An Angel Highway?

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by DAII

I understand Reider has a similar fascination ... I understand the church her former husband pastored was decored excessively with cherubim ... this pervaded in the home decor ... and a child named Angel.

I think Digging's thread on mysticism ... may help in understanding this phenomena.

Some are looking for something ... a realm .... beyond Pentecost.

And that is the problem. Some people are always looking for more, more, more, more, more. Pardon the analogy but it's kinda like a drug addict that starts off in small doses to get high. But those small doses eventually stop giving him that same high so he takes bigger and bigger doses. It's the same thing with those people that are constantly in search of the supernatural. They may get one or two experiences or maybe some of them just think they do. But after a while the high those feelings gave them wears off and they are trying to find something bigger and better again.

[Aquila]

I saw an angel once. We were in a prayer service at church and my very first pastor (a blessed elder in the Lord) was walking the isles. When he turned to walk in front of the altar a very thin pillar of light appeared and began to move along side of him. As he prayed the light's intensity fluctuated. I thin remembered how angels came and ministered to Jesus while he was in prayer. I firmly believe that this angel was walking and praying for my pastor, strengthening him, and ministering to him. When I tried to point it out to my wife she didn't see it. He turned to walk up an isle and it continued about half way and faded from sight. I told him what I saw and he just smiled. I asked him if he saw or felt anything and he said, "No. But angels have ministered to me before. You saw my angel pray for me. I believe that's because you are to partner with me in prayer." From that day on I committed time to pray for my pastor. While in meditation about this I felt impressed to use a method to pray by. When praying I was to pray according to this format:

Pastor - The pastor and his needs, both physical and spiritual. Also his family.
Revival - Pray for revival and spiritual renewal of the church. Pray for all evangelistic and missionary endeavors. Pray for lost family and loved ones.
Assembly - Pray for the needs of my brothers and sisters, both physical and spiritual. Also pray for their families.
Yourself - Pray for my needs.

Have you prayed today?

I also heard an angel once but didn't it. I was driving down Smithville Rd. in Dayton Ohio headed Northbound. It was late and I was approaching the intersection of Smithville and Dorothy. I had a green light and was prepared to proceed through the intersection, but I heard a voice from the backseat quickly say, "STOP!" Terrified that someone was in the car and about to rob me, I slammed on my breaks and came to a complete stop just before the intersection. At that very moment a pickup truck came barreling through the intersection heading eastbound. Obviously he didn't see the red light or was too drunk to see the red light. I sat their quietly for maybe a minute as my light turned yellow and then red. It was so quiet and still in the car. I knew I was alone. I turned to look in the backseat and verified that no one was in the car with me. While I was VERY spooked I realized that had I not slammed on my breaks I would have been T-Boned by that pickup truck on the driver's side. At at the speed he was going I'd probably have been killed. I was still shaking when I got home. I'm convinced it was an angel.

Beyond these accounts I've only "felt" them on occasion.

Angels are VERY real and VERY active in our world.

[Tina]

Originally Posted by Dedicated Mind

a female angel wearing blue jean pants! are you serious? was this an emergent relevant angel?

Ignorant comments like this from people who refuse to believe that God works outside the box some want to keep him in are exactly the reason I won't bother sharing the story again.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by jfrog

And that is the problem. Some people are always looking for more, more, more, more, more. Pardon the analogy but it's kinda like a drug addict that starts off in small doses to get high. But those small doses eventually stop giving him that same high so he takes bigger and bigger doses. It's the same thing with those people that are constantly in search of the supernatural. They may get one or two experiences or maybe some of them just think they do. But after a while the high those feelings gave them wears off and they are trying to find something bigger and better again.

All of that is true. However, some do indeed move deeper into the spirit and truly become more attuned to things that transpire in the supernatural. The Christian Mystic will always be very misunderstood.

(Christian mysticism is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Christian mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those experiences or awareness, such as deep prayer (i.e. meditation, contemplation) involving the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. This approach and lifestyle is distinguished from other forms of Christian practice by its aim of achieving unity with the divine. In the words of Oswald Chambers, "We receive His blessings and know His Word, but do we know Him?"

Whereas Christian doctrine generally maintains that God dwells in all Christians and that they can experience God directly through belief in Jesus, Christian mysticism aspires to apprehend spiritual truths inaccessible through intellectual means, typically by learning how to think like Christ. William Inge divides this scala perfectionis into three stages: the "purgative" or ascetic stage, the "illuminative" or contemplative stage, and the "unitive" stage, in which God may be beheld "face to face".)

While Pentecostal religion is just fine for most; some graduate from Pentecost... to entering into the Kingdom of God.

[Barb]

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

Exactly. Some of this borders on worship of angels, which I KNOW God cannot be pleased with.

I believe in angels, but I'm not going to worship them, or think about them excessively.

Amen!!

I know of several angel visitations, not personally, but through testimony, and believe them to be real. But this 'angel deja vu' stuff is just a bit much. Frankly, I don't want anyone's angel visiting me...

What is with all the fads and gimmicks running through Pentecost anyway?! Just give me the simplicity of the message...

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Tina

Ignorant comments like this from people who refuse to believe that God works outside the box some want to keep him in are exactly the reason I won't bother sharing the story again.

I have no reason to doubt you. But keep your head up. People thought I was crazy when I told my story too. Some folks will never understand until it happens to them. And still others simply can't understand due to their lack of faith.

I did find the "relevant" comment from Dedicated Mind amusing however. LOL

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

I love angels myself. In fact I most always sleep with one.

Oh boy, are you in trouble! Wait until your wife finds a wayward feather!

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I have no reason to doubt you. But keep your head up. People thought I was crazy when I told my story too. Some folks will never understand until it happens to them. And still others simply can't understand due to their lack of faith.

This is true, Aquila. I've always been very leary of people talking about angels.....anything supernatural....until something happened to me about three years ago. Now I'm very careful who I relate it to, because I know how far out it sounds. But I have no doubt.

I've personally heard Bro Barnes relate the story Bro Stoneking was talking about concerning him. How his angel, I suppose, spent the night in the sick man's hospital room. If ever there was a man of God, with his head on his shoulders right, it was TW Barnes.

[Dedicated Mind]

Originally Posted by Tina

Ignorant comments like this from people who refuse to believe that God works outside the box some want to keep him in are exactly the reason I won't bother sharing the story again.

Sis Tina, I was just being a little lighthearted with your female angel in jeans. Do you realize what this means to the upc if your story is true? It means that the upc is wrong about pants on women. I have no reason to doubt your story. Please share your story. I don't think there are any cons left to criticize.

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by Dedicated Mind

Sis Tina, I was just being a little lighthearted with your female angel in jeans. Do you realize what this means to the upc if your story is true? It means that the upc is wrong about pants on women. I have no reason to doubt your story. Please share your story. I don't think there are any cons left to criticize.

LOL I'm a 'con', but I won't criticize!