The God of Restoration

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

When it comes to the topic of restoration, it’s either the Kingdom way or the flesh way. I myself like the Kingdom way, because it has an eternal benefit like no other. The flesh way has nothing but maybe if anything, temporary satisfaction followed with possible grief and other non-healthy feelings and emotions.

I have not seen full restoration for all that has been taken….YET; but, life is not over and so I have expectation for my full multiplied restoration in all areas of
my life.

If you have no expectation for multiplied restoration, then you have not lined yourself up with His Word. Now I know He has given you the ability to settle for less, (if you so desire) but WHY would you want to do that????

Proverbs 6:31 (AMP) But if he is found out, he must restore seven times [what he stole]; he must give the whole substance of his house [if necessary–to meet his fine].

So if God’s Word says seven times, then why would you not expect seven times? Don’t get hung up on the “how of the restoration”. Just rest assured that the multiplied restoration is yours.

I can take you through Leviticus, Exodus and other books of the Bible, where it plainly lays out multiplied restoration as God’s plan for restoration.

Job received multiplied restoration in 42:10.

So you choose – God’s plan or yours, as your focus for restoration. But do not allow yourself to get dismayed over delayment of time; rest knowing that God’s timing is perfect.

July Mission Trip Update:

Below is a link to pictures from the Living Water Teaching July youth group to Guatemala. They ministered the drama 13 times to 2,221 people and the results were: 1,157 Salvations and 45 Reconciliations. PRAISE THE LORD! Email us at lwt@lwtusa.org to find out how you can go and be a part of one of the life changing mission trips LWT holds throughout the year. click this link to see the pictures: http://goo.gl/SJMbzy

We would love to hear from you. So feel free to post your comments below. Until next time, eyes up and be ready, for the best is right at hand.

What would you do?

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

It seems like forever since I last posted, but actually, I posted “Redeemed” on July the 9th. I wanted to share something in this post that I feel God revealed to me on a recent vacation. A few months ago, we had a cruise booked with some close friends and as it got closer and we were preparing to leave on our trip, we heard some very disturbing news. Our cruise ship had become crippled at sea and the rest was history; most all know how this story went… So fast forward to current time; we decided to go on a family cruise this time and we found a really good deal on a ship. YES, the ship was that very same ship we had booked before, but it had been restored to what was supposed to be better than ever. A “multi-million dollar face lift” is what we heard. So let’s stop here for right now with this story.

So what would you do? Would you say, “Well I am not setting foot on that ship!” OR would you say, “It’s all new, I’m in!”? Would you allow the fear of the past dictate the decision of the present? As for us, we were in and ready to go and so away we went. We are now back home again from our amazing trip with tons of new memories that we will not soon forget. (Just a side note, the ship was everything and then some!)

So here’s my thought in this. How many times has fear held you back? How many times has fear or rumors made you reconsider? We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP) “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”

Fear should never be allowed to give direction in our lives. We should be a people that live and dwell in peace and then when we hear that voice inside of us speaking, then we stop, listen and obey. In every area of our lives, that voice will speak IF we recognize it. We recognize it from a relationship; that is the fruit of Matthew 6:33.

In a nutshell, we must not let anyone or anything stop us from moving forward in what GOD has called us into. Once you know it’s from Him, then the approval of others is not needed nor should that direction be questioned. So MOVE forward and never waiver or look back.

July Mission Trip Update:

HE STOPPED THE SUN….

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

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?

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

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!

Kingdom Thinking Recap – Week 20

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

Another week has come and gone, but the posted Kingdom Thinking
thoughts from it are nuggets of Kingdom wisdom you can always use.

Please forward them to others you know, because we can always use a
touch of the Kingdom!!

Monday: Kingdom Thinking: You can see success looking in the rear view mirror.

Tuesday: Kingdom Thinking: success comes from the balance of devotion, family and duty. Luke 10:38-42

Wednesday: Kingdom Thinking: Where joy does not exist neither does peace!

Thursday: Kingdom Thinking: Until dead, it’s never too late to start or start again!

Friday: Kingdom Thinking: Forward is the only direction to fufillment of one’s dreams.

Well that’s it for today, 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!

Here is a link to last weeks blog post:
Living Life In Front

FRAGILE

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

This blog post is dedicated to my dad, James Peterson Cate II. He went to heaven on Monday, April 15, 2013.

This week, I have had many people share with me about how my dad did so many things for so many different people. He was always willing to help anyone and seemed like he could fix anything! I am pretty sure he owned one of every tool and some things he called tools, I am not even sure what they do! In fact, the Sunday before his death, he stopped and helped a family from church change a flat tire. He spent many years touching the lives of boys, young men, and adults through the Scouting program. I myself want to honor his life by carrying on his desire to help others as much as I can. I love you dad!

Life is truly fragile and is to be handled with care. Care in the sense that we not waste it and we not allow a day to go by that we don’t make the best of whatever is going on, because in the end, there is no start over or reset button to get back what has been overlooked and lost. Care that we not take one second for granted with our spouse or children and that we not allow time to pass on our dreams and not live them to the fullest possible.

This care I am speaking of does not represent worry and concern, but instead a love for the life we have been blessed with.

In this blog post, I am not mourning a loss but rejoicing in a victory. With the daily doom that is poured out over the airwaves via TV, Radio, and Internet, to care for the life we have shows our faith and trust in our heavenly Father above.

I encourage you today to not waste another second of your life, but to care for it and nourish it as the God given gift that it is. This second you are in is the only one you are guaranteed – so make the best of it for His Kingdom.

So cast the cares and care for this life with a passion that screams I AM ALIVE!

Therefore, eyes up and gear up for the best day of your life is truly at hand.

Feel free to leave your comments, prayer requests and praise reports below.

Gear Up! (Part 5) “Purpose”

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

What is purpose? It’s the reason for which something is done or the reason for which something exists.

I just wrote a partner letter for the ministry, in which I talked about David and the five stones he went into battle with. While I was in prayer this morning, the Lord started speaking to me about this once again.

Do you think that the stones that David pulled from the brook in 1 Samuel 17:40 where there by accident? Of course not! He did not grab just any handful of stones, either. The verse reads, “He chose for himself five smooth stones”. He made the decision on which stones he would use based on their design.

Let’s now look at another one of God’s creations that is designed for a purpose just as those stones were. YOU!!!! You were designed by God Himself, in “His Image”; not just any image. God does nothing randomly or by accident, but instead, with purpose, and on purpose.

Until David selected the stones and put them in his sling, and then released them, they would never serve their purpose. But when they were released, a giant that put fear into an entire army fell for good! One young man and one stone with direction, anointed for a purpose, and history was made. You have a purpose! You are not an accident or mistake, no matter what you have ever been told. God has designed you to live a Kingdom life and today is the best day to start. It’s time to forget about what has been and step into what really, really matters. Our purpose is revealed through a relationship with God. Matt 6:33 says, “Seek first the Kingdom” and in this instruction, our purpose is revealed.

Get alone with God and find your purpose, your specific task in the Kingdom; step into it, and never look back. It does not matter what life has been like until this day; with Kingdom purpose you can be more than your have ever imagined! Doing more! Going further! Living life larger than you ever thought possible, while making a greater difference for His Kingdom!

So “EYES UP & GEAR UP” for the best is at hand!

Please feel free to leave any comments you have below.

Kingdom Thinking Recap – week 9

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

Another week has come and gone, but the posted Kingdom Thinking thoughts from it are nuggets of Kingdom wisdom you can always use.

Please forward them to others you know, because we can always use a touch of the Kingdom!!

Monday: Kingdom Thinking: Do not live in the shadow of another, but shine instead!

Tuesday: Kingdom Thinking: Stay with what’s big in you.

Wednesday: Kingdom Thinking: Fear is not fact!

Thursday: Kingdom Thinking: You will be established where you are called.

Friday: Kingdom Thinking: You are custom designed for your YES!

Gear Up! (Part 4) “Battle Gear”

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

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”

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger

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.

The Vertical Journey

Dr. Keith & Debbie (Zirkle) Spanberger – Living Water Teaching Ministries

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