Fourth Year Ministries

My children sometimes enjoy making obstacle courses. In our backyard. In the basement. They enjoy racing against each other to see who can get through the course the fastest. Some adults enjoy obstacle courses. I am not one of those adults. Obstacles are annoying to me. I prefer a straight, smooth course. Even still, life is filled with obstacles. They are unavoidable. We must learn to deal with them. Everyone who desires to live as a witness of Jesus Christ needs to understand three common obstacles to the salvation of others. We must understand and look for them so we can faithfully navigate the way. 1. The Enemy. The Bible describes the devil as the god of this world. Part of his work is to blind people to the gospel. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ...

Most people I know are trying to eliminate tension in their lives. Commercials offer products to reduce it. People go on vacations to escape it. Medications are designed to help people forget it. Tension carries a negative connotation for many. Certain types of tension can be hazardous to your health. Not everyone avoids tension. Some types of tension are sought on purpose. Some types of tension can even be beneficial. Bodybuilders actively seek muscular tension. To gain strength and muscle mass they intentionally put their muscles under as much tension as possible for as long as they can. Tension is positive in this case. I believe Christians should actively seek theological tension. I believe this is healthy. Like weightlifters need to learn to love the burn, Christians need to learn to love theological tension. Let's be clear. Theological tension does not mean theological arguments. It doesn't mean looking for people you disagree with. Those types of tension...