Aberystwyth 2015 Evening session 03/Second and third morning sessions

As tends to happen I've gotten a bit behind with my reports but let me rectify that. Since the report we have had Paul David Tripp's second evening message. This one was from Mark 8 and Jesus walking on the water. The Tuesday night was amazingly good I knew that the next night couldn't come with the same impact and it didn't. I was also feeling rather tired, which didn't help.

Meanwhile in the mornings David Meredith has been pressing ahead with Joshua. On Wednesday morning he looked at the Gibeonite deception in Chapter 9 and this morning (Thursday) at the daughters of Zelophehad in Chapter 17. Both were good solid expositions from the text with application. Wednesday's burden was for us to be discernment, to show integrity, to choose carefully and to remember grace. This morning it was the need to realise that people suffer, to find relief from suffering in God, who has a special place in his heart for his people for his people who suffer and noting that even when a person suffers and it is his own fault there should be compassion.

He gave a striking quote from Robert Murray M'Cheyne (it's quoted in Francis Chan's Crazy love which may be the source)

"I am concerned for the poor but more for you. I know not what Christ will say to you in the great day. I fear there are many hearing me who may know well that they are not Christians because they do not love to give.

To give largely and liberally, not grudgingly at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money.

Oh my friends! Enjoy your money; make the most of it; give none away; enjoy it quickly for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity."

So we are being well fed here and our responsibility to act on what we have heard is growing by the minute.