Friday, September 14, 2018

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!



CELEBRATION!  The more we have to celebrate, the deeper our gratitude is!  Especially when looking back … and you recall those times when you wondered if there would be anything at all to celebrate in days to come. 

For us, once upon a time – ten years ago now, there was birthed out of great pain – and nauseousness from that pain, a new ministry work that became known as Elevation North!  But before that birthing, in a moment’s time, our world as we knew it was suddenly turned upside down and a great part of it ceased to exist.  Emotions swirled … and tears spilled.  Our questions came in torrential unbelief at what had occurred.  But in the dark of that first night as we lay on our bed, tears streaming down our faces with no more words with which to even ask God “why” ~ we remember saying to Him, “For as long as You will give us breath, we will praise You with all that is within us!” 

What should have broken us and perhaps slowly destroyed us … actually strengthened us and impassioned us to the ministry work God had called us to as young people who did not even know each other at the time.  God revealed to us that the nauseousness and pain we had experienced for nearly nine months was because we were pregnant with the seed of a new church, a new ministry work.  We kept running to Jesus with each new wave of hurt and grief, but still engulfed in the struggle to survive, we had not discerned what God was doing … until He told us!  And when He did, it all made total sense!  And so, in due time … in God’s perfect time … Elevation North was birthed!  And we had no clue what God had in store for this brand new baby church! 

The story of this ten-year journey from that first night to this day, if written, could fill the pages of a book!  My pastor-husband and I had never walked this way before.  The other churches God had called us to were already in existence with a history behind them, plus everything they needed to continue to move forward.  With Elevation North, all we had was an unknown future with unmarked paths … but what we DID have was THE LORD GOD, JEHOVAH … GOD ALMIGHTY … EMMANUEL:  GOD WITH US!  And THAT was good enough for us!  And so we embraced the call of God to move past the pregnancy to the present … which brought untold opportunities to be God’s church wherever He placed us in our nomadic style of being the church!

You see, we had no building.  No permanent place to call “home”.  So we relied on God to lead us just as He had led the Israelites in the wilderness.  He led.  We followed.  We were not mature enough or old enough yet to have a church building, and so God led us to rental locations which we fleshed out with blood, sweat, tears, AND great joy to become a “home” for Elevation North.  We invited the presence of the Living God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit to fill every nook and cranny of each place we worshiped.  Yes, each place.  There were several – because when the owners could rent to someone with greater funds than we had, we needed to move on and begin the search all over again, waiting to hear from God clearly before making final decisions.  We wanted HIS perfect will more than anything else!

The greatest beauty of this journey is that in each place, God’s Spirit drew people to that place.  Together we prayed, we sang, we worshiped, we preached, we loved, and we listened.  God’s Spirit fell and lives were saved and changed.  God’s Spirit fell and then chains fell and people were delivered.  God’s Spirit fell and people were healed.  God’s Word and His truth were our foundation.  The blood of Jesus brought victory and the power to overcome as we took authority over the enemy of our souls in each situation that came to thwart God’s call upon this ministry.  We climbed spiritual mountains, feeling the burn of the upward trail, nearly slipping off the path when the rocks were so sharp and treacherous … but we heard God telling us to keep our eyes fixed on Him and to keep running the race with our eyes on the goal.  And so we kept putting one foot in front of the other, no matter what the trail looked like.  Time after time after time.  Step after step after step.

While the journey will ever be described by us as precious and powerful … we would not be honest and transparent if we did not confess that at times when facing the grim reality of the circumstances, questions came and brought discouragement with them.  Thank God, all of that was stopped short of despair – because there is no room for despair in the light of God’s presence and love.  The two can not co-exist!  In those lowest moments when we were on the verge of thinking – just perhaps God was leading us to gracefully quit and wrap it up neatly (which we really did NOT believe was what God wanted) … suddenly God would break through in such a miraculous, intentional, personal way for Elevation North, that we just stopped in our tracks and stood still, giving God full attention and saying, “We get it, God!  There is not a soul who knows what we were wondering and thinking, but You!  There is not a soul that we shared our desperate needs with, but You!  And You came through so magnificently, lovingly, abundantly, and timely, that we can point the glory ONLY TO YOU!  Which of course, is where it belongs!  Thank You, thank You, thank You, Jesus!  We will keep moving forward in Your strength and Your provision!”

And that is exactly the same pattern that we experienced when we felt God leading us – even PUSHING us, out of our last rental location to the search for a building to permanently house Elevation North in for each time we would meet together.  Of course, the truth of it is that when we are not meeting together in the place we call our “church” … we as God’s people become HIS church all over the community and in every place He takes us to!  He gives us opportunities galore to reflect Him and share Him … and to BE the church wherever we are at!!  Shining His light from us becomes contagious as others are touched by His Spirit that lives within us.  But … back to the building search.  Countless hours were poured into taking our purchase plans for a building that God presented before us to  a bank.  The location was great, and the price was right due to the generosity of a godly couple who felt led to make the special offer to Elevation North.  My husband would take unending documents as requested to a bank for the purchase application and process, and we would be told that the closing date was approaching.  And just before that time came, the bank backed out.  He repeated this process a few more times, and the same ending always slammed the door shut.  Was there no bank that would see our track record of having paid every bill we ever owed … and having paid every bill on time?  Though that was a miracle due to our small numbers, it was also a reality!  After having not given up and having pursued bank after bank after bank … and getting so close to wondering if this was really meant to be, God placed a business man in front of my husband who told him that he had heard of our struggle with the banks (we had never told him!).  And he said he wanted to give us the name of another bank and the phone number of the vice-president.  He said he felt he could help us out and would put in a good word for us with the banker.  That was the miraculous change-point in the purchase process.  My husband met with the banker, whose bank is family-owned, and who provides loans for more churches than anyone in this part of the state.  And things moved forward at a constant pace as together we persevered together.  Before long, we were sitting in an office at the bank for the signing of the title and the church mortgage documents.  We will never forget the awesome awareness of God’s presence filling that room.  It was thick in that place, and we had NO doubt but that God had brought us to this place for this time to continue forward with HIS work!  Will we give up?  Never!!  God’s hand is all over the ministry of Elevation North and His plan is sure that we will have a future working alongside Him in these last days, bringing as many souls to His Kingdom as we can through His Spirit!

We love the people that God has sent to Elevation North ~ each one is precious and valuable in His sight!  Each one has a ministry of their own – and a heart big enough to love every new person that God sends our way!  Are any of us perfect?  Unbroken?  Without sin?  No, a million times “no”!  But as we come to Him and say “yes” to the gift of God’s love and forgiveness through His Son, Jesus, we can say that we are now called by new names:  Redeemed, Blood-bought, Overcomers, Victorious, Delivered, Mended, Healed, Sinners saved by Grace, Called, Chosen, Partners in His Kingdom Work, and Dearly Beloved!  THAT is WHO Elevation North is, as this year in 2018, WE CELEBRATE GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO US through all these past ten years, KNOWING THAT THE BEST IS YET TO COME, as He continues to use all of us for His glory!  Everlasting God, may you ever set our hearts on fire so that you can use us as You wish … keep us on track with You … and make us pure and holy and righteous so that we will reflect You always!  We are so excited as we anticipate what You have in store for us in the days to come!  We are Yours, O God! 

REMEMBER . . .
“Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, 
according to His power that is at work within us,
to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 
forever and ever!  Amen!” 
~ Ephesians 3:20-21  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie



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