April 27-28, 2013 "Call For A Sacred Assembly"

Joel 2:12-17 Senior Pastor Byron MacDonahl

Thank you for turning off your pagers and cell phones during services. Following each worship semce, members of the prayer team will be available in front of the platform to pray with you and minister to your spiritual needs. Receivers for the hearing impaired are available from our ushers.

SERVICE TIMES: Saturday, 5:00 p.m.. Contemporary Worship MusicSunday, 8:00 & 9:30 a.m.. Blended Music Sunday, Canvas, 11:15 a.m.. Contemporary Worship Music The 290s (Ed. Bidg.K Sunday, Canvas. 9:30 a.m.. Contemporary Worship Music Sunday, 11:15 a.m., The Gathering with Byron MacDonald. Urban Gospel Music Community Ctr.: Sunday, 10:00 a.m.. Life on The Hill, Contemporary Music North Campus: Sunday, 11:15 a.m., Japanese Worship Service, Room :l)l. Q^Ia^Lf^ Worship Center: Welcome to Rolling Hills Covenant Churcha caring community of people who believe the Bible is the Word of God and choose to live by its truth. Our mission is to know Jesus intimately and to share His love and truth passionately. We discover God by studying His word, both personally and with others. We endeavor to tore others, with Christ as our example. And we commit our time, talents, and treasure to serre God, to reflect His glory, and to share the salvation of Christ throughout the world.

"Call for a Sacred Assembly"

Joel 2:12-17 Blow the Trumpet - Judgment is coming! w. 2:1-2, 3:1-2 The storm clouds of judgment are gathering, the Day of the Lord is at hand, w. 2:1-2, 3:1-2. The Day of the Lord is the time in history when God turns from the proclamation of the Gospel to the nations to save a remnant of Israel, judge the nations, and bring the reign of Christ to earth for a thousand years, w. 2:1-2. The children of God are to know the significance of their moment in time, w. 2:1-2.

Blow the TVumpet - It's time to seek the Lord together in sacred assembly! w. 2:12-17. Call the church to come together in sacred assembly to seek the Lord, w. 15-17. All gt iterations are to gather, from children to the elderly. Call for each to turn their own heart to the Lord, to repent and to renew their commitment to the Lord and His holiness, for the days are evil, w. 12-14. Come before the Lord humbly and boldly, confident in His character and His salvation, w. 13-14,32. Call upon the Lord: To purify His people, v. 2:17. To protect and to provide for His people in difficult days, v. 2:14 (3:16). To proclaim the Gospel to neighbors and to the nations, w. 2:28, 3:14.

Rolling Hills Covenant Church

2222 Palos Verdes Dr. North Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 310.519.9406 www.RollingHillsCovenant.com

Pastor's Chat

here are two key qualities the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is to have, and this week we have profound opportunities to see these qualities work hand in hand in ways that powerfully bring the kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven. Jesus said His church is to be known by the love we have for each other. As Jesus builds His church from the diversities of the South Bay in age, gender, economic resources, racially, ethnically, and nationalities, we show Him and others how He changes hearts as we love one another. Jesus said in John 13:34-35, "-4 new commandment I aive to you, that you love one another; just as I haw loved you, you arc to love one another. By tliis all people trill know lliat you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."Through our Rooted program and the Life Groups, we are building lives, within RHCC, deeply rooted in Christ aud sharing His life and love together in relationships. The second quality for which the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be known is as a House of Prayer for all peoples (nations). Jesus, quoting from Isaiah 56:7 said, as recorded in Mark 11:17, "Is if not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for aU the nations.'?" As the Bible has said, we have in Jesus His very mind and never is that mind more clearly forming and compelling us than when we are on our knees in prayer before God pleading for our brothers aud sisters in Christ, our neighbors aud the nations. As God is moving among the nations, shaking the foundations and warning of His coming judgment, it creates tremendous moments of Opportunity to call people to the Rock of Jesus, as the foundation and source of their lives. As we heard last weekend in our worship services, our prayers for Japan since the tsunami of March 1,2011 are being answered. God is mo\ing in lives made open and vulnerable through the disaster, still being lived out by over 300,000 people living in temporary housing, their lives all but suspended. This Sunday night beginning at 7 p.m. we will assemble before the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Chris in sacred assembly. We will seek the Lord in prayer that will be unending in the Worship Center until the closing service on

Friday, May 3 that begins at 7 p.m. We believe God has called us to this assembly and is waiting in the Worship Center as we seek His face. And it is through this week that the two qualities Jesus calls for in His church, a house of love aud a house of prayer for all people, come together in perfect union.

We will have 3x5 cards and baskets to write out prayer requests for yourself and others. Throughout the week these requests will be lifted before our God aud Father in Jesus' name. As we pray, we are not overcoming the reluctance of God to help, for God passionately cares and wants to help. It is just that in His wisdom and love He has made the fullness of answered prayer come as we pray for one another. We can also bring the prayers of our neighbors. When Jesus was on earth and people were brought to Him for help and healing, there was no prior theological test - He heard the cries of all who called on Him for help. Jesus never turned anyone away. Also each night at 8 p.m., after the assembly, elders and members of the ministry team will be here to personally anoint and pray for all who come.

We wrill also pray for all peoples aud nations. As Joel 3:1-2 teaches the generation that sees Jerusalem once again become the center of a revived nation of Israel, will also see the nations gathered for judgment in the valley of Northern Israel near Megiddo, in the battles that Revelation describes as Armageddon. This is what the Bible described as the coming of the Day of the Lord, as they end with Jesus coming to earth to reign for a thousand years. Yet there will be days of trouble like the world has never seen. It is a verse describing our generation that has compelled our church vision. It is Joel 3:14, "Multitudes, multitudes hi the valley of decision! For the day of the. Lord is near in the valley of decision." As we see these things happening, may the God find us calling upon Him for the nations and for the last harvest to be gathered. I pray this coming week you are designating as much time as you can to become part of this great assembly before the Lord as the body of Christ at Rolling Hills Covenant Church a house of love and prayer in Jesus' name.

Pastor Byron welcomes your questions/comments at bmacdonctld@rhcc.net