ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

GOD WILL LIBERATE ~ in 2-0-1-8!  Do you believe that?!  God wants you to – and so do we!  We want you to believe it fully, completely, without reservation.  Opening our hearts to God, seeking His face and wanting to know His heart for this new year about to dawn, we have strongly sensed that He is planning to liberate what has been in captivity, in bondage, in strongholds – for so long.  For TOO long!  What the enemy has sought to bind and grip and stifle … is about to be loosed and set free!  Where there has been sin, there is going to be holiness.  Where there has been lack, there is going to be abundance!  Where there has been love of self, God is going to replace that with a “set on fire” love for Him – and for others!  Where there has been nonchalance, there is going to be passion!  Where there have been distractions, there is going to be focus!  When other things have crept in and shoved God out of first place in our lives, those things are going to be thrown down and removed off their earthly throne – because the only one on the throne of our lives is going to be … must ever and always be … the One and Only, the Lord Jesus Christ!  When confusion comes to blind and reign, God will now clear our vision and we will walk and live in spiritual discernment!  When we feel prompted to give to God but tend to hold back or not give at all, God is going to flush and replace those selfish tendencies that only hurt us – with a generous, willing heart to give to the One who has given us His ALL!  When we think we don’t have time to be in God’s Word or on our knees, God will give us such hunger and thirst for righteousness and knowing Him more intimately that we will NOT be able to stay away from that time in the presence of the Living God!  When we think we are not good enough and see ourselves as failures, God’s love is going to come rushing in like a flood, declaring to us that through His precious, shed blood on Calvary, He sees us as valuable, priceless, perfect overcomers!  And this just scratches the surface of what we believe God is going to do in 2018!

Do you see?  Do you see that God is going to turn things around?  Do you see that your worst is going to be transformed into your best?  Do you see that being stuck in stale-mate mode is over … and that your walk with God is never going to be the same?  Why would any of us want to be content with being bound in unseen chains?  While we may not see metal links wrapped around our bodies, the unseen chains have tightened around our minds for far too long – and God is saying, “Enough!  NO MORE!  THIS is the year that I am bringing liberation to My children and to My churches around the world!  That is … if they will let Me free them and unleash My plans, provision, power, and peace into their every day lives.  IF they will allow Me to have full sway in opening their eyes, in leading them through the darkness and into the Light (that’s Me) in everything they encounter on a daily basis.  It breaks My heart all over again to know that I gave My life’s blood to liberate them in the first place, and they brush it off so lightly, thinking they can maneuver through this chaotic life on their own.  They have no idea what all they are giving up when they choose to live life without Me being present and active in their days.  All I ever came to do was to give them life, and life more abundantly.  Life eternally.  When will they finally see that no one can love them more.  Help them more.  Give them more joy.  Teach them more.  Free them more.  Bless and favor them more.  No other – but Me!  I compel My children to open their hearts and minds and hands in this New Year of 2018 to receive everything I came to give them … all of it, fully, completely, without reservation!  Together we can be an immovable, unshakable, victorious force in this world – for My honor and glory!  But I need their invitation to be present in every facet of their lives … and in every aspect of their churches!  Dear children of God, I implore you to open your eyes and hearts and see Me like you’ve never seen Me before!  This year of 2-0-1-8 is a gift from Me to you … receive your liberation this very moment, and do not look back!  I love you, I love you … I’ve always loved you, and I always will!  Let’s live this year together and show the world My light!”

REMEMBER . . .

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, 

there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).”

~ 2 Corinthians 3:17  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

SIMPLY JESUS!  Is there ANYTHING simple any more in these days we are living in?  Most everyone on the face of the earth has probably voiced this question; and if not, at least thought it countless times!  Especially in the thick of frustration and stress.  Like when your long list just grows instead of getting shorter!!  And when whatever you are doing, just does not go right – or takes longer than you thought – or you have to go get a missing piece or part or ingredient so you can finish it up!  Sound familiar? 

We have just celebrated the extra-special opportunity to show our gratitude and thanksgiving during this special season, though in fact, every day should be Thanksgiving day for those who know and follow Christ!  And now we stand on the precipice of the retail glacier of Christmas, hoping against all odds that we will escape the coming avalanches of stress that include long lists for gift-giving and holiday meals, programs and parties, and those incessant sales flyers and e-mails and texts all vying for whatever cash we think we can part with.  Or heaven forbid, for how many times we will swipe those credit cards with a slippery slope of interest that will push us off the edge of the financial glacier and straight down into the crevice from where there is rare rescue!  Whew!  Does ANY of this sound like ANY scriptural account of Jesus’ birth and the true meaning of that first Christmas heralded in by the shouts and songs of the angels on that starry night o’er the fields outside of Bethlehem? 

In the escalating rise of the retailer’s greed for more profits from their skewed, kidnapped celebration of what they call Xmas … and in the surging rise of the consumer’s greed for more of everything stocked high on the shelves of the stores that won their first-place attention – Christmas is no longer sacred and for sure, no longer simple!  How did we get here?  How did the Christ of Christmas get trampled on and thrown out of the celebration we dare even equate with the birth of Christ?  The One who gave the most priceless, precious Gift ever given to mankind, is at most a fleeting thought in many homes.  And the gifts piled high are soon to be covered with a messy mountain of crumpled gift-wrap that has also covered any tiny reminder of the One who was sent as a Babe in a manger – to be our redemption and our promise of a forever future (when we choose Jesus as our Savior!).  For too many people nowadays, they are just glad to “survive” Christmas and then when reality hits, they must face the days to come trying to look up out of that deep, icy crevice they fell into when they began the craziness of it all two months earlier!

