Mission Possible - This Sunday!

So for the church at large, we are beginning a new series this coming Sunday, February 6! It's called "Mission Possible: Winning the Lost!"

Let's look once more at the vision statement of NCCoG: We, as a community of Spirit-filled believers, commit to exalt God, to evangelize the lost, and to edify and equip the church for ministry.

This February the whole month will encompass the second "e" of our vision: to evangelize the lost. You ready for this? Here is the series:

"Mission Possible: Winning the Lost"

Jesus commissioned us to carry His Gospel to the far corners of the earth, and contrary to popular belief, that mission is still possible! The reason why? Because the power whereby to discharge that commission is still available to us through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit! What impression are you making on the people around you? “For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:3).” Jesus is Yeshua. Jehovah is Salvation. That salvation will surround the month of February; our Savior Jesus was born to die. Join us all month long and you’ll be sure to gain a new and relevant perspective on the Savior’s call on your life, a call to win the lost! You can’t afford to miss a week!

This coming Sunday, I will be opening up the series with a message entitled "Reverse the Curse." Ricardo Sanchez will be leading us in worship as we share about winning the next generation for Christ! The previous generation is called to reverse the curse of sin in this current generation! And how do we reverse the curse? We must know our identity in Christ and then recognize who are my spiritually paralyzed friends and how we can get them to Jesus!

"Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert." - Numbers 14:33

"After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel." Judges 2:10

It's time to REVERSE THE CURSE!

Check out the February series promo below:

See you this Sunday, and don't come alone!

pcraig

Awaiting the Vision.....

"For the revelation (vision) awaits an appointed time; it speaks (as if to kindle a fire) of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." Habakkuk 2:3

ELEVATION Vision Statement: Our vision is to lead lost students to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, teach them to worship the Lord, implement them into this local body to be discipled in the Word of God, develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for ministry in the church and God’s mission for them in the world to advance the Kingdom of God.

ELEVATION Mission Statement: Our mission is to empower a generation of students with the gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, discipleship, relationship, and mission.

ELEVATION is committed to developing students of prayer and worship. (WED NIGHT WORSHIP GATHERINGS)

• Wednesday night worship experiences
• all-night prayer gatherings
• Biblical teaching and preaching
• ELEVATION is committed to developing students of prayer and worship. Worship is far more than music. Worship is our response to God declaring His worth as He has revealed Himself to us. We simply can’t worship or apply what we do not know. Our Wednesday night worship gatherings provide a place for us to experience His presence, be challenged and taught Biblically, and devote ourselves to prayer.

ELEVATION is committed to discipling students to Christlike maturity. (DISCOVERY DISCIPLESHIP)

• Discovery discipleship classes (every Sunday at 9:30am)
• Encounter Retreats
• FIRE Institute
• ELEVATION is committed to discipling students to Christlike maturity. Discipleship is a lifetime process, not a youth activity. We are committed to taking the time to help students become intimate with the long-term Jesus rather than hurrying young people into short-term results. Jesus knew that hurried disciples become ex-disciples. A real lover of God and disciple of Jesus take time to develop and use the mind.

ELEVATION is committed to equipping students within genuine relationships. (SMALL GROUPS)

• small groups (will start later this year)
• membership in God’s family
• accountability
• ELEVATION is committed to equipping students within genuine relationships. True transformation takes place as we build relationships in settings that encourage transparency and openness. Our small group ministry meets together each month to provide that setting. Our small groups meet all across Cleveland and are gender specific to foster a more effective means to forge genuine relationship.

ELEVATION is committed to mobilizing students to live a missional lifestyle. (WECARE)

• monthly outreach opportunities
• evangelism
• mission trips
• ELEVATION is committed to mobilizing students to live a missional lifestyle. Each of us were made for a mission. It is evident that God is at work in the world, and He wants you to join him. He desires for you to share His love where you are. It pleases Him for you to reach out to those around you. Compassionate evangelism to the world outside embodies a missional lifestyle. You can do that through demonstrating love for those in need in your life, participating in our monthly outreach opportunities, and inviting a friend to your small group and ELEVATION.

