BRINGING BACK GOD, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRISTOL AND MARIETTA: In God we trust? Not much any more.

The United States dollar says it “In God we trust”.  Our pledge of allegiance had it added on a Flag day- “One nation under God”.  Our country was built upon trust in God.  But according to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, while preaching at BRINGING BACK GOD, both in BRISTOL and MARIETTA, we don’t trust in God as a country. And we don’t trust in God as individuals.  What a slap in the face to God who has given us everything.

The Holy Bible says “fear not” 365 times.  Do you think that is a coincidence?  There are no coincidences with God.  We are to trust God, and to trust God, we need to listen when he says “fear not”.  This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t fear God: absolutely we need to fear God.  All through the Bible are stories of the wrath of God as a result of the foolishness of people who had no faith or turned away from faith-Sodom and Gomorrah and the other three cities, Ananias and Sapphira, Adam and Eve. But we need to trust God to help us through our every day trials, to trust him to help us through our pain, trust him to help us through our life.  He tells us to have no fear, to have courage, that he is there for us.  365 times.  One for every day of the calendar year. “Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he is that doth go with thee, he will not fail thee or forsake thee.” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

If Jesus was here today, and you knew who he was, would you trust him enough to go to him and ask him to pray with you, to pray for you?  That is our problem too.  We don’t believe that Jesus is here.  He is.  We cannot see him, but we are supposed to know he is here.  Even so, we don’t have faith as a people enough to have the courage to go to him and ask for prayer, for help, to be with us in spirit.  To show us how to go on.  Sure, we are Christians, we profess our faith, we try to act in a Christ-like manner, but we fall short of the salvation of that Cross.  We are hypocrites because we don’t act upon our faith.  We don’t trust.

Jesus died so that we could have salvation and an eternity in Heaven.  God gave us that gift.  We need to trust that he wants the best for us, that he knows our pain, our fears, our shortcomings.  He loves us anyway, and wants us to come to know his Son so we can be in Heaven for eternity. Repent.  Ask for forgiveness.  Jesus is our salvation.

For more sermons by PASTOR JOHN COLLINS,  listen to blogtalk radio at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins.  Check out what the church is doing at http://www.bringingbackgod.com.  See clips of PASTOR JOHN COLLINS on YouTube. If you want to fellowship with him, you can contact him by email through bringingbackgod@outlook.com

God bless you.

BRINGING BACK GOD, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRISTOL AND MARIETTA: Fear and pride

We all have fear of something.  We fear loss-job, family, money marriage.  We fear the future, we fear the unknown. Because we react to that fear, we respond in some way to control it. According to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, while preaching at BRINGING BACK GOD in BRISTOL and MARIETTA, “Fear is a sign of the enemy, it triggers a sense of self protection, which creates a web of pride. The real truth is, elevated proud people don’t take responsibility for their own problems. Instead they put you in fear to their advantage. When you’re elevated in yourself, without even knowing it you are under the influence of a spirit of fear and a spirit of lying. Unconsciously you will intimidate and manipulate others to protect your position. The person will sense this intimidation and manipulation (often sub-consciously) and begin to fear what you think of them or get annoyed that you are using them instead of taking their own responsibility, thus becoming trapped in the web of pride. You could argue that the recipient is innocent but, the real truth is that they are proud too.

The issue isn’t what people are doing to you; it’s principalities and powers that oppress you.When someone tries to put fear on you or manipulate you, know that you are being attacked by a spirit of fear, and when you succumb to a spirit of fear, know that you have stepped out of the love of the Father. It’s not wrong to feel fear, it’s wrong to surrender to it.

Don’t react to the fear; let it drive you to faith. Love suffers the fear attack trusting God’s outcome; pride tries not to have fear, and love stops and recognizes where the attack is really coming from. Paul had a thorn in the flesh: And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

The answer to being intimidated and being manipulated and being fearful is to accept God’s strategy of the thorn in the flesh. Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to buffet him incessantly. He wanted it to go away but God knows the pride of man so He’s strategy was to leave it in place to keep him humble so he wouldn’t lose his salvation.” Don’t give in to fear, intimidation and manipulation.   Let Christ handle it for you.   That is when you will be your strongest.

Go to www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins to hear more sermons by PASTOR JOHN COLLINS. You can view his sermons on YouTube.  To see what is going on with the church, BRINGING BACK GOD, visit www.bringingbackgod.com.  Need fellowship or to talk to someone?  You can reach PASTOR JOHN COLLINS by email at bringingbackgod@outlook.com.

