Witnessing a Miracle

Witnessing a Miracle

October 6, 2006 would be the last day of life for Charles Roberts. On this fateful day the 32 year old milk tank truck driver from central Pennsylvania would take his own life. Charles grew up in a good Lutheran home. Having been home-schooled, he never attended public schools. His mother worked for a Christian theater and his father was retired. Charles was married with two children.

At 10:00 am on that horrible day, Charles carried three guns and 600 rounds of ammunition with him into a small, white school house in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. He released all the males and kept ten females hostage. When it was all done, he had killed 5 young girls and then himself. The Roberts family was mystified and devastated when informed that their son had committed such a heinous crime.

There lived in that community an older Amish man named Enos Miller. Enos was the grandfather of two sisters who were murdered that day. He was there with them as they drew their last breath. The Miller family felt the full weight of sorrow crushing their grieving hearts.

Later that evening something happened that astonished the watching world. At 9:00 PM there was a knock at the door of the Roberts home. There in the doorway stood Enos Miller. He said that he had forgiveness "in my heart" and "through God's help" I have come to offer forgiveness to your faimly.This sort of human behavior seems beyond possibility. Forgiveness under such circumstances is often expressed by the Christian because it is "no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." "Those who forgive are forgiven and the forgiven are forgiving"

Say It Ain't So, Mark!

Say it ain't so, Mark!

Mark Sanford, governor of South Carolina, has certainly disappointed a lot of people including myself. I liked him because he told the federal government to keep their bailout money and stop interfering in South Carolina's business. I can't imagine how embarrassed he must be now that millions of people are reading his personal love notes to an Argentine mistress. He described it as a "hopelessly impossible situation of love". I don't know if its love anymore but its certainly a "hopelessly impossible situation" for Mr. Sanford.

The governor is no better and no worse than any of the rest of us. We all have done stupid and sinful things worthy of the condemnation of the Almighty. I find nothing in God's word that says we should tar and feather Mr. Sanford. Everything I read says we should attempt to "restore" and "forgive" and "pray for" men who fail or fall away.

I feel much concern for Mark Sanford but I feel great pity and sorrow for what he has done to his wife and children. Another thing disturbing to me is not so much that one man has pretty much committed political suicide, its the overall tone of the party I belong to that so troubling. The thing that keeps me in the party is the thing that seems to be more and more absent. It is the Republican Party that is suppose to be the party that stands for morality and family values. The one who said that GOP stands for God's Own Party is certainly taking it too far. Some of those preening loudest for family values have chosen NOT to live the life they preach. Remember Rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois, and Rep. Bob Livingston of Louisiana. And what about the politician who attended Baker High School here in Columbus, Georgia, where I taught for nine years, Newt Gingrich.

Ralph Reed, very popular here in Georgia, is a very 'conservative' political activist and fund raiser who was involved in Jack Abramoff's lobbying scandal. Or, how about Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who resigned in 2006 after admitting to sending sexually explicit e-mails to underage males who worked in the congress as pages. Any married man can be overtaken by temptation but those who advocate for family values and then lie to their families reflect poorly on the socially conservative Republican Party as well as provide great fodder for the Democratic Party.

All human hearts lean toward sin. Republican hearts are no exception. Mark Sanford led the charge against Bill Clinton who lied to his wife, his daughter, his friends, his colleagues and the nation. "The issue of lying is probably the biggest harm, if you will, to the system of democratic government, representative government, because is undermines trust. And if you undermine trust in our system, you undermine everything," said Sanford.

I hope Mark Sanford will contemplate his own words. More than that, I hope Mark Sanford will listen to the words of Christ the Savior, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." A lot of people are never going to forgive Mark Sanford but Christ is in the business of dishing out forgiveness and giving to us what we could never deserve.

Iranian Pen Pal

Iranian Pen Pal

Dear Amir,I've been hearing just a bit about how you guys are having some kind of revolution going on. Hope that goes well for you. We had one of those here in the states awhile back. I think it was the Civil War, you know, when Franklin Roosevelt was president. Things are really cool here. My parents just bought me a big screen T.V. to put up on my wall in my room. I love watching MTV and American Idol and Bachelorette. Life is just too good.

My uncle told me about your trouble there in Iran. He is always watching the most boring channels, like FOX News.I got some new CDs last weekend. I love listening to "Hoedown Throw Down" by Miley Cyrus. I also love Lady Gaga.

I don't know if I could even survive if it wasn't for my cell phone. I bet I talk 4 or 5 hours a day. Just don't let my parents know. Speaking of parents, do you know they want me to get a job!! Are you kidding? I'm only 17. Why would I want to give up a whole summer of goofing off with friends to work. Besides, they give me all the money I need anyway. Maybe I'll do the job thing after I get out of college.

Amir, my uncle tells me that some Iranians are dying in the streets. Man, thats crazy. Just stay inside until the trouble passes. Why would anyone risk going to one of those silly demonstrations. My corny uncle admires those Iranians who have died in the streets...you know, he thinks they are noble or something. Like dying for freedom is the greatest thing. Dumb, man! Why would anybody do that? I just don't get it!!

Hey, man. I just got a call from one of my friends. He has been harvesting some ditch weed and he wants me to come over and fire up.

Later, Jeremy.

Amir never received this letter. He sits in an Iranian prison because he expressed his desire for freedom and fairness. His future is uncertain.

(I wrote this to try to express my concern that a younger generation seems to be oblivious to the fact that thousands died to purchase freedom for future generations of Americans. We take their sacrifice for granted. We dangerously assume we will always be free and I fear these attitudes will never change until we have freedom taken from us.

U.S. policy: We won't get involved lest the present regime accuse us of inciting those who want freedom. Why are we more concerned about what a corrupt regime thinks of us rather than liberty for the oppressed??)

They want legitimate democratic participation.

The Face of the Iranian Revolt

The Face of the Iranian Revolt

She is now the face of the rebellion in Iran. A fraudulous election has brought thousands into the streets. If the re-election of Ahmadinejad had been legitimate, do you think government thugs would be killing young innocents like Neda?

Women in Iran are treated like dogs. They have no rights since the revolution in 1979. Neda died at Tehran's Azadi Square when she stepped out of the car she was riding in after getting stuck in a traffic jam. Watch the brutality of her murder at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6vtvCMhWuU. Take caution, this is very graphic.

Her lungs filled with blood and it poured from her mouth and nose. She moaned her last words as her friends looked on, "I'm burning. I'm burning." She was rushed to the emergency room of the nearest hospital where staff made a heroic effort to save her life but she was already gone. Family and friends are not absolutely sure who is responsible for her death but they strongly suspect that a zealous pro-government paramilitary group called Basijis may be responsible. Another suspect group is Ansar-e-Hezbollah.

Neda was a lovely 26 year old woman in her prime. She worked for a travel agency and she was very intelligent. She had an exuberance for life and a sense of humor that made her family and friends laugh. She now lies in a cemetary in Tehran. Her life cut tragically short.

Where is the voice of the world's women's rights groups? Where is the National Organization for Women (NOW) when they are needed? Are women's rights only worth fighting for in the U.S.? Where is our president's voice on the revolution in Iran? People are dying in the streets because they want to live free. It seems we as Americans should certainly be able to relate to that. Will we help those who love democracy and freedom...or will we take the cowardly route of sitting down with Ahmadinejad over coffee?

Last year I was disgusted to hear Michelle Obama say she had never really been proud to be an American but I'm beginning to relate to that feeling. I'm ashamed that my president isn't voicing strong support for freedom lovers!! Why is the strongest player sitting on the bench instead of participating in the game??

Neda Agha-Soltan

Perpetual Adolescence

Perpetual Adolescents

I discovered recently that the word 'teen-ager' didn't become a part of our vernacular until about 1941. Adolescence is actually a rather new development. Back in those days children grew into adults, not adolescents. Twelve year olds were expected to help support the family.World War II produced a lot of disconnected fathers trying to deal with the after effects of a great war. Our economy expanded into conspicuous consumption to replace a demand left void by the war. The prime age group targeted were 'adolescents'. Adolescence was considered a natural stage of development between the ages of 13 and 18. I talked to a nine year old the other day and he told me, "I can't wait until I'm 13. Thirteen year olds get to do everything." He was yearning for adolescence.

Since then we have stretched adolescence in both directions. The whole span of modern adolescence can stretch 15 to 20 years. In fact, John Stonestreet of Summit reported that the National Academy of Sciences now defines adolescence as "the stage of puberty (around 11 or 12) to age 30!! Do you know of any 30 or 40 year olds still living at home with mom and dad?