And so … this twisted view of celebrating Christ’s birth translates into a faith – or lack thereof, that somehow cannot see anything simple and pure anymore.  People assume that knowing Jesus has to be complicated, and following Him must be most difficult and stifling.  And so because they are blinded by the enemy through the ways of the world, they’ve long ago lost the beautiful, simple truth that Jesus came one night long ago … to save us!  When we grasp what we can of such a powerful, painful, loving plan by the Father to give us life eternal, we simply accept what His Son, Jesus, obediently came to offer us!  Anything less would be a gut-wrenching blow to the One who gave us such a sacrificial gift of totality – His all … His very life - with every drop of blood spilled out so that ours would not have to.  The most costly, precious gift we could choose for someone with all the love and personal meaning humanly possible … pales in comparison to the Gift that Jesus gave us.  And He gives it to us every day through the “good and perfect gifts” He provides; and through all the “benefits” that come with His salvation.  God’s plan was to make us joint-heirs with Jesus … sons and daughters of God, making us royalty; His plan was that the blood of His Son, Jesus, would not only save us, but heal us, set us free, empower us, give us wisdom and love and compassion, bring to us provision and abundance so we could share with those in need, teach us to live with joy in the midst of our trials, and to walk in His peace and with His comfort.  And sooo much more! 

All we will ever need in this life on earth to be who He created us to be … was gift-wrapped in the flesh of God’s Son!  THAT’S what the celebration of Christmas is for those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and in Life Everlasting!  A gift like that cannot be contained in any box or held within any wrapping.  It bursts forth fresh and new each day, filled with God’s grace and mercy … a gift that goes on living for as long as we have breath here on this earth!  And then … it goes on living forever in our Heavenly home as we live in the presence and glory of God, our Father, Jesus, His Son and our Savior, and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Guide ~ who are ONE!  We are blessed beyond words and comprehension; but God offered us the opportunity to understand and accept this Gift of His love so that we could live each day, making it all about Jesus . . . SIMPLY JESUS!  We invite you to do the same.  If you have never felt loved or valued before, we pray that now you do.  And if you have never said “yes” to this Gift of all gifts – then simply tell Jesus that you want Him to be your Lord and Savior.  From this moment on, your life will never be the same, and you will finally understand the Real Reason for the Christmas Season:  Jesus’ birth, His death, and His resurrection!  The Gift that was hand-picked and personally chosen just for YOU!  Celebrate Jesus with us!!

REMEMBER . . .

“He who did not withhold or spare (even) His own Son but gave Him up for us all, 

will He not freely and graciously give us all (other) things?” ~ Romans 8:32

“Every good and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; 

it comes down from the Father of all (that gives) light … “ ~ James 1:17  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

BEING INTENTIONAL.  SEEING & HEARING WITH INTENTIONALITY.  FOLLOWING CHRIST & WALKING WITH HIM INTENTIONALLY.  LIVING & LOVING INTENTIONALLY!!!  Is there any other way?  Most definitely, but none that can compare to living life out like God intended for us to!  Yes, God Himself was also intentional and still is.  If the God of the universe thinks it’s a good idea to live intentionally, then probably we should, too!  A few weeks ago when visiting our son and his wife and their family in Michigan, they had tickets to a marriage conference at their church on Sunday evening, and knowing we were coming, they purchased two extra tickets for us!  It is quite an amazing thing to sit in a marriage conference with three generations of your family!  The presentation and content was delightful and powerful … yes, even life-changing (relationship-changing) when you make the decision to love your spouse intentionally. 

So what does this one word I keep using really mean and why should we integrate it into every aspect of our lives?  I believe that anything we do gets done because we used some level of intentionality … but nothing gets accomplished without it.  That goes for everything in our lives!  It especially needs to be implemented in these days, when with the dawning of each new day we discover life is crazier than it was the day before!  Without living an intentional faith in the living God, we have nothing to anchor ourselves to.  Nothing at all.  Other than God, who always has been, who is, and who will always be . . . everything and everyone else will someday fail us.  He in the only “everlasting” there is in an ever-changing world!  Who of us doesn’t want to feel safe and secure, peaceful and assured?  And who of us does not long for simpler days and more time with our family and friends? 

There’s one place and one way we can experience those genuine longings of the heart.  The place is found when sitting at the feet of Jesus … and the way is opened up when we communicate with our Father in heaven.  But instead of running to Him only for the purpose of asking – even demanding (which gets us no where!), how about following the example Jesus set out for us to follow?  The heart of God loves hearing us come with words of praise and affirmation on our lips.  When we acknowledge who He is, according to His Word, a new level of relationship is set into motion.  We recognize and understand His character and traits more than we did, and the longings of His heart become more real to us as He reveals them to us.  What if instead of asking for what we want, we would take time to listen to the heart of God and actually ask HIM what is on His heart?  What matters to Him?  He would love to tell us … when we really want to know.  Secondly, God loves a grateful heart!  Coming before our God with expressions of gratitude for all He has already accomplished for us and provided for us opens up the gateway to heaven and back to us again!  Being thankful activates an open conduit from our heart to God’s ~ and from His heart to ours.  We send our thanksgiving upward, and blessings begin to pour downward through this passageway and right into our lives.  Which is as it should be, right?  Any healthy and vibrant relationship is nurtured when both people involved communicate with each other in love and respect, and with gratitude and gifts of the heart.  So, each of us in our human state and God in His divine nature are no different.  So why settle for a scaled-back, meager, survival-only type of relationship with our Lord and Savior when we can have the most rewarding, intimate, amazing connection possible?  After all, we are in Him – and He is in us!  Would you rather have a lackluster and distant connection to God … or would you prefer a passionate relationship that causes you to be engaged in conversation and a shared life of daily experiences with the One who loves you more than anyone on earth or heaven – can or ever will?  Want to hear His voice?  See Him in action?  Learn at His feet?  Feel the closeness of His very presence?  Experience His gifts beyond measure?  Then wait no longer.  You need to make an intentional decision right now to begin living in the very presence of God!  Oh yes, it takes practice for all of us – we are so easily distracted by so much.  Soon we’ve drifted far from the presence of God.  But dear ones, He is waiting, and drawing us back again … and in His presence every longing and desire of our heart that glorifies Him will be found!  Make your intentional decision today to practice the presence of God!

REMEMBER . . .

“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; 

let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!” 
~ Psalm 95:2

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise!

Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!

For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness and truth endure to all generations.” 
~ Psalm 100:4-5

“Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength 
(His might and inflexibility to temptation);

seek and require His face and His presence (continually) evermore.” 
~ Psalm 105:4

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

NO LONGER SCARED OF OUR OWN VOICES!  Does that describe you?  Or do you just wish it did?!  Has the craziness of this world silenced your voice in recent days (or years)?  Or has the increasing volume of evil and disrespect stirred up your voice to a rising roar that will set the enemy back on its heels?  You have power, you know!  I am just reminding you of that fact!  In fact, if you have Christ IN you, then you have all the power you need to activate the voice He has given you for such a time as this!!  You don’t have to be a certain age or a specific race, have a specified amount of wealth or live on the right side of town.  You can be a child or an elderly person – or any age in between.  You can be any race, any color that God has created.  You can be homeless, penniless – or have amassed worldly fortunes.  You can live in a tent, a shack – or reside in a huge home or a mansion.  None of that matters; none of that defines who you are!  But your voice does!  Your voice proclaims who you are … loud and clear!  Your silence can shout, and your words can whisper.  But NOW is not the time for us to remain silent on what is truth according to God’s Word.  And now IS the time for our words to resonate boldly and clearly … beginning in our homes with our families.  In our churches and communities, standing up for what God says is right.  In our local and state and national governments, making the truth of God the deciding factor in policies and procedures and laws.  May our words be backed up by our actions, until they reverberate around the world, etching truth and love and kindness on every heart in every culture … like Jesus did! 

Jesus spoke the truth of God in love, but clearly and resolutely.  He did not whitewash what the Father sent Him to say.  And He did not back down on what the Father sent Him to do.  He was focused and followed through.  He spoke the message of the Gospel without reservation.  He did not change the message depending what crowd He was speaking to.  Neither did His disciples.  They echoed the very words of Jesus, and they shared them unashamedly.  Even to death.  Nothing or no one could deter them.  Oh, they failed at times – but they ran right back to Jesus.  Because while circumstances changed, and their risk-of-ridicule or risk-for-death was at a high level – their call to follow Christ was kept intact when they kept their eyes on Him.  They saw and experienced the life of Jesus and could prove first-hand that He does not change.  He is true to His Word that says He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  They could count on Him, that they knew!  And we can, as well!  The disciples and followers of Jesus saw Him live His life in obedience to His Father in heaven, all the way to the Cross!  No one had ever seen such a love before.  It was impossible to fully grasp.  Our minds cannot comprehend a love that gives up its own life for another.  But our hearts can receive such a love!  A love that paid the penalty of death for our own sins should set us on fire and move us to immediate action.  To an action that does not fade or flicker out over time.  An action that once set in motion by the very acceptance of this love, should grow stronger as it continues to be lived out through our devotion to the One who gave us His all!  You know, we cannot ever do enough … or be enough … to match up to what Jesus did for us.  And that is not what He asks us to do.  He only calls us to follow Him once we’ve received Him.  “Follow” is an action verb.  It means we will be engaged in God’s Kingdom work for as long as He gives us breath!  To all He calls us to do.  What He calls us to, He will empower us to do.  We need not fear – anything or anyone!  We only need to embrace the VOICE that God has given us to live life like He meant us to:  ON PURPOSE! 

Each new day brings new God-opportunities!  New God-appointments!  Are you ready?  Have you bathed your new day in prayer?  Are you walking out into these never-before-lived hours in God’s anointing and covered with His precious blood, His Spirit providing you with power and protection and peace?  You don’t go alone!  And you should never attempt to.  You will fall flat on your face – you will sink.  But, dear ones, I am telling you that WITH Him, there is NOTHING you cannot do!  Never forget that “greater is He that is IN you, than he that is in the world!”  The power of the enemy of our souls does not hold a candle to the power we have with CHRIST IN US!  That truth should be enough to cause us to use our voice – our GOD-GIVEN VOICE … for His honor and His glory and His Kingdom purposes in these days!  Go on now – speak God’s message in the boldness and power that is yours!  And stand tall in His love and His truth!  No more being scared of your own voice!

