OUR CHURCH

We are an independent, fundamental, local, New Testament, Baptist Church .  We believe the Word of God to be our source of authority and instruction and are compelled to share it with the world.  We are uncompromising regarding the teachings of Scripture and believe them to be the source of hope to a lost and dying world.

We offer many opportunities to serve Christ within our local Church: Bible classes for all ages, music ministry, bus ministry, nursing home ministries, sports teams, mission trips, and many others.

We also offer various children’s program’s, Teen groups, Nursery, Senior ministries, and special outings for just the men and just the women.

We are a mission minded Church, supporting missionaries from our own community to around the world.

If you’re looking for a church that believes and adheres to the word of God while ministering to the entire family, we’re the church for you.  We encourage you to come and visit.

 

OUR BELIEFS

(A) : SCRIPTURES

This church receives the Holy Scriptures (1611 Authorized Version, the King James Bible), as its authority in all matters of faith and practice. We believe these scriptures to be true, pure, without error, and infallible. Furthermore, we believe every word of these scriptures to be inspired of God. It is also our belief that God is capable of preserving his Word without error, and has done so in this English version of the Bible.

(John 1:1) (Deuteronomy 8:3) (II Timothy 3:16) (II Samuel 23:2) (Proverbs 30:5) (Psalm 119:140) (Psalm 119:160) (Matthew 24:35) (I Peter 1:25) (Isaiah 40:8)  (II Timothy 2:15) (Deuteronomy 4:2) (Revelation 22:19) (II Peter 1:20-21)

(B) GOD:

There is one and only one living and true God. He reveals himself to us as three distinct personalities: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. He is Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. He is eternal, and reveals himself to us as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. He is a God of wrath as well as a God of love. He is sovereign, ever-present, all powerful, and all knowing. We believe God created the Universe in six literal days, without the aid of an evolutionary process.

(I Corinthians 8:6) (Ephesians 4:4-6) (I Timothy 2:5) (Genesis 1:1 & 1:27 & 1:31 & 2:3-4 & 2:7) (Isaiah 42:5) (Revelation 4:11) (Psalm 19:14 & 78; 35) (Isaiah 44:24) (Job 7:20) (John 14:6-16 & 26) (Deuteronomy 33:27) (I Timothy 1:17) (Matthew 28:19) (Isaiah 13:9) (Nahum 1:2) (John 3:36) (Romans 1:18 & 2:5-8 & 5:9) (Revelation 6:14-17 & 16:1) (I John 4:8 & 16) (John 3:16) (Psalm 139:1-6) (Jeremiah 32:27) (I Timothy 6:15-16) (Deuteronomy 6:4) (I John 5:7)

(1)    GOD THE FATHER:

As God the Father, He takes on the role of father to those who become His children by the new birth. He disciplines, forgives, provides, loves, and extends grace and mercy. He is Holy and worthy of all praise and honor. We are to acknowledge His will in all things.

(Matthew 6:8-12) (Matthew 6:25-34) (Ephesians 4:6) (Galatians 4:6) (Hebrews 12:9)

(2)   GOD THE SON:

We accept Jesus Christ as “God the Son”, the eternal Son of God. We believe He became man, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin. We believe he was both man and God while here on earth, and lived a sinless life. We also believe Jesus Christ became the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of man, when he died on the cross at Calvary . We believe He arose from the dead three days later, appeared to his disciples, ascended to Heaven, and sits on the right hand of God, where He makes intercessions for man to “God the Father.” We believe in the second coming, when Jesus Christ will return in all his power and glory to judge the world, and establish his kingdom here on earth.

(Mark 1:1 & 3:11) (Luke 3:22 & 4:41) (John 1:34 & 20:31) (Acts 1:3) (Matthew 26:28) (Matthew 1:18 &1:20) (Luke 22:20) (Acts 20:28) (I Peter 1:18-19) (Hebrews 9:14) (Ephesians 1:7) (John 20:1-28) (Romans 3:25 & 5:8-11) (Ephesians 4:9-10) (Mark 16:19) (I Timothy 2:5) (Matthew 15:31) (Revelation 20& 21)

(3) GOD THE HOLY GHOST:

We believe God sent a Comforter “The Holy Ghost “after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son. We believe The Holy Ghost dwells within those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Holy Ghost convicts mankind of their sins, and calls them to salvation. The Holy Ghost cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which believers serve God through their local church. We believe the spiritual gifts of healing and tongues are not available to us today. However we do believe in the power of prayer, and if it be the will of God, healing can be accomplished through prayer. Furthermore, we believe the Holy Ghost seals salvation unto the day of final redemption.  

(John 7:39) (John 14:16-17 & 26) (John 16:7) (I John 3:24) (I Corinthians 6:19) (II Timothy 1:14) (I Thessalonians 1:4-5) (Acts 1:8 & 2:4 & 2:28 & 5:32 & 7:55 & 8:15 & 9:12 &10:43-48 & 20:28) (Luke 12:12) (Romans 15:13-16) (I Corinthians 2:13 & 12:3) (II Corinthians 6:4-6) (I Peter 1:12 & 21) (Titus 3:5) (James 5:15-16) (Ephesians 4:30)

(C) MAN:

We believe man was created by God in his own image. Man was formed by God from the dust of the earth, and God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. In the beginning man was created innocent of sin. Man was created with a free will to make choices. Man made the choice to disobey God, and thus, sin became part of man’s nature. Only by the grace of God, having faith and accepting Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior, can a holy fellowship be restored, enabling man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. God created man in his own image, and sent his only begotten son to die for our sins; therefore, every man possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.   

(Genesis 1:27 & 2:7 & 2:25 & 3:4-24 &5:1) (Deuteronomy 4:32) (Ephesians 2:5-8) (I Corinthians 1:9) (John 1:3 & 1:6-9) (Psalm 62:1 & 62:7) (Hebrews 9:28) (Acts 4:10-12) (Titus 2:11) (Romans 1:16-17 & 10:10 & 12:10) (II Timothy 3:15) (John 3:23-24 & 4:11-12 &13:34-35 & 15:12) (I Thessalonians 4:9)

(D) SALVATION:

We believe all of mankind is born with a sin nature, which began with the original sin of Adam. Therefore all of mankind is destined for Hell, and the Lake of Fire , unless they accept the free gift of salvation from God. We believe everyone has an opportunity for salvation. We believe that in each individual life there is a time, or an age, when the person becomes accountable for his or her sin. We do not believe that age to be the same in every person’s life; however, when that person reaches such a time when he recognizes that he is a sinner, he must accept or reject Jesus Christ as his only hope for eternal life. We do not believe God has chosen (elected) some of his creation to be saved, while the others will have no opportunity for salvation. We believe sin separates man from God, and thus it is impossible to be in fellowship with God without salvation. We believe the Bible clearly teaches that salvation can only be obtained by God’s grace through faith. Salvation is a free gift from God, and can only be obtained, by the grace of God, through the conviction of the Holy Ghost, and our faith in his only begotten Son, “Jesus Christ” as our crucified and risen savior. We believe Jesus Christ now sits on the right hand of God, making intercessions for those who accept him as their personal savior. We accept the fact that there is nothing we can do in and of ourselves to obtain Salvation; however, after accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior we acknowledge that we are expected to worship him openly, and become living sacrifices for his service. We believe anyone can, and will be saved from their sins, regardless of the severity of their sins, if they are sincere in accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.  

Genesis 3:6-11) (Revelation 20:13-15) (II Peter 3:9) Psalm 62:1) (Romans 3:23 & 4:4 & 5:8-11 & 6:23 & 9:11 & 10:9-13 & 12:1)(Ephesians 2:8-9) (II Corinthians 6:2 & 14) (I Timothy 2:4-5) (John 1:1-9 & 3:16-18 & 4:7-11 & 6:38-40 & 47 & 10:28) (II Timothy 1:9) (II Samuel 12:22-23)

(E) THE CHURCH:

Hilltop Baptist Church is a local New Testament Church of The Lord Jesus Christ. The Church consists of its members, a local body of baptized believers united in faith and fellowship of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and Savior. As a united body of believers we practice two local church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as an act of obedience to our Lord and Savior. Our purpose is to help those in need, and spread the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ locally and throughout the world, disciple the saints, and baptize believers.

(Psalm 19:14 & 78:35) (Isaiah 43:14 & 44:24 & 48:17 & 60:16) (Mark 16:16) (Luke 7:48-50) (John 3:17) (Acts 2:21 & 16:30-31) (Romans 5:9-10 & 10:13) (Matthew 3:5-6 & 3:13-17) (Mark 1:5 & 16:16) (Acts 2:38-41 &8:36-38) (Luke 22:13-20) (I Corinthians 11:24-34) (Matthew 22:36-39 & 25:34-40) (I John 4:20-21) (Matthew 28:19-20) (Mark 16:14-16) (Romans 1:5-16)

(F)    BAPTISM:

We believe Christian Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. In the act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in the crucified, buried, and resurrected Savior. We believe baptism is symbolic of the believer’s death to sin, by the burial of the old life, and his/her resurrecting to walk in a new life in Jesus Christ. Being a church ordinance, baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and the Lord’s Supper. Although baptism does not save you from your sins, it is the first step in a new Christian’s life to being obedient to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 3:13-17) (Mark 1:5 & 3:23 & 16:16) (Romans 6:3-6) (Acts 2:21-42 & 8:38-39 & 10:47) (I Corinthians 11:2) (Colossians 2:12) (I Peter 3:21)

(G) THE LORD’S SUPPER:

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of a local church, through the partaking of bread (unleavened) and the fruit of the vine (grape juice) memorialize the death of their redeemer (Jesus Christ) and the anticipation of his second coming. We believe and practice a closed communion; only members of our local church body are invited to partake. We believe as a church body we share in the responsibility of making every effort to insure that all of those who partake, do so worthily. It is clear in scripture that we are not to judge one another; however, as a church body we are instructed to judge our fellow members.  

(I Corinthians 5:11-13 & 11:20-34) (II Thessalonians 3:6-14) (II John 1:10) (Acts 2:41-42) (Mark 14:22-25) (Matthew 26:26-29)

(H) HEAVEN:

We believe Heaven is a literal place, a place prepared by God, where those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Savior will spend eternity. Those who reject God’s plan for their Salvation will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. Scripture makes it very clear; these are the only two options after our physical death here on earth. Purgatory and other locations invented for the convenience of man are not scriptural, and simply do not exist. We believe in an age of accountability, where God will decide which of us were mature, and capable of making a decision to accept or reject his plan for our salvation.

(John 3:5 & 14:1-3) (I Corinthians 2:9) (II Corinthians 5:8) (Philippians 1:23 (Revelation 21 & 22)

(I) HELL:

We believe hell is a temporary holding place for the unsaved souls of those people who reject God’s plan for their salvation. The bible makes it clear hell is a real place, described in scripture as a bottomless pit, and a place of torments and eternal fire. When Jesus Christ returns, hell (unsaved souls) and death (unsaved bodies) will be cast into the lake of fire where they will suffer eternal torment.

(Matthew 5:29 & 7:13-23 & 12:40) (Luke 16:23-24 &27-28-29) (Ephesians 4:9) (Revelation 9:1-2 &20:10-15 &21:8) (Jude 1:7)