out of control

out of control

She’s out of control; he’s out of control, they’re out of control, I’m out of control . . . . sad to say, but this has become a very popular phrase in the 21^st Century.  According to Dictionary.com the definition for ‘out of control’ is:  not under management or direction; unmanageable or wild.  Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon follows suit with this expanded phrase for ‘out of control’ // Also, out of hand.  No longer under management, direction, or regulation; unmanageable or unruly.  For example, Housing costs are out of control, or the children were getting out of hand again. The first term uses control in the sense of “restraint,” a usage dating from the late 1500s.

Oh my!  This is most amazing: this term is dated all the way back to the 1500s.  Out of control – this conflict knows no age limits and no gender; no one is immune from experiencing it at some point in their lifetime.  It’s a place that really does match this definition of unmanageable or wild – wild emotions like spaghetti noodles all stuck together.   Your soul going to a place that is unruly and unimaginable; just as David said, why art thou downcast, why are you so restless, why are you down in the dumps, why are you so upset inside, ohhhhhhh my soul.   But, here’s good news……..             

Recently, I picked John G. Lake’s book back up: “His Life, His Sermons, His Boldness of Faith.”  As I was reading the Forward (again) by Gloria Copeland, I made a fresh commitment to read one of his sermons every day.  There’s one particular chapter that has changed my life forever.  I believe you will experience the same; here are some excerpts taken from his sermon, Triune Salvation:

   

Man is triune… spirit and soul and body . . . just the same as God is triune, being Father and Son and Holy Ghost.  Salvation begins at the time when the spirit is surrendered to God.  People wonder why, after having given their hearts to God and after having received a witness of the spirit, they are still troubled with evil desires and tempted in evil ways.  The nature has three departments, and therefore, the surrender of the spirit to God is not all that He demands.  God demands also the mind and the body.  The mind is the soul life; and it continues being of the earth – earthy - and doing earthy things until God does something to that mind, until we seek God for a new mind.

The Church at large recognizes the salvation of the spirit.  But they have not recognized the salvation of the mind and salvation for the body.  It’s found in the same manner: by committing the body and mind now and forever to God.  When we trust our minds (souls) and our bodies to man, two parts are out of the hands of God, and there remains only our spirits in tune with heaven.  It ought not to be so.  This absolute consecration to God, this triune salvation, is the secret of the successful Christian life.  Amen, Brother John Lake! 

23 And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).  24 Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (AMP)

The Lord has led me just today to recommit and consecrate my whole being to Him; spirit and soul (my mind, my intellect, my will, my emotions, my thoughts) and body.  All three parts in His hands, under His management, in tune with heaven and definitely NOT out of control!  Blessed be His name!

Mary McIver

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The Best Job Of All

 "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us... according to the proportion of faith."  Romans 12:5-6

Having 5 girls in the house makes every day an AMAZING adventure! When they were smaller, it was an incredible amount of work just to maintain a daily routine of working, cooking, cleaning, homework, doctor's appointments, shopping....and the list goes on and on. As they are getting older, things are getting much easier around the Beck house! I am working with them to learn all of the aspects of running a home, and along the way it is becoming clear what each of my girls is best at doing around the house. Still it is important to me that they continue to learn skills in different areas and that means they don't always get to do their favorite jobs.

There are various reasons I may ask a certain one of my girls to help me in different areas. If I need it done quickly, I'll ask the one who is best in that area knowing that it will be done right the first time. If time is not an issue and I know one of girls needs to work on that area, I may choose her so that she has an opportunity to work on that task and become better at it. If I need to spend some time with one of the girls, I may choose her just so that we can be together while getting the job done.

Now and then I may get a bit of an attitude because they don't want to do what I've asked of them. Depending on the situation sometimes I will explain why they are doing it, but I also believe that at times it's an important life lesson to learn to obey whether they understand or not. The good thing is that even though they don't always understand, I know exactly why I chose them and am confident all will be well when the assignment is complete. What I also know is that no assignment has to do with the worth of any of my girls. I love each and every one of them just the same, and their assignment does not make them any more or less valuable in my eyes! The assignments I give them may be different because I understand their abilities and graces, but each of them is precious in their own right because of who they are to me...they are my children.

