PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: BULLIES AND TARES

Pastor John Collins:

In response to a question about people who claim to be Christian in their business and in their lives and yet treat people with contempt and dismissal, I have this to say:

The Catholic Church used to use ‘ex-communication’ as a threat to hold over people that included the added horror of dying while in such a state of separation from that church that would lead to being buried in unhallowed ground.

Guess what? Every bully is known to God. Who is one person, one church, or one group to determine who can belong to God and who is not welcome among His people? Who is to determine who His people are? The bully who uses you in the name of God and then discards you with a threat of slandering you amongst fellow Christians is in fact one of the tares being allowed to grow alongside the wheat and in the end will be plucked up and cast into the fire.

If you are among the lied about, slandered about and bullied about, have no worries because God has got your back. The big thing to do is to not feed the fire which means that you do not have to be confrontational and ‘prove’ your righteousness but let you light so shine before others that they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

There is something to be said for taking the high road because God will always lead you home if you are truly following Him. If you allow God, then He will bring you new opportunities to have fellowship, have business and have a life that is righteous and true as long as you have the trust and the patience to let Him work. Some things and people may be removed from your life and some may be introduced into your life. Just remember that you don’t have to prove a thing to any man as it is God who should concern you and He is more than capable of seeing you through this trial too.Your true Christians friends will be there support you as well.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life; and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14  (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: PRAYER TO DEAD RELATIVES

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“And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?” Isaiah 8:19 (NKJV).

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 (NKJV).

Have you ever heard someone say that they are praying to their dead grandmother for strength? It is not only a Catholic thing but it is a complete disconnect in a person’s faith and disobedience to God that leads people to reach out in prayer to their dead relatives, to the ‘saints’ of the church and especially to Mary the mother of Jesus Christ. Let me be very clear, Mary, the mother of Jesus is NOT the mediator of your faith and to pray to her is the same as praying to any other dead person. Jesus Christ is the way to get to the Father and it is through Him that you must pray.

You have been given a mediator in Jesus who was beaten, rejected and hung on a tree for the sins of the world. You have been instructed on how to approach God in prayer in the name of Christ. There is no way around this rule and there are no exceptions, even for His mother or the so-called saints or for any of your dead relatives. None of those people will help you, none of those people are able to provide you with anything and none of those people have the approval of God to stand as a mediator for you.

Do you think that God takes it lightly that so many ‘Christians’ ignore the words of His Son every day and are praying in the name of so many others? It is not something to think of casually. Your prayers are your communication with God and your faith is strengthened by your prayers. God does listen to the prayers of the faithful and the prayers of those whose hearts genuinely seek to worship Him in spirit and truth. Be serious in your prayers as that is the way that you approach God. Think of the holiness of the tabernacle and how so very few could actually come close. Think of the instructions to Israel about the holiness of God and how He must be worshiped. Jesus is now the mediator of your faith and it is necessary to approach both Jesus and God with reverence and awe. Do not be casual in your faith, in your prayers or in your attitude about God and Jesus Christ. Take your faith seriously so that you are able to enter through the narrow gate. Pray as the Lord has instructed you and do not turn to the right or to the left.

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:1-4 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: THE MEEK

Pastor John Collins: Humility

“Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, ‘Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.’” Luke 9:46-48 (NKJV).

“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” James 2:5 (NKJV).

Who is worthy to be lifted up? How does God choose those that He would separate and use for His purposes? He chose Abraham and Abraham was considered a friend of God’s. He chose David and David was a man after God’s own heart. He sent His Son who died for us all.

Even those who walked with Jesus thought of themselves and the impact that they would have on this world. This is so wonderful to know that the human instinct to desire to rise above and be great was felt in those men who walked with Christ. This allows us to recognize this in ourselves and work to overcome. They were corrected and they learned what true humility is. They witnessed their Lord humble Himself to the Cross. Yet there are so many that want to be great in the name of the Lord. They call attention to themselves and think highly of themselves. But, God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Believe me when I tell you that God knows what He is doing and He knows our hearts.

God has no use for pride. God does not want servants that think highly of themselves and their eligibility. God wants people to serve Him that are humble of heart. When we choose to walk with Jesus it should be with a pure heart and a true devotion to obedience to the Lord. We should never seek our own. We should not care what others think of us. We should be concerned only with whether we are an asset to the kingdom of God or a burden. If we have selfish ambition in our heart and a desire to stand out and be important, we are seeking status in this life and we are then unworthy to be a true servant of the Lord.

