The great deceiver

As I wrote in an earlier post, I am reading Jonathan Edwards book Religious Affections.  Tim Challies  is reading through some of the Christian Classics, and I have done the past three along with him.  This seems to be a very timely book.  We live in an age where even "religious" affections and feelings are from the pit.  I was reading the comments on his blog and found some very interesting information all dealing with the church here and elsewhere.  He made mention of a couple of people in the Contemporary Music Industry that were very telling.  One was that Ray Bolz, singer of As the Anchor Holds and Thank You, has come out of the closet as being and very much living the homosexual lifestyle.  The second was Mike Guiliamucci of the group Hillsong has for two years been living a lie coning people into believing that he was dying of terminal cancer, when the opposite was true.  I will post, or I should say attempt to post the U Tube news clip of his apology to an Australian reporter.  Jonathan Edwards warns in this book that affections and feelings can be in themselves a big con game.  Of course he doesn't use those kinds of words, but actually uses some very harsh words instead.  Both of these men (Boltz and Gugliamucci) have been greatly deceived in one way or the other, and the father of lies is alive and well.  Filled with profound sadness my heart goes out to these men, their families, and the people that really followed their music.  

The first part of Religious Affections, Edwards goes into great detail about how God uses affections, changes our affections, and gives us profound joy.  He then tells us not to be deceived.  

How do we do that?  In an age where people at times only rely on their feelings.  How do we as believers over come this?  Please take the time to go to youtube look up Mike Gugilamucci's confession.  It is titled Mike Gugliamucci on Today Tonight.  I have just tried for an hour to embed the video, and have not succeeded, so I am giving up.  If any of you can help please feel free.  I will write more this afternoon on just how do we do that.