Galatians 3

I absolutely love Paul's tone in this. I read it in the ESV and got to the end and had one of those "What in the world did I just read?!" Went back and read it in the message and understood it all over again!

The main gist of this is Paul going back and reminding the believers of whom they have believed! It's so easy for us in our life to begin "living for God" like it's something we do. Actions we take or things we say. Paul is totally throwing that mentality out the window here!

v.2-4 Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up! (The Message)




So many times in my personal life I just kinda go on auto-pilot and figure each decision out by what fits in "the box". Does this follow my plan? Is this going to get my to my projected goal? Is this a safe move? In the process of weighing out all variables it will often times hit me.....well not often...sometimes.....okay, occasionally, I will stop and realize that I am making decisions based on what is safe.

It has recently just been gently spoken to me that God doesn't get to show off when we live in the "safe". He does his biggest work when all the factors are there as humans to fail. When there is absolutely no possible way it can be done. THAT is when we get to say "To God alone be the glory". I think this is what Paul is going for here:

^5-6Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God.

God provides for us because he's God and for no other reason than that! He loves us with a love that we will never be able to comprehend. He blesses us because of His love for us. Nothing that we do will make him bless us more!

I pray that I will live in this truth! Live TODAY in this truth! Knowing that the God of the universe loves me with an undying love and live in complete obedience to Him and his will.

Galatians 2

I think the overall theme of this chapter is the great lengths that Paul went through to preserve the Gospel. He did everything he could to avoid it being tainted by human opinion.

v. 14 "But when I saw their conduct was not in step with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

I feel like sometimes the hardest place to be a Christian is in the church. We are so critical and judgemental. I love the stance that Paul takes in completely calling Peter out! Paul who was once persecuting the church! Blows my mind that he wouldn't shy away and not want to correct Peter, but he is so full of the truth of Christ that he can't help but proclaim that same truth.

v. 21 ...."for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose."

To think that we as Christians have reduced the Gospel down to a list of rules is so disheartening. We cannot handle the complexity of Christ so we have stuffed him in our box that we do understand and have then turned around and sold our "God in a box" without selling the Gospel!

Reading Through Galatians

For about three weeks now I have had the book of Galatians on my heart. I have no idea why. I don't know what sparked my interest in this book, but decided that I would start reading it and just tear apart what I was getting from it.
I am a HUGE fan of reading commentaries and different authors who are much smarter than I with much more knowledge and experience, but I have just been personally challenged lately to really open up the Word and figure IT out for myself.

So here goes. I'm taking one chapter at a time and just figuring out the parts that really stick out to me.

Gal. 1:10
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

This hit me at the core! I am the biggest people pleaser I've ever known! I work so hard to not disappoint my parents, my friends, my boss. I am constantly working to make others happy. Throwin' this out there right now. You can NEVER make everyone happy. You will NEVER be able to be all things to all people. You will fail and people will be disappointed with you! There is a lot of pressure that comes with living this life also!

I was so convicted by this verse because it hit me right away that I am so concerned with what others think of me and making sure that I am "good enough". The fact that the opinion of man suddenly became more important to me than the opinion of God absolutely breaks me to even say that and acknowledge it in my life.
While reading the blog of Pete Wilson last week he wrote a blog that simply stated "Information does not equate transformation". This kinda made the impact of Galatians 1:10 all the more real to me. The fact that I have recognized my need for the approval of man and realizing how wrong that is; acknowledging it is not enough. There must be a transformation.
So I'm working on it and praying for God to show me ways to serve HIM.

1:11-12
For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

This has been a hard issue for me to not be ignorant about. It has really bothered me how some who are in the ministry that have gone to seminary put one seminary against another. As if someone is not qualified or AS qualified if they didn't attend seminary where someone else deems legit!
I have such a strong opinion on this and pray that only the truth of my conviction will come through on this part.

I truly believe that Paul is showing the legitimacy of his speech comes from Christ alone. From the teachings he has gotten directly from Jesus. Not from man.
There's something in that. There is something that happens in the heart of someone who has truly struggled with the real-deal-raw-issues of life and can be on the other side and say "Not only was I there and do I know where you're coming from, but here is what our response to Christ should be through this."
It speaks so much to me that the disciples were just real people. They weren't working in a church. They didn't have pretty clothes. Some of them not even accepted by culture, but Jesus knew that that's exactly who He came to reach.
I am so convicted that if we are not reaching out to the least of these then we have completely failed in our calling as a Christ follower.

Here are some of my thoughts. I would love to hear yours.

I am anxious to continue reading through this book and allowing Christ to change my heart with His will and His purpose.

Is it REALLY the MOST wonderful time of the year?

Cannot believe that some stores have had Christmas decorations up for about two weeks now....and we're just now in DECEMBER!!!!! CRAZY!

This Holiday season has been kinda weird for the Carlson fam. With Ben & Rebecca both being married and having other families to go to, it's weird for me and the folks. It's made me instead of feeling real sorry for myself (which believe me, I'll do it on the drop of a hat!) more I have realized how many people the holidays really aren't a fun time for.
I am so blessed for all the times I have shared with my family and the fun times we do have when we’re together.

I have so many friends who have broken families or their family just doesn't like being together. The holidays aren't fun. It's not fun to be with family that you have avoided at all cost during the year. The family that you ignore on the caller id every time you see their name come up. The family that you would not even want to sit next to in church! Yeah....THAT family! You're now gonna have dinner with them and act like you like them. Sweep every family problem under the rug and life is wonderful.

