Soul’s GEMs of “INFINITY, FREEDOM, HARMONY, BOUNDLESS BLISS” ARE ALL YOURS!
Sunday, November 12th, 2023
By Warren Huff (with insights from Cobbey Crisler)
Soul’s GEMs of “INFINITY, FREEDOM, HARMONY, BOUNDLESS BLISS” ARE ALL YOURS!
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
“SOUL AND BODY”
for Sunday, November 19, 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
FIND CURE-ALLS of DIVINE, LOVINGKINDNESS AT ANY TIME OF DAY & NIGHT!
HOPE IN GOD (who alone can quench thirsty souls) TO FIND A SURE
CURE TO DEPRESSION (& put an END to CONTINUAL FEARS & TEARS)!
[Warren on Responsive Reading (RR) verses from Psalm 42, plus Cobbey Crisler on Ps. 42:11] “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: (Psalm 42:5, 6)
[W: Psalm 42, verses 2, 3 and 5 start with the psalmist acknowledging a thirst, lack, or seeming ‘hole in his soul.’ “… my soul panteth for thee O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God…” This is manifested in “tears… day and night…” and in questioning the existence of God— “Where is thy God?” (Verses 3 and 10)
That seeming void is filled with divine cure-alls for every time of the day and night—God’s commanded “lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song… and my prayer unto the God of my life.” (Ps. 42:8/RR) These cure-alls are a panacea that end every pandemic – even one of depression and hopelessness.]
[Cobbey:] “Psalm 42, Verse 11 is a refrain in this psalm and the next. [Ps. 43.5] It’s a question we all need to ask ourselves, “Why art thou cast down?” Depression, if not an economic fact, seems to be a mental one at present. “Why art thou cast down? Examine the reasons. “Why art thou disquieted within me?” That’s getting mad in a sense. That’s challenging what we are accepting without question. Why am I depressed? Why is this disquiet? What’s the reason for it? Then notice the remedy. “Hope thou in God: praise God, hope in God. The health of our countenance is in God. “
“Leaves of the Tree: Prescriptions from Psalms,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
[Cobbey:] “Verse 11 [of Psalm 42] is the effect of that [enemy] thought [of questioning the existence of God in verse 10]. Our “soul is cast down,” our whole identity depressed, “disquieted.” Only restored “hope in God” will restore “the health of our countenance,” showing the physical effect of the mental cause.”
“War in Heaven: Conquest of Inner Space,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
APPLY “HIGHER-MATH” DIVINE EQUATIONS from OUR TEXTBOOK to YOURSELF TO ACCEPT THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO YOU as this Bible Lesson illustrates!
[all from God for you through Warren Huff as a mathematician and “scribe under orders”:]
“One-line, word equations in Science & Health (SH) can be “textbook” illustrations of the “Transitive Property of Equality.” (www.mathwords.com) THESE EQUATIONS (coupled with Bible-Lesson examples of Moses and the burning bush that was not consumed (cit. B4/Exodus 3:1-14); Elijah and the endless oil (cit. B9/I Kings 17:1-24); and Jesus and temptations overcome and “divers diseases” healed (cit. B11/Matt. 4:1-24); REVEAL TO US THAT SINCE NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GOD, SO NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAN AS GOD’S EXPRESSION. [See citation S4/477:26 and closing citation S29/249:31(only)]
- “Let’s “do the math”— this “Higher” Math – with simple, word-equation sentences from Science & Health.
On SH p. 477:26 (citation S4 this week), our first word-equation sentence states:
“Man (A) [or YOU (a)] is (=) the expression of Soul.” (B) - On SH p. 249:31 the word-equation that ends this Bible Lesson (cit. S29) is:
“Man (A) [or YOU (a)] is (=) the reflection of Soul.” (C)
“This gets even more interesting and fun when the two word-equations that sparked my interest in such “Higher” math are “added” and applied in “multiple” ways.
- On SH p. 470:23 a similar sounding word-equation sentence states:
“Man (A) [or YOU (a)] is (=) the expression of God’s being.” (D) - On SH p. 481:23 is a word-equation sentence to “try-on” to make this word-equation exercise expansively explosive and fun to claim for yourself (a):
“God’s being (D) is (=) infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.” (E)
“By the Transitive Property of Equality: If A = B (& A = C = D) and D = E, then A = E
“So, “Man (A) or YOU (a) is (=) the expression of infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.” (E plus E’s amplified list of their synonyms below)
“Therefore, You & I (a), like Moses’ burning bush, Elijah’s cruse of oil & barrel of meal (& the “Energizer Bunny”), express the synonyms for Infinity including: inexhaustibility, eternity, limitlessness, immeasurability, perpetuity (See https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/rodule )
“Therefore, You & I (a), like the boy Elijah raised from the dead (cit. B9/I Kings 17:1-24) and all Christ Jesus healed of “divers” diseases (cit. B11/Matt. 4:1-24), express the 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
“Therefore, You & I (a), and the infinite diversity of our brotherhood and sisterhood with the same all-loving, Mother-Father spanning the whole country, globe and universe, express the synonyms for harmony including: cooperation, friendship, consistency, good will, kinship, peace, rapport, tranquility, unanimity, understanding, unity, accord, amicability, compatibility, concord, like-mindedness
“Therefore, You & I (a), like a Happy, Peace-filled, Stress-free Reflection, express the synonyms for boundless bliss including: unchangeable blessedness, inexhaustible happiness, unlimited gladness, un-waning, untold joys…
“The reign of “infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss” means that, as God’s expression, nothing is impossible to you! “Infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss” naturally and automatically rule out of you, and our churches, school classrooms, communities, countries all their opposites (antonyms) of limitation; restraint, restriction, slavery; Inharmony, Strife, disagreement, discord, fighting; depression, sadness, sorrow, unhappiness, grief, upset…
P.S. Click here and scroll to the Downloads part of the online version of these GEMs for a BONUS VIEW for you from CedarS Bible Lands Park and Mediterranean Sea of these precious four elements – of INFINITY, FREEDOM, HARMONY, BOUNDLESS BLISS – of who we are as God’s expression – carved in 12-inch-high letters at the launch platform of CedarS Cable Ski dock on the Mediterranean. They are more fully experienced and expressed each day and session by every rider (and by cheerleading observers), and especially by those enrolling in Cable Ski Camp each summer!]
FIND an UPLIFTING SPIN & GRIN in my REENACTMENT of MOSES at the BURNING BUSH – GOD KNOWS YOU & HAS A MISSION OF LOVE for YOU to DO TODAY!
Click below for a 2020 CLASSIC YouTube RE-RUN from Ex. 3 & 4/citations B8 & B9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50f4vWbs3ak&feature=youtu.be
[Warren “Moses:” Huff:] Late one Saturday night (on March 21,2020 just as pandemic restrictions were kicking in) two dear friends, Ken Pratt and George Napper “burned the midnight oil” with me in an obediently-socially-distanced way to help produce a message of hope and “love from above” that is conveyed in the YouTube video link above. It was inspired by citations from Exodus chapters 3 and 4 as found in Section 3 of today’s Christian Science Bible Lesson on “Mind.”
That late-night narration and camera work by Ken and “ready, willing and able,” remote editing “by George” made possible this semi-professional sounding and looking message. May our after-midnight production efforts and messages bring not only a few smiles, but also some uplifting inspiration due to the reality of God’s ever-presence in a time of seeming bondage today.
There are angel messages for everyone in this spontaneous video sharing: God intimately knows and loves each of you as precious in His sight; and God has a divine commission and mission of Love for you to do today for everyone who you are able to bless!
Loving smiles and messages reach across miles, compassionately do wonders, and are never outside of recommended protocols! So, let’s each of us be up and doing with love! Listen and obey each angel message to turn all “wilderness” periods of “Loneliness; doubt; darkness” into world-wide blessings. That’s not only what Moses, but also what Elijah and Jesus did with their lowest moments in the wilderness!!! Like them and like all spiritual seers and doers throughout history, let each of us pledge to dispel every lonely, worrying, dark illusion by listening to and following God’s ever-inspiring, “burning-bush” angels!
Let us rejoice to gratefully demonstrate the present blessings of the second half of Mary Baker Eddy’s textbook definition of “wilderness.” (Science and Health, page 597:16) She went through—and saw through—the limiting illusions of a merely material sense of things and put a “full stop” to them. Let us work together (even remotely) to put a complete end to the worldwide illusions of “Loneliness; doubt; darkness.”
Let’s compassionately show that we are not alone, but All-One!! Let’s patiently “love into view” all good with “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)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50f4vWbs3ak&feature=youtu.be
If for Sunday School or family lesson study use you want to reenact this skit and video record it to share with family and friends, feel free to use my script that is attached to the online GEM version. Cobbey’s application ideas for Exodus 3 & 4 (& citation B4 in this week’s Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson), were spelled out more as the basis for my initial Moses skit that is also posted separately in my March 2020 CedarS Bible Blog.
[FYI: The mural scene behind “Moses” in the YouTube video is an aerial view of CedarS painted by Angela Sage Larson on two walls in CedarS new office in the St. Louis area. Note that in the sky portion, Angela recorded one of Ruth E. Huff’s Bible opening answers that inspired the founding and name of CedarS (near Lebanon) as well as the naming of Girls Camp cabins after birds (“where the birds make their nests.” Ps. 104:17)]
[Further video footnotes from Warren:] Late-night camera work and narration in mid-March 2020 by Ken Pratt along with “ready, willing and able” editing by George Napper made possible this semi-professional sounding and looking message. May our obediently-socially-distanced production efforts and its messages bring not only a few smiles, but also some uplifting inspiration and the reality of God’s ever-presence in a time of seeming bondage today.
[Warren:] Yes, but “what does this mean to me?” Let’s join together in earning to be aware of angels messages all around and to better listen to and obey each one. They come to turn our “wilderness” of today which seems to be filled with “Loneliness; doubt; darkness” into world-wide blessings. That’s not only what Moses, but also what Elijah and Jesus did with their lowest wilderness moments!!! Like them and like all spiritual seers and doers throughout history, let each of us pledge to dispel every lonely, worrying, dark illusion by listening to and following God’s ever-inspiring, “burning-bush” angels!
“Let us rejoice to gratefully demonstrate the present blessings of the second half of Mary Baker Eddy’s textbook definition of “Wilderness.” (Science and Health, page 597:16) She went through—and saw through—the limiting illusions of a merely material sense of things and put a “full stop” to them. Let us work together (even remotely) to put a complete end to the worldwide illusions of “Loneliness; doubt; darkness.”
“Let’s compassionately show that we are not alone, but All-One!! Let’s patiently “love into view” all good with “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)
“Let’s learn like Moses did that there is no death—that the Great I Am continues to be the God of all those who have merely “changed their address.”
[Cobbey on Exodus 3 (B4);]
“Notice that when God appears to Moses at the burning bush and the bush was not consumed notice that, otherwise the bush would be I-was.
“The bush was not consumed despite the passage of time, material elements, whatever.
“That I Am is continuous and preserved.
“Jesus brings out the point that God could not have used the statement “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He could not have said that using the present tense in Moses time, if what were not true? (Voice: “Eternality”). Eternality of whom? Not just God. His point was not that. His point was the Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not dead, or God could not have said, “I Am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
“They are I AM as well. If God is I Am, then his creation must always be I Am. That’s Jesus’ own point. We’ll get to that more as we get into the Gospels.”
“Heal the Sick: A Scriptural Record,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
GIVE YOUR ALL TO FIND UNENDING, TRUE ABUNDANCE IN GOD!
See Ken Cooper’s offering TO COME Thursday with an online Downloadable version to bring life to cit. B9.
Ken added: “The widow of Zarephath reminds me of Jesus’ observation when he saw a poor widow casting her two mites into the treasury, “she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.” Luke 21:4. When we give our all to God, we find true abundance, for then God shines through our lives, and we can bless everyone that is in the radius of that light. In such ways does God preserve all those under the shadow of His wings, and we become “angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:1-2).
The YouTube version of the poem can be found on https://youtu.be/GBAK6RfTPtA together with further comment under SHOW MORE. The full range of videos can be found on “Ken G Cooper Poetry You Tube” https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv6edwM4E2y4wJ98jGEPUOw
YouTube Bonus: “Trust God’s timing and you will see God’s provision.” Thus, concludes another Bible-study of I Kings 17 (citation B9) especially when it appears that God’s timing is off, as when Elijah asks the widow for food… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIIyf9IfEmI
Click to see a moving, 11-minute YouTube reenactment by Brigham Young University students at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAwuKUHKKBw&t=143s
Mary Baker Eddy was a REVOLUTIONARY THINKER, WAY AHEAD OF HER TIME. SHE WROTE AND LIVED IN A REMARKABLE WAY WITH A PROFOUND, SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING THAT LIBERATED HUMANITY!**
For example, Mary Baker Eddy (MBE) wrote: “Fixing your gaze on the realities supernal, you will rise to the spiritual consciousness of being, even as the bird which has burst from the egg and preens its wings for a skyward flight” (cit. S20, Science and Health 261:27). But in her day, researchers had not yet discovered and documented how “super-precocial” chicks of the “megapodes” came out of their eggs “completely independent…which hatch fully feathered, their eyes open and capable of flight.” [according to W’s Class Instruction notes]
Also, see www.audubon.org/news/the-art-hatching-egg-explained (A video about Australian Brush Turkey chicks that illustrates this at https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Brush+Turkey+Chicks&FORM=VDMHRS
**HERE’S ANOTHER “WAY AHEAD of HER TIME” EXAMPLE WRITTEN by Mary Baker Eddy: “The light of spiritual understanding gives gleams of the infinite only, even as nebulae indicate the immensity of space.” (Science and Health 509:18)
This is another example of how Mary Baker Eddy in her writing of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures was way ahead of her time in referring to this phenomenon that had not yet been discovered or explained scientifically. She could only do this by humbly, sincerely listening to her all-knowing, divine Mind.
