Don Dickerman Ministries

January 2013 Newsletter

Home
Sign Our Guestbook

A WORD ABOUT ANGELS

 

 

Many years ago, while working for the local electric company, going to the seminary and directing a prison ministry, I also preached revivals and “filled pulpits” for other preachers. I had been invited to preach a revival meeting at the St. Paul Reformed Baptist Church where Rev. Frank Howard was pastor. I had been praying for one of my fellow office workers who by his own admission was not saved. I always invited him to wherever I might be preaching. I did not expect him to come, but asked him anyway. "Circumstances" in his life had driven him to a turning point.

 

I arrived at this church, my friend was already there. He was searching; all he needed was Jesus. I preached about Jesus, for there is no other message. The time came for me to extend an invitation. As God's people sang and prayed I could sense the struggle in his life. I felt certain he was ready to accept Christ, but something happened. The phone in the pastors office rang, again and again...you could hear it and it was somewhat disruptive.  The pastor's wife went to the office to answer. My heart sank, it seemed the spirit was quenched. In my mind, I blamed Satan. My friend was not saved, no one was. The phone ruined everything.

 

Before the benediction was given, the pastor's wife announced that a lady had called and requested prayer. She said the woman's name was Jane Vines and she felt extremely depressed. She said she just looked in the phone book to call a Baptist church. The pastor's wife smiled and said the lady didn't realize she was calling a black church and was surprised when she told her they had a "white" evangelist. “She did request our prayers,” she said.

 

After church, I asked if she had gotten the address. "No, I just didn't think to do that," I intended to visit the woman the next day. I felt certain I could get her address at work. The next morning, my lost friend even helped me look for it.

 

We tried the city directory, a crisscross reference  telephone book; we could not find her address. My friend said, "I don't guess God intended for you to visit her." "I guess not," I said. "I sure don't know where she lives."

 

I went to my desk where my secretary had placed the names and addresses of customers to be contacted for the day. On the top of the contact sheets was a request for a voltage check and possible low delivery voltage. The customer's name...Jane Vines, and of course, her address was there also. I took the order and placed it in front of my lost friend. He said, "I don't believe it...I don’t believe it!" What he meant was he couldn't help but believe it.

 

I went to the home of Jane Vines. I checked the voltage as she had requested and prepared to leave. I felt I had to say something but the opportunity had not yet arisen. The elderly saint of God said, "I had the strangest thing happen last evening." She continued to tell of how she felt so low and depressed that she just had to have prayer by God's people. She told me she was intrigued by the name of a church as she looked through the phone book. "It seemed to stand out!" she said. "It was the Greater St. Paul Reformed Baptist Church and to top it off, it was a black church and they were in revival with a white evangelist." "Would you remember the evangelist's name if you heard it," I asked? I told her my name again. She looked at me silently as tears came streaming from her eyes. Then she burst forth with praise for God's goodness. She did a little “holy dance”...she was also amazed. We had prayer and I left.

 

That evening at church, my friend was there again when I arrived. I preached about Jesus. The invitation came and so did my lost friend! Praise God! He poured out his heart, let Jesus come into his life, and was gloriously saved. Did the angels play a part in this experience? Did they visit Jane Vines? Why did she call my office the day before? Why was my lost friend exposed to all of God's mysterious workings? Yes, I believe God set His Holy angels in action. "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15: 10). When my friend let Jesus into his life, I knew the angels were rejoicing!

   

I sat in the study of one of the most respected preachers in the state of Texas, a man who pastors one of the landmark churches in the city of Fort Worth. He has entertained foreign diplomats at the request of our Presidents; he has preached at the nation's largest conventions; I talked with him about angels. I did not tell him about my sons experience, we just talked and the subject of angels came up. He said, "Not everyone believes that angels still minister today, but I certainly do." He then told of an experience he had while in high school. His father was pastor of a church and he had four brothers who also were preachers. He said, "In my mind, I was determined just to be a regular fellow, get a job and a family."  He described the parsonage where he lived in Austin, Texas. He mentioned outside stairs that led to his room upstairs. He told me that when his high school girl friend would come to see him, she would always jump onto the steps and he could hear her coming. He also mentioned that she died just prior to the event he was about to relate.

 

He told me he had arrived home from a very tiring football practice. "I took a hot shower and was relaxing on my bed when I heard that same `jump' on the staircase that I had heard so many times before. I got up and looked, but, of course, I knew it could not be her."  He said he went back to the bed and in an instant she appeared in the form of an angel. "She was there just for a fleeting moment, then she was gone." He told me he did not understand it all, but something from that "angelic appearance" tugged at him until he gave his life to the ministry of the Gospel. Rev. L. B. George, Pastor of the historic Mt. Zion Baptist Church said, "Some folks don't believe that God still speaks and ministers to man through His mighty angels, but Brother Don, I sure do. I sure do!"

 

I will share a couple more: We had several people who participated in our prison ministry and we traveled to many prisons throughout the United States. We would schedule prison services by geographical location. Once we had received an invitation to go to a particular facility we would then schedule other prisons in the general vicinity, it was just the best way to do it. I vividly recall a trip to California that had a gap in the schedule. We needed a prison in the general area to fill a particular date. It seemed virtually impossible to reach the chaplain by phone. In one of our group prayer meetings I prayed  that God send an angel to bring about this service. I wrote a letter to the chaplain but did not hear back. The date for us to leave was getting very close when I got a reply from that chaplain inviting us to come.

 

We arrived and had a very good service at the Reception Center facility in Tehachapi. I liked the chaplain, I remember over the door to his office it said, “Much Prayer-Much Power”. He also said this many times while we were there. After the service he took us back to his office and we visited briefly. He said, “you know the strangest thing happened with your letter, I put it aside several times over the days and it seemed to always be back on the center of my desk, it was like an angel kept putting it in front of me.” We all looked at each other and smiled, we knew.

 

A pastor friend with whom I play golf told me an incredible story about angels that occurred at his church in Colleyville, TX several years ago. He said we had a visiting pastor there for revival and our church had been in much prayer for the crusade. I have preached at this church and am very familiar with the setting. It was built as a large family life center with  basketball courts and was easily converted to a worship center accommodating about 900 people. He said that during the revival, on a particular evening, 6 huge angels appeared in the sanctuary. Three on the west wall, and three on the east wall. “I personally did not see them.” He said, “But at least 20 people from the congregation gave me identical reports of what they saw. Six holy angels that must have been 13' tall, clothed in majestic bright pure white clothes. They appeared, they were visible to many. They disappeared.

 

I read of two teenage girls returning to their home after a party. They were walking and as they were talking they noticed there were some guys behind them and were making intimidating remarks to them. They were somewhat in the distance but the girls were feeling very uncomfortable as the boys and their voices got closer. The girls prayed. Suddenly, when they were the most frightened, the boys stopped following and turned the opposite direction.

 

The next day at school one of the boys came up to the girls and apologized for following them and for the threatening words. The girl asked him why they turned so quickly and went the other direction. “It was those two huge guys walking with you.” One of the girls said, “There was no on with us, we were alone.” The boy replied, “Oh, no, we all saw them. There were two really big guys with you.”

 

I hope you find encouragement in these little stories, I have many more and will share some of them in a new book I am writing with Charisma House publishers. To be released later this year.

 

We have upcoming Ministry Nights and ask that you pray for us. Our offerings are down considerably but we are trusting God and expect His Best. Blessings.

 

Just for Jesus,

 

Don

 

 

 

My best Buddy  Ellie - mud and all

elliemudandall.jpg

Copyright (c) 2012 Don Dickerman Ministries, All Rights Reserved
Mailing: PO Box 575 Hurst TX 76053 | Office: Vineyards Antique Mall: 4701 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, TX 76034  
PH: 817-581-8860 | Fax: 817-581-1378