ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

One of the most empowering words of love that I know of is “CHOSEN!”  How does it make you feel when someone says, “I CHOOSE YOU!”  Or, “I’ve CHOSEN you to be a part of my wedding, my party, my team!”  And one of the highest compliments another person can give you is to tell you, “I REALLY needed someone to bare my soul to, someone who would just listen to me and pray with me; and because I know I can trust you, I CHOSE YOU!”  Chosen.  Being chosen by someone else pours added value into our spirits.  It awakens a part of our heart and soul that God designed to be filled and fulfilled.  And what happens to anyone who does not feel chosen?  And more importantly, what happens to those who ARE chosen, but they don’t see it, know it, or believe that they are?

With this beautiful season of the celebration of Christ’s birth, I have been drawn to the thought of many of God’s choices in how He would bring His Son into this world and in how He would present Him as the Hope of the world.  I love how God CHOSE ordinary people to be His vessels of CHOICE for carrying out the birth of His Son!  I see a precious and powerful correlation between the word “chosen” and the event of Jesus’ birth that would forever change life for us on this earth – through His subsequent life, death, and resurrection.  Every prophecy, every person, every part played was a fulfillment of God’s choices for His Son.  The innocent, pure, young girl who would carry the divine seed of the Holy Spirit and become the mother of Jesus.  The young man of integrity, Joseph, who would raise Jesus as His own.  The prophecy that this Baby’s name would be “Jesus” – and the act of obedience that would cause this name not only to tumble off the lips of His family and friends – but to be the Name above all others. The stable, the manger, the swaddling clothes wrapped around the Baby.  The animals that hovered close by. The Star that lit up the world that night. The angels announcing the Birth in resounding hallelujahs. The shepherds who nearly fainted in fear but picked themselves up and followed the Star to the stable.  The wise men who traveled from afar with only a special Star as their compass in quest of the Child who they purposed to worship.  The townsfolk who witnessed it all and shook their heads in awe.   All were a part of God’s amazing plan to bring salvation to us.  He CHOSE this amazing GIFT for US, people! 

God chose this course of action to put into place His plan that would carry His Son o’er dusty paths for the next thirty-three years, taking Him from the splinters in that wooden manger - to beautifully carved pieces of woodwork by His own hands in Josephs’ carpenter shop – all the way to that old rugged cross on Calvary.  You see, the Chosen Gift became our Sacrifice.  Jesus was appointed and hand-picked through the will of His Father in heaven.  Royalty, yet chosen to suffer a most unfathomable death.  For who?  Sinners – that’s us, you and me.  Sinners, chosen to receive something special, eternal – if we would just say “yes” to His gift.  Saying “yes” makes us His choice children:  worthy, excellent, superior, fine, select, rare, uncommon, valuable, precious.  In ourselves?  No!  But by His standards of seeing us through His shed blood, He calls us “CHOSEN!”  Being chosen by God means that we are the object of His choice and divine favor – because of our acceptance of His Son - and thus showered with attention and special gifts from His hands to our hearts.  We are chosen for a special purpose. 

And just like for Jesus, sometimes the choices of God for us include suffering for a purpose greater than ourselves and our own wishes.  Somehow I think that when we truly grasp the joy of knowing we are chosen by God, and we more fully understand our place in His pleasure – that we are loved and valuable, hand-picked and preferred, appointed and favored - we finally find ourselves in the place of triumph and victory.  For we finally “get it!”  No matter where life takes us, we find ourselves in the powerful frame of mind that believes the very Word of God which tells us that “no weapon formed against us shall prosper!” (Isaiah 54:17) We find ourselves in the place of capably achieving victories on battlefield after battlefield when we successfully tear down the strongholds that set themselves up against us. (II Corinthians 10:4) One at a time.  Each time.  Yes, we are CHOSEN.  But we must make the CHOICES that will enable us to live as God’s CHOSEN people!  In this amazing season of Christ-centered celebration, may YOU see yourself as God’s CHOSEN royalty, bought with the precious, priceless blood of Jesus!  Let’s live like we KNOW it and BELIEVE it, dear ones!

REMEMBER . . .

“ … you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, God’s own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

~ I Peter 2:9  

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

“NOW GO; I WILL HELP YOU SPEAK AND WILL TEACH YOU WHAT TO SAY.”  How I love it when God speaks to me in such personal ways!  I rolled over in bed this morning, curled up for a few more lingering moments before needing to exit the warmth beneath the covers.  What was on my mind was a yet unspoken prayer that God would give me HIS message for this blog yet unwritten.  Before my feet touched the floor enroute to the kitchen to prepare Communion for my morning time with God this day, my eyes rested on a beautiful post painted by a friend.  I had just asked my husband to pray for God’s anointing on me so that His words would be given to me as I wrote.  Within seconds my eyes rested on this beautiful message straight from the heart of God to me today … though it had been spoken first to Moses, so long ago recorded for us in Exodus 4:12:  “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”  There, I had my instructions. 

Now it was time to offer my first portion of the day in thanksgiving and praise to my Lord, remembering “why” He came to earth and gave His life for “me”, as I celebrated His life and death and resurrection.  It is a powerful time between the Creator and His created – it is intimately personal.  Partaking of Communion helps us remember the priceless sacrifice of Jesus giving His body and shedding His life’s blood for us, so that when we say “yes” to Him we have the gift and assurance of life with Him in heaven for all of eternity.  But it holds yet a deeper dimension of what Jesus wants us to remember.  I wholeheartedly believe that celebrating Communion allows us to bring the remembrance of “why” He did what He did for us – for this day.  For this moment in time.  For these circumstances we face – today.  For these people we are praying for – for their  needs.  For our needs.  For us to ask for cleansing and purging and forgiveness.  When we look at our lives in the here and now in the blazing reality that Christ came so that we might have overcoming victory today … right now … for such a time and circumstance as this … it changes everything about how we live our lives before God and with Him!

