PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: HOPE

Pastor John Collins, Love That Cross:  "Hope is like sunshine, everyone needs a ray of it"

As we read the headlines and listen to the newscasts and media speculate and sensationalize the hate, discord, unhappiness, and lies that are so prevalent in the world today: from ISIS, to school shootings, North Korea, nuclear weapons, natural disasters and the like, we as a whole tend to feel that there is no hope.  It seems that God is not there or He has forgotten us, His promises, and that Jesus may very well just be a good story about a guy who was pretty charismatic and stirred up the hearts of people, only to upset the politicians of the day and get Himself “killed”.  This is not so.  God truly is at work among us.  King Solomon recognized the hopelessness of mankind when he became the Preacher in Ecclesiastes and wrote about the pointlessness (vanity) of man’s struggle without the wisdom of faith in God.  We are much the same in our world right now.  King David, Solomon’s father, recognized this as well, and wrote about his emotions, despair and his hope and love for God in spite of what he felt about the society in which he lived.  There is still that same hope today.

“It may appear that we live in a society without faith because there is so much madness that takes place. There may seem to be a loss of hope and belief among people today but I believe that God is working among us.  I believe that salvation is at work among us. I believe that truth is here among us. It is for us to open our hearts and let Jesus in. It may not be a popular choice but it is the only choice that brings true hope and true peace.” ~ Pastor John Collins, February, 2018.

Pastor John Collins head pastor and evangelist of Love That Cross Ministries and Pastor John Collins Ministries preaches that same message of hope that Jesus Christ brought to us over 2000 years ago.  Pastor John Collins tells it like it is in a style very similar to the late Reverend Billy Graham and Reverend David Wilkerson, with humility and a manner that can be understood by all.  Our hearts are begging to feel the hope of God and the love of Jesus, and Pastor John Collins brings that in each and every one of his sermons and discussions.  Pastor John Collins has said it many times, “hope is like sunshine, everyone needs a ray of it.”

Pastor John Collins continues to spread the word of God and the hope of Christ in daily devotionals that can be found on his Facebook page, his website for Love That Cross Ministries, and through weekly Sunday morning broadcasts on Heaven’s Country Radio online at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time. Pastor John Collins also continues to spread revival through guest speaking and preaching around the country.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“HELP, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.” Psalm 12:1-2 (NKJV).

When we read the words of King David we know that he saw the lack of reverence for God in his fellow man. Just as we can see the same lack of reverence today. But, do not be dismayed because although it may seem hopeless in today’s society to be a true man of God, a true follower of Christ, there is hope. God has not given up on us.

It may appear that we live in a society without faith because there is so much madness that takes place. There may seem to be a loss of hope and belief among people today but I believe that God is working among us. I believe that salvation is at work among us. I believe that truth is here among us.
It is for us to open our hearts and let Jesus in. It may not be a popular choice but it is the only choice that brings true hope and true peace. It is for us to cling to the Cross with love and devotion. It is for us to trust in God to care for us and to love us through every moment of every day.

Yes, there are faithless among us. There are shallow people with shallow hearts all around us. Yet, we take courage from David and stay true to God. We can read his words and know that although he saw wickedness that caused dismay in his soul, he hung on to hope that lies in our Lord. We are to do the same and trust that God and Jesus will see us through the day. Wake up every day and hold on to that truth.

Pray with conviction and do not be dismayed by the turmoil that may be surrounding you because the day will come when it will fall away and your faith will have been tried, tested and proven.  Do not count yourself among those that have no reverence for God. Do not count yourself among those that flee from Jesus and salvation. Count yourself among those that have come to the Cross in supplication, broken, and in desperation. Count yourself among those that claim Jesus as their Savior and count yourself blessed.

“But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:5-6 (NKJV).

