Romans is blowing my mind

Right now the book of Romans is blowing my mind! Ive decided to read one Psalm and one chapter of Romans every day. I read the chapter of Romans from 3 different translations (NLT, TNIV and THE MESSAGE) this is giving me a unique perspective and ability to glean from it. And seriously I'm not exaggerating it's blowing my mind.

The crazy thing is the part that is so enthralling to me, so crazy to me, is not new information . . . it's something I would have claimed to know all along. What is it you ask? Faith. I'm only in chapter 4 and the theme of faith is so obvious and clear and in your face that I can't believe I haven't seen it this way before. 3 verses that are revolutionizing my world right now as we speak.

Romans 3:20 (NLT)
For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Romans 3:28 (TNIV)
For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

Romans 4:16 (THE MESSAGE)
This is why the fulfillment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does . . .

Wow, that's what I wrote in my bible WOW! How do we miss that? What do we do with that, how does that change us? It's changing me, His word is living, active and sharp and it's changing me. I prayed today that God would bring Faith to the youth of Ponoka, that they would recognize that God is there, his Son died and rose again, his Holy Spirit will lead them and that because of that they will start their journey of Faith. Join me, if you will, in that prayer . . . one of the greatest things missing in their lives is faith and faith would change everything for them. Faith would change everything for all of us if we learned to walk in it as we should.

Christians . . . the telemarketers of Religion?

At Bible study on Wednesday one of the young men in attendance made a comment that I found . . . intriguing. We were discussing why, as Christians, we can so easily turn people off. Why it is that their high school life is plagued with the reality that their friends look at them sideways when they mention that they are headed to Bible study or youth group. This young man's response . . . "It is because we are the telemarketers of the world, people hear us mention it, and they want to hang up." Interesting . . .

For a while we talked about where that mindset came from, What it meant for us as Christians and if it was possible to change it. I was encouraged by their view on it. But the comment still left me thinking. I don't have too much more to say on the topic really, it's just something I have been thinking about since he said it. Is that really how the world views us? and who do I need to be so that I am different? That's the goal right that we would be different but in an appealing, want to know about it kind of way.

In some ways it was a profound thought to me . . . in some ways a depressing one and in lots of ways one that made me want to be different, different from the world and different form the Christian Stereotype the world has. Again, it was just something that made me think. I thought I'd share it with you.