My eyes fell on such perfect scriptures for today and for the days we are now living in, as I purposely turned to specific portions in God’s Word this morning.  Over the past few days the news alerts have jumped off the pages and screens … screaming fear to whoever will receive it.  Paris attacks kill 130 people; Mali massacre; terrorism alert levels raised to “serious and immediate threat”; US citizens urged to exercise caution, especially in large crowds; Brussels (Belgium) placed on lockdown;  and the headlines just continue on in horror and disbelief.  But these things are happening, we cannot deny that.  And because they are, that demands a response from us. 

What will we do?  Initially, we will experience the human emotions that flood o’er us.  But then … we MUST remember WHO is in control, and WHOSE we are!  I would encourage you to grab your Bible and open it to Luke chapter 24 and read it slowly and carefully.  Receive its message – take it in its truths.  It is powerful!  It was then when it was written – and it is just as powerful on this day in November, 2015 when our world is falling apart at the seams, seeming to destruct at the hands of all the evil being unleashed.  When the events of Luke 24 took place, the disciples’ emotions were wandering all over the place.  Their Jesus had been crucified.  Now the tomb was empty.  They felt alone, abandoned and lost.  Though the women came and reported to the disciples the words of the angels that “He was risen” – the disciples thought it was just an idle tale – nonsense.  Later that day, as they walked and talked, Jesus caught up with them and engaged with them in their perplexed conversation.  He even explained it all to them, from beginning to end.  But they just didn’t get it.  When they urged Him to stay with them since it was almost evening, He did.  And amazingly, it was during His sharing of the bread, praising God, giving thanks, asking a blessing, breaking it and giving it to them – that their eyes were instantly opened and they recognized Him!  It was in that moment that they believed He had risen and appeared to them!  There are two very powerful verses here that we need to grasp and understand.  “Then they (themselves) related (in full) what had happened on the road, and how He was known and recognized by them in the breaking of bread.  Now while they were talking about this, Jesus Himself took His stand among them and said to them, Peace (freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as a result of sin) be to you!”  (verses 35-36)  Did YOU get it?  Did you see the power of revelation that Christ brings to us as we sit in His presence and remember why He came to do what He did for us?  And do you see that He came back to their midst for the purpose of speaking peace to them!  I love the description of the peace that Jesus brings as explained in the Amplified Bible:  freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as a result of sin!  In today’s world, that pretty much covers it.  We are in days of distress due to sin and evil – and our Lord comes to speak peace to us!  For today, dear ones.  For each day.  One day at a time!  I encourage you to receive these words of peace and speak them to others!  God has given us the Words!  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

                                                                                                                             

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

A VITAL NECESSITY.  Just when does God become a vital necessity to us?  Somehow even the air we breathe that keeps us alive can become a thing taken for granted.  But remove the availability of air – and we will have no life.  So how vital is that necessity to our physical lives?  And WHO gives us that gift and provision?  None other than the One who also longs to have us understand that His presence in our lives is as vital a necessity to our spiritual well-being as the very air we breathe!  More so, actually.

Why is it that people forget to “breathe God in” when they feel as if life is sailing along quite smoothly?  When everything is falling into place?  When things are going their way?  When all is laughter and the struggles of life have been placed on the shelf of denial?  Could it be that we are raising our own abilities above our desire or need for God?

And why is it that in the moments that take our breath away, we finally pay attention to the fact that we cannot breathe without God alive within us?  That we cannot survive if He is not alive in our hearts?  When our most precious ones disappear from our sight and leave this life behind … we can barely breathe.  When crushing disappointments come from any angle … we feel like the life is being squeezed from us.  When relationships lack love, honor and respect, or turn cold and sour ... we feel as if we cannot even muster another breath to go on.  But it is in these very moments that we finally give in and cry out to God for “spiritual air” so that our faith stays alive.  That’s all well and good – but “what if” we learned the life-giving technique of “breathing God in” - in every circumstance?  How much different would our lives really be?

Listen to this scripture:  “Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me (as a vital necessity) and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”  (Jeremiah 29:13, The Amplified Bible)  Somehow, that tells me that when I choose this “breathing God-connection” and apply it to every part of my life, I will discover how God meant for me to live!  Every day.  Every hour.  Every moment.  In every circumstance.  Whether in joy.  Or in sorrow.  Whether I have plenty.  Or not enough.  His Word says I need to “require” Him.  That sounds pretty mandatory to me, and for good reason!

Let’s see if we can make clearer sense of this.  Deuteronomy, chapter 4, verses 29-30 share the same message as the above verse in Jeremiah.  It helps us clarify the fact that WE, ourselves, have much to do with how this breathing thing turns out.  We can either hyperventilate and suck for air, or we can purposefully choose to breathe in God as the vital necessity that He is.  IF we seek God, inquire for God, and require as VITAL NECESSITY our Lord God, then we WILL find HIM – IF – we really, truly SEEK HIM with ALL our HEART and MIND and SOUL and LIFE!  That leaves nothing out.  You see, if air is needed by our body to keep living, then all the more God is needed by our heart and soul, our very life … to keep living.  As believers, we should be just as concerned about maintaining our spiritual lives as our physical lives.  About breathing in God, more than breathing in air.  Breathing in God will renew us, refresh us, and bring us to the lives of victory and triumph that most people just wish for.  You see, breathing in God should not be an option for His children.  His Word says that it is something we must do; it is necessary.  Vitally so.  It should be a spiritual compulsion.  We should experience the need to breathe in God as an urgent desire, until we awaken to the realization that there is no other way to live.  Not if we want to live in obedience to Him.  What was that verse again?  Let’s memorize it, dear friends, and live it … breathing God into every part of our lives.  Every part!

REMEMBER . . .

“Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me (as a vital necessity)

and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

~ Jeremiah 29:13  

Serving Christ Joyfully . . . 

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

TUTELAGE.  That sounds like such an old-fashioned word, doesn’t it?  In most everyday circles we likely do not hear many people using this word in their everyday conversation.  But as I’ve prepared to pen the words of this long overdue article for our church blog, I heard God say that one word to me.  I looked up some definitions of the word and I guess with what has been going on in my spiritual journey since I’ve last “chatted” with you – it makes sense!  This is a specific place of learning that I have come to anticipate daily not only as I sit at the feet of Jesus, but as I walk through my day.  But it is truly what I soak in and come to understand in the quiet times that allows me to practice and act on in the real living that takes place when I leave my “desk”. 

Tutelage actually means the teaching or instruction of an individual student by a teacher.  That would be me, of course, as the student, being taught one-on-one by the Teacher.  Yup, you’ve got it.  The Teacher that I’ve sat under in tutelage in recent weeks has been none other than Jesus! A deeper meaning of the word is that it is an act or process of serving as guardian or protector.  And that is exactly what I have received from my Teacher; He has totally looked out after me in all of the circumstances that have been flung my way and He has guarded me like no other one could.  I’ve known I was safe from any and all attacks of the enemy of my soul, no matter what form he would choose to come in.  When I sat at my “desk” or on the floor of my “war room – my prayer room” … He tutored me personally and imparted knowledge and skills to me as I opened His Word and drank in the truths.  What I didn’t understand, He made clear – a bit at a time.  Sometimes I had to live it out for real before it made total sense. 

In this time of daily coaching, I have begun to realize that I am being conditioned:  conditioned to believe and to receive everything that God sends my way … and conditioned to be strong enough to not receive anything that comes my way that is not from God!  Did you get that?  Go back and read it again!!  Responding to everything in my life that way has been nothing short of life-changing!  It becomes a cry-of-the-heart prayer that transforms into a way of life that brings liberty and freedom.  This is truly how God meant for us to live!  Yet, even as believers, it takes most of us a lifetime of taking on the weight and the shackles and chains of captivity thrust upon us by the enemy – before we are ready to be done with that once and for all! 

Under the tutelage of my Lord, I have been cultivated, prepared and readied for not only my todays, but for what lies ahead of me.  I have been developed, directed, guided, and nurtured.  I have learned and then I’ve failed again.  But my Coach picks me up and stands me up on solid ground and tells me I can do it.  He tells me to try again.  And when I succeed, He picks me up and swings me around in a celebratory dance complete with whoops and hollers!  Yes, Jesus gets excited about the progress His students make! And I have loved being a student in these past weeks more than I ever have in my past!  When morning dawns, I can hardly wait to take my place at His feet and listen and learn ~ and then go out and live it.  My favorite parts of the sessions are the dialogue we share.  I love when He invites me to pour out my heart in all honesty before Him.  I love knowing that I have His full attention, for after all, it’s just Him and me!  Sometimes I feel a little chided when He makes me aware of some tests I have to re-take so that I get it right – but He is always so tender and caring and patient with me.  I can tell He wants me to experience the best and the whole of all He has to teach me, even more than I desire it.  That makes me want to please Him, though, even more.  And I love when He smiles at me with those eyes that hold me in their gaze; for then I know He loves that I desire to lavish my love on Him each new day, making our relationship as life-giving as the air I breathe.

There are really no words to flesh out the spiritual intimacy between God and man – in this case, me!  Or ~ you!  But I know more deeply than I’ve ever known, that He wants us to come and sit at His feet for many reasons:  for fellowship, forgiveness, learning, love, receiving His good and perfect gifts, and battling the enemy in His Name so we can reject his attempts to destroy everything and everyone we hold close to our hearts!  And, dear ones, there is SO much more!  We’ve just barely scratched the surface about this journey under the tutelage of our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit!  But let me tell you, when they Team-Teach, we can never remain the same!  How we live changes!  I’d love to hear your stories, because we are in this time of instruction for a purpose far greater than we can ever imagine.  Lord Jesus, have Your way in our lives, I pray!

REMEMBER . . .

“In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
~ Proverbs 3:6 

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug & Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

WHAT IS THE CHURCH SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE?  No, I am not talking about the exterior architectural design or the stately steeple pointing heavenward.  It’s not about how beautiful the stained glass windows of yesteryear were or still are; it’s not even about the color scheme or the cushiony, padded chairs.  On the flip side, it is not about how contemporary and non-churchy looking the building is to draw people in.  Neither is it about what the preacher looks like or how great or awful he is at delivering the message.  Nor is it about how professional the worship team is or how off-key they are when it comes to leading the people in those old hymns or newly written worship songs – you take your pick, because most people surely have a strong opinion, right?  I am not even talking about how fashionable the dress code seems to be of those attending – or how casual and flippant the choice of attire is.  Sorry, I am not trying to be sarcastic; I am just attempting to paint a picture of how we as the church are supposed to look!   And what I’ve just penned has nothing at all to do with how God wants us to look!

Here’s another statement to consider:  what DOES the church look like today?  Sad to say in many cases and places, the church looks like a group of people out-of-touch with the real world.  Many so-called Christians walk around looking like they have arrived … and they wonder what anyone less than their status is doing in their church.  They are horrified that the less-than-perfect newcomers will ruin their attempt to achieve perfection:  to be right … to look right.  But do they act right?  You see, how we ACT is a pretty accurate indicator of WHY we look like we do.  Our actions label us as “something” – whether we like it or not.  But the great thing about that is – we get to choose what we look like, with God’s help!

