PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: 3 STEPS TO LIVING

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST: 3 STEPS, IT'S REALLY THAT SIMPLE

from Google images

Repent. What does the word “repent” truly mean? John the Baptist made it his clarion call as he prepared the way for Jesus Christ to make it on the scene over 2000 years ago.  The Old Testament has many passages about repentance before Jesus Christ came.  God wants us to truly feel sorry for our sinful natures and ask for forgiveness because God truly wants His children to come home to Him.  Guilt is a useful tool that helps us recognize that we are in the wrong before God, writes Pastor John Collins of Love That Cross Ministries.  Until we feel genuine remorse for the actions that we have done that offend God, we cannot find salvation nor can we expect to make our way to heaven.  Heaven is not a guarantee just because we say we are Christian, just saying we are sorry and saying we are Christian isn’t going to get us anywhere if we don’t change how our hearts act.  Actions speak louder than words, and God knows exactly what we really feel and how we really are.  There’s three steps to repentance:

1.       To repent is to recognize that we have offended God by not following His commandments.  Sin.  Repentance means to feel genuinely sorry for our actions.

2.       Seek forgiveness.  We will sin every day because we are human.  Ask for forgiveness through Jesus Christ and mean it from the heart.

3.       Make an effort every day to become a better person, seeking to become Christ-like, acting in compassion and caring for others.  This is a life long journey, the race that Paul refers to.

It really is as easy as that, Pastor John Collins preaches.

The problem with the word “repent” is that it sounds offensive.  Street hawkers of “repent and be saved” who stand on the corners waving a Bible spouting Bible verses of doom and hell are threatening and drive more people away from God and the Word of the Gospel.  Shoving religion in the public’s face in a manner that is threatening is no way to win souls for God.  It certainly wasn’t the way Jesus did it.  Teaching the Gospel with sincerity and candor, with a nonjudgmental approach will draw attention of people, and those people when drawn will come to listen, and in listening will come to understand the concept of repentance.  Pastor John Collins is an evangelist who preaches the truth, reaches the heart, and draws listeners closer to God.

“I don’t believe that there is a true understanding by most people of what repentance is. Repentance is recognizing your sin and the wrongs that you have committed against God and being sorry about it. It is knowing that you need forgiveness and that what your actions, feelings, thoughts and words have reaped is worthy of sending you to hell. This is an acceptance of God’s law in your heart and soul and it produces a genuinely contrite heart. This will then produce the desire within you to stop those sinful behaviors and to seek to obey the laws of God.” Pastor John Collins, Love That Cross Ministries (April, 2018).

Pastor John Collins began preaching over a decade ago, and more recently began a revival of hope and trust in God.  As the head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and John Collins Ministries, Pastor John Collins reaches congregations around the United States, bringing God back to those who hear him.  As an evangelist, Pastor John Collins has a passion and love for the Cross that is unwavering.  So many people have been disillusioned by churches, the false doctrines of pastors who are looking for nothing more than money in their pocket and bodies in the pews to fill the offering plates, or the prestige of being on a pulpit but not practicing what is preached. Pastor John Collins is determined to bring faith in God back for the people, recognizing that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been watered down like so much Kool-Aid to fit the need of the people in the pulpit, not the needs of souls in the seats.  The Gospel needs to be redeemed says Pastor John Collins, it needs to be made clear and understandable so that people can find their way to God.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Mark 1:1-4 (NKJV).

John the Baptist preached repentance, Jesus preached repentance and His Apostles preached repentance, even the Prophets preached repentance.

I don’t believe that there is a true understanding by most people of what repentance is. Repentance is recognizing your sin and the wrongs that you have committed against God and being sorry about it. It is knowing that you need forgiveness and that what your actions, feelings, thoughts and words have reaped is worthy of sending you to hell. This is an acceptance of God’s law in your heart and soul and it produces a genuinely contrite heart. This will then produce the desire within you to stop those sinful behaviors and to seek to obey the laws of God.

Now, how is it possible to feel these feelings with a genuine heart and not just give a mental nod followed by lip service? You must agree with God. That is where true faith, repentance and forgiveness begin. You must agree that God and His laws are right and that it is for you to obey them. If you don’t agree with God, you will never truly submit to Him, repent of anything nor claim true salvation.

If you don’t agree with God, you will find ways to justify your point of view and to excuse yourself for your sin. Every human sins and every human has an opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus. If you see the laws of God as antiquated and therefore don’t agree with them and choose to disregard them, even if you come to know Jesus and seek forgiveness for your past sins, your heart will not genuinely be remorseful. Imagine a man who cheats on his wife and she never finds out about it. He sees it as hurting no one. He goes to church and claims Jesus as His Savior. In his old age, his cheating stops and he does ask for forgiveness. But his heart does not really feel sorry because he feels that what his wife never knew never hurt her and it really was not any big deal. His heart is unable to feel the remorse required to be forgiven.

Just because we ask for forgiveness does not mean that it is given. We have to mean it. We show that we mean it by choosing to live lives that do not embrace sin. Like Paul says, if you stole, steal no more. We are to quit the sinful behavior and seek to alter our actions, words, thoughts and feelings. We begin to make these right choices when we agree with God. That is why to be friends with the world is to be enemies with God.

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Matthew 4:17 (NKJV).

Love That Cross, Pastor John Collins

Our hearts have to come to know what our sinful behaviors are.  Repenting, being truly and honestly sorry for our actions is the beginning of changing our lives, here and eternally.  The right choices will take us along the road back to God, home to heaven, and those actions are a daily commitment to changing.  Allowing Jesus into our lives is the key to changing our hearts. Asking forgiveness means we believe we are indeed guilty, and we have the humility to admit it.  No one of us is free of sin; no one of us will be able to make it to heaven without Jesus.

Pastor John Collins can be heard at 1000 am Mountain Time weekly on Sunday on Heaven’s Country Radio with Marty Smith, personality of the year for Christian broadcasting. You can listen via the Internet at www.heavenscountry.com.  Other sermons, recordings, blogs, interviews, Youtube clips, and other media of Pastor John Collins can be found by clicking on the links within this post.  Pastor John Collins is available for prayer, discussion and ministry-not to debate-at jc65777@yahoo.com.  Pastor John Collins is available for revival.  If you want Pastor John Collins to come to speak to your church or group, contact can be made through the same personal email.  Pastor John Collins is in it to win it for God.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: NO WAY!

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST: WHO ISN'T WORTH IT?

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Who are we to look at someone and think “no way” when it comes to salvation?  Is it up to us to know what plans God has for anyone?  We are quick to look at the mom of four who has an abusive drunk husband and wonder “why does she stay with him”? We go to church and look at those who come in and wonder how could someone dress “like that” and come into church? Pastor John Collins, Love That Cross and John Collins Ministries reminds us God has a plan for each and every one of us, it’s His love that patiently waits for us to find the end of ourselves and turn to Him and His Son Jesus Christ.  It is not our place to decide who is and isn’t worth the time to wait that it takes to get to that point as individuals.

Self-righteousness and rejection of others just because they aren’t where you think they are supposed to be or judging them on actions of the past or mistakes of the present isn’t healthy to our own salvation, and resentment can easily set in to judge someone not worth the time.  Thing is, it isn’t our place, this is God’s world and His time.  Maybe that person has some lessons that need to be learned from those failures in order to become the best Christian possible or to carry out whatever it is that God has planned for them. 

“God has His time for everything and there are many people who find themselves either offended by His long-suffering or dismissive of His current interest in the affairs of man. No matter what period of time a person lives on this earth, God is interested. No matter how far you may think that God is, He is right here. No matter how bad you think others are or how bad you think that this world has become, salvation is available and you can be sure that the Son of God is working hard every day to bring about revival and the saving of souls.” Pastor John Collins, Love That Cross Ministries (March, 2018).

Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and John Collins Ministries is leading a revival of faith and hope across the United States and around the world.  God is here and is present and knows exactly what the condition of the world is, and Pastor John Collins is determined to bring God back to churches, families, and society through that revival of faith and hope that is needed badly, now.  With so many pastors preaching false doctrines and looking for their own validation on the pulpit, congregations have become complacent to the condition of their souls, and accept the watered down Gospel that is being presented to them to keep them coming back to pews and filling collections plates.  The Gospel isn’t about how much money you make, it isn’t about what God will give you if you ask Him for it, and it isn’t about whether you wear church clothes. 

The Gospel is about finding the salvation that has been willingly given by Jesus Christ in His obedience to becoming our sacrifice for our sins, and Pastor John Collins is committed to redeeming that Gospel for God, to bring as many people to the foot of the Cross as will hear him and what he preaches.  Jesus Christ did not judge those who became His friends and apostles by the way they were, the way they acted, or the skills they had.  He allowed them to listen and learn the Gospel and the ways and desires of God.  Pastor John Collins brings that same Gospel back without the trappings of theater and dramatics that are so popular, leaving the souls of people empty, searching and helpless, unable to see that what they are doing is the same as what they judge others doing.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“But the Lord said, ‘You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left-and much livestock?” Jonah 4:10-11 (NKJV).

Jonah was very angry when God took away the plant that God Himself had provided as shade for Jonah outside of Nineveh and was also so very angry that God had offered salvation to the people of the city. Jonah knew that they were evil people and was offended at the thought of those people being spared? Nineveh was eventually destroyed but not until the time that God had chosen for the fulfillment of prophecy.

It is very easy to look upon another and judge them not worthy of mercy and salvation because of past or present deeds. It is very easy to become self-righteous in your heart and scornful of others and it is just as easy to deny that any of those feelings exist within you. God does know His own children and He does have His plan that will unfold and it is obvious when a person truly responds to the gospel and to our Lord Jesus Christ because their life will reflect a stepping away from all sinful behavior and a choosing of Christ-like character for themselves.

God has His time for everything and there are many people who find themselves either offended by His long-suffering or dismissive of His current interest in the affairs of man. No matter what period of time a person lives on this earth, God is interested. No matter how far you may think that God is, He is right here. No matter how bad you think others are or how bad you think that this world has become, salvation is available and you can be sure that the Son of God is working hard every day to bring about revival and the saving of souls.

Don’t be quick to judge another and don’t forget how precious your time here is. Do not neglect a day in your life by being lazy in your faith. You are being tested and tried and it is up to you to choose to seek those things above and not those things of this earth.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:10 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

The apostle Peter knew who Jesus was, witnessed miracles and learned about salvation at the foot of Jesus Christ.  Even so, Peter backslid repeatedly throughout the time of his learning, and even after Christ was crucified.  It was a struggle for him, and it is a struggle for people today when the Word of God isn’t taught.  We don’t know what the other person is going through or what has happened in their life that has caused them to side step or avoid salvation.  Assuredly, God wants us all.  God is merciful, compassionate and forgiving.  In our journey to Him, we need to learn to become Christ-like, to turn away from our impatience toward others who aren’t like us in our faith or how we think they should be.  Pastor John Collins preaches from the heart that it doesn’t matter what anyone has done, there is room for improvement, even when we call ourselves Christian….as the saying goes, “please be patient, God’s not finished with me yet.”

Pastor John Collins preaches weekly on Sunday mornings at 1000 am Mountain Time on Heaven’s Country Radio with Marty Smith.  You can hear Pastor John Collins by clicking on www.heavenscountry.com.  Recordings, interviews, sermons, blogs, YouTube recordings and other media by Pastor John Collins can be accessed by clicking on the links found within this post.  Pastor John Collins can also be reached for prayer, ministry, and other topics through his personal email at jc65777@yahoo.com.  Pastor Collins is also available to guest preach or speak to your group and can be contacted through his personal email.  Pastor John Collins says it plainly he is in it to win it for God.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: NAME IT CLAIM IT

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST:  OCCULT IN PROSPERITY DOCTRINE NAME IT CLAIM IT

Photo courtesy Google images

One of these days, we are going to have to come eye to eye with God and He is going to ask what did we do with the Grace that He gave us in the salvation provided by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  This is no fairy tale, this is not a bed time story, it is not a myth created to threaten children into behaving.  This is truth, this is our souls and our eternal life at stake.  Pastor John Collins of Love That Cross Ministries is up front and puts it right out there when he preaches from the heart and calls out the dilution of the Gospel when it’s presented in prosperity doctrine or other forms of false doctrines.  One of these false doctrines is the fad of “Name it Claim it”.  Faith is not a fad.  Salvation is not a fad.  God and Jesus are not fads, They have been around since the beginning of time, the Holy Bible says so. 

“Name it Claim it” is promoted by the likes of Joyce Meyer, Paula White, Joel Osteen, T. D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar and others, and is another false doctrine of prosperity doctrine.  If you can visualize something and call it out loud to God, He will provide you with what you ask for.  God is not in the business of giving us what we want, He is in the business of saving souls.  God demands humility.  For us to demand of God what we want will earn us a ticket to someplace we don’t want to be, and we are not going to be able to explain it away when we do meet Him face to face one day.  People don’t even recognize that what they are doing is actually offensive to God because they don’t know the truth of the Gospel and they don’t know the Holy Bible.

“There are many Christians that see no harm in a visualization board, affirmation clippings and scrapbooks of hopes that are created, kept and prayed over. What is wrong with picturing a better life for yourself, creating a visual focal point so that you can put out into the world your hopes and dreams and create for yourself the life that you desire? Many believe that you can state your claims out loud to God and He will answer your heart’s desire. That is your will, not His. As much grace as God is willing to provide, He is not in the business of granting wishes like some genie in the sky.” Pastor John Collins (March, 2018).

Pastor John Collins, evangelist, is the head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and John Collins Ministries.  For the past decade, Pastor John Collins has been bringing God back to churches across the country, most recently through a true revival of faith and hope.  The Gospel has been so watered down that it seems that it is being fed like Koolaid to those who thirst for some kind of taste of God that will make them feel good.  Pastor John Collins is redeeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, preaching the truth of the Word of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  What is being preached from the pulpits in so many churches and other media venues is a feel-good, what people want to hear, not the truth that Jesus came to teach us over 2000 years ago, and the sacrifice of His human life is not even taught to congregations across this country.  Pastor John Collins preaches the truth of the Gospel with vigor and enthusiasm, he does not write what he preaches:  Pastor John Collins preaches from the heart.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:24-25 (NKJV).

Name it and claim it! There are many churches out there that have been peddling the law of attraction for some time now. There are many Christians that see no harm in a visualization board, affirmation clippings and scrapbooks of hopes that are created, kept and prayed over. What is wrong with picturing a better life for yourself, creating a visual focal point so that you can put out into the world your hopes and dreams and create for yourself the life that you desire? Many believe that you can state your claims out loud to God and He will answer your heart’s desire. That is your will, not His. As much grace as God is willing to provide, He is not in the business of granting wishes like some genie in the sky.

The challenge of being a true Christian in this life is to deny the passions of your flesh. That is what you fight against. Your flesh wants nice things, joy and happiness above all and most of all it wants validation for your importance and existence. People want success and recognition for their efforts and they want the paycheck that goes along with it. There are many that say to live your life to the fullest, claim your reward, allow God to do more for you than you realize was possible. God is in the business of saving souls, not making your dreams come true. God desires humility and not pride of life. People want to try this and that to make their lives better but do not even see when those things are anti-biblical because people don’t know the word of God.

This name it and claim it nonsense is of the new age church. There are many churches today that are introducing and blending pagan ideas and activities into their church, whether they realize it or not, which are contrary to true faith and genuine worship of the Father and the Son. Be careful of the influences that you allow into your life, your church and especially your home. Many Christians don’t know about the occult and those practices which makes it hard to rebuke when it enters your life and there are many of these that seem harmless enough but in reality all they do is undermine your beliefs. God has been fighting the evil practices since the beginning and many cannot see that it is nothing new but it is just updated and repackaged for this generation. Paganism and idolatry is an abomination to the Lord and you must be cautious and aware in what you allow to have influence over you. Hold tight to the doctrine of truth and let humility rule your life.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins emphasizes it’s time, now, to get on our knees and pray, open the Holy Bible and read it.  The kingdom of God, the King of God, is before us and we need to repent and get ourselves back to God.  If we don’t change, things are going to get worse, it has to be done right now.

Pastor John Collins has many sermons, recordings, interviews, blogs and other media available throughout the Internet that can be found by clicking on the links found in this post.  Pastor John Collins can also be heard Sundays at 1000 am Mountain Time on Heaven’s Country Radio with Marty Smith at www.heavenscountry.com.  Pastor John Collins is available to speak with you in person, not to debate, but to minister to you at jc65777@yahoo.com.  Pastor John Collins is also available for guest speaking and can be contacted at the same personal email address.  God wants us back, as many as will come.  We need to hear and learn the truth first.  Pastor John Collins is in it to win it for God.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST: THE GOVERNMENT-WE ARE GETTING WHAT WE ASKED FOR

photo from Google images

Over two hundred years ago, this country was won and built in a revolution by the faith of men in God.  Those forefathers who laid the foundations of this country and its government based it upon their faith in God whom they knew and believed helped them win the war of independence against the then largest empire, Great Britain, and its well-trained army of skilled professional soldiers.  The odds were against us becoming the United States, but by God’s grace and certainly His desire, this country became the land of freedom for all. Pastor John Collins, Love That Cross Ministries, tells us our dilemma of today’s government and society is because we have kicked God out of everything, including our government.  Those founding fathers knew that the only reason the war was won was because it was God who blessed us.  Truly, just as Pastor John Collins says it, we have now turned our back on God, kicking Him out of school, family, churches, and the government.  It has been progressing to the point it has become over decades.  And no, just as Pastor John Collins says, God is not blessing this country.  Why would He right now?  We are getting exactly what we have asked for in our government.

“How can we complain about the bloated condition of our government when the people voted these politicians into the positions that they have? It is the people who raise up for themselves leaders who they believe will accomplish the goals that they have for themselves. When the majority of the populace is not godly themselves, then they will be governed by ungodly people. Our country is truly in a state of distress and the people are picking up cause after cause to rally behind, but, who is willing to say what the root of the cause of the condition is itself? I will. There is no faith here, no righteousness here and no godliness here that is in any majority of any group.” Pastor John Collins (March, 2018).

Pastor John Collins, evangelist, is the head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and John Collins Ministries.  Pastor John Collins has been promoting a revival of hope and faith for many years.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been diluted with the desires of what people want to hear, with the Koolaid of prosperity doctrine, of wrong interpretation of the Holy Bible, and that Gospel of redemption now needs to be redeemed itself, says Pastor John Collins.   The only way we are going to turn this country around is to get on our knees to pray, to open the Bible and read it for ourselves instead of expecting someone to do it for us, and allow the beauty and love of God to fill us as it was meant to.  Salvation is still ours to claim, preaches Pastor John Collins, it hasn’t changed in more than 2000 years, but mankind has found ways to fill our own egos and greed on the back of the Man who died to save us from our sins, instead of focusing the purpose of the pulpit and preaching of the pastors on the Salvation of Jesus Christ and His singularly willing sacrifice to die for us so that we can have eternity to live instead of eternity to die.  That mindset has found its way into our government, and we the people put it there.  God has no reason to bless us, and until we make the change toward him, that won’t happen.  Pastor John Collins has the lifelong commitment to bring God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ back, to redeem that Gospel and help us found our salvation.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“And He said to me: ‘So of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel to this city.’” Ezekiel 11:2 (NKJV).

