Honesty Today – 01/28/09 – Scriptures on my heart lately…

Praise the Lord! First I wanted to say thank you to all those that sent email responses back to me. I thank God for the wonderful positive encouragement and the love that some have shown. I am thankful that I have my sisters looking out for me and my family in prayer. It is truly what the Lord wants from us.

I think I said the other day about scriptures that mean so much to me, yet they are singing loudly to me today so this is what I have to write today…

Here are some scriptures just singing in my head today….

Isaiah 61:1-3 1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

When we were looking for a new scripture to head up WL4J and what we stood for, a sister in Christ submitted this scripture and it has been with me ever since. It sings to me what we are to do as Christians, sure it was writing in the Old Testament but it sings to us this day for what the Lord has done for us and what we need to do for others. Yet, verse 3 touched me as I was determined to live in a life of praise in the Lord and putting on the garment of praise for the rest of my life! Let us all put on the garment of praise for the Lord this and every day!

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Awwwwww James 5:16….this scripture was one of the ones that has not left me for a few months now. It comes to mind every time I do not want to write something in the Honesty Today, but then the Lord speaks to me this scripture and I write it – most of those Honesty Today’s that this happens on – I get a huge response back from sisters. God is truly true to His word. We need to uplift the Lord as it will be a blessing always. Let us remember to break down those walls for in breaking down the walls, we can release things and be free in Jesus.

Isaiah 43:18-19 18Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

As I was going through the realization of changes in my life, a sister in Christ shared this scripture with me and I am telling you – it spoke volumes to me and still does. This is a daily scripture for me for I am changed in Jesus – that old Alissa is leaving and Sister Alissa Lynne is here to stay!

John 4: 23-24 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

I have to praise the Lord in spirit and truth. As most of you know, I love to talk about the Lord, I love to tell of His goodness, I love to keep it real, and I love to praise the Lord. I believe that all of this is important to keeping my walk in the Lord on the right path. I know that I am looking forward to praising the Lord for all eternity. There is no better feeling than to praise the Lord with all that I have – in spirit and in truth. If you think of something that is better than this…then you have not experienced true worship and praise of the Lord. When we are in the presence of the Lord – there is nothing to compare it to – nothing can touch it. It is so awesome to be free in Jesus and to be able to praise Him all the time. I love the fact that sometimes the Lord is so ever present in my heart that I have to go outside and praise the Lord as the joy is over bubbling! Awesome God! I pray that you are able to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth!

Romans 8:28-39 28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Okay since coming to Christ, Romans 8 has stayed with me each and every day. There is so much in those scriptures that just keeps me moving forward in my life. When I do not understand something, when I am confused, when I feel alone, when I feel rejected…the above scriptures place it all back in line for me. God is just so awesome…NOTHING WILL SEPARATE US FROM HIS LOVE – we can not even do that, for even when we walk away from Him, His love for us is still there…we woke up that morning! AMEN!

Luke 10:17-20 17And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

When I was going through some things and could not figure out what was going on and when Ephesians 6:10-18 was not just hitting what I needed it to hit. I was studying Luke and this smack me in the face. Not only did Jesus send out men to spread the word (as I did not know that He has any other than the 12 spreading the word of God), but He gave them power and those of us that He grants us the power of the Holy Spirit (Which is a gift that we can all have for it is freely given to all those that ask for it), He blesses us because our names are written in Heaven.

At that time in my life I was trying to come to conclusions of what I was going though, did I want to continue seeing Elder Merv or did I want to just be me alone, along with the fact that I was dealing with my son acting up in school, with bills piling up and not even sure what I was going to do at all. Those scriptures just reminded me how the Lord gave us power over the enemy and we are to act accordingly for we are blessed to know that we were going to be with Him for all eternity. It motivated me to stand on the word of God.

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Jesus makes us free – Jesus is the way, the truth, the light and the life! It is just that reminder that keeps me honest with myself and all those around me. There is no other excuse or misunderstanding in these scriptures…I believe the word of God and I know that I am free in Jesus because He makes me free! AMEN!!

Colossians 3:9-17 9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Last Sunday, my pastor spoke on verse 11 but as I always do – I read the entire chapter and in my reading – praise the Lord for the encouragement and the truth. I am new in Jesus – all the things of the pass are gone and all things are to be done in His name and He is so worthy of our praises. His word is so important to our lives and the need for us to sing His praises will only bless our very being. May we all remember what He has done and just love Him because of the love He has shown us.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Peace and joy – peace – peace and peace some more. There is nothing like the peace of the Lord and how He will give us peace that passeth all understanding. God is good and awesome – we need to remember that when we need to feel peace – go to Jesus for the peace for this is one thing the world can not give to you.

Ephesians 1:3-14 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

His love for us is so beyond our comprehension yet it is felt in every second of our day if we allow our hearts to be filled with His love and allow us to feel it flowing in us.

Psalm 113:1-4 1Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. 2Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. 3From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised. 4The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

I love to sing the praises of God and I have to say that I have grown to love the book of Psalms, for the praises that go forth to the Lord! David was truly blessed with words!

Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Enough said with that scripture – this is who Jesus is to me and to all of us that believe and for those that do not believe – they will come to know too one day!

Before I close out I needed to say that I am truly grateful to the Lord for His word, for His truth, for His guidance and protection, and for His love for me. I have struggled with allowing myself to be loved by those that love me but it is in the love of the Lord that I am shining and becoming a new creature in the Lord. It is awesome to feel the difference in my life due to His love. I am thankful to the Lord for all things…so with that said…..

Revelation 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25 24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Until tomorrow,
Love your sister in Christ,
Sister Alissa Lynne

Psalm 19:13-14 13Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. 14Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.