PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS MINISTRIES: DESPAIR

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: COPING WITH DESPAIR

 

photo courtesy Google images

How many of us have not felt despair?  Things happen in this life we live here that are sad, dark, scary, ugly and leave us feeling like we want to curl into a fetal position and just stay there.  That darkness is of Satan and it is meant for us to become separated from God who loves us.  It gives that evil being pleasure to know he can torture God’s creations.  We know pain because it’s part of this world, says Pastor John Collins in today’s daily devotional.  So many of us do not know how to handle the pain because society has driven God from church, family, and home.  There is an epidemic of narcotic and opioid use that is out of control.  Alcoholism destroys families and individuals.  The agony of this life is overwhelming at times and we simply are at a loss to understand how to cope.  The answer is faith.  Believing in something that we cannot see is discouraging if we don’t have immediate positive feedback.  The false hope that is often preached by those who only want to line their own pockets through snake oil style methods is sadly the most prevalent voices we hear from the pulpit and the media.  Faith in God, faith in Jesus is what will pull us through the shadows of fear and darkness.  It is the only way. 

“We need to choose to not allow pain to overwhelm us when we will be confronted with pain every day, whether or not that pain is our own personally or collectively. You see, when there is hurt in this world we need to make an even greater effort to love more. The more that we can genuinely love, beginning with loving God, who in turn allows us to love ourselves, not selfishly but with compassion and the ability to forgive ourselves so that we don’t go on punishing ourselves for past mistakes, bad choices or tragedies that we internalize and take on guilt for and that allows us to be able to love others with sincerity and truth.” Pastor John Collins (January, 2018).

Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and John Collins Ministries, does not and never has preached false hope.  Pastor John Collins preaches truth.  It has gotten to the point that the Gospel of Jesus Christ now needs to be redeemed because those in the pulpit over the past two thousand plus years have watered it down and turned it into something to serve man, not God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  Pastor John Collins redeems that Gospel, telling it like it is so that we can learn what each of us needs to do to get back to God.  Hope will come from faith, and as Pastor John Collins continues to preach, faith as small as mustard seed can move mountains.  God will take that tiny bit of faith in us and teach us lovingly to become strong and overcome the agony that we endure here in this world. 

Pastor John Collins writes:

“Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!” Jeremiah 20:14 (NKJV).

Who has not felt despair pulling on their world that seems to outweigh any hope that may exist? This life is full of ugly truths and disappointing days that will rip your heart out if you let it. There are valleys and shadows of a darkness that is uncompromising. People who find themselves at low points may turn to substances, whether prescription or illegal or over the counter in order to dull their pain and put off the agony of reality. It is at these low times when you feel as though you have nothing to hang on to, nothing to live for and nothing to pull you out of the darkness that faith is most important. For some, it is these dark spaces that create faith and for others it is the place that creates the doubt that challenges one’s faith. Sometimes it is hard to hold on to what you cannot see.

The human spirit is amazingly resilient. We are tougher than we realize. The truth is that there will come a time or many times in a person’s life that will leave you low and wanting to curse not only the world but your place in it. We are created with a great capacity to feel great emotions both high and low and we are capable of great compassion for each other and need to find the ability to have compassion for ourselves, not in any superficial or selfish way but in a way that allows us to let God into our hearts in order to be healed by Him. We need to choose to not allow pain to overwhelm us when we will be confronted with pain every day, whether or not that pain is our own personally or collectively. You see, when there is hurt in this world we need to make an even greater effort to love more. The more that we can genuinely love, beginning with loving God, who in turn allows us to love ourselves, not selfishly but with compassion and the ability to forgive ourselves so that we don’t go on punishing ourselves for past mistakes, bad choices or tragedies that we internalize and take on guilt for and that allows us to be able to love others with sincerity and truth. We have to be able to see the big picture as well as the little picture at the same time. Not only do we need to realize that God does have a plan and that He has not forgotten us nor forsaken us but know your life matters, what you do and who you love matters and that love needs to allow for forgiveness, acceptance and hope to shine through the darkness.

If you have not experienced pain of the soul that sucks the breath right out of you then you have not lived. If you have not stood back and felt awe for the world we live in then you have not awakened to the truth of God. The entire human experience will bring both despair and joy beyond imagination and knowing both allows you to be a better person and a person of compassion and truth. God is good and will not leave you alone. Do not grow bitter for having known the darkness because without it you could not appreciate the light.

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassion's fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!’” Lamentations 3:22-24 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins is a nationally and world known evangelist.  You can listen to Pastor John Collins live, Sunday mornings on Heaven’s Country radio, broadcast on www.heavenscountry.com,  at 1000 a.m. Mountain Time, with Marty Smith.  Pastor John Collins’ messages are to the point and compel us to examine ourselves and our hearts to draw us closer to God who loves us.  The answers we are looking for can be found by looking up, not looking in.  God sent Jesus Christ to teach us and then save us from ourselves, Pastor John Collins preaches that Word live every Sunday.  You can also find other sermons, broadcasts, blogs, articles and other media by Pastor John Collins through links found within this post.  Pastor John Collins is also available for personal contact for prayer, encouragement and hope through his personal email jc65777@yahoo.com. Pastor John Collins is in it to win it for God:  it is time for a change.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS REVIVAL: MISGUIDED FAITH

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: FAITH-RECOGNIZING TRUE FAITH

Faith is believing without seeing, acting on belief without being able to put your eyes or hands on something viable.  Faith in God and belief in the words of the Bible and the stories within it are difficult because the world that we live in screams at us that it can’t possibly be truth, that there is no evidence.  There is evidence available to us every day, in the survival of trauma victims, in the healing of wounds, in the birth of a child, in receiving something that was needed but not know how it could possibly happen.  We don’t recognize the evidence now, any more than those people who have lived before us thousands of years ago.

Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries, has brought revival through his sermons and preaching around the country for many years.  His style of preaching is much like that of the late Reverend Billy Graham, making the Word of God and the life of Jesus and His offer of hope and salvation simple to understand for us all.

Pastor John Collins brings us encouragement that God is not done with us, that He is very real, Jesus is very much alive and among us, and that there is Hope waiting for this world on His time.  Pastor John Collins says God wants the opportunity for all of his children, all of humanity, to know our God, to know our salvation, to know our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He wants us to know that we all have value.  That Hope will come, and the world will have the opportunity to understand true faith, not what man has created over the millennia to fill in the questions and blanks that each generation has struggled with from the beginning.

“God has created, given, blessed and warned us so many times and yet we get in our own way. Our pride keeps us from truly answering the call of God. There are divisions of belief and there are so many groupings of people who have decided that their way is the only way, their way is the best way and they live in that rigidity to their downfall” ~ Pastor John Collins.

 

Pastor John Collins writes:

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:35-37 (NKJV).

God is not done with us and our story as the people who were chosen to live on this planet is not over. What have we done, as a people, with the blessings and truth that has been provided for us? God has created, given, blessed and warned us so many times and yet we get in our own way. Our pride keeps us from truly answering the call of God. There are divisions of belief and there are so many groupings of people who have decided that their way is the only way, their way is the best way and they live in that rigidity to their downfall.

It is difficult when you cannot convince someone of the truth and simplicity of Jesus Christ. It is difficult when you look around and see so much misguided faith that came from so long ago and it is so ingrained in cultures that there seems to be no getting through. Faith in the work that was done on the cross is fading and faith in God Himself is fading in this world. That is why God is not done and that is why God will bring further revelations. God will step in and it will be up to this world whether they want to believe or not, whether they want to respond or not. It is time to wake up and to get right with God. It is time to acknowledge that this world is broken, Christianity is broken and we must have compassion for those who do not believe and may have different beliefs but our compassion for the souls of others must not include compromising our own faith. You must stand in your faith and know your truth. These are frustrating times because the shouts of the world are getting louder and many people who do not hold to what a Christian believes are demanding compromise and inclusivism which is denying the commandments of God. We must be willing to stand firm in our faith and to not waiver in our commitment to our obedience to God.

The day will come when your faith will be rewarded. Jesus said it would be tough because if the world hated Him for no reason then it was sure to hate His followers. We are not to repay evil with evil but to overcome evil with good. It is enough that you trust in the truth of the Holy Bible, the truth of God, and the truth of Jesus Christ. Do not be fooled into believing that all paths lead to heaven and take the time to know the scriptures and be comforted in the fact that God will not leave this world in the condition that it is currently in because He cares for His people and He knows His own. Be still and know that He is God and take the time to pray to Him, thank Him for all that you have, and make known to Him how much you love Him.

“The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.” Isaiah 33:5-6 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins has preached salvation and hope through his revivals for many years.  Links to excerpts and recordings of radio clips, interviews, sermons, printed material, and other media can be found throughout this post.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: GOD AND JESUS VALUE WOMEN

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: THE VALUE OF WOMEN

Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries, has been leading a revival of faith across the United States for many years.  His speaks of faith and hope, preaching the Gospel in such a way that it is easy to hear the Word of God. 

Pastor John Collins posts devotionals on a regular basis on his Facebook page.  Each post is a snapshot of what he preaches during his revival series.  He talks about topics that are not politically correct and places them in a biblical light.  Pastor John Collins says clearly he is not politically correct, he is biblically correct.

Women through the centuries have struggled to validate their place in the world.  Pastor John Collins recognizes that Jesus and God value women.  Women are strong and courageous.  They have never been taken for granted by God.  Strong faith is what women need to face the world today, that faith in Jesus and in God will guide them.

“A woman’s role does not have to be one thing or another but it should always be a role of strength and dignity with love and compassion at its core.”~ Pastor John Collins

Pastor John Collins writes:

“Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.” John 20:16-18

Mary Magdalene believed in Jesus, sought Him out, anointed Him with oil, wept on His feet and wiped those feet with her hair. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, learned from Him and was a disciple of His. Mary was the one that Jesus chose to see first after He was resurrected. Mary was brave and humble when she went to Him in that house of the Pharisee as she cared not what others thought of her, nor spoke of her but cared only to go to Jesus and kiss His feet and seek His forgiveness and His acceptance and Jesus not only gave that forgiveness, accepted her love for Him but spoke that she would be remembered for her actions and He demonstrated her value when He chose to go to Mary first and to give her the honor of knowing He was alive and to relate that information along with her witness of Him to his brethren.

It took courage to follow Jesus during His ministry and it took faith to know Him as the Son of God. Mary had that courage and had great faith in her Lord. There were dark centuries that followed the beginnings of the Christian faith. There have been centuries of oppression of not only the uneducated but of women as well. Women have come a long way from the days of the dark ages, of the days of education denial (for many parts of the world, anyway), and from the denial of equality of the genders. Women push forward in their search for that equality and for the opportunities to make their mark in this world but I want to remind women that their mark has been made and has never been taken for granted by God. God values women and Jesus demonstrated the love that He had for Mary by going to her first, by teaching her and standing up for her. Women should never forget that their value begins in the home, for they are the caretakers, the bringers of life and the mothers of our children. Do not underestimate the value of those things as being a mother allows you to teach your children how to get to heaven, how to live boldly and with faith in this dark world and being a wife allows you to help your husband be a part of a family that relies on God. A woman’s role does not have to be one thing or another but it should always be a role of strength and dignity with love and compassion at its core. That is the love of God within you and God has provided women with the complex ability to keep a family together and to guide it in love and faith with trust and truth at its center.

There always seems to be an agenda on the table and as progress ticks away and women continue to fight for what they believe to be most important to them I can only hope that they remember to value what has always belonged to them from the beginning. Family is everything and while equal pay may seem to be the biggest priority to some this world seems to be allowing the family to fail. Industrial success will never replace the failures of our homes and women need to find the courage, like Mary, to believe in our Savior and to brave the opinions of others to declare their loyalty to Him as they live up to the great responsibilities that have been entrusted to them. It is not easy to choose faith over finances, faith over popularity, faith over apparent success or faith over personal gain but in the end heaven is waiting and families need strong women to guide them.

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.  But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins has many recordings, videos, sermons, and broadcasts that can be downloaded, viewed or heard.  Several are embedded in this post as backlinks and are available to you. 

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST-LOVE THAT CROSS MINISTRIES: Every soul matters

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: Who cares?

You matter to God, you always have~Pastor John Collins

Pastor John Collins writes “You matter to God, you always have.”  How many of us feel like we are alone, lost, battered, beaten down, threatened by the world around us and have no idea just who really cares?  God does, and He is waiting for us to turn to Him for help.  Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries, always preaches the same message-God is there, He wants us back with Him, and the discouragement and doubt that we feel is from our separation from Him that began long ago in a garden.  Our free will keeps us from His unending love.

Pastor John Collins has been spreading God’s word, the word of the Bible for many years.  The message is the same:  there is hope, God is really there, Jesus is real and is the Son of God.  Our choices and the distractions of the world separate us from Him.  God is calling to us, and you matter to God.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” John 14:8-9 (NKJV).

Philip walked with Jesus, as did Thomas, and both asked for more proof. Although both of them witnessed miracles first hand, they wanted more. People may think about that and be amazed, even wonder how that is even possible, especially from believers. But, should anyone be surprised? It is in our nature to know and yet not know. The doubt was cast long ago in a garden and slipped into the DNA of mankind, wondering if God did indeed say what He said. Give me proof, cries the masses. Prove that God is real. Prove that heaven is real. Prove that hell is real. Prove that Jesus is the Son of God. 

We have earthquakes, volcanoes, fires, wars and rumors of wars. We have hate and doubt growing by leaps and bounds and we have the masses divided on what is right, what is wrong, what is real and what is a desperate concoction of the human mind. God is angry and warning us, right? God is disgusted and frustrated and wavering in His compassion for us, right? The warning signs are there and we are just waiting, right? God should be angry and disgusted because for all of the disasters, for all of the warnings and for all of the chances that mankind has been given, we still sit and wait, for proof, for evidence and for the big show to start. But, what are we doing to ensure that our end is with Him and do we even care? To look at what is happening in this world and to look at what is being focused on in this world it surely is not godly but is worldly. When is it too late to do something about turning things around for the good because there will always be bad, as long as there is free will there will be opposition to God. As Jesus has said, as long as you are not against Him, you are for Him but if you are not for Him, you are against Him.

People want to sit around and justify the reasons for why things are the way that they are. People want to ignore all of the warning signs and people want to put off taking a stand for their faith until they have to. The time is now. The time to choose whether you are on the right side of things or not is now. The only hope for salvation hung on a cross two thousand years ago and He did that for humanity and He did that for love. There is hope. This world is not lost and it matters what people believe, trust and have faith in. It may not seem like it in the big scheme of things but every single soul that has faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ matters because they can make the difference in the life of an unbeliever, they can make the difference between salvation or damnation in the soul of another human being and all are precious, so we should hope that in this time of turmoil and trouble faith would grow in people so that there is a revival of hope in this world, for that is what matters to God. You matter to Him and always have.

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:13-14 (NKJV).

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins has many recordings, videos, sermons, and broadcasts that can be downloaded, viewed or heard.  Several are embedded in this post as backlinks and are available to you.  Pastor John Collins says it best, God wants us back, and he is spreading the word to bring God back to us, one person, one church, at a time. 

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, REVIVAL EVANGELIST: Simplify your life

Pastor John Collins:  What matters?

Pastor John Collins is an evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries.  Pastor John Collins has been preaching revival of faith in God and Jesus Christ, preaching no nonsense and clear cut messages of the Holy Bible to bring God back into our lives.  He is a nationally and world known pastor.  His messages cut no corners and do not pad the truth of God with political correctness that so many ministers and pastors buy into and spread from their pulpits.  Pastor John Collins lives the words that he preaches.  He is restoring the lessons that Jesus Christ taught during His time He lived among people. Too often, those who call themselves Christians miss the point of Christianity.  Pastor John Collins brings the point of faith, God and Jesus Christ clearer to those who hear him.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“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.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NKJV).

Simplicity in life is a choice, for the majority of people in America, anyway. Although across the globe there are deprivations that have created great need in many societies, America remains contemptuous of the basic provisions that are taken for granted and seen as poverty. In this country, the people are hungry for more, for better, for the next new and shiny thing. What are the newest trends in fashion, in home decorations, cars and all of the accessories that add detail to the presentation of status and success? People care about their food, their entertainment, their education and their jobs and pass on those values to those they have brought into this world. When did the basics stop become enough? Why are we so impressed with materialism?

We were all born naked and without the awareness of greed and lust. We were all born with the same basic needs of survival. All will die and will take nothing with us; that we can carry anyway. What we take are the lessons, the love, the memories and the connections that we made in our relationships while we were here. It is not necessary to become rich or famous. It is not necessary to amass a fortune. It is necessary to love and be loved, to allow those that are close to you to know you intimately and to value the closeness that you will be given by those who matter to you in life. You should be building relationships and friendships that are loving, loyal and lasting. That is what matters, that you be honest with yourself and others, that you learn to forgive yourself and others and that you allow your faith to grow and guide you. Life passes so quickly and sometimes, too often, it will pass us by while we think we are doing the best we can to make a living and keep the wolves at bay that we have forgotten to pay attention to those that live with us, to those who we are friends with, to the neighbors we haven’t bothered to introduce ourselves to. We have allowed technology to erase our human connectivity with one another and have become so busy and tired striving for better that we have not taken the time to just stop, look around and be grateful for what we have.

It is worth it to just take a moment and imagine the worst has happened and you have lost a loved one, whoever may be the greatest shock to you, and to think if you would have said something different, done something different and to not hesitate to do that now. Make the choice to simplify your life and restructure what you hold dear in life. Make the choice to allow the love of God that is in your heart to guide your words, your actions and your intentions. Make the choice to care more about the people in your life and less about the stuff. Life is precious and all of our time is limited so don’t hesitate to show the love you have, go meet a neighbor and be kind to a stranger. Learn to let your life shine for Jesus.

“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 6:9-10 (NKJV).

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins has been preaching salvation and the word of God for many years.  This post contains links to sermons, recordings, and messages that he has given over the course of those years.  Feel free to explore and seek the truth through the links.  Your salvation is important, Pastor John Collins has answers for you.