There were Angels in the Alley

[Heavyduty053]

         

 

 

          Diane , a young Christian university student was home for the summer enjoying a much needed break to visit her parents who has stood by her during her time of study. She had gone to visit some friends she went to high school with who lived not far from her one evening. They were having the time of their life sharing experiences of the past year. Time had slipped away and she stayed longer than planned. It was getting dusty dark and they said their goodbye's and she was on her way.

 

          Dark was quickly approaching even though she had picked up her pace of walking quickly. It was a small town and very little ever happened in the way of harm so she was not afraid but needless to say she had been gone for a year and it did concern her some. It was only four blocks but sometimes in the dark it could seem like a mile. Diane was a Christian and she kept the good lord close in her heart with prayers. As she walked under all the big elm trees, she prayed and asked Jesus to walk with her and keep her safe.

 

          She came upon the alleyway the garbage trucks used and thought, why not it would cut the distance in half. As she got halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing leaning up against a fence rail . To far now to turn back so she continued on with her senses telling her to become uneasy of this sight, so she prayed again for protection from this sight. Right then she felt as though someone was walking with her. She walked right passed the ragged dirty man while he looked her up and down and reached the end of the alley. The man never made a move and even looked like her was concerned somewhat. Diane continued on her way, another two blocks and up the steps and through the front door where her parents hugged her and had dinner waiting.

 

          The next day she picked up the paper and there on the front page a girl just a little older than her was raped, beaten and left in the same alley about 30 minutes after she walked through there. Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she begin to weep, thanking God for seeing her safely home. Then her thoughts turned to the man she also saw in that alley. She knew she had to go to the police and report what she saw to help them find who did this to this girl. If this was the man she felt sure she could recognize him.

 

          As she told her story to detectives she looked ever so slowly at mug shots to see if she could help identify him. She hadn't gone through three pages when there he was, plain as day, it was him, the one she saw in that dark alley. The detectives went out, found him, arrested him, He wasn't far from the station. As they brought him for questioning they walked right past where she was sitting and she seen him. When the man was told he was seen in that alley a few minutes before he committed his crime, he broke down and confessed.

 

          The detectives thanked Diane for what she did to help solve this crime and asked if there was any thing else she would like to add or any questions before she left. She asked if one of the detectives would ask the man one question. She said I am curious to know why he had not attacked her but waited for another. When the man was asked that question his reply was.......she was not alone there were two big husky men with her, one on each side as they passed me.

 

How many of us take time to pray for help when we need it? God has multitudes of angels just waiting to help us when danger is close by. All it takes is a sincere prayer asking for him to intervene. Not only in danger but in any thing we face that may be bigger than us. He promised to be there, he will not let you walk through it alone. All it takes is a little prayer.

[precious1]

Amen!

[skeetdog]

Thanks Heavyduty....He's also set some of his boyz right in the middle of the meanest crowds I can profess...Some people don't realize that there's a great demand for ''Good Outlaws''...somebody has to keep the boyz inline that Mama just don't need to know about... 

[Nelg]

Throughly believe in angels and the power of God moving in this world.  Angels are active and busy and surround us with abundant protection, assistance, and are with us in difficult circumstances.

 

My question is why were they with the first girl and not the other?  

[Heavyduty053]

I think as the story is told....one was a child of God and the other maybe not...but I guess one prayed and one didn't and even if she might have been a child of the most high did she think to pray.....how many Christians out there think to pray before something they about to face happens....do you see what I am saying. I, you or any one else can't explain why one is sparred and one is not....just pray is all I can say.

[skeetdog]

Who's to comprehend the wisdom of God...Without God first grantin' an insight...

[Nelg]

The power of prayer is a great and marvelous wonder.  Yet either the story needs to be revised or our thinking about God's presence.  My point is to present an question that many will ask.  It is ask daily about "why" an event was allowed to take place.  

Example:  If both were Christians and both prayed, would both be saved from the danger they faced?  If one was delivered and the other was not, what makes the determining factor?  What if the one who did not pray was delivered and the one who prayed had to go through the terrible circumstances?  

 

Certainly we do not know the mind and ways of God.  It is pure speculation on our part (other than divine revelation).  Yet how do you answer the question from the parents of each girl?  Such cases are real and those who have to comfort and care for the families of both need to be ready to do that without casting doubt on the "respect of persons" by Jehovah.

