TITUS CONNECTION Volume 17, Number 1 – January, 2023
WISE INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
TITUS CONNECTION
Volume 17, Number 1 – JANUARY, 2023
Happy New Year. 2022 is about wrapped up and 2023 is unfolding right before us. How quickly life goes by. That is why the Youth Ministry article is appropriate. The leadership article is an interesting focus on John the Baptist. I hope you will be challenged as I was as I was writing the article. Thanks. Mike
AM I WILLNG TO BE OFFENDED?
This can’t be happening to me because I have been very obedient.”
The story of John is not an easy one to read and ponder. First, we learn about the simplicity and fairly hard life of John. Then, as he is being obedient to preparing the way for the Messiah, crowds begin to flow to Jesus and John’s ministry decreases. We just love it when our ministry shrinks. Finally, the last straw so to speak, is being faithful, doing what he was destined to and being diligently humble, John gets thrown in prison for doing and saying the right things. Just what we pray for when involved in ministry for the Lord.
In Matthew (3:12) and Mark (1:14), there are one sentence statements that John was put in prison. At least in Luke (3:18-20), we get a little explanation why John got thrown into prison. What John was preaching offended them. The big offense was pointed at Herod as he told the ruler, taking his brother’s wife, Herodias, was wrong, along with all the other evil things Herod had done. This did not sit well with Herod and John ended up in prison.
Reality is if you preach truth, you will get in trouble with someone or a group of some ones. There will be ramifications. The question that beckons a response is what am I sharing/preaching to others? Paul told Timothy (2 Timothy 3:12), that whoever wants to live a godly life will suffer persecution. Do I have the courage to live a life that pleases Jesus? It is getting tougher to live such a life because you will stick out.
The other reality is even if you are doing everything right as far as being obedient to Jesus, you are not exempt from suffering. Jesus definitely experienced that (1 Peter 2:19-24). If you have not done so already, prepare for that, if you want to have a testimony that honors the Lord.
John ticked Herod off. “How dare he meddle in my life? I am the ruler of this part of the world and this little being tells me I am being evil and doing wrong! I will show him who has power.” As quickly as could be accomplished, the iron door shut behind John.
During difficult times in a Christian’s life, a real danger exists by becoming offended at God because He is not fixing or saving the Christian from the problem. Here is where becoming offended by Jesus can result. John was faithful, doing God’s will, serving the Lord, bringing glory to God! And this happens to him. Moreover, Jesus, the God who created the world, the One performing miracles everywhere, did nothing! Does that make your blood pressure rise? He did nothing, almost like telling John that he could go and rot in prison.
When in prison John sent some of his disciples to question Jesus whether He indeed was the Messiah, Jesus responded by saying, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me or falls away on account of me.” (Matthew 11:6). As Missionary Andrew Brunson was who imprisoned in Turkey for his faith, stated, “John was in danger of being offended in his crisis. So, Jesus says, “Be careful, John, that after coming this far, you don’t fail, you don’t turn away because of the offense.” God does seem to be willing to offend.
Remember most of Jesus’ disciples rejected Jesus when He told them that they would have to drink His blood and eat His flesh (John 6:53-57,66). They were offended by those remarks and left Jesus. Abraham took on the offense when, after Isaac being born and the heir to the promise God gave Abraham over 35 years earlier, he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, knowing God was greater than anything he could do.
The advantage of reading the Bible now is we know the end of all the Bible stories. Many faced the offense of God not coming through and saving them from certain death. When they were obedient to what God was showing them to do, they made the decision to either live as a slave, rot in prison, burn up in a fiery furnace or die because the king had not requested one’s presence! In His sovereignty, God allowed people like Daniel, his three friends, Joseph and Esther to live, but so many other believers over the course of history, have suffered immensely or died for their faith in Him.
Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who suffered in communist prison shared about believers who went insane in prison because they stay faithful to their commitment to Jesus. Yes, God is willing to offend. There will be dark times in our believing lives. Will I lean on Him no matter what?
In many parts of the world, Christianity is already under great persecution or like in the United States, we are entering a period of persecution. Opportunities exist today to be offended because of the intensity of the suffering and persecution. In America, we hear when things get a little tough, “How could you God, let this happen to me?”
Very possibly, John felt abandoned by God, by Jesus, because Jesus could have saved him from this unjust imprisonment, but God had a higher purpose. Before we think we are super Christian with a big “C” on our chest, until you go through some persecution and suffering, you really don’t know how you will deal with it. Lord, we need your grace and strength to get through such times. I need courage right now, Lord because I want to trust completely in You and do not want to tarnish Your Name!
YOUTH MINISTRY – Standing at Eternity’s Door
Within a 24 hour period recently, I was given the news that two young people from two different countries unexpectedly passed away and saw on the news of a five year old little girl who two months ago, was an active, loving life child and today the parents are hoping she makes it to Christmas because a brain tumor discovered in October. For one of the young ladies, it took less than 24 hours from being a vibrant young person, singing away in her church choir to being ushered into eternity.
This is not supposed to happen to a young person, we say. Those things happen to old people. We live on the temporary side of eternity, of heaven, and so such things will happen. No one has a guarantee on anything other than some day we all will die and face the fact that either we made Jesus our Savior before stepping into the other side of eternity or rejected this free gift.
Young people have so much life available to them, a parent should not have to bury one of their children. There is something wrong with that picture. When you attend a funeral service and it is called a “Celebration of Life”, we should be celebrating an older person. It can sound awkward to speak of that for a teenager or young child.
Throughout the world we have just celebrated Christmas. For many people it is extremely difficult to celebrate when you are grieving a loved one who passed. The life of Christmas joy was sucked out because of the loss of life. Perhaps you experienced that this Christmas.
This we know. Life is full of unexpected and expected tragedy. It is a result of what sin has done to this earth. BUT, Jesus is Lord and Savior, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Almighty One. Jesus is worthy of all the honor and glory due Him.
May we intentionally praise our Messiah who gave everything so we could be offered the free gift of the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life in heaven. If you have never received this free gift, acknowledge to Jesus now you are a sinner and need the penalty of those sins forgiven by what Jesus did for us by coming to earth and dying on the cross, then physically rising from the dead. Turn away from doing those sins, work at stop doing them and let Him lead you as you continue in life.
How you handle this last paragraph determines where you will spend eternity, Heaven or hell. Numerous Bible passages back this up (John 3:16-18, Romans 3:23, 6:23, 10:9-10, 1 Peter 1:18-21). God never intended hell for you but it is your choice to either receive or reject this free gift. Do not think that you have plenty of time to make that decision. The three young ladies never considered dying a few months ago.
It is interesting that the demons believe God is alive (James 2:19). They will not be in heaven because they rejected God. Are humans that much smarter that we either think there is no God or that you can be good enough to make it to heaven? These demons were at one time in heaven, until they rejected God and were cast out of heaven.
How Jesus works in your life reveals His sovereignty and holiness. Yet, He always allows you to freely decide what you will do with Him. What has happened and is happening to the three girls in the opening paragraph is extremely sad and heart-wrenching, but what is more tragic is if you reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Ask Him into your life as you acknowledge and confess your need of His salvation. The final words written about you need not be a tragic story but one that praises and worships Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.