Love That Cross, Pastor John Collins

Other content by Pastor John Collins can be found by clicking on the links found within this article. Pastor John Collins can be reached by his personal email for prayer, encouragement, and hope, or for guest speaking: jc65777@yahoo.com 

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: FEAR NOT

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST, LOVE THAT CROSS: FEAR 

Fear is a liar.  Those are lyrics in a song by Zach Williams, and those words ring true.  Fear is of Satan and it is fear that drives so much of the bad things that are happening in our world today.  Fear is what keeps us from being the good neighbor that Jesus Christ taught us to be, it keeps us from reaching across cultural barriers, gender barriers, racial barriers, and poverty barriers of the homeless and ostracized. “Fear not” is in the Bible 365 times.  God’s promises teach us to be strong and confident; the saying is “God’s got this”, if we let Him.  God sent us His Peace, Jesus Christ, to help us get through the storms, the failures, the pain, the hurt of this world. It is that Peace that is the biggest promise of all, hope in the salvation given through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.  Our faith in Jesus and God is the salvation of our soul.  Where we spend eternity after this life depends on that faith.

Pastor John Collins (January, 2018) ~ “We must move forward in this life with confidence and faith and not fear, but we must also move forward with humility and not pride and a true desire to please God because it matters and where your soul ends up depends upon it.”

Pastor John Collins is an evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and Pastor John Collins Ministries.  Pastor John Collins is driven to redeem the Gospel and bring the news of salvation and hope offered by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Pastor John Collins has been spreading revival for more than ten years, reaching into our hearts and souls and telling us what we need to hear.  Pastor John Collins’ style of preaching is similar to that of Billy Graham, telling the Word of God in a manner that is easy to understand and hear.  Like David Wilkerson, Pastor John Collins is humble and approachable to answer questions and guide us closer to God, Jesus, and the Cross.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:17 (NKJV).

Fear is where bad thoughts and bad decisions lie. Fear can make you be suspicious of your loved ones, fear can make you act crazy and overbearing towards your children, fear can make you act territorial on your job and fear can costs you relationships that you cherish. Fear can make you hit the bottle, buy a bag or slam the needle. Fear can keep you from living your life peacefully. Fear can keep you inside your home, fear can keep your from opening up to others and fear can ruin your life. God does not want us to live in fear whether we are aware of it or not. God does not want us to be weak because of fear nor give in to what we do not believe in because of fear, whether it is fear of not getting along and being accepted, fear of getting hurt or fear of losing something or someone. God wants us to be strong and confident in the face of fear because we know that His promises are true.

There have been many self-help books and seminars on fear and on the power of positive thinking. Many people have grasped the concept of positive thinking and have chosen to devote themselves to changing the way that they think in order to have better outcomes on their situations in life. There are 2 options when it comes to positive thinking: you can stand in your personal power to think yourself into a positive outcome of whatever place you find yourself or you can stand in godliness and trust in the Lord to help you find solutions to your problems and grace to accept your failures along with wisdom to grow in your faith which allows your soul the maturing that God is hopeful that you will claim while you live here on earth. God is aware of all of your joys, problems, fears and complications in your life. God wants you to stand strong in your faith with loyalty to Him and with a heart for Him. God wants you to learn to trust Him and to know that without Him you are nothing, without Jesus you are nothing. That is the truth of this world. Positive thinking comes from knowing you are loved and in return you are obedient to the will of God. Positive thinking that leads to heaven comes from knowing that you are meant to live your life with the knowledge that it gets messy and how you deal with all of it is the test and it is your greatest opportunity to show your love and faith in God.

Positive thinking is good when it is based on faith in God. But positive thinking that is based on what you can create and claim for yourself is arrogant and selfish and without true knowledge. We must move forward in this life with confidence and faith and not fear, but we must also move forward with humility and not pride and a true desire to please God because it matters and where your soul ends up depends upon it. 

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Hebrews 12:2-3 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins can be heard live weekly at during the 1000 a.m. hour, Mountain time, on Heaven’s Country with Marty Smith.  Other recordings, media, blogs, radio programs and more can be viewed or heard through the links found within this post.  Pastor John Collins can be reached personally through his email at jc65777@yahoo.com to help you through spiritual difficulties, prayer, and wants to help you find or strengthen your faith in God and Jesus Christ.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST: IT ISN'T "ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED"

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, DAILY THOUGHT:  Go and sin no more

Pastor John Collins (January, 2018) ~ “Too often, I have heard Christians say that they don’t have to think about sin or worry about sin because Jesus paid the price for all of their sins. The problem with thinking this way and living with the assumption that it is impossible for a believer to go to hell just because they believe in the price that was paid on the cross by Jesus is that there are a lot of Christians who will end up going to hell because they didn’t bother to pay attention to the specifics of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus said He came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. Jesus said to obey the commandments of God and to go and sin no more.”

Pastor John Collins emphasizes that Jesus said He came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it (Matthew 5:17, NKJV).  The Ten Commandments that were given to Moses were not replaced when God sent Jesus and He began the journey of His ministry to give us our salvation.  God’s word is the same now, as it was then, and the same as it will be in the future.  It hasn’t changed, in spite of the spin feel good preachers put on that Word. It takes more than believing in God and in Jesus, it takes listening to all of what Jesus said, to go and sin no more, as Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love that Cross Ministries and Pastor John Collins Ministries, preaches in his sermons and revivals.  Faith is more than believing.  It is learning to understand that we sin, every day, and that we need to work to not sin, it is learning the extreme sacrifice and pain that Christ Jesus endured so that we could have the chance of hope to be with God.  It is seeking forgiveness every day, because to know Jesus, to know God, because to continue to intentionally sin without seeking to fix ourselves is not going to get us into heaven, according to the Bible and to what Pastor John Collins preaches through his revival tours.

Pastor John Collins continues to spread the word of God and preach the works of Jesus Christ in sermons and in daily thoughts from the scriptures.  Pastor John Collins’ simple messages are reminiscent of the late Reverend Billy Graham style with a humbleness of Reverend David Wilkerson, reaching into your heart and demanding you examine your life and your faith.  Jesus did not die to simply erase all our sins, He died so that we could choose to accept His sacrifice and ask Him to take away our sins.  It’s there for the asking, and according to the Bible and Pastor John Collins, the act is one of participation, not one of tolerant inclusion. Pastor John Collins preaches it, you have to ask for that love, that forgiveness, it isn’t simply handed to you, and Jesus Christ came to fulfill the prophecies, not to replace the Ten Commandments that so many churches mistakenly deliver in weekly sermons.  We crave that love, that grace, in our very hearts, we have to ask for it, then we have to work to not sin.  It’s as simple as that.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” Romans 6:14-15 (NKJV).

Too often, I have heard a Christian affirm that all past, present and future sins have been paid for by Christ Jesus when He died on the cross and rose again. Too often, I have heard Christians say that the law is dead and therefore irrelevant because Jesus replaced the Law of Moses. Too often, I have heard Christians say that they don’t have to think about sin or worry about sin because Jesus paid the price for all of their sins. The problem with thinking this way and living with the assumption that it is impossible for a believer to go to hell just because they believe in the price that was paid on the cross by Jesus is that there are a lot of Christians who will end up going to hell because they didn’t bother to pay attention to the specifics of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus said He came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. Jesus said to obey the commandments of God and to go and sin no more.

There is more to the relationship that you have with God through Jesus than just believing, as James aptly explains that even the demons believe and tremble. It is not enough to espouse a belief in the work of Christ and go about living your life free of contemplation of your own sin. It is not enough to go about living your life as you see fit and to casually assume that you are forgiven any transgression without your efforts to seek righteousness in all you do. Too many Christians think nothing of being of this world while claiming the protection of salvation. The problem with that is that there will be too many Christians who find themselves mistaken and disappointed with the result when it is too late to do anything about it.