VISION IS MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN IT IS VERY CLEAR AND EASILY RELATABLE!

Striving for the vision!

pcraig

To the Final 6 Days!

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:25

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” – Heb. 3:13

Here we are on Day 16! It is exciting to remember that as we fast, we are investing in something that will outlast us! There is always purpose in what we are doing – we are never just getting by when we are fasting and seeking God. Be encouraged by that today, and encourage others as they fast with you as the Bible exhorts us to do in the above Scriptures. Jesus had purpose even as He was dying – there was purpose down to the last moment! The late A.W. Tozer once said, “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular. It is why he does it.” Isn’t that a reality check for our motives in fasting? Why are you still fasting at this point? It is important to maintain pure motives that are always filtered through the Holy Spirit as we participate in spiritual disciplines such as fasting.

As each of you know, the Holy Spirit is the key to success in any area you are involved in. This is certainly true of ministerial success. What we need in America is a renewed dependence on Spirit-empowered leadership. Expansion of the church is a work of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray that during this fast you are upholding your spiritual leaders in prayer. Continue to pray for them that God would pour out on them a fresh infilling of His Spirit!

I came across the following Scripture the other day, and I want to share with each of you:

“Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?” –Gal. 3:3

It is true that each of us began our walk with God by His choice, His action, His initiative. We must always remember that! If we drift from that place we gut the gospel of its transforming and marvelous power. You and I never found God; He found us. It was not Him who was lost and was found – you and I were lost and He found us! Praise God for that! And I want to ask you a question: having started this fast with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? I pray not! Stay so dependent upon His Spirit every day as you consecrate yourself to His purposes! We need His power in our lives like never before. Training and education are stimulating, but the Spirit is where the power comes from. Principles help us stay in control, but the Spirit directs us to do what God wants us to do.

During this fast, we must remember the purpose of Spirit-baptism. It is solely for the enhancement of our witness; for the empowerment of service in God’s Kingdom. Let’s look at what the Scripture states.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

Tongues may be evidence of Spirit-baptism, but witness is essence. If we are baptized in His Spirit, we must be reaching out to others with the hope of Jesus Christ. So many today dismiss the existence of Spirit-baptism saying it ended with the death of the last apostle John. But I have a thought: if the Great Commission is still in charge, the power thereby to discharge this commission must still be available as well! God thank you for your Spirit!

Here is my prayer for each of you during these final days of this fast. It is not only a prayer for you individually but a prayer for the ministries that you are part of as well.

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.” – 2 Tim. 1:7

The Spirit gives each of us the trilogy of power, love, and self-discipline. It is interesting to note that whenever a church is alive, all three of these components are present. These are the ABC’s of ministry. Do these three mark the ministry you are a part of? Would you pray that God would make manifest power, love, and self-discipline in the ministry of His Church? Scripture anticipated the days we are living in, when immorality would spread like cancer and the church would hold “to the outward form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Tim. 3:5). As leaders, as those seeking after God while fasting, we don’t need new principles, ideas, or buildings. We need a renewed dependence on God!

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” – 2 Peter 1:3

Would you say this out loud with me according to 2 Peter 1:3? Say this, “No matter what I am facing today, His power has given me everything I need! I have everything I need in Jesus’ name!

Do you long for His presence? Are you seeking a fresh baptism of His Spirit as a subsequent experience to your salvation? Do you really believe that He has given you everything you need for life and godliness? Are you living that way currently?

To the last week of the FAST,

Pastor Craig Mosgrove

One Obsession

His grace has overwhelmed in the past few days. I find myself consumed with thinking of Him and His Church. It's all that really matters at the end of the day. Am I someone that is intimately connected to Him? Is my family fused to Christ because their priest of the household binds them to Him in prayer? Are the people whom God has given me oversight my only crown, joy, and glory? These are all questions that have been floating around in my head.

