Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the dangers of self-deception, particularly for fathers, urging them to guard their hearts and lives against it. He explains that self-deception can manifest in various ways, such as failing to act on God's word, denying one's sin, and overestimating oneself. Through the story of Job, he illustrates how suffering can lead to spiritual clarity and a deeper understanding of God's sovereignty. Ultimately, Beach encourages listeners to seek God's truth and transformation, recognizing that true freedom comes from acknowledging our weaknesses and relying on Christ.

...to give this, and I invite you, fathers, if you're here many weeks now, we have been ministering on the Book of Job, and learning that God's purpose in suffering is that we would be brought to our end so that Christ can be earned on. And we hope to cover the end of that message this morning, but before we do, I feel that the Lord has given me a word for fathers this morning. And so I want to give this, and I invite you, fathers, if you're here, if you're not a father, then you may be someday, so listen carefully. I encourage you to get a piece of paper and jot these down. Okay, jot these down. In Matthew chapter 24, verse number 4, I want to read what Jesus told us. In Matthew chapter 24, verse 4, Jesus said, And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. A few years ago, I had turned on the radio, and I was listening to a local radio talk show host. And he made a statement that has always stuck with me. Fathers, listen carefully. Listen carefully. He said the greatest form of deception is self-deception, when a person is deceived. And having heard that, that just stuck in my heart for several years. Fathers, I believe that one of your greatest responsibilities before God and to your family is to guard your life and the life of your family from becoming self-deceived. Self-deceived. Deception is a distinguishing feature that marks the end times and the work of the wicked one. Deception. But self-deception, of all the deceptions, is perhaps the greatest. Because self-deception, by the very nature of what deception means, hides itself. And so that we can be self-deceived and not even know it. That's what self-deception is. Now, the Bible talks to us. All you have to do is get your concordance. All you have to do is get your concordance and you can see this. The Bible speaks about eight specific ways that self-deception can be present in our life. Eight different ways. Fathers, this is a charge from the Holy Spirit this morning, and not just for fathers, but for everyone here. This is a charge to be on guard, to stand in the gate of your home. And through the armor of righteousness and the power of the Holy Spirit and the word of truth, guard your heart against self-deception. Because the presence of self-deception will ultimately destroy your spiritual life and the life of anyone who is under your influence if they don't see it. First of all, we have James chapter 1, verse number 22. We're going to try and go through these quite quickly with the Lord's help. James 1, 21. Beloved, I want to strongly encourage you. Not to say, well, I'm not self-deceived, Phil. And also I want to mention too that with self-deception there is always, always the presence of evil powers working in your life. Always. The presence of evil powers and spirits somehow working and blinding you. Because self-deception is a tool of the enemy. Now, don't say, well, I'm not self-deceived. Obviously you don't think you are because the very nature of self-deception is you don't know you're deceived. That's what self-deception is. Others might know, but you don't know. That's why we need the word of God. That's why we need honest hearts before God. God give us an honest heart this morning. And so, beloved, as the word of God comes forth this morning and you are convicted by the presence and power of a loving God, I admonish you and beg you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you would cry out to God that he might rescue you. James chapter 1 verse number 22. Be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own self. Self-deception comes when we fail to live what we hear in God's word. According to God's word, there is a spirit of self-deception working in any of us who are hearers of the word but not doers. If it doesn't bother you that you hear the word, you read the word, you know the word, and yet there are specific areas in your life that you know you are not doing the word, that you are professing before people, before your family, before your husband, before your wife, before your children, before your employees. If that doesn't bother you, you are self-deceived. 