Responsive Reading: Isaiah 50 : 5, 7-10  •  Hebrews 7 : 19   •  Isaiah 55 : 3

5.     The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

7.     For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

8.     He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.

9.     Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

10.     Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

19.     For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

3.     Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

1. Jeremiah 23 : 23, 24

23     Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?

24     Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.

2. II Chronicles 16 : 7 (to 2nd ,), 9 (to 1st .)

7     And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him,

9     For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

3. II Chronicles 17 : 1, 3-7, 9, 10, 12, 13 (to :)

1     And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.

3     And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;

4     But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

5     Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.

6     And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.

7     Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Benhail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.

9     And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

10     And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

12     And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of store.

13     And he had much business in the cities of Judah:

4. Psalm 46 : 1-3 (to 1st .), 4, 5, 10, 11 (to 1st .)

1     God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2     Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3     Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

4     There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

5     God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

10     Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

11     The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

5. John 5 : 2 (to 1st ,), 5, 8, 9, 15, 16 (to 1st ,), 17-20

2     Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool,

5     And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

8     Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9     And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

15     The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

16     And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus,

17     But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18     Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

19     Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20     For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

6. John 10 : 30

30     I and my Father are one.

7. John 8 : 12-16, 28-30

12     Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

13     The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

14     Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

15     Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

16     And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

28     Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

29     And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

30     As he spake these words, many believed on him.

8. James 4 : 6 (God)-8 (to 1st .), 10

6     God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7     Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8     Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

10     Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

1. 470 : 32-5

The relations of God and man, divine Principle and idea, are indestructible in Science; and Science knows no lapse from nor return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in which God and all that He creates are perfect and eternal, to have remained unchanged in its eternal history.

2. 332 : 4 (Father)-8

Father-Mother is the name for Deity, which indicates His tender relationship to His spiritual creation. As the apostle expressed it in words which he quoted with approbation from a classic poet: "For we are also His offspring."

3. 470 : 30-31

If man ever existed without this perfect Principle or Mind, then man's existence was a myth.

4. 207 : 27-16

The spiritual reality is the scientific fact in all things. The spiritual fact, repeated in the action of man and the whole universe, is harmonious and is the ideal of Truth. Spiritual facts are not inverted; the opposite discord, which bears no resemblance to spirituality, is not real. The only evidence of this inversion is obtained from suppositional error, which affords no proof of God, Spirit, or of the spiritual creation. Material sense defines all things materially, and has a finite sense of the infinite.

The Scriptures say, "In Him we live, and move, and have our being." What then is this seeming power, independent of God, which causes disease and cures it? What is it but an error of belief, — a law of mortal mind, wrong in every sense, embracing sin, sickness, and death? It is the very antipode of immortal Mind, of Truth, and of spiritual law. It is not in accordance with the goodness of God's character that He should make man sick, then leave man to heal himself; it is absurd to suppose that matter can both cause and cure disease, or that Spirit, God, produces disease and leaves the remedy to matter.

5. 292 : 27-2

This carnal material mentality, misnamed mind, is mortal. Therefore man would be annihilated, were it not for the spiritual real man's indissoluble connection with his God, which Jesus brought to light. In his resurrection and ascension, Jesus showed that a mortal man is not the real essence of manhood, and that this unreal material mortality disappears in presence of the reality.

6. 315 : 29-7

Wearing in part a human form (that is, as it seemed to mortal view), being conceived by a human mother, Jesus was the mediator between Spirit and the flesh, between Truth and error. Explaining and demonstrating the way of divine Science, he became the way of salvation to all who accepted his word. From him mortals may learn how to escape from evil. The real man being linked by Science to his Maker, mortals need only turn from sin and lose sight of mortal selfhood to find Christ, the real man and his relation to God, and to recognize the divine sonship.

7. 491 : 7-16

Material man is made up of involuntary and voluntary error, of a negative right and a positive wrong, the latter calling itself right. Man's spiritual individuality is never wrong. It is the likeness of man's Maker. Matter cannot connect mortals with the true origin and facts of being, in which all must end. It is only by acknowledging the supremacy of Spirit, which annuls the claims of matter, that mortals can lay off mortality and find the indissoluble spiritual link which establishes man forever in the divine likeness, inseparable from his creator.

8. 25 : 13-16, 17-26

Jesus taught the way of Life by demonstration, that we may understand how this divine Principle heals the sick, casts out error, and triumphs over death. … By his obedience to God, he demonstrated more spiritually than all others the Principle of being. Hence the force of his admonition, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Though demonstrating his control over sin and disease, the great Teacher by no means relieved others from giving the requisite proofs of their own piety. He worked for their guidance, that they might demonstrate this power as he did and understand its divine Principle.

9. 99 : 5-11

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," says the apostle, and he straightway adds: "for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians ii. 12, 13). Truth has furnished the key to the kingdom, and with this key Christian Science has opened the door of the human understanding.

10. 21 : 1-5, 9-14

If Truth is overcoming error in your daily walk and conversation, you can finally say, "I have fought a good fight ... I have kept the faith," because you are a better man. This is having our part in the at-one-ment with Truth and Love.

If the disciple is advancing spiritually, he is striving to enter in. He constantly turns away from material sense, and looks towards the imperishable things of Spirit. If honest, he will be in earnest from the start, and gain a little each day in the right direction, till at last he finishes his course with joy.

11. 285 : 32-11

It is essential to understand, instead of believe, what relates most nearly to the happiness of being. To seek Truth through belief in a human doctrine is not to understand the infinite. We must not seek the immutable and immortal through the finite, mutable, and mortal, and so depend upon belief instead of demonstration, for this is fatal to a knowledge of Science. The understanding of Truth gives full faith in Truth, and spiritual understanding is better than all burnt offerings.

The Master said, "No man cometh unto the Father [the divine Principle of being] but by me," Christ, Life, Truth, Love; for Christ says, "I am the way."

12. 596 : 3-6

Paganism and agnosticism may define Deity as "the great unknowable;" but Christian Science brings God much nearer to man, and makes Him better known as the All-in-all, forever near.