Advanced search
Search results clear search
Forgiveness
Worship Service: Children & Adult - November 14, 2010
Being loving, even in the presence of evil Luke 6:27-36; Arcana Coelestia 1079, 986 Peter said unto Jesus, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times? Jesus said to him,"I say not until seven times, but until seventy times seven." (Matt. 18:21, 22) When anything most holy or sacred was to be expressed [in the Word], it was said "seventy-sevenfold" as when the Lord said that a man should forgive his brother not until seven times, but until seventy times seven (Matt. 18:22), by which is meant that they should forgive as many times as he sins, so that the forgiving should be without end, or should be eternal, which is holy. (AC 433) Those who are true members of the Church are so far removed from guile that they utterly abhor it; and those among them who are like angels are willing, if at all possible, to have their minds laid open so that anyone may see plainly what they are thinking. For they intend nothing but good towards their neighbor; and if they notice anything bad in someone they make allowances for it. (AC 6655) | By Rev. Ryan Sandstrom | Ivyland New Church, PA
See Event (33m 05s)
Happiness in Deliverance and Trust
Worship Service: Children & Adult - October 24, 2010
Trusting the Lord by living life, being yourself, and giving thanks (Matt 6:25-34; Psalm 34; Arcana Coelestia 1422) Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, then all these things will be added to you. Do not therefore be anxious about the morrow; for the morrow will take care of the things that belong to it. (Matthew 6: 33-34) They who trust in the Lord continually receive good from Him; for whatsoever happens to them, whether it appears to be prosperous or not prosperous, is still good, because it conduces as a means to their eternal happiness. (Heavenly Secrets #8480) [In a marriage] with one wife, truly conjugial friendship, trust and potency is possible, because it is a union of minds. It is the place and origin of the celestial blessedness, the spiritual happiness and so the natural pleasures which have been provided from the beginning for those who enjoy truly conjugial love. (Conjugial Love #457) | By Rev. Ryan Sandstrom | Ivyland New Church, PA
See Event (00m 00s)
The Deceiving Path of Reverence
Worship Service: Children & Adult - October 10, 2010
The relevance of idolatry in our lives: who do we worship?. (Jer. 10:1-5; Mark 11:20-24; AC 1363) Idolatrous worships are internal and external; the internal are those which condemn man; the external not so much. The more interior the idolatrous worship is, the more it condemns; but the more exterior, the less. Internal idolaters do not acknowledge God, but adore themselves and the world, and make idols of all their cupidities; whereas external idolaters are able to acknowledge God, although they do not know who is the God of the universe. Internal idolaters are known from the life they have acquired; and in proportion as this life departs from the life of charity, in the same proportion are they more interior idolaters. External idolaters are known solely from their worship; and, although idolaters, they can still have the life of charity. Internal idolaters can profane holy things, but external idolaters cannot; and therefore external idolatry is tolerated, in order to prevent the profanation of holy things. (Heavenly Secrets #1363) | By Rev. Ryan Sandstrom | Ivyland New Church, PA
See Event (30m 42s)
Armed with Truth
Worship Service: Children & Adult - September 26, 2010
What the Lord does to empower us now and experience heaven now. (Luke 22:35-38; Arcana Coelestia 9088, 10026) Truths teach a person in whom he ought to believe, and what he ought to believe, also what he ought to do, thus how he ought to will; for whatever one does he does from the will in accordance with his understanding. Since then, a person's will itself is evil by birth and the understanding teaches what good and evil are, and a person can will either good or evil, it follows that he must be reformed by means of the understanding. As long as anyone sees and mentally acknowledges that evil is evil, and good is good, and thinks that the good ought to be chosen, he is in what is called the state of reformation. But when his will leads him to shun evil and do good, the state of regeneration begins. (True Christian Religion #587) | By Rev. Ryan Sandstrom | Ivyland New Church, PA
See Event (33m 22s)
Do Not Weep...
Worship Service: Children & Adult - September 12, 2010
How the Lord comforts us in times of need (Luke 7:11-17; Arcana Coelestia 379, 5691, 9737) In many passages in the Word, mention is made of praising God, which signifies to confess Him with the heart and mouth, thus also to worship Him. Praising God is signifies the same thing as Hallelujah, for [the word] Hallelujah signifies "Praise ye God." The reason why praising God signifies to confess and worship is that the Lord does not desire to be praised or glorified from any love for Himself, but from His love for man. For a person cannot do otherwise than praise and glorify the Lord…when he acknowledges in heart that there is nothing good in himself, and that he can do nothing from himself, and on the other hand that all good is from the Lord, and that the Lord can do all things. When a person is in this acknowledgment he then puts away his proprium, whose origin is the love of self, opens the whole of his mind, and thus enables the Divine to enter by influx with good and with power. It is therefore necessary that a person be in humiliation before the Lord, and that such humiliation be from no other source than the acknowledgment of his own [nature] and the acknowledgment of the Lord; according to these things reception takes place. (Heavenly Secrets #1210 - portions) | By Rev. Ryan Sandstrom | Ivyland New Church, PA
See Event (27m 04s)