11/7/99 Keep Your Thought Filled
	Notes and References for Sunday 11/7/99 Keep Your Thought Filled With Truth and Love Continuing our discussion from last week we again visit Mary, the prostitute from the story of Jesus having dinner at Simon the Pharisee’s home. This story involves Mary’s brother Lazarus. This story (The raising of Lazarus) involves four steps. (I have added the 4th chapter of our class notebook tot he archives section of the web page. Take a look. It’s called Just Four You. It includes the following. We will cover the others in future classes. FOUR STEPS IN THE RAISING OF LAZARUS 1. GRATITUDE (Father, I thank Thee) 2. AFFIRMATION (For I knew that thou hearest me always) 3. EXPECTATION (Lazarus, Come Forth!) 4. LIBERATION (Loose him and let him go) John 11:1-5,17-25,39-44 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Jesus did not raise Lazarus from the grave by see a dead body that had to be brought to life. Rater he saw a life that never died! He saw that man possesses and reflects Life. He demonstrated dominion over the claim of death We must follow the same step in treating ourselves. In the first section of this week’s lesson we read: S&H 516:19 Man, made in His likeness, possesses and reflects God's dominion over all the earth. Man and woman as coexistent and eternal with God forever reflect, in glorified quality, the infinite Father-Mother God. The important word is “possesses”. In order to reflect God, good we must first possess goodness. Christian Scientists should go on the offence. Jesus healed the man with the withered hand when he said, “stretch forth thine hand” and he had the crippled woman come forth to him. When we look to the human experience to get something: employment, romance, health or happiness, we will fail. We must look within to find the completeness we already possess: always employed, loved, healthful, and happy. Our discussion about contagion addresses the very same issue. We can’t “catch” something if your thought is filled with goodness. Look at our Leader’s instruction: My 210:1-17 WHAT OUR LEADER SAYS Beloved Christian Scientists, keep your minds so filled with Truth and Love, that sin, disease, and death cannot enter them. It is plain that nothing can be added to the mind already full. There is no door through which evil can enter, and no space for evil to fill in a mind filled with goodness. Good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort. And not only yourselves are safe, but all whom your thoughts rest upon are thereby benefited. The self-seeking pride of the evil thinker injures him when he would harm others. Goodness involuntarily resists evil. The evil thinker is the proud talker and doer. The right thinker abides under the shadow of the Almighty. His thoughts can only reflect peace, good will towards men, health, and holiness. If you understand that goodness involuntarily resists evil then you understand how you involuntarily resist a contagious thought or belief of sickness. You also resist the wrong friends the wrong job, etc. You attract, however, those experiences that are naturally consistent with your good thinking. That is how you have dominion. Don’t let your thought catch everything you see or hear. Decide what you are going to accept. The following references should be helpful in this regard: Mis 223:29 To punish ourselves for others' faults, is superlative folly. The mental arrow shot from another's bow is practically harmless, unless our own thought barbs it. It is our pride that makes another's criticism rankle, our self-will that makes another's deed offensive, our egotism that feels hurt by another's self-assertion. Well may we feel wounded by our own faults; but we can hardly afford to be miserable for the faults of others. S&H 196:31-5 The press unwittingly sends forth many sorrows and diseases among the human family. It does this by giving names to diseases and by printing long descriptions which mirror images of disease distinctly in thought. A new name for an ailment affects people like a Parisian name for a novel garment. Every one hastens to get it. Man 41:19 Daily Prayer. SECT. 4. It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to pray each day: "Thy kingdom come;" let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!
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