Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Pastor John Collins, Evangelist, Montana Tour of Love That Cross Ministries: How much do you really need?



How much have you REALLY trusted God to provide what it is that you need? Do you go to church on Sunday and parrot the prayers and the order of worship like you do every week, or every time you go, yet during the week, ignore that God is right there and really, truly gives you what you need?   Do you even notice?

Pastor John Collins, Evangelist once said that people who lived more simply, closer to poverty have more faith.  


Those who are wealthy or who are upper middle class who really have not had to struggle financially or who seem to have it all think that they DO have it all and likely have it because they made it happen, not that they trusted God to make it happen, to let it happen.  A phrase that is popular among pop-Christian culture is "God's got this."  But, how many of us truly let God handle for us.  Truth is, very few of us really do.  Those who have had to struggle see the works of God and provision for what is needed more easily than those who have much.  How much is enough?


Pastor John Collins is a leading evangelist in the United States today.   



In the fall of 2016 a revival series was launched in Montana.  Traveling across the United States, Pastor John Collins, brings a fresh view of revival of the Gospel and faith.His vibrant, no nonsense style of preaching brings the Word of God, the teachings of Jesus to life.  He reaches the hearts of those who hear him.  


Pastor John Collins strives to bring God back to the United States.   


He often preaches that we as a country turned our backs to God, one person at a time, one church at a time.  It’s time to change that and bring God back into our lives, to bring hope to ourselves and to our country, one person at a time, one church at a time.  Through our own choices to serve our own will, not God’s, we as a whole have turned away from God.  The result is that our country is in the turmoil it is in now.  As the Holy Bible says, if we turn back to God with all our hearts and cry out to Him, He will hear our plea and heal our country.  More than ever, we need God.  Pastor John Collins is answering his call by God to bring the gospel to as many people as he can reach with the words that he preaches.


Excerpts from Pastor John Collins’ revivals speak to the issues that we face in the United States.   


We have turned our backs to God, taking Him out of our schools, our government, our families and our churches-and as a result our society is hurting badly for hope. 


Pastor John Collins preaches hope, and the salvation of Jesus Christ, seeking to bring souls to Christ through his revivals and his messages. 


 Hope is like sunshine, everyone needs a ray of it.-Pastor John Collins


Pastor John Collins says:


“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’”  Matthew 19:23-24 (NKJV).

How much money does it take for a person to be considered rich?  How big does their home need to be?  How much does their car need to cost?  And how much clothes and how many pairs of shoes does a person need to own in order to be considered rich?  What about computers, cell phones and other pricey conveniences of today, are these considered when thinking about wealth?  

We live in a world that has created generations of entitled, demanding and unsatisfied people.  Does anyone even know the difference between what we want and what we need today?  You may want a new car, a big house, plenty of changes of clothes and shoes as well as a phone and all the toys that are available today.  You may want to eat filet mignon and drink fancy coffee in the morning but do you need it? 

 Do you need closets full of clothes?  Do you ever think about the huge difference between your wants and your needs?  Take a minute to look around you and ask yourself if you even need what you already have and then ask yourself if you are wanting more.

God will provide what you need.  God will test you to see if you can be content with those needs being met.  In a world of excess it is necessary to stop for a moment and find some Godly perspective.  We have been raised to believe that more is more and that more will make us happier people.  It is also a misunderstanding to believe that our existence is a pursuit of happiness.  That is just not true. 

 Genuine happiness comes from living a life that is of service to our Lord which will result in entry to heaven which is where the true prize awaits your soul.  The goal is to make it home to heaven and the only way to meet that goal is to become Christ-like and serve God with submission and joy.  Life is full of bonuses and huge rewards but having a lot of stuff is not one of them.  Some people do have great wealth in this life and believe me that is a test of its own.  Learn to be content with your needs being met and learn to be a great servant.  This will produce a life that is truly rich and will leave you satisfied and at peace.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth, nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)

 PASTOR JOHN.


