The Difference in Foster Care, and Adoption

To be a Son or Daughter, is different, than just being part of the family.

If you really want to understand the difference in Religion, and being an actual Child of God, you can look at the difference in being in Foster Care, and being outright Adopted. There is a very distinct difference.

Some people, men and women, cannot conceive a child. It just is the way things are. Many of these people chose to be Foster Parents, and some, chose to Adopt. Let's look at this from the Child's perspective. You do not have a Parent. For whatever reason, you no longer have a Mother or Father. You are placed into a system, and the system attempts to get you into a new family.

In a lot of these cases, you end up in Foster Care. This means you move in with, live with, and act as if, you are part of the family. They have rules and regulations. They have expectations of you. You behave in a way that you keep them happy, so that they do not give you back. If they do not eat certain things, you do not eat certain things. If they do not watch certain movies, you do not watch certain movies. They wear certain cloths, you wear certain cloths. Etc.

While you are in this family, you also reap the benefits of the family. They go get ice cream, you get ice cream. They take a trip to somewhere, you go too. They have money, you have money. Etc. However, when the time comes for the heads of the family to depart, die, pass on, or they simply chose to give you back, you get nothing. Why? Simply put, you do not belong to the family. There is no blood in you. You are not an heir. You are not related. You get nothing.

Now let's say, you get adopted. Just like with Foster Care, you move in with, live with, and act as if, you are part of the family. They have rules and regulations. They have expectations of you. You behave in a way that you keep them happy. If they do not eat certain things, you do not eat certain things. If they do not watch certain movies, you do not watch certain movies. They wear certain cloths, you wear certain cloths. Etc. You also reap the benefits of the family. They go get ice cream, you get ice cream. They take a trip to somewhere, you go too. They have money, you have money. Etc.

However, here is the difference. When the time comes for the heads of the family to depart, die, pass on, you DO reap the benefits of the hard work that the heads of the family put in. You ARE an Heir. You, in essence, legally, are blood. You are no longer someone occupying a room in the House, you are a Son or Daughter. You OWN the House.

Religion is Foster Care. Nothing more. Nothing less. You chose to go to and join this or that Religion. This or that Religion chose to accept you or not. While you are in that Religion, you move in with, live with, and act as if, you are part of the Religion. They have rules and regulations. They have expectations of you. You behave in a way that you keep them happy, so that they do not kick you out. If they do not eat certain things, you do not eat certain things. If they do not watch certain movies, you do not watch certain movies. They wear certain cloths, you wear certain cloths. Etc. You can receive great rewards, being a good little, {Insert Religion Here}. Paul tells us, when he was Saul, he did.

Galatians 1:

13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

Saul was a GREAT Jew. He did everything right in the Jew's traditions and Religion. He "profited in the Jews' religion above many equals" Why? What was he doing? Hunting down, imprisoning, torturing, and killing, God's Chosen People. He was hunting down the Children of God. He was being a good little Jew, in the eyes of the Jewish Leaders. He received great gifts and benefits as long as he was being a good Jew. Where were the gifts and benefits coming from? God? Or man?

It was not until Saul, became Adopted, that Saul became a Child of God.

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Right before he tells us of his conversion, his Adoption, he said this "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." This is why he tells us, "immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." Saul did things Religiously. He did the things his Foster Family told him to do. Was he saved? Was he a Child of God?

Look at the Priests and Rulers of the Synagogues at the time. They also received great gifts and benefits from their Foster Families. The Traditions of men. Religion. They "knew" they we Children of God. What did Jesus tell them?

John 8:

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Even back then, the lie was predominate. "We are all God's Children." No we are not. Jesus tells them plainly, so there is no misunderstandings "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

You see, it is possible to think you are a Child of God, if you are being a good little Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, even Christian. But are you? Have you received the Spirit of Adoption? Whenever the Priests and Rulers of the Synagogues at the time, found fault in Jesus and His Disciples for not following the rules and regulations of their Religion, what did Jesus tells them?

Mark 7:

2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

This is one of the reasons I hate asking people, or answering people when they ask me, "Are you a Christian"? I understand that most of the time, what they are actually asking is, "Are you Saved"? "Have you become a Child of God"? But if you are in one of those denominations that are false, then your answer may be, and truthfully, yes. But is being a Christian the same as being a Child of God?

Matthew 7:

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Really let that sink in. Understand what Jesus actually just said. He that has ears to hear, let him hear. Jesus is not concerned with how many times you can say praise Him in Church on Sunday. He does not care if you sing on key. He does not care if you eat without washing your hands first. He does not care which direction you face when you pray. How many steps you take on the Sabbath. If you eat meat on Friday. If you cover your head or not.

What does he care about? "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."{John 8.31,32} What He does care about "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." {Matthew 22:37-40}What does he care about? "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."{John 13:34} 

Did you know that it was possible to be a good Religious person and not be filled with Love? Of course. Love is the key. Without Love, you have nothing. Without Love, you cannot please God. Without Jesus, you cannot be Born Again, nor, Adopted into the Family of God. Without Jesus, you cannot have true Faith. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Without love, you cannot serve others. "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

The truth is simple. You are either living with a Family, or you ARE a Family. You are either in Foster Care, in which case you are entitled to nothing, or you have become a Blood Relative, through the Blood of Jesus. In which case you are NOW Born again, and Adopted into the Family of God, and if a Child of God, "then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Do not settle for Foster Care. Be Adopted. It is not that difficult.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}