God heals

This picture is of me reading to Anggie, a precious little girl who lives at Casa Shalom orphanage in San Lucas, Guatemala. The picture was taken earlier this month by my daughter, Jessica, who works at the home. Although the picture looks like just a simple session of fun book reading, it represents so much more.

Anggie was abused prior to coming to Shalom. When she arrived, she was absolutely terrified of men - all men. She literally would cry when any man came into the same room with her. Details of the abuse are not known, but for sure, she was a hurting little girl and had zero trust for anyone who may harm her again.

After many months of prayer and gentle care, Anggie's heart is healing. She is beginning to trust. She is starting to talk (she had been silent for the entire time she lived there), she is warming up to others. This reading session says a lot.

God heals broken spirits.

when the vision requires more

I am in a really good spot right now. God has put some very defined ambitions in my heart. I don’t have the resources to get the job done. So, God is challenging me to trust Him. This is a good spot.

What do we do when the vision requires more than we possess?
Bible lesson time:
I Kings 4 tells the story of a poor widow who was about to lose everything. She had exhausted all of her resources and her two sons were about to be conscripted into slavery. Her vision was to keep her family together and to make her family’s future secure. But she did not have the resources to make this happen.

She spoke to Elisha, the prophet. He asked her a very simple question: “What do you have in your house?” Although this question must have seemed off point, she responded: “nothing but a little oil.” He instructed her to borrow as many oil containers as she could get her hands on and start pouring the little oil that she had. She followed the order and a miracle occurred. As she poured the oil, it multiplied. From one small container of oil, she and her sons filled multiple containers. They did this until all the containers they had collected were filled. Her vision was fulfilled.

What God is asking me is, “What do you have in your house?” He is wanting me to offer to Him whatever I have, trust Him, be willing to invest what He has provided. I believe that, if I follow the orders, He will do whatever is necessary in order to provide the resources required to fulfill the vision He has given me. I plan to obey.

This is a good place. It is exciting when the vision God gives you requires more than you currently possess. It means we must trust Him. It means we must grow. It means the vision will be fulfilled.

This is a very good place.

project Peru update

In one month, I will be in Peru hiking the Inca Trail with my daughter, Jessica. We plan to take financial support to a Childrens' Ministry Center in Lima. Pastor Dario Lopez feeds, educates and provides medical care for 330 of the neediest children in Lima. We have an opportunity to partner with him and his efforts to save these kids.

To date, we have collected just over $3,000 to assist them! People are so generous! With just a few weeks left to collect funds, I ask that you help me spread the word. Can you forward this post along to a friend?

Funds can be contributed at wecanshareit.org. Any questions can be directed to me at: rwhitter@maranathachurch.org.

Thanks, everyone! Much grace!

Rick

the beautiful letdown

My nephew, Richard Whitter spoke at Maranatha Church today. His message, The Beautiful Letdown was about how God wants us to release our expectations of life and ourselves and Him. He taught from the book of Hebrews 12, as well as Philippians 1:20-21. He gave us some clear insight about God's "discipline" of His children, drawing from real-life analogies and examples.

It was a moving day. All three services were impacted in different, but equally effective ways.

I left with the resolution to let God control my future rather than trying to figure it all out on my own. I want to release anything that I have concocted in my head regarding my plans. I want to approach God and life with an open spirit.

Here is the bottom line: God's plans for us are so much greater than our plans for us, we would be crazy to stick to our plans.

I am very proud of Rich. I love him and his wife Janet and their daughter Grace. I think God has big stuff just ahead for them. By the way, lots of people think we look like brothers. Maybe twins. I would have to agree - He is, indeed, one good lookin' guy!

engaged

I just returned home from Atlanta where I have been attending a conference called Engage. It was an excellent learning opportunity and centered around the concept of engaging the culture with Jesus Christ and being fully engaged with Him.

I heard fantastic teaching from Reggie McNeal and Len Sweet. I have admired both of these men for several years and have read a significant portion of what they have written. They both encouraged us to look ahead at the changes that are taking place in our world and strategically position ourselves where we can be most effective in doing the work of God now and into the future.

I am a missionary. Not in the sense that I have moved to a foreign country for ministry purposes. But similar to the heroes who chose this work, I have to learn to adapt to changes, I have to learn the language of the people around me and I have to know how to communicate effectively. We cannot use yesterday’s methods and expect to be successful today.

Engage helped me with this process. It was a real source of both inspiration and information for me. I also got to spend some good time with some great friends, as well as make a few new ones.

The Maranatha family will be hearing more about this stuff in upcoming teaching. For now, suffice it to say, we are headed full-speed toward full-blown missional ministry!

the earth is the Lord's

Taking care of the earth is not a conservative or liberal thing, not a Dem or Republican thing. It is not a Christian or non-Christian thing. It is a “do-the-right-thing” thing.

God gave us one earth and our resources are limited. The Biblical concept of “steward” has to be applied. The world belongs to God; He is just letting us use it for a while. Don’t trash it!

So for future generations: recycle. For purposes of a clean appearance: pick up after yourself. Because people are dying because of a lack of clean water: conserve. Because we are running out: don’t waste natural resources.

Happy Earth Day (tomorrow)!

vision and risk

During this morning's staff meeting at Maranatha, I was able to share some ideas about the future with the people we work with. Some of the things I talked about are a bit "out there" in that, if they take place, it will require a lot of faith and a handful of miracles. I am glad to say, our team is united and there was not one ounce of skepticism on display.

One of the more difficult parts of expressing vision is the risk that those to whom you are speaking will not "buy in". We generally feel our way through these conversations, looking for some kind of affirmation that they are tracking with you. Very bold leaders don't need affirmation as much but the rest of us feel a bit like we are walking through a mine field. It can be dicey.

I am glad to know that we are moving forward in the same direction. This is a great team. I get a lot of encouragement from them. We are exploring vision together. It's going to be great.

christian celebrities

Some people are more famous than Jesus. Or at least, in some “Christian circles”, they get more press than He does. I am talking about big name authors and preachers and singers who are in the center of the public eye. It seems that, whatever they do, someone is there to report about it. And it also seems that some of these folks know just the right things to do in order to get the press coverage they need to stay on top.

Be reminded, Christ-followers, we can fall into the same traps as the rest of our culture. We can begin to put people on pedestals where they don’t belong. We can become just another subculture with our own heroes and icons. We are not above becoming fans of those we admire, sometimes placing them on a level parallel with Christ.

This cannot be. Jesus plainly told us, he who is greatest must be the servant.

So the next time your favorite holy celeb records a new song or releases a new book or resigns his church, let’s not squeal like a pre-adolescent girl at a Jonas Brothers concert. These men and women are just doing what they are doing. Don’t blow it out of proportion. This stuff happens every day. Don’t be guilty of hero worship. Otherwise, you may be one of the causes of their downfall.

Remember: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) We don’t want that to happen to our “rock star” Christians now, do we?

close to home

We drove across the state today to assist with the funeral of the father of a friend. As we traveled through the small towns across the Everglades, I was once again disturbed to see the living condition of so many people. The poverty of the people living in these areas is remarkable. It is especially so when you consider that many of these areas are in rural Palm Beach County, an area known more for affluence. Within a 30 minute drive from the Island of Palm Beach, families are living in squalor. We saw housing conditions that simply should not be in the United States.

I am again reminded that there is much work to be done right in our own back yard. We are now asking what we can do to offer assistance to some of these people.

One way I like to express our mission: making the love of God obvious.

Any thoughts?

sticky relationships

My message today is the second part of Sticky Relationships. Last week, I told the good folks at Maranatha that a strong connection with God is top priority and we have to get it right with Him if we expect to get it right with others. Today I am talking about how we connect with each other.

I honestly don't know what NOT to say. We need so much work in this area. God will help us and we will figure it out.

Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. (NLT)

Join us at Maranatha if you are in the area. If you can't, you can catch the message later this week on our website.

A blessed Sunday, everyone!

Rick

what it’s all about

Meet Mynor (the good looking one on the left), a three month old baby boy who lives at Casa Shalom Orphanage in Guatemala. Letha and I just returned from a trip there to visit our daughter, Jessica and her husband Josh, where they serve as missionaries. Back in January, Mynor was found by police, lying on the side of the road, having been abandoned by his mother. He was only a day or two old. If they had not found him when they did, he surely would have died in that ditch. But they did find him, and they brought him to Casa Shalom to be cared for.

There is a very good chance that Mynor will grow up at Shalom. I know of several examples just like him who have been at the home for several years. We all hope for adoption for him but only God knows the future. And God knew that he needed to be in the loving arms of the people who work at Casa Shalom. He is being loved and clothed and cared for. He is receiving medical care and nutritious food and nurture. Jessica calls him “the Little Prince”.

And this is precisely why we are so passionate about helping orphans. God has assigned each of us the responsibility of caring for them. Anyone who is a believer in Jesus Christ accepts this responsibility. The guiding verse we hear so often is James 1:27, “Religion that God the Father accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help, and keeping yourself free from the world's evil influence.” (NCV)

Pray for Mynor and the other children at Casa Shalom, and pray for orphans around the world. Once you have prayed, pay attention to what God told you while you were praying about how you can make a difference in someone’s life.

By the way, Mynor is not from Alabama and I don’t think his first words will be “Roll Tide!”. He is wearing clothes that some good-hearted North American donated! If you want to know more about Casa Shalom, see Jessica and Josh's blog.

back in the USA

Letha and I just returned from a quick trip to Guatemala. God's hand was on us, we had an excellent trip. I will post some thoughts and pictures tomorrow.

Best blessings, everyone!

a bit of a break

I appreciate the loyal readers of my blog. I want you to know that it will be a little quiet for the next few days. All is well, I am just tied up with some travel and ministry projects. I'll fill you in in a few days.

In the mean time, here are two ideas to keep you focused:

What did God say? If you know the answer to that, you are on the right track. You find that answer in His Word and through His Spirit.
Are you willing to do whatever God says? If your answer is "yes", you have it made. If your answer is "no", back up and repeat step one.

Regardless of the question, the answer is obedience to God. He is looking for people who will serve Him with reckless abandon and great faith. Let's do it.

Grace!

Rick

you might need this message…

You may be in real need of the practical teaching that Sticky Relationships will provide. Some of us are great at relationships, some, not so much. So let me extend an invitation:

If you would rather be alone than be with family and friends.
If you are estranged from loved ones.
If you are holding on to an offense.
If you resist commitment in relationships.
If you can’t trust people.
If all of your relationships are short-term.
If you feel distant from God.
If your marriage is in trouble.
If you are lonely.
If you have none of these problems but you have a friend who does.

I invite you to attend one of our 3 worship services tomorrow or, listen on-line.

God has the wisdom it takes to help our relationships stick.

guest blogger

A friend asked me to write a post for his blog site. I did so and he posted it yesterday. Reading it may give you a bit more insight into the direction I hope we are going.

You can find his site it at benliles.org. Hope you enjoy!

Grace, everyone!

Rick

God doesn’t give up on us

In my reading today, I came across a verse I never recall reading before. I have read it, I just don’t remember it.

“All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.” II Samuel 14:14. New Living Translation

The context is a woman discussing with King David how he needs to bring his exiled son, Absalom home. The application is much greater. This statement reflects the heart of God toward us. We all really are dying. Once we are dead, it is over. But God does not disregard our morality or disrespect life. He is working to reconcile us to Him. We have all been separated from Him by our sin and we are all dying as a result. But until our very last breath, He is doing what He can to bring us to Himself. This is what gives hope to the death-bed repenters, to those who wait until their very last moment to call on God. While this is a very bad idea and an incredible gamble, I believe that millions of people will be in heaven who lived for Jesus only their last few moments on earth.

The bigger idea is that God loves us and does not want us to be removed from Him. He is devising ways to bring us back to Him. He allows trouble to come, blessings to come, whatever it takes to get our focus on Him.

God will move heaven and earth if necessary to bring you to Him. That’s how much He loves you. He is not giving up on you. Even if everyone else in your life quits, He will not.

the summer of our discontent

Richard:
“Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.”

(Shakespeare: Richard The Third, Act 1, scene 1, 1–4)

While I appreciate those who are, I am no fan of 16th century English Literature. My grammar and writing skills got me through college Lit classes. I can however, identify with Richard in his hope for a brighter future. He is hopeful that the crowning of his brother, Edward IV as King will bring about better days for his family. The well-known quote from this piece is often misused. The phrase, “The winter of our discontent” is not meant to stand alone. His “winter” has turned into glorious “summer”. This is actually a positive statement.

