How Did I Get Here?

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “how did I get here?” “Guys,” I am not talking about the times you ended up somewhere because we refused to ask directions or look at the map! I am talking about the place we are in our personal lives. If we are honest with ourselves, we have asked either a friend or ourselves the question,

“I’m a good person, why do I do things I regret later?” “Why is my life such a mess? “Why am I always in trouble?” “Why don’t I ever have enough money?” “Why don’t I get things accomplished that I want and, why do things I don’t want happen to me?”

“1 Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. “ Really?” he asked the woman. “Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?”

2 “Of course we may eat it,” the woman told him. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree at the centre of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die.”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent hissed. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.”

6 The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. 7 At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves.

8 Toward evening they heard the Lord God walking about in the garden, so they hid themselves among the trees. 9 The Lord God called to Adam, “Where are you?”

11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

12 “Yes,” Adam admitted, “but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it.”

Our enemy, Satan does not have any new tricks. He just keeps using the same ones repeatedly and some people fall for them, yes even Christians.

Eve was deceived, but Adam chose to sin. His choice cost Him everything he had. We do not always know the consequences of our choices, until it is too late.

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.

2 But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night, they think about his law.

3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail.

4 But this is not true of the wicked. They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

5 They will be condemned at the time of judgement. Sinners will have no place among the godly.

6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Deuteronomy 30:19 “19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!” (NLT)

So why is it so hard to turn my life around? Satan does not want you to and is trying to stop you every step of the way and - sometimes we help him! Sometimes we are consistent, but in the wrong things. Like when we practise laziness, procrastination, busyness, or trying to accomplish change in our lives, apart from God. “I can do it myself.” Does this sound familiar?

How do you turn your life around? We ask God for Wisdom! That is what I did and He answered me! WE DO NOT ALWAYS LIKE THE ANSWER.

James 1:5-8 "5 If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do. (NLT)

Holy Spirit dropped this into my spirit – “sin of inconsistency". I pondered this for a period of time… wait a minute this is the same as wavering! I had been putting off what I knew was my responsibility and the truth of God’s Word on some personal issues in my life. I asked and Holy Spirit answered, now I had a choice to make - ignore Him or repent and walk in the truth I know? Yes, I repented!

· THE BAD NEWS! We have the life we have because of our wrong personal choices!

· THE GOOD NEWS! We can have the life we desire by making the right personal choices!

The first Choice you need to establish is that JESUS IS LORD! You need to be born again to have the access to the promises of God’s Word. The second choice you need to make is to believe that Jesus wants to baptize you with His Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in our tongues. Then you will have access to the Word of God with the power and accuracy to pray the life you desire into existence.

We need to renew our mind with the truth of God’s Word so that we know how to recognize the lies of the enemy before we are deceived! I have said it before, but I will say it again, “the bible” in itself has no power. It is only when we take the Word from the pages of the bible, apply it to our lives, and walk in faith that it will accomplish what God said. Only then do we see the power of God manifest! If the power was in the book itself, we would see everyone who enter Cole's Book Store get born again, healed and delivered as they walked by the Christian section.

God loves each of us more than we know! I know that He has a plan for each one of us if we will begin to make the right choices! One of my favourite scriptures to remind myself of this is Jeremiah 29:11-14. “11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land.” (NLT)

I remind you there is no middle ground! By not choosing God’s best for your life and believing His Word –you have made a choice to allow Satan to work in your life. In this time that we live we can not expect our lives to be anything but a living Hell - if we decide to just float through life. “Whatever happens, happens.” If I want God to do His part in “restoring my fortunes” I need to do my part in what He asked me to do – consistently!

The reality is that once we hear the truth of God’s Word, we are accountable to use it to change our lives. If we do not do anything with it, we are in a sense denying the power of God’s Word in our lives. If we deny the Word, we deny Jesus. Jesus is The Word.

John 1:1-5 “1 In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he did not make. 4 Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. 5 The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (NLT)

Matthew 10:32-33 32 “If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. 33 But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven. (NLT)

If you are here today and Holy Spirit has been tugging at your heart in this area then I ask you to receive His free gift of mercy and forgiveness according to 1 John 1:9 “9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (NLT)

Father, thank you for your forgiveness in the areas of my life that I have not been consistent.

Help me to be consistent in tithing on the finances you have given me and obedient to giving over and above, as you ask me.

Help me to be consistent in my witness and Christian walk at home and when people are watching.