Daily Readings for Wednesday 25th 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 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 - The sons of the prophets get leave to enlarge their dwelling: Elisha causeth the iron to swim. He discloseth and disappointeth the counsels of the king of Syria, who sendeth troops to apprehend him in Dothan, Elisha's servant is terrified at seeing them, but is encouraged by his master with a vision of horses and chariots of fire. The Syrians, struck blind at Elisha's prayer, are conducted by him into the midst of Samaria, where they recover their sight, are kindly entertained, and dismissed in peace. Ben-hadad besiegeth Samaria, which occasioneth a great famine. Women eat their own children. The king sendeth to slay Elisha.
2 Kings 6
Preface - The apostle desireth the Thessalonians to pray for him, testifying his confidence in them, and praying God to direct them. He condemneth the idle and disorderly, and requireth others to abstain from their company: concluding with prayer and salutation.
1 Timothy 3

Daily Light - Morning
Lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world.

If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. - He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?...If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Mt. 28.20; Mt. 18.19-20; Jn. 14.21
Jn. 14.22,23
Jude 24-25

Daily Light - Evening
The end of all things is at hand.

I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. - The heavens and the earth, which are now...are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. - Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled.

We have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, - We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
1 Pe. 4.7; Rev. 20.11; 2 Pe. 3.7
Ps. 46.1-3; Mt. 24.6
2 Co. 5.1; 2 Pe. 3.13-14

A Puritans Catechism
Q35 - What are the benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
A - The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification are assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
Deep rooted faith
I held him, and would not let him go....Song of Solomon 3 v 4
The only way to hold fast is to believe more and more. Get a larger acquaintance with Christ - with His person, work, and character. Every page of the Gospel unfolds a new feature in His character - every line of the Epistles discloses new depths of His work. Get more faith, and you will get a firmer hold. A plant that has got a single root may be easily torn up by the hand, or crushed by the foot of  the wild beast, or blown down by the wind, but a plant that has a thousand roots struck down into the ground can stand. Faith is like the root - many believe a little concerning Christ - one fact. Every new truth concerning Jesus, is a new root struck downwards. Believe more intensely. A root may be in a right direction, but not striking deep, it is easily torn up. Pray for deep rooted faith. Pray to be stablished, strengthened, settled. Take a long intense look at Jesus - often, often. If you wanted to know a man again, and he was going away, you would take an intense look at his face. Look then at Jesus - deeply, intensely - till every feature is graven on your heart. Thomas Scott overcame the fear of death by looking intensely at his dead child, who had died in the Lord.