THE MYSTERIES OF THE FOUR GOSPELS
Lesson Twelve. Luke 11.
Unity Interpretation of
Importunity
CHARLES and CORA FILLMORE
December 18, 1941
CHARLES FILLMORE: OPENING SONGS
We will sing No. 115 1-1-5 "GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU"
1. Be not dismayed whate'er betide
God will take care of you;
Beneath his wings of love abide
God will take care of you.
CHORUS:
God will take care of you
In every way, o'er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
2. Thru days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you.
when dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take eare of you.
3. All I may need he will provide,
He will take care of me.
Nothing I ask will be denied;
God will take care of me.
4. No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of us;
Lean, trusting one, upon his breast;
God will take care of us.
Let's all join in the Lord's Prayer: (Repeat in unison). Amen.
CORA FILLMORE: ANNOUNCEMENTS: MEDITATION:
Announcements of study courses from the folders. The second semester of the Study Course will begin Monday, January 5, 1942. Remember Candlelight Services at Ja Ivanhe Temple — candlelighting beginning at 7:00 p.m.
This is the twelfth and last lessen in the course, THE MYSTERIES OF THE FOUR GOSPELS. However, another course of lessons will begin on this same subject at 2:30 o'clock Thursday afternoon, January 9th, 1942.
Mediation: Let's think of this subject: THE FOUR GOSPELS — THE MYSTERIES OF THE FOUR GOSPELS. If there were no mysteries in the Bible, we might doubt its being the transcript of God-Mind. Consequently, we love to think on the mysteries of the Bible meditating on the wonderful teachings wrapped up in the pages of the Bible and just trying to solve the deep mysteries therein. This alone gives us soul grandeur, substance, and it gives us spiritual unfoldment. Therefore, let us think much on the deep mysteries of this wonderful Book, the Bible.
Today, our lesson is based on Luke 11: 5 to 10 inclusive, also verse 13. Now in the Bible we read:
11:5And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 11:6for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him; 11:7and he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee? 11:8I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needeth.
11:9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 11:10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ...
11:13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
I am going to call your attention to that last verse: "If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto you children, how much more shall your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit unto them that ask him." The Father dees not give us things. The Father gives us the Holy Spirit. Let us bear that in mind.
Now considering the value of prayer, the outstanding verse in this Scripture is: "Because of his importunity, he will give him as many loaves as he needeth." This statement makes us feel like declaring now, "Persistency, thou are a jewel." We find if we accomplish in prayer, we must be persistent and persistent, and persistent. Neither you nor I can find language to tell the deep things of Spirit as have been revealed to us since first we began turning to God in the silence and listening to His voice. Now by so doing, we have learned to ask and to realize and to receive.
And so bear in mind that every great accomplishment was first an impossibility from the view point of mortal mind. The spiritually quickened soul knows there is no such thing as an impossibility. We know it is not impossible to go within and realize and meditate and declare the Truth until our good flows to us like a river. Nothing is so hard, but what spiritual realization will pave the way to success.
And now, referring to the Scripture again: "Because of his importunity, he will arise and give him as many loaves as he needeth". Some people will take a need or a desire into the silence in a very shallow manner, and they will say "The word of God heals me. The word of God prospers me", and then they will let the mind fly thither and yon in the outer world, and then on one thing and another. "The word of God heals me. The word of God prospers me" ... and the mind is on the outer world, and so on. We hear these people say, "I don't think that God wills that I be healed, or that I be prospered. I have prayed very diligently, but the word does not bring returns."
Now we, who understand truth, know that God's will is good will. We know that God wills us every good. We know this faculty, divine Will, operates right here through the front forehead. That really sets the law of our good into operation. The Divine Will does it for you, it brings about the demonstration. We find mostly we are shallow and most of us are along some line or another. It is time then that we redeem that state of consciousness. It is God's will we go into the silence. We realize the depth, breadth and greatness of God until we appropriate that deep inner meaning and thus we redeem that particular state of consciousness within us. But it is very, very necessary to know that: what God's will is and how it works. In fact, God's will once set into operation will work on the word itself. God's Word will work on the word and bring results. If it has nothing else to work on, God's will makes good will, remember that.
God's will makes good will
It is stated in the Scripture: God gives the Holy Spirit. He does not give us things. We go within and relax until we touch the very throne of God and thereby set into operation God's will. We get our realization and then God is able to pour out upon us His light and His power. Then the soul absorbs this light and power. We appropriate it. We digest it, and just to the degree we are able to do this, to that degree are we bound to demonstrate in the outer world, GOD'S WORD HOLDS FAST. Let us remember that. The one thing we should be able to do, we should be able to go into the stillness and get our realization until we know it is finished. That we have made the demonstration by persistently cleaving to our purpose, by persistently taking it before God day after day, by persistently realizing its fulfillment, by persistently clothing our desire with the life, substance and intelligence ... why the very powers of Spirit themselves will arise, unite and go to working for us to bring forth our demonstration. Indeed and in truth we are children of the Most High God, are we not? And every good may be added unto us.
We must aspire. That's one thing. We must aspire, aspire, and aspire, and through prayer, through realization we change the so-called stumbling blocks into stepping stones whereby from this foundation we may soon mount up with wings as eagles. We see the conclusion that life furnishes no greater achievement than that of surmounting the problem it presents. By so doing we gain spiritual assurance, we unfold mind power we would not have otherwise. Therefore, let us stick to our aim. Let us stick to our aim therefore by maturing within — But we must be bent on spiritual realization, bent on spiritual demonstration, we if would reap the heaven-born fruits of Spirit — And we can only do this through applying the law.
Then you find that in coming down through the ages, reaping in its priceless lore, in the spirit of gladsome service, castes its jewels at our door.
Now with one accord may we turn within — There is only the one Presence and One Power. Realize that God's will is Good will. I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. I shall repeat it. Together please:
I PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL INTO THIS PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS
We realize that as we hold that thought: (repeat). Now let us open our consciousness to the depth and to the breadth and to the greatness of God's Mind — Let us expand with the soul so that God Mind through Jesus Christ may express in all its fulness — Amen.
LESSON: CHARLES FILLMORE:
In these lessens on the MYSTERIES from the FOUR GOSPELS, we have selected the points that have not, in our literature, been interpreted. And I would say that it is not only the mysteries but the contradictions and inconsistencies that appear in certain passages in the teachings of Jesus that we are considering and are putting our light upon.
Now this one that we have in our text today: "11:8Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity" or "persistence" "he will arise and give him as many as he needeth." This teaching is that God has to be bombarded by petitioners. He has to be reached through a continual — well — I might say mental irritation. We have got to stir-up the God-Mind until it responds. In other words, God doesn't speek to us we have get to speak.
Now we have a parallel for this by Jesus, in the 18th chapter of Luke, which reads
18:2There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man: 18:3and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 18:4And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;18:5yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by her continual coming.Here again the illustration is God is going to avenge us in the same way, and that we must continue to insist upon this vengeance, that we mustn't take "No" for an answer, that God will, like this Judge, say: these people are bothering me now. They are continually boring me — bothering me — I am going to give up, because they bother, not because I love them especially, not because I want to be good to them, but in interpreting those responses we have the main idea that God don't want to be bored. It isn't on the basis of love. It isn't because He wants to be good to us, but it is because we bother Him, He is going to answer our prayers. Now this, of course, from a personal standpoint seems inconsistent, doesn't seem to fit in with our teaching of the love of God and the generosity of God and ths accessibility of God. We are taught that over and over again.
What are you going to do with your beliefs? How are you going to reconcile your beliefs? Jesus Christ was a great teacher. He didn't teach anything inconsistent, he didn't contradict even, if you know the law. He told about the power of Mind. God is Mind and this Mind is talked of here. We have to make some effort to get in touch with it.
It is like the air — plenty of it right here all the time, but we must develop lung capacity. When you were first born, the first thing you did was to yell. The louder you yelled the better the doctor said your lung capacity was. That is the starter, and if you continue increasing the lung capacity and break right into the spirit side, you find you breathe deeply, not only of this atmosphere, but you will find you are being up lifted by a spiritual atmosphere, and that is what we are up against as individuals.
Because through our innate freewill, we have developed a mental capacity something like the lung capacity and it is necessary in order to understand and receive largely from this great universal Mind, God-Mind, that we increase our minds, just as we increase our lungs.
Now here you can find that there is a certain wrestling, a certain effort on the part of the individual. We are told that Jesus Christ prayed all night — prayed, and that he sweat bloody sweat. Think of that? Don't just think it is all just inspiration. We don't have anything to do but sit still, open our minds and God will flow in — but He don't flow always. Why? Well, because we haven't measured up in inspiration with our perspiration.
Thomas Edison was asked once to what percent of his inspiration he attributed his great discoveries. He said he thought about two percent to inspiration and 98 percent perspiration — Now there is something in that. We look upon this handling of the God-Mind as something that is so very easy. The idea is to get the easy thought into the mind. But some people think God is far off somewhere and hard to reach Him. But the fact is You have to got the right slant, get hold of it and stick to it and be determined.
We have many illustrations in the Bible of man wrestling with God. Jacob wrestled, you remember, he wrestled with an angel. He said, "I will not let thee go exeept thou bless me ... He kept on wrestling, but he didn't bless him right away. He said unto him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And then he said, "Thy name shall henceforth be called Israel, for thou hast striven with God and with man and hast prevailed. And here we can see is a denial proposition.
Now Jacob called the name of that place Beth-el, or place of God. '[unreadable]' remember, represents intelligence. He was striving in the darkness of mortality to get in touch with God-Mind but when he did, it changed his character; so the name was changed. And if you can realize this ideal man in you is a spiritual man, you will really wrestle with that thought because his thought has been he is mortal man. So you are really not wrestling with God only in a secondary way, when we wrestle with our ideas of I am in mind; and all at once it dawns on us, there is only One Mind, One I am, only One Spirit, and its consciousness, and what I am I will be to God. That is what Jacob found. He discovered that more than once. He discovered that this really meant the I am of God, and then that is where he saw the face of God!
So you can see what the great purpose with everyone of us is to realize God and we have got to have a determined mind to realize that, to break down this idea of personal separation from God. As I say here you can't really be separated from God, only in the confines of your own consciousness. You then find it necessary to wrestle with this idea in man: what is man; and what is the first proposition? You have got to know your mind; you are to make up your mind to know God, to find God. You are going to know God. Nothing shall deter you from that idea. What is required of you? The very will of God — where does that will begin?
Here's a little poetry I am going to read to you called "THE DETERMINED SOUL."
(Tho voice kept dying away so the verses are fragmentary):
There is no chance, no destiny, no fate
And certainly no release from wrestling
for a determined soul.
Ifs count for nothing.
Will alone is great.
What obstacle can stay the mighty source
Of the sea-seeking river in its course
Or cause the ascending orb of day to wane.
every well born soul must win over its destiny.
Let the fool pray for luck. Let fortune pay,
Whose airy purpose never swerves whose flight
as of an insect serves to no great height.
While even the dead stand still and wait
An hour at a time for a certain will —
Even the devil stands still and waits
Sometimes on such a will!
Now I know a woman about a quarter of a century ago, who was given up. The doctors said she couldn't live, and she even dreamed, had a dream in which she heard church bells telling at her funeral. But she woke up, made up her mind she wasn't going to go. She willed, "I won't die" ... she dIdn't. She got well. That's nearly twenty-five years ago. She is well today. What did that? Prayer to God. Yes, prayer to God ... but the determined will to live. If she had given up to that thought, she would have passed out.
So you can see that this will in us is something that we need to cultivate and develop especially in the direction of getting a better understanding of what God is, where God is, what God does, how God works in and through us. Now that's going to require a lot of perseverance on the part of everyone of us. You can't sit down, fold the hands and wait, for if you do, all the good things will come to the other fellow. You have got to stir up the inner man. Got to hold to your outer activity, but don't give up to sleepiness and get that idea away from you that God is going to do it for you. That's the teaching of our scriptures, of our experience: we must make up our minds that we have a great work to do and that we have the innate capacity born of the consciousness of wisdom just waiting for us to bring them out. God don't make a Christmas present of this. We must wake up and get into the habit of Christmas.
Everybody gets presents on birthdays — everybody gets birthday presents; and it isn't very long we expect them to give us things — don't take that angle. Make up your mind you are going to earn what you get. As the Scotchman says to his little girl. There was a Scotchman playing golf with his little daughter. It was her birthday and she stopped and said, "Father have you forgotten something!" He said, "What is it, dearie? — She said, "Do you know it is my birthday?" "Oh, I remembered you, I've a birthday present for you." And she said, "O daddy, you did!" He said, "I will give it to you right now. I am going to give you right now the next hole!" "That's a generous gift for a child! — Some of us are not all Scotch.
Somewhat closer to home. Cora went into the country the other day, it was her birthday. She bought a little calf. On her birthday some of you remembered her with flowers, while she mentioned to me that I had promised her a birthday present. A friend called just then and said, "By the way I called with my wife Caroline." And we decided to call this calf Caroline. And she said, what are you going to give me fer my birthday. I said I am going to give you a present, I believe I will give you Caroline ... So I am not Scotch. (Laughter: But I did not catch the words that drowned in noise. Reporter's note).
Now in conclusion, today, let us remember that God is good, God is a good God and He does give us gifts regardless of this other angle of the situation. At the same time we have got to earn really what we get. What we can get that's linked with eternity, because it comes only through the unfoldment of God in us. Let God be formed in you. Let your Christ Mind transform you, and God express in you more fully. Be at this great Christmas season, so much good is going around, we are receiving so much good, let us give thanks for the God that, is involved in and unfolding spirit in us. When you see that, that is of more value to us than this outer manifestation, no matter how good you might perceive it. The greatest good is a greater realization of the Spirit of God within us. That's what we are all striving for. It is the goal, the mark of the high calling of Christ Jesus:
"That Christ be born in you."
"Though Christ a thousand times
Be born across the sea
If he is not born in thee,
Thy soul is all forlorn."
Amen.
Angelus Silesius (1624-1677)
CORA: OFFERTORY:
This is our opportunity to give our love offering. I shall ask you to take your offering in your hands and repeat together our usual blessing: DIVINE LOVE THROUGH ME BLESSES AND MULTIPLIES THIS OFFERING. Father, we do thank Thee for this loving offering. The givers and the receivers are blessed, in the name of Jesus Christ.
HEALING POOL
Charles: We now give attention to the healing work in this Unity meeting, we have this healing message today, concluding the course of lessons. I want you all to join with us in this healing word. Now we get our best healing words from Jesus Christ. He gives a word that accords right with, right in with the subject today. It was when he asked those people who were seeking healing if they really wanted to be healed. They did. He said, "I will. Be thou made whole." Now we find they want to be receptive. They want to be open minded, and have great desire. They must be receptive. We are taking few granted all these who have asked for healing today, they have given evidence through expressing they really want this healing. We are taking the attitude of Jesus Christ, according to his promise is now speaking through us. He said, "Keep my sayings. Keep my words." And we have a right within the spiritual understanding of ourselves as expressing the Christ, today to all persons: "I WILL. BE THOU MADE WHOLE." Let us all realize that we are speaking within ourselves in that spirit, in the name of that Christ we will say:
THROUGH CHRIST I AM HEALED. BE THOU MADE WHOLE."
Let us realize Christ heals. "IN THE NAME OF THIS CHRIST: I WILL! BE THOU MADE WHOLE." In His name, let us all speak the word aloud: "I WILL! BE THOU MADE WHOLE." Speak it again (repeat). Now speak that word in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for anybody anywhere. There are no separations in Spirit. People at a distance can be healed. Think of any of your friends who need this healing. We have aaked for them. Speak the word for them.
Now it doesn't make any difference where they are, who they are, we have asked for healing. If they want this healing, if there are any here who need healing, you would make yourselves receptive. We will speak the word: I WILL! BE THOU MADE WHOLE." Again.
CORA: We ask a special blessing again on these who have presented their names. BE THOU MADE WHOLE. BE THOU PROSPERED. BE THOU FREED FROM ALL ERROR. IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
CHARLES: Rise please.
Benediction: Let us go forth with the inner conviction that the Christ Spirit is alive within everyone, to make everybody a present, that present is WHOLENESS, healing, wealth, love, life, power, all good. This is the work of Christ in us. When we recognise him, he is radiating all good to everybody. Amen.
Transcribed by Mark Hicks on August 23, 2016.