God bless you.

BRINGING BACK GOD, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRISTOL AND MARIETTA: Jesus will carry you

Have  you ever been sad, sorrowful, frightened, fearful, lonely, so miserable you felt you just couldn’t get out of bed?  We all have at some point in our lives.  We are human, we have these emotions-the loss of a family member, the loss of a pet, the loss of a job, the loss of a home, friendships gone wrong; whatever the reason or source of the emotion, we all have had them.  The difference is, as a Christian, we have Jesus there to carry us through it.

According to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, while preaching at BRINGING BACK GOD, in BRISTOL and MARIETTA, Jesus is there for us all the time.  All we have to do as Christians is ask, and we receive….It is written in red “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8). PASTOR JOHN COLLINS preaches “Jesus Christ is your bread when you’re hungry. Jesus Christ is your comfort when you are lonely. Jesus Christ is your peace when you are feeling tense. Jesus Christ is your rest when you are feeling weary. Jesus Christ is your joy when you are sad. Jesus Christ is your strength when you are weak. Jesus Christ is your living water when you are thirsty. Jesus Christ is your wisdom. Jesus Christ will supply you with fullness when you feel empty.” All we have to do is ask, to allow Him to do what He came here for in the first place.  To be our Salvation.

God loves us. Even for as bad as society is today, for all the evil that is out there, He loves us.  He loved us enough to send Jesus to take care of all of us over 2000 years ago. Jesus suffered for us, took a flat out beating for us, according to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS. So that we could live, so that we can survive, so that we can be happy both here on Earth and an eternity in Heaven. We have become so calloused and so hardened because society has told us to fit in, to comply, to follow everyone else, that most of us have no idea who Jesus is and what He means.  And that is sad.  That Man took a beating, hung on a cross for nine hours and suffered for us, rose again, and is still there for us to save us from ourselves. From Satan. From eternity in Hell. We as a culture just don’t know that all we have to do is seek him, accept him as our Savior, repent our sins, seek forgiveness, and ask.  That’s all.  Give Him your soul, your heart, and ask for help when you need it. So if you are feeling so low you want to take your life, if you are so sad you feel like you could cry from the soles of your feet, you feel so alone that there is no one who could want you, there is Someone there for you.  Jesus. He will help you get up off the floor and give you the strength and courage to endure.  And that is a Gift that has never stopped.

Go to www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins to hear more sermons of hope and salvation.  Watch video clips of PASTOR JOHN COLLINS on YouTube.  Want to see what BRINGING BACK GOD is up to, go to www.bringingbackgod.com.  If you would like fellowship with PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, you can email him at bringingbackgod@outlook.com.

God bless you.

BRINGING BACK GOD, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, MARIETTA AND BRISTOL: Bottle of wine?

You can’t put new wine into old bottles. Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, and Luke 5:37 all relate the analogy that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees.  “No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.  And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.” According to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS while preaching in MARIETTA and BRISTOL, at BRINGING BACK GOD, this comparison of new wine into old bottles is about becoming a new person.  When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you let go of the old you and become a new person.  You are fresh, reborn. You no longer fit into the mold of who you once were.  Jesus has made you new, God has called you for another purpose.  When you accept the salvation of Jesus, you can’t go back to what you were-you are changed, and nothing is the same ever again.  Yes, you can backslide and lose faith, choose to sin, but you know what salvation is now.  The comparison of new wine into old bottles can be described like this:  new wine has to ferment.  It is strong and expands with fermentation or aging.  Old bottles that were used before are weakened.  The new wine will expand and explode old bottles.  So will new belief and faith of the person who is newly saved.  Their faith and beliefs grow and the old is shattered and useless.  What a wonderful gift God has given us-a chance at the new.  A fresh start. Because He sent Jesus to us so that we could all have a chance at eternal life.  Luke is the only one who added another comment after the analogy:“No man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new for he saith, The old is better” Luke 5:39.  Luke is referring to the resistance of and unwillingness of people to hear the call of the gospels.  He was referring to the Jews who would not accept that Jesus was the Messiah….but how much different are they than the people of today who pursue false doctrine and won’t give it up?  According to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS–it’s time for change: “there is a time and a place, it’s now and it’s grace.”

