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Something that you said you were really eager to change. So you meant it the last time. You even cried. And you've prayed. You decided, yes, this is what I'm going to do. And you have sticked to it just for a while. But then you changed. but then you changed because life started putting pressure on you your routines that you used to have returned to back where it used to be even the comfort of your comfort zone called you back then slowly and quietly you went back to your old ways. If this is you then this message is for you. If this is not you scroll on or move away from this message. But if this is you I just need you to understand it's not because you are evil no no no it is even not because god failed you that is nothing that has nothing to do with it it's because of you change your decisions you decided to now when you decided to you didn't put a system into place remember what i said to you last week i asked you the question or i i've explained to you how it is to make things easier for you when you change if you say you're going to go to the gym for this year don't wake up in the morning and still look for your junk clothes later. Because this is what happened. It's yesterday. Do you know what This actually comes in good Can I use you as an example Sorry bro This is what happened yesterday Ma, I swear on my... I don't know how to explain it. Yesterday morning, I was busy doing the clothes. Washing. I did the washing. When I saw his clothes in the washing, knowing that he's supposed to go to practice today, I deliberately put water on those clothes so that it can be wet. It needs to be washed. Do you know why I did it deliberately? because it's been some time now that every time, whenever it's time for him to go to practice, then only he realized, ah, my clothes are dirty. And sometimes he even put those dirty clothes on and go back to gym, I mean to soccer practice with it. So what I did is I put them in the water and I let them be washed. now in his mind ah the coach is going to fight me for not having my clothes my gym clothes so it was an option to say because I don't have gym clothes I don't have to go to the soccer practice but yet he stick to his guns and he went now the worst part of it is ma now i had this fight with him i said to him it's not my gym it's not my soccer practice it's your soccer practice you have to make sure that your soccer clothes is sorted out then i make the mistakes to start working 11 o'clock when I was supposed to go and fetch him. I forgot. Picture this in this guy's mind. Yo, this guy is so angry at me that he doesn't even want to come and fetch me. But I forgot. I did not make it. What is this person in this? Intentionally I didn do it intentionally I totally forgot He get from soccer practice let call it almost a kilometer from here I don't know if it's two kilometers, maybe. Let's call it a kilometer from here. He had to walk after practice that he's been tired. Now he had to walk home. Getting to the house here, in my house, I can guarantee you now, if you are there in front you can scream as much as you want we won't hear you from here we can't hear you sometimes if this door is open we can hear but when I'm in the room I can't so he came here nobody heard him he had to walk all the way to his cousin's house which is another 400 to 500 meters that he had to walk to go and use their phone to call me to open the gate. Just picture in this guy's mind how many things went into his mind. It's almost like as if you can say, me, I don't want to do soccer practice anymore. If this is the things I need to go through. but that was a lesson learned that he need to make sure that it's his soccer practice it's not my soccer practice his soccer coach needs to be sorted and i hope that lesson will stick but remember i said to you last week this is the things that makes us to stop doing what we're supposed to do. Today, my message is entitled Why You Go Back to What You Swore You Would Never Do Again. You have sworn to yourself you will never do it again, but yet you went back. That's my message. That's the title of my message. Now, my question to you is simple. Why does conviction fade when pressure rises Do you know that somewhere in the Bible somebody says the things i want to do i don do them and the things i don want to do i keep on doing it somebody in the bible says that once and i'm not seeing the exact scripture i'm just giving you it's something that i can tell you even then it was known but let me go to my scripture reading let's go to Romans 1 I mean not Romans 1 sorry Romans 12 verse 1 sorry let's go to Romans 12 verse 1 now Romans 12 verse 1 it says I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that he present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be here transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now, if I can explain this message to you, I mean, this scripture to you, It's like he's not asking you for one moment. Not one moment. Oh, I got an epiphany. Hey, listen to my English. Epiphany. I don't even know. I can't remember what it means, but it's like I got some sort of a quick idea. it's not once off idea it means he's asking you for patterns like things that you keep on doing so transformation doesn't only use an emotion I'm all hyped up it doesn't If you are all hyped up, we all would have been far. Because our transformation, when you get an idea, you are so charged up by the emotions of that idea but if you don't take a step towards that that feelings or emotions will subside it will be gone but what it does it needs it needs a renewal of your mind it needs a AA, what do you call it? It needs an ongoing