REMEMBER . . .

“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 righteousness and justice.”

~ Isaiah 41:10  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

LOVE!  I really love how God has been showing Himself lately.  For all the world to see.  Me included.  This past Monday, though, He really showed up in a spectacular way!  While many in the masses had planned to view a solar eclipse either in totality or partial totality – they missed the memo that God was showing up and putting His glory on display!  Their intent was to travel miles and miles to take in at the most, less than 3 minutes at its peak, an event that they equated with Mother Earth, or science, or rare happenstance.  They desired to be present at the best cross-roads appearance of solar and lunar objects in the sky in a dazzling, blinding line-up that will never again happen in just that same way during their life-time.  But what really happened here in America as that solar eclipse sped across a curved path o’er our nation?  While I was not able to witness the best view since our spot on the map held us to a partial eclipse shrouded in clouds and overcast skies, I was gripped by the varied responses around our country as to what they experienced.  And, by those around the world – since we now can all see the same thing at the same time, in real time!  Emotions ran high, and at the moment that everyone had waited for … there were gasps, screams, cheers, whistles, high fives, pure silence, and tears.  The day-time skies hit the off-switch.  And darkness covered the earth and reigned. 

A friend who had traveled from Minnesota to Alliance, Nebraska called to give me a view through her eyes.  She shared that the transformation from daylight to the darkness of the totality of the eclipse was breathtaking and mesmerizing.  As she peered into the dark sky, the sun turned pure black with only the skinny, sizzling ring of the sun’s fiery glow bordering it.  It was like time stopped.  She did not want to move or let anything distract her from drinking in every second of the unbelievably spectacular sight.  As she gazed upward, the darkness chilled the air to the point that she slowly and silently reached for her sweater to warm her shivering arms.  Looking through the protective glasses and staring upward, she told me that the black, light-ringed circle looked so very black that it gave the appearance of being a circular portal that one could walk right through and into heaven.  She had taken one photo before totality began, and it was such a far cry from the first-hand view available to all who watched, she never touched her phone camera again.  She knew she would remember … always!  The sight was forever etched in her mind’s eye.  And the sense of something too amazing for words taking place caused goose-bumps to race up and down her arms time and time again.  Why?  Why were some people moved to tears?  Well, simply put, because it was much more than just a total solar eclipse.  God showed up on the stage of the heavens to declare His latest display of handiwork, and He wanted everyone to see … this amazing sign, this incredible wonder. It wasn’t Mother Earth.  It was Father God.  It wasn’t mere science.  It was supernatural.  And it definitely was not happenstance.  It was planned down to split-second perfection for the unforgettable, center-stage performance He intended it to be!  And I believe this event is the “opener” for even greater things to come in this present season that we are living in.  Get ready, people, and be waiting and watching.  And get engaged in what God is doing!  He is definitely up to something. 

LOVE!  I really love how God has been showing Himself lately.  For all of us to see.  Me included.  God showed up at Elevation North last Sunday morning – (you know, we specifically invite Him … and He always shows up!) - and that carried over into someone asking to meet with us later in the evening.  The individual spoke a word to us that he felt God wanted him to share.  He stated, “I know you both have been in ministry a long time, and I know you know how to love.  I see you sharing and giving love.”  But he went on to declare and encourage us “to love, really love, like God is calling you two to love in these days.”  You know, that truly resonated in our hearts, because we can speak the most powerful messages from God’s Word to those around us – in the church and outside the church.  But without the love of God, those words fall on deaf ears.  Words spoken with the love of Christ opens the ears and hearts of people needing to hear His magnificent offer of a life forever with Him!  This August 21^st, 2017 … we stood gazing up into the sky at heavenly objects.  Some day, yet unknown, people will once again stand gazing up into the sky when the trumpet sounds and we see our Lord Jesus Christ come breaking through the clouds to meet us in the air!  If we are His child, we will live with Him forever in our new heavenly home.  And if we are not His child, our screams will echo with all the others when the tortures of a living hell reaches our senses – and there will no longer be one more opportunity to say “yes” to the offer that Jesus made us when He gave His very life for us.  Please, please, because I love you and I care … if you have not yet said “yes” to Jesus – TODAY IS THE DAY!  Please say “yes” today, right now!  We want to spend all of Eternity with you ~ in the presence of our Lord God!  (Acts 1:1, I Thess. 4:16-17, Mark 13:32-33)

REMEMBER . . .

“When we stand before God one day, I don’t think He’s going to pat us on the back

for how well we debated fellow Christians on ‘theology.’ 
But rather, He’ll vigorously embrace us for how well we loved our enemies, forgave one another,

served those less fortunate and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost.”