Listen to www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins to hear more sermons by PASTOR JOHN COLLINS.  Check out clips of his sermons on YouTube.  Go to www.bringingbackgod.com and see what the church, BRINGING  BACK GOD, is doing now.  If you want to speak to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, you can email him at bringingbackgod@outlook.com.

God bless you.

 

BRINGING BACK GOD, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRISTOL and MARIETTA: Did God forget about us??

Do you think God has forgotten about us?  With the wars in the Middle East, the kidnapping of children, the murder, rage, and hatred that is in the world, do you think God has given up on us?  According to  PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRINGING BACK GOD, while preaching in BRISTOL and MARIETTA, God has not forgotten about us.   We think that He has forgotten us, we think that He just may not care. There are so many who have so many different beliefs because we are always looking for a sign and for proof. Through out the Holy Bible, it is written that God reveals himself to us….According to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, “God revealed Himself to Adam and Eve. God revealed Himself to Cain. They were brothers and Cain slew Abel. God revealed Himself to Noah. His family was saved and right there is where we can ALL trace back our family lines. We all come from one of those people who eventually produced the human race that is covering this globe we call earth. God revealed Himself to Abram and called him away from his homeland to promise his descendants a new land. God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a strange land and would serve them, Egypt, 400 years. God revealed Himself to Isaac and to Jacob, whom He renamed Israel, and renewed His promise with both of them. God was with Joseph in Egypt and enabled him to save His chosen people from the famine. God revealed Himself to Moses and through signs and miracles led the Jewish people out of Egypt and into Canaan. God revealed Himself to the people at Mt. Sinai and they were terrified and asked Moses to intercede. God gave the law at Mt. Sinai. God led them through the desert for 40 years. God revealed Himself to Joshua and led them to conquer much of the Promised Land.” After all this, which is written in the Holy Bible, Israel still chose to rebel. God continuously gives Israel a chance to redeem itself and come back to God, it is the chosen people.  But also, because of the gift of Jesus and salvation to us through His death on the Cross, all of us have a chance to redeem ourselves.

We still don’t please God, though, even when he has given us all these chances to succeed. PASTOR JOHN COLLINS preaches that “Israel is a battlefield and it is not the only one. There is war in our hearts and in our souls and in all this time that we have been on this earth it seems as if we have learned nothing. Where is our compassion? Where is our love? Where is our respect, not only for ourselves, but for each other? We are forever repeating such bad choices and right now there are so many people hastening the return of Jesus Christ. It is not by our hand that we will hasten that. We will surely destroy ourselves in the effort though. Quit looking for signs people and start praying for peace. Quit looking for the rapture to come and get your knees dirty and pray for Israel. For they are the firstborn, yet we are next. They are our family and our beloved people. And if you think that is not true of you, you are wrong. My family came from that boat and so did yours. I don’t care what religion you claim, I don’t care what your beliefs are; the truth is we are related.
I am asking that you consider carefully the truth of your heart. I am asking that you consider carefully your thoughts and your prayers. I am asking that you consider your actions and speech to others. I am asking that you find compassion and bother with the time it takes to seek mercy from the Lord. Pray that Israel and all of us find mercy and compassion from God and Jesus Christ. Pray that healing and building hope can begin. Pray that the Holy Land begin to act Holy and pray for those that have been hurt and lost loved ones in this fight.”

And most of all, remember to be thankful for this one great merciful truth, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. God still wants all of us.  Find salvation in His Son Jesus, He died on the cross for us.  God wants all of us.

See what the church is doing, go to www.bringingbackgod.com. For more sermons by PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, check out www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins.  See clips of his sermons on YouTube.  You can contact him by email at bringingbackgod@outlook.com.

God bless you.

BRINGING BACK GOD, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRISTOL AND MARIETTA: Jesus? Who’s he?

This world does not know who Jesus is.  Really. If it did, there wouldn’t be human trafficking, drug addiction, murder, adultery, greed, and so on.  The world doesn’t remember who Jesus is, or why he came.  There wouldn’t be so much misery and doubt if it did.  Living as a Christian in a non-Christian world is hard, according to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, while preaching at BRINGING BACK GOD in BRISTOL and MARIETTA. He says as a Christian, you know Him, you know why He came.  Jesus came to save us from our sins, to give us a new life.  He came to give us peace.  He came to give us joy in the Holy Spirit.  He came so that we can have fellowship with God. As a Christian, you are in a battle with the world.  The world is in war with you.  There’s greed, self-fulfillment, vices of all kinds that are there to tempt from the father of evil, Satan.  He is of the world, and he wants our devotion to be ungodly, he wants us to conform to him.  And since we don’t conform, we are ridiculed, mock, attacked from all sides.  If you have someone in your family who is a non believer, or who questions the existence of God, they constantly question who are you, and why are you this way? Jesus said “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12, KJV) in the Beatitudes while preaching on the Sermon on the Mount.  He knew it would be difficult to be a Christian, and he also knew that what saves the Christian is the Word of God….which in effect is Jesus.  He also said that “my doctrine is not mine, but he who sent me” (John 7:16, KJV).  He was telling them that He only spoke what God told him to speak, therefore He was the Word of God.

So as a Christian, you struggle.  You are attacked on all sides by the evil one.  You struggle with sin: greed, lust, pride, vanity, impatience, all kinds of wantings.  You struggle against illness, poverty, marriage problems, job problems, an unsure future. You may be facing a serious struggle right now, maybe you have had to deal with a difficult situation, maybe you fear one is coming.

What do you do when there seems to be no way out, when your relationship with God is being affected, when you are worried or afraid, when you are in distress and need help? How do you overcome these obstacles, resist temptation, flee from the evil one, or go beyond your ability to believe and understand how these problems can be solved? According to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: the answer lies in the Word of God.  The Word of God is Jesus.  Believe in Jesus.  Invite him into your heart, find and follow the pass to the cross of salvation.  That is where you will find peace.

Listen to sermons on www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins to hear more by PASTOR JOHN COLLINS. Go to www.bringingbackgod.com to see what the church, BRINGING BACK GOD will be up to next.  You can see clips of PASTOR JOHN COLLINS on YouTube.  Have a question or need fellowship?  You can contact him through email: bringingbackgod@outlook.com.

God bless you.

 

BRINGING BACK GOD, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRISTOL AND MARIETTA: Love like Jesus-forgivingly

According to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS in sermons at BRINGING BACK GOD, in BRISTOL and MARIETTA, Jesus loved forgivingly, sacrificially, selflessly, and understandingly. PASTOR JOHN COLLINS encourages us to be Christ-like as Christians. One way to be Christ-like is to love like Jesus did. For us, because we are human, it does not come naturally.  We sooner take the easy way and give in to the ways of the world…..we say “I’m having a bad day, I just can’t take this, they did this to me” and turn around and take our bad day out on someone else-in turn they respond in kind and choose to have a bad day as well. The Holy Bible says to “love thy neighbor as thyself”. Do we love ourselves so little that we want to make someone else’s life miserable because something happened? Jesus loves forgivingly. Daniel 9:9 says “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him”.  Jesus was the living God, and all that He did, He did by God’s command.  He loved forgivingly. If Jesus loved forgivingly, then God loves forgivingly.  If God wants us to be Christ-like, Christian, then we need to learn to love others forgivingly.

We can easily take offense at what other people do or say. It’s our nature. But God wants us to forgive others, like we forgive ourselves-love thy neighbor as thyself. Someone at a business made an error the other week.  A pretty big one, one that affected people directly and indirectly-it spread like a web.  The individual who made the error was busy gossiping about the town-where to go, what to do, someone who misused a church.  While she was doing this, she made an error that had pretty far reaching effects. The individual who had to deal with the fall out from the error chose not to dwell on it or make a big deal out of it, they chose to forgive the person who made the error. The opportunity to fix the error by someone else came quickly-a blessing from God– so that no one suffered for the mistake.  The person who made the mistake was committing sin by gossiping. In that moment, Satan had a chance to create pain and misery. Giving forgiveness to that person stopped Satan in his tracks.  There was no route for him to follow.  None.  Genuinely loving your neighbor and giving forgiveness is Christ-like. Jesus was willing to die to cleanse us of our sins.  Being bitter and holding resentment would have been the normal response for most people…giving Satan free reign in our hearts. With Christ-like love and forgiveness, it stopped him in his tracks.  What an outcome.  How much better off we all would be if we could do that! Peter in Acts 3:19 said “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” PASTOR JOHN COLLINSpreaches the same thing-that we seek forgiveness from God through Jesus, so that we can have eternal life. Seek that relationship with God, be like Jesus.  Love everyone forgivingly.

