Daily Readings for Thursday 4th 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 - The parable of grace - Matthew 20
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 - The adversaries of the Jews offering to join in building the temple, and being rejected, endeavour to hinder the work. They write to Artaxerxes. The copy of their letter. The answer of Artaxerxes, and his decree to stop the progress of the work. The building is suspended for a time.
Ezra 4
Preface - The rulers of the Jews, offended with the teaching of Peter and John, imprison them. Being brought before the council, Peter boldly avoucheth the late care to have been wrought in the name of Jesus, and that men can be saved by no other name. The council, struck with the boldness of the two apostles, after conferring together dismiss them with a threatening charge to speak no more in the name of Jesus. The church be taketh itself to prayer. The presence of the Holy Ghost is signified by the house shaking, and the apostles thereby emboldened to speak the word; the unity and charity of the church, who have their possessions in common.
Acts 4

Daily Light - Morning
Ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the
inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you.

This is not your rest. - There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. - Within the veil; wither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepaer a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. - With Christ; which is far better.

God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither, shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. - There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. - Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Deu. 12.9; Mi. 2.10; He. 4.9; He. 6.19-20
Jn. 14.2-3; Phil. 1.23
Rev. 21.4; Job 3.17
Mt. 6.20-21; Col. 3.2

O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin. - But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have gought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.
1 Co. 15.55; 1 Co. 15.56; He. 9.26-28
He. 2.14-15
2 Tim. 4.6-8

A Puritans Catechism
Q24 - 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,andreconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.

​BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH

Of Justification
Chapter 11 
PARAGRAPH 6
The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.18
18 Gal. 3:9; Rom. 4:22–24

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
Look beyone
For I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. - Isaiah 44 v 3
Learn to look beyond ministers for a work of grace. God has given much honour to his ministers: but not the pouring out of the Spirit. He keeps that in His own hand: "I will pour." "It is not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. "Alas! we would have little hope, if it depended upon ministers; for where are our men of might now? God is able to do it today as He was at the day of Pentecost; but men are taken up with ministers and not with God. As long as you look to ministers, God cannot pour; for you would say it came from man. Ah! cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils. One would think we would be humbled in the dust by this time. In how many parishes of Scotland has God raised up faithful men, who cease not day and night to warn every one with tears! And yet still the heavens are like brass, and the earth like iron. Why? Just because your eye is on man, and not on God, Oh! look off man to Him, and He will pour, and His shall be all the glory.