PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: REVIVAL BLOG

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...

From John Collins Ministries: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4 (NKJV). Many times, when we are going through tough times or are experiencing tragedy or extreme hardships, we will pray to God and ask for His help, for a miracle or for strength to get through. Many times, when we are not suffering, we pray to God and  ask for this or that or something that we want. In order to have our prayers answered we must first seek to become worthy of answered prayers. What does that mean, ‘worthy of answered prayers’? God does not answer prayers from non-believers although many non-believers seek His help in times of trouble. God does not answer the prayers of the unrighteous which means that He is not creating financial stability in the lives of those who do not follow His Son. Many...

From John Collins Ministries:   “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). Christmas shopping season 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 exc...

From 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....

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 t...

From John Collins Ministries: “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor as their fathers forget My name for Baal. The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. ‘What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says the Lord. ‘Is not My word like a fire?’ says the Lord, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’ Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who steal My words every one from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams, says the Lord, and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and b...

From John Collins Ministries: “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 thei...

From John Collins Ministries: “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 fa...

From John Collins Ministries: “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:20-21 (NKJV). Honesty is a necessity if you wish to see the kingdom of God . It is not always needed for you to discuss your past with all those who cross your path , but it is needed for you to be willing to acknowledge your past with forthrightness . When you are no longer the person that you once were and you are that new creature and a man or woman of God then you can easily speak of who you were as I have done and as Paul so easily spoke of the man that he was. There is not any shame in admitting where you were when you know where you are . It does not need to be the main focus of your life but it should not ever be something that you hide from either. Each person that is born on...

From John Collins Ministries: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 (NKJV). Reading through the descriptions in that scripture is to describe most schools, workplaces, social gathering spots, homes and churches in today’s society. That list is commonplace for people. That list describes most of the people we know, whether we want to admit it or not and whether they admit it themselves or not. That list states that most everyone is not going to heaven . At some point we have got to wake up to the reality of this truth and do something about it. It is not okay that people just ...

From John Collins Ministries:   “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 an...

From John Collins Ministries: “Lord, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.” Psalm 39:4-5 (NKJV). People take undue risks with their lives every day. Some people drive crazy, some take drugs and drink too much alcohol and drive , some have chosen to be in gangs , to deal drugs , to steal and break in to places and some just like to fight . People take risks with their lives in the activities that they choose to do and some have risky jobs that require bold courage . I don’t believe that people value life as they should and I don’t believe that the youth of this world values life as they should. Each person that is born is given a certain amount of time to get it right so that they can get to heaven and too many risk that life that has been given and don’t claim...

From John Collins Ministries: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.” 1 Corinthians 10:21 (NKJV). “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.’” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NKJV). Halloween is paganism. God has spent a lot of time and effort and has sent many a prophet, m...

From John Collins Ministries: “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV). “The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.” Proverbs 15:24 (NKJV). There is a process to growing up, claiming adulthood and proceeding to live your life . There are choices that you make and each one of those choices determines who you are and who you will become . Those that are aware of their eternal soul and want to go to heaven learn to make those choices by determining the good will of the Lord and choosing to do His will . You may not think that it is any big deal to tell a lie , omit the truth or to be selfish in this one small matter. You may think nothing of passing up an opportunity to be kind and compassionate just this once. You may think that work is more important than that baseball game or that home cooked meal. You may think that you can make it up to them at another time...

From John Collins Ministries:  “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NKJV). Do you dream of a new car , a bigger home , a better wardrobe , fine jewelry , a boat , or that special addition to your collection ? Are you satisfied with your looks or do you need your hair done, nails done, waxing, lifting, sculpting, tucking or just some good work-out time? Are you in need of a vacation, down-time, family time, you-time and just a great round of golf? Do you waste food, water, time...

From John Collins Ministries: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV). “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.” Psalm 51:12-13 (NKJV). The gang-banger, the drug dealer, the thief, the liar, the cheater, the adulterer and every other sinner out there is a soul in need of Christ. We live in a world of despair and fear of our fellow man. We have so many horrible truths that fill our streets that we are cautious and wary. There are bad people in this world and many of them do not want to change. I believe that there are also so very many people that have not been given the chance to change. Their environments have created a need to survive and there seems to be so few ways to get out. There are many outreach programs that are trying to h...

Being able to repeat Bible verses does not make you a righteous person John Collins, Evangelist, John Collins Ministries From John Collins Ministries: “Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors; ‘To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.’” Proverbs 8:1-5 (NKJV). There is a big difference between biblical knowledge and biblical wisdom . There are many people out there that can quote the Bible because they have memorized certain passages that further their points of view. There are many preachers out there that can speak with seemingly great amounts of biblical knowledge but the really smart person is a person that knows how to take that biblical knowledge and apply it to thei...