Angels and Heaven

(Gen 18:1, Gen. 32:24-30, Isaiah 6:1-4, Luke 1:19, 26)

The Bible is the most unique book available to mankind.  It is one of God’s means of revealing Himself to us.  Sadly, it has been misused, abused, and ignored.  When read with humility and an open hungry heart, the Holy Spirit can speak to us through it.  Truth is simple and profound.  In that book we read of the lives of many.  I wonder if anyone has counted the total number of individuals identified by name.  Many we honor and want to emulate.  Others we see in dishonor.  We read of spiritual experiences and heavenly encounters,  While some entertained angels unaware of their identity, others knew full well who came to them.

I could comment on controversies of what God uses but our time is worth more than that.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  If at the end of this age, all the graves will open and every eye will see Jesus Christ, Lord of all, in His glory, why would we doubt He could raise the dead today as He wills?  The Lord is not flippant or capricious.  He has clear intent in all He does.  Reading through John 4, after His work in Samaria, Jesus returns to Galilee and is now received because of the miracles.  As a prophet He was not received but when He does the miracles He is welcomed.  Some things to ponder there.

In my early years as a believer, I recall a time in prayer that I was aware of spiritual presence in the room.  I knew they were angels.  Question if you choose but I knew.  I was fearful of seeing them and I saw nothing.  More recently, with much of my fear of heavenly realities diminished, I have seen and spoken with angels.  Some of it was very unusual and I could say, strange.  Many years before I had read a book, Visions Beyond the Veil, written by H.A. Baker.  He is the grandfather of Roland Baker who is married to Heidi.  They minister under Iris Ministries.  I have very deep appreciation for them.  Grandfather’s book records visions seen by Chinese orphans.  H.A. and his wife cared for these as missionaries in the 1930’s.  Without ever hearing of the visions John had on Patmos, these children were seeing the very same scenes.  The Spirit opens spiritual eyes as He wills.

As we would hear what the Spirit speaks, our eyes will be opened wider.  It will cause us to earnestly desire experience with the Lord.  We are ever in the school of the Spirit.  We may attend schools, gain certifications and degrees but it is the Spirit of Christ that will lead us into all truth.  The orphan children in China received something that no one was expecting.  So it is with the Spirit.  He will lead us into circumstances that will cause us to grow.  Awareness of the heavenly when rightly received alongside sound doctrine, causes our spirit to grow.  I have considered and written before concerning John, the son of Zebedee.  He is a man like us but now, in glory with the Lord, no longer like us in the flesh.  He went through many troubles and adventures before Patmos and the revelation of Christ he received there.  The Lord prepared Him and it is preserved for us to digest and believe.

May we know our place seated with Christ in the heavenly realm, the place He dwells.  That is what it means to be in the Spirit.  We can know this on a continual basis while times of focus are essential for a spiritual walk.  In the first century, the presence of Christ, parousia in Greek, was not about a future event but a present reality.  And so it has been with many through history and today.  The day now is that we worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth.  Or are we following empty tradition and simply mouthing words?  We can appreciate the shadows, traditions which had value but our brother Paul said he considered all as stuff to be left behind and he pressed on to know Christ and reach a better resurrection.  He ran into man and his kingdom in the extreme of Nero.  May we His people desire no other kingdom.  No king exists but Jesus Christ and only His kingdom will stand.  Every earthly institution will pass away.  May we set our affection on things above and experience being seated with Christ Jesus there.