Bible Study from April 25th, 2020

The divine demand, “Be ye therefore perfect,” is scientific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable. Individuals are consistent who, watching and praying, can “run, and not be weary; . . . walk, and not faint,” who gain good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and yield not to discouragement. God requires perfection, but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory won.

From Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 253

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The Fall of Religious Babylon, Revelation 17

Babylon is mentioned 287 times in the Scriptures, more than any other city except Jerusalem.

Babylon was a literal city on the Euphrates River. Genesis 11:1-10 shows that right after the flood, Babylon “was the seat of the civilization that expressed organized hostility to God.” (Tenney)

To those familiar with the Old Testament, the name Babylon is associated with organized idolatry, blasphemy and the persecution of God’s people.

“In John’s day Rome epitomized all the antagonism and opposition to the Christian faith.” (Mounce) In some ways, the city of Rome was the clearest fulfillment of the Babylon attitude. If we had to pick one city today that most exemplifies the world system, perhaps we would say that Los Angeles is the Babylon of today.

The concept of Babylon is greater than Revelation 17-18 and the Antichrist’s reign. Babylon was present in John’s day (typified by Rome), in our day, and throughout history, as the world system. But under the Antichrist, Babylon (in both its religious and commercial aspects) will have influence over the earth as never before.

— from enduringword.com

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Indispensable: Not to be dispensed with; that cannot be omitted, remitted, or spared; absolutely necessary or requisite. Air and water are indispensable to the life of man. Our duties to God and to our fellow men are of indispensable obligation.

— from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

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The fear of disease and the love of sin are the sources of man’s enslavement. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” but the Scriptures also declare, through the exalted thought of John, that “perfect Love casteth out fear.”

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 373

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The 7 mountains are business, government, media, entertainment, family, education and religion.

— From the Bible Study

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Let all beware of a splendid, gainful, or fashionable religion. Let us avoid the mysteries of iniquity, and study diligently the great mystery of godliness, that we may learn humility and gratitude from the example of Christ. The more we seek to resemble him, the less we shall be liable to be deceived by antichrist.

— from Matthew Henry Bible Commentary Revelation 17, Matthew Henry

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Bulletin Board — Sunday April 19, 2020 Roundtable by Mike from NY

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We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives. Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love — the kingdom of heaven — reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear.

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 248

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Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020 Testimony Meeting — God Our Strong Defense and Deliverer Readings: Elizabeth from GA

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Article — From Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy, page 323

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As in Jesus’ time, so to-day, tyranny and pride need to be whipped out of the temple, and humility and divine Science to be welcomed in. The strong cords of scientific demonstration, as twisted and wielded by Jesus, are still needed to purge the temples of their vain traffic in worldly worship and to make them meet dwelling-places for the Most High.

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 142

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From worldly government will issue legalized materia medica; from the worldly church will issue healing through blind faith, shrines, relics, etc.; from mortal mind, the devil, will issue hypnotism, mental therapeutics, suggestion, etc. These false methods of doing seemingly wonderful things will lay hold upon the allegiance of the men who will rule in worldly thought, and will hold many of them even to the time when Truth will finally destroy all falsehood and evil. And behold! this time will come unexpectedly. Fortunate will be those who shall keep themselves ever ready, clothed with righteousness, lest their evil deeds which they think are hidden shall be unexpectedly uncovered, and they be brought to shame. And through the work of truth these evil methods and influences will be “rounded up” for their final destruction.

— from Revelation Interpreted, by Rev. G. A. Kratzer

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It was not written to hide the Truth but to reveal the Truth. It is not an attack on people outside the church, but on sin inside the church. It was not delivered simply for the far-away future, but for the ever-present now. (Revelation 1:3.)

— fromRevelation of St. John an Open Book, by Irving C. Tomlinson, page 59

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During the sensual ages, absolute Christian Science may not be achieved prior to the change called death, for we have not the power to demonstrate what we do not understand. But the human self must be evangelized. This task God demands us to accept lovingly to-day, and to abandon so fast as practical the material, and to work out the spiritual which determines the outward and actual.

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 254

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During this final conflict, wicked minds will endeavor to find means by which to accomplish more evil; but those who discern Christian Science will hold crime in check. They will aid in the ejection of error. They will maintain law and order, and cheerfully await the certainty of ultimate perfection.

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 96

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Error is a coward before Truth.

— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 368

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We are deeply grateful that the church militant is looking into the subject of Christian Science, for Zion must put on her beautiful garments — her bridal robes. The hour is come; the bride (Word) is adorned, and lo, the bridegroom cometh! Are our lamps trimmed and burning?

The doom of the Babylonish woman, referred to in Revelation, is being fulfilled. This woman, “drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus,” “drunk with the wine of her fornication,” would enter even the church, — the body of Christ, Truth; and, retaining the heart of the harlot and the purpose of the destroying angel, would pour wormwood into the waters — the disturbed human mind — to drown the strong swimmer struggling for the shore, — aiming for Truth, — and if possible, to poison such as drink of the living water. But the recording angel, standing with “right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,” has in his hand a book open (ready to be read), which uncovers and kills this mystery of iniquity and interprets the mystery of godliness, — how the first is finished and the second is no longer a mystery or a miracle, but a marvel, casting out evil and healing the sick. And a voice was heard, saying, “Come out of her, my people” (hearken not to her lies), “that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities . . . double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double . . . for she saith in her heart, I . . . am no widow, . . . Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; . . . for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” That which the Revelator saw in spiritual vision will be accomplished. The Babylonish woman is fallen, and who should mourn over the widowhood of lust, of her that “is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean . . . bird”?

One thing is eternally here; it reigns supreme to-day, to-morrow, forever. We need it in our homes, at our firesides, on our altars, for with it win we the race of the centuries. We have it only as we live it. This is that needful one thing — divine Science, whereby thought is spiritualized, reaching outward and upward to Science in Christianity, Science in medicine, in physics, and in metaphysics.

Happy are the people whose God is All-in-all, who ask only to be judged according to their works, who live to love.

— from Miscellany by Mary Baker Eddy, page 126-127

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Then His unveiled, sweet mercies show
Life’s burdens light.
I kiss the cross, and wake to know
A world more bright.

— Hymn 253 from the Christian Science Hymnal The words to the hymn were written by Mary Baker Eddy

Read complete hymn 253 — Hymn 253 from the Christian Science Hymnal The words to the hymn were written by Mary Baker Eddy

Listen to complete hymn 253 — Hymn 253 from the Christian Science Hymnal The words to the hymn were written by Mary Baker Eddy

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