SUNDAY SERMON 4/26/2020

SUNDAY SERMON

4/26/2020

     Good morning. I’m Pastor Rod Davison here at Hilltop Chapel in Miramonte CA.  We are delighted to have you with us this morning and we hope you receive a blessing.  Let’s have a word of prayer. “Father God we thank you that you brought us here this morning.  We thank you Lord that no matter where we are you are there.  You promised that you would never leave us of forsake us.  And Lord we just ask as we begin this service that all of our eyes, all of our ears will be trained on you and what you have us to hear this morning.  Help us to realize that all things work together for good for those who love God and are the called according to His purpose.  We praise you now and thank you in Jesus’ matchless name.  Amen.”

     SERMON: Open your Bibles and read 1 Peter 2:9-10.  Before we begin let’s have a word of prayer. “Father we thank you that your Word is true.  That it is always the same.  That you never change, neither does your Word, Lord.  We ask that as we read your Word this morning that we apply it to our hearts and to our lives and we will give you the praise, honor and glory.  Amen.”

     Traveling in the wrong direction can sometimes happen by accident, but most times it stems from deliberate decision making.  I would like to relate to you this morning 2 stories, one which you may already be familiar and the other not so much. One is described in Luke chapter 15 which we will be reading later, the other one is about a man that did an amazing feat and claimed that it all happened by accident. 
     So I’d like to share a story that captured the imagination of the entire world at a time that the world needed shall I say, a diversion.  I thought we needed a little diversion from what is going on with the Coronavirus.  This was a diversion that helped lift some  people out of their dispondencey during the Great Depression.  In light of what is happening around the world today we might be able to draw a few rays of sunshine to build on.  The year is 1938, a young man who had been an aircraft mechanic for Charles Linberg’s ‘Spirit of St. Louis’  before his historic solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean to England in 1927, decided he would try his luck also.  He flew first of all, non-stop across the United States with no problems..  He took off from Long Beach, California and flew to Brooklyn, New York.  However, he was told  by the FFA that his plane was too old to make the trip across the Atlantic Ocean.  The government denied him permission, but gave him permission to fly back to California.  On July 17, 1938 Douglas Corrigan took off from Brooklyn, New York.  A few minutes after taking off, so the story goes, he flew into a cloud bank and mysteriously disappeared only to land his Curtis Robin aircraft in Dublin, Ireland 24 hours later. His story was that he encountered bad weather, got disoriented and when he came down out of the clouds and saw land, he found the biggest city, then the biggest airport and landed.  When he got out of the plane he confidently said,”I just got in from New York.  Where am I?”  Shortly thereafter  he was stripped of his pilot’s license and sent back to New York on a ship.  However, by the time he got there news of his exploit had leaked out and he was welcomed as an aviation hero.  He was given a parade in New York City and his legend as Wrongway Corrigan  grew and became a folk tale. So even though many people believed Corrigan knew exactly what he was doing when he flew to Ireland, he maintained his story through the rest of his life and kept it until his dying day.  Maybe Corrigan is the key example of the saying, if you tell a lie long enough, you begin to believe it yourself.

     Now let’s take a look at our second example, commonly known as the parable of the Prodigal Son, one of the more famous stories told by Jesus during His ministry here on earth.  It’s found in Luke Chapter 15:11-32.  Please take your Bible and read this passage.  In Jewish tradition, the lions share of the father’s estate is given to the eldest son at the father’s death. Period.   There is no equivocation, no arguing the point.  It’s just the way it is.   But in this case, for reason’s known only to him, the father makes an exception and gives his portion of his inheritance while his is still living.  The younger son immediately leaves home and travels to a far country and in short order he blows it all. He’s broke now, far from home, and hungry.  He’s literally starving and has no real prospect of altering the situation.  He lowers himself to the most degrading possible position by taking a job feeding pigs.  As many of you know, according to Jewish law,  it is a sin to eat pork, and here is this young man helping to nurture the very animals he is forbidden to touch, let alone eat.  In verse 16 it says, “he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”  The young man was literally starving to death and had nowhere to go, and no one to turn to.  How many of you have been there?  You made a terrible descision and it just robbed you of any dignity, hope for the future and respect of others.  I can tell you, I have.  There is deep regret, disparity, self-loathing, and knowledge that nothing will ever be the same again.  There is no saying, “Let’s go back and do this over. And I promise I’ll get it right the next time.”  It’s over, and you know it.  Such moments fundamentally altered the course of our lives, and desicions  coming out of those situations, will either ruin us forever or turn us to an alternative way of looking at life.   When the Prodigal Son looked at his options, the only one that made sense was to go back home, face his father and humble himself asking only to be one of his father’s hired servants.

