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

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what were You thinking about in those days prior to Your death?  Yes, I know You are Deity … but I also know You resided in a form every bit as human as mine.  You wanted to know, to truly understand the reason Your Father had sent You, overwhelming as it was.  I know You felt every emotion that human-kind has ever experienced, and that must have been cause for battles in Your soul.  I cannot even begin to fathom what You must have felt.  Here You were … the Son of God … of royal lineage … Your Father, the Creator of the Universe ~ yet none of that would keep You from the death You were facing; in fact it was because of who You were, that it would take place.  And most amazing, is that You were obedient!  I was just wondering, Lord … wasn’t it the most difficult choice You’d ever make – to be obedient to what Your Father was asking?

I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what were You thinking about as Your crucifixion neared?  I know, by now, it must have seemed like it was all out of Your hands.  This was Your destiny, Your cross.  Yet it only happened that way because of Your submissiveness to the Will of Your Father in Heaven.  You could have rebelled, even refused.  But You lived those days in total abandonment for a cause that would change the face of the world for all of Eternity.  Your Father was on a mission to destroy sin once and for all – but He needed You to pay the price.  There’s always a price, isn’t there?  And at this point in history, for a cause so great, the payment also had to be great.  Your life ~ that was the price.  Did You ever wish there could be another way?  I was just wondering, Lord … You were so young, You had so much to offer; did You ever wish it could be someone else going to that Cross?

I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what were You thinking about as Your time on earth was running out?  You had already made such a huge impact on people’s lives.  You’d gone from village to village, teaching and preaching, saving and healing, bringing hope and changing hearts.  You left a trail of miracles, and You never lost sight of the work Your Father had called You to do.  Your days ran into nights, and the nights into days.  The crowds that followed You … the hurting who sought You out … were never-ending streams of humanity.  Yet You never quit.  And as You walked the dusty roads with Your disciples by Your side, You kept emphasizing Your message.  You were “matter-of-fact”: (saying) “Embrace this God-life.  Really embrace it and nothing will be too much for you.  This mountain, for instance:  Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’ – no shuffling or shilly-shallying – and it’s as good as done.  That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large.  Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything.  And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all about asking.  If you have anything against someone, forgive – only then will Your Heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”  Mark 11:22-26, (The Message).  God breathed His messages into You … and You spoke them … You lived them.  But it couldn’t have been easy.  The religious leaders balked and demanded credentials; they even tried to trick You.  Some of the people didn’t listen, and many didn’t understand.  You spoke in parables, keeping the Message as simple as possible, and told the believers to stay at their post and to keep watch.  But I was just wondering, Lord … did You ever get discouraged when the Message seemed to fall on deaf ears?  Or was Your focus so great that You saw beyond the grave to the victory You would receive and bring to a world who needed it so desperately?

I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what were You thinking as Your final days with Your family ebbed away like grains of sand in an hourglass?  You knew what lie ahead of You.  Did You just want to stay with them?  Your life had been taken in countless directions, and “home” was now wherever You laid Your head.  But there’s something about a family who loves you and supports you.  You must have longed for simpler times like those moments You sat at Your mother’s knee and listened to her sweet voice as she spoke in soft, gentle tones, stroking You wavy hair and running her fingers across Your brow ~ making You feel, oh so loved and so secure.  And You must have recalled those pleasant hours in the carpenter shop with Your earthly father, watching as You learned from his gifted hands, and learning more than just that skill; being taught by example – integrity, honesty, and kindness – which of course, already dwelt within You in great measure.  Oh, those days had been so safe, so comfortable, until God began to enlarge Your circles and took You out into the world He had sent You to save.  A world filled with anger and pride and evil, everywhere You turned.  I was just wondering, Lord … did You ever feel like Your heart was being torn apart, knowing that the separation from Your family was near?  Or did Your devoted love for Your Father in Heaven transcend Your earthly attachments to those You called mother and father, brother and sister?

