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
