PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: Tough Times, Tough Choices

From Pastor John Collins:

It is through the tough times of tough choices
 that bring you a step closer to God ~
Pastor John Collins

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4 (NKJV).

Let’s assume that you have some faith in your life. How often do you reflect on the lesson in the trials of your life? Do you look for the wisdom gained and apply it to your life or do you ignore the lesson and just appreciate that the storm has passed for now?

You can certainly claim Jesus as your Lord and Savior in a moment but righteousness takes some serious dedication and hard work. If God granted you complete faith in the instant that you believed, what would do with it and do you understand what complete faith really is, anyhow? Complete faith is never doubting the truth of Christ and His work on the cross and it is living a life that is COMPLETELY in submission to God. Complete faith is a consciousness of God always not just sometimes. Complete faith is living a life that pursues the approval of God over all else. In order to claim complete faith you must work for it and it does not come easy.

Living in this world of distractions and entertainments and sinners and filth does not make it easy to choose to do the will of God every time and not only some of the time. It is through the tough times of tough choices that bring you a step closer to God when they become consistently righteous choices in your life. Every Christian needs to learn to want to obey God and every Christian needs to learn all of the tough lessons from God in order to claim complete faith and righteousness.

Pay attention to what motivates you and pay attention to the choices that you make and then be really honest with yourself about what the Bible says about your feelings, choices and behavior. One of the biggest mistakes that a Christian can make is to think that the Bible is antiquated and that God and Jesus really don’t feel strongly about the sin of today. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and it is time that the Christian does better and gets back to reverence of our Lord.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN, BELIEVE THAT

John Collins Ministries: www.johncollinsministries.com

PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES: CHOICES

From Pastor John Collins:

Each little choice that you make adds up to the totality
of your life. Choose Jesus and live.
John Collins, Evangelist, John Collins Ministries

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV).

“The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.”Proverbs 15:24(NKJV).

There is a process to growing up, claiming adulthood and proceeding to live your life. There are choices that you make and each one of those choices determines who you are and who you will become. Those that are aware of their eternal soul and want to go to heaven learn to make those choices by determining the good will of the Lord and choosing to do His will.

You may not think that it is any big deal to tell a lie, omit the truth or to be selfish in this one small matter. You may think nothing of passing up an opportunity to be kind and compassionate just this once. You may think that work is more important than that baseball game or that home cooked meal.

You may think that you can make it up to them at another time. You may think that you deserve to let loose and finally have some fun so who will it hurt if you have that fling, you deserve it. You may think that there is plenty of time in the future for you to settle down and be boring and do what the Lord expects of you but He knows your motives and intentions and all of those things will be taken into account.

Each day you will make choices that will lead you toward righteousness or toward wickedness. Each day will determine your character and where your eternal resting place will be. Each little choice that you make adds up to the totality of your life. Choose Jesus and choose to live.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV).

LOVE THAT CROSS, PASTOR JOHN COLLINS