An Angel Highway?

[Pressing-On]

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.

Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

[Sister Alvear]

My mother and daddy gave money to what they thought was a dirty beggar...the beggar vanished from sight and that night at church no one knew what happened but a visiting minister said to my folks...Brother and Sister Taylor today you were visited by an angel...
My folks had been having a very hard time moneywise and from that day on God opened doors for them...

[Sister Alvear]

An angel once gave me directions to a church....he was in the form of a man...and he too disappeared...so we just never know....just treat everyone nice and kind...

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

I think he has blessed many people around the world...as humans we all have our opinions and ideas about things but we can see good in just about everyone..

Bro. Stoneking has been a tremendous blessing to many people.

[Sam]

It is my opinion that there are spirit beings around us at all times. These are angels. Some are the angels of God and some are dark angels or fallen angels or demons.

I think of the story in 2 Kings 6:8-17. God is known as the Lord of Hosts or Armies. Those angels were there all along but the prophet had to pray in order for his assistant to see them.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Tina

I've only seen an angel once--and she appeared from nowhere at a time of crisis for one of my children. She was wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt, and holding a bottle of Aquafina water. She stayed till help arrived, and then vanished. I've told the story before, I can't remember if it was here or on NFCF. Some people were so critical and tried to make me out to be a liar... so I won't get into it again. I know angels are real.

In the Old Testament when angels appeared they looked like people. Blue jeans and a sweatshirt is just ordinary every day apparel for women in our time so it would be reasonable for an angel to appear dressed that way.

Go ahead and post your story again. I'd like to see it.

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

I have seen angels before...one night I woke up an our bedroom was full of angels and one spoke to me...but I seldom mention the supernatural because people think you are trying to be super spiritual or something...however...they exist and were created for special purposes.

Would you mind telling this story? I'd love to hear it.

[Sam]

This is from pages 25 and 26 of “Beloved Wide Spot” by Nona Freeman, copyright 1989. The book tells the story of their pastoring in Rosepine, LA where they served for almost 7 years until they left in March 1948 as missionaries to South Africa. When they came to Rosepine, her husband Bug was 23 and Nona was 24. Bug’s real name was Elpho Letris Freeman but he earned the name of Bug because of the strange way he crawled as a baby. Bug and Nona were married in 1937 and started preaching a couple of years later. They evangelized and pastored including the 7 years in Rosepine. They served in Africa for 41 years. Bug died in 1999 and Nona died December 26, 2009 at the age of 93.

Early one morning Bug sat at the dining room table reading his Bible. When I came through on my way to prepare breakfast, he looked up with a rueful grin, “Well, darling we thought we moved here in the will of God. I hope we did because this is the day we are supposed to pay rent --$17.00-- and I don’t have it. It seems we need a miracle.”

“I know. I woke up two or three times in the night and tried to pray about it. No assurance came about the answer. I certainly have no idea where we can find that much money today.”

For some reason I made a bigger pan of biscuits than usual, and just as I reached for the skillet to fry the eggs, someone knocked on the kitchen door. ..I opened it to find a hobo standing there.

“Madam, I am hungry,” he said, “would you give me something to eat?”

I had a famous weakness for helping “men of the road,” as I called them, and had learned to stay out of trouble by consulting my husband before I agreed to do anything.

“Just a moment, please,” I answered and told Bug, “There’s a cleaner than usual hungry man of the road at the back door. What should I do?”

Since Bug had strong, well-founded suspicions of their ilk, he surprised me by saying, “Why, ask him to come in and have breakfast with us.”

He talked with Bug while I cooked the eggs and made coffee. The man did not tell the routine hard luck story; he displayed uncommon courtesy and seemed well educated. After breakfast, I shook off the odd, unexplainable feeling that I regretted his going, while I washed the dishes.

Before I finished the task, Bug called me and I heard excitement in his voice. “Do you know anything about this ten dollar bill I found in the Bible?”

I shook my head with an astonished, “No!”

He went on, “When our visitor came in, I laid the Bible aside --here by me on the table-- I’m positive there was no money in it before breakfast.”

“It looks like part of our ..much needed miracle!” I exclaimed and picked up the Bible. A five dollar bill floated from it to the table. “And there is more of it!”

Bug grabbed the Bible and leafed through it rapidly finding two one ..dollar bills. “It could not be a coincidence to find the exact amount due for our rent in my Bible,” he said solemnly.

