Why Adopt

Jesus commands us to reach all nations, baptize and disciple all people and to teach them to observe all things. When Jesus said, in Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations," the word translated nations is the Greek ethne, the basis for our word ethnic. It is not a political or geographical unit, but a people or tribe, defined by culture and language. God wants all ethne discipled. We focus on all three, reaching ethne, baptizing and teaching them to observe all things in His ways, statutes, commandments and His covenants because we have learned by experience it is the only way people will grow to maturity so they can become part of the solution. We have found it is God’s way of doing things. It is not just evangelism, but reaching and walking with each so they do grow in Him so they are neatly fit together with the rest of the body so His will can be accomplished. Adoption is a means to help us do this. By unreached people, we do not refer to one’s unsaved neighbor, but on those cultures, which have no witness in their own language. To "adopt" means to commit to walk with God and each other in the body so His ways can be established. It is in part church planting but with the focus on demonstrating His will and ways to all people for growth and stability. What ODB is about is reaching everyone and caring for all His ways in body, soul and spirit so they do grow to maturity.

Why Adopt? Besides that it is scriptural, there are two basic reasons. The first is to understand that the body is only as strong as the weakest member or link. If we the needs of believers are not taken care of in their body, soul and spirit then it all becomes about evangelism in just leading people to God, but then that is like children having children, not understanding that people watch what we do because we are the example and they learn from us as we are their example. Adoption is like being a parent. It is walking with God’s children so the child has a chance to grow up, produce good fruit, so they can become involved locally to deal with problems. To do this takes parents to walk with them, pray for them, nurture them and show them God’s ways, teaching them to observe all things. The reason the body needs to grow up is so we can do all things through Christ, both Jesus as the head and we are the body, to deal with all that is happening today.

Many still today are unreached people and haven't heard the gospel in their "heart." The good news is that we through Jesus have been given the keys to the kingdom to deal with all things and all problems on earth, but we in maturity need to understand how to use the keys. Another word for adoption is mentorship and the body needs more mentors to deal with the children. Many think today that because they have reached maturity in the flesh they are mature in Him. Many believe that because they have gone to Bible classes and gone to church they are mature. How one determines how mature they are in Him is by looking at the fruit they produce. Not just the fruit of going to the job each day or even raising the family, but are they reaching out to others in the community in some sort of service to others? When any of us start reaching out to help others we have to seek God on how to help them or even what to do for them. If we never reach out to seek God to help others then it all becomes rather self centered where we are interested in having the power of God, just to get through life or how to be more blessed.

To adopt believers either across the globe in a given area or in even in the church is to make a commitment to God to desire to do something about what is happening in our communities. It is not always having the answers, in order to help others, but stepping out in faith, walking with each other and God seeking God and each other in how to help others. We grow in reaching out to others as much as the people we are there to help. Many of us that started families did not have a clue as to what it took to raise a family and often had to learn as we went along. It is the same in the body or family of Christ. It is putting our best foot forward often because of love and appreciation for Him and what He has done for us.

For all of us it is about seeking God for the truth, because the truth will set us free and being willing to walk in the truth to deal with life’s problems, not just as individuals but walking together with each other, which makes the load a little easier for everyone. That really is a part of the Gospel, it is the good news that Jesus came and gave His life for us, but also we give our lives to Him for others, so they can know the truth and walk in it. It is about being able to apply the Gospel to every day life. In doing so we become the light of the world, the salt of the earth and living epistles ourselves, which is the point of scripture and the keys to the kingdom of God so we can through Him and with Him by faith deal with the enemy and put a stop to what is happening, not by might or by force, but by the Holy Spirit.

To do this takes walking together with each in the body and being in agreement. It takes understanding His ways, commandments and covenants and standing on them in faith, because that is how God’s people find favor with God, because we honor God by doing things His way. That is the gospel of Christ. Jesus was all of the covenants in one person, so all could enter through Him and have audience with God in the Holy of Holies. Because of Him we could have the His anointing as a royal priesthood, which in the Old Testament was limited only to kings, prophets and priests.

Who is unreached? That is often difficult to determine. We do know that about 1/3 of all people on earth have received the basic message of Jesus, however we also know that there is a small percentage of believers that understand who we are in Christ, our authority in Him, or their calling or purpose in the body or how to get there. It all does start with the basic message or Jesus love in evangelism, but as we know it takes far more for believers to grow to maturity to find their way in the body. How many believers truly understand that the body is only as strong as the weakest member or link? As we know very few, but we also know that we have to start somewhere if we are to have any hope in the future for us, or our children. What this is about is reaching everyone globally with the truth, because the truth is good enough, if we walk together or choose to understand it and walk in it. God through Jesus gave us the basics, but the rest is up to us!

Beyond resources: Many of you that are reading this know that there is a battle going on. It is a battle that is attempting to claim our very lives. It is an organized attack that is continuing to gain strength and momentum and can only be stopped if God’s people, His royal priesthood are willing to do things to stop it. At this point is it is making a conscious effort to pray and pray with each other and gather the saints to walk and pray with each other. This is all a very serious effort. It will take walking together and being in agreement on several things. If we do not agree or walk together we are fairly certain there is little or no hope, however saying that He in His love for us gave us the keys to kingdom to deal with all problems but we have to be resolved to using them and using them daily and walking together as one body. That is the choice and it is up to each of us. WE all have things that all of us would rather do, but it is a choice to either gather the saints for the work of the ministry because it is for our protection as well as everyone else’s. Simply put the larger the army to do the job the easier the job, but the more can be accomplished quicker in an organized effort to pull down the strong holds of the enemy.

We hope you do understand as you read this that we are not alarmists, however it should be obvious that something is very wrong with the things that are happening in the world today. One can make one of two conclusions. The First is to believe this is God’s plan and things are the way they should be or the other option is to understand that things are very wrong and it will take an organized effort on everyone’s part to do something about it and be committed to doing it. The question is what do we all need to do about it?

The first is to be resolved about the following:

1) We are in a battle, whether we do something or not

2) We have to be resolved to winning the battle for any hope of a future

3) We have to be resolved to working together daily and go into battle daily to have a chance at a future.

4) We have to be resolved to gather the saints for the work of the ministry and understand it is not what most think. It is about prayer and intercession as a royal priesthood and standing together and praying with one another. The popular notion is to go off with God on our own. We are not saying to not do that but we any of us can only see what is in front of us. We cannot see what is happening behind us, which is why we need each other to look after our backs.

5) We have to be resolved in walking and praying with each other to NOT judge each other as we all not only have short comings, but sin and iniquity.

6) Resolved to not only working together as one body, but walking together in agreement, praying together and touching anything it will be done. It is why we all need to walk closely together, because the power of God is in agreement and touching any thing. It will be done.

7) We have to be resolved to ending the battle and not putting up with the enemy or the battle any longer. (Another reason why we need each other).

8) Understand the answer is in corporate prayer, praise, and walking together to form one contiguous battle line. (We have found everyone needs sleep and needs to do other things in life and if we are all walking together others can be praying and interceding while we do what we need to do at times). The enemy wants us to work by ourselves and would prefer we do nothing or get caught up more in the things of life rather than God in working together, but the point of working together is to lock arms with each other globally so there can be no holes or division in the battle line, because that is what the enemy is looking for, the holes so he can come in from behind as there is no armor in our backs and we only have each other to watch our backs. It is to form connected circles that are very connected to each other.

9) We all need to work in love and UNITY and be resolved.

While it is true we have been given the keys to the kingdom it is up to each of us to pick the keys up and use them, not just us as individuals but us as a whole body to work as one body in one battle so the enemy can be defeated. It is in doing so seeking His face and His will that the Spirit of God will be poured out on all flesh. God always provides a way of escape to His people, but it is up to each of us to use that escape. We believe, that escape is the body if we are all very connected to each other. We are only as strong as the weakest member in the body so it behooves us all to surround the weakest and stand together. He will not force us to do so. We each of us need to be resolved to doing so. As you are reading this you are making a decision one-way or the other, whether you realize it or not. You are either deciding to be involved or deciding you do not have to be involved. You can see that if all continue the way we always have, we will probably all continue to get the same results, which is more problems and less hope, and less time to work as one body.

Resources: To start with we are not asking people to give up their current churches or faith. We are asking for believers of all denominations to work together to seek God and do what each are called to do, which is to be His ambassadors, to represent Him and His ways to all that we meet. To gather the body and to encourage each in the body to work together, to pray, seek God and His presence. We do ask that believers pray, praise and be resolved to taking back that which Satan has stolen from us, not by might of force, but by His Spirit.

ODB can and should be thought of as a communications center linking believers globally, much like a telephone. ODB is not over anyone, like a telephone. A telephone is a tool that can be used to communicate with each other and so can ODB. To start with ODB is much like a switchboard in a communications center connecting believers globally. The switchboard does not judge, but is a conduit to be used so we all can communicate, pray and work together.

We do this in several ways:

1) Provide an avenue that believers can use globally to communicate the needs of the body to all in the body. This is done through the Christian News Herald. It is much like a newspaper on the web to inform believers what is happening and where it is happening so we can come together to pray about what is happening and secondly, praise God for solutions as one body even if we do not see the solutions.

2) Provide an avenue for believers to post prayer requests globally. Simply put we all have prayer requests and we need a place to post them so others can pray and seek God for solutions and answers. Part of the responsibility is to pray for the needs of others as we post our own requests. It is a network of prayer. Most churches have a prayer chain and this a place where individuals and prayer chains can work together as one body. It is also a place to post praise reports of what is working, where and how so the information can be shared with others. From that information at times information is posted on the Christian News Herald about what is happening in geographic areas. The information posted is posted daily to the Herald but also more in summary form posted to Global Missions Initiative, which has broken the planet into some 269 regions providing basic information about each region and each country globally as an organized effort to get good information to believers in groups or churches so we can pray and praise as one body.

3) Provide information to the body in form of a daily news letter and a monthly synopsis of what is happening and what is being accomplished and what yet needs to be accomplished.

4) Provide information technology to believers so we can connect globally through participating partners. ODB is organizing global prayer teams to pray with each other in small groups. The reason it is small groups is so we can support each other and walk with each other. This is called voice over technology and works much like a phone call on the Internet but without the cost of a conference phone call. In addition, ODB also offers typical chat rooms for prayer but also communication in for different parts of the globe so we can understand what is happening and where and where prayer needs to be focused as we seek God.

5) Global Missions Initiative was designed so the body could work as one body in strength in communicating with each other crossing denominational boundaries. It is not about being right, but about working together in love and unity. Right will prove itself by the fruit it bears. Either we produce good fruit in caring for people in their body, soul and spirit or not, but it is at the end how we all will be judged. We at ODB believe no one is right except for Him. Let us all be wrong in all things and let Him be right in all things. GMI (Global Missions Initiative) provides web space to missions of many denominations even if they have their own web space so people can be informed about what is being accomplished. Believers can support who they choose to support.

6) In addition to GMI, ODB has provided informational resources with more than 30,000 links to other resources and ministry and information of how to go about getting involved in ministry if they are called to do so. In addition, ODB also offers Outreach Consulting Services to all called to ministry to help them in ministry.

7) In addition, ODB also works to place people in ministry, wherever they are called.

8) Training: ODB is founded on “Equipping the Saints for the Work of the Ministry.” We offer training for those called to ministry, not to work against other ministries or denominations, but to encourage and exhort the body to work together as one body. ODB offers a host of on line studies that are free to participating groups or churches. Students do pay a small tuition, however most of the overall cost is deferred by members of the associations.

We believe our purpose is to gather the saints to seek His will and to equip the saints for the work of the ministry and help provide the tools needed to help in getting the job done. That is our main focus. Love and unity. We do encourage and invite all to work together in love and unity so His will can be accomplished. There is power in agreement in walking together as one body but it is up to us to do so. Some are strong in Him and some are weak. It is important for the strong to gather around those that are weak, not to teach and preach but walk with, support and love.

We are responsible…..

When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, We want our hand always to be there. For that we are responsible.

We are responsible both to God and each other.

"Together we can make a change, we can make a difference!"

"God gave us His Son, Spirit, Love, Direction, Purpose, Gifts, and free will. He gave us all the basic tools to either care for Him and others or care just for ourselves.

It is a choice either way, to either learn to work together to solve problems, but at the end, when it is all said and done, our true hearts will be exposed. We are given two things to do, love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.

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