Brother Michael's Devotional

"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Hebrews 9:11-12

After His crucifixion, our Lord went to heaven with all of His literal blood to the tabernacle that was the pattern for the Old Testament tabernacle. There He placed His blood on the judgement seat thereby changing it from a place that a holy God must move in judgement against a sinful world into a place that a God of all grace could extend mercy.

But now think on this. When Lazarus died and was buried and Jesus came and told them to roll away the stone that covered his grave, what did Martha say? She said, "Lord, by this time he stinketh." (John 11) Why was it that Lazarus had a smell? Because of corruption. You see friend, you and I have a corruptible body because of Adam's sin in the garden. When we die our flesh and blood shall rot. But this is not so for Jesus, for we read concerning Him in Psalm 16:10, "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."

Now you may ask, "What does the fact that our Lord presented His blood in heaven on the mercy seat and that His blood does not suffer corruption have to do with us?" It has everything to do with us. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that, "the life of the flesh is in the blood." But if we turn to I Corinthians 15:50 we learn that, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." We also know that our body in the resurrection shall be "fashioned like unto his glorious body," and that Jesus had not flesh and blood but, "flesh and bones." (Philippians 3:21 and Luke 24:39)

So, if in the resurrection we shall have flesh and bones like our Lord, how is it possible that the life of the flesh is in the blood? Remember when we talked about that incorruptible blood of Jesus in heaven. That same blood that He put there 2,000 years ago is there today and will be there for eternity future. And not only is it a testimony to the grace of God but it will be the life of the flesh of His body, the Church. Friend there is life in the blood, your life is in the blood and my life is in the blood and 10,000 years from now the life of the church will still be in the blood.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by the tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" I Peter 1:18-20

Brother Michael's Devotional

"And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-Sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people." II Samuel 24:1-2

Here we see David commanding Joab to number the people of Israel. Now Joab attempted to talk David out of numbering Israel but David refused to listen, so Joab obeyed the King's command. After Joab had numbered all the people David's prophet Gad came to him, rebuked him for numbering the people, offered him three different plagues and allowed him to choose the one he and the nation would receive. The first plague would be 7 years of famine, the second would be 3 months of war and the third would be three days of pestilence at the hand of the LORD. David chose the third and seventy thousand men died.

The question arises, what was David's great sin in numbering the people. There are varying opinions as to why God disciplined David and the nation so severely but I believe the answer can be found in Exodus 30:12. Here the LORD says to Moses that "when thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them."

Moses is clearly told that every one that is numbered is to give half a shekel of silver, and silver speaks of redemption. Friend, just as the nation of Israel was under the judgement of God and required a price of redemption so you and I are born under the judgement of God and require redemption. But where is our redemption price to be found? Shall we redeem ourselves with our good works? Isaiah 64:6 says that "all our righteousness are as filthy rags" in the sight of God. Shall we bring gold or silver? I Peter 1:18 states that we "were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold." Friend there is only one thing that can redeem you and I to God, and that is the precious blood of Christ. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish or spot:" I Peter 1 18-19

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" Ephesians 1:7

Brother Michael's Devotional

"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." Job 14:4


What exactly is the state of man? Are we creatures that have some minor defects but all in all possess a natural good inside of us or are we totally separated from God and unable to come to Him?
Friend, man is a person, which means we possess a mind, a will and emotion and all three facets of mankind's person are totally separated from God and unable to comprehend, come to or love Him.
We learn from the book of Romans chapter 8 verse 7 that "the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." We also learn from I Corinthians 2:14 that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them." Notice how the Bible uses the word can. Can is a word of ability and the natural man's mind is unable to be subject to the law of God or comprehend that which is spiritual.
Now look at John Chapter 5 verse 40 where Jesus was speaking to the Jews and said "ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." What was there problem? Was God not allowing them to come? No, they were unable to come, their will was, by it's very nature, in complete rebellion against God. Look at John chapter 6 verse 44 where Jesus said, "No man can come to me." Once again we have the word can, man is unable to come to God without a supernatural operation of God.
Lastly, look to Romans chapter 1 verse verse 30 where the Apostle Paul declares mankind in it's corrupt descent to be "haters of God." Man is unable to love God without God first imparting him the ability to love, (I John 4:19.)
Friend, all men are born dead to God and are separated in their mind, will and emotion from Him. Simply going forward in a church service, taking the minister by the hand and being baptized is of no use to those that are dead and alienated from God. The message this world needs to hear and which we must proclaim is "Ye must be born again." On this hinges man's salvation for without the new birth no man can see the Kingdom of God.
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Brother Michael's Devotional

"And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,"
I Kings 18:1, 42b.

"Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the earth brought forth her fruit." James 5:17-18

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Why do we pray? That is an honest question. The first response most would give is that prayer changes things. The popular view is held that if we do not pray for our loved ones they will be lost or that if we do not pray for peace or safety there will be lawlessness and anarchy. But is this true? When we pray are we attempting to get a reluctant God to do that which is good?

First of all God has an eternal purpose (Eph 3:11) and "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" Eph 1:11a. Secondly, God does not change and vacillate such as man does, "For I am the LORD, I change not;" Malachi 3:6a. So if God has an eternal plan and purpose and he does not change what is the point of prayer?

Remember when God sent a drought to Samaria during the reign of King Ahab through His prophet Elijah. When God was ready to send rain again He sent his servant Elijah to tell King Ahab that it was about to rain. After Elijah told King Ahab God's message about impending rain do you know what Elijah did? He prayed for rain. Now you may say, wait a minute, Elijah already had God's Word that it was going to rain, didn't he trust God? Yes Elijah did, but Elijah also had a proper understanding of prayer. We do not pray to get a reluctant God to do that which is good, we pray so that we may be used of God to effect his eternal purpose in his kingdom. Friend, that is what it means to pray in the name of Christ. That is not some religious tag that we add on, it means that when we come to God the Father, we come through Christ asking His eternal will and purpose to be done.

"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:" I John 5:14