Daily Readings for Friday 29th December 2023

Prayer - Friday
- Give thanks to God for many good things we enjoy and daily blessings.
- Pray the Lord would supply the needs of those in the congregation at Westminster and guide us as we help those destitute and suffering. Especially those we have met in the pandemic. (Numbers 6.24-26.)

​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 in church (also available online via Facebook)
Lunch hour service
Thursday afternoon between 1:00pm and 1:30pm in church (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 -Josiah's good reign: he destroyeth idolatry both in Judah and Israel: he provideth for the repairs of the temple. Hilkiah having found the book of the law, it is read before the king, who is alarmed, and sendeth to the prophetess Huldah to enquire of the Lord. Huldah prophesieth the destruction of Jerusalem, but not to take place  till after the death of Josiah. Josiah causeth the book to be read in a solemn assembly, and reneweth the covenant between God and the people.
2 Chronicles 34
Preface - Satan bound for a thousand years. The first resurrection. Satan again let loose gathereth Gog and Magog to battle, who are devoured with fire. The devil cast in the lake of fire and brimstone. The general resurrection, and last judgment.
Revelations 20

Daily Light - Morning
Understanding what the will of the Lord is.

This is the will of God, even your sanctification. - Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. - This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hst sent. - We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

We...do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. - The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory...give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe.
Eph. 5.17; 1 Th. 4.3; Job 22.21; Jn. 17.3; 1 Jn. 5.20
Col. 1.9; Eph. 1.17-19

Daily Light - Evening
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

Enoch walked with God. - Can two walk together, except they be agreed? - It is good for me to draw near to God.

The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you...when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. - Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way...and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.
Jas. 4.8; Ge. 5.24; Am. 3.3; Ps. 73.28
2 Chr. 15.2,4; Lu. 24.29
Jer. 29.11-13
He. 10.19-20,21-22​

A Puritans Catechism
Q18 - What is the misery of that state whereinto man fell?
A - All mankind by their fall, lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.

BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH

Of Effectual Calling
Chapter 10 
PARAGRAPH 4

Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit,12 yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved:13 much less can men that do not receive the Christian religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.14
12 Matt. 22:14, 13:20–21; Heb. 6:4–5
13 John 6:44–45,65; 1 John 2:24–25
14 Acts 4:12; John 4:22, 17:3

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
A mirror of Christ
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. - 2 Corinthians 3 v 18
In a mirror you will observe that every feature of the face is reflected - both large and small features. Now our soul should be a mirror of Christ; we should reflect His features, for every grace in Christ, there should be a counterpart grace in us.
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