PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: TIL DEATH DO US PART....

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST: MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE

from Google images

What does it take to make a marriage last? “About 40% to 50% of married couples in the United States divorce, according to the American Psychological Association. The divorce rate among those who remarry is even higher” (Harrington and Buckingham, 24/7 Wall Street, Feb. 2, 2018). 

Commitment to a partner is meant to be something special that God created for us, but our society and our lack of faith and the change in values of the course of decades has made marriage in the United States a statistic of 50-50% chance of lasting a lifetime.  Sins of the heart that the apostle Paul speaks of destroy marriages.  On top of that, long term relationships are developed without the commitment of marriage-living together is just as common as marriage when four generations ago, this would not even have been considered.  Our lack of faith in God and our denial of His word have turned us into a society of broken relationships, broken hearts, and broken families.  What makes a marriage last?  It takes faith and God understanding, commitment and teamwork according to Pastor John Collins, evangelist.

Pastor John Collins has given several sermons on the relationships between men and women as it is supposed to be, referring to living our lives as it says in the Holy Bible.  The Bible is a blue print for everything in life, and Pastor John Collins encourages us to get back into the Bible, to read it not just for a verse, but to read it and ask for guidance to understand what it says.  God reveals the truth of the scriptures as we need it, all we have to do is ask, says Pastor Collins.

“Love and marriage are meant to be a commitment. You are supposed to be a team and you are meant to work together through the bad and the good. Too often long term goals and world viewpoints are not discussed before any commitment takes place, with or without any marriage license. When a couple chooses to take on life together, they need to make the effort to stay resolute in their fidelity to each other and to find the character within themselves to see it through. Marriage is more than lust and passion is not a reason for marriage, for without the faith to see it through, to be on your spouse’s team against all odds, you will find your marriage failing and you will find yourself divorced.” (Pastor John Collins, March 2018).

Pastor John Collins is an evangelist and the head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and John Collins Ministries.  For the past decade, Pastor John Collins has been traveling across the United States spreading revival of faith and hope and redeeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Pastor John Collins is an enthusiastic speaker.  Pastor Collins’ presentation of the Holy Bible and what it represents tells it and teaches it as it was done over 2000 years ago.  Pastor John Collins openly admits that he loves God and he style is like old time tent revival style preaching.  What Pastor Collins preaches on any Sunday reaches every emotion, and keeps you thinking about it Monday through Sunday. 

Pastor John Collins writes:

“But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh, so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.’” Mark 10: 6-8 (NKJV).

Divorces are now the norm and multiple marriages with blended families are finding their way through the complications of upheaval. Commitment from the very beginning and the willingness to see it through to the end in relationships is definitely on the decline. What makes people want to end marriages and begin again? Many times, lust is mistaken for love and allows people to justify changing spouses and too often these changes come without the benefits of marriage to begin with. Too many marriages are based on lust and not on love. People want to be romanced and to have their lives filled with heightened passion that is full of excitement and delight. Too many times adultery is the result of seeking this excitement and too often a spouse is discarded because someone fell out of love.

Love and marriage are meant to be a commitment. You are supposed to be a team and you are meant to work together through the bad and the good. Too often long term goals and world viewpoints are not discussed before any commitment takes place, with or without any marriage license. When a couple chooses to take on life together, they need to make the effort to stay resolute in their fidelity to each other and to find the character within themselves to see it through. Marriage is more than lust and passion is not a reason for marriage, for without the faith to see it through, to be on your spouse’s team against all odds, you will find your marriage failing and you will find yourself divorced. Any passion that is stolen with another or any relationship that is created to avoid the obligations of home are going to leave a thirst inside of you and is indeed sin that will taint your soul. Faith and honor matter and marriage matters to God, for He gave it as a gift to you. It takes courage to stay committed and to stay faithful in this fallen and wanton world that we live in, but in the end it is worth it.

Do not let your flesh determine your steadfastness because the heart is desperately wicked and will deceive you into thinking that love is guiding you, when it is not. Choose a partner that is faithful, willing to go the extra mile and is committed to living as your teammate. If you find that your marriage is struggling then do a heart-check and find a way, through prayer and the word of God, to see what is motivating any distance between you and your spouse. A marriage takes work and a marriage is more than passion, romance and excitement. Your spouse is meant to be your biggest helpmate and together you are meant to stand strong against an evil world.

“Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:9 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Self-examination of your relationship is necessary to make it last.  In all things, turn to God to guide you.

Pastor John Collins can be heard Sunday mornings at 1000 a.m. on Heaven’s Country radio with Marty Smith, through live streaming at www.heavenscountry.com. Pastor John Collins is very charismatic and does not expect you to open a Bible to a specific verse and read along with him.  He preaches with enthusiasm and vigor, and looks to make listens think and feel the word of God.  Other recordings, interviews, media, YouTube, radio broadcasts and blogs related to Pastor John Collins can be accessed by clicking on the links within the post.  If you wish to speak to Pastor John Collins for prayer, ministering, or to arrange for guest speaking or preaching, you can reach Pastor Collins at jc65777@yahoo.com.  Absolutely hands down, Pastor John Collins is in it to win it for God.  Believe that.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: THE ONLY OPINION THAT MATTERS

How often do we do something because we care what someone else thinks of us, even if it is a lie?  King Solomon in Ecclesiastes says frequently there is nothing new under the sun.  Everything that we do now as people, as a society, has been done before, including trying to impress others or to cover up an action that was wrong.  God is the only one we need to worry about pleasing, God is the only one who matters.  We are supposed to act, if we are Christian, the way that God wants us to act, not 'keep up with the Jones''

Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries, gives the account of King David and his actions when he committed adultery, which resulted in pregnancy, then had Uriah-the woman’s husband killed in battle to cover it up.  Pastor John Collins writes of forgiveness in this daily thought.  When we sin, we suffer the consequences, and we need to seek the forgiveness of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Pastor John Collins preaches true repentance and forgiveness, emphasizing that we all sin, every day, and we need to recognize that we need to change.  How we are perceived by others really doesn’t matter, it’s what God thinks of us that matters.

 “We need to stop caring about the perception of others and stop caring about feeding our own desires. We need to recognize that the one who matters, the opinion that counts is God’s” ~ Pastor John Collins

Pastor John Collins writes:

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:1-2 (NKJV).

David had Uriah, husband of Bathsheba, killed in battle. He did this to cover up the sin of his adultery which resulted in a pregnancy. He then took Bathsheba to be his own. David paid a very high price for his sin in his lifetime. That child died as was decreed by God. David’s own son Absalom tried to take the throne from David and David knew war his whole life. There are consequences to our sin, in this life and without forgiveness, in the next. The one thing that was constant in the life of David was his faith and when he sinned, he knew it and repented and sought that forgiveness. David was a man and subject to the weaknesses that all humans face but he knew that forgiveness is available for those who truly repent and seek that forgiveness from God.

What had begun as desire for a woman turned into murder in order to cover up the adultery that took place to satisfy the lust. One sin compels another and then they pile up and become a burden too heavy to carry. The scrutiny of others can often lead to multiple sins. Let us be honest about the roles that people play in society. Perception is reality not only in politics but in everyday life of everyday people. You want to be perceived in a certain way, as a good person, as a confident person, as a wealthy person as an influential person and the list can go on and on. So, you get up in the morning and you walk out that door and you only allow people to see what you want them to see. You hide the rest. And, like David you go about getting what you want as you see fit and if you get caught or come close to getting caught then you set about containing the situation and managing the details by spinning the perception. 

We are capable at adapting to our situations and at controlling our environments and the effects that we have on them. Politicians with campaign managers are not the only ones who actively create realities that are acceptable for the viewing audience.

When does your illusion of control and your need for maintaining the impression that you desire to leave on others become bent and broken and do you recognize whether your perceived reality is aligning with the truth or is it pure conjecture? Do you have biblical standards which you live by? Do your standards sway with the need to bend in order to achieve the goals that you have for your life? Do you recognize any compromises that you may have made in order to get what you want? You see, that is where David is an excellent life to study for us believers. David was not perfect. David was flawed and yet he was a man after God’s own heart. That tells us that it is not that sin is overlooked or that forgiveness is always a given or that God’s expectations are not high. It tells us that God expects an awareness of ourselves and our motives, an awareness of His authority and greatness and it tells us the value that God places on honesty and true faith.

David was truly heartbroken when Nathan came to tell him of his sin. David wrote many psalms of repentance and suffering. David had a soul that loved God and trusted in His compassion for him. David was sorry to the depths of his soul and cried out to God and David accepted the consequences for his sin because he knew that he was wrong. David made no excuses but did his best and believed in the healing power of the grace of God. 

We need to stop caring about the perception of others and stop caring about feeding our own desires. We need to recognize that the one who matters, the opinion that counts is God’s. We need to see ourselves for the broken humans that we are and call upon the Lord for His Salvation which lies in Christ Jesus. It does not matter what the masses think. It does not matter what your neighbor thinks. Just get right with God and seek to live a life that aligns with His truth and you will be on the road to salvation.

“For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in Your sight-that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.” Psalm 51:3-4 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS