Welcome to Bible Believers Fellowship and the ministry of bbfohio.com. I'm Pastor Greg and I welcome you to this study in our series about angels and the spirit world. In this installment we look at the angel of the Lord. If this is new to you, it's an amazing and exciting study. And if you've studied this topic before, it's a great reminder and you just might learn something new along the way. So let's get right into our current events update and then our study of the angel of the Lord beginning in Colossians chapter 1 We'll read verses 20 I'm sorry verse 12 through 20 Colossians chapter 1 verses 12 to through 20. This is part 1 of 2 Current events update Oh, I was asked about a book that I recommended this past week, and I finished it. It's called The Radio Right, and it exposes the leftist Democrat and RINO Republican abuse of power to shut down political opponents, but I don't mean this year, in the last five years, I mean since JFK. And it'll show JFK, RFK, LBJ, Richard Nixon, and his guys, and all the way up to Jimmy Carter. And to his credit, Jimmy Carter is the one that really put a stop to a lot of the abuse going on. And I can't remember the guy's name, but Nixon, of all the abuse, he didn't like the right. Nixon was a rhino. And he was just not as far left as, what's his name that ran against him, McGovern. But it was the lesser of evils. Nixon was not a conservative. thanks to the influence of his mother and Henry, not even Henry Kissinger. I almost made a historical error there. Henry Kissinger is like Judas Iscariot to the nation of Israel. But he went basically in hiding during the Yom Kippur War and Nixon helped Israel in spite of his usual view of Israel and the Jews. He was anti-Semitic. But anyway, this book is just a very important book for anybody who wants to know the history of the growth of the abuse of power by government and how it isn't new. It's been going on since the 60s. There's always been government abuse of power, but not like what you read here and what we've seen going on 60 plus years in America. So with that headline reviews in the news, number one, there's something to pray about. The freedom convoy in Canada is kind of escalating, and there's potential for violence and mass arrests. And just like with everything else, there are all these wild theories about what is going on with it, and there's some even And on the right, I guess you'd say they claim to be Trump supporters and that sort of thing, trying to claim that this is all big government scam to punish people and further hurt what they call the food or the supply chain. and that sort of thing. Nobody knows that stuff. So if you hear somebody telling you that stuff, of course, it's fine to listen to it, but that doesn't mean you have to believe it, right? So you hear that stuff, make note of it and watch. Most of the time, all we're going to be able to do, folks, is observe. There are times, sometimes you can vote a certain way, make a phone call or help spread the news about something, that kind of thing. But most of the time what we're doing, the Bible says watch and what? Pray. Yeah. So you're supposed to watch, but it doesn't say watch and then form a militia or watch and try to throw over there the government or anything like that. But you do do what's right. So with that, just watch and pray for those folks. If there's a real deal up there, I like what they're doing. Number two, after spending years convincing people of how bad a person Donald Trump is, CNN. Today, the boss of CNN, all these years where they've been 24-7 attacking Trump and Trump supporters, Jeff Zucker, complete scumbag, resigns in disgrace after bombshell relationship with colleague services has been going on for years. He lied. He was supposed to come clean about it. When it was going on, he didn't. And so he's resigned. This was the headline before he resigned. CNN boss Jeff Zucker is captain of sinking ship amid multiple scandals and ratings woes. Most good YouTubers have way more viewers than CNN. And CNN has been beaten by Fox News for years. And they don't care. They are, as long as they get their paycheck, and they are able to push their political agenda. CNN is not a news organization. It's a left-wing propagandist activist news station, or you shouldn't even call it a news station. It's cable, and it is all about pushing left-wing politics. It's not news. And Trump's mean tweets compared to lies, sex, and actual crimes. And you will find most brainwashed sheep, bleh, you know, they believe what they say about Trump. and think Trump's this terrible guy, and then they think CNN is legitimate news. And that tells you the brain-dead world we're living in. And here's, this happened, this guy was on there for years slamming Trump, and he exposed himself during a Zoom call, and was Masturbating is the only word for it. I don't know whatever other word to use. On camera, on a Zoom meeting. So they suspended him from the New Yorker, and he was, I guess, just suspended by CNN. And then he came back, he's working for them again. But Trump's a really bad guy, because of mean tweets. Then there's Chris Cuomo, who was their top ratings guy, I think. He was fired by CNN after aiding Governor Brother, what's his name, Andrew Cuomo, and other new allegations. And I didn't watch this closely. I don't know everything about that. But scandal after scandal after scandal of these crooked, wicked, Christ-hating, anti-American, communist news network. Oh, here's one more. Charges against CNN producer. The producer of Chris Cuomo's show was accused of inducing minors for sex. And they're expecting he could get up to life in prison. And there's way more than this. Crooked News Network is what CNN should be called. Or, I like to now say, the most busted name in news. That is CNN. Oh, and then I found this. This possibly the official Joe Biden residential portrait. I think that would look good right next to Trump's portrait. And then next to that is Obama sitting in a bunch of weeds. You remember that one? And now back to our current events update. Alright, number three. Speaking of the man who got more votes than any presidential candidate in US history. Yeah, you take that seriously. I want to sell you something because I know I'll make money Report finds nearly half of American voters believe President Biden should be impeached That sounds good, but that leaves us with Kami Harris so why impeach Joe Biden, when you go, you know, there's a theory that that's why he picked her as vice president because people be like, okay, Joe's bad, but he's not commie. He is a commie, but he's not commie. You know what I mean? And then if something happened to both of them, we'd have Nancy Pelosi. According to the Constitution, that's how it rolls. Alright, we continue with the study of the angels and the spirit world with the angel of the Lord. We're going to be reading in Colossians chapter 1. We're going to begin in verse 12 and go through verse 20. We previously established the fact that Jesus is the creator of all the angels. Amen? But there's a little confusion at times with people because Jesus does appear at times as the angel of the Lord. So we're giving you, kind of like Columbo, we're showing you the ending and then now you get to watch us figure it out. The angel of the Lord is Jesus. And we're gonna show from scripture why we believe that. beginning with the fact that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Not image as in, you know, a picture or a statue. Those