kestor|ng A V|s|on Lvange||z|ng Nat|ons Issue #9 November 2S, 2013

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Devot|ona| 4

WhaL's ln ?our
AlabasLer 8ox?
Devot|ona| 6

Lyes of lalLh
Insp|rat|on 7-8
rayer 8equesLs
Ask 8aven
8ook of Lhe MonLh
Songs of Lhe MonLh
!oke of Lhe MonLh
8elng
1hankful"
age 3
Let us be the generation who imitate Christ. Let
us be the generation who sets His glory and
ideals above the world's in our homes.
Let us be the people who are completely
separated from the world, and wholly devoted
to the purposes of God.
I have discovered that when we lay everything
at the feet of Jesus and find our deepest
fulfillment, rest, peace, strength, and joy in His
presence alone----not dulling our spiritual lives
with worldly counterfeits----we are ushered into
the supernatural existence in which God
designed us to live. That's when the presence
of God draws near. That's when the impossible
becomes possible. That's when the life we read
about in Scripture actually becomes our reality.
This is the Jesus standard. Let's make His
standard the norm, not the standard of the
world!


kestor|ng A V|s|on Lvange||z|ng Nat|ons Issue #9 November 2S, 2013
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"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure
that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from
the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."
Ephesians 1:6
We can all remember the notes we passed to our friends when we were younger. Up until about the fourth
grade, boys and girls didn't want to have anything to do with each other. But in the fifth or sixth grade, things
started to change and everyone began to write little notes, saying "I like you. Do you like me? Circle: Yes, No,
Maybe." People were in their own little way looking for "love" (puppy love), but really deep down looking for
acceptance from someone they liked. While typing this I can't help but laugh because I can remember
writing myself a note and pretending like it was from someone, because no one ever wrote me a note!
lol! "Raven, I like you. Do you like me? Circle: Yes, No, Maybe." I had all of my little classmates in elementary
school wondering who in the world sent Raven that!! (I was something else! All I can say now is. "Girlfriend,
have several seats!") But as I thought about this, I realized that we have the best note that's ever been
written. God wrote us a note called the Bible, and in it He said, "Yes, I like you." He went a step further
and wrote, "Yes, you are loved. Yes, you are forgiven. Yes, you are a child of God and a joint heir with
Christ. Yes, you're my friend. Yes, I am for you. Yes, I am your Heavenly Father. Yes, you are fearfully
and wonderfully made. Yes, you are royalty....because YOU are a child of the King!"
Now we can approach the throne of God with confidence! Why?
Because Jesus said, "Yes, you're free from sin. Yes, you're free
from guilt. Yes, you're free from hurt. Yes, you're free from
any abuse that's ever been done to you!" You can live free
because where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom and it
was for freedom that Christ set you free!

Jesus Christ is the "yes" written in our hearts. God has sent us a
great love note. And He said in this love note, "I will never leave
you or forsake you (Heb. 13:5). I love you with an everlasting
love (Jeremiah 31:3). And guess what friend, these two
scriptures are just a piece of His love note to us!

Friend, know that you don't have to walk through life alone. God
has accepted you. It doesn't matter where you are-----you could be
by yourself in the middle of the desert, but you are not alone!
Today, just remember this: Jesus is "Yes!" Yes, He loves you. Yes,
He cares about you. If you start feeling hurt or rejected, remember
that Jesus is with you. He hasn't forgotten or forsaken you, and He
never will! He's putting His arm around you and saying, "Come on,
let's go. I have already overcome the world! Take heart and rest in
my love! I have a divine plan for you that is rooted in My
faithfulness, guaranteed by My eternal Word and undergirded by
all of the riches of My glory!"

