When God Comes Directly
Matthew 4:1-11
Sometimes God comes to minister to us directly. The late William H. Hinson told about an amusing article that appeared in his local paper. Over the past several years in Houston, Texas there had been a rash of incidents in which dogs had attacked small children. As a result, the newspapers ran several stories about the attacks(some of which were pretty gruesome). There was one, however, involving a little boy called D.J. that was not so tragic.
A reporter asked D.J. how he managed to come away from a recent dog attack unharmed. You can almost picture the serious expression on the little guy's face as he said, "Well, right in the middle of the attack, the Lord spoke to me."
"Oh, really," asked the reporter, "And what did God say?"
"He said, "Run, DJ, run!" the young boy reported.
There may have been times in your life in which God has whispered, "Run, Jim, run!" Or "Run, Sally, Run!" Particularly is this a valuable message when we
are tempted. In one way or another To those who believe in His promises, God always sends His angels.
This is particularly true in life's most difficult moments. The late singer Johnny Cash discovered that in a dramatic way when his older brother Jack was fatally injured on the job. Jack worked in a woodshop. He fell across a saw. Jack lingered for a week before dying. He drifted in and out of consciousness, sometimes hallucinating, then falling back into a coma. After a week in his condition worsening, it was obvious there was no hope. The family gathered in the hospital room. Johnny Cash told the story:
"I remember standing in line to tell him goodbye. He was still unconscious. I bent over his bed and put my cheek against his and said, "Goodbye, Jack." That's all I could get out."
My mother and daddy were on their knees. At 6:30 a.m. he woke up. He opened his eyes and looked around and said, "Why is everybody crying over me? Mama, don't cry over me. Did you see the river?"
"And she said, "No, I didn't son."
"Well, he said, "I thought I was going toward the fire, but I'm headed in the other direction now, Mama. I was going down a river, and there was fire on one side and heaven on the other. I was crying, "God, I'm supposed to go to heaven. Don't you remember? Don't take me to the fire." All of a sudden I turned, and now, Mama, can you hear the angels singing?"
"She said, No, son, I can't hear it."
"And he squeezed her hand and shook her arm, saying, But Mama, you've got to hear it. Tears started rolling off his cheeks and he said, "Mama, listen to the angels. I'm going there, Mama."
"We listened with astonishment.
"What a beautiful city," he said. "And the angels singing." Those were his last words. And he died."
Johnny Cash added: "The memory of Jack's death, his vision of heaven, the effect his life had on the lives of others, and the image of Christ he projected have been more of an inspiration to me, I suppose, than anything else that has ever come to me through any man."
You may have questions about such near death experiences. I hope, however, when that moment comes to me or someone I love, I'll be listening for the angels.Because they do come. They come in this world. Why should they not come in the next?
Questions to Ponder
Has God ever ministered to you directly?
Do you believe the angels do come in this life and the next ?
Will you be listening both now and then?
In His Service,
Terry Phillips
