Logopraxis

Arcana Coelestia 7643(3) The Lord is continually bringing the heavens into order, and is constantly receiving new residents of heaven, to whom He gives dwelling places and inheritances; and when He does this, heaven approaches, that is, flows in more strongly, causing the infernal spirits to rush more strongly into evils and falsities, and into the penalties of these; and in consequence of this rushing into evils and falsities, they as before said vastate themselves; and this does not cease with them until they have completely devastated themselves, and cast themselves deeply into the hells. From all this it can be seen that nothing else than good proceeds from the Lord, and that the evil is from those themselves who are in evil. On the mirror True Christian Religion 6(2)...For everyone who has acquired his state of mind from God, the Sacred Scripture is like a mirror, in which he sees God, everyone in his own fashion. This mirror is composed of the truths which he learns from the Word and absorbs by living his life in accordance with them.  AC 5286...A person's natural - that is, his natural mind which is beneath his rational mind - cannot by itself see to any provision whatever that has to be made. It seems to do so by itself, but any provision it does make is seen to by what is interior. This sees within the exterior what provision needs to be made, almost as a person sees himself in a mirror in which his image seems to exist.  Divine Love and Wisdom 59...For the created universe is not God, but from God. And because it is from God, it has in it His image, like the image of a person in a mirror, in which the person indeed appears, but which nevertheless has nothing of the person in it. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7774 Verses 4-8. And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt. And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones; and every firstborn of beast. And there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt, such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it anymore. And to all the sons of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, from man and even to beast; that ye may know that Jehovah doth separate between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that is at thy feet; and thereafter I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in the wrath of anger. "And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah," signifies instruction; "About midnight," signifies when the devastation is total; "I will go out into the midst of Egypt," signifies the presence of the Divine then everywhere; "and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die," signifies the damnation then of faith separate from charity; "from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne," signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place; "even to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones," signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place; "and every first-born of beast" signifies the adulterated goods of faith; "and there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt," signifies interior lamentation; "such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it anymore" signifies that the state was such that there could not be any like it; "and to all the sons of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue," signifies that among those who were of the spiritual church there should not be the least of damnation and lamentation; "from man and even to beast," signifies neither as to truth nor as to good; "that ye may know that Jehovah doth separate between the Egyptians and Israel," signifies that it may be known what is the nature of the difference between those who are in evil and those who are in good; "and all these thy servants shall come down unto me," signifies those who are subordinate; "and bow down themselves to me," signifies respect from fear on account of truth Divine; "saying, Get thee out, and all the people that is at thy feet," signifies supplication that they may depart from those who are in truth from the Divine, from the highest to the lowest; "and thereafter I will go out," signifies that truth Divine will depart; "and he went out from before Pharaoh in the wrath of anger," signifies the rending asunder of the presence of truth Divine from those who are about to be damned. 7775 And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah. This signifies instruction (as above, n. 7765). 7776 About midnight. That this signifies when the devastation is total; is evident from the signification of "midnight," as being when the thick darkness is most dense, that is, when there is mere falsity; for "night" signifies a state of falsity (n. 2353, 6000), and the middle of it denotes the highest; thus "midnight" denotes total devastation. 7777 I will go out into the midst of Egypt. That this signifies the presence of the Divine then everywhere, is evident from the signification of "going out through the midst," when said of Jehovah, as being the presence of the Divine. When "the midst" is predicated of land it signifies everywhere; for "to go out through the midst of Egypt" denotes into every part. 7778 And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die. That this signifies the damnation of faith separate from charity, is evident from the signification of "dying," as being damnation (see n. 5407, 6119); and from the signification of "firstborn," as being the faith of the church through which is char...

And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron; and he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you. And now forgive I pray my sin only this once, and supplicate ye to Jehovah your God that He may remove from before me this death only. And he went out from before Pharaoh, and supplicated unto Jehovah. And Jehovah turned an exceeding strong sea wind, and took up the locust, and cast it into the sea Suph; there was not left one locust in all the border of Egypt. And Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let go the sons of Israel. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, and there shall be thick darkness upon the land of Egypt, and one shall grope in the thick darkness. And Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven; and there was dense thick darkness in the whole land of Egypt three days. They saw not a man his brother, and there rose not up anyone from what was under him for three days; and all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve Jehovah; only your flock and your herd shall stay; your babe also shall go with you. And Moses said, Thou shalt also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may perform it unto Jehovah our God. And our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof we must take to serve Jehovah our God; and we know not with what we must serve Jehovah until we come thither. And Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said to him, Go away from before me, take heed to thyself that thou see my faces no more; for in the day thou seest my faces thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast rightly spoken; I will see thy faces again no more. Exodus 10: 16-29 Exposition summaries  Arcana Coelestia 7694. “And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron,” signifies fear then of truth from the Divine; “and he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you,” signifies confession that they have not obeyed the Divine and the truth; “and now forgive I pray my sin only this once,” signifies that their disobedience should not be regarded; “and supplicate ye to Jehovah your God,” signifies intercession; “that He may remove from upon me this death only,” signifies that this falsity may not torment; “and he went out from before Pharaoh,” signifies separation; “and made supplication unto Jehovah,” signifies intercession; “and Jehovah turned an exceeding strong sea wind,” signifies the cessation of Divine influx through heaven; “and took up the locust,” signifies the end of this state; “and cast it into the sea Suph,” signifies into hell; “there was not left one locust in all the border of Egypt,” signifies that these falsities in the extremes appeared no more; “and Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart,” signifies that the infesters were determined; “and he did not let go the sons of Israel,” signifies that they did not leave those of the spiritual church. AC 7708.  “And Jehovah said unto Moses,” signifies instruction; “Stretch out thy hand toward heaven,” signifies the rule of the power of truth Divine in heaven; “and there shall be thick darkness upon the land of Egypt,” signifies a complete privation of truth and good; “and one shall grope in the thick darkness,” signifies the density of the falsity from evil; “and Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven,” signifies the rule of truth Divine in heaven; “and there was dense thick darkness in all the land of Egypt,” signifies the complete privation of truth and good; “for three days,” signifies a full state; “they saw not a man his brother,” signifies that they did not perceive the truth of any good; “and there rose not up anyone from what was under him,” signifies that there was no elevation of mind; “for three days,” signifies a full state; “and all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings,” signifies that those who were of the spiritual church had enlightenment everywhere i...

Divine Love and Wisdom 327. ALL THINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN CREATED BY THE LORD ARE USES. THEY ARE USES IN THE ORDER, DEGREE AND RESPECT IN WHICH THEY HAVE RELATION TO MAN, AND THROUGH MAN TO THE LORD FROM WHOM THEY ARE  Concerning these subjects it has been stated above: that nothing except use can exist from God the Creator (308); that the uses of all created things ascend by degrees from ultimate things to man, and through man to God the Creator, from Whom they are (65-68); that the end of Creation exists in ultimates, which end is that all things may return to God the Creator, and that there may be conjunction (167-172); that things are uses so far as they have regard to the Creator (307); that the Divine cannot be other than Esse and Existere in others created by itself (47-51); that all things of the universe are recipients according to uses, and this, according to degrees (58); that the universe, viewed from uses, is an image of God (59); besides many other things. From all of which this truth is plain that all things which have been created by the Lord are uses, and that they are uses in that order, degree and respect in which they have relation to man, and through man to the Lord from Whom they are. It remains now that some things should be stated in detail about uses. Arcana Coelestia 7636. That ye may know that I am Jehovah. That this signifies that thus it may be known to them that the Lord is the only God, is evident from the signification of “that ye may know,” as being that it may be known to them. That by “I am Jehovah” is signified that the Lord is the only God, is because the name “Jehovah” signifies Is, thus Him from whom is the being and coming-forth of all things, who cannot but be the sole and only one. (That “Jehovah” denotes the Lord, see n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6303, 6905, 6945, 6956; and that by these words is meant that He is the only God, n. 7401, 7444, 7544, 7598) 7643... evil is not from the Lord, but that it arises from man, because man turns to himself that good which flows in from the Lord, and instead of regarding the Lord and what is of the Lord in all things, he regards himself. Hence comes the concupiscence of reigning over all, and of possessing all that belongs to others; and hence come contempt for others, and hatred, revenge, and cruelty toward those who do not favor and be friendly to one's self; hence also comes contempt for all things that are of faith and charity, because when these flow in from the Lord they are turned to self, thus away from the Lord. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 7601(2)... when the evil are being vastated, that is, when they are being separated from truths and goods, and are left to their own evils and falsities, they are then vastated in respect to those truths and goods which are in the exterior natural, and which are adjoined there to falsities and evils. That these truths and goods look downward, and therefore cannot be reserved, will be seen below (n. 7604, 7607); but the truths and goods of the interior natural are not vastated, but are brought further inward, and are there reserved for use; and then the communication between the interior natural and the exterior is so far closed that nothing of good and truth can inflow from the interior natural into the exterior natural, except only something general, to enable them to reason, and to string together arguments to confirm falsities and evils. Those goods and truths which are reserved, are signified in the Word by “remains”. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

AC 91... While he is spiritual, the external man is not yet willing to yield obedience to and serve the internal, and therefore there is a combat; but when he becomes celestial, then the external man begins to obey and serve the internal, and therefore the combat ceases, and tranquility ensues AC 159…But the state of the posterity of this celestial man, in consequence of desiring their Own(proprium), which belongs to the external man, was so changed that they no longer perceived the internal man to be distinct from the external, but imagined the internal to be one with the external, for such a perception takes place when man inclines to his Own(proprium). AC 24. [2] Man, before he is being regenerated, does not even know that any internal man exists, much less is he acquainted with its nature and quality. He supposes the internal and the external man to be not distinct from each other. For, being immersed in bodily and worldly things, he has also immersed in them the things that belong to his internal man, and has made of things that are distinct a confused and obscure unit... AC 7601...when the evil are being vastated, that is, when they are being separated from truths and goods, and are left to their own evils and falsities, they are then vastated in respect to those truths and goods which are in the exterior natural, and which are adjoined there to falsities and evils. That these truths and goods look downward, and therefore cannot be reserved, will be seen below (n. 7604, 7607); but the truths and goods of the interior natural are not vastated, but are brought further inward, and are there reserved for use; and then the communication between the interior natural and the exterior is so far closed that nothing of good and truth can inflow from the interior natural into the exterior natural, except only something general, to enable them to reason, and to string together arguments to confirm falsities and evils.  ...[8] In Moses: Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a mixed garment of wool and flax together (Deuteronomy 22:10-11); by “an ox” is signified the good of the natural; by “an ass” its truth; in like manner by “wool and flax.” That they were not to plough with an ox and an ass together, nor to wear a mixed garment of wool and flax together, signified that they were not to be in two states at once; namely, in good and from it look to truth; and at the same time in truth and from it look to good. These things involve the same as is involved in the words of the Lord in Matthew: Let him that is upon the roof of the house not come down to take anything out of his house; and let him that is in the field not return back to take his garment (Matthew 24:17-18); as to which see above (n. 3652 at the end). For they who from good look to truth are in an interior heaven; but they who from truth look to good are in an exterior heaven; the latter from the world look to heaven, the former from heaven look to the world, whence they are in a kind of opposition, and therefore if they were together, the one would destroy the other.  Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 7599... the evil turn themselves away from Jehovah, or the Lord, for they turn themselves away from the good which is of charity, and from the truth which is of faith, in which the Lord is; and then the things that belong to the Lord are behind them, and those which belong to themselves are in front of them; and that which is behind them they neither see nor care for. From this comes all evil to man, consequently unhappiness and hell. AC 7589. I have sinned this time. That this signifies separation from truth and good, is evident from the signification of “sinning,” as being a sundering and turning away from the Divine, thus from truth and good (see n. 5229, 5474, 5841); consequently also separation, for he who turns himself away from truth and good, separates himself from them. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7752 Exodus 11 THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY All things in the universe bear relation to Good and Truth. That which does not bear relation to good and truth is not in Divine order; and that which does not bear relation to both together, produces nothing. Good is that which produces, and truth is that by which it produces. 7753 These facts may illustrate how the case is with spiritual good and truth, which are called charity and faith; namely, that all things which belong to the church bear relation to these, and those which do not bear relation to them have nothing of the church in them; and also that which does not contain both within it produces no fruit, that is, no good of charity or of faith. 7754 For in order that anything may be produced, there must be two forces, one which is called active, the other which is called passive; the one without the other brings forth nothing. Such forces, or lives, are charity and faith in the man of the church. 7755 The first of the church is good, the second is truth; or the first of the church is charity, and the second is faith. For the truth of the doctrine of faith is for the sake of the good of life. That which is the end for the sake of which something else exists, this is the first. 7756 With the conjunction of the good which is of charity, and the truth which is of faith, in man, the case is this. The good which is of charity enters through the soul into man, but the truth which is of faith enters through the hearing; the former flows in immediately from the Lord, but the latter mediately through the Word. Hence the way by which the good of charity enters is called the internal way; and the way by which the truth of faith enters is called the external way. That which enters by the internal way is not perceived, because it is not plainly subject to sensation; whereas that which enters by the external way is perceived, because it is plainly subject to sensation. For this reason everything of the church is attributed to faith. It is otherwise with those who have been regenerated; with such the good that is of charity is plainly perceived. 7757 The conjunction of the good of charity with the truth of faith is effected in the interiors of man. The good itself which flows in from the Lord adopts truth there, and appropriates it to itself, and thereby causes the good with the man to be good, and the truth to be truth; or the charity to be charity, and the faith to be faith. Without this conjunction charity is not charity, but only natural goodness; neither is faith faith, but only the memory-knowledge of such things as are of faith, and in some cases a persuasion that a thing is so for the sake of earning gain or honor. 7758 When truth has been conjoined with good it is no longer called truth, but good; and so when faith has been conjoined with charity it is no longer called faith, but charity; the reason is that the man then wills and does the truth, and that which he wills and does is called good. 7759 With the conjunction of the good of charity with the truth of faith, the case, further, is this. This good obtains its quality from truth, and truth its essence from good. From this it follows that the quality of good is according to the truths with which it is conjoined; and therefore good becomes genuine if the truths with which it is conjoined are genuine. Genuine truths of faith are possible within the church, but not out of it, for within the church is the Word. 7760 Moreover, the good of charity receives its quality also from the abundance of the truths of faith; likewise from the connection of one truth with another; thus is formed spiritual good with man. 7761 A clear distinction must be made between spiritual good and natural good. As before said, spiritual good has its quality from the truths of faith, their abundance, and their connection; but natural good is born with the man,