Be encouraged and remember that Jesus circled "yes" when He
died on the cross and rose again conquering death, hell, and the
grave! YOU ARE LOVED!!


kestor|ng A V|s|on Lvange||z|ng Nat|ons Issue #9 November 2S, 2013
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"I could tune my ear to a bitter song
or choose hopes melody.
I could curse the ground that Im
standing on or pray for dancing feet.
I could shout at Heaven when rain
pours down, pounding hard on me.
Or I could cup my hands and drink
of You, whatever this life brings.
You are good. You are good.
Though I may not understand.
You are good. You are good.
I GIVE THANKS RIGHT WHERE I
AM"

'Right Where I Am' by
Shannon Wexelberg
Are you thankful? No....really....are you? As I
shared last month, this season is all about me
being content. Well, being thankful is a directly
associated with it. John Piper once said, "God is
most glorified in us when we are most satisfied
in Him." This quote has truly resonated in my spirit
in this season. No matter where I am in life, God is
most glorified in me, when I am
satisfied......content, happy, fulfilled, and
THANKFUL! Acts 17:28 says, "For in Him we live,
and move, and have our being...." We are in Christ
and He lives, abides, and takes up residence
inside of us. He is our life, our strength, our
source, our identity, our portion.....our
EVERYTHING! When we are most
satisfied.....most content, happy, fulfilled, and
THANKFUL in Christ.....HE is most glorified and
many of you like me, want above all else for God to
get the glory from your life. All throughout the Bible
we read about being thankful. I have found in this
season that the more thankful I am the less
stressed, worried, and anxious I am. As I've said
before, you can't praise and thank God while
simultaneously whining and complaining. Being
thankful makes you more aware of God's presence.
Being thankful keeps you on course and enables
you to stay spiritually aligned with God!

"In the middle of everything that is going on
on around you, give thanks no matter what the
circumstances may be"(1 Thessalonians 5:18,
AMP).

I'm learning to give thanks no matter what! Sometimes
we major in the lives of others. We can tell their whole
life story, how God did this for them and that for them.
Some of us have a PhD when it comes to their lives, but
are barely passing the 10th grade when it comes to our
own. We are so busy watering other people's seed that
we forget to tend to our own. Yes, be happy for others
and celebrate the great things that God is doing for
them, but also thank God for what He has done, is
doing, and will do in your life. It's time we start realizing
how blessed we are and to Whom we belong. We are
God's and He has great plans for all of us. We must
learn to be thankful, content, satisfied, and happy
right where God has us in this season. Earlier this
month God challenged me with something and if you
are led to, I want you to walk this out with me. God said
to me to buy a small notebook and entitle it, "The Book
of Gratitude."

Continue Reading at
www.newsyoucanusersj.weebly.com


kestor|ng A V|s|on Lvange||z|ng Nat|ons Issue #9 November 2S, 2013
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WhaL's ln ?our
AlabasLer 8ox?
Give me all of you!!! I dont want so much of your time, so much of your
talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF
YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman,
but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I dont want to only prune a
branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it
over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and
wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I
will make of you a new selfin my image. Give me yourself and in
exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart,
shall become your heart. C.S. Lewis
"Dont let anyone think less of you because you
are young. Be an example to all believers in what
you say, in the way you live, in your love, your
faith, and your purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 NLT

Matthew 26:7-13 and Mark 14:3 has been in my spirit
for months. So let's dig in. In the days Jesus was on
earth, when a young woman reached the age of
availability for marriage, her family would purchase
an alabaster box for her and fill it with precious
ointment. The size of the box and the value of the
ointment would parallel her familys wealth. This
alabaster box would be part of her dowry. When a
young man came to ask for her hand in marriage,
she would respond by taking the alabaster box and
breaking it at his feet. This gesture of anointing his
feet showed him honor.

The woman with the alabaster box is seen in the
Word many different times. When I was a little girl,
Cece Winan's song "Alabaster Box," was always on
repeat, but when I got to college I bought Shana
Wilson's Cd and heard "Alabaster Box," written by
Julie Meyer and it has been on repeat ever since.
A couple of months ago I was led to these scriptures
and as I said before it has stayed in my spirit ever
since. Every time I hear this song two questions arise
in my spirit:

1. What is in your alabaster box?
2. Have you broke it at Jesus' feet/given it all to
Him?

In Matthew 26:7 we meet "a woman."

