SERMON NOTES 5/31/2020

SERMON NOTES

PENTECOST SUNDAY 5/31/2020

PASTOR ROD DAVISON

     OPENING PRAYER: “Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for bringing us safely here today.Wherever we are this morning I just pray a special blessing to those who are watching today.Father as we start this service help us to give you all the praise, honor and glory.  In Jesus’ sweet name we’ll ask it.  Amen.”

     SERMON:  Our scripture this comes from Acts 1:1-11.  

Before we read God’s Word let’s have a word of prayer. “Our gracious Heavenly Father we ask, that as we come into your presence as we read your Word, we know it’s the truth. We know it’s the truth because you promised.  And as we open your Word, may we find peace, comfort, hope and joy.  In Jesus’ name we’ll ask it.  Amen.” Open your Bibles and read Acts 1:1-11.

     Jesus gave the Apostles and Disciples instructions as to what they were to do after He left.  The Holy Spirit would dwell in each of them and empower them.  Today is Pentecost Sunday, and on this day it was 10 days after Jesus had descended to heaven and 50 days since His Resurrection, hence the name Pentecost.

     How many of your had to wait for something very important to you personally or your family?  Perhaps it was a promotion at work or a new house or car.  Whatever it was the waiting was most likely the hardest part of the whole affair.  I can remember back to a time just before I turned 16, which was a couple of years ago,  I was waiting to get a wonderful little piece of paper called the driver’s permit.  I can remember it was well before Christmas and my grandparents were visiting for the holidays and it had rained then it snowed and then it got icy.  My grandfather asked me to move his car around to the back of the garage.  I jumped at the opportunity, grabbed the keys, got into the car and moved it around the back.  When I neared the garage I applied the breaks, hit a patch of ice, and slipped right into the garage door.  I was maybe doing 5 mph, but enough to do minor damage to the door, damage I could not repair or hide. I knew when my dad found out I was in big trouble, and guess what, he didn’t disappoint. He looked at the garage door and then looked at me and said, “buddy, (and I was not his buddy at that time), that door just cost you 6 months on your license.”  Instead of getting my permit in February on my birthday, I wouldn’t get my permit until June, and he was true to his word.  All of my friends were getting their permits and using them and I was stuck using the only mode of transportation I had...a bicycle.  Very demeaning, very demeaning.  When June finally came I was the first one in line at the DMV office.  The wait was over and I could long last cast off the shackles of immobility.  I think I may have sung the Hallelujah chorus, I can’t remember for sure.  It was a sweet day in the life of yours truly, and I can attest to that very firmly.

     All of that might give you an idea of what it was like in Jesus’ inner circle.  They waited for what He had promised.  The things that He told them about before he left the earth and ascended into heaven.  Don’t forget that they were known to authorities, those who were in charge of the temple, and the folks that were in that group were very, very interested in erasing any vestige of remembrance of Jesus and His claim to the throne of Israel.  They would have gladly have gotten rid of  Peter, James, John, and any of the rest of the followers of Christ.  It was a time of great fear, anxiety and waiting for the next foot to fall.  They heard what Jesus said about receiving power, but they didn’t quite comprehend how it would manifest itself and what good they would derive from it.  So, as the days dragged on, they became more and more anxious and perplexed.  And finally on the tenth day after Jesus was caught up into Heaven things  started to happening in a great hurry.  So we have to picture what it must have been like in that upper room as they waited and  what it must have been like as God the Holy Spirit began to come among them. So I want to take us now a little further down the line. (read Acts 2:1-18). Now picture this if you will, here are these people waiting and waiting and waiting and praying to the Lord to show them what was going to happen.  And all of a sudden, it begins to happen. The thing that amazed these people, was not only that the Galileans were speaking, and they were seeing all these things taking place, but they were hearing all these men speaking in their own language.  Peter would stand up and speak, he gave a wonderful sermon on that day, but he was speaking Galilean which was a very small place within Israel that spoke a particular dialect.  So as they were speaking all these people from all over the world that had come for this festival of Pentecost were hearing him speaking in their particular language.  Now think about this,  they have people coming from all over the world coming for this and they were listening to the Word o God being spoken by people speaking one language and they are alll hearing it in their own language.  That must have blown them away.  I am sure that if we were there and they were speaking English we would have been amazed too.  Peter gets up and begins his sermon.  So what were they prophesying?  They were telling about Jesus.  The one who had been crucified, the one who had risen again, and they one who they had been spending the last 40 days with before He rose into heaven.  He was showing them great and wonderful things, and now those things had been passed on to them. Those things they were going to use to turn the world upside down for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It’s amazing to me that  here we are 2000 years later and we are telling the same story, in many different languages, all over the world, and the truth goes out in truth and in Spirit and God is changing lives even in the midst of all the things that are going on in our world today.  People are still coming to the saving  knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Why?  Because God promised.  God said it would happen and it happened, and it’s been happening for the last 2000 years. 

