Asleep In the Light by Brother Duke Hansen

         Sometimes the obvious is sitting in front of us for so long, we become oblivious and blind to it. There are many deceptions which the church is more than quick to warn you about when it pertains outside its walls, yet some practice deceits from within to their members. One of the biggest deceits that Christians face is that of apostasy. The definition of the term reads;

        The abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief. 

        I am speaking of houses that have cherry picked the scripture, cutting out the fantastic, supernatural, the miracles, the Holy Spirit, the virgin birth. Using science, history, and logic to explain or water down that God intentionally made illogical for man to understand. Reducing the course to actual salvation into some repeat after me prayer. There are denominations that push a theory of radical grace or universalism. Universalism is defined as The belief that all humankind is going to be saved. It's why no one goes to hell any more at a funeral, no matter how hellish they were alive. Others push the prosperity gospel, benefiting monetary excess at the expense of many. All these are various forms of apostasy. They are abandoning processes and more importantly the truth given in scripture. In the world of advertising, regardless what the product it is, the goal is not to get you to buy the product, it is to get you to buy an idea, a fiction, a deception being sold. That extends to a lot of supposed "Christian" churches tailoring their mission to satisfy the lust of your flesh. Don't believe me? There's the cowboy church. You love horses, boots, and lots of 50's westerns? There's a church for you. Oh you love your country more than anything? We have the star spangled awesome Patriot church. I could go on but someone could get their feelings hurt and need an affirmation that they're okay in their sin. No one but Jesus was without sin and perfect in God's eyes. The two minute devotional church where you read a tidy and sweet paragraph and think that's your ticket to heaven. 

        Turn to Psalms 52. We are going to start at the first verse.

        1 Why boasted thou thyself in mischief, O Mighty Man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

        2 The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 

        Not everyone out there in the world is confident. They may present confidence to you, but, try and negotiate with them. A lot of times they are showing arrogance and mistake that for confidence. Your tongue devises mischiefs it says in verse 2. You have to continually watch what words you say.

        3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness.

        4 Thou loves all the devouring words, O deceitful tongue. 

        Man has been made, since the fall of Adam, to love evil than good. It has been shown time and time again that man will quarrel with his neighbor than work with him just to prove he's right and they're wrong. It goes back to the lust of the flesh and everything be centered around yourself rather than be centered on God. 

        5 God shall likewise destroy thee forever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. 

        Now there's probably more than a few right now going "Hah! So, Psalms is King David talking! He's talking about in his time. That don't involve us there preacher man! God's not going to destroy us because he loves us! I mean he died on the cross and I believed it happened." Well, I am going to disappoint you here. Let us go over to Romans chapter 1 and start reading at verse 16.

        16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

        17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

        Look at that phrase faith to faith. Things are revealed to man when he is on the correct path. Judgement is not hard for us to conduct on others in a moment. Judging ourself is what is hard.

        18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

        You will learn about the wrath of God. Paul is not talking to ignorant people. He's talking to those who know the path. 

        19 Because that which may be known by God is manifest in them; for God hath shown it unto them. 

        20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

        You know that the spirit world was here first and that creation as we know it is a reflection of that spirit world for our understanding. We're so advanced in our knowledge we have become ignorant today thinking we are better suited to understand these things than the first century church. Mans ideology does not and will never line up with the power of God or of the Godhead. You have men and women believing only on a portion. One faith has Jesus always an infant in a manger, another has him hanging on that cross still, not touching the fact he overcame death. There are denominations which have broken the Godhead into three distinct personalities and only likes talking about the spirit either in passing if at all. Telling people they get the Holy Ghost with water baptism, unless you're in a church that says "well you don't really need water baptism if you are truly repentant and said this sinners prayer. That water baptism is ceremony." The Holy Ghost is the fuel that will take you to heaven.

        21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

        There's ignorance and there is blindness given to man by God. God will send a lie or sew a doubt within you to truly see how strong your faith is. You have the knowledge available and you don't use it. 

        Moving on in our reading we will pick up at verse 22 of Romans chapter 1.

        22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools

        23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.

        Take notice that in verse 23, the things listed transferring the very nature of incorruptible to that which is corruptible, Paul lists the things which Mosaic law had said was unclean to eat. 

        24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanliness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.

        You all have heard of the seven deadly sins? Let's think about gluttony. Our automatic connection is eating food in excess but gluttony isn't just about food. It can be anything for the lusts of our own hearts have no stopping spot. You can't stop with just 10 chips but the whole bag, like you can't just pick one item without all the accessories. Those lusts come in various forms. Lasciviousness, idolatry, sins of the flesh. We unconsciously let these lusts and desires run our life. Some of those lusts are demonic spirits that will attach itself to you if you are not on guard or aware. The way to rid the demon is to starve the demon. You were not granted apostolic power in your walk to be a doormat to your lusts! 

        25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

        Now there are those armchair bible historians and theologians out there who will say Paul is only talking about that particular time and place. Some of this should be applied to our day and age. It does apply today. Good christian people are guilty of doing this as well. 

        26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

        27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of a woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

        28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do these things which are not convenient;

        The term reprobate is to do evil and think that it's good and permissible. Synonyms for the word are wretch unprincipled person, degenerate. 

        29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

        30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

        31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

        We could sit here for the next several hours and break down this list in full detail with many examples for each thing listed. It's safe to say the world has not changed since the writing of this book at all.

        32 Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 

        Now if you move down a little to the book of 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2. This letter Paul is writing to the church of Thessalonica. It was a large and wealthy city in the Roman empire and had some problems with apostasy. We will look at verses 5 to 10.

        5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

        6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

        7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

        8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy the brightness of his coming:

        9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all powers, and signs and lying wonders,

        10 And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

        It is not enough to go through life merely knowing about the truth. Anyone can know the basics of the truth. You should ought to Love the truth. Saying you know the truth but don't practice it living in the lusts of your flesh is worse than not knowing at all. You cannot claim to love the Lord yet serve the world! If you do not love the truth God will send a strong delusion that should believe a lie. 

        11 And for this cause God shall send them wrong delusion: that they should believe a lie:

        God's plan has been simple since creation. He created man a deliberate way in the garden, but the original sin has altered man after the garden. Your heart being evil can work against you as well as the Holy Ghost. Are you certain you are saved in your current state? Conviction should cause repentance, Conviction should occur when the Holy Ghost gets ahold of your beliefs. 

        Times have become harder, darker, and the lies are more prevalent. If conviction doesn't bring you to repentance, something is wrong. When you are not bothered by evil or troubled by corruption, there's a missing element. You may not be saved. Now is the time to make a stand for your faith and it's not in the fight everyone and everything sense either. It's in knowing and evaluating yourself. Search yourself!