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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 prophet with the free offers of grace through Christ exhorteth to faith, and to repentance. The happy state of believers. Isaiah 55 Preface - The preaching of John the Baptist: his office, and manner of living: he baptizeth in Jordan, and rebuketh the Pharisees. Christ is baptized, and receiveth a witness from heaven. Matthew 3 Daily Light - Morning I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter...even the Spirit of truth. It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. - Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. - The Spirit...helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. - Hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. Jn. 14.16,17; Jn. 16.7 Ro. 8.16; Ro. 8.15; Ro. 8.26 Ro. 15.13; Ro. 5.5 1 Jn. 4.13 Daily Light - Evening Shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? There remaineth...a rest to the people of God. - My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. - There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. - They...rest from their labours. The forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. - In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. Ru. 3.1; He. 4.9; Isa. 32.18; Job 3.17; Rev. 14.13 He. 6.20 Mt. 11.28-30; Isa. 30.15 Ps. 23.1-2 A Puritans Catechism Q 24 - How does Christ execute the office of a priest? A - Christ executes the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us. The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith Of Saving Faith Chapter 14 PARAGRAPH 3 This faith, although it be different in degrees, and may be weak or strong, yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kind or nature of it, as is all other saving grace, from the faith and common grace of temporary believers; and therefore, though it may be many times assailed and weakened, yet it gets the victory, growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.
Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings Christ gave His life I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep John 10 v 11 Jacob was a good shepherd to Laban. You remember his care of the sheep; he says, 'That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.' etc., (Gen. 31 vs 30-40). But he did not give his life for the sheep. David was a good shepherd. You remember when a lion and a bear came and took away the sheep, that he went after it and rescued it, and slew both the lion and the bear; (1 Samuel 17 v 35). But David did not give his life for the sheep; but Christ gave His life. The sentence was written against the sheep, 'Thou shalt die,' - Christ came between and died for them.
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