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Gleanings From The Word

Tag: angels

  • Patron Saints, Luck, and Guardian Angels

    Patron Saints, Luck, and Guardian Angels: What Are You Worshiping?

    A lottery ticket in a hand with patron saint medallion and "lucky" angel"

    Without ever knowing it, she managed to push several of my hot buttons at once. I stood behind her at the convenience store checkout. As her purchases were being rung in, she kissed her patron saint medal and rubbed her guardian angel pin. She said to the cashier, “For luck!” Then she ordered her lottery ticket.

    I’m not a fan of lotteries and regard them as a tax on the greedy and poor. I’ve seen many families and lives ruined by gambling, including by “harmless” lottery playing. However, there is no biblical prohibition on gambling, so I recognize that as being my issue.

    I don’t believe in “luck”. I believe in a sovereign God who is ultimately in control of all things. There is such a thing as divine providence and blessing, but not luck. Again, my issue.

    Patron Saints! Now that’s a problem. It’s a man-made system of idolatry. The saints are all who believe in Jesus Christ, not a select class voted on by denominational elite. Every reference in the Bible to saints (68 of them) refers to the body of believers.  In every instance but one, the word is plural, not singular, referring to more than one person. Praying to patron saints is a direct affront to God.

     “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
    Exodus 20:3-6 ESV

    Guardian angels? The jury is still out on the whole concept of guardian angels. You can’t prove or disprove their existence from Scripture. In any event, God is sovereign over everything, so he doesn’t need an angel to intercede for us. If they exist, their role isn’t to be worshipped or to tend to our whims. Angels are under the sovereign command of God. Certainly, their role isn’t to make us “lucky”.

    Over the past number of years, the public at large has developed a huge and unhealthy fascination with angels. There are people who track “angel sightings”. You can buy prosperity angels, good luck angels, fertility angels and more. You can go to see New Age practitioners who will give you angel readings and special messages for you from your personal angel.

    Most of it is promoted by people just out to make a buck and the odd fraud artist. I don’t doubt that some of those things are from angels. Fallen angels. Evil spirits and demons.

    The fascination with angels has become a form of worship. 

    For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. Romans 1:21-25 ESV

    What are you worshipping? God alone is worthy of our worship.

    Until next time, praise God for His love and His patience with us.

    May God pour out His abundant blessings on you,

    Kevin

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    SUMMARY

    A woman ahead of me at checkout kissed her patron saint medal, rubbed her guardian angel pin, and bought a lottery ticket “for luck.” It sent me back to Scripture on luck, patron saints, and guardian angels, and to the real question underneath it all: what are we worshiping?

    TAKEAWAY

    Luck and gambling aren’t biblically prohibited, but Scripture points to a sovereign God who governs through providence, not chance

    “Saints” appears 68 times in Scripture, almost always plural, always describing the whole body of believers, never a select class chosen by denominational vote — making patron saint devotion a man-made system

    Guardian angels can’t be confirmed or denied from Scripture, but if they exist, they serve under God’s command, not ours; today’s cultural fascination with angels has drifted into a form of idolatry

    YOU MIGHT CHECK THESE OUT

    Bible Gateway – a free online bible, easily searchable in many translations

    Got Questions – a great source for quick answers on a wide range of Christian/Bible questions

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  • Silent Night – Only it wasn’t – the heaven’s rejoiced

    Silent Night – Only it wasn’t – the heaven’s rejoiced

    There will be no Gleanings over the next few days. We’ll return on  December 27th. There are hundreds of back issues on our website https://gleaningsfromtheword.com if you want a devotional during that time.

    One of my favorite Christmas Carols is “Silent Night.” 

    Silent night, holy night!

    All is calm, All is bright

    Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child

    Holy Infant so Tender and mild,

    Sleep in heavenly peace,

    Sleep in heavenly peace.

    Silent night, holy night!

    Shepherds quake at the sight!

    Glories stream from heaven afar;

    Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia!

    Christ the Savior is born!

    Christ the Savior is born!

    Silent night, holy night!

    Wondrous star, lend thy light!

    With the angels let us sing

    Alleluia to our King!

    Christ the Savior is here,

    Jesus the Savior is here!

    Silent night, Holy night!

    Son of God, love’s pure light

    Radiant beams from Thy holy face,

    With the dawn of redeeming grace,

    Jesus Lord at thy birth;

    Jesus Lord at thy birth.

    It’s beautifully simple, a classic favorite. The tune portrays a serene, quiet scene on the night of Jesus’ birth.

    The problem is that night would have been anything but quiet. Here’s what the Bible has to say…

    And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn Luke 2:4-7 ESV

    Mary gives birth, something that doesn’t happen quietly. The child is laid in a manger, so there were animals, most of whom would likely have been disturbed by what was going on around them. Again, highly unlikely to be quiet.

    And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 ESV

    That caused the shepherds to fear, and likely the sheep as well. Once again, no quiet.

    And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!

    When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:13-20 ESV

    The heavenly host appears, speaking into the night. The heaven’s rejoiced

    The shepherds excitedly go into town to see the child and tell everyone what they saw. The shepherds may have even taken their flocks with them (the Bible doesn’t tell us what they did with them). If so, the noise and commotion would have been even greater.

    The community would have been abuzz with excitement. The heaven’s rejoiced

    A holy night? Absolutely.

    Christ the Savior is born? Without question.

    Something to celebrate? Unquestionable so.

    Silent? Maybe for a moment here and there, but mostly, not.

    Let’s celebrate the King’s coming with singing and praise like the shepherds, angels, and heavenly host.

    Merry Christmas to you all. May the Lord bless you afresh with an understanding of His incarnation and great love for you.

    Praise God for His love gift.

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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