renewing of your mind. It needs to be constantly and not just an ongoing, but an intentionally repeated action of what is in your mind. Because when your mind, whatever an idea wants and you don't repeatedly act upon it, and you don't repeatedly act upon it. It is just an emotion, and it's done, and it's finished. It won't go anywhere. Now, remember, last week I spoke about two things, but let me give you the scriptures together. Proverbs 26, verse 11. Let's read Proverbs 26, verse 11. Proverbs 26, verse 11 says, as a dog returned to his vomit. Did you hear that? As a dog returned to his vomit, so a fool returned to his folly. So a fool returns to his folly. now going back to where you were is not an accidental thing it doesn't happen by accident it's almost like it's a replacement of what was removed now let me explain what I mean if somebody has been drinking the moment they don't fill that place or that void of the drinking part with something else they will keep going back to the drink Your life is a full glass and whatever you emptied, you need to fill it up with something else. I keep on saying that if your life is full, thank you, ma'am. If your life is full, it's very important to understand the moment you take out something, you have to replace something else. If you take up a bad thing, replace it with a good thing. If you don't replace it, it will come back. If you don't, replace it. It will come back. No, let me go to Matthew 12, 43. Because I want you to hear this. Matthew 12, 43. Just listen to this. And I will read a few scriptures. 43, 12, 43. Matthew 12, 43. It says the following. The queen of... Isn't that right? Yeah. 43, sorry. He says, empty, swept and garnished. Can you see? So you have taken out the thing that you see is of no value to you and you've taken it away from you. But that thing, when it moved, it went around looking for a place to go, find nothing. And then he returns and he says, ah, you have done a good job by cleaning yourself. He comes he finds it empty swept and garnished Now this is the part that is very dangerous Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself And they entered in and dwelt there. and the last state of that man is worse than the first even so shall it be also unto his wicked generation I hope this I've read it slow enough for you to understand I've explained it enough for you to understand if I can remember some years back when I left my drugs. I had to replace it with something else. Do you know what I did? Instead of me doing something more positive, I went to Coke. Not Coke. Not that Coke. I went to Coca-Cola cold drink. and I started addicting myself to coke. Instead of saying, ah, I've smoked, I've drank, why not do something better? I went to coke. When my wife met me, I was drinking coke like nobody's business. So, what it does, because of the coke, now the thing that I was doing couldn't come back because now I have a refill. That's not replacement. Replacement for it. You understand what this scripture actually mean? It's a replacement. But it's not a once-off replacement. It's a constant replacement. Now, deliverance without replacement, it creates vacancy. It's like the land is vacant. Any squatter can come Now that why your life is a squatter camp Sorry No, I mean it. I didn't say I meant it. If you want your life to be a squatter camp, keep on making sure that whatever you have replaced, open space for it to come. because when it comes back, it doesn't come back alone. It comes with seven worth of things. It comes with seven worth of things. Remember what I said? Why you go back to what you swore you would never do again. That is the message and the title of my message. I swear I will never drink again I swear I will never do pornography again I swear I will never do adultery again I swear I will never cheat on my husband again I swear I will never cheat on my wife again and then you forgot to fill that part now they come back the same thing but added it who said it? multiply thank you plus plus plus like saying plus plus plus plus plus but plus is not the thing I want multiplication now why is it you swear that you never do it again and yet you do it. This is the reason. As a dog returned to his vomit, so a fool returned. The Bible calls you a fool for doing every time going back to your vomit. It's not me that calls you. The Bible calls you a fool. Now, remember last week I spoke about a Greek word, Metamorpho, which is according to Romans 12 verse 2, meaning to be transformed by an internal change of form. Oh, sorry. It's an internal change of form. Ah, ah, ah. Can you believe it? Ah, yeah. Our message did not go through. Okay. Let's try again. so I need you to understand something when change are happening changes from the outside like outside changes changes that come from outside will never stick did you hear what I say it will never stick why I've never put this thing on Oh, it's the internet. It shows the internet, but I don't know. I don think I need to get myself stressed So when you change from outside the outside change has not yet convicted you from inside and therefore the change doesn't stick. What I mean by outside change? I remember we had some years ago, we had such a nice revival. We had a revival service. And everybody was talking about the way the revival was powerful. And when they talk about the powerful revival, a powerful revival, I think I will just leave this one. Maybe I can go here, see if I can connect from here. Every time I think, ah, this one is not doing it, then it starts showing again. Can you click on Facebook, my skin, off its connect? Next, now. Sorry. I don't know. How can you make my profile? Oh. It just doesn show here