Daily Readings for Thursday 30th January 2025

Daily 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
Sunday morning at 11:00am in church (and also available online via Facebook)
Doctrine Class - in church (after lunch) (and also available online via Facebook)
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (and also available online via Facebook)
Bible Study and Prayer
Wednesday evening at 7:00pm in church (and also available online via Facebook)
Lunch Hour Service
Thursday afternoon between 1:00pm and 1:30pm in church (and 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 Plan - First Year
Preface - Jacob is regarded with an evil eye by Laban and his sons; is commanded by God to return to his own land, and proposeth his departure to his wives. He removeth secretly with his family and substance; Rachel stealeth her father's images. Laban pursueth after him; is warned of God, and overtaking Jacob complaineth of the wrong. Jacob, ignorant of the theft, permitteth Laban to search for the images; Rachel's policy to hid them. Jacob's complaint of Laban. The covenant of Jacob and Laban: Laban returneth home.
Genesis 31
Preface - Christ, followed by multitudes, healeth one sick of the palsy: calleth Matthew from the receipt of custom: justifieth himself for eating with publicans and sinners: excuseth his disciples for not fasting: and vindicateth them for plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day.
Mark 2


Daily Light - Morning
Let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus the author 
and finisher of our faith.

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. - Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. - Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness.

Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. - Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. - Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD.
He. 12.1-2; Lu. 9.23; Lu. 14.33; Ro. 13.12
1 Co. 9.25-27; Phil. 3.13-14; Hos. 6.3



Daily Light - Evening
It is good for man that
he bear the yoke in his youth.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word... It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. - Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
Lam. 3.27; Pro. 22.6
He. 12.9-10
Ps. 119.67,71
​Jer. 29.11; 1 Pe. 5.6



A Puritans Catechism
Q 81 - What is required for the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper?
A - It is required of them who would worthily partake of the Lord's Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord's body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience, last, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.

​
​
The 1689
Baptist Confession of Faith
Of the Church
Chapter 26
PARAGRAPH 2
​
All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors eventing the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are any may be called visible saints;  (2) and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted. (3)
(2) 1 Cor. 1:2; Acts 11:26 (3) Rom. 1:7 Eph. 1:20-22



Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
Rivers of water
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beast also.
Numbers 20 v 11

Christ is the smitten rock because his blood has been poured out for sin.

1) The rock was smitten before it gave out the stream. So is it with Christ. He was smitten of God and afflicted. He bore the wrath of God; and therefore his blood gushed forth, and cleanses from all sin. Oh! you that fear to be smitten of God, wash in this blood, - it flows from a smitten rock.

2) The water gushed forth abundantly when Moses smote the rock. It was no scanty stream - it was enough for all the thousands of Israel. So is it with the blood of the Saviour. It is no scanty stream. There are no sins it cannot wash out, there is no sinner beyond its reach, there is enough here for all the thousands of Israel.

3) It was a constant supply: 'They drank of the spiritual rock which followed them, and that rock was Christ.' We are not expressly told in the Old Testament that the waters of the smitten rock did actually follow the camp of Israel, but some learned divines are of the opinion that it was so - that the water continued to flow wherever Israel went; so that it might be said the smitten rock followed them. So it is with Christ. He is a rock that follows us. He is like rivers of water in a dry place. You may wash, a