I shivered, suspecting what he would say next.

“You noticed his cleanliness and his good manners: I quite enjoyed talking to him. It took a miracle for him to put the miracle money in the Bible under our noses. Honey, I have cold chills going up and down my spine. Do you realize we had breakfast with an angel this morning?”

[MawMaw]

Originally Posted by Sam

This is from pages 25 and 26 of “Beloved Wide Spot” by Nona Freeman, copyright 1989. The book tells the story of their pastoring in Rosepine, LA where they served for almost 7 years until they left in March 1948 as missionaries to South Africa. When they came to Rosepine, her husband Bug was 23 and Nona was 24. Bug’s real name was Elpho Letris Freeman but he earned the name of Bug because of the strange way he crawled as a baby. Bug and Nona were married in 1937 and started preaching a couple of years later. They evangelized and pastored including the 7 years in Rosepine. They served in Africa for 41 years. Bug died in 1999 and Nona died December 26, 2009 at the age of 93.

Early one morning Bug sat at the dining room table reading his Bible. When I came through on my way to prepare breakfast, he looked up with a rueful grin, “Well, darling we thought we moved here in the will of God. I hope we did because this is the day we are supposed to pay rent --$17.00-- and I don’t have it. It seems we need a miracle.”

“I know. I woke up two or three times in the night and tried to pray about it. No assurance came about the answer. I certainly have no idea where we can find that much money today.”

For some reason I made a bigger pan of biscuits than usual, and just as I reached for the skillet to fry the eggs, someone knocked on the kitchen door. ..I opened it to find a hobo standing there.

“Madam, I am hungry,” he said, “would you give me something to eat?”

I had a famous weakness for helping “men of the road,” as I called them, and had learned to stay out of trouble by consulting my husband before I agreed to do anything.

“Just a moment, please,” I answered and told Bug, “There’s a cleaner than usual hungry man of the road at the back door. What should I do?”

Since Bug had strong, well-founded suspicions of their ilk, he surprised me by saying, “Why, ask him to come in and have breakfast with us.”

He talked with Bug while I cooked the eggs and made coffee. The man did not tell the routine hard luck story; he displayed uncommon courtesy and seemed well educated. After breakfast, I shook off the odd, unexplainable feeling that I regretted his going, while I washed the dishes.

Before I finished the task, Bug called me and I heard excitement in his voice. “Do you know anything about this ten dollar bill I found in the Bible?”

I shook my head with an astonished, “No!”

He went on, “When our visitor came in, I laid the Bible aside --here by me on the table-- I’m positive there was no money in it before breakfast.”

“It looks like part of our ..much needed miracle!” I exclaimed and picked up the Bible. A five dollar bill floated from it to the table. “And there is more of it!”

Bug grabbed the Bible and leafed through it rapidly finding two one ..dollar bills. “It could not be a coincidence to find the exact amount due for our rent in my Bible,” he said solemnly.

I shivered, suspecting what he would say next.

“You noticed his cleanliness and his good manners: I quite enjoyed talking to him. It took a miracle for him to put the miracle money in the Bible under our noses. Honey, I have cold chills going up and down my spine. Do you realize we had breakfast with an angel this morning?”

Loved that story!!!!!!!!!

[MissBrattified]

In ancient Egypt, physicians practiced medicine by trial and error. For instance, they applied moldy bread to infected wounds because they had discovered by chance that it worked, but they didn't understand the reasons behind it. (Penicillin anyone?) Other common practices were the result of a one-time positive result, and passed down for several generations in spite of hit and miss effectiveness.

Such is the case with all these accounts of angels and spiritual encounters. There's no problem with these stories--the Bible is full of odd accounts and mysterious interactions. There's no doubt that angels (and demons) exist and that they do interact with humans. The PROBLEM arises when we try to draw spiritual truths, or worse, form doctrines based on those anecdotes and isolated events. Just like trial and error medical practice isn't real *science*, anecdotal stories don't constitute real doctrine.

We shouldn't doubt each others' spiritual experiences--I have no doubt that many of these accounts are true. However, DOCTRINE must come from the Word. Not from private interpretation, and not from anomalous events.

I also am not terribly disturbed when ministers form theories, as long as they present them as such--loosely defined theories or ideas. (Such as LS' deja vu theory) My pastor, from time to time, says, "I wonder if....." The difference is that he doesn't take his musings and state them as concrete truths.