but it shows online Okay, but it doesn't matter. Thank you. Now, outside change makes a lot of people to make a lot of noise. Because the thing that they heard was from outside. They have not been convicted from within. That is why it doesn't stick. Next. Apologies for the church. The ugly chewing. So, when it changes from outside, the change doesn't last. Now, metamorpho, like according to Romans 12 verse 2, the Greek word for it, it's to be transformed internally or changed internally. That is what it means. so why most people fail is they stop the actions like it's done but they don't stop the thinking behind it yes I'm a Christian but my thinking thinking is still of the world so when I think as the world does I act as the world. It has not been convicted within my spirit. So therefore no new structures are happening. It's no lasting change that will happen. Now, the Hebrew word for shav often translates to return meaning to turn back to a former path intentionally. So relapse is not weakness. It's that unprotected territory. Relapse is not weakness There is no protection I should stop looking at these things. Okay. Now let me give you a diagnosis. Let me be a diagnostics. There's something called psychology. Now, psychology labeled this, it clearly labeled this as evidence-based principle. So that's what they call habit psychology. Evidence-based principles. Because habit psychology, the brain does not delete habits. It replaces them. So your replacement is what you have to look at. So when a habit is removed but it's not replaced, psychology calls it, it defaults back to the strongest familiar pattern. what is familiar. And I can tell you now, if you think that psychology is just psychology, psychology comes from the Bible. Let me show you. Jesus says the house was clean. yet it was empty so squatters they say this is too clean for me and it's even empty where psychology says empty Emptiness seek replacement. Jesus says clean and empty. It's an opportunity for a squatter to come and squat. Now, it's the same thing, but it's said in different languages always. What's the real problem? What is the real problem? You thought stopping was enough. I've stopped drinking. I've stopped smoking. I've stopped cursing. because people see my curse as the biggest sin of their lives. I've stopped cursing. I've stopped pornography. I've stopped sexual abuse or whatever it's called. But that is just step one. A building has more steps. You have to build upon that. That's your step two. That is why Jesus, when he says in Luke 11, 28, Ye rather blessed are they that hear the word of God. So you heard it. Then he goes on and keep it. Now let's go there so that you don't see. Think I'm talking. Luke 11. 28. Luke 11 28 says the following. It says. But he said. Ye rather blessed. Are they that hear the word of God. And keep it. Hear the word of God. And keep it. So you heard it. And you did not let it go. On. Sand. You built it. Rock solid. So that is what you need. Let's use a godly execution plan. Step number one. Identify the places where, or let's say the entering points, entry points. Identify the entry points. Matthew 12 verse 44 so it says identify the entry points Matthew 12 verse 44 says as follows. Then he said, I will return into my house from whence I came out. And when he is gone, he find it empty. So if it's empty, there's a space for it to open. So write down what you have stopped doing so that you can know that needs some replacement number two. So identify the entry point, install a replacement. This scripture says it so nicely. let's go to Ephesians Ephesians 4 I think the scripture says it nicely I will emphasize a few words for you it's 4.22-24 he says 22 that he may put off number one concerning the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt, according to the default, and be renewed, number two. Did you hear? He says that he put off and be renewed, number two, in the spirit of your mind, and that he put on, number three. You see, he says, put off, renewed, and put on the new men which after God is created and righteous in true holiness. This scripture makes it so nice. It says put off is to take out put on is to make a change and then I mean to renew is to change your mind sorry and then put on the new So God has never taught you to just take it out. He asked you to replace it So make sure you replace that with something good And another one that I can tell you is very important It's not something that I can say to you that is just in the by and by. Change your environment. Do you know what change your environment means? The same place, you know, when people are watching pornography, they are a lot on the phones and laptops and whatnot. Change the phone scrolling to show wrong apps. environment is very important to change it because if you take the the phone and you block such sites you won't be able to go in there sometimes it's just as easy to change your friends do you know so many friends we have lost because of what they have does not resonate with you anymore it's not because of you you don't like the person it's just the things that the friends are doing it's not the same that you want for your life therefore you have moved apart can you see so change your environment Lamentation 3.22 I'm not going to read the whole thing they are new every morning No, sorry. Proverbs 4.22 I read the wrong scripture. Proverbs 4.22 Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Out of it are the issues of life. So remove the access points where it can be accessed. Then two, sorry, I mean three, four. No, I'm on four already. Wait. Number one, I said, identify the entry points. After identifying the entry points make a change replace After the replacement Change the environment Then after the environment Create a daily renewal. The steadfast love. Of the Lord. Never sees us. His mercy. Never will. Comes to an end. They are new. Every morning. New every morning, great is thy faithfulness. Oh, Lord, great is thy faithfulness. Bible. I almost asked, why am I not seeing Lamentations? Lamentations 3, verse 22 and 23. Thou hast called as in solemn day my terror and roundabout, so that in the day of the Lord's anger none escaped nor remained. Those that I have swaddled and brought up had my enemy consumed. Lamentation, did I say? Not two, three, sorry. 