My encounter with Angels
By Pastor Don Cox
"God, don't let us down."
These words were my plea as walked slowly down the sidewalks of our small city in the state of Wisconsin, USA. It was a cool day, but a pretty one, the sun reflecting against the picture window of each home I passed.
But only gloom pervaded my heart, and I was quietly weeping. Moments earlier my wife, Alice, and I had prayed urgently for our desperate financial need. The tears had flowed easily as we made our petition before God. I told Alice I needed to walk, but assured her my prayers would continue.
We were producing a television program called "Hour of Hope." God had ordained our ministry; only two years after graduation from Bible College he had heard my desire to communicate the gospel to the world. This thought had penetrated my heart: I was to spread His Good News through television.
Now, five years after we had begun, I rememberd that God had assured me that a successful television ministry would only succeed through miracles. And today we needed a miracle. We were a few months overdue in paying for TV time.
Furthermore, not a single dollar had come in for 90 days--a phenomenon we couldn't understand. The stations had been gracious as we asked for extra time to build the funds. But now our extension had run out.
I didn't make promises lightly, and I had promised that on this day our account would be paid. We faced a furnace of fire that we sensed was about to consume us.
So engrossed in praying, I realized I had passed several old storefronts in the middle of town, nearly two miles from home. I hadn't intended on walking so far. Still praying, I turned and headed towards home.
As I passed the Montgomery Ward store, something odd happened. I felt a rustling near my pocket, as if someone had slipped his hand into it. Startled, I reached into my pocket and found a roll of bills. Laughing out loud I whirled around, expecting to see a friend.
To my amazement, no one was there. Overtaken and unsettled by this experience, I ran down the street looking in one doorway and then another for someone who might have done this. I found no one.
One thing was certain, I had in my pocket a significant roll of bills and somebody's hand had put them there! Instantly I possessed a sense, borne by experience, that I had been visited by an angel. Emotionally charged, I headed for home...again.
My steps were lighter now, and I felt compelled to pray,
"Dear God, if anything like this ever happens again, I want to see the angel and say thank you."
As quickly as I prayed, I again felt a large hand slipping into my pocket. I grabbed it instantly, hoping to detain an angel and make some sense of what was happening to me.
While I struggled to grip an invisible hand I felt something pull away, and looked down to see another roll of bills in my pocket. Embarrassed by my behavior I confessed, "God, I am sorry. I won't try to detain your angels anymore."
Despite my desire to put human understanding to an experience that was from the heavenly realm, the Lord's intervention continued. I encountered five or six angelic visits as I made my way home. Ones, fives, tens and twenties hung out of my bulging pockets. So affected by the miracle, I wept profusely.
My tears splashed on the sidewalk as I thought to myself, "Oh God now what am I supposed to do? The people on the street will see all this money bulging out of my pockets." Instantly my concern vanished as the sidewalk underneath my feet seemed to begin to shake. I closed my eyes for what must have been one or two seconds. Upon opening them, I found myself standing in front of the steps leading to the porch of my own home.
Never will I forget the look on my wife's face as I shouted from the living room door, "The miracle has happened, I have the money!" I ran in, emptied my pockets and piled a stack of bills on the kitchen table. The rolls seemed to explode into larger piles of money as I set them down.
No man or machine could have rolled them so tightly! Alice and I were nearly hysterical as we shared this miracle from God. Several minutes later we calmed down enough to count the money. There before us lay the amount we needed--TO THE DOLLAR--to erase every ministry related bill.
Alice admitted only later that for a moment she feared I had "lost it." She thought the financial pressure had overtaken me, and I had gone and robbed a bank. But no bank had been robbed and no money withdrawn. That day I had done business with God. Or I should say that God had done business with me. One more time He showed us that He truly is the Lord who provides.
Only recently have Alice and I sensed God's release--and urging--to share this mind boggling account. The Lord's intervention convinced me He will always provide for my needs. Indeed, he has manifested his power in our lives and ministry many times since this occasion.
But this angelic miracle was not just to increase my faith. I'm certain it's for all those who face an insurmountable giant in their lives. It's for the man or woman whose back is against the wall, and there is no way out except by God's powerful hand. The Bible says the Lord "is no respecter of persons." When earthly provisions seem to be lacking, he is able and willing to call on his angels to intervene on our behalf!
I do not yet have my own e-mail account, but my friends will pass on any e-mail correspendence through this address.
My snail mail address is:
Pastor Don Cox
910 Black Hawk Rd.
#5 Waterloo, Iowa 50701
USA
You have my permission to print out and share this testimony with anyone who needs a miracle from the Lord. It is His will that MANY learn of this encounter.
May God bless mightily, all those who read this!
Your brother in Christ,
Don Cox
All emails to Barb Lamfers