Daily Readings for Sunday 28th January 2024

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.

Jonathan Arnold

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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 - Proverbs 16 v 1-13 & Matthew 7 v 1-29
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
Sunday evening) Scripture reading - Psalm 110 & Acts 1 v 12-26
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 - Esther, venturing to appear uncalled before the king in the inner court, is graciously received, and promised the grant of her request: she inviteth the king and Haman to a banquet. Being encouraged by the king to name her suit, she inviteth him and Haman to another banquet the next day. Haman, though proud of the distinctions shewn him, repineth at and complaineth to his friends of Mordecai's neglect. By the advice of his wife and friends he prepareth for him a gallows.
Esther 5
Preface - Paul and his company after their shipwreck are kindly entertained by the barbarians of Melita: a viper fastening on his hand without hurting him, the people, who at first thought ill of him, believe him a god: he healeth the father of Publius, and other sick persons in the island. Paul and his company depart, and arrive at Rome; where Paul is left with a guard in a house of his own. He calleth the Jews together, and sheweth the occasion of his coming: he preacheth Christ to them, of whom some believe, others believe not: he continueth for two whole years to preach the gospel without interruption.
Acts 28

Daily Light - Morning
As thy days, so shall thy strength be.

When they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. - Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

The God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people, Blessed be God. - He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 'Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. - O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
Deu. 33.25; Mk. 13.11; Mt. 6.34
Ps. 68.35; Isa. 40.29
2 Co. 12.9-10; Phil. 4.13; Judg. 5.21

Daily Light - Evening
Awake, O north wind; and...blow upon my garden,
that the spices thereof may flow out.

No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. - The fruit of the Spirit.

He stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. - In all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Song 4.16; He. 12.11; Ga. 5.22
Isa. 27.8
Ps. 103.13
2 Co. 4.16-18
He. 5.8; He. 4.15


A Puritans Catechism
Q48 - What is required in the third commandment?
A - The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
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BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH

Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
Chapter 18
PARAGRAPH 2
This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith,4 founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel;5 and also upon the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made,6 and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God;7 and, as a fruit thereof, keeping the heart both humble and holy.8


4 Heb. 6:11,19
5 Heb. 6:17–18
6 2 Pet. 1:4–5,10–11
7 Rom. 8:15–16
8 1 John 3:1–3


Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
Eternal loss
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. - 2 Corinthians 5 v 10
Every man shall be rewarded according as his work has been. Some will be made rulers over five, some over ten cities. I have no doubt that every sin, inconsistency, backsliding and decay of God's children takes away something from their eternal glory. It is a loss for all eternity; and the more fully and unreservedly we follow the Lord Jesus now, the more abundant will our entrance be into His everlasting kingdom. The closer we walk with Christ now, the closer will we walk with Him to all eternity. 'Thou hast a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their garments. They shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.' Amen.