All honor and glory to God! Today in Black History, we learn about James Armistead Lafayette (1760-1830). Armistead was the first African American double spy. He was a slave, owned by William Armistead in Virginia during the American Revolution. After getting consent of his master, he volunteered in 1781 to join the army under General Lafayette. He was stationed as a spy and was sent by General Lafayette to provide false information on American movements to the British. First he spied on Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. The intelligence reports from his espionage were instrumental in helping to defeat the British during the Battle of Yorktown. Armistead often traveled between camps, spying on British officers, who spoke openly about their strategies in front of him. He documented this information in written reports, and delivered them to other American spies. After the war, he returned to William Armistead as a slave, because he was considered an intelligence agent and not technically a soldier, so he could not qualify for emancipation under the Act of 1783. In 1784, Lafayette found Armistead in Virginia and was disappointed to find he was still a slave. Lafayette wrote a testimonial on Armistead's behalf and two years later, the Virginia General Assembly emancipated him. It was at that time that Armistead made "Lafayette" his last name, in honor of the General. Continue to keep one another in prayer, thanking God for the victory, and refraining from claiming defeat from the enemy; ALWAYS pray for your desired result, NOT the unfavorable outcome. Do NOT lose sight of God in the midst of adversity, God Bless!
Passage Romans 6:6-7 (NLT):
"We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin."
Romans 7:1-4 says, "Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don't you know that the law applies only while a person is living? For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God." In the flesh we are bound by the laws of this world and satan's reign. However, when we are reborn through acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior, we are freed from bondage and given the free-will to either give-in to the adversary's negative influences which lead to eternal death, or to accept God's deliverance, becoming transformed by the renewing of our mind, ultimately leading to a life of righteousness and eternal life/happiness. The Life Application Study Bible New International Version (1991) reminds us that God's "Spirit enables us to produce good fruit... We now serve not by obeying a set of rules, but out of renewed hearts and minds that overflow with love for God," which influences our CHOICE to follow God's will and NOT a life led by the enemy or our own selfish desires. (Reference: The Life Application Study Bible New International Version. (1991). Romans Chapter 7 - Footnotes (p. 2039). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.)
Prayer of the Day:
Father God we enter into your presence in thanksgiving, praising you for your grace, mercy, forgiveness, and everlasting love. We thank you that no weapon formed against us will ever prosper in the name of Jesus. Lord we thank you for the authority to claim and accept victory over the enemy and defeat over sin. We thank you for the ability in our own words to speak life into every situation, speaking prosperity, success, and positivity into existence. We use the power of our tongue to reverse all negativity we once spoke into our own lives, and we bind now the negativity spoken by others, and make their words ineffective against us in the matchless name of Jesus. Lord we thank you for your continued protection and mercy. This is our affirmation of faith in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
~~ Tylesha ~~
"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)
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