You ever feel like “Starting all over again?”
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. (The devil has no power over me.)
These are the words of Jesus found in John 14:30. JESUS said that the devil has nothing on me, in me, nor any power over me. Hallelujah.
I have given myself over to studying JESUS this year. What he did, how he did it, what he said, how he said it, etc. I’m also deeply fascinated in how he lived his life in relationship to others. I have come to know that He is our perfect example of how to live in this life. Not lying Abraham, not murdering and the adultery committing David. Not weak Samson, not cussing Peter or even doubting Thomas. JESUS alone is our perfect example.
With that said, I sure wish I could start my life in ministry all over again. I think about all of the mistakes I’ve made. The sins I’ve committed. The times of poor judgment in decision-making. Lord have mercy, what about the things that I’ve said, “from the pulpit” that I wish I could take back. Out of all of the things that I wish I could have been more like JESUS in doing, the thing that probably grieves me the most are the relationships that I’ve lost as a result of not modeling JESUS.
JESUS said that the devil had nothing on him, nothing in him. I want to have this same testimony. Don’t you? I want to be able to say that I have wronged no man, hurt no one, never misrepresented God in any way. But I can’t!!! I have to allow the life that JESUS lived to be the substitute for what I was not able to do in relationships. JESUS did it for me. Thank God He lives in me.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
When you become mature in the things of God and finally see JESUS in a greater light and then realize all that he has done for you, it makes you want to bow down and start all over again.
So, I’m sitting here on a rainy day reflecting. I’m reflecting on relationships I’ve lost, mistakes I’ve made, poor decisions I’ve made since I’ve been in the kingdom. I just want everybody and their mama to know that this poor man is sorry if I have ever “not acted like JESUS” and it has affected our relationship or even disrupted your relationship with JESUS.
You can’t go to everybody, one on one and beg forgiveness. Many of us have discovered it doesn’t work like that. So what you have to do is just get it right between you and God first. When you do that then “the devil has nothing on you, in you and no power over you.” Just like Jesus.
Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be whole. The effectual prayer of the righteous is very powerful. James 5:16
Anybody would like to start over? You start over every time you prayer and confess your sins to God and seek to get it right with man.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:9
It’s been raining all day in Jacksonville and it just reminds me of the word in Ephesians “the washing and renewing of the water by the word.”
Anybody feel like starting over again? Today!
—Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin