PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: DENIAL, LONELY, PAIN, HURT

From Pastor John Collins:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NKJV).

In this life, we all want to love and to be loved. We want to share a connection that is meaningful whether we realize this or not. This world is shallow and frivolous and impersonal more often than not. We lack intimacy and depth of emotion. We can get lonely so very quickly in life and we can lose our ability to deal with our emotions in a healthy way, if we ever really learned how to deal with them in the first place.

Too often, we will self-sabotage and create messes in our own lives that become habits that undermine our health. There are all kinds of ways to hurt ourselves while remaining in denial such as drugs, alcohol, whoring, over-eating, smoking and so many other ways that put our lives at risk at our own hands.

People put on a smile and cover up pain. People have problems and hurt and don’t always know what to do with that hurt. Be willing to take extra time in your life for those in need of a friend, a conversation, a willing listener and if you are this person who is in need then take some time to get closer to Jesus and He will bring you opportunity to be of service to others and in doing so you will find yourself connected and appreciated.

We are capable of rich friendships, rich love and rich experiences in this life and they all start with knowing the love of God and His Son. Faith heals and a heart that is full of faith is full of love even in the darkest hour.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: LOOKING BACK

From Pastor John Collins: 

“Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:24-26 (NKJV).

Lot’s wife looked back. She was leaving family, her home and fortune, her status and God knew her love for these things. So often the people of this world find their identity in the family that they have created, in the things that they have acquired and in the social standing that they have established. There is also a time in which a person’s life may feel the most bountiful and full which they may at times ‘look back’ on and regret where they are or resent where they are.

Every choice, whether good or bad, for our lives takes us a step closer to where we will end up and we should never regret the bad nor place extreme attachment to the good. The bad gives you a testimony to a life lived that has brought lessons and wisdom and should therefore be savored as it is an opportunity to help another avoid similar mistakes. The good should be cherished for the appreciation that it gives you for the simplicity in the human experience that will bring you joy. The need is for you to always look forward with hope and use the knowledge of both so that your decisions can become more and more righteous with every step of the way.

Jesus Christ provides salvation, forgiveness, love, wisdom, knowledge, hope, peace, joy and a truly compassionate heart that will carry you on your journey. To know the Lord in truth is to choose to obey His commands and to keep your perspective in life. Keep it simple, don’t take things so seriously as to find yourself always offended, always defensive and always ready to strike out. Use the wisdom gained in your life to bring hope to another, to find peace in your heart and to forgive as you have been forgiven. Don’t long for yesterday, find acceptance in today and hope in tomorrow.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: THANKFULNESS

From Pastor John Collins:

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 (NKJV).

The grocery stores will be busy today with all the people rushing to get those last few items they had forgotten or to get the whole meal that will be cooked tomorrow. This Thursday is one of the days of the year that a big meal is cooked, there are leftovers and naps and it is a day of feasting.

There are over 48 million people in America that are in poverty and are part of a ‘food insecure’ household. There are children and parents and grandparents going hungry, not able to imagine a feast for the day because having enough food every day is a luxury that they do not have.

There are almost 800 million people around the world who do not have enough food to eat, enough to feed their children and staying alive is a challenge and claiming health is a near impossibility. There are billions of people who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving although they have celebrations that are unique to their history. We have an opportunity to come together in prayer for those who are without on this day that we gather in this country and ask for nourishment to find its way to those who lack it.

There are too many people who take their fortune for granted and who will be throwing away food because too much was cooked and will think nothing of it. Take a moment to look in your cupboards and consider what you can give to those in need in your town. There are organizations everywhere to help those who are hungry and if one cannot be found then consider your church and if not your church then another church and if there is not a way for you to help those locally maybe there is a need and an opportunity for some work to be done in the name of the Lord.

“Then His disciples answered Him, ‘How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ And they said, ‘Seven.’ So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.” Mark 8:4-6 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: PRAY

From Pastor John Collins:

Evil is real and it infects our lives. There has been persecution for the righteous since Cain slew Abel.

There have been times when the persecution has ebbed and times when it has peaked. There is persecution in the world today for the Christian and it is a time when faith needs to grow stronger and not weaken. It is a time for people to KNOW that they belong to Christ and to not bow down to evil.

We may not see the persecution of Christians up close and personal in a way that they may come face to face with it in the middle east but that does not mean that we cannot pray for those who are persecuted, that does not mean that we cannot choose to draw closer to God and our Lord Jesus Christ and that does not mean that our faith should be found wanting.

Choose to take some time and pray today for those who are in jeopardy because of their faith and praise the Lord for providing Jesus. Take some time today and pray with thanksgiving in your heart for the safety that you and your family are experiencing and pray for comfort to find those who need it. Take some time today and pray for those who need strength in the Lord that their faith will keep them. Take some time today to let the Lord know that you are grateful for your life and loved ones and praying for His people.

God bless each and every one of you!

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PASTOR JOHN COLLIN, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: WHO MATTERS?

From Pastor John Collins:

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NKJV).