You can hear more sermons like these by PASTOR JOHN COLLINS by going to www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins. You can see what BRINGING BACK GOD is doing by visiting the church website at www.bringingbackgod.com.  Fellowship is an important part of being Christian; you can talk to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS by emailing him at bringingbackgod@outlook.com.  Have a blessed Sunday.

God bless you.

 

 

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRINGING BACK GOD, BRISTOL & MARIETTA: Perseverance and faith

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRINGING BACK GOD, BRISTOL & MARIETTA, has said in his sermons that “Faith in God makes all things possible”.  We all have had challenges in our lives that make us feel like what we need will never work out, no matter what we do.  Prayer seems to go unanswered, feelings of doubt creep in, we get discouraged-and of course when we start to feel that way, we aren’t acting of God, we are responding to the enemy, Satan.  If he can get a foothold, a tiny wedge in your heart, he will rip it to pieces gleefully. Perseverance is the answer. PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRINGING BACK GOD, says that you’ve got to get your knees dirty.  If one prayer didn’t work, then pray more.  The cross is the only way for true prosperity and happiness, you just have to want to get up and do it.

The Holy Bible gives guidance and encouragement for perseverance and faith. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptation, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2-4, KJV).  Our first response to adversity is to run and hide, or give up, escape.  But, trials and tests mature our faith; perseverance makes us stronger in our faith in God.  God wants us to be better Christians, not bitter Christians, trials and adversity strengthen us. “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:1-5 KJV).  Paul is also telling us that trials and difficulties teach us patience, the experience tempers our faith and makes us strong.  PASTOR JOHN COLLINStells us “faith is free”.  Look what faith will give us, if only we persevere.

Listen to more of PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRINGING BACK GOD at www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins.  Visit the church website at www.bringingbackgod.com.  If you need fellowship, prayer, or someone to talk to, you can reach out to PASTOR JOHN COLLINSby email at bringingbackgod@outlook.com.

God bless you.

Pastor John Collins, Bringing Back God, BRISTOL & MARIETTA: Who judges?

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRINGING BACK GOD, BRISTOL & MARIETTA, did a sermon about personal change and church congregations judging others. In the sermon, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS read the lyrics from a song by Johnny Paycheck, posted below.  It is called “The Outlaw’s Prayer”:

You know, I worked the Big Packet show in Fort Worth, Saturday night,
We had all day Sunday to rest and relax, before I caught another flight.
So I decided to walk down town an’ get myself a little fresh air.
Before long, I found myself in front of a big church on the corner of the square.

Boy, I could hear that singin’ way out in the street, sure was a beautiful sound.
So I just walked up the steps an’ opened the door an’ started to go inside an’ sit down.
But before I could, a young man walked over to me an said: “Excuse me, Sir,
“But I can’t let you in with that big black hat, those jeans, that beard an’ long hair.

So I just left, went back outside, sat down on that curbing, an I thought to myself:
That’s the house of the Lord. That guy’s got the hell of a nerve.
Tellin’ me I can’t worship anywhere I please.
So right there, in front of that Church, I just knelt down on my knees.

I said: “Lord, I know I don’t look like much, but I didn’t think you’d mind.
“I just wanted to be with your people, Lord: it’s been a long time.
“A while ago, a saw a wino over there in the alley, all bent over in tears,
“An’ I thought how one stained glass window, from this Church, would feed his family for years.”

“Then there’s those fine cars parked outside: too many for me to count.
“Made me think how people walked for days to hear your sermon on the mount.
“Then there’s those fine ladies in the choir, Lord, singin’ like they really love it.
“Hell, last night, they were dancin’ on the front row of my show: drinkin’ beer, screamin: ‘Sing Shove It.’

“You know, even John the Baptist wouldn’t be welcome in this place,
“With his coat made of Camel hair an’ sandals on his feet an’ a long beard on his face.
“You know, Lord, when you come back to get your children, an’ take ’em beyond the clouds,
“To live forever in Heaven with you: well, I’d sure hate to be in this crowd.

“You know, Lord, I’m not perfect; some even call me no count.
“But I’ll tell you: I believe a man is judged by what’s in his heart, not what’s in his bank account.
“So if this is what religion is: a big car, a suit an’ a tie,
“Then I might as well forget it Lord, ’cause I can’t qualify.

“Oh, by the way, Lord, right before they kicked me out, didn’t I see a picture of you?
“With sandals an’ a beard. Believe you had long hair too.”
“Well, this is Paycheck, signing off.
“I’ll be seein’ you Lord, I hope.”

