Daily Readings for Thursday 25th January 2024

Prayer - Thursday
- Give thanks to God that we are part of a global church made up of true Christians across the world.
- Give thanks to God for the freedoms we have to share the Gospel in England and pray that it may continue.
- Pray for missionaries across the world who are seeking to preach the Gospel and establish a faithful church.
- Pray for those in persecuted countries who have to meet in secret. Even those who are now in prison for their faith. Give thanks to God that we are part of a global church made up of true Christians across the world.

​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 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)
(Thursday afternoon) Scripture reading - Romans 6 v 15- 23
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 -By advice of his servants Ahasuerius appointeth the fair virgins of his kingdom to be assembled in order to choose out a queen. Esther brought up by Mordecai. She is preferred by Hegai keeper of the women before all the other virgins, but by Mordeca's directions telleth not her kindred. The manner of purification and going in into the king. Esther pleaseth him, and is made queen. Mordecai discovereth a plot against the king's life, which service is registered in the chronicles of the kingdom.
Esther 2
Preface - The Jews accuse Paul to Festus, first at Jerusalem, and afterward at Caesarea: he answereth for himself, and appealeth to Caesar: his appeal is admitted. Festus being visited by king Agrippa openeth the matter to him, who desireth to hear Paul. Paul is brought forth; Festus declareth he found nothing in him worthy of death.
Acts 25

Daily Light - Morning
The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.

He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. - Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. - Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. - Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Ro. 3.22; 2 Co. 5.21; Ga. 3.13; 1 Co. 1.30; Titus 3.5-6
Phil. 3.8-9

Daily Light - Evening
The Spirit of adoption,
Whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Jesus...lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father...Holy  Father...O righteous Father. - He said, Abba, Father. - Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. - For through him we both have access  by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

Doubtless thou art our father...thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father.

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.
Ro. 8.15; Jn. 17.1,11,25; Mk. 14.36; Ga. 4.6; Eph. 2.18-19
Isa. 63.16
Lu. 15.18-20
Eph. 5.1


A Puritans Catechism
Q45 - What is required in the second commandment?
A - The second commandment requires the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word.

​BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH

Of the perseverance of the Saints
Chapter 17
PARAGRAPH 2

This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election,4 flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him,5 the oath of God,6 the abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them,7 and the nature of the covenant of grace;8 from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.

4 Rom. 8:30, 9:11,16
5 Rom. 5:9, 10; John 14:19
6 Heb. 6:17–18
7 1 John 3:9
8 Jer. 32:40


Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes  A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
The Lord from heaven
The first man is of the earth, earthy, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. - 1 Corinthians 15 v 47
The first Adam was fair, exquisitely fair, as he came from the hand of God; but the second is altogether lovely - fairer than the children of men.
The first Adam was made in the likeness of God; but the second is God Himself, the Lord from heaven - the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of His person.
The first Adam was full of heavenly wisdom, so that he named all the creatures as they came; but in the second are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He is the wisdom of God. He spake as never man spake. He calls all the stars by their names.
The first was the head of the whole human race - the federal head; so that in him they stood, and in him they fell. Christ is offered as a head to every creature, and is actually the head of all the redeemed, and of myriads of holy angels, all gathered together in him.
O glorious one! Divine and human perfections meet in Him! O that you were filled with sweet, admiring, adoring thoughts of Him this day! O that He would rise upon you like the sun! He is the Light of the world, the Sun of righteousness, the bright and morning star. It is that one who justifies the ungodly, who has power to forgive sins. He is precious to all that believe.