Dear Congregation,
I want to thank all of you who have prayed and supported the work of the Gospel through the church in 2023 and this first month of 2024. It is a great joy to minister at Westminster Baptist and I love the church here greatly. Through this past year, there have been heart-wrenching tragedies alongside blessings too. This is often the case in Christian life and yet we are called to keep trusting and believing. We often bear the battle scars of past experience and circumstance, as we live in this sinful world and anticipate heaven. We see Mordecai, mocked and scorned for years in Esther and on the brink of execution, yet he latterly knew blessing from God. The most important thing was he was faithful in serving the Lord. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful - 1 Corinthians 4.2. This verse especially applies to ministers, church workers, but to all Christians. We are stewards of the oracles of God and to us has the light of the gospel been revealed. We should therefore be striving to be faithful, not popular, faithful. May that be our aim by the grace of God. In the beginning month in recent years we have spent a week praying together on each day for certain things. As a reminder that with continuing faith that prayer is essential. Key to our hope and joy and endurance and love, and with new resolve to make time to pray regularly alone and with your family and with some group of fellow believers. Alongside reading the Scriptures these should be our daily routine. There are various encouragements in the Scriptures to pray: - Pray without ceasing (1 Th. 5:17). - Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ep. 6:18). - Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (Col. 4:2). These are a few verses of the many that encourage us to pray and undoubtedly set before us a biblical mandate that we should be concerned to pray. Maybe you have fallen out of the 'habit' or relegated prayer to a part time practice; or you only pray when trouble or danger comes. To that end I would ask the church to pray, if led, the suggested topics below so we might pray for the same things (roughly speaking) on the same day to encourage us. Let us be prayerful people and realise we too need prayer. To say we are praying for someone should be an expressio of concern but an indication of our own action to bring the matter before God, before the throne of Grace through the believers mediator and High Priest. Jesus Christ, Paul even requests prayer for himself and those labouring fo rthe Gospel with him twice in 1 and 2 Thessalonians saying 'brethren pray for us'. May we be a prayerful church and prayerful individuals, knowing that we have a prayer hearing and answering God. Pastor Jonathan Arnold Daily Prayer - Sunday - God thanks to God for His character, perfect, unchangeable, the same yesterday today and forever. - Give thanks to God that we can meet in the church and have fellowship with one another. - Pray the Lord would grant the preaching of his word power and clarity, and there are ready ears to hear and believe it. (2 Thes. 3.1.) - Pray we would be granted faithful ministry and good spiritual food from God's Word. (1 Peter 2.2.) Church Services Sunday morning at 11:00am in church (and also available online via FaceBook) Doctrine Class - in church (after lunch) (and also available online via FaceBook) (Doctrine Class) Scripture Message - How the bible came to be - Scripture - 1 Peter 1 v 7-13; 2 Peter 1 v 7-13, 23-25; 2 Peter 1; Romans 3 v 2; Psalm 119 v 89; Matthew 5 v 18 - Class taken by Jonathan Arnold Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (and also available online via FaceBook) Bible Study and Prayer Wednesday evening at 7:00pm in church (and also available online via FaceBook) Lunch Hour Service Thursday afternoon between 1:00pm and 1:30pm in church (and also available online via FaceBook) Outreach/Witnessing Saturday morning at Victoria Street (outside the big Boots store) for 10:30am (across the road from Town Hall - No. 64). Afterwards we go back to church for prayer. Daily Reading Preface - The church's fight and victory in temptation. The church glorieth in Christ. Song of Solomon 3 Preface - Christ is shewed to be more worthy than Moses: we must be careful therefore not to follow the example of the obstinate and unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness. Hebrews 3 Daily Light - Morning Behold the Lamb of God. It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. - He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot...manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God...that your faith and hope might be in God. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Jn. 1.29; He. 10.4-7; Isa. 53.7 1 Pe. 1.18-21 Rev. 5.12 Daily Light - Evening I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. Not as thou I had already attained, either were already perfect. - Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. - The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. - I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion. - They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. - Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me. - Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. - Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Ps. 71.14; Phil. 3.12; He. 6.1; Pro. 4.18 Ps. 116.1-2; Ps. 34.1 Ps. 65.1; Rev. 4.8; Ps. 50.23; 1 Th. 5.16-18; Phil. 4.4 A Puritans Catechism Q 51 - How is the sabbath to be sanctified? A - The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy. The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith Of God' Decree Chapter 3 PARAGRAPH 3 By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ,7 to the praise of His glorious grace;8 others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.9 7 1 Tim. 5:21; Matt. 25:34 8 Eph. 1:5–6 9 Rom. 9:22–23; Jude 4 Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings Angels unawares Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. - Hebrews 13 v 2 You remember how a poor widow of Sarepta received Elijah into her house, and how he was a blessing to her; for her barrel of meal never wasted, and her cruse of oil never failed; and her son was brought to life again through Elijah's prayer. Ah, brethren, be careful to entertain the children of God, you will find them angels in disguise. Wherever a child of God is, God's eye is upon that spot by night and day. Oh, it is good to be near to the children of God, that we may share in their blessing. He that receiveth them receiveth Jesus. Blessed is he that blesseth them and cursed is he that curseth them.
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