Christian Living

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Summer Reading 2016

I’m working on my summer reading list and I am excited! 

3 of my favorite authors have new books out. All I want to do today is give you a snippet about each book (taken from the Amazon description).

 

unashamedUnashamed by Christine Caine

In her passionate and candid style, Christine leads you into God’s Word where you will see for yourself how to believe that God is bigger than your mistakes, your inadequacies, your past, and your limitations. He is not only more powerful than anything you’ve done but also stronger than anything ever done to you. You can deal with your yesterday today, so that you can move on to what God has in store for you tomorrow—a powerful purpose and destiny he wants you to fulfill.

me tooMe Too by Jon Weece

[This is] what Me Too is all about: A God who turned the ugliness of the cross into a spectacle of eternal beauty. An all-powerful Lord who will do the same with the pain of this world. An eternal Father who specializes in wiping away tears and putting you back together again. If you’ll allow him.

ridiculousfaithRidiculous Faith by Shelene Bryan

True faith is vital to a vibrant Christian life. Without it, it is impossible to please God. But are your moments of deepest, most essential faith doomed to dissipate as quickly as they materialize, leaving you powerless and ineffectual?

Absolutely not. The truth is, you are not doomed to a lifetime of flickering faith.

Let me know if you decide to check out any of these books.

Of course, you know that I love to read, but I equally love to discuss what I’m reading! 

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Know the enemy

I don’t think about Satan much…

He gets too much air time already. Why should I talk about him or think about him more than necessary?

In my Angels & Demons class today, though, we went through a list of all the names of Satan in the Bible. 

Names, as Mr. Kirk pointed out, show us the character of an individual. People back in Bible times were much more intentional in naming their children.

They would probably be shocked if they saw this list of celebrity baby names: 

  • Rainbow Aurora
  • North West
  • Elsie Otter
  • Apple
  • Rocket Ayer
  • Bluebell Madonna

And there were more on the list I found, but I’ll let you Google it.

We talked yesterday about how names are important, so I kept thinking about this fact as our class ran through the list of Satan’s names.

I know some are reading this post and thinking, “Why ever read about Satan? Who wants to study about him?” 

If names give us clues about character, then it’s good to read through the Bible and see what it says about Satan character.

He’s a liar, deceiver, destroyer, accuser, bully, defeated, jealous, prideful…

All of this information is supported by scripture to let us in on who we’re dealing with as an enemy. We have authority, of course, but we need to know what and who we have authority over.

I’m not one that thinks there’s a demon in every doorknob or that Satan is the only reason people act stupid (sometimes people just make stupid decisions and have to live with the consequences). 

But Satan is working hard to keep unbelievers in bondage. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Just be aware that there’s a lot of things happening all around you, things that you don’t even see.

Spiritual warfare is real.

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Laundry Mat Fun

Hanging out at the laundry mat with my friend Brittany. 

So cool to be able to talk with the customers and get to know them. 

Working for a ministry is a great, but I miss being with the general public. There’s less chance of a facade in conversation. 

Oh! I’m doing great! Praise the Lord!

If this is really the case, that’s awesome.

Most Christians, though, are less likely to be real because looking spiritual is highly praised. 

For me, I don’t care about much about keeping up appearances. No one buys that balogna anyway. 

Back to the laundry mat…

It’s cool to see where Brittany works. She’s good at her job and the customers talk with her a lot. 

Plus, this is the nicest laundry mat I’ve ever seen! 

Anyway, it’s time for me to sign off and get back to hanging out!

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Life Unlimited

Coming home to my apartment is still a bit surreal. 

I live here…Cool!

This weekend I hope to have some friends over because hospitality is a big deal to me. 

I look around and can already tell this is a place where truth and grace and peace and fun (can’t forget the fun!) will be in abundance. 

Do you know that you already have enough? 

There’s nothing stopping you from being hospitable and friendly. 

There’s nothing stopping you from sharing the gospel and befriending in your neighbors. 

Nothing except you. 

The list of supposed limitations we place on ourselves doesn’t match up with what the Bible says. 

Christians are a people blessed with all spiritual blessings. God’s given us access to the best of everything!

Rhema Bible Church’s motto is “Living Life Unlimited.” 

Do you know of a better way to live? 

Unlimited. 

Free. 

Called. 

Equipped. 

Don’t just talk about the good life–live it!

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Angels and Demons

 

I’ve never dabbled in witchcraft or anything involving the occult. 

However, the things I’ve read and watched, the testimonies I’ve heard from men and women who have escaped that lifestyle, are enough for me to know that it’s not good.

This term I am taking Angels and Demons. In the class we will be learning about the spiritual realm. Mr. Kirk Dubois is my teacher and I am excited to dive into the topic. 

Here are some basic truths to consider:

  1. If there is good, there must be evil
  2. If there is right, there must be wrong
  3. If there is light, there must be darkness

Skeptics embrace these facts when it comes to other religions, but not when it comes to Christianity (even though the Bible clearly addresses every one of these areas).

 

Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism–and every other religion in between–have an after life, good and evil, as part of their beliefs.

Whenever someone is ignorant about the spiritual realm, Satan has a  field day because that means there’s lots of room for him to deceive. 

Every person I’ve ever heard speak about escaping the occult or coming out of witchcraft starts off their story the same way:

I didn’t know what I was getting in to.

Normally, all he or she wanted was something to connect with, something to give their lives meaning and purpose. What they found was darkness beyond compare.

Guess what?

As Christians we can share with those individuals–and those who are stuck in dead religions–the source of all strength and power:

Jesus Christ! 

In Him is the hope of a bright future!

In Him is power over all darkness!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gathering around the table

Happy Easter!

Did you have fun celebrating with your family and friends?

I know that I did!

A group of Rhema students and alumni–all of us from other states–gathered this afternoon to eat hot dogs and enjoy each other’s company.

After lunch, we played Apples to Apples and talked about Jesus.

Considering that Jesus ate breakfast with the disciples after His resurrection, I think He’s pleased when we gather together to celebrate.

There’s something powerful about fellowshipping around the dinner table because food is a connecting point.

Transplant life (a term my friend Carli coined) is a great way to create a habit of hospitality because you know what it’s like to be alone in a new town.

Make a menu, get everyone to chip in, and pick a location. This is all you need to host a party! It’s not as hard as you think.

Who doesn’t love to eat?

Of course, I missed my family and hiding eggs for my cousins, but I am glad that my friend Sheri invited me to the get together.

My first Easter in Tulsa was awesome!

I am so thankful for the hospitality of my Rhema friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Time for Action

Isn’t it amazing how the things we get all worked up over are so small on the importance scale?

I ran into a few technical problems this morning with the PowerPoint for the conference at work. 

Guess what?

We all had a great time worshipping the Lord even though things weren’t running smoothly as planned. 

Majoring on minor details is the fastest way to lose sight of what’s important. 

I’m not saying to do sloppy work, but you can’t freak out when things aren’t “perfect”. 

Perfection will cripple you any chance it can. 

You’ll wait forever to do something under the premise of the “perfect moment” when the best time to do it–whatever “it” is–is now. 

The book of James tells us to be doers of the word and not hearers only. 

What are we waiting for?

Christians are told over and over not to sit around dreaming about what will one day happen. 

Maybe the reason God hasn’t done this or that (preachers have a new list every week) is because He’s just waiting on us to do something. 

It’s not like we don’t know what to do. God wrote it down for us. 

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We all serve a master

I have a guest blogger!

This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a LONG time. It’s my goal to have various friends and family share with us from their hearts.

ambear and audraMy first guest blogger is my oldest friend and companion, Amber Siler. I met Amber when I was 12 years old and we quickly became inseparable. Now, many years later, we live hours apart, but sisters are forever.

I think you’ll really enjoy her topic, especially if you’re a fan of minions.

 

My husband and I recently watched the movie Minions. It is the story of the little yellow creatures from Despicable Me before they came to know and serve their master, Gru.

The movie begins with the narrator explaining that minions have a natural instinct to serve the most despicable being alive. We are then taken on a journey through time as the group of minions chooses these evil beings to serve, among them the mighty T-Rex and Dracula. Time shows that these masters are sub-par and vulnerable.

After losing yet another master, the minions decide to just live on their own and make life one big party. But it doesn’t take long before the party isn’t fun anymore.

The narrator tells us: “ They felt empty inside. Without a master they had no purpose. They became aimless and depressed. If this continued much longer, the minions would perish.”

Wow.

I think I missed the next several minutes of the movie as I pondered that statement.

Humans aren’t much different than minions.

We too were made to serve a master. We give ourselves to master after master, only to be disappointed when those “masters” don’t have what we are looking for. We then turn our energy inward to serve ourselves, partying and living life any way we please. But it doesn’t take long before the party loses it’s appeal. And without a master to serve, we lose our purpose.

We were created to serve THE Master – God himself, Creator of the universe. We cannot live a fulfilling life unless we are in dedicated service to Him. That’s the bottom line.

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Not-so-fun lessons

IMG_1566If you know me, you know that I like when things are fun. The more fun something is, the better! 

And, today, I had to learn a not-so-fun lesson…

 

I had to bite my tongue and walk away from some unnecessary rudeness that was directed towards me. 

What I wanted to do was react–I was angry!

What I chose to do was to walk away and to forgive.

Everything within me wanted to lash out. The words were right there, aimed and ready to be fired.

Honestly! I’m a student at Rhema! I sit under the Word for 3 hours a day. And I can’t control my tongue? 

It was this thought that stopped me from doing something stupid, from tearing someone to shreds over nothing, really. The lady was being herself and I know her heart was not to send me into a frenzy. 

Why am I sharing this story?

Because words matter and reputations are ruined in minutes. 

And here’s a reason even better than not making yourself look like a fool:

Every person matters. Tearing someone down is destroying what God says is most important. 

This is why the Bible talks a lot about how to interact with others–and giving someone a piece of your mind is not one of God’s instructions.

Now, let me throw the grenade, the thought that had me repenting pretty fast: 

How many times have I been forgiven for being careless with my words? 

BOOM!!!!

Put down your weapons, Audra. This is no time to attack.

Some lessons are not fun to learn. The sooner you learn them, though, the sooner you can get back to helping and loving others, which is the most fun you and I will ever have. 

 

 

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More than a nice story 

I hope there are movies in Heaven. I hope there are story times with the patriarchs and prophets and everyone else in between. 

Because the Bible gives us glimpses, but there are details I want to know!

One of my teachers joked with us in class that the Bible would read much differently if women wrote it. 

The cool thing, though, is that God told us about the important areas in great detail. 

He even set the story in cultural contexts that have been thoroughly studied out by scholars for hundreds of years. 

I love the fact that there will always be more for me to know about God’s Word. 

Everyday I learn more and more about my Father, about how He wants me to live. 

The Bible is not just a nice story–it’s God’s rescue plan to save us from the darkness of sin. 

The Bible is God’s will written out, so there’s no need for us to wonder what He wants us to do. 

And maybe you don’t get why I love the Bible so much, maybe you find it hard to understand. 

Here’s my advice: Pray and ask God to give you understanding–even if you’re not the praying type–and I guarantee that He’ll answer that prayer. 

God’s heart is for every man and woman to know the depths of His love for mankind.