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 PASTOR'S WEEKLY PONDERING

"...He has made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace," Ephesians 1:6-7.
"Thy father did command before he died saying, so shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, thy trespass of thy brethren and their sin, for they did unto thee evil: and now we pray thee, forgive  the trespass of the servants of the God of thy (when it should be our father) father. And Joseph wept when they spoke unto Him: genesis 50:16-7. 
What takes us so long to ask for forgiveness? In Genesis 45, Joseph had forgiven his brothers for selling him as a slave to Potipher in Egypt, because he has seen the purpose of God's dreams to him when he was a teen. After living through success, then seduction from an older woman for sex,  sold to imprisonment  for resisting  her temptation and then, success a second time, He could see the hand of God leading him to his second in command in the country, and the importance of integrity to resist temptation. Seeing his brothers coming to him to beg for food was 'small potatoes' compared to forgiving them and having them feel that forgiveness to be on speaking terms with him.  Now here it was 17 years later, and they still did not sense that they were forgiven! What assurance we have in Ephesians that when we ask God to forgive us, He does so immediately, fully, and completely and forever, because Jesus has already prayed for us, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!' The grace, love and mercy of God in being forgiven gives us great peace to  feel forgiven , and grant forgiveness as well as loving kindness, to other human beings (Ephesians 4:32). Is not this a wonderful way to enter 2025! This is the gospel way! This is God's way! And perchance you have bitterness in your heart, ask God now to forgive you; pray Jesus' prayer,  "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."
​Pastor Hartwig.

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