Daily Readings for Sunday 17th November 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.)


Daily Reading
Preface - The voluptuousness of Israel shall be punished with desolation. Their perversion of justice and vain confidence shall end in affliction.
Amos 6
Preface - Luke's preface. An angel appeareth to Zacharias, and promiseth him a son in his old age: Zacharias doubting is struck dumb for a sign: his wife Elisabeth conceiveth. THe angel's visit to Mary. Elisabeth saluted by Mary prophesieth. Mary's song of thanksgiving. The birth and circumcision of John the Baptist: Zacharias' mouth is opened: his prophecy.
Luke 1:39


Daily Light - Morning
Thy thoughts are very deep.

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. - That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, any be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height: and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! - My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Many, O LORD my God, are thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if  I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
Ps. 92.5; Col. 1.19; Eph. 3.17-19
Ro. 11.33; Isa. 55.8-9; Ps. 40.5


Daily Light - Evening
Whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap.

They that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. - They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. - He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. - He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is​ that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. - He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Ga. 6.7; Job. 4.8; Hos. 8.7; Ga. 6.8
Pro. 11.18; Ga. 6.8-10
Pro. 11.24-25; 2 Co. 9.6


A Puritans Catechism
​Q 7 - What are the decrees of God?
A - The decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the counsel of his own will, whereby for his own glory he has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

​
The 1689
Baptist Confession of Faith
Of Effectual Calling
Chapter 10
PARAGRAPH 2​
This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature,7 being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit;8 he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.9
7 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 2:8
8 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 2:5; John 5:25
9 Eph. 1:19–20

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
The believer's self watch
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
1 Timothy 4 v 16
Your own soul is your first and greatest care. You know a sound body alone can work with power; much more a healthy soul. Keep a clear conscience, through the blood of the Lamb. Keep up close communion with God. Study likeness to Him in all things.