tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030257666913290314.post4067429591313824113..comments2024-03-11T07:53:25.838-04:00Comments on Spirituality, Dreams and Prophecy: The Spiritual Battle against Temptation, Sadness and DepressionDoug Webberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11071107950046910342noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030257666913290314.post-21382805590129083352016-09-25T18:56:29.001-04:002016-09-25T18:56:29.001-04:00You're welcomeYou're welcomeDoug Webberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11071107950046910342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030257666913290314.post-5268782872744338692016-09-24T21:48:47.726-04:002016-09-24T21:48:47.726-04:00Thank you for summarizing Swedenborg's words o...Thank you for summarizing Swedenborg's words on the temptation process in this post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030257666913290314.post-70101201049191319342016-01-28T21:45:24.168-05:002016-01-28T21:45:24.168-05:00Its not all doom and gloom. God is actually the o...Its not all doom and gloom. God is actually the origin of all love and happiness. And I can assure you, once one overcomes, you will have something you didn't have before: spiritual happiness. It comes from inside. There are seven stages of spiritual development, spiritual knowledge is the first, the conflict of temptation is the second, changing one's life is the third, and the fourth stage, one starts to experience internal happiness. And its not based on external material things. Here are a couple of quotes from Divine Providence:<br /><br />“…the Lord has a residence in these two faculties both with evil men and with good; and by means of them He conjoins Himself with every man. It is from this that an evil man, as well as a good man, can understand; and hence he has, in potency, the will of good and the understanding of truth; that they are not in act, is owing to the abuse of these faculties. That the Lord has a residence with every man in these faculties, is from the influx of His will, — His willing to be received by man, to have His abode in him, and to give him the happy things of eternal life; these are of the Lord's Will, for they are of His Divine Love.” (DP, n. 96)<br /><br />“The continual [working] of the Lord's Divine Providence is to conjoin man with Himself, and Himself with man, that He may be able to give him the happy things of eternal life; which can be done only so far as evils with their lusts are removed.” (DP, n. 102)<br />Doug Webberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11071107950046910342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030257666913290314.post-42430132646487227632016-01-28T14:31:16.445-05:002016-01-28T14:31:16.445-05:00Meh. I just don't have the energy to overcome ...Meh. I just don't have the energy to overcome my inclinations to "evil". I will never be a charitable person, I will never improve. Hell is my home. <br /><br />I just wish death was the end.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030257666913290314.post-25913974439945087702016-01-27T10:49:55.715-05:002016-01-27T10:49:55.715-05:00Instead of focusing on anger and fear, focus on fo...Instead of focusing on anger and fear, focus on forgiving and asking for forgiveness. This fear typically originates from evils or falsities within oneself (see Heavenly Arcana, n. 390-91). If there are sins of the past focus on turning against them, for it is sin, combined with truth, which can lead to fear and this can be the power of evil resisting. Ask the Lord for help to fight for you against this, to change your life. The change however will be gradual, not instantaneous.<br /><br />"He who lives the life of faith does daily the work of repentance; for he reflects upon the evils that are in him, acknowledges them, guards himself against them, and supplicates the Lord for aid. For man of himself is continually lapsing, but is continually raised up by the Lord. He lapses of himself when he thinks of willing evil, and he is raised up by the Lord when he resists evil, and thus does not do it.... The work of repentance, which is done in a state of freedom, is of avail, but that which is done in a state of compulsion, is not of avail. A state of compulsion is a state of sickness, a state of dejection of mind in consequence of misfortune, a state of imminent death, in a word, every state of fear which takes away the use of sound reason. He who is evil and in a state of compulsion promises repentance and also does good, when he comes into a state of freedom returns into his former life of evil. ...Repentance of the mouth and not of the life is not repentance. Sins are not remitted by repentance of the mouth, but by repentance of the life. Sins are continually remitted to man by the Lord, for He is mercy itself; but sins adhere to man, albeit he supposes that they are remitted, nor are they removed from him except by a life according to the precepts of faith. So far as he lives according to those precepts, so far his sins are removed, and so far as they are removed, so far they are remitted. For man is withheld by the Lord from evil and is held in good. And he is so far able to be withheld from evil in the other life, as in the life of the body he had resisted evil. And he is so far able to be held in good then, as in the life of the body he had done good from affection. From this it may be evident what the remission of sins is, and whence it is. He who believes that sins are remitted in any other way, is much deceived." (Heavenly Arcana, n. 8391-93)Doug Webberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11071107950046910342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030257666913290314.post-23375895091068184762016-01-27T00:08:33.078-05:002016-01-27T00:08:33.078-05:00Every day I seem to get worse. I can't stop b...Every day I seem to get worse. I can't stop being filled with fear, anger and resentment. Those three are tied together. I am also suffering a chronic ailment that has made it even more difficult to change. I really wish for death most days (not kidding here). I'm so afraid of hell.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030257666913290314.post-71356474605282581322016-01-21T16:53:00.625-05:002016-01-21T16:53:00.625-05:00Swedenborg didnt say this, Jesus did. At the begi...Swedenborg didnt say this, Jesus did. At the beginning of the gospels He commands us all to repent, which at the beginning is hard, but it is light because Jesus will battle for us against the hells as we resist temptation. But in the end of temptation, after one conquers, one receives consolation and happiness and thus the burden is indeed light. Jesus suffered in temptations, so shall we: "The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master." (Luke 6:40). "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." (John 15:18). "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another (Matt. 10:22-23)<br /><br />Repentance at the beginning is not easy, it is hard, but it is light compared to what Jesus had to suffer in order to redeem mankind. It is also life long. No one is saved in a moment, there is no such thing as immediate mercy, it is something that needs to be practiced for the entire spiritual journey.Doug Webberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11071107950046910342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030257666913290314.post-79808006702754669322016-01-21T00:02:49.873-05:002016-01-21T00:02:49.873-05:00I hope this isn't true. If it is I'm cert...I hope this isn't true. If it is I'm certainly on my way to hell. Jesus said his burden was light; if Swedenborg it correct then how is this burden light?? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com