We have fallen down on the job people! When did we get lazy in raising our children, apathetic in watching the downfall of our society, encouraging in sinful behavior and unwilling to be part of the solution while loving complaining about it all. When did the blame fall on everyone else’s shoulders while we stand and watch our country burn?

We are systematically ruining our existence and doing nothing worthwhile about it. Why? Because not enough people want to stop their own nonsense long enough to make a change first. Everyone wants the other person, party, gang, opposition etc. to give in first because they all want to win. Stubborn, selfish, foolish pride and egos will tear families apart, tear cities apart and tear this country apart.

We have got to get to a place where the choice to do right, stop doing wrong become ours as a whole, not just individually. We need to find our humanity amongst each other and choose to be God’s people and not our own people. In the end, the choice is up or down and there is nothing in this life that is worth stopping you from going up. Whatever fight is being fought, whatever battle is being lost or won, whatever argument is being raged and whatever moral decay is the price that is paid is just not worth it.

God is what matters, no matter how often people want to deny that fact, it remains a fact. Jesus is what matters and our commitment to walking the path that He has designated for us is what matters. The violence, the drugs, the alcohol, the hatred, the partying, the greed, the lust, the pride, the status, the betrayal and pain of it all is just so base and such a waste of time. Choose life by choosing Jesus.

“See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: OFFENDING JESUS?

From Pastor John Collins:

 

  

“The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” Psalm 110:1 (NKJV).

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 (NKJV).

Most people like to think of the truly evil as the enemies of Jesus. Most people would see themselves and their loved ones as loved by Jesus and part of the kingdom of God. Most people see themselves as good people and deserving of going to heaven. Most people are in denial about the perfect and righteous judgement of God.

What would you do if Jesus told you personally that you are His enemy? How would you feel if Jesus let you know that you had offended Him and you were not in His good graces? Can you imagine such a thing? What would you do to change that if it were true? What would be the circumstances that would make that true? Would it be true if you were a liar, a whore, a manipulator, a gossip, a greedy person, a person who had an abortion without guilt, a person who uses drugs and alcohol to excess, a person who holds hate in their heart, a person who won’t forgive, a person who is vain, a person who does not believe in Jesus, a person who does not believe in God?

Jesus did die for our sins on that cross so long ago but He did not die so that His sacrifice could be taken in vain and that He could become the justification for those who choose to continue to live in sin and think that it is covered by His blood. If you want to have salvation then you have to obey the Son of God.

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on the earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: NO WISH LISTS

From Pastor John Collins:

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:5-7 (NKJV).

There has been many a preacher to make a pretty penny with these words and to guide many a soul in the wrong direction. Jesus is not on stand-by to do our bidding and God is not waiting to fulfill our wish lists.

Jesus could easily say to His disciples and apostles these words because they all understood that once you truly belong to Jesus and believe in the gospel and the power of the Cross, you would not ask amiss. Jesus knows that those that have obtained righteousness will ask those things that the bible instructs and that God approves of.

When you seek the kingdom of heaven with all of your heart and you come to love God with everything that you are then you begin to desire things that are pure and good and will only benefit your faith and the faith of those you know and also don’t know. You will look at this world differently and upon meeting people or interacting with others you will pay attention to the small details that will let you know if their faith is strong or not and you will listen to what they say and it will guide you in your prayers for them. You should desire that others get to heaven and that you obtain righteousness so that you are a shining light in this world working for Jesus.

Never assume that you have done enough and never assume that you are pure enough. If you are always working to please God and to purify yourself then you will always be gaining more faith and more wisdom. Your life is a journey and as you come to know more you can share more. Be willing to desire good for others and not only yourself.

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” John 15:8-9 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: TODAY'S PERSECUTION

From Pastor John Collins:

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:18-20 (NKJV).

Satan came to Jesus when He was in the wilderness and tempted Him and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and promised to give them to Jesus if He would fall down and worship him.

As a servant is not above His master, a Christian must realize that there will be temptation for him also. Yet there are just too many Christians who do not have enough faith to withstand the tempter. There are so many people who are bowing down and worshiping Satan willingly because they want the world and they want to enjoy the bounty thereof.

When you find yourself tempted call on Jesus to strengthen you. When you find yourself surrounded by sin and feel like you are drowning call on Jesus to save you. The more you think to call and the more you actively seek your Lord is when your path begins to be cleared by the Father. God wants you to choose His Son and God wants you to choose to do right.

It is not easy to begin to think, act and react like a Christian when you have been raised in this world and are a part of this world. You must work to change the way you see this world and how you find joy in this world. You must choose to not be friends with this world but desire instead to be the friend of the Lord.

Call on Jesus and He will help you, He will guide you and He will love you. God is pulling you in His direction and all you have to do is follow.

“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:14 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: INVITED

From Pastor John Collins:

“Then He said to him, ‘A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 

But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 

And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask that you have me excused.' 

Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 

So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 

And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 

Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highway and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.” Luke 14:16-24 (NKJV).

