Avoiding the Spirit of Confusion
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING:- Last week I spoke about Beware A Warning to the People of God and I dealt with False Prophets, Ear Ticklers, Heretic’s and so on that are operating in the church or rather under the guise of the church and holiness that are deceiving the people for personal gain or telling them just what they want to hear because the Bible says that in the last days perilous times shall come and they are heaping unto themselves teachers having itching ears. This spirit of deception has cause people to be confused.
Back in the 70s the R&B group “The Temptations” made a song called “Ball of Confusion”. Some of the lyrics of that song are: - People moving out, people moving in Why? Because of the color of their skin. Run, run, run but you sure can't hide. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Vote for me and I'll set you free Rap on, brother, rap on. Well, the only person talking about love thy brother is the preacher. And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the teacher. Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to my nation Ball of confusion Oh yeah, that's what the world is today. Cities ablaze in the summertime. Evolution, revolution, gun control. Where the world's headed, nobody knows Just a ball of confusion Oh yeah, that's what the world is today. Fear in the air, tension everywhere Unemployment rising fast, If I might add coronavirus taking lives, no definite cure or vaccine insight, political strife like never before society out of hand news media soundbites people just don’t understand it’s a Ball of confusion That's what the world is today.
Today I want to talk about “Avoiding the Spirit of Confusion”.
PRAYER:-
SCRIPTURE:- 1 Corinthians 14:33 says “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
CONFUSION is a weapon of warfare and it is one of the most used battle tools of the kingdom of darkness. Within the church there are those whom so many look towards to provide spiritual leadership, believing that the Holy Ghost has made them overseers to feed the church of God, yet they appear to be more confused and uncertain than those whom they are leading or they are confusing the people operating under the spirit of confusion.
There are those who firmly stand on the truth of the Word of God and distinguish right from wrong they diligently strive to separate truth from error. Nevertheless; there seems to be a confusion so deep and so widespread that people who are hungry and thirsty for the unadulterated Word of God and to have a true relationship with Him cannot perceive which leaders are faithful to the truth from the ones that are deceiving people and only looking for monetary gain and prestige. Sadly, in their discouragement they try not to be greatly concerned and go along doing church but lacking that true relational experience.
Something is wrong, and it needs to be tackled, people need to be made aware of how to avoid the spirit of confusion operating today. People are dying on their way to hell confused thinking that sin is alright and without holiness are able to see the Lord. The church is becoming impotent, dying, and ineffective because of the Spirit of Confusion. Revelation 12:12 says “……Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time”. He understands his time is short and therefore, he is working hard to confuse people.
UNDERSTAND: - The Spirit of Confusion has been released by the enemy to deceive the people of God and confuse the world and it is effectively doing just that. We now have people that are not able to differentiate between the truth and lies, often fighting the truth thinking it is lies and accept lies believing they are truth.
The enemy in these last days is sending his preachers who preach intoxicating teachings to poison the Church, their words are often tearing down the truth and bringing a spiritual leprosy to the Church. So often now we have people preaching a water down version of the Word of God and it is killing the truth or they are preaching an ego massaging message that is putting the people of God into a spiritual slumber.
1 Timothy 4:1-3 says “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth”.
Sadly, many today are confused about their relationship with God, confused about their place in the body of Christ, confused about their world view, confused of morality, and even confused about their sexuality. Often in the church today there is the accepting compromise, of lies, contradictory lifestyles, and utter perversions almost with the same reckless abandon as people in the world. Trying so hard to be friendly seeking and sinfully accepting that it is nearly impossible to differentiate between the righteous and the wicked and people are confused.
If you have heard my sermons for at least this year you have heard me tell this before. I told this story once before about the pirate and his parrot. The pirate took his parrot to the club on Saturday night, the parrot looked at how the people were dressed and how they acted, the next day the pirate took the parrot to church the parrot looked at the people and said same crowd. The parrot couldn’t tell the difference because there was no distinction.
We know for certain since God is not the author of confusion that any presence of confusion in our lives and in the church is evidence of the enemy fighting against us.
LET ME ESTABLISH SOMETHING HERE: - To be confused is to be perplexed or bewildered. It is to make unclear or indistinction or to fail to distinguish between two things. One of the worst things that can happen to a person is to be confused, being confused is to be indecisive, not knowing the way forward. Confusion most of the time brings a limitation to one’s life because a confused person will not know the way to go. The more confused we as the people of God become the more indistinct from the world we become. If we maintain the same values and priorities of the world, it will literally become impossible to distinguish ourselves from the world and influence the world for Christ.
Malachi 3:18 says, “And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” This distinction between the righteous and the wicked is getting harder and harder to tell because of the spirit of confusion operating today. It is time to break the chains of confusion before we find ourselves on the wrong side of that distinction rather as individuals, families, or churches.
Confusion comes from the devil. The Bible gives us a description of devilish wisdom and tells us this kind of wisdom does not come from God. James 3:13-18 says “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
We know that anything that causes confusion, strife, envy and other evil works is of the devil. WATCH THIS: - Spiritual Confusion arises either because we have a truth and the devil is trying to rob us of it, or, we are believing a lie and the Holy Spirit is trying to show us His truth about the matter. In order to know which one it is, we must first submit to the Lord and ask Him to show us if we have been deceived, then we must willingly and totally turn from all aspects of the confusion source. We must take the position that whatever God reveals we will walk in that position and not hold on to something that is a lie because we would be embarrassed to admit it or feel I have been this way so long why should I change or put so much trust in an individual that we can’t believe they could possibly be confused or confusing the people. Submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee, as the Lord will lead us into all truth when we seek Him with all our heart.
The spirit of confusion is designed to destroy lives, our relationships with God and even with other people. So, we need to understand how to Overcome Confusion.
We must spend time in the presence of God asking the Holy Ghost to expose any area of confusion or compromise in our life. This is achieved by praying in the spirit - Praying in the Spirit helps to bring us out of these times of confusion because when we know not what to pray the Spirit will intercede Romans 8:26 says “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”. Pray without ceasing in the Spirit especially during those times when confusion abounds because we are promised Isaiah 59:19 says, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him”.
Psalm 1:2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night”. The truth is that the more time we spend in the Word the less confusion is able to manifest in our lives. Confusion increases in the mind when we fail to put the Word of God in their eyes, ears, and hearts.
Proverbs 27:17 says “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend”. Therefore, you must evaluate who you have been hanging around in your life. If you are running with people who reject the standards and values of the Word of God believing them to be outdated and superficial, it is just a matter of time before you begin to do the same. My grandmother used to say, if you lay down with dogs you get up with flees – so true. Iron sharpens iron and bad company corrupts good character. If you hang around spiritually confused people you will begin to think, act, and talk just like them rather than living as the overcoming, powerful, and victorious believers God wants us to be.
Come together Hebrews 10:25 says “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching”. It is a fact that the healthy and faithful fellowship with other likeminded and spiritual people is a powerful antidote against confusion. When we gather with other believers in praise, worship, prayer, and Bible study, a wrong and corrupt world view, wrong priorities, and fleshly interest begin to melt away. When we gather with likeminded people in truth there is good counsel. Proverbs 19:20-21 says, “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand”.
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” This is done by keeping our minds on Christ Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”.
CONCLUSSION: - 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” A sound mind is not a confused mind I came across this quote in my studies by a man named Samuel Chadwick and he says that “Confusion and impotence are the inevitable results when the wisdom and resources of the world are substituted for the presence and power of the Spirit of God”. God has given us power, and love, and a sound mind so we don’t have to be confused.
So, I close this message with this prayer Lord Jesus we desire to be clear minded in a time when deceit and deception flood our minds we ask that you lift up a standard against it like you said in your word. We take every thought and imagination captive in the name of Jesus. Please help us to guard our hearts with all diligence so we will not be tossed to and fro by the many winds of doctrines that distort the truth of Your Word. Help us Lord to not be persuaded to substitute the world’s view in place of your Spirit.
Open the eyes of our understanding I pray, and give us wisdom, knowledge and above all understanding. Let us be sober and vigilant because we know our adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour. You said in your Word that you will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, help us to keep our minds on you and we will no fall victim to confusion.
And David prayed in Psalm 61 “Here my cry O Lord attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I”.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