I teach in a private Christian school. The number one complaint I hear from many of the girls who are NOT dating is that they can't bring themselves to date a 17 year old who acts like a 12 year old. I hear similar complaints from a lot of college-age women. Young women are looking for stability and security. They want to meet a young man who has a plan. Instead, they are finding alot of 25 and 30 year olds who still live with mom and dad and haven't determined any direction in their lives.

This perpetual adolescence in our society has produced a lot of youth who are intellectually anemic. Most of the high school seniors I teach are weak in critical thinking skills even though I teach in an exceptional school. Our youth are ignorant in economic and political theory and they have little interest in studying the rules of logic. Learning how to think well is far less important than knowing who just got ousted from American Idol.

Perhaps some of our economic and political problems in this country are due to the fact that a generation stuck in perpetual adolesence has finally achieved power. Loyalty to those who would desire freedom (protesters in Iran) takes second place to the narcissistic desire to be admired by our European friends. The desire for immediate gratification overwhelms the reality that it sometimes takes decades to bring about political change in countries who have never experience democracy. The determination to avoid the consequences for bad decisions at any cost (bailouts) is very adolescent, sort of like taking the pill the morning after or aborting an unwanted pregnancy. I'm praying very hard for my country because I think we are regressing at a very, very fast pace.

When Bitterness Invades the Heart

When Bitterness Invades the Heart

Our local community here in Columbus, Georgia was stunned in March of 2008 when Charles Johnston walked into Doctor's Hospital and fatally shot three people. Johnston, 64, went on a shooting rampage to avenge his mother’s death at the hospital. Charles Johnston played God that day. He was driven by bitterness. At his sentencing the families of the victims spoke…A member of one grieving family looked at Johnston and said, “I hope you rot in hell!” A member of another family looked at Johnston and said, “You’ve brought indescribable pain into our lives but we have forgiven you.”

The real benefit of forgiveness is not so much for the one being forgiven. Sometimes, they could care less. The real benefit is for the one doing the forgiving. They let go of the past so they can move on in their future. They release themselves so they can love again.

"He (Jesus) committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to Him who judges justly.”1 Peter 2:22-23

Jesus knew that the greatest injustice in all of history was about to happen when they dragged him to the cross. The righteous nature of Christ must surely have called out that this be made right. Make this crooked way straight. He knew this crime would bring all of humanity crashing down. But, Jesus committed this injustice to the Father of all justice and by doing that he was set free to love.

It is difficult to forgive because we are much bothered by injustice. In some sense we feel our forgiveness releases our offender from justice. Injustice is dealt with either in hell or on the cross. For those in Christ, it is dealt with on the cross. If we refuse to forgive and determine to harbor bitterness toward another Christian we bring dishonor to the cross.

"If you do not forgive men their sins your Father will not forgive your sins." Matt. 6:15

Obama Worship

Obama Worship

I've never seen anything like this in my lifetime. The veneration, the awe, the worshipful adoration of Barack Obama is mysterious to me. Chris Mathews simultaneously expresses his fear of what the Obama policies are going to do to our economy and then expresses in gushy words how inspired he is every time he hears his voice! The thrill is still running up his leg.Why do they worship the man who is dismantling the free enterprize system, firing CEO's of private industry, softening our stance against terrorists and offering cover for a corrupt ACORN. It just makes my head want to explode!!

Newsweek's editor Evan Thomas deified Obama, "Reagan was all about America". "Obama is 'we're above that now'. We're not just parochial, we're not just chauvinistic, we're not just provincial." ""I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God."Should the cult of Obama amuse us or terrify us? Masses are responding to the rhetoric of a man who has no track record whatsoever. Is it mass hypnosis? Some speak of "coming to Obama". It sounds like an echo of the evangelical call I've heard in the church since childhood, "coming to Jesus."

Recently on messianic tour in France, the Obama's visited La Fontaine de Mars where they were served food fit for a king (god). Owner Jacques Boudon said of Ms. Obama, “I saw God before me because I saw this smile that a million people have seen around the world."

I know the masses are eagor to bow down and worship...but I don't know that Obama thinks of himself as a god. If he doesn't think he is divine then the near worship of his cultish followers should make him feel very, very uncomfortable. I don't know of one Christian who would stand by and say nothing if others were trying to elevate them to some pedestal of deity. The attitude of all Christians is that "He must increase and I must decrease".

