2nd cache of “Christ Jesus” GEMs to Make Your Own!
God Expressed Meekly/Mightily in you sparkle brightly with insights from Cobbey Crisler & others as inspired by The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“Christ Jesus”
for Sunday, August 27, 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
SEE THAT IN THE “KINGDOM OF OUR GOD” BEFORE “THE ACCUSER IS CAST DOWN” (Rev. 12:1, 10, cit. B11) AND SALVATION ACHIEVED A DOMINION WOMAN HAD TO COME TO PROVIDE “THE REMEDY FOR EVE”— Cobbey insights below make a perfect prelude to next week’s lesson that features examples true womanhood expressing Man and Revelation 12:1, 5 as citation B23.
Citation B11/Rev. 12:10: “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ:”
[Cobbey Crisler on the verses prior to citation B11/Rev. 12:10;] “We find in investigating the Old Testament as well as the New, that the woman in travail is an image, a metaphor, used almost as often as Messiah in prophecy. For the epitome of that, look at the 12 chapter of Revelation where we find not a novel figure at all, simply a repetition of a symbol that has been seen throughout the Scriptures. Remember womanhood and comforter, and comfort and love and motherhood all closely linked as well as Scriptural ideas. So, the concept of womanhood and comfort and the Comforter perhaps having relation to womanhood’s fulfillment of prophecy and the Genesis 1 role of God-given dominion may all be linked up. At least it’s worthwhile investigating to see what the Bible says.
“As a matter of fact, here is what the Anchor Bible says about the figure in Revelation 12. See if you have ever looked at it from this angle.
“In Revelation 12 there is a mysterious symbolic figure of a woman who has a key figure in the drama of salvation. There can be no doubt that Revelation is giving the Christian enactment of the drama foreshadowed in Revelation 3:15 where enmity is places between the serpent and the woman, between the serpent’s seed and her seed—and the seed of the woman enters into conflict with the serpent. However, often in the Bible collective figures are based on historical ones. This, the fact that woman represents the people of God [“generic man” cit. S29/561:22] would not at all preclude a reference to an individual woman who is the basis of the symbolism.” (Anchor Bible)
“So, you see that Bible scholars are wrestling with the concept that what we have in Revelation 12 is the remedy for Eve. All the stereotypical womanhood elements, all the failures, all the mistakes, all the errors associated with the Eve-subordinated woman have now been swallowed up in the Transfiguration of womanhood clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. Remember that part of the curse on womanhood humanly is the periodic monthly complaints, monthly-and-moon-related. [Warren: As Mary Baker Eddy writes: “The Revelator symbolizes Spirit by the sun. The spiritual idea is clad with the radiance of spiritual Truth, and matter is under her feet.” (SH p. 561:25-27)]
We find that this ideal view of spiritual womanhood in Verse 1 of Chapter 12 restores the dignity of women’s dominion. Her feet are on the moon. That is the Scriptural symbol long-recognized in the Bible for dominion, “the moon under her feet.” Thus, the Book of Revelation, a book that is attributed in its first verse to Jesus, which authorizes our including it in a course relating “Jesus and the Equality of Women”: this comparison between Eve and the dominion woman, the contest again between Genesis 2 and Genesis 1, and womanhood having that right on earth to embody the dominion of Genesis 1.
Should a man be entitled to overcome the problems or stereotypes on womanhood?
If so, woman would not have dominion. Is it womanhood’s right to respond to her God-given role prophetically? Are we ourselves perhaps, living in one of the most thrilling times of history?” [W: a time when we’re hopefully praying for and witnessing “no retrograde step” for dominion for the women of Ukraine, Afghanistan and the whole world…] What would make these times thrilling despite their inherent dangers? It would be the spirit of prophecy. Is that happening? Can we see the signs of the times? Is manhood waiting to be fulfilled and completed as in the seven days when God himself rested after the completion of “male and female created he them”? (Genesis 1:27)
Until womanhood receives her appropriate Scriptural place, her God-given place, how can man rest in completion? How can man be generic? How can we, hand-in-hand symbolizing a higher spiritual unity than ever before, find ourselves co-residents of the Holy City, a city that has nothing but what is holy in it, a city that establishes our original relationship? No wonder when the Bible closes, we are asked to respond to one of the most heavenly invitations in its pages, “the Spirit and the Bride say, Come” (Revelation 22:17)
But, Ladies and Gentlemen, we cannot respond to that invitation to the wedding feast, God‘s view of creation, without our having on a wedding garment. That, hopefully, is what our search the Scriptures will give us. And we bring to that wedding feast our own thoughts uplifted to the sense of manhood and womanhood united forever by God with full dominion, no subordination or domination—no thought of sex— but a full, complete, joyous image of the Father-Mother divine parent. That’s what the Scriptures are holding out for us to prove in our lives. Then, let us go forward and be part of the fulfillment of that prophecy.”
