Thursday, September 13, 2012

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 
GOD, I WANNA SING YOUR PRAISES!!!  You are amazing, incredible, indescribable!  You are beyond my understanding, my comprehension, my ability to fathom!  You are faithful, generous, and full of surprises … even though I have already asked!  Your ways are SO much higher than my ways – I can barely peek at the ground level stack of gifts … much less the towering stack of presents and plans that You have balanced perfectly.  Your ways could be likened to a solid, sturdy stack of wooden Jenga blocks - before turn by turn the players carefully pull out a small narrow wooden game piece, trying with all their might to be steady and sure so as not to cause the wooden tower to teeter and fall.  Father God, You have the tower of plans and purposes in place.  Our choices often begin to pull away at that tower, leaving see-through gaps here and there.  Still You keep it steady, in spite of us.  When we begin to teeter with doubt and worry, you come alongside and straighten us up with the strength of Your word and the touch of Your hands.  We seem in-line again, stronger than before.  But still we wonder if we can hold it all together, right?  Then, God asks us to do something out of the ordinary.  He asks us to raise our level of trust in Him.  He asks us to activate our faith by stepping out of the comfortable places – and into the unordinary and uncomfortable places in our lives.  Can we do it?  Will we do it?  Will our obedience outweigh our childish, impulsive wishes to pull out one more block and see if the tower will remain standing?  Will we follow in childlike faith and do what He asks – and then watch God’s unfailing steady hand put the pieces back together again?  Sometimes I think God waits to see how we are going to play the game (though He already knows!) before He reveals just how many presents and plans He has in the works for us.  Oh sure, He could just toss them all our way and spoil us – but if we never had to participate in the process, the end results would not be near as precious and powerful, would they?  We would not have learned the godly life-lessons He wants to teach us.  When we start and then continue to pursue His teaching with all that is within us, we begin to see things take place that nearly take our breath away!  Learning some lessons of my own this week as God has taught and tutored me, He has showered down a breathtaking tower of presents and plans – not for me, but for the things and people He has led me to pray for.  Remember, though … when He calls us to do something out of the ordinary, it is never about us – but always and only about HIM, that He might be lifted up and glorified!  The first day in my uncomfortable place, I listened to a voice message on my cell phone after leaving work and discovered that had God miraculously unleashed new support for the church – from out of state!  The second day was a less uncomfortable place for me, and with my faith-level rising, I again arrived home, to hear my husband excitedly share with me that someone from out of town, but in-state, had called and shared that they would be supporting the church.  With day three dawning, I almost could not wait to see what God had in store, and my uncomfortable place was not uncomfortable in the least.  This day, I didn’t even have to wait until I got home … I got a phone call mid-morning informing me that one of our church people who had been out of work for seven months had gone to her first interview and was hired on the spot!  Day four, I leaped into my place of joy and privilege, and first thing in the morning God led me to pray for a precious teacher and a difficult little student.  I didn’t hear anything all day until later this evening, but a text just now came to let me know that God worked phenomenally and the little boy was on his best behavior … a miracle, indeed!  And the sweet, young teacher even had moments throughout the day to breathe prayers and praises to our God!  Do I even want to go back to being “comfortable”?  No, Lord, I want to follow hard after You, like the scripture says, even when it isn’t easy … because there is no place as wonderful as being right in the middle of what You are up to!  I sing Your praises!!! 
 
 
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
 
A SPECIAL WELCOME to Brittany who has worshipped with us recently; may you be blessed by God above as you seek Him!
LOVING BIRTHDAY WISHES to our 21 year old granddaughter, Whitney!  May God ever & always be your joy!  We love you!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WISHES to James & Tina; we pray for God’s abundant blessings and favor upon your marriage!
 
SUN, SEP 16:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP w/Part 2 of “Addressing the Heart of the Church” message!
SUN, SEP 16:   11:15 A.M. – KINGDOM CONNECTION CLASSES for all ages – let’s learn more about our Lord!
WED, SEP 19:   7:00 P.M.  – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY at 905 El Dorado Street SE in Owatonna; bring your Bible!
SUN, SEP 23:  10:00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP / 11:15 A.M. – KINGDOM CONNECTION CLASSES for all!
 
PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . Several unspoken needs for healing and financial provision, the need for a vehicle, a job, strength for care-giving, provision of people to serve in various ministries, for Lundstroms,  Seykoras, reaching the lost, & for our nation!
 
REMEMBER . . . “Where are you?  Start there.  Openly and freely declare your need to the One who cares deeply.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll  
 
 
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
 
 
Pastor Doug and Debbie
 

0 comments: