“Then his lord, after he had called him, said to him, O wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have pitied your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you? And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him. So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also to you, unless each one of you from your hearts forgive his brother their trespasses.”
Mattew 18:32-35
To everyone reading my final letter of the year, a heartfelt welcome. I hope that my letter finds you blessed and in good health.
What an amazing and busy year 2024 has been! We have all experienced some good, some bad, highs and lows. However, many fellow followers of Jesus have told me that this has been a brilliant year in so many ways.
This year at CFC was a year focused on equipping and training people to become more mature and to grow in their walk with God. Many courses were presented but without a doubt 70×7 Forgiving Other and Yourself was the highlight. It impacted hundreds of people from all walks of life. What a life changing course on forgiveness. People were set free from the bondages of unforgiveness. So many have testified that for the first time in years they are free from brokenness and torment. It is the best course ever!!
On a sad note, I again realised that the church, the body of Christ is stained with broken and hurt relationships where people struggle with forgiving one another. The question remains, why is it still so easy to take offence and why is it so difficult to forgive? I do believe with all of my heart that when we love Jesus, we do not intend to go around hurting people, but friends, it happens and it happens to all of us. Right now there might be people out there who we may have hurt and there are people who have hurt us.
Please consider Matt 18:32-35
“Then his lord, after he had called him, said to him, O wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have pitied your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you? And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him. So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also to you, unless each one of you from your hearts forgive his brother their trespasses.”
Unforgiveness will always allow the tormentors to torment those who are not willing to forgive their brother or sister wholeheartedly for any pain or harm they have caused. Friends, God is not a tormentor, but if there is unforgiveness in our hearts towards someone else, God will give us over to the tormentors until we have forgiven.
So, I ask of you today as you read my letter, if you need to still forgive me for anything I might have said or done to cause you harm or pain, please forgive me. If you need in any way to forgive someone else who has harmed you, please forgive them. If you need to receive forgiveness, be bold enough to ask for it.
As we prepare to finish off this year on a high note and looking forward to a well deserved holiday, wouldn’t it be brilliant if we could all say, “Father my heart is clean and I am free from all unforgiveness”? Friends let’s end this year with an awesome heart before God for surely He will build His kingdom on the condition of our hearts.
May I bless you with this clip of Corrie ten Boom’s testimony on forgiveness Oh it blew me away!! https://youtu.be/ql-TI51LmaY
Happy holidays, safe driving, rest well and may God bless you and your family in Jesus’ Name.
With all our love.
Roland & Denise Engel