Giving and receiving gifts is an often mentioned subject at this time of year. Most of us have probably had a good deal of experience in this area. Receiving gifts from others brings great joy and giving gifts to others brings even more. Gifts are awesome, but what about the gifts that are never opened?
Imagine parents who carefully search for the perfect Christmas presents to give to their children. After long hours of shopping and almost painful anticipation, the time has finally come. They excitedly wrap the gifts and place them by the tree on Christmas Eve while the children are sleeping. When the children awake in the morning, they stumble into the living room to see the beautiful site. There are presents for everyone! The wrapping is so beautiful and the children know that their parents got them the most amazing gifts. Each package has a name written on it so there's no doubt who they are for. The parents come in and can hardly contain themselves as they wait for the children to dig in. Then, to the parent's surprise and dismay, the children lower their heads and walk away without ever unwrapping one single gift. Upon questioning them as to why they didn't open the gifts, the children answered:
What started out as something beautiful and heart-warming quickly turned dismal. This was just an illustration, but the sad reality is that there is a very special, life-changing gift that very often goes unopened. That gift is God's mercy. He offers it to all mankind so that we will not be consumed by our sins. It's not based on how "good" we are, but He freely gives us mercy because of His incomprehensible love for us.
Many will not accept this gift because they don't feel like they deserve it. Others have been so jaded by life's disappointments that they can hardly believe that anything good can ever come to them. Then there are those who feel like they've exhausted all the resources of God by their repeated failures. Don't let these, or any other thoughts keep you from opening the gift of mercy. Whether you have been a Christian for many years or whether you've never accepted Jesus, you need mercy. If you don't feel like you deserve it, you're right. That's what is so amazing about this gift. You didn't do anything to earn it and you couldn't if you tried. If you don't understand how God could love you as much as He does in spite of all you have done, join the club. I can't fully explain or understand God's love and mercy, I just know that it's real and it has changed my life and it's available to you. If you feel like you've already received your share of mercy and feel selfish to keep asking for it, refer to the scriptures above. His mercies and compassions never fail and are new every morning. They never run out! It would be a terrible tragedy for you to be consumed by the guilt and shame of your sins when the solution is right in front of you. It's beautifully wrapped in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and it has your name written on it. Don't let this precious gift go unopened. Come to Jesus today, ask forgiveness and open this wonderful gift of mercy. Patrick A. Thomson
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We have just entered into the blur.
It is the time from the beginning of November until after the beginning of the new year. There are so many things to do and be involved in, and we will be reacquainting ourselves with so many family and friends that we haven’t seen in so long. There will be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the snow (that just came to me). With everything we know that will happen, there are always those extra lovely things that creep into the schedule at the last minute, and they will add to the blur. It really is “the most wonderful time of the year”, but it can also be a dangerous time of the year. We can get so caught up in everything that we miss it all and then around January 2nd we might be wondering where the time all went. It’s dangerous and sad to get caught in the blur. Let me give you some tips of how you can know if your’e getting sucked in:
Let me remind you of some of the scripture texts that are closely associated with this time of the year, so we won’t get caught in the blur: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Luke 2:11-14 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Take a lot of time to give thanks and even more time giving peace and good will toward men, and you won’t get caught in the blur. May God Richly Bless You and Yours, Pastor Hoffman We have, for over 4 months now, just taken tree leaves for granted. They have stood proud in their leafy, lively greenness through rain, wind and sun. We enjoyed their shade when the sun was high and the temperature followed, but other than that they kind of went unnoticed. Now that the nights are cool those leafy guardians of the trees are beginning to change their color, so we are noticing them once again. As the days progress we will watch them fall to the ground and we will rake them to the street and watch them be carried away (by the wind, as well as the street crew). Then our trees will stand just as tall, but much less adorned, except for a new fallen snow throughout the winter months.
But, do not despair because those leaves that died away will be replaced by another set of soldiers that will rustle, wave, and shade just like the ones before them. Next spring will bring new buds that will form into leaves that will be ignored much of the summer season and only when fall comes will many of us realize what has been there for months, as they change into their autumn hues of gold, red and orange. The church is quite the same way. We have many faithful soldiers who have burst onto the scene and have provided safety, love and encouragement throughout our walk with God. Much of the time we take them for granted because they fill their post so well. Sadly, it is only during their autumn season that we notice the influence they have had on our lives. And then, all too suddenly, they're no longer able to stand at the guard in the same way and too many have been taken from us. It is then that we truly notice all that they have given to the church and to our lives. In case you are wondering, yesterday would have been my parents 57th wedding anniversary and what wouldn't I give to be able to have one more conversation with my daddy. I miss him and too many more soldiers of the faith that have gone on to their reward, but someone has to take their place. All the budding saints of God have got to become leaves of righteousness that stand at guard over the body of Christ. We'll be here to teach the children, reach the lost, and provide a stable base for the church to grow through. The guard changes, but the protection and execution of our duties has to remain. 3 things:
God Bless You, Pastor Hoffman I have a few friends that are colorblind. When I am around them, this fact always seems to come up in one way or another. I think it’s partially because we are interested in how someone else views the world and partially because we want to find out if it’s really us who may be seeing things wrong. That was a point of discussion in one of my psychology classes in college. Even though we have determined that the majority of people view the world seeing the same colors and light distortion, does that still mean that we are seeing the true color? I’m fascinated by how my so-called “colorblind” friends see the world but aren't they really just perceiving the colors as they are presented to them?
Before we go too far down that rabbit hole, let’s change course just a little bit. It is getting to the point in the year when the crisp air is helping the trees show their fall coats. Eventually, they will lose those leaves, but we are currently in the sweet spot where everything is bursting with shades of orange, yellow, and red. We are starting to pull out our sweaters and warm socks to combat the brisk mornings and bonfires in the afternoons to knock off the night chill. There are those that try to hold onto summer as long as they can, however. We’ve seen the extremes like wearing sandals when others are pulling out their boots or short sleeves when the rest have scarves. Whether they are freezing or comfortable is hard to tell. We just see how they perceive the current weather conditions, regardless of how others perceive it differently. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus gives us a clear objective of how we should present ourselves and how we should be perceived. He says “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” We each have been given a specific light to share with the world and we have the obligation to shine it in the correct way. Regardless of how others may be presenting themselves, my good works should be what is on display. In the ways I talk, walk, and interact with those I come in contact with. Secondly, this isn’t so that I can be perceived better than those around me, but more so that I can glorify God and provoke others to do the same. Just like there are many different colors in this world, there are many different people. The truth of the matter is that I can only shine my light, just like you can only shine yours. This isn’t an excuse, but instead a responsibility to make sure that the light we have is being presented and perceived in a way that brings the glory to God and God alone. Be what you can be and do what you can do, Coburn Hoffman A story from the word of God has always left quite an impression upon me. Naomi has lost her husband and two sons and her daughters-in-law are standing before her as she says:
Ruth 1:11-18 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. 16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. What a powerful display of faithfulness. Even when she was told to leave, Ruth made the choice to stay and be faithful. I think we can all agree that faithfulness is a needed element in every area of our lives:
But the area of life that demands the most faithfulness is our relationship and walk with God. If we cannot be faithful to God then we cannot be faithful in anything. As we develop a lifestyle of faithfulness to God, the Lord is able to foster faithfulness in every area of our lives. In the parable of the talents, the master says these words: “you have been faithful over a few things, therefore I will make you ruler over many things”. Sadly, some people cannot be faithful over the little things today, but they are still expecting the big responsibilities to come their way. Faithfulness is still relevant in our lives and it must be relevant in our relationship with the Lord. When we get to heaven we will not get there on our looks and abilities, but we will enter into that Holy place because of a life of faithfulness. Titus 3:3-8 3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. There are going to be days that we don’t feel like it. There are going to be days that everything is going down the tubes. There are going to be days that we only have one last nerve for someone to get on. There are going to be days that we are tempted to just get back in bed and pull the covers over our heads. Faithfulness when everything is going well and there are no roadblocks is easy, but to truly be faithful I have to be faithful no matter what is or what isn’t going on. Without faithfulness to God in this life we can never expect to share in the life that is to come. Faithfulness to God is a prerequisite to making heaven our home. Make the choices you need to make to be faithful. You, your family and anyone that is watching your life will be blessed because of it. Pastor Hoffman In Isaiah 46 we see a stark contrast between the gods other nations served and the One True God of Israel.
Isaiah 46:1-5 NKJV - [1] Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages [were] heavily loaded, A burden to the weary [beast]. [2] They stoop, they bow down together; They could not deliver the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity. [3] "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld [by Me] from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: [4] Even to [your] old age, I [am] He, And [even] to gray hairs I will carry [you]! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver [you]. [5] "To whom will you liken Me, and make [Me] equal And compare Me, that we should be alike? For the other nations (whom we equate with the secular world of today), their gods and idols became a burden that lowered them down. Not only could their idols not deliver them, but they were both taken captive together. For us today, trying to keep up with the world's idols, trends, fads, and ideals is a heavy burden. It will weigh you down, exhaust you, and ultimately take you captive. You will become consumed with staying relevant and being "in". The trap is that things change so quickly in the world. Just when you figure out how to dress, what songs are popular, and what is right and wrong they all change without notice and you are left alone and confused wondering what happened. What a heavy burden it can be to keep in step with the world. Christians should not be loaded down with that burden. We are called to be set apart from this world, to be distinctly different. Nicky Gumbel writes: "Like many today, the people of God often found themselves in a culture with very different standards from their own. You are not called to withdraw from the culture, but you are called to be distinctive. Live a counter-culture life and you will have a powerful impact on the culture for good." Paul wrote to the church in Rome: Romans 12:1-2 NKJV - [1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your reasonable service. [2] And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. To the church in Corinth he wrote: 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 NKJV - [17] Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." [18] "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty." We know that there is a better way to live. Instead of pursuing conformity to things that are ever-changing and unfulfilling, we pursue conformity to the Word of God that never changes. His Word is the bread of life that always fulfills. He will receive us and be pleased with us when we separate ourselves from the world's lifestyle and pursue a holy lifestyle. As believers, we put our trust in Him and set our sights on pleasing Him. In doing this, we unload the heavy burden of being a people pleaser and place ourselves in the arms of a just and loving Savior who will carry us through the ups and downs of life. I love verses 3 and 4 from Isaiah 46. He carries us, He delivers us! No heavy burden, no bondage! It seems that no matter what we do to fit in with the world rejection awaits us. Yet when we focus our energy and time on serving, pleasing, and knowing Jesus we find acceptance and rest for our weary souls. What are you chasing? Are you chasing the ever-changing idols that the world worships or are you chasing a closer relationship with the God who never changes? Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV - [28] "Come to Me, all [you] who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] "For My yoke [is] easy and My burden is light." If you are under a heavy burden and looking for rest, then look to Jesus. This world and its unstable ways will only disappoint and exhaust you. Jesus, on the other hand, will strengthen, empower, and fill you with joy. Come to the rest that He provides. Let Him carry you. Be Blessed, Patrick A. Thomson I’ve got a little exercise for you to do, right now. Think of one person that you know. Really just try to concentrate on just one person. Now, what is one characteristic or action of that person that really speaks volumes about who they are, to you?
Do you think that your assessment of that person fully describes who they are? Is what you know about that person adequate to make a snapshot of who they are? Think about how you arrived at your assessment of that person. It probably was not what they said to you that really mattered. It more than likely was not just how someone else described them to you or what others may have said about them. More than likely you arrived at your opinion by what the person has done around you and to you. Their actions and the way that they interact with others has caused you to have your opinion of who and what they are. Galatians 6:7-10 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. In this letter to the church at Galatia Paul makes each one of us accountable for our own lives. It’s amazing the difference with which we see our lives and other’s lives. We can become aggravated and enraged with others who choose not to live their lives as they should, but are we examining our own lives as close as we should? Matthew 7:1-5 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. All of us are very quick to find fault and make judgments about other people.
