Daily Readings for Sunday 11th August 2024

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 expression 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 for the 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.)


Daily Reading
Preface - Jerusalem is taken Zedekiah fleeth, is taken, and, his eyes being put out, is sent in chains to Babylon. The city is laid in ruins; and the people carried away captive, except a few poor labourers. By Nebuchadrezzar's orders Jeremiah meeteth with kind usage. God's promise to Ebed-melech.
Jeremiah 39
Psalms 13) Preface - David complaineth of God's delay to help him: he prayeth God to support him, that his enemies may not insult over him: he trusteth in the divine mercy.
Psalms 14) Preface - David describeth the general corruption of mankind. He wisheth to see the salvation of God.
Psalms 13-14


Daily Light - Morning
That through death he might destroy
him that had the power of death.

Our Saviour Jesus Christ...hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. - He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. - When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
He. 2.14; 2 Tim. 1.10; Isa. 25.8; 1 Co. 15.54-57
2 Tim. 1.7; Ps. 23.4


Daily Light - Evening
Where is the way where light dwelleth?

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. - The Father...hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. - Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Job 38.19; 1 Jn. 1.5; Jn. 9.5
1 Jn. 1.6-7; Col. 1.12-14
1 Th. 5.5; Mt. 5.14,16


A Puritans Catechism
Q 73 - How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?
A - That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend to it with diligence, preparation, and prayer, receive it with faith and love, lay it up into our hearts, and practice it in our lives.


The 1689
Baptist Confession of Faith
Of The Civil Magistrate
Chapter 24
PARAGRAPH 3
Civil magistrates being set up by God for the ends aforesaid; subjection, in all lawful things commanded by them, ought to be yielded by us in the Lord, not only for wrath, but for conscience’ sake;4 and we ought to make supplications and prayers for kings and all that are in authority, that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty.5
4 Rom. 13:5–7; 1 Pet. 2:17
5 1 Tim. 2:1–2


Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Plan - Daily Devotional Readings
The sanctification of the saint
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1 Corinthians 1 v 30

Everyone whom Christ reconciles He makes holy, and confesses before His Father: 'Whom he justified, them he glorified'. If Christ has truly begun a good work in you, He will perform it to the day of Christ Jesus, Christ says: 'I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.' Wherever He begins, He will make an end. Whenever He builds a stone on the foundation, He will preserve it unshaken to the end. Only make sure that you are upon the foundation - that you are reconciled - that you have true peace with God, and then you may look across the mountains and rivers that are between now and that day, and say: 'He is able to keep me from falling.' You have but two shallow brooks to pass through - sickness and death; and He has promised to meet you, and go with you, foot for foot. A few more tears - a few more temptations - a few more agonising prayers - a few more sacraments, and you will stand with the Lamb upon Mount Zion!