James Collins's Blog: The Point Is... - Posts Tagged "jesus"
May I Be Excused?
“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.� Matthew 14:30
Some things are just hard to say.
On my first day of kindergarten, I asked Momma what I should do if an emergency came up. She said, “Raise your hand. When the teacher notices you, walk up to her and whisper, ‘May I be excused?’�
“Excused?� That was a new word for me. When I was five years old, I had never heard of asking to be “excused.� The word sounded foreign. It sounded French. I reasoned that “May I be excused?� was French for “Can I go to the potty?�
However, I soon realized that most people don’t speak French. One day, I walked into Kate’s Country Store. An old man smoking a cigar was sitting behind the counter. I said, “Sir, may I be excused?� He blew out a puff of smoke and said, “Sure, kid,� but he never told me where to go. So, I said again, “Sir, may I be excused?� He looked at me and asked, “What’s wrong with you, boy? Are you brain damaged?�
Later, as a teenager, I enlisted in the U.S. Army. I was standing in formation one day and I raised my hand. The drill sergeant looked at me, frowned, and said, “Private Collins, what’s wrong with you now?� I said, “May I be excused?� I never did get to go. I did pushups instead.
Obviously, some people do not understand French.
I used the word “bathroom� for a while, although I never thought about taking a “bath� in the tiny wash basin of a public “bathroom.� Then I noticed “restroom� on a sign. That was a good word, but I was not comfortable using it. I didn’t “rest� in a public “restroom.�
A while back, I was out with some people from church. Someone said, “I need to use the washroom.� That’s perfect. Now, after the waitress takes my order, I look at my hands, turn to her and ask the perfectly logical question, “Ma’am, where is your washroom? I need to wash my hands.�
It would be a lot simpler if everyone knew French.
There is another statement that is hard for people to make, “Lord, save me.�
One night, the disciples of Jesus were sailing across the Sea of Galilee when a strong storm blew up. During that storm, Jesus showed up walking on the water. Peter asked Jesus if he could walk on the water with Him. Jesus said, “Yes,� and Peter stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. But he lost his focus and started sinking. He screamed, “Lord, save me,� and Jesus rescued him.
Today, someone is reading this, and you are going through a storm. Your life and circumstances have not turned out the way you intended. You feel like your boat is taking on water and you are about to go under. As difficult as it may be for you to say, the best thing you can do is cry out, “Lord, save me.� Pray to Him and ask Him to save you.
The point is: Some things are hard to say. Because of stubbornness, pride, self-reliance, it is hard for you to turn to Christ. Eternity depends on you swallowing your pride and saying, “Lord, save me.�
You can ask the Lord to save you in any language, even French, “Seigneour sauve-moi.�
James Collins is a chaplain, pastor, author, and columnist. He speaks some French, but with a country accent. For more information on his ministry, check out the website .
Some things are just hard to say.
On my first day of kindergarten, I asked Momma what I should do if an emergency came up. She said, “Raise your hand. When the teacher notices you, walk up to her and whisper, ‘May I be excused?’�
“Excused?� That was a new word for me. When I was five years old, I had never heard of asking to be “excused.� The word sounded foreign. It sounded French. I reasoned that “May I be excused?� was French for “Can I go to the potty?�
However, I soon realized that most people don’t speak French. One day, I walked into Kate’s Country Store. An old man smoking a cigar was sitting behind the counter. I said, “Sir, may I be excused?� He blew out a puff of smoke and said, “Sure, kid,� but he never told me where to go. So, I said again, “Sir, may I be excused?� He looked at me and asked, “What’s wrong with you, boy? Are you brain damaged?�
Later, as a teenager, I enlisted in the U.S. Army. I was standing in formation one day and I raised my hand. The drill sergeant looked at me, frowned, and said, “Private Collins, what’s wrong with you now?� I said, “May I be excused?� I never did get to go. I did pushups instead.
Obviously, some people do not understand French.
