Daily Readings for Sunday 14th July 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.)


Church Services
Sunday morning at 11:00am in church (and also available online via Facebook)
(Sunday morning) Scripture reading - Psalm 118; Matthew 10 v 16-23 - Sermon by Jonathan Arnold
Doctrine Class - in church (after lunch) (and also available online via Facebook)
(Doctrine Class) - Heaven - Ephesians 1 v 3; Ephesians 2 v 6; Revelation 21 v 1, 4-6; Revelation 22 v 1-3, 5; Romans 8 v 18-19 Revelation 12 v 22, 17  - Class by Dennis Arnold
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (and also available online via Facebook)
​(Sunday evening) Scripture reading - Psalm 25; Jeremiah 32 v 36-44 - Sermon by Jonathan Arnold
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 great disparity between God and idols. The prophet warneth to prepare for a removal out of the land: he lamenteth over the spoil and desolation of it: he prayeth God to correct his people with moderation, and to turn his fury upon the heathen that wasted them.
Jeremiah 10
Preface - Christ foretelleth the destruction of the temple: he showeth what signs and calamities shall go before it; and what shall happen at the time of his coming. By a parable of the fig tree he marketh the certainty of the prediction. No man knoweth the day and hour, which shall come suddenly. We ought therefore to watch, like good servants who expect their master's coming.
Matthew 24


Daily Light - Morning
Out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. - Death and life are in the power of the tongue. - The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. - Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. - I believed, therefore have I spoken.

Whosoever...shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. - With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Mt. 12.34; Col. 3.16
Pro. 4.23; Pro. 18.21; Ps. 37.30-31; Eph. 4.29
Ac. 4.20; Ps. 116.10
​Mt. 10.32; Ro. 10.10


Daily Light - Evening
I trust I shall shortly see thee,
and we shall speak face to face.

Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down - As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? - Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. - Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. - God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope. - Whom having not seen, ye love.

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen, Even so, come, Lord Jesus. - It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD: we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
2 Jn. 14; Isa. 64.1; Ps. 42.1-2; Song 8.14
Phil. 3.20; Titus 2.13; 1 Tim. 1.1; 1 Pe. 1.8
Rev. 22.20; Isa. 25.9


A Puritans Catechism
Q 45 - What is required in the second commandment?
A - The second commandment requires the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word.


The 1689
Baptist Confession of Faith
Of the Law of God
Chapter 19
PARAGRAPH 2
​
The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man.

1. Romans 2:14,15 
2. Deuteronomy 10:4

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
The reason why
When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but
for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
John 2 v 4

Some might ask, Why, then, was Lazarus sick? The reason: 'For the glory of God.' Christ was thereby in an eminent manner made known. First, His amazing love to His own was seen, when He wept at the grave. Second, His power to raise the dead. He was shown to be the Resurrection and the Life when He cried, 'Lazarus, come forth.' 
Christ was far more glorified than if Lazarus had not been sick and died. So in all the sufferings of God's people. Sometimes a child of God says: Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? I will teach, preach, do great things for Thee. Sometimes the answer is, Thou shalt suffer for my sake.
It shows the power of Christ's blood, when it gives peace in an hour of trouble, When it can make happy in sickness, poverty, persecution and death. Do not be surprised if you suffer,  but glorify God.
It brings out graces that cannot be seen in a time of health. It is the treading of the grapes that brings out the sweet juices of the vine; so it is affliction that draws forth submission, weanedness from the world, and complete rest in God. Use afflictions while you have them.