NYCU Newsletter 17

8/10/2019 NYCU Newsletter 17

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In This Issue of the NYCU Newsletter:

News You Can Use

Restoring A Vision Evangelizing Nations

You Are My DelightIt brings Me great pleasure to see

internal beauty blossom inside of youand watch you grow up in Me. I delightin every moment we spend together. I

delight in giving you the desires ofyour heart. I delight in hearing you callout to Me. Dont ever feel unsure of My

love for you. I am always waiting foryou to delight yourself in Me and in My

love. It is My pleasure to bless youabundantly. Dont look to anyone else

to meet your deepest wants andneeds, because you will only end upempty and disappointed. Only I can

turn your tears into joy and fill theemptiness in your heart. So delight

yourself in Me, and you will live life tothe fullest because you are My delight.

Love,

Your King and your Lord of EternalDelight

By: Sheri Rose Shepherd

God isFAITHFUL.

His leadership

is FLAWLESS.

His plans are

PERFECT.

He can betrusted.

Now take a

deep breath and

fix YOUR eyes

on HIM!

~Raven

The Perfect

Sacrifice:

A Call To

Radical

Obedience

The Sheep

Season

Page 5

I Want To Be

Like.

Page 7

F A L L 2 0 1 4

Page 2


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ISSUE #17 NOVEMBER 16, 2014

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The Perfect Sacrifice:A Call To Radical

ObedienceQuestion:What has God told you to do? What is it

that He has asked you to surrender to Him?Abraham and Isaac are great examples of not only

surrender and obedience, but also of the perfectsacrifice.....JESUS.

Today, let's focus on Genesis 22:1-19and Hebrews11:17-19.

Abraham was a man that was called a friend of God(James 2:23). You know this story. At the request of

his wife Sarah, Abraham and her servant Hagarcame together and created Ismael. But in spite of

being impatient, nottrusting God, and taking mattersinto their own hands, "The Lord kept His word anddid for Sarah exactly whatHe had promised. Shebecame pregnant, and she gave birth toa son for

Abraham in his old age. Thishappened at justthe time God had said it would. And Abraham

named their son Isaac"(Genesis 21:1-3)And then one day.....

Abraham! God called.Yes, he replied. Here I am.

Take your son, your only sonyes, Isaac,whom you love so muchand go to the land ofMoriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offeringon one of the mountains, which I will show you"

(vs. 1-2)

God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Notice,

God did not tell Abraham why he should do this, but

the Word says that Abraham rose up early the nextmorning, choosing to be OBEDIENT! On his way up

the mountain I'm sure the enemy tried to make

Abraham change his mind. I'm sure theenemy wassaying, "Some type of God you serve. He gave you

Isaac...your promise....just to takehim back."Or....."See, because you created that Ishmael, God

is mad at youand wants to punish you by takingaway your Isaac."Lies....ALL lies!But


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There is ALWAYS a blessing on the other side ofyour OBEDIENCE.

Abraham! Abraham!Yes, Abraham replied. Here I am!

Dont lay a hand on the boy! the angelsaid. Do not hurt him in any way, for nowI know that you truly fear God. You have

not withheld from me even your son, youronly son.

Then Abraham looked up and saw a ramcaught by its horns in a thicket. So he took

the ram and sacrificed it as a burntoffering in place of his son"

(vs. 11-13)

Friend, because Abraham chose to beobedient, not only did God provide but.....

This is what the Lord says: Because youhave obeyed me and have not withheld

even your son, your only son, I swear bymy own name that I will certainlybless

you. I will multiply yourdescendants beyond number, like thestars in the sky and the sand on the

seashore. Your descendants will conquerthe cities of their enemies. And throughyour descendants all the nationsof theearth will be blessedall because you

have obeyed me(vs. 16-18)

The ANOINTING makes the

difference!

An ounce of anointing is more precious than a

thousand tons of talent!

Your talent may touch a mans soul and capture his

applause, but it will never break any yokes or chains

without the anointing.

The anointing is the difference maker in your life!

ALWAYS protect your anointing!

nevertheless, at God's Word, Abraham choseto not only be obedient and to trust God, but

to also speak by faith!

Isaac turned to Abraham and said,Father?

Yes, my son? Abraham replied.We have the fire and the wood, the boysaid, but where is the sheep for the burnt

offering?God will provide a sheep for the burntoffering, my son, Abraham answered.

And they both walked on together"

(vs. 7-8).

Abraham made a decision to not only be

obedient, but to also believe that God wouldprovide. He believed and spoke by faith withHis mouth that either God would provide asheep OR according to Hebrews 11:19,

"Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, Godwas able to bring himback to life

again."Abraham believed God!!! He wasn't

concerned with what people thought or whathis obedience looked like....all he cared aboutwasbeing obedient. So, as you probably

know, once Abraham and Isaac reached thetop of the mountain and just before Abrahamwas gettingready to kill Isaac,God said....


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Friend, I don't care what the enemy is trying to tellyou....THERE IS ALWAYS A BLESSING ON THEOTHER SIDE OF YOUR OBEDIENCE!! But this

story doesn't end here, you see Abraham, Isaac, andthe ram are an example of the perfect

sacrifice....Jesus.Think of it this

way....

Abraham represents sin.

Isaac represents you and me.

Before Christ came, sin separatedus fromGod.We

were bound to spend eternity separated from Him, BUT GODchose to give His son....His only son.He said...."Sin, don't lay a hand on this child. Do not hurt this child in any way. I love this

child. I have need of this child. Here is a "ram in the bush"....my Son....my only Son...JESUS!He will be the perfect sacrifice. A life for a life!" Friend, this is true love! Jesus took on ALL sin,

worry, fear, disease, rejection, loneliness, etc, paid the price, went to hell, rose again; defeatingdeath, hell, andthe grave so that you COULD LIVE FREE and have a relationship with Him!!

As John 10:10 AMP says, "....I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have itin abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." That's love.....REAL LOVE and friend, becauseChrist chose to be obedient (Romans 5:19), everyperson on this earth that has become born

again---giving their heart and life to God---has been blessed because of it!

In this post lies two messages. First,for those of you who are not saved, it's time to surrender and

give your life to Christ. He died for you, He loves you, He has need of you! It's time to give Himyour heart....give Him your life. What does God want from you? Intimacy, a close friendship,quality time together, and your 'Yes!' Give it to Him! He's worthy! Don't worry about your

past or your future. The blood covers both and there is more than enough grace for you!

Secondis radical obedience. Godwants our obedience, not just lip service. Its one thing tosay well honor Him but another thing entirely to actually do it.Just like Abraham chose to not

only be obedient, but to believe that there would be a blessing on the other side of hisobedience.....YOU must do the same! Wecannot delay our obedience to Christ until it fits into ourschedule or it is convenient and easy for us. Christ's obedience did not hinge on convenienceand we arecalled to walk in the same pattern. So, what did God tell you to do? "Obedience

becomes radical whenwe say, Yes, God, whatever you want, andmean it. Wereleaseourgrip on all that we love andoffer it back toHim,wholoves us more. And it isintothese

upturned hands that God will pour out Hisblessings-His abundant, unexpected, radicalblessings." Friend, this is the season for radical

obedience. This is the season to do what God tellsyou to do, say what He tells you to say, and go

where He tells you to go. You don't have to have ALLthedetails....JUST TRUST GOD AND OBEY! Dontwait for the"perfect" day to start honoring God.

Make that choice today andwatch God blessyou beyond your dreams!


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The Sheep Season1 Samuel 16:11-13

day take the place of Realizing that he did not need Saul'sarmor to fight and defeat Goliath; allhe needed was a bold, unwaveringfaith in a God who could do theimpossible with just a sling shotand some stones

Learning how to walk in and show loveto the one who hated and wanted tokill him

Being divinely connected by God to a

covenant friend, one who wouldcelebrate, cover, protect, believe,and push him to be who God calledhim to be

Friend, this is just a few things that God did inthose 22 years for, in, and through David. Myquestion for you today is, "Are you in thesheep season?"Do you feel discouraged,frustrated, or just plain mad because Godsaid that "it" was going to happen, but "it" has

not manifested yet? Are you bored becauseyou feel like you have the ability to do somuch more and are anointed to do so muchmore than what God currently has you doing?Have you started to doubt the call of God onyour life? Have peoplebeen asking you andthose who are connected to you, "What is shedoing now? What's going on with him? etc." I

just want to encourage you today friend!Youare not alone! God has not forgotten aboutyou. He hasn't forgotten the promises. He

hasn't forgotten those desires thatHeplaced in your heart. He has notforgotten!

Look around. You may be in the sheep

season, but trust that God is preparing you forwhat He has prepared for you.Thisseason isabout you drawingnear to God likenever

Each and every blood bought believer hasbeen anointed and appointed to do somethingfor the Kingdom. Each and every one of ushas a calling on our lives, one of which weonly can fulfill. But the anointing/appointingtime and the manifestation time are often"interrupted" so to speak, by the sheepseason.

At the tender age of 15, David was anointedby Samuel to be the King of Israel. At the age

of 37God manifested what He planned,anointed, and spoke over David to do (2Samuel 5)! 22 years.Just let that sink in.Many of us get discouraged over a few weeks(I know I do sometimes). In 1 Samuel 16 wemeet David in the field tending sheep beforehe was anointed by Samuel and we see thateven after he was anointed, David wasSTILLtending sheep. I'm sure thatbefore Samuelanointed David, David felt a huge call on hislife. I'm sure that he sensed that God was

going to use him mightily. I'm sure that afterhe was anointed by Samuel, he had manydays when he doubted himself and the call ofGod on his life because things didn't "seem"to be going as planned. I'm also sure that hisbrothers made fun of him and called himcrazy while he was in the field....just tendingsheep.

BUT David's sheep season did not justconsist of him tending sheep, but also of him:

Experiencing true intimacy with God Being developed and prepared to be

what hewas anointed and called tobe

Learning how to be an effective leaderand a man of integrity andcharacter

Conquering the "small things" in privatelike the lions and the bears

Serving Saul, a man whohe wouldone


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before. This season is about you learning how towalk in who you are without feeling the need tocompare or compete with sis. so-in-so or bro. so-in-so. This season is about God truly changing youfrom the inside out, removing those things that are inyou that don't please Him and empowering you to

conquer those "small things" like the lion and thebear. This season is about you learning how toserve others selflessly and to walk in love like Christ.This season is about you finally realizing that youdon't need "Saul's armor" (the world, people'sapproval, the credentials, etc.) to walk in completevictory. This season is about God divinelyseparating you from those who are not called to bein your life and connecting you with those who are.This season friend, is not a waste. It doesn't matterwhat you see, how you feel, what others say (or

don't say), who likes you or who doesn't, whosupports you or who doesn't, or what the enemy istrying to convince you of. Let's settle one thingright now: The devil is a liar! So don't waste yourtime believing him. WhatGod said to you is whatHe intends to do and any report that says you andGod aren't big enough to do what He has called youto do is an evil report! Always remember, we believethe report of the LORD and HIS report says thatnothing is impossible with HIM!!!

So friend, if you are diligently going after Jesusand serving Him, know that sometimes you will becalled to do monotonous work that will not make the"headlines." Don't get discouraged; don't stop doingwhat God told you to do, living for Him, and sharingthe Gospel. David was called and anointed to be aKing, but first he was "just tending sheep." God usedHim mightily as He will YOU! So, bloom where YOUare planted, continue to use your life to workdiligently at whatever theLord has called you to do,and walk in full confidence. God is for YOU! He has

called, anointed, and established YOU! And whenyou are established by God, He secures, equips,and fortifies you so that you are fully capable ofperforming the task at hand. Onceagain, whateveryour life entails right nowno matter how farremoved it seems from what you expected---Hehas anointedyou and divinely equipped you tonot merely handle it, but to thrive in it. If youcant be faithful in little, God will not give you thelargerassignment. He may wantto adjustyourlife and character insmaller assignmentsto

prepare you for the larger ones. So don'tfret over this season, take note of the smallthings that God is showing and teaching you.One day when you reach your expected end(Jeremiah 29:11) you will remember this

season and understand exactly why God hadyou "just tending sheep!"


