Contemporary Appearance of an Angel
John Weaver was the unpretentious pastor of a thriving church in Bozeman, Montana. He had labored and prayed earnestly for the vast Gallatin Valley where his church was located. On a crisp fall day, he was hunting in a mountain range some distance away. He had come across fresh elk tracks in the shallow cover of snow and was following them, thinking that as he topped a nearby crest the elk might burst into sight.
Stopping to catch his breath so he would be ready to shoot when he topped the ridge, he spied a man in his peripheral vision emerging from a patch of trees across a nearby canyon. He watched as the man, dressed in a hat and business suit, moved in his direction. Momentarily, the stranger disappeared in a patch of forest between them, but no sooner had he disappeared than he suddenly reappeared, to John’s wonder and amazement, right where John stood. It would have taken an ordinary man twenty to thirty minutes to walk the distance, but only some twenty seconds had elapsed.
The stranger spoke first. “Do you know who I am?”
Knowing that he had seen something quite out of the ordinary, John replied, “I believe you are an angel, a messenger from the Lord.”
“Yes, I am,” he said, “and the Lord has sent me to talk with you.”
Nearby were two rocks. The angel suggested that John sit on one of them; then he sat on the other, facing John.
“This is a beautiful area,” said the angel. “I have never been here before, but the Lord has sent me to talk with you. Everything that happens here on earth is preparing you for heaven. Life in heaven is in some ways like it is here. We are always learning and serving Him. My joy is to serve Him. In fact, I can hardly wait to get back into His presence.
“And, John, He knows all about you. In fact, He knew where you would be today and He sent me here. He knows your family and all the people in your church, and He is concerned about every one. He wanted me to ask you what you want to happen in Bozeman.”
John reported that in that moment all of his heart-cry for Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley seemed to burst forth.
In response, the angel said, “You know, John, I could give you all these things right now, but that is not the way we work. We usually use people, and that is what we will do.”
While all this was happening, John sensed in his spirit that he was conversing with a kindred spirit, that they were spiritually of the same kind.
Finally the angel said, “John, I’m going back to Jesus’ presence. We will look forward to seeing you in heaven soon, but if not, I may visit you again.”
John reported that they shook hands, and as the angel was returning to where John had first seen him, he waved and disappeared.
Though John continued his hunt, he walked the mountains so enraptured by his experience that elk hunting, at least for the time being, lost its fascination.
A short time later, John was driving back to Bozeman from Laurel, Montana, where he had conducted a board meeting for a home missions church. As he drove along, praising the Lord, he sensed the Lord’s presence in an unusual way and in his spirit heard, John, do you remember the man who visited you on the mountain?
“Yes, indeed I do,” he responded.
Now, I want you to name one of the things you really want me to do, the Presence seemed to indicate.
And John replied, “Lord, it may be kind of big, but I would like to pay off the debt on the church.” In a moment the special sense of the Lord’s presence was gone, and John continued his journey, rejoicing in the Lord.
John told no one of his experience, but the next morning about eight o’clock his telephone rang. A couple who were attending his church desired him to come to their home to discuss a matter. Arriving there, he found them reviewing the church’s financial report. “Pastor,” they said, “we have never done anything like this before, but we have felt strangely impressed that the Lord wants us to pay off the church debt.” Immediately they wrote a check for half the amount outstanding and indicated they would pay off the balance after the first of the year.
At that point, Pastor Weaver called the district superintendent of the Montana District of the Assemblies of God,1 requesting that he come for a mortgage burning. When the superintendent arrived, John told him the entire story, asking if he should also share it with the congregation. They agreed it should be done, so on the following day the story was told to the awe-struck congregation, including the couple who had paid the debt in full. They too heard it for the first time.