Notes from Cannon Beach Conference Center, Oregon, Session 2 Notes

Morning, Friends! Welcome to my Table! There is homemade pear preserves made from Mrs. Elizabeth's pear tree on the counter; just put your whole wheat bread in the toaster and fill your coffee cup.

Had a wonderful time at Cannon Beach Conference Center on the Oregon coast with about 400 new and old friends! Thanks so much for all your many kindnesses (and prizes!). Remember to send us your photos through Facebook or e-mail with name tags.

I look forward to being in some of your churches in the future to share the Gospel and encourage others that Jesus is more trustworthy than we can imagine--so we can trust Him!

Below are the PowerPoint notes I promised--albeit a day late and a dollar short. Let me know anything you think needs to be added.

Have a great day in Jesus!

Truths for Resurrection Living from Jesus to John to You and Me

TEXT: First John

• THIS MAY BE TOO MUCH MATERIAL TO COPY AND TO LISTEN IN AN ENGAGED MANNER—at the same time

• THEREFORE, I WILL POST ALL THIS ON MY BLOG BY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2010 [almost made my deadline!]

RoseAnneColeman.blogspot.com

“YIPPEE!!!” say the B’s.

“Youbetcha I can copy anything you have on the slide!” say the A’s.

“Who died and left you in charge?!” say the C’s.

Coming in October

• Our friends at South Central Media will unveil our new web site!

– RoseAnneColeman.com

Updated at least weekly, mainly when I believe I have something to say worth recording

– Join RoseAnne’s Riders’ Club to have access to visual blogs, clips RA records at midnight, pictures, first shot at new products!! (disclaimer: Not like Gnosticism, not a secret society—purely economic in intent)

BEHOLD!!!!

• manifest v. Attest: provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude,

or external attributes; readily perceived by the senses and especially by the sight. 2.: easily understood or recognized by the mind : obvious.

Shed Light on the Dark

LIFE IS HARD WORK.

GNOSTICISM

• BASIC BELIEF: ONLY SPIRIT WAS GOOD, AND MATTER WAS ESSENTIALLY EVIL

False teachers and prophets had arisen

1 JOHN 2:22
“LIARS!” declared John.

FALSE TEACHINGS:

• Denial of Jesus’ Messiahship—First John 2: 22

“LIARS!”

• SECOND FALSE TEACHING:

THE DENIAL OF THE INCARNATION

SERIOUS! This came from within the Church to bring Christianity into line with Gnosticism

– REMEMBER:

• Spirit = Good

• Matter = Evil

• If spirit is fully good and matter fully evil, the incarnation is IMPOSSIBLE.

• JOHN DECLARED IN JOHN (John) 1:14: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we BEHELD His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (NASB)

This “darkness” took 2 forms:

• Docetism or (as Dr. Goodspeed translated) Seemism

– Taught that Jesus only seemed to have a body

• Seemed to have a material body at times, then was immaterial at others

• Never left footprints when He walked

Second “dark” lie:

• Definite distinction between the “human” Jesus and the divine Christ.

Dark Ways of Life

1-asceticism n. The principles and practices of an ascetic; extreme self-denial and austerity. The doctrine that the ascetic life releases the soul.

2-body didn’t matter, therefore, its appetites could be gratified without limit—note to self: If I claim I have special knowledge of God but my conduct says otherwise, what does that say about God? About me?

DARK WAYS OF LIFE

• 3-True Gnostic was altogether spiritual man, so was above and beyond sin—had reached spiritual perfection [I may have shortcomings, but no SIN]

• 4-Was able to do this only by means of elaborate and esoteric knowledge (def: intended for or understood by only a chosen few, as an inner group of disciples or initiates)

RESULT? DARKNESS

• CREATED A SPIRITUAL ARISTOCRACY WHICH LOOKED WITH CONTEMPT AND EVEN HATRED OF WHAT THEY WOULD CALL “LESSER” MEN

CONSEQUENCE? DARKNESS

• THE DESTRUCTION OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

• THIS IS THE REASON WHY JOHN INSISTS ALL THROUGH HIS LETTER THAT THE TEST OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER

Morning, Friends! Welcome to my Rose Hill table!

My last post encouraged us all to "Be brave; it pays."

Have you found that to be true? Life is hard at best, between a rock and a hard place at worst?

Friend, that darkness can press all it wants: What the pressures express, however, is the key---sweet or sour? If the Rock against which I am pressed is Jesus, my highest hopes, my perfectionist nature would cross-fingers for the sweetest expression for God's glory.

However, oft times what comes forth is a vinegary mixture of unground chips of my brokenness, of my failures, of my best intentions, of my brazen acts of rebellion.

Now comes the test: Will I be brave to trust that God is permitting the dark force to exert what it believes to be its best grinding tool of destruction--but that the Godly result is the pulverizing force of His power, mercy, grace, foreknowledge and unconditional Love which can melt a stone?

Let us be brave: Let us trust that God's unconditional love--on a daily basis--can melt our unground chips or boulder-sized problems/shortcomings/sinful rebellion/failures with His cleansing Blood--all without our crossed-fingers, our "cross-my-heart-I hope-to-die" feeble bleatings that only substitute baking soda for sugar.