Just how much “stuff” do we really need?  Jesus taught us to care for those who were widows and orphans and the poor.  Today’s poor live on the streets, are our elderly, single parents living with children and struggling to keep it together.  Food, shelter, clothing, safety are at risk for those who do not have enough.  So many of us in the United States live in our cushioned homes, complaining about too many channels of nothing on cable, while there are those who don’t even have decent shelter to sleep in.  Look around you where you live.  Women hide the fact that they are struggling or living in their vehicles.  People are proud and don’t admit they need help, especially in small towns where opinions kill reputations of those who are trying hard to succeed against terrible situations that keep knocking them down.  Instead of moving to the other side of the street, driving past, walking by, or simply turning our eyes down or away, Pastor John puts it right in front of us to reach out and give a hand up to those who need it.  Do we have clothes that can fit the woman who is on kidney dialysis and lost 60 pounds and her clothes fall off of her because she doesn’t have money to buy even used clothes?  What about the guy who had his bedding stolen by another homeless guy for the sixth time this month?  Is there a spare sleeping bag in your attic?  Food….no one in this country should be hungry….nor should anyone who is hungry be turned away from a soup kitchen, a church, a mission.  Everyone should have the opportunity to have something to eat.  We are so out for ourselves in this country…the me generation has spread far and wide.  Look out your window, reach out to those who are in need.  Jesus Christ taught it, Pastor John Collins reminds us.  We need to act like the Christians we say we are.

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Pastor John Collins, Evangelist, Montana Tour: Obedience to God



Pastor John Collins, Evangelist: Reviving Faith in Montana, One Church at a Time


In a revival series that was launched in fall, 2016, Pastor John Collins continues to spread the word of God, redeeming the Gospel, across the United States.  This blog post reviews excerpts from the revival tour as it traveled across Montana.


Pastor John Collins is a leading evangelist in the United States today.  


His vibrant, no nonsense style of preaching brings the Word of God, the teachings of Jesus to life.  He reaches the hearts of those who hear him.  


Pastor John Collins strives to bring God back to the United States.  


He often preaches that we as a country turned our backs to God, one person at a time, one church at a time.  It’s time to change that and bring God back into our lives, to bring hope to ourselves and to our country, one person at a time, one church at a time.  Through our own choices to serve our own will, not God’s, we as a whole have turned away from God.  The result is that our country is in the turmoil it is in now.  As the Holy Bible says, if we turn back to God with all our hearts and cry out to Him, He will hear our plea and heal our country.  More than ever, we need God.  Pastor John Collins is answering his call by God to bring the gospel to as many people as he can reach with the words that he preaches.


Pastor John Collins says:



It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.”  John 6:45 (NKJV).


The teachings of Jesus were insightful and revealed the heart of the law.  He came with miracles and truth and compassion and mercy.  He came with clarity and sadness for the people.  It is sad to see people refuse to get right with God, to see people rebel in their hearts and choose their own will over God’s will.



It is sad to watch people choose to be sinners and choose to harm others to lift themselves up.  Believe me, there is still plenty today for Jesus to weep over.


Our world is filled with people choosing to self-govern and claim rational thought for themselves and believing that there is no God, that their own moral code will sustain them and see them through this life and that there is no cause to concern themselves with an eternal life.  There are people on the pulpits sharing the good news without teaching the requirements of being a follower of Christ.  There are stubborn people who choose to believe that there is not a right or a wrong way to worship God and that we get to self-determine our God and how we navigate our faith in our life and have concluded that by doing so we will enjoy the outcome that we have decided upon.  It doesn’t work that way!  God came and gave instructions on how to worship Him.  Jesus came and gave insight into the law and gave instructions on how to worship Him.   

Nothing has changed.


Grace is given and faith is free but obedience is required to claim them.  You cannot claim to be a person of faith and have fellowship with God when you are living a life of selfishness and unfaithfulness.  If you are a greedy, lying, cheating, vain, malicious, gossiper and drunk then you are not obeying God.  If you are full of bitterness and resentment and refuse to forgive those who you believe have done you wrong then you are not in obedience with God.  If you are consumed with materialism and are obsessed with your looks and your appearance then you are not in obedience with God.  If you are abusing drugs and your body and are not a believer then you are not in obedience with God.  If you are not in obedience with God then you will not see the kingdom of heaven when you die.  It really is that simple.


You must obey God to claim the gifts of God.  Salvation is claimed by those who believe because those who believe will submit to the will of God and will obey God.  I am not talking about casual belief but the belief that produces results in a life, belief that produces change and purity in a life and belief that transforms a life of darkness into one of light.  There is always an opportunity to truly claim Jesus as your savior, not in word only but in truth.  You know whether your life is truly a life that would have God’s stamp of approval and there is just no reason to live in denial.  There is not any time to waste on self-indulgence and sin.  It is time to examine your existence and if you are not right with God then it is time to get right with Him.  Believe in the Son and claim salvation. 


