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Living The Solution – Online Newsletter |
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April 18, 2005 ISSUE |
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Opening Thoughts:
How do you respond when people ask you "what do you do?"
Most of us reply with a description of our occupation.
We tell people about our job, what we are studying in
school or whatever label we like to apply to ourselves.
Ideally, what we do should reflect who we are. If we are
true to ourselves and believe in the fundamental good thing
that God created us to be then we can let go of the ego
attachment of a title or position. The feature article
in this issue just happens to deal with this subject.
Peace and joy,
Tom Gilbert
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IN THIS ISSUE
Feature Article: What I Am, Who I Am and Why
In The Spotlight: Internet
Evangelism Day
Daily Thoughts: God's Prompting
Prayer & Sharing Requests
Quotable: General Wisdom |
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| FEATURED
ARTICLE |
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| What
I Am, Who I Am and Why
Article
by Tom Gilbert — April 2005
God said to Moses, “I AM
WHO I AM.” This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I
AM has sent me to you.’”
(Exodus 3:14)
“I Am the Alpha and the
Omega” says the Lord God, who is and who was
and who is to the come, the Almighty. (Revelations
1:8)
“I am not in this
world to live up to other people’s expectations,
nor do I feel that the world must live up to mine.” (Fritz
Perls)
Discovering
who and what I am is a constantly evolving and changing
thing.
At the core, the essence of who
and what I am is unchanging. That is because I, like
you, have been created by a loving and caring God.
Sure, I am a product of heredity and I have the genes
of my family tree. Still, I am a unique individual.
So are you. There is no other just like you and never
will be.
You’ve heard the saying, “life
is an inside job”. There’s a great deal
of truth in this. Each of us must do the work to discover
who we are. Some of that is based on how we’ve
grown up, what we’ve learned and done and what
we believe. Any change that we need to make is going
to start by taking honest stock of ourselves and shouldering
the responsibility to make the changes we need to and
can.
Despite what anyone thinks we are not
alone in this process. We are constantly influenced
by community and there is a higher power, a God of
your understanding, which can help you realize who
you are.
Look to the Model
Read the entire article here.
Discover more thought provoking articles
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| IN THE SPOTLIGHT |
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Internet
Evangelism Day
 April
24 is the first annual Internet Evangelism
Day, an opportunity to learn more about the
impact and potential of online ministry. Find free resources
and ideas to raise awareness of online evangelism in
your community.
Discover what God is doing on the Web, outreach strategies that work online and
how you, your church or Christian group can use the Web for outreach. Consider
planning an Internet Evangelism focus day for your church, Bible college or Christian
group.
See more at our Spotlight Specials page
Our Living the Solution online store
has resources to help you grow spiritually. It’s
secure, extensive with many great gift ideas!
Visit our
online store
There is something for everyone. When you shop with us,
you support our ministry – thank you!
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DAILY THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS |
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God's Prompting
He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the
road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning
to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace,
queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet
Isaiah.
The Spirit told Philip, "Climb into the chariot." Running up alongside,
Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, "Do you understand what
you're reading?" He answered, "How can I without some help?" and
invited Philip into the chariot with him. The passage he was reading was this:
As a sheep led to slaughter, and quiet as a lamb being sheared,
He was silent, saying nothing. He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial.
But who now can count his kin since he's been taken from the earth?
The eunuch said, "Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or
some other?" Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text,
he preached Jesus to him. (Acts 8:27-35 — The Message)
Philip met this man because he followed
God's leading. He left the place where he was at and started
waking down the road to Gaza. And then we see him following
God's leading by running alongside the chariot and climbing
in after first listening and then talking with the man.
And then the opportunity came. The man asked a question
of Philip about God and life and Philip responded by telling
him about Jesus, God and His desire to have a personal
relationship with him. The man responded and became a believer.
History will show it was this man, this Ethiopian, the
minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, the
queen of the Ethiopians, who was responsible for the spread
of the Good News of God in Ethiopia.
What would have happened if Philip had not responded to God's prompting? Even
if he had gone out on the road and started talking with the man but did not grab
his chance, that open door and heart, what would have happened then to the man
and to Ethiopia?
God gives us promptings almost every day. People around us may give us little
or sometimes, as in this case, big opportunities to share the hope that lies
in our hearts, but do we respond the way the Philip did? Or do we shrink away
afraid of what they might think about us or say?
Many others might say, "Well if I knew how it would turn out, if I knew
it would be like this story, I would speak up." But God does not give us
all the details to this life. He does not, as a friend of mine likes to say, "fill
my day planner for the next 3 months with what's going to happen." God wants
us to depend on Him daily, to trust Him by faith daily, to listen for and learn
to hear His voice, and to follow His leading. We need to learn to respond to
God's prompting the way Philip did. Did Philip have any idea at the time who
this man was or what would be the impact of this man's faith? No. When he ran
up to the chariot, as far as he knew, this was just another ordinary man. But
he obeyed God anyway. He took the chance that he might look stupid or that he
would be rejected. He ran up to the man, spoke with him and as they say, the
rest is history.
So where does God give you little and big opportunities, and where and when do
others around you give you little and big opportunities? Are you ready and willing
to speak up? Be a Philip: listen, move and respond.
Live it with Passion
Pete Reinbold
Get daily inspiration with a Scripture verse and commentary
at
Daily Thought
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PRAYER REQUESTS & RESULTS |
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Prayer works. It really does.Submit your prayer
requests and we will pray for them.
Of course, we keep your information confidential.
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My thoughts are shared regularly on the pages of
our web site, especially on
the Journal pages.
We welcome and appreciate your feedback. If you would
like to submit an article please see our writer's
guidelines.
It is our hope that the content of Living The Solution will
stimulate you to deepen your faith. That is certainly a result for us in both
our writing and reading. If you would like to see articles on a particular topic
or you have comments please let us know.
Send an email
Quotable: General Wisdom
"General wisdom is not a threat
to the gospel, because everything good traces to God.
God is merciful and kind; he bestows truth, as well
as rain and sunshine, upon the just and the unjust.
Christ is the “true light that enlightens every
man.” This bestowal should inspire feelings of
joy, not resentment, in the heart of a Christian. Aristotle
said many wise things about logic, Confucius many wise
things about morals. When a Christian attacks general
wisdom in the name of the gospel, the natural man will
attack the gospel in the name of general wisdom."
— E. J. Carnell (1919-1967), The Case for Orthodox
Theology
Copyright 2005 Living the Solution, all rights reserved.
Tom Gilbert
Editor/Web-servant
Living The Solution
www.livingthesolution.com
P O Box 25584
Albuquerque, NM 87125-5584
Toll free 1-800-399-2564 ext 105 (US only) or 505-247-3232
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God's
Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left
Doesn't Get It
by Jim Wallis
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here
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