THE MYSTERIES OF THE FOUR GOSPELS
Lesson Ten. Luke 11.
Unity Interpretation of
The Word
CHARLES and CORA FILLMORE
December 4, 1941
CHARLES FILLMORE: OPENING SONGS
The subject of our lesson today is "THE WORD" and we identify the Word as also the projecting power of God, or Holy spirit, or Spirit of God.
We are going to sing "WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE" The number is 2-2-2 two-two-two. 222 "Wonderful Words of Life" (Laughter):
1. Sing them over again to me
Wonderful words of life.
Let me more of their power see,
Wonderful words of Life.
Words of life and beauty,
Teach me faith and duty;
Chorus:
Beautiful words, wonderful words
Wonderful words of life.
Beautiful words, wonderful words
Wonderful words of life.
2. Christ, the Blessed One gives to all
[unreadable]
[unreadable] call,
Wonderful words of life;
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven.
3. Sweetly echo the Gospel call,
Wonderful gift of life
Offer pardon and peace to all;
Wonderful words of life.
Jesus, only Saviour, sanctified forever.
We will all join in the Lord's Prayer: (repeat) Amen.
CORA FILLMORE: MEDITATION:
This is the tenth lesson in the course "THE MYSTERIES OF THE FOUR GOSPELS". Today our lesson is based on Luke 11:14-28 verse included. Here in the Bible we read:
11:14And he was casting out a demon that was dumb. And it came to pass, when the demon was gone out, the dumb man spake; and the multitudes marvelled. 11:15But some of them said, By Beelzebub the prince of the demons casteth he out demons.11:16And others, trying him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 11:17But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 11:18And if Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 11:19And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 11:20But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. 11:21When the strong man fully armed guardeth his own court, his goods are in peace: 11:22but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him his whole armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 11:23He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
11:24The unclean spirit when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and finding none, he saith, I will turn back unto my house whence I came out.11:25And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. 11:26Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more evil than himself; and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first.
11:27And it came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck. 11:28But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
The first part of this scripture we have interpreted again and again. We know that a house divided against itself will fall. We know that in unity alone is strength. But from Jesus' teaching in this particular Scripture, we glean it is far better to redeem, to transmute error rather than to pass it out. Lest if it return unto us, if we cast it out in an unpurified state. Lest we cast it out and it be turned to us again with increased impurity. When you know impurity to be transmuted into purity, darkness and ignorance into light, illumination, there is then no danger of its returning to us for redemption with increase. But we believe in these last verses here, where the unclean spirit was cast out, wandering about in desert places, trying to find rest, and finally returns to the one who gave it birth for redemption, we really believe that in this Scripture, we get an insight into that mysterious Book we call the Book of Revelation.
Now we know that just as, as a radio program, that many radio programs are in the atmosphere around us, and no doubt man's thoughts that he sends forth congregate in the atmosphere about us thoughts — thoughts attract to them other thoughts; and perhaps they are right now floating round about. If we broadcast thoughts of love, prosperity, wisdom, power, we know that an aggregation of such thoughts as these will in time return to us with added blessings. But if on the other hand we send forth thoughts of hatred, of poverty, or sin, of sickness and so forth, these thoughts congregate together and at some time return to us with increase for redemption.
The Book of Revelation, we believe, deals largely with these aggregations of thoughts. Now in ths 21st chapter of Revelations, you remember, John beheld the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, as a bride adorned for her husband. Of course, we know that this was an aggregation of spiritual thoughts and it was good.
On the other hand in the 13th Chapter of Revelations are out-pictured an aggregation of error thoughts which John beholds as a beast, a beast with seven heads which came up out of the sea and on each head was printed the word "blasphemy". These are destructive thoughts sent forth by man and which must return to man for redemption. In truth, they are a mob of thoughts congregated together which swoop down and move people to action along destructive thoughts.
The Book of Revelations is really one psychic experience after another. But with this key you unlock that book and we believe it can be interpreted spiritually and that we are breaking into these cells and man shall reap the reward, the aggregation of uplifting thoughts, all good new blessings. But those of error of course must be handled, must be redeemed.
But here in the very last part of the Scripture:
11:27And it came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck. 11:28But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
That is the keynote for our silence today:
BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HEAR THE WORD OF GOD, AND KEEP IT.
We know the woman symbolizes the feminine thought on the mortal plane of consciousness. Perhaps with her face turned toward the light, she had been listening to Jesus' teachings and was filled with inspiration and she spoke from the the sense of natural parentage. But Jesus called her attention to the Spiritual parentage. The Blessed Mary was only the vehicle through whom Jesus was clothed with a material body, but his spiritual body ... how much greater is the Word of God that really creates all things!
Now in the Silence you meditate upon the power of the Word of God; God has so created us that we have at our command His Word, through which we can create whatever we will and make whatever we will of our lives. We must meditate upon the power of the Word, set it into action within our hearts, and it must be in an unselfish way.
We are wondering if the Word of God goes forth as a sort of rounded shape. All of creation is sort of round. The sun, moon, stars, planets are round; there is a vaulted sky above us which is round. And when we say the word "WORD" our lips are rounded. Our unspoken thought we realize in the Silence goes forth, makes a perfect circle and returns to us its blessings, or just the opposite according to our realization.
But of course, we know there are different vibrations in the word. We take the word "POWER" — the "Power of God is active in me": we get that realization and it is strong and powerful, is it not? A realization of power throbs with POWER, is that not true? A realization of Power really THROBS WITH POWER. And as we meditate upon the idea, as we meditate upon it deeply, often we catch a glimpse of purple; so it is with purple we symbolise power.
We take the word "LOVE of God is active in me." You get that realization and the realization is always rosy; it is always steady; it is all-satisfying. Life brings a red radiation. And you concentrate on sensuality, of course it brings the scarlet. The pure life of Jesus Christ is always a FLOOD OF LIGHT. In the Silence, when we really get our Twelve Powers to working evenly, constructively, gloriously, many times before our eyes we seem to be in green pastures, beside still waters, when the whole consciousness is growing. Perhaps we are in these green pastures, for green means growth.
The other day I came across a little poem. I don't know who wrote it. It is not very long. I found it not very long ago. The name of it is "COLORS" ...
COLORS
Oh! scarlet hurts like some strange lust,
Mauve stills the heart with sleepy things;
Blue dreams forever;
But green — green sings.
Oh! silver is a shining peace,
And purple throbs like Bacchus kings,
Opel has quick, fair mysteries
But green — green sings.
Oh! orange swings the gates of dawn,
And saffron tips the sea-gulls wings,
Violet drapes the evening stars,
But green — green sings.
Whoever wrote this must have been a student of color. "Oh! scarlet hurts like some strange lust, Mauve stills the heart with sleepy things; Blue dreams forever; But green — green sings." Here we have scarlet, the sense color, sensual; gold, saffron like on the lake at dawn; blue cannot look at heaven without a [sense ?] of dreaming. Yellow sunshine, always awake. Green means growth.
The second verse: "Oh! silver is a shining peace, And purple throbs like Bacchus kings, Opel has quick, fair mysteries But green — green sings." You know "silver" is [unreadable] steady, true and does bring peace. We are peaceful only when we are powerful. We are powerful only when we are peaceful. "Orange swings the gates of dawn, And saffron tips the sea-gulls wings, Violet drapes the evening stars, But green — green sings".
Now in the silence we are going to realize we are indeed and in truth going forward unfolding and all these mighty twelve powere are working perfectly, evenly balanced; our souls are singing with just the joy of living.
"BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HEAR THE WORD OF GOD, AND KEEP IT." With one accord, may we turn within, realize God is the One and Only Presence. "BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HEAR THE WORD OF GOD, AND KEEP IT."
May each soul here in this room now hear the Word of God within your own heart.
Now take this thought:
I REJOICE IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF MY SPIRITUAL IDENTITY AS THE SOURCE OF MY GOOD.
Together please: (Repeat) Amen.
LESSON: CHARLES FILLMORE:
In our lesson today the word is ready through the natural man and the natural woman, for the developing of that capacity that Jesus demonstrated in healing the sick, casting out demons and in various ways giving demonstrations of the power of man, or, man working in God. But Jesus, as in all his teachings, compared the work of the natural man with the work of the spiritual man, and gave the supremacy to that Man. He said unto the woman when she gave credit to woman for the bringing forth of the man who demonstrated signs (and I would like to say that Jesus Christ depreciated signs — these outer proofs that we claim represent the power of the Spirit; that no signs should be given to the spiritually minded; in other words the spiritually minded don't require signs); But the woman saw the sign of the great thing; he said: "Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and KEEP IT."
The subject of "THE WORD OF GOD" is the one that bothers, because we are seeking to follow Jesus Christ; and the lack of understanding of what is meant by THE WORD OF GOD. The "Word of God" becomes confused with the Bible, because we are persistently taught by certain interpreters of Jesus Christ, that this written word, that is the Bible, is the word of God. Jesus didn't teach that. He taught that the WORD OF GOD was something superior, far superior, far greater in its grip (scope or grasp!!) and its power than the written word.
But the majority of people take this to mean that because they keep the word of God and follow it and hear it and use the Scriptures as their guide, they are the ones who are spiritually minded. And in a measure this is true. But we want to call your attention to the fact that there is a creative principle right here present at all times and that it is possible for man to quicken that spiritual principle in himself and become the the LIVING, ACTIVE WORD OF GOD.
In the Book — it isn't really in any book — books bear testimony to the fact that there is a living, creative power. If we would get the benefit of this power, we must understand and use the inner spiritual word, the living word. That is something in us that will do things for us, that will bring about the manifestation of our ideals. We don't have to tie ourselves to the past nor even the present, but enter into what we call OMNIPRESENCE — THE POWER OF GOD IN ACTION IN US. There we get the best key to the character of the word of God.
In the very first chapter of John here is where we are told that (1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.) this living Word that was with God in the beginning, we find it stated in the second verse of the first chapter of Genesis that ... "the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters". Now the spirit of God is the Divine Logos, or THAT SOMETHING that in its unfoldment finally becomes a man. But "in the beginning" it is an idea.
So in this first chapter of John, in the Spirit, in the beginning was the Word, or Logos, "and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". Now "the same was in the beginning with God." And
"1:2The same was in the beginning with God. 1:3All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. 1:4In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 1:5And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not."
This light, this life, the creative word shines right here in the darkness of the mortal thought and we don't apprehend (comprehend!) that it is here. We don't apprehend (comprehend!) that the radio beams are here right now shining in the midst of us, thru us, and this living word is here just in the same and we must apprehend (comprehend!) it through the quickening in us of the light and life.
1:14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth ...
1:17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
It isn't man, he didn't have the realization of this living word, with the man, with the man that had the flesh consciousness. That man in the flesh consciousness was really the living word, and Jesus roused in himself that Word until it became manifest as the Man. He kept identifying himself with the understanding that the Kingdom of God is within us.
Now the great mistake for us here is we can read this all through and not understand it. It can't be understood by anything except the spiritual nature on the part of man. We have got to delve within ourselves and watch every word. You know we are so in the habit of reading about these things and thinking: "Well, that was true of the wise in the past" or "It is true of Jesus Christ and it may be true of some people now, but I don't have any apprehension (comprehension!)." How do you know you don't?
Have you analyzed the creative power of the word and your word when you are delving into the depths of your being, when you are having your deep meditations, and don't you find when you apply this law of the SPOKEN WORD, of your thought, that spoken word always follows, you find if you apply this you get definite results?
You can build up a state of consciousness as Ralph Waldo Emerson says
"nerve yourself with affirmation and omit the negative proposition. Don't waste yourself in rejection, nor growl and bark against the base. Chant the beauties of the good, [unreadable] down nothing that will not help the thing."
That's from Ralph Waldo Emerson. (Reporter's note: This quotation I have been unable to verify). That's something we have to take into consideration in our religious interpretations of this Bible, of this passage. We must know the principle and divine Word, we are to keep [unreadable] within our own minds, somewhere on some plane of consciousness, that we may find this living creating word, that word that became manifest in the Perfect Man, the Man Jesus. That same Word is here.
Emerson says in acknowledging it, "We must nerve ourselves with affirmation and omit the negative proposition, don't waste yourself in rejection, nor growl and bark against the base. Chant the beauties of the good."
They will say you are hypnotizing yourself with the affirmation of your words. Can you hypnotize yourself and not be alive to these great propositions? So we find we can build up within ourselves the consciousness, we can build up a state of mind that will bring us in touch, mentally in touch with this divine working word.
Now this applies to every spoken word. We have gone over this ground so often it seems old, but it is the right thing. And our attention has to be called over and over again to the very presence and power of this avenue through which we can attain our ideal. We all have ideals. We all want to do something, but we talk on the negative side and we get a negative consciousness. So if you talk about your troubles, tell them over and over, the law (Lord) will say, "He likes it!" and give you more and more. (Laughter) Isn't that true? That's as true as can be.
But we must be positive to be definite. And sometimes when we affirm these mighty truths in the face of the world of negation, the world of error, we get criticized. You wouldn't be criticized if you say nothing, do nothing, be nothing. You HAVE to be something, don't you? You have to wake the positive definite side of this man within you, and that man is a very positive, definite man when he gets awake, and with these truths he doesn't fear criticism. He lives in a world of his own. He knows God. He is one with the principle, one with the Spirit that knows the mighty truths of being, and he applies them in every possible way.
So as we study the teachings of Jesus Christ, we can see that he does constantly compare the things in the outer with spiritual things and spiritual things are always supreme, and that is a key for us. Let's study these things and "think upon these things" as Paul says. Give yourself a whole lot of things to think about; think especially within; consider, study, think about this living Word. Is it somewhere above us, down below? Outside? Does somebody else have it more than we have? We have it to the extent we have concentrated upon it as within us. That is, within your mind, and within your body. Some of you all here, give you more life; give you more consciousness of Spirit.
We must turn out this mind of ours until we get this Spirit into action. We won't amount to much unless we have this spirit. What Spirit? Stepping on the gas? Or out gassing on the step? Now let's step on the gas! (Laughter). This brings the realization we are not living in the past where there was that old condition. Now we are in the present, stepping on the gas. Get a move on yourselves!!! (Laughter).
Now we all have a certain amount of effort or work when doing this. I don't teach man has to labor. I think there is a difference between labor and work. Isn't it we should just step on the gas of our activity when working. Don't labor with your work. Labor with Spirit. Think about how easy it is we work with Omnipotence! When I have a hard problem to solve I first think:
"Well, that's too hard for me. But then again by this living man, this Word of God, right here all the time, waiting for my appropriation of it, for my realization there is always something in me that will work for me in everything."
It doesn't make any difference what that thing is, if you get it into action, it will do something for you. Jehovah is your key to wisdom, to make you understand. Don't look to heredity. People talk, discuss and wonder what the effect on them is of their parents! What their parents have to do with them! Or environment may have to do with man.
They all have a great deal to do with it if your man is attached to the outer world. But if attached to the spiritual world, those things become less and less until they drop away, and you come into yourself, your thought becomes the living word of God, and they become nothing insofar as the natural man is concerned. Realize that there is something always present, and he that lays hold with his mind will get results.
Now as I say, we must think these things out and use them, work with them. One thing has never been discovered that is how to work and live without being happy. Busy people are always happy. Did you ever notice that! Get busy at something. Don't give yourself up. I think people go too far sometimes in trying to demonstrate in the silence, sitting in the silence, holding the thought, and then expecting results from a realm that they really haven't understood yet. They haven't laid hold of these invisible principles that move into action.
I have found in my own experience, when I sit in the silence, I begin to realize, and before I know it, I want to be getting up and doing something. But we are not always ready. Perhaps we have to adjust ourselves to mind action. This woman bragged about the woman who brought forth man that did the beautiful things. But no! it wasn't the woman, but she was the avenue though which came the spirit of God. That Spirit of God does work through the Son of God in everyone. It was that creative consciousness that was with God in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, the Living Word. We don't have to talk about this so much the wiser you grow, the less you say and the less you know the more you say. Perhaps sometimes people talk so much you don't hear what they say. We get this habit sometimes talking about religions, about our own affairs, personal things, until we shut out anything for the real man. Think about what you are going to say before you say it and then the chances are you won't eay it.
Abraham Lincoln said it took a pretty wise man to tell a lie. That's true. We find in our experience we are not really lying when we tell about these wonderful experiences — they are true. But we have to use a good deal of wisdom telling about things, because they think we are lying. If I told you I am filled with life, strength, that I am more alert than young people, that may be true, but it doesn't look it. In myself it is true. That isn't a lie to me. But to the world, the outer, it may appear something has not been fully demonstrated. Stick by your own understanding. Be true to this spirit that is within you. Know the word and do it. Keep holding on this living Word of God.
Let's all realize today that we have this hold on the Living Word of God within. Jesus was so true to that teaching he said he didn't need this outer man, but it is the Father within, He does the works. He said "I speak unto you, but I speak not of myself, but the Father within me." It is true of everyone of us when we try this. We are here to speak the truth. We are here to demonstrate this mighty truth that the Kingdom of God is within us. His living Word is right now within us and we are demonstrating it. Let us demonstrate this, speak these words from all angles and draw close to Truth.
CORA FILLMORE: OFFERTORY:
This is our time to do our part. We know the law is as we give so we receive. So we bless the offering in His Name. So we take the offering in our hands and together speak the word: DIVINE LOVE THROUGH ME BLESSES AND MULTIPLIES THIS OFFERING, (3 times). BLESSING: Father we thank Thee for this offering. Place upon it the word of increase, and it shall return to the givers increased and multiplied.
HEALING POOL
CHARLES: Now we enter into the healing prospering power of God. We call this demonstration of the Truth which we have been teaching. We realize the idea here is: we hear the word of God and speak it. I think that is very prevalent. We speak to God as if he were right here in person. Speak directly to Him: "I HEAR THY WORDS AND KEEP THEM."
"I HEAR THY WORDS AND KEEP THEM".
We hear in our minds with spiritual discernment, and if we keep it, and true to our spiritual understanding "we hear Thy word and keep it", as you get that consciousness your word becomes the Word of God, becomes a healing and restoring power. All of you who are believing in the truth are healing in your work here, by realizing this Word of God.
The healing power of the Word of God, the spiritual creative force which made man in the beginning is sustaining him right now, bringing him into perfect health, perfect Good, GOD, there is no other Source. "WE HEAR THY WORD AND KEEP IT." Let's all affirm that, everybody:
I HEAR THY WORD AND KEEP IT.
Speak it again: (I myself speak that word within me, in my mind): "I HEAR THY WORD AND KEEP IT." we are asking you all to join in giving that word for those names that have been sent in for healing today.
We realize that they are being healed through this Living Word of God. The ethers carry that Word to everybody, everywhere when we give our attention. You give your attention, and think on these things.
CORA: Father, we want to Thank Thee also we have reports of several healings, several demonstrations from last week. Father, the Source: all good comes from Him. Praise God and give thanks, it is so.
CHARLES: Now that Living Word was in Jesus Christ, in all Omnipresence, and continues throughout the ages: "Lo, I am with you always." Let us speak to the Father, through Christ, the divine pattern for everyone of us, and say "I HEAR THY WORD AND KEEP IT." This is for our own healing — your healing — my healing — healing for all present. Let's speak that word aloud and then hold it silently: I HEAR THY WORD AND KEEP IT. The healing power of that word puts new life, power, strength, vigor, vitality into us and vigor, strength life will be poured out upon us everyone, whan we are true to that Living Word: "WE HEAR THY WORD AND KEEP IT."
Now we have friends to heal with this Living Word. Think of them. Name them one by one and then we will all speak the word for them. It doesn't make any difference where they are — the WORD IS OMNIPRESENT. Let us speak that word for them:
"YOU HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT."
Very good. Any other friends? All together: YOU HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT. Again: (repeat). Speak that word for the whole world. Everybody: YOU HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT. Speak the word silently to any of your friends that need it. Speak it for the whole world: "YOU HEAR THE WORD OF GOD, AND KEEP IT." "I HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT."
CORA: MAY I AGAIN ask for help for these dear ones' special healing: IN CHRIST, YOU HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT, Together: (repeat). Together: (repeat). Let us realize these demonstrations are made for health, for freedom, for prosperity, spiritual growth; "IN CHRIST YOU HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT."
CHARLES: Now as we go forth let us remenber through this whole week, throughout eternity, to affirm: "YOU HEAR THY WORD AND KEEP IT." Let's rise please.
BENEDICTION: Let's all silently affirm that: WE DO HEAR THY WORD AND KEEP IT. (Silently) "We hear Thy word and keep it." Amen.
Transcribed by Mark Hicks on August 22, 2016.
