A Brief Message on Healing (Audio)

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TruthUnity note: I have not seen any publication of the text of Charles Fillmore's A Brief Message on Healing. So the following is a transcription I made from this recording. There are a few places where his words were unclear and I am sure there are some mistakes. I will be grateful for anyone who can help provide the true words of this talk. — Mark

It isn't necessary for me to present to most of you this proposition of healing — that Christians teaching healing — because we're so well grounded in that that it has ceased to be a question. Yet there may be some among you who are laboring under that old illusion that the healing that Jesus Christ did and his followers in the early days was part of the miraculous demonstration. In other words that God gave Jesus Christ that healing power that he might demonstrate that he was the Christ. That's taught in the church today. But it isn't taught here. [laughter]

Now we know through experience that healing of the body is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That he not only taught it but demonstrated it. And he said that these signs shall follow them that believe in my name. Shall they teach, preach the gospel, cast-out the demons and heal the sick.

So we are following Jesus Christ, literally. And, again, people say "Well, where is your scripture authority for this healing?" The Bible is full of it, yes. And it is demonstrable. You can apply the law and get the results. What better proof could you have — that you could apply the law?

Then yet we are taught, very forcibly sometimes, that healing is really futile because people die anyway. But do we have to die? That is another step in Christianity that we are teaching. That is that we don't have to die. That is considered in some circles preposterous. The idea that man can live right on and grow in these bodies — well they say "I don't want to live here any longer, I don't want to grow old." Well, you don't have to. You grow old because you think old thoughts. I grow old because I haven't gotten rid altogether of my old thoughts. But I'm eliminating them gradually. [laughter] Just gradually.

Just the other day I read in the Kansas City paper of a man found down on the riverfront I think it was and in his pocket they discovered a little note and he said "I'm tired of living, I'm tired of this continuous round of materiality, I'm tired of shaving that same old face everyday." [laughter] Well, I can appreciate that man's condition. And more than one of you in the audience, as you look into the mirror and see that same old mug you think well [laughter] "I wish I could have something new."

Well, you can! That's the glory of Christianity. That you can have whatever you want, yes. What did Jesus say about that? "Ask whatsoever ye will in my name and it shall be done unto you." Yes, if you want a new face, well ask for it. [laugher]

Shakespeare said "That woman over there, God gave her one face but she's making herself another one." [laughter] I know men who use a little powder once in a while and a little rouge and doll themselves up a little. Well, is that out of the way, do I quarrel with that? No, but I would like to tell those men of a way in which they can be renewed in their body consciousness.

And that is by adopting the renewing power of Christianity. It's there, and I assure you my understanding of this truth and my discernment of the evolution of man proves to me that we must — every one of us — become full-fledged Christians before we fulfill the law. We are making a stab at it, we are getting a little here and a little there. We're getting healed of our ills. We have to be so these old basic consciousness in the race. That's what we have this kind of a meeting for. To eliminate the old and come into the new.

Then every one of you must whole-heartedly pick-up this healing thought. Apply it for yourselves. Don't look for the other fellow to sing healing words and you get the results. You have to get it for yourselves. Join [whole]-heartedly into this joy of the Lord.

Now the keynote of this meeting today is "The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength" (Neh. 8:10).

The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Where is the Lord? He is in you. He is the higher principle in every one of us. And, if we want that joy that will give us strength, we must proclaim it. We must act it, we must be it. And, it will manifest. In the end there is a new base, a new form, a new spirit.

But we've got to become like a little child. Well we've always been taught that becoming like a little child was to be very obedient and do everything that our parents told us to. Well do we limit that? Do we go any farther than that? Well, we say yes. Don't let the old age idea get hold of you. Don't let the sick idea control you, and become, well, like an old man when you should be acting like a little child. Become youthfull in your mind and rejoice in the Lord! Let [unclear] rejoice in this law of light we have, every one of us. How does it manifest? Through our thoughts, through our words and through our actions.

So we must all act the part of the Lord. That's the part of the Spirit. Am I a material-mind in man? All right, if I am I'll get a material result. But if I'm spiritually-minded, I'll get a spiritual result.

So how shall I become spiritually-minded? By thinking spiritually. By following the letter of the law as taught by Jesus Christ. Not to say, "Well that was the day of miracles, you know, in that day God gave to men greater more of his spirit than he does today." Where is that any authority for that? None at all. Just an imaginary state of mind of those people who don't live up to the law and they want to shift the burden on to their ancestors or on to somebody else. [laughter] Now that isn't true according to the law. You must lay hold for yourself. The kingdom of God is within everyone of us.

Let's enter into that kingdom. Let's be one with it and reap the benefits of health and prosperity also. Ask whatsover you will — don't leave out anything I don't care what you want. If you want a husband, ask God for it. [laughter] If you want a wife, ask God for it. Yes!

A man came to me in the early days and he said "I'm a saloon keeper. Would you say to me that I should praise the liquor that I give out?" "Yes," I said, "Praise it, praise it as of God and you'll soon be in some other business." And sure enough he was.

So don't quarrel with the things you have to do with directly. Don't quarrel with your state of health, but praise God's life, which that's health is simply a twisted expression. And you'll be surprised to find something within you will respond to your word of praise, to your word of glory. And glorify God within you. The kingdom of God is within you.