APPLY Bible-based GEMs of invigorating Spirit! USE BIBLE ILLUSTRATIONS as SPRINGBOARDS…
Monday, January 31st, 2022
By Warren Huff (with insights from Cobbey Crisler)
APPLY Bible-based GEMs of invigorating Spirit!
USE BIBLE ILLUSTRATIONS as SPRINGBOARDS TO TRANSFORM YOUR MODERN-DAY DEMONSTRATIONS!
Let God Expressed Meekly/Mightily in you sparkle brightly with insights from Cobbey Crisler & others as found in The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“Spirit”
for February 6, 2022
(Cobbey’s insights are shared with the blessing of Janet Crisler janetcrisler7@gmail.com)
by Warren Huff, CedarS Executive Director Emeritus, warren@cedarscamps.org
GET THOUGHT READY TO RECEIVE ANGEL MESSAGES WITH THIS BIBLE LESSON – AND IN OUR CHURCH SERVICES!
Excerpts from Cobbey Crisler’s insights on Revelation, chapters 1, 2, 3. in the Golden Text, Responsive Reading and in citations that are themes for Sections 1 thru 7 from Revelation, chapters 2 and 3.
[Cobbey:] “The book of Revelation is coming with a claim to the greatest authority of any other book in the Bible, with the possible exception of Genesis. This is the only book that claims to come from Jesus, as if Jesus were writing it. The other gospels were written about Jesus. That Jesus has something that is that important to communicate and waits that long before there was anyone was receptive enough to get it, even his beloved disciple, means it must be essential for us to understand. It must involve the salvation of the entire race.”
… We have two apostles to whom Jesus appears in a vision, in spirit, post-ascension: Paul, on the road to Damascus (so how important is Paul’s mission); and John on the island of Patmos. How important is that book that he is recording!
Think about the seven churches! … If one were to look at Laodicea today, for instance, one might ask, “Did Jesus waste his time giving the revelation to John?“ Only if we fail to see that the symbolism of Jesus’ spiritual teaching, has he wasted his time. We know that Jesus taught by symbols. Symbols are ageless. Those symbols of… the book of Revelation … are still there – that smorgasbord of spiritual symbolism. We can appreciate the symbolism individually and collectively as it begins to be revealed. It is something that obviously cannot be taught or it would be labeled “doctrine” instead of “revelation” — especially if we had to believe it without question. But revelation is something that honors you and me, and not only our individuality, but also our relationship to one another.
“… The Angels of the church and the churches themselves – the thought of the church – the church consciousness – where is it? Jesus is addressing his book not to the church, not to the outward expression, not to the physical structure, not to the members sitting in pews, but to what? To the thought that is in the church. Suppose we enter into our own church – wherever that denomination is – and we sit there. What are we contributing to the thought – to the mental environment? The fact that we left the oven on at home, and perhaps our turkey is burning? Or someone is walking by us down the aisle and elbows us on the way, and certainly was not dressed the way he or she should have been? Maybe the organist hit a sour note, or we find ourselves falling asleep. Add all that up, and is that the extent of the church service that day? If progress can occur only in thought, then we begin to see the reason Jesus speaking to the angel of the churches.”
[a newly transcribed excerpt from the introduction to “A Compilation, The Seven Churches in Asia Minor,” from talks by B. Cobbey Crisler at the archaeological sites in Turkey
From the March 1968 issue of The Christian Science Journal here’s a relevant article for this Bible Lesson that features in its seven section the seven messages: “Seven Messages to Church Members,” by JEANNE STEELY LAITNER. A PDF version of this article is attached as a DOWNLOAD in the online version of these GEMs. [This was passed along to me by CedarS Met subscriber and Bible Workshop attendee, Susan Theiss from Ohio. Susan also has a Revelation Bible Study guide on the messages to the seven churches that she is willing to email for free to anyone who contacts her at srt8864@gmail.com,
Here’s another overview of Revelation that is available on the christianscience.com website:
https://www.christianscience.com/youth/teaching-resources-tr/sunday-school-teachers-teaching-resources/revelation-pt1-overview-tr
BE EAGER RECEPTIVITY TO CHRIST’S DEFINITION OF SPIRIT AS THE LIVING WATER, THE ESSENCE OF TRUE WORSHIP/CHURCH — as Jesus revealed to the woman at the well in Samaria.
Cobbey Crisler on John 4:23, 24 (Responsive Reading & citation B6, + related preceding & following verses, 20-22 & 25+)
[Cobbey:] John 4:20. The woman said, “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain.” Boy, did that have a meaning. She’s pointing to the Samaritan temple, and guess who had destroyed it? The Jews. The Maccabean rulers had destroyed the Samaritan temple which was built to resemble the Jerusalem temple. It’s occupied territory. It’s a little difficult to dig in an area that Jordan still claims but Israel occupies.
It was destroyed by the Jews, so you can see the irony behind what the woman said, “Our fathers worshiped … “It’s past. It’s through. The Greek word that is used there is well in the past, “all wiped out.” We worshiped in this mountain, but the implication, guess who stopped us, or ruined the temple? Your fathers. We have a divisive thing. We, the Samaritans, worshiped here. You, the Jews, destroyed it. That’s the same thing that’s going on today in the same location.
John 4:21, “Jesus said, Woman.” this is his general address to womanhood, “Believe me. the hour cometh, ” still somewhat ahead, “when you won’t worry about geography in worshiping God. ··
John 4:23, ”The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. “Look at the definition of worship. “Worship is spiritual,” not structural, not geographical, not ritualistic. Why? Because worship of God can only properly be done by partaking of God’s own nature.
John 4:24 tells us that “God is Spirit. Therefore, worshiping Spirit can only be done spiritually.” There’s no other way to do it. How basic. By the way, when you see “a Spirit” in there. It shouldn’t be there.
Listen to what God says about it. Notice the strong tenor of his words. To translate “God is a Spirit” is the most gross perversion of the meaning. “A Spirit” implies one of a class of “pneumata,” the Greek word for it. There is no trace, in the fourth gospel, of the vulgar conception of a multitude of spirits. “God is Spirit.” Mathematically one can only derive from Spirit included in it. Namely, spirituality is the derivation. Worship must be that.
Notice what is done as this woman’s thought. Women weren’t supposed to discuss the Scriptures. There was a first century rabbi, Eleazar, who said, “To teach a woman Scripture was like teaching her lasciviousness.” That’s some extreme. That was the kind of thought that was at some rabbinical extremes in the first century, not necessarily the general Jewish view, but Eleazar is considered quite a great rabbi.
Jesus is discussing intellectual problems of Scripture with a woman. This is unheard of!
John 4:25 “That woman suddenly comes to him and says, I know That Messiah is coming.” How about that for recognition! “I know that the Messiah is coming which is called Christ.” … he will tell us all … he said, “I that speak unto thee am he”
John 4:27, ‘”When the disciples come back, their only problem is that he’s talking with the woman. ”
John 4:28, “The woman leaves her water pot. “That’s what she’d come for, but she went away with living water. “She ran into the city”
John 4:29, “She said to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did. It’s got to be the Messiah. ”
John 4:30, “The men came out,” reluctantly, because they didn’t want to look like they were coming out because a woman suggested it.
“John, The Beloved Disciple,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
“TAKE to the BANK” an EXAMPLE of
“an absolute faith that all things are possible to God,” citation S7/1:1-4
An Answered Prayer (A.P.) example of divine abundance quickly demonstrated!
HERE WAS THE PROBLEM OR SET OF UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES PRESENTED:
(Warren: While the particulars of every fable vary, it’s the same lie of lack that’s always negated by the law of divine abundance which remains unchangeable and provable by all!)
“The situation at CedarS Camps in early May of 1993 was that we made a critical and costly discovery just as a major project looked to be right on budget and on time to be completed right before camp. This wonderful “home improvement” to our Dawn Lodge was adding-on a new Basketball Pavilion beyond a first-floor dining room addition along with several new bedrooms in a shed-dormer loft above it. Just as it was being created by literally “raising the roof” – or a 20ft by 200ft section of the roof just east of a beamline, the workmen made the costly discovery that the 24-year-old, original, cedar-shake roof over the rest of building had started to deteriorate. In order to make the roof leak-proof in the immediate short term before camp as well as more problem-free in the long term, it all would need to be replaced with a new, insulated metal roof. We were told that would cost an additional $100,000—and that these unbudgeted funds were needed right away in order to be able to finish the job before the Opening Day of camp.
The Christian Science Prayer or Treatment given to this case of lack:
Instead of panicking, I again felt the radiant joy, inspired by many demonstrations of God’s abundant love as well as by my mom, Ruth E. Huff’s wonderful, automatic response at such times. I can always hear (in my thought) her classic, smiling reply to almost any issue—”It will be fun to see how God works this one out!”
