Christ, my firm foundation

Matthew 7:24-29 24-25 “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed…

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Birthing the Miraculous

Death to our own control can feel like a sweet release when we know we are loved.

When you are in labor, you are in agony. You feel distress and pressure. Most of you if not all of you, has been dying to help create this life. To grow a life, all your systems begin to focus on life inside of you maturing and developing. What is forfeited is your comfort, sleep, hormonal stability, body shape, etc. A woman’s body becomes an instrument for developing life, and everything in the…

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Thirst

“As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks, So my soul pants [longingly] for You, O God. My soul (my life, my inner self) thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and see the face of God?” Psalms 42:1-2 AMP David is comparing his longing for the presence of God (in the house of God) the way a deer pants for water.  Why is the deer panting? -The deer is panting to lose…

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What are you wishing for?

What are you wishing for?

The last few weeks have proven to be miraculous breakthrough for me and my family. However, the biggest breakthrough has been what I now believe about God. I have a whole new way to pray, believe, and receive. The biggest miracles have been the following three scripture passages: Psalm 20Hebrews 4:10Hebrews 12:10 Story #1: The House (with pictures) To give a little exposition, my husband and…

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Jesus interrupted so many funerals. He inconvenienced mourners and estate planning. He said “Lazarus, come forth” and He did. He noticed Jairus’ daughter was only sleeping. She awoke. The church cries out for physical healing every day and unintentionally the prayer for healing becomes about OUR faith. We fight to muster faith that pleases and perfects. We know our faith can be as tiny as a mustard seed but we fight to believe. We fight our doubt, fears, pressure from peers, etc. We desperately want to see the dead raised. That is the ultimate miracle. We want to praise, intercede, and wage spiritual warfare to see the dead rise. Miracles don’t happen because we believed. They happen because we know who did it then will do it again now. As much as our faith pleases God, the only faith that interrupts funerals is a faith that has nothing to do with your belief but everything to do with what he has done. You will never interrupt a funeral but God did and will again. It is Christ who believes through us. It is Christ that took on the cross and defeated death. It is the same Christ that believes through you. You rest in His finished work. How do you rest? How do you not worry? You can abide in perfect peace when you leave your doubt, fear, concern and meager faith at the foot of the cross. You give up the strive to believe and rest in His sweat, blood and stripes that DID THE WORK. He gifts back to you rest, assurance, unchangeable resting-faith that knows what the stripes did for you. Tell God you can’t believe. Tell God you need him to believe through you. You cast the concern of not being able to believe and then forget your care. You don’t intentionally forget. You just stop worrying. You forget your troubles as waters gone by. When you least expect it, while you patiently abided and restfully awaited, patience had its perfect work. The blood of Jesus did the work so your faith would be authored and finished by the pioneer of your salvation. You cannot save yourself with massive, mountain-moving faith you conjured but by HIS stripes you are healed. Pride says “I have mountain moving faith” while faith that rests celebrates the mountain that is already moved. https://www.instagram.com/p/CL-rCqJjlyo/?igshid=e0yygdmkidbj

When you rest, God is at His best.

When you rest, God is at His best.

Title: “When you rest, God performs His best.”

Brittany Taylor

What is your immediate reaction to trouble?

Get on google and find a solution

Get your keys and fix it

Cuss out your husband, kids, McDonald’s worker, etc. until you feel better

Sit down and do nothing

If you said A…B…C…I would have chosen C too…don’t worry. How many chose ‘D’? This blog is proof that ‘D’ is God’s answer for us…

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In the face of injustice, do we fight or do we retreat?

In the face of injustice, do we fight or do we retreat?

I read an article recently about God and the paradoxes that define His nature. 

The author (Richard P. Hansen) made a list:

• We see unseen things. 

• We conquer by yielding. 

• We find rest under a yoke. 

• We reign by serving. 

• We are made great by becoming small. 

• We are exalted when we are humble. 

• We become wise by being fools for Christ’s sake. 

• We are…

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Preaching to a Dead Man

Preaching to a Dead Man

We have all heard the sermon that many would coin the “fire and brimstone” message that leaves you drenched in sweat from the heat of your guilt. These sermons certainly convict. But…do they change you? Some messages are not so direct with their condemnation. They focus on the behavior of David with Bathsheba or the disobedience of Israel to highlight where you have sinned. Preachers consider…

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Is “white privilege” a type of Biblical “favoritism” that whites have accepted and defended? The Bible provides consistent warnings towards the dangers and consequences of favoritism. I am asking the question, “Is “white privilege” a type of Biblical “favoritism” that whites have accepted and defended?” If “white privilege” is a type of favoritism, then the Bible considers this a sin. It is unlawful, unfair and unjust. These assumptions and assertions are being voiced from a white, 37 year old female who is unable to aptly empathize and understand the atrocities this favoritism has caused. Christ reconciles and never shows favoritism. We as a nation under God must do likewise. Full article on my blog in the bio. (at Hampton, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBsBEdpjSQk/?igshid=11om3nrs9yq89

Favoritism

Is “white privilege” a type of Biblical “favoritism” that whites have accepted and defended? 

Brittany Taylor 

Abstract: This article identifies the Bible’s consistent warnings towards the dangers and consequences of favoritism. It provides scriptural analysis where favoritism is discussed and Biblical figures are analyzed. It asks the question, “Is “white privilege” a type of Biblical…

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So I saw this quote from @rickpino (which is awesome btw) that is absolutely relevant for current leaders in any capacity. I then was reading an email of a prophecy someone sent me and the spelling was wrong on a lot of words. I was distracted because I (sarcasm intended) need excellence like water. This is not a good thing. It gets in the way. I digress...This prophecy or God download was totally rad and relevant but it made me think “How does God, who is a Creator of the universe, who exudes ultimate excellence in all we see and experience on this planet and see in the universe, gift us with the freedom to maybe mess up what he gave us?” I have trouble letting my kid color something without me grabbing the marker out of his hand and “make it pretty”. I have this wire in my brain that says it has to be excellent. What is crazier is that we WILL mess it up. We will mess it up super bad. We will mess up relationships. We will mess up our money. We will mess up his creation. Hello? We will mess up ministry. OMG. Yet he trusts us. Loves us. Calls us. He knows exactly what mistakes we will make before we make them, yet he still gives us a calling and a purpose. He doesn’t want our perfection but our surrender because our release is our success. Jesus is the ULTIMATE LEADER (insert reverb) who allows us to go slow so that we can sprint with absolute confidence believing excellence lives in us. And...if we are true leaders than we are going to offer that same trust, patience and belief in someone who WILL mess it up but their surrender will lead to another hero in the endeavor they are called to! What???? #heromaker #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #rickpinoworship (at Hampton, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAedSjPDqHy/?igshid=1l6oet2mmu9tb

This was the first selfie I have taken since my youngest was born that I didn’t react with negative thoughts. The face looking back at me was content and free. I saw who I really was for the first time@in my life. The exterior speak first. I saw who she was on the inside: strong, capable, content, thankful, passionate. I saw who I REALLY AM. Maybe the negative things we see about ourselves are not what others see. We just think they are looking at our extra chin and zits and wrinkles and blemishes and crooked nose. I saw myself and I liked who she was. She is still in the journey of losing weight and struggles with the size clothes that are sewn into my clothes but who she has become is not measured in pounds or inches. I was perusing the photos that get 7+ million likes and the pursuit for perfection must be exhausting. No one did my makeup or hair. The wind blew, the sun shone and I clicked a picture just as I am. No pose just poise. Take a look in the camera and the face looking back at you, speak life and confidence to her. You may meet someone you love! #lovemeforme #selfielove #oceanlife #oceanfrontvirginiabeach #virginiabeachoceanfront (at 84th Street at the Oceanfront) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_D9GKGDyif/?igshid=iw148lk4jou7

Sin has no dominion over you. This was recorded more than a year ago and God brought me back to it. This short sermon plants you in Romans 5 & 6! These scriptures ensure you that Christ's surrender on the cross is your starting point to freedom. After watching, you won't be afraid of the light, and the altar will be a place of anticipation and delight!

So my 5 year old and I watched this animation together. I didn’t think he was paying attention because at the end of it he went over to his dad and they started playing together. About 20 minutes into playing, my son stops and I overhear him say, “Jesus touched that man and he was healed. Jesus is a healer. That was so amazing of Jesus.” May my son always know Jesus as his healer.

I felt like God said, "let me answer the door when trouble knocks." When you abide in Him, he answers the knocking intruder and guards the gate.