Daily Reading for Monday 21st August 2023

Prayer
-Give thanks to God for salvation and the redemption that is found alone through Jesus Christ.
-Give thanks to God for granting us particular skills and abilities that we might fulfil our vocations (jobs, studies, family responsibilities and time we spend alone). (Ecclesiastes 9.10, Ephesians 6.6)
-Pray for the Lord's blessing on the working week for us and all in the congregation.
-Pray the Lord would grant us grace to be good ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5.20)

Church Services
Sermons
Sunday morning at 11:00am in church (also available online via Facebook)
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
Bible study and prayer
Wednesday evening at 7:00pm -  this Wednesday (23rd August 2023) online via Zoom
Lunch hour service 
Thursday between 1:00pm and 1:30pm
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 - Saul's select band. Jonathan smiteth the Philistines' garrison, whereupon the people are called together to Gilgal. The Philistines bring a great host into the field. The distress of the Israelites. Saul weary of staying for Samuel offereth a burnt offering. His excuse to Samuel, who sharply reproveth him. The Philistines send out three bands of spoilers. The policy of the Philistines in suffering no smith in Israel.
1 Samuel 13
Preface - Paul exhorteth the Corinthians to follow him, as he did Christ. He praiseth them for observing the rules he had given them; and forbiddeth men to pray or prophesy with heads covered, and women with heads uncovered; the covering of the head being a token of subjection. He blameth them for abuses in their religious assemblies, particularly for their divisions, and profanation of the Lord's supper. He remindeth them of the first institution thereof, and sheweth the danger of partaking of it unworthily.
Romans 11

A Puritans Catechism
Q54 - What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A - The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity - as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good - to all such as keep this commandment.

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
Death of Stephen
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit - Acts 7 v 59
Stephen was the first to die as a martyr in the cause of Christ; and he seems to have resembled the Saviour more than any that followed after. His very face appeared like the face of an angel. His irresistible wisdom in arguing with the Jews was very like Christ. His praying for his enemies with his dying breath nearly in the same words as the Saviour and his recommending his soul into the hands of the Lord Jesus, were in the same spirit of confidence as that in which Christ said: 'Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.' There cannot be a doubt that it was by looking unto Jesus that he became thus Christ like. And the last view which he got of Christ seems especially to have given him that heavenly composure in dying which is so much above nature.
Two things are to be noticed: 
1 - that it was a sight of Christ at the right hand of God;
2 - that it was a sight of Christ standing there. Christ being at the right hand of God is mentioned sixteen times in the Bible; thirteen times He is described as seated there, twice as being there; but here only is He spoken of as standing. This appears to have made a deep and lively impression on the mind of Stephen, for he cries out: 'Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God'; and then, with a sweet assurance that Christ's hands were stretched out to receive him, he cried: 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'