I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what You were thinking when those nails ripped at Your flesh as You hung on that cross at Calvary?  I know You looked down at Your mother and Your family, seeing the anguish in their faces.  I know You looked down at the soldiers who placed You in that precarious, painful position and saw their hatred and their mockery.  I know You looked down at Your followers and saw them hanging onto the Hope that Your words had given them.  But what else did You see, Jesus?  Somehow I know You saw more than Your surroundings on that hill.  I know You looked down through the ages as You hung there, blood and sweat-drops blurring Your vision ~ but You saw with Your heart – multitudes of people needing You.  You saw nations of people that hadn’t even been born yet … You saw us all ... and You saw the good and the bad in us.  You hung there and died for the bad in us –because You knew, and we knew, it should have been us hanging there.  But You chose to take our place.  You hung there and died for the good in us – because You saw the potential in us that we often don’t see until You bring it to our attention.  You chose to give us a life that we all too often only dream of.  Did we break Your heart that day, not only because of our wretched, sinful ways … but also because we are so needy ~ and because we don’t just reach out and take all the gifts and the blessings You plan for us each day?  You died so we could live ~ and not just exist.  With each beat of Your heart, Your desire was for us to live life abundantly.  That’s why You came!  I was just wondering, Lord … do we break Your heart even now, because we just don’t get it?  Because we hang on to our stubborn ways?  Because we settle for less than what You give?

My heart carries me back to Calvary, and I find myself standing on that hill today, seeing something so different from the Scriptural accounts.  What I see is what could  have been – what should  have been.  I see a never-ending line of crosses, as wide and long and as far as my eyes can see.  They cover every hill, and are every bit as rough and splintered as Jesus’ cross ,, and each has a sign.  But these crosses don’t say “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews” ~ these are printed with large letters that bear my name … “Debbie Jones” … and your name … and yes, your name, too.  ALL of our names are there.  There is a cross for every person from the beginning of time until the end of time.  And on each cross, marked with our names … we hang.  There I am, on my cross, paying the price, dying for my sins.  There you are, on your cross, paying the price, dying for your sins.  There we are, a sea of humanity, lost and writhing in anguish of body and soul.  Suddenly, my eyes turn to that hill of all hills … Golgotha … it stands out above the rest, and there on that mount looms the Cross of all crosses ~ and on it, I see Jesus hanging.  I look across from my cross on my hill and my eyes are transfixed on His eyes.  Our gaze meets, and in that moment, I finally understand what I’ve known all along:  that while He was on the Cross … I was on His mind.  (The words of that song keep going through my mind!) 

Without Him ever speaking a word, His eyes and heart speak volumes of truth and forgiveness … and freedom and liberty to my heart.  I knew what I had to do next.  I wrenched myself down off that cross of mine, and crept to the foot of His cross … and kneeling there, I found payment for my debt that had put me on my cross.  I found salvation and healing, and every other gift I’ll ever need as long as I live … and when I stood to my feet, I was a new person!  All of my sin had been covered by those drops of Jesus’ blood – and all of my weakness and all of my fears were covered by that blood, as well.  And I stood there, forgiven and free … I stood there, knowing I was His child, His disciple.  I stood there, knowing I would carry His message for as long as He gave me breath!  I turned to face my empty cross, and to my utter amazement, they were ALL empty; and as I watched, they just all disappeared from view!  Gone.  Like they had never been there.  I turned once more to Jesus, and then I understood.  It was as if those millions of crosses melted into His ~ and then I could see it in His eyes ~ He had taken it all upon Himself … all the ugly, horrible sin … mine and yours … and a million times a million more sins, so that we would never have to be crucified … just set free!  All we had to do was say “yes” to Him and His incredible, abundant life!

Well, I said “yes” to Jesus when I was just a little girl.  BUT I WAS WONDERING, DEAR PEOPLE …what are you thinking now as we again celebrate our crucified and risen Lord?  Have you ever said “yes” to Him?  If not, there’s no time like right now.  Call me at (507) 363-2109 and I’ll be so thrilled to pray with you!  And then, start living forgiven and free, and begin opening ALL those gifts He gave to you on Calvary ~ there’s enough for each day of your life!  Please don’t leave them unopened any longer!  Celebrate life … celebrate Life!

(revised from “Ponderings from the Pastor’s Wife” as written by me on 3/26/01)

 REMEMBER . . .

Jesus wants you to believe His words of amazing love:

“I will not forget you. 

See, I have inscribed you on the palm of My hands.”

