PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: GOD VALUES WOMEN

FROM PASTOR JOHN COLLINS:

“Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.” John 20:16-18 (NKJV).

Mary Magdalene believed in Jesus, sought Him out, anointed Him with oil, wept on His feet and wiped those feet with her hair. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, learned from Him and was a disciple of His. Mary was the one that Jesus chose to see first after He was resurrected. Mary was brave and humble when she went to Him in that house of the Pharisee as she cared not what others thought of her, nor spoke of her but cared only to go to Jesus and kiss His feet and seek His forgiveness and His acceptance and Jesus not only gave that forgiveness, accepted her love for Him but spoke that she would be remembered for her actions and He demonstrated her value when He chose to go to Mary first and to give her the honor of knowing He was alive and to relate that information along with her witness of Him to his brethren.

It took courage to follow Jesus during His ministry and it took faith to know Him as the Son of God. Mary had that courage and had great faith in her Lord. There were dark centuries that followed the beginnings of the Christian faith. There have been centuries of oppression of not only the uneducated but of women as well. Women have come a long way from the days of the dark ages, of the days of education denial (for many parts of the world, anyway), and from the denial of equality of the genders. Women push forward in their search for that equality and for the opportunities to make their mark in this world but I want to remind women that their mark has been made and has never been taken for granted by God. God values women and Jesus demonstrated the love that He had for Mary by going to her first, by teaching her and standing up for her. Women should never forget that their value begins in the home, for they are the caretakers, the bringers of life and the mothers of our children. Do not underestimate the value of those things as being a mother allows you to teach your children how to get to heaven, how to live boldly and with faith in this dark world and being a wife allows you to help your husband be a part of a family that relies on God. A woman’s role does not have to be one thing or another but it should always be a role of strength and dignity with love and compassion at its core. That is the love of God within you and God has provided women with the complex ability to keep a family together and to guide it in love and faith with trust and truth at its center.

There always seems to be an agenda on the table and as progress ticks away and women continue to fight for what they believe to be most important to them I can only hope that they remember to value what has always belonged to them from the beginning.  Family is everything and while equal pay may seem to be the biggest priority to some this world seems to be allowing the family to fail. Industrial success will never replace the failures of our homes and women need to find the courage, like Mary, to believe in our Savior and to brave the opinions of others to declare their loyalty to Him as they live up to the great responsibilities that have been entrusted to them. It is not easy to choose faith over finances, faith over popularity, faith over apparent success or faith over personal gain but in the end heaven is waiting and families need strong women to guide them. 

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.  But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)

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Read more about John Collins Ministries or reach me, Pastor John, at John Collins Ministries, www.johncollinsministries.com.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: GOD IN YOU

From Pastor John Collins:

"And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.  But they were hearing only, 'He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy."  And they glorified God in me." Galatians 1:22-24 (NKJV).

What does it mean to have God glorified in you?  It is when your behavior and your character reflect the work of God and is noticeable by men.  When you come to be a Christian by choice, not by upbringing as something that you do, but by your choice to believe that Jesus died for your sins and you're committing your life to obedience to Him and service to God.  

That is really what it means to be a Christian as it is not when you believe in Jesus and as you commit sins you know better but you do what you want anyway because to him that knows better and does it anyway, to him it is sin.

If you were once the thief who turned over a new leaf in the name of Jesus and you stick to it then people will glorify God in your.  When you pick that moment to change our life and turn your back on the sin you once knew and you choose to walk with God then people will take notice and will give the glory to God.

Every Christian should recognize their blessings and want to give back to God by living a life that shows others the kindness and compassion of our Lord.  Every Christian should not just think about their wallet when they think of giving to God but should think about their time and what they can do with it by lifting up others in the name of God and helping others come to the Cross.

The power of God is unlimited and when you revere God, thank God and choose God just imagine how His love can alter your life and help you to overcome what you must in order to claim heaven as your eternal home.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:16 (NKJV).

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Read more or contact me, Pastor John Collins at John Collins Ministries, www.johncollinsministries.com. 

