appear as men. That's not fair, Papa. I'm sorry. That's what the Bible says and they when they do appear there as a man, as we just read or after Jesus rose again from the dead. There were two men in the in the I'm T2 saying that he is risen again cares a misconception about angels. Sometimes we will think when you die, you become an angel. I've even heard it said all well. The reason they died is God needed another angel in heaven to that is false. Men and women do not become angels. Angels are created beings. They've always been created beings.

It would appear from Scripture that they are eternal and never die. So they have a lot of things that they're are actively involved. We read about them in Revelation worshiping before the throne of God.

We read of different categories of angels like the cherubim and the Seraphim and we read of angels, bringing judgment on certain occasions in the Old Testament, like the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, but angels are very involved in the life of the Christian Hebrews 114 says, are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. The Bible is filled with stories of people who were delivered by angels sometimes comforted by angels. Psalm 34 verse seven says the angel of the Lord in regards all who fear him, and rescues them so I want to give you know 10 Takeaway truths about angels and demons 10 Takeaway truths about angels and demons.

If you're taking notes.

Here's number one. Angels sometimes deliver us from difficult situations. Angels sometimes deliver us from difficult situations in acts chapter 5 angels busted the apostles out of jail and they said go tell the people about this new life I angels also got Peter out of prison.

Recently we read from acts 12 and how a genius had been executed by King Herod Peter was arrested and was chained go a lot of guards and behind a lot of close doors and we read that the church pray constant prayer was offered to God for Jim by the church of the Lord dispatch an angel to deliver Peter the angel when it actually. The Bible says had the tennis match, I guess Peter was a deep sleep.

We had the unique distinction to be smacked by an angel to wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up people expect most of us go.

They go through the open doors and now they're outside of the angel departs and Peter realizes he's been delivered by an angel. The angel that done his job. The best known story, probably eventually deliverance is a story of Daniel alliance that a law was passed that no one could pray to any God except the king, King Darius, who was ruling Babylon, the king and unwittingly signed this decree, not realizing he was condemning his favorite counselor, Daniel, to a certain death.

Daniel heard a lot good could no longer pray, except to the king.

Dennison interesting.

Oh, it's time to pray. He went home he opened up the shutters of his house.

So if someone wanted to see they would see the parade as he always prayed he was arrested and then he was sent into the pit of life. Even the king couldn't overrule it, and the king was up all night worried about his friend Daniel Daniels slept like a baby. Why because as Daniel said on the next morning the Lord sent his angel to deliver by the way, if the government ever passes a law like you can't pray or you can read the Bible or you Proclaim the gospel. That's all we realize that is something that is overruled by the law of God right.

As Christians we should be good as Christians as much is possible we should obey the laws of the land. And certainly, as Christians, we support those that serve us in law enforcement and we appreciate them right. These are important things but sometimes there is government overreach.

Sometimes there is a government that is telling us to do something that is contrary to what the Bible teaches that incidents like Daniel, we see like the apostles, we must obey God and not man for Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. It's such a blessing to hear from listeners who take time to express their appreciation. Pastor Greg magnificent. This is just one of the words that enters my thoughts after completing your book Revelation about the promises never taken me so long to read about because I was just absorbing the information contained in each and every chapter.

I kept saying to myself, I'm so glad I won't be here when the tribulation happens.

Pastor Greg I love your preaching, and I listen to you on the radio into your podcast.

I'm sending you a very big thank you and am so happy that God blessed you with the calling to preach to his followers were so grateful to hear of the change lives to the books and resources Pastor Greg and harvest ministries. If you a story to share.

