The Angel of the LORD

 “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”

— Psalm 34:7

If we fear the LORD—the Father—in a wise and godly way; revering Him with utmost respect, honoring His commands and teachings, and believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, we may find that opposition arises. Scripture prepares us for this reality. Jesus Himself taught that those who follow Him would face hostility:

“If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you.”
— John 15:18

At times, people may act against us deliberately, even placing us in danger. Yet, again and again, something intervenes. Circumstances shift. Plans against us fail. Harm is stopped. When this happens repeatedly, it becomes difficult to dismiss it as coincidence. Too many events align. Too many dangers are averted.

This leads us to ask: Is the Angel of the LORD acting on our behalf?

The Holy Spirit testifies that He is.

This raises an even deeper question: Is spirit real? And if spirit is real—if it truly reaches into our lives to protect, to deliver, to intervene—should we factor this reality into our worldview?

The answer is yes. We should.

This is not a new idea. In fact, Scripture records that even a pagan king was forced to acknowledge this truth. King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon personally witnessed God’s intervention when the very people he sought to destroy were miraculously preserved. After seeing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego unharmed in the fiery furnace, he issued a decree declaring the reality of the true God:

“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him.”
— Daniel 3:28

Nebuchadnezzar recognized that this God does not merely exist in theory—He acts. He sends His angel to save those who worship Him and fear Him. This is real, and it ought to be included in how we understand the world.

It is meaningful to me personally how this truth was revealed by the Holy Spirit some time ago. I had been reflecting on how harmful actions against me were being mysteriously stopped, as though some unseen force was intervening—saving me from people who intended harm.

As I pondered this, words came to my mind:
“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”

I remembered hearing this verse during childhood Bible lessons. It seemed to describe my situation precisely, yet I could not remember where it was written. I continued to meditate on the words and reflect on what was happening in my life.

Suddenly, clear and unmistakable words came into my mind—as though spoken just behind me:
“Daniel 3.”

I remembered hearing testimonies from other believers who had experienced moments like this, where a specific Scripture reference was impressed upon them and later confirmed. This had never happened to me before. I immediately went into the next room to find a Bible and opened it to Daniel chapter 3.

The chapter described Nebuchadnezzar and the preservation of the three men in the furnace. As I read, nothing seemed directly connected—until I reached near the end. There, next to Nebuchadnezzar’s declaration about God sending His Angel, I noticed something remarkable. The word Angel was capitalized, and a margin reference appeared beside it.

I sensed immediately what it would say.

In the margin was the reference: Psalm 34:7.

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”

I was stunned. This Spirit had known my thoughts, known which Bible I would consult, known that this margin reference existed, and had chosen the precise chapter that testified to divine deliverance. With wisdom and precision, it used Scripture to persuade me of a profound truth: that spirit is real, active, and protective—and that my worldview needed to account for this reality.

Given such a persuasive experience of God’s intervention, I cannot doubt it. The Angel of the LORD truly delivers those who fear Him. And this truth—biblical, historical, and personal—deserves a place at the center of how we understand the world.

Prophecy

 In the life of the early Church, as documented in the New Testament Scriptures, God spoke not only through written Scriptures but also through prophetic voices raised up by the Holy Spirit. This immediately creates a need for discernment, because Scripture itself warns believers that not every spiritual utterance is from God. The question, then, is not whether prophecy has existed since New Testament times—it clearly has—but how such prophecy is to be tested and recognized as genuine.

A clear example is found in the ministry of the prophet Agabus. Acts 11:27–28 says, “And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.” This prophecy was not a quotation from Scripture, nor was it a direct proclamation about the person or work of Jesus. It was a practical, predictive word concerning events yet to come. Nevertheless, it was received as being from God, and history confirmed its fulfillment.

Later, Agabus again prophesied, this time concerning the apostle Paul. Acts 21:10–11 records, “And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” Once again, the prophecy did not directly expound Scripture or explicitly mention Christ, yet it accurately foretold the suffering Paul would endure. The substance of this word came to pass, confirming that the Spirit of God had spoken.

This raises the crucial question: if prophecy does not always directly quote Scripture or explicitly speak of Jesus, how can it be tested? One biblical test is whether the word comes to pass. Deuteronomy 18:21–22 provides the principle: “And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” Fulfillment, therefore, matters. God’s true word does not fail.

Yet fulfillment alone is not enough. The New Testament adds another layer of discernment by directing believers to examine the spirit behind the prophecy. First John 4:1–3 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist.” This does not mean every prophecy must verbally repeat a confession of Christ, but that the same Spirit operating in the prophet consistently glorifies Jesus as Christ and Lord, rather than drawing attention to the prophet or undermining the gospel.

Jesus Himself gives an additional and vital test by pointing to the outcomes of a person’s ministry. In Matthew 7:15–20 He says, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” A prophet, then, is known not only by what they predict, but by what their ministry produces. The fruit of true prophecy is faith, obedience to God, love for the Church, and the building up of God’s people.

When we look again at Agabus, we see this clearly. His famine prophecy resulted in generosity and practical care among the churches. His word to Paul did not manipulate or control, but prepared the Church for suffering and strengthened Paul’s resolve to submit to God’s will. The fruit of his prophecies was good, and the Spirit manifested in his ministry aligned with the work of Christ in the apostolic Church.

Taken together, Scripture teaches that prophecy is discerned by multiple witnesses: whether it comes to pass, whether the Spirit behind it honors Jesus Christ, and whether the fruit of it is good. A prophet is known by their prophecies, and both are ultimately known by the outcomes of that prophetic ministry.

For this reason, the Church is instructed neither to despise prophecy nor to accept it uncritically. First Thessalonians 5:20–21 exhorts believers, “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” In doing so, the Church honors the work of the Holy Spirit while remaining anchored in truth, wisdom, and faithful discernment.

Speaking in tongues and interpretation gifts of the Holy Spirit

 Speaking in tongues, understood as a real heavenly language, is when a person speaks words given directly by the Holy Spirit rather than learned or formed by the human mind. The speaker is not choosing the words or constructing sentences; instead, their spirit is communicating in a language that originates in heaven. Interpretation of tongues is then the work of the Holy Spirit within the mind of either the speaker or someone hearing the tongues, making the meaning of that heavenly language known in a human language which can be understood. In some cases, this interpretation can be experienced as a literal, word-for-word translation, where the heavenly words are heard, and by the Spirit’s gift they are transformed in the mind into the interpreter’s own language. The interpretation may come as clear words, accompanied by visual images, or the like, enabling the interpreter to then speak the message so that others may be encouraged and taught by what the Holy Spirit is communicating.

Here is an example of this. It occurred when a message was spoken in tongues during a worship service, expressed in a heavenly language unknown to human ears. An interpretation was given simultaneously to two people: the speaker and one of the hearers. The interpretation was, “Consider the trees; they put forth buds and leaves. They do so by the power of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” This expressed the meaning the Holy Spirit intended the people to understand. To one of the hearers, the interpretation came inwardly while hearing the tongues, together with a vision of a tree branch in bud, with the buds becoming leaves. At the same time, the speaker of the tongues also received the interpretation and spoke it aloud, in keeping with scriptural teaching so that the gathered worshippers could be edified.

The hearer who also received the interpretation did not need to speak it aloud (since it had already been spoken), but was given a unique assurance of the message’s divine authenticity. This assurance came because the speaker spoke out loud the same words that the hearer had perceived inwardly in their own language. Later, this second interpreter testified to what had happened, so that others could know the message had two witnesses to its divine origin. Full assurance was further confirmed through discernment of the spirit of the message itself, which glorified Jesus Christ and acknowledged Him as Lord. Scripture teaches that such a confession is a clear sign that the message is from the Spirit of God.

In this way, speaking in tongues delivers a message from heaven, and interpretation makes that message understandable so it can strengthen and encourage those who hear it. At times, when matching interpretations are given to more than one person, it can add certainty and confidence to the message, especially when spiritual discernment recognizes the honoring of Jesus as Christ and Lord as a key mark of its origin in God.

Simply sin

 God simply calls it sin, to reject His truth; to ignore or contradict the truth that He is uniquely God. The sign is the eagle overhead. “Israel has sinned” and this is the sign. 

Clearing up confusion

 Jesus is never called in scripture ‘God the Son’ of course: to call him that would have been plain confusing since ‘God’ with capital G usually denotes exclusively the Most High. He effectively called himself what amounts instead to ‘the uniquely set-apart Son of the Most High, one of the gods, the sons of the Most High’ when he quoted Psalm 82:6 to show that scripture calls him this. 

The spirit way

 Does the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for you make you want his salvation? Does it give you hope that God might save you through Jesus, now that Jesus is raised by God to live forever? If so, you have the seeds of eternal life within you. You need to nurture this. The way God uses to reach out to those who reach out to Him is by giving the Holy Spirit. You need to confess your need of this way, and seek it. In the Lord’s Prayer, known to so many, it mentions seeking “our daily bread” from the Father in heaven. The Holy Spirit is like bread we can receive from God each day, whether in inspired dreams or visions, or words of living spirit welling up within us, or sudden moments of faith in God, or other “gifts of the spirit” as they are called, “grace gifts”. If you want the salvation of Jesus Christ and are prepared to walk in his way, holding to what comes from him, you can do so by living in this way of spirit. Jesus showed this way by giving words of spirit to his hearers, which transformed their lives, saving them. The Holy Spirit continues to impart such living words of spirit, and powerful lessons of spirit, to bring us the Lord Jesus Christ’s salvation, daily. Ask God for this. Seek it very earnestly. Then live by the spirit God imparts. The teaching words of Jesus and those sent by Jesus are spirit and have power to save if we adhere to them. We need daily bread of spirit from the Father too. Pray, asking, and believe He will give. Then live by what He gives.

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Uniquely God

 The Father is unique. He has been shown by events captured in the scriptures to be God, a great king above all gods; God who presides as great among all gods. He stands alone. He needs nobody to counsel Him. He is all-wise in Himself. His Son is alive from the dead and sees the Father not only as his Father, but as his God, and the one true God. His Son is given lordship over all gods, angels, and eventually will reign over all humans too, all being put under him except the Father only. Nature functions gloriously by the power of the Son’s name. Such is the Son, the Lord Jesus’ glory and authority, and still the Father is greater than the Son. Yet how does the Father make Himself known? What characteristics does He primarily show of Himself? He shows His love towards individual human beings. There are those He sees, and knows, and loves, and saves in their time of need. Others do not always lovingly do what their fellows need. Laziness, or hesitancy, on the part of many of us leaves our fellows lacking what is needed. Then the Father steps in and saves the day. This is how He wants to be known. “Maintaining love to thousands…” is how He described Himself to Moses. God is love. We know God when we know His love. Jesus was sent and named accordingly, as the one to save the day, sent by the Father for this purpose. The Father stands out perfectly above the imperfect in this regard, His perfect love. In this greatness of love, He stands tall and serene, and commands us all to love Him too. He tells us He alone is God, in the most unique sense of that word; and then He shows His love to ordinary ones who live among us, saving them in times of need. This is the One who Jesus calls the Father, his Father. Jesus has all authority given to him in heaven and earth, and is anointed to fulfil that position of authority completely soon, yet Jesus teaches all to worship, serve, love, and obey the Father most of all—exclusively, as not only our God but his God too. The Father proudly sets Jesus before us as His very own Son, anointed above us all, and lord over us all. 

The Father

 The Father, the One True God, Revealed in Love

Let us turn our thoughts a while to the Father—the One whom Scripture presents as utterly unique.

The Father is not one god among many. He is shown in the events recorded in Scripture to be God, the great King above all gods, the One who presides in unmatched authority and wisdom. He stands alone. He needs no counselor. No one teaches Him. No one completes Him. He is all-wise in Himself and answers to no one.

Even the Son, who was raised from the dead and now lives forever, sees the Father in this way. Jesus calls Him Father, yes—but He also calls Him “my God” and “the only true God.” The risen Son acknowledges the Father’s absolute supremacy. This is not weakness in the Son; it is truth about the Father.

The Father has given His Son extraordinary glory. Jesus has been granted lordship over all gods, over angels, and over every power in heaven. Nature itself responds to the authority carried in the Son’s name. And Scripture tells us that the day is coming when all humanity will be placed under His rule as well. All things will be subjected to Him—except the Father alone. For even in the glory of the Son, the Father remains greater.

So we ask:
If the Father is so great, so exalted, so far above all—how does He choose to make Himself known?

Not first through displays of raw power.
Not merely through judgment.
But through love.

The Father reveals Himself by loving individual human beings.

He sees people.
He knows people.
He loves people.
And He saves people—often at the very moment when they are most in need.

So often, we fail one another. Sometimes it is laziness. Sometimes hesitation. Sometimes fear or indifference. A need is there, but no one steps forward. Help is required, but no human hand moves. And in those moments—the Father steps in. He saves the day.

This is how He wants to be known.

When God revealed His name and character to Moses, He said that He is the One who is “maintaining love to thousands.” This is not a small detail. This is central to who He is. Scripture declares plainly: God is love. And we do not truly know God unless we know His love.

That is why Jesus was sent.
That is why He was named as He was.
Because He came to save—to rescue—to step in where others could not or would not.

The Son was sent by the Father to reveal the Father’s heart. And what shines brightest in that revelation is love. Perfect love. A love that never hesitates, never grows weary, never fails.

In this, the Father stands far above all the imperfect love we see around us. Human love is often inconsistent, selective, or weak. But the Father’s love is steady, deliberate, and powerful. In His love, He stands tall and serene above all creation.

And this great God—this One who alone is truly God—commands us to love Him in return.

He tells us plainly that He alone is God in the most unique and exclusive sense of the word. And then He proves it—not merely by declaring it, but by acting in love toward ordinary people living ordinary lives, rescuing them in their hour of need.

This is the One Jesus calls Father.
This is the God Jesus serves, worships, loves, and obeys.

Yes, Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Yes, He is anointed and will soon exercise that authority fully. And yes, the Father proudly sets Jesus before us as His Son—exalted above us all, Lord over us all.

But still, Jesus teaches us to worship the Father above all.
To serve the Father above all.
To love the Father above all.
To obey the Father above all.

Not only as our God—but as his God too.

So today, let us see the Father clearly:
The one true God.
The God above all gods.
The Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the God who makes Himself known most beautifully, most powerfully, through love.

May we know Him by that love—and learn to reflect it in our lives.

Slides

Slide 1

Slide Title:
The Father, the One True God

Slide Content:

• God revealed in Scripture
• Unique, unmatched, and supreme
• Known most clearly through love

Visual Suggestion:
Soft light breaking through clouds; a simple cross in the distance

Slide 2

Slide Title:
The Father Is Unique

Slide Content:

• The great King above all gods
• Presides alone in wisdom and authority
• Needs no counselor or helper

Visual Suggestion:
A throne above the clouds, empty except for light

Slide 3

Slide Title:
The Father Stands Alone

Slide Content:

• All-wise in Himself
• Answers to no one
• God in the most unique sense

Visual Suggestion:
A single mountain peak rising above all others

Slide 4

Slide Title:
The Son Knows the Father

Slide Content:

• Jesus calls Him “Father”
• Jesus calls Him “my God”
• Jesus calls Him “the only true God”

Visual Suggestion:
Jesus in prayer, looking upward

Slide 5

Slide Title:
The Glory Given to the Son

Slide Content:

• Raised from the dead
• Given lordship over angels and powers
• Nature responds to His name

Visual Suggestion:
Light radiating from Christ, creation responding

Slide 6

Slide Title:
The Father Is Greater

Slide Content:

• All things placed under the Son
• The Father alone is excepted
• Supreme even in the Son’s glory

Visual Suggestion:
The Son enthroned beneath a greater light above

Slide 7

Slide Title:
How the Father Makes Himself Known

Slide Content:

• Not first by power
• Not merely by judgment
• But through love

Visual Suggestion:
Hands reaching down to lift another

Slide 8

Slide Title:
The Father Sees and Saves

Slide Content:

• He sees individuals
• He knows their needs
• He steps in at the right time

Visual Suggestion:
A person being helped up from darkness into light

Slide 9

Slide Title:
When Humans Fall Short

Slide Content:

• Laziness and hesitation fail others
• Needs go unmet
• The Father intervenes

Visual Suggestion:
A broken chain being restored

Slide 10

Slide Title:
God’s Own Description of Himself

Slide Content:

• “Maintaining love to thousands”
• Faithful across generations
• Steadfast and compassionate

Visual Suggestion:
Generations walking under a wide, protective sky

Slide 11

Slide Title:
God Is Love

Slide Content:

• Love defines His character
• We know God by knowing His love
• Perfect where human love fails

Visual Suggestion:
A heart formed by light

Slide 12

Slide Title:
Why Jesus Was Sent

Slide Content:

• Sent by the Father
• Named to save
• Sent to rescue in time of need

Visual Suggestion:
The manger or the cross, softly illuminated

Slide 13

Slide Title:
Perfect Love Above All

Slide Content:

• Human love is imperfect
• The Father’s love never fails
• Calm, steady, and complete

Visual Suggestion:
A lighthouse standing firm in a storm

Slide 14

Slide Title:
The Father Commands Our Love

Slide Content:

• He alone is God
• Worthy of exclusive devotion
• Calls us to love Him fully

Visual Suggestion:
A heart directed upward toward heaven

Slide 15

Slide Title:
Jesus Teaches Us Whom to Worship

Slide Content:

• Serve the Father above all
• Obey the Father above all
• Love the Father above all

Visual Suggestion:
Jesus pointing upward while teaching

Slide 16

Slide Title:
Our God and His God

Slide Content:

• Jesus has all authority
• Yet worships the Father
• Sets the example for us

Visual Suggestion:
Jesus kneeling in reverence

Slide 17

Slide Title:
The Father Presents His Son

Slide Content:

• Jesus is His beloved Son
• Anointed above all
• Lord over all humanity

Visual Suggestion:
A crown descending upon Christ

Slide 18

Slide Title:
The One True God Revealed

Slide Content:

• The Father above all
• Known by love
• Glorified through His Son

Visual Suggestion:
Radiant light filling the entire scene

Slide 19

Slide Title:
Our Response

Slide Content:

• Know the Father
• Trust His love
• Reflect His love to others

Visual Suggestion:
People serving one another in love

Slide 20

Slide Title:
Closing Thought

Slide Content:

• The Father is God alone
• The Father is love
• May we live knowing Him

Visual Suggestion:
A peaceful horizon at sunrise

Stephen D Green (with AI wording assistance and slide design).