Appearance

I was young when my mother taught me that if I wanted favor I had to look like I was worth investing into. I was still yet young but now in my early teens when my spiritual mother had me in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and had taken me and some others to the mall and bought me several hundred dollars of new suits. I was so beside myself I was speechless. What was I to say. Everything looked so...so...perfect. It was that day that I woke up to the fact excellence in ministry means that your appearance causes you to look different from the world. I realized that Jesus looked different from the world and had a seamless robe that was so attractive that secular men gambled over it. What a robe.

I also learned that merry heart makes a cheerful countenance as one translation says in Proverbs 15:13.

Your appearance is important when you represent the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. If Jesus gave us HIS best, I can certainly give him my best.

I have learned that I cannot dress myself for where I have been but I have to dress myself for where I am going. Do you know where you are going? It comes across in your appearance. People who are still bound in guilt, sin, shame and fear quickly communicate it to the rest of the world not just in their dress but in their countenance. I told one young man that he was not fooling the man of God when he is clubbing Friday night and at Church Sunday. Now don't get me wrong. I am certainly happy he is in church but his countenance, his appearance even the way he smelled said, "SIN". Ahh! This young man is suppose to be acting, walking and talking like the hand of the Lord is resting upon him.

Did you know that man is looking on your outward appearance? Even CNN knows it. I was invited not long ago to tour through CNN in Washington D.C. and I was so happy to do so. I noticed something. The writers and editors in the back rooms who were writing looked to me (in my opinion) bound. Overweight, not shaving or groomed. Filthy looking and slobish. I was overwhelmingly astonished. I could not believe what I saw. Was this for real? The people in front of the cameras. The beautiful people that the whole wide world was looking at were all reading from teleprompters written by miserable looking and disgusting type of people. Now maybe somethings have changed but it taught me another lesson.

I Samuel 16:7 Says, "...the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." What if you and I as Christians looked great both outside and inside? Even the high priests were required to wear above average clothing. In fact it was God's promise to bless them with the proper garments. It amuses me when I hear people say that their grubbiest will work in church. Yes they will, but don't you know that the grubbiest are not part of the blessing? I know this is not popular because any message that brings people up to a higher standard is awkward to many modern day Christians.

In Zech 3 we see Joshua was dressed in filthy garments and the was standing before the Angel of the Lord v4 And He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And He said to Joshua, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you and I will clothe you with rich apparel. When he was clothed with rich garments the Angel of the Lord stood by.

I heard a man of God once say that all evil spirits are unclean. It makes sense to me that the Angel of the Lord would stand by a man who's appearance was clean and rich.

I know not everyone will agree with this and I would like to hear from you on this.

Angels

Angels throughout the Bible bring birth announcments and warnings from the Lord. They also are very present in the lives of believers today. Demon spirits pose as angels of light to unbelievers and will sometimes cause the unbeliever to take special notice of their light.

The scriptures warn us that the devil can appear as an angel of light deceiving many. Just because someone says that an angel appeared to them with such warmth, love and light does not make it an angel from heaven working for the Lord Jesus. There are many angels who's entire assignment is to deceive many and to get a person's attention and focus from off God.

God sent the Angel of the Lord to shut the mouths of the Lions for Daniel while he was thrown in the lion's den. Daniel 6:21,22

Angels could possibly appear in human form and you could be entertaining an angel thinking they were a human stranger. The scriptures tell us to beware of this. "be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews1 13:2

I remember a meeting back in the summer of 1992. I was asked to preach at a church in Goodyear, Arizona. I don't remember the pastor but I do remember that the church had a long dusty driveway that was impossible to come down without being noticed for several minutes after. I needed a miracle from the Lord financially. I prayed before service and knowing that the pastor would give our ministry a check after the revival I was in need of $100. cash for gas and other incedentals. I told not one person my need but I told my heavenly father which is in heaven. After everyone had left the service and the Pastor was busy locking the back doors a distinguished gentelman came in who was not in any of the services. He was dressed in a blue pin strip three piece suit with his hair groom emaculantly. He stood rather tall and came directly up to me. He stuffed money into my shirt pocket and said, "the Lord has sent me to you to bless you for all your efforts." I said, "thank you...I want you to meet the pastor here." As I went to get the pastor, the man had left out the front door. Running with the pastor thinking we could catch the first time, belated visitor, he was gone. The pastor even questioned if I really even saw anyone as there was no dust floating around from the long dusty church driveway. All I know is that God supplied the need and I never saw his agent again.

Who knows who you entertained last week or last year. It might have been an angel on a God assignment just for you to get the job done.

I often remind myself everytime I am tempted to tell people my need. God is our source of supply and telling HIM about our need pleases HIM.

"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about him them that fear Him and deliverth them." Psalms 34:7

Tell me about a time when you had an angelic encounter.