“Jesus and the Equality of Woman,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
GAIN PURE PEACE BY FIGHTING EVERY MENTAL WAR GOING ON WITHIN YOU USING THE 10 COMMANDMENTS & 8 BEATITUDES
[Cobbey Crisler from Revelation 12:7-12/before & after verse 10, citation B11:] “There was war in heaven” the Bible (Revelation 12:7) tells us. We find that the protagonists and antagonists are clearly described as angels. The war, then is a mental one. It is going on within… Verse 8 shows us that “the dragon and his angels prevailed not: neither was their place found more in heaven.” That’s an uninvaded heaven concept. That’s a wholeness. That’s not a divided sense.
… the Ten Commandments are our defense. We know what not to do. That’s what the Commandments (in Exodus 20:3-17) have told us. We know what to do. That’s what the Beatitudes (in Matthew 5:3-11) have told us.
That ability of being able to say “yes” and “no” is the simplest mental defense that we have… When to say either or both. Mental defense and Commandments and Beatitudes ready-made, spiritually given to us so that we may never be in doubt as to what to say “no” to and what to say “yes” to. But the beast would break up our commitment to such a standard. It’s only the standard that resists the flood of the enemy, even by the Spirit of the Lord.”
“War in Heaven: Conquest of Inner Space,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
[Warren:] ABOUT THE VALUE OF APPLYING THE 10 COMMANDMENTS, HERE’S COMMANDMENT #4. TO “REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY…”
As Moses, I have led hundreds of visitors to Bible Lands Park in promising: “I pledge to: REMEMBER—to give loving attention to—GOD’S GENESIS 1 SABBATH & WORK OUT FROM ITS PERFECTION, NOT UP TO IT!
I LOVE HOW IT RELATES to citation S14/259:11:
“The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea, — perfect God and perfect man, — as the basis of thought and demonstration.”(SH 259:11)
START WITH RECEPTIVITY AND SUPPORT PROGRESS DAILY TO HARVEST FRUITS! Cobbey on “Sower & Seed” parable in Luke 8:4-15/cit. B13+ MBE cits. S16/270:31 S17/272:3
[Cobbey Crisler on Luke 8 parables:] “Parables are now given starting with Verse 4. There is one that deals with receptivity more than any other parable he gives. The words “hear” and “ears” are repeated more often in this parable than any other. In Verse 5, it’s about “the sower that went forth to sow.” It’s one of the few parables that Jesus ever gives an interpretation of. You notice in Verse 8 one of his favorite phrases is there, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
[BONUS–Cobbey continues:] “Let’s look at the interpretation. It says in Verse 11 that “The seed is the word of God.” Notice that Jesus’ teaching is not always meant to be taken literally. He is dealing in symbols. He’s teaching spiritually through symbols. That must mean it’s the ideal and most effective way to do it.
Where is this seed, the word of God landing? Where is the field?
“In Verse 12, the word “heart” is mentioned. In ancient times, that was considered to be the seat of intelligence. If, then, we’re talking about thought, the seed that is growing in thought must mean our mental condition determines whether the word is going to be fruitful. Aristotle said this, using a similar metaphor: “The soul of the hearer must be wrought· first into a state of preparedness by the training of habit like land that is to foster seed.” We have a clear symbol then of the word. We’ve got mental conditions that are similar to rock; with very little room to grow.
“In the beginning, receptivity is a joyous, “Gee, it’s what I always wanted to hear,” or something like that. But it has no root (Verse 13). There we go back to the lack of foundation… It’s temporary. It lasts only briefly and there’s no radical commitment, no depth.
“I skipped the wayside to Verse 12, where the fowls are peeking away at the surface of thought, “taking it right out of our heart.” The wayside is a mental condition that has failed to prepare itself for the seed and failed to welcome it, nurture it, cultivate it, and then receive fruit.
“Verse 14. Thorns is a mental condition that is already “choked with care, riches, and pleasures.” In Greek, the word “pleasures” is “hedona,” the root of hedonism. With all that choking going on, the ability for those tender little seeds to work their way up through the obstruction is compromised. We have given greater priority in our mental garden to the cares, the riches, and the pleasures.
“Verse 15. Now “the good ground, honest and good heart” is the soil. Do you see some ingredients there we saw in many points he’s made up to now? The good soil is what kind of receptivity? Not only hearing, but doing, and bringing forth, “keeping it, and bringing forth fruit,” and notice, “with patience.”
“Even if it doesn’t happen overnight, which very few plants will promise us from our garden, the patient wait for fruit. Properly preparing and nourishing it, in the right conditions, will look today like it did yesterday. It is supporting progress daily, leading to the eventual fruits.”
“Luke, the Researcher,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
ACCEPT THE GEM OF CHRIST’S MANDATE TO “HEAL ALL MANNER OF SICKNESS” (as shown in The Chosen)
Jesus sends disciples two-by-two as in cit. B14/Luke 9:1-10 as Cobbey relates in Matthew 10:1, 2, 7, 8, 16
{Cobbey Crisler:] “We’ve had so much evidence that Jesus was an effective healer, but we haven’t yet had evidence that there could be healing via the instruction-route: that one could be taught to heal sent out like apprentices in some human trade or profession, and come back practicing the rules learned with results, namely, healed cases.
We find right after the prayer (Matthew 9:38) that God “would send forth more laborers into his harvest,” and what do we find? A mandate to heal.
(Verse 1). “He called his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, to heal” What? Only certain diseases? “All manner of disease and all manner of sickness.”
(Verse 2). We have the first use of the word “apostles.” Verse 1 says “disciples,” Verse 2 says, “apostles.” There’s an interesting difference in the two terms. First, we already discussed what the Greek word for “disciple” was, mathetes. This is the same root as our word “mathematician.” That still leaves us somewhat in the realm of the theoretician until we find that apostolos in Greek means “someone who is sent out to accomplish what he has learned.” Out go these apostoloi. We are given the names which are very familiar to most of us.”
(Verse 7). “Say,” Look at the first words there to say. 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? 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.
(Verse 8). 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.”
Did the disciples do that? Even after Jesus was no longer with them personally? They certainly did.
( https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qktVwKMaSJ8 )
(Verse 16). Remember, we are privy here to his personal instructions to his disciples in the first assignment to go out and heal the sick. These warnings would be just as timely and relevant to those who wish to follow his instructions in our century.
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be wise as serpents.” The wisdom of the serpent is to hide itself. “Harmless as doves.”
“Book of Matthew, Auditing the Master, A Tax-Collector’s Report”, by B. Cobbey Crisler**
RADIATE YOUR UNDYING IDENTITY THAT’S FOREVER LOVED AND BLESSED BY YOUR HEAVENLY DADDY (ABBA)!
Cobbey on cit. B15/Mark 9:2+ as told in Matt. 17.1+ & Luke 9:31 re. Jesus, Moses & Elias on Mt. of Transfiguration
[Cobbey Crisler:] “Matthew, Chapter 17: There is a renewed opportunity for the disciples, three of them at least, to witness who Jesus was.
(Verse 1). “Peter, James, and John come to a high mountain apart,”
(Verse 2). “He was transfigured: his face did shine,”
(Verse 3). And there is a breakthrough here because “we find Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.” What is special about that is Moses really is the prime figure in the law, isn’t he? Elias is the prime figure in the prophets. So, in a way, it represents the three major sections of the Bible, long before it was sewn together in the backbone of a book.
We know what they were talking about, at least. The gospel of Luke (9:31) is the only one which tells us what the subject of conversation was on the Mount of Transfiguration. Luke tells us that they were discussing his “decease” which was forthcoming in Jerusalem. When J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-67, U.S. nuclear physicist) wanted to talk with someone on his level, he probably wouldn’t give us a call. He’d go to look for Einstein.
If Jesus were approaching his meeting with the last enemy known as death, just look at Moses and Elias. What had Elias or Elijah accomplished? He had ascended, according to the Old Testament report 2 Kings 2:11. What about Moses? It doesn’t say exactly, but they never could find his body. They sent out expedition after expedition that came up empty handed. In fact, there is the intertestamental (the period between the close of the OLD TESTAMENT and the beginning of the NEW TESTAMENT) literature written called “The Assumption of Moses” where it has long been held in Jewish tradition that Moses had ascended. There is this common point of unity among those three men on that mountain.
Verse 9 (of Matthew 17). Our translation says, “Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.” I can’t find a Greek version that supports the word “again.” But if it is genuine, it implies that, in effect, Jesus had to rise from the dead to communicate to these men. He had to have overcome the death barrier.
The three disciples didn’t communicate with them, but they knew who they were. Isn’t that interesting? That says something about identity, our identity. The identity of Moses and Elias was apparently communicable. But there was no discussion back and forth between Peter, James, and John and those on the mountain. It’s sort of like television, isn’t it? You can tune in at a distance. You can see people on the screen who are thousands of miles from you. Maybe even bouncing off satellites. But you can’t communicate with them. Distance and time have been overcome and we can see but not communicate.
(Verse 4). They were bored there, Peter, James, and John. Peter tries to interrupt. Peter liked to feel busy. On the top of the mountain Jesus, Moses, and Elias had their thing going. So, he said, “It’s good for us to be here.” Really, the transfiguration didn’t need Peter’s endorsement. But he gave it. He said, ‘It’s good for us to be here. While you’re up there, why don’t we do something down here, instead of just sitting. We can build three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias.”
Verse 5 is when the announcement comes once again very much like the baptism (Matthew 3:17) which is rooted in prophecy. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
“Book of Matthew, Auditing the Master: A Tax-Collectors Report,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
FIND YOUR WAY TO THE FATHER – ONLY BY FOLLOWING THE MASTER!
Cobbey Crisler on John 14:5, 6/end of cit. B17 + verse 8)
[Cobbey:] Chapter 14 of John begins with a discussion, a dialogue between Jesus and some of his disciples.
John 14:5, “Thomas asks about the way.”
In John 14:6, Jesus responds, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.”
John 14:8. Philip says, “We’ll settle everything right now with you, Master, if you just shew us God,” a minor requirement. Imagine that this is going on the night of Gethsemane. With what Jesus has to look forward to, look at the questions he’s being asked!”
“John, the Beloved Disciple,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
FIND & CHERISH ONENESS WITH GOD “AS A HUMBLE RAY OF SUNLIGHT THAT IS ONE WITH THE SUN.” Hear healing music inspired by citation S25/26:10-18 below
“The Christ was the Spirit which Jesus implied in his own statements: “I am the way, the truth, and the life;”(John 14:6/cit. B17) “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30) This Christ, or divinity of the man Jesus, was his divine nature, the godliness which animated him. Divine Truth, Life, and Love gave Jesus authority over sin, sickness, and death. His mission was to reveal the Science of celestial being, to prove what God is and what He does for man.”
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 26:10-18 bolding & parenthesis added)
Below is a YouTube link to an inspiring song by a CedarS mom and award-winning Country Music artist, Cherie Brennan. It emphasizes the “I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE” mindset of Christ Jesus and mentioned in this week’s Bible Lesson citation S25/26:10-14 Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZMNlpZavkA
Or, on Watchfire Music by CedarS friend, Peter Link, — LISTEN TO A SAMPLE of “I and my Father are one” SUNG by Mindy Jostyn and BUY IT and the SHEET MUSIC for SOLOISTS at: https://watchfiremusic.com/shop/recordings/songs/i-and-my-father-are-one-2/
“Man’s oneness with the Father” is a central point in Jesus’ healing theology, “Jesus of Nazareth taught and demonstrated man’s oneness with the Father, and for this we owe him endless homage.” (18:3-5) See also John 10:30, SH 315:3 & 361:16.
Click for combined cache of “Christ Jesus” GEMs to Make Your Own!
