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

YESHUA

New series starts next Thursday, December 2: YESHUA!

Derived from the Hebrew “Joshua” (Y’shua), the name literally means “Savior.” “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 surrounds the month of December; 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 who was born in a manger over two thousand years ago! You can’t afford to miss a week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

pcraig

Philippians Series Promo

REACHING through an ION!

I am continually amazed at the selflessness demonstrated by our leaders and ION students on a weekly basis. This past weekend part of Katie and Lori's ION as well as Kellan from Christian's ION shared the love of Christ with a single lady by giving her home a mini-makeover. The lady's name was Hilda. Her friend, Deborah Patnaik, was the one who called me a few weeks ago to see if we could assemble a team of people together to help with Hilda's house. Below is an email from Deborah sharing her appreciation for theTURN IONs stepping in to serve this lady:

Free Chapel, Pastor Craig, Katie and Others,

Greetings and Blessings to you and your family

Forwarding this on behalf of Hilda Rocha, Hilda is limited to e-mails from her work and no Internet connection from her home. Hilda and I want to say Thank you for answering the call of a person in need. Thank you for hooking us up with a awesome group of girls and guys who genuinely love the Lord and enjoy helping others. What a major blessing to be a part of that group.

We felt the love from everyone. May all you do and all your leaders be blessed a hundred fold and may the faith seeds of Christ's love that are planted explode and began a generation of youth going after the very heart of God which is happening right now at Free Chapel.

I believe, I have hope, for this generation and I pray that we as elders become a link to connecting the old with the new and embrace the future that is in store for us with great anticipation to what the Lord has in store for us (his children). We are mighty when we are united as one link. Young and Old serving together.

Bless you and Thank you to each and everyone who played a part in meeting the needs of Hilda!! Thank you to each person who came out and participated until it was done. Going above and beyond, even helping the surrounding neighbors. Praise God!

If you can forward this to Katie House and her girls, so, she can know how humbled we are. So grateful and thankful for them and what they are doing in the Kingdom!! PCraig we thank God for your leadership at Free Chapel.

God is always always faithful. What a wonderful God we serve and merciful and kind his love is towards us all.

Blessings,

Deborah Patnaik

Take a look at the pics below from Saturday!