DECEMBER 6, 2017
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THE BIBLE
JAMES
1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
AND THE SAME VERSE FROM THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE:
1:17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes, as a shifting shadow does.
MATTHEW
2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
11 ¶ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
JOHN
4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
23 …the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
I CORINTHIANS
12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
4 …there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
ACTS
3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
ROMANS
6:23 … the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I JOHN
3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
3:23 … believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
EPHESIANS
4:7 … unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
2:8 … by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
I TIMOTHY
4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, …
15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them;
16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
II CORINTHIANS
9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
SCIENCE & HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES
BY MARY BAKER EDDY
SH 191:8-13
As a material, theoretical life-basis is found to be a misapprehension of existence, the spiritual and divine Principle of man dawns upon human thought,
and leads it to “where the young child was,” — even to the birth of a new-old idea, to the spiritual sense of being and of what Life includes.
SH 333:16-23
The advent of Jesus of Nazareth marked the first century of the Christian era, but the Christ is without beginning of years or end of days. Throughout all generations both before and after the Christian era, the Christ, as the spiritual idea, — the reflection of God, — has come with some measure of power and grace to all prepared to receive Christ, Truth.
SH vii:13-20
The time for thinkers has come. Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity. Contentment with the past and the cold conventionality of materialism are crumbling away. Ignorance of God is no longer the stepping‐stone to faith. The only guarantee of obedience is a right apprehension of Him whom to know aright is Life eternal.
SH 150:4-17
To-day the healing power of Truth is widely demonstrated as an immanent, eternal Science, instead of a phenomenal exhibition. Its appearing is the coming anew of the gospel of “on earth peace, good-will toward men.” This coming, as was promised by the Master, is for its establishment as a permanent dispensation among men; but 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 288:20-26
The chief stones in the temple of Christian Science are to be found in the following postulates: that Life is God, good, and not evil; that Soul is sinless, not
to be found in the body; that Spirit is not, and cannot be, materialized; that Life is not subject to death; that the spiritual real man has no birth, no material life, and no death.
SH 108:1-4
Whence came to me this heavenly conviction, — a conviction antagonistic to the testimony of the physical senses? According to St. Paul, it was “the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power.”
SH 271:7-16
Jesus instructed his disciples whereby to heal the sick through Mind instead of matter. He knew that the philosophy, Science, and proof of Christianity were in Truth, casting out all inharmony. In Latin the word rendered disciple signifies student; and the word indicates that the power of healing was not a supernatural gift to those learners, but the result of their cultivated spiritual understanding of the divine Science, which their Master demonstrated by healing the sick and sinning.
SH 98:15-21
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.
SH 135:26
Christianity as Jesus taught it was not a creed, nor a system of ceremonies, nor a special gift from a ritualistic Jehovah; but it was the demonstration of divine Love casting out error and healing the sick, not merely in the name of Christ, or Truth, but in demonstration of Truth, as must be the case in the cycles of divine light.
SH 14:16-21 ( to ,)
Sorrow is turned into joy when the body is controlled by spiritual Life, Truth, and Love. Hence the hope of the promise Jesus bestows: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; . . . because I go unto my Father,” …
SH 5:16-19 God
God pours the riches of His love into the understanding and affections, giving us strength according to our day.
SH 55:16-29
My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself, — when he shall realize God’s omnipotence and the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done
and is doing for mankind. The promises will be fulfilled. The time for the reappearing of the divine healing is throughout all time; and whosoever layeth his earthly all on the altar of divine Science, drinketh of Christ’s cup now, and is endued with the spirit and power of Christian healing.
In the words of St. John: “He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” This Comforter I understand to be Divine Science.
SH 344:19-24
There are various methods of treating disease, which are not included in the commonly accepted systems; but there is only one which should be presented to the whole world, and that is the Christian Science which Jesus preached and practised and left to us as his rich legacy.
PERIODICALS EXCERPT:
“Spiritual GIfts”
By Barbara Blech Dunbar.
Christian Science Sentinel
December 19, 1964
In our modern world, the true spiritual meaning of Christmas seems ofttimes lost in a frenzied routine of material gift-giving and sensual merry-making. A burdened sense of obligation, together with financial involvements, seems to replace the holy uplifted thought with which Christmas should be commemorated.
It is well to ask ourselves, as this season approaches and our thoughts turn toward gift-giving, “What gift can I give my brother that will bring him the most happiness, the most peace, the most hope?” Perhaps our answer will lie in the Scriptural record of two of the Master’s disciples, Peter and John, who, when they went into the temple to pray, saw by the door a crippled beggar. Their hearts went out to him in Christly compassion, and Peter said (Acts 3:6), “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
The gift of healing was priceless, the only one that Peter and John could have given. It was beyond human value. It was God’s ‘unspeakable gift!’ (II Corinthians 9:13)—the healing Christ.
How wonderful it would be for the world if we could all give such gifts! Gifts of love, of healing, of encouragement, of spiritual refreshment, and of enlightenment.
An encouraging word, a smile, a helping hand, a loving thought, and particularly the constant view of man as God created him—perfect, spiritual, untouched by evil, pure, and upright, complete and healthy—these are the gifts, the lasting gifts, of the Christ acting through human consciousness to bless.
As we go about during the busy Christmas season, let us turn our thoughts quietly to the giving of these spiritual gifts, rather than to the hectic and meaningless excess of material giving.