ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

WHAT ARE THE BEST GIFTS OF ALL?  I think they are those that we receive with grateful hearts ~ and then turn around and lay them at the feet of Jesus!  It seems that this message will be a postscript to last week’s!  Remember me sharing about one of our granddaughters wanting us to give the gift we would have given to her – to someone less fortunate?  Well, it turns out to be a truly precious story when God gets involved and He gives the idea!  And it HAD to be HIS idea – because several months ago, we had included a photo of our little great-granddaughter in the small packet we sent to our “adopted World Vision child”, Tarike, in Ethiopia.  We thought since we are old enough to be her grandparents, it would be fun for her to see some pictures of children.  So we tucked in a few prints of our Sunday School children ~ and then added in one of our little Emma.  Tarike is getting to “meet” all of our grandchildren as we keep sending her more photos! Amazingly not long before our granddaughter’s wish became known, we received a letter from Tarike, and a part of it went like this, word for word:  “I also love the cards and the photos so much.  My family and I are so thankful to you for sending your photos which made us get to know you better.  Especially we love the picture of Emma.  She is so beautiful.  I wish if I could hold and hug her to entertain with her.  I always miss and love you so much.”  Now the beauty of this story is that we have never met Tarike, and we have only corresponded and sent support to her for a little over two years, yet this is how she feels!  Imagine Jesus planning this three-way connection through us … and our granddaughter who is Emma’s mommy … and Tarike.  What intricate planning by Him so this gift intended for our granddaughter will now be presented to Tarike to help make her life better in a land so far away!  But the best part of this gift is that it will ultimately be presented to Jesus on His birthday!  Is that the end of this story?  No, no!  God has fanned into flame this desire to give gifts to His Son on His birthday, and now more of our family are saying, “Can you do the same for us?  It can be an individual – or a family.  Just bless them on our behalf!”  So there will not be the usual gifts under some of our family trees this year ~ but there will be a card tucked in amongst the branches telling Jesus what our birthday gifts to Him are this year … as if He doesn’t already know!  There’s definitely no way to keep any of His gifts a secret from Him!  You know the feeling we all get when we see the smiles and excitement on the faces of those we love when they open a gift that means so much to them.  And in the same way, Jesus wants you to see His smile and His pleasure when He receives the gift you’ve chosen to bless Him with!  There’s no greater joy than giving to others, is there?  Except when the recipient is the Prince of Peace, our Savior, Christ the Lord!  Have you ever realized that you can make the Son of God SMILE?  Yes, YOU!  Just be open to listening to His heart and you will have no lack of opportunities to bless others in His Name!  This past Sunday we sang “Christmas Offering” for the first time – and it will be our theme song for this month as we worship our Lord and King together in His House.  We raise our voices with the songwriters and vocalists of Casting Crowns:  “We bring an offering of worship to our King.  No one on earth deserves the praises that we sing.  Jesus, may You receive the honor that You’re due; honor that You’re due.  O Lord, I bring an offering to You.”  We just want to remind you that your Christmas Offering can be a gift to someone in need, someone without a home or food, someone who is ill, someone who gives their lives to share the message of Jesus’ love and gift of eternal life with those who have not yet heard – or – you fill in the blank!  Your Christmas Offering can be … YOU!  It can be the gift of your life, your worship, your obedience ~ sharing all God asks you to, with everyone He asks you to, when He asks you to … in honor of His Son’s birthday! 

REMEMBER . . . THIS WAS OUR GIFT – and STILL IS:

“For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given,

And the government will be on His shoulders.

And He will be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

~ Isaiah 9:6  

Serving Christ Joyfully . . . 

Pastor Doug and Debbie