     As I was thinking about this sermon this morning I was thinking about all the things I could tell you about my life and what brought me to this position here at Hilltop Chapel, but I decided that would be a waste of time because a lot of you already know my story and I want to share what God has done through that story.  When I came to Hilltop Chapel in 1985 it was the first time I had been in a church for quite a few months maybe years. My son is the one who had shamed me into coming.  I’m not going to tell you the whole story, but, one Sunday he asked me, “Why don’t you go to church?”  He was going to church with some friends that took him to Sunday School and Church and. I think he was probably 12 or13 years old at the time.  At that very moment I felt like probably how the Prodigal Son felt, because that was exactly who I was. A week later I was in church.  That was 35 years ago and I’ve been here ever since.  And 10 years after that God led me into the ministry, the last place I ever thought I’d be.  The decision was made to turn my life back over to God.  Just like the Prodigal son turned his life back over to his father’s care.  God is a wonderful Father.  He blesses us, he strengthens us, he encourages us and all he asks for is our love in return.  That’s all He asks for.  

     Maybe some of you have been running away from God for a long time. And you keep telling yourself things like: God doesn’t really care; I don’t even know if there is a God.  Well let me tell you for sure by someone who has been down the road, there is a God, and He’s faithful, He’ll never leave you, He’ll never forsake you.  All you have to do is give your life to Him.  We’ve all tried giving our lives to ourselves, putting it in our hands, trying to do this, trying to do that, trying to do the other thing.  Going the wrong direction, just like Douglas Corrigan, just like the Prodigal Son, can lead us into all kinds of things that we never dreamed would happen. Most of those things turned to dust eventually.  Most of those things, no I’ll say all of those things have detrimental affect, not only on you, but on others.  But when you turn your life over to God all those things that were detrimental, all those things that clouded your life with doubt, fear and mixed  emotions are lifted.  And what we have is an individual, a group of people, a whole bunch of people that come and say to God, “I need you.”  And God says, “I’ve been waiting for you.  All you had to do was come. And when you come, I’m there for you.  I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.”  And you become this—listen to this as I read it, ”you are a chosen generation, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  Isn’t that wonderful?  For once we’re not a people but now we are the people of God who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.  When you come to God when you place your life in His hands, everything changes.

     Some of you may be in a very dark place right now.  You’re looking at the world, you’re unemployed, maybe you have family members who have disowned you for whatever reason, maybe you just feel like there is nothing in the world that you can do that’s going to turn out right.  Well guess what!  God says different!  God has a plan for your life.  God wants to make you whole again. God wants to turn you from what you are right now into someone that is marvelous.  You are a chosen generation, a Royal Priesthood, a holy Nation, His own special people and He has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.   That’s who you are as a believer in Jesus Christ.   It only takes a second to say Yes to Him.  Going the wrong way is never a good option.  Going the right way will turn out so beautifully and so wonderfully that you’ll never believe that you went the wrong way in the first place.  God is always there, and He wants you to come back to Him. 
     Thank you for listening this morning.  I pray that you receive a blessing and that God will be a part of your life from now until Jesus comes again.  Thank you.  Let’s have a word of prayer.
“Father God, doing this every Sunday morning, is a blessing for me.  And I pray for all the people that are tuning in today will also share in that blessing.  All they have to do is trust in you, and wonderful things will begin to happen.   We lift this day to you and ask that the blessing you have for each person tuning in this morning will be multiplied again, and again, and again as they see what you’re capable of doing in a heart and a life that’s turned over to you. We praise you thank you in Jesus’ matchless name.  Amen.

SUNDAY SERMON 4/19/2020

SUNDAY SERMON

4/19/2020

Good morning.  This is Pastor Rod from Hilltop Chapel in Miramonte, CA.  We welcome you in the name of Jesus and we pray that you will have a blessing as we go forward this morning.  Let’s pray.  Father we just ask that you bless our time here today.  Father we know that we are in your hands.  We ask that your will be done this day, in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Open your Bibles and read 1 Peter 12:1-12.

SERMON:  In the years between Matthew and Revelation most of the 
Disciples  of Jesus had, in one way or another, been martyred. I just read a short but powerful article by Ann Graham Lotts in Decision Magazine which I found exciting and challenging.  I will be quoting her frequently, so you may want to read the article in May Decision Magazine so you don’t miss anything.

Many have read traditional literature that attest to the belief that Peter was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Savior.  But the rest of the disciples met their fates in a variety of horrible ways.  I will give you a few examples here this morning, but if you want the full list check our Ann’s article.  Phillip was tied to a pilar and stoned to death; Matthew was nailed to the ground with spikes and beheaded; James, Jesus’ half brother was pushed from the top of a building, then his broken body was beaten to death.  As you can see the penalty of being a follower of Jesus was heavy indeed.  And these were the leaders of the movement that gained traction shortly after Jesus’ death. There were many others that followed in their steps, whose names we don’t even know who met similar deaths for the same reason.

What was it about Jesus that made people want to follow Him so fervently and others to do everything on their power to stop Him?  Lots of people have left indelible marks on history, some good, some bad, but know Np one has ever made the major imprint on history left by Jesus Christ.  Multitudes of people have given their lives for the cause of Christ, but why?  

Look at history’s greatest leaders; Nebecudnezzar, Sirus, Darius, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Charlamaine, Napoleon, Churchill, Roosevelt,  they all have one thing in common:  they lived, they made their mark and then they died.  Only Jesus Christ lived, made His mark, died then rose again.  Last week we celebrated His death, burial and Resurrection.  The Bible says, “But now Christ has risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20). The reasons His enemies crucified Him in the first place is that He was a great threat to them, and their precious positions of power, even under Roman Rule, that He overcame death by rising from His tomb was totally intolerable to them.  His followers had to be destroyed also, that the word of His ressurection would not spread beyond Jerusalem.  But spread it did.  And as Peter was writing this Apistle to the body of believers abroad, the Gospel of Jesus was already literally spreading around the known world impacting untold numbers of people in the process.  No one else in the history of mankind has ever affected the hearts and lives of more people, nor will there ever be such a person.  Jesus said. “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). 

There is no doubt that we are watching a world in deep turmoil and there is no telling what the outcome of our present predicament will be.   But God’s Word is very explicit that things we are watching unfold are precursors to what is described as the beginning the “The End”.  Think about that, the beginning of The End.  The Apostle Paul said that Jesus’ return was imminent.  That was 2000 years ago, and we’re still here.  But there is something About ‘this time”, and ‘this place”, and what is going on in the world today that is totally different.  We have watched the world’s economy nearly collapse.  We have watched millions of people have their lives shaken to the core.  Many people are sitting at home, maybe some of you this morning out of a job, and don’t know when that job is coming back.  But even though it’s scary, is it what is called the “beginning of the end”?  Should we be worried? Any sane person might be more than concerned  about the events unfolding before us.  

Is there a solution?  Oh Yes! there is,  it all depends on where you are looking for your answers.  The most famous verse of the Bible, John 3:16 is followed  by an almost equally important verse which says, “For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17). Our world today needs saving, and only Jesus can do that.  Only Jesus can make the difference in a person’s life, so profound, that when it happens everything changes.  You are changed from the inside out and given a new life.  And if you know Jesus this morning, you have an obligation, our world today needs saving and only Jesus can do that.  He has enlisted our help in that effort.  So if you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you’re on the team.  It’s not a question of whether you made the team,  you are on the team the moment you accepted Jesus into your life.  The question is, are you willing to play the position He has placed you in?  Without looking back, but looking to the Cross.  Jesus paid it all for you and for me right there on the Cross of Calvary.  Will we give whatever it takes to bring others to Him before it’s too late?  And that’s the real question here this morning.  Some of you that are watching, this might sound Greek to you, you never heard this before.  Some of you have been Christians for a long time and you know exactly what I’m talking about.  The issue is, are we willing as Christians, knowing what we know of the Bible, to go out and make a difference in a world that is in turmoil.  God has given us the truth,  We have been set free by the truth. Are we willing to tell others the truth that will set them free too?  Jesus is coming.  The world is getting closer and closer to the end.  We all know it and we all are cognizant of what we are seeing today.

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.  We only know that God has given us today.  There are certain people in this word that may not be here tomorrow, that’s a fact.  
What are we doing for those people?  What are we giving them that they are not getting from our news, from our blogs, from all the things that we are hearing from the government and the reporters.  All those things sound like we are in desperation time. And, because what we know of the world, it is desperate time, and  we have to do something about it.  And God calls us to the one thing that we can do, tell others about the good news of the Gospel of 
Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, just like you, just like me.  And all you have to do is welcome Him into your heart and life and everything will change.  But for those of us who are Christians our job is very clear, tell others before it’s too late.    

I just pray that God’s richest blessings would be yours as we close this service today.  I don’t know what this week is going to bring, but I do know the one that knows exactly what is going to happen this week, and what’s going to happen in your life this week, and He wants to be your Savior and Lord. All you have to do is say “Yes Lord. I want you in my life.”  And He will come.  Let’s close with a word of prayer.
“Our Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day.  We thank you for your blessings to us, and we thank you Lord, that no matter  what is going on in the world you have overcome the world.  There is nothing that the world can do that can shape us, or change us, we are your people, called by your name.  Called out of darkness into your marvelous light. And you have given us life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord.  May that be our prayer, may that be our plea this morning, that many more will come to know Christ, and to know Christ is to know life eternal.  We praise you and thank you in His precious Name.  Amen.

We thank you for being with us this morning, we pray that you received a blessing.

