Ukraine Christian Adoption Trend Spreads

You've probably heard of banks "too big to fail" but have you heard of orphans “too small to ignore?”
 
The concept of adoption holds a special place in scripture and in God's heart in particular. Perhaps that is why the Church in Ukraine is coming together in a focused effort towards adopting the nation's orphans.


 
This movement is sweeping across Ukraine and other former Soviet countries as well and it can't be traced to any one church or denomination. Perhaps that's one of the most beautiful aspects of this dramatic adoption movement.

A pastor recently described how his family adopted 31 children. Another family adopted seven children infected with HIV. Drug addiction and family problems have been key causes for the rise in orphan statistics, but the tide has been turning and other former Soviet countries are also seeing a rise in this unique trend of family rebuilding. Russia began banning US adoptions of Russian children effective January 1, 2013, but Ukraine is still open to US and international adoptions.
  
The CBN documentary news video outlines how Svetlana and Isaev Evgeny decided to adopt the seven HIV infected children. It also documents how Ukraine has honored this family as national heroes in a moving award ceremony. Wes Stafford describes how God is committed to blessing orphans and those who bless orphans. But even deeper than this understanding is the biblical precept that life is sacred and precious and highly valued by God. There are many verses in the Bible that touch on the theme of adoption and one of the central themes is that of spiritual redemption as a form of spiritual adoption. As a matter of fact, the phrase 'spirit of adoption' is quoted from a verse identifying one of the signs of true salvation known as the witness of the Holy Spirit.

Josh Wiley has complied a list of 10 Bible verses related to adoption:

#1. John 1:12 - #1 Adoption Verse- All who believer are adopted as children of God But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. Romans 8:14-16 -

#2 Bible Verse About Adoption-The Holy Spirit For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father."For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. Galatians 4:4-6 -

# 3 Scripture On Adoption- Freedom from the Law But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." James 1:27 -

#4 Bible Verse on Adoption- Caring for the Orphans Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. Additional Scriptures About Children Psalm 68:5-6 -

#5 Adoption Scripture Verse- God the Father Father to the fatherless, defender of widows- this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Matthew 18:5 -

#6 Bible Verse About Adoption- Welcoming a Child "And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. John 11:52 -

#7 Bible Passage on Adoption- All are Welcome And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world 1 John 3:1-2 -

#8 Bible Scripture on Adoption- God's Children See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't recognize that we are God's children because they don't know him. Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. Scriptures About God's Love Exodus 2:10 -

#9 Adoption Bible Verse- Adoption of Moses Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, "I lifted him out of the water." Esther 2:7 -

#10 Bible Verse on Adoption- Adoption of Esther This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.

Tags: Ukraine adoption movement, Bible verses on adoption, redeeming heart of God, spirit of adoption and witness of the Holy Spirit, Russian adoptions 2013, Ukraine adoptions 2013