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God created millions of angels to glorify him, to be messengers of his will and to protect, guide and encourage Christians. The Revs. Mark McCuistion and Larry Long say angels appear throughout the Bible like in Hebrews 13:2, which says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” “Hebrews 1:14 asks, ‘Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?’” said the Rev. McCuistion, pastor of the First Church of Nazarene. “They sometimes take the form of a human body, but most of the time they don’t. They are always going to be Christ-like.” McCuistion said Jesus also puts his character into people so that they receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. “We make Jesus not just our Savior but our leader and boss,” he said. “You are not really a follower of his if you say, ‘God forgive me now for what I’m going to do.’ “Believing is receiving the Spirit of God into our lives and talking to believers who backslide. Jesus says, ‘If you open the door of your heart to me, I will come in and be with you and eat with you and you with me.’ “Eating symbolizes sharing life and sustenance.” The Rev. Long, teaching pastor at The Gathering in Midland, said there are evil spirits at work in the world as well as divine ones. “Satan is a fallen angel who has other fallen angels with him helping him,” Long said. “He has a lot of power, but it’s not unlimited power like God’s. “I have expelled evil spirits from people and cast them out in Jesus’ name.” Long said Jesus affirmed that children have guardian angels and there are indications in Scripture that adults do, too. “I know I have had numerous occasions when I should have died but didn’t,” he said. “We’re not to worship angels. “I don’t know if they carry people to Heaven, but I know we don’t become angels when we die.” The post The nature and purpose of angels considered appeared first on Odessa American.