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"As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons tobe judges over Israel. Joel and Abijah, hisoldest sons, held court in Beersheba. But theywere not like their father, for they were greedyfor money. They accepted bribes andperverted justice. Finally, all the elders ofIsrael met at Ramah to discuss the matter withSamuel. Look, they told him, you are nowold, and your sons are not like you. Give us aking to judge us like all the other nations

have.But the people refused to listen toSamuels warning. Even so, we still want aking, they said. We want to be like thenations around us. Our king will judge usand lead us into battle. 1 Samuel 8:1-5,19-20

Have you ever thought that the grass wasgreener on the other side? Have you everlooked at someone else's life and thought,"Man, they have it all together?" Have you

ever wanted to look like someone else?

Have you ever doubted your gifts or whatGod has called you to do becausesomeone else seems more effective or

popular than you? Have you ever wantedsomething because you wanted to be likethe person who had it?Now, I'm not talkingaboutadmiring or looking up to someone, but

I am talking about wanting to be like otherpeople (or wanting their life) because you

"think" that God made some kind of mistakewith you. The Israelites are a great example ofthis. They wanted a king so they could be likeall the other nations. Here's the thing: TheIsraelites already had an identity. They

were the chosen people of God! But theirdesire to be like everybody else made themlose sight of what theyALREADY had and

most importantly, who they were.Listenfriend, the enemy is after youridentity. For

those of us who are saved, he knows that hecannot doanything about wherewe spend

eternity, but if we allow him to,he can

cause us to be ineffective on earth. How? Bymaking us doubt who we are and what we are

called and anointed to do. So, how does he try toaccomplish this plan and what can we do to fight

back?Two things: Distractions and the secret place.

Friend, the plan of the enemy is to keep youreyes on ANYTHING other than God and His

Word. So, what does he do....he creates adistraction and it usually involves people. If it's notwhat people say, it's what they don't say. If it's notsocial media, it's this world's definition of successand beauty. AND if noneof that works he'll startwhispering things into your ear like, "She's better

than you. Look at how they respond to him and hisgift. Man, God must have forgotten about you."

Lies. ALL LIES!

Continue Reading atwww.newsyoucanusersj.weebly.com/i-want-to-be-

like.html


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"Since we are living by theSpirit, let us follow the

Spirit's leading in EVERYPART of our lives!"Galatians 5:25 NLT

The other night my mom, sister, and I wentto the movies planning to see a particularmovie, but after going out to eat and chit-chatting for a while, the times for thatparticular movie were too late. A littledisappointed, we decided to look online tosee if there were any other movies availablethat we wanted to see. Only ONE moviewas opened at that time and I said, "Let's gosee it!" Right when I said it the Holy Spiritbegan to convict me.Now, mind you wewere STILL at the restaurant! So, "ignoring"this persistent, still small voice we precededto get into the car and drive to the movietheatre. Now, funny thing is WE ALL FELTSOME TYPE OF WAY ABOUT THISMOVIE, but because we really wanted to goto the movies we "ignored" Hisvoice. Before I finish this story, I must letyou know that I had emphatically statedthat I was not going to see this particularmovie based on the previews andreviews.Well.....once we got to the movies,the girl that emphatically stated that shewas not going to see this particular moviepaid $30 for the tickets. Friend, while I wasgiving the young lady the money myspirit once again said, "You know youdon't need to see this movie."Nevertheless, I took the tickets and wethree set out to go see this infamous thing!lol! We then arrived at theatre 16 and as wewere walking up the stairs my mom thoughtthat she saw somebody sheknew and

