TITUS CONNECTION Volume 17, Number 4- April, 2023

Happy and Blessed Easter.  Once again we commemorate and celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection, overcoming the penalty and power of sin.  Let the Lord renew those truths for you and impact the world for Jesus even more.  Mike

Jesus did not get John the Baptist out of prison after interacting with John’s disciples.  He did reassure John’s disciples that He was the One whom John was preparing to come.
In leadership we have roles that we carry out.  Some leadership roles will take on more prominent roles, some more dangerous and others more behind the scenes responsibilities.  No matter what role or responsibility, Jesus is the One we are serving, and He is the One to whom honor and glory go to.  Not every one of us should be seeking prestige and glory.
When John’s disciples departed from Jesus, Jesus let the crowds know how well John had carried out his responsibilities and how much Jesus respected his cousin.  Including some who were in the crowds as Jesus spoke and others, people had traveled into the wilderness to hear and see someone who was not glamourous nor flashy but a prophet.
Jesus emphasized that John was more than a prophet.  He was written about in Malachi 3:1 as the faithful, diligent one who would be sent ahead, preparing the way for the Messiah, proclaiming that the Kingdom of Heaven was near.  John had great responsibilities to proclaim exactly who was coming.
There was no friction nor animosity between the two, Jesus and John.  John knew his role and would not be offended by Jesus not rescuing him from prison.  Jesus had the highest respect for John as He said no one had been born greater than John.
John was going to die soon, before Jesus finished His work on earth and on the cross.  Those who live in the era of God’s kingdom will have greater privileges and powers than John because Jesus’ work would be finished, perfected and the Holy Spirit would be guiding us.  We have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.
The message John proclaimed started with the earlier prophets had great impact.  It shook people’s lives.  Pharisees and experts of the Law rejected this message while “true” sinners clung to it.  John was accused that he was demon-possessed, Jesus was accused of being gluttonous and lover of alcohol because rejecting this good news, shook people to the core of their lives.  Pharisees did not know what to do with Jesus as described in Matthew 16:17, “Let’s play wedding – NO, let’s play funeral – NO, so they did nothing but fire accusations at both John and Jesus”.
When you lead, do you expect everything to go well or do you expect opposition?  How well are you prepared for a spiritual fight?
The Gospel is not for the lite-hearted.  It is a message that changes people from their core, and it is a violent fight against the powers of Satan and evil spiritual entities.  We need to be diligently developing our relationship with Jesus, being obedient to the Word and the Holy Spirit’s leadings and actively involved in communication with God and the Son.  Ephesians 6:10-18 gives believers the tools to do battle.
Know that whatever role each of us is given, we are to perform that role with excellence and focus of bring glory to God.  No role is unimportant nor insignificant.  God orchestrates and we carry out our responsibilities.  When we do this, we leave the results up to the Lord and He brings the increase.  We simply have to be faithful.  That is what John was.
John the Baptist testified to the truth that was coming.  Not only did he prepare the way for the Messiah, but John also shared the way for salvation.  For a time, people enjoyed his guiding lamp that gave light to the Messiah.  His was only a lamp that burns for a certain period of time.  His time was ending but fulfilled prophecy and carried out his role with precision and accuracy (John 5:33-35).
Why do we so easily become jealous and envious when others spiritually succeed?  It comes down to pride and feeling we are not as important as another Christian.  We forget what Jesus has done for us and we feel our role is more important than another person’s.  It could be that we are not putting in the proper effort (not pursuing excellence), just going through the motions.  We can become more result oriented as our goals are focused on numbers or money items, rather than developing those around us and understanding perhaps our place in the body of Christ.

Ever regret a decision that you made because it was made too quickly or not thinking through potential positive or negative consequences?  If you have not regretted a decision, just give yourself time, because you will eventually will.
Judas, an apostle of Jesus, decided to betray Jesus.  From Mark 14:10-11, “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.  They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money.  So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”  Judas’ attitude gave an opening for Satanic suggestion and opportunities.
Have you considered how much he thought about regretting his decision to betray Jesus.  He had a choice to do it, or not make that decision.  The Bible says that Satan entered him meaning.   Obviously, his heart was destroyed after seeing the outcome of those 30 pieces of silver.  He committed suicide.
After spending a few years with Jesus, why would anyone do a complete 180 degrees view on Jesus?  Obviously, this was a spiritual wrestling match for Judas.  He was truly hoping Jesus would be the one to overthrow the Romans, an emotional attachment and had a knack for money as he was the treasurer for the apostles, as he had motive or an affinity with money.
For example, in observing conversations with Jesus, a group of indignant apostles complained to Jesus when a woman came to Simon the Leper’s home and poured expensive perfume over Jesus.  It could have been sold for more than a year’s wage and given to the poor or possibly fund the rebellion over Rome (Mark 14:3-5).
When making decisions, check your motives to why you need to make the decision and also the timing of the decision.  Is it for your selfish gain or are you making the decision to not just benefit yourself but others too?  Judas did not think through his motives nor emotions.  He was done with Jesus, tired of Jesus not following through on his (Judas’) agenda and was not pleased to say the least with Jesus.
Chances are Judas was angry and frustrated with Jesus.  So his decision had a lot of emotion wrapped up in it.  Judas fell into the trap of Proverbs 29:11, “Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.”  He certainly was not wise.
Judas did not consult with people who certainly were not against Jesus.  Proverbs 12:15, “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.”  The only people he connected with were those who wanted Jesus out of the picture, kind of like having the deck stacked against Jesus.
Who can you go to when you have an important or consequential decision to make, people who will not necessarily say “yes” to what you want to do when you are seeking “yes” votes?  Find people like parents, guardians, wise counselors -teachers, coaches, family friends – who will give you good insight to what you are weighing.   (Proverbs 15:22 –“Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”)
Do not make hasty decisions when time is not an issue.  As Proverbs 19:2 says, “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.”  Set a deadline to make a decision, but give it some time for you to think through and discuss it with wise counsel.  Think through why you need to make the decision and if it is your decision alone.  You will save yourself a world of hurt and regret by not following the process Judas did.