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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 expressio 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 fo rthe 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.) 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 Preface - God's judgments for injustice and oppression. The Assyrian, the instrument of God's vengeance, for his pride shall be broken. The remnant of Israel shall return after the determined desolation. Judah is comforted with a promise of deliverance from Assyria. The approach of the Assyrian to Jerusalem, and his destruction. Isaiah 10:5 Preface - Our evil lusts and passions tend to breed quarrels among ourselves, and to set us at enmity with God. The way to overcome them, and recover God's favour. Against slander and censriousness. We must not presume on the future, but committ ourselves to God's providence. James 4 Daily Light - Morning Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. - Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. - He that believeth on the Son of God hath the sitness in himself. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. - In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. - That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1 Jn. 4.7; Ro. 5.5; Ro. 8.15-16; 1 Jn. 5.10 1 Jn. 4.9; Eph. 1.7; Eph. 2.7 1 Jn. 4.11 Daily Light - Evening Reproach hath broken my heart. Is not this the carpenter's son? - Can there any good thing come our of Nazareth? - Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? - He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. - We know that this man is a sinner. - He deceiveth the people. - This man blasphemeth. - Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. - This is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully... For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. - If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. Ps. 69.20; Mt. 13.55; Jn. 1.46; Jn. 8.48; Mt. 9.34; Jn. 9.24; Jn. 7.12; Mt. 9.3; Mt. 11.19 Mt. 10.25; 1 Pe. 2.19,21-23; 1 Pe. 4.14 A Puritans Catechism Q 65 - Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? A - No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed. The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith Of Divine Providence Chapter 5 PARAGRAPH 7 As the providence of God does in general reach to all creatures, so after a more special manner it takes care of His church, and disposes of all things to the good thereof.23 23 1 Tim. 4:10; Amos 9:8–9; Isa. 43:3–5 Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings The true value of an action Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 1 Samuel 2 v 3 In order to know the true value of an action, you must search the heart. Many a deed that is applauded by men, is abominable in the sight of God, who searches the heart. To give an alms to a poor man may be an action either worthy of an eternal reward, or worthy of an eternal punishment. If it be done out of love to Christ, because the poor man is a disciple of Christ, it will in no wise lose its reward. Christ will say: 'Inasmuch as ye did it to the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.' If it be done out of pride or self-righteousness, Christ will cast it from Him; He will say, 'Depart, ye cursed; ye did it not unto me.'
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