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: CHRISTMAS RESTRAINT

From Pastor John Collins:

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:24-25 (NKJV).

Black Friday is here and before you run out and break the bank, overload the credit cards and spend hard earned cash that you should not, please rethink this holiday season!!

One of the hardest lessons to learn in life is restraint. When to restrain yourself from acting, from speaking and from reacting in a manner that is expected from you. Just because the world, especially the United States has come to drive buying in excess to please our loved ones in some kind of celebration for the birth of Jesus Christ for some and just an excuse to shop for others does not mean that you need to buy into the nonsense.

Jesus Christ was NOT born on December 25th. Although you may believe that you are celebrating Him when your family opens its gifts on that cold December morning, I promise you that Jesus would rather you not go into debt, not struggle to pay your bills in order to buy those presents and He would rather you not buy those gifts and would rather you restrain yourself from the manic need to “show your love” through material means.

Jesus is about love, salvation, hope and eternal bliss. Don’t make this year the same as all of the rest instead choose to make this year a new tradition that includes all of the love and faith that you can summon with all of the joyous celebration that you can endure without partaking of the “Christmas Traditions” that celebrate materialism and not God.

And for those of you who have small children, please learn restraint. Christmas is not about filling up the space under the tree. If you do buy gifts, restrain yourself and limit your purchases. One gift is lovely and if opened with Jesus on your mind and not yourself, then that is a pure and true rejoicing in Him and not the excuse to give and receive. We should never think of Christmas as if it were OUR BIRTHDAY and therefore our right to receive gifts and the same goes for our children. It is not their birthdays. This holiday season, learn to restrain yourself.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: WHAT 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: LOST

From John Collins Ministries: 

“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: BE READY

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: PAYBACK

From Pastor John Collins:

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21 (NKJV).

I am sure that there are many people who would like to do this but are unable. It is very hard when you are hurt, insulted or mistreated by someone you just want to fight back and get even. It feels good to add insult to injury to someone whom you feel deserves it. It is easy to treat your enemy with utter disrespect and contempt.

Who says that they are your enemy though? What drives people to group up together to hate another group whether it’s nationally, internationally, in school, at work, or even in our own families? It is not what God wants from us and it is just not our right to determine who has value and who does not.

It is our responsibility to grow in our faith and learn to have true compassion, even on those that we would ‘consider’ our enemy. God knows if any one of us has behaved with righteousness or not and every one will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. It is up to us to let go of the grudges and the pettiness that we can hold so dear. It is up to us to see things as Jesus would and choose to forgive and to let the justice of God play out.

It is also necessary to know that false kindness and fake friendliness gains you nothing. When your heart holds contempt for someone there is not enough smiles and kind gestures that will make up for it. You must allow clarity to enter your mind and pureness to enter your heart. Hold on to God and His Son and they will help you heal. Let God do His job and you do yours, worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Romans 12:17-18 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: A JOB TO DO

From Pastor John Collins:

“And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.’ And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’” Luke 2:42-49 (NKJV).

As a Christian you must be able to look at the life of Jesus and to see the focus and devotion that He had to doing the will of God and to make the effort to emulate it. Jesus knew that His life on earth was temporary and that He had a job to do while He was here and although the life of the Christian may not have the importance that the life of Jesus had, each life of a Christian comes with a job to do. Each person that is a believer in Christ has an obligation to the kingdom of heaven to glorify God and to follow Christ. That is the most important job that you can ever have and it is the only job that will see that you are permitted entry into the kingdom.

Whether you are busy being a parent, an employee, a student, a child, an athlete or a bum, you still have a responsibility to God. There is not any activity or obligation that you have that takes precedence over being a man or a woman of faith and living a life that shines for Jesus. There is not any excuse that you can give that will justify you ignoring God and choosing to not follow Jesus. We all have a job to do and either you do that job and receive the reward or you don’t do that job and you deal with the consequences. God is merciful and has much compassion but He is also righteous and His wrath will fall upon the wicked and the self-serving.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are too busy for God because He is not too busy for you.

“And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Luke 4:12 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS