In blue jeans, cowboy hat and shirt, he stands tall and confident with his Biblical-based words. He doesn’t resemble in dress or philosophy many high-profile preachers of today. Although considered not-politically-correct by many, he preaches with such enthusiasm and passion for the Lord. He does not sugar coat the Bible in any way in Bringing Back God (BBG). He does not believe in the word “religion,” because it is man-made. Pastor John explains that “when Jesus came to earth, He did not tell us to start multiple religions. There is only one doctrine, and that is Christianity by the way of the Cross.”
Originally from North Carolina, his family moved to Southern Indiana for his mother’s employment. He grew up as a “cornbread and ice tea kind-of-guy, helping out on his grandparent’s farm.” He spent several years raising his family of four sons, JC, Jared, Jayton and Jevyn, where he “luckily, coached [his] sons at all levels” and did whatever he chose to do. Since Pastor John’s conversion, God has blessed him with an 8-year-old ‘Diva’ Ahnica, who fills his life with great joy.
Not always a Christian, he lived a “life of sin and had no intention of becoming a preacher. I did not find God; God found me. I was a sinner and still am, but I loved money and all that it could buy,” expressed Pastor John, “I enjoyed living my life for me with all the toys of wealth; now, I … live my life for God and Jesus, my Lord and Savior. I am committed to living the Word, as well as preaching the Word. I believe in ‘helping thy neighbor.’” His previous life was filled with a big house, boat, Mercedes, Corvettes and Lincolns, all the “toys anyone could want.”
He thought that he was happy, but, one day “it all went away,” when he was arrested for a white collar crime, which, at that time, “seemed like the end of the world.” As Pastor John explains, “A lot of people in prison find God, I did not. I wasn’t looking for him. I did find a pathetic man who wanted to change but did not know how. After I was released, I was still not looking for God until one day I heard God tell me to serve him. I heard it in my ear. God knows that if he had spoken to me through my heart, I would have thought it was a panic attack. If he had spoken to my gut, I would have said acid reflux, but God knew in order to change me it would have to be with his voice, and it worked; I dropped everything and became His.”
“On that day,” continues Pastor John Collins, “I promised God to spread His word … to judge no one and to lead people to that Cross. It has NOT been an easy road! As a former prisoner, people try to blackmail you when changing your life, and that has happened several times. And, as much as it hurts and it does, I move forward with the armor of God. One thing I have learned is to accept who I am today and use my past as a testimonial of the power of God. I tell people that I used to be so far from that Cross I couldn’t see it with binoculars. Now I am so close, I have splinters in my hands and there is NOTHING or NO ONE that is going to change that.”
Pastor John Collins with Bringing Back God Preaches a sermon on how and why we all need to forgive ourselves and move forward in life, Go to the CROSS do GODS will not ours and lets go to the kingdom. New beginings happen when we start doing GODS will not ours,
