Orphans of God<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
 
            One thing that has always amazed me about the person of our Lord Jesus was and is His love for the poor and oppressed people of His day. One would think that if the Creator and Sustainer of all things were coming to earth that He would make his home among the more influential people. He might spend His time with the religious and political leaders not with less fortunate peasants. However, that is not what Jesus did. He showed countless times how deep His love was for the destitute. I am often reminded of the stories of Jesus healing people. Think of when He was at Peter's home and had just healed Peter's mother-in-law (Luke 4). Before the night was out the whole town brought all the sick to Him and he laid His hands upon each of them and they were healed. Or what about the story of the friends who carried their lame brother to see Jesus and had to lower him down through the roof. What did Jesus do? He healed him (Luke 5). I love the story of Jesus calling the tax collector Zacchaeus out of the tree and spending the day with him (Luke 19), and finally who can forget blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10) can you just imagine a ragging blind man yelling out for Jesus and people trying to quiet him. There are so many examples of Jesus' dealings with what society would label the "outcasts", and yet strangely He took a keen interest in all of them showing preference to no one.
            What does this show us about character and nature of Jesus? I believe that is opens up a widow for us to peer into the true heart of God. The heart of the matter is that we are all like Blind Bartimaeus, or the ten lepers, or any of the other "outcasts" in the Bible. The Word of God tells us that "We all like sheep have gone astray'…and 'there is none good no not one'…and 'we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God'." Not matter our riches or rags we all stand before God as sinners without any hope. And yet there is Hope, and His name is Jesus Christ. Even though we are all transgressors against the holy and righteous Law of God our debt has been paid in full through Christ's death on <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Calvary's cross and we now have the opportunity of peace and reconciliation with God. Today I desire to remind you or maybe introduce you to the Gospel of Peace. The music group Avalon words it very well in their release "Orphans of God". I have included the chorus as a last thought to this month's message.
 
There are no strangers
There are no outcasts
There are no orphans of God
So many fallen
But Hallelujah
There are no orphans of God