“In Memory of Her” – Matthew 26:13

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 / The Hoffman's / Leave a comment

“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” Matthew 26:13

(For full scriptural context, see page bottom)

There will always be naysayers; those who would indict you with this charge: ‘waste.’ “You’re just wasting your life! Your time! Your finances! Your talent! Your career goals! … by giving it all to Jesus.” Please understand precious believer, nothing given to Jesus is ever wasted. You can’t ‘over-share’ your heart for Him, or ‘over-spend’ your time on Him, or ‘over-give’ your life to Him. This nameless face of a woman had purposed in her heart to bring something — possibly everything — that she owned in this world of great value to the Savior and lavish it on Him. Look into the face of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, and bask for a moment in the extravagant glory of His Person and Work on Calvary’s Cross to redeem all of mankind from the stronghold of sin and death and tell me that the ‘perfume’ was “just too much,” or that something “of lesser value” would have taken care of the job “just as well.” The disciples weighed money, but Jesus weighed motives, and the worshipful abandon that was the driving force behind this one act of opulent devotion stands as a testament to her faith the world over even still.

And so it is with you. When you deposit the whole of your time, talent, and treasure into the Bank of Heaven, you are ‘investing’ in the bank that won’t break. There are no deficits there and Heaven has never gone through a recession! A ‘loss’ here is an investment there (Mt. 16:25). You can employ your life in the service of Satan and reap temporary applause and monetary gain on earth, or you can give it to Jesus and let Him employ you in the service of the Savior while laying up for yourselves treasure in Heaven where all of time and eternity won’t be long enough to reap the manifold dividends. The enemy takes and destroys, but God multiplies and blesses! Just look at this precious woman! She had no pulpit or public forum (or social media platform from which she could be deemed an ‘influencer’), yet the fragrance of her testimony that emanated from that one act of faith and love for Jesus Christ has spilled over into the hearts of millions the world over, testifying still today – HE IS WORTHY! Now, look in your own hands, and search out your own heart. What do you have that could be put to the Master’s use? Is there a voice to speak … a gift to sing … hands to worship … children to steward … a skill to paint … a mind to articulate … a heart to encourage … a Sunday school class to teach … is there time to intercede? Is it just too much to give to Jesus?

In the dust of His feet,

Sunni Hoffman

Matthew 26:6-13
6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, 7a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. 8But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? 9“For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. 11“For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 12“For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. 13“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

A Short in the Circuit

July 31, 2019July 31, 2019 / The Hoffman's / Leave a comment

“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to
be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 1:5

I connected my powerless iPhone to the charger and plugged it into the wall socket today around 3PM. I returned an hour later… no juice. I disconnected and re-connected the phone from the charger. Nothing. I unplugged and re-plugged the charger from the socket. Still nothing. I then disconnected the phone and plugged it into another charger. Aha!

A Short in the Circuit…

There was power to be had on the other end of the wall socket, I just couldn’t access it because I was attempting to access it through a broken circuit. And so it is with our faith. There is ‘keeping power’ available and accessible to every Blood bought, born again child of God (and saving power, delivering power, sanctifying power, etc etc), yet many Christians today are struggling, failing, wandering, drifting, and ultimately falling away from the faith altogether because they have ‘plugged’ their faith into a broken circuit, attempting to access God’s power through man’s wisdom. Please understand, the Cross of Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:18; 1:21), and it is [through] our faith being rightly connected to Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross that we receive *grace* to stay on this narrow path ‘…unto the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ Plug into the Source and stay the course. We’re almost Home.

In the dust of His feet,
Sunni Hoffman

“I know that my Redeemer lives…” – Job 19:25

May 22, 2019May 22, 2019 / The Hoffman's / Leave a comment

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” Job 19:25

Upright and righteous Job sat in a heap of dust and ashes — physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. The fire of satanic adversity had all but destroyed everything around him in an attempt to obliterate his faith, and would have taken his very life, save the forbearing hand of God. Not only did he feel like God was at war with him, but he had been smitten relationally and his very presence was repugnant to his nearest and dearest.

Job can empathize with ‘rock bottom.’ There are some of you who have hit ‘rock bottom’ only to realize that rock bottom has a hole and there is still yet further to go. You, like Job, have bemoaned from your mess, “He breaks me…” (Job 19:10). But in the middle of his ashes, when it looked like the embers of hope had all but gone out, there it was — a flicker of faith, “I know that my Redeemer lives” — and the Holy Spirit went to work. Faith is the only kindling God needs to ignite the hearth of ‘grace.’ The ‘Redeemer’ he was speaking of was the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would come and complete the work of redemption on Calvary’s Cross when He said, “It is finished.” Job knew his ‘friends’ wouldn’t get the last say in his circumstance… and yours won’t either. Your marriage, your family, your job, and your reputation might get caught in the crossfire, but it’s your faith (in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified) that Satan is after. When you’ve done all you can, stand! And remember this — what the fire of adversity doesn’t destroy, it purifies. Keep trusting Jesus!

In the dust of His feet,

Sunni Hoffman

The Prayer of Jabez

March 12, 2018 / The Hoffman's / Leave a comment

(9) “And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, because I bore him with sorrow.
(10) And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
1 Chronicles 4:9-10

“And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren…” honorable meaning ‘a man of weight.’ Right in the middle of nine chapters of seemingly endless genealogies, just as if we were walking through a graveyard of those with whom we were not personally acquainted, a spotlight shines on the tombstone of a man named Jabez, prompting us to read it, and then read it again. The Holy Spirit, through the precious Word of God, has here shown us that the details of the lives of many will pass away like chaff in the wind, but there are none so remembered – their names echoing through the portals of eternity even still – as those who dared to lift up their faith to God in prayer. Many things could have given his life ‘weight’ so as to be honored by men – nobility, character, wealth – but the only ‘weight’ that is honored before God is ‘faith;’ faith in His Son Jesus Christ and His atoning death on Calvary by which we are made heirs to all the privileges His grace affords (“…for without faith it is impossible to please God.” Heb. 11:6).

The circumstances surrounding his birth far less than ideal, his mother chose to name him Jabez, literally meaning, ‘he means or causes sorrow/pain.’ How important is a name? How would you like to have ‘Sadness,’ ‘Grief,’ or ‘Trouble’ on your birth certificate? He could have chosen a path of bitterness and victim hood in life, forever limited by a label, but faith doesn’t see ‘what is,’ but what could be. Sure, this is my coastline and these are the boundary markers of my allotted inheritance in this life. But I’m asking You for more. Exceeding blessings… extending influence… expanding victory. Is this just another pious man in the annals of history? Am I not to follow the example of Jabez and ask for the blessings of God in my heart and home? Unbelief would close all the windows and lock all the doors, “It is enough what God has done and no more…” “I’m so unworthy…” “Maybe for other people…” “I’ve failed too much for God to bless me…” “God doesn’t have my best interest in mind anyways…”. Oh but faith! Faith throws open all the windows of the heart and says, “What You did for Jabez, You can do for me! More, Lord!”

In the dust of His feet,

Sunni Hoffman