2011 Orphan Summit
I am adopted! Where once I was without hope, I now live with eternal hope. I have been adopted into the family of God through faith, through believing in Jesus Christ that He is my salvation, my redemption, the one who reconciled me with the Father. Romans 8:14-15 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but you have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba Father.' I have been taken out of bondage to sin and have been set free in Christ. (This is adoption.)
I start with this proclamation that I am a daughter of God because that was an underlying thread of the conference, to reckon this to be true. Adoption is something we experience when we believe upon Jesus, when we see our need for Him and call upon Him. We then become the adopted sons and daughters of God, joint-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17) This is amazing news!
The conference began Thursday morning, opening its doors to about 1200-1500 people. To say it had an impact on me is an understatement. I am still working through much of it. There were a wide range of topics that were spoken on, the 163 million orphans in the world, out which 33 million (roughly) have HIV/AIDS, foster care, adoption, child slavery, the trafficking of children, abortion, the churches call in all of this, and more. The two day conference had the potential to overwhelm were it not for the hope found in Jesus. That would be the summation of the conference- the solution is Jesus; it is the spread of the gospel. When we see the needs in the world and hear the facts on orphans and hunger and poverty we are moved, but let us not continue on in the cycle of placing band-aid after band-aid on the situations, let us look to Jesus yielding our lives to Him that He may spend us as He chooses. He does call us to those who are in need to those who are taken advantage of because they are precious to Him. In our strength we cannot fix these problems, but we serve a God who is greater than all these things. Jesus said in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.'
I was once naked and destitute, hungry and cold, without a father and without hope, but Jesus came and He rescued me and now I am welcomed to the Father, and it is out of this reality out of knowing that when you believe you become a child of God that I am called to live as are all who believe.(You may not see it, but we are called to live a life of faith and faith is not walking by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7.) And from this strength that we gain we are called to pour it out upon others. Upon those who have not heard, to live as lights in this dark world reflecting Jesus.
What a blessing it was to get the opportunity to go to the conference, to gain a greater vision for what God has called me to be as His daughter. In one of my classes the statement was made that there is a temptation to find your sense of belonging (your primary identity) in a myriad of other things (your job, achievements, family...) rather than first seeing yourself as a son or daughter of the living God. We must remember who we are Christ and live that way. And then obey His voice and go where He is calling. And when He places something on our heart, know that it is good, that He is for us, why would we ever hesitate in saying yes. We are precious to Him and He is a good God, all the time!
I wanted to end this post with a call it is as much for me as for anyone else who reads this post.
I start with this proclamation that I am a daughter of God because that was an underlying thread of the conference, to reckon this to be true. Adoption is something we experience when we believe upon Jesus, when we see our need for Him and call upon Him. We then become the adopted sons and daughters of God, joint-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17) This is amazing news!
The conference began Thursday morning, opening its doors to about 1200-1500 people. To say it had an impact on me is an understatement. I am still working through much of it. There were a wide range of topics that were spoken on, the 163 million orphans in the world, out which 33 million (roughly) have HIV/AIDS, foster care, adoption, child slavery, the trafficking of children, abortion, the churches call in all of this, and more. The two day conference had the potential to overwhelm were it not for the hope found in Jesus. That would be the summation of the conference- the solution is Jesus; it is the spread of the gospel. When we see the needs in the world and hear the facts on orphans and hunger and poverty we are moved, but let us not continue on in the cycle of placing band-aid after band-aid on the situations, let us look to Jesus yielding our lives to Him that He may spend us as He chooses. He does call us to those who are in need to those who are taken advantage of because they are precious to Him. In our strength we cannot fix these problems, but we serve a God who is greater than all these things. Jesus said in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.'
I was once naked and destitute, hungry and cold, without a father and without hope, but Jesus came and He rescued me and now I am welcomed to the Father, and it is out of this reality out of knowing that when you believe you become a child of God that I am called to live as are all who believe.(You may not see it, but we are called to live a life of faith and faith is not walking by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7.) And from this strength that we gain we are called to pour it out upon others. Upon those who have not heard, to live as lights in this dark world reflecting Jesus.
What a blessing it was to get the opportunity to go to the conference, to gain a greater vision for what God has called me to be as His daughter. In one of my classes the statement was made that there is a temptation to find your sense of belonging (your primary identity) in a myriad of other things (your job, achievements, family...) rather than first seeing yourself as a son or daughter of the living God. We must remember who we are Christ and live that way. And then obey His voice and go where He is calling. And when He places something on our heart, know that it is good, that He is for us, why would we ever hesitate in saying yes. We are precious to Him and He is a good God, all the time!
I wanted to end this post with a call it is as much for me as for anyone else who reads this post.
