The Kingdom of Heaven: What Is It...and Where Is It? [ ,

Transcription

1 1 of 9 8/1/20 5:2 PM The Kingdom of Heaven: What Is It...and Where Is It? [20-8-1, DKeeler] Wed. Svc [Hymns 10, 204, 2] Wednesday, August 1, 20 SECTION I BIBLE 1 Dan 2:7 the 7 the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. 20 Luke 17:20, And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 4 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 1:- Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. 20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened Luke :,19 (to,),20-25 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, 20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 2 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

2 2 of 9 8/1/20 5:2 PM Matt 6:26-; 7: 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matt 1:-0,6-51 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 28 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 0 6 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 7 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 8 9 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

3 of 9 8/1/20 5:2 PM 4 44 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Matt. 1:10-17 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Matt :1-4 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 4 10 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:,10 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 4 of 9 8/1/20 5:2 PM Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. John :5 Verily,6 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Mark 1: The The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Luke :2 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. SCIENCE AND HEALTH 1 590: : SH 590:1 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. The reign of harmony in divine Science; the realm of unerring, eternal, and omnipotent Mind; the atmosphere of Spirit, where Soul is supreme. SH :17 Jesus' parables explain Life as never mingling with sin and death. He laid the axe of Science at the root of material knowledge, that it might be ready to cut down the false doctrine of pantheism, that God, or Life, is in or of matter. SH 208:20 Let us learn of the real and eternal, and prepare for the reign of Spirit, the kingdom of heaven, the reign and rule of universal harmony, which cannot be lost nor remain forever unseen. SH 1:1-14 It is "easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle," than for sinful beliefs to enter the kingdom of heaven, eternal harmony. Through repentance, spiritual baptism, and regeneration, mortals put off their material beliefs and false individuality. It is only a question of time when "they shall all know Me [God], from the least of them unto the greatest." Denial of the claims of matter is a great step towards the joys of Spirit, towards human freedom and the final triumph over the body. There is but one way to heaven, harmony, and Christ in divine Science shows us this way. It is to know no Spiritual baptism The one only way other reality to have no other consciousness of life than good, God and His reflection, and to rise superior to the so-called pain and pleasure of the senses.

5 5 of 9 8/1/20 5:2 PM SH 8: : :1 8 9 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. Let us accept Science, relinquish all theories based on sense-testimony, give up imperfect models and illusive ideals; and so let us have one God, one Mind, and that one perfect, producing His own models of excellence. SH 560:10-19 Heaven represents harmony, and divine Science interprets the Principle of heavenly harmony. The great miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man. This goal is never reached while we hate our neighbor or entertain a false estimate of anyone whom God has appointed to voice His Word. Again, without a correct sense of its highest visible idea, we can never understand the divine Principle. SH 568:- For victory over a single sin, we give thanks and magnify the Lord of Hosts. What shall we say of the mighty conquest over all sin? A louder song, sweeter than has ever before reached high heaven, now rises clearer and nearer to the great heart of Christ; for the accuser is not there, and Love sends forth her primal and everlasting strain. Self-abnegation, by which True estimate of God's messenger Paean of jubilee we lay down all for Truth, or Christ, in our warfare against error, is a rule in Christian Science. This rule clearly interprets God as divine Principle, as Life, represented by the Father; as Truth, represented by the Son; as Love, represented by the Mother. SH 571:- At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good. Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. SH 572:19-574:2 In Revelation xxi. 1 we read: The armor of divinity And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. The Revelator had not yet passed the transitional stage in human experience called death, but he already saw a new heaven and a new earth. Through Man's present possibilities

6 6 of 9 8/1/20 5:2 PM 57: : what sense came this vision to St. John? Not through the material visual organs for seeing, for optics are inadequate to take in so wonderful a scene. Were this new heaven and new earth terrestrial or celestial, material or spiritual? They could not be the former, for the human sense of space is unable to grasp such a view. The Revelator was on our plane of existence, while yet beholding what the eye cannot see, that which is invisible to the uninspired thought. This testimony of Holy Writ sustains the fact in Science, that the heavens and earth to one human consciousness, that consciousness which God bestows, are spiritual, while to another, the unillumined human mind, the vision is material. This shows unmistakably that what the human mind terms matter and spirit indicates states and stages of consciousness. Accompanying this scientific consciousness was another revelation, even the declaration from heaven, supreme harmony, that God, the divine Principle of harmony, is ever with men, and they are His people. Thus man was no longer regarded as a miserable sinner, but as the blessed child of God. Why? Because St. John's corporeal sense of the heavens and earth had vanished, and in place of this false sense was Nearness of Deity the spiritual sense, the subjective state by which he could see the new heaven and new earth, which involve the spiritual idea and consciousness of reality. This is Scriptural authority for concluding that such a recognition of being is, and has been, possible to men in this present state of existence, that we can become conscious, here and now, of a cessation of death, sorrow, and pain. This is indeed a foretaste of absolute Christian Science. Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being will surely appear sometime and in some way. There will be no more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. When you read this, remember Jesus' words, "The kingdom of God is within you." This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility. SH 16:0-1 (to.); 17: Thy kingdom come. Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All. HYMNS 1

7 7 of 9 8/1/20 5:2 PM Hymn 10:0- Hymn 10 Play other arrangement: 411 Frederic W. Root Based on hymn by Martin Luther EIN' FESTE BURG Martin Luther 2 All power is given unto our Lord, On Him we place reliance; With truth from out His sacred word We bid our foes defiance. With Him we shall prevail, Whatever may assail; He is our shield and tower, Almighty is His power; His kingdom is forever. Rejoice, ye people, praise His name, His care doth e'er surround us. His love to error's thralldom came, And from its chains unbound us. Our Lord is God alone, No other power we own; No other voice we heed, No other help we need; His kingdom is forever. O then give thanks to God on high, Who life to all is giving; The hosts of death before Him fly, In Him we all are living. Then let us know no fear, Our King is ever near; Our stay and fortress strong, Our strength, our hope, our song; His kingdom is forever. Hymn 204:0- Hymn 204 Based on the Swedish of Lina Sandell Berg THY KINGDOM COME Gunnar Wennerberg O Father, Thy kingdom is come upon earth, Thou rulest in all Thy creation;

8 8 of 9 8/1/20 5:2 PM Thou sendest Thy witnesses, telling Thy worth, To call and entreat every nation, With news of Thy mighty salvation. They lift up a light amid shadows of fear, And Love is Thy banner above them; No trouble shall touch them, no foes that appear Shall e'er from their loyalty move them; 'Tis Thou dost uphold and approve them. They go in Thy strength, and they speak in Thy name, With power of Thy promise forth faring, And during the battle the victory claim, Their trust in Thy truth is their daring, Salvation to all men declaring. Hymn 2:0-4 Hymn 2 Play other arrangement: 1 Isaac Watts Adapted TALLIS' CANON Thomas Tallis Our God shall reign where'er the sun Does his successive journeys run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more. All people shall with joyful tongue Dwell on His love with sweetest song, And infant voices shall proclaim Their early blessings on His name. For blessings flow where'er He reigns; The prisoner leaps to loose his chains, The weary find eternal rest, And all the sons of want are blest. Let every creature rise, and bring Peculiar honors to our King; Let angel songs be heard again And earth repeat the long Amen. Printed from CONCORD: A CHRISTIAN SCIENCE STUDY RESOURCE, published by The Christian Science Board of Directors in Boston, MA, USA. This content may be under copyright and may not be further reproduced or distributed, unless permitted under the Concord User License Agreement.

9 9 of 9 8/1/20 5:2 PM