"A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of
very expensive perfume, which she poured on his
head as he was reclining at the table."

Notice she has no name, no "status", no reputation,
no posse.....nothing...but an alabaster box. Unlike
what this alabaster box was typically used for, there
was no mention of a man.....but she had Jesus. This
woman came and poured the ointment that was
supposed to be for a future husband onto Jesus'
head. Friend, what's in your alabaster box? I have
so many dreams and desires, some of which I have
never shared with anyone. Just like this woman, I
have placed all that I am and all that I have into my


kestor|ng A V|s|on Lvange||z|ng Nat|ons Issue #9 November 2S, 2013
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(Cont|nued)
alabaster box. Every dream, every
desire, EVERYTHING.....is in this
special box of mine. As believers,
our alabaster box is not directly
proportional to our natural
family's wealth, but it is to our
spiritual family's wealth. We are
children of the most high God. We
are King's kids. We are royalty.
We are heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ. 1 John 4:17 says, "As
He is, so are we in this world."
Another translation says that we
are like Jesus. The Word also tells
us that we are worth more than
many sparrows (Matthew 10:29-
31). This alabaster box and the oil
within it, has a worth that no man
can estimate! It's NOT CHEAP!
Verse 8-9 reminds me so much of
when I first got saved at the age of
13 and also when I went off to
college.


"When the disciples saw this,
they were indignant. Why this
waste? they asked.This
perfume could have been sold
at a high price and the money
given to the poor.

When I gave my life over to the
Lord I was determined to live for
Him. My standard has been, is,
and will always be the Word of
God. I made a decision that I
would do what the Word says,
whether I felt like it or not. I never
wanted to be a hypocrite. I was
either going to be saved, in this
world and not of it....or I was not
going to be. No, I'm not
superhuman.....lol.....I am
supernatural though (Check out
The Superwoman vs. The
Supernatural Woman). Sure, I
have emotions and feelings, but if
you are born again, you know that
as you mature in the Lord you
you learn not to allow your feelings
and emotions to lead you, you
learn to be led by the Holy Spirit
instead!

Many people thought that I was
too extreme. They thought that I
was "wasting" my youth. "It don't
take all that," was a statement that
many people made to me. There
were times I felt discouraged.
There were times I wanted to give
up. BUT I would always remember
one of my favorite verses which
says, " Dont let anyone think
less of you because you are
young. Be an example to all
believers in what you say, in the
way you live, in your love, your
faith, and your purity" (1
Timothy 4:12). This woman was
determined to not just worship with
her mouth, but also with her life.
"Worship is born in our hearts,
not on our lips. It's a life-style,
not only a segment of a church
service." It isn't just singing
loud, it's living loud for our
great God!

She didn't care what everyone
thought about her sacrifice. She
didn't care who was or wasn't
willing to give there all to Jesus.
All she cared about was
worshiping, loving, and serving
Jesus. It wasn't about a list of dos
and dont's. It wasn't about being
seen or applauded by people. It
was about a relationship. A
relationship that said, "God, I give
you all of my heart. I give you
full custody, not just weekend
visits. I am nothing without you.
I give all that I am to You. I
surrender." Because of her
decision to live a poured out life,
God was not only glorified, but we
see that what she did would
inspire many for years to come.

"Aware of this, Jesus said to
them, Why are you bothering
this woman? She has done a
beautiful thing to me. Truly I tell
you, wherever this gospel is
preached throughout the world,
what she has done will also be
told, in memory of her."

I don't know who this is for, but it's
time that you surrender your all to
Jesus. "How do you know if you
have broken your alabaster box at
the feet of Jesus? Such a decision
will be reflected in reckless
abandonment to the Lordship of
Jesus Christ.

reckless /r-kl!s/ adj: marked by
lack of proper caution: utterly
unconcerned about the
consequences of some action.

abandon /!-bn-d!n/ n: to give
(oneself) over unrestrainedly.

reckless abandon /r-kl!s !-
bn-d!n/: to give oneself
unrestrainedly to the cause of
Jesus and the promotion of His
kingdom without concern for
danger and the consequences
of that action.

