Daily Readings for Sunday 26th January 2025

Dear Congregation,

I want to thank all of you who have prayed and supported the work of the Gospel through the church in 2023 and this first month of 2024. It is a great joy to minister at Westminster Baptist and I love the church here greatly. Through this past year, there have been heart-wrenching tragedies alongside blessings too. This is often the case in Christian life and yet we are called to keep trusting and believing. We often bear the battle scars of past experience and circumstance, as we live in this sinful world and anticipate heaven. We see Mordecai, mocked and scorned for years in Esther and on the brink of execution, yet he latterly knew blessing from God. The most important thing was he was faithful in serving the Lord.

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful - 1 Corinthians 4.2. This verse especially applies to ministers, church workers, but to all Christians. We are stewards of the oracles of God and to us has the light of the gospel been revealed. We should therefore be striving to be faithful, not popular, faithful. May that be our aim by the grace of God.

In the beginning month in recent years we have spent a week praying together on each day for certain things. As a reminder that with continuing faith that prayer is essential. Key to our hope and joy and endurance and love, and with new resolve to make time to pray regularly alone and with your family and with some group of fellow believers.

Alongside reading the Scriptures these should be our daily routine. There are various encouragements in the Scriptures to pray:
- Pray without ceasing (1 Th. 5:17).
- Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ep. 6:18).
- Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (Col. 4:2).

These are a few verses of the many that encourage us to pray and undoubtedly set before us a biblical mandate that we should be concerned to pray. Maybe you have fallen out of the 'habit' or relegated prayer to a part time practice; or you only pray when trouble or danger comes. To that end I would ask the church to pray, if led, the suggested topics below so we might pray for the same things (roughly speaking) on the same day to encourage us.

Let us be prayerful people and realise we too need prayer. To say we are praying for someone should be an expression of concern but an indication of our own action to bring the matter before God, before the throne of Grace through the believers mediator and High Priest. Jesus Christ, Paul even requests prayer for himself and those labouring for the Gospel with him twice in 1 and 2 Thessalonians saying 'brethren pray for us'. May we be a prayerful church and prayerful individuals, knowing that we have a prayer hearing and answering God.

Pastor Jonathan Arnold


Daily Prayer - Sunday
- God thanks to God for His character, perfect, unchangeable, the same yesterday today and forever.
- Give thanks to God that we can meet in the church and have fellowship with one another.
- Pray the Lord would grant the preaching of his word power and clarity, and there are ready ears to hear and believe it. (2 Thes. 3.1.)
- Pray we would be granted faithful ministry and good spiritual food from God's Word. (1 Peter 2.2.)


Daily Reading Plan - First Year
Preface - Isaac sendeth Esau for venison. Rebekah instructeth Jacob to obtain the blessing. Jacob under the person of Esau obtaineth it. Esau bringeth venison; Isaac is alarmed, but confirmeth the blessing to Jacob. Esau complaineth, and by importunity obtaineth a blessing. He threateneth Jacob's life, whom Rebekah sendeth away.
Genesis 27
Preface - Christ again foretelleth his own death. The rulers conspire against him. A woman poureth precious ointment upon his head. Judas bargaineth to betray him. Christ eateth the passover, and pointeth out the traitor: he instituteth his last supper: foretelleth the desertion of his disciples, and Peter's denial of him. His agony and prayer in the garden. He is betrayed and apprehended. one of the servants of the high priest hath his ear cut off; Jesus forbiddeth opposition: he is carried to Caiaphas, falsely accused, examined, pronounced guilty, and treated with indignity. Peter's denial and repentance.
Matthew 26


Daily Reading - Morning
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the
camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no
continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. - As ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. - Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
He. 13.13-14; 1 Pe. 4.12-13; 2 Co. 1.7
1 Pe. 4.14
Ac. 5.41; He. 11.25-26


Daily Reading - Evening
The Lord Jesus Christ....shall change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.

Upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.... This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. - It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any moe. - They sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.
Phil. 3.20,21; Ezek. 1.26-27,28
2 Co. 3.18; 1 Jn. 3.2
​Rev. 7.16; Rev. 15.3


A Puritans Catechism
Q 77 - Are the infants of such as are professing to be baptized?
A - The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures for their baptism.


The 1689
Baptist Confession of Faith
Of Marriage
Chapter 25
PARAGRAPH 2
​
Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, (2) for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, (3) and the preventing of uncleanness. (4)
(2) Gen. 2:18 (3) Gen. 1:28 (4) 1 Cor. 7:2.9


Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
Something better than life
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1 v 21

If you would die the death of Christ's people, you must live their life. Inconsistent Christians generally have a painful death-bed; but those that follow Christ fully can die like aged Paul - 'I am ready to be offered'; or like Job - 'I know that my Redeemer liveth.'