Inspiring GEMs of Proving Eternal Life that Never Sees a Dead-end to Goodness!
GEMs = God Expressed Meekly/Mightily in you to sparkle brightly with insights from Cobbey Crisler & others as inspired by God and
The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“Probation After Death”
for Sunday, October 22, 2023
(Cobbey’s insights are shared with the blessing of Janet Crisler janetcrisler7@gmail.com)
by Warren Huff, CedarS Executive Director Emeritus, warren@cedarscamps• 314-378-2574
Click “MY PLAN? NO! GOD’S PLAN!” to see Ken’s new poem and hear him read it about “arrogance thoroughly smitten”
[WITH PATIENCE, PERFECTION UNFOLDS AS GOD’S PLAN: ENTIRE, COMPLETE, WANTING NOTHING, – THAT’S MAN!]
It features the Golden Text, James 1:4 “… let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
TIRED OF WAITING? Here are ideas from PSALMS to HELP YOU get THROUGH
any waiting or probationary period of SEEMING STAGNATION or economic “stagflation.”
- “Unto You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul (“spiritual sense” SH 578:8 )… Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.”
(Ps. 25:1, 5/cit. B1, NKJV; - “My soul, wait thou only on God, for my expectation is from him. In God is my salvation (from false beliefs) and my glory.” (Ps. 62:5/cit. B15; SH 593:20)
“Divine Love leads me and you “THROUGH the valley of death, (where) I will fear no evil; for [Love] is with me…” (Ps. 23; SH 578:10)
[Warren:] In the header of this GEM about waiting, I capitalized THROUGH, because Love means for us to keep moving and serving—never to wallow (swallow, or “stall-oh!”) in the “darkness” (and “vestibule”) parts of the definition of “Wilderness. Loneliness; doubt; darkness.” Spontaneity of thought and idea; the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence.” (SH 597:16-19) These great correlative passages were perfect for our rite (& divine right) of passage to come out of a restrictive-protocols pandemic when right activity seems to be somewhat on “pause — (for us to) wait on God…” (SH 323:10/citation S30 this week, see more at last GEM).
The idea of being a patient waiter, as if on God’s wait staff, means being ready to graciously wait on and do whatever is needed to be an attentive host only to good—to “entertain angels…” by actively hosting ONLY good. (SH 299:15) This also relates to when Jesus finished a 40-day period of sheltering in place in the wilderness, that he “returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee… and… their synagogues (churches) and laid his hands on everyone (at least symbolically) and healed them.” (Luke 4:14) Let us, like Jesus, as we come out of our wilderness, waiting experiences, let us return to a healing, higher sense of church and to stick with the only real power, the power of the Spirit!
GET OUT of a MORTAL SHELL! STOP BELIEVING the FABLE & CURSE of an earthy, EGG ORIGIN!
In bite-sized pieces, victory, after victory, after victory “swallow up death in victory.” “Put on” the total wholeness of “incorruption…” and “immortality.” Abide “in heavenly love… (where) no change my heart shall fear.” (Hymn 148)
I Cor. 15:48/prelude to citation B3:
“As is the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.” (NIV)
[Cobbey Crisler on the following bonus verses, 1st Cor. 15:50, 53/ cit. B3:]
“Another conclusion is coming through Paul’s receptivity. He presents two views, one with man within an egg origin, one out of an egg origin. A chicken takes 10,000 pecks to get out of its shell of limitation. Bible pioneers like Paul worked hard to get out of their limited, mortal shells and they communicated this to us. [Mary Baker Eddy says, “Mortals must emerge … They must peck open their shells with Christian Science…” (S&H 552:14)
I Corinthians 15, prelude verse 50 to citation B3.: “…flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”
One might ask “Why are we trying to drag flesh along as if it’s a party?” [This relates to Mary Baker Eddy’s observation: “Being in sympathy with matter, the worldly man is at the beck and call of error, and will be attracted thitherward.” [S&H 21:25]
“Take up your bed and walk—Mind suddenly takes on the glow of our original, incorruptible glory.”
I Corinthians 15, verse 53 “…this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
I Corinthians 15, Verse 54, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Note that Paul here is quoting Isaiah 25:8 in our Responsive Reading.