I used the word “bathroom� for a while, although I never thought about taking a “bath� in the tiny wash basin of a public “bathroom.� Then I noticed “restroom� on a sign. That was a good word, but I was not comfortable using it. I didn’t “rest� in a public “restroom.�
A while back, I was out with some people from church. Someone said, “I need to use the washroom.� That’s perfect. Now, after the waitress takes my order, I look at my hands, turn to her and ask the perfectly logical question, “Ma’am, where is your washroom? I need to wash my hands.�
It would be a lot simpler if everyone knew French.
There is another statement that is hard for people to make, “Lord, save me.�
One night, the disciples of Jesus were sailing across the Sea of Galilee when a strong storm blew up. During that storm, Jesus showed up walking on the water. Peter asked Jesus if he could walk on the water with Him. Jesus said, “Yes,� and Peter stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. But he lost his focus and started sinking. He screamed, “Lord, save me,� and Jesus rescued him.
Today, someone is reading this, and you are going through a storm. Your life and circumstances have not turned out the way you intended. You feel like your boat is taking on water and you are about to go under. As difficult as it may be for you to say, the best thing you can do is cry out, “Lord, save me.� Pray to Him and ask Him to save you.
The point is: Some things are hard to say. Because of stubbornness, pride, self-reliance, it is hard for you to turn to Christ. Eternity depends on you swallowing your pride and saying, “Lord, save me.�
You can ask the Lord to save you in any language, even French, “Seigneour sauve-moi.�
James Collins is a chaplain, pastor, author, and columnist. He speaks some French, but with a country accent. For more information on his ministry, check out the website .
What Do You See?
“…For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.� 1 Samuel 16:7b
My nine-year-old son, John, has quite an imagination. He loves to build things with Lego bricks. The other night he said, “Look at this rocket ship I built.� He held up what looked like a square glob of tiny, multicolored, plastic bricks. To me, it looked more like a toaster than a rocket ship.
John spends hours in his room playing with Legos. He builds everything from tractors to towers, from cars to castles, from submarines to space stations. He has quite an imagination.
When I look at those toy plastic bricks, I see toy plastic bricks. When John looks at them, he sees knights slaying dragons, airplanes flying across the sky, and heroes on a jungle quest. In his imagination, Legos are not Legos at all. They are robots, Batmobiles, and skyscrapers.
What people see in their minds and what they see outside are two different things.
Not too long ago, John saved his money to buy a new Lego set. He saved allowance, birthday, and Christmas money. When he had enough for the set he wanted, I took him to Walmart.
As we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed a family sitting in an old station wagon. The father sat on the hood. He held a cardboard sign that read, “WILL WORK FOR FOOD.�
The station wagon looked to be on its last leg. The family inside looked dirty and disheveled. They appeared to be living in their car.
I looked over and noticed John was staring at the family. Neither one of us said anything.
We went inside and made our way back to the toy aisle, but John didn’t seem interested in Legos. He looked up and asked, “Can I use my money to buy those people some food?� I choked back tears and answered, “Sure.� John said, “I can’t wait to tell them about Jesus.�
There was an excitement in our steps as we filled up a cart with groceries. We hurried through the checkout, loaded up our car, and drove to the end of the parking lot. John leaned out the window with two bags of groceries, and said, “Sir, I want to give you some food.� The man put down his sign, took the groceries, and said, “Thank you.� John said, “You are welcome, and Jesus loves you.�
To tell the truth, most likely, I would not have noticed the needy family in the station wagon. I am proud of my son. He sees things that I miss.
What people see in their minds and what they see outside are two different things.
We need to see people as God sees them.
The point is: God looks at people differently than you and I look at people. We look at people on the outside. God looks at the heart. It doesn’t matter if you are freshly bathed and wearing a three-piece suit, or dirty wearing a t-shirt, and torn jeans, God looks at your heart.
The Bible says that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. God loves everyone, but all have sinned, and come short of His glory. Every person we meet is lost without Jesus. The only cure for the sin-sick heart is the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Christ, even people who look nice on the outside go to hell.
When you look at people, what do you see?
Do you see somebody who needs Jesus?
Tell somebody about Him today.
James Collins is the author of Don't Throw the Believer Out with the Baptistry Water, now available on Amazon.
My nine-year-old son, John, has quite an imagination. He loves to build things with Lego bricks. The other night he said, “Look at this rocket ship I built.� He held up what looked like a square glob of tiny, multicolored, plastic bricks. To me, it looked more like a toaster than a rocket ship.
John spends hours in his room playing with Legos. He builds everything from tractors to towers, from cars to castles, from submarines to space stations. He has quite an imagination.
When I look at those toy plastic bricks, I see toy plastic bricks. When John looks at them, he sees knights slaying dragons, airplanes flying across the sky, and heroes on a jungle quest. In his imagination, Legos are not Legos at all. They are robots, Batmobiles, and skyscrapers.
What people see in their minds and what they see outside are two different things.
Not too long ago, John saved his money to buy a new Lego set. He saved allowance, birthday, and Christmas money. When he had enough for the set he wanted, I took him to Walmart.
As we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed a family sitting in an old station wagon. The father sat on the hood. He held a cardboard sign that read, “WILL WORK FOR FOOD.�
The station wagon looked to be on its last leg. The family inside looked dirty and disheveled. They appeared to be living in their car.
I looked over and noticed John was staring at the family. Neither one of us said anything.
We went inside and made our way back to the toy aisle, but John didn’t seem interested in Legos. He looked up and asked, “Can I use my money to buy those people some food?� I choked back tears and answered, “Sure.� John said, “I can’t wait to tell them about Jesus.�
There was an excitement in our steps as we filled up a cart with groceries. We hurried through the checkout, loaded up our car, and drove to the end of the parking lot. John leaned out the window with two bags of groceries, and said, “Sir, I want to give you some food.� The man put down his sign, took the groceries, and said, “Thank you.� John said, “You are welcome, and Jesus loves you.�
To tell the truth, most likely, I would not have noticed the needy family in the station wagon. I am proud of my son. He sees things that I miss.
What people see in their minds and what they see outside are two different things.
We need to see people as God sees them.
The point is: God looks at people differently than you and I look at people. We look at people on the outside. God looks at the heart. It doesn’t matter if you are freshly bathed and wearing a three-piece suit, or dirty wearing a t-shirt, and torn jeans, God looks at your heart.
The Bible says that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. God loves everyone, but all have sinned, and come short of His glory. Every person we meet is lost without Jesus. The only cure for the sin-sick heart is the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Christ, even people who look nice on the outside go to hell.
When you look at people, what do you see?
Do you see somebody who needs Jesus?
Tell somebody about Him today.
James Collins is the author of Don't Throw the Believer Out with the Baptistry Water, now available on Amazon.
Going Home
“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.� Philippians 3:20
On an overcast day, we gathered to mourn the death of Tammy Combs. Her metallic gray casket sat toward the front of our hometown church. Flower arrangements of pinks, yellows, reds, and purples surrounded it.
The church that had seemed so big to me as a child, now seemed so small. It was crowded with people who had known her, who had loved her, and who still did. The pews filled up quickly. Latecomers sat in folding chairs in the aisles and along the back wall. Those who couldn’t find a seat stood in silence in the foyer. Grief is shared best in silence.
The old preacher walked up on the platform and stood tall in the pulpit behind the casket. He read Scripture in a baritone voice, “…that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.� His funeral sermon was filled with words of comfort. He ended by saying, “And she lives on.�
When the preacher finished speaking, a recording of Tammy singing The Old Rugged Cross was played. Throughout her life, Tammy often sang in church. Now in her death, she sang there again.
I grew up with Tammy, but I hadn’t seen her in years. We stayed in touch only through Facebook. It took her funeral to bring me back home. Over twenty years had passed since I had stepped foot in our hometown church. After high school graduation, I joined the U.S. Army. Trips back home became less frequent. Everything seemed so different. The place had changed.
The church was filled with people from my youth. I didn’t recognize many of them. Some didn’t recognize me. Age has caught up with us. Everyone seemed so different. The people have changed.
Somehow, I feel different. When I left home, I was lost. Then Jesus Christ found me, and He saved my soul. I am different. I have changed.
There is an old saying: You can’t go home again. I think I understand that saying a little better now. The old hometown will never again be the same place I left all those years ago. I will never again be the same boy who left all those years ago. That home exists only in my memory.
When I think about home, I don’t think so much about a place. When I think of home, I think of people. I think about my wife, Amanda, and our children. They make home � home. At least, on this earth.
However, this world is not my home. The Bible says that if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, your citizenship is in heaven. When I think of my future home, I think of a Person. I think about Jesus. He makes heaven � heaven.
The point is: All of us are pilgrims on a journey in this land. Someday, if the Lord tarries, each of us will die and go to our eternal home. If you belong to Jesus, then you’ll be with Him in a home called heaven. If you don’t belong to Jesus, then you’ll spend eternity separated from Him in a home called hell. The choice is yours.
The death of my friend, Tammy, has made me homesick. Not for a small town in Southeast Oklahoma. No. I am homesick for heaven. I am homesick to be with Jesus.
My heart longs for home.
James Collins is a pastor and writer. He can be reached through the webpage .
On an overcast day, we gathered to mourn the death of Tammy Combs. Her metallic gray casket sat toward the front of our hometown church. Flower arrangements of pinks, yellows, reds, and purples surrounded it.
The church that had seemed so big to me as a child, now seemed so small. It was crowded with people who had known her, who had loved her, and who still did. The pews filled up quickly. Latecomers sat in folding chairs in the aisles and along the back wall. Those who couldn’t find a seat stood in silence in the foyer. Grief is shared best in silence.
The old preacher walked up on the platform and stood tall in the pulpit behind the casket. He read Scripture in a baritone voice, “…that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.� His funeral sermon was filled with words of comfort. He ended by saying, “And she lives on.�
When the preacher finished speaking, a recording of Tammy singing The Old Rugged Cross was played. Throughout her life, Tammy often sang in church. Now in her death, she sang there again.
I grew up with Tammy, but I hadn’t seen her in years. We stayed in touch only through Facebook. It took her funeral to bring me back home. Over twenty years had passed since I had stepped foot in our hometown church. After high school graduation, I joined the U.S. Army. Trips back home became less frequent. Everything seemed so different. The place had changed.
The church was filled with people from my youth. I didn’t recognize many of them. Some didn’t recognize me. Age has caught up with us. Everyone seemed so different. The people have changed.
Somehow, I feel different. When I left home, I was lost. Then Jesus Christ found me, and He saved my soul. I am different. I have changed.
There is an old saying: You can’t go home again. I think I understand that saying a little better now. The old hometown will never again be the same place I left all those years ago. I will never again be the same boy who left all those years ago. That home exists only in my memory.
When I think about home, I don’t think so much about a place. When I think of home, I think of people. I think about my wife, Amanda, and our children. They make home � home. At least, on this earth.
However, this world is not my home. The Bible says that if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, your citizenship is in heaven. When I think of my future home, I think of a Person. I think about Jesus. He makes heaven � heaven.
The point is: All of us are pilgrims on a journey in this land. Someday, if the Lord tarries, each of us will die and go to our eternal home. If you belong to Jesus, then you’ll be with Him in a home called heaven. If you don’t belong to Jesus, then you’ll spend eternity separated from Him in a home called hell. The choice is yours.
The death of my friend, Tammy, has made me homesick. Not for a small town in Southeast Oklahoma. No. I am homesick for heaven. I am homesick to be with Jesus.
My heart longs for home.
James Collins is a pastor and writer. He can be reached through the webpage .