It's probably not hard to see where I'm going with this. :)  Even though we are adults naturally speaking, we are God's kids and have assignments He hands out at home, on the job and in ministry throughout our communities and around the world.

I wish I could say every assignment and season of life has been glorious and enjoyable, but honestly some have been very difficult to get through. Yet even at times when I felt as though I just couldn't go any further, His grace was always present and sufficient. As we grow and mature, we learn that assignments have more to do with His purposes than our comfort or preferences. Often the assignments of the past that we didn't understand become crystal clear to us as the rest of His plan for our live manifests. I have personally found that my most difficult assignments were simply training ground for the wonderful things that lied ahead in the future.

The most important thing to understand is that we are not defined by our assignment in the Kingdom. We are defined by our relationship with Jesus Christ that makes us children of our Father God! God is not like the earthly culture we see around us. He is not more proud of someone with a certain position or title, and He doesn't value one of His children over another based on what they do or don't do. Father God is just as pleased with the faithfulness of the Sunday School teacher assigned to teach 2 or 3 as He is with the faithfulness of the Pastor assigned to teach 10,000! He sees our hearts and our faith in what He has given us to do, and that is all that truly matters.

So, as the sign says...Keep Calm and Do Your Assignment! Be comfortable in your own skin and in your own purpose. You are precious and valuable in the Father's sight. No matter how great or how seemingly small the task at hand may seem, it is needed and necessary to the Kingdom, so give it your best! 

What's the best job of all? The one He gives you!

Enjoying the journey,

Debbie Beck

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Right On Time

Have you ever felt like you are in a holding pattern? Circling the same airport, waiting to land? I certainly have! In fact, it best describes the season of life in which I find myself right now. Just like that airplane, I feel as if I have been circling the same promises in scripture and in prayer for months and months, waiting for the answer to be manifested in this natural realm in which I live. Sometimes in the waiting, we can become weary, for I think waiting is one of the hardest things to do. Galatians 6:9 tells us to not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we just don't give up. That's all we have to do, just don't give up! Honestly, at times, that is easier said than done.

Abraham and Sarah's story of how they overcame unimaginable obstacles to receive their child of promise, Isaac, is such a source of inspiration to me. In Genesis chapters 16-18, we read how God had promised Abraham through his wife Sarah, who had been barren for years and years, would bear him a son in their old age and that through them all the nations of the earth would be blessed, AND that their descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky! What an incredible promise and miracle! Do you know how long he had to wait for this to come to pass? It was 25 years! Now that's a long time to wait to see a promise from God come to pass in your life! But a huge part of trusting God's promises is trusting God's timing for it.

So why would God do this, make them wait that long? I believe there are at least two reasons that I can see. First, only in God's timing could God get all of the glory. Romans chapter 4 says that Abraham's body was as good as dead and Sarah's womb also. Yet Abraham did not waver through unbelief but was STRENGTHENED in his faith and gave glory to God, being persuaded that God had power to do what He promised. You see, if God had caused their child of promise to be born in anyone's but HIS timing, then people could say that it would have happened anyway, that God had nothing to do with it. But, in His timing, it was humanly impossible for a child to be born to a woman of 90 and a man of 100 years old! So now, God is able to receive all the glory! Hallelujah!

Waiting, today in our American culture, is certainly not a virtue. We live in such a fast paced society. Everything from our food to finding out news and information happens in mere minutes and sometimes seconds. Here's a news flash for you, God is NOT a fast food drive through! Hebrews 6:12 says that we inherit the promises of God through faith AND PATIENCE. It takes both!

The second reason I can see why God made them wait that long is that He wanted to do a work in them. James 1:2 says it perfectly, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance [patience]. Perseverance must finish its work so that you are mature and complete, not lacking anything." NIV   And it's no different for us, today.  God is ultimately concerned with our character and maturity. He wants us to grow up, and not be deficient in any way.

We can trust God. He knows what He's doing. He is worthy of our trust. Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" We see only what is right in front of us, God sees eternity. We see the short term, God sees the long term. We see the finite, God sees the infinite.

We can trust God's promises and His timing so He gets the glory and so He can do a work in us. It may be the 11th hour and the 59th minute, but God is never late; He's always right on time! Hang in there, my friends, the promise WILL manifest, we just can't give up!

Not giving up,

Kim Dillingham

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I Will Never Be Dependent On A Man!

These are the words I declared in my heart at 16 years old - "I will never be dependent on a man!" 

For years I had observed the dysfunction of my parents' marriage. After yet another explosive evening, I determined that I would position myself, so that if I ever wanted to leave a marriage, I could do so. To me, this meant being financially self sufficient and independent. 

So, I chose my career path based on annual income. I graduated from college and got a job in my field right away. Because I am a natural leader and because I was not going to be dominated by a man, I was the leader of our household. Life was good!

But then.....the Lord began to deal with me and show me the error of my ways.

I began to learn about submission and I knew that I needed to make a change. Since that time, I have sought to be submitted to my husband. This has been an up and down journey for me. I have not arrived, but I have made progress. I have learned some key principles as I have journeyed his path. I would like to share some of those principles with you.

Why?
You have probably heard the scripture in Eph 5:22 that says - "Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord." We submit because we are commanded to submit. That's the order that God ordained. And because God ordained it that way, that's where the anointing is. Men are anointed to be the head of the home. 

But ladies, we are not left out. Prov. 31:27 says, "She watches over the affairs of her household." Over the course of my marriage, there would be various times when there would be unspoken undertones in our home. I would mention it to my husband and he had no idea they even existed. Sometimes they were so obvious to me and I could not understand how he could NOT have picked up on it. Now I know why - that's not where his anointing is. It's my anointing to watch over the affairs of the home and in so doing, I pick up on those things. I am the anointed watchman, the guard of our home!

What?
What does submission look like? Some say it is agreeing with your spouse. I have to challenge that perspective. I believe that submission only comes when you both disagree. To move forward, one has to give in. That's us Ladies! When there is disagreement, we can state our view, but if he still sees it differently, we are the ones to give in, to submit to his decision. If he is making what seems like a completely silly decision, that's ok. God will honor us for submitting. 

How?
There are two ways - 1) by faith and 2) as unto the Lord. In 1 Pet 3:1-5 it says:

"Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the Word, they without a word may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves being submissive to their own husbands." [emphasis mine]

This passage also tells us to be submissive and gives great insight as to why and how. But I believe a key here is that simple phrase, these women of previous generations who are to be admired and respected, trusted in God. We have to trust God that as we submit, He will have His hand on our husbands, as the head of household. It is an act of faith.

For me that means I have to pray and otherwise, keep my mouth shut!

The second way we submit is as to the Lord. As we saw in Eph. 5:22 - we are told to submit to our husbands as to the Lord. Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church. There will be times when you don't think he's loving you that way. 

Submit anyway - you are doing it as unto the Lord, because God commanded you to, not because your husband deserves it.

Now a disclaimer - If you are in an abusive relationship, you need to seek outside counsel and soon. This devotion is not directed to those relationships.

With the exception of abusive situations, we should always be submitted to our husbands. A good rule of thumb to live by, is considering Christ and the church. The church is the bride of Christ. If you are in a situation and you are not sure what direction to take, consider if it would be appropriate for the church to respond in like manner to Christ. The church should always be in submission to Christ and should never try to manipulate or control the Savior.

I've found that submission is very freeing. There are decisions that I do not have to be responsible for - woohoo! I've also found it to be very challenging, especially to keep quiet. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13), and so I press on!

I would love to hear your story on submission! 

Be Blessed!

Dawn

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