President Obama, if this cultish worship makes you feel uncomfortable, please speak out against it and give honor to your Saviour.

Swine Foo

Swine Foo


I can understand why some are so skeptical of the swine flu. For one thing, people are questioning the credibility of our ‘state run’ media. Ratings are in the tank. The bias of the media was so obvious and evident after our last election that they may never regain our trust. Today’s media is so ‘in bed’ with the present administration it is necessary to go to alternative sources for information. Truthful and accurate information is nearly impossible to find.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared recently that the Swine Flu has reached pandemic proportions. But, there are red flags a-flying. The first red flag: WHO is a branch of the liberal, America hating, United Nations. It’s so strange that this American bashing institution is funded mostly by the country it opposes most. Why do we host an address for the United Nations when it is so blatantly anti-American?

More red flags: The world population is approximately 7 billion. The total of those who have died of swine flu is a miniscule 144. About 70% of these deaths occurred in Mexico. New cases of swine flu are declining in the United States and Mexico. Nearly 500,000 people died last year from normal flu. Why does 144 deaths equal a pandemic and 500,000 is normal and nothing to get worked up about??

Just how accurate are the diagnosis and reports being submitted by various countries?

There is always a money factor. The fear mongering will certainly make someone a lot of money. WHO will now recommend pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline PLC to mass produce vaccinations? How much money does a drug company make when asked by the United Nations to produce hundreds of millions of vaccines? WHO was pressured by several companies to declare a pandemic in May. WHO resisted in fear that it would cause widespread panic. They even agreed to redefine a pandemic in order NOT to have to declare one.

Are we skeptical? You bet. So much U.N. corruption, so many political aspirants, and vague definitions…why should we take this seriously??

www.nazareneblogs.org/ kpprobst
www.kpprobst.blogspot.com

John Ziegler vs. Contessa Brewer msnbc

Rush Limbaugh's take on Obama and God

RUSH: What do Obama and God have in common? Neither has a birth certificate. How do they differ? God does not think he's Obama. And there's another difference between God and Obama, and that is that liberals love Obama.

RUSH: We have some more differences for you here between President Obama and God. God asks for only 10% of your money. God gives you freedom to live your life as you choose. God's plan to save us is actually written down for people to read.

How far is the East from the West?

How Far is the East from the West?

The dictionary defines "to blot out" as to "destroy utterly, to annihilate". The picture I get when I think of blotting is taking a chemically treated rag and removing a stain.It is soaking up or absorbing a spill. Can you picture God taking the rag of his righteousness, soaked thoroughly with the atoning blood of Christ, and reaching into your heart to "blot out" the sin you've confessed to him? 51:1 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”

Not only does God faithfully blot out our sin, he conceals it from his own face. Psalm 51:9 “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities” I sometimes hide away any extra cash that may come my way to save for a birthday or Christmas gifts for my family. I recently went to one of my favorite places to conceal extra cash and discovered it wasn't there. I knew I had hidden it away but I forgot where I had put it. God conceals our sin. It puts it away and promptly forgets where he put it. Jeremiah speaks of the sins of Judah, and declares "they shall not be found..." (Jeremiah 50:20)

While on a cruise a few years ago I leaned over the side of the ship and looked down into the deep green sea. I placed the strap of my camera over my neck realizing that it would be gone forever if I dropped it into such a vast body of water. It would not be possible to ever find it. When Christ forgives us of our sins he puts them where he can never find them again. I know that this is an anthropomorphism. This is God speaking after the manner of men. But, he condescends with language we can understand. Micah 7:19 "he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

I'm so relieved to know that God does nothing in a half-way manner. He goes all out in all he does. If two angels separated somewhere out there in the universe and one flew westward and another to the east...how far would they fly in opposite directions? Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us”

Spurgeon said of this verse: "....it (our sin) is moved so far that the distance is incalculable... If sin can be removed so far then we can be sure that the scent, the trace, the very memory of it must be entirely gone.”Isaiah 1:18 "...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

How can one experience such cleansing? 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

The Half Has Not Been Told

"The Half Has Not Been Told"

Can you guess who said the following?

"You might say that America is a Muslim nation." - recent trip to Egypt, 2009

"We're no longer a Christian nation." - June, 2007

"America has been Arrogant"

"After 9/11, America didn't always live up to her ideals."

If you've guessed President Barak Obama, you are correct. I never thought in my life time I"d hear a president of the United States put down his own country. I remember as a student sitting in Ms. Paulo's American Lit class reading a story about a "Man without a Country". His name was Philip Nolan and he was a follower of traitor Aaron Burr. He was tried for treason in a military court precided over by a crusty Colonel Morgan. He made this statement to the judge, "D_____ the United States! I wish I might never hear of the United States again." “Prisoner, hear the sentence of the Court! The Court decides, subject to the approval of the President, that you never hear the name of the United States again.”

Nolan laughed it off but no one else in the court was laughing. They sensed the seriousness in the voice and eyes of Colonel Morgan, a man who loved his country dearly.On May 11th, 1863, Nolan died aboard the U.S. Corvette. He had lived at sea without a country for nearly 50 years. Strange how fiction can sometimes mirror reality.Is President Obama a man without a country? He certainly doesn't talk about the same America I live in. When he declares we are no longer a Christian nation does he not consider that over 70% of Americans claim some type of Christianity. I would say that makes us pretty Christian.

Not even our Muslim neighbors would believe a poliitical stretch like, "...America is a Muslim nation." The Muslim population in the United States is less than .5%. There are far more Catholics, Chinese and homosexuals who live in America. Could he not also claim that we are a Chinese nation or a Catholic nation or even a homosexual nation?

How do you explain such absurd statements from the most powerful man on the globe? Well, Obama is a trained lawyer. He reasons like a lawyer. He sees everything through the eyes of an attorney. Terrorism is not to be opposed by war, it is to be addressed as a legal issue through the courts. As Lawyer in Chief, the first thing to die is the truth. Truth becomes something relevent. Truth is not based on biblical principles or morals, truth is the winner in a world court.

Lord Acton wrote in his letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." That is the common part of the quote. The remainder of the quote is little known, "Great men are almost always bad men."

We are just seeing the very beginnings of the corruption of power in the Obama administration. He has power grabbed the banks. (with our money) He has power grabbed the auto industry. (with our money) and he will also power grab the health care system. (with our money). Remember the Queen of Sheba's reply when asked about the wisdom of Solomon. The same can be applied to the foolishness of the present administration: "The half has not been told."

Man Without a Country

What Did Christ Die For?

John Owen was a brilliant Puritan theologian. Tragically, he and his wife had 11 children. Ten died in infancy and one daughter lived to adulthood. She was unhappily married, returned home and died shortly thereafter of consumption. (Tuberculosis).

John Owen presented this theological dilemma for which I am looking for a good Arminian answer: "Christ underwent punishment for either:

1. All the sins of all men - If this were true what of all the people in hell? If Christ died for all the sins of all men then no man would be accountable for his sin and no man would be deserving of hell because the penalty for his sin had been paid for. Would Christ pay for the sins of those he knew would never repent? Would he pay if he knew his payment would be ineffectual? Why are not all men free from the punishment of their sin if Christ did die and purchased their freedom? Christ died for no one's sins in vain!

2. All the sins of some men - If this be true then Christ did die for all the sins only of those he did know would repent and submit in obedience to him.

3. Some of the sins of all men - If this is true then all men have some sins to answer for and none can be saved.

Christ accomplished what he set out to do. Not a single person for whom he died has experienced eternal death. If this is not true then his sacrifice is at least partially ineffectual and this would compromise the very character of Christ's perfection.

Christ declared that some are saved because of their unbelief. If Christ died for the sins of all people then why would this particular sin of unbelief prevent them from salvation? Yet, if they are prevented by their sin of unbelief Christ must not have died for the sins of all people?

John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

Death to a Christian differs from the death of a non-Christian. A Christian's death is the candle being snuffed out at the dawning of an eternal day. A non-Christian's death is the continuation of eternal darkness.

Jack O’dell, “Salvation is moving from living death to deathless life.”

Christ declares that the penalty of sin is death. If, by his death, he paid the penalty for sin then a second penalty imposed would be double jeopardy. It would be unrighteous and injust for God to demand another payment after payment had already been received. Therefore, Christ would not have died and paid for everyone's sins, rather, he died only for those for whom his death was effectual. He died for those he knew would repent and submit to him.

It sounds pretty Calvinist but it also sounds pretty reasonable and logical.www.nazareneblogs.org/ kpprobst

http://www.kpprobst.blogspot.com/

"Who Do You Say That I Am?"

It was Jesus' question to the disciples for which Peter had the correct answer. "You are the Christ of God." It is the most important question in life. If we answer this question wrong it could have eternal consequences for us. The world is not run by men, its run by ideas and ideas have consequences. Bad ideas have bad consequences.

When the disciples were powerless to heal the sick, preach and cast out demons they asked Christ the reason for their impotence. He answered them directly, "It is because of your unbelief". Belief enables, unbelief disables. A proper perspective of God gives us a proper perspective of the value of human life. 40 million unborn infants have been massacred in this country in the last 35 years because we haven't answered the question correctly, "Who do you say that I am?"

When we fail to understand the truth about who Jesus is, we begin to distort truth about all other things. Sin becomes a disease instead of a trangression against God. Death is a transition from one incarnation to another even though Jesus said, "It is appointed unto man once to die..." Salvation is achieved by looking inward and tuning into our higher self. No need for a Savior, we can save ourselves.

This deception that has wormed its way into our culture is like rat poison. It still looks good, it still tastes good but it is deadly. A little heresy added to a whole lot of truth can bring eternal death.

The greatest deception is how our culture answers the greatest question. A deadly poison is added to the truth when we believe Jesus is just another prophet. or just another great man. Modern movies and books portray Jesus as having been married, having fathered children or having had a lover. Wrong answer the to most important question!!

C.S. Lewis said you can't possibly say Jesus is just "a great moral teacher. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic...or he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice, either this man was, and is, the Son of God or else a madman or something worse..."

"Who do you say that I am?" To the hungry, he is the bread of life. To those living in darkness he is the light of the world. To those who have lost their way and are tired of the cultural lies he is the way the truth and the life.

Hitler answered the greatest question wrongly and killed 6 million Jews. Mussolini answered the question wrongly and it led to fascism. Stalin answered the question wrongly and millions died as a result of communism, a bad idea with deadly consequences. If there was one question I'd like to ask President Obama it would surely be this one, "Who Do You Say Jesus Is?"

It's a question we can't ignor...we must answer. We can choose wrongly in a lot of areas of life and still recover, but if we choose wrongly in answering this question it could determine where we spend the next hundred million years.

A Costly Love

A Costly Love

A Costly LoveShannon and I adopted our son in November of 2005. The process of adopting was pretty overwhelming. The red tape and paper work and home studies were all time consuming and trying. Our adoption included a trip to Ohio that ended in disappointment and frustration as the birthmother changed her mind after our arrival. There followed 4 months of anxiety and waiting. Finally, on October 31, 2005 our phone rang again and a case worker for the adoption agency informed us that the birthmother from Ohio had changed her mind.

The adoption laws of Utah suited our situation so we moved the process to that state. The birthmother apologized for what happened four months previous. Four difficult months convinced here that she was incapable of rearing this child and providing properly for him.

We have a marvelous story of successive miracles. Money miraculously provided. An angel at work for us in Virginia. A praying cowboy at the airport. It was amazing to watch God at work in the whole adoption experience.

I gained a whole new perspective of what it means to be adopted into the family of God. “God chose us in him before the foundation of the world…” Eph. 1:4. Adoption legally changes our status. We have all the privileges of a natural son. We are joint heirs with Jesus. The judge in Utah asked us if anyone was coercing us to adopt Kameron. We answered, “No one is forcing us. We are adopting out of love and love alone.”

God the Father adopted me into His family when I was poor and destitute. Christ purchased my adoption willingly on a cross two thousand years ago. He wasn’t coerced, he sacrificed himself willingly because he loved. I was sickly and putrid in my sin yet he loved me when I was most unlovable. When no one seemed to care and all I could see were the backs of others, he embraced me and brought me into the family. I discovered that God adopts the unlovely.

We paid a very steep price to complete the adoption of the son we love so dearly. We wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again because he has brought so much joy into our family. Christ paid a very steep price to make our adoption possible. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” We love our son so much. The difficulty and cost of the adoption process only makes him more special to us. God’s love for us is a costly love. The glory in it is that it was costly! Adoption says that there is a great love in God for you and I!