The Angel Who Saved the Meeting
By Chantal Klingbeil
Many years ago, hundreds of people crowded into a Latin school in the capital city of Norway. They came to listen to the preacher from America who was preaching such strange new doctrines about Jesus’ soon coming. Pastor John Matteson was very surprised to see the place bursting at its seams. As he got up to speak, he soon realized that not all of the people who had come were there to listen. Some just wanted to shout and interrupt his sermon, while others wanted to cause a riot.
In the middle of the sermon, a well-known minister stood up and started shouting insults at John. Some of his supporters cheered him on, while others started to hiss. Excitement swept through the audience like a wave through a stormy sea. John realized that they were in trouble.
There were so many people, crowded into such a small space, that things could quickly turn tragic. Only three years before, in a public meeting, people had gotten so worked up that many were trampled to death trying to reach the door. Two men had already picked up their chairs and started towards a window to smash their way out.
“God, please help us,” John whispered. At that very moment, a tall man stood up in the balcony of the hall and, in a very loud voice that could be heard above all the shouting, ordered everyone to be quiet immediately. The strangest thing happened. Everyone sat down and was quiet. One could hear a pin drop. John closed the meeting with prayer.
In the foyer, people crowded around the book table to buy literature. John asked one of the ushers, who had been standing at the back, to please bring the tall stranger to him. John wanted to thank him for his help. Within minutes the usher was back. No one had seen the tall stranger leave—and yet, he was nowhere to be found. John realized that, once again, God had sent His angel to help His servant, in answer to prayer. We don’t often see them, but sometimes they can be tall strangers.
Chantal Klingbeil is an associate director at the Ellen G. White Estate in Silver Spring, Md.
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World Church Prayer Requests
June 2 - 9, 2019
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please continue to pray for the Mobile Wellness Clinic taking place this week, June 2 – 6, 2019, in preparation for a Total Member Involvement event in India. Total Member Involvement evangelistic meetings are scheduled to take place across the country June 12-30, 2019. Pray for God to work in a mighty way in these meetings!
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray for those who will be speaking and sharing in the Total Member Involvement meetings. Pray that God prepares the hearts of people, even now, to receive His Word. .
• PRAYER REQUEST: The World Church third quarter Day of Prayer and Fasting is scheduled for July 6, 2019. Plan to join this global prayer meeting and pray that many lives will be changed for eternity as a result. (For more information, visit: https://www.revivalandreformation.org/resources/all/prayer-and-fasting-days)
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray that God will give each one of us an extra measure of His Holy Spirit, and that He will show us how to be more effective witnesses for His glory.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray that God will pour out an extra measure of the Holy Spirit upon your local church. Pray that He will work in such a way that people will be drawn to the church to see what God is doing.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for an extra measure of the Holy Spirit for your local pastor. Pray for his marriage, his family, his children, and his many duties. Pray that God would put a special hedge of protection around his life and ministry.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray that God will work in the worldwide Church as we’ve never seen before, and that the Latter Rain will come as promised.