TITUS CONNECTION Volume 17, Number 5 – May 2023

Buenos días! Or Good Day! in Spanish.  I just returned from a WILD development trip to Honduras.  Over 30 hours of intensive foundational spiritual leadership material was provided, resulting with about three dozen people able now to teach and train others plus a WILD Honduran National Team formed.   God surely opened another door for WILD.       Mike

Boldness was a quality of John.  John was not afraid to speak truth to others no matter what.  As we read what John said out in the wilderness to the religious people and was not afraid to call someone out on their actions, it is not surprising that he told Herod that marrying his brother, Philip’s wife, Herodias was wrong, pure and simple. (Matthew 14:3-5, Mark 6:17-18)
This did not sit well for Herod and especially his wife, Herodias.  She was bitter and held a grudge, wanting John killed (Mark 6:19).  Holding John in prison did not satisfy her malice and evil against John.  It is very likely Herodias often had Herod’s attention and told him in no uncertain terms, John had to go.  Bitterness is a cancer that destroys the bearer of that bitterness, not the one the bitterness is pointed at.
If we are leaders following Jesus to be the best possible leader for Jesus we can be, we will upset and anger people.  It happened to Jesus and so it will happen to those who pursue Him.  Who are you upsetting, having them get angry at you because of living your life that honors and brings glory to the Lord?  As you live in pursuit of holiness, who will become angry with you because of what truth you shared or how you live your life?
Any believer who is pursuing holiness will suffer various degrees of persecution.  It is promised in the Bible (1 Peter 4:12-13).  Rejoice that you can suffer for Jesus.  We do not intentionally come to someone and anger them simply to say that you are being persecuted.  Just simply live a life that honors and brings glory to Jesus.  Leaders lead other on how to live.
Herod did not want to kill John because of the retaliation from the Jewish people as they felt he was a prophet.  Herod feared John plus John intrigued Herod.  Though not at Jesus’ level of Jesus, John’s holiness and righteousness, was outstanding and this peaked Herod’s heart and possibly his conscience.  Additionally, Herod enjoyed listening to John and the wisdom that he spoke.  Herod was being challenged in his thinking and he liked this (Mark 6:17-20).
As time elapsed, the opportunity arose for Herodias to carry out her evil desires.  Herod was having a birthday party and all his friends and people that Herod has influence over, were invited (Matthew 14:6-12, Mark 6:21-29).  Attempting to show he knew how to put on a party and show he had influence, Herod wanted Herodias’ daughter to dance for Herod and his guests.  If she danced, Herod would give her anything she wanted, which included up to half of his kingdom.
The daughter quickly ran to her mother and asked what she should ask for.  Herodias’ desire was fulfilled; the head of John the Baptist on a platter would be the perfect reward for the daughter’s services.  Herod did not want to do this, but he had made a promise in front of all those influential people, and he could not disappoint nor look week.   Thus the executioner was given the command to cut off John’s head.  Afterwards, John’s disciples received the body and buried John.
In the Gospel narrative, this story is mentioned partly because Herod had heard that this Jesus he was hearing about was rumored to be John the Baptist risen from the dead, or even Elijah, raised from the dead.  Herod must have been very concerned about what he did with John.  Was his conscience concerning to him?  He knew he had John beheaded because the head was brought to them on a platter.
He kept doing wrong, evil things in his position of power and it would catch up to him.  Why let a dead man bother him?  When you do the wrong thing, you deal with “ghosts” from your past and how those bad things have ramifications in the future.  What you sow, you reap.  When you commit sin, eventually the effects and results of those sins live out in your future.
John stayed faithful until the end and Jesus spoke as highly about anyone as He did with John.  John lived a life of excellence and humbleness.  What a great legacy to leave.

Recently while in Choleteca, Honduras, I was able to observe the statute of Jose’ Cecilio Del Valle.  Who is this person?  In the early 1800’s, he was considered the wisest person in Honduras, as he was the one that wrote the constitution to free his country from Spain’s colonization.  He was revered throughout that region of Central America.
After requesting wisdom when God gave him the choice of having anything he wanted, King Solomon was revered throughout that known world (2 Chronicles 1:7-10).  Heads of countries like the Queen of Sheba (2 Chronicles 9), specifically traveled a great distance to Jerusalem to spend time with Solomon, just to listen to this wise man.  Solomon demonstrated great wisdom when two women claiming to be the mother of a living child and wanted Solomon to decide about the dispute (1 Kings 3:16-28).
King Solomon prospered, built the Temple of God and was greatly praised and honored.  The humbleness of his prayer to seek wisdom from God was blessing him.  Why did he not finish his life well?  His heart turned from God (1 Kings 11).  Though he had every blessing from God, Solomon did not continue to listen to God and lost his fear of God.
Obedience to things God said not to do was not followed.  Solomon fell in love with foreign wives (had 700 wives) whom God said to not marry as they turned his heart from following God (11:4).  He worshipped foreign gods and was simply not loyal to God who had immensely blessed him.  That was his downfall.  How sad as he lost his kingdom because he lost his fear and respect of who God is, and disobeyed what God had instructed him.
He had everything imaginable.  He was he wisest person in the world.  He would have been known by everyone in today’s world, if he lived during our time.  But all the wisdom (and all the possessions in the world0 mean nothing when you do not obey what the Lord has laid out for us in Scripture.
Is it hard to obey God, is it hard to follow Jesus?  Throughout the Bible, God’s instructions protect us from terrible life consequences.  When He indicates a way, we are to live, it is to bless us, not make our lives miserable.  But we think better, or that we are wiser than God.  What does He not want me to enjoy if I obey a certain truth or instruction.
Do not get involved in premarital sex according to God (1 Thessalonians 4:3-6).  What fun, what enjoyment is He keeping me from?  He is protecting us so that when we get married, we can enjoy and not be concerned about diseases and thoughts that can flood our minds when involved sexually with previous partners.
We are told not to lie and cheat because God is protecting us from situations where people can’t trust us, where our reputation will keep us from positive opportunities that can encourage us or deepen our relationships with one another.  Humans are relational beings.
When people reject us because we are not people of integrity, we may not think it hurts us but many people over centuries have desired to restore relationships with friends, family and acquaintances because those people wanted nothing to do with them ever again.  Being untrustworthy is a terrible way to live.
It is a noble desire to pursue becoming wiser over time, but not at the expense of destroying your relationship with the Lord.  Do not do what Solomon ended up doing.  He died a sad man when he could have been so joyous and blessed.  What will you do?