[Cobbey Crisler writes on bonus postlude verses:] “In Isaiah 25:8 & 9: Just to see how the peak of prophetic insight, namely Isaiah’s great thought, dwells upon this concept of healing. Does that sound familiar to you at all? It talks about God doing what? “Swallowing up death in victory.” That’s where Paul gets that concept. He mentions it [in 1 Corinthians 15:54/cit. B3]. It’s from Isaiah. “Swallowing up death in victory; the Lord GOD wiping away tears from off all faces;” and this beautiful statement continues “the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth.” (Isaiah 25:8) That goes way beyond just physical healing. It’s totally whole, nothing left fragmented. Certainly, the radical statement of “swallowing up death in victory,” swallowing is not always at once, is it? It’s bite-sized pieces, victory, after victory, after victory, swallowing up the effects of death.”
From notes in the margins of Warren’s Bible from a talk by Cobbey Crisler**
RAISE THE DEAD LIKE JESUS DID, BY FIRST PUTTING-OUT GRIEF!
[“from… grief afar, and nearer Thee, Father where thine own children are, I love to be.”
Hymn 254:6] Cobbey Crisler on Matt. 9:18-26, (cit. B17) Mark 5:22-42
“In context, after Jairus asks Jesus to come heal his daughter who was “at the point of death” (in the version related in Mark 5:23), a woman in the crowd presses through it to touch the fringes of Jesus’ prayer shawl. Although she’d been “unclean” with non-stop hemorrhaging for 12 years (the age of Jairus’ daughter), “The woman was made whole that very hour” … Jesus stops, realizing that one healing does not affect the outcome of the other.”
“(Verse 23) ‘And he goes into the ruler’s house, with all sorts of instruments and noise.’ There were paid mourners. We’re told by Josephus that even the poorest family had at least two pipes and a couple of horns playing at a funeral. So, you can imagine what a ruler of the synagogue would have sounded like, probably like a symphony by Shostakovich. He comes in there. Just think of the atmosphere that’s going on. Jesus alters the atmosphere before he heals.
(Verse 24) ‘He says the maid is not dead but sleepeth.’ That apparently means he felt unable to affect a cure, a raising of the dead, in the presence of the weight of grief. If he’d kicked everybody out while they were crying, he would not have been supported by the social custom of that day or this, would he?
You don’t go into a funeral and sweep everybody out who’s crying. That’s why they’re there. They came to cry. Notice what Jesus does. This was pointed out to me by someone who is really respected for her Scriptural insight. I’d really missed the point. Jesus changed the whole environment.
He made a statement that was perfectly true to him but which was ridiculous to the average human thought. He said “The maid is not dead, she’s only sleeping in there.” So, notice how deep the grief ran. They all suddenly laughed. You and I know, you don’t laugh at funerals.
(Verse 25) ‘He could clear everybody out who was laughing. Then proceeds to raise the child.’]
“Book of Matthew, Auditing the Master, a Tax-Collector’s Report”, by B. Cobbey Crisler**
Ken Cooper’s poem that we reads with inspiration as a monologue from Jairus’ viewpoint:
A PDF copy of this poem about Jairus’ daughter is attached as a Download PDF in the upper right corner of Ken’s online poems related to this lesson. You can hear it at YouTube link Click “JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER” to see and hear Ken’s poem [THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR. AND IN JESUS SO KIND HE HAS PROVED TO US ALL THERE IS ONLY ONE MIND]
IN “THE CHOSEN”– a very popular and realistic, multi-season series about the life and healings of Jesus– click here to see an 8-minute scene of this miracle about Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter from her death bed from Season 3, Episode 5 (E3/S5, our citation B17/Matthew 9:18-25).
ACTS 1, VERSES 9 & 10 SHARE “THE ONLY REALLY DETAILED VIEW OF THE ASCENSION THAT WE HAVE”
& LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR the Holy Ghost’s role in Pentecost & the booming growth of the Christian CHURCH.
Cobbey Crisler on Acts 1:3-9+/citation B21
[Cobbey on Acts 1:9/citation B21:] And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Acts 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Most of the gospels, they either do not mention it, or refer to it very slightly.
And, in Acts 1, Verse 11, the angelic rebuke could sometimes apply to modern church members. “Ye men of…wherever we live, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?” Get to work! In other words, “this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall still come in like manner as you have seen him go unto heaven.” (See below, Paraphrased)
Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
They return to Jerusalem, and we have the SECOND Christian church meeting recorded beginning in Act 1, verse 13. There in that “upper room,” who are assembled? Assembly, Ekklesia. Who are assembled? The disciples are all named in verse 13.
Acts 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
And, who else, in Acts 1, verse 14? All right. “The women” are included in the church meeting. (See below)
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Now, lest you think that that sounds normal, let us recall that in that era, there were certain rabbinical writings even that said “one should not should not teach women even the scriptures.” And some Rabbis would not even greet their women relatives in the street or talk to them. There was no question in the minds of the theology of that time that women were subordinate. A lot has changed. (Laughter)
Now, not only the women are there, but Acts 1, Verse 15, in parentheses, adds up the entire group, and who do we have? How many? “120.”
Acts 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
Now, I ask you to focus on that now because when we finish the Book of Acts, you will see an entirely different church. From 120, huddled together for warmth in an alien world, the book of Acts ends with Paul in Rome and Christianity having spread itself across the known globe in less than one generation. That is a major achievement!
And, the enthusiasm came from somewhere, and it was certainly different from what impelled Peter who was drumming his hands on the side of a fishing boat on the shore of Galilee and figured he had nothing else better to do. So, he says, “I go a-fishing.” (See below)
John 21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a-fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
And everybody else, John and some of these sterling characters, you know, say, “Well, we ought to go with thee; that sounds like a good idea.” (See above, Paraphrased)
We don’t find that state of mind anymore. And on which state of mind could you build your church? Their thought, the disciples thought, had to be on the rock, or we had no church.
And, where does church have to be built first? (Murmuring answers out of earshot) In our hearts.
If it is not there, it’s nowhere, for us. Our names may be on the register of some denomination, but it means absolutely nothing, unless the church has been built in our hearts. Because when those two disciples heard who Jesus was, as outlined by God hundreds of years before he arrived humanly, their “hearts burned within them.” …
And from those “burning hearts” came Christianity and the church. … And you know, Christianity now, well perhaps it looks like it’s reached an apathetic phase; at one point, it used to be a “knocking-on-doors” phase.
But we find that in the study of the primitive Christian church, they didn’t even have to knock on doors, that many came to join and be part of that early church, merely because they saw the glow and felt the warmth from “the burning hearts.” And they wanted to be part of it. Why not?
If the rock of church must be planted in the human heart, must be seen there already – not really implanted, but seen there, isn’t the yearning of all humanity to be on a rock, and a little bit more stable and secure, and knowing what’s beneath us? …
Now, let’s notice the use of three words in Acts which you will see leaping out at you before very long throughout the entire book. And it’s a word that really defines church extremely well in its early context.
And those three words, in Acts 1, Verse 14, we run into them for the first time: “with one accord.” (See below)
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
How does that sound to you? As something desperately needed all over the world? That’s why church is desperately needed all over the world. “With one accord” tells us something very important and speaks to the human need like probably nothing else, as a description, right now. And, “with one accord” is what church really means by definition.” (See above)
“After the Master What? – The Book of Acts,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
DON’T GO IT ALONE! “WAIT ON GOD” TO AVOID QUICK NOSE DIVES…
Mary Baker Eddy writes: “Beholding the infinite tasks of Truth, we pause, — wait on God. Then we push onward, until boundless thought walks enraptured and conception unconfined is winged to reach the divine glory.” (cit. S30/323:9)
Over several decades this sentence has been a CedarS favorite Met to affirm as an inspirational guideline before water-skiing. After saying “Hit it!” for the boat to start pulling you, it’s all too easy for most beginners to lean forward right away, as if to get up “on their own.” This causes quick nose-dives. However, when we PAUSE, waiting to acknowledge the boat, or really God, as the true power of the event, able to pull us through it, God precedes and PRE-SERVES us – and we express such dominion that we almost feel like we are Walking On Water (WOW)! (A successful pausing posture for a skier to mimic is that of a testifier getting halfway up out of his seat and pausing for a few seconds before proceeding, because another testifier got up at the same time.)
IN LIKE MANNER, WHEN WE REALIZE THAT LIFE IS ABOUT GOD, ABOUT LOVE, AND NOT ABOUT US (as physical beings) or because of us (as sexual beings) we are free to merely reflect, instead of originate, the “incontrovertible” perfection of man AS A SPIRITUAL BEING, as the “image, reflection, of God. . . neither inverted” (‘reversed in position, order, or relationship’) “nor subverted,” (‘overturned from the foundation: RUINED: perverted or corrupted by an undermining of morals, allegiance, or faith’) “but upright and Godlike.” (S&H 200:19, with Merriam Webster’s definitions in parenthesis)
From a Warren Huff Bible Lesson “Met” originally Posted: 4/27/2003