Why not contact us and let us know. Email Pastor Gray greg@harvest.org doing today would you again next Greg and harvest.org will Pastor Greg is offering biblical truth about angels today is first point is that angels deliver us from difficult situations. Let's continue now. Point number two. Sometimes angels stop this and other times they prompt us. Sometimes angels stop us and other times they prompt us in acts eight we read about an angel of the Lord, prompting Philip to go to the desert. We also just look at the story of how an angel appeared to the man, Cornelius. The Roman centurion Cornelius was seeking God, but he didn't really know who he was yet an angel appears in the angel says you need to get together with Simon Peter and the question arises why didn't the angel just give the gospel to Cornelius because that's at the job of angels, that's our job with the angel did this job you need to get together with Simon Peter and those two came together.

The classic example of an angel stopping someone from doing the wrong thing is the story of being alone and his donkey, one of my favorite stories in the Bible. I have to say one of the funniest stories in the Bible to so paying them was a prophet for higher I don't know where you'd find such a guy you know me is Google's name. There's a lot but the only sugar spelled the name prophet of the word profit PROM IT because he seemed to be in it for the money so the king hired him a king that was opposed to Israel set I want to destroy the Israelites, and I want you as a prophet to curse these people to obey him said, yeah, let's do it. Make gets on his donkey and is on his way to do the thing God told him not to do the Lord said don't do this being said, to do it so is on his way writing is donkey disobedience to God. So the donkey suddenly stops and brushes up against the wall and crosses the leg of Balin Bingham is getting eight restarts the beat the donkey and the donkey goes a little further and just stops the wood peeling didn't see what the donkey did see was there was an angel standing in front of them was sword drawn and so Balin keeps kicking the donkey. Let's go, let's go, and then the Bible says the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and the donkey speaks to Balin and says why are you beating me now, that's amazing that a donkey spoke.

This is not Shrek your folks, this is a real Bible story the donkey speaks and asked him why are you beating me you beat me three times benefits because you won't do what I'm telling you to do in the donkey says that when I been a good donkey. Haven't I done what you wanted me to do� You you think of me will be agile like what is wrong with this guy.

He's having a conversation with the donkey know people do talk to animal right you talk to your dog.

20. How we use a different voice within the group to be a good mood. That's her thing right talk anywhere you want to look at the election. Whatever my wife can actually there's a cat in our neighborhood's name is Hopkinson and she can get this cat to come to her, which I think it's almost a miracle and but you know we talk animals with a he's talking to an animal that's talking back to him again and then finally the angel reveals himself. He says you should be glad you're donkey stop and he was also upset with Balin for beating the donkey as well. So that's where a donkey was seeing something that even Balin did not see. So take away lesson. Don't talk to donkeys number one and number two.

Don't do what God is told you not to do the Lord put the brakes on something were trying to do this, to marry that guy.

I'm in a take this job, I would go to this thing by that other thing I'm going to say this, I'm going to do that and it was like the door was shut your face and your thinking what was that all about monumented angel, getting you out of trouble so they prompt us other times they stop us, but they're very involved in our lives. It's entirely possible you have even met an angel because Hebrews 13 to says, don't forget to entertain strangers for in doing so, some of entertain angels without knowing it. I can tell you for certain there are angels in this room right now that we don't see them. What if there was an angel that was among us and it was a stranger and you were right next to an angel to look around.

Is anyone look, I don't see any feathers no halos no crumbs of angel food cake. There is a piece of devil's food cake over there. That makes me wonder about what's happening yeah we you wouldn't know it but there could be an angel around you right now you know virtual reality is so popular Facebook is even change their name from Facebook to meta-because it's all about. Now this whole other virtual reality. By the way meta-is Latin for nerd.

No, not really, but to its actually Latin for geek. But the point is is that you know you you put on the glasses and the oculus classes or whatever brand you have and you enter into the virtual world.

I done this a couple of times. I'm not that enamored with it.

Frankly, but you know I was on a roller coaster and wanting going through a forest in another. You can get in fights and there's no way you can put those glasses on and look even remotely cool, right but this whole world that they want to introduce us to when in reality that world is not even real, but the supernatural world is if you were to see an angel of an angel were to walk out of the stage and stand next to me. We would all be amazed and not only will we be amazed we would be tempted to fall down and worship the angel this actually happened to the apostle John. After the angel revealed certain things to him and we read in Revelation 22 Johnson Sicard and I saw these things that I felt on the worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things and he said don't do it on your fellow servant.