We are called to one obsession, Jesus Christ.

And how do you kill a man with a dream? Give him more dreams. The Lord has branded on me the fact that I must keep my divine assignment my one and only obsession. It has never been about ability - it is about my availability. God uses ordinary beings to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. Am I open to be used to the max? Are you?

Are you operating in a sphere of usefulness for the glory of God? When evaluating every area of your life, are there any unfruitful parts? If so allow the gardener to prune you this day. "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:2)."

At the end of your life, your value will not be determined by your duration but rather by your donation. You were born to be wild. His plan for your life is beyond your wildest dreams, but is He your only obsession? I am telling you that I am more excited about God's work today than I ever have been in my life. I want to be an individual that is always vision driven not memory driven. We can't move forward while looking in the rear view mirror. Do you perceive the new work that He is doing?

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:18-19

God is indeed doing a fresh work in your life and the lives of others, but do you perceive it? I believe here at North Cleveland Church of God that we are about to enter into the ride of our lives as a church. God is preparing us for that which He has prepared for us!

But I ask again: Is He your one obsession?

If not, ask Him to light you on fire today. Bow on your knees and cry out to Him. Lord bring us to your cross once again. Remember it is always the yearning that brings the burning!

Fasting - Greater Revelation!

As a word of encouragement:

Well, here we are in day ten already – I like to think we are in the groove of it all at this point! Most headaches have passed if you are doing the total fast, and I am sure you have seen the faithfulness of God in these past few days. It is amazing just how quickly fasting gains God’s attention!

I was reading in the Scriptures the other day during the fast, and a certain Scripture jumped off of the page at me. Can you remember a time in the past when you suddenly saw something in the Bible you had never seen before? The truth had been there all along, but it had been hidden to your eyes. Then suddenly one day, it was as if someone pulled the covers off that verse, and it literally jumped off the pages in front of you. You saw it! You understood it! You had a revelation! This is what happens when we fast. We gain revelation.

A revelation is something that has been veiled or hidden for a long time and then suddenly, almost instantaneously, becomes clear and visible to the mind or eye. It is a fact that truths remain hidden until God chooses to reveal them to us. This is why Paul prayed for God “to give” the Ephesian church a spirit of wisdom and revelation. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17).” From my personal experience, I have gained more revelation from God’s Word during a fast than any other time in my life! I am sure you are starting to feel the same way?

God has all the answers we need for this year. By ourselves, we will never be smart enough to figure it all out. So like Paul, we need to beseech God to impart to us the wisdom we need during this fast. This kind of wisdom only comes to us by revelation – which only God can give. If you need guidance and direction today, stop right now and pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17 in your own life. In one moment, He can remove the veil of ignorance and help you see clearly the things you need to understand. All you have to do is ASK this fast!

So what was the Scripture that was revelation to me the other day?

"And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." - Acts 5:32

As we are on this journey together fasting over these next few weeks, I am so encouraged by this Scripture. What excites me about this Scripture is its promise. I have seen so many people passively wait for the Spirit to imbue and endue them. This week I gained a new perspective from it: each new act of obedience will always bring a new baptism of His Spirit and love! As we obey the Lord in fasting (Matt. 6), He promises a fresh baptism of His Spirit. Oh how we need that!

We need a baptism of His Spirit in this New Year. We must allow love to be perfected in our lives through simple obedience, like fasting. Sin does not destroy God's love, it frustrates it; but as we combine our hearts together and walk in obedience, He promises to give us His Holy Spirit.

Each of us over the next month must empty ourselves of selfish ambition. It is time for us to hold up our emptied vessels to be filled with the grace of God. I pray that you are experiencing a fresh baptism as you obey Him during this fast!

How have you experienced a fresh baptism of His Spirit in these first ten days of the fast? What new revelation has God given to you as you’ve sought Him in His Word? In what areas of your life do you need His wisdom that only comes from revelation?