If you don’t like the decisions of the president then sue him. If you don’t like the decisions of the state then sue the state. If you don’t like the decisions of the school board then sue them. If you don’t like the rules then sue whoever it takes until the rules change. How can we complain about the bloated condition of our government when the people voted these politicians into the positions that they have? It is the people who raise up for themselves leaders who they believe will accomplish the goals that they have for themselves. When the majority of the populace is not godly themselves, then they will be governed by ungodly people. Our country is truly in a state of distress and the people are picking up cause after cause to rally behind, but, who is willing to say what the root of the cause of the condition is itself? I will. There is no faith here, no righteousness here and no godliness here that is in any majority of any group.

The people of this country have lost their way and have banished God from their lives, their homes, their schools and most important from their government. The polls will tell you that most politicians have a claim to Christianity but the truth is the fruit of the tree and these people are not bringing God into the decisions that they are making for our country. Just because you say you are of Christ does not mean that you are. When did we fall asleep at the wheel and allow ourselves to become disjointed, unruly and so micromanaged that nothing can be accomplished for the good? How did we allow ourselves to get so caught up in specific causes that we cannot see the forest for the trees? Where is God in this country? If we allow our lives to be barren of our faith then we will definitely heap up for ourselves those who will be blind leading the blind. It is not only our religious leaders that we must be willing to discern the righteousness of a man but it is our political leaders as well.

If you cannot see a solution to the complicated mess of a system that is out of control then let me enlighten you to what is needed. Get on your knees. Get a bible and open it and get right with God. It matters if you are justified in the eyes of the Lord and each household that is a light unto this world can create another and another. Be willing to stand for the truth of God and do not compromise on those standards. This world may call for abominations to be written into law, but you need to be willing to stand against the tide of the world for the righteousness of God. You may not think that it matters, but it does. Be willing to be a ripple of godliness in an ocean of sin and know that your efforts will be counted as good fruit. Do not be ignorant to the tests that enter your life through the corruption and sin perpetrated by those in positions of authority.

“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming-in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning- lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” Mark 13:35-37 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins can be heard each Sunday at 1000 a.m., Mountain time, on Heaven’s Country Radio with Marty Smith.  You can link here and listen at www.heavenscountry.com.  Pastor John Collins has many blogs, recordings, interviews, articles, sermons and more that can be found by clicking on the links found within this post.  If you wish to speak to Pastor John Collins for prayer, guidance, faith, or to reach him for guest speaking, he can be reached at jc65777@yahoo.com. Pastor John Collins says it very clearly, he is in it to win it for God.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: HOW TO BECOME CHRISTIAN

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST: WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO BECOME GOOD CHRISTIANS?

Romans 10: 9-10 (NKJV)

There is a difference between becoming A Christian and becoming Christian.  Pastor John Collins tells us the first step is to speak it with our mouth and believe it in your heart, which is what Paul the Gentile's apostle wrote in Romans.  That's becoming A Christian, but the journey only begins there.  How do we become Christian, because it doesn't happen overnight~author's comment. 

What does it mean when we choose to accept the salvation of Jesus Christ, seek sincere forgiveness, and become Christian?  What do we need to do to become good Christians?  Simply saying that we believe in God, that we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is not enough.  There is work to be done, preaches Pastor John Collins of Love That Cross Ministries.  Asking Jesus to come into your life is the first step.  From that point onward, our journey is lifelong.  Paul turned his life around in an instant, and yes, that is possible:  for Paul and most of us it is a struggle and a journey that we must work on every day.  What we were taught, what we believe, our habits, our thoughts will poison our heart and keep us from becoming righteous.  It is a process of choosing to do things differently.  Where do we find how to do this?  The Holy Bible.  That book is the blueprint on how to live, how to act, how to become a Christian.  Everything we do can be measured by what is in the Holy Bible.  If you attend a church that does not encourage you to get into the Holy Bible, it’s likely time to change churches.  If the sermons you hear don’t help you let go of who you were and help you to become a better Christian, then it is likely time to find another source.  The whole pivot point of becoming a Christian is seeking Jesus Christ, every day, so that you can work on the salvation of your soul.  Your eternal life and where you spend that eternity depends upon it. 