(taken from #myopinion  #GoodNewsFeed) 

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

MIND-BOGGLING!  Do you ever see something or hear something … or experience something that leaves you speechless?  You have no words to try to describe what you saw or heard or felt.  I guess that is why there is the word “indescribable”, right?  That’s pretty much where I am at when I am in the presence of God – or where I am when I recognize Him at work right in the moment.  Oh no, I am not in a fog or a stupor, nor am I walking around dazed.  I am fully aware of His closeness, and I am totally there with Him - even when I do not understand everything about what He is doing.  There is nothing like how our God comes to us, reveals Himself to us, works on us and in us.  We just know.  Can we explain it?  No, not adequately.  Ever.  Our vocabulary fails us.  The words we do have, escape us.  It all comes down to a language of the soul that is understood clearly without even having to speak a word.  Not even one!  God reads us.  He knows us.  He created us, after all.  What’s not to understand … on HIS part?  It is us humans whose minds are boggled ~ but most often, in a manner that we do not mind at all!  We are left with the sense that we are loved beyond description.  We cannot help but believe that we’ve been kissed with the tantalizing touches of Eternity.  In what feels like fleeting encounters here on this earth, we are given a flash foretaste of what living in the presence of our Lord God for eternity is going to be like … and our minds are “boggled”.  It is hard to fathom and our minds keep going and going, stretching until they snap back to reality, and we are left with what feels like the words of that incredible song about being in Heaven:  “I Can Only Imagine!”

I will never forget having experienced a taste of the greatness of our God and how much He must love us, when for the first time I viewed a video put together by a group of people who discovered how to “mix” the sounds of creation singing together in unison, as if praising their Creator.  It was so amazing it nearly took my breath away and it brought tears of joy to my eyes!  Yes, I was speechless!  I must search out this video again and share it with as many as I can … it is delightful, powerful, and it speaks to the majesty of our God!  All He created for our pleasure on this earth, turns around and offers pleasure and praise back to Him who is the Creator of all things living!  What I remember is that these individuals filmed the sights and recorded the sounds of one living thing, like the sights and sounds of the lilting, melodic song of a bird deep in the forest; and then on top of that track, they added the sights and sounds of the enchanting call of the great whales swimming on the expanse of crashing ocean waves.  Layer upon layer, they added the sounds of creation to include the sounds of pouring rainfall in the jungles and the sounds of waterfalls reverberating off the rocks they spilled over.  The roar of the lions and the soft cooing of the mourning doves filled yet more tracks.  And in exquisite orchestration, the crowning glory of the sights and sounds of the stars and planets in the highest reaches of the vast skies above was captured - and they brought their one-of-a-kind music to the heavenly song!  I know I do not have total accuracy of each recorded thing from my memory … but you get the idea!  And when each part of creation came together synchronized in sound, a magnificent, majestic concert erupted in praise to their Creator!  And I was enraptured to have been gifted with the experience of hearing such sounds that I had never before heard when arranged in unison for our ears.  Then I realized that what I heard through the amazing arrangement of some gifted people – is what our Creator hears all the time.  He sees everything at once and He hears everything at once, because He is not limited like I am.  I see and hear one or a few things at a time, beautiful songs as are sung by creation.  But God drinks it in all at once and His heart is filled with delight at His creation!  And for us, though we, too, are blessed beyond words to get to drink in the beauty of His creation as much as is humanly possible … greater yet, is our privilege as part of His hand-formed creation, to join in and lift our voices with unending praise to the One who gave us life and who loves us more than we will ever comprehend! 

May God’s gift of Eternity echo in our hearts each moment of each day, so that when we look at others, we see them as He sees them!  Let me tell you, often that is a much different sight than what we thought we saw at our first, brief glance.  And may we hear others with God’s heart and ears, genuinely and discerning enough to make the difference for them that God calls us to.  My heart’s cry is that as God’s people, we will first of all realize the “mind-boggling” love that our Lord has for each of us!  We must believe that and receive that first, before we can help anyone else.  When we get in tune with God’s ways and His plans for us … then our voices will naturally fill in notes of praise!  And our distinctive melodies will enrich the “Creation Song” that rises daily before our Creator!  Who says you cannot sing or carry a tune?  You are God’s beloved, chosen, rescued, and redeemed!  Transformed, we will stand together and sing our praises daily in unison with all of God’s creation as it echoes throughout the earth and ascends into Heavenly places!   He is there listening … and ready to receive our passionate praise!

REMEMBER . . .

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” ~ Psalm 96:1

“I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” ~ Psalm 104:33  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

ECSTASY!  Now don’t get all shook!!  I am not referring to the synthetic drug known by this name.  I am using this word in its purest form to give it the most concentrated and potent outcome possible.  I am simply wrapping it in the experience of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ intimately and passionately.  We are His Bride, you know!  But, let me ask just one honest question:  “would anyone know by looking at us, watching us, listening to us … that we are the Bride that the Bridegroom is coming back for?”

Listen to some of these descriptions of ecstasy, which is what we should be feeling and experiencing in our ongoing relationship with our Bridegroom as we await His arrival to sweep us away to live with Him forever!  Intense joy, rapturous delight, enthusiasm, elated bliss, fervor, a state of prophetic inspiration, heavenly.  Quite a list of words to describe how we should feel when we are in the presence of our Lord … but do we experience these amazing emotions at all?  Any of them?  Even more so, I am going to tread on sacred ground and ask very bluntly, “do those of us who call ourselves by His Name and who gather in His House to worship each Sunday … does our Bridegroom see us experiencing and celebrating this kind of joy and delight and fervor over His very presence in our midst?”  If not, “we have a problem, Houston!”