THIS is probably a more accurate description of a church that the Lord Jesus Christ would feel welcome and comfortable in.  Since the people are the church according to the Word of God, what God looks for is in the hearts of the people.  I see most of our world as filled with broken people.  The church is no exception.  And it is not just the sinners on the outside or inside who are broken; it is also all of us who call ourselves by Christ’s Name.  But, He takes one look at our brokenness, and He reaches out His nail-scarred hands and says, “Here, let me put all those pieces back together for you.  I want YOU to be whole again!”  He loves to see a church who looks as if they have been broken but who do not want to stay that way and allow God to do a spiritual surgical repair on them!  You get a church full of people who have allowed God to carve on them, removing the sins that so easily beset us – and you will see a church full of people who can love people right where they are at, because they themselves have been there.  You get a church full of people who were broken but who are desperate enough to cry out to God to be put back together again – and you will see a church who is powerful and strong, yet gentle and compassionate because they remember what the brokenness was like.  You get a church full of people who have been stubborn and judgmental and negative and they allow God to melt them into something redeemed and new – you will see a transformed church of radical, set-on-fire, positive people who can love others unconditionally.  You get a church full of people who are selfish and only care about their own needs being met and then God gets a grip on them and helps them die to themselves – you will see a church full of servants who cannot wait to give of themselves:  their time, their talents and gifts, their money, their worship, their BEST!  Are you getting the picture of the church that God longs to see?  When all the “old is passed away and we become new creatures in Christ” – not only will we look like Him, but we will see each other in a new way!  And the world will see us, the Church, as a powerful force to be reckoned with:  blood-bought warriors armed with prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit within us!  CHURCH, THIS is what God wants us to look like! 

So, with God’s help … what do YOU want our church to look like?  And does that desire match up with God’s plan and longing for Elevation North, according to His Word?  We challenge each of you to seek God and ask Him what He wants YOU to look like … for YOU are His church.  YOU label God’s church in this community.  How?  By your words, your actions, your everyday living, your availability, your dependability, your passion to share the God that you desire to reflect!  Dear God, please help us get it right!  We want You to LOVE coming to our church as we lift You up and exalt You and give You first place in our hearts and lives!  Then and only then, can we truly say, “World … look out!  We are not perfect, but we resemble the Jesus we love – and here we come to share Him with you!”

REMEMBER . . .

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

~ II Corinthians 5:17   

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .  

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!  For such a time as WHAT, you ask?  For such a time as RIGHT NOW in your life.  Today … this summer day in 2015.  While our world seems to be spinning out of control and spiraling ever downward … the time is NOW!  Alright – I will get to the punch line!  We all honestly know and have to admit that it is never the perfect time for ANYthing!  Somehow, we are never ready or fully prepared for what is to come.  But it is going to come anyway, be it amazingly wonderful and joyous, or devastatingly destructive and sorrowful.  Somehow, we don’t quite know what to do with what we feel is out of our control.  We are not GOD, after all!  But I fear that in so many of our circumstances, we do not let God be GOD!  From personal experience, we think we have to help make it happen in just the right way … or we have to help fix it … or we have to solve it.  Is there any other way?  Well, yes, there is! 

We just need to let God be GOD!  But far too often we feel overwhelmed, overpowered, over-anxious, over-stressed, over-angry, even out of control … and we cannot get over anything!  NOW is the time to ask ourselves some reality questions.  What are we still hanging on to?  What are we letting control us?  And what is clutching at our hearts with a death-grip?  Why can’t we just let go?  Why do we take the control stick away from God and jump in and try to maneuver things the way we think best?  You know, our very best thinking just doesn’t get us where we want to be!  Does it have to be this difficult?  Actually, these are the perfect times to take our hands off the steering wheel and let God be GOD! 

Or perhaps you have this false notion that everything is exactly perfect at this time and place in your life.  From family to friends to finances.  From happiness to health to home.  From relationships to responsibilities to the routine.  From work to well-being to winning at life.  But you see, we live in a fallen world.  And the reality of life is – life happens!  And it happens when we least expect it.  An unwelcome diagnosis at the doctor’s office.  A job that ends.  An estranged relationship.  Loneliness that eats away at the heart.  An empty bank account.  Disappointments that crush the soul.  Words that cut.  Pain that does not go away.  Well, I’d best quit with this reality check before I have you in tears.

So how do we make this “letting God be GOD” thing work?  Well, all I know is what I read in God’s Word … and all I know in addition to that is what I experience in my own life!  So here goes . . .

The Bible talks about “for such a time as this” in the book of Esther.  When the lives of all the Jewish people in the kingdom were at risk to perish, Esther’s uncle Mordecai sent a message to her in the palace.  What he basically said was that she should not flatter herself assuming that she would escape where she had been placed as the Queen, any more than all the other Jews.  How I love the rest of his loving, but urgent message to his niece:  “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?”  (chapter 4:14)  What place does God have you in right now where you can effect great changes if you will just let Him be WHO HE IS?  I urge you to pray and ask God to open your eyes to what you need to let go of so that He can do His work in the life circumstances you would like victory in!

