It's Time to Stop This by Anthony Nelson

My friend, who is a pastor of a church in Ontario sent this to me today.  I thought I would share it with you my silent readers (hi Jo, & Ken).  Be blessed.

What you are about to read and receive is a direct revelation from the Father to you. In the past, you may have left it in your inbox unread, opened it and acknowledged it or even sown a one-time gift as a thanks offering. Whatever, the case may be, the revelation is increasing, so let us as well. You are welcome to forward this teaching to others, recognizing the authorship. We continue to desire that your account would abound in season (Phil. 4:17).

It's Time to Stop This

Here we go again! Canadians are being asked, in the space of 7 years for the fourth time, to go to the polls and elect their 23rd Prime Minister. We have been asked to choose between Captain Picard of Star Trek that being, Stephen Harper, our incumbent and the three amigos, Michael Ignatieff, Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe.

I'm not trying to be disrespectful of our leaders and belittle their roles, but it does seem to me that we have been here before and are asked to do the same exercise over again and again. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to repeat things over and over again when there is no seeming profit in this other than someone getting more of the pie in his mouth so to speak.

I believe many of us face the same kind of Christian life. We get up every day and do the same thing over and over again. There is no joy in doing our devotions; no excitement in living for the Lord. The delight has gone and the duty becomes all we live for.

You know you're in trouble when you begin to live your Christian experience only in Psalms and you constantly ask the Lord to rescue you from your enemies. You know you are in trouble when devotions become something you squeeze in at night or on the way to work between your coffee and bagel.

I don’t know about you, but I know I have lost something, when worshiping the Lord is too long after 20 minutes and going to fellowship is a once a month activity, when sharing my faith is no longer automatic, but something I have to think about.

If you know what I am talking about you can decide in your personal walk with the Lord that I want more than this. I don’t want to live this way. I want to return to my first love.

Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1)

One of the greatest joys we have in being the Lord's children is that we have an in-built,  incoming signal that lets God know where we are at all times as He patiently waits for us to come to the point where we decide that enough is enough - that what we have accepted is not longer tolerable.

Rejoice not against me, my enemy; for if I fall, I shall arise. For if I sit in darkness, Jehovah is a light to me.  (Micah 7:8)

I was reading the book of Micah the other day and the condition of Israel, God's chosen, were such that their enemies had them in complete reproach. The laughter and scorn of Israel was known throughout the land. The best of them were corrupt and all their mighty men had fallen.

This was a result of the people's cooperate rejection of the Lord and their desire to forge their own alternatives to God's plan for people and for nations. The result was predictable.

Every great failure comes from within never from without. And the same is true for every step towards repentance and deliverance. It comes from a true heart that seeks to be restored to the Father's plan.

• Israel had to repent, so do we. “If My people...." (2 Chron. 7:14)

• Israel had to find their Creator and Father, so do we.

• Israel had to submit to the Father's plan, so do we.

• Israel had to humbly recognize that the Father knew best, so must we . “I know the plans I have for you…." (Jer. 29:11)

My brothers and sisters, I must admit this has been a very challenging winter for me (My first winter in my fifties). But in the midst of this time, I have found the Lord as my Restorer in a new way. He can restore your joy and lift you up out of whatever your situation is and give you a new walk with Him.

But you, dear friends, must come to a decision inside of you that decides I will arise from this place and return to my first love. It's not difficult, but it will demand courage and faith in God to obey His instructions as you decide to stop this train and get off.

 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; ² To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night, ³ On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound. 4 For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.  ⁵ O LORD, how great are Your works!
         Your thoughts are very deep. Ps. 92:1-5

It's time for us to stop being conformed to everything around us and begin to walk in the fullness of the Lord's power and grace over our lives,

Apostle Anthony Nelson,
Team Leader
FFFM: To STRENGTHEN, ENCOURAGE & RELEASE Leadershttp://www.apostolictraining5.org/