     You and I are in the midst of a world pandemic right now and we are doing things that we never thought we would be doing.  But God has a purpose in all of it and God is bringing people to Him who would not necessarily have heard the Gospel if it weren’t for the things that we are doing right now. Our little town of Miramonte isn’t very big.  And yet we are reaching to places all over the country and even in places around the world and beyond the United States of America.  We praise God for the opportunity to be here with you this morning.  Just like Pentecost,  the Gospel continues to go on.  The Gospel is reaching out to you today.  The Gospel is reaching out to others, maybe family members that you have.  I don’t know where this message will end up.  It’s going to be on our archives for quite a while, but right now in your home today, God is speaking to your heart.  God is bringing the message in a language that you can understand, your heart language and saying to you “Come.  Find peace, find joy, find hope find  something beyond what you have experienced  before, because what I have for you is eternal. It never goes away.  It lasts forever”.  And it’s simply the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.  ”For God so love the world that he gave His only begotten Son the whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) That’s what God offers to each one of us this morning, simply by confessing our sins, asking for forgiveness and welcoming Him into our lives.  I pray that would be your experience today.  And I pray for those of you who already know Jesus that you would be encouraged that God is with you every step of the way.  Whatever you are doing today may God richly bless you. But the most  important thing that you can do, if you haven’t done it yet, is to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.  Our prayer is that you will do that and you will tell others the good news too.  God bless you and have a wonderful day.

SERMON NOTES 5/24/2020

SERMON NOTES

5/24/2020

“WHEN YOU PRAY, GOD LISTENS”

RICK McCOMB

     

Good morning.  I can’t tell you how happy I am to be here today delivering God’s message.  Let us pray:

     “Father God, be with us today as we worship you as we praise you and give you all the glory for things you have dome, past, present and future.  We ask that you bless this simple church in the mountains, it’s congregation, it’s leadership, and all those who work so hard to keep it going.  Please bless the reading of your Word and help us to always spread your Word to others and to implement it in our personal lives.  And Father we would ask you today that you would  bless America through it’s many struggles.  In the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

SERMON:  As we get going today, I would like to share a story with you.  A story of a church in  Las Vegas that my parents attended.  They actually helped build it and raise a big congregation there.  They had many potlucks, they had potlucks all the time it seemed like. My wife Lee nd I would try to go to as many of them as we could to spend time with my mom and dad.    And at one of these potlucks, and it was like a church potluck anywhere, the food was plentiful and delicious, and the dessert table, well, it was plentiful and delicious as well.  And at this one potluck the Pastor got up and he spoke a little bit about blessings and how blessed we were and that we needed to appreciate that in our lives so much.  And then he asked if there were any other people that would like to share their blessings.  And a couple of people got up and shared their blessings.  Then a men in the back of the room held up a Bible.  And he said. “You all know what this is.”  It was a Bible in a camouflaged cover.  A Service Bible that belonged to his nephew who was a young Lieutenant in the Army in charge of a rifle platoon headed for Iraq.   It was tough times and the young Lieutenant knew that when he got there that there would be quite a bit of down time involved and that he would endevour to make the best use of that time he could be reading the Bible.  That was his goal, reading the Bible.  So his time came for them to be deployed and they got to Iraq and were assigned to an outpost in the northern part of Iraq were the fighting was particularly vicious.  And the young lieutenant began reading his Bible.  Every chance he got, when he wasn’t fighting, he was reading, reading that Bible all the time.   Their original deployment was only supposed to last 6 months.  So when 6 months came the orders came for them to be redeployed back to the United States.  And they couldn’t believe it that the  Army could have possibly got this right.  After all it was their chance to go home.  And they went out and celebrated it was just so wonderful, they couldn’t believe it, and they celebrated probably a little too hard, and hurt themselves a little bit.  But, while they were still recovering another set of orders came through cancelling those orders.  Their orders to redeploy back to the United States had been rescinded.  They went from the highest high to the lowest low in just a matter of reading that page.  And the young Lieutenant kept reading his Bible the whole time.  By now he’d become pretty well-known around the outfit as the guy who reads the Bible and there were other people that came to read with him. And they started their own study group and whenever they weren’t fighting they were reading that Bible.  Nine months into their deployment came and again they received orders to redeploy and again they celebrated, however not quite as much as before.  And again those orders we’re rescinded, and they did not get to go home.  And the young Lieutenant kept reading his Bible and kept encouraging those other folks to read and to study the Bible as well.  When it came to one year, they had spent one year in combat orders came like they had seen before to redeploy and they had learned to be cautious, combat had made them very cautious people.  And so they didn’t celebrate this time, they waited for the other foot to fall.  And fall it did.  The orders were again cancelled. This time they didn’t feel that really high-low thing because they kind of settled in with the whole experience.  And the young Lieutenant continued to  read the Bible.  After about 14 months in their combat missions the young Lieutenant finally turned the last page. He had finished reading the Bible.   He closed the book and put it in his ready pack, the pack that they all carry everywhere they go so that he would have it when he needed it.  The rest of the guys in the platoon threw a party for him to celebrate his achievement and he encouraged them to be faithful, to pray, because when you pray God hears you.   And it wasn’t more than 10 days later  that another set of orders fell on their doorstep.  These were orders to redeploy back to the United States.  And being cautious people that they were they did not celebrate.  As a matter of fact they did not celebrate until they got on the plane to go home.  Then they relaxed, they high-fived and they joked.  And it was miraculous.  And another thing that makes this so miraculous was that all of those men in that  platoon that went home were the original men that went to Iraq 14 months earlier.  They all survived, uninjured, unwounded and alive.  Now a lot of people would say that that is a coincidence, but I would say to you that no, that is not a coincidence.  That is God’s hand.  God had his hand on that.  Jesus prayed and interceded and  the Holy Spirit that resided in the heart of the young Lieutenant helped him to pray, helped to  pray and God created a miracle. This miracle was just amazing.  When I heard the story I couldn’t believe it, but I did believe it because God is capable of almost everything in anything.

     Miracles are all around us  all the time.  God creates miracles in our lives every day, every day they are there.  But one thing I’ve noticed that if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and you have not been baptized,  it’s hard for you to see those miracles.  It’s easy for you to write them off as coincidence.  

     I myself have had the fortune of being baptized twice.  The first time I was baptized I was 12 years old.  I wasn’t being baptized because of any religious epiphany or anything like that.  I was being baptized because that was what was expected of me and my family.  However the second time was different.  The second time was just a few years ago at Hume Lake. It was a beautiful day, it was warm the breeze was light, the water was cool, it was just an unbelievable day.  My wife and I were both baptized there together by Pastor Rod and Deacon Bruno.  And as they lowered me down into the water I looked up through the water and I could see that something was changing.  I was aware that something was changing.  And when they raised me out of the water and the water shed from my face, I knew the day was different. I knew what it meant to be saved, and I knew who my Savior was. I just couldn’t hardly believe it, but Christ is there for all of us and I knew how many miracles he had performed in my life, and I knew how many times he had saved me to bring me to that moment, so that I could be saved.  Praise the Lord!

      Speaking of each generations obligations, every generation of soldiers that comes along since our Revolutionary War has had to deal with their own specific challenges.  Every generation has their war, every generation has their strife, their conflict, their necessity to help in emergencies, their natural nature, and it’s a credit to each generation that there are those that hear the call to arms,  that are willing to mount the battlement keep the watch,  keep the watch for all of us, to keep us safe.

     On this Memorial weekend we honor those who have fallen while in service to our armed forces, and we honor those who were left behind.   Those men that fell, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, “May the last full measure of devotion for their country, the last full measure of devotion to their country.”  Please join me in a moment of silence for those soldiers that have given their life, who have perished. (Prayer) All powerful God, we honor today those men and women, our sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers, brothers, sisters and mothers, who have laid down their lives for our country.  Whether they were wary or emboldened, quiet or defiant, vulnerable or ready when you called them home, their sacrifice is too humbling for words except these uttered in prayer.  Loving Lord, bless them forever in your eternal peace.   Cherish their  spirit, honor their commitment and send them our love.  And we will never forget the source, the service they gave.  Amen.  

     Soldiers in prayer often go together.  Tough times in battle bring out prayers for survival and when we pray God listens.  People come to God during hard times.  During the pandemic people have been coming to God in numbers that we have not seen in a long time.  When you pray, God listens.  Praise the Lord!  Prayer can access to God, it can establish that intimate relationship that we both seek.  We need to go to God in private prayer, speak to him as you would a loving, kind, compassionate and patient father.  Tell Him of your challenges, what your needs are, what your wants are and about the general condition of your life.  God wants to hear these things, and God will always listen to your prayers.  God wants to hear how you are.  And God will always grant your prayers but sometimes not in the way you would want, but in His time for His purpose.  Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by  prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.  And the peace which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  

     If sometimes you have difficulty in prayer knowing what your thoughts are but finding it difficult to express those in words remember that God knows what you need and what  you pray for even before you even utter it.  The Holy Spirit that lives in your heart since you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior will always intercede when you have difficulty.  Turn in your Bibles and read Matthew 6:9-13.  Here Jesus is delivering His Sermon on the Mount and His disciples want to pray to God as well and they are having difficulty and are asking Jesus for instruction. And Jesus says, “ that when you pray thou shall not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the synagogue and standing on the corners in the streets that they be seen by others.  Verily I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you pray use not vain repetitions as others do for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking.  Be not like them, for your Father knows what you need before you even ask  Him. And after this manner therefore pray.  And I ask that you  all join me in the Lord’s Prayer.  (Recite the Lord’s Prayer). This simple prayer which came to be known as The Lord’s Prayer was delivered by Jesus to the disciples over 2000 years ago and has often been referred to as the summary of the whole Gospel. It brings about a sense of solidarity in knowing that Christians around the globe are praying this prayer together. And the words in this prayer always work to unite us.  Teach this simple prayer to others, to your children, its encumbered upon us as Christians to pass these things on.  Teach our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren what the Bible is all about.  Teach them who Jesus was, why He died and why He rose to be with us again and why He will come again.  Teach them the stories of the Bible.  Spend time with them in prayer.  Pass along the Truth, the Truth that will set them free.  The Lord’s Prayer could also be looked upon as an outline for prayer.  With 6 simple steps 1) Address God as the rightful place as the Father; 2) worship and praise God for who He is and all that He has done; 3) acknowledge that it is God’s will and plans that are in control and not ours; 4) ask God for what we need; 5) confess our sins and repent; 6) and request protection and help in overcoming sin and Satan’s attacks on us. 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men and that man is Christ Jesus.” Numbers 6:25, “May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.”

     I want to thank you all for being here today.  God Bless America  and God Bless each and every one of you.

SUNDAY SERMON 5/17/2020

SUNDAY SERMON

MAY 17, 2020 

“TIME TO CHOOSE”

Goods morning.  This is pastor Rod Davison from Hilltop Chapel in Miramonte,  CA.  We are delighted to have you with us this morning.  Let’s start our worship this morning with a word of prayer;

    “Our gracious Heavenly Father we thank you for this day.  We thank you for your many blessings to us and we thank you for bringing us all here safely this morning.  We just pray that your will be done in everything we do and say this day. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Open your Bibles and read Joshua 24:1-15.

SERMON: 

    As I read the scripture this morning I was thinking about choosing, and it is time to choose.  It took me back to when I was youngster back in the 1950’s and I was learning baseball.  I am a very big baseball fan, as most of you know. More specifically, a San Francisco Giants fan.  So for you Dodger fans you may silently boo at this time,  But I would like to take you back in time to what we called a pick-up ball game.  The big kids would gather all the kids in the neighborhood and we’d play great baseball.  But first they had to chose sides.  It was a very important and solemn moment in every pick-is game.  They would take a bat, turn the handle end up and each captain would grip the bat and they would go alternately hand-over-hand til they got to the top of the. Handle.  The one that reached the top of the handle first got to choose first.  Which ever captain’s hand that ended up closest to the knob without going over was the one that chose the first person. After all, the fate of the game rested on the ability of the players chosen. As the process began they quickly gobbled up the best players and then the hard labor began.  They couldn’t play without having 7 players on each team, they cheated on that every once in a while when somebody didn’t  show up, but  they were supposed to have 7 players on each team.  So they needed some warm bodies to primarily fetch the balls that were hit over their heads, we didn’t have fences in those days,  and those hits ended up being triples or home runs, especially if it was hit to right field.  Right field was given to worst player on each team.  Not only did you have the shame of being picked last but then you got to run your little legs off chasing balls for two or three hours. How do I know all this valuable information?  For the first few years of by baseball career I was the right fielder.  I take great pride in watching Mike Yastrzemski, the current Giant’s right fielder, although we are not watching him at this point in time.  He’s a fantastic player that would make any former right fielder swell with admiration and pure delight. 

So what does baseball have to do with Joshua who lived over 3500 years ago?  It’s all about choosing sides.  It occurred to me that many times we make choices on what is convenient or expedient.  Rather than any consideration that what may be the long-term effect.  It doesn’t matter how big or small the decision is it still has consequences of some kind.  Small decisions sometimes have the most profound results.

     I’d like you to consider for a couple of minutes the decision that Joshua made as a young man to stay close to Moses and be his helper and confidant.  As one of the 12 valiant men  sent out by Moses to the promised land across the Jordan River, he along with Caleb, came back with the desire to go into the land and claim it for the Lord. The other 10, unfortunately, said no and gave a bad report about giants and a prospect of defeat.  All those who predicted defeat died in the wilderness.  But Joshua entered the promised land and conquered just as God said he would.

     Something came up recently in a poll and it said that 82%  of the people polled said they would go to church if they were asked.  In that same poll only 2% of regular attendees had ever asked anyone to come to church with them.  Think about that, 82% of the people polled would go to church if somebody asked them and only 2% ever asked them.  And granted at this point in time someone might kind of look at you cross-eyed if you invited them to attend church.  Most churches are closed right now.  However, there is nothing stopping you from asking if they would be interested in watching our video presentation at 11:00am every Sunday, or some other church’s video.  I know a lot of churches in our area are producing these videos so that you could have a choice of many that you might be able to watch.  One of the things that we have to decide as Christians is “are we truly going to give God first place?  Are we going to do what he calls us to do?  Are we going to choose to be bold in our witness?” (Please open your Bibles and read II Timothy 1:3-14)

     The important thing that Paul in emphasizing is Timothy, in the scripture, is to keep the faith.  But more than keep the faith, to spread the faith.  We are called to spread the faith.  In other words, he’s simply stating we are to be willing to clearly say “I am a Christian and here’s the reason why.” And why was he telling Timothy to be bold?  What was the reason for that?  I believe that Timothy had become discouraged by something he saw happening in the church  and was loosing his enthusiasm for the challenge of meeting his young congregation.   Maybe with all things going on in the world today you have become a little bit discouraged. Maybe about the roll of the church in the world and wonder how we will be most effective in our witness or our outreach to the communities.

     I’d be less than honest if I said there was a one-size-fits-all answer to the question.  I’m confident, however, that God has not rested or retreated from the battle.  Just like Joshua and Caleb in the Old Testament and Paul and Timothy in the New Testament, God will empower us to do all that He calls us to do in the 21st Century.  We are His people. He has called us by name and we know that His Word tells us that all things work together for good to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose.  We are His people.  We have been called.  The question is always the same, “Are we willing to join the battle He has called us to?”  Whatever the battle plan for wherever you live wait on the Lord for commands.  Then go bravely to the front and give Him your best effort.  He will lift you up, He will sustain you, and He will bring you to the defining  moment of your life.  As the saying goes, “you’re in it to win it.”

     What's the price?  The price is giving our lives to him for however He sees fit to use us.  What’s the prize?  The prize is the Crown of Glory given tho those who stand firm until the end.  We are His people, we are called by His name and He has a purpose for each one of our lives.  It may be different for you than it is for me, it may be different for your than for someone else, but God has a purpose for everybody.  His will is being done even in the midst of this pandemic that we have been going through for the last several months.  We don’t know how it’s going to end, we don’t know when it’s going to end.  But we do know that God is sovereign in every situation.  Nothing escapes His notice and nothing since the beginning of the world has ever happened that has surprised Him. You have to realize that you are working according to His plan, not ours.  Kingdoms rise and fall at the pleasure of God and people and rulers rise and fall at the pleasure of God.  He knows what He’s doing. He’s faithful and He has a reason for us being here this morning.  You and I are here by Divine Appointment.  You are listening to me and watching me right now— I’ll tell you that I am always nervous when I do this, but God has a purpose for it.  He will bring about that which is pleasing in His sight.  We are all called by Him.  Joshua was called by Him 3500 years ago, Paul was called 2000 years ago, Timothy at the same time.  Each one was working ac cording to God’s purpose  and God’s plan for them. 2000 years down the road, here we are, and God has a plan for each one of our lives.  Nobody is immune, we’ve all got a purpose.  And God wants to use us for His honor and glory at this time.  You’re here today because God has called you.  You’re here today listening to me because God has a purpose for your life.  He wants to do something great and wonderful in you and through you so others might know the truth that will set them free too.  We’re all here together, we’re all here for His purpose.   All God wants you to do is to say. “Yes Lord. I’n in, I’m in all the way and I will serve you any way that I possibly can.

     He’s a wonderful God. He’ll never leave us or forsake us and He sent Jesus into the world to die for us.  To give us eternal life.  To give us forgiveness of sins, and all we have to do is ask Him and He will say yes to you.

     I thank you for your time today, I pray that it has been a blessing to you and we are so thankful to be able to come where you are and give you the truth of the Gospel.  Thank you so much.  Let’s have a word of prayer.

     “Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, we thank you for your blessings  and we thank you most of all, Lord, that we are doing something that is pleasing in your sight. Whenever we give out the Gospel, you are pleased.  Help us to give it out in a way that is always pleasing in your sight and brings glory and honor to your name.  We praise you and thank you in Jesus’ precious name.  Amen.

SUNDAY SERMON 5/10/2020

SERMON: “BORN TO LIVE FOR HIM”

MAY 10, 2020, MOTHER’S DAY

     PRAYER: Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you that we can come into your presence any time and know that you hear and answer our prayers.  And our prayer this morning is a simple one, Lord.  We just ask that you would bless all the mothers that are listening this morning and watching us today.  Bless their lives, bless their families, bless their husbands Father.  In all things may you be honored and glorified this day.  We praise you and thank you asking your special blessing on this day.  IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN.  Open your Bibles  and read Proverbs 31:10-12; 25-31.

SERMON:   We are going to take the words of Proverbs this morning and expand on them a little bit as we honor our mother’s today.  The title of my sermon this morning is “Born To Live For Him”.  As far as I can remember, which is a chore for me these days,  I don’t think I’ve had two consecutive opportunities to use articles from Decision Magazine as illustration for my sermons.  But I was really struck by an article by TimTebow’s mom, you might know who TimTebow is, a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, a NFL quarterback, and now a major speaker at conferences; he goes all over the world to tell people about his experiences  and his love Jesus Christ.  But I want to take you back to before TimTebow was born.  This article about his mom, her name is Pam, is really quite amazing.  I want to highlight a few thing about her and they way she has lived her courageous life, and I believe the word courageous doesn’t even begin to cover the fortitude and the perseverance of this wonderful lady.  

I thought it appropriate to use her story this Mother’s Day to reaffirm how God’s love, mercy and grace can transform even the worst situations into someone thing quite beautiful.  Pam was raised by good, but not Christian parents.  One Sunday morning while her dad was playing golf and her mother was sleeping in, she decided all on her own to go to the church down the street from where they lived.  She was 12 years old at the time and she dragged her 8 year old sister with her.  At the end of his sermon the Pastor asked if anyone would like to ask Jesus into their life.   Pam walked down the isle and made the commitment  to God that day.  Her parents wouldn’t allow her to go back to the church, but she never forgot what she’d done.  Years later Pam met the love of her life, BobTebow at the University of Florida.  Bob’s desire was to serve God with all his heart.  Soon they were married and found themselves as missionaries to the Philippines 

Fast forward a few years and after four children were born in thee family, Bob became burdened for the children being lost to abortions in the United States every year.  They decided to have another child and to name him Timmy, which means “Honoring God’ and raise him up to be a preacher.  But she was worried because she had developed a serious illness called “amebic dysentery “.  Immediately there were problems and she was bleeding and was told by her doctor that she needs to abort the baby to save her own life.  Then he told her that the baby was only a mass of fetal tissue, anyhow, so it didn’t matter.  She refused the abortion and prayed.  A few months later, Time Tebow was born, and as they say, ‘the rest is history.’.  

Tim never became a preacher but he has been given a much bigger stage to preach the gospel on.  He became a football player, a Heisman Trophy winner, and an NFL quarterback. He has used that platform to tell others all of the world about Jesus.  Pam says that she knows that the decision not to abort her son was God’s plan. To show the importance of every human life and what He can do if we are willing to let Him take control of our lives, no matter what the situation.  

A virtuous woman, what King Solomon was praising in Proverbs 31, and although our world today is 3000 years removed from when he wrote those words, nothing has changed as far as God is concerned.

There are good moms out there and there are bad ones too.  But I truly believe that the only difference is the love that Jesus places in lives of those who trust Him.  Your child may not be the next TimTebow, he’s doing what God uniquely made him to do, but each individual has been created by God for His purpose.  If you, wherever you are this morning, trust God with your child’s life, there is no telling what amazing things he or she can do through Him, and that life, whether he or she, is able to do in the hearts and lives of others.

I would like to spend a few minutes to talk about something  that’s very near and dear to my heart, and that’s a place down in Fresno California, and it’s called Evangel Home.  The ladies there come from all different walks of life.  Evangel Home is a homeless shelter and so at Evangel Home all kinds of ladies walk through the front door; young ladies, older ladies, rich ladies, poor ladies, they all have needs. Some of these ladies have made the decision to abort children, and they have had to live the their decision over their lifetime, and it’s been difficult to reconcile all of these things and make sense of them.  When they come into Evangel Home they are given the opportunity to see what God can do in their lives.  Evangel Home has a motto that says; “God Leads, People Follow and lives change”.

For me, the important thing to remember always, is that God has a purpose for each and every life.  Just like Tim Tebow.  If his mother would have aborted him, we would have never known what kind of a man he would be. It’s true for the 60, or 70 billion children that have been aborted since Roe V. Wade back in 1973.  My purpose here is not to berate people one to make a challenging statement, my purpose is just to let people understand the truth that will set people free.  And the truth is “That God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son that who so ever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).   Everlasting life begins at inception, begins and ends when God sees fit, and we have to remember that.  That God is sovereign in every situation, especially in the hearts and lives of young people.  PamTebow made a decision when she was 12 years old, to follow Jesus.  And because of that decision many thousands of lives all over the world have been able to hear the gospel through what Pam is doing, she has her own ministry. What her husband is doing, Bob has his own ministry. And what Tim is doing, and the rest of her family. Her whole family is involved, all 5 children, are in some form of ministry.  Because of that many, many lives have been changed.

My parents prayed for me when I was a young man, going very much the wrong way, and 20 years later I walked away from what I was doing wrong and turned my life over to Jesus.  The things that they prayed for came to fruition.  I never thought that I would be a pastor, but here I am this morning preaching to you wherever you are this morning.  God has a purpose for every life.  You mother’s remember that. You are responsible for the lives that you bring into the world.  God wants you to do the very best you can for them.  It’s so important that we realize God’s purpose, God’s meaning for life.  His Word says that He loves us and that He wants the best for us and that He wants us to spend eternity with Him.  That’s all possible because He sent Jesus to die for us.  Especially on this day, especially under the circumstances in which we are living right now, remember that God is still sovereign, God is still Holy and God is always willing to bring you in to His loving arms and caress you, comfort you, strengthen you and give you a hope. A Hope beyond this life, a hope for eternity that never ever passes away.  God Promises, I believe it, and as the saying goes, that settles it!  

If you need Jesus in your life today, just say the simple prayer, “God I am a sinner, I know I need you. I want you to come into my life and take control.”  If you do that, He will do it and He will forgive your sins and give you, in the bargain, eternal life, life forever with Him.

Thank you so much for joining us this morning and we pray that this is a wonderful Mother’s Day for whoever you are, wherever you are.  God Bless You.

SUNDAY SERMON

 MAY 3, 2020 

Good morning.  This is Pastor Rod Davison here at Hilltop Chapel in Miramonte, CA.  We are delighted to have you with us this morning and pray that you will receive a blessing.  Let’s pray. “Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day.we are so pleased to be here this morning and we thank you for the privilege of being here this morning.  We pray Father that all we do and all that we say this day will bring glory and honor to your name.  In Jesus’ precious name we’ll ask it.  Amen.

SERMON: Open your Bibles and read Psalm 131 and 133. I would like to tell you a little bit about what I am going to be talking about this morning, “RESTING IN GOD AND GROWING IN GRACE”.  One of the things that gets  swept under the rug a little bit, many times, is the relationship with God and how we nurture that and how He wants to be approached by us.  Sometimes thoughts expressed in a unique way hit you right between the eyes.  A while ago I read an article and it  occurred to me that simply being around certain people has a profound affect on the way we feel and act.  The story was about a little girl five years old who wouldn’t take a nap until her favorite aunt held her for 5 minutes.  Her request was granted, and she was immediately content and fell sound asleep.  The story reminded me , once again,  how vital it is for us to spend 5, or 10, 15, or even 30 minutes in the arms of our Heavenly Father.  There we find peace and comfort, contentment and a feeling of confidence that no matter what is swirling around us we’re safe and secure. So the next question is, “do you feel secure today?” 

     There re many times when I let my mind wonder and I am not at all at ease with what I see around me.  There’s the constant threat of harm from various outside sources, pandemics like the Coronavirus sweeping the planet, and there’s political upheaval of like to which we have not experienced before in the history of our nation.  Civility is at an all-time low.  We can’t even begin to have a meaningful conversation with someone with whom we differ philosophically, politically or theologically without fear of offending them for life.

     These two short Psalms that we read earlier give us God’s perspective on every situation that brings anxiety into our lives.  Just as the child resting in the arms of one who loves her, is contented, so the soul waiting on the Lord finds rest and contentment  only in Him. Let me read the words again from Psalms 131.  “Lord my heart is not haughty-nor my eyes lofty.  Neither do I concern myself with great matters nor with things too profound for me.  Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weened child with his mother, like a weened child is my soul within me.  O, Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.“

     God’s promises are forever.  God promises to comfort us, to strengthen us, to encourage us, to lift us up and to be there in every situation that perplexes us.  One of my favorite verses of scripture comes from 1 Peter 5:7 and it says’ “Casting all your care upon Him because He cares for you.”  The biggest part of that verse is the last part, “for He cares for you.”  God is always there for you.  God always cares for you.  He never turns His back on you. He is always faithful.  One of the wonderful things about that is it gives a certain amount of perspective on every situation that brings anxiety into our lives.  Just as a child rests in the arms of one who loves her, is contented, so the soul waiting on the Lord finds rest and contentment only in Him.  Along with the verse that I read to you we find other references in God’s Word  of His constant love and care for us.  One of the most important ones is found in Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you or forsake you.”   God promises that throughout His Word. And He never goes back on His Word.  God has created for us fellowship with Him and provides all that we need to cultivate that relationship.  But then He takes it one step further.  He provides other people that sweeten the mix even more.  What a joy it is to have fellowship with those who are one with in Christ Jesus.  It’s a little more difficult right now to have that one-on-one relationship, Rick talks about this every week in the announcements, about being close to those who are close to you, your family, your friends.  Be in contact.  Stay close.  We have marvelous ways of staying in contact these days.  We have Zoom, we have Skype.  We have all kinds of different ways  we cannot only talk to each other but actually see each other while we are talking. It’s good to get on one of those and just pray with each other. And know that God is hearing your prayer and putting  you together with that person who have a special bond with.

We are here today because of God and His infinite love, grace and mercy has called us, ( I. Use this verse very often) “He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” It goes on to say, “for once we were not a people, but are now a people of God.”  So we share the love of God as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, not only among ourselves, but with others of who we may come in contact with as we walk in this world.  

     So how does our being together now, here, no matter where you happen to be, fit with God’s sovereign plan for the universe?  Well, in my humble opinion, there is 7 billion people walking on the earth today and each of those individuals has a common need.  And that common need is a Savior.  And we know that Savior to be Jesus Christ.  We are all, I’m pretty sure, that we are living in a tine that the Bible describes as the “Last Days” or the “Time of the End”.  That being the case, Jesus tells us, “now when you see these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

Our fellowship here today as Christians, acts as a beacon of light in a dark world.  We gain all the benefits of ones held close by a loving Heavenly Father, and a glimpse of what it will be like when we break the bonds of earth and walk the streets of gold with our Savior.  We don’t know exactly when that’s going to happen, but we can sure tell the signs of the times.  

     The pandemic that we are living through right now is unpresidential in the way that it has affected everything on earth, from shore-to shore in the United States, across the Atlantic  Ocean to Europe and beyond, to the Middle East and beyond that to India and China and Japan and the rest of the world.  It’s affecting everybody. And because of that our focus has to be on the one who has the answers.  And the only One who has the answers is God.  Men and women are grasping at straws trying to figure out what to do with this virus.  And yet we know that God has the answer.  That God is providing a way for each one of us to get that answer.  This life, no matter how you leave it, is passing away.  And because of that we need to be sure of what’s going to happen when we leave.  Those of us that know Christ as our Savior and Lord are confident, well prepared and ready for whatever comes next because we know that we in His hands and He will safely lead us where He wants us to go. 

My prayer for everybody out there this morning and among those who are sitting here today is always the same prayer, that you would find peace with God through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, and hopefully yours.  That you would embrace Him and allow Him to lead you where He wants you to go.  We don’t Know where the world is going to go, but we do know the one who knows exactly where we’re going.  And my prayer for everybody  listening to me and watching this morning is that you will have peace with God and that you will have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Thanks so much for being here this morning.

HILLTOP CHAPEL

 MAY NEWSLETTER

IT’S HIGH TIME

     

     Some wise person once said, “if it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, and if it quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”  Accepting the obvious as the correct conclusion seems to be a “no brainer”.  There are, however, people in our world today, who can come to the weirdest conclusions from a host of evidence pointing in an entirely different direction.  This, I think, is the most dangerous and alarming consequence of the ‘dumb down” of America.  No this is not going to be a political diatribe, although that might be a novel twist.  It is, however, high time we be completely aware of where we are and realize just how close we are to the “day of the Lord”.

     The time is coming, I believe, very quickly, when we, those who know Christ as our Savior, will be caught-up (i.e. raptured) from this earth.  There is no doubt in my mind that this event will be the catalyst that ushers in the Great Tribulation.  Whenever one treads on this ground, it gets a little shaky.  The vast majority of folks are not too interested in scary prophesy, but it needs to be addressed in light of what’ going on in our world today.

     If you haven’t noticed, the rest of the world (the Middle East, Asia, Africa) is on fire.  Wars and rumors of wars which Jesus talked about in Matthew 24 & Luke 21, abound no matter where you look and we can’t ignore the vast changes that are occuring right here at home.  Nothing seems “fixable” and the present and future events will, more than likely, progress downward.  Serious pundits, critics, bloggers and op-ed writers, point to an ever-increasing tide of bad news from every corner of the globe.  Their columns are filled with tales of gloom and doom from which there seems to be no relief.

     And now, we have the Coronavirus thrown in to muddy up the works even more.  This particular “pandemic” has taken the global economy right down into the depths of mayhem and chaos, unlike anything we’ve seen since the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent “great depression” of the 1930’s.  People are frightened and despairing about where it could all end up.

     I know that many of you look forward to this monthly article (because you’d been kind enough to tell me so) for a few laughs, some nostalgia and encouragement from God’s word.  Well, I’ll do my best not to let you down this time, either.  It may take a while, but we’ll get there!

     What is the upshot of what we’ve been seeing lately?  While it looks like everything is falling apart, the truth is that it’s actually working out according to God’s plan.  Jesus tells us, in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”  If we take Jesus’ words to be accurate (and there’s no doubt about that), then we must also conclude that God will bring about all things according to His sovereign purpose. Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that God, unlike the rest of us, knows exactly what  He’s doing and will fulfill all prophesy in the way He has promised.  He will not deviate!
     The question becomes, what are we going to do in the meantime?  Do we live as if nothing is going to change (this is just another cycle)?  Do we bury our heads in the sand and say, “I can’t think about that now?” Or, do we get to work fulfilling the original charter of the true Church. What is that?  Again, in Mark 16:15-16, we are given words of instruction and admonition:  And He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  That’s our marching orders.  The rest of the world goes into battle with rifles, machine guns, cannons, tanks, jets, missiles, and bombs.  We take the Word of God.
     I find, as I talk with many Christians, there is a certain reluctance to speak with others about Jesus.  Fear of rejection, harassment, ridicule or hatred, fill the bill of objections these folks have against taking a stand for Christ.  When will we get it?  What we have, as Christians, is what the whole world needs!
     If you had the cure or cancer, wouldn’t you be overjoyed to give it to as many people as you could?  How about heart disease or paralysis?  You wouldn’t stand idly by and watch people die if you could do something about it, would you?  Of course not!  Then, knowing that there will be an end to everything we see and experience here on Earth, what stops us from spreading the life giving truth of the Gospel?  The answer is, nothing.  God’s word commands it.  The plan can’t be any more clearly defined.  Everything we need He provides.  We truly are running out of time.  Let’s go doi!                    -Pastor Rod

HILLTOP CORNER 

‘May In Miramonte’ has been cancelled this year.  We will be continuing to have planning meetings throughout the year, so look for a great ‘May In Miramonte’ in May 2021!

MISSION MOMENT 

     Evangel Home has been ministering to homeless women and children since 1955.  They have a unique ability to impact those who have reached the end of their rope and run out of resources, or have has family circumstances compel them to seek other arrangements.  Evangel Home provides physical, emotional, racial and spiritual guidance, all without the help of any government aid or control.  The generosity of people who believe in the Ecangel Home ministry so passionately have made a huge difference in what they have been able to accomplish, and provide the necessities to keep their facility running.

     With the recent drastic changes occurring  because of the global viral pandemic, many food banks and organizations caring for the needy have seen an unexpected increase in demand for hot meals, food and everyday necessities.  Evangel Home still has the need to feed any residents and staff everyday, but their pantry supplies are dwindling and so are monetary donations with so many churches closed.

     If you can help the families at Evangel Home during this exceptional time, please send your monetary donations to:  Evangel Home at 137 Yosemite Ave., Fresno, CA 93701-1639, or contact them online at www.evangelhome.org.

CHRIST LEADS...PROPLE CARE...LIVES CHANGE 

     Please give as your heart directs you an you are able to.  Thank you for your help, generosity, faithfulness and prayers.                    -Linda Riffel, Missions Director

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY has begun meeting on Tuesday mornings at 10:00am at church.  HELPING HANDS WOMEN’S GROUP  is meeting on the first Tuesday of every month at 10:00am at church starting with Bible study followed by a short meeting.  NO POTLUCK.  

We have begun Wednesday Evening Bible study at 5:30pm with Wednesday Evening Prayer Service immediately following at 7:00pm.  Social distancing is in place at all functions.

   Please continue to pray for those of who have a family member or friend that has gotten sick with Covid-19 or has passed away.  Every life is precious to Jesus!