1 of 8 3/14/20 10:52 AM Angels: God's Protecting & Guiding Thoughts to Man [3-14-20, DKeeler] Wed Svc [Hymns, 181, ] Wednesday, March 14, 20 SECTION I BIBLE 1 Ps 1:11-11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 2 40 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Gen 24:40 The (to ;) The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; Elijah Guided by An Angel 3 21 I Kings 18:21,22 (to ;) And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; 4 4 5 8 I Kings 1:4-8 he himself he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 5 Ps 34: The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Daniel Protected Dan :1,2(to,),4,,,-11,1(to.),1-22(to:)
2 of 8 3/14/20 10:52 AM 1 2 4 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellers, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 11 1 1 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 21 22 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: Daniel and the Angel Gabriel 1 2 Dan :1 (to Darius),2 I Daniel(to Daniel),3 set,4(to,),21,22 In the first year of Darius I Daniel 3 set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: 4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, 21 22 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. Zacharius and the Angel Gabriel 8
3 of 8 3/14/20 10:52 AM Luke 1:5(to 3rd,),11-14,1,1(to,),18,1 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 1 1 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 18 1 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. Peter Freed from Prison by An Angel 14 Acts 5:(to ;),14(to.),1-21(to.) And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. 1 1 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18 1 20 21 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. 10 Acts :1-3(to.),5-10,11(to 5th,) 1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 3 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. 5 8 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
4 of 8 3/14/20 10:52 AM 10 11 11 20 8 10 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, Ex 23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Rev :-10 (to :) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: Conclusion 13 Luke 4:10 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: SCIENCE AND HEALTH 1 2 2 30 2:1 3 SH 581:4 ANGELS. God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality. SH 28:25-1 Angels are not etherealized human beings, evolving animal qualities in their wings; but they are celestial Thoughtangels visitants, flying on spiritual, not material, pinions. Angels are pure thoughts from God, winged with Truth and Love, no matter what their individualism may be. Human conjecture confers upon angels its own forms of thought, marked with superstitious outlines, making them human creatures with suggestive feathers; but this is only fancy. It has behind it no more reality than has the sculptor's thought when he carves his "Statue of Liberty," which embodies his conception of an unseen quality or condition, but which has no physical antecedent reality save in the artist's own ob-
5 of 8 3/14/20 10:52 AM 15 servation and "chambers of imagery." My angels are exalted thoughts, appearing at the door of some sepulchre, in which human belief has buried its fondest earthly hopes. With white fingers they point upward to a new and glorified trust, to higher ideals of life and its joys. Angels are God's representatives. These upward-soaring beings never lead towards self, sin, or materiality, but guide to the divine Principle of all good, whither every real individuality, image, or likeness of God, gathers. By giving earnest heed to these spiritual guides they tarry with us, and we entertain "angels unawares." Our angelic messengers 3 4 15 5 24 2 2 30 5:1 SH 14:-14 The footsteps of thought, rising above material standpoints, are slow, and portend a long night to the traveller; but the angels of His presence the spiritual intuitions that tell us when "the night is far spent, the day is at hand" are our guardians in the gloom. SH 5:8 Rise of thought Spirit is symbolized by strength, presence, and power, and also by holy thoughts, winged with Love. These angels of His presence, which have the holiest charge, abound in the spiritual atmosphere of Mind, and consequently reproduce their own characteristics. Their individual forms we know not, but we do know that their natures are allied to God's nature; and spiritual blessings, thus typified, are the externalized, yet subjective, states of faith and spiritual understanding. SH 224:22 Seraphic symbols A higher and more practical Christianity, demonstrating justice and meeting the needs of mortals in sickness and in health, stands at the door of this age, knocking for admission. Will you open or close the door upon this angel visitant, who cometh in the quiet of meekness, as he came of old to the patriarch at noonday? SH 5:25-13 Revelation xii., 8. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought, and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. The Old Testament assigns to the angels, God's divine messages, different offices. Michael's characteristic is spiritual strength. He leads the hosts of heaven against the power of sin, Satan, and fights the holy wars. Gabriel has the more quiet task of imparting a sense of the ever-presence of ministering Angelic offices
of 8 3/14/20 10:52 AM 3 Love. These angels deliver us from the depths. Truth and Love come nearer in the hour of woe, when strong faith or spiritual strength wrestles and prevails through the understanding of God. The Gabriel of His presence has no contests. To infinite, ever-present Love, all is Love, and there is no error, no sin, sickness, nor death. Against Love, the dragon warreth not long, for he is killed by the divine Principle. Truth and Love prevail against the dragon because the dragon cannot war with them. Thus endeth the conflict between the flesh and Spirit. 15 8 2 30 55:1 SH 548: Earth has little light or joy for mortals before Life is spiritually learned. Every agony of mortal error helps error to destroy error, and so aids the apprehension of immortal Truth. This is the new birth going on hourly, by which men may entertain angels, the true ideas of God, the spiritual sense of being. SH 54:2-2 (to,) The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares. Then thought gently whispers: "Come hither! Arise from your false consciousness into the true sense of Love, HYMNS 1 Hymn :0-4 Hymn Violet Hay CAROL Arranged from David G. Corner by H. Walford Davies Music by permission of H. Walford Davies All glory be to God most high, And on the earth be peace, The angels sang, in days of yore, The song that ne'er shall cease, Till all the world knows peace. God's angels ever come and go, All winged with light and love; They bring us blessings from on high, They lift our thoughts above,
of 8 3/14/20 10:52 AM 2 They whisper God is Love. O longing hearts that wait on God Through all the world so wide; He knows the angels that you need, And sends them to your side, To comfort, guard and guide. O wake and hear the angel-song That bids all discord cease, From pain and sorrow, doubt and fear, It brings us sweet release; And so our hearts find peace. Hymn 181:0-4 Hymn 181 Rosemary B. Hackett SARDIS Arr. from L. van Beethoven Loving Father, we Thy children Look to Thee in fear's dark night While the angels of Thy presence Guide us upward to the light. Then we feel the power that lifts us To Thy holy secret place, Where our gloom is lost in glory As we see Thee face to face. We would learn, O gracious Father, To reflect Thy healing love. May we all awake to praise Thee For Thy good gifts from above. Make us strong to bear the message To Thy children far and near: Fear shall have no more dominion. God is All, and heaven is here. 3 Hymn :0-3 Hymn Ninety-First Psalm I Adapted from Tate and Brady BERA John E. Gould, arr. by W. E. Young He that hath God his guardian made, Shall underneath th' Almighty's shade
8 of 8 3/14/20 10:52 AM Fearless and undisturbed abide; Thus to myself of Him I'll say, He is my fortress, shield and stay, My God; in Him I will confide. His tender love and watchful care Shall free thee from the fowler's snare, From every harm and pestilence. He over thee His wings shall spread To cover thy unguarded head. His truth shall be thy strong defense. He gives His angels charge o'er thee, No evil therefore shalt thou see; Thy refuge shall be God most high; Dwelling within His secret place, Thou shalt behold His power and grace, See His salvation ever nigh. Printed from CONCORD: A CHRISTIAN SCIENCE STUDY RESOURCE, published by The Christian Science Board of Directors in Boston, MA, USA. This content may be under copyright and may not be further reproduced or distributed, unless permitted under the Concord User License Agreement.