Daily Readings for Sunday 17th 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 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. 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.

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; 
Isiah 7 v 10-16; 9 v1-7
Matthew 1 v 18-25
Luke 2 v 1-20
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
(Sunday evening) scripture reading - John 1: 1-18
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
19) - Preface - Jehoshaphat on his return is reproved by Jehu for having joined in alliance with Ahab. He visiteth his kingdom. His instructions to the judges whom he appointed in the cities of Judah; and to the priests and Levites, who exercised judgment at Jerusalem.
20) - Preface - Jehoshaphat invaded by the Moabites and others in his fear proclaimeth a fast. His prayer. The propecy of Jahaziel. Jehoshaphat exhorteth the people, and appointeth singers to praise the Lord. The enemies destroy one another, and leave much spoil for Israel. The people, having blessed God at Berachah, return in triumph, and dwell unmolested. Jehoshaphat's good reign and acts. He joineth with Ahaziah in sending ships to Tarshish, which, according to the prediction of Eliezer, are wrecked.
2 Chronicles 19-20
Preface - The seventh seal opened. Seven angels receive seven trumpets. An angel presenteth the prayers of the saints with incense on the golden altar before the throne. Four of the angels sound their trumpets, and great plagues follow each sounding.
Revelation 8

Daily Light - Morning
Quicken us,
and we will call upon thy name.

It is the spirit that quickeneth. - The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. - Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.

I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. - The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. - The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. - This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Ps. 80.18; Jn. 6.63; Ro. 8.26-27; Eph. 6.18
Ps. 119.93; Jn. 6.63; 2 Co. 3.6; Jn. 15.17; 1 Jn. 5.14
1 Co. 12.3

Daily Light - Evening
Have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness,
but rather reprove them.

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Know ye not that \ little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven... I wrote untoyou in an epistle not to company with fornicators; yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetious, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world... I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or and idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. - That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.

In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
Eph. 5.11 1 Co. 15.33
1 Co. 5.6-7,9-10,11; Phil 2.15
2 Tim. 2.20
2 Chronicles 19-20
Revelations 8

BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH

Of Christ the Mediator
Chapter 8 
PARAGRAPH 7

Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet by reason of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture, attributed to the person denominated by the other nature.37

37 John 3:13; Acts 20:28

A Puritans Catechism
Q6 - How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A - There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
All precious to Christs
And the stones ere according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.  - Exodus 39 v 14
Observe how precious His people are to Him. There is a variety among the stones - every one is different, yet all are precious. So there is a great variety among Christ's people, yet all are precious to Christ. Some are chosen in infancy, like John the Baptist and Jeremiah, sanctified from the womb. Some are chosen in old age. Some are taken who have committed but little sin, like Martha and Mary. Some who have committed much, like the whom an which was a sinner, and the dying thief. Some are taken from a cottage, some from a palace; all are different, yet all jewels in the eyes of the Redeemer.