When you truly understand the price that has been paid by Christ and you have faith in your own salvation because you know that Jesus did indeed die in your place then you should respond to that wonderful gift by making a complete effort to seek godliness in your life. You should seek righteousness in all that you do, you should base your entire life on the principles of God and not on the standards of this world. You should seek to be conscious of Jesus and His sacrifice every day, not just Sunday and the holidays. You should be teaching your children how to get to heaven by being an example of godliness. You should never let your guard down on sin and you should never take for granted the grace that God has chosen to bestow.

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Romans 6:16 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor JohnCollins has been spreading revival of faith and hope for many years.  Recordings, sermons, interviews, blogs, videos and other media of Pastor John  Collins can be accessed through clicking on the links found within this post.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: "THOSE PEOPLE"

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: "CHRISTIAN" JUDGEMENT

Have you ever seen or heard someone standing on a corner, “thumping a Bible”, or on a ladder speaking through a megaphone repeating the same thing that’s been said week after week to any who pass by that the “end is near” or “repent and be saved” because you are a sinner and haven’t received salvation?  Have you ever been rejected by a church because you were deemed unable to measure up and asked to not return?  Have you ever been told you need to be baptized by “our” church or your salvation just isn’t assured? How about the requests to support missions in other poor countries who don’t have piped water or need a goat or cow to survive while ignoring the struggling soup kitchen that exists around a corner? What about the pastor who preaches the same thing Sunday after Sunday condemning “those” people, whoever “those” people are?  Jesus taught tolerance.  The truth is, we all fall short of the cross, every single one of us.

Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries, pegs it again in his post about self-righteous Christians and silent judgement.  Jesus taught tolerance and He taught that you need to fix yourself before you can help others.  Pastor John Collins reminds us that we need to look at ourselves first, and allow God to provide healing and salvation to all of us. Pastor John Collins has been bringing the truth of the Gospel through revival and speaking engagements, interviews and radio broadcasts for many years, and the message is the same:  there is hope, God wants us all to have a chance at salvation, and there is a lot that needs to be fixed among us before we can find the peace that Jesus Christ offers.

We need to clean up our acts, writes Pastor John Collins.  Churches, the congregations and leadership, need to take a step back and evaluate the message that they are giving to those who walk through their doors, or the message that is taken to other countries. Christians look at others, see faults, but tend to not see the same faults in themselves.  The smug satisfaction gained from helping others is done for appearances rather than because it is the right thing to do.  “Others” who are not Christian are not so different from those who call themselves Christian.  The acts of sin are the same, and judging others is a fault that will do nothing but bring the same back upon the individual or the church that is doing the judgement. One cannot fix others until you have fixed yourself first.

“The first thing that a true Christian needs to be able to do is to look within themselves and see all of the ugly that they are carrying around and to look to the King of Kings so that they can clean it up and become followers of Jesus.” ~ Pastor John Collins, February, 2018.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV).

There are many Christians who feel compelled to go out into the world and bring the salvation of Jesus to the ‘lost’. There are many ‘Christians’ who sit in silent judgement with condemnation in their hearts for those who are not Christian. There are many churches who preach that their church is the only way to heaven. There are many who need to stop and look in the mirror before they condemn those that have yet to come to the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ.

There are a bunch of self-righteous people in this world and many of them call themselves Christians. The first thing that a true Christian needs to be able to do is to look within themselves and see all of the ugly that they are carrying around and to look to the King of Kings so that they can clean it up and become followers of Jesus.

Just because someone is not a Christian today does not mean that they will not seek salvation prior to their death. Don’t go rushing off to another country in order to save those of another religion because you think that you are meant to do so. Make sure that your own salvation is sure and make sure that your own life is lit up as a beacon to those you encounter before you go thinking that you hold the key to another’s salvation. God is more than capable of bringing the truth into a person’s life so that they can make the choice of whether to believe in His Son or not. God is more than willing to offer salvation and healing to this world and will provide revelation to His people in His own time.

There have been too many churches and too many people that have abused the calling of Jesus in order to condemn others, in order to control others and in order to gain power and prestige. Keep things simple in your life and be committed to getting right with God yourself and living a life that shines for Jesus and don’t allow your heart to be filled with condemnation for others nor filled with your own superiority and imagined righteousness.

“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:44 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN, BELIEVE THAT

Pastor John Collins has been spreading the message of revival for more than ten years.  Recordings, videos, blogs and other available media can be seen by clicking on the links found within this post.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: PEACE=NO FEAR

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: PEACE. JUST ASK.

Pastor John Collins (February, 2018) ~ “Peace can sometimes seem like an unattainable goal…. Peace is fragile and it takes an effort to choose to maintain hope in the promises of God. It takes a conscious effort to accept that bad things happen and that it is part of life.”

Cancer, illness, loss of a job, loss of a marriage, there are so many things that keep us from the peace of God.  Back biting politics, self-gratification, violence in school are all symptoms of the lack of hope and faith we have in God today. Pastor John Collins has been preaching a message of hope and faith for many years across the United States in an effort to bring us back to God.  The salvation of Jesus is the beginning of hope for us to return to God, the peace that God offers through a relationship between Jesus, God, and us will ultimately give us peace, even in the face of the day to day struggles and lifetime pain that we all endure as we walk through this world.

Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love that Cross Ministries and Pastor John Collins Ministries, continues to spread a message of hope through daily thoughts of hope and salvation.  His revival tours across the country spread the word of God and the message of salvation so clearly in a way that hasn’t been done since the Crusades presented by the late Billy Graham.  Pastor John Collins has been compared to Reverend Billy Graham in many ways and continues to be an up and coming voice of evangelism across the country and the world. Pastor John Collins’ messages reach into our hearts and open us up to hear the truth of the word of God.  God truly is not dead, and He truly wants us to return to Him, after all, the Holy Bible states He created each of us for His purposes.  It is our free will that draws us away from Him, and the world keeps us separated from Him.  According to Pastor John Collins, it is time to bring back God into our lives, into our families, and into our homes with a revival of faith and hope. That hope is right there for the asking; always has been, always will be.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 (NKJV).

Peace can sometimes seem like an unattainable goal. World peace will never be accomplished as long as Satan continues to have dominion to go about freely and tempt those who would easily choose to have the pleasures of this life over the security of the next. That truth should never deter you in your faith though. It is our faith in the power of God, the knowledge that He knows His own and that He cares for us that should keep us steadfast in our obedience to Him. There is nothing that can happen to us or that we may experience here on this earth that can shake that faith nor take away our promise from God as believers in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice that He made for us.

Peace is fragile and it takes an effort to choose to maintain hope in the promises of God. It takes a conscious effort to accept that bad things happen and that it is part of life. It takes effort to remain encouraged in your faith when things are a struggle but that effort is what pleases God most. God pays attention to your struggles and God knows your pain and He does care. Jesus promised His peace and what that means is that we are take what He has given and cling to it and Him. Jesus knew what He would endure and He accepted the cost. Jesus knew struggle and pain, rejection and hate and Jesus held on to the trust that He had in God knowing that God had a plan and that there was a greater good and He was a part of that. Jesus trusted that no matter what in the end it would all work out and be okay and that God would glorify Him as promised. Jesus still has work to do and that should show you that God is not yet done and there will be more glorifying to come.

There is peace in knowing that you belong to God, that you belong to Jesus and that you are given the assurances of eternal peace following a life of commitment and obedience to the Lord. There is peace in knowing that heaven is waiting and holds so much love for you to share in. There is peace in knowing that you are not alone, you are loved and that you matter. There is peace in knowing that your faith is a strength that goes beyond your comprehension and that your love of the Lord binds you to Him. You can be at peace knowing that you do not have to take life so seriously, you are allowed to look around and appreciate your blessings and just breathe. Life is quick and you should never take it for granted even when it is painful and hard because the sun always shines after a storm and you are held in the precious and loving hand of God.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Other content by Pastor John Collins such as recordings, radio broadcasts, sermon clips, interviews, video clips, blogs, press releases and other media can be accessed by clicking on the links that are embedded in this post.