March 2, Day 2

Greeting Sisters in Christ,

I hope you all were able to praise and worship Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ today. I heard something impactful at services today that made me remember the value of praise and worship. Pastor Young recited a famous line from Marvin Gaye; He said, “There's only three things that's for sure taxes, death and trouble. Even though Pastor Young is a Marvin Gaye fan, he wanted to correct that statement. Pastor Young rejoicefully stated that the only thing that is certain is… we will always be able to worship and praise God forever. He referred to Rev 21:4 where the Bible says, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Even at that time, we shall be able to praise and worship in heaven like the 24 elders who fell down and worshipped saying, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased" (Rev 4:11).

This morning in prayer, I was trying to intercede for each of you according to your desired requests. However, I was having a focus problem and my mind kept going back to a certain place. So I allowed myself to be carried by the Spirit and not my agenda. I found myself in a place of travail; Crying out for our sins; Crying out for our disgust within ourselves about the thing which we should be able to control, but at times it controls us; Knowing that thing may lead to separation and spiritual death if we don’t get it under control. After a woman has a baby, afterwards she must push out the placenta as well. If it’s left inside of the mother, it could kill her. Today I pushed out the sin for us and I sat in the place of godly sorrow. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right" (2 Cr 7:10-11)

Ladies please begin to notice over the next 3 months how you will be cleansed over the next 3 months. Notice how God did it for you because He will introduce you to someone who needs the same exact lesson. I am amazed EVERYTIME I hear someone tell me how my life has effected theirs. I used to practice fading in the background of life so that I wouldn’t be noticed. I do not walk around trying to be the 67^th epistle. However the fact that I fell down, got up, and didn’t ask CNN news to document my fall is what attracted people to me. How many know… You and I are the light of the world. A town built on a hill that cannot be hidden. Remember people do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, we have to let our light shine before others, that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven" (Matt 5:14). So be ready to share you testimony.

Today’s Scripture of focus comes from 1 Kings 8:44-53…

New Living Translation	Message	New King James
"When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. "When they sin against you--for there is no one who does not sin--and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly';and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.  "May your eyes be open to your servant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign LORD, brought our fathers out of Egypt."	When your people go to war against their enemies at the time and place you send them and they pray to God toward the city you chose and this Temple I've built to honor your Name, Listen from heaven to what they pray and ask for, and do what's right for them. When they sin against you - and they certainly will; there's no one without sin! - and in anger you turn them over to the enemy and they are taken captive to the enemy's land, whether far or near, but repent in the country of their captivity and pray with changed hearts in their exile, "We've sinned; we've done wrong; we've been most wicked," and turn back to you heart and soul in the land of the enemy who conquered them, and pray to you toward their homeland, the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you chose, and this Temple I have built to the honor of your Name, Listen from your home in heaven to their prayers desperate and devout and do what is best for them. Forgive your people who have sinned against you; forgive their gross rebellions and move their captors to treat them with compassion. They are, after all, your people and your precious inheritance whom you rescued from the heart of that iron-smelting furnace, Egypt! O be alert and attentive to the needy prayers of me, your servant, and your dear people Israel; listen every time they cry out to you! You handpicked them from all the peoples on earth to be your very own people, as you announced through your servant Moses when you, O God, in your masterful rule, delivered our ancestors from Egypt.	"When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause."When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near; yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, 'We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness'; and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them(for they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace), that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God."

Sometimes our enemy will conquer us for a short period of time. The separation, darkness, and gloominess can cause us to desire, remember, and crave the security, joy, and blessings of salvation.  I am thankful for God who has saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Today, please take a moment to reflct on your maturity in Christ you have gained over the years. Remember the fortitude it took to overcome those obstacles. Use the momentum of your memory to imagine yourself cleansed and renewed. 

Be Blessed in Jesus Name.