The Pilate Syndrome

Pontius Pilate: To Jesus
And what is 'truth'? Is truth unchanging law? We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?
What is truth? Pilate’s answer to his own question could be a question asked in despair. How do we know right and wrong, good and evil, what is the right thing to do in any situation? How can anyone believe in a universal truth that transcends this world of suffering and despair?
Whatever his motive, he didn't get an answer because the truth was right there, standing in front of him.
Today we, like Pilate, do not recognize the truth. The truth was standing in front of Pilate, to be judged to die or to live.
Bob Kaylor says "For Pilate, anything that got him advanced in status in the eyes of the emperor was truth. Truth is whatever you decide it is, whatever is most pragmatic, kind of like throwing darts at the wall and drawing targets around them. Actually, Pilate would have been right at home in the 21st century, where truth is always relative."
Yes, we are mostly in what we can call the Pilate Syndrome:
The Pilate syndrome is a term used to describe the tension between the voice of truth and the world powers. It can also refer to the idea that people are desensitized to scandals and wash their hands of their civic responsibility.
We practice relative truths, making the truth very convenient. We justify our deeds, our wars, our destruction of nature, of human relationships and most of all destruction of our relationship with our God - our creator - all in the name of "truth".
We have the truth in our Bibles, yet we ask - What is truth? The Bible is right in front of us, yet we search for the truth. Instead, we should put our trust in God, in Jesus and His word and see (not seek) the truth work in our lives.
Billy Graham spoke truly when he said - "Truth is not found in the majority vote. Truth is found in the Word of God."

Your 'Belly of the Fish' moment

Have you ever felt trapped? like there was no way out of a difficult situation. Jonah was no stranger to that feeling. After running away from God's call, he found himself in the belly of a great fish. Can you imagine the darkness, the stench and the despair he must have felt? Yet, in the midst of his darkest hour God was still with him. 

Sometimes we find ourselves in our own 'Belly of the Fish" moments. It maybe a broken relationship, a health crisis or a seemingly impossible situation. Its in those moments we need to remember that God is with us even in those depths. He is our refuge and our strength. 

Just like Jonah, God can use our difficult circumstances to shape us and teach us important lessons. It was in the belly of the fish that Jonah repented and cried out to the Lord. Sometimes it takes being in the belly of the fish for us to truly surrender to God and seek His guidance. 

So if you find yourself in a seemingly impossible situation, remember Jonah. Your belly of the fish moment maybe the turning point in your life. 

Seeds of Faith

                                                    
Gods blessings are not limited by our circumstances. He can bring abundance and increase in the most unlikely of places. As we faithfully sow seeds of kindness, love, forgiveness and generosity, we can expect a harvest of blessings in due time.

Remember, the harvest may not come immediately, it requires patience, perseverance and unwavering faith. But, rest assured, the Lord will bless us abundantly, according to His perfect timing and plan. Today let us take inspiration from Isaacs story and sow seeds of faith in our own lives, even during adversity, and give thanks and honor to the Lord knowing that every good thing comes from Him.

Psalm 91 is a perfect reminder of Gods protection and provision during every adverse situation that may surround us.

Who Do You Trust?

                                                 

Life is lived on trust. When we consult a doctor or an architect for example, we trust that the outcome of their work will be good for us. When we board an aircraft, we trust the pilot and the technology to reach our destination. When we eat our food, we trust the farmer has not used dangerous fertilizers. Even when we cross the road we trust the walk sign. When we sleep, we trust that we will wake up the next morning. In all these situations where we trust, we trust fully. No halfway trust, no partial trust. There is no such thing. 

When we completely trust all these things throughout our life so easily, why is it a challenge for us to trust God who made, maintains and runs all these things that we, so easily, trust?

Jeremiah 17 Says  

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit. (7-8)"

Why is Prophesy Important: Pastor Rajiv's Weekly Message

 

This is Part I of the complete message where Pastor Rajiv gives the history and reasons behind the prophesying. 

The Little Foxes

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes". Song of Solomon 2:15 

Did you know foxes love grapes (among other fruits). In fact, the term "sour grapes" comes from the story of the fox who tried to eat the grapes on a branch but couldn't reach them so after several failed attempts he gave up muttering - "they would have been sour anyway".

Little foxes are smaller animals that cannot reach the hanging grapes, so they gnaw the vines off at the ground, causing the out of reach fruit to fall with the ruined vine. It is one thing to lose some of one seasons grape, but it is far worse to lose forever a vine that took 12 to 14 years to mature.

Like little foxes, there may be little faults and sins in us that seem little but can destroy the fruit we produce. These could be "little" lies, "little" selfishness, "little" greed, "little" envy, gluttony of food, gluttony of things ... it's a long list to choose from, all get justified to us by being seemingly little. But which build and grow till they destroy.

We are the branches and if the Vine which connects us to our life source is destroyed, we too are destroyed.

It's not only the big ones we need to be sacred of but the small ones as well. What are the little foxes in our life? Can we identify the little foxes which are slowly but surely destroying the Vine of our life?

Dangerous Traditions: Pastor Rajiv's Mid Week Message

Don't let man made traditions become a convenient  substitute for God's Laws and directions.