Daily Readings for Sunday November 25th, 2023

Dear Congregation

Thank you all for your prayers and support for the work of the church throughout 2023. I know we all have been through varying difficulties and some through particular hardships. Once again we can thank the Lord that we have been brought through trusting in the Lord as our refuge and strength. As I encouraged the congregation at the start of last year it is vitally important to pray to keep close to God and continue faithfully in our Christian life. Alongside reading the Scriptures these should be our daily routine. There are various encouragements in the Scriptures to pray:
- Pray without ceasing (1Th. 5:17).
-Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication of 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. May these verses challenge us all at the start of this new year to be a people of prayer. 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 this be a prayerful church and prayerful individuals. Knowing that we have a prayer hearing and answering God.

Pastor Jonathan Arnold

Prayer for 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
Sermons
Sunday morning at 11:00am in church (also available online via Facebook)
(Sunday morning) Scripture reading - Matthew 6: 19-34
Sunday evening at 6:30pm in church (also available online via Facebook)
(Sunday evening) Scripture reading - Romans 7:24-29; Matthew 8:1-10
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 - David foreknowing the place of the temple, maketh large preparations for the building of it. He instructeth Solomon in the promises made to him by God, and chargeth him with his duty in building the house. He chargeth the princes of Israel to assist his son in the work.
1 Chronicles 22
Preface - The apostle teacheth the duty of wives and husbands; exhorting all men to unity and love, and to return good for evil: to suffer, boldly for righteousness' sake, and to give a reason of their hope with meekness and fear; taking especial care to suffer, as  Christ did, for welldoing and not for evildoing. The preaching of Christ by his Spirit to the old world. After what manner Christian baptism saveth us.
1 Peter 3

Daily Light - Morning
The LORD delighteth in thee.

Thus saith the LORD that created thee... Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. - Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. - My delights were with the sons of men. - The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. - They shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

You. that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. 
Is. 62.4; Isa. 43.1; Isa. 49.15-16
Ps. 37.23; Pro. 8.31; Ps. 147.11; Mal. 3.17
Col. 1.21-22

Daily Light - Evening
The sorrow of the world worketh death.

When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddles his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died. - A wounded spirit who can bear?

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? - The LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted...to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my youke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Philip...preached unto him Jesus. - He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
2 Co. 7.10; 2 Sa. 17.23; Pro. 18.14
Jer. 8.22; Isa. 61.1,2-3; Mt. 11.28-30
Ac. 8.35; Ps. 147.3

A Puritans Catechism
Q67 - What does every sin deserve?
A - Every sin deserves God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.


BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH

Of Divine Providence
Chapter 5  
PARAGRAPH 1
​Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly;4 so that there is not anything befalls any by chance, or without His providence;5 yet by the same providence He ordered them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.

4 Acts 2:23
5 Prov. 16:33
6 Gen. 8:22

Robert Murray M'Cheyne - God Makes A Path - Daily Devotional Readings
He is mine
My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. - Song of Solomon 2 v 16
In the arms of my faith He is mine. I was once of the world - cold and careless about my soul. God awakened me, and made me feel I was lost. I tried to make myself good - to mend my life, but I found it in vain. I sat down more lost than before. I was then told to believe on the Lord Jesus. So I tried to make myself believe. - I read books on faith, and tried to bend my soul to believe, so that I might get to heaven; but still in vain. I found it written, 'Faith is the gift of God.' 'No man can call Jesus Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.' So I sat down more lost than ever. Whilst I was thus helpless, Jesus drew near - His garments dipped in blood. He had waited long at my door, though I knew it not. 'His head was filled with dew, and His locks with the drops of the night. 'He had five deep wounds; and He said, 'I died in the stead of sinners; and any sinner may have Me for a Saviour. You are a helpless sinner, will you have Me?' How can I resist Him? He is all I need! I held Him, and would not let Him go.' My beloved is mine.'
In the arms of my love He is mine. Once I did not know what people meant by loving Jesus. I always wished to ask how they could love one whom they had never seen, but was answered, 'whom not having seen, we love.' But now that I have hidden in Him - now that I am cleaving to Him - now I feel that I cannot but love Him; and I long to see Him that I may love Him more. Many a time I fall into sin, and that takes away my feeling of safety in Christ. Darkness comes, all is clouded, Christ is away. Still even then I am sick of love. Christ is not light and peace to me; but I follow hard after Him amid the darkness - He is precious to me; and even, though I be in darkness, He is my bloved still. ' 'This is my beloved, and this is my friend.'