In these days as we sense the soon return of our Lord, He is drawing me more and more to the prophetic.  But we must beware as there is lots and lots of “stuff” out there, and whatever we read or hear MUST match up to the Word of God, or we must not receive any of it as truth.  If the message is truth, the contents will resonate in our spirit as we seek the Spirit of God for wisdom and discernment.  With that being said, let me share a serious wake-up call to all true believers … and then a word of encouragement!

All too often we blame the world for being the ones who are trying their best to hinder God’s work, His plan, and His next move.  But really, they are not the only ones.  Listen, listen to this.  There is a fresh move of God on the horizon.  And while the world makes a lot of noise and not-so-subtly labels the true followers of Christ with labels of “intolerant” and “out-of-touch with the changing times” – it is none other than the traditions of the churches in this world so bound by the spirit of religion that are just as dangerous to the downfall of believers.  These church people try to quiet those with genuine passion, shackling them with tradition, and eventually, spiritual death.  You see, they don’t want intercessors who are praying for the fresh move of God’s Spirit.  They don’t want prophets who are prophesying the new things that God is about to do.  They don’t want apostles who are pioneering and working to manifest the new moving of God’s Spirit.  Why doesn’t the “church” want these types of people?  Well, because the intercessors, the prophets, and the apostles are bringing down and destroying the old religious mindset of so many in this hour!  But God is calling us to spiritual freedom, not bondage, dear ones!  When churches, ministers and people turn away from the fresh moving of the Holy Spirit and start trying to make a man-made structure, they are in rebellion to the Holy Spirit.  I Samuel 15:23a says. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.”  Tradition and religion suck the life out of people physically and spiritually when it can get those shackles around their necks, and it keeps them from their God-given purpose.  Friends, we MUST distance ourselves from religion and tradition, and pursue the presence and power of God!  In Christ alone, we have life!  (Taken in part from Charisma article by Joe Dawson)

And for those of you who have felt forgotten and overlooked by God, take heart!  He has purposely had you in the place you’ve been in – cultivating something in you.  And now is the time that He is reaching in to those depths of what He has been cultivating.  When we’ve finally learned to rest, to let go, even of things He has given us … and when we’ve been completely stripped down, then He can rebuild things His way.  Nothing has been wasted – it’s all been training and development, but now we need to let go of our own efforts.  God is saying, “No longer will My people do things for Me, but with Me.  Sons and daughters, you are learning to adapt to My ways.  You cannot cling to the old of what you know – I desire for you to leap forward with childlike wonder and faith to receive what I am doing now, not yesterday.  What you think you know is about to change, so remain pliable and excited, and always dependent on Me.  You must choose to look at life from an eternal perspective.  You weren’t designed to play it safe, you were designed to adventure out with Me into the deep and expand My Kingdom in the Earth!  Return to the valiant warrior you are!  A fresh, new wind which renews your youth is coming to you now.  Take it and receive it by faith – it is not a feeling but a choosing.  The best is yet to come!  Look not at your age, for I am looking at your heart and faith.  Surely that is what pleases Me.  Act upon My promptings and I will back your faith, line things up, and take care of the rest. All I need are your steps of faith.  Your race is still yet to be won.  Set a new mindset and embrace everything I’m calling you to.  Seek Me and allow Me to cast forth before you My vision and where we are heading together next.  I love you!  Time has not passed you by … I am stirring you and shaking you!  Be willing and go with Me, that’s all I’m asking.  Let me hear your “yes”.  The best is yet to come!  My celebration is hitting the Earth!  Yes, I’ve been saving you until now and the world is about ready to declare, taste, and see just how good I am!"  (Taken from the Elijah List, exhortation by Amy Meyer)

Bride of Christ, we have an urgent mission:  to keep our love and passion for our Bridegroom burning brightly as we await His return for us, sharing His message with everyone we can, and daily stepping into our God-given purpose to head out together with Him to what He has planned next!  What will it be?  Let’s go!  What ecstasy ~ THE BEST IS YET TO COME! 

REMEMBER . . .

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him.

Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO?  In other words, just what is it that drives us to action, to speech, or even to thought?  What makes us act a certain way, or say the things we say, or let our minds run rampant with the things we think about?  All good questions, right?   And they all deserve answers – honest answers, for sure.  Why should we care?  Well, let’s put it this way:  God has given us one life to live here on earth, and none of us have a clue today just how many days of our lives remain.  I am not trying to be morbid – that’s not me.  And we have just celebrated Memorial Day weekend, so this message seems timely enough.  Plus, in these days that seem to be unraveling around us, so filled with hate-incited acts against others, these words could be for any day! 

Just recently, my husband and I and one of our sons traveled to North Dakota to attend the funeral of one of my husband’s step-uncles.  Ninety-one years old, he had lived a long and good life.  But was good – good enough?  My husband knew Daniel, but my time in his presence was minimal at best.  But this day, as one of his son-in-laws stepped to the front of the church to share about Daniel’s life – I was suddenly drawn in and began to “see and know” this man for who he was.  A devoted husband, dad, and grandpa.  He loved the land he farmed and found much joy in being outdoors.  He faithfully served his church and his community.  But then, this son-in-law, who in high school was known to have had the “spirituality of a fencepost” (disclaimer:  not MY words!), began to talk from his heart with great emotion and I soon saw who Daniel really was!  He was not a preacher or an evangelist, a missionary or a Sunday School teacher.  Yet everyone around him could not help but see how he lived out his personal faith in God.  No sermon was needed.  Daniel’s life did the talking:  in how he loved and treated his family when no one else was looking; in his honesty and integrity when dealing with others in business or on boards; in the absence of cutting words and harsh judgments of others; in how he spent his time on priorities that meant the most to him.  This son-in-law said that when he married his wife (Daniel’s daughter), you kind of married the entire family.  And Daniel’s quiet but visible faith in God spoke volumes to this new son-in-law’s life, and though I do not have a time-line, you could not mistake the fact that he had become a follower of Christ, too.  The words flowed from his heart and spilled over with love for this man now having completed his life on earth … and for the Man, Jesus Christ, who was now his own personal Savior.  What a legacy for Daniel to leave behind!  And now I will ask this question again:  what makes a man do what he does?  While I do not have the answer to what caused Daniel to receive Christ into his heart and choose to live life the way he did – I can definitely attest to the truth that his son-in-law was impacted by an example of Christ-like living so compelling that he could do nothing else but decide to follow Christ and aspire to live the same way that Daniel did!  What a legacy!

 A legacy is what we leave behind us as a gift to those who follow us, and in all reality, we will leave “something”.  What will it be?  And do we get to choose what we will pass on to those we love?  Of course we do!  In truthful reality, given the choice of leaving a huge inheritance of property or monetary worth to our family … or … the gift of ourselves – our love, time, and attention; our experiences, laughter, and wisdom; and most importantly, our faith in God and teaching it by example to those who follow us by living it purely, simply and genuinely before them – WHICH do you think our children and ongoing generations would prefer? 

Dad’s ~ Father’s Day is just around the corner!  Whether you know it or not, your sphere of influence is great, and the “ripple-effect” of what you choose your legacy to be will carry on from generation to generation!  Your fervent prayers will be effective not only on this earth – but they carry eternal value for each of your family’s lives!  Are you pleased with what you think your legacy will be?  If not, there is no time like the present to begin to create a new legacy with God’s help that WILL make the difference you desire it to!  We love you, dads … and for who you are and all you are, we celebrate you with honor and respect!   

Back to the question in my opening paragraph:  why do we do what we do? The simple, truthful answer according to God’s Word is that out of our heart comes our words, our actions, and our thoughts.  And only we can individually choose what to receive into our hearts.  We are the ones that purposely place things in our hearts.  Sometimes we just allow things in.  And on occasion we are not alert and discerning enough to keep things out.  So whatever we do, whatever we say, and whatever we are thinking ~ is all on us!  We get to make those choices; God lets us because He has given us free will.  When we receive Him into our heart, He teaches us what to do and what not to do.  But when we reject Him and we want our own way, even to our detriment … He lets us have our own way!   So you see how very important our life choices are to what becomes our legacy!  Little choices and major ones.  They all become a piece of what we leave behind.  The best question we can ask ourselves today is, will THIS choice glorify my God and make my legacy a spiritual treasure that lasts even into eternity?  God’s Spirit will give us the answer!

REMEMBER . . .

Here are God’s instructions to help us make right choices instead of learning the hard way:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

and these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house,

and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

~ Deuteronomy 6:5-7  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

LADIES, DO YOU KNOW?  It will be Mother's Day tomorrow and just thinking about the celebration of the moms in our lives emanates a wide span of emotions!  Bear with me here … this is not going to be the normal sweet, syrupy bouquet of blushing accolades for the perfect mom.  I will leave that to the Hallmark writers so you can hopefully find the card that says exactly what you want to say – without having to read through dozens to find the one isolated card in hiding that expresses the love you feel – and yet “fits” the mom you are wanting to honor! 

LADIES, DO YOU KNOW?  You might already have a wish list for your family who loves you and asks what you “want” for Mother’s Day – because you already know!  Or perhaps you are not a mom, but you are attempting to put together a gift list of ideas for your own mom or someone who is like a “second mom” to you.  How’s that going? :-)  Or possibly, you are feeling like you are totally unworthy and you just want the holiday to go away so you wouldn’t have to think one more minute about all the failures you feel like you’ve made trying so very hard to be the best mom ever.  Or maybe you just gave up a long time ago.

LADIES, DO YOU KNOW?  It breaks my heart when I talk to women who feel like they have no hope.  No future.  No where to go other than stuck in the life that has them trapped – and they see no way out.  Hopelessness is most likely the worst emotion any of us has ever had to face.  It cuts the cord to reality.  It chokes out the last remaining bit of hope and dries up the soul. 

LADIES, DO YOU KNOW?  I feel as if I am to be speaking to all of you today … not just mothers, but of course they can relate to the mega-millions of emotions that all of us feel from time to time, as well.  I frequently talk with lots of women of all ages, and in recent weeks and months I am getting not just a tiny glimpse of how they feel … but a magnified, telescopic view of what’s been pushed down in their hearts for far too long!  Sadness, hurt, anger, bitterness, despair.  Hopelessness – yes, there is that “treacherous place” again.  I could go on – but that is more than enough to let you see the state of mind and heart that they are experiencing.  Maybe, just maybe ~ you are one of them.  You are not alone!  Ladies … girls - this is NO place to live!!  Life is too precious to have it stolen right out from under us because we are so bent over with the weight of whatever is consuming us.  So what’s a girl to do?

