Elevation North has News for You!

“HE (GOD) LOVES EACH ONE OF US, AS IF THERE WERE ONLY ONE OF US!” Those words were spoken by Augustine who must have believed them if he said them … and we agree with him whole-heartedly! And of course, the Bible backs that statement up over and over ~ more on that in a bit. That’s quite some love, though, when you think about it! That kind of love gives us confidence that can keep our faith from wavering. And we shouldn’t have to be down – or looking down - when we know we are loved that way! Like someone else has stated: “May you never miss a sunset or a rainbow because you are looking down.” Where ARE you looking? Well, we hope you are looking UP! With that kind of an upward stance in your vision, you will grasp something very important . . . and that is that “God watches us!” The reference to the sparrow in Matthew 10:31 proves that while such a little bird is not worth much to most people – “God cares what happens to it even more than you do.” And the scripture goes on to say, “He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail – even numbering the hairs on your head!” (The Message Bible) We’d say that means that God is watching us pretty closely and values us greatly! This morning I heard the refrains of an old song, and as I listened to the words sung so beautifully and powerfully by a young lady … confidence washed over me anew, just knowing that HE WATCHES ME! Any earthly Father watching their child will step in at just the right moment … to encourage, help, protect, rescue, guide, console, comfort … and to just be there! Why would we think our Heavenly Father would do any less … when He sees what’s happening in our lives as He’s watching us?! So … take heart, dear friends … get your vision adjusted and KEEP looking up! And if you’ve been looking down ~ then now is the perfect time to START looking up! What a difference it will make in what you SEE! And to wrap up Augustine’s words with proof of their truth, nothing says it like John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And the Message Bible says it this way: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.” Did you catch the words “whosoever” and “anyone” in each of the versions? They mean “if there were only one of us”! So, there it is: God loves you, as if you were the only one! Undivided, focused love you can count on. Love that watches you! That’s how God loves YOU!
AND THAT KIND OF LOVE is the love we celebrated on Resurrection Sunday in a beautiful indoor garden setting with an EMPTY, rugged cross before us. Pastor Doug walked us alongside a few of the many people who Jesus appeared to after His resurrection, sharing their responses when they realized “He’s alive!” We were challenged to see which response we would fit into – and more than that, to ACT on the Good News! What is our response today?
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
- SPECIAL THANKS to everyone who participated and made our Holy Week services so very special; culminating with the Resurrection Celebration on Sunday morning! It was great to have Connie & Kayla & Stephen with us, as well as Kevin & Kristen & family who stopped on their way to the Cities!
- COMING SOON will be an opportunity to reach out to our community with our new church brochures and “Invitation CD’s” – sharing the gospel of Christ!
- PLEASE PRAY for the family of Bill Simmons who went Home to be with the Lord on the day before Easter, following his massive stroke less than a week earlier. While he celebrated Easter in Heaven, we know his family will miss him dearly.
- BE IN FERVENT PRAYER for our nation, our military, our community, our church, our families, and especially the many who have lost jobs or have had wages and hours cut. Remember that God is Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider! Pray about how we can bless others in need!
- LOOKING AHEAD ~
- ALL YOUTH OUTING to a Fun Center in Mankato on Saturday, April 18th; call for details
- JR HI YOUTH will meet on Saturday, April 25th, from 5:45-7:00 p.m. with Cierra Bucholz
- COUPLES “MOVIE NIGHT”/FIREPROOF at the home of Clint & Kristina Bucholz on April 25th
- MAY 2 – MOTHER/DAUGHTER TEA at 2:00 p.m. at Senior Place; invitations to hand out to family and friends are available from Hazel at church
- MAY 7 – NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER SERVICE – a focused time of prayer for our nation
- MAY 10 – MOTHER’S DAY/RALLY with Larry and Gloria Lundstrom; who can you invite that is in need of life-changing encouragement and blessing, plus an introduction to Jesus as Savior?! You won’t want to miss this service – and neither will your family and friends!!!
- PLAN TO JOIN US SUNDAY for worship and praise and fellowship! Come with your sadness, your worries, and your burdens. Leave them at the feet of Jesus! You will leave changed and renewed by the power of Christ!


Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie