WISE, INTENTIONAL

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

TITUS EMAIL

Volume 2, Number 10 – October, 2008

Marty Aubol and I will be leaving for Nepal on November 7 and return the 28^th. We will be teaching at Ebenezer Bible College, speaking at a missionaries’ retreat and hosting and teaching the WILD Leadership conference for about 35 emerging leaders in the Nepal region of the world. material will be the curriculum. I would appreciate your prayers as we prepare for this trip. WILD has a new email address which I encourage all of you to use. It is  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . As a reminder, past issues of the TITUS email are at www.myhcy.com. Mike

SUFFERING FOR GOOD

One theme that is very evident in the writings of Peter in his first book is suffering. A key point in his discussion is suffering for doing good or what is right. That is to be commended according to Peter (2:18-22, 3:13-18).

Jesus was the example of this type of suffering. He spoke about suffering, but more so by living that example. Jesus showed Peter you will suffer trials, persecution and even death for doing what is right. God calls out Christians to lead by example in living out our faith, even to the point of death.

A fascinating aspect of the willingness to suffer for one’s faith is how the Church is strengthened. We read testimonies of believers who stood well in their faith, only to see the Church grow spiritually and numerically. Being a leader places one in opportunities of influencing others. Suffering for what is right is definitely an excellent opportunity to influence. Remember the influence Stephen had on Paul as he was martyred for his faith (Acts 7,8).

Peter saw firsthand the pain, suffering and death Jesus endured and He did no wrong. Even if Jesus would not have spoken about suffering, what He endured the last days of His life spoke volumes. Peter’s life was never the same. Jesus mentoring Peter on how to respond to suffering left an indelible mark. Peter lived those life’s teachings as we read in Acts and from his writings.

What is commendable and following the example of Jesus is when you are doing good and have done nothing wrong, you bear the pain of injustice, suffering to be faithful and an example for Christ. You are following the footsteps of Jesus because of the enormous injustice He suffered because of His love for us. Now that is spiritual leadership.

Pursue good, holy lives, Peter exhorts us. Communicate why you are living the way you are with humbleness and respect. We have a hope no one else or religion offers. Keep a clear conscience so when people speak maliciously of you, they will be ashamed of their slander. It goes back to 1 Peter 1:16, to be holy. It is better to suffer for good than evil. Live holy lives and be willing to suffer for such, because of the example Jesus gave us as he was willing to do that for us while we were still His enemies (Romans 5:8).

If I desire to be a spiritual leader, I need to ask myself if I am willing to live a godly, doing good life even when I could suffer for it. In most situations in America, we suffer little for living godly lives compared to so many other parts of the world. We need to pray that God continues to raise up godly, spiritual leaders throughout the whole world who will stand for their faith and be willing to suffer for the cause of Christ. May we who are placed in a position of spiritual leadership, have the spiritual courage to be examples so others will have that courage to follow suit.

ESTHER – ARE YOU READY FOR WHAT GOD HAS FOR YOU

Youth Ministry

Ever think about doing great things in your life time? What do you dream about becoming? There is a young person in the Bible that probably never dreamed of where she would end up. Esther was a Jew and through a series of circumstances, ended up to be the Queen of non-Jewish King Xerxes. Through her relative Mordecai, she was able to considered for the queen’s position. Esther was very beautiful both inside and out and won the King’s favor of becoming the queen.

After Esther became queen, Mordecai uncovered a hideous plot by Haman, a royal official in the King’s court, that would destroy all the Jews. Up to this point, Esther had not told the King that she was Jewish because Mordecai had told her not to. Due to the plot, Mordecai let Esther know that she had to go to the King and let him know what was going to happen and by letting the King know, what her background was (Esther 3,4).

Mordecai indicated to Esther (Esther 4:12-16) that perhaps God had placed her in the King’s court for this very purpose, to play a key role in saving the Jewish people. It was up to her to have the spiritual courage and guts to go to the King because her background would be found out eventually, too. Now due to the King’s law, the Queen could not walk into his presence and be with him. She had to be invited. Requesting an opportunity to see him was against the law.

Esther was willing to risk her life for her people by seeking an audience with the King, hoping he was having a good day. Her request was granted and through the plan that she had put together, the King found out about the plot and had the bad guy, Haman hung.

I do not think that as Esther was growing up, she was dreaming about being the key player in saving her people. Yet as she grew up, she learned about God and the relationship God had with His people. Mordecai had taken her in to his household as his daughter when her parents had both died. She was nurtured in the Jewish faith, was obedient to Mordecai and followed God’s law. So when the time came to live out that faith, she was up for the challenge.

We really do not know how God wants to use us until the time comes. Over your life time, God will give you the opportunities to be a part of what He is doing in the world, whether it is with one person He is working on or on a larger scale of impacting a continent for Jesus. When he gives you the invitation to get involved, will you be ready like Esther was? Esther could have very easily said no to sticking her neck out (literally) and played it “safe”. Yet she had the spiritual courage to stand up for her faith and live her life on the edge.

If we decline the offers God gives to us to be involved in what He is doing, His plans will not be messed up. Rather we will miss the blessings that God was intending to give us plus by not being obedient, our faith and spiritual journey will not deepen and we will lose an abundance of joy waiting to be ours. The world tries to offer “highs” from alcohol, to sex, to drugs, to sports, to academics. The greatest and best high is being obedient to God and receiving the blessings intended for us. Nothing beats those highs!!!

ILLUSTRATION - SUFFERING

Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel relates in one of his essays an experience he had when he was a prisoner in Auschwitz. A Jewish prisoner was being executed while the rest of the camp were forces to watch. As the prisoner hung on the gallows – kicking and struggling in the throes of death, refusing to die- an onlooker was heard to mutter under his breath with increasing desperation, “Where is God? Where is He?” From out of nowhere, Wiesel said, a voice within him spoke to his heart, saying, “Right there on the gallows; where else?” pg 135, Jesus Among Other Gods, Ravi Zacharias

REMEMBER

As you have been trained and given the spiritual leadership material, do not leave it on your shelf. Take the material and teach someone else. It is imperative that we reach the younger generation with training them how Jesus taught and developed His leaders. If we do not reach the younger people, there are ideologies out in the world that want to capture the minds of those 30 years and younger!!!

QUOTES

A Creed For Those Who Have Suffered

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.

I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey…

I asked for health, that I might do greater things.

I was given infirmity, that I might do better things…

I asked for riches, that I might be happy.

I was given poverty, that I might be wise…

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.

I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God…

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things…

I got nothing I asked for – but everything I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am, among men, most richly blessed.

“I have been asked hundreds of times in my life why God allows tragedy and suffering. I have to confess that I really do not know the answer totally, even to my own satisfaction. I have to accept, by faith, that God is sovereign, and He’s a God of love and mercy and compassion in the midst of suffering.” Billy Graham