by Shannon Tillman | Dec 18, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
A promise given during the threat of war surprisingly became a beacon of eternal hope. The promise was originally given to an evil king of Israel. However, his descendant Joseph saw the fulfillment of the promise seven hundred years after it had been spoken. The original promise seemed out of context at the time but only made sense hundreds of years later with the birth of Jesus. I wonder if Joseph understood that the word given to his great, great, great, great, and many more greats grandfather was being fulfilled in his day. Matthew, the gospel writer, knew. He put the pieces together that were hundreds of years apart. One stemmed from unbelief, the other chose to believe. Joseph, unlike his ancestor Ahaz, acted in faith and experienced the answer to the promise.
Matthew 1:18-24
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON” (which means “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (emphasis mine)
The promise fulfilled was about Immanuel. This promise was given to the ancestor of Joseph, a king of Israel named Ahaz. The hopeful promise came during an unlikely time in the midst of potential war. King Ahaz was afraid.
Isaiah 7:1-2
When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
War was on the horizon. The people and the king were shaking with fear. The Lord told the prophet Isaiah to go and deliver a message to Ahaz.
Isaiah 7:4, 7, 9b
Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah…Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘It will not take place,
it will not happen…
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all.’”
Isaiah assured King Ahaz that the enemy would not overtake them. And the Lord encouraged Ahaz to stand in faith, to believe what God had told him. The Lord even went on to give a further opportunity to build up faith in Ahaz for what He had already promised to do.
Isaiah 7:10-12
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”
It sounded spiritual but the truth was that Ahaz was defying the Lord. God commanded the king to ask for a sign. This sign was to be a visible reminder of the promise to come. Ahaz, however, was a wicked king. Isaiah saw through his spiritual pretense to his evil heart.
Isaiah 7:13-17
Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND WILL CALL HIM IMMANUEL. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.” (emphasis mine)
In the context of impending war, this promise made little sense. However, in the scope of time and history, God was declaring the time of the Messiah. It would be after the fall of these other nations as well as devastations of war from Assyria. It was a promise for a distant future. Yet, the Lord had Isaiah declare this promise to Ahaz because it would be his descendant, Joseph, who would finally receive the fulfillment of this word.
A promise given by the Lord is a promise kept. A wicked king could not stop a promise of God. Evil nations rose and fell, but God’s word took place just as He had said. Time passed by but the promise came exactly on time. What He says He will do, He WILL do. He promised that Immanuel would be with us and Immanuel was given to us. His promise is a guarantee. We can trust the words the Lord speaks into our lives because Immanuel, God with us, came just as promised, so we know all the promises He has spoken will be fulfilled.
by Shannon Tillman | Dec 11, 2025 | Blog, Thoughts
I would like to think that I would say “yes” to God. Yet, when I look at Scripture at some of the actions the Lord told His people to take, I may be more honest to say I would probably shrink back. I would not be bold enough. Honestly, I would just be embarrassed.
Joshua was asked to march his army around the city of Jericho. This is weird. I know the end of the story, the victory, but I would have felt awkward giving those instructions for a military campaign. Isaiah was asked to walk around naked as a sign to Israel’s future punishment for idol worship. That would have received a big “no way, Lord” from me. Ezekiel had to be tied down with ropes and lay on his side for months to picture the captivity of Israel. Not only that, he had to cook his food over animal poop! Hosea was called to marry a prostitute who would often be unfaithful and leave him for other men.
Then, we come to Mary. She was a young girl, pledged to be married. She received the request of heaven to bear the long-awaited Messiah. But to do this she would have the Spirit of God impregnate her. She would be tainted as “pregnant out of wedlock” all of her days. A reputation ruined while obeying God. Without hesitation, she said yes.
Why do we think our call to obedience is without cost today? Why do we think God is only asking us to do easy or comfortable things? He calls us to a strange obedience in this world, which only makes perfect sense in the heavenlies. We are told to leave our reputation behind as we follow the Lord’s guidance to sometimes humiliating situations. Would we rather say “yes” to our pride? Often, I do. I think of what others may say about me, or how their opinion of me might change, or even how I might be treated differently. But in that, I miss the victory of God.
Jericho fell and Joshua became a military legend. Isaiah received specific prophecies of the messiah hundreds of years before they took place and wrote Scripture that will be fulfilled in the future. Ezekiel saw the throne of God, the glory of God. Hosea gave a picture of forgiveness to any person or nation that wanders from the Lord and the redemption God brings to us.
And, of course, there is Mary. She birthed the Savior of the world.
It is time for us to say “yes” no matter how strange the request. For a strange obedience brings a miraculous response from God.
by Shannon Tillman | Dec 4, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Theology, Thoughts
I did not want to pray again. It felt ineffective. Years of prayer but no answers. The enemy taunted me.
“God will not answer your prayer. The promises in His Word are not for you. The words were taken out of context. You just want them to apply because you are so desperate in your situation.”
The lies kept coming. I felt weary. It had been so long. I think some of my friends tired of hearing the same prayer requests. Yet, a list of names in the Bible roused me to pray again. These names were of King David’s mighty warriors. One of these soldiers jumped off the page and encouraged me to stand firm.
2 Samuel 23:9
Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the Israelites retreated…
The Israelite soldiers turned to run. They were being defeated by the enemy. Lives were on the line. The people of Israel would be impacted. However, one man stood between an invading army and the people of the land he loved.
2 Samuel 23:10a
…but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword.
While the rest of the soldiers retreated, Eleazar stood his ground. He was not assured a victory; he could have been killed at any moment. However, he chose to keep fighting although his fellow soldiers left him and the enemy outnumbered him. As enemy after enemy came upon him, Eleazar struck each one down. The physical toll was evident; his hand fused to the sword. Despite the impact on his body, he would not give up.
There are times when we will stand alone. The people we thought would be with us during difficult times leave. We feel deserted as we face a spiritual enemy that is larger than us. We, too, can choose to flee, to take cover, to protect ourselves. We can decide to take the easier route, what everyone else is doing, and hide.
Or we can stand alone.
Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
The enemy comes against us. We can pretend we are not in a spiritual battle, only to be destroyed. We can run from the spiritual battle, only to the harm of ourselves or others. We can talk about the battle amongst ourselves, how difficult it is, only to convince each other to stop fighting. Or we can stand. And in our stand, we must fight. We, like Eleazar, have a sword.
Ephesian 6:17a,c
Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The Word of God is our weapon. The enemy will come with lies, deceit, doubt, manipulation, difficult circumstances, and anything else in his arsenal. We fight back with the Word of God. Each attack of the enemy is struck down. It takes time; it is hard work; it seems impossible. But we must hold onto the word until it has fused into us. And there we will stand victorious as the enemy lays defeated at our feet. The victory is not ours, but the victory belongs to the Lord.
2 Samuel 23:10b
The Lord brought about a great victory that day.
Eleazar knew a miracle had taken place that day. Because Eleazar stood, even stood alone against an army, victory was achieved. God does not need a crowd, but just one person willing to stand firm, willing to obey the King’s command to fight and to keep on fighting until the enemy is defeated.
Eleazar stood alone, but God’s victory belonged to everyone.
2 Samuel 23:10c
The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.
The troops returned, not to help in the fight but to help with the plunder. Because Eleazar stood his ground, others benefited from the victory. You may be alone in the battle you face, but others will experience the benefits of victory because of you.
Do not stop fighting. Do not stop praying. Do not stop wielding the word of God in your circumstances. The enemy is relentless, but he will be defeated. Stand firm and soon we will see the victory of the Lord.
by Jessica Hensley | Nov 27, 2025 | Blog, Thoughts
Who would have ever thought that a song or a scripture verse or even a poem could impact a life forever?
I’m living proof and a life changed by powerful, positive encouragement. Words and rhythms have influenced my life for many, many years and I can feel the power of love, joy, and peace radiate from songs, scripture verses, and poems. We are moved by words. Even scripture tells us that life and death are in the power of our tongue. Every word that flows from us matters.
I titled this blog entry, “Made For More”, for good reason. This song recently spoke life to my spirit in a time of life when I was experiencing hardship and desperation. I had never heard the song before. A dear friend introduced it to us one Wednesday night in choir practice at church. Both she and I have experienced loss of family and hardships. Despite the heartaches of life, she and I enter the presence of God when we worship, surrender, and pray. Through it all, we lay all that we have at the feet of Jesus. Just as another song says: “He is our way-maker, our miracle-worker, our promise-keeper, our light in the darkness…our God…that is who He is.” We press on through the struggles, and He sustains, He protects, and He heals. We have seen that wonder-working power in the blood. Hope isn’t lost even in our times of desperation. God is right in the pit with us as he was with Joseph in the Bible when his brothers abandoned him and he was left to fend for himself…all alone…but still, God is greater. God is right with us in every fight of our lives, as he was with young shepherd boy (Anointed King) David who victoriously defeated the nine foot nine inch tall Philistine giant named Goliath. God never leaves us. He never forsakes us. We are loved, comforted, and protected by our Almighty Sovereign God at all times and in every situation. Whatever you may be going through, just speak his name: “Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.”
I am learning in my life that prayer, surrender, obedience, and faith in God are the “secret sauce” ingredients to getting closer towards transformation and miracles. However, we cannot bypass the hardships, the pain, and the difficulties. There is always a wilderness before a promised land. There’s always a cross before a resurrection. There is always a Red Sea needing to be parted by the Great I Am before we can rise up like Lazurus and be made alive again through the power of God’s resurrection power He has gifted to us. We must have faith that is not shaky or uncertain. As we read in the book of James, we must completely believe that God will come through. Pray like you believe that He will answer your prayers. As Hebrews 11:1 states: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.” We usually do not see the miracle until the moment it happens, but God has a perfect time and you can trust that He is faithful to keep every promise He has given to us.
There is a song I grew up hearing at my home church in Georgia. My Pastor’s wife, Mrs. Kathy, would sing, “He’ll Do It Again.” The lyrics state, “You may not know how…you may not know when…but he’ll do it again.” Whatever that “it” is in your life, God is faithful. He will come through. He will meet your needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus. That song, “He’ll Do It Again”, was exactly what little Jessica needed to hear when she was six years young and she struggled to learn how to read in first grade after her Mom passed away unexpectedly. On top of that, she got lice bugs in her hair that was “the worst case of a lice infestation” her principal, Mr. Jones, had ever seen. They say when it rains it pours; and my little tiny self was emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained and feeling helpless, hopeless, and all alone despite having a lovely, dear, God-fearing family and church family. Life can knock us down and the enemy will continue hurling darkness without a second thought. Life is hard, but God is greater.
To help me to learn, my family kept me busy reading out loud all of the time. Eventually, I did learn to read and now I love to read. My Uncle Jojo laminated my very first 100 spelling test and I cherish it still. God’s faithful to answer prayers, especially of a hurting little girl. And for those little critters in my hair, my Grandma and Dad cleared my head and everything in the house, ensuring that others did not get infectected. Some of the hardships ended, others endured; but through it all, I experienced the faithfulness of God.
Through the years, I have written songs of God’s faithfulness. I will continue to share His great love and faithfulness as long as I am alive. I have seen His hand time and time again. I am thankful for God’s faithfulness in all of my life and I pray you always remember the goodness of God, too. Reach out and seek him fervently. He is near to the broken-hearted. He saves the crushed in spirit.
Great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me.
by Shannon Tillman | Nov 20, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
You are in a battle. The enemy wants to take you out. You are outnumbered, out resourced, out maneuvered. You are on the losing team and you know it. Lives will be lost. Enslavement is a real possibility. Families will be torn apart. Cities will be pillaged; women and children will be brutally harmed. What is your response? To sing a love song of course!
This is exactly what Jehosophat, the king of Judah, did when going into battle. First, let us look at the army that came against the nation of Judah.
2 Chronicles 20:1-2a
After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea.
Two nations plus others are coming to attack Judah. Jehosophat knew the situation was impossible. He did the only thing he could do and that was to pray.
2 Chronicles 20:3-4
Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
In the midst of their prayers, God gave them assurance of victory.
2 Chronicles 20:15-17
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
The next day, they would be facing a huge enemy army. Yet, God told them they would not have to fight, instead they were to believe in God’s deliverance. Jehosophat and his men went to the place the Lord told them to go.
2 Chronicles 20:20
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
Jehosophat encouraged his men. Yet, that did not seem enough. He wanted them to hold onto faith. That is when he strategized his military position.
2 Chronicles 20:21
After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”
Jehosophat decided that the best strategy for warfare was a love song to the Lord. While the enemy army was appointing men to fighting positions, Jehosophat appointed his men to sing. The enemy put their greatest warriors in the front of the line. Jehosophat put the greatest worshippers in front. The enemy had a sword. Judah had a song. In the natural, it seemed the enemy had a better plan. In the supernatural, Judah’s victory was at hand.
2 Chronicles 20:22-24
As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.
A complete victory accomplished by the enemy to the enemy. A love song paved the way for God’s deliverance.
I do not know what you may be facing right now. However, I can tell you that I am in the midst of an impossible situation. The enemy has come against me on every side. I have prayed and cried out in fear of more loss, more trauma, more pain. God has given me promises of deliverance, restoration, hope. Despite this, I still have to look at the enemy seemingly gaining ground.
Today, I want to choose a different strategy, a love song to the Lord. I want to choose that today because I did not choose it yesterday. I sat in the middle of a worship service and cried. I cried in pain and even anger that the promises remain unanswered, that the enemy still taunts me, that the situations are unresolved, that the hurt runs even deeper during the holidays. Today is a new day. Today, I can choose the way of Jehosophat and choose worship.
Jehosophat told his men to worship the Lord for the splendor of His holiness. Because He is holy, He can be perfectly trusted. The Lord can never do us wrong. His ways, His timing are perfect. Today, I can trust His plan even though I do not understand.
Jehosophat not only had his men worship God’s holiness but to also proclaim:
2 Chronicles 20:21
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.”
These words echo the lines from Psalm 136. This Psalm declares the past acts of God, such as how He created the universe:
Psalm 136:1, 4-9
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever…
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
This Psalm also proclaims the power of God who struck down the enemy, delivered His people, and guided them in the direction they were called to go:
Psalm 136:10-16
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.
God also provided for His children in miraculous ways:
Psalm 136:21-26
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.
He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
Jehosophat was calling his people to remember what God had done in the past, to believe Him for the future deliverance, and to stand and sing to the Lord during the present enemy attack. God not only gave victory, He abundantly blessed His people.
2 Chronicles 20:25-27
So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to this day.
The valley of the enemy’s attack became the “Vally of Berakah”. The word “Berakah” means “blessing”. The place of pain, the place of loss, the place of fear, the place of devastation became the place God blessed.
Today, I will choose to stand and praise. I can look back on my life and praise His creative power, miracles, deliverance, and provision for me. Focusing on what He has done, will give me hope for what He will do. One day this enemy attack will become a blessing and I will testify to others with great joy.
2 Chronicles 20:27
Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.
The enemy will be defeated. The Lord will be praised. Today.
by Kevin Tillman | Nov 13, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
If you’re quiet enough, you can almost hear it … a whisper rising from the dusty pages of Ezra.
Not the whisper of a defeated people, but the whisper of a rebuilding God.
A God who steps into ruins and begins again.
Ezra is more than a story about returning home after exile. It is the story of a God who refuses to leave His people in pieces. Stone by stone. Prayer by prayer. Heart by heart. He gathers what’s been scattered
and restores what’s been scarred.
And maybe that’s why this ancient book feels so modern. Because we know something about ruins too, don’t we?
Not the kind shaped like broken walls … the kind shaped like broken hearts.
The relationship that cracked under the weight. The mistake you still replay. The disappointment that sits heavy in the corners of your soul. The spiritual drift you didn’t plan… but somehow lived.
Ezra reminds us:
God does His best work in places that look beyond repair.
When the people returned to Jerusalem, they didn’t arrive to triumph. They arrived to rubble. The temple was more memory than building. The city looked like a warzone. And the people looked like they’d forgotten how to hope.
But God hadn’t forgotten how to rebuild.
He stirred a pagan king to fund the work. He stirred a priest to teach the Word. He stirred a weary people to lift the stones.
And out of all that lifting and learning and leaning on Him, something beautiful began to rise.
Because rebuilding is never just about construction. It is about restoration. It is about a people returning not only to their land but to their Lord.
This is the heartbeat of Ezra:
When God’s hand is on you and God’s Word is in you, God’s work will flow through you.
Not perfectly. Not instantly. But faithfully… in the quiet, consistent, grace-filled ways that only God can orchestrate.
And maybe that’s the part we need today.
Because some of us are trying to rebuild things only God can raise. Some of us are sweeping up pieces when God is calling us to put the broom down and lift our eyes up.
Some of us are standing in front of ruins and forgetting that God specializes in resurrection.
Ezra whispers the truth we forget:
What sin breaks, God restores. What life dismantles, God rebuilds. What seems too far gone, God can redeem.
So if you find yourself standing among the rubble … of choices, of seasons, of circumstances … take heart.
Your Father is a Master Builder. He does not panic at ruins. He does not flinch at fractures. He does not back away from broken things.
He rebuilds them.
And in the story of Ezra … as in the story of your life … grace gets the final word.
by Kevin Tillman | Nov 6, 2025 | Bible Study, Theology, Thoughts
We live in a world that is full of chaos. Noise, distractions and uncertainty are always present. Deep down, however, our hearts are longing for something more. We don’t need more information, we need revelation. This starts with a better understanding of who God is. The more we truly know Him, the more everything else in this world will make sense.
Throughout the Bible, there is a threefold revelation of the. character of God. This revelation reveals His heart, and also His desire to be in relationship with His creation. God wants us to experience His Presence, be transformed by His Purity, and then walk in His Power.
God’s Presence: He is With Us
Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
One of the most incredible truths in God’s Word is that He is not far away. From the moment that He walked with Adam in the Garden of Eden to the moment Jesus promised, “I am with you always”, God has revealed His heart. He desires to dwell with His people.
This isn’t just a Sunday morning or Wednesday night experience. It’s a daily awareness of the nearness of God. In the quiet moments and in the middle of the chaos, in the highs and lows, His Presence is constant, and it’s our peace.
I think of a child that’s afraid of the dark. The lights come on, but it’s not the light that alleviates the fear, it’s the presence of the parent that walked in. the presence of someone that love and trust makes all of the difference.
God’s Purity: He is Holy
Isaiah 6:3
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of armies; the whole earth is full of His glory.”
When Isaiah encountered God’s holiness, he wasn’t simply impressed, he was wrecked. God’s purity exposes what is impure in us, not to condemn us, but to cleanse us. Holiness isn’t God’s demand to keep us at a distance. It’s His invitation to draw us closer by being transformed.
God’s purity reminds us that He isn’t just some bigger version of us. No, He is altogether different. He is perfect in every way. He is full of light, and when that light shines into our lives it reveals not only what’s hidden, but also what is broken.
Think about sunlight shining through a window. That beam of light doesn’t create dust, but it definitely exposes it. It shows what is already there. That’s the way that God’s light works in our lives. There is dust in our lives that needs to be cleaned, but we may never even see it without the light shining in.
God’s Power: He is Able
Ephesians 3:20
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.”
We often think of God’s power in relationship to the miracles, especially the big ones. The Red Sea parting, the blind seeing, the dead being raised. Obviously these are definitely outpourings of God’s power. But, His power is just as real in the unseen things. Think about the strength to forgive some that’s hurt you. Think about the courage to keep going. Think about the grace to change and grow from the inside out.
This same power that raise Jesus from the grave lives inside of every believer. The power of God isn’t something we have to strive for, it’s SOMEONE we walk with daily.
God’s Presence comforts us. God’s Purity refines us. God’s Power strengthens us. God’s Presence reminds us that we are never alone. God’s Purity reminds us that we’re never beyond redemption. God’s Power reminds us that we are never out of hope’s reach.
The same God that is with you, also works in you, and moves through you.
by Shannon Tillman | Oct 30, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog
The president of a local neighborhood HOA told me that no one ever knocks on his door to say, “Hey, you are doing a good job.” Instead, he gets complaints about yards, or requests for interventions for children throwing rocks at dogs, or being told about neighborly disputes. The job is one negative message after another. Some good news would be a welcomed change.
There is one prophet in the Bible who wanted the opposite. He felt comfortable with the bad news but refused to share the good news with others. The prophet’s name was Jonah. God told him to go to Ninevah to declare judgment. After disobedience and a slight delay in the belly of a fish, Jonah arrived at his destination. He had one message:
Jonah 3:4
Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
It is surprising that in this wicked city Jonah was not killed. Even more astonishing is that the people of the city responded to the message.
Jonah 3:5
The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
Jonah’s words permeated the city and eventually reached the king.
Jonah 3:6-9
When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
An amazing time of repentance spreads throughout the region. God saw their humility and desire to change.
Jonah 3:10
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
The Lord chose not to bring judgment onto the city. The Ninevites had been saved! Unfortunately, they did not know this. Why? Because Jonah did not tell them the good news.
Jonah 4:1-2
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
Jonah was mad. He talked to God, but he never told the people that the Lord had decided to not bring destruction on them. The Ninevites had no idea if their repentance had made a difference, if God had given them mercy, if they would live beyond the forty days. Why? Because Jonah would not share the good news.
I wonder if on day forty-one, they started to feel safer? Or maybe they were concerned their calculations were incorrect and gave the deadline a few extra days. We do not know. They lived unnecessarily in fear of the end when they could have known that mercy and life had been granted to them.
People around us fear death, or question if they could be accepted into heaven or not. Maybe they realize they have done wrong, but wonder if forgiveness is available to them. They do not understand the good news. The message of God’s mercy shown to us through the cross of Jesus has not been shared with them. They do not know because they have not heard, and like Jonah, we have not told them.
Romans 10:14
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Jonah was willing to give the bad news; he was willing to give his opinion on what he thought should happen. But Jonah kept the good news to himself, causing Ninevah to suffer needlessly in their wondering if God would have mercy on them or not. May we not be like Jonah, who refused to share the good news with others.
by Shannon Tillman | Oct 23, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog
My mom and I cried in a scene of a movie we watched recently. A father who had pushed his son to the limits pursuing his own dream finally realizes the damage he had done to their relationship. The father apologized to his son, and the son forgave his father. There is such power in confession that even a fiction movie can bring us to tears.
One of the Psalms that is completely focused on confession is Psalm 51. This Psalm was written after David was confronted by Nathan, a prophet, for his transgressions of adultery and murder. David penned his confession and repentance before God.
Psalm 51:1-2
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
David could have confessed in his own heart. Instead, he wrote his prayer for all to see. He wanted Israel and the world to know that he was repentant of all that he had done. He did not want to hide it any longer. David was willing to bring all the evil to light so that he could be restored to the Lord.
Psalm 51:9
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
David’s transparency before God does not stop in only asking for mercy but also continues by asking for help to transform his life.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Through the centuries, many believers have turned to this psalm to give words to their own confession and repentance. David’s willingness to finally acknowledge his sin paved the way for others to speak their need of mercy from God as well. In our honesty before the Lord and others, we create a place where others can witness repentance and give them courage to admit their sins and find the mercy of God so desperately needed by us all.
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Confession to others is a spiritual principle. It calls us to accountability. It leads to true fellowship with God and others.
1 John 1:5-7
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Hidden sin keeps us out of fellowship with God and others. Confession of sin not only restores us in relationship with the Lord but it actually deepens our relationship with others. It is the dark places in our lives that hinder fellowship. But when we acknowledge those dark places and choose to bring them into the light, we step into true community.
Too often, we ignore or pretend there is no sin in our lives. Sometimes, we fool others but often people know that more is going on behind the scenes. No matter, the Lord knows what is going on in those dark places of our hearts.
1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
When we confess our sins, we are forgiven. When we hide our sins, we become deceived about who we are, we put lies on God, and we lose the working of the Word in our lives. The difficulty of facing the truth and confessing sin is better than facing the loss of relationship with not only God but our true selves which is lost to our deception.
David acknowledged his transgressions to not only be restored to the Lord and to transformed, but also to achieve an even greater purpose.
Psalm 51:13
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
David was now choosing to share his sin, his past so that other lives could be changed. When we walk in the light, we can share the darkness of our past without shame. We can let others know that there is hope for their forgiveness and transformation as well. Lives are changed when we choose to confess and share God’s mercy in our live to those around us. The final point of forgiveness is not just for ourselves but for others to find freedom as well.
David’s sin and honesty before God has ministered to people for thousands of years. We all know that if a man after God’s own heart can fail and then find redemption then we, too, have hope for our lives as well. Transparency leads to transformation in ourselves and others.
by Shannon Tillman | Oct 16, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
A recently promoted sixth grader came to talk to me as I was cleaning up after teaching the children’s lesson. His shocked, wide eyes mirrored his statement, “Mrs. Shannon, the Samson story is much different in youth than in children’s church.” He did not realize there was more to Delilah than just “cutting Samson’s hair”. There had been filters in the message geared to kids and he wanted to let me know that youth is a whole new world compared to children’s church.
While his summary made me laugh, I feel the same way when I read the story of Samson. It is a shocking tale of the supernatural and the natural.
Judges 13:2-5
A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
Samson was a miracle baby. A barren woman birthed a son who had been dedicated to God in the womb. He would deliver Israel from its archenemy – the Philistines. In Samson’s life, there were other supernatural moments.
Judges 14:5-6a
As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat.
Judges 15:14
As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.
Samson encountered powerful times when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him which allowed him to conquer the enemy in miraculous ways. In the midst of his twenty years of leadership, Samson experienced the supernatural, but he also experienced the natural.
Judges 16:1
One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.
Judges 16:4
Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.
The story of Samson leaves me wide-eyed and shocked as well, but not for the same reason as the sixth grader who came to talk to me. It shocks me because in the midst of the natural, in the midst of the sin, the Spirit of God STILL came upon Samson.
Judges 16:1-3
One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, “At dawn we’ll kill him.” But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
Samson’s choices in women continued to lead him into trouble.
Judges 16:4-6
Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
In response to Delilah’s request, Samson told a series of lies, relying on the natural to help him keep Delilah while still not giving away the secret of his strength.
Judges 16:7-14
Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied. He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.” Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.” He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.
In the midst of the natural: sexual immorality, lying, manipulating, deceiving; Samson still had the power of God in his life. That is what scares me the most in this story. This can be our story as well: looking like a God follower in front of others, yet living in compromise behind closed doors. We can experience the Lord’s power through the gifts of God while the weakness of sin still consumes us. The power of God can manifest even through people that do not exhibit the character of God. In other words, we can look like a saint even while we are sinners.
It seems lately that scandal after scandal has come forth about Christian ministers and musicians. Some of the accusations took place over years, even decades. That means week after week they stood in front of others and ministered “in the name of the Lord’ all the while heinous sins were taking place once the crowds left. I have heard preachers preach against the very sins they were committing. I have heard singers lead worship while they are desecrating the Lord by their words and actions. I once knew a marriage counselor who had been married four times. What we say is not what we live.
It is easy to look at the scandals of others and think we are off the hook, as if our sins are not “that bad”. But how often have we taught a Bible class while still in the midst of an unresolved argument with our spouse? Or maybe praying to the Lord with someone after gossiping about others? Or changing our tone of voice depending on if it is a family member or a church leader? The natural and the supernatural collide. Sometimes, God in His mercy, works powerfully even while we are in the midst of sin. But that should not become our point of justification. We should not think because the Lord is moving in our midst, that our sin should be ignored, minimized, or excused. That is the warning from Samson. There finally comes a point when the cover-up no longer works, and the truth is revealed.
Judges 16:15-24
Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.
Samson, now physically blind, had been blind long before. He was blind to the compromises in his life. He was blind to the warnings in the Word of God given to all Israelites, being a leader in the nation did not put him above the law. He was blind to the truth that the gifts of God are not more valuable than the character of God.
The shocking message of Samson is not his dysfunctional relationship with Delilah; the shocking part is the supernatural can manifest in the midst of our sin. Take the warning of Samson. He did not cut out sin, so Delilah cut his hair. Let God cut off our sin instead of sin cutting off our ministry God has given us.
