Happy 2025!

Remember to support each other this year and strive towards God. Keep up your spiritual activities, not that they would become a formality, but that we would be pushed nearer to God day by day. If you fail, don't give up completely, because that will just push you further away.

Let us pray for each other and seek the Lord while he may be found this year.

BIBLE READING PLAN

Think of starting a Bible reading plan this year. It is highly important to go through large swaths of Scripture within a relatively short amount of time so that you can get a more comprehensive view of his word and really know what you are talking about when you discuss with fellow Christians.

As the previous post says, we hope that this does not lead to formality, but should only be used insofar as it spiritually benefits. People often complain about "outward Christians", but that should not prevent believers from doing outward practices. There is no true believer that does not bear good fruit – if you are spiritual, it should show. Once we drop the outward form, we cannot expect the inward growth.

The picture of this post is a table from a Crossway article that shows reading speeds. Look out the full article here for ideas for a Bible reading schedule, or find a year plan online: https://www.crossway.org/articles/infographic-you-can-read-more-of-the-bible-than-you-think/

PSALM SINGING

Here is a recording of a congregation I have been a part of singing Psalm 51 to Kilmarnock. I hope you enjoy.

For similar recordings, visit the church's website, and check out the Psalmody page: https://www.fpchurch.org.uk/psalmody/

THE SUM OF SAVING KNOWLEDGE

It still shocks me how many people have not heard of this document even though it is in the Westminster Standards. It was of great benefit to me upon the first reading and continues to be such. Read alongside its Scripture references, this is a great soothing to the soul by the blessing of God's Spirit – truly the best portion of law and gospel you can fit into such a concise document. It really isn't that long, and I suggest you all meditate upon it before the Lord's Day (if it is not already that day for you).

https://thewestminsterstandard.org/the-sum-of-saving-knowledge/

A PURITAN'S MIND

This website is created by our wonderful brother Rev. Dr. C. Matthew McMahon, who expounds the lives and doctrines of the Puritans in dozens of edifying articles as well as sharing other resources. I highly recommend making your way through some of them if you are interested in this blessed time period.

https://www.apuritansmind.com/

PURITAN QUOTE

Matthew Henry on Matthew xii:
"[After talking about degrees of sin]: not that there is any sin little, for there is no little God to sin against [...]."

PRAYER REMINDER

- Worship God for His many wonderful mercies and attributes, such as His breaking the covenant between the devil and the Church in Christ Jesus
- Remember who God is and to walk before the Lord all the days of your life (that is, knowing that God sees your every move), asking Him to try you and search your heart and show you your wicked ways
- Pray for the ingathering of the elect and specific examples like your unsaved acquaintances
- Pray for God to give you trust and faith in His will, not your own, and to not grumble at His Word
- Base your prayers on the promises of God in His Word
- Pray for your minister and the ministry of the Word
- Pray thanking God for all things, even small things
- Pray God to renew your heart within you and to forgive you your many sins
- Pray for humility and the strength to deal correctly with others
- Pray for strength against the flesh and to glorify Him actively and continually.

VERSE REFLECTIONS

"And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?"
-Ezra ix. 13, 14

VERSE REFLECTIONS

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
-Genesis vi. 5

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."
-Jeremiah xvii. 9

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
-Isaiah i. 18.

MEDITATION

Sorry for not posting a lot, I have been finishing my time abroad and getting ready for my next placement.
Here is something from a trusted brother and ministry student:

FOR READING EZEKIEL XVI
v1-14 - Read and reflect on God's goodness and grace to His people and His Church.
v15-52 - Read and reflect on the Church's sin and faithlessness, and your own wickedness and disobedience, sinning against God and deserving all death, wrath, and condemnation.
v53-63 - Reflect on God's loving-kindness and free grace, shown to the vilest of offenders, and most detestable people, see His love for His Church.

2ND DAY OF THE WEEK

Remember to meditate on your Lord's Day.

- What sermons did you hear? Can you remember the heads? Key doctrines? How the gospel was presented?
- What did you read? How did it help you better understand God's Word?
- Did you pray? What did you hear from fellow Christians that you can pray for throughout the week?
- What are some key lessons you will be meditating on throughout the week? Is there something you need to work on understanding or practising?
- Remember to seek God's grace in all things. To seek God's salvation if you are not already saved. Rest upon Christ alone for your salvation. Realise how empty you are and how much you need God to sin less and less and be sanctified throughout the week.

PRAYER REMINDER

- Pray for those who are under Storm Éowyn, that they would be safe and that God would execute His wrath and/or trials if that be His purpose in this. Let us all use this day for meditation, reading, singing, and executing our duties if we can.
- Pray for those who do not have a good local church (i.e. no church they can in good conscience attend).
- Pray for those who are in countries where it is hard to be a Christian.
- Pray for those who are coming out of a false church, that they would be given strength to leave it behind them and seek God.
- Pray for those whose families are against them, that the family members would be saved and that strivings would cease.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUALITY

This is greatly lost on us today. With abundance in scholasticism, apologetics, and discernment/rebuking certain groups, it can be easy to get sucked into vain, repetitive arguments. While some of these have a place, we have a severe want of true spirituality in spite of intellectual depth.

GUIDELINES:
- SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION. Talk to Christian friends about the gospel and what God has done for your soul. Be open about your sinfulness and need for grace.
- CORPORATE PRAYER. Prayer meetings have astonishingly low attendance rates. Attend as much as you can! Informal prayer with friends is of great importance and must be valued more.
- READING SCRIPTURES AND COMMENTARIES. Most of us don't understand the basic readings of the Bible all the way through. Use commentaries. Pray that you would understand the Word you read and try to work it out yourself. Ask your pastors and friends for input, too.

I hope to post more points later on, so we will leave it here for now.
1/4

SECOND DAY OF THE WEEK

- Meditate on the sermons you heard
- Catch up in understanding what you read with a commentary if you didn't get something
- Meditate on the lessons you learned/resolutions you decided for the week ahead—that is, perhaps you noticed an area in which you need to change your ways in your duties
- Remember not to neglect your spiritual duties
- Get on your worldly duties and do not slack into laziness or pursuing vain things
- Re-read the chapters you read in Church some days in the week with new understanding
- Pray for resistance to all your temptations this week and run to God when you fall.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUALITY — 2/4

I may do another post on a similar topic, but for my current thoughts this is post 2 of 4.

- HUMILITY is a trait we all need more of. Of course, some of us are naturally more humble than others, but it is one of the most common and root sins to be prideful. Go in as a humble man as you read God's Word, and always pray before and during worship so that you understand your Bible.
- AVOID WORLDLY BEHAVIOUR as much as possible. Without giving rules that could become legalistic, we need to be stricter on ourselves. We need to cut out anything that is distracting us from God. This is not just things that reduce our worship time. I mean anything that is too silly or vain can make our dispositions less serious and our desires change. Far more time than is currently spent worshipping and glorifying God could be spent doing so. Spend a little more time in devotion, reading, praying... And if you are unproductive, do your duty. Learn to have self-discipline.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUALITY — 3/4

- PRIVATE WORSHIP is something most people today forget or have not even heard of, yet it was done by all Christians in our lineage. Private worship is formally split into two: family and secret. If your family is Christian, do family worship or try to encourage it. If not, and they are not interested at all, you may just have to stick to secret worship. Secret worship is effectively the same but in your room, as our Lord Jesus prescribed when talking about shutting your door. The format in my church is: pray, read a chapter, read a commentary and/or family discussion if you want/need to, sing a Psalm, pray. Praying on your knees can be helpful and a more appropriate posture, but it is up to you. One divine of a good commentary is said to have read the Bible on his knees while preparing for the commentary. I think if we pray over every part of Scripture that affects us (in private reading, we should pay attention during formal worship) we will be blessed far more.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUALITY — 4/4

- BE NOT A HYPOCRITE. As obvious as it sounds, this is a great condemnation in the Bible. Yet so many of us go about as theological snobs and use foul language, and say this is to the glory of God. How are we going to bless anyone with this attitude? let alone ourselves! Let us not wander into insulting matches or act as the Bible clearly speaks against. Do not profess to love the Word of God and God Himself without being diligent in the means of grace.

I am watching myself in these as much. I fail all the time. But I really hope people will at least realise their spiritual poverty here and come before God to mourn over their shortcomings. I wish I had more of this too. I pray for more grace and a stronger hatred of my sin. Let us reform ourselves and reform our churches with a holy conversation (behaviour).

FINIS

Do you want a book that deals with the comprehensive implications of Christ's redemption? Then go to Exodus. You might have thought that I would say "Go to John." or "Go to Ephesians." And yes, those are marvellous books on redemption. But there is nothing to compare with Exodus.
Do you want a book that highlights the holiness of God as no other book? Then go to Leviticus.

Do you want to understand the causes and cures of backsliding? Then go to Judges.
Do you want to understand fantastic principles of leadership? Go to Nehemiah.
These are not simply books of interest to antiquarians. They are books that God designed to inform our situation and to change us.

- Rev. Philip Kayser

2ND DAY OF THE WEEK

- Meditate on the sermons you heard
- Meditate on what you read in the Bible
- Meditate on any good books you read and what they told you
- Have a look at some historical documents/writers
- Prepare for the week and get ready to do what you must
- Remember that idleness leads to temptation and take heed!