PASTOR JOHN COLLINS DAILY THOUGHTS: LAZY FAITH

From John Collins Ministries: 

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV).

It is time for a serious reality check for every single person living on earth at this time: You are going to die an earthly death and will have to face the righteous judgment of God. You may think you know what that means, you may not care but let me fill in the blanks for so many….whether you choose to believe in God or not, whether you find God fair or not, whether you agree with God or not, whether you end up dismissing God or not, whether you reject God or not and whether you end up getting as angry at God as you want and as defiant toward God as you want and you can ignore Him, disobey Him and reject His Son but in the end, ALL will come before the judgment seat of Christ and ALL will face the righteous judgment of God, whether you want to or not and whether you believe it or not.

Heaven is NOT a given. Heaven is NOT guaranteed. Heaven is a reward of the salvation that you claim when you choose Jesus and obedience over your worldly life and yourself. People are so selfish and self-involved and so full of self-importance that they just can’t seem to work out their salvation with fear and trembling because they have lost their capacity for reverence and most have never bothered to develop it for God in the first place but have transferred that delight and wonder and awe for the material things of this world and for the prestige that can come with it.

Everyone wants to talk about how God is love and just ignore the truth that God is wrath as well. Remember that God is complete, God is divine and God is the Creator of all and is without flaws. Judgment happens in a moment and is irreversible and it is forever. Why take any chances with your eternal soul when today allows you call on Jesus and to obey the Lord. Do not be lazy in your faith. Get right with God.

“For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:11-12 (NKJV).

 

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS!

 

Read more about John Collins Ministries and reach Pastor John Collins, personally through JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES at www.johncollinsministries.com.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS DAILY THOUGHTS: SUICIDE

FROM JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: 

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 (NKJV).

Sometimes life just beats you up and sometimes your faith is tested more than you think that you can bear. It is important to begin and maintain that relationship with Jesus so that you can be sure that all of your struggles in life will produce the results that you seek. You should be seeking first and always to obey the Lord and get to heaven and your entire life should produce godly fruit that is evident of your conviction.

When you are not striving to do the will of God and you are living your life doing your own will and pursuing your own desires then you can be sure that any pitfalls that you fall into are not about testing your faith but are about providing opportunities for you to begin to pursue your faith. If you are a person who devotes each day to becoming more Christ-like then you can be sure that all of your struggles are not in vain but are a product of your learning to trust in God and also learning what is approved of by God while strengthening your character and preparing you for heaven. Only the pure and the approved get to go to heaven and just believing in Jesus does not mean you will be welcomed into Paradise. Remember that even the demons believe.

Perseverance is a challenge for everyone. It is not easy to feel burdened and tormented in life and it is not easy to deal with all that may happen that produces loss and hurt and scars. The beauty of submitting to the will of God and in obeying the Lord and in calling upon Jesus is that you know that when your faith is genuine, their strength is your strength and their hope for you is complete and they won’t let go. God really does want you to make it home to Him and Jesus really did die for you so that you could go there.

Life is difficult and times are tough and it is nothing new. Give your life to Jesus and commit to being loyal and obedient in your faith and know that no matter what you go through in this journey He will be there for you. Trust that you do have what it takes to persevere and it is worth it to try and try and try. Hold on to the hope that the Lord has given because He does love you.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12 (NKJV).

 

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Read about JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES or contact me, Pastor John, personally through JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES, www.johncollinsministries.com.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS DAILY THOUGHTS: WOMEN AND GOD

FROM JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES:

“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 Pastor John Collins directly at John Collins Ministries, www.johncollinsministries.com.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS DAILY THOUGHTS: OUR PROMISE

From John Collins Ministries:

“For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:36-39 (NKJV).

A life is only worth living if the soul is saved, otherwise it is a tragedy no matter how well that life was lived. A life must achieve salvation in order to produce worth.

A person can grow up brilliant, become a scientist and cure a disease, become a surgeon and save lives, become a soldier and fight for freedom, become a teacher and pass along knowledge to so many, become any number of things that enhances the lives of those living on this planet and still fail. If you don’t make it to heaven, you fail.

No matter the success, accomplishment, or enlightenment that you bring to this world, if you don’t live a life of faith in the Son and the Father and commit to living a life in obedience to the gracious will of God, you will not enter heavens gates upon your earthly death.

Life is a gift and in all of its trials and troubles it is precious and an opportunity for you to grow in righteousness. Life is a gift and it is full of trauma and beauty that too many just waste on nonsense. Life is a gift that should be cherished and appreciated and used to ensure your salvation which can only happen through devotion to the Lord.