With this joyous confidence and love, I was led to turn to the opening chapter of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures called “Prayer.” I needed go no farther than its first sentence to re-open in the depths of my being its awesome, healing power: “The prayer that reforms the sinner (like a project manager who had majorly “missed the mark”) and heals the sick (like a leaky roof and the sick feeling of any lie of lack) is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God, — a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love.” (SH 1:1-4/citation S7, bolding and underlining added) I’ll NEVER forget that simple, radiant, confident feeling of effective prayer and divine care as I simply cherished each of those three elements – along with some of Jesus’ awesome examples of it.
In that week’s Christian Science Bible Lesson, were two of Jesus’ demonstrations of divine, ever-present abundance—the feeding the multitudes with five loves and two fish AND the sending of Peter to get the money to pay taxes for the two of them from the mouth of the first fish he caught (Matt. 17:27). It’s not a mere coincidence—but “the human and divine coincidence” that God brought those examples to thought then – and brings these examples to our attention now in the face of aggressive fear and evidences of lack during a global pandemic.
Right now, we too can “love into view” a growing, glowing faith in divine Love
and its abundance that never fail.
The Answered Prayer (A.P.) History: a West Coast phone call came just minutes later.
A voice I’d never heard before—from an “as-in-heaven, so-on-earth” angel of a friend who I’d never met before— said: “As I was praying this morning, I sensed that CedarS Camps had an urgent need. Would $100,000 help?” Before I could call anyone, God sent that speedy answer—and in the exact amount needed! This is a literal example of what we should spiritually understand 365/24/7 from Isaiah (3)65:24 (/7): “Before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear.”
LOVE IS LIKE 5 LOAVES AND 2 FISH.
ALWAYS TOO LITTLE
UNTIL YOU START GIVING IT AWAY.
As we give, give, give with a sense of divine Love and Her abundant supply, we find that we can never “out-give” God who constantly gives, Gives, GIVES back to us from an infinitely renewable resource! Jesus illustrated this law of divine abundance—even super-abundance –by quickly feeding the hungry multitudes with only five loaves and two fish and then symbolically taking up twelve baskets of left-overs (one basketful for each disciple in three Gospel accounts, Mark 6:38, Luke 9:13, John 6:8)
PETER’S FOUNDATIONAL ROLE IN CHURCH IN DECLARING JESUS TO BE THE CHRIST – Cobbey on cit. B12, Matt. 16:13-19+ & cits S11, S12 & S13, p. 136-138
[Cobbey”] Verse 13 of Matthew 16 has a very important question that Jesus raises himself. He says, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?” Do you think he was interested in the answer? He wouldn’t have raised the question otherwise.
(Verse 14). He gets the answer right away. They all say he’s some old prophet reincarnated. You can almost take your choice of prophets.
(Verse 15). Putting ide the general point of view, the average point of view, he says.”But whom do you, my immediate students, say that I am?”
(Verse 16). Peter, once again, raises his hand, and says, “You are the Chris the Son of the living God.”
Remember what that would mean to a first century Jew. You are the Christ.” The Christ was the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. “You are the Messiah.” Where do you find the
Messiah? In the Old Testament. “You are the Old Testament prophesied Messiah.” Was Jesus pleased with that answer? Yes.
(Verse 17).”He said, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona.” He says two specific things. One, “That he didn’t get that because a human had given it to him. He had gotten it directly from God.” Jesus considered that he was prophesied about in Scripture.
(Verse 18). The second point is “that on that rock he would build his church.” It is interesting the use of the two Greek words for “rock” there. Petros in Greek is “rock.” But it’s not the real Greek word for “rock.” It’s kind of a nickname. The Greek word is petra which is feminine. Petros is masculine. It shows that the church is founded on petra which is the bedrock and it has a feminine context. Petros, Peter, is like a chip off the rock. Petros in Greek is almost the equivalent of “rocky” in English. It’s a nickname. The church is founded on the bedrock, or petra. What bedrock is he talking about?
Peter has just said, that he has recognized that Jesus was prophesied in the Old Testament. Is that important to the church? Because this is the first time Jesus ever mentions the word “church.” He was probably waiting until the receptivity among his hearers warranted its mention. That receptivity would not be proved until whatever is necessary to be seen was introduced into the conversation. Peter apparently brings in that necessary ingredient by saying, “You are the prophesied Messiah.” In effect, you are not a temporary phenomenon. You were appointed by God to do your job.
[Bonus beyond the end of citation B12:]
“But what exactly does Peter mean by “your job?” Every Jewish child was brought up on the Scriptures. Brought up to consider that the Messiah was to come. But what kind of Messiah? What kind of Messiah did they expect?
The Jews expected a king, a political leader. How about a Messiah who would suffer and end up on a cross? I think about as accurate as we can be on the subject from this vantage point in the twentieth century is to give you an example. For instance, we even have modem Jewish scholars today writing things like this. “In Jewish Messianic thought of the Targum (a book or division of the Old Testament in Aramaic), there is no room whatsoever for a suffering and dying Messiah.”
The Jewish Encyclopaedia reads on this same subject, “The Messiah was expected to attain for Israel the idyllic blessings of the prophet. He was to defeat the enemies of Israel, restore the people to the land, reconcile them with God, and introduce a period of spiritual and physical bliss. He was to be prophet, warrior, judge, king, and teacher of Torah (the Pentateuch). The early sources do not mention a suffering Messiah. How did Jesus look on the cross to a Jewish nation that had been brought up to regard a Messiah who would be victorious over eve0thing, not be crucified as a criminal.”
So, you can see what Jesus was faced with on the cross. That was a pretty lonely position, among other things. Understanding who Jesus was to become is the one obstacle between Jesus and the formation of his church. So, for the first time, when Peter says, “You’re the Messiah,” it looks good as far as the progress of the church is concerned. But, let’s analyze what goes on and discover what Peter meant by that.
(Verse 21). Notice, right after Peter says, “You’re the Messiah,” Jesus tells his disciples for the first time what? “That he must go unto Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and be raised again the third day.”
How did that look for what they had been brought up to regard as the Messianic fulfillment?
(Verse 22). Not very good, not even to Peter. “Peter rebuked Jesus and said, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.”
Peter has just taken a good portion of Scriptural prophecy and run the vacuum cleaner over it. What did Jesus have to say?
(Verse 23). Here’s the same man that had said (in Matthew 16:18) “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” now saying, “You are an offence unto me: Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” That’s the very opposite of what he just said before.
It’s what Peter said that represented the rock upon which the church would be built in the first instance. It’s what Peter said in the second instance that was Satan’s attempt to distort and discount Scriptural prophecy.
So, perhaps, the greatest threat facing the church is the attempt to distort the role of its founder in Scriptural prophecy and the role of the church itself in the fulfillment of Scriptural prophesy. Because when Jesus says to Peter, “Thou art an offence unto me,” that Greek word “offence” is skandalon, or our scandal. But it also has a meaning in Greek of “stumbling block.” Do you see the play on words again? Peter was called petros, which was identified with the rock, only so long as he identified himself with the rock. When he did not, the rock became a stumbling block instead.”
“Book of Matthew, Auditing the Master: A Tax Collector’s Report,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
DO THE ASSIGNMENTS JESUS KNEW WE DISCIPLES WERE CAPABLE OF DOING WHEN HE ASSIGNED THEM TO US! Cobbey Crisler on 1) Matt 5:48; 2) Mark 16:15; 3) Matt 10:8/cit. B10
- “Be ye therefore perfect…” – the 1st of Jesus’ “imperative commands” summarized by Mary Baker Eddy (SH 37:25)
[Cobbey Crisler on Matthew 5, Verse 48]. - “Go ye into all the world, and preach…” – the 2nd of Jesus’ “imperative commands” summarized by Mary Baker Eddy (SH 37:25)
[Cobbey Crisler on Mark 16:15] - “Heal the sick!” – the 3rd of Jesus’ “imperative commands” summarized by Mary Baker Eddy (SH 37:25)
[Cobbey Crisler on Matthew 5, Verse 7, 8].
“Say,” Look at the first words there to Is that a coincidence, or is that essential? Where have we run into that statement before? “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Who said it? It was Jesus’ first statement (Matthew 4:17) after “Repent.”
The assignments given to the disciples would not be assignments they were incapable of doing, or Jesus would have been unwise.
(Matt. 10: 8/cit. B13). He said, “Heal the sick.” What do you expect them to do? He said, “Cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils.” Notice the sequence. The things he did. Even putting casting-out-devils at a higher level of what was required of prayer than raising the dead. Then stating, “Freely ye have received, freely give.”
“Book of Matthew, Auditing the Master: A Tax-Collectors Report,” B. Cobbey Crisler**
GIVE THE BEST GIFT! BRING HEALING TO EVERYONE AND EVRYTHING THAT SEEMS “LAME!”
Cobbey Crisler on Acts. 3.1-8 (cit. B21, and “Look on Us” a YouTube poem by Ken Cooper) in which Peter lifts up a lame man who leaps as prophesied in Isaiah 35:6
[Cobbey:] “Acts, Chapter 3, we find that the introduction of the public lecture and ministry technique is increasing. We’re now going into a renewed phased; it’s becoming part of church activity.
And “Peter and John together give a combined lecture” beginning in Chapter 3.
Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
And first, preceding that, look what else identifies the church? Right. “Coming to the temple.”
Probably, as the Anchor Bible suggests at the second daily hour of prayer, which is three P.M.
There at the temple – now notice the juxtaposition here of the “physical structure that’s represented the worship of one God, the temple here, and outside it, a man needing help.
Religion had not been able to address itself to his problems, as yet. “He had been lame from the moment of birth, and every single day, his outlook was merely to survive through other’s charity.”
Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
So, Peter and John were just two other faces. And they walked by, and “he asked for alms.”
Now, for some the highest view of religion is social service and would give such alms. And often such alms are helpful and humanitarian. He didn’t ask for healing. Perhaps he might have given up on that, or considered it just wasn’t possible.
“But, Peter, fastening his eyes upon him” – now that kind of focus is something, probably, more than physical, wouldn’t you say?
Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
You remember when the woman who had the infirmity of eighteen years? Jesus looked on that woman, and everyone else had looked on that woman, …
How did Jesus look at people? How did he see them that enabled him to get such tremendous results – just the opposite of the human sympathy that religion had felt was virtually the highest contribution it could make to the ills of mankind?
If Peter and John, having witnessed Jesus healing in many cases, “fastens his eyes upon him on John, said, Look on us.” (Acts 3:4)
Now, immediately, he got his attention. Now, to study the sequence that led to the healing that the text often gives you. What’s needed in human mentality to bring the healing into the experience of the individual?
“Look on us,” is apparently requirement one – away from the alms, the masses, the crowds, the helpless condition – “look on us.”
You know the story about – if you want the donkey to move, you have to get his attention first. You know (the story), you hit him between the eyes. You know, in a way, this is getting the attention of the patient.
“Look on us.” “He gave heed unto them….” (See below) So, we have the condition of what? Receptivity and expectation, expecting to receive – there are your two words. (He was) expecting to receive something of them.
Acts 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
“Then Peter said, Disabuse yourself of any hope that I’m going to hand you out the coin of the realm, but what I have I’m going to give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6)
Peter, to encourage his thought and the possibility of it, for that man had sat there daily in that condition, to help him separate himself from that condition, he “takes him by the right hand, lifts him up: and immediately on his feet, he feels his feet and ankle bones receiving the strength” – simply an endorsement of what Peter and John had already seen was there. (Acts 3:7)
So, I thought you might be interested in seeing this first, specific miracle, so-called, that occurs after Jesus’s departure – the first specific one. We’d been told that “signs and wonders” had occurred. (Samples below of “signs and wonders wrought by the apostles)
Acts 3:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Acts 5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
Here’s how the Anchor Bible has described the concept of miracle: “Of course, one may assume such miracles cannot occur, but it cannot be doubted that they were of decisive importance to primitive Christianity. We shall not be able to understand the latter unless we take the accounts of these healings seriously.”
The first thing this man does, before he even walks, is what? In verse eight? (“his feet and ankle bones” — Murmurs) Before he walks, “he leaps.” (See below, paraphrased) Not that’s even harder than walking for someone who has been in that condition. (Laughter) “He leaping up stood, and walked…” – those are three different things requiring his feet and ankle bones to support that activity — “leaping first, standing, walking and entering into the temple,” a relationship now between church and mankind healed, a church that can bring results! (See below)
Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
“Walking, and leaping, and praising God.” (See above)
Remember this is the same temple the man at the pool of Bethesda enters after Jesus had healed him. (See John 5:7-9)
And also, this – if we’re going to understand the scripture in terms of prophecy – if God indicates to humanity through His inspired word through prophecy that this is exactly what humanity should be doing – increasing their understanding of divinity to such a point that these obstacles, these ills that have plagued mankind for centuries unchallenged, should be wiped out of human experience.
