Daily Readings for Sunday 19th November 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 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. 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
-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 - 1 Corinthians 15 v 1-10 - read and preached by a visiting pastor; Dr. Bill Patterson
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
(Sunday evening) scripture reading - 1 Thessalonians 1 v 1-10 - read and preached by a visiting pastor; Dr. Bill Patterson
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 13) - David fetcheth the ark with great solemnity from Kirjath-jearim. Uzza being smitten, the ark is left at the house of Obed-edom.
Preface 14) - Hiram sendeth timber and builders to David. The prosperity of David's kingdom. His additional wives and children after his accession to the kingdom. His two signal victories over the Philistines.
1 Chronicles 13-14
Preface - The apostle's address to the dispersed Jews. He recommendeth patience and joy in afflictions, and pray with faith. He giveth advice to the poor and to the rich. The reward of those that are firmly resistant under trial. Our own lusts, and not God, tempt us to sin. God is the unchangeable author of all good to his creatures. We must receive the word with purity and meekness, and not only hear, but do it. The necessity of governing he tongue. The essential duties of true religion.
James 1

Daily Light - Morning
By their fruits ye shall know them.

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. - Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. - Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit... A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?
Mt. 7.20; 1 Jn. 3.7; Jas. 3.11-13; 1 Pe. 2.12
Mt. 12.33,35
Isa. 5.4

Daily Light - Evening
I will make the place of my feet glorious.

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.

Will god in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts... The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts.

I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea... And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Isa. 60.12; Isa. 66.1
2 Chr. 6.18
Hag. 2.6-7,9
Rev. 21.1,3

A Puritans Catechism
Q60 - What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A - The eighth commandment forbids whatever does, or may unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbour's wealth or outward estate.

The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith
Of The Holy Scriptures
Chapter 3 - Paragraph 6
As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto;  13)   God wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,  14)   God are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,  15)  God and kept by His power through faith unto salvation;  16)  God neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.  17)  
13)  1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thess. 2:13  14)  1 Thess. 5:9-10  15)  Rom. 8:30; 2 Thess. 2:13  16)  1 Pet. 1:5  17)  John 10:26, 17:9, 6:64

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
Infinitely better
These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. - Revelation 14 v 4
Acquaint nw thyself with Him. Come to Him; do not rest short of Him. You think it a great thing to know a lively Christian: Oh! how infinitely better to know God.