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Living The Solution – Online Newsletter |
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MAY 19, 2004 ISSUE |
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Opening Thoughts:
Putting our faith in action – we all know we should do it. The degree
that each of us participates is dependent on our awareness and our willingness.
I know that I have to pray for both.
This issue we have a feature article about the need to be part of the solution
when it comes to the oppressed. At the end of the article are some events and
resources I encourage you to check out.
One more thought...Pentecost is May 30. The Holy Spirit is real, is God, and is personal.
Come, Holy Spirit, come and renew the face of the earth. We really need it!
Peace and joy,
Tom Gilbert
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IN THIS ISSUE
Feature
Article:
Goodwill Is Not Enough
In The Spotlight: Free the Captives
(Re)New & Coming Soon: Tongues of Fire
Daily Thoughts: Outsiders Welcome
Prayer & Sharing Requests
Quotable: The Violence of Love
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| FEATURED
ARTICLE |
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Goodwill Is Not Enough
By Tom Gilbert
One of the great challenges facing society
is how to deal with the needs of those who are oppressed.
This oppression takes many forms, but at the heart of it
are those who don’t have enough to eat and the adequate
shelter, clothing, employment and freedom that we like to
think (in theory anyway) that everyone is entitled to.
Once this challenge is tossed out in conversation, or print, the air often gets
chilly. Anyone professing Christianity would be hard-pressed to contradict the
call for “freedom to the oppressed” that Jesus claimed as part of
his mission, his anointment by God to preach the good news to the poor. He took
the message of Isaiah 61 to heart and he asks us (commands, really, but maybe
I shouldn’t make you squirm too much just yet) to do the same.
Read the entire article here
Discover more thought provoking articles
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| IN THE SPOTLIGHT |
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Free the
Captives - resources on helping the oppressed
Faith without works...you've heard the saying. Read some
challenging and inspiring books from believers who have
put their lives on the line with the oppressed. Our special
section on the Living the Solution e-store features Martin
Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, Jim Wallis and others.
More at our Spotlight
Specials page.
Many people are discovering the great prices, selection
and ease of shopping at our Living the Solution online store. It’s secure, extensive
and worth a look. Visit our online
store. There's something for everyone.
When you shop with us, you support our ministry – thank you!
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| (RE)NEW & COMING
SOON |
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Tongues of Fire
Pentecost, the feast day when a bunch of uneducated
and often timid men suddenly caught fire when the Holy Spirit descended
on them and they began to proclaim in multiple languages the glory, grace
and redeeming message of God, is May 30.
The Spirit IS moving.
Living the Solution provides many valuable and inspirational links to other web sites.
While we aren’t responsible for their content, we have visited them and believe
they have value for others.
See more at our links page
We have many articles on our site on a variety of issues – if you are looking
for practical solutions to life’s challenges you might want to read a few.
See all our articles listed here.
We've added some new reviews - books, movies, music - currently on site
here.
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DAILY THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS |
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Outsiders Welcome
The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and
those who have heard of him all their lives stand on the same ground before
God. They get the same offer, same help, and same promises in Christ Jesus.
The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. (Ephesians
3:6, the Message)
It has always amazed me how our culture has made Christ
into our own image. We practically demand that others act, dress, behave
and fit into our culture before we will accept them or tell them about Christ.
Now I am not saying that all churches are like this, there are a few that
are getting it right and understand the message in Ephesians, but most still
operate under the idea that you need to clean up and become like them before
you are welcome. You don’t see it? How many churches are in the “bad” parts
of town? How many of us, those of us who are “well off”, go
to those churches much less that part of town? When was the last time your
church or you were involved in some sort of unconditional outreach to others
who are not like you, who were “less” than you? You see when
you really take a hard look at it we do stick to our own and pay only lip
service, if even that, to the idea that God is for everybody and desires
an intimate personal relationship with everyone.
It’s time that the church, the Bride of Christ, break out of this
self-centered malaise and start seeing people as God sees them - as He has
always seen them - someone missing in relationship with Him.
How quickly we forget, we are not Jews by birth, we too are “outsiders” and
we would not be where are today without people like Paul who are willing
to go against the flow and common thinking of the day and bring the news
that the God, who created everything, loves us and wants an intimate personal
relationship with us. Don’t become or remain narrow minded about who
is good enough for God. If He was willing to die for them then they, no
matter who they are or what they have done, are good enough for God and
had better be good enough for us.
Live it Fierce
Pete
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. Let us pray for you at prayer
requests.
Of course, we keep you information confidential.
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My thoughts are shared regularly on the pages of
the www.livingthesolution.com 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: The Violence of Love
"Those who do not understand transcendence
cannot understand us. When we speak of injustice here below, and denounce
it, they think we are playing politics. It is in the name of God's
just reign that we denounce the injustices of the earth."
Archbishop Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love. (assassinated
for speaking out against an oppressive regime.)
Copyright 2004 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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