You could have heard a pin drop as he read the lyrics. Particularly compelling was the line “I believe a man is judged by what is in his heart, not his bank account.” The lyrics that point out how much money was spent on a stained glass window-how many people who needed food could that have fed?  How many families go hungry because there isn’t even enough money to buy Ramen noodles, yet church congregations ignore them.  Pastors ignore them.  Churches judge people by what they wear, how they look, how they talk.  Just because someone, a man or a woman, has tattoos doesn’t make them scary to talk to or someone to be afraid of.  Just because someone, man, woman, or child, has dirty shoes or holey clothes doesn’t make them less of a person. Just because they are different, doesn’t mean anything in the sight of God and Jesus.  Don’t judge.  Can you imagine a singer/songwriter like Garth Brooks or George Strait not being allowed into a church?  So what if a guy has long hair?  Makes no difference.  He is still one of God’s children and has just as much right to be in a church as the bank president.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS  preaches that God wants the sinners in His church.  He wants the people who have the most to lose to have an opportunity of hope.  PASTOR JOHN spoke of changes. We as humans have the right to choose what changes need to happen in our lives. Making changes in our lives to include Jesus is difficult. The path to failure is very wide and easy to follow. The path to being a Christian is narrow and difficult. PASTOR JOHN speaks of Jesus as being the salvation for us on that narrow path through repentance. If we repent and ask forgiveness for our sins, we will find our way in heaven. The Bible says once we accept Jesus into our lives, we are born new. The Holy Bible also says judge not lest ye be judged.  Don’t judge a person by what they look like, how they act, or what they wear.  Don’t judge.  Give them a chance, give them a hand up.  Help them.

To hear more from PASTOR JOHN COLLINS,you can listen to him on www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins. You can also follow him on facebook at www.bringingbackgod.com, or you can email him at bringingbackgod@outlook.com.

God bless you.

Bringing Back God: don’t laugh at me

A man stood outside a church in ragged jeans, a dirty shirt with many holes, and looked like he didn’t have a bath in days.  It was Sunday, and many people were filling that church that day because they were about to meet their new pastor.  No one took the time to offer help or speak to the man who was hanging around the entrance of the church.  The church service began, and a church elder spoke to the congregation, introducing the new pastor.  As he was introduced, he walked down the aisle, everyone turned to look at the new pastor, as only the church elder who introduced him knew what he looked like.  Walking down the aisle was the man in ragged jeans, torn shirt, looking like he needed a shower.  When he got to the front of the church, he looked at the congregation and told them what hypocrites they were: not one had taken the Christian action of saying hello, offering him to come in, offering a cup of coffee-no hospitality, no Christian kindness.  They had absolutely broken the commandment of love thy neighbor.  He then dismissed the church for the day after only five minutes. PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRINGING BACK GOD, told this during a sermon as example of how Christians, people who think they are truly Christians, judge other people.  Jesus says in Matthew 7:1-3 “Judge not, that ye be not judged.For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (KJV).

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS explained the story of the new pastor and compared it to Jesus’ teachings of not judging others by their appearance, their manner, their actions. A Christian does not condemn others for what or who they are.  BRINGING BACK GOD is a church that opens its doors to everyone, regardless of whether they are a bank president or a tattooed biker, a woman who has had a abortion, or someone who is an alcoholic.  PASTOR JOHN COLLINS  wants everyone to be welcome at BRINGING BACK GOD, to be part of the church family, to be accepted for what and who they are.  We all are sinners, and we all fall short of the cross. The mote in your brother’s eye is a speck of sawdust, the beam in your eye is a plank of wood…like a support beam of a building.  Don’t judge someone: you are a sinner just like they are.  You aren’t any better than anyone else. We all come together for the same reason, to find our way to salvation through the cross that Jesus died on.  He took our sins, the perfect Son, so that we could have eternal life.

So back to the church members who ignored the needs of the man standing outside that door……what if that was Jesus, looking to see how He would be received?  What if the pastor really was a ragged looking bum, and not dressed up as one? What difference did it make?  What truly matters is not what is said about someone as hearsay or gossip, not what someone looks like, with tattoos or ragged clothes, but what their heart is,  how they act, and who they are now not their past, according to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, BRINGING BACK GOD. Don’t let what you are today determine what you are going to be tomorrow.

God bless you.