LADIES, DO YOU KNOW?  Do you know that God has SO much more in His hands that He is just longing to give to you?!  You are probably spitting out the words:  “well why doesn’t He just give it all to me then, instead of waiting so long?”  You know something?  He could.  But He wants you to be involved so that what He gives you will be lasting, instead of wasted.  First of all, He needs you to quit listening to all the other voices, and just listen to His.  He wants you to know that you HAVE TO STOP listening to the lies of the enemy!  There is not one iota of truth in what he tells you about yourself.  No wonder you feel unworthy and hopeless.  Satan strips you of your God-given worth and value, and then blinds you so that you cannot see reality and truth with clarity and belief.  Doesn’t that make you angry – in a righteous way?  Who do we think our enemy is, that we have to settle for the life he’s painted for us?  I want to TELL YOU that he does NOT have a say about our life.  Period.  WE have the authority OVER him, through the shed blood of Jesus, and don’t you ever forget that, ladies!!!  EVER, EVER! 

LADIES, DO YOU KNOW?  Do you realize that you get to be coached by the Life-Planner that CREATED your life?  He knit you together in your mother’s womb, so He sure knows how to give you a plan and a purpose and put you back on the track that He had in mind before you were even born!  It doesn’t matter how FAR you’ve strayed off the path of His plan … the loving voice of His Spirit will guide you right back to that perfect path – and He will be walking right beside you to make sure you keep your eyes focused on the heavenly prize!  (Much better than any Mother’s Day gift, I might add!) 

LADIES, DO YOU KNOW?  There is no perfect age for us to be redeemed, renewed, and restored!  My own mom has just turned 93 years old … and I have a brand new mom!  I am not sure I could even tell you what all took place.  What I do know is that she was getting so weak she wondered if she was going to live – or die.  But God stepped in and did something so much more amazing than just pouring His healing and strength into her tired, sick body.  Oh, she already knew Jesus personally … she has for decades and decades!  But believe me, when whatever happened – happened … everything she had hung on to for years that seemed to keep her from being totally free, fell OFF!  My 93 year old mom is truly free in Christ!  When I traveled to see her, what I witnessed was nothing short of a supernatural miracle!  The old is gone – the new has walked in to stay.  Her personality, her demeanor, her words, her tone of voice … have all taken on the attributes of Jesus.  Before, yes, she knew Jesus and knew what His Word said.  She was a prayer warrior, arising at 5:00 every morning to pray for all of her children, including me, plus a long list of others she loved praying for.  But something was missing.  God’s truth as she knew it had been so skewed by the enemy over the years, and he had kept her bound by worry and fear and bondage.  All of this is another story – for another time, though. 

LADIES, DO YOU KNOW?  I have to tell you this:  I knew that when God would call my mom Home to heaven someday, she would finally be fully free!  But I longed so deeply for Mom to experience that freedom while she was still here on earth – before she ever gets to heaven!  That’s why Jesus came, yes – to save us, but also to free us!  From whatever is binding us and holding us back!  So ladies, I asked  … and God gave me the desire of my heart to see my mom set free while she is still here!  He answered my heart’s cry ~ and more!  Every evening when I hear her voice on the phone and I get to pray with her, I hear the voice of my new mom!  I witness what it sounds like to hear her speak in freedom, and in love, joy, and peace!  In the midst of her struggles fighting off some physical issues and pain, there is not one complaint … all I hear is her sound, unshakable trust in her loving Lord.  Now living in a skilled nursing facility so she can receive the care she needs 24/7, she has found contentment and states that God must have her there so she can be a blessing to others!  Amazing, dear ladies, this is nothing short of AMAZING!  And believe me, God IS using her in her new surroundings, for HIS glory!

LADIES, DO YOU KNOW?  The very same can happen to you!  Then I can write YOUR story, because it will be uniquely YOURS, and equally as powerful!  Especially, when we know the beginning to the ending and see God turning things in our lives around!  And it is in the moments of being transparent with those around us that God can use every hurt, every sorrow, every moment of engulfing hopelessness that we’ve experienced – to help someone else!!  Please, I beg you … KNOW that the Lord God is YOURS!  He is on YOUR side!  He is fighting FOR YOU!  He PROMISES to be WITH YOU and to STAY with you!  Whatever you are going through, dear moms and ladies and girls, there is NOTHING too hard for our God – for your God!  You just need to be sure that He IS your God, your Lord and personal Savior!  Then, as His child … everything He has is YOURS for the asking!!  So, if you have not yet asked, just invite Jesus into your heart right now!  Ask Him to forgive your sins and wash you clean, to set you free, and give you the hope of Heaven forever with Him!  Now THAT is a cure for hopelessness!  And if we already know Him, then we need to keep our GAZE on Him so that our circumstances that loom so largely in front of us will shrink and disappear in the view of Who He is!  Ladies, every morning, God’s mercies are ours, and they are fresh and new!  Let’s walk in them, live in them, and dance in them!  May there be SO much of Jesus IN us that the world cannot help but see Who Jesus is when they look at us!  ALL for Jesus ~ that’s who we are and why we live!  Ladies, NOW do you know?!  God celebrates YOU ... and so do we!

Remember  . . .

“See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!”

I John 3:1

“We KNOW and rely on the love God has for us.” (emphasis mine)

I John 4:16  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie