Substantial GEMs to help YOU find & impart heavenly happiness! (See links for Sunday School)
insights from Cobbey Crisler, Ken Cooper & others from the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“Substance”
for Sunday, March 14, 2021
shared by Warren Huff,
CedarS Executive Director Emeritus warren@cedarscamps.org
Click on this AUDIO LINK to hear Kerry Jenkins read her metaphysical application ideas on this Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on “Substance.” Citation locations are written only below and online. To hear the Met you can also paste this address in your browser: : https://www.cedarscamps.org/metaphysical/audio/play/audio-met-on-substance-by-kerry-jenkins-cs-1/
GEM#1: Never forget to “pay your bill” of praising God for his wonderful works! Let the Great Physician’s face shine on you! Cobbey Crisler on Ps. 107:1-22 (Responsive Reading)
[Cobbey:] “I'm going to give you an assignment in Psalm 107 because it's a very rewarding one to work with. In the first 22 verses, for example, when you are studying this independently at home, work out the steps that are being given us, the symptoms, the appointment with the Great Physician, the treatment, the complete remedy, and then paying your bill. That happens to be a refrain, "Pay your bill. Pay your bill." In this particular Psalm, in Verse 8, [and Verses 15, 21, 31] "Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" Follow that all the way through and you'll find three different sets of prescriptions and treatments that can be quite relevant to our own experience.”
[Cobbey’s transcribed-from-audio response to an audience question:]
“The appointment with the Great Physician and then, of course, when you're in front of the Physician, that's face-to-face, seeing God's face, get the treatment, let His face shine upon thee, then the remedy, go out and have the prescription filled. The remedy solves the whole problem; then pay your bill. Follow that through and see what comes.”
“Leaves of the Tree: Prescriptions from Psalms,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
GEM#2: Remember “Complaint (‘in the streets’, on TV…) is poverty!” (cit. B3/Ps. 144:9-15)
Psalm 144:9 “I will sing a new song unto thee, O God; upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings** will I sing praises unto thee… That our sons… and our daughters may be as…”
Matthew Henry excerpts on rewards for singing new praises to God from Ps. 144:9, 12-15
verse 9: “Fresh favours call for fresh returns of thanks…”
v.12: “That our son… and our daughters…“It adds much to the comfort and happiness of parents in this world to see their children promising and likely to do well… their growing time, increasing in every thing that is good, growing wiser and better, till they grow strong in spirit…
v. 13: ‘That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store…’ – that, having abundance, we may be thankful to God, generous to our friends, and charitable to the poor; otherwise, what profit is it to have our garners full? (James 5:3)
v. 14: ‘that there be no complaining’ –That there be no oppression nor faction… that the people may have no cause to complain either of their government or of one another, nor may be so peevish as to complain without cause. It is desirable thus to dwell in quiet habitations.
As verse 2 of Hymn 249 puts this great advice for us: “Our gratitude is riches, / Complaint is poverty, / Our trials bloom in blessings, / They test our constancy. / O, life from joy is minted, / An everlasting gold, / True gladness is the treasure / That grateful hearts will hold.
(Christian Science Hymnal, No. 249:2).”).
v. 15: ‘…happy is that people whose God is the Lord.” who have his favour, and love, and grace, according to the tenour of the covenant, though they have not abundance of this world's goods. As all this, and much more, cannot make us happy, unless the Lord be our God, so, if he be, the want of this, the loss of this, nay, the reverse of this, cannot make us miserable.”
Matthew Henry Commentary on Psalm 144: 144:9-15
**Praising God with a new song today on “an instrument of ten strings” means to me letting one’s life sing with the beautiful structure of acting that sings with living the laws of loving God and our neighbors as ourselves, as Jesus summarized as the Ten Commandments and Mary Baker Eddy called “Two chief commands”! (See Matt. 22:37-39 & S30, 467 & GEM#3.)