We must be careful when we desire to leave a name for ourselves, to want to be recognized for our importance or to be valued among men. A truly worthy person that will serve God well is a person that has no ambition in his heart. This person thinks of salvation when he looks upon the souls of this world. This person has sadness in his heart because of the condition of the human race. This person worries of the state of other’s faith in their lives. This person considers opportunities to share the gospel and help others come to Jesus. This person wants to see others go to heaven and lives his life as an example. This person will sacrifice and find ways to be a light in a world of dark. This person will please God.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:3-6 (NKJV)

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: SUPERSTITION

Pastor John Collins: What sign are you?

“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.” Deuteronomy 18:10-11 (NKJV).

“Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:31 (NKJV).

“And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.” Leviticus 20:6 (NKJV).

We live in a new age world that is modern and advanced in thought and deed. We are a knowledgeable people and we think that we have come so far from the dark ages and the ignorance of superstitions, right? Our society is fascinated with ghosts, mediums, psychics, astrologers, witches and the like. We watch shows about them, we go and have our palms read, our cards read and we wonder what it must be like to have the gift of sight. We have been played by the devil into accepting this a part of accepted society. We look up our horoscopes and wonder if we are compatible with our partners. What sign are you?

Satan has always been clever and just look at what time has done for him. We have learned to accept forbidden practices as a natural God-given gift to some. We think that the one who talks with the dead is working for God. As if God wants us to communicate with those that have died just to comfort ourselves. Jesus said to let the dead bury the dead. In other words, those who die without faith and salvation cannot be helped by you nor can you help them. Those that die with faith and salvation do not need your help and you still cannot be helped by them. You can be helped by focusing on Jesus Christ and ensure that your faith gets you home to heaven.

Just because something becomes familiar to us should not mean that it has become condoned by God. The bible is clear about psychics and mediums and we should never assume that just because society deems them acceptable and God-given talents that they are. We allow ourselves to be seduced into following those things that are against God. We allow ourselves to be talked into accepting those things that God has forbidden. What is your fruit of the forbidden tree that you eat from? We each can be lured into accepting what tempts us. Are you driven to connect with a loved one who died? Do you feel the need for a psychic to tell you when you will marry? Do you not trust that God is with you? Do you seek the advice and guidance of Satan and his minions because it has been deemed okay by society? Where do you find your solace? Does your faith allow you to seek God and Jesus alone?

Do not be deceived by a society that will enable the destruction of your soul. Psychics, mediums and those that would prey on your vulnerability are not going to be of service. Cling to Jesus and all of His glory and know that He wants you to be free of any influence that would cause your soul to perish. Be true to your faith and all will be will. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: PROCRASTINATION AND DENIAL

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: CARELESS IN FAITH

“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. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:18-21 (NKJV).

Pastor John Collins: if more people believe hell is real
they would put more effort into not going there!
(photo courtesy Google images)

Human beings are prideful and arrogant, without appreciation so very often. We are without excuse though and need to be able to see clearly that we will not be held unaccountable.

No one wants to hear about hell. No one wants their preachers to preach about hell. Everyone wants to believe that they and all of their loved ones are going to heaven. Even though it is so clear that so many are living outside of the will of God and are so far departed from obedience to Christ, people are insistent that heaven is the destination most taken.

Our problem is in procrastination and denial. We push away the truth that is held in our hearts if we would just pay attention and we put off acknowledging that truth at all costs. We are not promised tomorrow and we are so careless in our self-preservation today.

Hell is real and it is not a place that any would want to be. If more people believed that hell was real they would put more effort into not going there. When people think about hell many of them just get bitter and resentful at the prospect of it being a true destination, as if it is not fair and therefore is unjust. Many would fault God for creating hell and many would judge a God who could condemn anyone.

It is amazing to me that we can accept rules in our own societies and in our own homes and be disdainful of the rules of God in His created universe. I find it strange that the people of this earth can find within themselves a need for vengeance for victims, justice for all and a sense of right and wrong among the people but fail to find fairness or acceptance of hell.

Jesus said to go and sin no more and that is what all of us who have come to believe in Jesus need to do. We must not excuse our sins, past, present and future as paid for by Christ. We must accept our weaknesses and repent, seek forgiveness and move forward with the intention of sinning no more. It is in our efforts to get it right, stay out of hell and make it to heaven that we will achieve righteousness.