don't count. No one knows what Jesus actually looked like in physical detail. But when Jesus came to this earth, He is and was the image of the invisible God. And that's important to keep in mind as we read and begin our reading and study there in Colossians chapter 1. Read the even verses with me. We'll go 12 through 20, so start right there at verse 12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. Amen? So the gist of what we just read is that when God shows up in a body on earth, it's Jesus. As you look through our text, he's talking about Jesus, and the background verses take you in 12, 13, 14. And then it's about Jesus. It says in verse 15, Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature? And as you go on reading, verse 17, and he is before all things and by him all things consist. And it just lays out the deity of Jesus Christ and that he is the image. The Bible says about God the Father, God is a spirit. Well, then the Holy Spirit. Spirit. So Jesus eternally exists as Spirit, but only Jesus in the Godhead takes the form of a body. And just keep that in mind. We've read this a number of times, 1 Timothy 3.16, and without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. That's never said of the Father, except that when you see Jesus, He said, when you see Me, you have seen the Father. Why? Because He's the image of the invisible God. But when you see God in a human body in the biblical text, When you read about God being with man in a physical body, it's Jesus. And that's in the Old Testament as well as the New. And that was a very exciting thing when I first learned that. These texts we're going to read and many more tonight. It says He's justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. So keep this in mind as we continue. We're going to do some Scripture with Scripture reading. And I'm going to ask Mary if you wouldn't mind taking Jenny Albaugh's place tonight with the microphone and being our microphone transport. And we're going to see the testimony of Hagar regarding the angel of the Lord. So that's where we're going to start in Genesis chapter 16. Everybody turn to Genesis 16. And we want to start with Jill Allbaugh reading Genesis 16 verses 4 through 6. And this gives us the background to understand the rest of what we're reading there. Genesis 16 verses 4 through 6. It's the first book of the Bible. I know you do. She was teaching people the books of the Bible before I was saved. Go ahead, four through six. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarah said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee. I have given my maid into thy bosom. And when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarah, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand. Do to her as it pleases thee. And when Sarah dealt heartily with her, she fled from her face. So pass that on to your husband there. And turn the button off when you're done reading and the next guy will turn it on just so there's not a lot of noise on the speaker there. And that sets the background. This is Hagar. She's had Ishmael. Sarah's sick of her. And she's sending her off. And that's where we pick up now. John, read verses 7 through 9. And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And he said, Hagar, Sariai's maid, which camest thou? And whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress, Sariai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, return to thy mistress, and submit thyself unto her hands. Alright, so now we're introduced there to the angel of the Lord. And Janie, if you're there, read verses 10 through 13. Now watch this closely. The angel of the Lord. 10 through 13. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard the affliction. And he will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou, Lord, seest me. Thou what? Thou what? Seest. No, thou what? What comes after the word thou? Oh, sorry. It's all right. Thou, God, seest me, for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? Who's the angel of the Lord? Jesus. Well, in the text. God. And of course, as we saw, when God shows up bodily in the flesh, Old and New Testament, it's Jesus. So there's the angel of the Lord, and he is God, according to Hagar, and Hagar says that this is God, and the Bible doesn't correct her claim. Now, if this was the only place in the Bible, somebody might be able to say, well, it doesn't say she was right either. But this isn't the only place. We see this truth confirmed when Abraham offered Isaac. Brother John Thurston, if you could go to Genesis 22 and read verses 9 through 11, and this will clearly be the angel of the Lord speaking here. Genesis 22, verses 9 through 11. And they came to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, here am I. So we know the background there, and we know that's the angel of the Lord speaking. Brother Doug, can you pick up there in verse 12 and read through 14, and watch closely. The angel of the Lord refers to God as from me. So watch that as you read verses 12 through 14. And he said, lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thy any thing unto him. Now I know that thou fearest God, as seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thy only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah, Jireh, as it is said to this day in the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen. So, look at verse 12 again, where he said, Now I know that thou fearest God, But then he says, thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. So if you read that carefully, you'll see that the angel of the Lord is saying, you haven't withheld your son from me, and he's calling himself God in the text. So there's two places. We continue in verses 15 and 16, if my wife can You'll probably have to read it for her. Okay. Verses 15 and 16. And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time and said, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son. So the angel of the Lord refers to himself as the Lord. And there it says, and he said, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord. Who's swearing? The angel of the Lord is the Lord. So twice right there in that text, real quick you see that. And now Olivia, if you could pick up and read verses 17 and 18. That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. So the angel of the Lord refers to the voice of God as my voice in that text. So three times in this story. Yeah, you're next, so keep it. So this same thing is repeated over and over in Scripture, and we don't even have time to run all the references, but I'm going to have Mary read over in Exodus chapter 3. And Exodus chapter 3, we have made reference to, just made reference to it by memory, I think. I don't think we've run the reference. But watch this, Exodus 3, verses 1 through 6. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush, And he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither, put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. So I read that I don't know how many times before I realized that according to this, It's the angel of the Lord in verse 2, and he's speaking, and it calls him the Lord, and it says the angel of the Lord is speaking, but it says God called unto him. So over and over in this text, it's clear that this is God. Well now, if you can turn there real quick in John 8, 58. And so we already establish that the angel of the Lord is God, We started with the thought that Colossians 1 and elsewhere, 1 Timothy 3.16 says,