TITUS CONNECTION Volume 17, Number 3 – March 2023

Greetings.  As these two articles where copied and pasted into this document, there had been about two months difference in the writing the two articles.  Not intentionally focusing on one particular theme, what is interesting is both have the theme of hope.  We need the hope of what Jesus did for us over 2000 years ago to stay focused as we travel through our life experiences.  Thank You Jesus for that Hope.  Mike

When John’s disciples connected with Jesus and questioned Him, Jesus did not complain nor demean John for asking (Matt 11:4-6, Luke 7:21-23).  In the midst of His ministry activities, Jesus answered them.  Jesus told John’s disciples to report to John what they were seeing happen as Jesus spent time with people.  The blind were now able to see, the crippled people could now walk, deaf people were able to hear, and dead people were being raised to life.  On top of that, the good news was being preached.
What is the “good news”?  It is a very clear direct continuation of what John the Baptist preached when it was earlier his turn to proclaim, which was the Son of Man, the anointed One was very soon establishing the Kingdom of heaven on earth.  Jesus let people know He was (and is) the Son of God, the One whom the prophets indicated was coming (Mark 1:14-15).
John could rest assured that whom he prophesied about was Jesus, even if Jesus did not do anything to let him out of prison.  This was not part of God’s plan and Jesus was pinpointedly carrying out God’s will.  Jesus was letting John know that he should not fall away or go astray from Jesus because Jesus was not doing what John perhaps had hoped for.
We can quickly get upset with Jesus when He does not do what we have been praying for or hoping would be the end result – a family member or friend dying rather than getting healed, someone not being raised from the dead even though you are convinced this has to be God’s will, being falsely accused and your name not being exonerated or cleared, or your family going hungry when you persistently prayed for God’s intervention.
Many of Jesus’ disciples left Him when he told them they would have to drink His blood and eat His flesh (John 6:56-60,66).  Jesus let the offended leave as He did not stop them.  Contrast that to the Canaanite woman who when she cred out to Jesus, He told her He was sent to the lost sheep of Israel as even the bread crumbs from the bread Israel was eating should not be given to dogs.  Her response was the dogs get the crumbs that fall from the master’s table (Matthew 15:21-28).
Dogs were not appreciated in Israel’s culture, considered a low form, if not, the lowest creature on earth but that comparison did not keep the woman from being insulted or offended, and still pursued Jesus.  Believers throughout history have stayed focused on their faith, even to the point of going insane because of the torture endured or death they faced.
Just like Daniel (lion’s den) and his three friends (fiery furnace), Joseph (sold into slavery and tossed unjustly into prison), Esther (going to the King without an invitation), and others in the Bible, they did not know what the end result would be when they put their faith on the line.  In fact, the truth was what these Bible characters faced was death, just like John but in Daniel and his friends, Joseph and Esther’s cases, God made the exception of letting them live.
There will be discouraging and dark times in our spiritual journey.  Will you and lean on Him no matter what?  John stayed the course.  Will we stay the course?

In the news during the week of February 13, was the story in the midst destruction from the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, of a young girl who after ten days (248 hours to be exact) in the rubble from the earthquake, was rescued.   17-year-old Aleyna Olmez was termed the “miracle girl”.  What a miracle this is.  Then we were told a few more people were rescued after her.
How did Aleyna, injured and very cold, survive?  What kind of will to live, hope, did she have to keep alive in her flattened apartment?  These are questions that swirl around in my mind.  Hope is the understanding that there is something good or positive that is going to happen in a situation, that there will be a better day coming.
How could people in the Bible like Daniel, Esther (going before the king without an invitation knowing that meant death), Old Testament Joseph (slavery and imprisonment), Daniel (lion’s den) and his three friends -Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (fiery furnace), keep the faith as they entered major life defining moments in their faith journey?  Their hope in God had to be what was holding them together.
Each one knew eventual death was imminent but they persevered to be obedient to God.  Read what Daniel 3:16-18 says, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Their hope was completely focused on God.  That kind of hope is mind blowing.  Everyone of the forementioned Bible characters are introduced to us as young people.  As young people they faced faith trials.  I am willing to bet not one of them figured the trials mentioned earlier they faced, that they would come out alive or in the case of Joseph, to see freedom again.  But not one of them bowed down to the pressure of the moment and gave up their hope in God.
John the Baptist was completely being obedient to God’s leading in his life and was thrown into prison because he spoke the truth to King Herod about the king’s immoral relationship with his brother-in-law’s wife (Matthew 14:1-12).  He never left prison, eventually being beheaded.  His hope focused on the fact that Jesus was the Messiah and there would be a brighter future.
Do you definitely disagree or agree (or somewhere in between) with statements like, “I energetically pursue my goals.”, “My past experiences have prepared me well for my future.” , “There are lots of ways around my problem.” or “Even when others get discouraged, I know I can find a way to solve the problem.”?   How much hope do you have for your future.
Traveling to various locations around the world, young people have asked me to pay $50-$75 for their school fees for just one tri-mester.  Why?  They were pursuing the hope that an education would get them out of poverty and eventually find a good job to have a good existence here on earth.
Hope keeps us going to get through the next trial in life.  Jesus gives us the hope that all the trials, persecutions and life altering circumstances we step into, He is more than anything that comes into our lives.  As young people, you can with the littlest or largest amount of faith in Jesus and hang that faith on the truth He is greater than anything we face.  Life may so terribly suck or discouraging but Jesus knows that and wants you to put any hope you have and put that hope in Him.  That takes courage.