MAY 17, 2017
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THE BIBLE
PSALMS
26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me;
3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
EXODUS
20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
ECCLESIASTES
9:14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength:
17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war:
LUKE
6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
20 ¶ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, …
27 ¶ Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
31 … as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
JOHN
7:19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
MARK
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
JOHN
18:33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?
GALATIANS
5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
6:4 … let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
PHILIPPIANS
3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
ROMANS
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
I CORINTHIANS
2:1 … I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
I TIMOTHY
4:5 … watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
I THESSALONIANS
5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 … and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
SCIENCE & HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES
BY MARY BAKER EDDY
SH 171:12-13
Mind’s control over the universe, including man, is no longer an open question, but is demonstrable Science.
SH 28:9-11
While respecting all that is good in the Church or out of it, one’s consecration to Christ is more on the ground of demonstration than of profession.
SH 141:3-4
More than profession is requisite for Christian demonstration.
SH 123:16-27
The term CHRISTIAN SCIENCE was introduced by the author to designate the scientific system of divine healing.
The revelation consists of two parts:
1. The discovery of this divine Science of Mind‐healing, through a spiritual sense of the Scriptures and through the teachings of the Comforter, as promised by the Master.
2. The proof, by present demonstration, that the so-called miracles of Jesus did not specially belong to a dispensation now ended, but that they illustrated an ever-operative divine Principle.
SH 474:11
Christian marvels (and marvel is the simple meaning of the Greek word rendered miracle in the New Testament) will be misunderstood and misused by many, until the glorious Principle of these marvels is gained.
SH 27:1
Jesus sent a message to John the Baptist, which was intended to prove beyond a question that the Christ had come: “Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” In other words: Tell John what the demonstration of divine power is, and he will at once perceive that God is the power in the Messianic work.
SH viii:12-15
The question, What is Truth, is answered by demonstration, — by healing both disease and sin; and this demonstration shows that Christian healing confers the most health and makes the best men.
SH 9:5-11
The test of all prayer lies in the answer to these questions: Do we love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old selfishness, satisfied with having prayed for something better, though we give no evidence of the sincerity of our requests by living consistently with our prayer?
SH 5:3-7
Sorrow for wrong-doing is but one step towards reform and the very easiest step. The next and great step required by wisdom is the test of our sincerity, — namely, reformation. To this end we are placed under the stress of circumstances.
SH 473:26-28 (to 2nd .)
Jesus established what he said by demonstration, thus making his acts of higher importance than his words. He proved what he taught.
SH 25:22-31
Though demonstrating his control over sin and disease, the great Teacher by no means relieved others from giving the requisite proofs of their own piety. He worked for their guidance, that they might demonstrate this power as he did and understand its divine Principle. Implicit faith in the Teacher and all the emotional love we can bestow on him, will never alone make us imitators of him. We must go and do likewise, else we are not improving the great blessings which our Master worked and suffered to bestow upon us.
SH 37:22
It is possible, — yea, it is the duty and privilege of every child, man, and woman, — to follow in some degree the example of the Master by the demonstration of Truth and Life, of health and holiness. Christians claim to be his followers, but do they follow him in the way that he commanded? Hear these imperative commands: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect!” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature!” “Heal the sick!”
SH 16:2-5
The highest prayer is not one of faith merely; it is demonstration. Such prayer heals sickness, and must destroy sin and death.
SH 329:7
Because you cannot walk on the water and raise the dead, you have no right to question the great might of divine Science in these directions. Be thankful that Jesus, who was the true demonstrator of Science, did these things, and left his example for us. In Science we can use only what we understand. We must prove our faith by demonstration.
SH 323:13-18
In order to apprehend more, we must put into practice what we already know. We must recollect that Truth is demonstrable when understood, and that good is not understood until demonstrated. If “faithful over a few things,” we shall be made rulers over many; but the one unused talent decays and is lost.
SH 150:10 the
… the mission of Christian Science now, as in the time of its earlier demonstration, is not primarily one of physical healing. Now, as then, signs and wonders are wrought in the metaphysical healing of physical disease; but these signs are only to demonstrate its divine origin, — to attest the reality of the higher mission of the Christ-power to take away the sins of the world.
SH 98:15
Beyond the frail premises of human beliefs, above the loosening grasp of creeds, the demonstration of Christian Mind-healing stands a revealed and practical Science. It is imperious throughout all ages as Christ’s revelation of Truth, of Life, and of Love, which remains inviolate for every man to understand and to practise.
Publications Quotation
“Scientists Of Reality”
By Laurance R. Doyle
The Christian Science Journal
February 2008
MARY BAKER EDDY wrote, “Jesus of Nazareth was the most scientific man that ever trod the globe.” She then continued, with what I think of as a definition of what her declaration means: “He [Jesus] plunged beneath the material surface of things, and found the spiritual cause” (Science and Health, p.313). So apparently, being “scientific” is plunging beneath the material surface of things and finding the spiritual cause—the infinite, creative, divine Mind. But does this mean that Christian Scientists oppose scientific endeavors? And why would Mrs. Eddy have called her discovery of Jesus’ healing system “Christian Science” if we were not to be scientists of reality?
If I had to sum up what Christ Jesus proved and what Mrs. Eddy discovered in three words, I would say, “Reality is perfect!” Jesus did not come here to impress us with miracles—momentarily setting aside the laws of the universe—in order that he might get us to conform to a certain religious behavior. What would be the point of that? But, on the other hand, if he perceived the much deeper spiritual laws of the universe—only beginning to be hinted at with today’s natural sciences—and understood that these perfect laws express the Principle of the universe, infinite Love, then revealing this understanding is a great and wonderful purpose! I can’t think of anything more sacred than to awaken thought to perfect spiritual reality, which results in the healing of limitations of any kind, freeing ourselves and others from sickness, sin, and death.
A professor once stated that Christian Science is a science in which Jesus has done all the critical experiments. When a new scientific theory is first illustrated, the process is usually called an “experiment” —the successful experiment confirms the theory. In class, re-creation of the experiment is usually called a “demonstration” since it illustrates the theory involved, but the foundational experiment has already been performed that confirmed that theory. It is in this sense that Christian Scientists speak of “making a demonstration,” because whatever ailment or negative situation that has been overcome through prayer is an illustration of the foundational nature of reality that Jesus has already proved in healing everything from limitation and sin, to sickness and death.
Other scientific terms take on expanded meaning. For example, after Mary Baker Eddy’s discovery, she gave the name “Science” to Christianity; the name “error” to corporeal sense; and the name “substance” to Mind (see Science and Health, p. 483). Another word that takes on new meaning in these teachings is healing. In Christian Science, we understand this in the context that we do not “fix” anything, as in the common use of the word healing. A healing in Christian Science is an awakening to what is already true, not a recovery of something that was lost. When one is healed, the person feels lighter, inspired, renewed, enlightened. So, in true spiritual healing, we do not gain health. Rather, we throw off a limited way of thinking that seemed only in false belief—to unreliable material sense—to be blocking the truth about ourselves. The key to “spiritual reality healing” is knowing that an error is not real. If something is not true, it was never real.
When we view our planet from outer space, we see that the round Earth has only appeared to have been changed from (or healed of) flatness. But what really changed? Only our perspective. We did not make the round Earth round by rising in altitude. It was already round, and we glimpsed this fact from a higher perspective of reality. So, in Christian Science, the word healing takes on a different meaning: It is not fixing something broken, but rather our awakening to the perfect completeness of what was already true.
Where do we come in—what is our part in a healing? Isn’t it to listen for God’s ideas? That’s it, I believe. We listen for God’s ideas and, in turn, the ideas awaken us—with healing as the result. This does not mean that we are to be less scientific, but rather that we are to be more scientific, which means relying less on the evidence of the material senses and listening more to divine intelligence for an understanding of reality.
Christ Jesus was not merely the founder of a religious tradition. If he had been, his followers would simply be caretakers promoting ritual. In Christian Science, Jesus is understood as the greatest perceiver of reality—the divine reality of perfect God and perfect creation. He is the revered, loved, and (as best we can) emulated teacher of the sacred reality of the nature of a loving God and a loved creation. By following his teachings, as rediscovered and demonstrated again by Mary Baker Eddy, we, too, follow the path that shows us how to be free from all limitation. It is a sacred Science because the reality of God’s creation is sacred in its perfection. It is a completion of all science because it does not mix questionable material assumptions with foundationally reliable evidence of intelligence in its conclusions. And it is repeatedly demonstrable to anyone willing to plunge “beneath the material surface of things, and [find] the spiritual cause.”