The old saying is “If you are going to dish it out, you had better be able to take it!” We can pretend to be whatever we want to make ourselves to believe, but in reality we are going to give an account to God who cannot be fooled. We must be able to ask ourselves tough questions like:
Hebrews 4:12-13 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. We’re not hiding anything from God. It’s not what we pretend to be that matters to him, but what our actions have shown we are. God, help us to be what is pleasing unto you and let the actions of our lives be all that you are in us. Pastor Hoffman When is the last time you saw a foundation? Possibly it was a new restaurant being built or new home that someone is anxiously waiting to be completed. Anything that is going to last the test of time needs a good solid foundation, so it’s understandable that we would see the foundations being built for those structures. How deep is a good foundation though? Clay Risen at Popular Science wrote an article about the process of constructing the Shanghai Tower, which is the world’s 3rd tallest building yet at 2,073 feet. “Shanghai is in an earthquake zone, and the site (which is located on a river delta) has soft, clay-heavy soil. So before lifting a single steel beam, engineers drove 980 foundation piles into the ground as deep as 282 feet. Then they poured 2.15 million cubic feet of reinforced concrete to create an 20-foot-thick foundation mat.” For something as exemplary as one of the tallest buildings in the world, there should be a serious foundation built before anything above ground can take shape.
What would happen if that foundation was built and nothing was built upon it? Take a moment and imagine all the hard work that went into just putting the foundation in place for the Shanghai Tower. All the effort put into something no one will ever see, for the sake of something that everyone will see to be built on top of it. When was the last time that you’ve seen an abandoned foundation? If visible they are usually covered in dirt, dust, and weeds. They leave those that see them with a feeling of “What if?” A strong foundation is necessary before anything worthwhile can be built, but if nothing is built, the foundation is for nothing. You never hear of families going to big cities to look at foundations of skyscrapers, but you especially never hear of them going to see foundations of skyscrapers never built. Anything worth building needs a foundation just as much as the foundation needs something built on it to matter. The truth of the metaphor is that we have the strongest foundation in Christ. Ephesians 2:19-20 states “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;” With this in mind, we have the great responsibility to build on that foundation something worth looking at. I am not professing vanity or self-promotion by any means. Instead we should be the purest representation of Godly principles and convictions. Paul writes again in Ephesians 4 about our purpose in the church being “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying (Building Up) of the body of Christ” If you read that in reverse, it lays out the building plan perfectly. We are to be building up the body of Christ through the work of ministry for the perfecting of the saints. The foundation of Christ and his crucifixion means nothing if we are not willing to build up the body of Christ. “On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.” Stand on the Rock and build the body, Coburn Hoffman Dear Entrusted Friend,
As an executive with many responsibilities to a multinational company here in my wonderful home town. It is my great honor, during this season of great peace and goodwill, to celebrate the MAGNIFICENT birth of our Lord the JESUS CHRIST. To this end the company I work for is distributing the large sum of 10000 USD RISK FREE money as a Christmas gift!!! All you have to do to receive the $$$ is be the first one to contact me at once via this email with the following details: 1. *Your Full Name* 2. *Your FULL and verified Bank Details* This thing is for REAL!!! While I await to hear from you, may God be with you and your family and have a prosperous Yuletide. With Felicitations, Chief Financial Controller /Mother London/ Imagine you open up your phone, or sit down at your computer and this email is in your inbox. Also since we are imagining things, imagine it's Christmas time because that is when this story takes place. In 2009 this email was sent out to hundreds of clients and partners of Mother London, an advertising agency, to which they received one response. Even though the email was 100% true, they arrived at the office of Theo Delaney, and hand delivered him a briefcase with 10,000 dollars cash. Delaney was the only person to respond to that email. We've all had our fair share of Nigerian Princes and fake phone calls trying to weasel their way into our bank accounts. Our guard has to be up constantly when it comes to our privacy. As technology becomes more and more accessible, the risk of our private information being compromised becomes higher as well. It's hard to give out your mother's maiden name for verification, much less your bank account information to an email that could be a potential hacker. I can't say that I too would have missed my opportunity for free cash by moving this email to my spam folder. As we grow in God, He likes to stretch our faith as well. Knowing that God provides is easy to say, but a lot harder to put into practice. Then there are times when He says something that seems, to our feeble minds, ridiculous. In Matthew 17 Peter comes in contact with a mean ol' tax collector who tries to discredit Jesus by saying "I bet your Lord doesn't even pay taxes". To which Peter, who is willing to defend Jesus responds, "Yeah huh!" Ok maybe not in those words but, he wasn't going to let Jesus look bad. As soon as Peter arrives back to Jesus, Jesus initiates a discussion about taxes. He then tells Peter in verse 27: “... go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take and give unto them for me and thee.” I can't imagine this was an easy task for Peter. It wasn't like: "Go out to the street and you'll find the coin there". Or, "Go over to the couch and you'll find exactly what you need in the cushions". No, he wanted Peter to fish and take the coin from the first fish he caught. Sure, he had seen Jesus do some pretty miraculous things up until now. Just two verses earlier Jesus began the conversation about taxing even though He, Jesus, wasn't even there as Peter spoke with the tax collector. But this had to seem crazy to Peter. There was only one way to find out. Peter could have ignored it. Being a fisherman, he had caught many fish that didn't have coins in their mouths up until that point. Peter could have missed out, or he could allow His faith to be stretched just a little further and see Jesus use him for another miracle. Jesus told Peter to go. The circumstances were unusual, but the result was a blessing. We may find it hard to obey Jesus when we don't understand, when He asks for the crazy. We may worry about what the response will be from those around us, and we may only see the impossibility as the "what ifs" pile against His request. There is only one way to find out when He asks you to make a giant leap of faith...jump. To reach higher heights, to experience deeper depths in our relationship with God requires some mobility. When we are willing to listen and obey the results will not leave us wondering, but will leave us fulfilled and satisfied with a perfect God who promised to never leave us or forsake us. Stretch further, leap higher, Sister Amber Klein James 1:4 "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
In that scripture text there are two words that do not seem to fit together; Perfect and Patience. It would seem that life itself is in direct contradiction to any thought of attaining either one to any degree. We can agree that life is full of promise and potential, but not perfection. As we live we see stress and problems in abundance, but we do not see patience in any quantity. The truth is that with all that is going on in our lives we don’t think we have time to develop perfection. We have rewired ourselves to accept something less and as far as patience is concerned, it left some time ago after someone stepped on our last nerve. But the Bible still says in Hebrews 6:1 "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,". If there is any place that we want to be perfect it is in our position with Christ, but how can we fit that into our imperfect lives? It seems that in many instances we are always starting over “for the weight and sin that so easily besets us” and by the time another church service has renewed us again, it’s over. We must then step back into our imperfect lives and once again deal with our stepped on nerves and our flawed existences. Ephesians 4:11-12 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" The ministry and God do their job and we are brought to where we need to be, but then the church service is over and we are faced with a deep question. How can we stay in this place that God has brought us to? James 1:3-4 "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Trying, tribulation, tests: These things do not sound palatable to the fleshly man, but they are God's way to bring us to perfection. 1 Peter 5:6-10 "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." God has a way of bringing us to perfection, but we have to be willing to stay in the process and let it happen. It won’t always be pleasant. It won’t always appease the flesh. It won’t always seem right to our way of thinking, but it’s God’s way and it's the only way it will ever work. May God help us as we strive towards perfection, Pastor Hoffman |
First Thoughts
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