I am in a “summer of discontent” of sorts. While it is not yet summer, the next few seasons for us are bringing many opportunities to see glorious things take place. These things will not happen unless I experience a season of discontent now. When properly utilized, discontentment can be one of the greatest motivators know to humankind. When we are discontent to the point of discomfort, we act. I am uncomfortable and I am getting ready to act.

Please don’t think that I am unhappy. Discontentment is not mere unhappiness. I would categorize my discontentment more as “unrest”. I see issues that need to be addressed and problems that need solving. I live in a community that I consider to be a mission field. I am watching too many people muddle their way through their mundane lives while Christ offers abundant and exciting adventures to them. Around the world, there are hungry kids who need to be fed and communities that need churches. The pain of people troubles me enough to get involved. I am discontent enough to try to do something about it. This is the summer of my discontent.

I am hoping that, by winter, I will be in a season of contentment. The plans are to engage ministry on some new levels. There are some new projects that are breathing down my neck and I am anticipating some solid progress within the next six months. That being said, I realize that there will be another level of discontentment that I will face, just around the corner. That’s one of the ways God keeps me motivated – He allows me to encounter new issues, new causes and new passions.

For anyone who wants to confront me with Philippians 4:11-12, I Timothy 6:8 and Hebrews 13:5, save it. A cursory reading of these verses will show you that the writers are addressing our need to be fulfilled in Christ. I get that. My issue is, Christ won’t let me be comfortable where I am – He wants me to be discontent enough and passionate enough to actually do something that makes a difference.

I like my summer of discontent.

sticky relationships

I know they are all important, but this Sunday’s message is pushing its way onto the urgent list in my soul. It is about relationships. And we are terrible at them. In fact, bad relationships are the number one problem for most people I know. It is difficult to even have a conversation over 60 seconds in length without someone bringing up the fact that their spouse or kid or boss or neighbor or friend is driving them nuts. Weekly, I talk with people who are ending their marriage, leaving their church, quitting their job or estranging themselves from their family. It is a big problem. And God has answers.

“Sticky Relationships” is a title I tweaked from a book entitled “Sticky Church”, written by Larry Osborne. Although the book is about how churches can help people to stick with them, my message is not based on principles taught in the book. I just borrowed the title (and look of the cover) because it seemed an appropriate way to describe the theme. It is more palatable than “You Had Better Be Deeply Committed to Your Family and Friends”, even though that is my point.

Help me spread the word about this message. By the way, I am using a pretty crazy creative element in the services at the Palm Beach Gardens campus. A bit risky. Maybe even bordering on improper – sounds like fun, huh? Here’s a hint – it has something to do with Velcro.

My prayer: “God, help us to love like You love.”

back to missions

Even though we were tired yesterday from all of the Easter celebrations at Maranatha Church, Letha and I spent the afternoon packing new clothes for orphans in Guatemala. We are headed down there next week for a quick trip to see Jessica and Josh and to take needed supplies to the kids at Casa Shalom Orphanage. It is exciting to think about how much they will enjoy the new jeans, shirts, shoes and underwear we are taking.

We are also in the planning stages of a larger group trip we have scheduled for this summer. At this point, a team of 15 people are going to Guatemala to serve on-site at Casa Shalom and the Rio Bravo Feeding Center. Team training will begin shortly and we are expecting an awesome and effective trip.

Jessica and I continue with our Peru prep and fund raising. Next month we travel to Lima and Cuzco to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. As part of our journey, we plan to help a children’s ministry center in Southern Lima. For more info, watch the video below (posted on March 28) or go to Maranatha's outreach website: wecanshareit.org.

Honestly, it is not “back to missions”. Most of what we have done over the last few weeks as we prepared for Easter has been missional. Our vision was to take the message of Jesus to lots of people – and we succeeded. What I am doing this week is simply a different expression of the mission. This part is global as compared to a local expression.

I love every second of it.

Easter 2010

Our observation of Easter is now history. It has been a busy week and a lot of hard work and prayer went into our activities. Our staff and volunteers served with passion - thanks so much to each one of you! I do believe that it was worth it. We had several people who made the decision to follow Christ. We made some new friends. We reached out into our community and put the love of Christ on display. We enjoyed four very inspirational worship events (that were packed!) that have the potential of changing lives.

A ton of people who are part of our church family were out of town and missed what God did. We got some complaints - about people sitting in their chairs, about us not serving coffee and donuts, about us changing a few things from the past. But we are not going to let those things keep us from celebrating an amazing week. I do believe that it was worth it. Easter is a victory! We believe we were successful in carrying out the mission of Christ! That is victory!

Now my pastor's heart kicks in (if you were at the main campus for Easter - you've seen my karate kick!) and I am praying that this is more than a once-a-year shot. I am asking God to change lives and to connect people with His church. We will then know what success is.

God bless you all - let's live resurrected lives!

the difference the sun makes

This morning feels way different from last night. We commemorated the crucifixion of Jesus in our Good Friday worship event last night. It was a highly emotional and introspective time of worship. All day, and for the past few days, I felt the spiritual repercussions of what Jesus went through in His final days. I realize that many people avoid dealing with the suffering of Christ. This is their loss for you cannot fully engage in resurrection if you have not experienced the tomb.

This morning feels different. I was up early, long before the sun. As it started to rise and the orange and pink streaks were painted across the eastern sky, I felt a lifting of my spirit. Although it is not yet Easter and, technically, our observation is that Jesus is still in His grave, the sun brings new life. I will not wait until Easter morning to celebrate the victory of Christ over death!

Tomorrow morning, Christ followers from all over the globe will gather to honor Jesus, the One who died and rose for us. It will be a true celebration!

Don’t wait for tomorrow. And please don’t end your celebration with the setting of the Easter sun. Jesus lives today, tomorrow and forever! And because He lives, we live. Let’s live lives of resurrection.

Easter blessings to all!

good friday

A blessed Good Friday to you. Today, we remember the death of Jesus on a cruel cross. Everything changed from that moment forward.

Luke 23:33-34 When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing." (MSG)

We have no clue what we are doing, we need a Savior.

Worship with us at Maranatha Church tonight at 7:00. Our focus will be To The Cross.

i hate when people hate change

Every few months, I am made aware of a statement or opinion that continues to arise, to the point that I am tired of hearing about it. It has happened again.

In the past month and a half, I have heard too many people utter the phrase, “I hate change!”. Of course, this was in response to someone challenging them to do something different in their lives. Now, we must state the obvious, not because it needs to be said but because it always comes up in the discussion. Change for the sake of change is not necessarily a good thing. There isn’t much value in transitioning something just so you can say that you did. So leave that line of thinking behind. I am addressing the necessity of change in our everyday life.

The people that I have heard describe their loathing of change live in a rut. They want things to remain that way. Someone with a better idea comes along, someone who is not afraid to risk, not afraid to challenge the status quo, and their innovative ways are met with the compelling argument, “but I don’t want to change!”. I can’t tell you how frustrating that phrase is to people who are trying to make the world a better place in which to live.

I don’t believe the people who say that they have sworn off change. I think they want other people to change, to meet their needs. They simply don’t want to go through the effort of changing themselves. Maybe a more accurate statement would be, “I only want other people to change. But please don’t require any cooperation from me.” They will be more than happy to enjoy the benefits that the change brings about.

Here are 3 good reasons to embrace change:
-Nothing good ever happens unless someone changes something. Everything from a good meal to scientific advancements result from someone taking the initiative.
-New life springs from change - without it we all die. Every time a baby is born, things change – drastically!
-Lack of change results in boredom. Who wants to live in prehistoric times? Life is meant to be exciting.

Think about this further:
If you can do better than you currently are, change needs to happen.
If a problem can be solved with change, bring it on.
If the life of someone around us can improve if we change, we have a responsibility to change.

What if Jesus has said to God, “I hate change!”? He would have stayed in heaven and we would have all gone to hell. He would have refused to go to the cross.

One final thought:
We all are willing to change when we hurt badly enough. Pain is a huge motivator. Let’s not wait until the pain is unbearable before we cooperate with transition.

Honestly, this is why I hate the "I hate change" philosophy so much. Those who refuse to change are hurting. Their lives aren't as fruitful as they could and should be. Resistance to change is a trap that holds them back, confines them to repeat the past. I want to see them free.

I love change. It is the essence of life. The next time one of my friends says, ”I hate change”, I am going to change friends. :)