322. I'm reading. So if it's of the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed because this compassion failed not. They are new every morning. Great is our faithfulness. So renew daily. Last week I spoke about the renewal daily. It's not a once-off. And shows number five, accountability. It's very important to have some sort of an accountability system. is the reason why I like telling people sometimes in a crowd hold me accountable for one, two or three because if I speak it out of three people if one is too shy to speak to me or too afraid to speak to me somebody will hold me accountable Lachey is one of those that she always say ah but daddy said and even worse oliphant brain Two are better than one. Ecclesiastes 4, 9 and 10. Two are better than one. Ecclesiastes 4, 9 and 10. Do you know habits that are in isolation? Like, I don't know. If you, I'm trying to explain what I'm trying to say. If you don't tell somebody you want to stop doing certain things, I want to stop smoking. but in my mind I've already said I've stopped smoking but I've not told anybody else the moment others sees me smoking they won't know I've told myself I'm stopping I keep on smoking because they don't know there's no one to hold me accountable so it's important you can almost say get yourself an accountability partner. That's number five. Just sometimes one check-in. Check if is it alright. Two check-ins. Are you still fine? Three check-ins. Then the person thinks you will come the fourth time again. The fourth time again. So after the third time, the person keeps on saying hey, shout. there's a lot of times where there was moments in fact where I know God was speaking I know God was saying change this but yet I went back to my old patterns not because I didn mean it Like in my heart my intentions were pure I wanted to change It's because of I tried to change the behavior of that. But I kept the same structure of it. The behavior changed. But it came back because of the structure was still there. I want to stop smoking. But I'm so used to buying cigarettes. I have a carton in my room. So I wanted to stop. But by the time I realized here is the cigarette, it's already lit in my hand. The structure of keeping it there. is the reason why I didn't change. You know, same phone habits, habits of the phone. In the morning, wake up, check the time. I think we need to change that watch on the wall there so that we can see it when we're in the bed, so that I can stop with this phone thing. get a clock watch and take the phone someone I'm saying it now so that you can hold me accountable instead of going to the phone let me rather have a book next to my because I do have a lot of books and it's always there's a book on my bed what's the name bed kasi that thing Yeah. It's always there, but I, instead of going there, I take the phone. You know, some excuses, we addressed it as we are waiting on God. We say, ah, waiting on God. When you sleep late, ah I still waiting on God God has not told me to wake up You are supposed to wake up Now you're making that as if you are waiting on God. Sometimes we just need to stop looking at our emotions because our emotions is a roller coaster. Never do something with emotions because today you are all hyped up. The next day you are not. When emotions rise, use that opportunity. But when it's down, also use that opportunity to change. Let's identify just one habit that we can remove. Not just remove it, but replace it with something else. Let's try this week and look at only one thing that you would like to change. One. Not a lot, one. Because the more you do one thing until it's totally changed, the better it sticks. If you take too many, your focus won't. Because focus dies when there's too many things to focus on. If you have three things to focus on, you have lost it. Anything three or above, you have lost it. That's where you don't have anything to focus on. Focus, single one thing out. Single one thing out. Heavenly Father I pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior I don want just momentary like for this moment that I want to have that conviction in my life to change I want a lasting transformation in my life. Something that will constantly make a change. Something that will say, renew my mind every day. expose those empty spaces that is just looking for some squatters to come in. Show me what must be built surrounding them or to take them out, surround me, but take them out of my life. Renew my mind. And as my mind is renewed, let it stuck in my heart so that my whole being can change. I choose obedience over intentions in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Today I want you to go back and check some years ago, yesterday, or a few hours ago, where you have said you will change, and yet you have not done it. if it's something that is good please revisit that and let us try and do it going forward now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with us all until Jesus comes surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. This internet thing is killing me.
