The Downfall of Backsliding Elders
- They became covetous (Genesis 13:10),
- They compromised (Genesis 13:12-13),
- They were influenced by the worldly society (Hosea 7:8-9, 1 Samuel 8:19-20, 2 Kings 17:15),
- Pride entered them (Proverbs 16:18),
- They lusted for the flesh (Nehemiah 13:26, Judges 16:14-20),
- They entered into self-indulgence (Genesis 9:1, 20-21);
- They loved money (1Timothy 6:9-10, John 13:29, Joshua 7:20-21),
- They loved the world (2 Timothy 4:10),
- They cared so much for this world (Mark 4:18-19),
- They used authority inordinately (2 Chronicles 16:9-12, 26:15-20),
- They entered into unbelief (Hebrews 3:12, 78:18-22, 2 Kings 1:2-4),
- They became prayer less (Matthew 26:40-41, 58).
- They created vacancy in the office of leadership in the church (Exodus 32:1, Judges 17:6),
- They brought bad examples in the church (Isaiah 56:10-12),
- They became immoral (1Samuel 7:12-17, 22, 8:10-21, Jeremiah 23:9-16),
- They allowed false prophecies to come into the church (Jeremiah 2:8, 10:21, 12:10, Isaiah 28:7),
- They preferred compromising preachers (Numbers 14:1-4, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Isaiah 30:9-10),
- They desired temporary blessings above spiritual blessings (John 6:10-15, 25-35, 60, 66, Psalms 106:13-16),
- They encouraged partial obedience, unfaithfulness and insecurity (1Samuel 15:7-11, 16:14, Acts 5:1-10, Revelation 22:18-19),
- They preferred prosperity and abundance without holiness and zeal (Deuteronomy 32:5, 6, 15, Jeremiah 22:21-22, Revelation 3:14-20),
- They allowed strange preachers with false doctrines (Jeremiah 5:31, Hosea 4:6).
- The worse, they fight over positions, ordained themselves with the highest ordination in the church without God’s approval.
- They also ordained unconverted women, children without experience to lead the church
‘As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths… What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts’ (Isaiah 3:12, 15).
‘But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up’ (1Kings 21:25).
Immediately these prophetess, young boys with talents got into leadership without much knowledge about God, his word and ways, they conspired against the church, break away, began to prophesy. Multitudes from the church followed them, especially youths and the women.
‘Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken’ (Jeremiah 6:16-17).
The Rise of Pentecostal Youths and Their Consequences
The Pentecostal youths followed suit and became worse, break the congregation and took away the members.
These youths, full of strength left without permission, instruction, commission and blessings from the leaders. The leaders cursed them, prayed against them and destroyed their ministries because they took away the people that pay them tithes. The church became poor, left with few members and leaders with big tithes. God withdrew His presence from the church and they experienced unanswered prayers. They started suffering under the power of darkness causing sickness, mysterious deaths and all manner of problems.
God in His infinite mercy call those youths to stand on the truth of God’s word, ask for the old paths, the good way, walk therein, find rest for their souls and break out from the curses of the elders they left but they refused. Because of their in experience, zeal without knowledge and curse from their abandoned leaders, they refused to obey God.
‘But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward… Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee’ (Jeremiah 7:23-24, 26-27).
God left them and they became an outcast, captive, leper, their names was removed from the book of life and God forsook them (Exodus 32:33), the wrath of God came upon them (Ezra 8:22, Job 34:26-27), God rejected them (1 Samuel 15:22-26, 1Corinthians 9:27). They became spiritually dead (1Timothy 5:14-16, Ezekiel 18:24, 26), they became exposed to demonic attacks (1Samuel 16:14, John 13:26-27, Luke 11:24-26). They became enslaved to Satan (1Timothy 5:15), their consciences were seared with a rod of iron (1Timothy 4:1, 22). Like Saul, they went and sought for help from a witch doctor and occults (1Samuel 28:6-7).
In the process of looking for solution for their problems, these youths enter into covenant with evil spirits. Some died physically while the remaining that came out alive died spiritually. They are the ones that you see around the cities pulling cloud.
Gathering the properties in the cities, building mansions, cathedrals without building lives. They drive the best cars, knows the people that matters, deceiving and being deceived. They claim to have power to see, hear, heal, prosper and deliver people but they are liars, their power is powerless and their deliverance is not delivered. They are swindlers, carnal, full of greed, pride, anger, jealousy, covetous, unfaithful and possessed with the spirit of mammon, always talking about seed sowing, money.
The Lukewarmness of the Modern Church
They are irresponsible, unfaithful in marriage without any discipline. They do not cast out demons; they transfer them, suspend their actions for a while or see problems without giving you solutions. They draw cloud; render the archbishops, bishops and old prophets in Laodicea useless without members. Their churches and remaining members are lukewarm. Laodicea church was abandoned and is the only church out of the seven churches in Asia that had no point of praise or commendation.
Religion became a substitute for reality and Luke warmness characterized the whole church, not even a trace of faithful few as in Sardis was found among them. They were all lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. They were all wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked spiritually. They were all congregation of sinners, backsliders professing to be Christian leaders but they were vile, sinful, and pitiable, without the robe of righteousness. Most of their leaders were in cults, witchcraft groups and very insincere, religious, hypocritical and harder to win to Christ than cold, irreligious sinners.
‘I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked’ (Revelation 3:15-17).
Even with their condition, backslidden state, Christ wrote to them. The letter was addressed to all, the elders and the youth ministers. Christ was and still, is pictured as standing at the door of every heart, church knocking and asking for entrance.
‘ I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me’ (Revelation 3:18-20).
Luke warmness brings shame, reproach and disgrace. It brings spiritual pollutions, decay, and all manner of poverty, uncleanness, nakedness, spiritual blindness and chastisement. Christ’s counsel to the lukewarm church in Laodicea is to repent. He promises to come back to deliver them, anyone of them who will hear, open the door of his heart, church, sup with Him and be with Him.
The letter is to the whole church and individual who will respond to His request, no matter how bad you are, how wicked you are and how far you have gone away from God, you can still be delivered. If you can leave your evil way of life, dubious way of life and submit to God’s deliverance program, you will be delivered, set free and restored back to God. To please God means to repent, confess and forsake all your sins and you will be forgiven.
‘Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 18:31). ‘Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:11).