If you want to make rapid progress in your demonstration of spiritual Truth, be sure to give up belief in death.
Life is eternal. It knows no death. And this is the Life you are living as a spiritual child of God.
But how often do we see death as an ending point for our earthly experience? And then plan for it? This type of reasoning is a metaphysical mistake. Just like planning a trip to another city. Your mind outlines how to get to that city, what is required along the way, and then plans accordingly. If one is mentally planning to die someday, their mind and body live out that plan. And for anyone who wants to live with health and strength this is not a good plan. Life should be the plan, not death.
And in Truth, there is no death. We never die. Yes, we drop a physical sense of existence as we progress down the path of understanding to eternal Life, but we never die. Ever. Death never happens for us.
So, why not get this figured out now, and enjoy the benefits! Plan to live, not die.
Mary Baker Eddy tells us, “When man gives up his belief in death, he will advance more rapidly towards God, Life, and Love” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 430).
Plan for where you expect to be. Not in a grave but living your eternal spiritual Life. You’re doing it now. Keep doing it!
Fabulous just what we need plan for eternal Life!
Thank you
My Top 10 citations from the Aug. 24 Bible Lesson on Mind (Part 2 | 6-10)
-S&H 180:25 … When man is governed by God, the ever-present Mind who understands all things, man knows that with God all things are possible.
S&H 514: 28-30 … All of God’s creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible.
S&H 427:23 … Immortal Mind, governing all, must be acknowledged as supreme in the physical realm, so-called, as well as in the spiritual.
S&H 135:6-8 … The miracle introduces no disorder, but unfolds the primal order, establishing the Science of God’s unchangeable law.
S&H 424:5-6, 10-11: Accidents are unknown to God, or immortal Mind … Under divine Providence there can be no accidents, since there is no room for imperfection in perfection.
let s live our way out of this experience then, not die out of it….
thank you for such an interesting topic
Thank you, Evan!! This made me think of hymn 135,”I know no death, oh father, because I live in thee; Thy life it is that frees us from death eternally.
And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. John 17:3
Mind, Our loving Mind, the Real Intelligence
of Us All….has spoken, will continue to speak, forever and ever and ever… and we are listening, responding, naturally, “as the leaflet turns to the light..” (MBE)
Thank you, God.
Evan thanks for, “Plan to live….”. Yes this sounds good to me, to gear all our plans and thoughts toward Life and only Life, which is one of the synonyms of God. God, good is continuous, unending, therefore so are we. God, the same yesterday, today and forever.
Jesus shows us how to plan our lives. Only by following his teachings we will find everlasting life, spiritual and eternal. for Jesus said:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. (John 8:51)
and Mrs. Eddy says:
The river of His pleasures is a tributary of divine Love, whose living waters have their source in God, and flow into everlasting Life. We drink of this river when all human desires are quenched, satisfied with what is pleasing to the divine Mind.
(Pulpit and Press, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 3:20)
Christian Scientists raise the dying to health in Christ’s name, and are striving to reach the summit of Jesus’ words, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”
(The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 300:16)
I love the corresponding quotes you have shared, dear Maggie,
which so beautifully compliment the message and lovely photo above.
Like a river flows, without ceasing, so does our spiritual being reflect
and shine with this continuous blessing of Love’s sweet living waters,
without anything that would deter from it’s harmony and peace.
Thank you, dear Carol. Yes, I love the way that MBE describes us as being carried along in the flow of living waters directly from divine Love, No struggling, we just need to trust in it, and yield to it – and as you say, to shine with the continuous blessings of Love’s sweet living waters, sparkling with the sunlight on the water. Nothing can interfere with that flow of pure living waters and deprive us of its blessings.. We can dive straight in at any time when we feel the need to be free of some material problem.
As God is infinite Life and is All, there can be no opposite called death. And man as reflection must express that Life. As pointed out, what a waste of time to think about and plan for something that isn’t! And what a relief to know that we can drop it and concentrate on living our beautiful, continuous, forever Life with our tender, loving, Father-Mother God.
Just wonderful!! Thank you, dear Evan!
Wow, what an inspired post today, Evan! I love the reference to p. 430 in S&H. I just want to LIVE this post as much as I LOVE it❣️✍️
Thanks Evan. Life is a gift. The good Lord does not take gifts away!
Thank you Evan. Your post today made me think of this statement of Jesus…”In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2. I translate that as Jesus saying “My demonstration of eternal life will prove that all have eternal life and I show everyone how to realize their eternal life now!”
Here’s a related Sentinel article.
“I go to prepare a place for you”
SIMON WIJNBERG
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1dvt038fhe4?s=copylink
Thank you, Evan. And thank you Robert H. This is an excellent article.
Wonderful article RobertH, thank you for sharing it!
if you can find this movie or documentary it’s worth looking it up. gives insight into how this state of Jesus came about ” Before the Wrath”.
And because we are immortal, not only is death impossible, we were never born either! Having never been born into nor lived in matter, we cannot pay any penalties connected with age. That means we are never subject to childhood diseases, or any kind of so called birth defects. No retirement issues, no menopausal issues, no teenage issues! God only knows Life, because God is Life, changeless, ageless, So are we forever brand new!
Well put Jackie, there is so much identification with age in the larger mass society. All the things you mentioned we are taught to expect and are considered to be “the way life is.” We never stop to question whether this is true, it is just a given. Thank goodness CS teaches us to question and defeat these false material impositions. As you said, “we cannot pay any penalties connected with age,” because we are the children, the expressions of our ageless, eternal God.
Right on, Rose!
“Glimpse eternal Life and find freedom from grief”. By Donald Carey. From the May 24, 2024, issue of The Christian Science Monitor:
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/A-Christian-Science-Perspective/2024/0524/Glimpse-eternal-Life-and-find-freedom-from-grief/?src=shared
Beautiful article, J. Thank you!
As Evan stated in a recent Sentinel Watch: “I live with God,”. Life that is in, of, and with God means we cannot die. We cannot be ill. We cannot be lost, or ever be separated from Him!
Great spirit view ! Right attitude !thank you !
Wonderful spirit view ! Right attitude !thank you !
Sacramento Sandra
Jackie H
Thank you so very much for your comment. It is so right-on
and helps me immensely. We ARE forever brand new with no negative background such as birth defects, diseases, teenage or senior-aged problems.
We are always and ever have been whole and free from any damage of
any kind. Forever brand new describes all of us!
Thank you so much, Evan. Today’s sharing was beautiful.
Death is the belief that good can come to an end. I watch to not take in deathlike, limiting thoughts. Daily there are suggestions that there can be death to opportunities, that we blew it and a situation can’t be rectified. That is deathlike thinking. Thank God that divine Mind is infinite and is ever providing thoughts which the limited human mind could never fathom. Mind is always moving his/ her expression forward, therefore, there can be no end.
I LOVE ideas Evan shares and what our Spirit View Community has contributed°° But does this mean we don’t make out a will or trust or any arrangements regarding what is to be done with us when we appear ( JUST SEEM toz) pass on???
Well, you certainly don’t plan to hang around in material sense. You expect to ascend and leave all material sense of things behind. So, in light of that fact, it seems to be a kind and thoughtful act to leave a will behind that makes it easy for those around you to know what to do with the stuff you leave behind. Makes life much easier for them, but doesn’t hold you back in anyway.
Great answer. Thanks Evan! I had the same question as Soaring Dove.
YES, Order is God’s way so I expected approval of doing what is good for others! HUGE THANKS 4 ALL the LOVE & WISDOM U SHARE, CHERISHED Evan!!!
YES, Order is God’s way so I expected approval of doing what is good for others! HUGE THANKS 4 ALL the LOVE & WISDOM U SHARE, CHERISHED Evan!!!
this weekend is filled with these Loving articles..
to have yesterday’s todays tomorrow ..
all is Light as in the beginning…
Understanding radiates Light ..beams!!.. how beheld in
Divine Science..the abundant currency of Truth ..Life
Love…kindness tenderness, as thy child forever,
forever knowing…’I ask for thy understanding Heart.”
Harmoniously bestowed amongst all… thy nations.
This is truly necessary, thank you, I especially appreciate this post!
Wow! So, so, true. When my husband passed on, suddenly all I thought about was death and how I would eventually get there. How depressing is that? Then, I realized that suggestions of limitations of one kind or another, including death, have been there my entire life, and I had the choice to either accept or reject them. Gradually, I rejected every notion of a “ending” to my life (or anyone else’s) and realized there truly are no limits on my life and I started writing books with my daughter, and have written 3 so far with plans for more. Life is so wonderful with Christian Science.
Ahhh.. so timely. Thanks Evan. My dear old dog is in the process of “checking out”, and although I’m not really trying to hurry him along, I’ve been telling him that it’s OK for him to go and that life really goes on forever.. so he’ll probably pick up his journey in a new form and it’ll all be good. That he’s been a good friend to me and I’ll love him always.
When it was time for a much loved dog to leave the limitations of this material dream , I experienced no sense of loss or grief as it was just like casting off an old , worn out coat and donning a beautiful new garment .A wonderful CS teacher told my mother of an experience she had when a dog whose material body was being buried , was seen to jump out of the ‘ grave ‘ . Is this what Evan referred to when he talks about tJesus telling the son of the widow of Nain to ‘ rise up ‘ – he only saw the real , spiritual son . He never saw a dead body . ( it’s in the link Evan shared with us all ) . So impressive – of course – Jesus NEVER saw a sick or dying man because it never existed !
Dogs are such wonderful members of the family. Such unconditional
love. When the time came to say goodbye to a treasured dog, I was
on the way home from the vet and feeling very alone and sad. It was
in the middle of the night and after driving around a curve in the
road, a sweet fawn was right there. It joyfully scampered off and
was like a sign that God was everpresent and the Love that my dear
dog had shared with me, was still going on and seen in other ways.
Love never “checks out”, but is always with us. Sometimes it is not
easy to always feel this way, but the Truth of everlasting Love is
with us regardless how we, sometimes, as “mortals” seem to feel.
Big Hug to you, Antonia Z.
Thank you Even!
Thank you!
Thank you, Evan, And thanks to everyone for your contributions.
I am reminded to hold to these wonderful
thoughts and ideas…thanks to this post.
With love and gratitude, Sarah:)
Thank you Euan. Yes Life is a fact…Life is Eternal. I have to sit down with my mother to know what to legally do when she passes, not dies! We both feel uncomfortable about(especially my mother) this because we have to do it and at the same time affirm life. Even though there is no death we have to go through details of what happens when she passes. Any thoughts on this would be gratefully received.
Sarah. .
Sarah, This is quite a hard one to make easier
to cope with, and I have thought about this, as I had difficulty myself when my husband said we must make wills. It seemed like a hard thing to do. But we did it, and felt it was all the right things that we had decided to do with our items. I am not in the least
concerned about them now.
We can impersonalise everything, and and
focus on cherishing all the people we love, and
the people who need love. We can think about
how giving to where the need is most – like
Christian Science organisations and churches,
and other organisations that do great good. We can
think of how we could bring help to those who
need it, and unexpected happiness to those
who seem to have lost it etc. We can have fun
making lists of all the good we could do with
unselfish loving thoughts for our fellow man.
After all, God is always, and will always supply
us with all the true beautiful and needed things
in abundance, so we can’t lose out, but will gain
everything that God gives us by unselfish giving.
And holding in thought that everything we have belongs to God really, and all are spiritual ideas,
even though they seem to be material.
The following citations might be helpful – leaving out the bit about selling items to give to the poor – just seeing all the items as useful or beautiful and
giving that beauty and help to our fellow man.
¶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? …..
..Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. … (Matthew 19_
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. The reign of harmony in divine Science; the realm of unerring, eternal, and omnipotent Mind; the atmosphere of Spirit, where Soul is supreme.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 590:1)
I hope this may help, Sarah. God will be with you
anyway all the while you are doing this, and will direct your thoughts lovingly, and keep you
both in His kingdom forever. love, Maggie
.
.
…
Oh, Maggie, how deeply touching and caring and comforting your message
to Sarah, is. It is such a wonderful expression of God’s Love that is always
present with us, wherever we are or wherever anyone else who has passed
from our “mortal” view. The Spiritual view of their dear qualities live on in
our hearts. The poor, that you write above about, can be the poor in heart
and riches can be the wealth of understanding and willingness to share with
those in need, as you have expressed above. So lovely and heartfelt, which
is True Christian Science, through and through.
Our God truly is very good, Angel.
Thank you so much Maggie, I appreciate your kindness by responding to my message. It does help. Thank you. Love Sarah
From a practical standpoint, I keep a folder with all important papers “for upon death”. You can search online for “a folder when I die” and it will give an overview of all needed items. This makes things so much easier for loved ones; and as Evan states it is a kindness. As someone that has needed to settle a loved one’s estate and has had to order dumpsters, it’s also a kindness to purge, especially if you have lots of “stuff”. 🙂
I agree with J. I think take the appropriate human footsteps,but put my trust in God.
So many wonderful comments above….I find it hard to add to but , regardless of the practical steps we must take to lessen the burden for family and friends still dealing with mortality, this quote from John is our precious reminder of true Life and Love…
John 14:2-6
New King James Version
2 In My Father’s house are many [a]mansions; if it were not so, [b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
So, we keep striving to live and understand these words of Christ Jesus for in truth we are the loved of Love. Eternally so. Love to all.❣️
Thank you so much Evan,you have given me much to ponder on a solitary Bank holiday weekend in England.
Very interesting and helpful comments. I liked the idea of keeping a folder, “ when I die,,,,” which J made To tell our loved ones what to do with all our “ stuff” I seem to have more of that than of anything. Truly valuables ! One just wants to make it as easy as possible for them. Thanks for all useful comments. And to you Evan
Dear Rosemary, your name looked familiar…thank you for your recent Daily Lift!
Thank you so much for all of this, it’s very exciting
Thank you so much for all of this, it’s very exciting .