Where Did I Come From?

In one of my meetings the Lord led me to answer lifes three biggest

questions. They are: where did I come from, who am I, and where am I going.
I have found that most people have never answered these questions
satisfactorily. In this article I will not attempt to answer all three, but I will begin
with where did I come from? Although the most important question to your
spiritual and emotional well-being is who am I, its one that cannot be
answered until you are sure of your origin. The way you answer that question
dictates how you determine who you are.

Ive asked many people, Where did you come from, but I remember one
man, in particular, who just started giving me his genealogy. That was not the
right answer. It was true that he descended from his grandparents and parents
biologically, but that was not his true origin. He didnt know that we are literally
an extension of God, created by Him. From the book of Genesis we know that
God created the heavens and the earth and everything that came out of them,
including us. In Psalm 139:15-16, David was speaking to the Lord and saying,
You know all my parts and had them numbered before they were ever formed
in my mothers womb. We were known by God long before genealogy ever
entered into the picture.

The Bible teaches that every human being who has ever breathed has an
intuitive knowledge of the existence of God. It may not be clear, but its there.
It is possible, however, to deny its existence. You can harden your heart to the
point where you no longer feel any conviction or, even further, reach the point
of becoming a reprobate, where God actually takes the knowledge of Himself
away. An agnostic or an atheist is simply a person who has hardened their
heart to that still small voice of God that operates like a homing device. But
the Scripture says that inside of every person, there is a God-shaped vacuum.
Romans 1:18-20 says,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that
which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto
them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power
and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

If you will really meditate on these verses, youll learn that you dont have to
tell people that God hates their sin. You dont have to tell them that God is
holy and they are unholy, worthy of His judgment. The wrath of God has been
revealed to every man and woman, and they are without excuse. That is why
its so important to tell people about Gods unconditional love and grace. They
already feel condemned; they need to know how to get set free.

While I was in Vietnam, I started a Bible study. In one of our meetings, a

proclaimed atheist decided he would attend and create a little trouble. He
succeeded: he ridiculed me, asked questions I couldnt answer, and basically
made me look like a fool. Then, he just walked out and took all the men in the
Bible study with him.

About thirty minutes later, this man came back. I was praying, God give me
another chance to reach this man. Suddenly, he walked over and, standing in
front of me, said, I want what you have. Surprised, I said, You do? He told
me that he knew he had discredited me and out argued me on every point, but
what I had was more than an argument. He continued, You have a real
relationship with God and I want one. Praise God, I was able to lead this man
to the Lord. This proclaimed atheist told me later that deep in his heart he
really knew there was a God.

Everyone knows theres a God! That homing device that God placed on the
inside of you is constantly sending signals; its a still small voice. Psalm 46:10
says,

Be still, and know that I am God.

I believe this is literally talking about getting still before the Lord not only
physically but mentally. Your ability to hear that voice is hindered when youre
listening to the radio, watching television, or entertaining yourself in some
other way. I have found that many people cant stand to be still. They cant
stand to be in the house alone without some distraction. Why, because when
they get still before the Lord, those three questions keep coming up: Where
did I come from, who am I, where am I going.

I guarantee you that on the inside of every person, if they will admit it, there is
the voice of God telling them of His existence. He is telling them that they are
not the center of the universe, there has got to be something more important
than serving themselves. That voice tells them there is someone bigger and
more powerful than themselves and that they should be serving Him. The
most miserable people Ive ever met are the ones who think its all about
them, loving themselves, serving themselves, and getting things for
themselves. If they ever get quiet, the voice inside will begin to speak to them,
and they will learn a very profound revelation. Its simple but true: There is
only one God and youre not Him.