~ Isaiah 49:15-16 (NRSV)  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

STEP INTO YOUR DESTINY!  Don’t know how, you say?  We make things too complicated sometimes – and that causes us to miss out.  Simply put, as children of God, I believe that stepping into our destiny looks like – us just following God.  Pure and simple.  One day at a time.  Faithfully and obediently.  Just listening for His voice, and then simply doing what He is telling us.  Not trying to figure it out, or to make sense of it.  Isn’t that what childlike faith is?  Just doing it because you trust the one who is asking you to do it!

Something pretty incredible occurred in these past few weeks.  Please allow me to reminisce and share my true story about two people who stepped into their destiny nearly seventy years ago on the plains of western North Dakota as a young couple called by God to ministry.  I have only had two pastors in my lifetime, and of course, my husband-pastor has been my second pastor, for almost forty-six years now.  The first pastor was my childhood pastor for all of my growing up years, and on my wedding day he performed the marriage ceremony for my husband and me, praying God’s blessing upon our new life together and the ministry we knew God had called us to! 

I just learned this week of my pastor’s and his wife’s Home-going, and my heart leaped with joy for them when I heard the news.  Pastor Marcus Bakke and his wife, Elva Mae, went to be with Jesus just two days apart.  He was 89 years old, and she was almost 88.  He left this life on February 15^th and she could not bear to not be with him … so God gave her the desire of her heart and sent His angels for her just two days later, on the 17^th.  The momentary sadness of realizing that two of the heroes in my life who were so instrumental in shaping my faith, my walk with God, and my passion for God’s call on my life as a little girl, were now gone from this earth – was just that.  Momentary.  Then, like I said, my heart leaped at the beauty of their connected Home-going and their present indescribable joy at now sharing Heaven forever together … after having shared so much of their lives together on earth.  And mostly, they had shared Jesus together.  And then shared Him with all the people God brought into their lives for nearly sixty years of active ministry. 

And just how did they do that?  Well, just one day at a time.  One person at a time.  One congregation at a time.  They put their roots down when they landed where God wanted to plant them for a good, long time.  When life got hard and ministry got difficult, they didn’t run.  Or quit.  They continued to pursue the God-given destiny they had stepped into.  That’s how you know when it is God that has called you to something – or if it was just one of your whims or wishes.  You stay with it, in spite of whatever comes.  You don’t turn your back and you don’t walk away.  You dig deeper into the One who called you.  You immerse yourself deeper into His presence.  You seek and pursue HIS ways and HIS will … not yours.  You never feel as if you gave up anything – but that you gained everything.  You become a first-hand witness to God’s miraculous, divine, supernatural work.  Best of all, you realize that He is letting you be a part of that; engaged in all of that with Him, and because of Him!  It is a privilege like none other!

Growing up, we all called them “Brother and Sister Bakke” ~ and that’s truly who they were!  They were my spiritual mentors, but also my brother and sister in Christ.  I will never forget their love and kindness and belief in a little farm girl who grew up without earthly riches and fancy things.  They saw through and realized that I was happy and content in the things that really matter in life.  They sowed into my life their belief in me and they lived out the love of Jesus as they reached out to me.  They invited me, a young girl without any musical training, to take my place on the piano bench at church and play worship songs for the Sunday morning services when they could have passed right over me.  They had a heart for God and for people, including this once-upon-a-time little girl.  I will always be grateful!  Thank you, Brother and Sister Bakke, for the legacy you left this little farm girl-turned Pastor’s wife.  Heaven is richer because you both are now there, and I anticipate with joy the day that I will see you again!!

My encouragement to each of you reading this is . . . you, too, can step into your destiny!  You don’t have to tackle the “sixty years” all at once, becoming so overwhelmed at what is before you, that you stop before you start!  Ask God to order your steps, one at a time, and then just enjoy the journey as you listen, follow, and fulfill your unique calling!  Remember that you are creating a lasting legacy, as well.  What will yours be?

REMEMBER . . .

“Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.”

                                                                                        ~ Proverbs 16:3  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

WHO KNOWS?  With all that is going on in the world today, who really knows what the future holds?  Who knows?  Can you just see the shrug of the shoulder when someone responds that way to a question they cannot answer?  Many people have enough trouble with living in our present day that they have no desire to tackle what the future holds.  Others are fascinated, and even excited about what is to come.  And yet others fear what tomorrow will reveal.  Which group are you in?  Well, there is only One person who really does know everything that the future will bring, and His Name is Jesus Christ!