GEM#3: View the Ten Commandments as Spirit’s Specs for you from "Spirit, the great architect" (SH 68:4/cit. S11; 301:17-23/cit. S13, 467:3/cit. S30) (as tied to the Beatitudes in GEM#6)
by Warren Huff as inspired by this SH 68 citation in studying for his architectural licensing exam
“Architects use 10 categories or Specifications (Specs) to guarantee the quality and longevity of their work. Our Master Architect and sole "builder and maker," Spirit, God, has done the same for us as His temple — “Gods building” [SH 428:12, Heb. 10:11, I Cor.3:9]. I hope you enjoy finding and applying the fun links between these 10 Specs, the 10 Commandments and the healings of your own body and others’.
The 10 God's-eye views of the spiritual you that follow—written by “*the finger of God”— bring health to the body by looking AWAY from it to God, instead of looking AT the body or TO it, as if it were in control. (*Deut. 9:10, Luke 11:20) In these powerful, 10-Commandment views of the real you, you can see how they work as your Divine Identity Protection Plan set up as specified by "Spirit, the great architect." (S&H 68, cit. S11)
Click the link address below to view an animated series on each Commandment at https://www.christianscience.com/youth/sunday-school-teachers/the-ten-commandments/ten-commandments-animated-series.
GEM#4: Find fresh and holy ways daily to be “leaning on the sustaining infinite…” to experience the “big … blessings” of expressing more fully “God’s being …(of) infinity, freedom, harmony and boundless bliss.” (citation S15, p. vii:1-2 and p. 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.
We are given examples in how God provided miraculous meals in the wilderness for the children of Israel for 40 years (cit. B7, Exodus 16:12-15, 35) and even meal service from a normally greedy raven for Elijah when he had to “hole-up” for an extended period of shortage! (I Kings 17:1-6).
- Click the title of a great article by Ned Odegaard called FINDING SOLID GROUND IN A STORMY ECONOMY that includes Ruth's journey out of widowhood and her marriage to Boaz, Elijah being fed by a raven, Elijah's inspiration saving a widow and her son from starvation, the children of Israel fed by..
GEM#5a: Even if we’ve made poor decisions, like the Prodigal Son did (cit. B12, Luke 15:11-24) the scriptures and our periodicals abound with examples of God’s hand at work to bless:
- Here’s a link to a Sentinel Radio podcast about a Modern-day prodigal son – Program 850 / Christian Science Sentinel
- To view a poem in the Christian Science Journal called “Addict, prodigal son” click the following address: https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/28uk7c24jn8?s=e
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” (cit. S15, 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).
GEM#5b: Hear on YouTube a custom Ken Cooper monologue called “The Prodigal Son” and a poem called “The Good Shepherd: You Are Mine” both related to this week’s Bible Lesson.
[Ken wrote:] “God is Love. In these simple few words we have the guarantee of all we ever need, and all we are. The evidence of Love is all around us, and when love seems to be absent from our present experience, and dark thoughts weigh us down, the light of Love seamlessly and unconditionally illumines the omnipresence and omnipotence of God. The final citation in this week’s lesson “The depth, breadth, height, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space. That is enough!” [S&H 3-5 (to!)] is complete. It defines the omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience of God, Love, the All-in-all of being in which God and man are one. The gladness inherent in Love is both in loving and being loved. There is no greater joy or unity. This is completeness, true substance.
The poem “The Good Shepherd: You Are Mine” encapsulates the essence of Love as shown in the Responsive Reading, and further in the story of the prodigal son. The Love of God is the life of man and cannot be separated. The Good Shepherd knows its sheep, and infinite Mind rejoices in knowing everyone of its ideas, – both in the perfection of reflection and the fulfilment of witness to their divine Source. The good shepherd knows each one of its sheep, not merely as a number, but every detail of their individuality and purpose. This is also known by the sheep and is never lost. There is no greater gladness and freedom than to be in the infinite fold of Love, no greater security, health and togetherness.
In the fold (the consciousness) of divine love, we have all we need, and divine nourishment never runs out, can never cause discomfort. Love only gives what is good, and that is all we can give to one another.
The story of the prodigal son brings the recognition that the spiritual wealth that is God can never be divided. When God spoke to Moses and said “I AM THAT I AM” it gave the same message that God shares with us all, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have (I AM) is thine”, and is ours by reflection. This parable of Jesus about “The Prodigal Son” illustrated the error of belief that matter was substance, and that with this belief comes limitation, the concept of division, ownership, false friendships and inevitable loss. In this parable, when the prodigal “came to himself” his repentance was met by the presence of Love, a love that had never gone away, but was now visible and tangible to him. The symbols of sonship, the robe, ring and shoes, were worth far more than material possession, and they were symbols of sonship that belong to us all.
We ever have the full love of Love because its unconditional outreach is never less than infinite and here. Love is what it is. God’s love for each of us is complete, unchanging, all-embracing. It is Love witnessing what Love is, and we are blessed. The material history never interferes with the spiritual facts, and man as God’s beloved is the present standard of perfection. Unchanging Love brings its own unchanging gladness! Our substance is indivisible, and ever to hand.
PDF copies of the Good Shepherd and Prodigal Son are available in color and B&W as Downloads at the top right of CedarS metaphysical article for this week, together with a picture of a lamb(!)…..
GEM#6: Discover the indescribable joy of following the rules of heavenly happiness as Jesus delivered them from the altitude of inspiration in his Sermon on the Mount. This week’s Bible Lesson on “Substance” deals directly with our society’s temptations to think most about food and drink – and so worship them, instead of the one, true God – to seek comfort in “comfort food” instead of the Comforter. There are nearly 100 food-related words in this lesson! Plus, we are given examples of God feeding and satisfying the hungry soul (Ps. 107:9, RR); of God feeding the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness (Exodus 16, cit. 7); as well as of Daniel and friends faring better on pulse and water than on the king’s meat and wine (Daniel 1:1-15, cit. B10).
In citations from the Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy challenges food worship with advice like: “cherish nothing which hinders our highest selfhood” (cit. S11/68:4); “neither eat to live nor live to eat” (cit. S12/388:12); and, find “rightful nutriment, such as peace, patience in tribulation, and a priceless sense of the dear Father’s lovingkindness.” (cit. S16/365:31)
In addition, we have the scripture that Jesus used to counteract hunger after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness: “man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live” (Deut. 8:3, cit. B9). And, we also get Jesus telling us what does satisfy and fill our hunger in his 4th Beatitude: “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matt 5:6, cit. B13).
“Hungry? bring out the spiritual importance of Christ Jesus' promise, ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.’ Click the link to Beatitude #4 in an audio series available at www.christiansceience.com . Or, paste the address below into your browser:
https://www.christianscience.com/media/youth-media-except-images/audio/beatitudes-podcast-series/the-beatitudes-blessed-are-they-who-hunger-and-thirst-after-righteousness
This podcast by Bible scholar, Barry Huff, and former Christian Science lecturer, Susie (Rynerson) Jostyn, is one of a nine-part, (Mother Church sponsored) audio series on the spiritual basis of the Beatitudes. You can hear the other eight podcasts at https://www.christianscience.com/youth/sunday-school-teachers/the-beatitudes/the-beatitudes-podcast
More resources to become supremely happy!
Take a Beatitude-themed, “supreme happiness hike” at CedarS Bible Lands Park up our Bible Chronology “Time Travelers Trail.” Trace together the way that Bible characters have proved their worthiness to be divinely blessed long before Jesus summarized their acted-upon mindsets as the Beatitudes. You can make these divine blessings your own, now and forever, with these 8 Beatitude Pledges to make and cherish from CedarS Bible “A.P. History” Trail.
[Cobbey Crisler on Jesus’ Beatitudes and their connections to the Commandments as also featured in GEM#3:] “The beatitudes, the blessings. The word “blessed” in our sermon on the mount is not really the accurate translation of the Greek. The word is “makarios” which means “happy.” Just think of the search for happiness among humanity. Here are rules laid down by Jesus simply stating that happiness can be obtained in the following ways…
… we should remember that Jesus never uttered anything that he hadn’t practiced.
The Sermon on the Mount is in essence a description of the life of Jesus…
“… As you go down the Beatitudes, read them all, scan them as they are in front of you. See if you can find results in every one of them. See if you can analyze them for those results. The Beatitudes become a very practical clue for how to lead one’s life.
The Commandments and Beatitudes have often been placed side by side.
Many parallels have been used…
For instance, we are told in the Book of Revelation that those who have overcome the beast will stand on the sea of glass with harps. … Those who have overcome are said to be singing two things: the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. That sounds like they’re inseparable. They operate together. Do you know why? Because it’s part of the heavenly mathematics.
Why did the Commandments say, “Thou shalt not,” taking care of the minus aspects in human nature? And the Beatitudes, “happy are they” that do certain things, are plus? What do you do with the minus in thought, the chaff? It is dealt with by fire. You deal with the plus in thought through the Holy Ghost.
They operate together for a single purpose and a unique commitment to the totality of One infinite, God, good. The Beatitudes must be considered in conjunction with the Commandments in your study.
These Beatitudes took the same forty days preparation of Jesus in the wilderness as the Commandments took forty as of preparation in the wilderness for Moses. It may take the same wilderness experience for you and me to appreciate what really is there behind the Commandments and the Beatitudes. They are really the staff on which we lean. If we try to go very far without that staff, it must discipline us. The same root of the word as disciple. We must come back and learn how to deal with the plus factors and the minus factors in our own thinking. That's the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire.
[Cobbey:] “Verse 21, "You have heard that it was said by them of old time, “Thou shalt not kill." He has gone right back to the Commandments. "You've been taught that you shouldn't kill." The Hebrew word definitely means "murder." Thou shalt not murder.
(Verse 22). "But I say unto you," notice his interpretation of it, "That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." In some early manuscripts, the phrase "without a cause" is not present. What is Jesus obviously interested in? The act of murder or the motive behind it? Does anger often lead to murder? If one could stop at the anger stage, would we have murder? Do you see the basic psychology in its right sense that Jesus is using here?
(Verse 22). He also says, "If you say to your brother, Raca" which means sort of "empty head" or "vain fellow," you "shall be in danger of the council." You'll be judged for what you think of your brother, and what you say to your brother. "But even worse is to say, Thou fool," the Greek word there is "more."
The word we have that is related is "moron." "If you say to your brother he's a moron." Why should that have such an affect? We undoubtedly all do it at some point. "You know so-and-so is stupid for having done that." Yet, if we were in the same circumstances, chances are we probably would have done the same thing.
If we condemn our brother, is it also a condemnation of ourselves and of man in general. That man is capable of being moronic.
Jesus who had a revelation that he was the beloved son of God could hardly accept that man could be a moron. If man could he a moron, and was the image of God, what would that make God? His whole theology is wrapped up around what seems like a tiny point, and something that we would tend to excuse. But Jesus said, "No, it goes right to the root of theology. You cannot have the two. You can't serve two masters.
If we condemn our brother, is it also a condemnation of ourselves and of man in general. That man is capable of being moronic.
Jesus who had a revelation that he was the beloved son of God could hardly accept that man could be a moron. If man could he a moron, and was the image of God, what would that make God? His whole theology is wrapped up around what seems like a tiny point, and something that we would tend to excuse. But Jesus said, "No, it goes right to the root of theology. You cannot have the two. You can't serve two masters. ·
In Verse 27, you see the formula coming in again. "You have heard that it was said by them of old time, “Thou shalt not commit adultery." How about that? Here's another commandment.
The Commandments are divided into halves. Your first five Commandments are our duty to God, allowing that fifth Commandment in there, which may be a transitional one. And the second five, our duty to man.
So, human relationships have to do with the second five, "thou shalt not murder" (Exodus 20:13), "thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). He's dealing directly with the human relationship commandments. He knows what they are. He's the one who for the first time, even in Hebrew history, as far as we know, divided them into two sections. He said the Commandments fulfilled two things, loving God, and loving our neighbor. His own insights summarized the Ten Commandments that way. So, "thou shalt not commit adultery." We ought to already know what he's doing. He's going back to the motive. Don't be angry and you might not end up murdering. Adultery has its motive, too.
(Verse 28). "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust…" Before the physical act, we see the motivation occurring in thought. Inward purity, meeting the temptation in thought before it can be expressed in action, would eliminate adultery.
Interestingly enough, the word "fornication," which is repeated throughout the Bible, is the word porneia. It's the root of Pornography. The book of Revelation (9:21) gives four major things that will identify themselves as crime in later ages.
We're living right in the midst of them. One of them is porneia, or fornication. One of them is theft. One of them is murder. The other one is called "sorcerery" in the King James Version. But the Greek word is pharmakeia, drugs and drug purveying. It's translated "sorcerery" in our version of Revelation.
Just think of those four things. They compose most of our headlines, don't they? They also would compose much of what is human thought in our own thinking, trying to break up the integrity of man into fragments, the wholeness of man…
(Verse 37). We have communication problems today. Look what Jesus says, "Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay:" Not even "perhaps," or "maybe." Just "Yea, Yea" or "Nay, Nay." The yes-no consciousness. Isn't that what the Commandments and the Beatitudes are? "Thou shalt not" and "Blessed are you who do." The plus and the minus. The chaff and the wheat. "Yes," because we know that's right to accept and do. "No." because we know equally strongly that it is something we should not do. Knowing the difference between right and wrong is the greatest gift we can possess and exercise.
Anti-Aging BONUS: Counteract the belief of aging, by not letting unsolved problems accumulate! (Verse 23). Jesus says; "If you bring your gift to the altar, and remember anything your brother has against you." That’s tough self-examination…
(Verse 25). "Agree (come to terms) with your adversary quickly, while he is in the way with 'us." Solve the problem when it confronts you. Don't put it off. I once heard a lecturer describe old age in a novel way. He decided that old age might just be an accumulation of unsolved problems: Problems in which you and I might not be different from anyone else. That's the beautiful revelation of Scripture, that no temptation comes to you or me that isn't common to man. But we kind of think that the devil is going to treat us more exclusively than he does others. And that if he gives us baggage to carry around at least it has our gold initial stamped on it, just for us.
Do you know how Jesus handled it? "You're nothing special," he said to Satan. He just quoted the law book (first Deuteronomy 8:3, as in citation B9) and got rid of it. That same kind of disposal of such temptations is obviously implicit in what Jesus is telling humanity. With love resident in his heart that embraced all, every generation, even Jesus' last prayer publicly, includes not just his present followers, but those who would follow him down through the centuries. I have never ceased to be touched by the 17th Chapter of John. Before his own crucifixion, he not only prays for himself and for his disciples but he prays for us as well. I'm not so sure we would pray for people centuries ahead of us if we were going out to our own crucifixion. But Jesus would not have done it, if he didn't think that prayer was still effective. And that we would pick up the benefits of his prayer when we arrived on the human scene.
The Master has already prayed for us. How are our results? He's giving humanity the rules to live by, so we must agree (come to terms) with our adversary quickly…”
“Book of Matthew, Auditing the Master” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
GEM#7: Start with God to give thanks as did one of the ten lepers who Jesus healed (cit. B15, Luke 17:12-19).
To view what this healing could mean to you, click on this Christian Science Journal webpage address: https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/2pl5ue2yiyk?s=e
“Giving thanks starts with God”
By Phil Davis
August 07, 2012
[Here are some excerpts:] “I was at a recent Wednesday evening testimony meeting at my Christian Science branch church, listening to the gospel narrative of Jesus’ healing the ten lepers (citation B15, Luke 17:12–19). A corresponding citation from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy was also read. It says:
“Of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed, but one returned to give God thanks,—that is, to acknowledge the divine Principle which had healed him” (cit. S23, p. 94).
… if God did it, if He is responsible for it, then give Him the credit!
In other words, gratitude to God is essential to our progress. If we want to avail ourselves of more “blessings” and “be fitted to receive more,” then we need to be sure to acknowledge our heavenly Father-Mother God as the object of our gratitude. That way, we won’t just use the exclamation, “Thank God!” We’ll mean it!”