“God wants to see us make the effort to choose His ways over our ways. That is why we are not given perfection and complete faith immediately upon belief. We must choose to work for what we want. That is how we show God and Jesus when we are tested that we want them above all. This is why it is so important to be open to finding our faults, open to repentance and open to growing as a Christian. Nothing of value in life will come without effort. We must choose what we are willing to make an effort for in our lives.” ~ Pastor John Collins, March 2018.

Pastor John Collins is a nationally and world known evangelist and the head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and John Collins Ministries.  Pastor John Collins has been spreading revival of the Word of Jesus Christ for many years, beginning with a fresh approach to redeeming the Gospel in Wyoming.  Pastor John Collins speaks the truth when he preaches, and he has a way of reaching into our hearts and making us feel what we need to do to change ourselves.  Pastor John Collins makes the Gospel easy to understand, very much like the late Reverend Billy Graham, with the humility of the late Reverend David Wilkerson. 

In daily devotionals, Pastor John Collins writes:

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” Philippians 3:12-15 (NKJV).

Following Jesus is work and not easy work because it calls for self-sacrifice and self- honesty and self-awareness. We must be willing to look within ourselves and see the truth. We must be willing to let go of what needs to be let go of and to make the continuous effort to seek righteousness in all that we do.

How do we do this? What needs to happen for us to be good Christians? When you first believe and ask for forgiveness, if you are sincere, you are forgiven. But that does not mean that you have obtained righteousness. There is work to be done. Your past beliefs, habits and mentality will continue to poison your heart. You need to learn to see things differently and to react to things differently and to choose to act differently. Just because you choose Jesus will not make lust disappear from your heart immediately if you are a very lustful person. You must recognize that lust is not right and make the effort to change the way you feel about looking at what is desirable to you. It will take practice and in time through effort your thoughts will grow to become less lustful and your heart will respond by not being filled with lust when you see that object of desire.

God wants to see us make the effort to choose His ways over our ways. That is why we are not given perfection and complete faith immediately upon belief. We must choose to work for what we want. That is how we show God and Jesus when we are tested that we want them above all. This is why it is so important to be open to finding our faults, open to repentance and open to growing as a Christian. Nothing of value in life will come without effort. We must choose what we are willing to make an effort for in our lives.

Let us be open to allowing God to show us what needs to be let go of inside of us. Let us be willing to find what we need to repent for and to find within ourselves the genuine ability to see things as God does so that change does come for us and it stays once we have obtained it.

It is not easy to look in the mirror and it is very easy to deny what we hear from others as just judgmental nonsense. Be willing to accept that there is a need for repentance inside of you and be willing to accept the need for change. Be willing to work for the salvation of your soul knowing that you have the best champion in your corner, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV).

Love That Cross, Pastor John Collins

Pastor John Collins can be heard live every Sunday morning on Heaven’s Country Radio with Marty Smith at www.heavenscountry.com, at 1000 a.m. Mountain time.  Other sermons, recordings, interviews, and blogs by Pastor John Collins can be viewed by clicking on the backlinks found within this blog.  Pastor John Collins can be reached personally through his email at jc65777@yahoo.com for prayer, hope, and encouragement.  Pastor John Collins says it best, he is in it to win it for God.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS: THE WAY HOME

