by Kevin Tillman | Dec 12, 2024 | Bible Study
He’s one of the most important characters in the Bible, yet there is not one quote from him any where in Scripture. Joseph, the father of Jesus, had the privilege and responsibility of raising the child Jesus in his home. Not just any man could do this job. This was an assignment of someone with faithfulness. I believe Joseph serves as an example for men today. Once again, not one quote from him in the Bible, yet we have several instances of obedience. Joseph was humble and faithful.
I believe everything we need to know about Joseph is seen clearly in one verse:
Matthew 1:24
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”
There it is … “he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him”. Joseph was obedient. he didn’t mull it over. He heard a message, and he responded in faithfulness.
On four occasions we see Joseph had a dream and a message from an angel. In each dream, the same outcome. He woke up, and he obeyed.
The first dream was the angel telling Joseph that Mary had conceived by the Holy Spirit, and that he was to still take her as his wife. Talk about a big ask! Joseph had already been planning on divorcing Mary quietly, which was a way to protect her. Even when he felt he had been betrayed, his love for Mary was strong. But now, the command is to Mary her anyway. The baby is not from another man, this baby is from God. Joseph knew this to be true, but Joseph had to know that not everyone would believe such a story. I’m sure he had to be aware of the gossip that would come. Yet, here he is a humble and faithful man that “did what the angel of the Lord commanded him.”
The second dream was when Joseph was told to leave for Egypt.
Matthew 2:13-15
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
There’s a warning, but the warning is only valid if it’s heard.
As a side note from the Joseph narrative, isn’t that a word for us today? God can put warnings and roadblocks in front of us. He can try and sway us in the right direction. The Holy Spirit can prompt us to do (or not do) something. But, if we aren’t willing to obey, it’s just a warning.
Back to Joseph … he does heed the warning. Once again, look at Joseph’s response, “So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt”. I actually love the “during the night” part. This was a dream, meaning presumably this was at night. Joseph didn’t waste any time obeying. This was a simple, “God said it, let’s go” type of thing. Wow, if that isn’t a lesson for us today!
The third dream occurred when it was now safe to go back to Israel.
Matthew 2:19-21
“After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.”
Joseph’s response should be fairly easy to decipher at this point. Once again, “So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.” I just love these immediate responses. There wasn’t a wait a few days to get things in place. Nope, it was immediate, “he got up”. I think it’s clear why Joseph was the right man for this responsiblity.
The fourth dream was another warning dream. This time Joseph was given a different route.
Matthew 2:22
“But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, “
Once again Joseph was listening. he was warned in a dream, and then he “withdrew to the district of Galilee”. The implication of this dream is significant I believe. Joseph had previously been told to head back to Israel, so he started the journey. Now, while on that journey, a new word. This time, take a detour. God says, go another way. What a lesson for us. God may send us in a direction, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a straight line. There will be twists and turns and detours on the path. Our job, much like Joseph, is to humbly obey.
Joseph was a man that only got a small portion of time in the Scriptures. At some point he died before the crucifixion of Jesus. We have no recorded words by Joseph, but we do see a humble and faithful man.
I don’t have hard evidence for this, but I do believe Joesph is what we might call a “man’s man” today. We do know he was a carpenter. He built things with his hands. He was a tradesman. I picture him as being a man of few words. What we do know are these four dreams that provided Joseph four opportunities to obey, and he did! I picture Joseph as a quiet man of humility. No where do we see any indication that Joseph complained about what he had lost. Undoubtedly he was talked about. His name was drug through the mud by many. Yet, this faithful man was concerned about obedience and protecting his wife and his new son, who just happened to be the promised Messiah.
So, what’s our takeaway? First and foremost, God chooses people of humble character for great assignments. Secondly, obedience is the key. Joseph could have chosen to not respond to the angel’s dreams. But, he did. He obeyed, and God continued to take care of him. It’s the same for us today. God blesses obedience. When we take a step of faith, God blesses it. Stay humble, listen, and then obey. That’s the lesson from the life of Joseph.
by Kevin Tillman | Nov 14, 2024 | Bible Study
Have you ever started something with full intentions only to fall short the next day? Yeah, we all have. I’ve started a new diet numerous times on a full stomach full of burgers and fries with a thought of “I’ve got to do better.” Similarly, we have those sins that just keep recurring. We say things like, “that’s it, that’s the last time .. never again.”
The Bible uses sports metaphors quite a bit, particularly we see life being compared to a race. We can sprint out of the gate with all the gusto and intentions in the world, but we must remember, it’s a long race. Life is a marathon. There will be times where we mess up, there will be times where it hurts, and yes, there will be times when we want to quit. Let’s turn our attention to the author of Hebrews…
Hebrews 12:1c-2a
“let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith.
Endurance. That’s the goal. But there’s a key bit of instruction that precedes these verses.
Hebrews 12:1b
“…let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us,”
Before running with endurance, we must “rid ourselves” of the obstacles and the sin. I love how the Living Bible states this,
Hebrews 12:1b
“let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up;”
I picture a runner starting a race with their legs tied together. I’m having elementary school day flash backs of that sack race … remember those? In order for us to even start this marathon, we must get rid of the sin. But, not just the sin, also the things that “so easily entangle us” or those things that “wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up.” What are these things? It could be a bad relationship. It could be hanging with the wrong crowd. It could be the places we frequently go to. It can be anything that is setting itself up as a hindrance in our lives. I heard a pastor say many years ago, “if you’re struggling with alcohol, don’t go to the bar to eat the peanuts.” Honestly, I don’t know that they serve peanuts at bars, but he made the point. Don’t put yourself in the situation that will cause you to fall. Just avoid it … “Rid ourselves” and “strip it off”
But what if you’ve already started the race? What if you’ve been a Christian for years, and yet you’re still struggling with some of the same weights? To use another sports metaphor, this is a good time to take a time-out. Picture yourself running a marathon, like literally running a marathon. You’re in the race, and you’re exhausted. You have weights strapped around both legs. You are carrying a 50 pound backpack. You'[re fighting with everything in you to keep going, but you’re struggling to just take the next step. Though you may not be able to relate in a literal sense, I think most of us have felt like that at times in our spiritual journey. So, take the timeout, and stop! Yes, quit running. Regroup, take a breath, access the situation, and then make necessary changes. You’re still in the race, but you are taking a breath. It’s going to be much easier to finish once you unload all of that extra weight. As a matter of fact, you’ll find it way easier! A warning though, many people won’t understand you. You’ll even get advice such as “keep running, don’t stop, don’t quit”. These people mean well. They see you as giving up, but in reality you’re actually figuring it out. This isn’t a passive time. You aren’t just standing still. You are actually being more active than before. You are deliberately removing the weights. Here’s the somewhat scary part. As you start taking stuff off, you are publicly revealing your flaws. As you stop, you are telling everyone basically, “I got issues” and “I’ve got to work on this”. This is likely why many people just continue to run with the weights, sins, and burdens of life. They’d rather have these issues forever, than to risk humiliation. Pride is a crazy thing, that makes us do crazy things!
So, what can keep us motivated during this process?
Hebrews 12:2b
“…who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus focused on the “joy set before Him”, while he “endured the cross”. Make no mistake, stopping during the race to remove weights will not be easy. Some will laugh and mock. You will sacrifice reputation to some extent. Your pride will be hurt. Did I mention pride is a crazy thing? You will be embarrassed. But, if we can look to the “joy set before us” this will give us a long term perspective. If we live in the “now” we will likely never deal with our issues. But, if we can focus on the joy ahead and the reward, we can start living the life we were created to live.
The writer of Hebrews furthers this point …
Hebrews 12:3
“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
As we are in our timeout and actively dealing with our stuff, we are to keep our minds focused on what Jesus endured. Remembering all that he went through will give us motivation to “not grow weary and lose heart.”
On this marathon race of life, there are basically two ways we can be stopped. One is we are led by the Spirit for the purpose of removing the sin and entanglements. The other way is we are led by self with thoughts of “this is too hard”, so we get tired and we give up. Either way can lead to the timeout. And, honestly, God can use either way. You can either hear the Spirit of God, listen, obey, and do the hard work. Or, you can wear yourself out to the point of exhaustion, and then maybe God can work with you. Sounds a little harsh right? Well, yeah, it is … but I think we can all relate to some extent. Here’s the good news, God loves us too much to just let us keep running with all of the weight. He can first speak to us with a gentle “let’s work on this together”, or we can just run ourselves to the point of defeat, and then listen.
Hebrews 12:5b-6
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
Correction is a great thing, but we don’t like it. If we’re corrected it means we have to admit we were wrong. Have I mentioned pride is a crazy thing? By the way, we aren’t being corrected here by another fallible human being. Sometimes corrections from others are justified, and sometimes it’s just another opinion (another blog for another day). But here, this is the creator of the universe. The Creator always knows the creation better than the creation knows itself. Meaning, God understands you better than you understand yourself. Because He loves you so much, He’s going to correct your course. He’s going to call for that timeout, or He’ll allow you to wear yourself out to the point of the timeout.
As you start your healing, it will be challenging. Even though these things are weighting you down, they will seem like a part of you is being lost. Getting rid of sin and baggage is always the right thing to do, but it’s never the easy thing to do. I love the way the Living Bible phrases this …
Hebrews 12:11-12
“Being punished isn’t enjoyable while it is happening—it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character. So take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs,”
The Bible straight up tells us, this is going to hurt! You are going to go through some stuff to get to the other side. This is likely why many Christians are content to stay in their defeated lives (ouch, that was strong). It’s true. Many don’t want to put in the effort and the hard work of overcoming. They don’t want to be faced with their sins and baggage. It brings shame and guilt and regret to the surface. It expose them as being something they haven’t portrayed to others. As a side note, the Christian that stands up and says, “I have issues and I’m going to work on them” is not the hypocrite. The hypocrite is the one that continues on like there isn’t an issue. Harsh words, but pride is crazy right? Look at the results though “a quiet growth in grace and character”. Isn’t that a beautiful phrasing? I love that last part of Hebrews 12:12, “take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs”. When you start the healing, it’s going to feel different. Your balance might be off because all of that weight is being removed. But, “stand firm”, use those “shaky legs” and learn to walk in a whole new way!
This next step is so important. Let’s return to our analogy of a literal marathon. You’re at the point now of getting back up. You’ve taken the timeout. You’ve figured some stuff out. You’ve dropped all of that weight and all of the ropes tying you together. You’re getting back up, but you’re wobbly. It’s a whole new race now. Here’s what the author of Hebrews says to do next (also from the Living Bible)…
Hebrews 12:13
“and mark out a straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame, will not fall and hurt themselves but become strong.”
Don’t just start running. Before you get back on the course, set out a plan. What does that look like? If you’ve identified the problems and the entanglements, avoid the situations that would make you fall back into the same patterns. Yes, that may mean more hard steps. Some people may need to go bye-bye. Some things and places may need to hear an adios. The point is to have a plan. Know what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. As a side note, it’s not just leaving stuff out, it’s adding stuff in. You are replacing the toxic people with people that will help you. You are replacing the bad habits with new ones that will guide you. Some stuff out, some stuff in. Have a plan! By the way, don’t miss the “those who follow you” part of this verse. There are others watching you. There are others following you. Your steps, your plan are crucial to them, and not just you.
Though it’s not confirmed, many scholars believe that the apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Here are some of Paul’s last words of his life, in a letter he wrote to Timothy…
II Timothy 4:7
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
He finished the race. That’s our goal, to finish, and to finish strong. I love how Paul said he “fought the good fight”. Don’t miss that, Paul likened life to a fight. It’s not all rainbows and unicorns right? It’s hard. We are screwups that get it wrong quite often. Remember, pride is crazy! it’s a fight. My mind is just now drifting to Rocky III. Rocky is fighting Clubber Lane (Mr. T). Rocky is getting killed in the ring. He’s taking shot after shot after shot. But then, somewhere in those middle rounds, Rocky starts taunting Clubber Lane … “you ain’t so bad, you ain’t so bad”. Rocky then starts dodging the incoming shots. Rocky is being rejuvenated. He realized that the worst he opponent had wasn’t enough to knock him out. He regains his stamina and he goes on to get the knockout .. By the way, sorry for the spoiler alert, but I think a 40 year old movie is past that point. It’s a fight for sure, but a fight we can and will win if we keep our eyes in the right direction, get rid of all the junk, accept correction, and have a plan.
My final encouragement is to do one of two things. Either take a timeout and fix the stuff, or get back up and get in the race. Either way, remember … Life’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
by Kevin Tillman | Oct 17, 2024 | Thoughts
“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.” – A.W. Tozer
We live in a world that is in a hurry. It’s just about impossible to not be affected by the busyness. Everything is fast. Anyone remember the old days of dial-up internet? Remember waiting and waiting and waiting for an image to finally appear on the screen? We didn’t think too much of it, because it was all we knew. You could go back further in history. We whine about a package taking more than two days to get to us. Have you ever really processed how quick that really is? I mean you can order something from the other side of the country and it be sitting on your front doorstep in 48 hours. That’s actually pretty remarkable. As I’m sitting here typing this blog entry I could take a break and order a ticket on an airline. I could be on the other side of the world in less than two days. And on top of that, I could sit in a seat that is magically suspended in the air. I mean, come on, it’s really amazing what we can do now.
Against that backdrop is a God that works on His timetable. The things of the heart take longer. Our nerves and our spirit need solitude. They need rest. They need time off from the fast-paced world. God wants us whole. He isn’t rushed in the process. We’re in a hurry, but He’s not.
The old saying goes, “take time to smell the roses”. It’s good advice. Slow down, rest, listen, and refresh. God does His best in us when we finally, yes finally, settle in and listen. It’s then that we are ready to receive. Make solitude and reflection a part of your life. It’s not just good advice, it’s the way God designed us.
by Kevin Tillman | Oct 3, 2024 | Thoughts
“What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.” – John Wesley
Everyone complains about the “younger generation”. As a GenXer (I think?) my generation was looked down on. I was part of the TV generation. We were warned that TV was warping our minds. We saw the rise of technology. Anyone remember the Commodore 64? Yep, I had one of those bad boys. We had a fascination with entertainment and technology. Fast forward to the Millennials or Gen Z. They haven’t known anything but technology. A phone that you can put in your pocket? They’ve never known anything different. They have been brought up in a world where information is not hard to find. Want to know who invented the game of Billiards, simply say, “Hey Siri”! And now, of course we have AI technology.
