PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: PREACH THE TRUTH!

Abortion, drugs, addictions, hate and racism are all part of society today.  Lies, gossip, slander, pride and ego are all part of everyday life.  These are the hard topics that pastors MUST talk about to their congregations in order to teach TRUTH.  Pastors and ministers do not want to hurt feelings and tread on toes in fear of losing congregation membership. Difficult issues of today’s society are often avoided from the church pulpit. In general, most church sermons and pastors’ preaching have become a cool zone.  Evangelist Pastor John Collins of Love That Cross Ministries does not hold back on any “hot topic” that is an offense to God.    Pastor John Collins will tell you he is not politically correct, Jesus Christ was not politically correct and not preaching and teaching the TRUTH from the pulpit is NOT pleasing God. Cushioning the truth behind what society deems acceptable is leading a congregation to complacency and acceptance of sin.   “Men have interjected their will upon the people and Christianity has suffered. Religion will get you nowhere if you are complying with the traditions of men while ignoring the commandments of God."-Pastor John Collins.

 

God sent Jesus to teach and preach God’s Law.  Jesus went about the countryside, living and talking among the sinners, not the ones who were self-righteous in what was taught and conceived as law by man.  Men took God’s Law from the time it was written on the tablets by Moses and twisted it to their uses and purposes.  These were the priests and holy men of the time, people who were looked to as examples of faith and religious conviction to the Jews.  Jesus came and taught what was right: kindness, love, looking after those who had need, the poor-everything wrapped up into the commandment of love your neighbor as yourself.  In other words, treat others the way you want to be treated if you were in their place. 

Jesus taught that what was of this world is sin.  Two thousand plus years later, Pastor John Collins began his ministry of revival in Wheatland, Wyoming with Love That Cross.  The very same lessons from Jesus are the lessons that Pastor John preaches in his revivals. Abortion is murder. Drugs and alcohol and addictions are gluttony, among other issues associated with them.  Hate and racism has no place in God’s creation-there is only ONE race-the HUMAN RACE.  Pastor John Collins teaches that these sins are no different than lying, cheating, or stealing.

A sin is a sin, one is no worse than another in the eyes of God.  Pastor John teaches that as Christians, we do need to be tolerant, but we also need to be aware of our faith and where our hearts are in relation to the sin that is being witnessed. It is not up to us to bombard others with our faith and beliefs, but we also have to be cautious to not conform to their beliefs.  Pastor John says that we must know as Christians what our beliefs are so that we do not compromise what is in our minds and in our hearts.

Pastors, ministers, reverends, preachers are held to a higher accountability according to the Bible.  Pastor John takes that accountability seriously; God comes first in his life. Jesus taught to be aware of “false prophets”, those that look like a Christian pastor, but inside are truly a predator, a wolf in sheep’s’ clothing. Jesus taught that there was only one way to get to Heaven and that was through Him.  Pastor John preaches that pastors on the pulpit who do not know how to get to Heaven and preach otherwise, or who are there for profitable gain and not to save souls should not be on a pulpit.  The Bible very clearly shows that “there is only one way to get to the Father, God Almighty, the Creator of the Universe. That is through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior who died on the Cross for us and became the pure sacrifice on our behalf so that He could pay the price for our sin and conquer death and Satan once and for all; that by our belief in Him and our seeking forgiveness through Him, we are permitted access to the Father and the kingdom of heaven.” These words of Pastor John’s call it like it is.

Pastor John challenges pastors to preach without crib notes for a change. Instead of meticulously writing out a lengthy sermon or a tick list, set to fill a specific allotted time during a church service, preach from the heart.  Let go of the restriction of the mind and preach FILLED from the HEART by GOD’s WORD.  God wants us to know Him, to FEEL the Spirit within.  Pastors who are truly serving God CAN preach, just like the apostles of Jesus’ time, speaking from the HEART, where the Spirit lives.  It can be done without preparation and the fanfare of technology.  One simply must TRUST God and Jesus to put the words in their heart and then speak it on their behalf.  Pastor John challenges those same pastors to search their hearts and minds and take a stand, once and for all, on the difficult issues.  

What are the difficult issues?  Sin.  

The pulpit has become a soapbox to profess the love of God and Jesus, and sugar coats the reality of the Resurrection.  Sin is what keeps us from that beautiful awful sacrifice of Jesus’ life for us to be able to have eternal life with God, not eternal life in Hell with Satan.

Sin has become a topic of distaste.  If pastors don’t preach from the heart, don’t talk about the difficult issues of gossip, being a busybody, lies, resentment, adultery of the heart, abortion, gluttony, greed, addictions and how it all keeps us from sharing in the grace of God through His Son Jesus, then there is no Hope.  Pastor John knows that there is Hope, and in order to bring revival, there has to be change and the difficult issues have to be faced head on.  That time is NOW.

Pastor John’s revivals confront us to take our faith seriously, to not take the Bible lightly, and to not take our belief in Jesus for granted.  The society we live in is chaotic and confusing.  So many people do not know God, do not know Jesus, and do not know the Bible.  Even those who say they know the Bible and who “know” Jesus are not as educated in the Bible as they think they are.  The lack of knowledge allows Satan to mislead many people who say they are Christians away from God and away from Jesus. Pastor John teaches that God wants us back, He wants us back Home with Him.  The only way to do this is to get back into the Bible by reading it and by coming to know Jesus and what He teaches that is written in that Bible as a blueprint for how to live. Pastor John teaches that obedience to God and to Jesus is the only way we are going to get back Home to God.  We have to stand firm in the truth, facing the hard issues with the armor of faith in God, trusting that we are held FIRMLY in His hands.

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

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: REVIVING HOPE

This country needs HOPE.  The epidemic of violence, continuing issues of racism, younger and younger people becoming addicted to drugs, domestic violence, fear, child kidnappings…..all of this is drowning the United States in a wave of hopelessness.  That hopelessness is coming from the deliberate choice of the society of the United States in general turning its back on God and His Son Jesus. Those who are Christians and were once addicts and alcoholics who have turned their lives around will flat out attest to the HOPE that can be found in giving it all up to Jesus.  Jesus IS Hope.  His death on the Cross gave us the Hope for eternal life, and He gave us Hope to be able to endure the day to day pain and struggle that we deal with here that is life as a human being.  Evangelist Pastor John Collins has based the ministry Love That Cross on Hope. 

Evangelist Pastor John Collins began Love That Cross Ministries with a focus on revival.  It began in Wheatland, Wyoming and spread across the country.  Revival of faith, revival of Christianity, not religion, but the revival of the HOPE that comes from acknowledging Jesus as a savior of mankind, ALL of us, is the central purpose of Love That Cross Ministry and Revival.  Without Jesus, there is no Hope.  The sorrow, the sadness, the pain, the anger, the violence that comes with living in the world today seems unbearable.  Pastor John preaches that it IS possible to have HOPE.  That hope is submitting all to the love that is Jesus and God. 

Who took our hope away? To some degree, we have willingly given it away through political correctness, fear, trends of society.  We as Christians allowed men to “interject their will upon the people and Christianity has suffered. Religion will get you nowhere if you are complying with the traditions of men while ignoring the commandments of God, “says Pastor John. Knowing Jesus, allowing Him into your heart, having faith in Him to help carry us through a day has been twisted into canned sermons and litanies, false doctrines meant to sell a product rather than to save souls, or even lukewarm “God loves everyone, so be happy” attitudes:  all meant to keep people sitting in a pew on a Sunday, but not meant to stir the heart or the soul into repentance.  Pastor John Collins calls a spade a spade. Faith is meant to save souls, to guide lives toward righteousness and to keep hope alive. Faith is meant to carry you through the tough times and to help you get to heaven. Churches continue with their traditions and doctrines that man has implemented; people continue attending them because they are comforted by the familiar.  That comfort is not providing a growing population in heaven. It is time to step out of that comfort zone and wake up.

People have got to wake up and see that Christianity is broken and needs truth and healing. People need to turn away from the glitter and the traditions that have them going through the motions of worship only to leave them without the tools to apply the gospel to their lives in any real way.  When was the last time you could recall details about a sermon given on a Sunday all the way through a week until the next service, or even a month or more after it was spoken?  THOSE sermons are the ones that have touched a heart, sparked a soul, moved someone to think about and reconsider what they are doing in their lives.  THOSE sermons make us, all sinners, wonder about whether we really are heading to heaven by saying we are Christian, or if we have work to do.  Looking at the society in which we live, it’s a pretty good indication that we all have work to do.  Not enough people know that there is a God or that Jesus even exists, not to mention those of us who profess to be Christian on Sunday but walk past the woman on the sidewalk on Tuesday who simply needs a meal or help off of the street into safety. There is a lot of work to be done.  Pastor John calls it as it is:  we HAVE turned from God as a nation and slapped Him away from our homes, families, children, our hearts. The time is NOW, and God WILL help us REVIVE our faith, IF we turn to Him and His Son Jesus.

God is waiting and willing to help us come to learn the truth and to embrace that truth. People must be willing to want that honest relationship that genuine faith provides.  We can’t continue to lie to ourselves that we can wait for another day.  We are NOT guaranteed tomorrow.  Only God knows just how long we have to work on our souls and our redemption.  We CAN’T wait.  It will be too late when we die, get there, and then go “Oops” because we didn’t do anything to help ourselves, even though help was available.  We no longer believe that God is paying attention nor do we believe whole-heartedly that He will intervene in our lives directly. Oh, we say we do, but it is obvious in our lack of obedience that we do not fear any real repercussions from God. We do NOT respect or revere God.  We do not fear Him.

Jesus does offer salvation to us for free. Yet, He Himself has demanded that we repent, sin no more, and that we obey God’s commandments. He also said for us to fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. Do we take Him seriously and adjust our behavior accordingly or are we just banking on that price being paid and going about our lives with evil hearts and evil minds acting in evil ways and speaking evil words? Think about the standard that is set by Jesus. Think about the requirements of our faith. We cannot just say that we believe. We must believe so strongly that we are moved to change our ways. Remember the young man who was obedient to the law and yet was told by Jesus to sell all and give to the poor and follow when he asked what must he do to have eternal life? We cannot do some. We must do all. If you are not doing all that the Lord has commanded you cannot be assured of claiming the salvation He offers.

Begin again by coming to truly fear God. Renew your faith by refocusing your priorities in life. Claim your salvation by a belief that is so strong you know that nothing else in your life matters in comparison. That is saving faith. Know that no matter what amount of faith and obedience you have today, you can always and should always seek more.  That is the faith that will give us HOPE.

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

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: LET GOD MATTER TO YOU

Evangelist Pastor John Collins of Love That Cross Ministries is recognized as one of the 15 most influential pastors living today by Inspirational Faith Magazine.  Pastor John Collins' faith is unwavering and inspirational.  His preaching is spiritual and moving.  His style is vibrant and animated. He is a fresh and honest example for evangelism, revival, and renewal that is sweeping the United States.

Pastor John is a man of God and he lives to serve God.  He was not always a Christian and didn’t believe in God.  For the past ten years, Pastor John has grown into an outspoken, dynamic evangelist, very much like a modern day Billy Sunday of the 1930’s.  Late last month, Pastor John Collins heard God tell him to walk for Him. Pastor John is quoted to say “Was sitting Sunday watching the Cubs play when I felt GOD tell me to walk for him” and he believes that when God asks Pastor John to do something, Pastor John obeys.  Creating a sign which says “Blessed are the peacemakers, BLUE LIVES MATTER, GOD MATTERS,” Pastor John Collins walked 19 miles the next day in the July heat. Pastor John did not look for attention for that walk, but people did notice and have spread that message across the country by social media.  “GOD MATTERS.”

Too many times, God asks us to act for Him and we ignore Him or we don’t hear His voice.  That quiet voice is drowned out by a chaotic world that is noisy and all too quick to turn its back on the One who created it.  Pastor John Collins is not ashamed to profess his faith.  Pastor John does not ignore that quiet voice. Pastor John does not turn his back on God.  Pastor John Collins will take a firm and unshakeable stand on the difficult issues that are facing this country.  That stand takes guts and courage. That stand includes taking a sign across country, 19 miles, to tell people “GOD MATTERS”.

