Fasting is one of those practices that Christians know about vaguely and know that they’re probably supposed to be doing it, and yet don’t really do it. The following article hopefully demystified this critical spiritual discipline.

Scripture does not condemn the consumption of alcohol in and of itself. Therefore, a Christian may freely partake of alcoholic beverages with a clear conscious. However, as any good thing we enjoy, the usage of alcohol is easily corruptible, and we would do well to heed Paul’s warning: Not everything that is permissible is beneficial (1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23). Scripture goes beyond this simple warning by placing certain restrictions upon alcohol consumption, outside of which we do not honor our own bodies and, more importantly, we do not honor God. We must remember that human flourishing lies within God-ordained boundaries in which true freedom occurs.

The altar call began in the mid to late 1700s as a way for pastors to talk to and counsel those in the service who were considering becoming a Christian. At the end of the sermon, the pastor would ask if any in the congregation wanted to accept Jesus into their heart as Lord and Savior. After raising their hand in affirmation, often they would come down to the front and recite the sinners' prayer upon which they would be counted as a born-again believer.

It is unfortunately not uncommon for us to have friends or family members who seemingly cease to be a Christian. We tend to say that they have lost their faith and fallen back into a lifestyle of sin. If this is indeed what has happened – that an individual was saved and is no longer saved – Christians have reason to be concerned, not just for our now unbelieving friend but for ourselves as well.

Other than the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, very few stories or teachings are present in all four Gospels. The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist stands apart as one of the few passages shared among all the Gospels in one form or another (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34), highlighting its major significance. Several questions should be answered after realizing the significance of this event:

Any person who belongs to Christ, who has saving faith in him, has the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9). Indeed, it is the Spirit who opened his or her heart to accept the atoning work of Christ and who now dwells in every believer (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).

The gospel is the heart of the Christian message. Literally, “gospel” means “good news.” But good news about what? It’s the good news that God did for us what we could not do for ourselves - He saved us. Here’s how God saved us:

On the cross, Jesus Christ became sin in humanity's place, although he had never known sin, in order that individuals might overcome death with the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). His vicarious death forgives and rids people of sin in order to have a right relationship with the Father. They are justified, redeemed, reconciled, and adopted. This is the church: the communion of saints gathered to worship God and witness in the world to his glory.