This is not a blog about “that younger generation” and how easy they have it. To be honest, I enjoy many of these new luxuries. I’m self taught on several things now because of YouTube. It is nice having all of that information available.
It’s so easy to look down on the next generation. It’s nothing new. It’s happened for centuries. It’s always happened. The point of this blog isn’t so much the advances and the technology.
What’s important is our view of the Bible, our view of sin, our view of values, our view of morals. Those are the things that should transcend. And, here is where it gets serious … John Wesley was right, it is our toleration, that leads to the future’s embracing. We can’t blame the next generation if we’ve tolerated it. Think about what that generation will tolerate, and the generation after that will embrace.
What can we do? Well, the most important thing is to make sure we are looking through a Biblical Worldview. It doesn’t matter what my opinion is. It doesn’t matter what the Boomers, or GenX, or the Millennials, or GenZ thinks. What matters is what does God say. What matters is what the Bible says.
There have always been gaps in understanding from generation to generation. Something new isn’t necessarily bad. For that matter, neither is something old. They’re just different. We should teach and train the younger generations, but we should also not be afraid to learn from them. I think the issues come when we focus our energies in the wrong directions. Honestly, who cares if the Gen Zers are using their phone all the time if they have the right worldview? Yes, social media can corrupt a mind. It can change thinking to an ungodly worldview. But, dare I say so can any other form of media. The point is that a proper worldview changes the lens that we are looking through. Want to change the younger generation? It’s not going to come by taking away their phones and technology. It’s not going to come by building a huge fence around them. It’s going to come by infiltrating their hearts and their minds with a proper worldview. Then, and only then, will they be able to face this world and all of it’s challenges.
by Kevin Tillman | Sep 19, 2024 | Thoughts
“Did the dentist hurt you when he drilled your tooth to remove the cavity?” “Yes.” “Did he harm you?” “No, he made me feel better.” “Hurt and harm are different,” I pointed out. “When you ate the sugar that gave you the cavity, did that hurt?” “No, it tasted good,” he said, with a smile that told me he was catching on. “Did it harm you?” “Yes.” “That’s my point. Things can hurt and not harm us. In fact they can even be good for us. And things that feel good can be very harmful to us.” – Dr. Henry Cloud
As human beings, we all desire to please self. We do the things that make us feel better, and we distance ourselves from the things that bring us discomfort. But, growth happens in pain. Growth happens in suffering. It hurts to workout, but that’s what makes the muscles strong. It’s a challenge to practice your skill every day, but that discipline is what brings results. Staying on a budget can be difficult, but that management will bring financial freedom.
The quote above points out that the things that make us feel good, can be very harmful. That’s not a hard point to prove, as we see it in so many areas of life. At it’s core that’s what sin is. I’ve heard old-school pastors say it this way, “if sin wasn’t fun nobody would be doing it.”. Sin is in essence doing what pleases us, and prioritizing that above everything else. At that point, our feeling, our emotion, and our desire are all that matters. They are in control. And, of course, that can bring consequences.
Conversely, the quote also shows that things that hurt aren’t necessarily harmful, but can actually be healing. Maybe it’s a relationship that needs to end. It’s a toxic situation. Breaking off that relationship and setting up boundaries hurts, it’s no fun. But, it brings a new level of healing. Possibly it’s time management. Saying “no” to hours of social media scrolling, or TV binging, or any other time waste, can be difficult. But, now there is time that can be replaced.
This doesn’t mean that everything that is fun is bad, and everything that is boring is good. Contrarily, God has given us a deep desire for purpose. At our deepest core we want to make a difference. We want to have meaning to our lives. When we find our thing and start following God’s plan we find new levels of contentment. Our boredom is no longer filled with bad habits and idols. Our time is now valuable and spent on our calling.
So, here’s the practical application … Start today with a simple self question, “what things in my life that are pleasing me, are actually harming me?”. Make a list, then pick the “one thing” that if changed would make the biggest difference. You can work through other things later, just start with one for now. Maybe that one feels like too big of a challenge at this point. OK, start with something else, even something small. Learn the process of denying self. It’s a learned skill. Next, ask, “what things am I not doing in life that if I did would make a major difference?”. Make a list, then pick one.
Life is all about choices. You have the same amount of time you’ve always had, and the same amount you always will have. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will get the same results you’ve always got. By saying “no” in one area of life, you can now say “yes” in another area of life. This might hurt for a while, but in the end it’s a choice that brings healing!
