The Second Coming of Christ
1923-01-24
This lesson from Charles Fillmore was featured on Bob Brach's Unity Classic Radio broadcast on March 1, 2016. Bob writes, "Here is the PDF I will read from on the March 15th, 2016 show. This is from a Wednesday Evening Healing Service Mr. Fillmore did on Jan 24th, 1923. The title given this lesson is "The Second Coming of Christ." There is some good stuff on the way he and Unity look at the "second coming." He also shares how it wasn't easy when he began practicing "the Silence." I can relate to that. Anyway ... hope you enjoy these old time Unity lessons, I know I do."
CHARLES FILLMORE --- January 24, 1923
We talked last Wednesday evening about our new class thought. Our healing thought for the month is,
"Old thoughts and old conditions are as waters that have passed away. In Christ I am conscious of new life, new strength and new health."
The statement that we give out you will find in the magazines. Through the slips that you have in the monthly and weekly Unity we try to get the word into the minds and into the mouths of all people everywhere, because repetition you know is the mother of wisdom. People sometimes think that just merely repeating a word doesn't make any impress upon the understanding, but it does. If you keep repeating a word often enough, it will finally sink back into your consciousness, and the second movement of the mind is that it becomes an invisible atmosphere and permeates everything.
Now that really is the second coming of Christ. Christ is is an idea in divine mind, and that idea is everywhere. Like the idea of mathematics or music or any of those exact sciences, there is an idea of a perfect Christ in divine mind. That idea hasn't been expressed fully, has it? So we say the idea of mathematics and music or any of those sciences has never been fully expressed, but men are trying to express these ideas more and more and are getting a little better understanding and as they use the idea, it comes more and more into manifestation.
Now you can see the illustration everywhere of how we grow from ideas to manifestation, and as I say, those ideas come first as a flash. There is something that we see outside of ourselves. That is the first conception of this Christ. Jesus of Nazareth was the first we will say, perception. He was historical. He came in the personality. But he said, "When I come again" -- that is the Christ in him expressing through him, why he said the son of man should come as the lightning flashing from the east onto the west, but he also said "People will say onto you, lo, here is the Christ and, lo, there is the Christ, but go not fourth for behold the kingdom of God is within you."
Now I find people today looking for another advent of that personal man, and they won't believe it he comes as a thief in the night. He comes so quietly, he comes so unexpectedly, people don't accept him, and again, he comes in these flashes of spiritual understanding, and people say, "Why I feel and know that there is a new man born into me. I am a new creature in Christ Jesus" (II Cor. 5:17). Paul had it all figured out, and I assure you those people who really are searching within themselves for the kingdom of God find they are experiencing new ideals and they don't look for the personal advent of Jesus of Nazareth again. They know that that identity is right here in our midst in the lifted up, the spiritual character.
Now as I say, this fact that the Christ was to come again was in the scripture from Genesis to Revelations. The old Hebrews expected that the Messiah would come, but when he came they didn't recognize him, because they were not looking for that kind of Messiah. They had their ideas made up about what the Messiah was to be and that settled it. When the man who represented the Messiah came, they didn't accept him.
Well, the same thing is true today, exactly. Our church fathers have made up their minds just about what Jesus Christ will look like; he will look like the pictures that have been painted, and when He comes looking just that way and doing all these marvelous things he did 1923 years ago, well if he is just right and belongs to our church, we will except him. But I assure you we are not going to have that kind of advent. Now this Christ principle, as you will find if you study it, doesn't come as a personality.
The personal appearance of Christ has been dated again and again by Orthodox people. Their prophets have received so-called prophecies of his Advent, and as you know, as you read the history of religion it has been definitely stated that he would come again. In 1844 the Millerites all over the northeast had it so fixed, and they made their ascension robes and they gave away all their goods. The very night that he was to come was prophesied.
I remember hearing this story once of a man in some town in the Northeast who lived in the suburbs and he had a stack of hay, he had on his ascension robes and climbed up on the stack of hay. Some mischievous boys saw him up there and touched a match to the stack of hay, and it went up in flames. The man had fallen asleep in the meantime, and he woke up with a great shout and said, "Resurrection morn, and I am in Hell, just as I expected." That is the way these personal prophecies turn out.
If you understand the metaphysical make-up of a man who believes in Heaven and Hell, you can see that he would wake up, out of the body or in it, and find he was in one place or the other. Now if you should leave your body, you would find yourself in the place that you thought most about. If you believe very strenuously in hell and think about it and talk about it, sure as you live you would find yourself there, but if you believe in heaven you would find yourself in a place they would correspond to heaven. But it would be according to your ideal.
I read once of a man from St. Louis it was supposed to have gone to heaven and the attendant was showing him around, and he said, "Why Heaven is just like St. Louis." And the attendant said "This isn't heaven." You see, it was according to his ideal of Heaven, because Heaven would be just like St. Louis to him. We would think it would be like Kansas City, or just like our highest ideal. That is a metaphysical fact, according as you think in your heart so are you. And as I say, all these ideals about a future place they we are going to when we die, that is all moonshine, I tell you. You will wake up and find yourself just where you are in consciousness, and the thing that you are attached to and think most about and love the most you will find yourself in an environment corresponding to that thing just is near as you can make it, just where you are. If it is a St. Louis environment, you will think it is heaven, but I wouldn't think so.
I am trying to bring to your mind the fact that there is such a thing as a Christ consciousness. We look at that thing in too vague and indefinite a way. I assure you that there is such a thing. There is a real place in our minds, and most of us have a consciousness of it, but didn't many of us it is still a potential consciousness, but the infinite mind is implanted in us that higher ideal principle, and that is the name which we give to the Superman, and that name is Christ.
Now that has been expected by all people, because the infinite mind has put it as an ideal in our minds, and we come into that step by step, perception by perception, and we get our perception of it, and then comes the realization. But is it outside? No. I tell you that is all in you your inner consciousness. And if you want to realize and know absolutely that Christ has come again, why you must go into this inner kingdom within you. They will tell you, lo here is the Christ and lo there, but the kingdom of God is within you. It is within every one of us, and the more we search for that inner kingdom, and comply with the law, the more we will know about the second coming, the more we will realize that that second coming is here right now.
Now there is no doubt that the race in a universal way goes through this evolution of the mind which brings it to its various stages of perception, and there is no doubt that the advent of Jesus of Nazareth had a great deal to do with the advent of this Christ consciousness in the race, and we are right now in that second step, and all the signs that are given in this scripture are in evidence today. It is lo here, and lo there, and it is wars and rumors of wars, and we seem to be right or on the verge of a great chaotic state.
But what did Jesus say -- The Christ through Jesus, because this Christ mind was manifesting through the great teacher? It said, "Don't be troubled. If you believe in me, none of these things shall worry you." Now we are not disturbed about the wars and rumors of wars; we are not disturbed about the chaotic conditions; we are not disturbed about any of these so-called troubled conditions that seems imminent, because we know that there is a power, there is a God behind this universe, and that that power and that God, through the Christ in man, will work out all these problems.
If we would be saved from the disasters that are coming to the world, we must cultivate more and more this consciousness of Christ. We must realize that there is a new life; we must realize that old fleshy life, that old sense consciousness has passed away. Now if we take up these words of denial and let them sweep through your mind and speak them aloud, you will find you get results. There will be a checking up of the consciousness. You will eliminate a whole lot of [unreadable word] that is encumbering you. It has damned-up the free flow of life in your mind.
After the denial, then we take the word of affirmation.
"In Christ I am conscious of new life."
Why, if you would repeat that over and over -- well Professor Coué says, "Day by day, in every way, I am getting new life." Apply it to that way. "Day by day in every way I am getting new health, I am getting new strength." Some of these high and mighty metaphysicians say they don't use autosuggestion at all. Now I tell you we use all these good things, and if you can suggest to yourself that in every way, every day you're getting better and better, why say it, say it with understanding and it will be come true. You will find that you will go onto new life, new strength, and new health, and it will be based on the rock of Christ. You will know it isn't something outside of you, but it absolutely is an existing thing in you, and through your word you tap it, and when you tap that new life, it begins to flow forth like a well of new water, as Jesus taught the woman at the well. Why that flowing forth of this new life is something very wonderful.Now to get in touch with this, you must give it attention, and you must, as I say, metaphysically, concentrate upon that font of the new life, and think about it and pray. You must meditate. Why the Gentiles, those who live in the outer, think that if they pray 15 minutes today, they're doing remarkably well. Some of them give a half hour a day, but I think the church statistics show that the Christian people only give about 10 minutes a day during the whole year to prayer.
Do you know how many times a good metaphysician prays how many times a day and how long during the time does he pray? Why, he prays hours and hours. I spent probably one third of my time in praying. No, you say, you mean that you are down on your knees praying all that time? No, I am meditating in communing with this inner spiritual Christ.
Now after you have reached a certain point in awakening in yourself to Christ principle, it becomes, well a very fascinating game. People think, why it must be awful hard work spending five or six hours a day praying, why his god must be a strenuous old God to require so much prayer from him. Why after you once get this in her life started it is the most enticing thing in the world. The joy of my life is this inner communion. It is a perfect ecstasy. If I didn't have other work to do, I wouldn't do anything but just pray, morning, noon and night. I would spend all of my time in prayer. I don't believe I would go to sleep. It is something you enjoy. It is better than a picture show. Some people think the height of enjoyment, the greatest ecstasy they can conceive off is going to a picture show, but I assure you when you get this inner consciousness of the Christ working in you, you will enjoy more in a minute then you can enjoy in a lifetime in the outer.
That is strong language, but it is a fact. You begin your meditation, and your prayer, begin holding this thought that we are having tonight in the silence at 9 o'clock. Hold it for five or 10 minutes to begin on. I remember in the beginning of my work I couldn't sit in the silence a half hour. I couldn't sit in the silence hardly 10 minutes. At the beginning, I couldn't do it at all. I thought it was all moonshine, but gradually as they told me I would get rid of my headaches and cataracts and a thousand things that I had, I thought, well I will try it out anyway, and gradually I got into the habit of holding those thoughts in the silence, and it became a very absorbing proposition, and it has grown on me. Some people think I am getting nutty on the silence. Not at all, not at all. You apply it and you will see. A lady said to me the other day, "Where do you get that cold cream you use on your face?" I said "It comes from within." I am getting healthier and healthier every day in every way, and it comes from communing with this inner life. That is a fact.
Begin to try it; begin to hold, "Christ in me is a new consciousness of life; Christ in me is a new consciousness of strength," as if you were talking within and then resting that. "The Christ in me is a new consciousness of health." And do you want to more prosperity? Put that in. Ask you whatsoever ye will in my name, and it shall be done onto you. That it is what it says and it means it.
"Christ in me is a new consciousness of abundance, riches, opulence, prosperity. Everything is mine in Christ."
That is your privilege. It is all within you. It is the awakening of your real self that does that work. That is the Christ. Talk to Christ and identify yourself with Christ. "I am the Christ of God." That is what you are, that is what we every one are, the Christ of God. We have heard that name is sacred. But I can say, "I am God's image and likeness," and people wouldn't be at all disturbed by it, would they? They would say, "Well, man was created in the beginning as God's image and likeness." Yes, but that man was God's ideal man, and that is Christ, and that is what Jesus was in his highest and in most nature, and as I say, that is what we are, everyone, and isn't that a glorious revelation, isn't that more glorious to you than to have Jesus Christ come in the door? Why, he would be something outside of yourself.
Just think of this Christ being inside of yourself. It is your real self. Now, but it's all proclaimed that, let us be among those who are progressive enough to recognize the truth regardless of old notions; let us have a new consciousness of religion; especially, let us have a new consciousness of this Christ in us, and put it to the test. Use it and develop it, for behold the kingdom of God is within you. Now we are going to encourage one another in the experiences we have had in bringing forth this Christ. We are going to ask you to tell us about your experiences. Remember Christ is God's idea of you, and you.
MRS. PALMER: it is the privilege of everyone here to bear testimony of this new consciousness, for as we enter into a new consciousness we realize that there is an abundance of all good for every son of God; we realize that in this consciousness we may give of our substance as well has of the invisible symbol. Taking the symbol in our hands, we enter into a high state of consciousness, realizing our power to speak the word of increase, and it comes forth and according to our faith. Let us speak this word now with unlimited faith in God.
"Divine love through me multiplies you."
Having faith in God, let us sing of the showers of blessings that are now poured out on us.
Father we thank thee four this offering, and we thank thee for the blessings, for the spoken word of increase, bringing abundance into manifestation, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
MR. FILLMORE:
Remember that Christ, through Jesus said, "When two or three are gathered together in my name, there're I am in the midst of them," and "Ask whatsoever ye will in my name, and it shall be done onto you." He also made many promises of that kind. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever you will and it shall be done." Now all these promises mean something, and as we put them to the test we do get very wonderful results. We will all join in this statement which is the class thought. This is the thought:
"Old thoughts and old conditions are as waters that have passed away."
That is the denial. Then,
"In Christ I am conscious of new life, new strength, and new health."
We will say that aloud in concert and then hold it in the silence. (Repeated) The Christ of mine is here. It is universal, it is everywhere. Just mention the name of anyone you would like to help. Remember we are making our affirmations in the consciousness of Christ. (Repeated) "Whatsoever ye ask in the name of Christ shall be given to you." Let us speak with the statement once more. (Repeated) Let us speak the word to all the people in this city who need help. Let us give thanks to Christ for the fulfillment of our words. The promise is that we shall ask whatsoever we will of the father through the Christ, and it shall be granted. That means if we want to greater prosperity, we shall ask for it and affirm it and believe it. So we have the prosperity thought.
"All thoughts of lack are eliminated."
That is your denial.
"Prosperity and success are established in mind and affairs."
You can say, my mind and affairs, if you wish. Now let us affirm that together. (Repeated)
UNITY SCHOOL OF CHRISTIANITY
UNITY ARCHIVES