I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”  John 15:5-6 (NKJV).

PASTOR JOHN

 

Do we want eternal life?  Then we need to listen and hear what Pastor John Collins preaches about obedience to God.  The road to destruction is wide, but the road to heaven and salvation is narrow as it says in the book of Matthew.  The United States has been travelling the wide road to destruction for a long time, turning our backs upon God and all the blessings that He gave us when this country was founded.  We need to claim salvation for ourselves, to hear the word of God, to read the works of Jesus and the messages in the Holy Bible in order to gain back the blessings that were ours as a country, and ours as individuals.  What does God want from you?  Simple-talk to Him in prayer and start reading a good translation of the Holy Bible that does not twist the Gospel to suit the purposes of the writer or confuse the reader with what is called transliteration-man’s explanation, not God’s inspired words.   God wants us back.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Pastor John Collins, Montana Tour: The world is not innocent




Touring with revivals through Montana,  Evangelist Pastor John Collins is spreading the Word of Christ throughout the United States.  


In a nationwide tour, John Collins, Pastor of Love That Cross Ministries is bringing truth of the Bible and God back to the small community churches that have been left behind in the rush of creating megachurches that do not fill the soul and in reality fill the pockets of those who run them through prosperity doctrine.

From community pulpits across Montana, east coast and Midwest, John Collins is redeeming the gospel, one church at a time through revivals. 


Pastor John Collins’ dynamic style compels us to examine where our faith is, where our hearts truly are, and where we are headed in eternity.  His down to earth preaching makes it easy to hear what God is telling us, has been telling us, for the ages.  It’s time for the United States to come back to God.

John Collins, Pastor and Evangelist says:


“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6


This world is not innocent. So, why do so many take things so personally and get so offended by the grief that comes with life? Why do so many place the blame squarely upon the shoulders of God? What is wrong with sorrow and grief? It teaches you to appreciate the joy and hope. What is wrong with sickness and death? It teaches you that there are seasons to life and health is not a guarantee. What is wrong with loss? It teaches you to appreciate what you have. There is beauty and wonder that we have feelings at all. Life is precious and filled with the ability to emotionally connect with others and death is filled with hope because Jesus has made it possible for you to continue loving those that you love.


People want to feel wounded and offended that they have suffered in this life and they want someone to blame and want to complain about it all, to be the victim. There are victims in this life and there are terrible things that happen, but that is part of living among others who have the same opportunity as you have and that is free will. There are bad people in this world and there is evil in this world and that is something that we all have to deal with for now. It doesn’t mean that anyone has the right to blame God or to sit on the pity pot because as long as there is breath in your body, there is hope for salvation and you will not be gaining salvation while there is resentment for God and bitterness toward Him because you find your sufferings too big to accept.


Jesus did not grow old. Jesus did not get gray hair and lose His eyesight. Jesus did not raise a family and rock His child to sleep. Jesus did not take vacations and travel around the world to see different places. Jesus did not have the luxury of a long life. Jesus came to this world and from His earliest age was doing the work of His Father. Jesus concerned Himself with His people, His land and the salvation of this world. Jesus taught others and took the time to heal others and be kind. Jesus is perfect and yet He suffered for you. Jesus was ridiculed and mocked, beaten and hung on a cross to die. For you.


This is not a fairy tale that you have outgrown. This happened. Jesus is not just some man that lived long ago. Jesus is the Son of God and your Savior. Think about just how much you do have to be thankful for this week. As you make your plans to gather together for a meal and rejoicing, think about the times that Jesus gathered with His people for a meal. Jesus always was thinking of others, the salvation of souls. In the end that is what counts because the soul is eternal and we should all be thinking in that manner, maybe then awareness of the enormity of the gift that Christ has made possible for us all would truly sink in and gratefulness, the kind that produces life, would follow.



“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until the day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.’” Matthew 26:26-29


John Collins presses the compelling point: where is your heart?  Does it truly belong to God?  Can you withstand the judgement of a just and very real God if you had to stand before Him today?  Are you doing everything you can to get back to God, get back to Jesus when you leave this life?  It’s surely a choice of heaven or hell.  Jesus is real, Heaven is real, Hell is real.  This world is not the be all and end all for us once we die, and God is not to blame for how things are.  It’s time to turn to Christ, to God and hear what our hearts are telling us.


LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN