.Adoption and the Local Church.

November is National Adoption Month. This Sunday, November 7th, is Orphan Sunday. I pray that many churches realize the importance of this day and boldly dedicate their Sunday to sharing with their congregations its responsibility to orphans.

I cannot be silent on my blog this month. God not only moved in our hearts to adopt our sweet Jamesy, but to also advocate for all of His orphans who are waiting to be adopted. We are still working out the details and waiting on God to reveal to us exactly what this means for our family. Yes, we are adopting Jamesy, but that is a one time act. As soon as his adoption is completed he will no longer be an orphan, and we absolutely cannot and will not stop with him. I do not know if we will fill our home with orphans, if we will begin an orphan care and adoption ministry, if we will move to Africa and serve the people we have fallen in love with, or if God has something completely different planned for our lives.

Right now, while we wait, I do know that God has encouraged us to share the truth that we have learned and to advocate for the precious children who may be waiting for you to open your heart and your home. So my blog is going to mainly be used for that this month, and that is my warning to you. {grin} I am passionate about what the Bible has to say about poverty and justice about orphans and widows. This month it's all about the orphans....

I think it is so important to understand that adoption is God's idea! I believe that God's heart is for adoption. There is no denying that if your are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have been ADOPTED. Have you really ever stopped and thought about what that means for you? This is not something to just gloss over. Your adoption as the sons and daughters of the Holy God of the Universe is monumental. We were all orphans - without hope, and if you truly are a believer you have been GRAFTED INTO God's family with all of the blessings and privileges as His children. Does this not make you weak in the knees???

If you haven't ever thought about this, I mean seriously given this some thought- open your Bible and look at what God says about adoption. Get a hold of the book Adopted for Life by Russell Moore, and truly grasp how your adoption by God has changed the course of your entire life. Then notice the example God gave us for this beautiful thing called adoption. It is absolutely mandatory that adoption be given a sacred priority in our churches. It is so vital that the local church is teaching on adoption - both our adoption and the example God has set before us, as well as how to be obedient to scriptural commands to care for orphans here and around the world. It is not a choice!! God has not given us the option to just skip over these mandates and be silent on this issue. Yet sadly that is what has been happening for years. It's not about having every person in our church choose to adopt, but we are all called to participate in an ongoing manner in some way - adoption needs to be encouraged in the local church and spoken of often. It must be a priority to God for the amount of times that orphans and the fatherless are mentioned in the Bible, and yet .... more often than not the church is silent on the subject. I am confused on this, why is something that is so pervasive in Scripture not constantly talked about?? Why is the church silent?

This should not be so.

I am praying that this Sunday, November 7th, that churches around America would break their silence on this subject and tell the truth.

Is your church participating??






(This photo came from here. In Malawi, Africa there are close to 2 million orphans and vulnerable children out of total population of 13 million people.)

Here are some verses that may encourage you. Don't ignore them.

In you the orphan finds mercy.

Hosea 14:3

Never take advantage of any widow or orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure that I will hear their cry.

Exodus 22:22-23

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

Romans 8:14-16

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-6

You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

Psalms 10:14,17-18

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6

When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

Deuteronomy 24:19

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

Isaiah 1:17

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Proverbs 31:8-9

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

Matthew 18:5

I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!

Matthew 25:40

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