Entertaining Angels

     I heard a gentle rapping on my back sun porch.  It was my next-door neighbor stopping by yet again to deliver another home-baked goody or something she "just didn't have room for anymore."  I can't remember what it was on this day...the kids were little and life was hectic.  What I do remember was her reply when she realized I felt grateful and yet beholden to her.  She told me that she had been blessed by the kindness of others when she was a young mother.  By helping me from time to time, she felt like she was repaying their kindnesses.  In my fragile, new walk with God, I recognized He was using my neighbor to be His hands and feet.  I saw a glimpse of Jesus.

     God has placed so many special people in my life...precious family members, close friends and bosom buddies.  There has been a particular angel in my life whose kindnesses could fill the pages of a book.  In fact, I wonder if I'd be a Christian today if God had not seen fit to place her in my path?

    I remember her attentiveness to my small children when I first began bringing them to church.  She encouraged me to trust in God and talked often to me about spiritual matters.  Once, when I was very sick, she came into my home with some ladies from my church and they visited and prayed for me.  I immediately felt that I was loved and a part of the Body of Christ.

    A prominent lady in town, Sally once gave me all her seldom-used Santa collection and lovely Christmas china-at least eight giant Rubbermaid boxes filled with goodies!  To this day, when we unwrap our Christmas decorations, we sense God's love and feel His angels all around us. 

     When my friend and I started a small fresh flower business, Sally was one of our best customers and blessedly talked us up to all her friends and acquaintances.  As a matter of fact, she even hired a decorator for us!  It wasn't long before our little business hit the ground running!

     I know I'm not the only one on the receiving end of her kindness...far from it!  She has a great burden for the lost and those in need and is responsible for starting our local soup kitchen which now feeds an average of 250 people a day, five days a week!  I recently had a chance to watch her in action.  She doesn't just cook and dish out food but listens to the people's problems and passes out encouragement.  Whether that person is reeking of body odor, mentally challenged or a crack -addict... her demeanor never changes.  She treats everyone as if they are the President of the United States.  The people come away from her feeling loved and accepted.  They've seen a glimpse of the Father's love in their beloved Mrs. Sally.  By the way, Sally doesn't like recognition and is in fact embarrassed by it.  She desires ALL the glory and honor go to God.

     God places these special people in our lives to encourage and guide us along.  He has also told us to be kind to strangers because you might be entertaining angels unaware.  Maybe you are a young, fragile Christian who needs to be discipled or maybe you have grown in your faith and need to begin discipling.  See the difference?  Either way, allow your heart to be open to those He's placed in your life. 

     To be ripe for discipleship, allow yourself to be teachable, available and seek to obey God.  If you find yourself on the other end of the spectrum, don't be dismayed if your gifts are not as big and obvious as others.  All our gifts are equally important and may only be noticed by the recipient.  And as a discipler, you don't have to be perfect.  But allow yourself to be increasingly dependent on God, be available to others and let the Holy Spirit work through you.  Also, be teachable and willing to grow from those you disciple.

     I thank God for the special angels He's placed in my path.  I pray that I can also be open to helping others even when I despair that my gifts don't seem as big as someone else's.  The main thing is to go where He leads us and to love God and love others as ourselves.  May we all encourage and challenge each other towards maturity in Christ.




Titus 2:3-5 says, "Similarly, teach the younger women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God."

Also remember..."I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.  Then the sheep are going to say, "Master, what are you talking about?  When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?  And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?'  Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth:  Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was Me-you did it to Me.' "  Matthew 25: 35-40

Jump to the Moon?

     I know a lot of "good people".  They are nice, help others in need, volunteer, give to charities, etc...How many times have you been to a funeral and heard all about the good works of the deceased person?  Nothing wrong with that.  Just sayin'.  And how often do we compare ourselves to other people?  We may make some mistakes, but at least we're not anywhere as bad as "so and so". Guess what?  It really doesn't matter if we are less sinful than the next person,  if we pray splendid prayers or donate tons of money to the poor.  None of that stuff will get us into heaven. 

     I read a great analogy the other day.  Imagine for a moment if God commanded us to jump to the moon.  Tall people or athletic people might be able to jump higher than me.  I might be able to jump higher than a baby or a person in a wheel-chair.  But not one of us will be able to jump to the moon.  It's impossible.  In other words, it doesn't matter how hard we try...no one can be perfect enough to enter heaven on their own.  We were born with a massive defect that makes it impossible to be perfect enough to please God.  It takes divine intervention.

     The author also used another great analogy.  What if you ran up a large debt on your credit card?  Instead of paying your debt, what if you constantly called the credit card company and offered food baskets or baked goods?  They would never accept it as payment.  It must be paid on their terms...cash!  Many sincere people try to pay their sin debt their way instead of God's.  Remember the story of Cain and Abel?  Cain knew what God required as payment for his sin, but he decided to do it his way anyway.  It wouldn't have mattered if Cain had given God all the crops in the entire world.  That's not what God wanted from Him.  He wanted a blood sacrifice. 

     As we know...God sent His son as a living, perfect sacrifice.  The only solution to our dilemna was for God to take the form of a man, come to earth, live a sinless life and die for us.  Receiving His gift of salvation has nothing to do with "doing".  It's already "done".  The gift of eternal life is completely free and can't be earned.  In fact, a gift is something we either accept or don't accept.  It's ours to decide.  He tells us that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.  It must be a heart belief (actually trusting in that knowledge) and not just a head belief. 

     Do you believe that NOTHING else can save us?  A lot of good people out there do not have a saving faith in Jesus.  The Bible tells us this is the only way.  Give up trying to be perfect enough to please God.  You can't do it.  But God will wipe your record clean and He will no longer see your sin if you accept what He has done for you.   The blood of Jesus will cover our sins and we will be perfect and righteous in His sight.  Good works will follow, but they don't save us.  We never need to fear death...not because we earned it but because we accept His gift.  Let Him transform your life.  I never tire of hearing about His grace.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
    and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
    for those who love him.”  ^{1 1 Corinthians 2:9}