1 John 1.8 Number 2 First of all, it was James 1.21 That's 1 John what? 1.8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. This particular scripture does not only refer to, and if we think it does, then we escape the power of this word. If we think this scripture only refers to a person who refuses to believe that they are a sinner, and therefore they don't need a savior, then we feel exempt from this word. But there is a greater application that this word has for you and I. And that is simply, if we fail to acknowledge our sin when the Holy Spirit of God convicts us, when the word of God convicts us, I don't know how it's possible to go to the word of God and simply read it as a book anymore. It is a living word that continuously speaks into my heart. And when you read the word and it says, for example, Thou shalt not covet, or thou shalt not lie, or thou shalt not steal, or thou shalt not lust, or be kind, or read the love chapter, and you can read through that without acknowledging your sin, without acknowledging how far you fall short of what God's word says, and then cry out to God for the power of transformation to occur. You are self-deceived. Next, Galatians chapter 3 verse 6. You see how subtle the power of self-deception is? You see how powerful it is? And how we need to pray, Jesus, change our hearts. Galatians chapter 3. You see, men, this is what fathers are all about. I'm glad that this country honors fathers. Galatians chapter 6 verse 3, I'm sorry. 6-3. For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Another scripture that coincides with that is Romans 12-2. Paul says, I say unto you by the grace of God, let not any man among you think of himself more highly than he ought to, but soberly, with a sound mind, in accord with the truth of God's word. A lot of times in the house of God, we've got little Volkswagen Rabbits tromping around saying, I'm a Cadillac, I'm a Cadillac. Self-deception is present when we think we're something, but we're not. If we don't think according to the truth of God's word, and think in a sober way, we can become self-deceived. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise. A person becomes self-deceived when they are puffed up with the idea that they are wise. Let him become a fool that he may become wise. I'm restraining, with great difficulty, from going into application to these. Just wanting the Holy Spirit to speak. Each one of these we can spend several weeks on. Diving into the depths of the meaning. I trust as you get these in your notes, and you meditate on them, that God will reveal these things in your life. Don't take this lightly. Deception is a dreadful snare. The word deceived means to be led astray, to cause to roam by seduction. Next we have James 1.26. We are self-deception in our life. We're vulnerable to other forms of deception. James 1, verse number 26. If any man among you seems to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart. This man's religion is vain. James 1.26 says that if your tongue is not bridled or under control, you find yourself bad-mouthing, gossiping, slandering, lying, character assassination. You find yourself prone to say things you don't want to say. You are self-deceived. You are self-deceived. And until there is a genuine godly repentance by the power of the Holy Spirit, who knows what that self-deception is doing in your life. Who knows what other error, who knows what other sin has got a stronghold in your head. Let me tell you, you can't see clearly when you're self-deceived. You can't see clearly. Galatians 6.7. Galatians 6.7. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever a man serves, he shall also reap. A person becomes self-deceived when they feel that somehow they become exempt from reaping the consequences of their actions. Beware when you become under the influence or idea of a thought that says, it's okay, go ahead and do it. Nothing will happen. You're a Christian now, you're under grace. You're forgiven, God loves you. God loves you. He understands you not to see. God is not mocked. And so when we're inclined to feel that we're exempt from consequences to our actions, we have opened up ourselves to self-deception. And the powers of darkness are working in our life. Lastly, I'm sorry. 1 Corinthians 6.9 and 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Self-deception comes when we think the way we live doesn't matter. Self-deception comes when we no longer feel that our actions mean anything. Be not deceived. The unrighteous shall not enter the kingdom of God. And now lastly, 1 Corinthians 15.33. 1 Corinthians 15.33. Beloved, I trust, I beg, I ask the Holy Spirit to take His word. This short little exhortation this morning for fathers and to write them upon your heart. 1 Corinthians 15.33. Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Many, many, many, many years ago there was an evangelist who called himself the Bourbon Street Evangelist. And they that would know where Bourbon Street is, it's in New Orleans. He was the Bourbon Street Evangelist. And he immersed himself into the culture and corrupt ways and practices of Bourbon Street. Supposing, supposing that he was a strong enough Christian to combat the temptations that warred against his soul. Because he was going to be a light for Jesus. But the Bourbon Street Evangelist lost his ministry. He lost his marriage. And I believe he ended up in prison for sex crimes. Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. You can not immerse yourself into an environment that is evil and corrupting in its influence. And antagonistic toward God and the things of God and the word of God. And think that you can preserve yourself. You are self-deceived. And so there you have it. The eight ones in the New Testament that refer to self-deception. Now may I ask you a question? Before we mention these, and I said that we were going to look at some areas of self-deception. Most likely, none of us. Maybe there's an exception one or two, but most likely none of us said, Oh yes, I am definitely self-deceived in some way. But now, have you heard the word of God? Is there a failure in your life to live up to what you profess without being troubled about it? I'm not talking about perfection here. The Holy Spirit is not talking about perfection. He's talking about the capacity to know that what you say and what you are are two different things and it doesn't bother you. Self-deception. You fail to acknowledge your sin when you're caught, when God catches you. You try and justify your sin. You do a song and a dance when you're pinned down and try to make yourself right. You try and justify your sin. You are self-deceived, beloved. Self-deceived. A deception that is perhaps the worst. You have a high-feeding attitude about yourself. You're puffed up with worldly wisdom. Is your tongue out of control? Can you easily slander and gossip someone? Can you easily say something about someone without really knowing what you're saying? You're self-deceived. The powers of darkness have some kind of foothold in your life. Your vision is clouded. Your ability to see God, blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God. You're not seeing God. Oh, you might have glimpses from now and then, but you're not seeing Him in purity and clarity. You feel you're exempt from the consequences of your actions. You feel the way a person lives doesn't matter. I know of one Christian who has tried to confront a particular person over, I believe it was a lesbian or a homosexual lifestyle, and the person became offended and upset and said, we don't talk about those things in our church. We don't judge because no one's perfect. Be not deceived, the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. We don't talk about that. It doesn't matter what we do. God loves us all. Lastly, do you feel that you can live in an environment that is corrupt and evil and still maintain your Christian testimony? You will be the Bourbon Street Evangelist, the Bourbon Street Christian. Be not deceived. You will be defiled and corrupted. Oh yes, the Bible says we'll be the light of the world. Believer communications corrupt good manners. Don't be deceived. I go out, I drink, I do a little smoking. I go out and see some movies that are questionable. Hey, I'm the only Christian influence they have in their life. Be not deceived. Believer communications corrupt good manners. You're not helping them. You're hurting them. Young people, please listen to the Spirit of God. Don't ever feel that to be a good Christian witness, you have to partake in the evil deeds of your acquaintances. You can love them. You can be their friend, but draw the line. Draw the line or else you will be brought right down into the dregs of sin with them. Remember Samson? Oh, I can take Delilah on my lap. I won't lose my strength. I won't lose my power. All I have to do is shake. But he went too far. And he lost his devotion to God. That's what his hair represented. His devotion to God. And he lost it. And he became blinded. And then he became captive to the Philistines. So do not be deceived. Now, I'd like for a few moments for us to just bow our hearts before God. I can't think of a better Father's Day gift that our Father can give us than to love Him and warn us to guard against becoming self-deceived. I want my children to be preserved from deception. But if they're going to be preserved, or if they're going to have a good chance of being preserved, I have to make sure that my life is not a contradiction. That my life is not one of deception. Let's bow our hearts before Holy God this morning in His presence, Father. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You, Lord. We want to be silenced before Your Word. We rebuke any deceiving spirit that has a place in our mind, in our heart, in our thoughts, who would even now be trying to disannul and cancel the Word of God by saying, well, that doesn't apply to You. Lord, we rebuke the powers of darkness. We acknowledge that without Your grace and without Your continual luck in our life, we will fall to self-deception. We acknowledge it before You now. I encourage each one of you before God, if God has spoken to you to confess, say, God, I am self-deceived in this area of my life or this area of my life. Acknowledge it before God. Rebuke the devil. Say, devil, I refuse to continue in self-deception. Get away from me. Then we look to the precious Holy Spirit to impart grace, cleansing, forgiveness, and deliverance through the power of the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. Every single person here can claim deliverance through Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. Listen, listen, this is your time today. When God is speaking to you, don't nudge Him. Don't put it off. Listen, God is sovereign. Sometimes we think, well, I'll deal with this when I'm ready. No, no. You can't come to God like that. If God is stirring you now, now is the time you might leave here and that stirring might go and you might not ever be stirred again about this area of deception. You say, well, God is merciful. I agree. But don't tempt the Lord. Don't tempt the Lord, beloved. He's merciful, but don't assume because He's merciful that you'll have a chance tomorrow. The Lord says, behold, now is the day. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. If God is stirring you, cry out to Him now. Because now is your hour of deliverance through the power of Jesus Christ. Father, we rejoice over your word. We love your word today, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you for the cleansing. Thank you for the cleansing and the washing that comes from your word. Like I said, the last one we had here was 1 Corinthians 15.33. If someone wants this list, I'll get it for you. Okay? So may the Lord take this word and work it in our heart. Rescue us from self-deception. That we may truly walk in the light as He is in the light. And have fellowship one with another. God is light and in Him is no darkness. Amen? Okay, beloved. Let's just turn our Bibles to Job chapter 42. Just continue right along in the spirit here because, you know, I believe that one of the effects that God's dealing in Job's life had was this. If he did have any forms of self-deception, God freed him. So it just flows so nicely with this whole message of Job. This whole message of what God is doing in the life of Job. Job chapter 42. Actually, let's go to Job chapter 40. Job chapter 40. Listen, this is the first time that Job speaks to God after... Really, it's toward the end of this season of horrendous testing and suffering that's going on in Job's life. And I want to point out a few observations here. Indicating, indicating what is happening in the heart of Job. Now, you have to get the tapes if you've missed because I don't want to start repeating myself regarding the nature of what God did in Job's life and what God touched in order to strip Job and bring him to the place that he's at right now. What we want to see today is God's end, God's purpose in allowing us to suffer. This is what the Lord is after in your heart and my heart right now. This is what he's after. This is why the Lord is allowing certain things to happen in your life. This is why the Lord is allowing you to go through what you're going through. And some may not be able to relate to this. Some might say, Phil, I don't understand what you're saying. Everything is so wonderful in my life. God's blessing me. I'm just ready to go for Him. Don't go. That's all right. That's where you're at. That God works with us where we're at. But I assure you most solemnly by the authority of God's work, that if you pursue after God and your heart is reduced to one desire, and that is to know Him and the power of His resurrection, you will experience in your own way a sovereign act of God where you go through the same processes that Job went through. Different circumstances? Probably. The end will be the same thing that God has in mind for you that we see in Job. And so in Job chapter 40, the Lord speaks to Job and says, Moreover, the Lord answered Job and said, Shall he that contended with the Almighty instruct him? God is after something very, very deep in our hearts, something that He's got to surface and deal with if we are going to know a fellowship with His Son that He longed for us to know. The word contended there means to toss, to grapple with, to strive against, to quarrel with or hold a controversy with, to make a charge against, to debate with, to complain at. The essential meaning of this word is this. By your words and your attitudes and your actions, you are complaining, grappling with, wrestling with, and accusing God. God's asking Job, Shall you who's grappling and wrestling and complaining and accusing me, shall we instruct the Almighty? The word instruct there means it's the only place in the Old Testament where this word is found. It literally means to blame or accuse, to teach or instruct so as to improve a person. Oh, may God help us. May God help us to see the end, the end, the purpose, the thing that God was after from the very beginning with His servant Job. He wanted to surface that deep, deep tendency within that man and within you and me to rise up to God in anger and accuse Him. God said, Job, you wrestling, grappling man, who is blameless, attempting to instruct me, attempting to enlighten me, attempting to show me a better way to correct me. Job, either approve of God, let Him answer. Having brought Job through tremendous testings and trials, touching his family, touching his health, touching his wealth, touching his friends, touching everything that was near and dear to his heart, he found himself wrestling with God. God says, go ahead. Go ahead. Talk to me. Instruct me. What do you have to say, Job? Job answered the Lord and said, behold, I am vile. Yes, God says, yes. All heaven is silent. All the angels are silent. Job is beginning to see clearly. He's beginning to see clearly about himself, and he's beginning to see clearly about who God is. Job said, I am vile. The word vile in Hebrew means small, little, insignificant, despised. It can also mean to be lowered downward, to be humble. Job has been exposed. The Almighty put His hand on everything that Job had and everything that Job was, and Job was exposed. But there's hope. There's hope. Notice the qualities of grace that are beginning to arise in Job's life. You see, before all this happened, Job was a righteous man. Job was a blessed man. Job was a prosperous man. Job was a wealthy man. Job was a respected man. Job was a receiving man. Job loved his children. He offered sacrifices for them. Job was a prominent leader in his community. I will lay my hand upon my mouth. Job is saying, Lord, because of your dealing in my life, and because of your sovereign hand, I have now learned to keep my mouth shut. I will not foolishly speak to you, God, out of the anger of my spirit anymore. I will proceed no further. Verse 5. Once have I spoken, yet I will not answer. Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. Job chapter 32. The dialogue continues. I trust that you are taking note that God is speaking into your heart these qualities that he wants to form in our life. How many here have prayed, Oh God, I want to be like Jesus? I want to be like you, Lord. I want to be like you, Lord. We have such a crazy idea about what it is to be like Jesus. Let me tell you, the ultimate expression of being like Jesus is to be smitten of God, and yet, though you slay me, yet will I trust him. To be like Jesus is not to be happy when your circumstances are going good. To be like Jesus is not to have a 21st century Christian smile with a nice shining bright teeth. Hallelujah! That's not being like Jesus. The depths of knowing him. The depths of being like him. Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholding from thee. God had brought Job to the place of absolute surrender to the sovereign rights of God over his life. Absolute surrender to the sovereign rights of God over his life. To Job, now, after having come through this horrendous suffering, to Job, now, everything is now God's property. Everything belongs to him. He has been successfully enabled by the power of God to take his grip off of everything that pertained to himself and all that he had. He entered into the mystery and joy of being possessed by nothing but God. The mystery and joy of knowing what it was to be emptied, truly of all things, that he might be filled with God. Job is brought to the place where everything is God's property for God to do whatever he chooses. Job has been brought to the place where formerly he was truly a son, but he had a master's heart. But now he is a son with a servant's heart. And God alone is his master. Job came to understand Isaiah chapter 45, verse 9, Woe unto him that strideth with his maker. That word strideth is a synonym to the word contendeth that God was indicating Job was doing. Are you contending with me? Are you grappling with me? Are you wrestling with me? Job? Job? Job? Where were you, Job, when the sons of God were sitting before me? Where were you, Job, before the foundations of the world where I was God? Where were you? And he asked him over a hundred questions. Job had known in his theology that God was sovereign. But now in his experience, he has come to know it. Let the clay pots strive with the clay pots of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou in thy work? He hath no means. Woe unto him that sayeth unto his father, What begettest thou? Or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? Romans 9.20 Paul mentioning the same revelation. But thou, O man, who art thou that replyest against God, shall the thing form say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Shall the thing form say to the thing that formed it, Why have you made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay? Hath not the potter power over the clay? Doesn't God have power over you, Job? Job, don't I have power over you to do with you what I want? Job, aren't you the clay? Aren't I the potter? Isn't my name the Lord Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth? Job, you did not beget me. I begot you. Job, does the hammer have the way to speak to the hand that raises it up and say, Do not handle me thusly? Does the hammer have the way? Job, have you forgotten? Have you forgotten? Yes, I love you. But this is not love is. Love is truth. Love is truth. Verses three and four. Who is he that hideth knowledge, counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Here I beseech thee, and I will speak, I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me Oh God, this is what Job is saying. Listen carefully. This is the work that God must do in all of our hearts. Oh God, I have played the fool, saying things to you and to others without knowing what I was talking about. I spoke out of anger, jealousy, self-pity and pride and said foolish things making charges against you. Oh God, forgive me. Verse five and six. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Through this great trial, oh sovereign God, oh potter, oh great heavenly potter, through this sovereign trial that you have entrusted me, I have come to partake in my experience what I hitherto only heard about from others or read about in your holy book. Now I truly see and repent. You alone are worthy and you alone are my righteousness. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the demonite, My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me, the thing that is right as my servant Job hath. God is teaching us here that these men do not have the right standing before God because they trust in their works rather than in the sacrifice of another. When God says here that Job hath spoken the right thing concerning me, he's not referring to all the things that Job uttered throughout that time of testing. Job said stupid things just like you and I say. He's talking about what Job said at the end when Job was brought down by grace and hunger and said, God, now I know you can do what you want. Now I know you are the sovereign potter. Now I know that I'm just the clay. I repent in sackcloth and ashes. I'm going to put a gall on my mouth. I'm not going to foolishly charge you. You alone are my righteousness. You alone are my strength. Oh, God says, that is what I was after all along. And God says in verse 8, Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven lambs and go to my servant Job. He's telling his friends, go to my servant Job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering and my servant Job shall pray for you. For him will I accept. God is teaching us here that these men have to go to Job and ask for him to pray. Why? Job's prayer is very effective now because it springs out of a heart that derives its acceptance before God entirely on the basis of the sacrifice of another. Job's prayer right now is coming out from the heart realization that there's no good thing that dwells in him. He's standing as a man that's wholly relying upon the sacrifice of another which is a picture of those who stand entirely depending upon the merits of Jesus Christ alone who have no glory in themselves. There is no self-righteousness in Job now. No holier-than-thou attitude. Job's eyes are no longer on his works. Job's eyes are no longer on his intercession and prayer for his children. Job's eyes are no longer on all the blessings that he had at one time. All his eyes are on now is the sovereign God who is worthy no matter what happens in his life. He's a sovereign God. Job has yet been delivered from being held captive to thinking that in himself and in his good righteous works there was acceptance before God. He now stands before God and man wholly in the power and holiness of another namely Christ his Redeemer. He stands now in the merits of Christ. I know that my Redeemer liveth he said. Job has been freed. Verse number 10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job. Another translation says And the Lord turned the state of being held active in Job. The Lord freed him from his captivity. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. I said The blessing of the firstborn. The double blessing that speaks of enlargement, spiritual capacity. Verse 12 Verse 11 The Lord gave Job sweet fellowship. He began to break bread with people. But he was a different Job. He had been enlarged through suffering. Verse 12 The Lord blessed the latter Job more than his beginning. Verse 13 He has seven sons and three daughters. Seven sons represent manhood. The perfection of manhood. The perfection of God's Son. His holiness. His righteousness. Glory in Him. Ephesians 4 That's the purpose of God for the church. That we would come to into the statue of Christ's manhood. There it is. And we have three daughters. And those three daughters represent virtue and character. The qualities and characteristics of Christ in His life. And in all the land listen beloved in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job. God is looking for the day when in all the land there cannot be found the beauty that is being expressed in those who under the hand of God's discipline have come through the fire have come through the suffering have come through the difficulties and now are men and women living in the good of Jesus Christ glorying in no one in nothing but their God and Savior Christ Jesus. After this Job lived a hundred and forty years and saw his sons and his sons' sons live in four generations so Job died old and full of days where he had the captivity of the righteous and now the emancipation of the righteous Father there's not much we can say in your presence thy word is so precious we have been entrusted with much this Lord looking at the dangers of self deception and now turning our eyes toward the ending of Job's life freeing from his captivity and the deep work that we did in his heart Father we look to you to perform your word today we ask in these next few moments that you reveal your word to us that you confirm what you have spoken into each one of our hearts that you give us the capacity to receive your word and to be changed by your word through the Holy Spirit's power Father help us Lord in these next few moments something about quarter after twelve now we're just going to spend a few moments we welcome to we're going to spend a few moments in God's presence and I just sense the need to let God speak to our hearts God is committed to do all these things today that we spoke of it's his work not ours but he does ask us if you hear his voice today do not harden your heart do not resist his urge to say your word here I am I confess I want to do my work Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen I just want to encourage you before we close here Amen Amen I encourage you that however we are where we are decisive dealers with the Lord in all of these things these areas of self deception talk to the Lord talk to the talk to those that are closest every husband every husband and wife should go home sometime should read through every one of these scriptures and should look at each other square in the eyes and say am I deceived pray for me every worship when I graduate I want you to say Father I offer myself to you give me the heart of a pilgrim that once Christ Christ as my mom and dad went home so that we can say we are doing the need don't take this lightly self deception will destroy you but God is able to free every one of us by his power and heal us and give us sight to see clearly by his power remember have a good day today and may God reaffirm his word in all of our hearts today