Don Courville discusses the theme of deception, drawing from the biblical account of Joshua and the Gibeonites to illustrate how easily one can be misled. He emphasizes the importance of seeking God's counsel to avoid being deceived, especially in the context of the last days where deception is rampant. Courville warns that many false teachings and movements can lead believers astray, urging the congregation to remain vigilant and grounded in the Word of God. He highlights the necessity of recognizing the enemy's tactics and the power of Christ's victory over deception. The sermon concludes with a call to prayer and a reminder of the importance of personal relationship with Jesus for true discernment.

Thinking about a subject this week and been meditating on it and wanted to share with you and talk with you a little bit as we have our last time together today for this year, about the subject of deception. You remember Joshua had gone through the tremendous victory at Jericho and then they went through their humiliating experiences at Ai and they come through their Achen experience and as they come on down the word got around that they were a powerful nation. And the enemies were afraid of them, the scripture says in Joshua chapter 9, and it came to pass when all the kings which were on this side of Jordan in the hills and in the valleys and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite, the Pezzurite and the Hivite and the Jebusite heard thereof that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel with one accord. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they did work willy-nilly and went and made as if they had been ambassadors and took old sacks upon their asses and wine bottles old and bent and bound up and old shoes and clattered upon their feet and old garments upon them and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua and to the camp at Gilgal and said unto him, And to the men of Israel, we be come from a far country and now therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye, and from whence come ye? And really they got no answer on that question. And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God, for we have heard the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt. And you know how the rest of the story goes. How the scripture says that they made a league with them. And the scripture says, And the men took of their vituals and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a league with them to let them live. And the princes of the congregation swearing to them. And the end result of that was that they found out a few days later that they had been deceived. And the scripture says all the congregation murmured against the princes. Heavenly Father I pray that you would anoint our ears to hear today. That you would anoint my mouth to speak. That we could understand what the message of the Spirit of God is for us today. I pray for your blessing that you would bless us Father. We are in deep need of your blessing. We thank you that you are the blessing. We pray Father that thy will be done. We pray for this world that you love. The people of this world you love. And we pray for their souls. We pray for any right now listening that do not know Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior. They may have a knowledge about you Father. But really knowing you personally they have not entered into that wonderful experience. We pray for their conversion. We pray that the Holy Spirit would bring conviction of sin. And that there be a spirit of repentance. And that we as believers would listen carefully to what you have to say for us. Or to us now. In the name of Jesus. Amen. I believe that there is a message that should be the final message to us. As a church. And also as people. Whether saved or unsaved. And that is this. That we would not be deceived. Because the character of the last days is going to be one of great deception. And the Bible gives us the record that the serpent beguiled Eve. Menly led her astray. And as the serpent beguiled Eve. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11. He would come back to do that with us. And I will share that verse with you a little bit later. As we move into the new year. If God lets us go another day. We need to be careful that we are not deceived. There are great movements of the enemy to deceive God's people. Many different things are out there. Doctrines. Teachings. Movements. Whatever. And the only way we can know is to compare it with the word of God. And the word of God itself. Is being torn apart. And we have been given deceptive versions of the word of God. All kinds. If you get to look at all of them it will blow your mind. How many different Bibles are out there now today. Only by the spirit of God and by the word of God. Can we understand and discern what God is doing. Now. There are many different forms of deception. Matter of fact the word from the word deceit itself. There are 13 different uses of that word. Deceit is used 34 times. Deceitful 21 times. Deceitfully 11 times. Deceitfulness. Deceit. Deceivableness. Deceive is used 27 times. Deceived is used 33 times. Deceiver. Deceivers. Deceiveth. Deceiving. Deceivings. These types of forms. There are 13 forms. Matter of fact that is 149 verses right there on that one word alone. Coming from deceive. In relation to this area. The Bible says that we are to stand against the wiles of the devil. In Ephesians 6.11. This means that we are to stand against these delusions. These deceivings. These methods of deceit that Satan brings. I'm afraid that many of us are not active in our warfare. But we are passive in our Christian life. And we are the ones that are the most vulnerable. If we're not awake and alert. I'd like to take you through some scriptures. And then I'd like to share a story with you about James Frazier. Who was a missionary in China. And how Ms. Howard Taylor related this story. And it's a powerful story. It comes from Herald of His Coming. A powerful revival little newspaper. I'd like to take you through some scriptures. And bring you down to Revelation. To show you the end of the story in this area of deceivableness. And being deceived. I'd like to take you through some scriptures. And give you this story. And to give us a challenge as we go into this new year. Tremendous times. Those of us that are alert to what the Spirit of God is doing. We'll live in the power of God. We will live in the victory of God. And we will live in the fruit of God. We will receive the fruit. We will see the glory of God. We will experience in our life the abundant life that Jesus has given us. We will live on that top level of the spiritual life. Of the seven levels of life. Of the life of adventure. And even today. I'm 500 miles away from you. I am watching to see what God is going to do in a couple of situations. I'm not going to say what's going on right at this time. But I've been watching these things. And now I'm back in this area again. And watching to see what the Spirit of God is doing. This afternoon I'll be meeting with a key man in this area. And this morning with another key man. And I believe God is wanting to do something in the area where I'm at. He's wanting to do something in the area where you're at. We know that is true by the amount of opposition. And by also the tremendous need that the Spirit of God will point out. As the Spirit of God moves in accord with our prayer. And by the way, if there's one thing I'd like to ask of you. Would you please pray for me. Pray for my family. We need your prayer. We need to understand what God is wanting to do. And then get in line with his working. In the area of deception. Jesus, in Matthew 24, was asked by the disciples as he sat on the Mount of Olives. The disciples came unto him privately saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? What's going to be the big sign? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Well, many of us, we're not fooled by what's going on on the TV. By the news commentators. We recognize the propaganda. We recognize that they're sifting and sorting and trying to get us to believe. Things like that. But many of us do not understand the working of Satan. Even in our own churches. In our own families. To destroy us. We know these guys on TV. We know that they're a part of a system. That's lined up with the enemy. And we know that what's coming because of the teaching of prophetic scripture. But many of us do not have enough wisdom and insight to see the deceiving in our own life. Matter of fact, among some of my revival buddies, this has been one of the greatest lessons that we've had to learn. And that is that we can be deceived. Continually remembering that we can be deceived. If you think you can't be deceived. If you think that you've got it all put together. And that nobody's going to pull any wool over your eyes. Then you're probably deceived right now. But Jesus said, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ. And shall deceive many. In Matthew 24.11 he said, And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And if we believe that we're in the last days. The last of the last days. And we believe that there will be a great movement of deception. There are ecumenical movements going on that are great movements of deception. To deceive the believers. The Lord said there shall arise false Christ and false prophets. And shall show great signs and wonders. In so much that if it were possible. They shall deceive the very elect. That shows you how powerful this area of deception is going to be. Going over to Mark 7.20-23. Jesus talked about the deceit of lasciviousness in verse 22. These types of deception. And if you go on back through scriptures. These types of deceptions will defile us. He said these things defile the man. The evil policy. The adulteries. The fornications. The murders. Theft. Covetousness. Wickedness. Deceit. Lasciviousness. The evil eye. Blasphemy. Pride. Foolishness. These evil things come from within. And defile the man. Deceit is something that defiles us. It destroys us. It opens us up to the working of Satan. You know Paul told the Romans in Romans chapter 16. In verse 17-18. He said this is a warning. I beseech you brethren. Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but by their own belly. They serve their own belly and by good works and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. God doesn't want us to be simple. In 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33. I was looking at this verse a few minutes ago. If I can find it here. Paul went on and Paul gave many, many warnings to us. But in 15-33. The rest of the page is here. He said be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Many of us are wondering how come our young people. We're losing our young people to the devil. Well we're allowing the devil's music in their life. We're allowing the devil's. They're able to play with the children of the devil. They're good friends. Might be ungodly people. We let them work in places where there's evil influence in their lives. And we will lose our children. Paul said be not deceived. Evil communications corrupts good manners. Go over to 2 Corinthians. In chapter 4. I'm going to take you through these scriptures. Try to quickly. But 2 Corinthians. And 4-2. Going back over here. Paul said but we've renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. Not walking in craftiness. Not handling the word of God deceitfully. Now this is hard for us to understand. But many are handling the word of God deceitfully. Using the word of God for their own purpose. What's the effect of this? Well Paul says our gospel will be hid. And if it's hid, it will be hid. To then they're lost. Many people will not. Many unsafe people will not get the gospel. Because of the deceiving of supposedly God's people with the word of God. But by manifestation of the truth. Commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Paul said. And he says in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds. Which believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. Who is the image of God should shine into them. I believe this deceivable attack on the word of God today. Is Satan's greatest deception on man. I believe that's his greatest deception. To take the word of God and deceive us in this area. And turn it and take it away from us. In 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 3. Paul warned the Corinthians. But I fear less by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. You look at verse 13. He said for such are false apostles. Deceitful workers. There they were. Working even in Paul's day already against him. Attacking the word of God. But he said they are false apostles. They're deceitful workers. They transform themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness. Whose end shall be according to their works. My friend. Let's don't be deceived about all of the stuff going on today. We have a Hollywood Christianity that is basically ungodly in its roots. Going over to Ephesians. In chapter 5. 5 and 6. Paul warned the Ephesians. He said for this you know. That no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things come at the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. And then he goes on to say. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness. But now ye are light and the Lord walketh children of light. We need to be careful that we are not deceived. It's a humbling area to come and recognize that maybe we've been deceived in doctrine. Maybe we've been deceived in the teaching that we've received somewhere about certain things that we do. Deceived in the area of our music. Deceived in the area of our morals. We need to be careful that we're not deceived. Paul in writing to the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 2. In verse 3 he said. Let no man deceive you by any means. For that day shall not come except there come a falling away first. And that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition. As the Lord as it gets close there's going to be a great apostasy away from the fundamentals of the faith. From basic sound doctrine. And I believe that we are moving into that. We're going downhill fast. The throttle's full open. The brakes are not even in the vehicle. And we are moving towards the program of Satan. The sad thing about it. Many of us as Christians will be deceived and go along in this program. Sometimes many of us will go even so far as to damage our testimony beyond repair. We need to be careful. Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2. In verse 9. He said even him. Here's Satan. He's the wicked one. Will be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth. Verse 8. In verse 9 he says. Even him who's coming is after the working of Satan. With all power and signs and lying wonders. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. Because they receive not the love of the truth. That they might be saved. One way for us to get deceived is not to love truth. Not to want it. Not to care about it. Not to think that truth is so important. And God says. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. The other side of deception is truth. In 2 Timothy chapter 3. Going over here in verse 1. Paul said this. Know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves. And he goes on down through there. And then he says in 2 Timothy 3 in verse 13. He says. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. They will deceive. They will be deceived themselves. There will be an unbelievable mixture of using God in the area of religion. For their own purposes to make monetary gain to get power over men. Titus 1.10. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers. Especially they of the circumcision. He said. In Hebrews 3. And verse 13. Paul went on to say. And flip over there. Talking to the Christians. He said. And again I will put my. Oops 3.13. He said. But exhort one another daily while it is called today. Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. This is one of the subtle areas that we think that just one little sin doesn't matter. Just not getting victory over a little habit. No it will harden your heart. It's the deception of sin. You'll be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Going over to 2 Peter. In chapter 2. In verse 1. Peter said. But there were false prophets also among the people. Even as there shall be false teachers among you. Who privately shall bring in damnable heresies. Even denying the Lord that brought them. And bring upon themselves swift destruction. Many of us know that one of the most dangerous places today. To put our quality young people. Is in the Christian schools. Many of us know that. Those of other doctrines have infiltrated. The schools of our land. They've been identified. They've taken over some of what we would consider the Cadillac of our schools. We wonder what's going on. What's turning out our young people the way they are. Well they have been infiltrated these schools by the enemy. This has been no accident. It's been planned. It's been going on for years and years. I've ran into a few of these. And when you confront them they turn very very nasty. Just one little quick story back in. I was in another country a number of years ago. At a revival conference. And maybe I shared this one with you. And they had scheduled in that school a Petra rock concert. Immediately after the revival conference. And many godly people there were very upset. And I happened to run into the vice president of that huge school. With I think like 3,000 students in it. And I asked him about that. And he just his countenance just turned evil all of a sudden. He got very angry. Said something to me. And turned and ran away. I've often wondered if he was one of these plants that had been put in there. It was an amazing event. Now there's many other verses in this area. But I'd like to bring you down to Revelation chapter 12. Chapter 12 and verse 9. And you know these verses. But we have the victory through Jesus Christ. And I want to close up today with a story. But giving you the end of the story. And we need to operate from Calvary's viewpoint. From the cross viewpoint. That we have the victory. Our salvation was finished at Calvary. Everything that needed to be done was done by Jesus Christ for our salvation. And also for our victory. And the scripture says the great dragon was cast out. That old serpent called the devil and Satan. Which deceiveth the whole world. He was cast out into the earth. And his angels were cast out with him. Now I don't have time to explain all the eschatological ramifications of these prophetic verses. But we know that Christ is coming back to take the church out of this world. There's going to be seven years of tremendous tribulation time. And then Christ is going to come back and set up his kingdom that he's promised the Jews. Which they have not received yet. And there will be a thousand years. And then there's going to be the great white throne judgment. And I'll share those verses with you in a second here. But I want you to know that he deceives the whole world. Revelation chapter 12 verse 9. Revelation 13 verse 14. Also verse 13. And he doeth great wonders so that he may make fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. The enemy is going to do, Satan is going to do powerful things. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast. Saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast. By the way my friend. If Christ comes today and takes the church out of this world. Do not receive a mark on your right hand or your forehead. Because the scriptures says that no man might buy or sell. Verse 17. He that hath the mark of the name of the beast or the number of his name. If you take that mark on you. Whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. You won't be able to do anything. But you won't be able to get into heaven. If you take that mark you will eternally seal your doom. In chapter 20. The last few verses. Revelation 20. In verse 3. And cast him into the bottomless pit. This is. Let me read 20 verse 2. And he laid hold on the dragon that old serpent which is the devil and Satan. And bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit. Operate on the principle that Satan is a defeated being. And he shut him up and set a seal upon him. And that he should deceive the nations no more. Till the thousand years should be fulfilled. For those thousand years there will be no deception by the enemy. But there will be man's heart. He'll still have his corrupt heart to lead him astray. And when Satan comes back he will gather those. And deceive them one last final time. And go to chapter 8. Or verse 8. And he shall go out to deceive the nations. This is his last swing. Which are in the four quarters of the earth. Gog and Magog. To gather them together to battle. The number of whom is as the sand of the sea. Verse 10. The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire. God comes down. Fire came down from God out of heaven. Defired them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire. And brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And shall be tormented day and night forever. And that's it. He's done. He's done. Let's live on that premise that he is the defeated being this year. With all the deception that's going on. Less don't be deceived by the one that's going to lose the battle. He's already lost. He's lost the war. He may win some battles. But that will be only if we let him. Now, there's a story that I wanted to share with you. But there's also another tremendous powerful thing in the area of. Maybe I'll share that with you next time. But I wanted to just give you this little story. And then maybe another time I'll give you this powerful lesson. On victory. But his name was James Frazier. I told you I'd give you this story. He was a missionary for 30 years in Lai Tzu San in southwest China. But after he'd been there about five years. He had a strange uncertainty begin to move into his life. Like a shadow on his inward life. And all that he believed. All that he rejoiced in seemed to become unreal. Even his prayers seemed to mock him as there seemed to be nothing. Everything was going into nothingness. And he got these thoughts. Does God answer prayer? And does he know and care? And these type of things. And he was going into depression. Here he is a missionary. James Frazier. The great missionary at the beginning. And was he really right in the course he had taken? Five years in China. And so little to show for it. And all of this. Many of you that have gone through this understand. Was there anything? After all in his burden of prayer for the Lai Tzu. How he dreaded the coming of some letter. In a tone of sympathy. He thought maybe somebody would write. And say perhaps you have been mistaken. Are you sure? Sign 2. That he needed in this strange conflict. Because scripture says the truth shall set you free. The fact came over Frazier. As he poured over the welcome pages. Reading and rereading every word. Was that Satan is indeed a conquered foe. Christ our risen Lord has in very truth. Bruised his head. Genesis 3.15. Upon the cross of shame. Having put off from himself. This is through his death. The principalities. The powers he may have shown to them openly. Triumphing over them. In it. Colossians 2.15. This he had held before as a matter of doctrine. Get this. Now it shone out for him in letters of light. That victory is ours. Satan had desired to have him. Satan had decided to wreck him as a missionary. And as he read that he was set free. Now the mighty victor Jesus took him by the hand. What other voice could have said it as he said it. Triumph now because of me. Overcome. Overcome. Even as I overcame. Revelation 3.21. And now he responded again more deeply to the liberating power of the cross. They overcame him by the power of the blood of the Lamb. By the word of the testimony. And they loved not their life and death. In that poor shack the victory was won. There in the shack. You see the victory was won at Calvary. But have you got it in the shack yet? Have you got it in your life yet? And right there he got it. The story goes on to say with these glorious passages on his lips and in his heart and mind. Frasier wrote that he had found that James 4.7. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Really worked. In fact he said that as the Lord had resisted the devil vocally get thee behind me. He did it so. So he just started yelling out his victory even. And he used this weapon of resistance against this one that was trying to deceive him and destroy him. You are crying to me. It seemed like God said to him you are crying to me to do a big work among the license. But I am wanting to do a big work in you yourself. You see my friends God will not do a big work in our area. Until we let him do a big work in our heart. The battle was not over for him. Because he began to be harassed by persistent experience of evil thoughts. And this stuff came back. This is one of the deceptions of Satan. After we get the victory he comes back in the back door. And tries to get us. And these thoughts. Again he had all these thoughts. After he had that tremendous victory. He had these thoughts. They were present with him when he was preaching. When he finally went out to a city. Out of the city to a hidden gully. On a hillside. And one of his prayer places. And he claimed deliverance on the ground of his redeemer's victory on the cross. He said he shouted his resistance to Satan. And he said immediately the obsession collapsed there. Like a pack of cards to return no more. Right there he understood. That he did have the victory. Even though the devil would come back to tell him that he could not keep it. He found that he could. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Heavenly Father I pray that you would bless us this year. As we go forth to claim the victory that you have given us. We thank you Father that you have revealed that the devil is a liar. But the truth shall set us free. We thank you that you give us victories in our families. Victories in our churches. Victory in our land. We lift up our land to you. We lift up our leaders. And we take a stand resisting the evil one. Thanking you now for the victory that you have given us. In Jesus name. I trust that you will have a good year this year. As you walk with Jesus my friend. God bless you.