So what’s so wonderful about this time of year anyway? I mean seriously. Family problems coming to the surface. Never knowing what to get someone! Going in debt until next summer! Really?! The MOST wonderful time of the year?

There are some members in every family who in our minds we have deemed that THEY are the ones that have done that absolute unforgivable sin….by our measure of course! What do you think about Mary & Joseph, I mean not everyone believed when Jesus was born that it was actually Him that was THE Messiah. What if there were members of their family that didn’t believe? How do you think their Christmas celebrations were? I mean the whole “reason for the season” was the whole reason why they didn’t even want to be together!

You know what I love about this. JESUS! Jesus was right in the middle of the dysfunctional family. I mean, seriously. Look at his genealogy. No secrets there! I love that Jesus was right in the middle of it.

Just like with our families! He crawls right in the middle of our dysfunction. Gets in the middle of our hurt. In the middle of our ugliness and hidden sins.

And what does he offer us? Love. Love unconditional. And what’s better than that is he offers forgiveness. If anyone knows anything about dysfunction it’s Jesus Christ.

I am so in awe of this great savior that CHOOSES to love me. Despite my ugliness. Despite my bitterness towards life. Despite my hurt and paint. Despite of……me. Jesus. The Saviour of the world. Loves……me.

It's been awhile

Know those people who blog and it seems like every new blog is a great excuse of why they haven't blogged in awhile? Well, not here. No apologies for not blogging! I don't even feel bad. Not even a little bit! Okay, well maybe just a tad! =)
I have self-edited this blog way too many times, and ended up erasing everything I had written. I'm starting with a somewhat "blank slate" (except for the first paragraph because I thought that was pretty funny!)

So here's some thoughts that have been going through my mind the past few days. It all stemmed when I starting read this book at Barnes & Noble. I was nearly in tears while reading and had to quit reading and go home and pray because I was so overwhelmed with all I felt God was revealing to me.

Here are some of the notes that I took while reading:

I aimed for godliness as an idea, but was quick to snag the do-over of grace when my intentions proved faulty.

I judged. I condemned. And I thought it was okay because people of the church were still impressed with me.
But the world was watching.

I pursued Christian success instead of pursuing Christ. I spoke witty insults as commonly as profound prayers.

Not truly Christian-but rather, merely ChristianISH.

As a church community it is time we asked ourselves a startling question: What if we're not really following Jesus at all?

Our Christian intention has sharp edges. It has the ability to mold and shape, but also to stab and permanently damage.

I couldn't believe what I was actually reading, only because I knew I'd never written that book before, but to actually be reading words that seemed so true to me and so deep inside that I didn't even know they were there, I could hardly handle it. Like, seriously, has someone been stalking me?! I still can't believe how true those words are to me and am sobered to even type that I have had all of those exact thoughts and more!

For a long time I have sensed that there's something missing in THE CHURCH. Not the church you pass on the way home every day or the one you go to on Sundays, but THE CHURCH of believers! US! Me. You. I feel like there is something that we are missing.
I think that we have created church into something that we "do" a place that we go! Forgetting that WE are in fact THE CHURCH. That's us! Not a building. We don't "go to church" we ARE the church!
Why is it so easy for me to smile on Sundays and pretend like life is absolutely wonderful when everything inside of me wants to scream "Life just doesn't make sense and I don't understand what's going on!" Instead I opt for "I'm fabulous! How are you?!"
I think sometimes I leave church and really feel like the message was great. Took good notes. Got a lot out of it, but then my life on Monday....heck, the rest of the day Sunday....completely unaffected!
?Why is that? I know that this is not only a struggle that I face, hints: the book in at B&N that could practically be my life story and the fact that there are MILLIONS of people in Tyler (okay, not that many) but a lot of people, just in a 20 minutes radius of me who all went to church on Sunday and the world around us is completely unaffected! I mean, I talk to ONE girl in my apartment complex and that is only because she is my age, looks a lot like me...and also works at a church! It's safe!
I mean, I'm just gonna be honest, I like people that are like me, because...I like me! I'm safe. There are no curve balls!
I don't think God wants us to live that kind of life. I mean, seriously, by now, I think the entire Tyler are, heck, all of Texas should have heard the gospel by now, but I am truly convinced that there are people that live in our neighborhoods that really have no idea who Jesus Christ really is, let alone the fact that he is absolutely head over heels in love with them and gave the entire world just to be with them. I mean, can you imagine that?! God is so in love with His people and we're too comfortable that we can't even tell others about him?!

This is something that has been in my mind for a lot longer than I want to admit and I have done nothing about it. Nothing! I’m not okay with it anymore and I’m definitely not comfortable anymore. Change must and will happen!

Things I liked about Thursday 8.19

1. Adding more people to Discover Bethel. I'm beyond encouraged at the amount that has signed up for this class.
2. Realizing the greatness of God and that He works on His Timline, NOT MINE!
3. Hanging out with some of the sweetest people! Gosh, Bethel has some incredible families
4. Seeing my sweet friend Meredith and laughing so hard! Oh my goodness! Love that girl!
5. Laughing at some stuff Todd is editing. Wow.
6. My Dad laughing at me! =) THAT, however, is an everday occurence!
7. Bailey's for some fajitas! Love that sweet family!

Things I liked about Tuesday 8.18

1. Being back in the office after nearly a week out and seeing everybody again!
2. Having lunch with my Dad.
3. Beating Terry Borens at ping pong. True story folks, I really did!
4. Discover Bethel sign up so far being more than last years! So excited about all these new people at Bethel.
5. Dinner with a new friend.