Orphan Sunday 2009

So I am in the midst of a whirlwind of orphan ministry activity at this time. We have been back from our September ’09 Padrino trip less than a month, I have spoken to two Tres Dias ministries and shared about Colombia, we are in the middle of adoption paperwork, and someone mentions to me, “Hey have you heard about National Orphan Sunday, November 8, 2009?” So I started checking into it and found that Chrisitan Alliance for Orphans and Steven Curtis Chapman’s ministry and others had organized a national day to recognize the plight of the orphan and were encouraging churches across the country to have a special emphasis that day. We quickly began to plan and promote Orphan Sunday at Heritage Church where I was pastoring at the time. When the day came the church was filled with people and there were dozens of multi-racial children there who had been adopted. Someone commented that it looked like a miniature United Nations that day. It was one of the best days of my life. Several people spoke, including our daughter, Mercy, from Africa. We took several videos that day and you can access them at http://www.youtube.com/user/heritagefamily

After the testimonies I preached from Job 29. Here is a very brief summary of the sermon.

Job is one of my heroes. Job was a godly man. Just listen to God’s description of him in chapter 1 verse 8, The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Wow! What an amazing accolade from the Almighty! There are many things that we can learn from Job but one of my favorites is this; Job was a man who was passionate about orphan ministry.

In Job 29:2-11 He tells us some things about His relationship with God that ought to make us sit up and take notice. He says…

God watched over me… His lamp shone over my head… by His light I walked through darkness… the friendship of God was over my tent… the Almighty was yet with me…

Then Job goes on in verses 12-17 to tell us why he was so blessed…

Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the orphan who had no helper. The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case which I did not know. I broke the jaws of the wicked and snatched the prey from his teeth.

There we have it! Job’s wonderful relationship with God was because he was faithful to diligently minister to the poor, needy, widow, orphan, lame, and blind. He defended those who were being mistreated and punished the predators.

We get another glimpse of Job’s passion for the orphan in Job 31:16-22 where he says very passionately… “If I have kept the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, or have eaten my food alone, and the orphan has not shared it (yet from his youth the orphan grew up with me as with a father, and from infancy I guided her), If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering, if his stomach has not thanked me, and if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep, if I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, because I saw I had support in the community, let my shoulder fall from the socket, and my arm be broken off at the elbow.”

Job was very serious about caring for the poor and needy, the orphan and the widow. Yes, we can learn a lot from Job.

There were some people in attendance at our Orphan Sunday that deserve mention because God has continued to knit our hearts together to launch Orphan Hope International. Shoby and Dolly John were there. We had originally met at Tres Dias, then Orphan Sunday, and now Shoby is on the board of directors of Orphan Hope. Praise God. Luis and Marcela Escobar. I told you about meeting Luis at Tres Dias, then I had lunch with him, then I had lunch at his house and met his family, then they came to Orphan Sunday, and now Luis has been to Bogota with me 3 times and is a valued member and advisor to Orphan Hope International. David Richardson was there. He originally invited me to Colombia and is now the President of the board of directors for Orphan Hope and a dear friend. Allen and Cindy Pate were there. Allen opened my eyes to orphan ministry originally through his talk at Tres Dias that led to my “safe prayer.” He is now a valued member and advisor to Orphan Hope. Doug and Leann Platt were there. He has been a true friend and mentor for a long time. He is Allen Pate’s brother in law and has also adopted from Colombia. There were others there that blessed me richly. Last but not least, I should mention my beautiful wife and daughters who have worked tirelessly to assist me both here in the states and multiple trips to Colombia as well. The future is bright and exciting as we look to what God is doing and allowing us to tag along.

No doubt about it. Orphan Sunday, November 8, 2009 was a life altering day for me.