EASTER SUNDAY SERMON

4/12/2020

    Good Morning.  I’m Pastor Rod from Hilltop Chapel in Miramonte, CA.  We would like to welcome you here on this Easter Sunday.  I’d like to share with you now a couple of verses of scripture and then give you the reason why we are here this morning.  As we begin our sermon this morning, I would like to start with a word of prayer “Father we thank you for this day and thank you for bringing us here for your purpose.  Help us to always realize that everything that is swirling around us, all the things that we see and hear are part of a plan, a perfect plan given by you from the foundations of the world.  Nothing changes in that plan, Father, because you are the same yesterday, today and forever and you will bring it about according to your will and your purpose.  We’ll praise you and thank you for your Word, we ask that it will be a blessing to our hearts and our lives this morning.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

     Most of you already know John 3:16 and because of that I’m going to quote it for memory.  If you know it. Please say it with me.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Now if you would open your Bibles and read Matthew 28:1-10. 

     SERMON:  Powerful words!  Our risen Savior came to earth for one reason, because God who loves us sent Jesus into the world to save us.  Have you ever given it much thought why you get up early on Easter Sunday morning and go to an outdoors, usually in cold weather, and recognize Christ’s resurrection; watch the sun rise and then you go home.  Because of the circumstance of the Coronavirus, you may be watching us at 6:30am or 2:00pm this afternoon. Obviously things are quite a bit different in our surroundings.  I’m standing here with less than 10 people, actually just 5, all spaced exactly 6 ft. apart, doing our best to replicate a 6:30am Easter Sunrise Service from our Sanctuary.  We have hand sanitizer at the ready along with face masks as needed.  Even though the world has changed greatly over the past few months, the Bible tells us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8).  Knowing that we take comfort in the fact it also tells that He will never leave us or forsake us, especially in tough times.  

     That morning, the first day of the week in Jerusalem, there was an eyrie silence as the citizens of the city awoke.  The Passover feast was marred by the strange and violent events leading up to it and there was a restless spirit even now as people tried to make sense of what they had seen.  The women, described in our text today, had a singular mission in mind when they left their homes that morning.  And that was to anoint Jesus with spices for a proper burial.  A great earthquake the subsequent appearance changed everything.  Verse 4 is telling us here that the soldiers guarding the tomb were so frightened that they fell on the ground like they were dead.  It’s amazing to think that it’s something that you never see from the battle-hardened veterans.  Verses 5 and 6 gives a clear explanation of the overnight events and leave no doubt as to Christ’s resurrection.  Listen carefully as I read these verses again.  “And the Angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid because I know you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has Risen as he said.”

     Our whole existence as Christians hangs on those words, “He has Risen, as He said.” If Jesus had died on that cruel cross, then taken down and buried, and never overcome death by rising again, then as the Apostle Paul said, “Now as Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ has not risen,  And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith also is empty.  Yes and we are found to be false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise.  For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.  And also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished, if only in this life we have hope in Christ we are all men the most pitiable.

    But the good, no Great news is that Christ did rise from the dead, and you, wherever you are watching or listening this morning have the absolute assurance that Christ did rise from the dead. And this is where the first verse that we read this morning comes into play. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  What an amazing thing that is, folks.  As we look at the world we live in today, and we look at all the things that are going on around us, to know that Jesus Christ came into the world to do that one glorious thing, to save us from our sins.  We, all the people, are most blessed, we are not pitiable, we are not down trodden, we are not disposed to fear, we are God’s children, called by His name, we have been called out of darkness into HIs marvelous light.  And Jesus will reign supreme very soon, here on this earth for a thousand years, and then we get the great privilege moving on from here into eternity forever.

     I don’t know where you stand with the Lord this morning, I don’t know how your life is unfolding this day.  But I do know that the Risen Savior is the one you need, no matter where you are today, no matter what your situation in life is today, you need Jesus. You need Jesus because He is the one who gives everlasting  life.  There may be those who express it more eloquently, but take it from a plain old country preacher, there is nothing more that you need to know;  that God loves you so much that He gave his most precious one in His entire universe, the one who created all things, and purchased your life and my life and gives us a equal share of His inheritance  for eternity.

     Think about that as you ponder what to do with Jesus this morning.  We have a great opportunity here because even though our Sanctuary is empty, there is no one standing  out in the parking lot this morning listening to this sermon.  I may be meeting a lot of you for the first time, you’ve never tuned into one of our broadcasts, that’s because we haven’t been doing it very long.  But God has given us an appointment together here this morning to ponder what we need to do with Jesus, because that is the eternal question.  What are you going to do with Jesus?  How are you going to spend eternity?  You either spend it with Him, or you spend it without Him.  Eternity is going to go on and you are going to either be eternally with Him, or eternally separated from Him. Those are the only two choices that any of us has.  So as you consider Christ’s death on cross at Calvary; consider His resurrection three days later; consider God’s offer of forgiveness of your sins and eternal life, there is only one thing required of you.  Just one thing.  You must accept His offer, it’s all free for the asking.  But you have to ask Him for forgiveness of your sin and then invite Him into your life.  It’s a simple proposition, one that is hard to refuse.  There are n other options that are viable.  God knows it, I know it, and you deep down in your heart know it too.  

     I have the very rare privilege of asking you to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.  I am going to give you a moment to think, then we’re going to pray, and for those of you who would like to invite Jesus into your life today, we are going to pray a prayer that you can say with me or modify it any way that you would like, but the prayer is always the same.

    Let’s pray. “Father God, for this day, for this Resurrection Sunday, there may be someone listening to this message this morning that’s longing for a change, that wants to have peace in their heart, and joy in their life and a new beginning. And this is the perfect day to do it Lord.  My prayer is that whoever that person is that they will say this simple prayer and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord this day.”  So if you would like to repeat after me, please do.  “Dear Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I know that only You can save me.  I ask you to save me from my sin right now.  I ask You to be in my life and take charge of it and make a new person out of me.  Old things are passed away, behold all things have become new in Christ Jesus.  I praise you and thank you now.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

     If you have made that commitment this morning and you would like to talk further about it just send me a note with your phone number or mailing address and I will be glad to to that.  You can do that at: Pastor Rod Davison, Hilltop Chapel, P. O. Box 14, Miramonte, CA 93641.  Thank you so very much for being with us here this morning,  and we hope it was a blessing to you.

Good Friday Sermon 4/11/2020

GOOD FRIDAY SERMON

4/11/2020

     This is Pastor Rod at Hilltop Chapel in Miramonte, CA.  We welcome you here tonight.  I would like to open in prayer.  “Father, we just thank you that you are giving us direction tonight.  We pray that your Word goes forth with might and power and that hearts and lives might be changed this very evening.  We praise you and thank you now in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

     Please turn in your Bibles and read Luke 23:32-43.

     Sermon:  When two people differ on a subject, many times the discussion becomes heated.  Imagine two baseball fans arguing about the best player of all time.  Let’s say one of the combatants is a diehard Dodgers fan and the other a diehard Giants fan.  The Dodgers advocate submits the name Jackie Robinson, who changed the face of baseball by becoming the first African American to put on a major league uniform.  His talent was world-class and played the game with grace and class, and he led the Dodgers to their first World Series Championship in 1955.  His companion, Willie Mays, a Giant, was arguably the greatest all-around baseball player ever.  He played in 24 All-Star games, was the MVP player in the National League twice, hit 660 home runs and was a fantastic fielder earning 12 Gold Glove Awards.  He was also the starring member of the 1954 Giants team that beat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.  It is hard to change the mind of either of these two fans.  They will always insist that their guy is the best ever.

     It’s much the same when you think about Jesus and His effect on the world.  The difference is the magnitude of what Jesus did and how He did it and His effect on the world.  Consider, as good as Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays were, that what they did was a small stage that they played on when considering the entire universe.  The Bible tells us that Jesus was the creator of everything, and we are always aware of the billions of galaxies which surround our own Milky Way and beyond.  And if that wasn’t enough, when sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, He provided a way for us to have a restored relationship with God the Father Himself and God the Holy Spirit, by sacrificing His own Body, which is why we are here tonight.

     Good Friday was not good for Jesus in any sense of the word.  In the midst of His anguish, suffering and dying, He ushered in the only way we could be reconciled unto God and even into a better relationship with Him that Adam and Eve enjoyed before the Fall.

     Two thieves who hung on either side of Jesus were worlds apart from the Savior.  Yet their circumstance at that moment was exactly the same physically.  But they, at first, went right along with those who were cheering His crucifixion and ridiculed and mocked Him.  But as the day wore on one thief began to have second thoughts.  While his companion turned away into the darkness of eternity separated from God, this man exhibited a blueprint of salvation.  He recognized he was a sinner.  He was cognizant that he deserved to die.  He asked for forgiveness.  He was on the cross bound for death and he had run out of options.  He turned to Jesus and asked to be remembered when Jesus came into His Kingdom.  At that moment he was saved from destruction.  As the Apostle Paul said, he became a new creation, the old things had passed away and all things had become new.

     As we consider the cross, as we consider what Jesus did for each one of us, it’s important to realize that our lives are, and always have been in His hands.  It’s also important to realize that the only thing that we can give Him is our love.  That’s what He asks for.  He asks for our love and he asks that we seek forgiveness for our sins.  And through that mere token, He gives us eternal life.  He gives us forgiveness from sins, and He gives the opportunity to be with Him forever in eternity.

     I think that if we pick one day out of the yer, to revere, to think in terms of what it means to us, it would be Good Friday.  Yes, the resurrection was an amazing part of our history, but the suffering that Jesus did for each one of us on the cross of Calvary cannot ever be underestimated.  We have to realize how wonderful Jesus was, is and always will be.

     As we conclude our service tonight, we are going to have communion.  If you have some juice and a cracker or piece of bread, would you be willing to go with me for a few minutes and celebrate what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary.  Let’s have a word of prayer.

     “Father God, we thank you that we can always come into your presence.  That we always have an open door into the throne of Heaven through our prayers and through what Jesus did on the Cross of Calvary for each one of us.  Help us celebrate His life tonight and help us to remember always His suffering and death for each one of us.  We praise you and thank you in His precious name asking your blessing as we partake of the Communion.  

Amen.”  The Apostle Paul gives us instruction on how we are to come to the Communion table.  Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-28 in your Bibles to help us get into that attitude of worship and feeling His presence.  (At this time get your juice and bread,)  Jesus said, “This is my body given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me. (Take bread).  And the Bible says in the same manner He took the cup and said, “This is my blood shed for the remission of sins.  Do this in remembrance of me. (Take juice).  The the Bible says they sang a song and went out.

     Thank you for being here tonight, we pray that it has been a blessing for you.  I would just like to remember all those who are fighting for so many lives because of the Coronavirus that we are all thinking about.  I think it would be wise tonight for us to take a moment and give God honor and glory in spite of all the things that are going on, and lift up those brave people in prayer.  Let’s pray.

     “Our gracious Heavenly Father, as we come to the close of this service, we thank you for your grace, your love and your mercy to us, and we thank you Father in spite of all the things swirling around us in the world today, You are always there.  We lift up those who are giving of themselves, their time, their effort and their strength and even risking their lives, Father, to help others who are in great need.  So, we lift up our first responders, our ambulance personnel, our firefighters and police officers, our emergency room workers, doctors and nurses, each one is precious in your sight.  They are doing your work right now.  We ask your blessings upon them, their families, and we ask your blessing on everyone who is in need tonight, wherever they are, whatever the need may be.  We pray that You meet that need according to your riches in Glory in Christ Jesus.  We thank you now and give you all the Praise, Honor, and Glory, in His precious name.  Amen.”

Palm Sunday Sermon Notes

HILLTOP CHAPEL

PALM SUNDAY SERMON

3/5/2020

     Good morning.  This is Pastor Rod from Hilltop Chapel here in Miramonte, CA.  We are here to praise the Lord this morning and wish you a Happy Palm Sunday.  I would like to share with you God’s Word this morning.  Please open your Bibles and read Luke 19:28-40, our sermon this morning will be taken from those passages.  Jesus is giving us a picture how the entry into Jerusalem came about that particular day.  Let’s have a word of prayer before we begin. “Father we just ask that you bless our time together.  Bless your Word to our hearts and our lives.  May we be used by you in a powerful way this day to present the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In His name we ask it.  Amen. 

     I would like to share a little something that I read about 3 years ago in the Daily Bread devotional, so a lot of my sermon will be on this topic.  The topic for this morning is “Finding the Way Home.”  The majority of you will not recognize the name Lou Wallace until I connect him with another name Ben Hur, a novel that he wrote.  These are other things he accomplished in his life.  Mr. Wallace was a Major General under Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War; he was an attorney; he was the first Governor of the New Mexico territory and U.S. Minister or Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.  He retired to his home in Indiana where he authored many books and articles until his death in 1905.  Ben Hur was written in 1880 and has been in continuous print since that date.  It is still considered the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century.  Many of you have probably read the book or see the movie starring Charleston Heston many years ago.  It’s worth your time if your haven’t seen it to get the DVD or watch it any way you can.  But, what I would like you to see this morning is the amazing transformational power of the truth of God’s Word.  Lou Wallace was a nominal, that means in name only, Christian until meeting an agnostic on the train one day.  They discussed the merits and demerits of Christianity and Wallace left the train realizing how little he knew about his supposed religious beliefs.  As he researched the Bible for his novel, he was led to beyond unmistakable evidence, not only the existence of Jesus Christ, but also his deity, power and ability to save Lou Wallace from his sin.  Amy Lifson writing in Humanities magazine said that the writing of the book transformed the life of the author.  As Ben Hur guides readers through the scenes of the  Passion of the Christ, so did he lead the way for Lou Wallace to believe in Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord.  Wallace said, “I saw him perform works which no mere man can perform.”  And that’s the same story today, folks, it has not changed in 2000 years of history and it never will. Picture this, Jesus rode into Jerusalem being declared the King of the Jews, and four days later he was arrested and proclaimed a blasphemer.  By the following Sunday Jesus had been scourged twice, judged, paraded through the streets dragging the cross upon which he would die, had spikes driven through his hands and feet and finally died a horribly painful death.  And we were the reason for that.  Jesus did all those things I just described to you to give each one of us the opportunity, not only to escape eternal separation from God, but to make it possible for us to receive forgiveness of sin and spend eternity in His presence in a place too glorious to imagine.

     So, whatever your belief is today you will have to, one day soon, give an account to God, not only what you believe in but also your commitment to serve Him.  And I thought, as I was preparing the sermon this morning, and trying to realize what people feel like on Sunday, week after week, that there are so many things that we are confronted with this Palm Sunday that we never faced before, and so many restrictions of what we are doing as we are here this morning standing in front of 4 people that are helping to put this together for you , and the rest of the church is empty; and we are 6 ft apart by the way.  We have a lot of rules and regulations that we’re having to live with because of the Coronavirus, but God’s truth never changes, no matter what is going on in the world.  God knew we were going to be faced with this virus before the foundation of the world and all the things that have transpired since we started down this road, and have just convinced me more and more that we are living very much in what the Bible calls The Time of the End. And because of that we have to think of things a different way than we thought of them a week, a month, a year ago, and concentrate on what is actually happening.  There are things going on now that we don’t completely understand.  We as Americans have never been faced  with being shut in our homes and not being able to go out whenever we feel like it, or do what we want to do; go grocery shopping, go shopping for items we cannot even get into stores for now. So, a lot of things have changed.  But God never changes.  The Bible says God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and because of that we can put our faith in Him and know that He will get us through this difficult time.

    There might be a lot of you that are listening to this today, watching me do this, that have never really considered what the End of Time would be like.  The Bible says there will be plagues, pestilence, and there will be earthquakes in various different areas that we have never seen before.  All these things are happening today in our lifetime.  And Jesus said that when you see these things taking place, know that I am coming.  Are we ready for Jesus to come on this Palm Sunday, or this day of Hosanna, on this day of praising Him as He truly is, the King of King’s and Lord of Lord’s?  Do we take into consideration what it might be like if, all of a sudden, a billion people disappeared?  What it would be like if the End Times do appear before our very eyes?  You ought to be ready, to know beyond a shadow of a doubt where this life takes you next.  And the only way to be sure of that is have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  I thought about how worthy am I to be even considered by God. I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of.  They are in my distant past, as someone might say, in the rear-view mirror, but Satan doesn’t mind bringing those up every once in a while, running me through the ringer again.  But I am positive, absolutely positive that my life is in God’s hands today and I know that whatever tomorrow brings He’s going to take care of that too, and he’s going to take care of me throughout eternity.

     I’m so blessed to have so many wonderful people to work with.  I’m so blessed to have a wonderful church to be a part of.  But the most important lesson that I have is that, as unworthy as I have been in my life, that one single moment of accepting Jesus as my Savior and Lord has changed everything.  Those of you that know him as your Savior and Lord know exactly what I am talking about.  Those of you that might not know, be sure this morning.  I can tell you that there is no greater feeling in the world than the feeling that comes to you when you take Jesus into your life and have Him take charge.  My prayer for everybody here, whoever is watching this morning, on this website, listening on the phone, however you are hearing this today, that God will just touch your heart and show you the way home, the way to Him.  My prayer for all of us is that we will just bind ourselves together with Jesus and let Him take us through the difficult times.

     Thank you much.  We thank you for being here today.  Let’s close in prayer. “Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, we thank you for your blessings to us and we thank you for Jesus and for what he was willing to do so that we might have eternity guaranteed with you.  We praise you and thank you and ask that you bless this day and everybody that is with us this morning.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

HILLTOP CHAPEL NEWSLETTER April 2020

HILLTOP CHAPEL NEWSLETTER

April 2020

“IT IS FINISHED”

     As is the yearly tradition throughout the “Christian” world, believers gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.  All the crass commercialism (the Easter bunny, colored eggs and jelly beans) aside, this is a glorious time for those who truly understand the Easter message.  There are, however, many well-intentioned  people who have no idea what Easter truly means or how vital it is to their eternal survival.

     It all starts, but does not end, with the cross of Calvary.  When Adam and Eve sinned, a plan was already in place to deal with mankind’s desperate need for salvation from eternal separation from God.  Without Calvary and Christ’s crucifixion there, we would have absolutely no hope for eternal life.  Fellowship with God would be a hopeless dream and confessing our sins would be like talking to a “brick wall”.  And so, the thought came to me that we ought to remember just three words:  “It is finished!”  Why are these words so important?

     Jesus knew the terrible price He would have to pay to redeem us and yet, He went willingly to the Cross.  The intensity of His commitment and desire to do the Father’s will inspires awe in the heart and mind of every true believer today.  Any one of us would have wilted under the extreme pressure and anguish of that moment.  No mere human can comprehend the awful nature of the demand that required His sacrifice.

     It was not the torture He would endure nor even death that drove the Savior to His knees.  It was the realization that, even for a short time, He would be totally separated from His Father.  The loss of that sweet fellowship was almost too unbearable to imagine.  Christ’s relationship with God the Father had never been broken in all of eternity past and never would be again.  How sad the prospect must have been for Him.

     That is why “it is finished” is so powerful.  Jesus knew that, when the atonement was completed, He would once more be with His Father, as One.  Not only was the “veil torn in two” (Matthew 27:51), death conquered (Hebrews 2:14-15), and access to God given (Ephesians 3:8-12), but Christ is, once more, “seated at the right hand of God the Father...”(Hebrews 10:12).  No one sits down in the presence of God, except God.  Jesus is back in His rightful position and we will, one day soon, reign with Him. (Romans 5:17; 8:17 & Revelation 1:6).

     Jesus paid it all on Calvary.  His enemies thought they had defeated Him and that they would, now that He was out of the way, be able to destroy or, at the very least, control His followers.  Little did they know what had really transpired that day.  A lowly carpenter from Nazareth had been substituted, by God, for every man, woman and child on Earth.  His work on the cruel cross of Calvary was absolutely sufficient, in the sight of God, to cancel the debt of sin that each one of us owes.  The price was paid, once for all.  Then, God offered you the free gift of eternal life, based on Christ’s sacrifice.  All you have to do is say: “Yes, Lord, I believe, ask you to forgive my sins, and accept You as my Savior.”

     The Easter story is the most.   Glorious when we realize that it can be “our story”.  Everything needed for your eternal salvation has been provided.  “It is finished!” Hallelujah!

“FOR ALL HAVE SINNED”

Romans 3:23

Her face still wore the marks of sin,

So long she’s been its slave.

She heard of Christ and turned to Him

Who all her sins forgave.

In arrogance I turned away

From her who’d been so vile.

So shamefully the enemy

My poor, proud heart beguiled.

Until I thought of her who came

As Jesus sat at meat

In Simon’s house and with her tears

There washed His blessed feet.

And While in scorn His host looked on,

She dried them with her hair.

Could this man know what sort she was—

This sinner kneeling there?

‘Twas then I heard the keen rebuke

And humbly bowed my head;

“Forgiven much, she loveth much”,

The Lord to Simon said.

I saw myself as vile as she

From whom I’d turned aside, 

And prayed that He would take from me

The subtle sin of pride.

                                          ~Zuella Cooke

HILLTOP CORNER

     Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you as things here at Hilltop Chapel have been at a stand-still due to the Covid-19 Virus.  Our Pastor and the Deacon Board are working hard to bring the Morning Worship to you via the internet.  You can follow it on hilltopchapel.org and stay connected to other church members in that way.  We hope to see you all very soon.  We will keep you posted on when we can return to normal services and activities.  The Deacon and Deaconesses are also staying in contact with you by phone during this time.  If you have any questions or concerns, please call the church office at (559)336-2454.  Also, please be in prayer for Lesley, as she has had ear surgery.  Pray for a speedy recovery.

‘MAY IN MIRAMONTE’ - We are still making plans, it may have to be postponed, we will keep you updated on the progress.

**SEQUOIA COMMUNITY CENTER UPDATE**  In accordance with the guidance from CDC and Public Health, we have come to the difficult decision to temporarily suspend programming at the Center.  The situation with Covid-19 is changing rapidly.  Since we are a community made up largely of the “at risk” population, we feel responsible to do our part to ensure the safety and well-being of the community.  Therefore, we have cancelled classes and will postpone upcoming events.  The Board of Directors and volunteers will continue our work behind the scenes to plan and prepare the ongoing development of the center to bring you classes, programs and events.  We look forward to re-opening fully when the situation is clear.  Until then, we wish you all a safe and healthy season.

                                                    -SCC Board of Directors

WE AT HILLTOP CHAPEL WISH YOU A 

HAPPY EASTER!

UPCOMING EVENTS 

     As most of you know by now, we are all supposed to be doing “shelter in place” at this time.  The Coronavirus has everybody in a sense of perplexity & fearful it could hit them.  We at Hilltop Chapel are erring on the side of caution.  With the majority of our congregation over age 60, and quite a few nearing numbers substantially north of that, we take the caution of staying out of large crowds quite seriously.  Our Official Board will be doing a conference call on April 1st to assess our options and discuss our future schedule.  We will keep everyone posted as to how we will proceed in the near and not too distant future.

     Our intention is to continue to use the hilltopchapel.org website for the Sunday Morning Worship Service at 11:00AM.  You can access it simply by going to the website and watching it there or clicking on the link to either FaceBook or YouTube.  You may also call in, Sunday at 11:00AM, to our conference call line at: (425)436-6358 and punch in the access code—895748.  When they answer just give them your name and you’ll be added to the call.  We hope this will help keep us all together until we see each other in person again.

     We will keep you up to date through our Dial-My-Calls announcement line and Prayer Chain Line for updates or prayer requests you may have.  Don’t hesitate to call either the church  office (559) 336-2454 or Pastor Rod’s cell: (559) 280-9278 if you need assistance. Our deacon and deaconesses are also available to meet your needs.  Just call the church office and request them by name and we’ll have them get right back to you.

     We’re doing everything we can to get up and running as soon as it is reasonably possible to do so,  In the meantime, keep praying, studying God’s Word and communicating with each other, on the phone, internet or even “snail mail”.

     It’s still 2 weeks until Easter, so keep praying that God will open a door for us to possibly gather together, at least, for Easter Sunrise Service, if nothing else.  We’ll see what happens!

And remember: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

“My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)