June 18, 2013

FEAR (get over it)

By rickwhitter

Fear get over it

I want to address one of the more powerful forces in the universe – fear. Especially as it relates to how we process life and opportunities, fear can control, intimidate and dominate our lives.

The term “paralyzing fear” is legit – some fear is so powerful that it actually leaves us unable to move.

The biggest trouble with fear is, it controls our ability to dream. Some find it nearly impossible to visualize a positive outcome because their fear dominates any optimism. Like a playground bully, fear intimidates the vision right out of many leaders. Napoleon Hill said, “Fear is a darkroom where negatives develop.”

Don’t let your fear of the future control your future!

Don’t allow fear of repeated failures to dictate your future!

Don’t tolerate fear as an uncontrollable force!

It can be controlled.

Here are some insights on how to beat fear:

Identify your fear. Ignoring it or denying it won’t help. Label it by name. Fear is an enemy.

Face your fear. Unless your fear is based on some life-threatening danger, face it down. Stare at fear right in the face. You may find that fear itself is intimidated by courage. Fear is a liar.

Push back. A good old fashioned, “I’m not gonna take it any more” attitude can result in fear backing away from the fight. You might need some help with this one, enlist a friend or two to help you push back. Fear is a coward.

Move in for the kill. Once you detect that fear is backing up, don’t let up. Push it all the way to the hell from which it came. Fear can be defeated.

Apply God’s Word to your fear! The phrase “fear not” appears 365 times in the Bible (one for every day of the year). “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. “II Timothy 1:7 (NLT) God does not want you under the control of fear.  Rather, He wants us to live confident and powerful lives.

Get over your fear and live out your dreams!

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June 9, 2013

Drill Down

By rickwhitter

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We are increasingly becoming a generation of hoppers. We skip from one job to another, from hobbies and interests and even from one relationship to the next.  It is no wonder that we have trouble concentrating, our attention spans are short and we are easily bored.

There may be a consequence that is bigger than boredom – many of us are not living out the ultimate purpose of our lives. Rather than laser sharp vision and fulfillment, most people settle for mediocrity and mundanity. This can be a consequence of a refusal to focus on the main thing.

It’s time to drill down deeper into things that matter. Even as it is confusing to try to focus on more than one thing with your eyes, multiple emphases in life can ultimately frustrate.

Drilling deep will require some practices that we may not be currently employing.  A few examples are:

Exercise self-discipline: We must resist the temptation to flit from one concentration to the next. As children must learn to pay attention in spite of distractions, so we will need to develop this skill. It is a matter of growing up and doing what may not come naturally. Be mature enough to say “no” to non-essentials that prevent you from digging deeper.

Ignore the flash: There is a lot of competition for your attention. There are plenty of interesting sights and sounds that are vying for your focus. Learn to tune out the noise.  Don’t make yourself a slave to the loudest voices and brightest lights or else you will drive yourself crazy chasing them.

Give up on hip: Many people are trying so hard to stay connected and current that they end up being completely irrelevant. Trends change faster than you can. Be aware of who God created you to be, pursue that vision with everything you have and let the rest of the world keep spinning toward their nauseating dizziness.

Abandon the “messiah complex”: You can’t save others. You are not their answer. Let’s learn to entrust others to God and simply do what He has called us to do.

Drilling deep takes strength. But the result of deep drilling will be the discovery of precious gems unexplored by those who bounce around the surface of life.

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June 1, 2013

You are Needed

By rickwhitter

you are needed

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” I Corinthians 12:12, 18, 25-27 (NLT)

We need you to be at your best. You possess unique giftings that are necessary for larger success; when you win, we all win. As part of a team, we will all get more done. Individually, none of us will accomplish much of significance.

The challenges our generation faces require someone with your abilities. There are enough problems; we need you to be a part of the solution.

You can opt out, but someone else will need to step up, your job still needs to be done. If someone else steps up to do your job, who will do their job? It doesn’t take long for the entire thing to unravel.

We need you to contribute. Please join in. If you do, you will enjoy the fulfillment of a job well-done as well as great success for the body of Christ.

You are needed!

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May 5, 2013

The Great Equalizer in Preaching

By rickwhitter

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You’re pouring your heart out. You preach like a man possessed (in a good way). You wax eloquent. And then it happens; you make eye contact with the one person in the crowd that can truly humble you – your spouse.

You can fake it with others, but not with her.

Possibly the most difficult part about being a preacher of the Gospel is that at least one of the listeners knows everything there is to know about you.  I think God plans it that way. The great equalizer for many preachers is that their spouse knows better.

It is easy; very easy to impress some crowds. Say the right things in the right way with your best preacher voice and you can wow the crowds. But when someone siting there knows the intimate secrets of who you really are, that is another story.

Preach about faith; she knows your doubts. Preach about prayer; she knows your prayer life. Preach about integrity; and she may smirk (inside).

I think God plans it that way. To keep you humble…to stay real…God reminds you that, no matter what you say, one other person there besides you and Him knows your bathroom habits.

I think the toughest part of being a preacher is that my wife sits there, amening me, nodding her head and being supportive, but knowing full well all my flaws. And still she graciously receives the Word. Quite humbling, I must say!  And good for us preacher-types, lest our arrogance get the best of us. Without these humbling realities, our heads would probably explode with pride. The way it is, it’s sometimes difficult to hold your head up while preaching when she’s in the crowd.

I’m thankful for grace from God and from my wife.

By the way, any preacher who won’t admit to this is either a liar or more spiritual than I am (which isn’t always saying much).

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May 1, 2013

Our Crucible

By rickwhitter

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Crucible: (dictionary.com)

1) a container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures.

2) a hollow area at the bottom of a furnace in which the metal collects.

3) a severe, searching test or trial.

Everyone has their cross to bear. My “cross” is the death of our child. On October 25, 1990, our world changed forever when our 4 year-old Jenna Nicole went to heaven after a battle with neuroblastoma, a rare but fatal form of childhood cancer. In the words of a friend who had lost his son 10 months earlier in a fire, “welcome to the fraternity that no one wants to join”.

This is my testing by fire, my crucible. This crucible shapes me and defines who I am as a man. It influences my opinions on most topics and creates passions in me that are otherwise unexplainable. Every day of my life is impacted by my crucible.

Another friend says that we passed the ultimate test. According to him, our test was a proving ground. I am not so sure that I have passed this test but I am in the process of passing it each day.  The test is in holding my head up and staying positive and helping other struggling people. My wife and I take no credit for the strength we have, it is simply a gift of God’s grace that allows for our survival. We have learned to give our grief to God; to offer it to Him so that someone else may be helped. Pain that is held inside will rot the soul.

Your crucible is your own. No one can endure it for you. It is hot, for sure. It’s not fair to compare it to the crucible of someone else – no two crucibles are the same. But in Christ, you can stand up under it and survive. You can thrive through your crucible.

I Peter 1:7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold–though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (NLT)

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April 26, 2013

Back to Haiti

By rickwhitter

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I am privileged to be returning to Haiti in two weeks. Our work with International Orphan Support continues to expand. While in Haiti, I will be able to visit homes for children in Montrouise, Dufailly and Pierre Payan. IOS is unique in that all administrative costs for operation are covered by its leaders. 100% of individual contributions go to the homes that take care of the children. If you’d like to make a donation that will help the children in Haiti, please click on the link about a go to the “Give” page.

Thanks for considering this and for helping us to spread the word!

Rick Whitter 

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April 18, 2013

In Times of Tragedy, You Can’t Hide What’s Inside

By rickwhitter

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It’s been a tough week. West, Texas, the Boston Marathon, and countless lesser-recognized crises that didn’t even make the news. Honestly, it’s been a tough recent past. It seems that we are stringing together a series of really ugly tragedies. So much pain.

When everything is great, hypocrisy comes easy. But please notice how bad times have a way of bringing out whatever is inside us. This week, first responders in Boston are being heralded because they ran toward exploding bombs. Volunteer firefighters in Texas rushed to the scene only to lose their lives. Although there are only a few of these heroes, all over the country, whatever was inside of us came out.  Fear, anger, hatred; all of these are legitimate responses to the tragedies. Some run for cover while others run into the fire. Some get even more political and blame the “other” party. Some take advantage of the crisis and loot nearby stores. Whatever is inside comes out in times of crisis. You can’t hide it.

While you can’t hide what’s inside, I do believe you can change what is inside:

If your first response to bad news is giving up, pray for strength from God.

If your first response is revenge, pray for justice.

If your response is to cower in the corner or to panic or to lose control, pray for courage.

The problem with these responses? They offer no hope. No one is helped.

If your response is in any way anything other than hope-filled, God can help you.

The heroes of today are analogous to Christ. When humankind was in serious trouble, He came running, bringing hope. He was the First first responder.

Here is the bad news: another tragedy is on the way. Tomorrow or next week or next month something bad will happen. Make no mistake, the strong will rise to the occasion and make a positive difference. The weak will be controlled by the tragedy.

We need to be strong. God help us be strong in Your strength.

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