Bible Lesson 10/9/16

BIBLE; DISASTER; CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Are Sin, Disease, and Death Real?

The word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him (Psalms 18).

prayer--As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me (Psalms 55).

sin--Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies (Psalms 40).

disease--Go, wash in the pool of Siloam. . . .  He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing (John 9).

death--And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: . . .  Now I know of a surety, that the Lord . . . hath delivered me (Acts 12).

angels--He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (Psalms 91).

References

Eddy, M. B.  (1906).  Science and health with key to the scriptures.  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Board of Directors.

Holy bible (King James version).  (n. d.).  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Publishing Society.

When Worlds Collide

POLITICS, SUCCESS, VIRTUE, HEALTH

When worlds collide, when worlds fall apart, what does one do?  I pray.  I strive to see myself and others in Spirit.  I strive to see the spiritual idea.  The only realities are the divine Mind and idea (Eddy, 1906, p. 109).  Science, disciple, mankind.  Insight, pray, act.  God rests in action (Eddy, 1906, p. 519).  Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace (Isaiah 55).  Human life is action.  Death is inaction.  While we live, we act rightly or wrongly.  While we live, we turn to Divine Science to show us how to act.  It isn’t always immediately clear what needs to be done humanly.  Life and its choices are not always clear-cut and trouble free.  During difficult times, we reach out for divine guidance, we reach out for light (enlightenment), and we continue to act humanly to the best of our ability and understanding.

Divine Science and the way of wisdom are not political.  The highest value is not politics.  Human government is not the be all and end all.  Human government is not the truth of being.  It is a charade.  It is a fool’s paradise.  Human power is fleeting and uncertain.  Popularity is a sham.  We do our civic duty and go on with our lives.  Life goes on regardless of political processes, transitions, and power plays.  One continues to find the right way to live in spite of political and cultural aberrations and obstacles.  We don’t have to be fooled by the world’s foolishness and self-importance.  We can live and work as we should, whatever else the world is up to.  The political stage is rife with patent fools and charlatans clambering for success and power over others’ lives.  Maybe it is the general public’s contempt and disregard for politics that has degraded it to the dangerous position it now holds.  Political power is a potential threat to individual liberty and the success of society.  One succeeds in spite of political machinations, not because of them.

References

Eddy, M. B.  (1906).  Science and health with key to the scriptures.  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Board of Directors.

Holy bible (King James version).  (n. d.).  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Publishing Society.

Bible Lesson 10/2/16

BIBLE, UNREALITY, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Unreality:

Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away (II Corinthians 3).

satisfaction—I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness (Psalms 17).  Evil can only seem to be real by giving reality to the unreal (Eddy, 1906, p. 470).

action—Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace (Isaiah 55).  God rests in action (Eddy, 1906, p. 519).

comfort—As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you (Isaiah 66).

mercy—Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin (Psalms 51).

brotherly love—Owe no man any thing, but to love one another (Romans 13).

obedience—This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments (I John 5).

References

Eddy, M. B.  (1906).  Science and health with key to the scriptures.  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Board of Directors.

Holy bible (King James version).  (n. d.).  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Publishing Society.

Bible Lesson 9/25/16

BIBLE, REALITY, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Reality:

Bring forth fruit with patience (Luke 8).

spiritual reality—The spiritual reality is the scientific fact in all things. . . .  When the substance of Spirit appears in Christian Science, the nothingness of matter is recognized (Eddy, 1906, pp. 207, 480).

Elijah—The hand of the Lord was on Elijah (I Kings 18).  Spiritual sense, contradicting the material senses, involves intuition, hope, faith, understanding, fruition, reality (Eddy, 1906, p. 298).

try the spirits—Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God (I John 4).

Christian healing—Mentally insist that harmony is the fact, and that sickness is a temporal dream (Eddy, 1906, p. 412).

enlightenment—The only realities are the divine Mind and idea (Eddy, 1906, p. 109).

write the vision—Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it (Habakkuk 2).

References

Eddy, M. B.  (1906).  Science and health with key to the scriptures.  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Board of Directors.

Holy bible (King James version).  (n. d.).  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Publishing Society.

Bible Lesson 9/18/16

BIBLE, MATTER, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Matter:

graven images—Thou shalt not raise a false report (Exodus 23).

Daniel—Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian (Daniel 6).  The opponents of Christian Science believe substance to be matter. . . .  Christian Science takes exactly the opposite view (Eddy, 1906, pp. 349-350).

Hezekiah—The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5).  Deny the existence of matter, and you can destroy the belief in material conditions (Eddy, 1906, p. 368).

tares and wheat—God, good, being ever present, it follows in divine logic that evil, the suppositional opposite of good, is never present (Eddy, 1906, p. 72).

walking on the water—Great peace have they which love thy law (Psalms 119).

withering grass—The word of the Lord endureth forever (I Peter 1).  The conventional firm, called matter and mind, God never formed (Eddy, 1906, p. 274).

References

Eddy, M. B.  (1906).  Science and health with key to the scriptures.  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Board of Directors.

Holy bible (King James version).  (n. d.).  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Publishing Society.

Bible Lesson 9/11/16

BIBLE, SUBSTANCE, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Substance:

Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh (Luke 6).

Spirit, the synonym of Mind, Soul, or God, is the only real substance (Eddy, 1906, p. 468).

Faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11).

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering (Colossians 3).

The corner-stone of all spiritual building is purity. . . .  The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress (Eddy, 1906, pp. 241, 324).

Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5).  One’s consecration to Christ is more on the ground of demonstration than of profession (Eddy, 1906, p. 28).

The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalms 27).

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. . . .  Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet (Proverbs 3).

[emphasis added]

I don’t know what God will do for me.  I don’t know what God will do with my life.  I have my own plans.  I make my own efforts at various things, most of which fail.  I am not good at the world’s way of doing things.  I would like to be better at it.  I would like to achieve more.  I would like to be more successful and prosperous.  I try to put God first in my life, don’t I?  I try to be a good man.  What do I want my life to be?  What am I capable of accomplishing in the world?  What is a realistic expectation for me to have about my life?  To what should I be directing my thoughts and efforts?  What can I do to avoid wasting time and energy?

References

Eddy, M. B.  (1906).  Science and health with key to the scriptures.  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Board of Directors.

Holy bible (King James version).  (n. d.).  Boston, MA:  The Christian Science Publishing Society.

Self-defense

We need to form groups to defend ourselves against the marauding hordes of Obama supporters.