“What are the sins of the fathers?” How could men who are great, powerful, and widely celebrated servants of God, who have built churches, spread the gospel across nations, established universities, and created thriving businesses, be considered sinners before God?

“Do not be like your fathers.” (Zechariah 1:4)

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As I was praying and waiting upon the Lord for His word for this new month, His Spirit spoke clearly to me and said: “Announce to My people that we have now entered a season of mercy, a season of divine intervention against the adversaries of the Church.”

First, it is essential to understand that God has enemies. Scripture affirms this in Psalm 68:1, which declares: “Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered.”

The Lord revealed to me that because of our sins, particularly the sins of the fathers within the Church, He permitted our adversaries to afflict us. However, these enemies have gone far beyond what was allowed, causing damage that exceeds their appointed measure.

This raises a critical question in the hearts of many: “What are the sins of the fathers?” How could men who are great, powerful, and widely celebrated servants of God, who have built churches, spread the gospel across nations, established universities, and created thriving businesses, be considered sinners before God?

Here is the sobering truth: It is possible to build ministries and still miss God. It is possible to plant churches and yet miss heaven. What you have built is not as important as how you have built it and where you stand before God. For many of the fathers in today’s Pentecostal movement, repentance is not optional, it is mandatory. Their sins are not only known to God but are also evident to those with spiritual eyes and ears. The Lord has entrusted me with this sensitive and strategic assignment: to warn the Church, “Do not follow the example of the fathers.” Do not follow any man of God. Follow Jesus Christ alone.

The sins of the fathers are many before God, and they must repent. Among the most grievous are the following:

1. Sexual Immorality

Numerous church leaders and spiritual fathers are actively living in adultery and engaging in various forms of sinful sexual practices, leaving many young men and women under their watch broken and wounded.

2. Idolatry of Leadership

Many church leaders and spiritual fathers have turned the hearts of believers away from God, drawing them into the worship of men, rather than of the Almighty.

3. Occult Practices

Church leaders and spiritual fathers have mixed occultism and witchcraft with ministry, serving polluted oil and communion to members and ordained pastors, unknowingly binding them to evil covenants.

4. Exploitation of the Vulnerable

Church leaders and spiritual fathers have exploited the careers, businesses, finances, and resources of vulnerable individuals to build their own facilities, leaving those people impoverished and broken.

5. Spiritual Abuse and Apostasy

Through wickedness, vendettas, victimisation, and manipulative control, many church leaders and spiritual fathers have led souls away from Christ, some even into atheism, leaving them shattered upon the discovery of the truth.

6. Political Corruption

Many fathers and leaders in the church have secretly partnered with politicians, accepted blood money, sponsored elections, and deceived congregations by claiming to be apolitical.

7. Suppression of Truth

Many church leaders and spiritual fathers maintain security personnel, bloggers, and law enforcement on their payroll to silence dissenting voices.

The list is endless. For these reasons, the Lord allowed our nation to fall into the hands of oppressors. Yet, the Lord has declared that His mercy is about to be released upon the Church, on one condition: repentance.

The Call to Return

The Church fell into the hands of the enemy through sin, and the enemy struck hard. But now is the season of mercy. To partake of this mercy, we must recognise our identity in Christ and return to Him in righteousness.

“Therefore, say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.”’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.” – Zechariah 1:3–4

It is for these reasons that our nation was attacked without remedy by Satan; believers are struggling with unanswered prayers; the spate of evil, killings, and wickedness seem to continue unbated in the land, and unrighteousness and ungodliness have taken the centre stage in the church and in our nation.

Why Is Satan Angry at the Church? Why Does He Attack the Church?

1. His Time of Judgment Is Very Short

Scripture declares in Revelation 12:12: “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Satan is furious because he knows his days are numbered. His impending judgment drives him to wage relentless war against the Church, seeking to destroy as much as possible before his final defeat.

2. The True Church Carries the Power of the Holy Spirit

The authentic Church operates under the authority and power of the Holy Spirit, which dismantles the strategies of the enemy. This power directly opposes Satan’s mission to steal, kill, and destroy, as stated in John 10:10. Every Spirit-filled believer is a threat to the kingdom of darkness.

3. The True Church Walks in Holiness and Righteousness

Holiness and righteousness are the very nature of God, and they stand in stark contrast to Satan’s love for sin and rebellion. The true Church’s pursuit of purity exposes and frustrates the works of darkness, making it a constant target for attack.

4. The True Church Wins Souls for God’s Kingdom

Every soul won to Christ is a soul snatched from the grip of hell. Evangelism and discipleship depopulate Satan’s domain, weakening his influence and diminishing his power. This is one of the primary reasons he fights the Church so fiercely.

5. The True Church Will Ultimately Be Raptured and Reign with Christ

The Church will not remain under Satan’s influence forever. It will be raptured, taken out of the world, and later return with Christ to establish His reign, displacing Satan completely. 2 Corinthians 4:4 refers to Satan as “the god of this world,” but his dominion is temporary. He knows he will lose his grip on the earth, and this fuels his rage.

6. The True Church Reminds Satan of His Defeat at the Cross

Every redeemed child of God is a living testimony of Satan’s ultimate defeat through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Satan sees a believer, he is reminded of the crushing blow delivered at Calvary, a defeat he can never reverse. It is like a bitter reminder, similar to a woman seeing the son of a man who once terrorised her life after a painful divorce.

To produce this kind of church, repentance must start from the leaders, fathers, and church owners.

Areas of Repentance

1. Church leaders and spiritual fathers who are actively involved in sexual immorality within the Church must repent immediately and turn away from these destructive practices that defile the body of Christ.
2. Church leaders and spiritual fathers who persist in lies, deceit, and manipulative teachings from our pulpits must repent and restore truth and integrity to the preaching of God’s Word.
3. Church leaders and spiritual fathers who have aligned themselves with occultic societies, engaged in dark practices, and formed ungodly alliances must repent and renounce every covenant that opposes the Kingdom of God.
4. Church leaders and spiritual fathers who are entangled in bribery, corruption, and unethical dealings in business must repent and embrace righteousness and transparency in all financial matters.
5. Church leaders and spiritual fathers who demand worship, enforce compulsory submission, and elevate themselves above Christ in their congregations must repent and return all glory and honour to God alone.
6. Church leaders and spiritual fathers who harbour hatred, bitterness, unhealthy competition, and exploit vulnerable people for personal gain must repent and walk in love, humility, and justice as true servants of Christ.

If we repent and return to the Lord in righteousness, embracing our true identity in Christ, these four divine blessings will be released upon us:

1. Mercy: The mercy of God will be poured out abundantly upon our homes, our ministries, and our nation. This mercy will bring healing, restoration, and divine favour where judgment once prevailed.
2. Prosperity: Prosperity will flow into our homes, ministries, and nation. The Lord will open doors of provision, abundance, and increase, reversing seasons of lack and hardship.
3. Comfort: Comfort will be granted to our homes, ministries, and nation. The Lord will soothe every pain, calm every storm, and replace sorrow with joy and peace that surpasses understanding.
4. Appointments and Divine Elevation: Strategic appointments and positions of influence will be released upon our homes, ministries, and nation. The Lord will raise His people to places of authority and impact for His glory.

“I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 1:16)

Ayo Akerele is the senior pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen Ministries in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through [email protected]