Pastor John Collins: Humility. Pride goes before a fall

Pastor John Collins, Love That Cross, Wyoming: Pride gets us no where with God

The Giant Goliath held King Saul and his army in a siege.  In his arrogance, he taunted the army threatening anyone who would stand against him. Young David, years from becoming the next king of Israel, was there and stepped up to face Goliath.  Goliath's pride and arrogance would not allow him to see the threat that David really did present.  David's faith and humility in facing that giant pleased God, and God allowed David to defeat Goliath by hitting him with a stone thrown from a sling and then David cut off Goliath's head.  Pride gets us no where in the face of God.

Pride and humility.  We are a proud people here in the United States.  We have so much that we have accomplished, the rest of the world sometimes looks at us in disgust because we give the appearance of not being satisfied.  It’s never enough and we draw attention to ourselves where ever we go.  Celebrities are recognized and lifted up as examples for us to live by.  Through all of the media, it’s “look what I can do”.  God resists the proud. Pride will not get any soul into heaven.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

Our faith as Christians today doesn’t measure up to the faith of Abraham, of Noah, of Moses, of David.  These men were humble to begin with and knew the value and spirit of humility before God.  Our pride gets in the way.  How would God choose from among us today?  We often don’t have the strength of faith to worship Him, let alone look beyond what our human hands and minds create and put before God.  Our offerings of ourselves lack humility.  We need to let go of pride and ego, let go of the pride that we have accomplished something and let God and Jesus Christ work in our lives. 

Evangelist Pastor John Collins began a revival of awakening in Wyoming. 

That awakening stirs the spirit of those who hear him.  From a pulpit or behind the microphone of a recording studio, his words are Biblically correct. Being Biblically correct in a very politically correct world is difficult for most of the strongest of Christians today.   

Pastor John Collins says it well and puts pride and humility into this perspective:

“Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, ‘Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.’” Luke 9:46-48

Who is worthy to be lifted up? How does God choose those that He would separate and use for His purposes? He chose Abraham and Abraham was considered a friend of God’s. He chose David and David was a man after God’s own heart. He sent His Son who died for us all.  Even those who walked with Jesus thought of themselves and the impact that they would have on this world. This is so wonderful to know that the human instinct to desire to rise above and be great was felt in those men who walked with Christ. This allows us to recognize this in ourselves and work to overcome that ego. They were corrected and they learned what true humility is. They witnessed their Lord humble Himself to the Cross. Yet there are so many that want to be great in the name of the Lord. They call attention to themselves and think highly of themselves. But, God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Believe me when I tell you that God knows what He is doing and He knows our hearts.

Pastor John Collins of Love That Cross Wyoming Revival continues on: God has no use for pride.

God does not want servants that think highly of themselves and their eligibility. God wants people to serve Him that are humble of heart. When we choose to walk with Jesus it should be with a pure heart and a true devotion to obedience to the Lord. We should never seek our own acclaim. We should not care what others think of us. We should be concerned only with whether we are an asset to the kingdom of God or a burden. If we have selfish ambition in our heart and a desire to stand out and be important, we are seeking status in this life and we are then unworthy to be a true servant of the Lord.

We must be careful when we desire to leave a name for ourselves, to want to be recognized for our importance or to be valued among men. A truly worthy person that will serve God well is a person that has no ambition in his heart. This person thinks of salvation when he looks upon the souls of this world. This person has sadness in his heart because of the condition of the human race. This person worries of the state of others’ faith in their lives. This person considers opportunities to share the gospel and help others come to Jesus. This person wants to see others go to heaven and lives his life as an example. This person will sacrifice and find ways to be a light in a world of dark. This person will please God.

“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” James 2:5

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:3-6

Learning to be humble takes a commitment to become obedient to God.  In order to become obedient to God, we need to learn to draw near to Him in prayer and through the words in the Holy Bible.  God wants each of us to have the opportunity to come to know Him, so that we all can go home to Him one day.  That is the reason He sent His Son Jesus Christ, for our salvation through His sacrifice on the Cross.  Jesus humbly accepted the punishment of our sins, died publicly in humility and obedience.  God won’t ask us to do anything that He won’t equip us to handle.  We can become obedient and humble ourselves before God, just as His Son did.  God wants us to come to know Him and His love, to help us with our lives and be part of our lives here in this world.  Pride and ego turns us from God.  To be meek, to be poor in spirit means to be humble; we need to learn the humility of Christ. Bring back God in our lives, come humbly to the foot of the Cross.

“God is never secondary in my life, He is always Primary”- Pastor John Collins, Evangelist.

Pastor John Collins: Speaking out on his journey to becoming a Christian

Pastor John Collins, Evangelist.

Pastor John Collins, continuing the message of Hope and Trust.