“For there is no partiality with God.” Romans 2:11 (NKJV)

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: SELF CHECK

Pastor John Collins: Future hope

“From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’” Matthew 16:21-23 (NKJV).

Pastor John Collins: you cannot allow your mistakes to drive you
away from God, choose to seek His forgiveness

When Peter heard what was to befall Jesus, he was in denial and thought that it should not happen. His Lord should not be killed and should not experience what was told to them. Jesus, being the Son of God, should not be made to suffer and die and Peter definitely did not understand the resurrection.

It is not easy for mere humans to recognize the ways of God and to know the miracles and hope that suffering produces. In Jesus’ name, with faith, there is now the hope of forgiveness and of acceptance into heaven. With your own suffering comes humility and growth in your faith. Faith is something that you have to fight for and want. Faith is not a given and it is not just a belief. It is a trusting and a knowledge that Jesus did die for your sins and with this knowledge comes a willingness to live in hope and obedience to the word of God.

It is not possible to go through this life without sinning and it is impossible to not have disappointed God at some point in your life, but what is most important is what you do about it. Peter was given the keys to the kingdom and a few minutes later was called Satan and told he was an offense to Jesus. It is easy to allow your humanly interpretations of situations and your own personal desires to get in the way of the will of God. Every so often you need to do a self-check and examine your motives and desires in this life and to see if they line up with the word of God. Do your best to not interfere with the will of God and do your best to not confuse the will of God with your will. You can tell the difference between the two by examining which one will produce righteousness in your life. Which choices in your life will bring about godliness?

When you feel that you have disappointed God then it is time for you to repent. Peter made mistakes and he learned from them. When Peter knew that he had disappointed Jesus, he repented and asked for forgiveness. You can’t live in perpetual guilt and you cannot allow your mistakes to drive you away from God but must become humble so that you choose to come before Him and seek His forgiveness and His guidance so that you can move forward in your life with confidence and trust, knowing that you are seeking the kingdom of heaven above all.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV).

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PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: THE PITY POT

Pastor John Collins: Self-Pity

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6 (NKJV).

Pastor John Collins: Grief that comes with life teaches us
that this world is not innocent/

This world is not innocent. So, why do so many take things so personally and get so offended by the grief that comes with life? Why do so many place the blame squarely upon the shoulders of God? What is wrong with sorrow and grief? It teaches you to appreciate the joy and hope. What is wrong with sickness and death? It teaches you that there are seasons to life and health is not a guarantee. What is wrong with loss? It teaches you to appreciate what you have. There is beauty and wonder that we have feelings at all. Life is precious and filled with the ability to emotionally connect with others and death is filled with hope because Jesus has made it possible for you to continue loving those that you love.

People want to feel wounded and offended that they have suffered in this life and they want someone to blame and want to complain about it all, to be the victim. There are victims in this life and there are terrible things that happen but that is part of living among others who have the same opportunity as you have and that is free will. There are bad people in this world and there is evil in this world and that is something that we all have to deal with for now. It doesn’t mean that anyone has the right to blame God or to sit on the pity pot because as long as there is breath in your body, there is hope for salvation and you will not be gaining salvation while there is resentment for God and bitterness toward Him because you find your sufferings too big to accept.

Jesus did not grow old. Jesus did not get gray hair and lose His eyesight. Jesus did not raise a family and rock His child to sleep. Jesus did not take vacations and travel around the world to see different places. Jesus did not have the luxury of a long life. Jesus came to this world and from His earliest age was doing the work of His Father. Jesus concerned Himself with His people, His land and the salvation of this world. Jesus taught others and took the time to heal others and be kind. Jesus is perfect and yet He suffered for you. Jesus was ridiculed and mocked, beaten and hung on a cross to die. For you.

This is not a fairy tale that you have outgrown. This happened. Jesus is not just some man that lived long ago. Jesus is the Son of God and your Savior. Jesus always was thinking of others, the salvation of souls. In the end that is what counts because the soul is eternal and we should all be thinking in that manner, maybe then awareness of the enormity of the gift that Christ has made possible for us all would truly sink in and gratefulness, the kind that produces life, would follow.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until the day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.’” Matthew 26:26-29 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN