Hilltop Christian Center

"Reaching the City...To Touch The Nations"March 2013 • Volume 1, Issue 1

www.hilltopchristiancenter.orgTel: 253-272-3250

Sunday ServicesFoundation class • 9:30amIntercessory prayer • 10:15amWorship service • 11:15amNursery & Children • 11:15amYouth class (after worship)

Prayer MeetingsTuesday Noon - 2pmThursday 7pm - 8pm

G8 Keepers Small GroupsTacoma Eastside •7pm Wed.Tacoma Salishan • 7pm Wed.Tacoma Lincoln • 7pm Wed.Lakewood North • 7pm WedLakewood South • 7pm Wed

Street Outreach1st & 3rd Friday 6:30-8:30pm

Men's Breakfast2nd Saturday 8am-9:30am

Our Mission:Rebuilding broken dreams

by:•Producing anointed men &

women of God•Mobilize them to reach their

generation for Christ •Support them so they can be

fresh for battle

Islam is Not a Religion of Peace

In an age dominated by uninhibited “selfies” and shameless moment by moment status updates, there seems to be a universal reluctance to label the onslaught of violence being perpetrated by the “Islamic State” as representative of Islam. However, an admittedly perfunctory overview of Islam reveals a disturbing theme inherent within the Islamic practice or religion. Here are five reasons why I believe Islam is not a religion of peace:

1. Allah’s original message to his prophet Muhammad produced an unholy fear.According to Sunni tradition, when the angel Gabriel appeared to the prophet Muhammad it troubled him so deeply that he told his wife the vision was demonic and made him suicidal. In the Bible, whenever the angel Gabriel appeared to an individual it produced a holy fear that precipitated worship of God.

2. The prophet Muhammad was a very violent man.Islamic texts are replete with the violent exploits of the prophet Mohammed. They confirm the fact that he was a narcissist, a pedophile, a mass murderer, a terrorist, a misogynist, a leche, a cult leader, a madman, a rapist, a torturer, an assassin, and a looter. The Bible says that the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus comes to give life and life more abundant. (John 10:10)

3. Islamic Texts encourage open-ended violence.Sura 9:29 in the Koran is a key verse that encourages Muslims to fight against Christians, and because it was a revelation given to Muhammad prior to his death, it is given preference over other teachings. The most troublesome aspect of this verse is that it’s not limited to a single situation, but serves as a guide for the practice of the Islamic religion. Jesus said to love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you (Mt. 5:44)

4. The daily prayers of Islam promote division.For 600 years the Islamic texts have encouraged prayers that promote superiority of Islam and a condescending attitude towards Jews, Christians, and unbelievers. The bible says in Ephesians 6:12, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”.5. The actions of those claiming to be Islamic.In the first few months of 2015 the world has witnessed a level of brutality that is shocking from every angle, and yet the level of outrage from within the Muslim world is conspicuously minute. Inherently, there is a basic understanding in the Islamic world that the violence being perpetrated by ISIS is well within its orthodoxy. It is true that throughout history there have been brutal crimes committed in the name of Christ, but all of them fall far outside the teachings of Christ.Every Christian needs to be aware of the lies of Islam and fight to free the Muslim people from the bondage of this violent deception.

Pastor Atapana Mameapastorpana.wordpress.com

www.hilltopchristiancenter.org

Mission: "Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations..." Matthew 28:19

Are You Standing on Shaky Ground?

By: Anonymous writer

I experienced 4 major hurricanes that hit the island of American Samoa as I have lived there for 22 years of my life. I remember the first one, Hurricane Ofa in 1990. It was reported, at the time, to be considered the worst storm to hit the islands in its history. The first two of my oldest children were born at the time, both babies. As our small family huddled in what we thought was the safest part of the house,owned by my wife’s brother, we watched as the loud rumbling of the roof was literally torn open. It was as if someone was using a huge can-opener, to expose us to the furious wind and rain into our little home. Rain and large debris from the outside, pelted the walls with such force, that we quickly reacted, grabbed what we could and ran outside to the nearest home, my father in-laws, which was about fifty yards away. As we ran towards my father in-laws house, I remember looking back and watching, as the whole roof was thrown, in one piece, onto a nearby open field.  We thanked God for getting us out on time.As we arrived at my father in-laws home. It appeared to be fully intact, unaffected by the ferocious winds. We stayed overnight until the winds and the rain subsided.I remember the next day. We walked outside to assess the damage. I saw metal roofing, twisted around the tops of coconut trees, homes damaged beyond repair, some stood strong, as others were completely flattened. I watched as my father in-law inspected his home, I remember him looking at me, pointing at his roof, unscathed by the storm and saying with a smile……..”You see son, when you build a house, you have to build it right”. Those words echoed throughout my stay in Samoa. I could still see the smile on his face, content with the fact that his labor paid off when the storm hit.

Matthew 7:24-26 " Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."Jesus uses the analogy in this example of a man who builds a foundation in his spiritual life. The man who built on the Rock is a person who is grounded in His Word and is at peace in knowing that Jesus is going to bring you through the storm. Surely the storms will come to your life. They may come in the form of offenses, set-backs, heartbreaks, disappointments, finances and other ways that the enemy is allowed to attack. Your foundation will be based on how well you build on and “stand on” His Word.Most of the time, storms are good for your growth. It will cause you to re-assess your foundation. If it’s weak, build it stronger, if it crumbles, then maybe the Lord is leading you to new growth and understanding on how to trust Him at a deeper level of maturity in your walk. Maybe He is teaching you patience. The book of James says in 1:2-3 to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, KNOWING, that the testing of your faith produces patience”. The reason that most Christians can’t receive joy through the trials is that they are not “KNOWING”, they instead are running around saying “me oh my”, “why meGod”? Their foundation of faith is crumbling and what’s needed is to go back, search the Word and lay your foundation stronger.My wife and I are presently going through a storm that has been teaching us to lean more on the Lord for His provision. We are amazed at the constant provision as we are taught to ask, believe and wait as we receive. It’s a storm that ten years ago would have shaken our foundation and cause our roof to fly away. Not this time though. We are standing strong and waiting because we are “KNOWING AND TRUSTING”. We are diligently watching for our breakthrough and in faith, KNOWING that God is going to bring it. AMEN

Is Hell a Real Place?

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Is Hell a real place or a figment of the imagination? To better illustrate the word, Hell, biblical let’s examine this closer. In the Book of Luke, there is story how there was an beggar who was very poor and a rich man who had all the richest possessions, but didn’t want to help or give to the poor. One went to Heaven and the other one went to Hell. In Luke, Chapter 16, Verse 22, the scripture reads,”And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom; the rich man, also died, and was buried. To continue in Verse 23 it reads, “And in Hell he lifted his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham far off, and Larzarus in his bosom, Verse 24 continues saying, “ And he cried out and said, Father Abraham have mercy upon me, and send Larzarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.” In Verse 26, the word says paraphrasing, that there is a great chasm fixed, that anyone can’t cross to the other side. Literally, Hell is a real place for all unsaved souls.Hell, from the Greek is Geenna, a terrible place of eternal torment. Still another definition is a place of outer darkness, everlasting destruction, and a lake of fire. Specifically, a place prepared for the devil and his angels. Also for the Antichrist, false prophet, disobedient, wicked, fallen angels, and rejectors of the gospel. They can’t be pardoned or escape from God’s wrath.

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What about the different regions of Hell? There is Hades, the Greek word is Ha dez, Sheol, in Hebrew, She ol, the inquiry of the dead, the abyss, and Gehenna. Hades as Hell, a place of the dead, in Psalms 49:15 the word says, “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me.” Literally, Sheol, means a place of graves. In contrast, the Abyss, is a place designated for the fallen angels who rebelled against God and lost their angelic status. Perhaps, the most horrible region is Gehenna. The word in Greek is ge-hena, geena. In contrast, the New Testament distinguishes sharply the difference of Hades, the bodiless state, and Gehenna, the state of final punishment after the resurrection of the body at the Great White Throne Judgement for all unbelievers. There is noTrial, sentence is pronounced, and all unbelievers are cast into the Lake of Fire Brimstone.Decisively, without question, Hell is a real place. There are two resurrections; be part of the first resurrection and have np part in the second resurrection which is for all unbelievers. You have the most important decision in your life to make. There are only two alternatives; you are either going to Heaven or you are going to Hell. The ultimate choice or decision is strictly up to each person to surrender their heart to Jesus Christ. My final statement to those that read this is That Hell is a Real Place and you don’t want to go there.

Written By: Robert Paradise

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