It’s always an honor,
Pastor Craig Mosgrove

Fasting in His Presence!

Day 5 of the FAST!

Just wanted to share a word of encouragement here on Day 5 of the FAST! I am having a difficult time expressing just how expectant I am for God to do an incredible work in our lives in 2011 - there is such a deep seated expectation in my heart, and I feel that January's fast will set the course for all that God is going to do this year! To prepare ourselves for His work, we desperately need an infusion of His strength and wisdom as we begin this new year. I think this happens as we fast.

I am convinced that one reason the devil has access to people's emotions is that they keep flying through life without taking time to get renewed in the Presence of the Lord. They ignore their need to sit, to rest, and to wait upon the Lord. As a result, their perception of things around them gets blurred. Doing too much at a fast pace has worn them down, causing them to lose their focus and affecting their ability to see things the way they really are. That is how many people start the New Year. Someone was attributed with saying once, “Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.” This is not true of us though; change has begun as we seek the Lord in prayer and fasting!

The only way we can remain continually effective is by making sure we spend time with the Lord. It is so simple, yet so difficult sometimes. Is His Presence all you desire in 2011? In order to truly enter His Presence so we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, we must first quiet ourselves by getting away from the commotion of life and finding a quiet place to worship, pray, fast, and read the Word. That's the only way we can quiet our soul enough to be able to hear God's voice speaking to our inner man. To think that we are going to run into the Lord's Presence and get everything we need in the space of five minutes just isn't realistic. We must schedule time to be alone with God. Fasting sets the table for you to grow in intimacy with Him. During your normal meal times, you can schedule time to silence yourself in His presence.

Don't just run in and run out of the Lord's Presence this January. Plan to settle down and stay there long enough to get everything you need to carry on! Once you've stopped long enough to really rest in His Presence, you're finally in a position where you can start receiving from Him. Don't move too fast. Don't leave until you receive the refreshing you need. Allow the Holy Spirit to give you peace, joy, strength, and direction.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

I am praying that in 2011 as we join together in fasting, obeying the Word of God and listening to the Holy Spirit's leading, we will have the wisdom to know every step we need to take in the days ahead. All we have to do is obey God's instructions, and He guarantees us blessing and provision even in difficult times. But if we try to take another approach, there is no guarantee for us to claim. This next year, we, as His people, must do what God says if we want to be assured of His divine blessing and protection!

Spending time with the Lord is not an option in 2011 - it is the answer! So start this New Year off right by coming into the Presence of God and allow Him to refresh you today. Would you prepare yourself for the 21-day journey today by spending time with Him? As you do, the Holy Spirit will release His resurrection power and you will be quickened in your physical body. You will be strengthened, refreshed, recharged, and supernaturally empowered by God so you can get back out there with a fresh perspective and new energy to finish what you have started!

What is it that you desperately need God to do in your life through this fast? In what areas of your life do you need His direction? Fasting brings humility and direction. What has been your experience with fasting in the past and how can that testimony encourage and strengthen others as they are gearing up for the fast? Share with others your thoughts in the comments below. We are fasting together!

Let's move forward during the FASTING MOVEMENT! This past Sunday began the first day of the best days of the rest of our lives – let’s go!

Pastor Craig Mosgrove

Kicking it OFF!

Elevation is kickin' the new year off strongly on Wed, January 5 with a brand new series for the entire month of January:

Kaleo: to call; to utter in a loud voice. Join ELEVATION all month long as we learn God’s call on each of our lives. What does it mean to be called to greatness? Absolute submission. Ultimate sacrifice. And relentless pursuit of that which is promised to those who will follow. God is calling the high schoolers in 2011 to be ready to follow His divine calling.

Grab all your friends and join us each Wed night of the month for great music, food, some new friends, and the Word!

It will be sure to be a January to remember!

ELEVATION | High School Ministry of North Cleveland
335 11th Street NE Cleveland, TN 37311
Wed nights @ 6:30pm