Fasting can mean different things to different people. Some see it as a way to lose weight, while others give it a spiritual focus, such as giving up movies or time on the internet. The New Testament mentions fasting only a few times, which sometimes leaves people unsure if it is required for believers.
In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks about fasting and says, “when you fast,” which raises the question of whether fasting is mandatory. In the Bible, only one fast in Judaism was required; all other fasts were voluntary. I believe the New Testament continues this idea, showing that fasting is a choice for those who follow Jesus rather than a command.
Fasting is often connected to prayer, especially in moments of deep need or intense spiritual concern. When a believer is focused on serious prayer, fasting naturally supports that effort by helping remove distractions. The rare practice of fasting can reflect a lack of deep, committed prayer in a believer’s life. Ultimately, I believe fasting is meant to be a voluntary act that complements heartfelt prayer and devotion.
While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for Me for the work to which I have called them.”
First Peter chapter two teaches that Christ is the living Stone. He was rejected by men but chosen by God and precious. Those who believe in Him are also called living stones. They are being built into a spiritual house. This house is not made of brick or wood. It is made of people who trust in Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone.
The Bible says that believers are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own special people. These words come from the Old Testament. In Book of Hosea, God told the prophet to marry a woman who had lived in sin. This marriage was a picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness. Some of Hosea’s children were given names that meant “no mercy” and “not my people.” These names showed that judgment was coming because of sin. Yet the same book promises that one day those who were called “not my people” would be called “sons of the living God.” Mercy would be shown again.
Peter uses this promise to describe the church. Those who once were not a people have now become the people of God. Those who had not received mercy have now received mercy through Christ. The church is the new Israel of God, but this does not mean Israel has been replaced. The true remnant of Israel, those who believe in Christ, are brought into the church. They lose nothing by trusting in Jesus. Instead, they gain the full blessing of the new covenant. Both Jewish and Gentile believers are united under one Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. As Romans chapters 9 to 11 explain, God has always preserved a remnant according to grace.
Not everyone believes. Some stumble over Christ. Isaiah 6 speaks of people who hear but do not understand and see but do not perceive. This passage is quoted many times in the New Testament. Even Jesus referred to it in Matthew 13 when He explained why many did not grasp His message. Their hearts were hard. They refused to turn and be healed.
This leads to the serious subject of reprobation. The Bible teaches both election and reprobation. Before the foundation of the world, God chose a people for Himself. Others were left in their sin. All humanity fell in Adam. Because of this fall, no one seeks God on their own. Salvation is by grace alone. Abraham himself was justified by faith, not by works, as shown in Romans 4.
Reprobation does not mean that God forces innocent people to sin. All are already sinners in Adam. God may leave people in their sin, and at times He may harden them as an act of judgment. Pharaoh is an example. In Exodus 4:21, God said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh also hardened his own heart. In the end, God was glorified through both mercy and justice.
There are several truths to remember. First, election and reprobation are secret decrees. We do not know who the elect are until they believe. As long as a person lives, there is hope. The gospel must be preached to all. God uses the message of Christ to bring His people to faith. Dead sinners cannot give themselves life, but the Holy Spirit can make them alive.
Second, no one who truly desires Christ will be turned away. The call of the gospel is real. People are told to repent and believe. Those who come do so because God has worked in their hearts. Those who remain in unbelief choose their sin and will answer for it.
Believers today are part of one holy nation. They are priests who offer spiritual sacrifices. They proclaim the praises of the One who called them out of darkness into light. Once they were rebels without mercy. Now they belong to God.
Salvation is not earned. It is a gift of grace. God will be glorified in showing mercy to His people and in judging sin with justice.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
As I write this, artificial intelligence is changing the world. It has been compared to the printing press, electricity, and the smartphone in terms of its impact. Whether you notice it or not, AI is already part of daily life through search engines, social media, smart devices, and digital assistants. If these systems suddenly stopped working, a lot of modern society would slow down or even stop.
Although we may think of AI as machines doing the thinking for us, AI doesn’t understand. It can process data, predict patterns, and generate responses based on information created by people. Think of it this way. If I said, “Good morning ladies and…” and stopped right there, you would know I was most likely going to say, “… ladies and gentlemen.” AI does something similar. It can look at thousands of sentences that began the same way as the sentence in my example and determine the next word was gentlemen. Today’s most advanced tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, and Copilot, are often called large language models. They are powerful prediction systems, not living minds, meaning, they can be used to streamline research or see the sum of what others have said about a topic. Some pastors even use it in writing their sermons. AI brings both promise and concern.
For Christians, a question of concern is not about what AI can do, but what it may do to our understanding of ourselves. The Bible begins by teaching that human beings are made in the image of God. In Genesis 1:26–28, people are described as bearing God’s likeness and given responsibility over creation. In Genesis 2:7, God breathes life into humanity. This means human life is not mechanical. It is personal and spiritual. No machine shares this breath of life. Because of this, I’m skeptical of any Christian writing that is written solely by AI. A computer may reflect the inspiration in a human’s writings, but it has no inspiration.
In this changing age, technology can be useful. Yet it must remain a tool, not a master. Our calling remains steady: to worship God, love others, and live as people made in His image.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus speaks about forgiveness and warns about a sin that will not be forgiven. This has raised concern and questions for many readers. The warning focuses on what is called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and what it meant in its original setting. What is it? I can only tell you what I understand the Bible to say. Let’s start with some background.
This sin took place during the time when Jesus lived and taught in Israel. The people involved were not hearing stories passed down over time. They were seeing events with their own eyes. They listened to Jesus speak, watched how he lived, and saw the power shown through him. During his ministry, sickness was driven away across the land. This happened in an age without medical cures or clear diagnoses. The events pointed to a power that could not be explained by human means.
Jesus explained that everything he did was carried out by the power of the Holy Spirit. He chose to obey the will of the Father and relied on the Spirit while living among people. This was part of his mission and how God’s work was shown through him.
Some people who witnessed these acts refused to accept what they saw. Instead of recognizing God’s work, they claimed that Jesus was acting by the power of the devil. By doing this, they did not simply doubt or misunderstand. They took the work of the Holy Spirit and said it came from Satan. Jesus said this was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and that it could not be forgiven.
The heart of this sin was a full rejection of the truth about who Jesus is. The people involved decided that he was not sent by God but was working for evil. This was not said in ignorance. It was a settled judgment made while clear evidence stood in front of them.
Consider, forgiveness is found through accepting Jesus Christ. To reject him is to turn away from the only path God has provided for forgiveness. Salvation does not come through other means. If someone refuses Christ, forgiveness is not possible, because the offer of grace has been rejected.
This teaching is not meant to trap people in fear. It explains the seriousness of rejecting what God has made known.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” — John 3:36
The apostle Paul wrote about a serious judgment that will happen in the future. In his letter to the Thessalonians, he explained that God will allow a powerful lie to take hold of people who have turned away from the truth. These individuals will accept false teachings and believe things that are not true.
Throughout human history, people have been misled about spiritual matters. Many have been confused about who God really is and what the Bible teaches. This happens because Satan works as a liar and an enemy of truth. He has been deceiving people since the beginning. However, what Paul describes goes beyond the normal deception that has always existed.
According to biblical prophecy, a specific period called the tribulation will occur in the future. This time will last seven years, as indicated in the book of Daniel and explained further in Thessalonians and Revelation. During these seven years, Satan’s deceptive work will grow to levels never seen before. The world will experience an outbreak of demonic lies and false teaching.
Paul warns that during this period, people will face a severe form of judgment. This judgment comes in the form of widespread delusion. Those who have rejected the gospel will find themselves unable to recognize truth. They will accept lies of all kinds. When someone refuses to believe what is true, they do not simply believe nothing. Instead, they become willing to believe anything and everything.
The Antichrist and the false prophet will work together with Satan during this time. Whatever false signs, teachings, or messages they produce, the world will accept them. People will be completely drawn in by the deception. They will not be able to see through the lies that surround them.
This period of intense deception will continue until Jesus Christ returns. When He comes back, He will destroy those who deceive others, those who have been deceived, and the deception itself. After removing all falsehood, Christ will establish His kingdom on earth.
I believe this shows how important it is to hold onto truth now. Those who reject the gospel today may find themselves unable to recognize truth when deception reaches its peak. The consequences of turning away from God’s message are serious and eternal.
“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
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