Do not squander your life. Do not take a single breath for granted. Do not waste what you have been given. Love God, love the Son, love the cross, love your neighbor and love yourself enough to seek those things which are above which is to seek to become more Christ-like and to seek righteousness before all.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV).

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Read more about JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES or reach Pastor John Collins, Evangelist, personally at John Collins Ministries, www.johncollinsministries.com.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS DAILY THOUGHTS: ABOUT RAPTURE

From John Collins Ministries:

"And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  Matthew 24:10-14 (NKJV).

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  Mar 13:32 (NKJV).

Many are saying that we are nearing the end of times, that Jesus will return soon, that the rapture is near and tribulation is upon us.  Jesus said that only the Father knows the time so it is impossible for anyone to know when the end will come.  Yet with so many preachers teaching this and so many eyes open to the happenings in the Middle East and so much attention being drawn to prophecy and supposition, why are people not taking their faith more seriously?  Why is there not more people repenting and coming to the foot of the Cross?

When prophets were sent to Israel and Judah, they were not always heard.  The sad truth is the majority of the people clung to their ways, their sin and their attachment to this world.  Too many perished because of their stubbornness and refusal to submit to God.  Every day that God holds back thejudgement of this world is a day of mercy to us all.  Each of those days is an opportunity to short from the rooftops that salvation is available to the lost.  Each day is filled with hope that we will come to our senses and get right with God.

We need to take our faith and salvation seriously.  We need to stop procrastinating and stop putting off changing our lives and our ways.  We need to get this right for ourselves and each other.  We cannot be half committed, somewhat devoted or undecided hen it comes to being a follower of Christ.

We need to give all, believe whole-heartedly and commit completely to living a life that is in obedience to Jesus and in submission to God.  That is what ensures our eternal salvation with reward of entry through heaven's gates.

We all can do better and become more Christ-like.  Each of us needs to be willing to alter our lies and purity our hearts.  It is not enough to say, "I am a work in progress."  We all need to take the steps to rid our lives of sinful influence and to resist our temptations.  We need to get honest with ourselves about what we hide from the world, about what we don't admit and about what needs to change.  Jesus is your strength and He wants you to belong to Him.  Do not deny yourself forever in heaven because you were unsure or lazy in your faith.  Even is your have doubts, call on Jesus untruth and I know that those doubts will fade and the truth along with the hope of salvation will bloom in your heart.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  To him who overcomes I will grant to site with Me on My throne, as I have overcome and sat down with My Father on His throne."  Revelations 3:20-21 (NKJV).

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Read about John Collins Ministries or contact Pastor John Collins through John Collins Ministries, www.johncollinsministries.com.

PASTOR JOHN COLINS DAILY THOUGHTS: CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS

From John Collins Ministries:

 

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (NKJV).

“And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:40 (NKJV).

 

Jesus came to be our Savior, to teach us and to die for us. As you go through life, you are to look to Jesus to care for you, to guide you and to strengthen you. The human spirit is strong and can withstand more than you could ever imagine.

Jesus is strong in spirit and knows your weaknesses. He knows what scares you, what intimidates you and what you avoid. Jesus is there to help you face your fears and conquer what you thought you couldn’t. Jesus will listen to you and will help you.

 

Faith in the Lord allows your spirit to have courage. Hope in the Lord allows your spirit the freedom from worry and that confidence allows you to serve the Lord honestly. The human spirit is capable of being beat up, smashed down and trampled upon and it will still get up and fight. The spirit of a person is a gift from God and faith in His Son is the eternal blessing.

 

If you are in the need of encouragement just look to Jesus and His life and you will find it. Look to the character of Jesus and you will find the beauty and grace of God. Look to the Son to find the hope of all of your tomorrows and you will know that the spirit that is inside of you is made of strong stuff indeed.

“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).

 

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN

 

Read more at John Collins Ministries or reach Pastor John personally at www.johncollinsministries.com

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS DAILY THOUGHTS: A PRAYER FOR CHILDREN

From John Collins Ministries:

 

Heavenly Father, I pray to You today and ask You to wake up those who are sleeping, those who are resisting You and please Father help the little ones who believe in You.

 

There are children hurting, children being murdered, children being abused and these little ones have such a need for Your protection Father, so please comfort them and please bring help for them into their lives.

 

Father God, I know this world is defiant and this world is full of stubborn people, but You are bigger than any problem here, You are more powerful than any resistance here and

 

You are needed so very much by all of us here.  Please know that You are our hope and our future and we are thankful to You, God and we have hope because of Your precious Son, Jesus, who I ask to watch over our children and to help their little hearts to know that they are loved.

 

In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

 

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BELIEVE THAT

Read more of John Collins Ministries and Pastor John Collins, Evangelist or reach out to Pastor John Collins at www.johncollinsministries.com.