[temperament5]

Thank you for this story HD.  It surely touched my heart for there have been many times I know Angels were with me.

[skeetdog]

Nelg I'm very certain from your past post that you've forgotten more about God than I'll ever know. I'm a God fearin' man and have been in some very non-conventional thinkin' crowds to say the least. Although I make it a point to fine a way to acknowledge the fact in these crowds every chance I get. This doesn't, in my thought process, put me on the same dimension of faith that you possess. I'm very safe in the statement....I have a few more habits that're not quite accepted by left-wingnuts. Your a Christian without a dought as I am....Now, if we were to leave it up to the DV community to decide if two Christians were to walk down that same alley with a ambush up ahead. We are both to ask God for his help and only one is allowed to survive...On our past dedication to the glory of God...who would you think deserves his protection. There's always the question...''What was our intensions for goin' through that alley''...Who can determine the intent of the mine, what their thought process for bein' in that particular situation at that particular time....The desire of some else's heart are impossible to conceive...I think that's why God made woman for man the way he did...if ya think ya got everything figured out...try logic on a woman....       

[Nelg]

Afternoon Skeetdog.  

My intention was not to case doubt on the care and protection we have from the Father.  This story has been around for a long, long time.  It is used by teachers and preachers to illustrate faith, prayer, care, protection, providence, etc. you name it.  I LIKE the story and can appreciate it's use.  I have been in situations when both faith and pray is the only thing that pulled me through.  I personally believe that God must be the source and power of deliverance in those situations.  That without doubt.  

The Scriptures teach that "many have entertained angels" but were unaware of their presence or appearance.  There are those who would read this story, think about the results, and move on to another topic.  Why not cause someone to question, think, reexamine the Bible, and then assess what they believe about angels (good angels).  

Without going into a long writing, just take this one aspect of the work of angels.  They did protect. Satan recognizes that as well.  When Jesus went through the temptations in the wilderness, one of the four temptations was to take Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and tell him to cast himself down, and then quotes Psalm 91. "He will give His angels charge concerning You; and on their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone."  Jesus, recognizing that putting Himself in harms way on purpose would be tempting God (Mt. 4:5-7).  The point being that God had given the angels a charge of protecting Jesus (at least until His work at the cross was accomplished).  

Angels protected and delivered God's people, Israel, during their history before the cross of Christ. During the time when Lot was in the trouble in Sodom while visiting angels were in his home, they caused blindness upon those who were seeking sex with his heavenly guests (Gen 19:11).  When God saved Shad-rach, Meshack and Abed-nego from the furnace of fire, Nebuchadnezzar responded by saying that God "sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him" (Dan 3:28).  As Daniel was thrown to the lions, his confidence in God was rewarded by God sending "His angel and shut[ing} the lions' mouths, and they" did not harm him, "inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him" (Dan 6:26).  

In the NT, Luke records the incident of Peter and John being placed in prison, "But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said. 'Go your way, stand and speak to the people in the temple the message of Life" (Acts 5:19-20).  Again in Acts 12:11 Luke records another occasion when Herod [Herod was a Sadducee and did not believe in angels, demons, or resurrection.] had Peter arrested and thrown into prison.  He knew of Peter's previous escape so he had him chained between two guards, In the middle of the night, and angel came and removed the chains, opened the door of the prison, and took him past the two troops of guards and opened the locked iron gates leading into the city.  "And when Peter came to himself, he said, 'Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting" (Acts 12).  

It is interesting and faith building to note that angels are sent forth to minister to those that shall inherit salvation (Heb 1:14).

 

Now, about the statement or question is God a respecter of persons?  Not when it comes to administering grace and spiritual salvation.  That grace is for all who come to Him in faith.  However, He is a respecter of persons when it comes to taking care and protecting His People.  God's people have always had His care.  And, yes, there is a difference.  The saints, Christians, are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  He will tend and protect His sheep.  

 

Does He allow some of them to go through terrible circumstances and trials and beatings and death while they are in His care?  Yes.  Where was God when Jesus, His beloved Son, was going through His suffering?  He was there!  He could have stopped it all!  When Jesus was arrested in the Garden and Peter took his sword to fight, Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.  Or do you thing that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"  The point is that it was God will that Jesus die (Matt 26:47-54).  Jesus must die even though the angels could have delivered Him.  

 

Steven, a faithful follower of Christ, a deacon of the church, a preacher of the gospel was allowed to be stoned to death.  He did not escape.  James, the Lord's brother was beheaded.  But Peter and Paul were delivered.  Contradiction?  No way.  Each was fulfilling the purpose for their life.  Each demonstrated their faith.  Each was ministered to by angels.  God deliverers some while others He allows to go threw hard times.  Is it "respect of persons"?  Not in these cases.  God gives us the faith to go through all life has to throw at us while at the same time guiding and protecting us from evil.  We can't put our attention on "this world," the world of the physical, but our attention is on things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.  Angels are always with those who are in trouble in this world.  We may die, but angels are there to usher us into the arms of Christ (Lk 16:22).  

[waterman13]

Good stoey, and good discussion ya'll. God works in mysterious ways and personally witnessed His Grace in many ways. I know people who have actually seen angels, I have not (that I know of)  but I have audibly heard His voice before.

Wm13

Edited March 24, 2015 by waterman13

[skeetdog]

Thanks Nelg...I can only guess that God's plan is a mystery...At seven on the 4th of July we were goin' to have our usual ''Goat Roast''....I kinda mess it up when Uncle Ralph lit the pit with gas, in '65 gas had some punch...I ended up dying for 7 seconds in the ER...I saw somethings that would daze me for a decade before I heard of an out of body experience...I can remember a brilliant light around me...I was concentrating on the vision in front of me when I notice I was somewhere else and the light around me...When I turned to see what it was...I heard a voice say, ''Send him back''...The drifting I've done in my life seems to always make me ask...''Why.... 

[Muleslayer]

Thanks Nelg...I can only guess that God's plan is a mystery...At seven on the 4th of July we were goin' to have our usual ''Goat Roast''....I kinda mess it up when Uncle Ralph lit the pit with gas, in '65 gas had some punch...I ended up dying for 7 seconds in the ER...I saw somethings that would daze me for a decade before I heard of an out of body experience...I can remember a brilliant light around me...I was concentrating on the vision in front of me when I notice I was somewhere else and the light around me...When I turned to see what it was...I heard a voice say, ''Send him back''...The drifting I've done in my life seems to always make me ask...''Why....

In answer to your last sentence.

And miles to go before I sleep.

Not my usual snark but I felt compelled? Strong suggestion?

Edited March 25, 2015 by Muleslayer

[Heavyduty053]

We can try our best to understand how and why God works his ways among his people but the fact remains....our human minds will never conquer questions we have on why something was allowed to happen........some things are a given to remain a mystery when we see the mysterious ways of God working.....This is one of the things that keeps faith alive........I can only say this....faith in my God keeps me from questioning his wisdom of why he chooses to do what he does at the time he does it and besides...... the mysteries of God is one that will be answered when we face him.

[Saint]

  The power of prayer is powerful.

[EagleEye]

  These are NOT  stories...they ACTUALLY happened to ME and to me and to my son:

 

first my son's experience in the roughest section of the Bronx, NY  his job required him to rise while it was yet dark and walk through a particularly bad section of town to the nearest bus station. On this particular night as he crossed a bridge he routinely crossed without incident, he suddenly found himself back at the entrance to the bridge, once again he started across thinking perhaps he had day-dreamed the event.....once again he started across and for the second time suddenly found himself back at the entrance to the bridge....as a chill ran through him he offered a prayer of thanksgiving to GOD for protection and returned home. In the morning he learned that there had been heavy police activity and that two young men had been shot. He would have been right in the center of all that danger, quite possibly  mistaken for one of the young men attempting to evade the police

 

secondly: It was Dec 20, 1972 for the third night in a row my crew boarded our B-52 and headed for Hanoi, North Viet Nam. The raids would eventually bring an end to the war and see most of our POW's finally released. However, because Hanoi, regularly positioned defenses and supply depots adjacent to hospitals, schools and residential areas our crews were ordered not to maneuver until our bombs were safely on target. Even before the advent of so-called smart bombs we were highly trained in precision bombing techniques. Nightly the surface to air missiles of the most heavily defended city anywhere except Moscow found their mark in our B-52's normally able to pick out the "number two" (we flew in three ship formations) bomber, by aiming at the center of the heavy jamming signals on their radar screens. The night before I watched helpless as our number two took a SAM into the bomb bay just as he was about to release his weapons. We lost at least 22 B-52's in this fashion before we were allowed to change our tactics. But now it was my turn to watch as the supersonic missile arched quickly toward our ship and the EWO repeatedly called out that the missile was locked on ! With only seconds before certain impact I uttered a very simple prayer to my Savior, " Lord I cannot handle this one..."  In a scene I have relived many times since that date the following occurred: ....1) from somewhere in my gut I hollered "break" ( very generic as opposed to specific commands like break right, break away, break roll , break left) 2) the AC turned INTO the missile ...not necessarily the logical thing to do under the circumstance 3) immediately there was a loud bang on the underside of the aircraft (directly below the navigators hatch which in turn was below me) the noise was lord enough to be recorded on the cockpit recorder...4) the missile exploded in the AC's window causing flash blindness 5) I took the aircraft and rolled out checking that everyone was ok and that the ship suffered no damage 6) the other two ships were calling us to ensure we were alright...

     On the ground there was absolutely no damage to the aircraft and the experts all agreed that it was impossible for us to have avoided that missile strike. Unable to explain what happened they destroyed the tapes. But this much I knew, GOD was not finished with me....

 

as to Stephen his death as a martyr brought great glory to GOD for it resulted ultimately in the conversion of Saul into Paul the apostle....

 

I know of many other miraculous interventions...but these two affected me personally...

 

Eagle sermonette complete 

[RodandStaff]

I'm sure many of us have entertained angels "unaware"!!!   

 

Eagle...that'll preach!!!    

Edited March 25, 2015 by RodandStaff

[Nelg]

Great "witness," story, testimony . . . whatever.  It was good.  Thanks.

[ronscarpa]

Thanks Heavy...!   

[Heavyduty053]

Eagle this would make a big impact on one's thinking when its crucial . God seen what was about to happen and interceded on your behalf. I to am from that era of chaos. God is like our earthly fathers......if you don't ask then you can't receive......Blessings are always just for the asking.....God is good

[EagleEye]

all the time !!

[vietnam1969]

All of the above statements were appreciated and for a believer in God but not much of a church goer anymore, I can relate to the happenings which were told above for I also have had Angels watching over me and have been saved from certain death. My mission in life is still ongoing.  Thanks for sharing your events. 

[waterman13]

Vietnam 1969, you don't have to go to church, I don't. I searched for 30 years looking for a church that really teaches Truth, to no avail. Most teach half-truths which is a lie in my eyes. I have attended a hundred churches or more in numerous different denominations, basically all the same, they teach doctrines not the True Word of God. I have learned more and have felt closer to God sitting on the couch with His Word (Jesus the Christ) letting Him teach me and immersing myself in prayer. Letting God teach me, not some pastor teaching what he learned in seminary.

 

I do get together with four or five guys who do the same thing and discuss what God has been showing each one of us. Much better to me, it's like the disciples did in the 1st century, they just met outside, or in someones house. God never commanded us to build great cathedrals. What happens when you do that is suck everything out of the people to build and upkeep the property. Then they get into all these programs and stuff that are useless in my eyes. Churches basically compete with each other for the biggest buildings the most programs, etc. God does not dwell in a building of brick, stone and glass. He dwells in you.

 

Just what God has shown me

Wm13

[EagleEye]

WM you can't broad brush blame all pastors...I for one never attended seminary and I'm eternally grateful for that...more importantly I teach the Word straight up and have done so for nearly 30 years now...the other side of the issues relates to the "sheeple" for want of a better term like Paul told Timothy 2Tim4:3 ".For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but will gather to themselves teachers having itching ears."  That time has been upon us for quite some time now...also you at least have tried to adhere to another forgotten word from Paul in Heb 10:25 you are assembling together with your believing friends...sadly too many forsake that assembly for many different reasons and then the Body is no longer being edified....I have seen far too many whose faith has been "ship wrecked" to simply allow a bad experience with "so-called" church to become an excuse for not being a part of the "ekklesia"....   

[Nelg]

I love the church, the body of Christ.  It has been my support since the day I became a child of God.  It is made up of all those who are saved by the blood of Christ and have received the Holy Spirit and have placed themselves in submission to Christ.  The Hebrew writer makes a beautiful statement about the church.  "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living Sod, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born-ones who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect . . . " (Heb 12:22-23).

 

Christ Jesus loved the church and gave Himself up (died) for the church.  Therefore, I love the church and will love the church of God that has been purchased by His blood.