Once you realize you were created by God and that you werent an accident
or just a biological creation, you must then ask why you were created. First
and foremost, you were created for relationship with God. That is not limited
to, but certainly includes, the born-again experience, where you accept Jesus
as your personal Savior. But after salvation, we need to recognize that we can
no more control our lives successfully than we could save ourselves. We have
to remain God-dependent. We need to recognize that we havent got sense
enough, spiritually, to come in out of the rain apart from God. We just need to
say, God, I dont know what Im supposed to do; You reveal Yourself to me.

Jeremiah 10:23 says,

O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that
walketh to direct his steps.

This is one profound passage of Scripture. God did not make us to control our
own lives. He gave us the privilege and authority to choose, but its foolish to
choose anything less than His plan for our lives, if we want His best. Another
passage of Scripture that has been very special to me is Jeremiah 1:4-5:

Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the
belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified
thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Before Jeremiah was ever born, before he was even formed, God was
creating him for a purpose. In Galatians 1:15 the Apostle Paul said that God
separated him unto the Gospel from his mothers womb. These scriptures are
not just for Jeremiah and Paul; they are for everyone. God called us,
appointed us, and anointed us while we were in our mothers wombs.
The reason evolution is so popular today is because people dont want to
accept the fact that they were created by God with a purpose in mind. If they
admit to a creator, then they must become accountable for their lives. If they
can convince themselves that they werent created but just evolved or that
they are only the result of biology, then that basically makes them no different
than a dog, a rabbit, or any other animal. It leaves them free to follow their
instincts and fulfill the lust of the flesh and soothe their conscience while doing
it. Im not going to cover evolution in this letter, but the truth is that there is
absolutely no evidence that evolution is anything but a theory. Darwin himself
rejected it on his deathbed. He became a Christian and repented and
lamented over the whole thing.

Jeremiah goes on to say in chapter 29, verse 11,

I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace,
and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

I like knowing we have an expected end. We dont have to guess. You can
actually predict your future if you find out what God wants you to do. You dont
have to wonder what your end will be, if you will still be serving the Lord in the
end, are you going to hold on, are you going to die a terrible death. For me, I
can tell you whats going to happen because I have taken the time to hear
Gods voice, and He has revealed His plan for me. I understand what my end
is going to be Im going out in a blaze of glory, with a flash instead of a
whimper.

If you dont have that confidence, its because you dont know if you are where
God wants you. You only have one shot at reaching your full potential in this
life, and whether you do or not is completely dependent on finding Gods
purpose and plan for your life. You may have a degree of success by using
your gifts and talents, but thats nothing compared to what it could be if you
knew Gods will and then used those talents in pursuit of His plan for your life.

I listened to a man preach once who asked this question to the audience, If
you wanted to find the place on earth where the people with the most potential
are, where would you look? People started giving ideas like: in major cities,
on Wall Street, in a big company, and others. Finally, he gave the answer, Its
a graveyard, because nearly everybody takes their potential to the grave.
They never released it. Dont go to the grave wishing you had known His
will for your life. Whatever it takes, get that question answered.

You know you were created by God. You know He created you with a purpose
and a plan. But be honest with yourself. Would you say, I dont know for sure
that Ive discovered Gods purpose? You may be right where God wants you,
but if you havent had enough communication with God to know beyond any
shadow of a doubt, ask Him what your purpose is, and ask Him to show you
your potential. Find out what it is and fulfill it.

Your willingness to follow Gods plan for your life will affect the lives of many
others as well. You are carrying within you miracles and blessings for people
in your circle of influence. If youre not in Gods will, those people may not
receive what God has for them. Some of you may not like what Im saying;
youre thinking Im making it sound like you could miss Gods plan and that
would cause someone else to suffer. Well, thats exactly what Im saying. So,
seek Him, and He will reveal what you were created to do.

It really is imperative that you answer these questions correctly. To help you,
Ive produced a three-part album called Lifes 3 Most Important Questions. I
have been writing about the first, Where Did I Come From but the other two
questions, Who Am I and Where Am I Going, are just as important. This
series is one of the most powerful God has given me, and I know it will be a
blessing.