Seventh Stage: Conversion (Matthew 3, Luke 7:36-50)

Theme: The LORD forgives you.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
Now there was a sinful woman in the city came and stood behind Jesus at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. The LORD Jesus said to her: 

“Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Let us meditate on when we completely surrendered to Christ through a general confession or a sincere surrender; how we were able to get out of our Old Testament (the period of laws), and enter the New Testament (the period of love)  and how we discovered our true identity as sinners loved by God.

Let us pray for all those burdened, so that they may approach Jesus and surrender completely to Him.

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For Spiritual Direction

This stage goes from the moment you surrender to God to the moment you are left alone to learn how to deny yourself.

 The length of this stage depends from one person to another. Some people experience Conversion for more than 2 years others for less than 8 months. All people experience the end of “Conversion” stage at the moment they are tested with denying self.

 In this stage, God reveals his beautiful face in Jesus Christ. Christ becomes more alive than anytime in the past. You stay at His feet learning and questioning.

Man decides to surrender to God:

 I want to find myself

 I want Jesus to be my hero: Not me, not my fantasies, not illusions.

 I am desiring to know Jesus

 I am at the back of the race, this is why I need Spiritual Direction.

 Man experiences God’s mercy:

 General Confession

 Joy & relief

 rejoiced

 Man remains at the feet of Christ learning:

 “What do you want?”

 I am doing the right thing

 Why did God do all that (past stages)? For healing.

 Who am I?

 What do I do with my life?

 I have a desire to affect people’s lives

 Meditations: John

                       Deut 8, 9

 the first try you make to stay in this stage “Conversion” will lead you to the next stage: “Deny Yourself”.