And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, and let them serve Jehovah their God; knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing? And Moses and Aaron were brought back unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them, Go ye, serve Jehovah your God; who and who are going? And Moses said, We will go with our boys, and with our old men; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flock and with our herd, will we go, because we have a feast of Jehovah. And he said unto them, So shall Jehovah be with you when I let you go, and your babe; see ye that evil is before your faces. Not so; go I pray, ye that are young men, and serve Jehovah; because this ye seek. And he drove them out from the faces of Pharaoh. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the land of Egypt for the locust, and it shall come up upon the land of Egypt, and shall devour all the herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. And Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locust. And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the border of Egypt, very grievous; before it there was no such locust as this, and after it there shall not be such. And it covered the surface of the whole land, and the land was darkened; and it devoured all the herb of the land, and all the fruit of the tree which the hail had left; and there was not left any green thing in the tree and in the herb of the field, in the whole land of Egypt.  Exodus 10: 7-15 Transcript It came up in the shares, the idea of the sensory coupled with sensitivity and its reference to what is green and just, the correspondence of that in terms of photosynthesis. You have the concept there of sensitivity to light in order to produce what is good and how it's the falsities of the senses or a belief in the senses as something that can bring about what is of heaven, like, the cultivation of delight at that level, that actually closes off that sensitivity.  So those falsities represented by the locusts … there's this idea here of the need for the exposure of the quality of what's active but unconscious now becoming conscious, in order that it can be dealt with. So that what is represented by the babe, young men, the old men, all those things that have to do with our understanding of the Lord, can be released from the bondage that those sensory elements have over them when they rule. So just again there was this reinforcement of the idea here that this is really an uncovering of what's active not a ‘coming upon' of something that wasn't there before. It's really just the unveiling of the condition and because it's through being open and sensitive to what's arising that enables what is of the Lord to be liberated from what is of self, and then that's where the empowerment really comes to the fore. So if you go back to the opening Arcana Coelestia 7651, And Pharaoh's servant said unto him how long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go and let them serve Jehovah their God knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing. This struck me as being like a voice that comes from within and it has to do with a reaction to what's happening, you know, the struggle to get beyond what appears to be a hopeless situation when you're dealing with what's arising. So often that voice comes through as a voice of weariness and fatigue related to the process. So it's reaching a stage where there's this kind of like – “just get it sorted!” you know, like we experienced this periodically. So it's really a reaction on the part of the proprium to the impact the Word or the light of truth is having upon the mind. And so being tied up in spiritual combats, going around and around through seemingly repeated experiences brings fatigue, and the fatigue arises because we are still identified with the thing...

Arcana Coelestia 7573... As regards truth Divine in heaven and in hell, which truth is signified by the “voices,” the case is the same as it is with thunders on earth. On high mountains thunders are heard as a mild and gentle sound, whereas below on the earth they are heard as a terrific noise; and in the same way in heaven truth Divine is mild and gentle, but in hell is terrible. [2] That “voices” which are thunders signify truths Divine that enlighten and perfect those who are in heaven, and that terrify and devastate those who are in hell, is plain from the following passages: There shall be joy of heart; as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountains of Jehovah, unto the Rock of Israel; then shall Jehovah cause the glory of His voice to be heard, and shall make His arm see rest; in the indignation of anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, in scattering, and in inundation, and in hailstone. For by the voice of Jehovah shall Asshur be dismayed (Isaiah 30:29-31); here “the voice of Jehovah” denotes truth Divine, which enlightens and perfects those who are in good, and terrifies and devastates those who are in evil. In Joel: The earth quaked before Him, the sun and the moon were blackened, and the stars withdrew their shining; and Jehovah uttered His voice before His army, His camp is very great; for numberless is he that doeth His word; for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible (Joel 2:10-11); where the meaning is similar. [3] In the same: Jehovah shall roar from Zion, and shall utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but Jehovah shall be a refuge for His people, and a stronghold to the sons of Israel (Joel 3:16). Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

On the history of the churches True Christian Religion 762. That four churches have existed on this earth since the creation of the world is in accordance with Divine order, which requires that there be a beginning and then its end before a new beginning starts in. Therefore every day begins with morning, progresses, ends in night, and then begins anew; also every year begins with spring, progresses through summer to autumn, closes in winter, and then begins again; and in order that these changes may take place the sun rises in the east progresses therefrom through the south to the west, and finishes its course in the north, after which it rises again. It is the same with churches; the first, which was the Most Ancient, was like morning, spring, and the east; the second or Ancient church was like day, summer, and the south; the third was like evening, autumn, and the west; and the fourth like night, winter and the north. From these orderly progressions the wise men of ancient times inferred four ages of the world, the first of which they called the golden age, the second the silver age, the third the copper age, and the fourth the iron age, by which metals, moreover, these churches are represented in Nebuchadnezzar's statue. And again, in the Lord's sight the church is seen as a single man, and this larger man must pass through his stages of life like an individual, that is to say, from infancy to youth, from this to manhood, and finally to old age; and then, when he dies, he will rise again. The Lord says: Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth [alone]; but if it die, it beareth much fruit (John 12:24). Arcana Coelestia 8211 [4] Since 'morning' means a state of enlightenment and salvation of the good, and a state of thick darkness and perdition of the evil, 'morning' also means the time of the last judgement, when those governed by good are to be saved and those ruled by evil will perish. It consequently means the end of a former Church and the beginning of a new Church, which are meant by a last judgement in the Word, 900, 931, 1733, 1850, 2117-2133, 3353, 4057, 4535. Apocalypse Explained 680... That "three" signifies what is complete, and thus the end, may be seen above (n. 435, 506, 532). This is evident also from the signification of "coming quickly," as being certainly, at hand, and coming to pass; that "quickly" signifies certainty may be seen also above (n. 7, 216). What this third woe that was to come quickly involves, can be seen from what follows, namely, that it involves the final state of the church, when there is no longer any truth or good, and the state of separation at that time of the evil from the good, and of the good from the evil, and at length the Last Judgement, which is effected by a full separation, and then the casting down of the evil into hell, and the elevation of the good into heaven. AC 2118. By the Last Judgment is meant the last time of a church, and also the last state of each person's life. As regards the last time of the church, it was the Last Judgment of the Most Ancient Church, which was before the flood, when their posterity perished; whose destruction is described by the flood. The Last Judgment of the Ancient Church, which was after the flood, was when almost all who were of that church became idolaters, and were dispersed. The Last Judgment of the Representative Church, which succeeded among the posterity of Jacob, was when the ten tribes were carried away into captivity, and were dispersed among the nations; and when later, after the Lord's coming, the Jews were driven out of the land of Canaan, and were scattered throughout the world. The Last Judgment of the present church, which is called the Christian Church, is what is meant by John in Revelation by the “New Heaven and the New Earth.” From the LP reading on casting into hell and raising into heaven AC 7541[2] It is according to order that one plague should follow another,

Transcript There are levels to work and so what serves for meeting as a group is our work over the period and that's what we bring. But there is that live aspect of work, work in vivo, so far as if you think of the Life Group container, which presents an opportunity to really be in touch with states that are arising. And this is another level of work; being able to frame that in terms of those universal spiritual principles and being able to bring that to the group. That's another aspect to work that we could definitely start to explore, and just mentioning it opens things up for that possibility. So in terms of that, it's about trust and by that, I mean trusting the process. It's not so much as in your traditional growth groups which is trusting other people. That's really not necessary here because we know what proprium is … that can't be trusted. So it's a different level of work. But what you can do is be aware of your states and trust the process. That what you're being given is being given to you by the Lord, and that shifts the whole thing. It's that sort of material, when it is able to be framed in the light of spiritual work, that becomes nourishment for the group as an entity. So it's not about any individual; it's about the group as a living entity. And that way the group becomes a repository for understanding on the level of group processes. And that capacity to listen, to be aware of what's arising, to be able to frame what's arising in the context of the spiritual principles that we've been working with for a long time, then adds a whole new dimension to what listening is about.   Think of the Life Group as a practise group. It's where you practise these skills. And the reason for that is because, you know, life is just busy and full of stuff. Whereas here is a kind of a hermetically sealed opportunity to actually get in touch with things that we're not normally in touch with. And to be able to use those skills that we have developed in the way that we interact with one another. And that will transfer out of here. You'll find that in your daily life there will be moments and opportunities for listening in the way that you listen here. Something will remind you to do that and as you do it, then you lift the quality of the contact. So, Logopraxis isn't about, for want of a better term, spilling your guts. It's about getting in touch with what's of spiritual benefit to the whole, that supports the end, which is the regeneration of the human mind. And then something special makes its presence felt and that's the Lord in the midst. So fear, anxiety, feelings of … how is going to be received? etc… all of that is bubbling away out of that sense of self that's grounded in the love of self and the love of the world. And there's no need to fear anything here because we're working with process. So, we put ourselves in an interesting position, right? Like there's an aspect of us that feels vulnerable, but the flip side of vulnerability is trust. If there's no vulnerability, there's no trust. It's "easy to be vulnerable" when there's no anxiety or fear or anything like that. Often, we think trust is about having it together, whereas really trust is about stepping beyond our normal boundaries, so far as our sense of self and its safety is concerned. So there's always going to be resistance and a sense of separation until you make the share. But once you speak it, that sense of separation and fear disappears, it dissipates because there was no reason for it to begin with. It's just that these sorts of psychodynamic structures will bind us in any way they can to maintain the status quo, whereas the work of the Lord is to break down the status quo and to move us into new vistas of the reality that He Is. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life w...

Apocalypse Revealed 78. And that thou canst not bear the evil, signifies that they cannot bear that evils should be called goods, and the reverse, because this is contrary to the truths of doctrine. That this is the signification of these words, is evident from what follows, by which is signified that they scrutinize those things in the church which are called goods and truths, when yet they are evils and falsities. To know goods, whether they are goods or evils, is of doctrine, and is among its truths, but to do goods or evils is of the life; this is said, therefore, of those who primarily regard the truths of doctrine, and not the goods of life, (73). By "the evil" in the spiritual sense, are not meant the evil but evils, because this sense is abstracted from persons. From the Logopraxis Workbook... Spiritual Literacy Let those who have ears to hear, hear what the spirit is saying to the Churches (Revelation 2:29) Thinking spiritually, or practising spiritual literacy skills, underpins all of our Logopraxis work. It refers to the ability to ‘read 'what presents into our conscious awareness, in the light of what the Text teaches is true. In cultivating these skills, we seek to observe spiritual principles and from these, to then recognise states of thought or feeling that arise in us while engaging with it, and also while engaging with others in external life. Our day-to-day activities and relationships are the field in which our inner reactions and responses can be observed and seen to illustrate what the Text teaches regarding the nature of self and the nature of the Divine, of the Lord. Natural or material thinking is dominated by worldly concerns that involve people (including ourselves), places, events, memories of the past, or projections regarding the future - and in general terms, this mode of thought functions from the belief that what the senses perceive are ‘real' things. Spiritual thinking is not concerned with that but rather is focused on those things that belong to our ‘states of mind': the relations of goods and truths, thoughts and affections, motivations and intentions, beliefs and attitudes, shunning evils and falsities, and the activity of the hellish proprium and hell versus what is of the Lord and heaven. So, the practise of spiritual literacy skills involves working to remove the natural material world elements of person, place, time, and space from the content of what we are ‘reading' or listening to, and to hold the intention to see how what's being offered might be framed in a way that captures the universal aspects of spiritual process. This divided attention of observing both internal and external states is a valuable tool in stilling the mind and helps us to be consciously present to what arises both within ourselves and with what is being presented before us either through the Text or through others. Consequently, Logopraxis Life Groups are practise groups as they are an opportunity to practise spiritual literacy as we speak and listen when we meet.  They offer a hermetically sealed container within which the material gathered from each individual's practice can serve as the basis for creating a unique environment. It is where we may learn to be with others in a new way, and where the practise of the Word is what is central. Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) 5253{2}... time nor space exists in the spiritual world. These two elements belong properly to the natural order, which also accounts for its being said that those who die depart from the realm of time, leaving temporal concerns behind them. And the reason why in the spiritual world they do not see anything that has to do specifically with some person is that any focusing, when they speak, on some particular person narrows down and limits the idea they have in mind; such a focusing prevents any broadening or removal of limits to their idea. Their use, when they speak, of broadened and unlimited ideas renders their lang...

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7694 Verses 16-20. And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron; and he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you. And now forgive I pray my sin only this once, and supplicate ye to Jehovah your God that He may remove from before me this death only. And he went out from before Pharaoh, and supplicated unto Jehovah. And Jehovah turned an exceeding strong sea wind, and took up the locust, and cast it into the sea Suph; there was not left one locust in all the border of Egypt. And Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let go the sons of Israel. "And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron," signifies fear then of truth from the Divine; "and he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you," signifies confession that they have not obeyed the Divine and the truth; "and now forgive I pray my sin only this once," signifies that their disobedience should not be regarded; "and supplicate ye to Jehovah your God," signifies intercession; "that He may remove from upon me this death only," signifies that this falsity may not torment; "and he went out from before Pharaoh," signifies separation; "and made supplication unto Jehovah," signifies intercession; "and Jehovah turned an exceeding strong sea wind," signifies the cessation of Divine influx through heaven; "and took up the locust," signifies the end of this state; "and cast it into the sea Suph," signifies into hell; "there was not left one locust in all the border of Egypt," signifies that these falsities in the extremes appeared no more; "and Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart," signifies that the infesters were determined; "and he did not let go the sons of Israel," signifies that they did not leave those of the spiritual church. 7695 And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron. That this signifies fear then of truth from the Divine, is evident from the signification of "hastening," as being from fear, for all haste arises from some affection that is excited, here from the affection of fear, as is plain from the words of Pharaoh, "I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you, supplicate ye that He may take away from me this death only;" from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest, of which frequently above; and from the representation of Moses and Aaron, as being truth from the Divine, Moses the internal, and Aaron the external (see n. 7089, 7382). 7696 And he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you. That this signifies confession that they have not obeyed the Divine and the truth, is evident from the signification of "sinning," as being to do contrary to Divine order (see n. 5076), and to avert and separate one's self from it, thus from good and truth (n. 5229, 5474, 5841, 7589), consequently it also denotes not to obey the Divine and the truth, for he who does not obey averts himself. The Divine is what is meant by "Jehovah your God," and the truth by "Moses and Aaron" (n. 7695). 7697 And now forgive I pray my sin only this once. That this signifies that they should not regard the disobedience, is evident from the signification of "forgiving," as being not to regard, for to forgive is not to regard anyone from evil but from good; and from the signification of "sin," as being disobedience (as just above, n. 7696). 7698 And supplicate ye to Jehovah your God. That this signifies intercession, is evident from the signification of "supplicating to Jehovah," when done for another, as being intercession (see n. 7396, 7462). 7699 That he may remove from upon me this death only. That this signifies that this falsity may not torment, is evident from the signification of "removing this death," as being that it may not torment; for by "death" is signified damnation and hell (see n. 5407, 6119), thus also torment. That they who infest deprecate this falsity is because they no longer have the capacity of reasoning against the truths of faith,

Transcript The Lord doesn't love, the Lord IS love. So what love does is that it has to bring into being what is other than itself. In order for love to exist, there has to be two. But the Lord can't bring into being a being that is Divine like Himself, because that would be loving Himself. So what the Lord brings into being is what is other than Himself. Now if you define Divinity, Divinity is to have life in oneself. That's what Divinity is. To be the source of life itself. To not be Divine, is to be a receiver of life. So everything that is created is not the Lord, it is a receiver of the Lord's life. Now in order to have a reciprocal relationship, that life has to be received by the creature, or what is created, in a way whereby it feels it to be its own. So the feeling has to be there that I am a self. But the understanding is that that feeling is a product of the Lord's in flowing life. It's not something sourced in myself, although by all appearances it does. Then you have the conditions for reciprocity, which is what love is. It's communion and connection. So that's the only way the Divine Being as love, can have love manifest as if there is another being that for all intents of purposes operates as if it is Divine but knows that it's not. And the more that you know that you don't have life in yourself, then the more infilling there is from the Divine and the more fully you feel alive. So there's kind of a paradox that sits in there. Now from our perspective, where we believe we have life in ourselves, it all looks like - My goodness, if I have to give this up then I am nothing! And so you spiral into - What is it all about? Well what the Word says is that every human being that comes into being has come into being through a need within the Grand Man to fulfill a use in the whole of the community, a unique use that only that being can fulfill. And so that's what's behind human beings being born, is that they're being born for heaven to infill these uses in this community of heaven. So an example is like when you are in a use that you love, you give no thought to yourself. Like your sense of self just doesn't exist in that time stands still, or time doesn't exist either. You're fully in the joy of what you're doing and it's not self referencing. Well that's angelic consciousness, and angels do not self reference but they're more fully alive and feel the life in the joy and the purpose and the meaning of being itself because they don't have that belief in oneself getting in the way and obscuring the Lord's life. So the Lord's desire is to give all that He is to another. That's what love does, and love can't do anything else but that, because the Lord is the fullness of all we can imagine from a perspective of happiness and joy and meaning and purpose. The more we can receive of Him, the greater our sense of meaning, happiness, joy and purpose is. So the other aspect to it is that what we can say is that that life is nothing like how we experience life at this particular point in our development. So we struggle to see what joy and happiness is without self referencing whereas it's actually true joy, true peace. True love is when the self is no longer something that's looking to take for itself what it wants or what it believes will make it happy because humility, happiness, joy, all of these things arise when the self is put off. That's what we become and that's what heaven is. So all there is, is as of self. There is no self other than the Lord. The Lord is the only Self. So just by extension, there can only be as of self and all sense of me being a self falls into the realm of falsity. So we are receivers of the Lord's life. We don't have life in our self and by definition only that which has life in itself is a self. So the Lord is the only self. The struggle we have is around trying to live out of an as of self as opposed to out of my-self. Well,

Arcana Coelestia 7542... The inmost with the good is love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor, but the inmost with the evil is the love of self and the love of the world; it is this inmost that is here meant. The things that are around this inmost and make as it were its circumferences, are evils with the falsities which favor them; and these are disposed in the order in which they favor. In the other life these are unrolled according to the order in which they have been disposed; first come forth those which occupy the outermost circumferences; afterward those which occupy the more interior ones; and at last the inmost is made manifest. Hence it is that a man in the other life passes through many states, and that by degrees, successively, the evil run into plagues, before they are cast into hell, according to what has just been said. The inmost, to which they finally come, is hell itself with them, for it is the evil itself which had been of their love, thus the end for the sake of which they had done all things, and which in the world they had most deeply hidden. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Heaven and Hell 156. Together with the state of the angels' interiors which pertain to their love and wisdom, the states of various things outside them appearing before their eyes are changed. For the things outside them take on an appearance in accordance with the things within them.  Divine Love and Wisdom (40)... love and wisdom are the subject itself, and that what is perceived outside of it and as hovering and floating is nothing but an appearance of the state of the subject in itself. There are several reasons why this has not hitherto been seen, one of which is, that appearances are the first things out of which the human mind forms its understanding, and these appearances the mind can shake off only by the exploration of the cause; and if the cause lies deeply hidden, the mind can explore it only by keeping the understanding for a long time in spiritual light; and this it cannot do by reason of the natural light which continually withdraws it. The truth is, however, that love and wisdom are the real and actual substance and form that constitute the subject itself. Heaven and Hell 54. It can in no sense be said that heaven is outside of any one; it is within him. For it is in accordance with the heaven that is within him that each angel receives the heaven that is outside of him. This makes clear how greatly misled is he who believes that to come into heaven is simply to be taken up among angels, without regard to what one's interior life may be, thus that heaven is granted to each one by mercy apart from means; when, in fact, unless heaven is within one, nothing of the heaven that is outside can flow in and be received.  Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 7550. And that My name may be told in the whole earth. That this signifies that thus where the church is the Lord may be acknowledged as the only God, is evident from the signification of “name,” as being everything in one complex by which the Lord is worshiped (see n. 2724, 3006, 6674); and as the veriest essential of worship is the acknowledgment that the Lord is the only God, and that His Human is Divine, and that from this proceeds all faith and love, therefore by the “name of Jehovah being told” is signified that the Lord is to be acknowledged as the only God (that the Divine Human of the Lord is the “name of Jehovah,” see n. 2628, 6887), and from the signification of “the earth,” as being the church (see just above, n. 7547). That Jehovah or the Lord in this and in many other passages wills that His might and power may appear, and His name be told, and elsewhere that He be humbly worshiped and adored, seems as if He desires to show forth His glory, and as if He loves adoration for the sake of Himself. But quite different is the real case. It is not for the sake of Himself, but for the sake of the human race; not from self-glory, but from love; for He wills to be conjoined with the human race, and to give them eternal life and happiness. This cannot be done unless the man is in humble worship; and there can be no humble worship unless the man acknowledges and believes that he himself is dust and ashes, that is, nothing but evil, and that Jehovah or the Lord is the Greatest and the Holiest, and that he dare not from himself approach Him. When man is in such humble worship, then the Lord can flow in with the life of His love, and give heaven and eternal happiness. This is the reason why Jehovah or the Lord so greatly extols His own power and glory in the Word.     AC 7541(2)... With the good who are to be uplifted into heaven, evils are successively separated, and the good are filled with goods according to the faculty of reception acquired in the world. And with the evil who are to be cast into hell, goods are successively separated, and the evil are successively filled with evils, according to the faculty of reception acquired in the world. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7651 Verses 7-11. And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, and let them serve Jehovah their God; knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing? And Moses and Aaron were brought back unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them, Go ye, serve Jehovah your God; who and who are going? And Moses said, We will go with our boys, and with our old men; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flock and with our herd, will we go, because we have a feast of Jehovah. And he said unto them, So shall Jehovah be with you when I let you go, and your babe; see ye that evil is before your faces. Not so; go I pray, ye that are young men, and serve Jehovah; because this ye seek. And he drove them out from the faces of Pharaoh. "And Pharaoh's servants said unto him," signifies a warning from those who are in fear; "How long shall this man be a snare to us?" signifies that thus they would be caught by their own evil; "let the men go, and let them serve Jehovah their God," signifies that it would be prudent to leave them, so that they may worship the Lord their God; "knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing?" signifies that from what has happened it can be known that all who harass those simple ones are cast down into hell, whence there is no escape; "and Moses and Aaron were brought back unto Pharaoh," signifies the presence of truth Divine in consequence; "and he said unto them," signifies inclination; "Go ye, serve Jehovah your God," signifies that they shall be left, so that they may worship the Lord; "who and who are going?" signifies whether any would remain; "and Moses said," signifies the answer; "We will go with our boys, and with our old men," signifies the simple and the wise; "with our sons and with our daughters," signifies those who are in the affection of truth, and those who are in the affection of good; "with our flock and with our herd will we go," signifies those who are in interior good, and those who are in exterior good; "because we have a feast of Jehovah," signifies the worship of the Lord by all and each; "and he said unto them," signifies derision; "So shall Jehovah be with you when I let you go, and your babe," signifies as if the Lord would be with them if they were left; "see ye that evil is before your faces," signifies that in the desire there is no good; "not so," signifies denial; "go I pray, ye that are young men, and serve Jehovah," signifies that they who are in confirmed truths shall be left so that they may worship the Lord; "because this ye seek," signifies that thus they have what they wish; "and he drove them out from the faces of Pharaoh," signifies that the will of the infesters was quite contrary to truth Divine. 7652 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him. That this signifies a warning from those who are in fear, is evident from the signification of "saying," when done by those who see their own destruction, to those in the society who are determined, as being a warning; and from the signification of "Pharaoh's servants," as being those who infest who are of a lower condition and are in fear; that they are in fear, is plain from their words, "how long shall this man be a snare to us? Send the men away, that they may serve Jehovah their God, knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing?" which words are clearly from fear; and also from the fact that by "Pharaoh's servants" are meant the evil who infest, and the evil never advise what is good except from fear (see n. 7280). 7653 How long shall this man be a snare to us? That this signifies that thus they would be caught by their own evil, is evident from the signification of "this man being a snare," as being to be caught by their own evil, and thus brought into the evil of the penalty. 7654 Let the men go, and let them serve Jehovah their God. That this signifies that it would be prudent to leave them,

In heaven the idea of 'person' is turned into a thing AC 7562. He that feared the word of Jehovah of the servants of Pharaoh. That this signifies those things in the natural mind which were of the Lord, is evident from the signification of “him that feared the word of Jehovah,” as being the things that belong to the Lord, for by “him that fears,” in the internal sense, is not meant a person fearing, but a thing (that in heaven the idea of person is turned into that of thing, see n. 5225, 5287, 5434); therefore by “him that feared the word of Jehovah” is meant good and truth from the Lord; and from the signification of “the servants of Pharaoh,” as being the things of the natural mind. That “Pharaoh” denotes the natural in general, see n. 5160, 5799; hence his “servants” denote the things in the natural, or what is the same, that are in the natural mind; for the things in the natural from which man thinks and forms conclusions, constitute his mind. (What in the natural mind is of the Lord, and what not of the Lord, may be seen below, n. 7564) On remains 7556... The subject treated of in this verse and in the two following, is the good and truth which are reserved by the Lord, even with the evil; for the good and truth which have not been adjoined to evils and falsities, are not vastated; but are stored up by the Lord in the interiors, and are afterward brought forth for use. The reservation of good and truth with man by the Lord is signified by “remains” in the Word (concerning which see above, n. 468, 530, 560, 561, 576, 661, 798, 1738, 1906, 2284, 5135, 5342, 5344, 5897-5899, 6156). AC 7560... Good and truth are stored up within, and are there reserved by the Lord, even with the evil, in order that there may still be something human left; for man without these is not man, because the things stored up and reserved are good and truth, and by these man has communication with heaven; and insofar as man has communication with heaven, so far he is man. There is indeed a communication with heaven of the evil, even of those who are in hell, but no conjunction by good and truth; for as soon as good and truth flow down from heaven and come into hell, they are turned into evil and falsity, whence the conjunction is at once broken. Such is the communication. But although there is conjunction through the good and truth which are stored up and reserved in the interiors; yet the truths and goods in the interiors of those who are evil effect nothing more than to enable them to reason, and to think and speak from the sensuous, thus to confirm what is false and defend what is evil. Nothing more can be let out from the goods and truths stored up and reserved within them, for if more were let out, the truths and goods would perish, and thus nothing human would be left in them. What must unfold 7542. Upon thy heart signifies upon the inmost, This appears from the signification of the “heart,” as denoting that which is of the will, thus which is of the love (see n. 2930, 3313, 3888, 3889), consequently of the very life, for the love, insomuch as it is of the will constitutes the very life. Hence it is that the “heart” signifies the inmost. … In the other life, these things are unfolded according to the order in which they are arranged; first come forth those which occupy the ultimate circumferences; next which occupy the interior (parts) and at length is manifested the inmost. Hence it is that man in the other life passes through many states, and that the evil by degrees successively incur plagues before they are cast into hell, according to what was just said above. The inmost, at which they finally arrive, is hell itself with them, for it is the evil itself which had been of their love, thus the end for the sake of which they had done all things, and which in the world they had hidden away inmostly. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings.

Arcana Coelestia 719[3] From all this it can now be seen why it was commanded that Moses should take ashes of the furnace and sprinkle them toward heaven, and that he should do this in the eyes of Pharaoh; also why it was commanded that he, and not Aaron, should sprinkle the ashes toward heaven. For by ashes being sprinkled toward heaven is signified the influx of heaven; by this being done in the eyes of Pharaoh is signified in the presence of those who infest; that Moses was to do this, and not Aaron, is because the truth proceeding immediately from the Divine presents this effect with the evil; Moses being the truth which proceeds immediately from the Divine, and Aaron that which proceeds mediately (n. 7010). From all this it is evident what is meant in the internal sense by the contents of this verse and of that next following, namely, that there would be excited filthy and loathsome things of cupidities together with blasphemies, which are signified by the “sore breaking forth in pustules.” These things are excited when Divine truth flows in, and heaven comes nearer. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Sitting at the the right hand of God Arcana Coelestia 7518... The reason why all things that pertain to the arm correspond to power, is that the body exercises its power by means of them. From all this it can be seen what is signified by “sitting at the right hand, in Matthew”: Jesus said, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand, in Matthew of power (Matthew 26:64); From henceforth shall the Son of man be seated at the right hand of the power of God (Luke 22:69); namely, the omnipotence which is the Lord's. Attaching to Outcomes - from The Logopraxis Workbook Attaching to an outcome in this work can lead to frustration, guilt, despair, and other negative states because we are working from a sense that we know what the outcome should be. This is another form of living in our imagination as far as the future is concerned, yet our goal is to live in the moment, because we don't and can't know what the future holds. Our work is in what is presenting in the now. The Lord sets the outcome not us: we set tasks to create opportunities to observe the behaviour of the proprium and our identification with it.  We are not working to change it or make it better; we are working to affirm what the Writings teach concerning it as a matter of life, and it's our acceptance of what the Word teaches concerning it that breaks its power. Spiritual life is not about outcomes or expectation, but is a practice founded on the acknowledgement that the Lord is continuously revealing Himself to us; that we are in a process of the continued unfolding of our understanding. So, this is a constantly changing and fluid situation. In Logopraxis we're learning to trust the Lord to know what's best for us; and how we trust Him is to work with what reaches out to us from the Text, and not be tempted to apply a task that seems more aligned with what we think needs sorting out in our life. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

On blasphemies Arcana Coelestia 7524. A sore breaking forth in pustules. That this signifies filthy things together with the consequent blasphemies, is evident from the signification of a “sore,” as being the filthy things that come from evils; and from the signification of “pustules,” as being the blasphemies which are thence derived. The sores in a man's body correspond to the filthy things that come from evils, and pustules correspond to blasphemies; and they would also be upon every evil man, if so long as he is in the world he were not in a state capable of receiving the good and truth of faith. It is for the sake of this state that the Lord prevents such things from bursting forth from evils. The native sense of self(proprium) and its loves Divine Love and Wisdom 114. The Lord not only is present in heaven, but He also is heaven itself. That is because love and wisdom are what make an angel, and these two properties are the Lord's in angels. It follows therefore that the Lord is heaven. The fact is that angels are not angels in consequence of their native character. Their native character is altogether like that of any person, which is evil. This is the native character of angels because all angels were once people, and this native character remains in them from birth. It is only set aside, and to the extent it is set aside, to that extent they receive into them love and wisdom, which is to say, the Lord. If anyone simply raises his understanding to some degree, he can see that the Lord can dwell only in what is His in angels, that is, in His own inherent character, which is love and wisdom, and cannot dwell at all in the native character of angels, which is evil. So it is that to the extent evil is set aside, to that extent the Lord is present in them, and to that extent they are angels. The very angelic quality of heaven is Divine love and wisdom. This Divine quality is called angelic when it exists in angels. Thus it is again apparent that angels are angels owing to the Lord and not to themselves. Consequently the same may be said of heaven. DLW 298... We call useful endeavors those phenomena which, being from the human God, or the Lord, are from creation in order. However, we do not call useful endeavors those which spring from people's native character, for their native character is hell, and its endeavors are contrary to order. DLW 335...[2] Because the Lord is to be adored, worshiped and glorified, people believe that He loves adoration, worship and glory for His own sake. But in fact He loves these for mankind's sake, since a person comes thereby into a state such that the Divine can flow in and be perceived, because the person thereby sets aside his native character which inhibits the influx and reception. For his native character, which is love of self, hardens the heart and closes it up. He sets this character aside by acknowledging that of himself he does nothing but evil, and from the Lord only good, thus occasioning a softening and humbling of the heart from which springs adoration and worship. It follows from this that the uses the Lord performs for Himself through mankind exist to the end that He may do good to people out of love, and because this is His love, their reception of it is His love's delight. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Come unto Pharaoh, because I have made heavy his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may put these My signs in the midst of him; and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and My signs which I have set in them, and that ye may know that I am Jehovah. And Moses and Aaron came unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, How long dost thou refuse to be humbled before Me? let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if thou refuse to let My people go, behold tomorrow I bring the locust into thy border; and it shall cover the surface of the land, that one shall not be able to see the land; and it shall devour the residue of that which is escaped that is left to you from the hail; and it shall devour every tree that sprouteth forth to you out of the field; and thy houses shall be filled, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians, which thy fathers saw not, nor thy fathers' fathers, since the day that they were upon the ground even unto this day. And he looked back, and went out from before Pharaoh. Exodus 10: 1-6 Arcana Coelestia 7632... In ancient times, for the sake of the simple, all evil was attributed to Jehovah; and this because the simple could not know, and most of them could not comprehend, how that which came to pass could come from any other source than Jehovah; nor how it is to be understood that Jehovah permits the diabolical crew to occasion evil, and why He does not prevent it, when yet He has all power. As the simple could not apprehend this, nor scarcely even the intelligent, it was therefore said, as believed by many, that even evil had sprung from Jehovah. This is a common thing in the Word, the sense of the letter of which is in accordance with the faith of the simple. (That the evil which in the Word is attributed to Jehovah, is from man). The fig tree Matthew 21: 18-19. Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. The turning of good that flows in from the Lord to one' self AC 7643...It is said that “Jehovah will bring,” but thereby is meant that it will be brought, that is, by evil. The case is the same here as when it is attributed to Jehovah (that is, to the Lord) that He made heavy Pharaoh's heart, when yet this is from man, from his evil in him, as shown above (n. 7632). That evil is not from the Lord, but that it arises from man, is because man turns to himself that good which flows in from the Lord, and instead of regarding the Lord and what is of the Lord in all things, he regards himself. Hence comes the concupiscence of reigning over all, and of possessing all that belongs to others; and hence come contempt for others, and hatred, revenge, and cruelty toward those who do not favor and be friendly to one's self; hence also comes contempt for all things that are of faith and charity, because when these flow in from the Lord they are turned to self, thus away from the Lord. [2] From all this it can be seen that man turns into evil the very good which flows in from the Lord. From this also it is that the evil in the other life remove as far as possible from heaven; for when heaven comes near them, that is, when good and truth flow in more strongly, they then rush the more strongly into the opposite, that is, into evil and falsity; and in the degree that evil and falsity increase, they expel truth from themselves, and devastate themselves; and then also in the same degree they rush into the evils of penalty, for in the other life evils and their penalties are joined together. [3] The Lord is continually bringing the heavens into order, and is constantly receiving new residents of heaven,

Arcana Coelestia 7519. Ashes of the furnace. That this signifies of exciting the falsities of cupidities through presence with those who infest, is evident from the signification of “ashes of the furnace,” as being the falsities of cupidities (of which below). That it denotes excitation by presence with those who infest, is evident from what follows in this verse, for it is said that “Moses sprinkled it toward heaven in the eyes of Pharaoh.” By “in the eyes” is signified presence, and by “Pharaoh” are signified those who infest (as often shown). [2] How the case is with these things cannot be known without revelation, for they are such as take place in the other life, and are not known in the world. So long as evil or infernal spirits are removed and separated from heaven, that is, from the good of love and the truth of faith which are there, they do not know that they are in evils and falsities, for they then believe falsities to be truths, and evils to be goods; but as soon as heaven comes nearer to them, that is, some heavenly society, they notice the falsities and evils; for the truth of faith which then flows in causes them to notice the falsities; and the good of love which flows in causes them to notice the evils; and the nearer that heaven comes, or the more presently there inflows its good of love and truth of faith (seeing that they cannot endure these), the more grievously are they reproached by their own evils and falsities. [3] From all this it can now be seen why it was commanded that Moses should take ashes of the furnace and sprinkle them toward heaven, and that he should do this in the eyes of Pharaoh; also why it was commanded that he, and not Aaron, should sprinkle the ashes toward heaven. For by ashes being sprinkled toward heaven is signified the influx of heaven; by this being done in the eyes of Pharaoh is signified in the presence of those who infest; that Moses was to do this, and not Aaron, is because the truth proceeding immediately from the Divine presents this effect with the evil; Moses being the truth which proceeds immediately from the Divine, and Aaron that which proceeds mediately (n. 7010). From all this it is evident what is meant in the internal sense by the contents of this verse and of that next following, namely, that there would be excited filthy and loathsome things of cupidities together with blasphemies, which are signified by the “sore breaking forth in pustules.” These things are excited when Divine truth flows in, and heaven comes nearer. Difficult states are experinced when there is ownership ( i.e. identification) with what flows in as being 'me'. AC 4151...According to the doctrinals from the Word, the devil is continually endeavoring to seduce man, and is continually inspiring evil; and therefore when anyone commits a great crime; it is said that he has suffered himself to be led astray by the devil. And this is the real fact, although few if any believe it; for as all good and truth are from the Lord, so all evil and falsity are from hell, that is, from the devil, for hell is the devil. From this we can also see that as all good and truth flow in, so also do all evil and falsity, and consequently also all the thinking and willing of evil. As these also flow in, all who have any judgment and are able to reflect, can infer that all life flows in, although it appears as if it were in man. [6] That this is the case has frequently been shown to spirits who had come recently from the world into the other life. But some of them have said that if all evil and falsity also flow in, nothing of evil and falsity can be attributed to them, and they are not in fault, because these come from another source. But they received for answer that they had appropriated evil and falsity by believing that they think and will of themselves; whereas if they had believed as the case really is, they would not then have appropriated the evil and falsity,

Heavenly light allows us to see what is real which is the opposite of what the 'sight' of the proprium tells us Arcana Coelestia (Potts) 3485 . The representations that come forth in the other life are appearances, but living ones, because they are from the light of life.  The light of life is the Divine Wisdom, which is from the Lord alone.  Hence all things that come forth from this light are real; and are not like those things that come forth from the light of the world.  Wherefore they who are in the other life have sometimes said that the things they see there are real things, and the things which man sees are in comparison not real; because the former things live, and thus immediately affect their life, while the latter things do not live, thus do not immediately affect the life, except in so far and in such a manner as the things in their minds which are of this world's light conjoin themselves fitly and correspondently with the things of the light of heaven.  AC 10569 .There is a real light which illumines the understanding, and which is quite distinct from the light which illumines the sight of the body. The light which illumines the understanding is from heaven; but that which illumines the sight of the body is in the world. The light of heaven is from the Lord as a sun there, and is in its essence the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord's Divine good.  We believe that we exist on our own when in reality we do not exist but manifest... AC 3938(2) (Elliot)... There are two entities which constitute man, namely being (esse) and manifestation (existere). Man's being is nothing else than a recipient of the eternal which proceeds from the Lord. Indeed men, spirits, or angels are nothing else than recipients - that is, recipient forms - of life from the Lord. The actual reception of life is what the term manifestation refers to. Man imagines that he has being, and indeed that he is self-existent, when in fact he is not a self-existent being but, as has been stated, one who manifests being. Self-existent BEING occurs solely in the Lord, and that BEING is called JEHOVAH. This BEING which is JEHOVAH is the source from which all things that seem to be self-existent derive their being. But the Lord's or Jehovah's actual BEING cannot possibly be imparted to any, except to the Lord's Human. AC 3938 (2) (Cooper). There are two types of states: one that corresponds to space, and one that corresponds to time. The one that corresponds to space is a state of existence, and the one that corresponds to time is a state of emergence (§2625). There are two things in our makeup: existence and emergence. Our existence is nothing but a container for the eternal quality that radiates from the Lord, because people, spirits, and angels are simply vessels or forms for receiving life from the Lord. It is the reception of life that is ascribed to emergence. We believe that we exist, and exist on our own, when in reality we do not exist but emerge... Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges. 

Arcana Coelestia 149.[2] Man's proprium when viewed from heaven looks just like something bony, lifeless, and utterly misshapen, and so in itself something dead. But once it has received life from the Lord it appears as something having flesh. For man's proprium is something altogether dead, though it has the appearance to him of being something; indeed it appears to be everything. Whatever is living within him comes from the Lord's life; and if this were to leave him, he would fall down dead as a stone. For he is purely an organ of life, though the nature of the organ determines that of the life-affection. The Lord alone possesses Proprium. By His Proprium He has redeemed man and by His Proprium saves him. The Lord's Proprium is Life, and from His Proprium man's proprium, which in itself is dead, is given life. The Lord's Proprium was also meant by His words in Luke, A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have. Luke 24:39-40. AC 7494. They therefore who either pervert or extinguish or reject in themselves the good of love and the truth of faith, have no life in them; for the life which is from the Divine is to will good and believe truth. But they who do not will good but evil, nor believe truth but falsity, have what is contrary to life. This contrary to life is hell, and is called “death,” and they are called “dead.” That the life of love and faith is called “life,” also “eternal life,” and that they who have it in themselves are called “living men;” and that the contrary of life is called “death,” also “eternal death,” and such men “dead,” is evident from many passages in the Word (as in Matthew 4:16; 8:21-22; 18:8-9; 19:16-17, 29; John 3:15-16, 36; 5:24-25; 6:33, 35, 47-48, 50-51, 53, 57-58, 63; 8:21, 24, 51; 10:10; 11:25-26; 14:6, 19; 17:2-3; 20:31; and elsewhere). Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 7499. In the Word the Lord is called “Jehovah” as to Divine good, for Divine good is the Divine Itself; and the Lord is called the “Son of God” as to Divine truth, for Divine truth proceeds from the Divine good as a son from a father, and also is said to be “born:” how this is shall be further told. When the Lord was in the world He made His Human Divine truth, and then called the Divine good which is Jehovah, His “Father;” because, as just said, Divine truth proceeds and is born from Divine good. But after the Lord had fully glorified Himself, which was done when He endured the last of temptation on the cross, He then made His Human also Divine good, that is, Jehovah; and thereby the Divine truth itself proceeded from His Divine Human. The Divine truth is what is called the “Holy Spirit,” and is the holy which proceeds from the Divine Human. From this is evident what is meant by the Lord's words in John: The Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:39). That it is the Divine good which is called the “Father,” and the Divine truth which is called the “Son,” see n. 3704. Doctrine of the Lord 35. vi. By successive steps the Lord put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine within Him, which is the Divine Human, and is the Son of God. That in the Lord were the Divine and the human, the Divine from Jehovah the Father, and the human from the virgin Mary, is known. Hence He was God and Man, having a Divine essence and a human nature; a Divine essence from the Father, and a human nature from the mother; and therefore was equal to the Father as to the Divine, and less than the Father as to the human. It is also known that this human nature from the mother was not transmuted into the Divine essence, nor commingled with it, for this is taught in the Doctrine of Faith which is called the Athanasian Creed. For a human nature cannot be transmuted into the Divine essence, nor can it be commingled therewith. [2] In accordance with the same creed is also our doctrine, that the Divine assumed the Human, that is, united itself to it, as a soul to its body, so that they were not two, but one Person. From this it follows that the Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like that of another man, and thus material, and put on a Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial, so that the Human too became Divine. This is why in the Word of the Prophets the Lord even as to the Human is called Jehovah, and God; and in the Word of the Evangelists, Lord, God, Messiah or Christ, and the Son of God in whom we must believe, and by whom we are to be saved. [3] As from His birth the Lord had a human from the mother, and as He by successive steps put it off, it follows that while He was in the world He had two states, the one called the state of humiliation or emptying out [exinanitio], and the other the state of glorification or unition with the Divine called the Father. He was in the state of humiliation at the time and in the degree that He was in the human from the mother; and in that of glorification at the time and in the degree that He was in the Human from the Father. In the state of humiliation He prayed to the Father as to one who was other than Himself; but in the state of glorification He spoke with the Father as with Himself. In this latter state He said that the Father was in Him and He in the Father, and that the Father and He were one. But in the state of humiliation He underwent temptations, and suffered the cross, and prayed to the Father not to forsake Him. For the Divine could not be tempted, much less could it suffer the cross. From what has been said it is now evident that by means of temptations and continual victories in them, and by the passion of the cross which was the last of the temptations, the Lord completely conquered the hells, and fully glorified His Human,

Arcana Coelestia 7506(2)... the truths and goods of those who are of the church and are condemned, are not from the good of charity, and thus are not spiritual; they indeed flow in through heaven, but are received in cold and thick darkness-in cold because there is no good of charity, in thick darkness because the light by which they receive them is as it were a light of winter, which compared to the light of heaven is thick darkness. Nor are their interiors open to heaven, but to the world, into which they determine the influx of truth and good from heaven; from this also the ideas they have of the good and truth of faith are merely natural, nay, material, which in the spiritual world are represented as ugly, and having no human likeness. But the ideas of the truth and good of faith of those who are of the church and are saved, are spiritual, and although they terminate in material things of the world, yet they are separate from them, for they can be elevated from them. In the spiritual world the ideas of these persons are represented as beautiful, and have the likeness of a man. Such is the difference, however much they may appear alike in the outward form. The allure of the 'serpent' thinking True Christian Religion 48 [17] By the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is signified a man who believes that he lives from himself, and not from God; thus that love and wisdom, charity and faith, that is, good and truth, are in a man as his own, and not God's. He believes this because he thinks and wills, speaks and acts to all appearance as if from himself; and because a man by such a belief persuades himself that he is a god, therefore the serpent said: "God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God (A.V., gods), knowing good and evil" Genesis 3:5. [18] By eating of those trees is signified reception and appropriation: by eating of the tree of life, the reception of eternal life, and by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the reception of eternal death or damnation. By the serpent is meant the devil as to the love of self and the pride of self-intelligence.  Conjugial Love 353... And because from birth every man has the inclination to love himself, therefore, lest he perish by reason of the love of self and the pride of self-intelligence, it was provided from creation that that love should be transcribed into the wife, and that, implanted in her from birth, should be the inclination to love the intelligence and wisdom of her man and thus the man himself. Therefore, a wife continually draws her man's pride of self-intelligence to herself, extinguishing it in him and vivifying it in herself, and so turning it into conjugial love, a love which she fills with amenities beyond measure. This is provided by the Lord lest the pride of self-intelligence so greatly infatuate man that he believes himself to be intelligent and wise from himself and not from the Lord, and thus desires to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He would then believe himself to be like God and even, according to the speech and persuasion of the serpent - the love of self-intelligence - to be God. Therefore, after eating, the man was cast out of paradise and the way to the tree of life was guarded by a cherub. Spiritually understood, paradise is intelligence; eating of the tree of life is understanding and being wise from the Lord, and eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is understanding and being wise from one's self. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

And the flax and the barley were smitten; for the barley was a ripening ear, and the flax was a stalk. And the wheat and the spelt were not smitten, because they were hidden. And Moses went out of the city from before Pharaoh, and spread out his palms unto Jehovah; and the voices and hail ceased and the rain was not poured out upon the earth. And Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the voices had ceased, and he sinned yet more, and made heavy his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was made firm, and he did not let the sons of Israel go; as Jehovah had spoken by the hand of Moses. Exodus 9: 31-35 Arcana Coelestia 7601(2) The subject treated of in this and in the following verse is the truths and goods which were destroyed and vastated, and the goods and truths which were not destroyed and vastated; thus the truths and goods which were stored up and reserved for use, and those which were not stored up and reserved. For when the evil are being vastated, that is, when they are being separated from truths and goods, and are left to their own evils and falsities, they are then vastated in respect to those truths and goods which are in the exterior natural, and which are adjoined there to falsities and evils. That these truths and goods look downward, and therefore cannot be reserved, will be seen below (n. 7604, 7607); but the truths and goods of the interior natural are not vastated, but are brought further inward, and are there reserved for use; and then the communication between the interior natural and the exterior is so far closed that nothing of good and truth can inflow from the interior natural into the exterior natural, except only something general, to enable them to reason, and to string together arguments to confirm falsities and evils. Those goods and truths which are reserved, are signified in the Word by “remains”. Bird of paradise to stone idol AC 7622. When this had passed, the spirits who were about me who had gazed intently upon the bird and its successive changes, began to converse together about it, and this for a long time. They perceived that such a sight must signify something heavenly. They knew that a flame signifies celestial love and its affections; that a hand, to which the flame adhered, signifies life and its power; that changes of color signify varieties of life in respect to wisdom and intelligence; that a bird signifies the same, but with this difference, that a flame signifies celestial love and what is of this love, whereas a bird signifies spiritual love and what is of this love; celestial love is love to the Lord, and spiritual love is mutual love and charity toward the neighbor; and the changes of color and likewise of life in the bird until it became stone, signify successive varieties of spiritual life in respect to intelligence. They also knew that the spirits who ascend from beneath through the region of the loins to that of the breast, are in a strong persuasion that they are in the Lord, and thence believe that all that they do, even though evil and wicked, is done according to the Lord's will. Nevertheless they could not from this know who were meant by this sight. At last they were instructed from heaven that the inhabitants of Mars were meant; that their celestial love, in which many of them still are, was signified by the flame which adhered to the hand; and their wisdom and intelligence by the successive variations of color; and that the bird in the beginning, when it was in the beauty of its colors and the vigor of its life, signified their spiritual love; but that the bird becoming as of stone and void of life, and then of a dark color, signified the inhabitants who had removed themselves from the good of love, and are in evil, and yet believe that they are in the Lord. Transcript So just coming to the reading, I try to find something just to summarise the whole thing. So the statement for this particular reading was a question real...

Arcana Coelestia 7490. It is also evident that insofar as a man is in the loves of self and of the world, so far he does not know what charity is, until at last he does not know that it exists; also that so far the man does not know what faith is, until at last he does not know that it is anything; and that so far the man does not know what conscience is, until at last he does not know that it exists; nay, that so far the man does not know what the spiritual is, nor what the life of heaven; and finally that he does not believe there is a heaven and a hell; consequently he does not believe that there is a life after death. These are the effects of the loves of self and of the world when they reign. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Come unto Pharaoh, and speak unto him, Thus said Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, Let My people go that they may serve Me. For if thou refuse to let them go, and if thou still withhold them, behold, the hand of Jehovah shall be on thy cattle which is in the field, on the horses, on the asses, on the camels, on the herd, and on the flock; a very grievous pestilence. And Jehovah shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of the Egyptians, and there shall nothing die of all that belongeth to the sons of Israel. And Jehovah appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow Jehovah shall do this word in the land. And Jehovah did this word on the morrow, and all the cattle of the Egyptians died; and of the cattle of the sons of Israel died not one. And Pharaoh sent, and behold there was not so much as one of the cattle of Israel dead; and Pharaoh's heart was made heavy, and he did not let the people go. Exodus 9: 1-7 Arcana Coelestia 7493. The loves of self and of the world with man begin to reign when he comes to years of discretion and self-government; for then the man begins to think from himself or from his own, and to appropriate these loves to himself, and this the more as he confirms himself in a life of evil. Insofar as a man appropriates evils to himself, so far the Lord separates the good of innocence and charity which the man has received in infancy and childhood and at times afterward, and stores them up in his interiors; for the good of innocence and the good of charity can in no wise abide with the evils of these loves; and the Lord is not willing that they should perish. AC 7494. They therefore who either pervert or extinguish or reject in themselves the good of love and the truth of faith, have no life in them; for the life which is from the Divine is to will good and believe truth. But they who do not will good but evil, nor believe truth but falsity, have what is contrary to life. This contrary to life is hell, and is called “death,” and they are called “dead.” That the life of love and faith is called “life,” also “eternal life,” and that they who have it in themselves are called “living men;” and that the contrary of life is called “death,” also “eternal death,” and such men “dead,” is evident from many passages in the Word (as in Matthew 4:16; 8:21-22; 18:8-9; 19:16-17, 29; John 3:15-16, 36; 5:24-25; 6:33, 35, 47-48, 50-51, 53, 57-58, 63; 8:21, 24, 51; 10:10; 11:25-26; 14:6, 19; 17:2-3; 20:31; and elsewhere). Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

For you created my inmost being;    you knit me together in my mother's womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;    your works are wonderful,    I know that full well.My frame was not hidden from you    when I was made in the secret place,    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.Your eyes saw my unformed body;    all the days ordained for me were written in your book    before one of them came to be.How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!    How vast is the sum of them!Were I to count them,    they would outnumber the grains of sand—    when I awake, I am still with you. Psalm 139: 13-18 Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Transcript: There's the teaching that the Word is a covenant and the Word is conjunction itself. So one of the aspects of Logopraxis is that the connections that are made through the sharing of the Word is what makes the Lord visible in our midst. So it's really the Word alone that can bind together human beings in a way that is supportive of their spiritual growth and development. Otherwise it's just proprium to proprium. You can have the surface aspect of being nice and follow all the social conventions and all the things that lubricate external interactions if you like - but for a genuine connection, the Word is needed because it's the Word that connects what is of the Lord in everybody together. So it's the Lord that is community itself in that sense. He is conjunction itself. So I think one of the aspects of that is that as we engage with the Word and are willing to share our life from the Word then there can't but be a knitting together. So we talk about the fact that this group has never met before. Every time we meet the Lord is creating something anew and we have to remind ourselves of that and come to it fresh each time as if we haven't met before even if we've been going for years, because then the opportunity is there for something new to come forth that has a heavenly quality to it in terms of the connective aspect. So creation is constant coming into being. So the Lord is constantly creating us a new moment to moment and that goes for us as a collective entity internally as well because we're associated with the spirits that are attracted to this particular sphere that we are generating. And because things are coming into being moment to moment, it means change is possible. If that wasn't happening, nothing could change. But the fact that creation is a constant coming into being means that every moment is an opportunity for change and for something new. And so when we're operating in connection with others, the closer we can move to the Lord and become aware of what's operating so far as our own sphere is concerned, and consciously work at acknowledging the Lord and recognising what is opposed, that activity is what brings us closer to the neighbour in the other. Now, the neighbour in the other isn't the other person, the neighbour in the other is the Lord himself, so what is of the Lord and others, that's what brings connection. Anything else is proprium to proprium. But when we are conscious in the contact, then something can happen. And it's not about us presuming that we know who the other is or what they're having to deal with, we don't. But we know our own state; we are learning how to discern what's arising within. And as we attend to that, the miracle of connection happens. But it's all the Lord, it's got nothing to do with my ability or anyone else's ability to be more loving or kind in the contact. Because as soon as I try to be more loving, it's "I" that is trying to be more loving. And it's not going to be a connection of high value from a spiritual perspective. But if I recognise that it's my "I" that is seeking to be more loving and step back from that, then love is given the first place, not my idea of what love is - Love Itself. And that's what brings the connection. So it's just about being in the contact. And what does that mean? Well, it's about recognising the Lord, that we are on holy ground, we remove our shoes... all of these images are about stepping back from what I term as myself, so that the Lord can be present more fully, at least in a way that's of much higher quality - heaven can be present in the contact. And that's what we seek. And that's why we practice what we do when we listen to each other in group and try to cultivate these spiritual literacy skills. So that what is of the Lord reigns, even at this natural level of life. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7623 Exodus 10 THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY There are two things which proceed from the Lord and from this in their origin are Divine: the one is Good, and the other is Truth. These consequently are the two things which reign in heaven, nay, which make heaven. In the church these two things are called charity and faith. 7624 When Good and Truth proceed from the Lord they are completely united, and so united as to be not two, but one. Consequently they are one in heaven; and because they are one in heaven, heaven is an image of the Lord. It would be the same with the church if charity and faith therein were a one. 7625 An idea of the good which is of charity and of the truth which is of faith may be formed from the sun and its light; when the light which proceeds from the sun is conjoined with heat, as is the case in spring and summer, then all things of the earth sprout forth and live; but when there is no heat in the light, as in winter time, then all things of the earth become torpid and die. Moreover, in the Word the Lord is compared to the "sun;" and truth conjoined with good, which proceeds from Him, is compared to "light;" and also in the Word the truth of faith is called "light," and the good of love is called "fire." Moreover, love is the fire of life, and faith is the light of life. 7626 From all this an idea can also be formed about the man of the church, as to what he is when with him faith is conjoined with charity, namely, that he is like a garden and a paradise; and what he is when with him faith is not conjoined with charity, namely, that he is like a desert and a land covered with snow. 7627 From the mere light of his natural man everyone can see that Truth and Good are in agreement, and also that they can be conjoined together; and that truth and evil are in disagreement, and that they cannot be conjoined together; and in like manner faith and charity. Experience itself testifies the same; that he who is in evil as to life is either in falsity as to faith, or is in no faith, or is quite opposed to faith. And (what is a secret) he who is in evil as to life is in the falsity of his evil, although he believes that he is in truth. That he so believes is because he is in persuasive faith, of which in what follows. EXODUS 10 1 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Come unto Pharaoh; because I have made heavy his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may put these My signs in the midst of him. 2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and My signs which I have set in them, and that ye may know that I am Jehovah. 3 And Moses and Aaron came unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, How long dost thou refuse to be humbled before Me? let My people go, that they may serve Me. 4 For if thou refuse to let My people go, behold tomorrow I will bring the locust into thy border. 5 And it shall cover the surface of the land, and one shall not be able to see the land; and it shall devour the residue of that which is escaped that is left to you from the hail; and it shall devour every tree that sprouteth forth to you out of the field. 6 And thy houses shall be filled, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which thy fathers saw not, nor thy father's fathers, since the day that they were upon the ground even unto this day. And he looked back, and went out from before Pharaoh. 7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this be a snare to us? Send the men away, and let them serve Jehovah their God; knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing? 8 And Moses and Aaron were brought back unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them, Go ye, serve Jehovah your God; who and who are going? 9 And Moses said, We will go with our boys, and with our old men; with our sons and with our daughters,

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven, and there shall be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field in the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and Jehovah gave voices and hail, and the fire walked unto the land, and Jehovah made it rain hail upon the land of Egypt. And there was hail, and fire walking at the same time in the midst of the hail, very grievous, such as had not been like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote in all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, from man and even to beast, and the hail smote every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, was there no hail. And Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time; Jehovah is just, and I and my people are wicked. Supplicate ye unto Jehovah, for there hath been enough of voices of God and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread out my palms unto Jehovah, and the voices shall cease, and there shall be no more hail; that thou mayest know that the earth is Jehovah's. And as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the face of Jehovah God.  Exodus 9:22-30 Arcana Coelestia 7573... As regards truth Divine in heaven and in hell, which truth is signified by the “voices,” the case is the same as it is with thunders on earth. On high mountains thunders are heard as a mild and gentle sound, whereas below on the earth they are heard as a terrific noise; and in the same way in heaven truth Divine is mild and gentle, but in hell is terrible. The Word constantly challenges our historical faith and thus constantly perfects AC 7577. And there was hail, and fire at the same time walking in the midst of the hail, very grievous. That this signifies the persuasions of falsity together with the cupidities of evil, is evident from the signification of “hail,” as being falsity from evil (of which above, n. 7574), here the persuasion of falsity, because it is said “hail very grievous;” from the signification of “fire,” as being the cupidity of evil (of which just above, n. 7575); from the signification of “walking in the midst,” as being to be together, and indeed the cupidity of evil inmostly, because this was the source of the falsity. [2] There is here described the state of those who are of the church and infest the upright in the other life when they have been vastated as to what is of the church, that is, as to the goods and truths which they professed; namely, that then persuasions of falsity together with cupidities of evil reign with them; for such is their interior state. The persuasions of falsity and the cupidities of evil are inseparable, for he who is in evil as to life, is in falsity as to doctrine. It may indeed seem otherwise to those who are in evil of life; for when with the mouth they profess truths from the Word, or from the doctrine of their church, they suppose that they are in the belief of these truths. It also appears to them as if they were; but still they are not if the life is evil; for they either profess with the mouth what disagrees with their thoughts, or they think that it is so from a persuasive faith, which is for the sake of gain or of honors; therefore when there is no further canvassing for honors, or chasing of gain, this faith falls to the ground, and then they readily learn falsities which agree with the evils of cupidities. These falsities exist inwardly with those who live evilly, no matter how much they believe that they do not exist. [3] That this is so, clearly shows itself in the other life, when the externals have there been taken away, and such persons have been left to their interiors. Then falsities burst forth,

Arcana Coelestia 7480. I have been instructed that the spirits of Mars have relation to something which is interior in man, and indeed intermediate between the intellectual part and the will part, thus to thought from affection; and they who are the best of them, to the affection of the thought. This is the reason why their face makes a one with their thought, and why they cannot dissemble before anyone (as was said of them above, see n. 7360, 7361). 7479. I have spoken with some from that earth about the faith of those who dwell there. They said that they there believe that there is nothing in them but what is filthy and infernal, and that all good is of the Lord. They even said further that of themselves they are devils, and that the Lord draws them out and continually withholds them from hell. They wondered that so many evil spirits were about me, and also spoke to me; but it was given me to answer that this is permitted them for the purpose that I may thus know their quality, and why they are in hell, and that this is according to their life. It was also given me to say that there were some among them whom I had known when they lived in the world, and that they had then been in stations of great dignity, although nothing but the world was in their hearts; but that no evil spirit, even the most infernal, can do me any harm, because I am continually protected by the Lord. 7478. Once when the Lord was mentioned I saw that those spirits adopted a humbled attitude, so deep and profound as to be indescribable. For in their humility their thought was that if left to themselves they were in hell, which being so they were totally unworthy of setting eyes on the Lord, who is Holiness itself. This thought arising from their belief affected them so profoundly that they were so to speak beside themselves, and it kept them on their knees until the Lord raised them up and so to speak pulled them out of hell. When they accordingly rise from that humbled condition those spirits are full of goodness and love, and consequently of heartfelt joy. But when they adopt that humbled attitude they do not, because they dare not, turn their faces to the Lord; instead they turn them away. Spirits who were around me said that they had never seen any humility like it. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

What is hidden will be revealed Arcana Coelestia 7454[2] How the case stands with this matter is very evident from things that show themselves clearly in the other life. Every spirit, and still more every society, is surrounded with a sphere of the faith and of the life of that spirit or society. This sphere is a spiritual sphere, and by it is known the quality of the spirit, and even better that of the society. For the sphere is perceived by those who have perception, sometimes at a considerable distance; and this although the spirit or the society is in hiding, and does not communicate by thought or by speech. This spiritual sphere may be compared to the material sphere which encompasses the body of a man in the world, which is a sphere of effluvia exuding from him, and is smelled by keen-scented beasts. (Of the spiritual sphere which encompasses spirits, see n. 1048, 1053, 1316, 1504, 1519, 2401, 2489, 4464, 5179, 6206) [3] From all this it can be seen that if infernal spirits were near where they are who are in Divine worship, they would infest them by their sphere, for in this way they who are in Divine worship would perceive what is shocking and abominable. All this shows how it is to be understood that infernal foulness and filthiness would flow in, if they were to worship God in that neighborhood. From what has been said about the spiritual sphere, or the sphere of faith and life, which exhales from every spirit, and still more from a society of spirits, it can also be seen that nothing whatever is hidden of that which a man in the world has thought, spoken, and done, but that it is in the open; for it is these things which make this sphere. Such a sphere also pours forth from the spirit of a man while he is in the body in the world; and from this his quality is also known. Therefore believe not that the things a man thinks in secret and that he does in secret, are hidden, for they are as clearly shown in heaven as are those which appear in the light of noon, according to the Lord's words in Luke: There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; or hidden that shall not be known; therefore whatsoever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in bed-chambers, shall be proclaimed upon the housetops (Luke 12:2-3). Cast into hell AC 7465.. Be it known that each miracle done in Egypt signifies a peculiar state into which those come who are in falsities and infest in the other life. There are ten states into which they successively come before they are entirely stripped of all truth, thus before they are cast into hell. For they who are in the knowledge of faith, but in evil of life, are not after death at once brought into hell, but successively. They are first convinced that they are in evil, and afterward the knowledge of faith is taken away from them, and at last they are left to the evil of their life. This is effected by means of many successive states, and these states are what are described by the miracles done in Egypt, consequently by the evils which befell the Egyptians before they were immersed in the sea Suph. These secrets cannot be known without revelation, but with the angels they are among things well known. Evils and falsities are rejections of what is good and true Divine Love and Wisdom 268. (iii) Confirmed evils and falsities with man are permanent, and come to be of his love, and consequently of his life. Confirmations of evil and falsity are nothing else than removals of good and truth, and if they increase, they are rejections, for evil removes and rejects good as falsity does truth. Hence indeed it is that confirmations of evil and falsity are closures of heaven, for every good and truth flows in from the Lord through heaven, and when heaven is closed, then man is in hell, and in a society there in which a like evil and falsity reigns, from which hell he cannot afterwards be released. 

A heavy mixture of flies came into the house of Pharaoh and the house of his servants and into all the land of Egypt. The land was ruined because of the presence of the mixture of flies. 25 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron and said: Go! Sacrifice to your Elohim in the land. 26 Yet Moses said: It is not the established custom to do so, for we shall sacrifice that which is an abhorrence of the Egyptians to Yahweh our Elohim. Behold, should we sacrifice an abhorrence of the Egyptians before their eyes, would they not stone us? 27 A way of three days shall we go into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our Elohim, just as He said to us. 28So Pharaoh said: I shall dismiss you, that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your Elohim in the wilderness, but you shall not fare far, not far to go. Make an entreaty about me. 29 And Moses said: Behold, I am going forth from you, and I will make an entreaty to Yahweh that the mixture of flies withdraw from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people tomorrow. But Pharaoh must not continue to trifle in not dismissing the people to sacrifice to Yahweh. 30 Then Moses went forth from Pharaoh, and he entreated Yahweh. 31 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses; and the mixture of flies withdrew from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people. Not one remained. 32 Yet Pharaoh gloried in his heart, even at this time, and he did not dismiss the people. Exodus 8:24-31 ( Concordant Literal Translation) Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7600 Verses 31-35. And the flax and the barley were smitten; for the barley was a ripening ear, and the flax was a stalk. And the wheat and the spelt were not smitten, because they were hidden. And Moses went out of the city from before Pharaoh, and spread out his palms unto Jehovah; and the voices and the hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. And Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the voices had ceased, and he sinned yet more, and made heavy his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was made firm, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, as Jehovah had spoken by the hand of Moses. "And the flax," signifies the truth of the exterior natural; "and the barley," signifies its good; "were smitten," signifies that they were destroyed; "for the barley was a ripening ear, and the flax was a stalk," signifies that this good and truth stood forth and looked downward; "and the wheat and the spelt," signifies the good of the interior natural and its truth; "were not smitten," signifies that they were not destroyed; "because they were hidden," signifies because they did not stand forth, and because they tended inward; "and Moses went out of the city from before Pharaoh," signifies separation from them; "and spread out his palms unto Jehovah," signifies intercession; "and the voices and the hail ceased," signifies that there was an end of this state; "and the rain was not poured upon the earth," signifies that these falsities no more appeared; "and Pharaoh saw," signifies a noticing; "that the rain and the hail and the voices had ceased," signifies that there was an end of this state; "and he sinned yet more," signifies as yet a withdrawal; "and made heavy his heart, he and his servants," signifies obstinacy; "and the heart of Pharaoh was made firm," signifies that from evil they were determined; "and he did not let the sons of Israel go," signifies that they did not leave them; "as Jehovah had spoken," signifies according to the prediction; "by the hand of Moses," signifies by means of the law from the Divine. 7601 And the flax. That this signifies the truth of the exterior natural, is evident from the signification of "flax," as being truth, but truth of the exterior natural (of which below; that the natural is exterior and interior, see n. 4570, 5118, 5497, 5649; consequently that the truth and good therein are interior and exterior, n. 3293, 3294). The truth and good of the exterior natural are signified by "the flax and the barley," and the good and truth of the interior natural by "the wheat and the spelt."[2] The subject treated of in this and in the following verse is the truths and goods which were destroyed and vastated, and the goods and truths which were not destroyed and vastated; thus the truths and goods which were stored up and reserved for use, and those which were not stored up and reserved. For when the evil are being vastated, that is, when they are being separated from truths and goods, and are left to their own evils and falsities, they are then vastated in respect to those truths and goods which are in the exterior natural, and which are adjoined there to falsities and evils. That these truths and goods look downward, and therefore cannot be reserved, will be seen below (n. 7604, 7607); but the truths and goods of the interior natural are not vastated, but are brought further inward, and are there reserved for use; and then the communication between the interior natural and the exterior is so far closed that nothing of good and truth can inflow from the interior natural into the exterior natural, except only something general, to enable them to reason, and to string together arguments to confirm falsities and evils. Those goods and truths which are reserved, are signified in the Word by "remains" (as to which see n. 468, 530, 560, 561, 576, 661, 798, 1738, 1906, 2284, 5135, 5342, 5344, 5897-5899, 6156, 7556).

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus said Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For I this time will send all My plagues into thy heart, and into thy servants, and into thy people; that thou mayest know that there is no one as I in the whole earth. For now I would put forth My hand, and smite thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou wouldest be cut off from the earth; but yet for this cause have I made thee to stand, that thou mayest see My power, and that My name may be told in the whole earth. As yet thou exaltest thyself against My people, in thy not letting them go. Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. And now send, gather in thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; every man and beast that shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought to the house, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. He that feared the word of Jehovah of the servants of Pharaoh, made his servants and his cattle flee unto the houses; and he that did not set his heart unto the word of Jehovah left his servants and his cattle in the field. Exodus 9:13-21 The sorting of the good and evil states of mind Arcana Coelestia 7541...[2] It is according to order that one plague should follow another, and the evil be thus successively cast down into hell, and therefore it is here said that it might come to pass that they would all rush in together. As the man of the church has no knowledge about the state of the life after death, he believes that after his life in the body a man is either at once uplifted into heaven, or cast into hell; when nevertheless this takes place successively, although with much variety in respect to times and in respect to states. With the good who are to be uplifted into heaven, evils are successively separated, and the good are filled with goods according to the faculty of reception acquired in the world. And with the evil who are to be cast into hell, goods are successively separated, and the evil are successively filled with evils, according to the faculty of reception acquired in the world. [3] Moreover a man in the other life enters into new states, and undergoes changes. Those who are being uplifted into heaven, and afterward when they have been uplifted, are perfected to eternity; but those who are being cast down to hell, and afterward when they have been cast down, endure evils continually more grievous, and this until they dare not do evil to anyone. After this they remain in hell to eternity, whence they cannot be taken out, because it cannot be given them to will good to anyone, but only, from fear of the penalty, not to do evil, the desire to do it always remaining. On those who infest in the 'other life' AC 7545... How the case is with this communication has already been told, namely, that those who infest the upright in the other life are such as in the world have been in the church and have read the Word, and have known the doctrinal things of faith of their church and have also professed them, but have lived a life of evil. So long as such in the other life retain the things of faith, they have communication with heaven, and so long they cannot be cast down into hell; and therefore it is these things that are by degrees taken away from them; and after these have been taken away, the evil no longer have anything to hold them up; but then like weights without support, or like birds with their wings cut off, they fall downward, or into the deep. From all this it is evident what is meant by the possibility of the communication being taken away from them. On remains AC 7556... the good and truth which are reserved by the Lord, even with the evil; for the good and truth which have not been adjoined to evils and falsities,

And Jehovah did so; and there came the grievous noisome fly into the house of Pharaoh, and into the house of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt; the land was destroyed from before the noisome fly. And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. And Moses said, It is not meet to do so, for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to Jehovah our God; lo, we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians unto their eyes, and will they not stone us? We will go a way of three days into the wilderness, and will sacrifice to Jehovah our God, as He hath said unto us. And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, and ye shall sacrifice to Jehovah your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away; supplicate for me. And Moses said, Behold I go forth from thee, and I will supplicate unto Jehovah that He may remove the noisome fly from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh mock anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Jehovah. And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and he supplicated unto Jehovah. And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and He removed the noisome fly from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there was not one left. And Pharaoh made heavy his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go. Exodus 8: 20-28 Anxiety Arcana Coelestia 7280. 'And may the Egyptians know that I am Jehovah' means that they will have a fear of the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'knowing that I am Jehovah' as having a fear of the Divine, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the Egyptians' as those who are steeped in falsities and engage in molestation. As regards the fear which those steeped in falsities and engaging in molestation will have of the Divine, it should be recognized that fear is the one and only means by which those in hell can be constrained and held in bonds. For fear is a bond shared by both those who are upright and those who are evil. But with the upright it is an inward fear, that is, fear for their salvation, or fear lest they should lose their own souls, to be exact, and on that account lest they should do anything contrary to conscience, that is, contrary to the truth and goodness which compose conscience. Consequently they fear lest they should do anything contrary to what is just and fair, thus contrary to their neighbour. But this fear becomes holy fear to the extent that it is wedded to charitable affection in them, and especially to the extent that it is wedded to love to the Lord. Such fear then becomes like that which young children feel towards their parents whom they love. When this happens, then so far as they are governed by the good of love fear is not apparent; but so far as they are not governed by good it is apparent, and develops into anxiety. This is what the fear of God is like to which the Word refers many times. Depression Heaven and Hell 160. When angels are in this last state, which is when they are involved in their sense of self, they begin to feel depressed. I have talked with them when they were in this state and witnessed their depression. They kept saying, though, that they lived in hope that they would soon return to their earlier state and be in heaven again, so to speak, since heaven for them is being kept free from their sense of self. Articles on Depression and Anxiety in Spiritual Work https://logopraxis-institute.online/understanding-states-of-anxiety-and-depression-in-the-spiritual-life https://logopraxis-institute.online/general-vs-spiritual-states-of-anxiety-and-depression Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Heaven and Hell 38. He who does not know how degrees are related to Divine order cannot comprehend how the heavens are distinct or even what is meant by the internal and the external man. Most people in the world have no other idea of what is interior and what exterior, or of what is higher and what lower, than as something continuous or coherent by continuity from what is purer to what is grosser. But the relation of what is interior to what is exterior is not continuous but discrete. There are two kinds of degrees, those that are continuous and those that are not. Continuous degrees are related like the degrees of the waning of light from a bright blaze until it is obscured, or like the degrees of the decrease of vision from objects in the light to those in the shade, or like degrees of purity of the atmosphere from its depths to its highest point. These degrees are determined by distances. [2] On the other hand, degrees that are not continuous but discrete are distinguished like prior and posterior, like cause and effect or like what produces and what is produced. Whoever looks into the matter will see that in each and all things in the whole world, whatever they are, there are such degrees of producing and compounding, that is, that from one thing comes another, and from the other a third and so on. [3] One who does not acquire for himself a perception of these degrees cannot possibly discern the distinctions of the heavens, nor between the interior and exterior faculties of man, nor the distinction between the spiritual and the natural world, nor between the spirit of man and his body. So neither can he understand the nature and source of correspondences and representations nor what influx is. Sensual men do not apprehend these distinctions, for even where these degrees are concerned, they make increases and decreases to be continuous. Therefore, they cannot have any conception of what is spiritual otherwise than as a purer natural. Consequently, they stand outside, and are far removed from intelligence.  Arcana Coelestia 880. [2] There are three things in man which concur and unite together, namely, the Natural, the Spiritual, and the Celestial. His natural never receives any life except from the spiritual, and the spiritual never except from the celestial, and the celestial from the Lord alone, who is life itself. But in order that a still fuller idea may be gained: the natural is the receptacle that receives the spiritual, or is the vessel into which the spiritual is poured; and the spiritual is the receptacle which receives, or is the vessel into which is poured, the celestial. Thus, through things celestial, life comes from the Lord. Such is the influx. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

On flow and alignment Arcana Coelestia (Cooper) 3318 [2] A human being is nothing else but an organ or vessel that receives life from the Lord; we do not live on our own (§§290, 1954, 2021, 2536, 2706, 2886-2889, 3001). The life that flows into us from the Lord comes from his divine love. This love, or the life that radiates from it, flows in and bestows itself on the vessels in our rational and earthly minds. Such vessels in us face away from the life force because of the evil we inherit by birth and the evil we ourselves acquire by committing it. However, so far as it can do so, the inflowing life repositions the vessels to receive itself.  The vessels in our rational and earthly selves are what are called truths. In itself, truth is nothing but a perception of the way these vessels change shape and of the alterations of state under which the various changes occur, taking place as they do in indescribable ways in the most refined substances (§2487). Goodness itself-which possesses life from the Lord, or is life-is what flows in and realigns the vessels.  [3] These vessels, whose shape is ever changing, face backward and upside down, away from life, as just mentioned. Clearly they need to be brought into alignment with life, or subordination to it. This can in no way be done as long as we remain in the state we were born in and reduce ourselves to, because our vessels are not subordinate to life. They stubbornly resist life and oppose the heavenly paradigm by which life acts, hardening themselves against it. The good that moves them-the good they obey-is the good sought by love for oneself and one's worldly advantage. The crude heat burning within this love gives such vessels their character. Before they can become submissive, then, and fitted for accepting any of the life belonging to the Lord's love, they have to soften, and the only way they can be softened is through times of trial. Tribulation takes away elements of self-love, contempt for others, and therefore vain pride, and elements of a consequent hatred and vengefulness as well. So when these evils are somewhat lessened and conquered by our trials, the vessels start to become yielding and obedient to the life of the Lord's love, which is constantly flowing into us.  According to the form Conjugial Love 86. Goodness and truth are present in their created vessels according to each one's form because whatever flows into any vessel is received by it according to its form. The preservation of the whole is nothing but the constant flowing in of Divine goodness and Divine truth into forms created by that influx - continued existence or preservation being thus constant birth or creation. On vastations, temptations and infestations 7474[2] As regards the spiritual church, which is here represented by the sons of Israel, be it known that it is internal and external; and that those are in the internal church who are in the good of charity, and that those are in the external church who are in the good of faith. Those are in the good of charity who from charity toward the neighbor see the truths which are of faith; but those are in the good of faith who from faith look to charity, thus who do what is good, not from the affection of charity, but from the obedience of faith, that is, because it has been so commanded. It is these who are here properly represented by the sons of Israel, for these are they who in the other life are infested by those who are in falsities. Those who are in the affection of charity cannot be so infested, for the spirits who are in falsities and evils cannot approach those who are in this good, because the Lord is in this good. If these are infested, it is merely in respect to the fallacies and appearances through which they have believed what is not true to be true, and also in respect to such things as the doctrine of their church has taught for truths, which yet are not truths. Such in the other life willingly reject falsitie...

From the Daily Practise Guide - Day 5 - Posting Your Task Online Once you have your task or work focus, you may wish to post it to the Logopraxis website. Sharing your task can help others relate to the Text in an expanded way. Posting also helps you commit to a line of action. Sharing our work in this way also adds to an expanded sense of community across the Life Groups themselves. Often recurring themes can be seen as yet another witness to the wonders of the Lord's work in our lives and in the desire of the Divine Love to draw and gather all to itself. If would like to post and share your work online but are unsure how to - please Contact Us or speak to your Life Group facilitator. Transcipt of this Third Round post So the thing to remember is that a lot of this is about learning to trust the process in the sense that what you are offered is for the group or for the community. So if you've given attention to it and what you have is what you have, then it's not about having our doctrine right. None of us know what the perfect doctrinal understanding is and we're never going to get there either. But our understanding of things is where they are needed to be at the moment, and there can be others who are there as well. So the whole idea of having the option to post it up or not ... part of it is really about offering those who might be struggling to find a way through the Text, a point of reference that can support them. And if someone to disagrees with what's put up, then that gives them their work as well. So nothing's wasted in that sense. So I think if it's given to us through our work, then it's given to us by the Lord and it's given to us for the sake of others. It's always given to us for the sake of others, you know, we get our work, but it's about building a sense of connection with others through the practice of the Word. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7566 Verses 22-26. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven, and there shall be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field in the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and Jehovah gave voices and hail, and the fire walked unto the land, and Jehovah made it rain hail upon the land of Egypt. And there was hail, and fire walking at the same time in the midst of the hail, very grievous, such as had not been like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote in all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, from man and even to beast, and the hail smote every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, was there no hail. "And Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies a command; "Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven," signifies attention, and the approach of heaven; "and there shall be hail in all the land of Egypt," signifies destroying falsity in the natural mind; "upon man, and upon beast," signifies interior and exterior good; "and upon every herb of the field in the land of Egypt," signifies every truth of the church in the natural mind; "and Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven," signifies communication with heaven; "and Jehovah gave voices," signifies the withdrawal and separation of the communication with those who are in good and truth; "and hail," signifies falsities destroying these goods and truths; "and the fire walked unto the land," signifies the evils of cupidities; "and Jehovah made it rain hail upon the land of Egypt," signifies the natural mind taken possession of by the falsities of evil; "and there was hail, and fire walking at the same time in the midst of the hail, very grievous," signifies the persuasions of falsity together with the cupidities of evil; "such as has not been like it in all the land of Egypt," signifies that no others had such a state of the natural mind; "since it became a nation," signifies from the day in which it was made capable of admitting good and the derivative truth; "and the hail smote in all the land of Egypt," signifies that this falsity destroyed the things that were in the natural mind; "all that was in the field," signifies whatever was of the church; "from man and even to beast," signifies its interior and exterior good; "and the hail smote every herb of the field," signifies that these falsities destroyed every truth of the church; "and broke every tree of the field," signifies that they also destroyed all the knowledges of truth and good of the church; "only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, was there no hail," signifies that it was not so where those were who were of the spiritual church. 7567 And Jehovah said unto Moses. That this signifies a command, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being a command (see n. 7036, 7107, 7310). 7568 Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven. That this signifies attention, and the approach of heaven, is evident from the signification of "stretching forth the hand," as being to cause to pay attention, for by the stretching forth of the hand, something has the attention directed to it and is shown; and from the signification of "heaven," as being the angelic heaven; and as when anyone has his attention directed to heaven, and it is shown to him, he also directs his sight and thought thither, from this there is also signified approach, for all approach in the spiritual world is effected by the determination of the thought. How the case herein is has indeed been told above (n. 7519), but as these things are such as have been unknown in the world, they may be illustrated a little further. When any change of state is to be effected with the evil who are to be vastated, as with those described in these chapters, this change is effected by a more present influx of ...

And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you in the fullness of your fists ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward heaven unto the eyes of Pharaoh. And it shall be dust over all the land of Egypt, and it shall be upon man and upon beast a sore breaking forth in pustules in all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it toward heaven, and it became a sore of pustules breaking forth on man and on beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the sore; for the sore was on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. And Jehovah made firm the heart of Pharaoh, and he heard them not, as Jehovah had spoken unto Moses. Exodus 9:8-12 Arcana Coelestia 7519(2)... So long as evil or infernal spirits are removed and separated from heaven, that is, from the good of love and the truth of faith which are there, they do not know that they are in evils and falsities, for they then believe falsities to be truths, and evils to be goods; but as soon as heaven comes nearer to them, that is, some heavenly society, they notice the falsities and evils; for the truth of faith which then flows in causes them to notice the falsities; and the good of love which flows in causes them to notice the evils; and the nearer that heaven comes, or the more presently there inflows its good of love and truth of faith (seeing that they cannot endure these), the more grievously are they reproached by their own evils and falsities. [3] From all this it can now be seen why it was commanded that Moses should take ashes of the furnace and sprinkle them toward heaven, and that he should do this in the eyes of Pharaoh; also why it was commanded that he, and not Aaron, should sprinkle the ashes toward heaven. For by ashes being sprinkled toward heaven is signified the influx of heaven; by this being done in the eyes of Pharaoh is signified in the presence of those who infest; that Moses was to do this, and not Aaron, is because the truth proceeding immediately from the Divine presents this effect with the evil; Moses being the truth which proceeds immediately from the Divine, and Aaron that which proceeds mediately (n. 7010) Sores are works of the proprium Apocalypse Explained 962. The reason why by sores are signified works from the proprium, and thence evils is, that from man's proprium nothing but evil can be produced. For a man's proprium is that into which he is born, and which he afterwards acquires by his own life. And because his proprium is thus, from its very birth, formed of mere evils, therefore a man must be, as it were, created anew, or regenerated, in order that he may be in good, and thus be received into heaven. When he is regenerated, then the evils from the proprium are removed, and in their place goods are implanted, and this is effected by truths. That evil works, and the falsifications of truths are with those who acknowledge faith alone in doctrine, and confirm it in life, is meant by what follows - that a great and noxious sore is upon the men who have the mark of the beast, and who worship his image.That sores signify works from the proprium, is evident from the Word, where sores and wounds and various diseases are mentioned; as leprosies, fevers, hemorrhoids, and others; all of which correspond to lusts arising from evil loves, and thence signify them. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 7443. And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, upon which My people stands, that no noisome fly be there. That this signifies that they shall not be able to infest by falsities of malevolence those who are in the spiritual church, although they are near them, is evident from the signification of “severing,” as being to separate so that there is no communication; from the signification of “day,” as being state (see n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850), and therefore “to sever in that day” denotes to separate in that state; from the signification of “the land of Goshen,” as being the midst or inmost in the natural (n. 5910, 6028, 6031, 6068), and as the sons of Israel were in Goshen, as being also the church (n. 6649); from the representation of the sons of Israel who are here the “people of Jehovah,” as being those who are of the spiritual church (see above, n. 7439); and from the signification of the “noisome fly,” as being the falsity of malevolence (n. 7441). Thus “no noisome fly being there,” denotes that they could not flow in, consequently could not infest by means of these falsities. That they could not infest by means of these falsities, is because these falsities are falsities from the evils in the outermost parts of the natural mind, that is, in the sensuous, from which sensuous, thus from the falsities therein, they who are in good and truth can be elevated (according to what was said just above, n. 7442); and when they are being elevated, they are then also separated from those who are in falsities there. 7449. The land was destroyed from before the noisome fly. That by this is signified that the natural mind was corrupted in respect to all truth, is evident from the signification of “being destroyed,” as being to be corrupted; from the signification of “the land of Egypt,” as being the natural mind (see n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301); and from the signification of “the noisome fly,” as being the falsity of malevolence (n. 7441). It is said that it was corrupted in respect to all truth, because truth is wholly corrupted by means of falsity from evil. [2] It was from this signification that the Lord commanded His disciples to shake off the dust of their feet if they were not received, as in Matthew: Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city (Matthew 10:14-15; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; 10:10-12); by the “disciples” here are not meant disciples, but all things of the church, thus all things of faith and charity (n. 2089, 2129, 2130, 3354, 3858, 3913, 6397); by “not receiving, and not hearing,” is signified to reject the truths of faith and the goods of charity; and by “shaking off the dust of the feet,” damnation. That “it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city,” is because by “Sodom and Gomorrah” are meant those who are in evil of life, but who have known nothing of the Lord and the Word, and thus could not receive. From this it can be seen that there is not meant a house or city which would not receive the disciples, but those who are within the church and do not live the life of faith. Everyone can see that a whole city could not be damned because they did not receive the disciples and at once acknowledge the new doctrine which they preached. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

From The Logopraxis Workbook - Spiritual Literacy Thinking spiritually, or practising spiritual literacy skills, underpins all of our Logopraxis work, and relies on the tools detailed throughout the Workbook, particularly in Step 3, How to Meet and the Appendix. It refers to the ability to ‘read 'what presents into our conscious awareness, in the light of what the Word teaches is true. In cultivating these skills, we seek to observe the spiritual principles within the literal meaning of the Text, and from these to then recognise states of thought or feeling that arise in us while engaging with the Word, or while people in our Life Group share their experience with the Word. Our day-to-day activities and relationships are the field in which our inner reactions and responses can be observed, and seen to illustrate what the Word teaches regarding the nature of self and the nature of the Divine, of the Lord. Natural or material thinking is dominated by worldly concerns that involve people (including ourselves), places, events, memories of the past, or projections regarding the future - and in general terms, this mode of thought functions from the belief that what the senses perceive are ‘real 'things. Spiritual thinking is not concerned with that but rather is focused on those things that belong to our states of mind: the relations of goods and truths, thoughts and affections, motivations and intentions, beliefs and attitudes, shunning evils and falsities, and the activity of the hellish proprium and the hells versus what is of the Lord and heaven. So, the practise of spiritual literacy skills involves working to remove the natural material world elements of person, place, time, and space from the content of what we are reading or listening to, and to hold the intention to see how what's being offered might be framed in a way that captures the universal aspects of spiritual process. This divided attention of observing both internal and external states while engaging with the Word is a valuable tool in stilling the mind and helps us to be consciously present to what arises both in ourselves and in our Life Group. When universal aspects are shared, others are then more easily able to resonate with them in relation to their own work with the Word, and to see how it is true for the processes they personally experience. When this is seen, it more fully supports the Lord's end - which is the regeneration of the human mind. In this way, the good of the Word as the Lord is made more visible in our midst. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Divine Providence 177. It is the continual operation of the Divine Providence of the Lord to withdraw man from evils. If anyone were to perceive and feel this continual operation, and yet were not led as one bound, would he not continually struggle against it, and thus either dispute with God or mingle self with the Divine Providence? If he did the latter he would make himself also God; if the former he would release himself from restraint and deny God. It is very evident that there would then be two powers continually acting against each other, the power of evil from man and the power of good from the Lord; and when two opposites act against each other then either one conquers or both perish. In this case if one conquers they both perish; for the evil that belongs to man does not receive good from the Lord in a moment, nor does good from the Lord cast out the evil from man in a moment; for if either were done in a moment no life would be left to man. These and many other harmful results would follow if man were manifestly to perceive or feel the operation of the Divine Providence.  Conjugial Love 447. III. THAT FORNICATION BELONGS TO THE NATURAL MAN in like manner as does love of the sex which, if it becomes active before marriage, is called fornication. Every man is born corporeal, becomes sensual, then natural, and successively rational, and if he does not stop there, he becomes spiritual. The reason why his progress is such, is that planes may be formed upon Which higher planes may rest as a palace on its foundations. The ultimate plane with its superstructure may also be likened to a ground in which, when prepared, noble seeds are planted. [2] As specifically regards love of the sex, it also is first corporeal, for it commences from the flesh. It then becomes sensual, for from its general [delight] the five senses are delighted. After that it becomes natural, like the same love with animals, being a roaming love of the sex. But because man was born that he may become spiritual, it later becomes natural-rational, and from natural-rational, spiritual, and at last spiritual-natural. Then that love, now become spiritual, inflows into and actuates the rational love and through this the sensual love, and finally through this the love in the body and the flesh; and this being its ultimate plane, it acts into it spiritually and at the same time rationally and sensually. It inflows and acts successively in this way when man is in meditation upon it, but simultaneously when he is in the ultimate. [3] That fornication belongs to the natural man is because it proceeds proximately from the natural love of the sex, and while this love may be natural-rational, it is not spiritual. Love of the sex cannot become spiritual until it becomes conjugial, and from being natural it becomes spiritual when man recedes from roaming lust and devotes himself to one, to whose soul he unites his own soul. Arcana Coelestia 7442 [2] How it is that the interiors also of the natural mind shall be taken possession of by the falsities of evil which are in the outermost parts of this mind, must be briefly told. The things that flow in with man through heaven from the Lord, flow into his interiors, and advance down to the ultimates or outermost parts, and there they are presented to man in a sensible form, consequently they flow down into the sensuous, and through this into the things of the body. If the sensuous has been filled with phantasies from fallacies and appearances, and especially if it has been filled with phantasies from falsities, then the truths which flow in are there turned into similar things, for they are received there according to the form that is induced on them (see n. 7343). Insofar also as truths are turned into falsities, so far the interiors through which they pass are closed, and at last there is no opening beyond that which is necessary for a sufficient transflux to confer the faculty of reasoning,

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7536 Verses 13-18. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus said Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For I this time will send all My plagues into thy heart, and into thy servants, and into thy people; that thou mayest know that there is no one as I in the whole earth. For now I would put forth My hand, and smite thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou wouldest be cut off from the earth; but yet for this cause have I made thee to stand, that thou mayest see My power, and that My name may be told in the whole earth. As yet thou exaltest thyself against My people, in thy not letting them go. Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. "And Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies instruction again as to what was to be done; "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh," signifies the uplifting by means of presence of the attention of those who infest; "and say unto him, Thus said Jehovah the God of the Hebrews," signifies a command from the Lord, who is the God of the church; "Let My people go that they may serve Me," signifies that they should leave those who are of the spiritual church that they may worship the Lord their God; "for this time I will send all My plagues," signifies that it might come to pass that all the coming evils would together rush upon them; "into thy heart," signifies into the inmost; "and into thy servants, and into thy people," signifies into all things in general and in particular; "that thou mayest know that there is no one as I in the whole earth," signifies made known to them from this that the Lord is the only God; "for now I would put forth My hand," signifies that all communication might be taken away; "and smite thee and thy people with pestilence," signifies thus total devastation; "and thou wouldest be cut off from the earth," signifies that thus there would no longer be communication through the things that belong to the church; "but yet for this cause have I made thee to stand," signifies that communication would still remain, and they will pass through states by reason of order; "that thou mayest see My power," signifies that they may notice how great the Divine power is; "and that My name may be told in the whole earth," signifies that thus where the church is the Lord may be acknowledged as the only God; "as yet thou exaltest thyself against My people," signifies because he does not yet desist from infesting those who are in truth and good; "in thy not letting them go," signifies and does not as yet leave them; "behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail," signifies falsities destroying all things of the church with them; "such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now" signifies that with others there is no such destruction in the natural mind. 7537 And Jehovah said unto Moses. That this signifies instruction again as to what was to be done, see above, n. 7517. 7538 Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh. That this signifies the uplifting by means of presence of the attention of those who infest, is evident from the signification of "rising up early in the morning" (see n. 7435); from the signification, of "standing before" anyone as being presence (n. 7527); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest (n. 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142, 7220, 7228). 7539 And say unto him, Thus said Jehovah the God of the Hebrews. That this signifies a command from the Lord, who is the God of the church, is evident from the signification of "saying," when by Jehovah or the Lord to those who are in evils and infest, as being a command (see n. 7036, 7310); and from the signification of "the Hebrews,