Pastor John Collins continues to deliver a message of Hope and Trust across the United States through his revivals.  God and Jesus play a very central part in Pastor John Collins’ life.  His experiences with God have changed his life, taking him to churches across the United States, bringing God back to congregations.

Pastor John Collins preaches in a manner that people understand.  He does not talk above your head: he doesn’t use big words or elaborate sermons to get his point across to the audience.  He is very down to earth and humble; he appreciates the pain of the human condition. 

Pastor John Collins is not afraid to preach the truth.

Pastor John Collins shares that so many pastors, ministers and preachers have stepped away from teaching and preaching the whole truth. Most will preach of God’s love and heaven, few will speak about the choice between heaven and hell, the fact that eternity is real, and that what we do here in our choices of everyday living effect where we will spend eternity.  Few will talk about the wrath of God, padding their sermons with delicate descriptions of God and His love and avoiding the truth of the whole story.  Pastor John Collins is not afraid to preach the truth. 

Pastor John Collins takes a stand on heroin and other drug addictions.

Pastor John Collins has taken a stand on drug addictions.  Having first-hand experiences with people who have addictions to heroin, Pastor John Collins will go to the extreme to help someone get help when they decide that the addiction has to go.  Heroin addiction is an epidemic in many areas of the United States.  Pastor John Collins has preached that it tears families apart, that it is time to take a stand to help alleviate the heroin addiction epidemic. 

Pastor John Collins is biblically correct.

Pastor John Collins is not politically correct.  He preaches that Jesus was not politically correct, that the Holy Bible is not politically correct, and that in order to be a Christian, one must do their best to be biblically correct.  Pastor John Collins believes that the Holy Bible is 100% accurate and is a guideline to use in day to day living, honoring and worshiping God and Jesus.  Political correctness does not buy your way into heaven.  Biblical correctness does.  Where we end up is the important issue that so many pastors avoid talking about, and as a result, we don’t know what it takes to get into heaven.  

Pastor John Collins, Evangelist of Love That Cross Ministries spoke about his journey to becoming a Christian.  

Pastor John Collins says:

“Hello and welcome.  My name is Pastor John Collins.  I would like to take a moment and tell you a little about myself.  I was not always a Christian.

I had lived a life of sin and had no intention of becoming a preacher.  I did not find God, He found me.

I was a man who loved money and all that it could buy.  I enjoyed living my life for me.  I am now a man who lives his life for God and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I am committed to living the Word as well as preaching the Word.  I believe in helping your neighbor.

I believe in doing what is right and helping another in need whenever you can.  I believe in teaching the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.  “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”  Matthew 5:17.  The New Testament does not replace the Old, it fulfills it.

We are living in a time when being a Christian is not a good thing.

To tell someone that you are a Christian is to bring on skepticism and disdain.  There are many greedy and self-serving preachers that are responsible for that.

There are many preachers that teach people wrong and also teach them to want what they themselves want, which is money.  

I am not here to get rich.  I am here to help you build your faith, get salvation and go to heaven.  We can do that together by loving one another and helping our neighbors.  I know that corrupt preachers need to be stopped and we need to work to make the Christian faith one of respect again. 

I am here to speak the truth and teach the word of God as it was meant to be taught.  I am here to walk the walk and talk the talk.  I serve God and my Lord Jesus Christ.  I am thankful that they have come into my life and given me the truth.

They have given me a passion for righteousness.  They have saved me and I want the same for you.  I hope that you enjoy my sermons and if you ever need to speak with me, do not hesitate to contact me and leave me your number.

May God bless you and yours.

Love That Cross, Pastor John Collins.”

Pastor John Collins brings back God.

Photo courtesy Google images

Pastor John Collins, Evangelist, is a humble preacher.  He believes fully in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ who is our salvation and our Hope.  It is fully his desire to preach the truth of the Word, to preach the Hope of the Word, and to bring as many people as possible back to God.  He fully believes that there is hope, and that God wants each and every one of our souls back with Him. 

  

Pastor John Collins works hard to teach people to understand the love of God and the consequences of our choices here in this life.  Everyone deserves a chance to hear the truth of God, both in the United States and across the world.  We all have fallen far from the salvation of the Cross and the teachings of Christ over 2000 years ago.  God wants us back, as many of us who will choose to believe in Him and come back, like the prodigals we are.  Pastor John Collins is there to answer your questions. 

There are multiple recordings of Pastor John Collins’ sermons on Blog talk Radio and posted on YouTube.  Take some time today to turn back to God and listen to what Pastor John Collins preaches through the links provided. 

 

As Pastor John Collins said, “May God bless you and yours.  Love that Cross.”

Pastor John Collins, Evangelist: The Sadness of Christ

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 traveling 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.

Pastor John Collins on Montana Tour: The right to sit on a pity pot?

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