Angelic Joy

In celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, I read the accounts of the resurrection story over and over. It is one story that I can hear countless times. The Joy of it overtakes me. It seems each year my heart opens even wider and receives the event as new and fresh as if it just happened. It is not just a story, it is the reality of our salvation. We went to a sunrise service overlooking the waters of the Ohio river yesterday morning and during that time, I found myself thinking about the resurrection morning, really visualizing it  and imagining I was there. Two angels dressed in dazzling white. Can you see them? I can. Can you feel the pure Joy of their announcement? I can. What an incredible morning....Sonrise Sonday...

This morning, I was blessed in reading this months teaching written by my dear sister in Christ Marie Chapian...I love this as I can see her dancing as a little girl and I can see this angel beside her moving about in sheer delight. Serving the Lord is a true delight, the angels enjoy it and so do I...

Marie will be in Chicago next month and I do plan do attend, if there are others in the Ohio valley area who would like to attend be sure to contact me and we can arrange to meet and carpool...I will keep you posted or you can check Marie's site for details, the link has been provided below...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANGELS IN OUR LIVES AND THE POWER OF SUPERNATURAL JOY

-- Marie Chapian

When I was a child I thought God was the only one who could see angels and we humans were not meant to know anything about them because angels were a mystery known only to God. Even though we weren't taught about the angelic realm in Sunday School or Church we children somehow sensed around us an angelic presence that was not at all mysterious, but completely natural.

I remember as a five year-old in my tap shoes and sequined costume waiting to go on stage in a statewide talent show. I wasn't nervous or fearful because standing beside me was my guardian angel. The angel's presence was encouraging and comforting, and he also seemed to be having fun. In the years to follow I performed in a zillion talent shows, musicals, plays, dance recitals, films, you name it -- with my guardian angel beside me in the wings (no pun intended.) I experienced many miracles such as healing of serious injuries and being spared deadly accidents, and the like.

It wasn't until years later after dedicating myself wholly to the Lord Jesus and changing direction to enter full-time ministry, that I began to study the role of angels in our lives. I earned a PhD in counseling and became a psychotherapist working with patients in desperate need of a transforming move of God. I began witnessing countless miracles in the lives of people. Baptized in the Holy Spirit, a move of God ensued that overflowed with signs, wonders, miracles, healings, and deliverances-and the joyous, happy presence of God's angelic realm.

Have you ever seen a depressed person energized and empowered? No. Happiness empowers. The angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and told him, "I stand in the presence of God!" We, too - you and I -- stand in the presence of God. Every time we pray we stand in the presence of God. Once we get a glimpse of the happy, brilliantly joyous angelic realm surrounding the throne of God and inviting us to join along, we can't help but be touched. How can we resist such love, such joy? One thing I've learned from watching God's angels at work is the inexorable power of joy. Angels move in joy, perfect joy. And so can we. We can overcome the trials and woes that beset us. The joy of the Lord is truly our entire strength.

Angels are God's messengers sent to share with us the same profuse flood of love that they enjoy every minute of every day. People ask me how to recognize angels in our lives. Is there a formula? A pattern to follow? Is there a formula for finding God? No. He finds us. We love Him because He first loved us. My guardian angel found me. Your guardian angel has found you! One day I realized that my guardian angel actually enjoyed his job! It was a revelation to me. I made the discovery that the presence I felt beside me as a child, and now walked with every day, is unequivocally happy.

Happy! It's not difficult for a child to recognize the presence of angels, so let's you and I take the plunge into God's heart, and together with His angelic realm, press in to solely love and serve our King of Kings, magnifying His name with unassailable victory, power and joy. I'm ready. Are you?

I'll be teaching on the angels in our lives in Chicagoland in May. Keep your eye on this website for more information. Let the miracles begin!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You're welcome to reproduce and use these teachings by Marie but do give proper author credit.

To view more of Marie's teachings, please click here.