December
17

Make Spiritual Transitions

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This enrolling first was made when Kurenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, everyone to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed wife, being great with child. (Luke 2:1-5)

Whenever traveling, sojourning, and passing from place to place, occur in the Word, nothing else is suggested to the angels than such change of state as exists with them. There are changes of state of both the thoughts and the affections; changes of the state of the thoughts are knowledges, and in the world of spirits these changes are presented by means of instructions. (Arcana Coelestia 1463.1)

The state of the interiors is said to be changed when the mind or heart is changed as to affections and consequent thoughts-as from sadness to joy, or from joy to sadness again; from impiety to piety or devotion; and so on. (Arcana Coelestia 4850)

When man is being regenerated, he is then becoming altogether another, and is being made new; therefore also when he has been regenerated, he is called "born again," and "created anew." Then, although he has a similar face and a similar speech, yet his mind is not similar; his mind, when he is regenerate, is open toward heaven, and there dwells therein love to the Lord and charity toward his neighbor, together with faith. It is the mind that makes a man another, and a new man. (Arcana Coelestia 3212.3)

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