God has invited you to come to His supper and to join Him in celebration. Are you one of those who received the invitation and are just too busy to come? Is your job keeping you busy, your home and family keeping you from God, or your cars, clothes, friends, hobbies and past-times keeping you from joining God at His supper?

God deserves time, our time and attention and our thoughts and actions. God deserves for us to consider Him, take time for Him and to obey the gospel and that takes time. Obeying the gospel is not accomplished in a few hours a week. Obeying the gospel is a way of life, a devotion of thought, time and effort. Obeying the gospel is a conscious decision to show up with bells on ready to serve every day and every minute of that day. Do you have your priorities right? Have you been invited to supper only to ask to be excused because your life holds your full attention?

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26 (NKJV).

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: LOST

From Pastor John Collins: 

“The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.” Psalm 11:5-6 (NKJV).

Does anyone take notice of the violence in our children’s video games, the violence in movies and the violence in our streets? Violence is entertainment and violence is a way of life. People want to say that guns are at fault, others want to blame the parents, or the schools, or the gangs, or the mob, or the terrorists, or the government and of course they want to blame God.

People don’t value life. People take life for granted, become embittered, nurture hatred and ponder violence and then act on it. People don’t care about consequences. People don’t want to hear about the judgment of God. People have lost their way.

Life is precious and can be good. Life matters and God wants each of you to value life and to seek the kingdom of heaven. God is loving and compassionate and God is wrath. There is a limit to His longsuffering and judgment does come and in the end God always wins. God is the one who always wins. When people show utter contempt for His creation it is an offense to Him and He notices.

Before it is too late, turn and learn to do righteousness, learn to love forgiveness and learn to seek God every minute of every day and teach that to your children. It is time to turn this thing around and time to stand up for all that is righteous and good and learn to walk in the ways of Christ.

“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.” Psalm 11:7 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: BE ACCOUNTABLE

From Pastor John Collins:  

“Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’- therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.” Genesis 3:22-23 (NKJV).

Maya Angelou has said when you know better you do better. I don’t agree. I don’t believe that people cheat on their spouses because they don’t know better. I don’t believe that people murder because they don’t know better. I don’t believe that people gossip and slander one another because they don’t know better. I don’t believe that people drink and drive because they don’t know better. I don’t believe that people are aborting children because they don’t know better. I don’t believe that people neglect their children while they entertain themselves and pursue their own lives because they don’t know better. I could just go on and on with so very many examples of knowing better and doing anyway. There is a time when you know right from wrong. That is what is called the age of accountability.

God gave us emotions and we need to learn how to handle them. We need to learn wisdom and take responsibility and that is life. God gave us guilt because our heart knows better than we give them credit for. When you do wrong, you know. Do it long enough and you won’t care anymore and will make excuses.

We do better when we WANT to do better. We obey the gospel when we want heaven more than earth. We submit to God when we want salvation more than anything. We do better when we want to do better. We all make mistakes but you learn from them and stop repeating them when we want to. It is not in the knowing it is in the wanting to know because your heart will tell you that you have hurt those you love, even when it is you.

We live in a world of education and knowledge. Jesus is not a secret. The bible is the most sold book in existence with over 5 BILLION copies sold. Think about that. It is not a secret how to get to heaven. It is not a secret how to act with righteousness. This world knows better. It is time to do better. There is not going to be the excuse of ignorance to claim when judgment must come.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.” Romans 1:18-19  (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

From Pastor John Collins: 

“Oh, that You would rend the heavens!  That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence- As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil- To make Your name know to Your adversaries,That the nations may tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, The mountains shook at Your presence.” Isaiah 64:1-3 (NKJV).

God created mankind and has not left him alone. God has come down, given His word, directed and fought for His people and has given His Son for us. God has come down and instructed His people and God has given man free will. God has not given up on mankind and yet so many want God to come down again.

What would you do if God came to you? Would you feel justified in His presence, would you welcome Him and would you feel good about discussing your life and your choices with Him? If God came down would you be ready and would your faith allow you to believe?

Many people only want to think of God as love, compassion, kindness and grace and they choose to ignore that He is righteous anger, justice and truth. God is full of love and grace for the soul who seeks Him and believes in His Son which is why it is so important to care for your soul before you care for anything else because once you pass away then you have to deal with God’s righteous anger and justice if you have failed to obey His instructions.

Benjamin Franklin said that you should not put off until tomorrow what you can do today and today you can get right with God so that when He does reveal Himself to you, you will be ready.

“But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And we are all the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: THANK YOU

From John Collins Ministries:

Let each of us take a few moments today and say thank you to God, who allowed us to wake up, who has given us life, who has taken us through some really tough times and has shown us the beautiful love that He has, who has given us hope in the form of Jesus Christ who sustains us and keeps us in this world so dark.

Let us each place an extra drop of awe in our hearts day by day for the wonderful God that is ours, for the creator of the universe and all that is in it. Let each of us add more kindness to our hearts and more peace to our minds by claiming the Lord Jesus as our very own.

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS