Here is a true event:
There have been many incidents where angels, in the form of men, have worked in behalf of someone in need. One particular story was told of a preacher who was a circuit rider in the 1800’s. A circuit rider was a minister who traveled from town to town and church to church to preach the word of God. He was responsible for several churches and would visit a different one every week.
This pastor’s name was John Jones, and he was a pastor for the Welch Calvinistic Methodist Church.
One particular day, as he was riding his horse toward his home, after visiting one of his many churches, he felt very uneasy about his trip. It was not just that he was carrying a large amount of money, which had been taken up for a special chapel building project; he had done that many times. This day seemed no different than any other, but for some reason, that he could not explain, he felt as though something was wrong. It was not long after departing that the sensation of trouble increased. He prodded his horse into a faster pace as he rode through an isolated area between two small villages.
The road narrowed to a small path with a five- foot- high hedge running parallel to it. The hedge served as a windbreak, keeping the small path from losing all its dirt. As John rode along the hedge path, he saw another horse on his left coming toward him from a great distance away. In a matter of a few minutes, the other rider was within fifty feet of him, riding on the other side of the hedge. Coming a little closer to the hedge, John could see that the rider was very rough- looking and held a large reaping hook in his hand. The rider stared at the minister. John knew that his fears had now been confirmed.
His concern for his safety and the safety of the funds grew as they approached a gate that crossed the path. He knew from past experience that the gate was always locked and he would have to dismount to unlock it. The rough- looking rider galloped ahead of him, dismounted and was standing at the gate. It was now only about a half mile away. John, still in the saddle, began to pray.
“Dear God, You know that I have this money with me that has been given by those hard- working people of Yours. Much of it represents great sacrifice. Please protect me, now, from this stranger and any other danger that I might not be aware of. Please don’t let me come to harm. Thank You in Christ’s name.”
As John prayed, his horse had slowly come to a halt. Without looking up, John urged his horse onward. It refused to budge an inch. John gave it a kick in the side, which did nothing to move the animal. Then John looked up and saw the reason for the horse’s hesitancy. Right in front of them, at a place where the path widened so wagons could pass each other, was another horse. It was a large white steed and a tall man was in its saddle.
“Where did he come from?”
John asked himself. “I didn’t see anyone ahead of me, or anyone coming from the other direction. How did he get up there?” John rode up to the stranger, and before he realized it, had poured out his problem to him. For some odd reason, it was a relief to share this with the other rider. He did not answer John, but stared intently at the man with the reaping hook. When the suspected robber looked up and saw the new rider’s stare, he suddenly mounted his horse and rode feverishly across the field in the direction from which he had come.
“Whew!” John said, “I am so thankful that you came up when you did!” The man on the white steed made no reply whatsoever. “If you hadn’t come up, I’d probably have been robbed or killed.” The other man still remained silent, and John became nervous. Why did this man not respond to him? “When I saw that other man ride off as fast as he did,” John continued, “I just knew that my prayer for deliverance was heard, and that you were sent by the Lord.”
Without looking at John, the rider said simply, but strongly, “Amen.”
John jumped off his horse at the gate and opened it so that this friend could pass through. Then John walked his own horse through. When John turned around, locked the gate, and went back to his horse, the rider was gone!
He looked down the road from where they had come and saw no one nor any dust. He looked in the direction that the would- be robber had taken so quickly, and did not see the white horse there either. “Where is he?” John asked himself in a semidaze, “Where could he have gone to?”
A cold chill raced over his body as he thought about what had actually happened. Then he began to question himself. “Am I imagining all this?” John walked back to the gate and looked over onto the path he had just been riding on. There were two sets of hoofprints. There had been another rider with him. John looked over at the field where the robber had been and saw clearly the freshly beaten-down grass from the other rider. He knew that it was all real!
John mounted his horse and rode along at his regular pace. A deep feeling of awe overcame him as never before in his entire life. He thought back on how the tall rider on the white steed had suddenly appeared after he had begged God for help. He pictured the rider’s silence, except for that one word. “Amen.”
Then, it all came into focus. “He never said a word until I mentioned the name of the Lord. I have actually seen an angel! The Lord sent an angel for me just like He did time after time after time in the Bible!”
John stopped his horse, jumped off, and fell to his knees. “Oh Lord, I’ve always believed that you sent your delivering and protecting angels for those saints in the Bible. I believe your holy Word. But, I’ve never felt worthy of Your sending an angel for me. I’m so glad that Your help and deliverance are not based on merit or worthiness. Because if it was, I would not be thanking you now.” God is ever interested in His people, and sends His angels to protect and guide them through their daily walk.
Maybe you have wondered where these magnificent beings came from?
Colossians 1: 16 says, “For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Jesus is the Creator of all. He created these celestial beings for service and praise.
The Apostle John writes, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing! ’” Revelation 5: 11, 12.
There have been many incidents where angels, in the form of men, have worked in behalf of someone in need. One particular story was told of a preacher who was a circuit rider in the 1800’s. A circuit rider was a minister who traveled from town to town and church to church to preach the word of God. He was responsible for several churches and would visit a different one every week.
This pastor’s name was John Jones, and he was a pastor for the Welch Calvinistic Methodist Church.
One particular day, as he was riding his horse toward his home, after visiting one of his many churches, he felt very uneasy about his trip. It was not just that he was carrying a large amount of money, which had been taken up for a special chapel building project; he had done that many times. This day seemed no different than any other, but for some reason, that he could not explain, he felt as though something was wrong. It was not long after departing that the sensation of trouble increased. He prodded his horse into a faster pace as he rode through an isolated area between two small villages.
The road narrowed to a small path with a five- foot- high hedge running parallel to it. The hedge served as a windbreak, keeping the small path from losing all its dirt. As John rode along the hedge path, he saw another horse on his left coming toward him from a great distance away. In a matter of a few minutes, the other rider was within fifty feet of him, riding on the other side of the hedge. Coming a little closer to the hedge, John could see that the rider was very rough- looking and held a large reaping hook in his hand. The rider stared at the minister. John knew that his fears had now been confirmed.
His concern for his safety and the safety of the funds grew as they approached a gate that crossed the path. He knew from past experience that the gate was always locked and he would have to dismount to unlock it. The rough- looking rider galloped ahead of him, dismounted and was standing at the gate. It was now only about a half mile away. John, still in the saddle, began to pray.
“Dear God, You know that I have this money with me that has been given by those hard- working people of Yours. Much of it represents great sacrifice. Please protect me, now, from this stranger and any other danger that I might not be aware of. Please don’t let me come to harm. Thank You in Christ’s name.”
As John prayed, his horse had slowly come to a halt. Without looking up, John urged his horse onward. It refused to budge an inch. John gave it a kick in the side, which did nothing to move the animal. Then John looked up and saw the reason for the horse’s hesitancy. Right in front of them, at a place where the path widened so wagons could pass each other, was another horse. It was a large white steed and a tall man was in its saddle.
“Where did he come from?”
John asked himself. “I didn’t see anyone ahead of me, or anyone coming from the other direction. How did he get up there?” John rode up to the stranger, and before he realized it, had poured out his problem to him. For some odd reason, it was a relief to share this with the other rider. He did not answer John, but stared intently at the man with the reaping hook. When the suspected robber looked up and saw the new rider’s stare, he suddenly mounted his horse and rode feverishly across the field in the direction from which he had come.
“Whew!” John said, “I am so thankful that you came up when you did!” The man on the white steed made no reply whatsoever. “If you hadn’t come up, I’d probably have been robbed or killed.” The other man still remained silent, and John became nervous. Why did this man not respond to him? “When I saw that other man ride off as fast as he did,” John continued, “I just knew that my prayer for deliverance was heard, and that you were sent by the Lord.”
Without looking at John, the rider said simply, but strongly, “Amen.”
John jumped off his horse at the gate and opened it so that this friend could pass through. Then John walked his own horse through. When John turned around, locked the gate, and went back to his horse, the rider was gone!
He looked down the road from where they had come and saw no one nor any dust. He looked in the direction that the would- be robber had taken so quickly, and did not see the white horse there either. “Where is he?” John asked himself in a semidaze, “Where could he have gone to?”
A cold chill raced over his body as he thought about what had actually happened. Then he began to question himself. “Am I imagining all this?” John walked back to the gate and looked over onto the path he had just been riding on. There were two sets of hoofprints. There had been another rider with him. John looked over at the field where the robber had been and saw clearly the freshly beaten-down grass from the other rider. He knew that it was all real!
John mounted his horse and rode along at his regular pace. A deep feeling of awe overcame him as never before in his entire life. He thought back on how the tall rider on the white steed had suddenly appeared after he had begged God for help. He pictured the rider’s silence, except for that one word. “Amen.”
Then, it all came into focus. “He never said a word until I mentioned the name of the Lord. I have actually seen an angel! The Lord sent an angel for me just like He did time after time after time in the Bible!”
John stopped his horse, jumped off, and fell to his knees. “Oh Lord, I’ve always believed that you sent your delivering and protecting angels for those saints in the Bible. I believe your holy Word. But, I’ve never felt worthy of Your sending an angel for me. I’m so glad that Your help and deliverance are not based on merit or worthiness. Because if it was, I would not be thanking you now.” God is ever interested in His people, and sends His angels to protect and guide them through their daily walk.
Maybe you have wondered where these magnificent beings came from?
Colossians 1: 16 says, “For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Jesus is the Creator of all. He created these celestial beings for service and praise.
The Apostle John writes, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing! ’” Revelation 5: 11, 12.
No comments:
Post a Comment