by Shannon Tillman | Feb 27, 2025 | Bible Study
“It just didn’t work out”. This sentence summarizes an end to a situation or a relationship. However, this statement is from our perspective, not from God’s point of view. The Lord has a different summary over our circumstances:
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
God says “It will work out”. We may not know when or how, but it will work for good even if we are not around to see it happen.
Such was the case for the prophet Isaiah. He would not live to see the miracle from the murder. This story began not with a crime, but instead with a healing from a death bed.
2 Kings 20:1-6a
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life…
Hezekiah was on the verge of death, yet God added fifteen years to his life. This is one of those “hallelujah moments”. Imagine how faith in the Lord increased by all of those who had witnessed this miraculous event. Isaiah had the honor of declaring the word of the Lord to king Hezekiah and to see the king recover. God honored His promise and Hezekiah lived another fifteen years. During this time, he fathered a son named Manasseh who would become king after his father’s death.
2 Kings 21:1-3
Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
Manasseh was evil. His father, Hezekiah, had been a godly king, but Manasseh was considered the most wicked king in all of Judah’s history. He not only set up idols, he sacrificed some of his children to them. He practiced witchcraft and placed evil images in the holy temple of the Lord. God told the prophets that Manasseh was more wicked than the nations that had been driven out of the Promised Land before Israel settled there.
2 Kings 21:9
…Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.
His evil corrupted the nation of Judah which followed his wicked ways. This led to a loss of many lives, for Manasseh was a cold-blooded killer.
2 Kings 21:16
Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
According to ancient Jewish and Christian tradition, the prophet Isaiah was killed by king Manasseh. He was murdered by being sawed in two. Some scholars believe a verse of Hebrews may reference Isaiah’s death:
Hebrews 11:37-38
They were put to death by stoning; they were SAWED IN TWO; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. (emphasis mine)
Let’s put the pieces together. Isaiah informed Hezekiah that the king was about to die. Hezekiah cried out to the Lord. God told Isaiah to let Hezekiah know that his life would be extended fifteen years. Three years later, Manasseh was born. Nine years after that, Hezekiah died and Manasseh became the most murderous, idolatrous king in Judah’s history. His reign of terror included killing the very prophet who was a part of his father’s miraculous healing.
Can you imagine Isaiah’s cries to the Lord? He had to witness the complete surrender of the nation to evil, such evil that people were killed to appease these false gods. Isaiah knew Manasseh was born after the miraculous healing of Hezekiah. “Why, Lord?” If Hezekiah had died, Manasseh would not have been born to kill so many people, to entice the nation to idolatry, witchcraft, and perversion. On top of the wretchedness Isaiah witnessed in the nation, he himself is murdered by Manasseh. I think an understatement would be to say “That didn’t work out”. This story has so many heart-wrenching questions and layers that seem to end in only allowing evil to triumph and good to be destroyed. Except, God intervenes in a surprising way.
2 Chronicles 33:10-11
The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
The Lord had given warnings, most likely even through the prophet Isaiah. For the book of Isaiah records many warnings to the people of Judah. Yet, Manasseh and the people ignored the warnings. The Lord allowed Manasseh to be taken prisoner to a foreign land.
If this was the end of the story, we could at least settle for our ideas of justice taking place. Yet, this justice turns into a miracle.
2 Chronicles 33:12-13
When he was in distress, he entreated the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
Manasseh, the murderous idol worshipper, becomes a believer in the Lord God! Manasseh, the evil king, became the humbled prisoner, was miraculously released from prison and allowed to rule again in Judah. This time, he reigned with a new heart.
2 Chronicles 33:15-16
He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. He set up the altar of the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.
The idol worshiper becomes an evangelist of the Lord! Only God could have foreseen such a tremendous ending to an otherwise horrendous story.
On the day Isaiah died, it may have seemed that “Things didn’t work out”. The truth is, it worked out for a greater, miraculous good than could have ever been imagined. God is faithful to His promise:
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Whatever situation that looks like it is not working out in our lives, means that it is not yet over. The final chapter has not been written. At some point whether we are still on earth, or only seeing the highlights in heaven, we will be able to testify that God did work it out for good and it is truly marvelous!
What do we need to do while we wait for God to work it all for good? We must pray. Manasseh cried out to the Lord from his prison cell and received a miracle. His father, Hezekiah, had cried out to the Lord from his death bed and received a miracle. Cry out to God, in your situation that looks hopeless and wait for the Lord to intervene and bring a miracle.
by Shannon Tillman | Feb 20, 2025 | Bible Study, Thoughts
My husband and I have been walking through a season of profound loss over the last few years. Every part of our lives has been impacted. My heart would still be grieving over one loss when another would burst upon the scene. My emotions felt so raw and our lives so mangled. At a conference I spoke at, I told the crowd that we were living a country song because we even lost our precious dog. You can’t get more country than that!
My prayers seemed to be more tears than words. My dear prayer partners were often left speechless as the events of my life unfolded; they did not know what to say to even attempt to encourage me. The book of Job was sometimes referenced and I often heard, “I don’t know, but I can pray for you.” Their prayers for me were so precious because they knew I did not have any more prayer inside to pour out. One day, I said to the Lord, “I have been stripped of everything.” There was not a single area of life that I could point to that had not been devastated in some way.
The Lord’s answer to me was gentle but clear, “If something or someone is already surrendered, it would not be stripped.”
At first, I was taken aback by what He said. Did that mean God stripped me to punish me? But then my mind felt the words of Job:
Job 1:21
Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Job spoke these words after the loss of all his possessions, the loss of the majority of his servants, and the loss of all ten of his children. It was not the Lord who actually caused the devastation; Satan did that.
Job 1:8-12
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Satan proceeded in wreaking havoc in Job’s life. Yet, Job responded in worship rooted in His profound trust of the Lord. Job understood that God is sovereign even over the enemy’s devastation in our lives.
Job 1:22
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Life will have its share of pain and loss. Jesus even promised it:
John 16:33b
“…In this world you will have trouble…”
That is usually not the promise people print out and stick on their mirror for encouragement for the day. “Yippee, I get to face trouble today!” We want the promises of victory, strength, blessings, healing, and prosperity; not verses on trouble.
The truth is, life is trouble. We live in a fallen world, with sinful people (which I am one of especially when I am hungry, so this is your warning), with a powerful enemy who seeks to destroy us. There will be losses; there will be pain; there will be heartaches; there will be death.
If we hold tightly onto the people and things around us, losses will feel like pieces of our heart are being stripped away. But when we surrender each piece, each person as painful as it may be, we are surrendering to the sovereign God who rules over every situation in our lives. I realized that day God was inviting me to surrender my pain to Him. Instead of staying focused on all that was stripped from us, I needed to look to the one who was over my entire life. “Lord, I do not understand why this was allowed to happen, but I choose to trust you.” The loss was the same, but my heart was changed.
I knew God could have prevented everything that happened and the season we are still walking through. He is mighty, powerful, and able to perform miracles. Yet, in my world I still have trouble. I can blame God or I can blame others which just keeps me distant from true comfort in my time of pain. I can focus on the losses and stay stuck in the question of “why” which magnifies every painful situation and leaves me feeling like a victim in a cosmic war. Or I can surrender each heartbreak to the Lord and trust that He sees, He knows, and He will eventually bring blessing out of the pain in His timing and in His way.
Job 42:12
The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.
There will be a moment when I will finally see the goodness of God in each area of my life that has been impacted by the severe losses we have suffered. In the end, the blessing of God will overtake the destruction of the enemy. I do not know when that will take place or how it will look in the end. However, I know I can trust all that has been surrendered to Him.
Job 1:21b
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.
by Kevin Tillman | Feb 13, 2025 | Bible Study, Thoughts
The word “word” has two words in the Bible. Confused yet? Read it again … in the Bible we see the word “word”, but that word has two different words in the original Greek language. Those two words are “Logos” and “Rhema”. Stick with me this is so important.
Most Christians are familiar with the “Logos” translation. This is a written word. This is God’s Word to us. This is the Bible. The word “logos” is used 330 times in the New Testament.
Less familiar is the “Rhema” translation. This is a spoken word. It is a present word. It is an immediate call to action. The word “rhema” is used 68 times in the New Testament.
I know, this isn’t making a ton of sense yet, but hang on, this is so important. Let me give. a few examples ….
John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God, and the Word (Logos) was God.”
This verse is speaking of the person of Jesus Christ. It is referencing the eternal nature of Jesus. It also shows the unity of the Father and Son and the eternal word (logos) of God.
Here’s another …
John 1:14
“The Word (Logos) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
A reference to Jesus becoming a human, but still retaining the eternal nature of the Logos.
So what about “Rhema”? This is where it gets interesting …
John 15:7
“If you remain in me and my words (Rhema) remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Once again “Rhema” is a spoken word, a present word. It’s a call to action. Here Jesus is saying, that “Logos word” needs to be a “Rhema word” inside of you. In other “words” (ha) … it’s not enough to just know the scriptures, it must be dwelling in us. It has to be active. It must be a present tense message. That’s a “Rhema”, and that’s what produces the power. The verse isn’t saying if the Bible is in you, ask whatever you wish. The verse is pointing to a “Rhema” word. This is a word for that moment. It is a combination of a written word (Logos), and a current reality in your life. The Holy Spirit then delivers a “Rhema” word.
Still confused? Here’s another one …
Ephesians 6:17
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (Rhema) of God.”
This one is a slight mind shift for us. Growing up I’ve always pictured this verse by using the Bible as the sword. My mind’s eye even imagines beating the devil over the head with a big ole fat KJV family Bible, but I digress. Growing up we even had Bible drill competitions that were dubbed “Sword Drill”. This isn’t a bad interpretation at all. The Bible is after all, a weapon that we have in our arsenal. It is something we use when fighting Satan. However, the “Logos” can only take us so far. The power is in the “Rhema”. The “Logos” word of God is a stored up knowledge we possess. It is information based on our years of experience in studying the Bible and being in relationship with God. But, a “Rhema” word is a current word. It is given to us in the right now for the situation right in front of us. It’s practical and it’s applicable in the present tense.
Before I’m labeled a heretic … read Jesus’ own words…
Matthew 4:4
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word (Rhema) that comes from the mouth of God.”
When Jesus was tempted by the Devil, his response was a “Rhema” not a “Logos” word. In other words, He answered with a specific word for that particular situation. It wasn’t a general proclamation of the entire Bible, it was a direct answer to the direct temptation. It was a word for that moment and that issue.
So, with that foundation what do we make of all of this? First, notice that Jesus did respond with “Rhema”, but that “Rhema” was from the “Logos”. In other words, both are vital, and neither should ever contradict the other. They are in cooperation. The “Logos” is the foundation. For our purposes, the Bible, the Word of God, the Scripture is the basis for everything. God will never give us a word (Rhema), that contradicts the Word (Logos). Therefore, we must be students of the Bible. We need to know the Scriptures.
But, just knowing the Word (Logos) isn’t enough. God can then speak to us, and give us a fresh word (Rhema) for our situation. The Bible is indeed a weapon for us to use, but it’s not a knife we just hurl in the air at the evil that comes at us. We aren’t just blindly swatting the devil with our Bible. No, it’s the Rhema that holds the power. We yield this specific word.
Have you ever had a situation where you read a passage of Scripture that you may have read 100’s of times, and suddenly a new insight hit you? That’s the Logos becoming the Rhema. As a reminder, they will never contradict. If they do, that Rhema isn’t a Rhema, it’s a “made up in your head”.
A Rhema word is life changing. It is a direct, fresh experience with God Himself. While the Logos is something for us to study and know, the Rhema is something we should yearn for. A Rhema is a present tense answer and encounter with God Himself. The prayer could be “God speak to me, give me a “Rhema” today.” It’s a word for right here and right now.
The apostle Peter had this encounter …
After fishing all night and catching nothing, the professional fisherman Peter was instructed by Jesus.
Luke 5:4-6
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so (Rhema), I will let down the nets.”When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
Did you see it? Peter knew who Jesus was. Peter was also a professional fisherman that knew his trade well. But Jesus gives a “Rhema” word. A word for right then and right there. He tells Peter to try the other side of the boat. This story has always struck me as funny. I could see Peter almost flippantly carrying this out. It’s as if Peter would be saying, “oh yeah, the other side of this little boat, yeah didn’t think of that one”. But he did it! Peter, because he received this “Rhema” word did it. And, of course, they caught so many fish the nets began to break.
Hallelujah, don’t miss that one. When we receive a “Rhema” word from God, we need to follow through. Even if it sounds crazy, it’s go time. A fresh “Rhema” word can lead to breakthrough. We can be full of all of the knowledge, but that one new message can change everything.
So, what do we do? First we make ourselves students of the “Logos”. The Logos is eternal, and it never changes. Jesus gave Satan a “Rhema” word, because He knew the “Logos”. Actually He WAS the “Logos”, but the point still stands. Peter received a “Rhema” word, because he knew the “Logos”.
I’ll wrap up this blog with one more verse. It’s yet another reminder of the power of the here and now, and the “Rhema” word.
John 6:63
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words (Rhema) I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”
God’s Word (Logos) will give us God’s Word (Rhema). Get grounded in the Logos, and passionately seek the Rhema. The (Logos) word is foundational, but the (Rhema) word brings life!
by Shannon Tillman | Feb 6, 2025 | Bible Study
I never watched the movie Braveheart. I get woozy and nauseous even with fake Hollywood war scenes. That movie is not on my list. However, I know the famous cry is for “Freedom”, to no longer be captive to the oppressors. While we may know this theme from movies, do we know the reality of freedom in our own lives?
2 Peter 2:19
They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.
What has mastered us? What sin do we think is just going to be a part of our lives to the end of our days? Maybe we have excused it with the lie of “that is just the way I am” or even the lie of “it is not that big of deal”. However, we are a slave to that sin. Slaves! That means we are not in control, instead the sin controls us. We can claim freedom while being completely in bondage!
Does that frighten anyone besides me? I do not want anything to be my dictator, my captor, my slave master. Jesus spoke of this as well.
John 8:34
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
This verse applies to everyone! We have two choices: slavery or freedom. Slavery comes from choosing habitual sin. This verse applies to those who know Jesus as well as those who do not.
2 Peter 2:20-21
If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.
We can know Jesus and then become entangled again to this world which is considered worse than never knowing Him at all. We must guard against this world that wants to take us captive once more to its systems. The enemy desires us to return to our former sinful ways so that we may become slaves once again.
2 Peter 2:22
Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
Did you know it is possible to not return to incessant sin? To stay free? We do not have to be like a dog returning to vomit or a pig wallowing in mud. We can have a new way of life that is not connected to the sin that seems to keep us in bondage. It is our choice. Will we stay entangled in the world and remain a slave or will we let Jesus set us free?
John 8:34-36
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
The only way to escape the bondage of sin is for the Son to set us free. We can escape slavery by remaining in a relationship with Jesus. His desire is for us to escape captivity in order to live as children of God.
We know that we are children and not slaves by living according to the Father’s will, revealed in His Word.
John 8:31-32
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
When we live according to the Word, we are free. When we live according to the world, we are slaves. We decide each day, each moment what we live by. We can be children or captives; the choice is ours.
Wherever there is habitually sin in our lives, we can cry out to Jesus to free us. And when He sets us free, we will be free indeed. The freedom is beyond not just being a slave, but enjoying the relationship as children with our Heavenly Father. And we do not even have to paint our face blue and yell “freedom” in a Scottish accent (that is a reference to the movie Braveheart for all of you who are squeamish like me). We will be free!