A Christian Scientist friend of mine, Chuck Douglas, was an avid amateur astronomer and the Kansas City dad of CedarS staff friends, Charlie Douglas, Carol Douglas and Elaine Douglas Boudreaux). Chuck had the wisdom and the occasion to ask a professional astronomer what a woman author could have meant when she stated “even as nebulae indicate the immensity of space.” (509:18) The astronomer asked when this insightful observation was made and was amazed that Mary Baker Eddy wrote the first edition of Science & Health in 1875 and its last (418th) edition in 1906. He explained that it was not until 1929 when American astronomer, Edwin Hubble (who the Hubble Space Telescope is named after) was the first to describe the redshift phenomenon and tie it to an expanding universe and exploding stars (nebulae) as explained further at https://www.space.com/25732-redshift-blueshift.html in 1990 when the Hubble Space telescope was launch into its orbit around the earth astronomers’ able to see more distant nebulae and to measure the speed at which their exploding light was simultaneously moving towards observers at light speed in a blueshift spectrum of light and away from us at light speed in a redshift spectrum of light. If you download the amazing pictures of the red and blue light from Helix Nebulae (in the upper right part of thus GEM’s online version), imagine this and countless other nebulae expanding in opposite directions at the speed of light of 186,282 miles per second—with no end in sight! Now, that “indicates immensity”!
** ANOTHER ADVANCED STATEMENT by MARY BAKER EDDY CLOSES EVERY SUNDAY SERVICE:
Dr. Albert Einstein, when he was a professor at Princeton University, is said to have said privately of Mary Baker Eddy’s “Scientific Statement of Being” (SH 468:8-15): “That is the most profound statement ever uttered by mankind.” He is also said to have quipped to a research colleague, Christian Scientist, Dr. Underwood, “Had I known of the “Scientific Statement of Being” sooner, I could have developed my Theory of Relativity ten years sooner.”
Mary Baker Eddy said of her “Scientific Statement of Being”:
*“St. Paul said to the Athenians, ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ This statement is in substance identical with my own: ‘There is no life, truth, substance, nor intelligence in matter.’ It is quite clear that this great verity has not yet been fully demonstrated, but it is nevertheless true. If Christian Science reiterates Paul’s teaching, we, as Christian Scientists, should give to the world convincing proof of the validity of this scientific statement of being. Having perceived, in advance of others, this scientific fact, we owe to ourselves and to the world a struggle for its demonstration.”
Retrospection & Introspection, p. 93: 17, Mary Baker Eddy’s quote & comment on Acts 17:28.
TO PASS YOUR DIVINE IDENTITY TESTS FOLLOW JESUS IN RECITING GOD’S PROMISES WHEN TEMPTED IN ALL THINGS LIKE HE DID
Follow Jesus by memorizing (paying loving attention to) God’s Bible-based commands and promises to pass your wilderness, divine identity tests like he did!
Cobbey Crisler on Jesus’ temptations, Matthew 4:1-11, 23 (citation B11):
[Cobbey:] “There is what we might call an identity-crisis test in Chapter 4 (of Matthew). The Anglo-Saxon word “tempt” has almost picked up a theological meaning. It really means “test.” That’s what the word means. It’s a test. (Verse 1) So, “Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness” to be tested on the fact that had recently been revealed (directly from God in Matthew 3:17 (and Mark 1:11) that Jesus was God’s “Beloved Son”).
Verse 2. “After forty days and nights he’s hungry.”
“This reminds me of Moses. He, too, had that testing period (Exodus 24:18) just prior to receiving the Ten Commandments. For forty days and forty nights. This Chapter in Matthew is just prior to the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes. This preparation is the same. And there is a test.
Verse 3. “When the tester comes,” here it is, question Number 1: “If you are the Son of God.” Why would that even have emerged if we had not had Verse 17 in the preceding chapter? “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The test question is, “If you are,” then what? “Command that these stones be made bread.”
“How does Jesus respond to this test question? He quotes Scripture. Notice how Jesus responds to temptation. If this is the way Jesus elects to respond to it, what about you and me? How eloquent might you or I try to get when we respond to temptation? Make up original sermons, choose our words carefully, perhaps?
“Jesus decided the best defense was Scripture. This verse is taken from Deuteronomy 8, Verse 3. Deuteronomy is a law book. In fact, the word in Greek deuteros nomos is the second law or the repetition of the law. How did he regard this test by Satan? What was going on in Jesus’ thinking here? Had he isolated it completely?
“First of all, what does Satan mean in Hebrew? Accuser. It is also the term for prosecuting attorney. If he has the prosecuting attorney accusing in thought, Jesus in his defense cites what? The law. He quotes the law book. He doesn’t need to do anything original. The law is the law and it never varies. Therefore, what is being suggested her by Satan, or the prosecuting attorney is illegal. It is illegitimate. He proves it by citing the law. That’s a marvelous technique for us in the middle of temptation.
“Our consciousness is like a law court. And the plusses and minuses that occur there have to be dealt with, as in a law court. Where are the accusations coming from? The prosecuting attorney or Satan. Where do we get the information? The law book or the defense attorney.
“You know that Jesus promised that something would come after he had left. It’s been translated “the comforter” in the gospel of John. The Greek word is parakletos, sometimes transliterated as paraclete. In Greek it can be the technical term for defense attorney.
“Verse 4 (cit. B8) So, where did Jesus turn for his protection and defense, the defense of his manhood, the defense of his sonship with God, which is a spiritual fact revealed directly to him by God? How does he defend it? By citing the law book, utilizing the Comforter or defense attorney against the arguments of Satan. If Jesus had to do that, can we do anything less? “Man shall not live by bread alone,” Jesus said, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” That is a great statement for survival in an emergency….
“Verse 5. But Satan isn’t through yet, is he? Next thing, take Jesus out of the wilderness, and move him into an entirely different environment. The sophistication of organized religion, ecclesiasticism. “Take him to the very pinnacle of the Temple.”
“Verse 6. Show him everything that could belong to him ecclesiastically if he would only go via the world’s route by following devilish suggestions. “If thou be the son of God,” the same test question again. “Cast thyself down.” Notice the suggestion is that Jesus do it himself. Apparently Satan knew that it would not succeed trying to cast Jesus down. If Satan couldn’t do it, the only way that it could be done would be for Jesus to do it to himself.” …
“In verse 6 we find that Satan is quoting Scripture, “It is written, He will give his angels charge concerning thee.” In fact, that is a very key attempt by Satan. Why? Satan discovered what Jesus’ defense was, namely Scripture. O.K., if that’s the way you want it, the devil can use Scripture for its purposes. But the devil doesn’t know much beyond the 91st Psalm and everybody knows that. So, Satan quotes, “It is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear you up.” You see, there is nothing to worry about, Jesus, even Scripture now backs you, so leap down.
“Verse 7. Jesus doesn’t react. It’s reaction in Judo that is taken advantage of by your opponent. Jesus doesn’t react. Simply quotes once again the law book. This come from Deuteronomy 6, verse 16. “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” You cannot test God and His revealed Word. The high quality of Jesus’ discernment and his thought is not sufficient to dismiss Satan after one temptation, or even a second one. How valuable is the quality of persistence! Supposed Jesus had given up after the second time, “I already covered this ground.” Or listened to Satan, but he doesn’t.
“Verse 8. The third charge or accusation occurs, “the devil takes him into an exceeding high mountain, and shows him all the kingdoms of the world.”
“All these things being offered to Jesus are to a degree a kind of power. He was offered personal power by changing stones to bread. Then he was offered priestly power if he’d go for the argument to be the head of ecclesiasticism. And he was offered political power by being shown all the kingdoms of the world.
“All those temptations that hit human nature… We are in the wilderness at some point along with Jesus having the exact same tests applied to us. How are our responses to those exam questions? Do we pass with flying colors?…
“Verse 10. We find that Jesus answers and that the only thing he says that’s original, “Get thee behind me Satan.” He dismisses the prosecution in thought, “for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shall thou serve.” That’s kind of a combination of Deuteronomy 6, verse 13 and Deuteronomy 10, verse 20.
“Verse 11. Look at what happens. “The devil leaveth him.” No longer is there dualism in thought. “Angels came and ministered unto him.” True communication completely governed his thought, no longer a divided kingdom. The false communication is dismissed.”
BONUS RESULTS to EXPECT!
“Verse 23. And “healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” Here are human problems that had defied solution, and Jesus solved them all based on his concept of theology, namely the kingdom. Remember a kingdom is not chaos. It’s an ordered government of heaven and harmony at hand.”
Verse 24: “And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.”
“Book of Matthew, Auditing the Master, A Tax Collector’s Report,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
