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
