Tag Archives: Spanberger

When you feel like God’s not listening…..

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God-is-waiting

“The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you
want most for what you want right now”
Zig Ziglar

Have you ever had one of those days that makes you feel like God is just not up there hearing what you have to say? (Now this is NOT the time to get a holier-than-thou attitude and say, “Oh no, not me,” but instead, just be real.) WELL, “I” have been in this place and it’s not a good place to be in!

For most people, it’s hard to find joy in waiting, as we are a society that wants everything NOW. We teach our children to have patience, but when it comes to us and God and our prayers, we think we must have an instant miracle, move, and/or manifestation, or something must be wrong. We bounce back and forth between “is it me or is it you God, who is delaying this”? We track the response time as if the answers to our prayers are on a travel schedule. I believe that one of the secret recipes to a joyful Kingdom in life is finding joy in the moment. Now I will be the first to admit that this is NOT always easy. I have learned that in those times, the best thing I can do is reassure myself of God’s promises by daily diving into His Word. Here are a few anchor scriptures that I cling to:

Deut 31:6 (NKJ) “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

1 John 5:14 (AMP) “And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.”

Mark 11:24 (AMP) “For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].”

You see, the truth is that God never leaves us, He always hears us, and He never withholds from His kids. Even before we gave our life to Christ, He knew us and through the power of choice we either let Him in or keep Him at bay.

So how do we overcome?
1. Don’t let the situation change who you are. (I stole that from my wife!!!) – You see, we can’t let a temporary circumstance create a change in us, but instead, we must create a change in it.
2. Don’t give up! His Words in Mark 11:24 are powerful words to hang your prayers on. Make those three words your battle cry in tough times. I have my own three-word battle cry and it is “SUCK IT UP”. (CLICK to read “SUCK IT UP” post)
3. Continually fill yourself with the Word and don’t stop when things get good, but instead, make it your lifestyle. I like how Tony Robbins says that “leaders are readers,” but I take it one step further with what you put in you is what comes out during those tough times. A good business book can give you insight into certain techniques and processes, BUT nothing that truly pertains on how to live and thrive in His Kingdom. So get a good balance on what you are filling yourself up with, but always focus on the Word.
4. Stand no matter what! 1 John5:4 (AMP) “For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith.”

Those are just a few thoughts that will help you in your daily life. I hope in some way you have been encouraged by this post and would ask that if you know someone else that could benefit from this, to please forward it to them.

QUESTION: How do you handle the season of WAIT?

I look forward to your response.

HE STOPPED THE SUN….

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He stopped the sun

Joshua 10:13 (AMP) “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed”

I would love to have seen that miracle play out.  I can just picture all those that day watching & wondering what was going on!

Have you ever wondered what He would do for you to see you succeed in the task at hand?  His reach is limitless, so there is no boundary that can stop Him from moving heaven and earth or even stopping the sun to see you succeed.

Most think too small, but I can picture Joshua that day just looking up and saying, “Hey God, will you do me a favor and stop the sun for me?”  Can you imagine God doing that very same thing for you?  Oh, I can and so much more!  We don’t need to waste time with flowing tears, screaming voices and lengthy theological words; but instead, all we need to do is just talk to Him.

Honestly, is stopping the sun such a great miracle compared to the miracle that manifests when we make Jesus the Lord of our lives?  I never negate the power and awesomeness of any miracle, but can there be one greater than the forgiveness of every sin and the transference into eternal life?  If you are pausing and thinking, let me answer for you.  That’s a big NNNNOOOO!!!!!!  There is no greater miracle – past, present or future.  So whatever you need, even the stopping of the sun, you have it.  You should go through the Word and find all the scriptures that have to do with the power of your words.  One of my favorites is found in Mark 11:23 & 24 (AMP) (23) “Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.  (24) For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].”

We would love to hear from you with your praise reports, prayer request or anything else you would like to share below.

I want to end this blog saying Happy Fathers Day to all the guys out there who are blessed enough to be called dad.

WHY?

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What-why-how

 

I am going to list a few questions you might have asked yourself, as I know I have asked myself these questions before!

1.)  WHY?

2.)  What is my purpose?

3.)  How did I get to this place in life?

What are we seeking when we ask these questions?  Are we seeking answers or purpose, or is it our way of dealing with a lost feeling of life with no direction?  Whatever the case may be, we can’t stop living.  We all have a number of undefined days in life and with each passing one, we have got to know that we made it count in some way.

I’m a dreamer and a visionary and like many, my mind seems to live in “LET’S GO” mode 24/7/365.  But I also have to know that I am a man with a purpose and a WHY and my WHY is not your WHY and unless ordained, no one else can fulfill that WHY!  Still with me?

I look at some great dreamers like Walt Disney, who believed that actually doing the impossible was fun.  I also look at writers like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote masterpieces that have gone beyond their years in what is now future generations and touched our hearts with hope and our minds with adventure, while bringing a Kingdom message to all that watch.  What about Henry Ford, who dreamed of a machine that we could get around on, on it’s own power?  And then there was the legendary John D. Rockefeller,  the first billionaire in history.  Although his life was not perfect, he had strong Kingdom beliefs.  He is quoted to have said,  “I never would have been able to tithe my first million dollars I ever made, if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”  It has been said that he gave away over $555 million in his lifetime.

I have always been intrigued by visionary dreamers, those that would take a dream and run with it and not look back.  Those that had value and character and respect that was not demanded but instead, earned, as only it can be truly acquired.

The answer to WHY is in the commission that we have all been called to in life.  The WHY is not really a WHY but instead a WHO.  It’s made up of a global sea of faces.  When we are in our WHY, then we can impact the WHO, which in return is fulfilling the greatest command ever spoken and that is “GO YE”.

So next time you wonder WHY, don’t look inside yourself; but instead, look around you at a lost and dying wold filled with the WHO’s you have been called to touch and make a difference.  BUT to do this, you must know HIM!  You might say HIM WHO?  The HIM that loved you so much HE created you in HIS likeness and created a KINGDOM like no other for you to not just live in, but to rule and reign in.  SO it’s time to know HIM so you can then know WHY and then reach WHO the one true KING of KING’s has called you to and so that you will one day be spoken of as one of those uncommon dreamers of then and now.

So open the door and ask HIM into your life as your LORD and SAVIOR forevermore!

Gear Up! (Part 4) “Battle Gear”

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Gear Up

 

Every day we are all engaged in an active battle, BUT not in a physical sense.  The battle is spiritual.  (I touched on what the Word says about this in last week’s post.)

Ephesians 6:12 (AMP) “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotism’s, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere”.

If you were going into a physical battle, you would gear up from head to toe in full armor.  Well then, why would you not enter into a spiritual battle in the same way?  You should gear up for Kingdom warfare!

So, let’s take a look at our Kingdom battle gear! Ephesians 6:

V:14 “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,”

Truth and sincerity are the girdle which holds the spiritual armor together.  Then the breast plate of righteousness fortifies the heart against Satan’s attacks.

V:15 “and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”

Obedience & peace in the midst of the trials of life only comes from clear knowledge of the gospel.  This takes us back to seeking Him first, Matthew 6:33.

V:16 “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

Faith is relying totally on the unseen with a trust that says “No matter what, I will not waiver!”  Life is full of fiery darts that are daily trying to side track you and take you off course.

V:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”

The helmet covers that place which becomes a battleground of some really great wars.  All sin starts as a thought.  So it makes sense that we most protect the mind.  The last piece of gear, but certainly not least, is the Sword of Spirit.  It is the very Word of God, the instruction book of life.  There has been no greater success book, romance novel, or adventure ever written.  Matthew 6 verse 33 tells us “to seek first the Kingdom” and that is done through prayer and study time in the Word.  Every question and every problem has an answer to it, and it is in the Word.

All the Armor of God works from the inside out, which again is where Satan works.  I believe this is why in verse 13 where it says “take up”, we must make the decision to “take up” the Armor of God.  The gear has been issued and the battlefield is in full swing, but only the strong kingdom minded ones that take up their armor, will be victorious.

All the pieces of this Armor have such great detail and importance.  Therefore, I encourage you today to “take up” the Sword of the Spirit, the Word; to read it daily and meditate on it.  This is an investment that will yield back into your life a bountiful harvest forevermore.

So eyes up, and gear up! Take the battle of life head on! Live each day with no regrets!

Gear Up! (Part 3) “Being Battle Ready”

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Gear Up

 

In part 3 of the Gear Up series we are going to focus on being battle ready.  What is battle ready?  Well,  it means what it says, being ready for the battle.

I believe too many Christians live unprepared for battle, they wait for the battle to hit and then scramble to maintain.

What if our soldiers on the front lines never prepared for battle? All of a sudden the enemy is right on top of them, pounding them with all they have.  What would you say the price of that battle would be?  I would venture to say it would be one epic failure full of great loss.

John 10:10 (AMP) The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Ephesians 6:12 (AMP) For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotism’s, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

The above scriptures state the fact that we do not fight an enemy that is touchable in the natural. Instead, through deception, the enemy creates a war that we do not need to take part in.  I know each person reading this post might say, “But you do not know my spouse, boss, co-workers, etc.” and this is true, but I know this, they are not the enemy.  Life is full of choices and the most important decision you make today is not about your hair, your car or even your spouse. The most important decision you are going to make is choosing to serve God or the devil. That choice decides the kingdom you are going to partake in.  You might be saying, “Well, I don’t believe in God.”  and that is your right, but it is also your decision and does not change the fact that God is real. That decision, who you choose to serve,  will affect you for the rest of your life.

So, if our enemy is not flesh and blood, then the fight, no matter how it may feel to our senses, is not physical. The fight is spiritual, as are our weapons.

The Word says that we have been equipped for battle.

Ephesians 6:10-17
10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  11) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12)For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13)Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14)Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16) above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Just as our military is prepped and made battle ready, so are you. I will end here for now. Next week I will be taking Ephesians 6:10-17 and breaking down your battle armor in detail.  But until then, remember, it’s time to “Gear Up” and make yourself battle ready.
Please share your thoughts & or questions below.

Gear Up! (Part 2) “Rejoice Always”

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Gear Up

 

Last week we focused on the “who we are” and this week we are going to focus on the words “rejoice always”.

I was reading my devotional this weekend and while reading I heard this in my spirit: “Notice Keith, we are to rejoice in all things and not just for all things”. So much of the time, we focus on rejoicing after the breakthrough or when we get a blessing; but that is not what the Word tells us to do.

So let’s take a walk through the Word together.

“Rejoice always”. (I Thessalonians 5:16 NKJV) This scripture is key to success in every storm. Rejoice means to feel or show great joy or delight. So let’s keep reading.

“Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. (I Thessalonians 5:17, 18 NKJV)

The amplified says it this way: “Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]”.
(1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18 AMP)

We can see the command that we are to communicate with God continuously and thank God in everything, no matter what the circumstance might be. Again, “in all things” and not “for all things”.

If I feel a pain in one part of my body, I can always find another part in my body that doesn’t feel pain.

If my finances are down, I can always find a positive place to show where I am not out of the race.

No matter what, I can always find a blue sky on a cloudy day.

And above all, I have assurance in His Word that I am a winner. You have the right every time, to enter into the battles of life FROM victory and not INTO victory. That mindset speaks volumes!

“But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ”. (1 Corinthians 15:57 AMP)

So take a stand right now to find that blue sky this day and rejoice, for you are blessed way beyond what any circumstance might be screaming at you.

Here is the link to part one of “Gear Up!!” posts https://kingdomthinking.org/2013/01/31/gear-up/

So eyes up and gear up to take this new week gladiator style. Rule and dominate every second to it’s fullest and end each day with not a single regret!

Please share below, your thoughts on how you are rejoicing always.

Gear Up!

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Gear Up

 

The term “Gear Up” can mean many different things, depending on the person and the field of expertise they walk in. No matter who you are and what you do, we need to daily “Gear Up” for the day. My life is diverse in so many ways and how I gear up depends on what I am doing that day.  I am the CEO of an International Missions Ministry ( http://www.livingwaterteaching.org ) and travel and minister. I am also the Co-Founder of MedCo International where we do Basic through advanced First Aid/CPR training, as well as Emergency Response for special events. Another position I hold, is I am the EMS Coordinator/Chaplain for the local fire/rescue service where I could be called out at any given moment for local emergencies. And the list could keep going. Above all these, I am a husband, dad, friend and Kingdom Kid of the most high God.

All this said, I have to gear up in many different ways depending on the moment; the same as many who are reading this blog have to do, as well. But there are some consistent daily steps that I take in gearing up my day, no matter what I am doing or what is going on. They are in my time of spiritual and also physical growth. I try to always start each day with time in the Word and getting fresh direction from God and clarity for the day, as well as put in some physical exercise to keep myself strong and healthy. I call this “taking care of the temple”.

So let’s focus on the spiritual gearing up process. First, who are you? Genesis 1 tells us “We have been created in His Image and likeness”. How cool is that? God did not just “throw us together” but instead, He “molded and perfected” us in His image. When I read this, I see we are a people whose intelligence, perception and determination far exceed any other being on this planet.

We can read another part of the daily gearing up process in verse 28 of Genesis 1: He said, “I have given you dominion”. What does that word dominion mean? Glad you asked =) It means: to rule, power, reign, authority, control. That word dominion was not given in reference to rule over each other, but instead, to rule this beautiful planet and the life He has given to each of us. We are to dominate and not be dominated; but so much of the time, people are dominated because they never gear up for the day. They wake up and wonder what is wrong with themselves or God or whoever they find to blame other than themselves.

I am not trying to be hard, but facts are facts and we have to take responsibility for ourselves at some point. The statement “how you see the glass – half full or half empty” speaks volumes!!!

So I will bring this to a close for this week with this thought. What are you doing to gear up for the day? How we start our day, speaks volumes for how we will finish it. But with that statement, I will add this. It’s never too late to make a fresh start. If you need a fresh start, then just close your eyes right now and picture yourself taking your life and putting it over into God’s hands where it belongs, anyways. Now take a fresh breath and ask God, “What would you have me do?” I have found that God is not moved by lengthy and proper sounding prayers, but instead, by an open heart calling out to Him like any other father. He is always there, no matter how things might feel.

But before all this, we have to leave the “old us” behind and make a fresh start by making Jesus the Lord of our life. That happens with just a few words, simply by saying something like: “Jesus, I am sorry for the life I have lived and ask this day for you to come into my life and make me new. I receive this now, in Jesus name, AMEN”. It’s that easy!

I want to end this post with the statement that I always close my weekly Kingdom Thinking Thoughts recap with. “So eyes up and gear up to take this new week gladiator style. Rule and dominate every second to it’s fullest and end each day with not a single regret!”

So GEAR UP and be ready, for the best days of your life are at hand NOW!!!!!

Please share below, your daily process for “GEARING UP”

Kingdom Thinking Thoughts Recap from Week 4

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I spent last week at a Minister’s Conference, sitting under some really anointed “life changing” teaching.

I made the decision last week to not post on the blog other than daily thoughts, because of something I heard in my spirit. John 12:49 (AMP) “This is because I have never spoken on My own authority or of My own accord or as self-appointed, but the Father Who sent Me has Himself given Me orders [concerning] what to say and what to tell”. V:50 “And I know that His commandment is (means) eternal life. So whatever I speak, I am saying [exactly] what My Father has told Me to say and in accordance with His instructions.”

This blog is not now nor has it ever been about me; but instead, it is a journal of my walk in and through the Kingdom.

So what I post on this blog, will be only as always – what I hear from the Throne-room.

Here are last week’s thoughts and my desire is that you will be blessed as you read through them. It does not matter what path you are walking, whether as a King or as a Priest; true and eternal success will only come through Kingdom Revelation.

Monday: Kingdom Thinking: Life is for living, so live it!

Tuesday: Kingdom Thinking: If God is not remembering your sins, then why should you???

Wednesday: Kingdom Thinking: We are the only one we can blame for unfulfilled dreams.

Thursday: Kingdom Thinking: By God’s example, words are for creating so start speaking.

Friday: Kingdom Thinking: Your dream does not have an expiration date on it.

Well that’s it, but another week is now here….   So eyes up and gear up to take this new week gladiator style. Rule and dominate every second to it’s fullest and end each day with not a single regret!

Kingdom Thinking Recap for week 3

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Sorry for my delay with this post!

I truly hope that each day with the thoughts that I post, will in some way inspire you. Every thought is inspired by the Holy Spirit. Honestly, I am posting nothing more than my life and growth of the Kingdom.

As you read them, open yourself up to receive inspiration for yourself in that day.

So enjoy this recap of week 3’s God inspired thoughts.

Monday: Kingdom Thinking: Don’t base your dreams on a budget.

Tuesday: Kingdom Thinking: Start where you are, but your increase is in where you are called.

Wednesday: Kingdom Thinking: The path to success is already established but you must walk it through! 1 Cor 15:57

Thursday: Kingdom Thinking: Be sure you never put man’s written word over God’s Kingdom Word.

Friday: Kingdom Thinking: Never limit the size of your dream based on your present economical status.

Well that’s it, but another week is just around the corner…. So eyes up and gear up to take this new week gladiator style. Rule and dominate every second to it’s fullest and end each day with not a single regret!

Prayer

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Prayer

So how’s your communication pathway with God? I hear so many saying they “just don’t know how to pray” while with others they say “I don’t have time to stop and pray”. Then we have those that when they pray it becomes nothing more than a venting session of how bad their life is.

I know God is not moved by long, drawn-out, whiny prayers no more than He is with one filled with a lot of theologically sounding babble But we can still find ourselves rambling in our talk time with Him to a point of honestly getting lost in Words. I found myself recently reading Matthew 6. It’s funny how things strike us differently at times, because I have read this many times, but as I was reading this chapter, it truly reached out and grabbed me differently. When I got to verse 5, my spirit surged and I was off on a journey. I got to verse 7 and saw the words “vain repetitions” and I could see this referring to endless babbling and long, drawn-out prayers that confuse. One thing I believe Jesus taught, was focused prayer. Prayer is a matter of the heart; a conversation if you will.

So let’s take a journey through this prayer in Matthew 6 starting in verse 9.

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
(Honestly, as we talk to God, it’s not about how holy you can sound because God already knows the real you, so be that who He knows. It’s all about relationship!)

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
(In this verse the reader is recognizing God’s way as the way; not just later but in the here and now in every situation.)

11 Give us this day our daily bread.
(We recognize in this verse that God is our supplier. The Bible talks more about your prosperity than anything else. God has more than shown His constant desire that you be fully taken care of. It’s not by obligation He fills this but instead because of love.)

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
(This scripture, just as in Mark 11, states that we are forgiven but also that we must forgive.)

13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
(Let’s not get confused here in thinking that God brings things on His children. If He was going to do that, then why would He want to send His son Jesus to pay a full price for us? We are recognizing and declaring a hedge of protection around us and our families.)

Again, this is just one area that my daily journey took me to in simplifying my life. How do you find yours? By daily seeking Him and refusing to be a carrier of the weights of life.

If you would like to partner with us as we fulfill the calling that God has placed on our lives, then click here.  In the memo area of the donation page note #25000.  Living Water Teaching is a 501c-3 and all donations are tax deductible.

So leave your thoughts on prayer below.