Worship God. Sometimes the question is asked, do we have Guardian Angels another were to have a personal angel that's assigned to us.

My answer is maybe and I actually think there's a good chance of it because of a couple of verses in the Bible. Matthew 1810 Jesus speaking of children said don't look down on these little ones. I tell you there angels in heaven always see the face of my father in heaven. Notice he said there angels so maybe kids have guardian angels, audit kids need guardian angels they get themselves into so much trouble but then maybe we have one as well. Going back to ask 12 after Peter was busted out a prison and he showed up at the house were they were praying for him.

A knock at the door girl name Rhoda answers. She sees him goes back and tells the apostles peters out the door and they said it's his angel Doug citrus emits his angel number one. If anyone's angel knocks on my door on that answer for sure. Okay. But the point is maybe we do have guardian angels, but even if we don't, we know that we have angels actively involved in our lives. Pastor Greg Laurie study called angels and demons and there's more insight to come here on a new beginning, and then Pastor Greg are excited to announce your new book with the fascinating title Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus. Yes, it's a deep dive into the lives of some famous names in music and where they stand or where they stood with the Lord. The subtitle is the spiritual biography of rock 'n' roll and it's it's interesting that a pastor is writing a book about rock 'n' roll rock musicians seems like an unlikely pairing. Well let me just say that I've always loved music. I've always loved rock 'n' roll. To quote the great theologian Joan Jett. I love rock 'n' roll. And so I've always been aware of rock of always listen the wrong guy. I kinda became aware of it more as a young man watching the Beatles in this book. This is not glorifying rock music are rock musicians.

This is a book that is exploring the lives of people that have basically experienced everything this world has to offer and it found it empty.

It's sort of a modern version of the story of Solomon, who had everything this world offers and then he concluded it was all emptiness. It was like she seen the wind.

It was like a bubble that bursts and so you know when you climb to the top of the mountain and you been all that and a bag of chips went when you been on a lunchbox or on a T-shirt or people you don't have your poster hung in their room. You realize how empty all of that is so. I explored these stories. One fascinating section of the book is about the so-called 27 club ever heard about that. These are artists who are very well known who all tragically died at the age of 27 Jimi Hendrix died at the age of 27 so did Janis Joplin.

You have to put Jim Morrison in there as well. That's forward a number of years and you put Amy Winehouse in there along with Kurt Cobain.

People that had it all and yet died.

At the very young age of 27 so I sort of showed the birth of rock the growth of rock. The pinnacle of rock in the 60s and 70s and then the just complete collapse of so many of these iconic people.

But then, I explore the lives of those rock stars who have come to Jesus Christ and are following him people I've got to know personally like Dion do Mucci of DM and the Beaumont Ritchie pur�e of the Buffalo Springfield and Pogo and Alice Cooper who I've interviewed multiple times. This is a guy that is experienced all that this world has to offer and is found it empty and I was following Jesus Christ. So it's a book that shows what happens when you make the right and the wrong choices, but ultimately it's a book that I think will offer hope and say to you, there is no one that you know that is beyond the reach of God's full of great reassurance and powerful insights on where fulfillment is really found. So can we send a copy your way again is called Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus. The subtitle is the spiritual biography of rock 'n' roll and it's our gift to thank you for partnering with us right now. Your investments help.

These studies continue to come your way and they help us reach out with the gospel as we did several weeks ago at Boise harvest and get on the last couple of years, more than 220,000 people have made professions of faith in Christ. Your donation is a worthy investment. So get in touch with your investment today. You can call us at 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24 hour phone number 1-800-821-3300 or write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest God for next time. Pastor Greg brings us more insight on angels will uncover the biblical facts about the fallen angels known as demon join us here on the new beginning pastor and Bible teacher break floor and everybody thinks or listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God