ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

“IT WAS WHEN I BEGAN MAKING SPACE FOR JESUS, that I had the strength to consider the possibilities He put before me.”  (A quote from someone within the Youth With A Mission ministry organization.)  Sometimes God just zeroes statements into your heart that He has spoken to others, and something in you awakens afresh and anew!  That’s what happened when I read this quote.  The words echo a resounding message that rings true for us who know Christ and who are called to serve Him.  By the way … that includes ALL of us who know Jesus personally!  Yet, in these days, our calendars get so filled there’s barely space to jot one more thing on them, right?  And often we find that when we go to write something down or add it to our smartphone calendars, there is already something there for that date and time.  Help!!  More space needed!!!

You see, making space for Jesus is centric to every aspect of not just “who” we are … but “who” we can or will become.  There must be a pivotal center to which all else is attached.  A starting point.  An anchored place.  A focal gaze.  We must admit if we take an honest look at our lives, that we do have points, places, gazes.  But that’s exactly what causes us to be pulled in all the directions we are.  We have multi-starting points, several anchored places, and many shifting gazes.  You see, our God is not plural.  He is One … yes, the Trinity is One!  And the Bible tells us that He is a “jealous God” who wants to be the sole center of our very existence.  As we start anything, everything.  As we put down roots and anchors.  As we look around.  He wants everything about His children to be connected to Him, so that who we are and all we do flows from His very life.  So that our starting points will always start with His leading. So that every place we go will find its rock-solid anchor in the depths of His unchangeable character.  So that whatever circumstances we see in this life – will in turn find our faces turned towards Him and we will just not be able to take our gaze from His face.

Does living like this take effort?  Oh, does it ever!  I can liken it to the nearly 24 hour time period of labor in childbirth endured as our grandson and his wife awaited the arrival of their first child just a few weeks ago.  For them, it was a path not traveled before.  This was a new kind of waiting that included a myriad of emotions and physical effort and pain never before experienced.  There were moments of anxiety that grew with intensity as the hours lengthened.  All the while, a host of prayers were being lifted up and God’s presence was encircling them.  All of this was attached to “one” joyous hope that was being birthed, and they never took their eyes off the expectancy of seeing their brand new son!  And at God’s appointed time, on Saturday, August 13^th, at 2:50 p.m., baby Christian Marshall Jones was born, weighing 7 lbs. 8 oz., measuring 21” long!  As this new little one joins our family, our prayer is that he will always sense the presence of the One who planned His birth since the beginning of time, with specific purpose for every day of his life.  Was it worth the nine months of pregnancy and all of that preparation?  All that pain?  The space made in the womb for this baby eventually burst forth into not just the possibility of this little boy being born – but the anticipated reality of Christian’s entrance into this world and into our family’s lives! 

It is the same with making space for Jesus!  When we do just that, we find the strength to consider the possibilities He puts before us … and realities are birthed!!  What we cannot yet see … our God sees as already “being”!  And when we give Him the space He deserves … and the space we desire Him to have in our lives … we begin to “see” what He sees – and His plans and purposes for our lives are birthed!  Hallelujah!  His plans for us are grand, even when they are simple!  And His purposes for our lives are higher than our wildest imaginations when we remain attached to the spiritual umbilical cord that connects us to our Creator.  Every blessing, every favor, every accomplishment comes together for a purpose much greater than our often selfish, human wishes and dreams.  All of that is fleshed out and it becomes our greatest honor to be used for His glory!  Who says it is not the most exciting life ever to live connected to the One and Only, Lord Jesus Christ!  It is more amazing and rewarding than living any other way!  Making space for Jesus … brings heaven to earth … and brings Eternity into view!

REMEMBER . . .

“But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness
 (His way of doing and being right),

and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.” ~ Matthew 6:33

“Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) 
the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk,

that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto (completed) salvation.” ~ I Peter 2:2  

Joyfully  Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug & Debbie