I personally love the promise at the end of the Book.  "I am coming soon".

When i read this and parsed in my mind, i realized that I don't really believe Jesus' words.  I don't believe his promise.  I do not trust his word as much as I thought.  Because althought I know he is coming, I've do not believe he is coming SOON.  And this qualifier changes everything.   It ought change everything.  I know whether I believe this promise by each morning, afternoon, and evening.  Soon means right around the corner, and there is no time to waste.  Soon means this weekend trip is no longer a vacation and a time to hang-out and play.  Soon means saturday 7/31 is a time to know Jesus and make Him known.  And we do this by the Gospel, knowing what it is, and believing, and owning, and then sharing out of overflow.

At a certain frequency in time I must ask myself to evaluate the changes which has occurred 

• who I was 1 year ago compared to who I am now
• who I am now compared to who i ought to be in 1 year.

The results surprise me.  In some areas, God has surely taken hold and I have let go for him to transform, out with old-self, and in with the new.  And in many other areas, they are as wretch as the first day, if not worse.

Heads up: We will all be challenged within this next month to dwell on this and engage in that conversation with Jesus.

The term Gnosticism is derived from the Greek word for knowledge "Gnosis", in that the believers thought that you needed special knowledge to achieve salvation.

Gnostics in that time believed that God was separate from the earth, since the spirit is good and matter is evil. This separation of matter and spirit is at the heart of the heresy. For God's New Covenant to apply, Jesus needed to be both wholly man and wholly God. For Gnostics, Jesus could not since God would not defile Himself to become flesh. The explanation is the Christ joined with the man, Jesus at his baptism by John the Baptist and left him prior to his crucifixion. The leading authority of this theory at the time was Cerinthus.

Given this separation of flesh and spirit, followers of the Gnostic faith would abuse their bodies, either through embracing an ascetic lifestyle, highlighted by punishing the flesh to purify the spirit, or wholly embracing hedonism as the body is evil and its actions cannot corrupt the spirit.

This teaching is completely counter to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Salvation is open to all.
Jesus was made flesh to die in our place.
He was risen from the dead so that we may have the promise of eternal life.

Remember, Jesus became flesh. He loved as we love. He laughed as we laughed. He suffered as we suffer. We can take anything to him and he'll understand. He's been through it. And on that day when he returns, we'll be remade with him and forever be part of his kingdom.

For more info, you can take a look at this link.
http://www.carm.org/gnosticism

Hey everyone, we're in for a real treat tomorrow night. We've got a great night of fellowship and study in the works and to compliment that, Doc's got us some fantastic Mediterranean style food to satisfy our physical hunger. Then, John's going to satisfy that spiritual hunger with some fellowship with our almighty Father!

Come early, come on time, come late, but come hungry!

Big thanks to Doc for preparing this week.

Also, remember, Happy Birfday to Leo (last week) and Happy Birfday to David (tomorrow). Hit him up on facebook, email or give him a ring!

Jeff

Sneak Peak at this week's study. How do we have fellowship with God? John answers this question while at the same time countering the arguments of the Gnostic teachers.

1 John 1 (New American Standard Bible)

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

1 John 2

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

"1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-
2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us-
3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete."


Fact: Our joy is made complete when we share the gospel and our fellowship with the Jesus and God, who were there in the beginning and have demonstrated eternal life. Jesus was there in the beginning and will be there in the end and into eternity. Will you be with Him?

We were challenged to consider our personal fellowships with Jesus and with God. what does your relationship look like? Is it valued? Does that relationship genuinely make an impact on your life and your decisions, and how you act, behave, speak, decide? Could a lawyer prove without a shadow of doubt that your relationship is legit and existent and healthy and growing? Jesus desires not to improve your life, but to transform your life (a new creation).

Retreat
"withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat"
"a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet"
"a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position"

As I read these definitions I could not discount any as an acceptable description for this Aug 27-29 weekend.
A feeling lurks that our individual spiritual healths are ill.  Too many sinful defeats have left us in a numb state.  For some, we are going to a place for peace and privacy, for most others, its to withdrawal from a dangerous position in life.  Being caught up in money, success, power, entertainment, etc is an extremely 'dangerous position' to say the least.

Living Stones Christian Church and LSF Santa Clara petition you to come away AUG 27-29 for a weekend to be with Jesus and the flock here at LSCC.  Ask more on what you can expect!

Westminster Woods
6510 Bohemian Hwy.
Occidental, CA 95465

Registration: click here

Costs: $175, but register early:  $115 (now til 7/18), and $140 (7/18 - 8/1)*
     *Must pay to complete registration