There’s a marvelous painting in the lobby of a nursing home I recently had the privilege of visiting.

It depicts an elderly gentleman sitting in a rocking chair reading his Bible to a group of children.

As I stopped to look at it, amazed to see such a stark admission of Faith in a publicly supported facility, I couldn’t help but think “I don’t care what the mission statement of this home reads, whoever put up this painting not only knows God, but also understands His design for the family”.

God’s word is very clear about the role of Christians as they age. Teach; your children, and your children’s children; about God.

The book of Joel begins “Hear this ye old men, and give ear, hath this been in your days or even in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation”.

Deuteronomy six echoes this message, as does Joshua two and four. The Psalmist sings the message, Paul preaches it and the wise man of Proverbs cries it out.

Those who are old still have an assignment. Wouldn’t it be great if senior centers and nursing homes all around the world were holding Bible studies every day – led by residents for its visitors– teaching your children, and mine, all about Jesus.

That’s the picture hanging in at least one nursing home: and that’s the picture the Bible paints.

Chuck Colson is spot on when he asks, “If there are so many Christians in the U.S. why aren’t we affecting our world?” Indeed: Why is God not welcome in our schools? Why is abortion still legal? Why is pornography taking over the media? Why are so many orphans uncared for and why are so many poor people ignored?

I certainly don’t know for sure, but my guess is that the Body of Christ is woefully out of shape. Like fading athletes who remember how to perform but just can’t anymore, the Church knows it should be taking more stands, but has lost its game.

Collectively we’ve lost our intensity, our drive, and if you’ll pardon the expression, our spirit. We seem to be more than content to obey man’s laws instead of Gods, seek man’s approval instead of Gods, and hear man’s wisdom instead of Gods.

So how do we get our game back? Heeding Jesus advice to the church at Ephesus and returning to our first love should do it. As diet and exercise are to physical fitness, Bible study and prayer are to spiritual fitness. Reading and meditating on the Word of God and asking Him for wisdom puts us right within the Will of God: and then all’s we have to do is listen, and obey – God.

With close to 30 thousand children in New York State’s Child Welfare System it would be easy to overlook a few. Especially those who’s pain and anger escapes as … well, pain and anger.

You know the kids, boys and girls who always seem to dress and act as outrageously as possible… because they’ve been ignored so much in their life even negative attention is still attention.

Or they’re just downright ornery, figuring if they reject you first, at least it was their choice – not yours.

Some call them “the bottom of the barrel”.

But while many look right past these who Mother Theresa might have called “Jesus in a very disturbing disguise”, praise God not everyone does.

The Brooklyn Tabernacle runs an annual ministry called King’s Kids taking 100 of New York City’s toughest foster care kids to the Poconos for a summer camp of a lifetime. 100 kids feel loved, often for the first time ever, and more than 100 volunteers who leave with the idea of giving, come back having themselves received a full dose of God’s love and joy.

Today in your quiet time with the Lord, would you please lift up the Brooklyn Tabernacle’s Kings Kids ministry…the blessing will be yours.

By now you’ve no doubt heard of the ten American missionaries to Haiti being held in a Port-Au-Prince prison on charges of child abduction. While the facts are still filing in it would appear that for the most part, these folks had the best of intentions but might have needed a better sense of direction, if not at least a better set of them

As Christian Child Advocates we can’t let them entirely off the hook. Their actions have caused a set back for certainly those seeking to adopt from Haiti, but perhaps more importantly, a black mark against anyone seeking to adopt from anywhere in Christ’s name.

Having said that, God desires mercy and how different are these 10 missionaries from the folks that started and ran the famed orphan trains of a century ago?  Initiated as a response to homeless kids running the street during the advent of the Industrial Revolution, Orphan Trains would quote “save” close quote children from inner cities by sending them to the country whether they were orphaned or not; whether they wanted to go or not, whether it was legal or not, most often sent because their parents wanted a better life for them. Sound familiar?

Did the missionaries miss in their rush to judgement; probably. Do they deserve to be scorned; probably not. Proverbs 18: 17 says clearly…

The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.

When the question gets called in the Haitian court, here’s a prayer that the judge hears their hearts and sets their bodies – and their minds – free.

Tradition tells us that James, the half-brother of Jesus, who wrote a book of the Bible that bears his name, was an Old Testament scholar.  He certainly showed evidence of that when he penned the famous verse one twenty-seven “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to care for the fatherless…”

How do you care for the fatherless?  The way God does of course, by caring enough to bring them into your own family – through adoption.

In a nutshell, Adoption is the whole salvation message.  Jesus cared enough for those estranged from God – His, and our, heavenly Father – enough to visit earth’s orphanage and pave the way for each of us to be adopted into God’s family.

In typical fashion of foreshadowing Jesus, the Old Testament path to Salvation is literally littered with adoption stories of children placed in just the right place at the right time.

Consider: Moses, adopted into Pharoah’s family at the right time to save his life.  Esther, adopted into Mordecai’s family at the right time to save her people’s lives.  Mephiboseth, adopted into David’s family at the right time to save – David’s life: think about that one for a few minutes. And of course, Jesus, the final prophet of the Old Testament, adopted by Joseph, just as the days were accomplished, to save us all.

James knew God’s plan for salvation well enough to guide us in its journey.  Adoption: it’s not only God’s plan for salvation, it’s His path to it as well.