Here’s a great giveaway from the new Credo Magazine site:

The first issue of Credo Magazine, “The Living Word,” will release sometime this week, featuring articles and interviews with theologians like Timothy George, John Frame, Bruce Ware, Gregg Allison, Robert Saucy, Owen Strachan, Fred Zaspel, Tim Challies, Matthew Barrett, Tony Merida, Michael A.G. Haykin, Thomas Schreiner, and many others. View the Table of Contents here.

In our excitement we are giving away a book package each week! This week’s book giveaway is from B&H Academic and includes the following:

• Perspectives on the Sabbath: Four Views. Contributors include: Christopher John Donato, Charles P. Arand, Craig L. Blomberg and Skip MacCart.

• Moral Apologetics for Contemporary Christians: Pushing Back Against Cultural and Religious Critics. By Mark Coppenger.

• The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament. By Eugene H. Merrill, Mark Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti.

To enter the giveaway, please go to their site and leave a comment.

Today I spent my sermon time fielding questions from the church family. This is always a rich time as we tackle different personal and doctrinal issues and attempt to bring God’s Word to bear on them.

The audio has now been uploaded to our podcast. (Click here to listen).

Here are the questions and at what point they are addressed:

0:00     Introduction & Prayer
7:00     Is my wayward child a Christian?
13:35   Can Christians be demon-possessed?
16:30   How do I treat my atheist brothers who are ridiculing me? 
25:30   My brother is obsessed with conspiracy theories.
            What should I do?
33:20   How do we reconcile God’s sovereignty with
            human responsibility?
41:00   Why don’t we have revival meetings today?

A Christian counselor once wrote,

“Just this morning a young man I have never met called and poured out his story. He is a college graduate, articulate, and displaying a large vocabulary. He is a professing Christian, yet he is in such emotional anguish and bondage that he cannot hold down a job. He has spent large sums of money on psychiatry without apparent help. His waking hours are torment, and his sleeping hours result in hideous, bizarre behavior and a trancelike condition. ‘What’s wrong with me?’ he cried out. ‘Am I possessed with demons?’ ” (Mark Bubeck, The Adversary, p. 17)

Torment. Anguish. Bizarre behavior. Trances. Demon Possession. Is this possible for a Christian? Can a believer really be handled by a demon like a remote control?

Charles Ryrie defines demon possession as “a demon residing in a person, exerting direct control and influence over that person, with certain derangement of mind and/or body. Demon possession is to be distinguished from demon influence or demon activity in relation to a person. The work of the demon in the latter is from the outside; in demon possession it is from within.”

This state is impossible for a true Christian. Though demons are very real, very dangerous, and we probably brush shoulders with them every day, we can have absolute confidence that Christians cannot be demon-possessed. Why? Here are six reasons:

1. We have been rescued from the domain of darkness (Col. 1:13). God has transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. It would be impossible for a citizen of heaven, one who has been rescued from Satan’s domain, to return under the bondage of that domain.
2. The Holy Spirit dwells inside of us (Rom. 8:15-17; Eph. 1:14). We would never think of sharing our homes with a venomous snake or ferocious beast prowling around. Neither would the Spirit ever permit a demon to inhabit His home.
3. We are safe in God’s arms (Jn. 10:27-30). Just as Christ our Good Shepherd would never let a sheep be snatched out of His hands, so He would never let a wolf bite and devour one of His sheep while He is holding us tight.
4. We have union with Christ (Jn. 14:19-20; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:6, 7, 10, 13). This New Testament doctrine teaches that a new believer is immediately united and permanently joined together with Jesus Christ. There is a transformation that takes place. There is new bond, a vital link between Christ and us. Surely Christ would not allow Himself nor His people to be indwelt and controlled by Satan or any demon. 
5. God’s power is greater than any demon (1 Jn. 4:4). Are demons powerful? Absolutely. Can we overpower a demon in our own strength? Not a chance. If the Lord were not on our side, we’d be knocked down in an instant like the seven sons of Sceva (Ac. 19:16). But God’s power is infinitely greater than any demon’s power. And He would never let His protection be thwarted.
6. It is impossible to serve two masters (Mt. 6:24; 2 Cor. 6:14-16). We can serve God, or we can serve Satan and his minions, but we cannot serve both. It is impossible, just as light and darkness, or oil and water, cannot mingle. With Christ as our Master, we never need to fear that Satan will shove Him out of the way and coerce us to obey him instead.

There is no need to fear! God has built a fence or a “force-field” around the believer. It is impossible to be possessed or controlled by demonic powers. We are certainly targets of demon activity. The enemy is clever and ruthless. But God is our refuge, and never leaves us without the necessary supplies to overcome temptation.

What would I do if that articulate, yet unstable man stepped foot into my office? I would probably first assure him that a true Christian cannot be possessed by demons. This immediately gives hope that there can be victory over whatever he is facing. Then, I’d want to probe deeper into his understanding of the gospel. What does he mean by ‘Christian’? When was he saved? How does he know he’s going to heaven?

If he has a faulty few of the gospel, then demon possession is a possibility. But even then, we must bring the gospel to the person and not focus on spells or incantations or rebuking demons in the name of Jesus. Our responsibility is to inject the antibiotic of the gospel into our counselee, which alone is the power of God to salvation (Rom. 1:16-17).

From there, it would be wise to learn more about his medical history, how long he’s been suffering these symptoms; where he attends church; who are his friends; what is he reading or watching on TV; and if he’s taking any legal or illegal drugs. There could be any number of causes for these dreadful symptoms. But if he is a child of God, demon-possession is not one of them. There is always hope and freedom in Jesus Christ.

Mirrors are an everyday part of life. We have them in our bedrooms, bathrooms, purses, and cars. They’re in homes, offices, schools, and restaurants. Some are to help us with grooming and appearance. Others are for safety, or to add light, or to give the illusion that a room is bigger than it actually is.

It doesn’t hurt to do a quick check in the mirror from time to time and make sure everything’s OK (no broccoli in the teeth, please!). But whenever we prepare to worship God, and particularly when we prepare for the Lord’s Table, it’s essential to look in a mirror. Not just a physical mirror out of concern for what others might think of our outward appearance. But a spiritual mirror out of a concern for what God will see at our inward appearance.

This is precisely what Paul has in mind in 1 Corinthians 11:28. “So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink from the cup.” This speaks of a critical examination, a careful inspection, or putting to the test. The Puritan Thomas Watson describes it this way:

It is the setting up a court of conscience and keeping a register there that by a strict scrutiny a man may see how matters stand between God and his soul. It is a spiritual inquisition, a heart-anatomy, whereby a man takes his heart in pieces, as a watch, and sees what is defective therein. It is a dialogue with one’s self.

A couple weeks ago, in my sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:27-34, I gave three suggestions of how you might go about self-examination. Why not use one of these methods in preparation for Sunday, or before the next time you take the Lord’s Supper?

1. A five-point inspection. Mark 12:30–31 says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” Do an inspection in each of these areas of your life:

• Heart (my inner life, choices, emotions, words)
• Soul (my spiritual disciplines, walk with God)
• Mind (my thought life, dreams, hopes, goals)
• Strength (my body, including stewardship of my time, talents, treasure)
• Neighbor (family, church, coworkers, friends, enemies)

2. A Bible passage. Pick a passage of Scripture and do a thorough inventory of your life. Do you meet up to God’s standard of holiness? Where are you falling short?

• Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
• Ten Commandments (Exodus 20)
• A Description of the Godly (Psalm 15)
• Qualifications of a Church Leader (1 Timothy 3)
• Criteria for a Widow Indeed (1 Timothy 5:9-10)
• An Excellent Wife (Proverbs 31)
• Wisdom from Above (James 3:13-18)
• Characteristics of Love (1 Corinthians 13)
• The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)

3. A personal list. Use a list from a man or woman of God who has walked with God in times past. For a fresh approach to self-examination, meditate on Jonathan Edwards’ 70 Resolutions, or use these questions, found in George Whitfield‘s diary. He would ask them of himself at the close of each day.

Have I…

• been fervent in private prayer?
• used set hours of prayer? (1 hour in morning, 1 hour at noon, and 1 hour in the evening)?
• used spontaneous outburst of prayer in supplication, intercession, praise and thanksgiving every hour?
• after or before every deliberate conversation or action, considered how it might lead to God’s glory?
• after enjoying any pleasure, immediately given thanks?
• planned my day so as to not waste time?
• been responsible and thoughtful in everything?
• been zealous in my work and active in doing what good I could?
• been meek, cheerful, gracious in everything I said or did?
• been proud, vain, impure, or jealous of others?
• thoughtful in eating and drinking? thankful? self-controlled
• taken time for giving thanks (according to Law’s rules)?
• been diligent in studies?
• thought or spoken unkindly to anyone?
• confessed all sins?

While I do check my heart regularly and seek to heed the Spirit’s conviction in my life, I must confess I’ve never looked in the mirror with this kind of systematic approach before. But I look forward to using these methods more in the future.

What method do you use for self-examination? Feel free to leave a note below.