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Angels
The other night I was thinking about the many Biblical references to angels and I recalled two experiences that were related to me where people I was close to had an experience that might be described as an angelic encounter.
The first one involved my grandmother who was a devout Christian and the matriarch of the large family that my father came from. When I was 12 years old, my grandmother became very ill in her mid 80's and my dad was called to Los Angeles because she did not have long to live. It was in late December just a bit before Christmas; I remember because my brothers and I were left at home when my mom and dad went to see her. On the night she died, she was surrounded by several of her sons and my mother when she suddenly became very lucid and began talking to her family...calling them all by name and assuring them that everything would be fine and that she was ready to go home. My mother said that suddenly my grandmother pointed to the window and said "Isn't it wonderful how they have decorated the hospital for Christmas? Just look at that beautiful angel in the window"? Everyone turned to look at the window and saw nothing because they were on the 7th floor of the hospital. When they turned back my grandmother had passed on. Hallucination? Not likely since she had just been having lucid conversations with everyone. A couple of years ago a very close friend who works at a local college told me of an experience he had one Friday afternoon. There are very few classes on Fridays so the campus was lightly populated and he was hurrying from his office to an administrative meeting when he was approached by a young man who caught his attention. The young man was nice looking and appeared to be middle eastern; he asked for directions to a certain building and my friend told him where to find it. The man then looked directly at my friend and said "Can you tell me what is the most important thing you will do today"? My friend said he thought a moment and then said " I am a believer in Jesus Christ, so the most important think I will do is to love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul and all my might". The young man smiled at him and said "You have spoken very wisely" and then turned to walk away. A few steps later, my friend turned to say something to the young man and he had disappeared there in the middle of the empty quad. Both incidents can bring forth many explanations, but they have stuck with me for many years (the one with my grandmother for some 55 years). I thought I would share and see if anyone had any similar stories.
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In an emergency, always dial 1911. |
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First story gave me the chills. Gonna go read the second one now.
Edit (added content): When I was a baby and my mom was pregnant with my little brother, her and my dad's relationship was crumbling (which lead to divorce a few months later), they were broke, and Mom was having some major depression issues. She was looking out the window of her apartment, and saw a row of about 10 very athletic looking men dressed in off-white style togas (think of the common image of roman citizen 2000 years ago). They were all standing in a line, stone-still facing due east as if to protect her from an oncoming attack. And the really odd part that she told me at the end of this story, was that all of these men were at least 9 feet tall. She told me that the sight of the men did scare her, but that it also gave her a sense of peace and calmness,because she knew exactly who, and why they were there.
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1A - 2A = -1A Quote:
--- Dan Bongino Last edited by PoorRichRichard; 05-26-2017 at 11:42 AM.. |
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I got on more from mom, but not enough time to type it now. Will come back and add it later.
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1A - 2A = -1A Quote:
--- Dan Bongino |
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Hey, look over there. (Turns head) See ya! |
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I'm bumping this.
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1A - 2A = -1A Quote:
--- Dan Bongino |
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When my son was about 18 months old, I was going through a huge emotional, spiritual and financial battle that would have lasting repercussions for my whole family. I had Coop up on the changing table and, while dressing him, I was praying in my heart and asking the Lord to show me that I wasn't alone in the fight. My son started waving his hands around and gazing about said "Dad, angels! Angels all around!" and not in a little boy baby talk. Perfect enunciation but in his tiny little boy voice. Then he smiled at me and I knew everything was going to be fine.
That night I dreamt that there were angels like battle-ready soldiers sitting shoulder to shoulder around the perimeter of my roof. I had the most peaceful sleep that night; better than I'd had in months. The issue we were confronting vanished like mist a few days later. Coincidentally, Coop never did the baby talk thing- he always spoke like a small person. |
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When I was 36 and my first son was just born, I was having upper-right quadrant pain. I went to the doc and had a sonogram. He calls me at work and tells me some "things" are in my liver and wants a cat scan. If you have liver cancer in this country, you're done for usually. Stress city. It was all I could do not to cry looking at my new son. He'd never know me.
I went for the cat scan. Didn't hear anything for two weeks. Two weeks! Tell me something, geez! While sitting in my chair, feeling pretty bad, I felt a presence just above me on the ceiling. I couldn't see it, but it felt like a circular area there. I felt a peace I've never felt before, but it seemed to be emanating from that area. I felt a voice tell me in my mind, I would be okay. It wasn't audible, it was felt. And then the area slowly dissipated. About an hour or so for the circle to go away. My mom knew my issue, so I called her. I told her what happened. She was quiet and asked me how long ago it was. I told her about 20 minutes. She told me the same thing just happened to her, about 20 minutes ago. We compared notes and our experiences were exactly the same. And it ended up being hemangiomas and gastritis.
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RKBA Clock: Free Vespuchia! |
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A while ago I was visiting a local hospital and I noticed an elderly man and
Woman sittting on a bench I felt it necessary to say "good morning " to them , I did and Carried on When I was leaving I noticed them both and they walked toward me. He approached me ,he was frail but when we shook hands he said without any words "it's gonna be ok" and I got emotional and cried. Then he asked me ,while feeling my shirt "what kind of material is that" I'll never forget that moment. We should be ever mindful for we know not when we are in the presence of angels. |
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That's the message my wife always gets to tell people. She's very attuned to the Holy Spirit. "Everything's going to be OK"
She 'reads' other people and knows that everything is NOT going to be OK with them. It's weird. I don't notice anything. |
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The dividing line between heaven and earth is much thinner than most people believe.
I was working in a VA hospital and one of the patients told me about a life after death experience he had. They were performing open heart surgery on him and suddenly he felt himself leaving his body. He started to float upwards. He said he could see his body lying on the operating table and all the doctors and nurses clustered around. He floated upwards into the sky. As he was floating upwards he saw Jesus floating there too. Jesus didn't say anything but just pointed back downwards towards his body. He said "When Jesus tells you to do things, you just do them!" He went back into his body and when he came too they told him he was clinically dead on the table for a brief period of time. Lots of stories like that.
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“It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch 22 |
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Angels
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“Myths and legends die hard in America. We love them for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase the narrow confines of most men's reality. Weird heroes and mould-breaking champions exist as living proof to those who need it that the tyranny of 'the rat race' is not yet final.” Hunter S. Thompson The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales From a Strange Time |
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Hebrews 13:2 (Heb13:2 "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.") is one of the most mis-used verses in the Bible.
How do people use it? They use it be their Biblical proof that they have seen angels (as people or visions) do things - miracles, acts of kindness, comfort. But, what does the verse say? It says that you "entertain" (i.e. receive as a guest) an angel WITHOUT KNOWING IT! The word means to "escape notice." If you don't notice, don't know, then you don't even sense that they are angels, let alone be able to say that you've seen one! And, you receive them as a guest - not watch them do miracles, etc. So, when people in hospitals, on their deathbeds, during operations, etc. or in situations like accidents, wars, etc. say that they've seen angels or Jesus or heaven or something similar - what's happening? Dreams, hallucinations, etc. Those situations often have large amounts of drugs involved, large amounts of pain and adrenalin, etc. Why do their dreams and hallucinations seem so similar to other's dreams and hallucinations? Movies, books, etc. Just the mind replaying from something it associates to. If you want to come to know Christ and experience His presence personally, you have to obey Him and have a life that He is at home in, enjoys dwelling in (Eph. 3:16-17). And, to have that you have to be saved - grace alone, faith alone, in Christ alone. Angels are His ministering spirits, a shadow of what having Him is like. Paul directly covered all of this un-Christlike worship: Col2:18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. Jesus Christ is the head - the head of the body of Christ - hold fast to Him (alone!)! Bill
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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“It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch 22 |
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Bill,
I have to disagree with you about dreams just based off my experience. I had a dream that involved Christ. (which I will not go into on the forum) I awoke that morning and the depression that I was in for the last year was lifted. Nothing specific to the dream but that depression was lifted when I awoke. If I was smart I would have turned to Christ right then and there...I didn't. I came to accept Christ many years later but not based on this dream. The memory of that dream stuck with me for many years. It had another message in it that I did not understand. 20+ years after the dream I was granted the revelation of the dream - basically, will you serve me? This shook me to my core. Does it make biblical sense? What took place seems in some ways to align biblically but I can say that Christ and the Holy Spirit spoke into my life and has caused me to move and do what I am not comfortable and at time personally great risk to my comfy life. So to make a short story long, I do not discount dreams per se. Yes you do have to look to see if they align biblically. I can speak with much greater detail off line but I do think Christ still speaks into peoples lives through dreams and not just through His word. |
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BUT, the NT shows/teaches that these ceased. This is the whole area of theology that covers the cessation of gifts, etc. There are many things, many ways that God has changed over the course of history. Just start with the Garden of Eden - He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve. That ended when they were kicked out of the garden. Christ lived on earth but after His resurrection returned to heaven, so walks with us no more (for now). In 2 Peter 1:16-21, Peter relates how they were blessed to be at the Transfiguration of Christ. Imagine how glorious that must've been to see Christ, Moses, and Elijah! BUT, then Peter says that we have it even better, because we've got the Bible! Imagine that. Having God's Word to learn and live by is BETTER than visions! So, thanks for the attack, but you'll never find me unbiblical. Pastor Bill
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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However, what's most important is this - do you consider that second dream to be your salvation or did you still turn to the Lord in prayer, repent of your sin, and asked to be saved - to be given eternal life? Bill
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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Bill,
To clarify, this was only one dream but that understanding of that dream took 20+ years. Though there were portions of the dream that i could relate to scripture. Because of this I tread lightly on the revelation of dreams by God to people. This is a way of legitimate communication that God uses to communicate with people. I do think it is over stated and over blown just as the use of tongues. Yes it was just my one experience and is not provable but because of this experience I give people a wider breadth on the subject. Now as to your question of this dream being my salvation, absolutely not. I have gone to the Lord and repented of my sins and asked for salvation and later being baptized. Payed a personal price to get where I am at with Christ though many others have paid much more than I. I only liken this dream to Christ calling of his sheep. I was not saved till much later. I do not put any more meaning on this dream than that. As with all we are call but few respond and like me some take a very long time to come to Christ. I think that is a reflection on how deep we are into our sin. |
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Thanks for letting me ask and answering so clearly! God bless, Bill
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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Hate to tell you this but God is still speaking.
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“It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch 22 |
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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Odin isn't speaking. However, his right eye, sacrificed at the Well of Urd in exchange for the deepest of wisdom, is still watching us.
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“Myths and legends die hard in America. We love them for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase the narrow confines of most men's reality. Weird heroes and mould-breaking champions exist as living proof to those who need it that the tyranny of 'the rat race' is not yet final.” Hunter S. Thompson The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales From a Strange Time |
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What in the world are you talking about? John 14:18-20 Jesus said that he would not leave us comfortless. Not only would he return to us but he would be in us. This is just one example too. Never leave you, nor forsake you? A friend that sticks closer than a brother? Omni present? How can he leave if he's everywhere at all times? Even time itself, he dwells outside of it so he's not restricted by it. Sorry but I don't believe that him no longer striving with man holds water. |
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When did Adam and Eve walk with God in the garden? I hope you are not referring to Gen. 3:8 If so, yes it is unbiblical. They hid when they heard him walking in the cool of the day. "The cool of the day" many preachers have different opinions on this portion of scripture. Who's right, who's wrong? All are speculation. I believe that it could also have meant the time of day it was. Like in today's weather, it tends to be cooler in either the early morning or later in the evening. That's one of the many questions I'll have answered in Heaven. |
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Years ago, I was driving home from work at 1am. I turned from a main road on to a shortcut to the freeway. I knew the road so I was driving a good clip. As I was going around a bend, I heard two words that I hadn't heard in 30 years. My mom used to call my brother and, mejohnnyjack. John and Jack. I put my brakes on pretty hard, I didn't slide, but as I rounded the corner about 5 deer came into view, right in the middle of the road, I slowed down and stopped, they ran. I have heard, Angels often come to us in the form of a loved one. I wont argue with that.
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I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Last edited by johnthomas; 08-07-2017 at 2:03 PM.. |
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Do you live in Laodicea in the first Century? You'd have to if you're going to ignore the grammatical construct.
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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Are you saying that this was only for a certain time and people in history?
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No, didn't say that. Look at what I wrote.
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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You're quoting verses but they don't say that He still speaks to us. Yes, He is in me, and I in Him. Yes, He will never leave me nor forsake me, Yes, He's omnipresent (through the Holy Spirit). These are all true, but the Bible doesn't teach that He speaks to me now - I don't hear His voice as a person talking to me. I hear Him through the Bible. Jesus Christ IS the Word (John 1:1). And, Heb 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." So, only the Bible is the Living Word of God. No other book is. And, I have the Holy Spirit to teach me through the Bible (1 Cor. 2:12-13). This is Theology 101.
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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Seems to me an amalgam of both is preferable.
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“It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch 22 |
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If you want to keep discussing this with me, it's Bible only.
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Pastor Bill "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils [i.e. any man]- my conscience is captive to the Word of God." Martin Luther |
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Carlos Danger banned from the OT? Now he is stirring up **** here? Reported
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LIVE FREE OR DIE! M. Sage's I have a dream speech; |
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You on the other hand are the only person I know who has been banned from the Second Amendment discussion area for general dickishness. Jesus would be so proud.
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“It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch 22 |
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