Pastor John is NOT a marathon runner.  He DOES NOT devote hours every day to working out to improve his stamina or increase his strength.  Pastor John is very much an average man of middle age.  Pastor John did not have time to have a professional sign created to catch the eye or to promote the appearance of God’s task.  Pastor John did not have any specially made footwear or athletic clothing to accomplish God’s task.  Most people struggle to walk two miles on any given day as a form of exercise for their health benefits. Pastor John simply felt God’s call, got up the next day and began walking.  He did not know when he started out just how many miles he would walk.  His goal was to walk to the next town, carrying a sign that stated “GOD MATTERS”.  That next town was 19 miles away: not two miles or five miles, but 19 miles.

What is so special about walking 19 miles carrying a sign?

Most Americans take about 20 to 45 minutes to go 20 miles in a car, depending upon where they live. In a days’ time when Jesus Christ lived, the average distance covered by Jesus and the disciples was about 1 or two miles to get from one town to another.  Pastor John walked those 19 miles unconditionally without any special preparation in advance, without any special training, without any specially designed clothing, and without any advance notice to media to bring awareness to his mission. He did it humbly and obediently.  Pastor John did it because he knows with all his heart that GOD MATTERS in everything.

How many people have the dedication to anything that would inspire us to get up and go do something without any preparation or planning in advance?  Most churches take months to go from suggestion to implementation of a decision.  Most people don’t have the enthusiasm to participate in something like a marathon or competition without months of preparation and planning.  Pastor John is dedicated to God.  God matters so much in Pastor John’s life that he did what he was asked and then paid a physical price of discomfort for days. The message here is that God really wants us as a country and a people.  He hasn’t given up on us even though society on the whole has given up on Him. Pastor John’s message is very simple:  God should count in our everyday lives, whether it’s while watching a baseball game or when we are in the depths of misery. He wants to be part of our lives unconditionally. 

Pastor John Collins will tell you candidly that he is not politically correct, but he IS biblically correct.  What was written over 2000 years ago in the Holy Bible is just as applicable today as it was when it was written.  God mattered then and God matters now. The Holy Bible holds records of men and women who were called by God to perform and complete what to us were impossible tasks. Those men and women had faith that barely exists in today’s world.  Pastor John demonstrated a rock solid belief that God moved him to walk for Him. Pastor John’s rock solid faith allowed him to walk 19 miles in the heat of a summer day to serve God, without any special preparation or fanfare, to spread the message that “GOD MATTERS.”

Pastor John Collins gives us all an extraordinary example of how to obey and honor God.  To Pastor John, “GOD MATTERS.”  Pastor John Collins chooses to serve God by obedience to what God asks of Pastor John.  God has played an important role in Pastor John Collins' life for over 10 years.  Pastor John will tell you that he was once so far from the Cross that he needed binoculars to see it.   But now, by the Grace of God and all that He has blessed Pastor John with, Pastor John Collins will tell you that he has splinters in his hands from clinging to that Cross. GOD MATTERS.

With God, everything is possible.  Peace, ending violence, ceasing chaos, living in harmony is not a fairy tale or an impossible dream.  Pastor John Collins wants as many people to know that God knows what is happening here in the United States and around the world.  His message of "GOD MATTERS" is meant to reach everyone, everywhere.  What God wants, according to Pastor John Collins, is for us as people to get to know God again. We have all stepped so far away from God that we have forgotten that He really does exist. Pastor John will tell you that God wants us to read the Holy Bible again, that He wants us to talk to Him again.  Pastor John preaches that God sent Jesus Christ to us as our salvation and our hope.  Pastor John demonstrated that hope through his walk for God with the simple message “GOD MATTERS”.

Pastor John Collins, through Love That Cross Ministries that began in Wheatland, Wyoming, has preached across the country, from Idaho to Wyoming, Georgia to North Carolina and many places in between with the message that GOD MATTERS.

Pastor John Collins says “It’s time for us to get to know GOD again. GOD MATTERS, BELIEVE THAT.”