LET YOUR VOICE BE A LIVE AID
Use your voice and your influence to Make Poverty History in 2005!
This Christmas saw the release of Band Aid 20, involving pop stars across music genres such as Chris Martin, Sugababes, Will Young, Jamelia, Busted, Joss Stone and Bono from U2.
The re-recording of the 20 year-old hit sold more than 72,000 copies on its first day of release, making it the highest selling single in 2004. This proves that when we use our passions and talents in our spheres of influence to speak out about injustice and poverty, we can really impact one another.
Bob Geldof addresses crowds in Trafalgar Square, 3 February 2005.
Bob Geldof, founder of Band Aid, is one of many pop stars who is supporting the Make Poverty History campaign: 'This is about firing the starting pistol to the year of 2005 when Britain is the chair of the G8 and the president of the EU. The reality is that only politics created this dilemma and only politics can resolve it.'
Bono, who is also fully supporting the Make Poverty History campaign, said 'We can make extreme poverty history, I really believe that. The kind of stupid poverty where kids are dying for the lack of an immunisation that costs 20 cents, or for lack of food in a world of plenty. Don’t we want to be the generation that says no to that?'
Bono, Geldof and other musicians are using their spheres of influence to raise public awareness of three key issues which are perpetuating poverty: trade, aid and debt. By joining the Make Poverty History campaign, they are challenging the UK government, specifically the Prime Minister, to use his influence at key events this year to Make Poverty History.
The influence of our government
Tony Blair has the opportunity to influence other leaders of powerful nations such as the US, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Italy and Russia, who all have the power to end extreme poverty through the decisions they make as a group on trade, aid and debt.
Your influence
Every day you and I are hugely influenced by what we see on TV, read in the newspapers, pick up from the internet, learn from the Bible and talk about with one another. Our voices and opinions have influence, especially when we speak truth to one another.
Often the messages we receive from our surrounding culture day in and day out, are not true. When we stop to compare the words of our culture against God's word, they are completely different to one another.
This is especially evident when it comes to poverty. God hates poverty and He hates injustice. Proverbs 14:31 says 'He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God.' From God's perspective, when we ignore, oppress and perpetuate injustices against one another, we are actually treating God like that. We have all been made in his amazing image, and therefore to treat one another with less value than we would attribute to ourselves is wrong. This is big stuff and demands a response which is not a token gesture, but real.
In John 4:23, Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that God the Father is looking for people who will worship him in spirit and in truth. What does He mean? People who can sing in a holy way? No, people who have hearts that are sincere in their worship and pursuit of Him. People who will allow His Spirit to live in them and influence all areas of their lives. God wants us to let His Spirit influence how we treat one another and how we treat our world. It's easy to focus on our lives and not even notice the people who live next door, down the street, and in other countries. But thanks to TV and the internet we are transported into the lives of others and made aware of the injustices and poverty that others face.
God's challenge to us is to become true worshippers. This means speaking out in our spheres of influence to challenge poverty and injustice... are you up for it?
TAKE ACTION TODAY>>>
This Christmas saw the release of Band Aid 20, involving pop stars across music genres such as Chris Martin, Sugababes, Will Young, Jamelia, Busted, Joss Stone and Bono from U2.
The re-recording of the 20 year-old hit sold more than 72,000 copies on its first day of release, making it the highest selling single in 2004. This proves that when we use our passions and talents in our spheres of influence to speak out about injustice and poverty, we can really impact one another.
Bob Geldof addresses crowds in Trafalgar Square, 3 February 2005.
Bob Geldof, founder of Band Aid, is one of many pop stars who is supporting the Make Poverty History campaign: 'This is about firing the starting pistol to the year of 2005 when Britain is the chair of the G8 and the president of the EU. The reality is that only politics created this dilemma and only politics can resolve it.'
Bono, who is also fully supporting the Make Poverty History campaign, said 'We can make extreme poverty history, I really believe that. The kind of stupid poverty where kids are dying for the lack of an immunisation that costs 20 cents, or for lack of food in a world of plenty. Don’t we want to be the generation that says no to that?'
Bono, Geldof and other musicians are using their spheres of influence to raise public awareness of three key issues which are perpetuating poverty: trade, aid and debt. By joining the Make Poverty History campaign, they are challenging the UK government, specifically the Prime Minister, to use his influence at key events this year to Make Poverty History.
The influence of our government
Tony Blair has the opportunity to influence other leaders of powerful nations such as the US, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Italy and Russia, who all have the power to end extreme poverty through the decisions they make as a group on trade, aid and debt.
Your influence
Every day you and I are hugely influenced by what we see on TV, read in the newspapers, pick up from the internet, learn from the Bible and talk about with one another. Our voices and opinions have influence, especially when we speak truth to one another.
Often the messages we receive from our surrounding culture day in and day out, are not true. When we stop to compare the words of our culture against God's word, they are completely different to one another.
This is especially evident when it comes to poverty. God hates poverty and He hates injustice. Proverbs 14:31 says 'He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God.' From God's perspective, when we ignore, oppress and perpetuate injustices against one another, we are actually treating God like that. We have all been made in his amazing image, and therefore to treat one another with less value than we would attribute to ourselves is wrong. This is big stuff and demands a response which is not a token gesture, but real.
In John 4:23, Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that God the Father is looking for people who will worship him in spirit and in truth. What does He mean? People who can sing in a holy way? No, people who have hearts that are sincere in their worship and pursuit of Him. People who will allow His Spirit to live in them and influence all areas of their lives. God wants us to let His Spirit influence how we treat one another and how we treat our world. It's easy to focus on our lives and not even notice the people who live next door, down the street, and in other countries. But thanks to TV and the internet we are transported into the lives of others and made aware of the injustices and poverty that others face.
God's challenge to us is to become true worshippers. This means speaking out in our spheres of influence to challenge poverty and injustice... are you up for it?
TAKE ACTION TODAY>>>
posted by BLONDIE at 3:07 PM
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