Raise you hand if you are tired of me talking about Orphans...

Alright, now that you've got that out of your system,

put it down :)

“...orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names.

They are easier to ignore before you see their faces.

It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms...

.... but once you do, everything changes.

So when you & I hear staggering numbers & statistics about the poor & needy around us & around the world, we have a choice.

We can switch the channels on our mega T.V’s and continue our comfortable, untroubled, ordinary, church-going lives as if the global poor don’t exist.

We can let these numbers remain cold, distant, and almost imaginary....

Or we can open our eyes and our lives to the realities that surround us and begin considering the faces that are represented by these numbers.”

-David Platt

What do you think of when you hear the word "Orphan" ?

foreign

poor

strange

Not-my-problem

too-far

too-much

dirty

untouchable

let-someone-else-deal-with-it

hungry

sick

HIV

too-much-work

glad-its-not-me

?

*****

What do you think would happen

{ in the world}

{in the church}

{in our families}

if instead of

Foreign

Poor

Black

Not-my-problem

too-far

too-much

dirty

untouchable

let-someone-else-deal-with-it

hungry

sick

HIV

too-much-work

glad-its-not-me

when we heard the word "Orphan"

we thought

Neighbor

Child-of -God

What-Can-I-Do

Made-in-His-Image

Lovable

Precious-in-His-Sight

James 1:27

Here-I-Am-Lord-Send-Me

Nothing-Is-Impossible-With-God

What do you think would happen if we as Christians, as followers of Jesus,

were known as the people who rescued children from

poverty

starvation

abuse

neglect

and

death

and showed the world that we really believe that the Lord is the

Almighty,

All-Consuming,

All-Powerful,

Mighty-To-Save

God

we say He is

?

Despite our excuses like:

It's not a good time

I can't afford it

I'm too old

I'm too young

I have little kids

All my kids are grown

I work a lot

I just don't think I could

Everyone would think I'm crazy

It's too hard

No one else I know is doing it

I'm afraid I will fail

It's scary

What if I have to give up_____?

* * *

We Christians say catchy things like:

we are the hands and feet of Jesus.

we are called to do God's work

I want to be used by God

and

I want to be in His will

but somehow those intentions get overshadowed and overwhelmed by

proximity

comfort

cost

desires

and

other "important" things.

But Jesus gave up his

heavenly throne

dignity

comfort

and

paid with his life to ransom us.

We are all made in His image.

We are all His children.

And we can all do something.

Are you willing to be used by the God of the Universe,

to be a part of his plan since before time began?

to further His kingdom

even if it means losing a little bit of

"normal"

?

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:

{Teaching Sunday School?}

{Tithing?}

{Leading Worship?}

{Going to Church?}

{Teaching the Youth?}

{Obeying the Commandments?}

{Ushering?}

{Attending Bible Study?}

NO.

to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

James 1:27

If you truly desire to be used by God,

to be in His will,

to be His hands and feet,

then I dare you to ask Him how you can help the orphans of the world.

You may be just one person

but one person can do something

that ends up changing the world

for someone else.

"So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10