“All authority is given to Me in heaven and on earth... And behold, I am with you always, even to the consummation of the age.” - Matthew 28:18, 20
Kempton New Church

December
16

Be Guided by the Lord

And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, and keeping watch1 over their flock by night. And behold, the angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they feared with great fear. And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people. For to you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be the sign to you: you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace, good will among men. (Luke 2:8-14)

Heaven consists of myriads of angelic societies, and yet the Lord leads them as one angel, or as one man. The reason of this is that among all there is mutual love from the love of the Lord. When this love is among all, and in all, then all can be disposed into a heavenly form. (Arcana Coelestia 9613)

Man as to his spirit is within societies in the spiritual world, and to them he is attached as it were with extended cords, which determine the space where he can walk. Through these societies man, that is, man's mind, although bound walks free; but he is led by the Lord, and he takes no step into which and from which the Lord does not lead. (Apocalypse Explained 1174.2)

When spirits have been prepared for heaven by instruction in the places above described, which is effected in a short time on account of their being in spiritual ideas that comprehend many particulars together, they are clothed with angelic garments, which are mostly glowing white as if made of fine linen; and they are thus brought to the way that leads upwards towards heaven, and are delivered there to angel guards, and afterwards are received by other angels and introduced into societies and into many blessednesses there. After this each one is led by the Lord into his own society, which is also effected by various ways, sometimes by winding paths. The ways by which they are led are not known to any angel, but are known to the Lord alone. When they come to their own society their interiors are opened; and as these are in conformity with the interiors of the angels who are in that society they are immediately recognized and received with joy. (Heaven and Hell 519)

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