and almost fell! (If that's not a sign I don't know whatis...lol!) For those of you who don't know my mom,let me tell you that she is definitely someone thatdoes not care what anybody thinks of her, but evenshe felt uneasy about the thought of someoneseeing us in this particular movie.After laughingour heads off, my sister leans over to me and says,"Maybe we shouldn't see this." Me, the "older sister"

said, "Maybe it won't be too bad." Right when Isaid that, the Holy Spirit once again startedtalking. This time He said, "Raven, you don'teven really want to see this. Why don't you justleave." I then said, "But Lord, I paid $30 (I'mlaughing as I type this....what a CRAZY excuse)."He then said, "You can STILL walk out NOW."Still seated the movie started. Friend, we were notin a good 5 minutes of the movie when aninappropriate scene popped up. During this scenemy sister and I turned our heads and my mom, in

shock stretched her arm across me trying to coverup my sister's face (my mom is 4'11", so youimagine her trying to reach over me to get to mysister....lol!) it was then when we all agreed to leaveand proceeded to get up and get out!!!


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So, you're probably wondering why I'msharing this story. That night while I wassitting in my bed having my quiet time withthe Lord I began to repent for beingdisobedient and it was then that the Lordgave me this message. Listen friend, when

you are saved and really have a heart forGod that desires to please Him, you won'tbe able to do just any and everything orentertain just any and everythingcomfortably!Sure, the Holy Spirit is agentleman, but He is also persistent and Hewill continue to convict and draw you.Yes,we can override Him by ignoring Hisinstructions, but why do that when weknow that HE does have our BESTinterest at heart.It's not enough just to SAY

we're going to do something! It's not enoughto shout and dance over the fact that weHEARD God's voice. We must learn to say'Yes' to God's leading. We must learn tonot only be Spirit led in every part of ourlives, but to also WALK in OBEDIENCE!

I can remember when I was in High schooland a lovely woman of God who also attendsmy home church and is a missionary use todo my hair. As you probably know, the hair

salon is where many women get to knoweach other, laugh, and just have fun. Thisawesome woman became one of my MANYfavorites in my home church because shewould always share her words of wisdomwith me. One day she told me some of herstory and why she doesn't wear pants. Nowbefore you start yelling and before youstop reading....hear me out. She has 3daughters and ALL of them wear pants.She does not and neither do I think

wearing pants is a sin....I wear them too!(Whew! I'm glad we got that out of theway lol!....)But one thing shetold me backthen that stayed with me all of these years is,"When God saved me and delivered me Imade the vow to not wear pants as acommitment to Him!"Why did I share thiswoman's story? Because althoughthereare concrete things in the Word of Godthat every born again believershouldliveby, there are somespecific thingsthat

God uses the little things we do out ofobedience to prepare us for the bigger things in

life!

God may lead YOU to do.In other words, Godmight deal with YOU about something that no oneelse would think anything about. But friend, if you

want to grow in God, YOU must be quick to hearand change EVEN the LITTLE things.This is notabout being legalistic or "religious."This is aboutbeing obedient and having a relationship withJesus, one of which you are so in love with Himthat saying yes to Him no longer is a discipline ofyour heart, but rather the delight of your life!

I don't know who this is for, but has God beennudging you in a specific area? Have you been

entertaining something or someone in which youdon't have peace about? It maybe something huge ormaybe it's something small that nobody would thinkanything of, but whatever it is, once again I will saythat THERE IS ALWAYS A BLESSING ON THEOTHER SIDEOF YOUR OBEDIENCE! When mymom, sister, and I walked out of that movie to oursurprise the movie that we wanted to see was playingat that time as well!!!! Yes God!!!!So, don't delay! Be courageously obedient. Say 'yes'to God's leading!I promise you won't regret it!


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NYCU Newsletter 17