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST:  HOME

Imagine growing up knowing that you would die to save the world.  Your entire life would be devoted to the singular goal of giving your life as a sacrifice so that all would have the opportunity to live.  In this day, it sounds almost like fictional super hero characters seen on film and in science fiction stories.  The thing is, that very story is true and it is written about and spoken of over and over again for over two thousand years.  Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries, tells us the truth of the Gospel in sermons and daily devotionals.  The way to get back home to heaven is to turn to Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to this world and left  His heavenly home, to save our souls by giving His earthly life as a sacrifice for God for us so that we can live eternally.  Our souls are what live on after we die here on earth and leave these fleshly bodies behind.  Eternity is forever, and what we do here during our lives will determine whether we get to go home to our Creator, our Father, or whether we spend our eternity in misery and pain that we cannot imagine.  Jesus Christ is the only way to get back to God and to get back home.

“God has always done things to reach us and has always provided a way home. God has given us His Son and we should take note of the character of Jesus so that we can learn from Him. Jesus pleased God in every way and we should seek to do the same. It is possible for us to have the commitment to God that Jesus displayed by choosing to follow our Lord.” ~ Pastor John Collins (February, 2018).

Pastor John Collins is a nationally and world known evangelist and is the head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and John Collins Ministries.  It is Pastor John Collins’ lifelong commitment to bring the Word of God back to all of us in the world, to teach salvation, and to redeem the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been so watered down and manipulated by man to suit man’s needs for over two thousand years.  Pastor John Collins preaches it like it is, getting to the point of the truth of the word in a straight forward and understandable manner.  Pastor John Collins writes and preaches from the heart:  what Pastor John Collins says is from God, not a prewritten, preconceived sermon that is read over and over again.  Beginning in Wyoming, Pastor John Collins started a revival of the Gospel, redeeming the Holy Bible so that we can understand the truth of the Word for our salvation.

Pastor John  Collins writes:

“ ‘Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ‘Father, glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’ Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to Him.’ Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.’” John 12:27-30 (NKJV).

Jesus grew up knowing the duty and responsibilities that He had been given. He knew what would come and He lived with an awareness of what was to be gained. He did not live with His own needs and wants but with those of His Father’s. Jesus was driven to give as He had always seen God give.

It is so clear that Jesus wanted those He encountered to understand the gifts that came from the Father. He wanted them to know that God was reaching out to them. He often pointed out that certain things were done for the benefit of others. Jesus did not need the reassurances that we need and did not lack the understanding that we do.

I believe that we often take too much of life for granted. We should slow down and look up. We should stop in our tracks and pray. Jesus was mindful of God always and was mindful of His impact on our souls. Jesus cares for us and wanted only the best for those that He ministered to. His life was full of determination for all of the right things. We have so much to learn from Him and we have so much be thankful for.

If there is one thing that you can do for yourself in your daily lives, it is to take the time to connect with the Lord. You should be seeking the opportunities to quiet your lives and to become more aware of God. You should think about what you have done in your life and what you want to do. But do this according to the gospel of Christ and see where that takes you.

God has always done things to reach us and has always provided a way home. God has given us His Son and we should take note of the character of Jesus so that we can learn from Him. Jesus pleased God in every way and we should seek to do the same. It is possible for us to have the commitment to God that Jesus displayed by choosing to follow our Lord.

Let us be aware of the efforts of God and Jesus and let us respond to their love. Let us be honest with ourselves in our lives and be willing to sacrifice for our eternal souls. Let us become more faithful people who choose to pay attention to the things that are above over the things of this earth. Let us praise God for His consideration and selfless love.

“’Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.’” John 12:31-32 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins can be heard live on Sunday mornings on Heaven’s Country with Marty Smith, 1000 a.m. Mountain time, at www.heavenscountry.com. Pastor John Collins preaches on current issues with a positive outlook for our lives.  Other sermons, interviews, recordings, videos and media by Pastor John Collins can be accessed by clicking on the links embedded in this post.  Pastor John Collins can be reached in person through Pastor John Collins’ email at jc65777@yahoo.com if you are seeking hope, encouragement, and prayer.  Pastor John Collins is in it to win it for God.