by Kevin Tillman | May 22, 2025 | Bible Study, Thoughts
“The man with a cross no longer controls his destiny; he lost control when he picked up his cross. That cross immediately became to him an all-absorbing interest, an overwhelming interference. No matter what he may desire to do, there is but one thing he can do; that is, move on toward the place of crucifixion.”
A.W. Tozer
The term “Christian” has lost so much of it’s power over the years. In many ways it has become a mere label for someone that is mildly spiritual and attends a worship service on occasion. But, being a Christian is far more than attendance, and some mental assent to a set of beliefs. It’s far more than doing good deeds and treating people kindly. Sure, those are great things, and we are indeed commanded to do so. But …
Christianity is about surrendering.
“The man with a cross no longer controls his destiny…”
When we follow Jesus we relinquish our rights. We live in a society that promotes self, personal ambition, and control. The message of the gospel stands in stark contrast.
Luke 9:23
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
These aren’t easy words. The first readers of Luke’s gospel would have completely understood the cross as being a symbol of death. A death that was public, very painful, and humiliating on top of that. Before Jesus died He had to carry His own cross to Calvary. It was a one way, dead end walk that was guaranteed to end in death. As we “take up our cross and follow Jesus”, we are giving up our rights. We have committed to a death walk. We can’t dictate our path, the cross determines it for us.
Practically for us, this means we don’t ask God to bless our ambitions. Instead we surrender and yield to His plan. We have to give up our false illusions of control. Does this come easy? Absolutely not. Is it a one time surrender? Jesus answers clearly by telling us it is “daily”. Everything in us wants to pursue self. To put it bluntly, we are selfish. That is our nature. But God’s plan is surrender.
“That cross immediately became to him an all-absorbing interest, an overwhelming interference.”
Once we pick up the cross, Tozer is asserting it should become our defining focus. It’s not some side gig or hobby. It’s not just an “add on” to our daily lives. It’s not some occasional religious duty we perform. The cross becomes everything. The cross isn’t just one compartment of our lives. The cross is our place of death. All our movements, all our decisions, all our relationships. All are absorbed by the cross. It is indeed an “interference”. It gets in the way of our choices.
“No matter what he may desire to do, there is but one thing he can do.”
As we continue living in this interference changes start happening. Our desires begin to change. Our decisions begin to change. It’s a holy interference. Denying self and taking up the cross goes against our selfish desires, but in time our entire identity starts changing. Pursuing Him becomes part of what we want to do. The things we once valued highly suddenly don’t seem as important. It’s a process, but it’s worth it.
Christianity isn’t just some set of principles. Jesus wasn’t just some prophet that gave some strong advice for living. We are called to die. This death can be hard and even humiliating. But, there’s life, real life on the other side.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
by Kevin Tillman | May 1, 2025 | Thoughts
“I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible.”
Dwight L. Moody
How’s that for a strong quote to start off? Convicting to many I’m sure. In this short quote by Moody two words in particular stuck out to me.
The first word was “useful”. Can someone be a Christian without a healthy intake of the Bible? Yes. Are they “useful” to the Kingdom? According to Moody, he hasn’t met one.
The second word was “student”. Being a student implies more than a casual reader. In a day where we can see a Bible verse on a meme in our social media feeds, we can “read” the Bible quite a bit. Verses are everywhere from social media to billboards. But, are these casual glances enough to be a “student”? I think we know the answer. I’m definitely not against scripture being posted on social media feeds, but it’s just simply not enough. Several reasons come to mind. First, a one verse meme can easily be misinterpreted. A false teaching can arise out of a verse taken out of context. Second, without studying the Bible in it’s totality, the bigger picture can be missed. Third, and maybe most importantly, we aren’t allowing God to speak to us through His Word.
Can God speak through just one verse here and there? Of course He can, but that’s not the point. The point is He has given us His Word. He has literally given us answers. He has given us His voice. It’s in our hands. Now we have to be “students” to be “useful”.
Imagine that you have a relative that passed away. Think back on someone that you were close to. In my case I think back to my grandfather that passed away in 2002. He was rough around the edges in so many ways, but he taught me so much. He had a strong work ethic. He grew up poor. He had polio his entire life. But, he never quit. He was tough. He also took me on many adventures as a kid growing up. I saw things and traveled with my grandfather. To this day, much of who I am was shaped by his influence. But now, imagine that I find a book that has a cover that reads “To Kevin, Instructions for Living”. Inside of this book is a collection of stories, truths, laws, parables, prophecies, etc. It’s all written directly to me from him. Would I read it? You bet I would. Would you read a book like that? I know you would.
I’m sure you see the point. That’s the Bible. It’s God’s direct Word to us. Not only that, but there is a promise that God’s Spirit will help us interpret it. It’s not just words on a page, it’s life giving to us.
Without geeking out on specific polling data here are some conclusions drawn by pollsters:
- Most Americans believe the Bible has been the most influential book in history (this even includes younger people polled).
- A majority believe the Bible contains everything someone needs to know in life.
But, that’s where the positive stats end. Pollsters go on to find that many don’t trust the Bible as completely true. They view it as “just another religious book”.
This I believe is key. It starts with our foundational belief in the Bible. If we believe it is truly the inspired Word of God that He has given directly to us, then it should promote our reading. If though, it’s just a “good book” full of some “good application points”, then it’s just another book on the shelf with other self-help books.
Another blog for another day is the defense of the Bible as being the authentic Word of God. Proving the Bible is indeed God’s Word to us is actually not as complicated as one might think. It’s truly too much for this blog post, but here are some bullet points:
- It’s been proven by historical accuracy and archeological digs.
- It’s thematically unified despite being written by approximately 40 different people, across three continents, over roughly 2,000 years. These people were from all different walks of life (scholars to shepherds).
- It made bold future prophetic predictions that were fulfilled with 100% accuracy. By the way there’s still somewhere around 25% of prophecies to be fulfilled. We literally have a future-telling book in our possession.
The Bible isn’t just another book, it is THE BOOK. God does amazing things in the lives of those that bury themselves in it.
Here’s the encouragement from this blog: Become a “student” of the Bible today. Commit to more than just a casual read. The Bible is the greatest book of all time for a reason. It is the one and only book written by God Himself. It’s stood the test of time, and still continues to change lives today. Put it to the test. Pick it up, give it a try, and watch what God will do.
by Kevin Tillman | Mar 20, 2025 | Thoughts
One of my favorite authors A.W. Tozer says it this way…
“What we think about when we are free to think about what we will – that is what we are or will soon become.”
A.W. Tozer
King Solomon, who was considered to be the wisest man ever said it like this,
Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
The power of our thinking should never be underestimated. Secular authors have made millions of dollars on the concept of positive thinking. Go into any bookstore (if you can find one) and check the self-help section. They are going to be primarily focused on your thinking. The thoughts there are if you want to be rich, think rich. If you want to be healthy, think healthy. If you want to be successful, think successful.
These concepts are actually not unbiblical. As Tozer said in the quote above, “what we think about when we are free to think … that is what we are or will become.”
Put simply, you want to change your life, then change your thinking. It’s simple to state, but a little harder to put into practice. Our minds are finicky. They play tricks on us.
Jesus gave us this same principle in the gospels …
Luke 6:45
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
In the Bible “heart” is typically a reference to one’s entire being including thoughts and emotions. Jesus basically says here that you live out what you are on the inside. The words (and actions) that we put forth are a result of who we really are.
The apostle Paul instructs us this way …
Philippians 4:8
Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
By now, I think it’s clear. Change your thinking and you will change your life. We know this is a truth. Though it’s a Biblical concept, even a non-believer knows this to be true. Our thoughts are the epicenter of who we are. If we can control them, and change them, we will become what we think. If we don’t change them, we are what we think.
So, here’s some basic steps to start changing your thinking today …
- Read your Bible and pray. – this might be Christianity 101 stuff, but it’s the most basic truth we need to remember. The Bible has the thoughts we need. Beyond that, the Bible is the only book you will ever read that is “alive”. The words are not just a series of black and red letters. They are life-giving words that can speak directly to our soul. Prayer is also intertwined in this process. Prayer isn’t just a “bow your head” think. It’s a constant communication with God.
- Prioritize – do the things that are most important first. If you want to be healthy, don’t wait until the end of the day when you won’t do it. Do it first. Want to learn a new skill? Do it first. Prioritize. I would also add spending time with your loved ones in this category. Don’t give your biggest supporters your leftovers. Spend time FIRST with them. Prioritize family.
- Know Your Triggers – this is a big one. We are all triggered by certain things. If you’re on a diet, don’t go to the bakery. If you’re trying to stay sober, don’t go to the bar with friends. Sometimes the triggers are people. If you know someone is a trigger for you, avoid them. If that’s impossible, such as a work environment, work at controlling the time with them. Knowing your trigger can prevent a mind spiral downward.
- Flip the Script – when little negative words pop in your head turn it around immediately. When you hear “you can’t do this, you’ve tried before”, change it to “I’m determined to stay the course”. Go a step further and have someone help you with accountability.
- Discipline – this is one we don’t like to talk about, but at times is needed. Sometimes you just “don’t feel like it”. Your thinking is way off and you are doing your best to wiggle your mind out of whatever it is. Good old-fashioned will power is sometimes needed. This can’t be the only method, because it will fall short at some point. But, on occasion discipline can get us through. The end result is that at some point our thinking changes and the will power isn’t needed (or at least needed minimally).
- Return to What Worked – this is super practical. Go back to something that’s worked in the past. Maybe a certain song motivates you. Maybe there’s a special place that calms you down. Whatever it is, go back to that. Our minds are so powerful and they are triggered so easily.
- Beware of the Interference – it’s happened to all of us. You’re having a good day. Your thoughts are good. You’re getting stuff done. Then, whamo out of nowhere something challenges that. Sometimes these are unavoidable circumstances that happen in life. We can’t really do anything about those. But, I’m talking about people that try and hijack your thoughts. No one has a right to hijack your thoughts. You and only you control what you are thinking.
- Slow Down – take time to think. Not pretend thinking, real thinking. This is time to reflect. Turn off all of the noise and calm down.
From his business book “Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life” Brian Tracy says ….
Any thought or action that you repeat over and over will eventually become a new habit.
Brian Tracy
You want to change your life? Start with your thinking. Today is the day.
by Kevin Tillman | Mar 6, 2025 | Bible Study
If you’ve been around Christianity very long at all, you’ve heard the word “freedom”. It’s at the core of the gospel message. We are set free from our bondage to sin and death.
Galatians 5:1
So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
So, here’s the million dollar question: If freedom is the whole purpose, why are so many Christians not free? Before you get scared off, this isn’t going to be yet another blog about “get your act together and quit sinning.” I mean, sure, our sins without a doubt are a major source of our bondage, but maybe there’s more to the story. What about the Christian that is sincerely trying? I mean seeking God … doing Bible study, attending worship, praying, practicing the disciplines. They’re even fighting their fleshly desires. Yet still, the freedom seems to be elusive.
In this blog, I’d like to propose the idea of levels of freedom. In other words, there is some freedom found, but then there is something else that seems to keep us bound. It’s like a never-ending cycle. We are free, but then, we’re not free. We’re free from one thing, and then it’s something else. I know this seems a bit confusing, and for the theology nerds almost heretical, so let me point to scripture.
We’ll take a look at one of the most popular stories in the Bible (for you old timers out there, you’re about to see Charlton Heston). God’s people, the nation of Israel, was in captivity. They were slaves in Egypt. This lasted 430 years. Don’t gloss by that number. We read the Bible too quickly sometimes and miss the numbers. 430 years is a really, really long time. For comparison sake, we live in 2025 at the time of this writing. 430 years ago was 1595. For kicks I googled famous people in 1595 and came up with William Shakespeare and Pocahontas. We get all worked up over a situation that lasts more than a month. But slavery for 430 years? That’s a really long time!
Finally the day came, the plagues were too much. Pharoah was done with it. So …
Exodus 12:31
Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested.
There it is – freedom. Finally, set free from slavery. They are now free to go. After 430 years, what a day this was. A time to celebrate. This one event is the central piece in Judaism, and Christianity as well. Jews commemorate Passover annually as a reminder of the day they were set free. For Christians, it is a precursor to the cross, but another blog for another day. Without a doubt this is a huge deal. But wait, there’s more, this story is just getting started.
Exodus 13:17-18
When Pharaoh finally let the people go, GOD DID NOT LEAD THEM ALONG THE MAIN ROAD that runs through Philistine territory, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS THE SHORTEST ROUTE to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt LIKE AN ARMY READY FOR BATTLE. (emphasis added).
Do you see the emphasis there? They are set free, but God doesn’t give them the short cut. Even though they are free, there are still obstacles ahead. As believers, so often we think that an answered prayer and a “word from God” means it’s smooth sailing from here on out. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this instance, the reason is given for the detour … “they might change their minds and return.” We don’t always get the explanation for our detours, and God doesn’t owe us that. But, we can be sure, if there is a detour, it has a purpose. I love that last part as well, “like and army ready for battle”. Set free? Yes. But still ready for what might be coming. we should be vigilant and prepared for any attack that might be coming. And oh, by the way, that’s exactly what’s about to happen in this story …
Exodus 14:5-9
When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance. The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon.
They haven’t been free long at all, and now they are being chased down. Not just a little by the way. Once again, don’t gloss over the numbers and words in the Bible. “He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots”, but it goes on to say, “along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander”. First we have to overcome the image of a puny chariot. If you’ve seen the old movies, you have the image of this thing on two wheels being pulled by a horse. It’s struggling to not tip over as it moves along the rough terrain. We compare those to our modern day warfare. Yeah, it’s no match for a tank, but in those days it was the tank! we see there are 600, but also more. Those 600 were in likelihood the generals, the top dogs. So, they not only brought their one chariot, but also all of the forces they commanded. We don’t know the number, but there would be more horsemen without a chariot, foot soldiers, we do know there are even more chariots that aren’t generals. Now, picture the spearmen and the archers. A general would never travel alone, but rather he would be surrounded by a variety of infantry and weapons. So, make no mistake this is an all out pursuit.
These next few verses are some of the saddest in Scripture, not just because of this story, but also it’s implications today …
Exodus 14:10-12
As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”
They have been set free. They are no longer under slavery. Yet, here they are in fear for their lives. Before we judge them too harshly, picture yourself there as well. This massive army is approaching. Remember this is a huge mighty force coming to get you.
Isn’t that just like us though? We experience some level of freedom, but then a road block occurs. We feel trapped. We don’t see a way out. And then, there it is, our past is chasing us down. Thoughts of “why don’t you just go back” creep into our thinking. Or, “at least you knew where you stood” back there. As believers, the enemy doesn’t ever give up on us. There is always a plan to bring us down. There is a pursuit, a battle for you.
So, how did this happen? Why did God allow this? How did they even get here in the first place?
Exodus 13:20-22
The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.
How did they get in this trapped situation? God led them there. Wait, what? Yeah, God led them by a cloud pillar during the day, and a pillar of fire at night. He led them right to this point, and now they are stuck. Hold tight, there’s a reason, and we’ll get to it.
Have you ever just said, “God just show me Your will”? Or, “God can you make this clear for me?”. Well, in this case it was obvious. I mean sometimes I wish I had a big ole ball of fire that would show me what to do. They had it. The Israelites had an undoubtable direction. Can you imagine the celebration up until this point? 430 years of slavery is gone, and now a ball of fire is leading them. Cue the Hallelujah Chorus!
But, that’s not the end of the story. They had experienced freedom, but they are about to experience another level of freedom.
Let’s set the scene again. We know the approaching army is close enough to be seen. The Israelites are now in fear. These aren’t the days of radar, so this blitz is close. They are within minutes of being overtaken. Fear is in the camp. You likely know this story, and the ending, but on the other side, there is no where to run. There lies the unpassable Red Sea. They are stuck.
Exodus 14:13-14
But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
Another number to not minimize. We know there were around 600,000 men with the Israelites. That means a rough estimate that includes women and children would be around 2 or 3 million people that Moses is talking to. That’s roughly the population of Chicago for comparison sake. Moses doesn’t know the outcome. He doesn’t know how God is going to work this out. He does, however, have a disgruntled mob in front of him. I don’t envy what Moses had to do. In my own translation, he basically said, “every one calm down, it’s going to be OK, God is going to show up”. You just know there were some in the crowd that were yelling back. “Yeah but how?” or “Why did God do this to us?” or “That’s not good enough” or even those that wanted to usurp Moses’ authority … “who does this guy think he is?” or likely, “shut up dude, sit down”, and yeah, there was the smattering of “boos”. This was an angry mob on the verge of riot. They were ticked off.
Once again they are trapped. The Red Sea is before them, the army is approaching from the back. And they got here how? Because God led them right into this predicament.
Exodus 14:19-20
Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.
What a night this was. That fireball that had been leading them into this dead end, suddenly moves behind them. This cloud and fire parks itself right between the pursing Egyptians and the Israelites. Basically, the Egyptian force was stopped cold in their tracks. The best fighting army on planet Earth was stopped by a bunch of fog and a ball of fire.
We should take note, that when God leads us out of our bondage, He’s going to continue to protect us from it. That’s a pretty important sentence I just typed, worth repeating .. When God leads us out of our bondage, He’s going to continue to protect us from it.
The stage is set. They now have a rear guard, but there’s still a major obstacle ahead. You know the story …
Exodus 14:21-22
Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!
Here it is, another level of freedom. They had been set free from slavery a mere few days ago. But it wasn’t over yet. There was yet another level of freedom to be had.
You know the rest of the story. The Egyptian armies continued their pursuit through the walled off waters of the Red Sea. Not specifically stated in the text, but we can easily interpret that the angel of cloud and fire removed the barrier, allowing the Egyptian pursuit. Once they were in the waters, and the Israelites were safe on the other side, Moses raised his rod again, and the waters flooded back in. The enemy was defeated. The past was now longer there to chase them.
Exodus 14:31
When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Within a few short days, two major miracles. First, the release from bondage in Egypt. Second, the miraculous Red Sea crossing. Two levels of freedom achieved and witnessed. And their faith was strengthened.
Wouldn’t it be great if the story ended right there with “and they lived happily ever after.” Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Here’s the quick cliff notes version. After crossing the Red Sea, God establishes His covenant with His people through the Ten Commandments. Immediately, disobedience and idol worship takes place, so 40 years of wandering in the wilderness happens. After 40 years, they finally entered the promised land, but again idol worship and conflicts occur. A period of judges is instituted due to the unfaithfulness of the people. There was constant backsliding and worship of foreign gods. Many kings came and went. Good kings and bad kings. Prophets continually pointed to the truth. During this time the nation of Israel followed God, then didn’t. They made idols, then they destroyed them. They were up and they were down. It would be around 1500 years from the Red Sea crossing until the birth of Jesus.
The point is, freedom happened. They were set free, but there was still more freedom to be had. There was a “next level freedom”. It could be said that Jesus was the ultimate freedom. I wouldn’t argue with that point, because all of the Old Testament did indeed point towards Jesus. He is the “once and for all” sacrifice. He brings that ultimate freedom.
But, I think we can still learn a bit about our human nature and the concept of freedom from these Old Testament stories. In other words, we can be set free from our past slavery, but it’s still going to chase us. We can get in dire circumstances like the Red Sea that seem impossible. Then, even after those levels of freedom, there is still wandering. There is still the challenge of idols in our own lives. Once we are set free from one thing, another thing can be there waiting on us.
Freedom over sin, and freedom over death is a once and for all. Jesus has paid that price, and if we are “in Christ” we are set free. But, that doesn’t mean it’s a cake walk. There are still levels of freedom. Our walk with God is a constant pursuit of reaching that next level of freedom.
Wherever you are today in your freedom journey, know that there is more. There is always more. There is another level of freedom.
