How Can Church Be A Force For Good Against Evil?

Wednesday Readings List

June 7, 2017

How Can Church Be A Force For Good Against Evil?

 

Hymn 351
Through the night of doubt and sorrow
Onward goes the pilgrim band,
Singing songs of expectation,
Marching to the promised land.

 

Clear before us through the darkness
Gleams and burns the guiding light;
Brother clasps the hand of brother,
Stepping fearless through the night.</div
One, the light of God’s own presence,
O’er His ransomed people shed,
Chasing far the gloom and terror,
Brightening all the path we tread:</div
One, the object of our journey,
One, the faith which never tires,
One, the earnest looking forward,
One, the hope our God inspires;</div
One, the strain the lips of thousands
Lift as from the heart of one;
One the conflict, one the peril,
One, the march in God begun:</div
One, the gladness of rejoicing
On the far eternal shore
Where the one Almighty Father
Reigns in love forevermore.

 


THE HOLY BIBLE

 

I Cor 10:17

We being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

 

Matt. 9:35; 10:1, 5-8

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. … and commanded them, saying, . .. as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

 

Matt. 7:1

Judge not.

 

Matt. 5:43-45

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. . . .

 

Matt. 16:16-18

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

II Cor. 10:4, 5

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

 

Acts 1:1-5, 12, 14

The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs . . . . Then returned they unto Jerusalem . . . And . . . continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

 

Acts 2:1-8, 14, 16-17, 38-39, 41, 43

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And . . . were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, . . . this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: . . . 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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, . . .. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: . . . and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. . . . . And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

Acts 12:1-11

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. . . . . And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. . . . And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; . . . Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: . . . . And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, . . . And he saith unto him, . .. follow me. . . .When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord. . . . And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

 

Ps. 91: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9-11

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. … Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. … Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; … A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. … Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

 

Acts 14:19, 20

And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

 

 

Acts 6:4

We will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

Acts 8:5-8

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.

 

I Pet. 3:12-15

The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: . . .. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? . . . be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

 

James 5:13-16

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. . .. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, . . . And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. . .. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 

Gal. 1:1, 2, 13-16, 21, 23-24

Paul, an apostle, . . . unto the churches:

Ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: . . . . But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: . . . I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; They had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.

 

Eph. 4:1-7, 13

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

 


SCIENCE & HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES by Mary Baker Eddy

 

SH 583:12

Church. The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle.

 

SH 35:19-25

Our church is built on the divine Principle, Love. We can unite with this church only as we are new-born of Spirit, as we reach the Life which is Truth and the Truth which is Life by bringing forth the fruits of Love, — casting out error and healing the sick.

 

SH 192:27

We walk in the footsteps of Truth and Love by following the example of our Master in the understanding of divine metaphysics. Christianity is the basis of true healing. Whatever holds human thought in line with unselfed love, receives directly the divine power.

 

SH 136:1

Jesus established his church and maintained his mission on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing. He taught his followers that his religion had a divine Principle, which would cast out error and heal both the sick and the sinning. He claimed no intelligence, action, nor life separate from God. Despite the persecution this brought upon him, he used his divine power to save men both bodily and spiritually.

 

SH 139:28

Atheism, pantheism, theosophy, and agnosticism are opposed to Christian Science, as they are to ordinary religion; but it does not follow that the profane or atheistic invalid cannot be healed by Christian Science. The moral condition of such a man demands the remedy of Truth more than it is needed in most cases; and Science is more than usually effectual in the treatment of moral ailments.

 

SH 475:11-13, 28-1

Man is spiritual and perfect; and because he is spiritual and perfect, he must be so understood in Christian Science. The real man cannot depart from holiness, nor can God, by whom man is evolved, engender the capacity or freedom to sin. A mortal sinner is not God’s man.

 

SH 515:22

All that God imparts moves in accord with Him, reflecting goodness and power.

 

SH 148:17

Anatomy and theology reject the divine Principle which produces harmonious man, and deal — the one wholly, the other primarily  — with matter, calling that man which is not the counterpart, but the counterfeit, of God’s man. Then theology tries to explain how to make this man a Christian, — how from this basis of division and discord to produce the concord and unity of Spirit and His likeness.

 

SH 368:10

Against the fatal beliefs that error is as real as Truth, that evil is equal in power to good if not superior, and that discord is as normal as harmony, even the hope of freedom from the bondage of sickness and sin has little inspiration to nerve endeavor. When we come to have more faith in the truth of being than we have in error, more faith in Spirit than in matter, more faith in living than in dying, more faith in God than in man, then no material suppositions can prevent us from healing the sick and destroying error.

 

SH 398:32

Evil has no power, no intelligence, for God is good, and therefore good is infinite, is All.

 

SH 330:27

Evil is nothing, no thing, mind, nor power. As manifested by mankind it stands for a lie, nothing claiming to be something, — for lust, dishonesty, selfishness, envy, hypocrisy, slander, hate, theft, adultery, murder, dementia, insanity, inanity, devil, hell, with all the etceteras that word includes.

 

SH 469:25-28

We lose the high signification of omnipotence, when after admitting that God, or good, is omnipresent and has all-power, we still believe there is another power, named evil.

SH 186:19-20

The only power of evil is to destroy itself. It can never destroy one iota of good.

 

SH 102:31-2

Christian Science despoils the kingdom of evil, and pre-eminently promotes affection and virtue in families and therefore in the community.

 

SH 469:30-5

With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science.

 

SH 454:9-10

Human hate has no legitimate mandate and no kingdom. Love is enthroned.

 

SH 583:14

The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick.

 

SH 192:21-24

Your influence for good depends upon the weight you throw into the right scale. The good you do and embody gives you the only power obtainable. Evil is not power. It is a mockery of strength, which erelong betrays its weakness and falls, never to rise.

 

SH 496:9-12

Ask yourself: Am I living the life that approaches the supreme good? Am I demonstrating the healing power of Truth and Love?

 

SH 9:11-13

If selfishness has given place to kindness, we shall regard our neighbor unselfishly, and bless them that curse us . . .

 

SH 467:9

It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established.

 

SH 340:15

One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.

 

SH 571:18

Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.

 


Hymn 439 – Final Supplement
As the fire is meant for burning
with a bright and warming flame,
so a church is meant for healing
giving glory to God’s name.
Not to preach mere creed or custom
but to prove God’s loving care
we join hands across the nation’s,
finding neighbors everywhere.

 

As a green bud in the spring time
is a sign of life renewed,
may we grow as signs of oneness
mid earth’s peoples, many hued.
As a rainbow lights the heavens,
when a storm is past and gone,
may our lives reflect the radiance
of God’s new and glorious dawn.

 

We are learners; we are teachers;
we are pilgrims on the way
we are bearers of the gospel,
we are children of the day.
By our gentle, loving actions
we should show that Christ is light.
With a humble, listening spirit
We would live to God’s delight.

 

Hymn 196
Now is the time approaching,
By prophets long foretold,
When all shall dwell together,
One Shepherd and one fold.
Now Jew and Gentile, meeting
From many a distant shore,
Around one altar kneeling,
One common Lord adore.

 

Let all that now divides us
Remove and pass away,
Like shadows of the morning
Before the blaze of day.
Let all that now unites us
More sweet and lasting prove,
A closer bond of union,
In a blest land of love.

 

 

 

Wednesday Readings List