At the beginning of this year, one word rang out clearly above all others in my heart.  It was “relationships.”  I wasn’t sure why.  It wasn’t that my life was filled with lots of broken relationships or that I lacked relationships.  Quite the contrary.  But in our human imperfection things can crop up that make us want to run to Jesus to make it good again … great, in fact!  At any rate, I just sensed that I was desiring more closeness and unity in all of my relationships.  God helped me recognize that I could not change anything in anyone else.  And He reminded me that the best thing I could do was to come before Him in all honesty and ask Him to let me see me as He sees me – so He could fix in me what would help make things like I longed for them to be.  Well, long story short, God must have done some amazing work in me.  I don’t know what He did in anyone else, but as the weeks and months progressed throughout this year, I would experience the most loving, affirming experiences within the relationships that I cherish and hold closest to my heart.  It was so noticeable, that I would actually stop and just look up and say, “Wow, God … that is amazing!  Only YOU could have done this!”  And you know what?  I am so glad that I got out of the way, and just let God be GOD in my relationships!  Are ALL of them perfectly wonderful?  No, there’s a few God is still working on me about.  But I am trying to stay out of the way, I am asking Him to keep changing me, and I am trusting that in His time, there will again be the connectedness I desire.  You know what?  It really is FUN inviting and allowing God to be GOD!  Amazing things happen way beyond what we could ever only dream of doing!

REMEMBER . . .

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

~ 2 Corinthians 6:2b  

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .  

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

BELOVED OF GOD!  Yes, that’s YOU!  Do we not all long to be called “beloved?”  Especially by God?!  The early morning sunshine has broken through the darkness and I love that it radiates the promise of all that this new day will hold!  There is not even a speck of darkness anywhere because the light of the sun has caused it to be nonexistent.  Darkness has fled … and is no more.  Likewise, for us as the family of Elevation North, this Sunday dedication of the church building God has brought us to – has broken through the past years of journeying through place after place after place as we sought a permanent place to worship!  While each location brought with it brushstrokes of shadowed greys on the canvas of our church, each time God reminded us that we were His beloved and He boldly dashed strokes of yellows and golds here and there, lighting up the way for where He wanted us next!  And today, our past challenges have fled.  They remain no more.  We have taken each step … by faith … when we could barely see the way.  And God shed just enough Sonshine day by day for us to see this day revealed … by faith!  So here we are!  And we are raising our hands in gratitude for all God has done.  But more than that, here we stand raising our hands to Him in expectation and with willing hearts to be a part of all He has yet to do in us and through the ministry of Elevation North! 

As we stand on this new threshold and look out from this vantage point, we can only see dimly into the future.  That limited view could leave us at a disadvantage if we did not seek to see through God’s eyes.  We need to KNOW where we are going from this point forward, you know.  We cannot rest on this victory God has blessed us with.  It must be a springboard to the plans HE has for us.  If you were to answer the question, “What do you see still needing to be done here at Elevation North so that God’s Spirit might be fully unleashed in our midst?” – what would YOU say?  How would YOU respond? 

Often churches and people attempt to create as many high-energy, flashy, attention-grabbing, professional ministry programs as they can.  Sure, people will come for a while.  Sure, people will be entertained.  And yes, people will most likely hear what makes them feel good.  For a little while.  And then people get bored with all the hype that in the end leaves them feeling rather empty.  So they go on a hunt once more for a church that will meet all of their needs and wants.  Is this the church God wants us to be?

An extended family member who loves and serves the Lord, posted this the other day and I think he hit the nail square on the head, so I’d love to share it with you:  “Are you in a ministry role?  Do you feel as if you constantly have to work harder to impress people and to have your ministry grow?  Have you really let go and handed the ministry over to God, allowing Him to work in your life?  Give it over to Him.  It won’t be easy, but only God can allow it to thrive.  Spend time alone with Him, give Him your burdens, and He will give you rest.” 

Wise words.  So from this day forward we encourage each of you, along with us … because together WE are the CHURCH … to let go of “us” with God’s help!  We cannot carry out God’s perfect plan when we get in the way.  And believe me, we do that just as much as you do!  We need to give Him permission to carve on us a bit – or a lot.  So God, we invite you to carve away ALL of us that does NOT look like You – that does NOT act like You.  Only then can we be in tune to hear what Your Spirit is saying to us.  When we die to ourselves fully and receive and live in the knowledge that we are truly God’s beloved, only then can we really live and breathe and move forward as His Church.  What, oh what, will God do with a church who is totally devoted to Him?  Who truly longs for His way more than ours?  Who speaks the Name of Jesus as naturally as breathing?  Who shares the love of Christ more passionately than we share anything else?  Who cries out to Him on behalf of the hurting, the lost, and the persecuted?  What will God be able to do in us and through us, dear church? 

The cry of my husband’s heart and mine as we shepherd this flock that God has given us is that we want ALL that God wants for Elevation North … nothing more and nothing less.  ALL of it!  And we believe that this will happen because of God’s people being on their knees, asking for God to search our hearts and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, so that He can use us any way He wants to!  Someone has said, “Unless we learn to pray, we never do battle for God.”  We are BELOVED and BLESSED, church!  And privileged to pray!  “How vast are the possibilities of prayer!  How wide its reach!  What great things are accomplished by this divine means of grace!  It lays its hand on Almighty God and moves Him to do what He would not otherwise do if prayer was not offered.  It brings things to pass which would never otherwise occur.” ~ E.M. Bounds

REMEMBER . . .

“Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your Name.”

 ~ Psalm 86:11 

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .        

Pastor Doug and Debbie                      

                       

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

BECOMING MORE!  Why yes!  Should not that be the cry of God’s people today?  Not, “having more” – but “becoming more!”  In the world there’s definitely ample advertising for how to become more:  “do the 21-day fix … and your flab will be fixed”; “never leave home without your American Express card” … then you can buy whatever you want”; purchase Apple products … and you will “think different”; watch ESPN … and you will “miss nothing”; wear Nike shoes … and you will be able to “just do it”; buy a BMW … then you will own “the ultimate driving machine”; choose LG appliances … and you can say “life’s good”; need to ship something – just pick DHL … with them you can “move the world”; invest in DeBeers jewelry … and you can tell her that “a diamond is forever!”  Successful slogans that helped make these companies even more successful – why?  Because a lot of people believed the slogans – or at least, they wanted to.  Thousands upon thousands of these shoppers believed a slogan could/would change their life.  They soon found out the deceit of it all.  Without genuine commitment and dedication to the right dream with the right purpose, and without help from the right Person – it is all fleeting.  The slogans go up in smoke.  The changes for the better seem to plateau and then take a nose-dive.  The products break or rust or wear out.  The promises don’t deliver.  The diamond might last forever – but the marriage doesn’t.  Think about all this for a moment.  Sound familiar?  Add into this mix the highest tech computers, tablets, smart phones that “do it all” … and “do it with lightning speed”.  Then put the icing on the longing to be more connected with Facebook, Twitter, and all forms of social media, and life should be perfect.  Every day.  All the time.  We have everything we need now, right?  Wrong.  What we have is the subtle, but steady descent into a life of flawed perfection.  Sought-after satisfaction diffuses into major dissatisfaction.  Promised happiness and achieved status crumble into empty sadness and maxed-out credit cards.  This really is not what You wanted for Your children, is it God?  In the depths of our hearts, we do long to be more.  For You.  For Your honor and glory.  We see You at work in our lives, and we feel like “life is good”.  But it’s so easy to get satisfied and lulled into a state of being numbed to the fact that God has more for us.  Way more!  Often we stumble through days of wasted time with dulled senses, instead of staying focused and crying out, “What’s next, God?”  With God’s help, we can “just do this”, you know.  Rather than resting on the laurels of a singular God-miracle, we can surge forward in our desire to become more!  You do recognize Who placed that longing within us, don’t you?  Yes, it was God who placed a certain amount of godly discontent within us so that we would never be content with the status quo of this world and its false facades.  It is God Who talks to us, prods us, drops thoughts into our minds and hearts, and helps us recognize that these promptings come from His Holy Spirit to our spirit.  It is definitely God Who brings me to the place of awareness that I have done wrong.  It is most certainly my Holy God Who brings me to my knees in genuine repentance before Him.  It is fully the work of Jesus on the cross through His shed blood that shakes me to the core and “fixes my spiritual flab”.  It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit working in me that convicts me to put just as much effort and time into becoming spiritually fit as I do in every other area of my life.  And I work hard on those other things, believe me.  What if I devoted equal time talking to God for every minute I spent on the phone or social media connecting with others?  What if I sought to remove everything about me that doesn’t look like Jesus – as determinedly as I try to clean all the dusty places in our house?  I AM being literal about this, because God is working on me – literally.  God has just given us a huge miracle in providing our church a permanent place to worship in.  We dare not sit back now in apathy and wait for God to hand us the next miracle.  We need to be actively seeking and pursuing the next opportunity … the next appointment … the next lost soul needing Jesus!  Much work awaits us in God’s Kingdom, and He needs children who will be fully committed and obedient – and continually aware of the shaping that still needs to be done in their lives.  He wants to take us back.  May the ways of the world not fit and gain entrance into our spiritually toned hearts and minds.  May the Lord Jesus Christ alone have full control of our lives so that we can become MORE!  For the cause of Christ!  There is nothing more noble than that.

REMEMBER . . .

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep My commands in your heart,

for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”

~ Proverbs 3:1-4  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

JUST WHEN OUR HALLELUJAHS got a little tired … GOD GAVE US a new song!  This is my personalized version of an awesome quote I read today.  It seemed to be the perfect description of our most recent journey through these past 12 months, so my heart is thankful to the anonymous author!!  On one amazing Sunday morning, Elevation North was birthed, and a new journey began.  Someday we need to write a book about all the stepping stones we’ve walked on over the past years.  First, a bit timidly.  Then, a lot boldly.  Mostly, with excitement and passion.  Only a few times did we glance in the direction of disappointment and despair.  That’s when our hallelujahs got a little tired.  Then God grabbed us by the hand, picked us up and set us down on solid rock and prompted us to sing His tune.  It was a song of praise and victory!  He reminded us that HE is the Solid Rock!   Re-energized, we just could not help but keep on humming it over and over.  Sometimes softly, but mostly we wanted the whole world to hear! Worship and gratitude definitely lifted us above the changes as we got bounced around from here to there, and God helped us sing our way to each new place.  And just when there was seemingly NO place for our church to go to, God presented us with a building to rent that came with an opportunity for purchase.  What a daunting word for a church still small.  Could it be possible?  To human eyes, it looked like it could never be a reality.  But, when you KNOW the call that God has placed in your heart – you know you should not look at God-things through your own eyes.  You make your way closer to Him until you can see through HIS eyes.  It is then that you begin to see the reality of what your heart knows but until now has only been a dream.  And a far-away one, at that!  This is when divine reversal begins to take place.  Instead of living like “seeing is believing” – God helps you understand that “believing is seeing!”  First, we had to BELIEVE.  And when we finally did that, putting our belief into action as led by God, our faith became more child-like than ever before.  And we could finally see what God was seeing.  We just simply believed what God was placing in our hearts:  THIS WAS THE TIME!  THIS was the time for COMPLETION!  We took God at His Word.  We believed that every Word He said is true.  We declared His Word over the purchase process. We received every amazing gift of funds and encouragement that He brought to us out of precious sources that we would not have anticipated – with humble, grateful hearts.  We began putting into practice the spiritual authority God has told us is ours.  We began putting Satan in his rightful place:  the position of defeat.  And we moved forward.  What had taken such a long, long time (nearly a year and three banks later who jumped on board to help and then just as abruptly pulled the pending loan out from under us) . . . SUDDENLY began to turn around and take shape!  God sent a knowledgeable man of God our way on March 9^th and for the first time, we experienced real hope again.  We knew this man was sent from God as an unmistakable answer.  This man became the connection between us and a new bank on our scene – and somehow we knew this was “the one”!  It was just a matter of time now.  Oh yes, more hurdles were flung in front of us, but we took authority over each one and told Satan we meant business and we would no longer receive anything he would try to bring to us in any way, shape, or form.  We’d had enough of his strongholds and heartlocks.  He would not be allowed to run interference any longer.  On Sunday, May 3^rd, we claimed 2002 Austin Road in Owatonna, MN as GOD’S PROPERTY and the upcoming bank closing as GOD’S COMPLETION!  With ongoing prayer and fasting and moving in the authority that is ours, the long-awaited day came!  Thursday, May 7^th, on the National Day of Prayer, a few of us sat around a large table in a large bank conference room.  We did not really need all that space, but I am convinced that God wanted us to experience an abundant measure of His peace and His power that day.  And believe me, that room was FILLED with an unshakable sense of God’s presence and His peace as we signed all the necessary documents to make 2002 Austin Road a permanent place of worship for Elevation North!  No more moving, no more searching for a church home, no more tired hallelujahs!  We will move or build only when God bursts us at the seams and we can hold no more of His blessings there and have to make room for more!!!  The day is fast approaching when we will no longer be able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And only what is done for Christ will last!  This transaction was necessary.  God did His part to make it a reality.  Now we ask each of you the question that we’ve already asked ourselves:  “What will we do now?”  Don’t answer anything little or small.  Answer large with much faith!  God’s Word says that He uses the weak to confound the wise, and I believe that if we will choose to see through the eyes of Christ, we will stand in awe at what God has in store for Elevation North!  Use us, dear Lord; use us, we pray!  For YOUR honor and for YOUR glory!  Now let’s give God the million or so  thank you’s that He so deserves!  Thank You, Lord, for getting us in the right place before You in order for us to receive Your miracle!  May we never forget what YOU have done IN THIS PLACE … IN THIS TIME!  We join our voices in proclaiming loudly a most beautiful HALLELUJAH SONG sent straight to the Throne of God!  Truly, there is no one like OUR God!

REMEMBER . . .

“Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.   Amen!”

~ Revelation 7:12  

Joyfully Serving Our God . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

YOU ARE INVITED!!!

LARRY & GLORIA LUNDSTROM

will be at ELEVATION NORTH
this Sunday, May 17, 2015

at 10:00 a.m.

(2002 Austin Road in Owatonna, MN)

Larry and Gloria, of Sisseton, SD, have traveled the U.S. and Canada

for over 40 years.  Together, they share a heart for families -

and especially, families in crisis. 

Their inspiring, yet transparent message is life-changing,

and brings hope for everyone listening.

Larry's and Gloria's unique style of music, humor, and down-to-earth ministry, 

make their presentation of the Gospel very real and powerful

 in today's world of uncertainty and brokenness.

Make plans now to attend and bring a friend with you

so that their life might be touched as well!

A freewill offering will be taken,

and ministry resource materials will be available.

SEE YOU THERE!!!

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

OMNIPRESENT and OMNISCIENT.  And yes – OMNIPOTENT!  What in the world am I trying to say?  Well, in words I more frequently talk with, you would hear me saying it this way!  MY GOD IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE AT ONCE.  HE KNOWS ALL THINGS.  And yes, HE IS not just ALMIGHTY – but He IS the ALMIGHTY ONE!  Our family has experienced this over and over in these recent weeks.  I am so glad when we cried out to God for miraculous intervention on one day – in that place – at this specific time … that He didn’t have to tell us to get in line and wait our turn because He was in the middle of helping someone else and He couldn’t come yet.  What a feeling of despair would have washed over us.  To think that the One we have believed in … was not available to help when we needed Him most.  Thank God, that is NOT how it is!  It is in these times when we are praying for major life issues occurring at the very same time, it is such a great assurance to KNOW that OUR GOD is completely in control of ALL that is happening and HE can handle it!  He is capable.  He has no limits.  He hears.  He is willing.  He has the power.  He knows the answers.  He intervenes miraculously when He chooses.  He carries us when we think we cannot get up again, much less walk on our own!  And He brings gifts to us that fill our lives with joy unspeakable! 

Like on a Tuesday, March 31^st, 2015 when we had been told our second great-grandchild would be born!  States away, yet our hearts were right there.  Waiting, praying, trusting for the safe arrival of our newest family member with full health for both mommy and baby!  Only God can connect the dots of our asking – and His answering.  That prayer process far outshines the highest speed internet or the latest cell phone capability.  It is faster than instantaneous, for God’s Word tells us that even before we ask, He hears!  He already knows the longing of our hearts, and He is engaged in activating answers!  And so, joy spilled into our hearts and overflowed with gratitude to God when moments after his first cry at 2:42 p.m. we saw the “first” picture of this precious newborn creation of God!  Jamie Thomas Matthew Knoll – weighing in at 9 lbs. 1 oz. and 21 inches long!  Wow!  Never mind that this is not our own son, or even our grandson.  Now three generations later, this great-grandson is recipient of a love from us equally as strong as every “generational child” God has blessed us with!  Welcome to our family, Jamie!  And someday in the future, you will say “yes” to Jesus and become a mighty warrior for God!

Just days ago, we were trusting God for His hand to be upon two intense situations within our family … one was surgery for our sister-in-law at a renowned hospital in this state.  The other was for our yet unborn great-niece who was scheduled to be born via C-section in another state several hours away - seven weeks early due to her mommy’s pregnancy complications.  We were seeking God for His miraculous work in the lives of two family members simultaneously, knowing we were unable to physically be at either place.  But as we lifted them both before the Lord, His peace washed over us in waves of sweet reassurance that He was there.  Yes, at both places.  Yes, at the same time.  And yes, in mighty form.  That’s His character.  That’s Who He is.  That’s what He is capable of.  Need we fear?  Never!  Do we?  Sometimes.  But there is no need to … ever.  We are His children, and always, He wants His very best for us.  How amazing to be able to set aside the distress and know that we can trust Him … implicitly.  Inexplicably.  Without a shadow of a doubt.  We can KNOW!  We DO know!  We KNOW the Christ we serve … and HE IS ABLE!  He was at both places at the same time, orchestrating His wondrous works in His long, flowing white robe, whether anyone there saw Him or not.  He was there.  He completed the work He had begun – for our sister-in-law and for our new little 3 lb. 6 oz. grand-niece, Finley Rose, who was only 16 ½ inches long.  She was as perfectly formed as our much larger full-term great-grandson … because her Creator is the same God!  How can we NOT raise our voices in praise and thanks to our God who is so deserving of our deepest appreciation for His love and care!

And friends, He is there for you just like He is for us!  Every day, every moment.  Everywhere, every place.  Knowing all there is to know about you.  He is after all, your Mighty God, too!   What a faithful God we have!  

REMEMBER . . .

God’s Word says:  “And it shall be that before they call I will answer;

and while they are yet speaking I will hear.”

~ Isaiah 65:24

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

ZEALOUS … or nonchalant!  Which one describes your belief in and your walk with God? These days my heart has a growing ache and longing for not only an all-encompassing revival around the world which will bring throngs of sinners to their knees before God crying out for forgiveness – but also for a revival of massive proportion that will sweep through the churches of this land who are filled with the spiritually dead.  Too many church-goers (or not) could accurately be called “The Walking Dead!”  (I hear there is a TV series out by that title, though I have never seen it.)  My heart bleeds and I shake my head in disbelief at what is happening all around us.  There is a line being drawn in the sand of these times, and you know what?  We will find ourselves solidly on one side of that line – or the other.  These days allow for no straddling the line – with one foot out in the world and loving it (though we know we shouldn’t) … and the other foot precariously half-committed in God’s Kingdom when we feel like it (because we know what is right even if we do not do it.)  Those days have ceased.  People are now choosing to step over the line in a solid commitment to be zealous in their walk with God – or they are turning and walking the other way, far from the line in the sand and embracing the ways of the world with a heart bent on fulfilling their own desires and lusts, deceived into thinking that their jaded dream is all good.  Friends, we are now living in the days when we will desire and act on becoming more zealous in knowing and serving the One True God, the Lord God of Israel … or we will continue to become more and more nonchalant in our choices, character, and commitments.  JESUS CHRIST IS RETURNING SOON!  What is your decision?  Will you act on what God’s Word says?  Do you care enough about your eternal destiny and the destiny of others to make a dedicated effort TO DO WHAT GOD IS CALLING YOU TO DO?  I truly believe that sometimes God allows a shaking of sorts to bring us to full attention, because the world we live in has become such a huge distraction to our true calling in Christ.  Sometimes it’s just small distractions – but they all add up to become a major hindrance in how effective our every-day faith is.  What’s sad is when people just look the other way and pretend that reality does not exist – just because they do not want to deal with the heaviness and darkness of what is taking place.  Sometimes that is because what is happening seems far removed from us and we think we can do nothing about it – so we just remove our hearts from the situation.  Other times, situations hit within – or too close for comfort – so we just place ourselves in denial mode thinking that if we do not confront it we will not have to deal with it.  Both are erroneous and dangerous responses as children of God.  We MUST be engaged in this world, though we are not of it.  We MUST be aware of all that is happening – even to the point of studying and researching – and then comparing what we discover against the measure of the truth in God’s Word.  Dear ones, we are living in exciting times, and I believe God desires a Bride who is zealous in her love for Him.  A nonchalant Bride of Christ will be totally repulsive to Him.  Today, I encourage all of us at Elevation North, the Bride of Christ, to stand up boldly in preparation for His coming.  May we prepare our hearts and be ready as we engage life with the passion and fervency that He so deserves from us!  May we be devoted, enthusiastic, and eager in our pursuit of making ourselves available to His calling in our lives!  May He find us energetic, intense, even fierce – in the good sense of the word … in our commitment to Him!  Time is running out!  There is no place for lack of concern, indifference, and apathy when it comes to things that touch the heart of God, our Bridegroom!  May we awaken from slumber and LIVE AS WE’VE NEVER LIVED BEFORE!!!  And for the skeptics?  They should be asking themselves the pointed question:  “What if this God-stuff is true?  What if these Christians are right?”  This season of celebrating the Resurrection of Christ should become a daily, joyous, devout part of our lives that we never waver from.  He gave His ALL … should we give Him any less when we say “yes” to Him?  Our faith should only deepen, our love should only increase, our devotion should only strengthen.  We should from this day forward LOVE what HE LOVES all the more (righteousness)!  And we should DESPISE what HE DESPISES all the more (sin)!  We should become more like Him as our lives reflect Him IN us!  The world is watching you know, so how will you live?  With zeal … or with nonchalance?  Let’s engage in pursuing our God with zeal in these times that demand the best we have to offer!  We cannot do it in our own strength, but in the power of Christ within us through the shed blood of Jesus!  Onward and forward, church!  We have an exciting future awaiting us!

REMEMBER . . .

Our God says in His Word:  “Fear not (there is nothing to fear), for I am with you;

do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you;

yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My (victorious) right hand of rightness and justice.”

~ Isaiah 41:10   

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie