by Shannon Tillman | Apr 24, 2024 | Thoughts
Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.
This is a command, so it is not an option. We are ordered to not let evil overcome us. How can we choose to not be overwhelmed, knocked down, or discouraged by evil? For it must be a choice since it is a command, thus we decide whether to obey or not. The strategy for obedience is given in the second half of the verse.
We are to “overcome evil with good.” God alone is good.
Mark 10:18
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
Thus, we overcome evil by God. How do we practically do this? We must focus on His goodness instead of the evil circumstances. We must trust Him even when we do not understand why we are suffering. We must seek His counsel on how to respond in a manner that reflects His goodness instead of our natural desires. In other words, to overcome evil is an intentional battle plan to combat evil with the goodness of God.
Is this easy? No. However, it is commanded for our benefit. God wants to protect us from being knocked down by evil. He wants to work through us so that evil is vanquished. The Lord does not want evil to prevail against us. The only way for us to not be consumed by the evil is to conquer the evil. The goodness of God is the assured victory over all evil!
Whatever evil situation that has risen against you is now your opportunity for victory! When you stand in the goodness of God, the enemy not only cannot knock you down, he also loses ground against you. The evil is overcome and the flag of goodness is placed up as the victory. In your difficulties, get the battle plan from God. His goodness will win!
by Shannon Tillman | Apr 10, 2024 | Thoughts
Proverbs 11:2 …
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
I have often read this verse and thought that when a person has pride then something bad would happen to them. It seemed a point of justice. Pride leads to downfall, disgrace, embarrassment.
It makes me think of the bully in a movie who does something cruel and then turns and trips and everyone laughs at the mean guy. You enjoy watching him fall as a sort of punishment for what he has done to others. (Or maybe that is just me and some of you would have sympathy on him. I would hope someone would jump out of the shrubbery and trip him again! Another fall for the bully. Yay!)
However, if we look at this verse again, it is not discussing a bad thing happening only to the proud. Both the proud and the humble experience difficulties. The second part of the verse does not show a protection from trials, instead, it simply states that the humble receive wisdom from the time of suffering.
Each situation gives the opportunity to respond with pride or humility. If I respond with pride then I am disgraced. But if I respond with humility than I am granted wisdom. Every circumstance provides a choice to get upset or to learn, to react or to respond, to look at the situation or to look at the God behind the situation.
The essence of humility is the acceptance of God’s sovereignty. I view the situation as from God and that He has allowed what has happened. Although it is difficult, I can ask God for wisdom in handling whatever trial has come my way. My attitude is one of what can be gained through the pain instead of how to avoid the pain.
James 1:2-5
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
The joy in trials is knowing that purpose will ultimately come from the pain. It will not be wasted if I handle the situation as directed by God. In humility I seek Him and ask for wisdom. Thus, I am not living disgraced for what was sent to “trip me up” instead I am choosing to utilize the situation as a platform for growth, change, transformation.
While this verse does not mean the proud bully will trip and fall (although that would be great!), it does mean that the trials of our lives can benefit me in the end when I allow the Lord to guide and direct me. The proud are disgraced by difficulties, the humble receive wisdom in difficulties. It comes down to our choice in how we respond to our trials.
by Shannon Tillman | Apr 1, 2024 | Thoughts
Soldiers came to the crucified thieves. They took mallets and broke their knees to cause them to die quickly. Jesus hung in the middle. They were about to break the knees of Jesus but He already appeared to be dead; His body hung limply on the cross. They needed proof so…
John 19:34
“…one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.”
Blood and water, not just blood, flowed out of His pierced side. This means that the heart of Jesus was punctured, pierced, destroyed.
Have you ever felt broken-hearted? May this word encourage you. Jesus, whose heart was shattered at the cross, received a whole new heart in His resurrection.
John 20:19-20
“So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.”
The hands of Jesus bore the scars of the nails. The side of Jesus bore the scar of His piercing. But the heart of Jesus no longer flowed with blood and water. Thus, it was completely renewed. He had a whole heart once again, as if it had never been wounded. A new heart was given at the resurrection!
These past few years, I have felt beat up by others and by circumstances. My heart ached and even beat irregularly with the pain. I cried out to God for a new heart, one that was not triggered by the pain of the past, one that had not been broken, one that did not feel the need to guard from the hurt of others, one that could love and be loved.
On Resurrection Sunday, I was praying before the service began. I thought of the wounds of His hands and feet. I then pondered His pierced side proving a busted heart, a dead heart, a destroyed heart. Then, I suddenly realized: Jesus has a new heart. Jesus, the crucified one, received a new heart! The resurrection of Jesus proves He was given a new heart, beating vibrantly now with the life that could never be taken again!
That means when I am resurrected out of my trials, my pains, my difficulties, my heart will be made new as well. I do not have to live from the pain of death from my circumstances, from the situations and the people who broke my heart. Instead, my heart can be made new!
I do not know what broke your heart. But I can tell you that the new heart of Jesus is a promise to all of us. He keeps the scars on His hands, feet, and side but not on His heart. While we may bear scars from the pain of our lives, we do not have to live with a broken heart. He makes this promise:
Psalm 147:3a
“He heals the brokenhearted…”
The word for brokenhearted in Hebrew can mean broken in pieces, hurt, torn, or crushed. It is a picture of mass destruction, a heart so devastated that it no longer beats. Yet, God can heal, restore, make a broken heart new, as if it had never been damaged. The resurrected heart of Jesus proves this word in our lives.
Take your broken heart to the Resurrected Savior. No matter what losses you have experienced, He can make your heart beat like new, as if it had not been injured by others or circumstances. Let Him heal your wounds and give you a new heart today.
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 Shannon Tillman | Feb 19, 2024 | Thoughts
At a ministerial training, a group was asked, “if you see a piece of paper on the floor in the church hallway, whose job is it to pick it up?” Some answers focused on the janitor who obviously neglected his job. Others replied they thought it would be responsibility of the person who dropped it. The trainer said, “It’s your job. You saw it. Pick it up.” If we truly say we care about the church, it is no longer about the responsibility of others, but about our duty to do what is best for the church.
I think Moses could have done a training on having a heart for his church, his flock, the Israelites. We see him often intercede for the nation. The Lord even affirms the heart of Moses for the people they both loved.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol… (Exodus 32:7-8a, emphasis added)
In this passage, God calls the Israelites “your people”. Yet, in previous passages, God refers to them as “My people”. We see this in the calling of Moses to Egypt in Exodus 3.
So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10, emphasis added)
The heart of God beats for people. When we press into His heart, the concerns for “His people” become our concerns. They become “our people”. Ministry is not about a leader being lifted up but instead being humbled to serve in good times as well as the bad. Moses shared in the Israelite’s struggles (the plagues of Egypt) and in their triumphs (parting of the Red Sea). God’s people now are Moses’s people. The Lord recognized the heart of Moses toward Israel.
Because of His gracious ways, God allowed Moses to know what was taking place at the foot of the mountain. God told him how the people had created an idol to worship. The Lord knew Moses would intervene; he would take the difficult task in partnering with God to deal with the sin of idolatry. Ministry is hard! But to love people as God loves people is to confront the sins that keep others from their relationship with the Lord.
The Lord could have destroyed the people with holy justification. But because God’s people had become Moses’s people, the leader interceded for the sinners.
But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. (Exodus 32:11-14)
The greatest level of ministry is demonstrated by Moses as he interceded for the people. His intercession focused not on the protection of the people but on the promises of God to the people as well as preserving the Name and the glory of God in front of others. Ministry to people promotes God’s glory. May we as leaders whether it be in the home, church, or business world do the same for those under our care. God’s people are our people.
Whose job is it to pick up the mess in the lives of others? Yours and mine.
