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 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.
by Shannon Tillman | Oct 9, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
I love watching the series on YouTube called “Made with Love”. The shows highlight different families that have children with Down Syndrome. Each family celebrates the unique qualities of the child and treasures the gifts each one brings to the family. The series wanted to raise awareness because often those with Down Syndrome are considered outcasts simply because of their difference. Yet, those who are surrounded by people with Down Syndrome realize the joy, the love, the gift of who they are.
I was reminded of this show as I was thinking of God’s flock in Ezekiel 34.
Ezekiel 34:20-22
Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: “See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.”
God’s flock is different from what the world thinks a flock should be. The world would choose the strong sheep, the winner, the fat sheep showing health and vitality. Not God. He picks the fragile, the weak, the one who loses the battle. The overlooked are the ones He seeks after.
Ezekiel 34:15-16
I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
The sleek and the strong are destroyed. In God’s flock, He removes what is valued by the world, what is considered popular, successful, healthy, and strong. Instead, the Lord chooses the lost, the stray, the injured, and the weak.
What the world overlooks, God sees. What the world values, God destroys. What the world injures, God heals. What the world rejects, God accepts. What the world discards, God finds.
Find comfort, little sheep, in the Shepherd who made you, who loves you, who chose you. You may feel inadequate, lost, confused, lonely, forsaken, ignored, ridiculed, weary, downcast, rejected, and misunderstood. That is the world’s words over you. But today, hear God’s words to you.
Ezekiel 34:31
You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.
by Shannon Tillman | Oct 2, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
I found myself staring out the window. I had things to do, but the pain in my heart lulled me into a downward spiral of questions. “How long, Lord, until you answer my prayers? Where are you, God, in all this? Why did You allow this to take place?” It had been a difficult season that had lasted for years, and the time had weighed heavily on me.
I softly heard “Psalm 63” from a deep place within me. This psalm was written by David in a dark time of his life. He was in the desert, far from home and far from seeing answers to his prayers. Yet, he continued to cry out to God.
Psalm 63:1a
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you…
I, too, was seeking God, wondering where He was in the midst of the pain, the loss, the questions. That is why I sat again with my Bible on my lap, longing for some word, longing for hope. David felt the same. He knew that God was not far off or removed. That is why he confidently called the Lord, “my God”. David knew they were in a relationship together. David realized that in his desert he needed to pursue God as never before.
Psalm 63:1b
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
David’s longing is not casual, but a desperate attempt to connect with the Lord. In the desert, David sought the only One who could satisfy the cries of his heart. Every other source had dried up. No person, no situation, no comfort of this world could meet the need David had. He longed for God and God alone.
Psalm 63:2
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
David was in the desert. His location was far from the Tabernacle in Jerusalem, the place where the people of Israel came to worship the Lord. Yet, David in the wilderness saw the sanctuary of God. Although the physical sanctuary was miles away, the spiritual sanctuary was close in the wilderness. It was as near as taking a moment to lift his eyes off of the difficult circumstances and placing them on heaven. Not just heaven, but on the God who reigns with power and glory.
In our difficult times, we need to be reminded that God is over all of our circumstances. In our situations, we feel helpless. We need a fresh revelation of God’s power. In our circumstances, we become consumed by our problems. We must see God’s glory to receive an eternal perspective on life, compared to our finite, limited view.
The word “glory” can also be translated as “weight”. It is the visible manifestation of the attributes of God. That is heavy. Too often, we are crushed by our difficulties, instead of focusing on the glory of God. When we see His glory, our circumstances become light as the heaviness of the character of God weighs on us. We are reminded of who He is, the One who reigns sovereignly over every aspect of our lives as well as everything in the universe. His attributes last beyond time and will usher us into eternity with Him. Focusing on the glory of God diminishes our view on the temporary problems in our lives.
Every problem, every difficulty, has an end date. The Lord alone knows the end from the beginning. But a thousand years from now, all of our problems are guaranteed to be over. The pain of earth will be forgotten as we dwell in the glory of God. Until that time comes, as we walk through the deserts of life, what should we do?
Psalm 63:3
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
David realized the love of God outweighed the pain of life. David chose to lift his eyes up from the situations and onto the glory of God. When he did, he responded with giving God glory, with giving the Lord praise.
Psalm 63:4
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
When we see the glory of God, when we focus on Him, our words change. For our words no longer paint the picture of the desert surrounding us, but instead the sanctuary that is above us. The hands once hanging limp in weary defeat, now are lifted to the One who is worthy of praise, no matter what we are going through.
Psalm 63:5
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
The psalmist who had been thirsting after God in the wilderness, now experiences full satisfaction which can only be found in God’s presence. The once parched lips of a desert wanderer, now sings songs of praise.
We all walk through deserts. This world is not our home; it is a wilderness that seeks to destroy us. But it is not the final answer. If we stare only at our painful circumstances, the desert will creep into our hearts. But if we look at God in His sanctuary, heaven will invade our lives and our situations.
Look up, weary desert wanderer. God is seated on His throne displaying His power and His glory. Let us give Him all the praise!
by Shannon Tillman | Sep 25, 2025 | Bible Study, Theology, Thoughts
Years ago, a fellow staff member called me to chat. I had been in a great mood before the phone call. However, by the end of the conversation all of life seemed bleak. She had one negative thing to say after another about every situation: work, health, relationships, everything. I was drained by the end after listening to her complaining to me for over an hour.
While I fell apart with just one person’s gripe session, poor Moses had to listen to millions of negative voices rising up against their situation and against him.
Exodus 15:22-23
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.)
These people faced life-threatening circumstances. This is a serious matter. There is no water. It had been three days. Children kept telling their parents, “I’m thirsty.” Imagine their fear. If water was not found soon, people could die. Finally, in the distance, they saw water. Picture their joy of coming close to what seemed like an answer. Hope was renewed. They rushed onward, with dry mouths and parched lips, eagerly anticipating a refreshing drink. Yet, their hopes were dashed as they took a sip. The water was bitter, harmful, undrinkable. What they thought was an answer just added to the problem.
How do we respond to difficult situations? What do we do when our hopes are crushed? There is a choice to make. The people decided to complain.
Exodus 15:24
So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”
Imagine millions of people grumbling. If my heart was disturbed by one negative phone call, how would a murmuring crowd impact Moses? It would be easy to join in and become a part of the complaints. Yet, in the midst of all this grumbling, he took a different approach.
Exodus 15:25a
Then Moses cried out to the Lord…
The people complained; Moses cried out to God. Millions of people focused on their circumstances. Moses focused on the only One who could help with the problem. Moses called on the Lord to intervene. God gave Moses a creative solution.
Exodus 15:25b
…and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.
Millions of people stood around and complained. One man prayed and received an answer that helped millions. That is the power of crying out to God compared to complaining about circumstances.
Each difficult situation brings a choice. Will I complain or cry out? Maybe the Lord will reveal to us creative solutions that will help others as well if we choose to cry out to Him.
by Shannon Tillman | Sep 18, 2025 | Bible Study, Theology, Thoughts
Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France competitive bike race seven consecutive years, from 1998 to 2005. Due to the grueling nature of this race, speculations arose that he may have used performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong denied the allegations for years. An investigation, however, concluded that he had been doping throughout his biking career. Finally, in 2013, Armstrong admitted to the drug use. His awards were stripped from him and he was punished with a lifetime ban of involvement in professional sports.
Everything can be lost in a moment by our own sinful choices. Even future generations can be impacted. The nation of Israel experienced consequences from their sins. Children from eleven out of the twelve tribes of Israel were impacted by their forefathers’ idolatry for over a thousand years.
The nation of Israel had been miraculously rescued from Egypt by the hand of God. The Lord brought them to Mount Sinai in order to meet with them, to establish a covenant with them.
Exodus 19:5-6
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
If the nation would obey God, all of them would be a kingdom of priests. The priesthood was for everyone. What a privilege granted to them! However, the honor was soon to be stripped away from the nation. They chose to worship a golden idol shaped like a calf, instead of the Lord.
Exodus 19:19
When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.
The covenant between the people and God was broken. Their idolatry, their sin, their breaking of the rules led to drastic consequences.
Exodus 32:25-28
Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.
Only one tribe of Israel responded to Moses call of being “for the Lord”. The Levites came to Moses and were given the gruesome task of killing idol worshippers. They chose to do what was right in a wrong situation. Because of their choice, they received a blessing.
Exodus 32:29
Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
The rest of the tribes had the priesthood stripped from them. Only the Levites and their descendants were able to keep the position of their priesthood.
Numbers 3:5-7, 11-13
The Lord said to Moses, “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle…The Lord also said to Moses, “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine.
The Levites replaced the firstborn of every tribe. What was meant for every tribe was given to the Levites instead. The other tribes had this honor stripped from them and their children.
However, a miraculous turn around takes place after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He became the lasting High Priest on our behalf.
Hebrews 6:20a
where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever…
Jesus from the tribe of Judah, not Levi, is now the High Priest. What Judah lost with the golden calf was regained by Jesus at the cross. Jesus, the First Born son, implements the regaining of the priesthood for all believers. It is not reserved for a few but the office of priesthood is open to all.
1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
We received the priesthood back! We are now the priests of God. Think of the honor the Lord has given you through Jesus. You are not “just saved”; you are chosen to be in the royal priesthood. This is beyond just being a serving priest but being bestowed with royal lineage as well! We have been set apart to be holy. Together, believers from all over the world, through all of history make up a new nation of people that are the special possession of God Himself! That is a reason to give a shout of praise! This honor of priesthood is for the privilege of serving Jesus, the one who suffered to grant us this sacred office.
Revelation 1:5-6
…and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
I do not know what you thought when you looked at the mirror this morning, but it should be “I am a royal priest of God”. We will be celebrating the One who gave us this honor not only on earth but heaven as well. One future song is recorded in the book of Revelation honoring what Jesus has done and what Jesus will do.
Revelation 5:9-10
And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Everyone is called to the priesthood. This is not for a special few. Your past does not disqualify you. Your age is not a factor. Your excuses have no place. You are the royal priest of the Lord, serving under the High Priest of Jesus. It is time to step up into the fullness of your holy calling.
