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!
by Kevin Tillman | Mar 25, 2024 | Thoughts
We call it Holy Week or Passion Week. It’s the last week of the life of Jesus. Approximately thirty percent of the gospel accounts are focused on this one week. The gospel of John dedicates over forty percent to this final week. It is obviously a very important week. Assuming the earth is about 6,000 years old, there have been approximately 312,000 weeks throughout history. This one week stands above them all. No other week in human history holds more weight.
The week started with Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey. He was met with cheers from the crowd.
John 12:13
“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
The palm branches had long been used as a symbol of victory. As Jesus is entering Jerusalem, the people were very familiar with the teachings and leadership of Jesus. He had a following. To them He was the long awaited King they had been waiting on. Finally, there was a King like the stories of old from King David. Finally there was a King that could rescue them from the tyranny and oppression of the Roman Empire. Jesus was their long-awaited King. He enters triumphantly to shouts of “Hosanna!”. Hosanna is derived from two Hebrew words: “yasha” which means “to deliver” and “anna” which means “we beseech you”. The Greek word “Hosanna” basically translates as “Please Save Us”. As Jesus is riding into Jerusalem the crowds were large. They were in town for the annual Passover Feast. This year was going to be even more special though, because the King was finally coming to save them. But, the salvation He was bringing was not the salvation they thought it would be.
As the week progressed it became obvious that Jesus was not going to immediately overthrow the government as they had anticipated. Jesus had a much larger mission at hand.
As a side note, before we continue with the week, isn’t this just like us? We have an idea of how we need Jesus to save us. We have a preconceived notion of exactly what God needs to do in our lives. Could it be that there is a much bigger plan at work today, as it was 2,000 years ago during that Holy Week? The salvation He was bringing was not the salvation they thought it would be.
Jesus was on a mission. His mission was about to be fulfilled. But first, there was a lot to be done. Once again, much of what we read in the Gospel accounts happened during this week. Up until now during Jesus’ three year ministry, He has taught, He has healed, He has performed miracles, and He has had a few words with the false teachers. But this week, He leaves no doubt who He is and what He is doing. The first stop on Monday is to the temple where Jesus turns over tables and confronts the so called spiritual leaders. He returns again the next day and teaches all day long in the temple.
As a side note: We so often have this image of Jesus as being this very gentle pacifist. Yes, Jesus could be gentle. His demeanor was love and He welcomed all. But, not for those that were religious leaders that opposed His message. He referred to them as “hypocrites”. On several occasions Jesus would start a sentence with the words “Woe to you… “. If that was the start of the sentence, you can be sure what was coming next was a strong rebuke. It is not an overstep to call it righteous anger. So much for the always laughing, smiling, and gentle Jesus. Was He those things? Absolutely! Was He also a warrior on a mission that stood up against false teachers and hypocrites? Absolutely!
As the week continues, the welcoming crowd is becoming restless that Jesus hasn’t already overthrown the Roman leadership. It’s Tuesday now, and Jesus is teaching in the temple. Remember, he had just confronted the religious leaders, and now they are trying to trap him. A great “gotcha” question arises from the crowd:
Matthew 22:17
“Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
The Pharisees were in the crowd. They knew that the nation expected Jesus to be their new King. They knew that an open refusal to pay taxes to Rome was grounds for arrest. They knew that they could trap Jesus with this one. As the question is asked, it’s likely that there were followers in the crowd hanging on the answer. I imagine the thoughts were: “Finally, let them have it Jesus, tell them that we don’t owe Caesar anything”. Let them know that “Rome can stuff it”. Well maybe I took a little liberty there, but you get the idea. That crowd from Sunday was riled up. They were ready for Jesus to get on with saving them. And Jesus was saving them, but not the way they thought. The salvation He was bringing was not the salvation they thought it would be.
Jesus simply replies…
Matthew 22:21
“So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
If this were a movie scene I can almost envision the rolling of the eyes in the crowd. I imagine some saying, “This, this is what we have waited on? Is that all He is going to do for us?”
Right after that, Jesus is asked another question about the greatest commandment. As we now know, Jesus replied with:
Matthew 22:37-40
“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Even the most nominal of Christians are familiar with the great commandment, and even a non-believer has likely heard of the Golden rule. This is Jesus being Jesus. This is Jesus staring at His opposition with a message of love. This is Jesus not falling into the “gotcha questions” trap. This is Jesus bringing salvation. But, the salvation He was bringing was not the salvation they thought it would be.
The crowd turned on Him during the week. All of the hope of a government overthrow was now dashed. Jesus wasn’t the warrior they thought He was. This was no King David. They were upset. They were angry and frustrated. Which leads us to the final part of the week.
On Thursday night (Friday on the Jewish calendar, because a new day starts at sunset), Jesus had a meal with His disciples. He was celebrating the Passover with them. During the meal, Jesus gave a great deal of instructions to the disciples. The Gospel of John dedicated five entire chapters to the meal. Remember how John wrote about 40 percent of his gospel account on the last week of Jesus? Now, John is giving us five chapters on just one evening. This is no ordinary week, and this is no ordinary night. Jesus was about the bring salvation, but the salvation He was bringing was not the salvation they thought it would be.
After the meal (later Thursday night, Friday on the Jewish calendar), Jesus is arrested and spends the night in a dungeon. It’s a dark and lonely night, and the salvation of the world is on hold.
Day break comes (still Friday) and Jesus is put on trial. A Passover tradition to show goodwill between Rome and the Jewish people was that one prisoner could be released during the feast. The choice of which prisoner to release was presented to the crowd.
Matthew 27:16-17
“At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was JesusBarabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
Don’t miss this: Look at the name of the two choices. It’s “Jesus Barabbas” or “Jesus the Messiah”. Jesus means “salvation”. Here is where it gets even more intriguing. The name Barabbas is derived from two root words: “Bar” means “son” and “abba” which translates as “father”. This is so good, there are no accidents in the Bible. The choice presented to the crowd that day was, “Jesus Barabbas” or “Jesus the Messiah”. Translated, “Salvation from the son of the father” or “Salvation from the SON of the FATHER”. Same words, big difference. The crowd is being asked, do you want salvation from this earthly man or this man from Heaven? Loosely, do you want salvation from your wisdom or God’s wisdom? Jesus Barabbas was a murderer. He was the lowest of criminals. Yet, he was set free.
Matthew 27:22-23
“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
Here it is just five days since that triumphant entry on a donkey into Jerusalem. The same people that were shouting “Hosanna” or “Please save us” are now screaming “Crucify Him!” Jesus had come to save them, but the salvation He was bringing was not the salvation they thought it would be.
You may know the story of Holy Week, but have you ever really pondered how frail the crowd was? Maybe their humanity isn’t all that different from ours. We of course have the benefit of the “rest of the story”.
On Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead. Sin had been defeated. Death had been defeated. Jesus was victorious. He went on to make several appearances before ascending to Heaven. With each appearance a new victory was found. Peter found victory over failure. Thomas received victory over doubt. To the disciples that were hiding Jesus brought victory over fear.
The week began with “Hosanna” of “Please save us”. The palm branches lined the path as a symbol of victory. That victory did indeed come. The people turned their words from “Hosanna” to “Crucify Him” to “Hallelujah”. Jesus brought salvation, But, the salvation He brought was not the salvation they thought it would be.
God is still at work today. He brings salvation to all. We may have ideas of how that is supposed to look. We may take matters into our own hands. We start with a cry for help, our own “Hosanna”. Sometimes we give up on God when we don’t see immediate answers, and yes, we crucify him again. But then, out of love, Jesus still wins the victory. He brings salvation, but not the salvation that we thought it would be.
This Holy Week, trust the Lord. Turn your “Hosanna” to a “Hallelujah”. The journey between the two may be tough, because we don’t always see the big picture, but we can trust God. He still brings salvation, but not always the salvation that we think we need!
by Kevin Tillman | Feb 26, 2024 | Bible Study
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most memorized and quoted scriptures:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
There is good reason for it to be often quoted. This verse is inspirational. It is a reminder of God’s goodness. It is a reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Though it is often quoted, many casual readers may miss the context. This passage was given to the prophet Jeremiah to be delivered to the nation of Israel in a time WHILE THEY WERE IN CAPTIVITY (emphasis added). That’s an important tidbit. This message came at a low point. It came as a reminder of the nature of God.
The verse starts with “I know”. Though the situation seems dire, God knows. Though the future is unknown, God knows. Though there seems to be no way out, God knows. God knows each and every detail about our lives. Yes, times get tough, and yes, at times it seems that God is distant. But here is the reminder: God knows.
The verse continues with what God knows. He knows “the plans I have for you”. The plans are to “proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Can you imagine the nation of Israel hearing that message while being enslaved? Likely there were doubters. “Ok, God you have these plans, how about we start showing some of them?”. “How about You get us out of this predicament?”. It’s one thing to hear the words, and quite another to take them to heart, even when the immediate situation isn’t changing.
There is no human being that has ever lived that has not been in a hopeless feeling situation. Pain and suffering are a part of life. The reminder to the nation of Israel, and to us is to hold on and wait on God. Admittedly, however, we don’t always handle things that way. At least I haven’t always done it that way. Maybe there are some superhuman Christians among us (sarcasm intentional), that have always done it exactly the right way, but not me. In my life I have had seasons where I waited on God. I sought after Him, and I waited expectantly. But yeah, there are other seasons where I “took the bull by the horns”. I took charge to move forward. I had a sinking feeling on the inside that God was distant. So, I did what I thought needed to be done. The result? Not good. However, God is still good even in our wanderings. God can still gently steer us back on path.
Here is a key to remember (like seriously, write this down somewhere): DON’T EVER LET YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES BE A BAROMETER FOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE.
There is a nugget in this passage of Scripture that can wreck some theology circles. In Jeremiah 29:4 it is revealed that the Israelites went into captivity in the first place because, God “carried” them. Wait what? God took them into slavery? That doesn’t gel perfectly with some theologies.
Think about these:
Was God with Jonah in the whale? Was God with Joseph in prison? Was God with Paul when he was shipwrecked and in prison? Was Jesus on the boat with the disciples during the storm? This list can go on and on. Was God absent in these situations? No. Had God forgotten? No. If God is there, and God is allowing, then there must be a purpose. And indeed there is, the purpose is to “prosper you and not to harm you.”
The verse says that the plan is to give us “hope”. In our modern day vernacular we interpret hope almost the same as wish. I “hope” my team wins. I “hope” I do well on this test. But Biblical hope is different. It’s a “sure thing”. It’s a “done deal”. In life we desperately strive for hope. But hope is not something we achieve, it is something we receive. No amount of trying will ever achieve what God freely gives.
Not only do we receive “hope”, but God also promises a “future”. A key to understanding this is to understand the nature of God. (Warning, this is about to be one of those head exploding type of things)! God does not exist in time the way that way exist in time. We live linear lives. We get up, eat meals, work, do some stuff, go to bed, and repeat. We do this day after day, month after month, year after year, over and over and over again. God is not limited by the calendar and time. God just exists. God is in all times at the same time. (I told you it was head exploding). This means that God has the whole view of all of our lives at one instant. Beyond that, He sees all of eternity in one glance. With all of that knowledge and lack of limitations, it makes sense that He would move the needle of our lives one little iota to help steer us down a different path. We don’t even have the smallest fragment of information that God has. Before I leave this, think about it a bit. When you were just a small little embryo in your mother’s womb, God not only saw that present situation, but He also saw your whole life and death. When God says, He will give us a “future”, it’s not just some little plan, it’s much much bigger than that.
I think it’s worth taking a short little detour here. We are to WAIT ON THE LORD (emphasis added). That is what God wants us to do. But, like many things in the Word of God, this can be taken to a wrong extreme. Someone may say, “Ok, I’m waiting on God. Until He shows up, I’m just going to sit right here on this couch and eat Cheetos until something happens.” Obviously, that’s not the right approach. In Jeremiah 29:4-7 God gives the immediate action to be taken:
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Do you see the instructions God gives in the waiting? Build houses, plant gardens, EAT (Hallelujah!), Keep marrying and focusing on family. Basically, keep on doing life. Keep moving. I love the advice given in verse 7: “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into EXILE”. While everything is wrong for you, help others. Not only help others, but help those that are enslaving you. Ouch, wait what? That seems impossible. Do you see the promise though … seriously don’t miss this. Do you see what God says He will do if we seek peace and prosperity for others. Do you see it, “if it prospers, you too will prosper.” And this, is even while in the exile.
This passage beautifully wraps up with a promise from God found in Jeremiah 29:12-14
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.
The start of this verse is the word “then”, which implies something comes before it. God says “call on Me”, “come and pray to Me”, and the promise is He will listen. When we seek, we fill find Him. The promise is that the slavery will end, the time of wilderness will cease. This comes, but the journey of the captivity is what makes it possible.
No matter the season of life you are in, God is there. He is far above any limitations of time, place, or circumstance. This blip of time that we live in is nothing compared to eternity. No matter how difficult your situation is, always remember that “God knows the plans He has for you, … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
by Kevin Tillman | Feb 12, 2024 | Thoughts
“A difference in words is a very awful and important difference; a difference in words is a difference in things. Words are very awful and wonderful things, for they come from the most awful and wonderful of all beings, Jesus Christ, THE WORD. He puts words into men’s minds. He made all things, and He made words to express those things. And woe to those who use the wrong words about anything.”
Charles Kingsley (1819–1875)
We should guard our words. Words have power to uplift and power to tear down. Words have power to heal and power to destroy. As Christians we have been taught to discipline our actions, to “keep from sinning”. But, shouldn’t we give as much diligence to our words? Words are a gift from God. Like any gift, however, words can be abused. The words that we speak, the words that we type, and the words that we post on social media have power.
Here’s some practical advice:
- filter your words before you speak, type, or post. Think over your response before putting it out there.
- you don’t have to give an opinion on everything. This might be the most valuable of all advice.
- sometimes it is better to say nothing than to say something. Actually, often this is good advice.
- “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1. The right thing said the wrong way can make it worse. It’s important to say the right thing the right way.
- “speaking the truth in love” Ephesians 4:15. When in a confrontation, make sure your own motive is pure.
How loose we are with words, forgetting that our words are a representation of the Word! Lord, have mercy on us!
