Topic: Every challenge is an opportunity for good
The Bible:
(1) Phil 4:4,5 The,13,19 my
4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 The Lord is at hand.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
19 my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
(2) II Kings 2:19-22
19 ¶ And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
(3) II Kings 3:9-11 the king of Israel,12 So,13 (to ?),16,17,20
9 the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee?
16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.
17 For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
(4) II Kings 4:8-12 it fell (to .),13 Say (to ?),14-17 And Gehazi
8 it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite.
13 Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee?
14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
(5) Acts 3:1-7
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.
(6) Acts 4:33-35
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
(7) Ps 107:4-7,9,16 he,20,29,35,43
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
16 he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
35 He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.
43 Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy:
(1) 2:8-11
God is not moved by the breath of praise to do more
9 than He has already done, nor can the infinite do less
than bestow all good, since He is unchang- Deity
ing wisdom and Love. unchangeable
(2) 232:9-13
9 Scripture informs us that "with God all things are
possible," — all good is possible to Spirit; but our prev-
alent theories practically deny this, and make healing
12 possible only through matter. These theories must be
untrue, for the Scripture is true.
(3) 271:26-30
Those, who are willing to leave their nets or to cast
27 them on the right side for Truth, have the opportunity
now, as aforetime, to learn and to practise Modern
Christian healing. The Scriptures contain it. evangel
30 The spiritual import of the Word imparts this power.
(4) 276:17-28
If God is admitted to be the only Mind and Life,
18 there ceases to be any opportunity for sin and death.
When we learn in Science how to be perfect Perfection
even as our Father in heaven is perfect, requisite
21 thought is turned into new and healthy channels, —
towards the contemplation of things immortal and away
from materiality to the Principle of the universe, includ-
24 ing harmonious man.
Material beliefs and spiritual understanding never
mingle. The latter destroys the former. Discord is the
27 nothingness named error. Harmony is the somethingness
named Truth.
(5) 272:19-25,28-12
It is the spiritualization of thought and Christianization
of daily life, in contrast with the results of the ghastly farce
21 of material existence; it is chastity and purity, Unspiritual
in contrast with the downward tendencies contrasts
and earthward gravitation of sensualism and impurity,
24 which really attest the divine origin and operation of Chris-
tian Science.
The divine Principle of the universe must interpret the
universe. God is the divine Principle of all that repre-
30 sents Him and of all that really exists. Chris- God the
tian Science, as demonstrated by Jesus, alone Principle of all
reveals the natural, divine Principle of Science.
1 Matter and its claims of sin, sickness, and death are
contrary to God, and cannot emanate from Him. There
3 is no material truth. The physical senses can take no
cognizance of God and spiritual Truth. Human belief
has sought out many inventions, but not one of them
6 can solve the problem of being without the divine Prin-
ciple of divine Science. Deductions from material hy-
potheses are not scientific. They differ from real Science
9 because they are not based on the divine law.
Divine Science reverses the false testimony of the ma-
terial senses, and thus tears away the foun- Science
12 dations of error. versus
sense
(6) 232:32
There is neither place nor opportunity in Science for error
1 of any sort. Every day makes its demands upon us for
higher proofs rather than professions of Christian power.
3 These proofs consist solely in the destruction Profession
of sin, sickness, and death by the power of and proof
Spirit, as Jesus destroyed them. This is an element of
6 progress, and progress is the law of God, whose law de-
mands of us only what we can certainly fulfil.
(7) 233:16
Already the shadow of His right hand rests upon the
hour. Ye who can discern the face of the sky, — the
18 sign material, — how much more should ye Christ's
discern the sign mental, and compass the de- mission
struction of sin and sickness by overcoming the thoughts
21 which produce them, and by understanding the spiritual
idea which corrects and destroys them. To reveal this
truth was our Master's mission to all mankind, including
24 the hearts which rejected him.
(8) 238:12,25-26 (to .),27-28
12 To fall away from Truth in times of persecution, shows
that we never understood Truth. From out the bridal
chamber of wisdom there will come the warn- Unimproved
15 ing, "I know you not." Unimproved op- opportunities
portunities will rebuke us when we attempt to claim the
benefits of an experience we have not made our own, try
18 to reap the harvest we have not sown, and wish to enter
unlawfully into the labors of others. Truth often remains
unsought, until we seek this remedy for human woe be-
21 cause we suffer severely from error.
Society is a foolish juror, listening only to one side of
the case.
27 People with mental work before them have Society and
no time for gossip about false law or testimony. intolerance
(9) 239:16
To ascertain our progress, we must learn where our
affections are placed and whom we acknowledge and
18 obey as God. If divine Love is becoming Standpoint
nearer, dearer, and more real to us, matter is revealed
then submitting to Spirit. The objects we pursue and
21 the spirit we manifest reveal our standpoint, and show
what we are winning.
(10) 266:6-17,27-2
6 Would existence without personal friends be to you
a blank? Then the time will come when you will be
solitary, left without sympathy; but this Uses of
9 seeming vacuum is already filled with divine adversity
Love. When this hour of development comes, even if
you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will
12 force you to accept what best promotes your growth.
Friends will betray and enemies will slander, until the
lesson is sufficient to exalt you; for "man's extremity
15 is God's opportunity." The author has experienced the
foregoing prophecy and its blessings. Thus He teaches
mortals to lay down their fleshliness and gain spirituality.
Beatific
27 Man is the presence
idea of Spirit; he reflects the beatific presence, illuming
the universe with light. Man is deathless, spiritual. He
30 is above sin or frailty. He does not cross the barriers
of time into the vast forever of Life, but he coexists with
God and the universe.
1 Every object in material thought will be destroyed, but
the spiritual idea, whose substance is in Mind, is eternal.
(11) 471:18-19
18 God is infinite, therefore ever present, and
there is no other power nor presence.
(12) 472:25-30
That which He creates is good,
and He makes all that is made. Therefore Unrealities
27 the only reality of sin, sickness, or death is that seem real
the awful fact that unrealities seem real to human, erring
belief, until God strips off their disguise. They are not
30 true, because they are not of God.
(13) 473:7-10
Christ the
The God- ideal Truth
principle is omnipresent and omnipotent. God is every-
9 where, and nothing apart from Him is present or has
power.
From the Christian Science Hymnal:
Hymns: 48, 216, 153