Daily Readings for Sunday 10th December 2023

Dear Congregation,

Thank you all for your prayers and support for the work of the church throughout 2023. I know we all have been through varying difficulties and some through particular hardships. Once again we can thank the Lord that we have been brought through trusting in the Lord as our refuge and strength. As I encouraged the congregation at the start of last year it is vitally important to pray to keep close to God and continue faithfully in our Christian life. 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 practce; or you only pray when trouble or danger comes. May these verses challenge us all at the start of this new year to be a people of prayer. 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 this be a prayerful church and prayerful individuals, knowing that we have a prayer hearing and answering God.

Pastor Jonathan Arnold

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
Sermons
Sunday morning at 11:00am in church (also available online via Facebook)
(Sunday morning) Scripture reading - Psalm 103; Luke 1 v 24-42; Luke 1 v 46-56
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
(Sunday evening) Scripture reading - Psalm 119 v 145-160;  Luke 1 v 46-55
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 - The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to make Rehoboam king, sue to him with Jeroboam at their head for redress of grievances. Rehoboam slightet the good advice of his father's old counsellers, and consulteth with the young men, who advise to answer the people roughly. He followeth their indiscreet counsel. The ten tribes revolting kill Hadoram, and make Rehoboam flee.
2 Chronicles 10
Preface - The preface. John's salutation to the seven churches of Asia. The coming of Christ; his eternal majesty. John relateth his vision of the Son of man with the seven stars and the seven golden candlesticks.
Revelation 1

Daily Light - Morning
No man is able to pluck them
out of my Father's hand.

I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. - The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom. - We are more than conquerors throu him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Your life is hid with Christ in God.

Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
Jn. 10.29; 2 Tim. 1.12; 2 Tim. 4.18; Ro. 8.37-39; Col. 3.3
Jas. 2.5
2 Th. 2.16-17

Daily Light - Evening
The perfect law of liberty.

Ye shall now the truth, and the truth shall make you free... Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin... If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage... For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. - Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. - For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. - I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
Jas. 1.25; Jn. 8.32,34,26
Ga. 5.1,13-14; Ro. 6.18; Ro. 7.2
Ro. 8.2; Ps. 119.45

A Puritans Catechism
Q81 - What is required for the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper?
A - It is required of them who would worthily partake of the Lord's Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord's body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience, lest coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.

BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH

Of God's Covenant
Chapter 7  
PARAGRAPH 3
​This covenant is revealed in the gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman,5 and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament;6 and it is founded in that eternal covenant transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect;7 and it is alone by the grace of this covenant that all the posterity of fallen Adam that ever were saved did obtain life and blessed immortality, man being now utterly incapable of acceptance with God upon those terms on which Adam stood in his state of innocency.8
5 Gen. 3:15
6 Heb. 1:1
7 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2
8 Heb. 11;6,13; Rom. 4:1–2; Acts 4:12; John 8:56

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
Uselessness
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves. - James 1 v 22
It is very striking to see the uselessness of many Christians. Are there none of you who know what it is to be selfish in your Christianity? You have seen a selfish child go into a secret place to enjoy some delicious morsels undisturbed by his companions? So it is alone, and all for themselves. Are there not some of you who can enjoy being a Christian, while your dearest friend is not; and yet you will not speak to him? See here, you have got your work to do. When Christ found you, he said: 'Go, work in my vineyard.' What were you hired for, if it was not to work? What were you saved for, if it was not to spread salvation? What blessed for? Oh! my Christian friends! how little you live as if you were servants of Christ! - how much idle time and idle talk you have! This is not like a good servant. How many things you have to do for yourself! How few for Christ and His people! This is not like a servant.