PASTOR JOHN COLLINS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: DESPAIR

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, LOVE THAT CROSS DAILY THOUGHT: COPING WITH DESPAIR

How many of us have not felt despair?  Things happen in this life we live here that are sad, dark, scary, ugly and leave us feeling like we want to curl into a fetal position and just stay there.  That darkness is of Satan and it is meant for us to become separated from God who loves us.  It gives that evil being pleasure to know he can torture God’s creations.  We know pain because it’s part of this world.  So many of us do not know how to handle the pain because society has driven God from church, family, and home.  There is an epidemic of narcotic and opioid use that is out of control.  Alcoholism destroys families and individuals.  The agony of this life is overwhelming at times and we simply are at a loss to understand how to cope.  The answer is faith.  Believing in something that we cannot see is discouraging if we don’t have immediate positive feedback.  The false hope that is often preached by those who only want to line their own pockets through snake oil style methods is sadly the most prevalent voices we hear from the pulpit and the media.  Faith in God, faith in Jesus is what will pull us through the shadows of fear and darkness.  It is the only way. 

“We need to choose to not allow pain to overwhelm us when we will be confronted with pain every day, whether or not that pain is our own personally or collectively. You see, when there is hurt in this world we need to make an even greater effort to love more. The more that we can genuinely love, beginning with loving God, who in turn allows us to love ourselves, not selfishly but with compassion and the ability to forgive ourselves so that we don’t go on punishing ourselves for past mistakes, bad choices or tragedies that we internalize and take on guilt for and that allows us to be able to love others with sincerity and truth.” Pastor John Collins (January, 2018).

Pastor John Collins, evangelist and head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries and John Collins Ministries, does not and never has preached false hope.  Pastor John Collins preaches truth.  It has gotten to the point that the Gospel of Jesus Christ now needs to be redeemed because those in the pulpit over the past two thousand plus years have watered it down and turned it into something to serve man, not God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  Pastor John Collins redeems that Gospel, telling it like it is so that we can learn what each of us needs to do to get back to God.  Hope will come from faith, and as Pastor John Collins continues to preach, faith as small as mustard seed can move mountains.  God will take that tiny bit of faith in us and teach us lovingly to become strong and overcome the agony that we endure here in this world. 

Pastor John Collins writes:

“Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!” Jeremiah 20:14 (NKJV).

Who has not felt despair pulling on their world that seems to outweigh any hope that may exist? This life is full of ugly truths and disappointing days that will rip your heart out if you let it. There are valleys and shadows of a darkness that is uncompromising. People who find themselves at low points may turn to substances, whether prescription or illegal or over the counter in order to dull their pain and put off the agony of reality. It is at these low times when you feel as though you have nothing to hang on to, nothing to live for and nothing to pull you out of the darkness that faith is most important. For some, it is these dark spaces that create faith and for others it is the place that creates the doubt that challenges one’s faith. Sometimes it is hard to hold on to what you cannot see.

The human spirit is amazingly resilient. We are tougher than we realize. The truth is that there will come a time or many times in a person’s life that will leave you low and wanting to curse not only the world but your place in it. We are created with a great capacity to feel great emotions both high and low and we are capable of great compassion for each other and need to find the ability to have compassion for ourselves, not in any superficial or selfish way but in a way that allows us to let God into our hearts in order to be healed by Him. We need to choose to not allow pain to overwhelm us when we will be confronted with pain every day, whether or not that pain is our own personally or collectively. You see, when there is hurt in this world we need to make an even greater effort to love more. The more that we can genuinely love, beginning with loving God, who in turn allows us to love ourselves, not selfishly but with compassion and the ability to forgive ourselves so that we don’t go on punishing ourselves for past mistakes, bad choices or tragedies that we internalize and take on guilt for and that allows us to be able to love others with sincerity and truth. We have to be able to see the big picture as well as the little picture at the same time. Not only do we need to realize that God does have a plan and that He has not forgotten us nor forsaken us but know your life matters, what you do and who you love matters and that love needs to allow for forgiveness, acceptance and hope to shine through the darkness.

If you have not experienced pain of the soul that sucks the breath right out of you then you have not lived. If you have not stood back and felt awe for the world we live in then you have not awakened to the truth of God. The entire human experience will bring both despair and joy beyond imagination and knowing both allows you to be a better person and a person of compassion and truth. God is good and will not leave you alone. Do not grow bitter for having known the darkness because without it you could not appreciate the light.

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassion's fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!’” Lamentations 3:22-24 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins is a nationally and world known evangelist.  You can listen to Pastor John Collins live, Sunday mornings on Heaven’s Country radio, broadcast on www.heavenscountry.com,  at 1000 a.m. Mountain Time, with Marty Smith.  Pastor John Collins’ messages are to the point and compel us to examine ourselves and our hearts to draw us closer to God who loves us.  The answers we are looking for can be found by looking up, not looking in.  God sent Jesus Christ to teach us and then save us from ourselves, Pastor John Collins preaches that Word live every Sunday.  You can also find other sermons, broadcasts, blogs, articles and other media by Pastor John Collins through links found within this post.  Pastor John Collins is also available for personal contact for prayer, encouragement and hope through his personal email jc65777@yahoo.com. Pastor John Collins is in it to win it for God:  it is time for a change.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, DAILY DEVOTIONALS: FEAR

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS DAILY THOUGHT:  TRUST IN GOD OR TRUST IN YOURSELF~ FACING FEAR

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

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

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

Pastor John Collins writes:

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

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

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

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

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

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

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

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, DAILY DEVOTIONAL: GOD DID THAT

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST: TAKE A MOMENT AND KNOW GOD

Do you take the time each day to look around and marvel at the world around us?  Mountains, trees, animals, lakes, skies filled with billowing clouds, birds of every color, the tiny whisker of a mouse, flowers that smell wonderful and are of every color, shape, and size, the freshness of children at play, fish swimming….these are too numerous to list.  God did that.  God gave life, at the beginning of creation, and again each and every time there is birth. God did that.  To witness the birth of a child, you need to marvel at the conception, the growth of those two small cells to develop into a human being with a soul.  God did that.  It may seem like these are everyday things, they are not, and in fact, we’ve become removed from the origination of all these marvelous things just as we have become removed from God and His Son, Jesus Christ, who was sent as a sacrifice to redeem us from sin.  God didn’t do that, we did the removing.

Pastor John Collins (January, 2018) ~ “When your days are busy and you are overwhelmed you can take a moment to be still and know God. The miracles of life are too many to list and human life is precious. We stand in awe of God for bringing about His plan for redemption for us all while at the same time we need to be able to stand in gratefulness of the gift of life that we have been given and to never take for granted those whom we love because they too are a gift from God and yes, God did that.”

Pastor John Collins is a world known evangelist and the head pastor of Love That Cross Ministries, Love That Cross Revival, and Pastor John Collins’ Ministries.  Pastor John Collins’ style of preaching is reminiscent of Billy Graham, making the Gospel simple to understand and reaching into the hearts of those who hear Pastor John Collins.  Pastor John Collins is redeeming the Gospel of Jesus Christ for us:  the Word has become watered down and filled with the interpretations and changes made by humans and the hope and salvation found within the teachings of Jesus Christ are being lost.  Pastor John Collins does not preach what we want to hear, he preaches the truth and what he says is often not comfortable for us to absorb.  Pastor John Collins would rather have people not like him for what he says than to be loved and tell people what they want to hear.  Pastor John Collins is bringing that hope and bringing God back into our lives.  It is our salvation and our souls that Pastor John Collins strives to influence.  While in a way arrogant for God, Pastor John Collins is humble as Reverend David Wilkerson.

Pastor John Collins writes:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV).

The birth of Jesus was a miraculous thing, a glorious sign and wonderful blessing. Mary was chosen to carry the Son of God and to be gifted with calling Him her son. What a privilege to be given and what a great responsibility. How the heavens rejoiced at the coming of the Lord. God is so full of love that He chose to display His power humbly and to give His love freely. There is so much for us to learn from the birth and life of Christ, from His death and Resurrection and there is so much hope to be placed upon Him. There is strength in humility and there is power in recognizing the infinite greatness of God and in knowing that you can have a clear perspective on your own life and the wonder of it all.

The gift of life is precious and should never be taken for granted. Sarah was barren until her old age when she received the promise of God and gave birth to Isaac. Hannah was barren and mocked and had to endure spiteful pity but she believed and prayed and waited and she was given Samuel and then many more children. Elizabeth was barren but faithful and was given a miracle birth as well by being allowed to be a mother to John the Baptist. The gift of life is not only precious and miraculous when it brings into this world a child that will alter the trajectory of human existence but every child born is amazing. God made it possible for women to carry children and birth them and the physical body is a miracle in itself and God did that. The human brain is complex and the human spirit has depths that should amaze us all and God did that. You can look at a baby and know that God is good and that you are blessed to be a witness and participant in this thing called life.

When your days are busy and you are overwhelmed you can take a moment to be still and know God. The miracles of life are too many to list and human life is precious. We stand in awe of God for bringing about His plan for redemption for us all while at the same time we need to be able to stand in gratefulness of the gift of life that we have been given and to never take for granted those whom we love because they too are a gift from God and yes, God did that.

“And in that day you will say: ‘O Lord, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’” Isaiah 12:1-2 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

Pastor John Collins can be heard live during the 1000 a.m. hour, Mountain Time, on Heaven’s Country Radio with Marty Smith.  Other recordings, writings, blogs, radio programs and more can be found by clicking on the links within this post. 

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS: HOPE

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST:  "Hope is like sunshine, everyone needs a ray of it"

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

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

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

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

Pastor John Collins writes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love That Cross, Pastor John Collins

Other content by Pastor John Collins can be found by clicking on the links found within this article.

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: GO AND SIN NO MORE

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS: NOT ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED

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

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

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

Pastor John Collins writes:

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

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

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

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

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

LOVE THAT CROSS PASTOR JOHN COLLINS

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

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, EVANGELIST-DAILY THOUGHT: SELF-RIGHTEOUS CHRISTIANS AND SILENT JUDGEMENT

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS DAILY DEVOTIONS: SILENT JUDGEMENT 

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

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

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

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

Pastor John Collins writes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN, BELIEVE THAT

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