Because of your reckless
abandonment to Christ, your
attitude will reflect Marys
response to the angel when she,
as a single woman, was given a
difficult assignment. Mary said, I
belong to the Lord, body and
soul...be it unto me according to
Your Word! (Lk. 1:38) [Jakie
Kendall]. Take your alabaster box,
with your desires and dreams, and
entrust them to Jesus.

Continue Reading at
www.newsyoucanusersj.weebly.com




kestor|ng A V|s|on Lvange||z|ng Nat|ons Issue #9 November 2S, 2013
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Have plenty of courage.
God is stronger than
the devil.
We are on the winning
side.

"While we look not at
the things which are
seen, but at the things
which are not seen; for
the things which are
seen are TEMPORAL;
but the things which
are not seen are
ETERNAL."
2 Corinthians 4:18

Recently, I had a very discouraging
moment. I felt like completely giving
up. After a few days of "self pity"
(might as well be real) I remembered
2 Timothy 1:6-7 which says,
"Therefore I remind you to stir up
the gift of God which is in you
through the laying on of my hands.
For God has not given us a spirit of
fear, but of power and of love and
of a sound mind."

This is why it is important friend, to
build yourself up on your most holy
faith....not only when trouble comes,
but before it does. That way, when
trouble comes fear, doubt, nor
unbelief will come out of your
mouth.....ONLY FAITH, THE WORD,
and WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY
SPOKEN TO YOUR HEART WILL
COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!

As you face the future, situations and
circumstances in life may appear
overwhelming. But that's only in the
natural. If you will open your spiritual
eyes, you will clearly see that God
and all of Heaven are on your side!
I've written about 2 Kings 6 before,
but during my discouraging moment
God led me to 2 Kings 6 again. In this
chapter we read that Elisha's servant
Gehazi went outside one morning and
saw the entire city surrounded by the
Syrian army. Gehazi focused on what
was going on in the natural, and he
began to panic. He had a fleshly or
natural outlook. But there is another
outlook: the spiritual or supernatural
outlook.....the outlook that we as
blood bought believers are called to
have.

The outlook you have will determine
whether you are operating in a spirit
of fear or a spirit of power. The
natural outlook will cause you to
operate in a spirit of fear. But the
supernatural outlook will cause
you to operate in a spirit of
POWER!
We must look through EYES
OF FAITH......NO MATTER
WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND
US! I know, it is a lot easier said
then done.....but it is what we as
believers are called to do.....which
means IT IS POSSIBLE!

Friend, if you continue to look at
your situation in the natural, you
will undoubtedly yield to the spirit
of fear. That can cause feelings of
panic, unworthiness, inadequacy,
despair, or depression to control
and influence you. But when you
look at your situation in the
supernatural, you will yield to the
spirit of power, the spirit of love,
and the spirit of a sound mind!
The Word tells us that what is
seen is TEMPORARY.....it's the
things you can't see that are
often the most important. The
things you can't see----the
eternal things of the Spirit are
permanent. Looking only at the
seen will defeat you, but
looking at the unseen will bring
you victory and cause you to
say about your situation what
God says about it.


Cont|nue kead|ng at
www.newsyoucanusers[.weeb|y.co
m


kestor|ng A V|s|on Lvange||z|ng Nat|ons Issue #9 November 2S, 2013
7
Ask kaven..
Hey Friend!
Do you have any questions or need
some godly advice?

SubmlL quesLlons aL
www.newsyoucanusers[.weebly.com/ask-
raven.hLml
vlslL Lhe news ?ou
Can use WebslLe
for:

rayer 8equesLs
Ask 8aven

rayer kequests

Clve your burdens Lo Lhe Lord, and Pe
wlll Lake care of ?Cu. Pe wlll noL
permlL Lhe Codly Lo sllp and fall!"
salms 33:22 nL1
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