In these past few years, as I have witnessed the changes in our world escalating to enormous proportions, there is something in me that wants to know what God is up to!  His Word tells us lots ~ but not everything.  And often there are things He has told us that we just don’t fully understand!  Even as a little girl, I was intrigued with prophecy.  I remember reading and pondering over the verses that foretold things to come in the future – and then I saw proof in God’s Word, plus confirmation historically that what God had said … came to pass!  Maybe the prophetic amazed me so much – because as mere humans our abilities to accurately predict anything perfectly is pretty much impossible.  So what is the real difference between prophecy and prediction?

In a nutshell, the definitions of prophecy and prediction are very similar – and yet with one vast difference.  The prophetic is most often defined as a revelation, a foretelling of events to come with certainty, as if by divine inspiration.  Prophecy reveals the will or message of God.  God’s Word itself includes prophecies as spoken by God, because after all, God’s Word IS God.  And sometimes God’s prophecies were – and still are – spoken through a chosen person.  A prediction is a statement about what someone thinks will happen.  Predictions are often made by man, based on science, facts, and data … assessing how things can or could happen.  And every once in a while, man gets it right.  But what are the odds of God’s prophecies coming to pass?  Let’s find out!

Doing some research, this is what I discovered.  Twenty-five prophecies dealing with events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, including His betrayal, trial, death, and burial, uttered by many different voices over a period of 500 years – were all fulfilled within 24 hours on the day that He died for the sins of the world!  (from J. Hampton Keathley, III)  You think THAT is astounding?  Just wait . . . it gets better!!!

Dr. Hugh Ross explains it this way: “Unique among all books ever written, the Bible accurately foretells specific events – in detail – many years, sometimes centuries, before they occur.  Approximately 2,500 prophecies appear in the pages of the Bible, about 2,000 of which already have been fulfilled to the letter – no errors.  The remaining 500 or so reach yet into the future and may be seen as unfolding as the days go by.”  Now get THIS: “The odds of all these prophecies having been fulfilled ‘by chance’ – without error – is less than 1 in 10²⁰⁰⁰ (that is 1 with 2000 zeros after it!)”  Incredible!  Only our God can foretell and fulfill with this exact perfection!  And this is true, because He is Truth and His Words are True!  Should that not make us believers of the Living God, if nothing else does?

All through the ages, God has chosen men and women to be His mouthpieces and carry boldly His prophetic messages to the world.  When details were spoken about “this that shall take place” – often no one else was thinking about what God had in His mind.  It doesn’t always make sense to us.  Until God reveals the meaning of it to us.  Or until what was prophesied takes place and we are blessed to be alive to see it come to pass before our very eyes!!

No matter how you feel about our recent national election in November and the ensuing inauguration of President Donald Trump this month, I just have to share with you that a prophecy from God as spoken through one of His chosen vessels in 2007 foretold just what we have experienced in America in these past months!  No one in this world was thinking of Trump in 2007 … but God was!  Who knew?  GOD KNEW!  All I can say is that while I believe God honored the prayers of His people as they humbled themselves and prayed for America – even gathering on the steps of every State Capitol in our nation as led by Franklin Graham this past year, it was God Himself who moved by His Spirit and did what He said He was going to do!  God set into place a prophecy ten years ago … and ten years later, it came to pass just as He said it would!  If you want to listen to the full prophecy as given by God through His servant, go to www.youtube.com and type in “Kim Clement – 2007 prophecy about Trump”.  No man has the ability to predict events like this.  But our God can – and DOES!  We are living in supernatural days, dear ones!  Open up your eyes, your ears, your hearts, and your lives to the fullest potential of being used by God for His Kingdom purposes, that He might be honored and glorified!  We are living in exciting days … DO NOT STOP PRAYING AND WALKING IN THE SPIRIT!  Who knows what God will do in us and through us in these days?  HE does!  HE KNOWS!!

REMEMBER . . .

“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above,

and upon the earth beneath:  there is none else.”

~ Deuteronomy 4:39  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie