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April.28.06: Light for the Day - "Change of Heart"

-- 2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 And that from childhood you have Known the Holy Scriptures, 
     Which are Able to make you Wise for Salvation 
     Through Faith in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is Given by Inspiration of God, 
     And is Profitable for Doctrine, Teaching, Rebuking, 
    Correcting and Training in Righteousness,
17 So that the man of God may be Complete, 
     Thoroughly Equipped for every Good Work.

-- 2 Corinthians 5:17
   Therefore, those are in Christ become New persons. 
   They are Not the Same anymore, for the Old Life is gone. 
   A New Life has begun!

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O LORD, guide my thoughts and my words. It is not that I lack 
subjects for meditation. On the contrary, I am crushed with the 
weight of them. How many are Your Mercies God -- Mercies 
yesterday and today, and at every moment of my life, from 
before my birth, from before time itself began! I am plunged 
deep in Mercies; I drown in them; they cover me, wrapping 
me round on every side. 

Lord Jesus, we should all sing of Your Mercies -- we, who were 
all created for everlasting glory and redeemed by Your blood. 
But if we all have cause to sing Your praises, how much more 
cause have I?  From childhood I have been surrounded by so 
many Graces.   My saintly mother taught me to know You, 
to love You, as soon as I could speak, to pray to You.

Despise so many blessings I drifted away from You for many 
years.  I withdrew further and further from You, and my life 
became a death in Your eyes. I enjoyed numerous worldly 
pleasures, and thought I was alive.  But beneath the surface 
there was deep sadness, disgust, boredom, restlessness. 
Whenever I was alone a great melancholy came over me.

Yet, how good You are to me. You slowly and patiently 
destroyed my worldly attachments. You broke down everything 
that prevented me from living for You. You showed me the futility 
and falsehood of my life in the world. Then you planed in my 
heart a tender seedling of Love, so gradually my heart turned 
back to You.      You gave me a taste of Prayer, 
a Trust in Your Word,   a Desire to Imitate You.

Now I am overwhelmed by Your blessings, O beloved Jesus 
there is nothing that You have not done for me. Now tell me 
what You want of me, how You expect me to serve You. 
Create in my thoughts, Words and Actions that which will give 
True Glory to You.

-- Charles de Foucauld  (1856 - 1916)

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-- 2 Timothy 1:5-7
5 when I call to remembrance the Genuine Faith that is in you, 
   which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and 
   your mother Eunice, and I am Persuaded is in you also.
6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the Spiritual Gift 
   God gave you when I laid my hands on you.
7 For God has not given us a Spirit of fear and timidity, 
   but of Power, Love, and Self-discipline.

-- 1 John 1:8-10
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves
   and the Truth is not in us.
9 If we Confess our sins, He is Faithful and Just and will 
   Forgive us our sins and Purify us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar 
     and showing that His Word has no place in our hearts.

-- Proverbs 28:13 
   He who Covers his sins will not Prosper, 
   But whoever Confesses and Forsakes them will have Mercy.

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-- 2 Chronicles 7:14 
   If my people, who are called by My Name, will humble 
   themselves and Pray and Seek My Face and turn from their 
   wicked ways, then will I Hear from Heaven and will Forgive 
   their sin and will Heal their land.

-- Acts 2:37-42
37 Peter’s words convicted them deeply, and they said to him 
     and to the other apostles, "Brothers, What Should we Do?"

38 Peter replied, "Repent and be Baptized, every one of you, 
     in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of your sins. 
     And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 The Promise is for you and your children and for all who are 
     far off -- for all whom the Lord our God will Call."

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded 
     with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
41 Those who Accepted his Message were Baptized, 
     and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42 They Devoted themselves to the apostles’ Teaching 
     and to the Fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to Prayer.

-- Isaiah 55:6-7 
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; 
    Call on Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked Forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. 
   Let him Turn to the LORD, and He will have Mercy on him, 
   and to our God, for He will Freely Pardon.

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-- Luke 15:11-32        (The Parable of The Prodigal Son)
11 Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons.
12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your 
      estate now, instead of waiting until you die.’ 
      So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13 "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings 
     and took a trip to a distant land, and there he wasted all his 
     money on wild living.
14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over 
     the land, and he began to starve.
15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed his pigs.
16 The boy became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding 
      the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
17 "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 
      ‘At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, 
       and here I am, dying of hunger!
18 I will go home to my father and say, "Father, 
     I have sinned against both Heaven and you,
19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. 
     Please take me on as a hired man."’
20 "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still 
      a long distance away, his father saw him coming. 
      Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, 
      embraced him, and kissed him.
21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both Heaven 
     and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
22 "But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe 
      in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, 
      and sandals for his feet.
23 And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. 
     We must celebrate with a feast,
24 For this son of mine was dead and has now Returned to Life. 
     He was Lost, but now he is Found.’  
    So they began to celebrate.

25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. 
     When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 So he called one of the servants and asked him 
     what was going on.
27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed 
     the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. 
     So his father went out and pleaded with him.
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been 
     slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never 
     gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property 
     with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 "My son," the father said, 
     "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, 
     because this brother of yours was dead and is Alive again; 
     he was Lost and is Found."

-- Luke 15:7 (,10)
    "I tell you that in the same way there will be more Rejoicing 
    in Heaven over One Sinner who Repents than over 
    ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to Repent."

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-- Psalms 51:5-13 
5 For I was born a sinner -- 
   yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But You desire honesty from the heart, 
   so You can Teach me to be Wise in my inmost being.
7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be Clean; 
   Wash me, and I will be Whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear Joy and Gladness; 
   Let the bones you have crushed Rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins and Remove the stain of my guilt.

10 Create in me a Pure heart, O God, 
     and put a New and Right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your Presence, 
     and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the Joy of Your Salvation, 
     and sustain in me a Willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your Ways, 
     and sinners will return to You.

-- Psalm 32:1-5
1 Oh, what Joy for those whose rebellion is Forgiven, 
    whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those whose Record the LORD has 
   Cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete Honesty!

3 When I refused to Confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, 
   and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night Your hand of discipline was heavy on me. 
   My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. 
5 Finally, I Confessed all my sins to You and Stopped Trying to 
   Hide  them.  I said to myself, "I will Confess my rebellion to 
   the LORD." And You Forgave me! All my guilt is gone. 

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-- Hebrews 4:16 
   Let us then Approach the Throne of Grace with Confidence, 
   so that we may Receive Mercy 
   and Find Grace to Help us in our time of need.