Well, I don’t think the mention of the word, “leaping” in verse eight is a coincidence. (See below, repeated here for convenience)
Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Turn to Isaiah 35, verse 6, Isa 35:6 and you will see that prophecy embraces healing the sick. [W: Note that Isaiah 35 was divinely given in a Bible opening by CedarS Founder Ruth E. Huff, to be the purpose of CedarS to put into practice daily as outlined below.] …
Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Every day of our worship in the week, be it one day or more, if we were hearing the prophets about healing the sick and then walking away and forgetting it, wouldn’t we be more or less in the same category as those who ignored prophecy in the days of Jesus?
Isa 35, verse 3, actually in a form of command – it says “strengthen ye the weak hands, confirm the feeble knees.” (See below)
Isa 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
And Isa 35, verse 5, talks about “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.”
Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
And then in Isa 35, verse 6, “shall the lame…” do what? “Leap as an hart….” (See below)
Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
The contrast between lame and leaping, even greater than lameness and walking.
Now, that becomes/is a prophecy. We can’t ignore it. The fact that we perhaps aren’t doing that kind of healing work has no relationship to the fact that prophecy says it will be done and implies that it should be done.
And Isa 35, verse 10, shows you the results when humanity begins to comprehend the scope of prophecy. And it begins to look very close to the definition of church, doesn’t it? “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (See below)
Isa 35:10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
It’s a collective thing, isn’t it? Collectively together, you and I, can obliterate sorrow and sighing and ills of mankind’s experience. And the church is designed to get us together to accomplish that result.
And what are we doing about the very instrument will bring it about? Are we supporting it? Or are we finding that we have grave doubts about the church?”
“After the Master What? – The Book of Acts”, by B. Cobbey Crisler**
FIND FRESH, HOLY WAYS DAILY TO EXPRESS MORE OF “GOD’S BEING …(OF) INFINITY, FREEDOM, HARMONY AND BOUNDLESS BLISS.” (citation S24/481:2)
As we more fully embrace Life’s forever newness and substantial, eternally sustained supply as outlined in the Bible Lesson this week, you and I will fully expect fun, fresh ways for God to supply answers to all our needs.
As our lives sing with new manifestations of “infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss,” all their supposed opposites will naturally be ruled out of us thereby enabling us to overcome: every lie of limitation; every seemingly enslaving habit; every thought of inharmony, division and strife; and every unhappiness arising from disappointed human will.
And, what a relief to know that it’s by God’s “amazing grace”— not by any of our own efforts, other than that of leaning on God — that we are given lives “big with blessings.” As Mary Baker Eddy has proven and promised: “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (vii:1) What could be bigger blessings for us than daily demonstrations that the newness of Life in God is ALL-inclusive: “Behold, I make all things new!” (Revelation 21:5).
“CORRECT MATERIAL BELIEF BY SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING AND ‘SPIRIT WILL FORM YOU ANEW.’”– “Perfect for all to see!” [Warren’s references to citations S27/425:25; 476:32; 249:31, 481:3, 470:23, 187:22) plus Hymn 565]
Like Jesus, behold in yourself and in all mankind “…the perfect man who appeared to him where sinning, mortal man appears to mortals…” (cit. S18/476:32)
What a joy to know that Spirit is forming anew your perfect, divine identity as a “perfect for all to see” “expression of “God’s being”— of “INFINITY, FREEDOM, HARMONY, BOUNDLESS BLISS.” (Hymn 565, SH 481)
These words are carved into 5-ft. long signs at CedarS Cable Ski launch as you can see pictured below as a DOWNLOAD. “If they will not believe … the first sign (INFINITY) …, they will believe the voice of the latter sign (BOUNDLESS BLISS) Exodus 4:8/cit. B4 … Have fun applying each of them to yourself as noted below!
As God’s Genesis-1, exact “image and likeness,” you have been irrevocably given “dominion over every creeping thing” that would attempt to creep into your thought and action. Nothing can separate you from your joyous right of being “perfect for all to see!” (Hymn 565)
Let every aspect of your being sing with that Hymn of being “carefree and strong… (as) His song…” — the very expression of “infinity, freedom, harmony and boundless bliss.” (SH 481) The images posted below show these words of “who we are” carved in 10” high letters in four 5-foot long signs at CedarS Cable Ski launching platform… What a picture of peace and of health we have to share with all as the very “image of His love” fully radiating the harmony and dominion of God’s law that “There is no involuntary action.” (SH 187:22) and that in effective prayer possesses “no opposing element…” (My. 293:22)
One-liner, word equations in Science & Health are “textbook” illustrations of the “Transitive Property of Equality” (www.mathwords.com) (SH pages 470:23 and 481:3)
470:23 and 249:31/cit. S32) (the first two simple, one-line, word equations under review) state:
(a) “Man is (=) (b) the expression of God’s being.”
(a) “Man is (=) (d) the reflection of Soul.”
Science & Health (p. 481:23) another simple, one-line, word equations under review) states:
(b) “God’s being is (=) (c) infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.”
[W: Let’s apply to ourselves the Transitive Property of Equality: If a = b and b = c, then a = c.]
(a) “Man or YOU is/are (=) (c) “the expression of infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.”
AND
(d) “the refection of Soul” (=) (c) “the expression of infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.”
Therefore, like CedarS Cable Ski system and like its skiers and the “Energizer Bunny,”
YOU as the reflection of Soul express synonyms for Infinity including: inexhaustibility, eternity, limitlessness, immeasurability, perpetuity (See https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/rodule )
Like CedarS Cable Skiers and like the Statue of Liberty,
YOU express synonyms for freedom including: opportunity, power, ability, exemption, flexibility, immunity, privilege, right, discretion, facility, leeway, liberty, prerogative, range, scope, unrestraint, carte blanche, elbowroom, free rein, full play, full swing, plenty of rope
Like CedarS Cable Skiers and like Band, Chorus, Cabin or Family members,
YOU express synonyms for harmony including: cooperation, friendship, consistency, good will, kinship, peace, rapport, tranquility, unanimity, understanding, unity, accord, amicability, compatibility, concord, like-mindedness
Like CedarS Cable Skiers, and like Happy Campers and Stress-free Reflections,
YOU express synonyms for boundless bliss including: unchangeable blessedness, inexhaustible happiness, unlimited gladness, untold joy…
The reign of “infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss” rules out of you all their opposites of limitation; restraint, restriction, slavery; Inharmony, Strife, disagreement, discord, fighting; depression, sadness, sorrow, unhappiness, grief, upset…
A LET-US DIET PERFECT FOR EACH OF US AND FOR THE WHOLE WORLD!
[Warren;] Let us give thought and action to the following divine directives to memorize from citation S32. [As a memory device, I think of this happy call to healthy action as our “Model Lettuce diet” or our “Excellent Let-us plan”]:
“Let-us feel the divine energy of Spirit, bringing us into newness of life and recognizing no mortal nor material power as able to destroy. Let-us rejoice that we are subject to the divine “powers that be.” (citation S32, Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 249:6–9)
(Bold italics added for Let us)
Mary Baker Eddy uses the words Let us 28 times in Science and Health, and 67 times in her other writings, plus there are 40 more Let us combos in the Hymnal! So, you could chew on different blends of let us every day of a season and apply or dress them to best fits to meet your taste and the needs of the day.
For example, another favorite mixed-green combo of mine is at the top of that same page 249 of Science and Health: “Let us accept Science, relinquish all theories based on sense-testimony, give up imperfect models and illusive ideals; and so let us have one God, one Mind, and that one perfect, producing His own models of excellence.” (SH 249:1)
Let-us joyously affirm together that God is in charge of our country and of our leaders and of the whole wide world. It’s uplifting to know that “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” The imbedded link above to the original version shares a spiritual written in World War II by Obie Philpot, a Native American of the Cherokee tribe. It speaks of God as our creator and protector. You might also enjoy an add-on version of soulful, prayer-filled, black voices that I found inspiring in these two YouTube video offerings. )
Mary Baker Eddy adds rich Bible-based connections to let us confidently affirm God’s control of “every event of our careers.” (Unity of Good, 3:28) She writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “Understanding the control which Love held (holds) over all, …” we can feel as safe in the pandemic as “…Daniel felt safe in the lions’ den” and can prove the virus to be as harmless, as “Paul proved the viper to be harmless.” (514:26)
To round out and wrap-up our “Model Let-us diet:” let-us affirm that “…the LORD is our judge [in charge of the judicial branch], the LORD is our lawgiver [in charge of the legislative branch], the LORD is our king [in charge of the executive branch], he will save us.” (Isaiah 33:22)
