Daily Readings for Thursday 19th October 2023

Prayer
-Give thanks to God for the Bible, its inspiration and preservation for us to read it today. (2 Timothy 3.16, Proverbs 30.5)
-Give thanks to God that we have easy access to the Scripture in English, in our mother tongue.
-Pray the Lord would bless us as we study the Bible through the ministry this coming year. That as we work through a book of the Bible the Lord would continue to help us to grasp God's truth.
-Pray for the Lunchtime outreach service and those who attend; pray that more from the offices nearby and Christians who commute are able to join us.

Church Services
Sermons
Sunday morning at 11:00am in church (also available online via Facebook)
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
Bible study and prayer
Wednesday evening at 7:00pm online via Zoom (also available online via Facebook)
Lunch hour service
Thursday afternoon between 1:00pm and 1:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
(Thursday afternoon) Scripture reading - Ephesians 6 v 10-19
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 - Ahab persuadeth Jehoshaphat to go with him against Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat proposing to enquire of the Lord, the false prophets assure Ahab of success. At Jehoshaphat's request Micaiah is sent for: who foretelleth Ahab's death, and sheweth that his false prophets were possessed by a lying spirit. He is ill treated, and sent to prison. Ahab goeth in disguise to the battle. Jehoshaphat being mistaken for Ahab narrowly escapeth being slain. Ahab is killed by an arrow shot at a venture: the people are dispersed by proclatation. Dogs lick up Ahab's blood, according to Elijah's prophecy. The acts of Ahab, who is succeeded by Ahaziah, Jehoshaphat's good reign: his acts. Jehoshaphat dieth, and is succeeded by Jehoram. Ahaziah's wicked reign.
1 Kings 22
Preface - The apostle proceedeth to show that Christ's coming will be sudden, exhorting Christians to watch and be sober, so as not to be taken by surprise. He beseecheth them to respect their spiritual guides; and giveth various other precepts; concluding with a prayer and salutations.
1 Thessalonians 5

Daily Light - Morning
The LORD shall be thy confidence,
and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. - The King's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. - When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. - I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. - Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Pro. 3.26; Ps. 76.10; Pro. 21.1; Pro. 16.7
Ps. 130.5-6; Ps. 34.4
Deu. 33.27; Jer. 17.7
Ro. 8.31

Daily Light - Evening
Consolation in Christ...
comfort of love...fellowship of the Spirit.

Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. - My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

The Father...shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever...the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name. - Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him...And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Phil. 2.1; Job 14.1-2; Ps. 73.26
Jn. 14.16,26; 2 Co. 1.304
1 Th. 4.14,17-18

A Puritans Catechism
​Q29 - How does the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
A - The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
The essence of Christianity
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Colossians 1 v 27

Christ in you, means embraced by faith as our righteousness and strength; and this is the sure ground upon which we hope for glory. In this sense it appears to be used, 'That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.' (Ephesians 3 v 17.). When a sinner's heart is opened by the Holy Spirit, when the beauty and excellence of the Saviour is shown to him, the heart inwardly embraces and cleaves to Christ. Every new discovery of Christ to the soul renews this act of inward cleaving to the Lord Jesus. Every reproach, every temptation, every fall into sin, every bereavement, makes the soul more really, firmly, and fully embrace the Lord Jesus; and so, by continual faith, Christ may be said to dwell in the heart; as in Ephesians 3 v 17, 'That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith.' Christ thus embraced is the hope of glory. It is this constant abiding faith - this close embracing of Christ as all our righteousness - it is this which gives a calm, sweet, full, peaceful hope of glory. The soul that can say Christ is mine, can also say, Glory is mine; for we need nothing but Christ to shelter us in the judgement day. Can you say that Christ is thus in you the hope of glory? If you have not got Christ, you have no good hope of glory.