[PART FOUR] The Flurry of Wings: Deceived By Angels

The Moody Church ^ | Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer

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Remember, Satan’s goal is not to create as much misery as he can on planet earth; he is willing to do some good things while keeping his eventual goals in sight. His primary objective is to spread false doctrine, to reinforce the idea that God can be approached directly without a mediator, an acceptable sacrifice and blood. He does not mind if people believe in God, in supernatural occurrences and miracles. Indeed, these serve his purpose very well.

If you are a Catholic, Satan will appear as Mary; if you are a Protestant, he will appear as Christ and if you are a Hindu, he will appear as Krishna. Now that Princess Diana has become a international icon and a religious symbol, reportedly there are sightings of her, too. Satan will take whatever form expected to keep people shielded from the Gospel of Christ. It is naive to say, as some do, that these stories must be the work of good angels because the miracles are good and beneficial. We must boldly say that “good” miracles can be done by “bad” angels.

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Ping

Last in the series on Angels.

[null and void]

Links to parts 1, 2 and 3 might be helpful.

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Links to parts 1, 2 and 3 might be helpful.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2648462/posts?page=1

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2649084/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2649537/posts

I hope this helps. I thought the message was really good.

[XEHRpa]

I still like Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol”. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

[metmom]

Thank you. It’s been a very good series.

Interestingly, I run across the mentality quite frequently that anything supernatural that is good MUST be from God and to be believe unquestioningly.

That is so dangerous.

For all the emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit with speaking in tongues being the primary focus, I wonder that more people don’t ask for the gift of discernment. I’d think it would be eminently more useful.

Above all else, I want to know what is from God and what is not so I don’t end up deceived or falling into error.

[HarleyD]

An excellent article but this caught my attention:

Yes, angels are sometimes sent to the unconverted, but only to judge them.

Judgment belong the the Lord Jesus. Angels could execute the judgment of God such as the example of the Angel of Death with the Egyptians or the angel sent forth to bring the plague during David's time. Usually angels are messagers sent to both believers and unbelievers (such as being sent to the shepherds or to Balaam). Clearly they were not sent for judgment but for pronoucement.

Also, there is a least one case in scripture where an angel gave instructions to the unsaved Cornelius to send for Peter who would show him the way of salvation. While the angel did not bring the gospel to Cornelius (a right reserved for us), he did tell him who he was to contact to receive salvation.

[wmfights]

For all the emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit with speaking in tongues being the primary focus, I wonder that more people don’t ask for the gift of discernment.

It sure does show that Solomon was a pretty smart guy to begin with.

[American Constitutionalist]

Were not the angles sent to judge Sodom and Gomorrah ? and angles sent to rescue Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah ?

[American Constitutionalist]

" rather it is always a feeling of disconnectedness "

Isn't this the excuse we have been hearing from the MSM, the Obama Administration, and Obama for the reasons why he is failing, and why they lost the last election ? because they believe that their efforts of " Communication " was lacking, that they were not " Connecting " or by their " DISCONNECTEDNESS " is why they failed.... in other words ? they refuse to admit that they were wrong, that they have sinned....

[wmfights]

An excellent article but this caught my attention:

Yes, angels are sometimes sent to the unconverted, but only to judge them.

It's an interesting point. I think that he means in their capacity to carry out a decision all ready determined by God.

From the message: Repeatedly, in the book of Revelation, angels are directly involved in executing the judgment of those who have not come under the protection of Christ’s sacrifice.

HD: Also, there is a least one case in scripture where an angel gave instructions to the unsaved Cornelius to send for Peter who would show him the way of salvation. While the angel did not bring the gospel to Cornelius (a right reserved for us), he did tell him who he was to contact to receive salvation.

Angels brought the message to the shepherds that the Savior was born as well. In both cases they relayed a message, but did not act in any other way.

[wmfights]

Great point!

[metmom]

Here they are without HTML so you can just click on them.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2648462/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2649084/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2649537/posts

[wmfights]

Were not the angles sent to judge Sodom and Gomorrah ?

Maybe this answers it, the Angels will minister to "heirs of salvation" and carry out God's judgment on those that are lost.

[wmfights]

Thanks, I guess my “analog” is showing. :-)

[HiTech RedNeck]

No weaseling around it — unfallen angels sometimes DO get a broader role towards unbelievers than Lutzer allows for. As a “Fightin’ Fundie” I object to presuming more broadly than the bible, but I object to presuming more narrowly than the bible too. If God knows ahead of time at some point who is going to ultimately accept Christ (I am deliberately avoiding the Arminian-Calvinist debate about the details) then God can send angels to help those people while they are still unbelievers without introducing anything not already stated in his Word.

A story line which elaborated this wouldn’t fit into a neat 30 minute or 60 minute show, however.

[johngrace]

1 John 4 (New International Version)

1 John 4

On Denying the Incarnation

1 "Dear friends, DO Not believe Every Spirit, but Test the Spirits To SEE Whether they are From GOD, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is HOW you can RECOGNIZE the Spirit of God: Every Spirit that Acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the Flesh(Human) IS from GOD, 3 but every spirit that does Not Acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood."

A False Angel can not declare Christ became Human(Divinity became Flesh).

Never!

I have read books about Protestant and Catholic exorcisms. One of the final confirmations for the possessed victim is to declare that Christ came in the Flesh. When this happens the exorcists know the fallen spirits(Angels) are truly gone.

I have encountered my friends wife who is a spiritualist spellcaster to make a long story short. She was trying to tell me she was a christian. I told her she is not. I also told her I would prove it to her. I challenge her to say the Apostles Creed which declares 1 John 4. She wanted to prove me wrong. She stuttered as an unseen force would not let her. Then I made it more specific. Did Jesus Christ come in the flesh. Simple. She could not profess it at all in any way with words that mean the same in the personal proun. " I declare Christ came in the Flesh" A true encounter.

Also " If you are a Catholic, Satan will appear as Mary"

Maybe a false apparition never the real apparitions.

Of the real ones Mary recites the Apostles Creed( Christ came in the Flesh)

If 1John 4 is not true you might as well throw out the Bible. Which I would not do or recommend!

Praise Jesus and as the angel spoke Hail Mary!

[Joya]

Thanks &

Happy New Year.

= = =
Later

[Cvengr]

First, it assumes that people are basically good, rather than sinners who stand in desperate need of God’s saving grace.

IMHO, a very poor choice of words and easily confused meaning.

Sin is simply missing the mark of God's Plan. The argument first asserts an assumption of good, then corrects the quality of 'good' with the quality of 'sinner'.

These are 2 entirely different sets of criterion.

Good and evil are one set of qualities, which might be attributed to Satan's Cosmic or Worldly system of thinking and living,....while sin simply the the missing of the mark of God's Plan for every believer in our thinking and living.

The quote implies as association of sin with evil and good with Godliness, which might be a consequence in some situations, is not the root of the distinction between the two criterion.

We start instead with God first, not man. Then consider the effects of missing His Plan or sin, and then through faith in Him, are also led to conclude that evil or good may be parlayed into evil whenever it it outside His Plan, i.e. sin. The consequences of that sin, be it an act of human good, independent of God and His Will, or an act of evil independent of God's Will, and that act will ultimately lead to even more sinful circumstances, unless one uses what God provides for us to escape that slave market, namely faith in Christ.

[Cvengr]

The Bible teaches that an understanding of our sinfulness is central to our understanding of how we must approach God. If we don’t know how bad off we are in the presence of a holy God, we will try to access Him in ways that He despises. Thus, a wrong view of man always leads to a wrong view of God.

IMHO, another poor choice of words to capture the proper meaning.

Man doesn't have to be an expert about sin in order to have fellowship with God.

God provides everything necessary for our relationship and fellowship with Him. All we have to do is face Him, and confess our sins, known and unknown to Him. Repentance is a turning back to God or the dual or the argument, turning away from that which is away from God. It is better to keep our focus on Him in all things, so it is much simpler to instead think of repentance as turning back to Him, instead of focusing on something or anything other than Him as the object of our emotion and rejection.

Instead we focus upon Him, or face Him, then communicate to Him our confession of having missed the mark with Him and His Plan.

He doesn't require us to perform an audit of all or thoughts, but if we so choose, ONLY while facing Him, then he is also sure and just to forgive us those sins. Once we are back in fellowship after returning to Him and confessing those sins and He justly and surely forgives, then He might by His grace further sanctify us as we walk by His Word in our thinking.