You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. -1 Corinthians 7:23
Introduction
Have church leaders, pastors and priests wearied you by forcing to follow the church doctrine? Have members of your church ever slandered you? Have they excommunicated you from the church, the so called family and god’s kingdom?
Many believers have experienced this. I have confronted the believers but they said, “If you don’t like our church, then go to another church.” The religious organisations along with their pastors and members are corrupt.
Every religious organisation, the so called “church”, has its own doctrine and set of rules. Those are not the rules of God but of man. The pastor acts as god. Pastor calls his “church” a god’s kingdom. He determines who can be baptized, who can be a member of his “kingdom” and who must be excommunicated. Many faithful believers are wearied by their pastors.
Disobedience to the pastor means sure excommunication. Pastor fears rebellion against him. Just like a dictator, he sets up “church” rules. Pastor spies on everyone to make sure people follow him.
I have attended many worship services in different religious organizations and I saw how arrogant and prideful are those pastors. They love to be praised. Members speak of them in this manner, “Jesus Christ is in heaven, but the leader is on earth.” They exalt their leaders and pastors above God. Those leaders are the pastor-idols.
Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, wrote about the man of lawlessness, about the son of destruction:
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. -2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Christ was sent by God and He seeks the will of God. Jesus humbled himself. The man of lawlessness opposes God, exalts himself above everything, takes his seat in the temple of God and proclaims himself to be God. Pastors do the same.
I have observed leaders, pastors and priests, and I have seen myself how they oppose God. Pastors are careful to ensure that believers follow the doctrine of their religious organization and do not deviate from the rules established within the organization. The pastor also requires that the “church” service be held only in his presence. The pastor does not allow believers to gather together without his presence or the one appointed by him.
The pastor exalts himself above other believers, claiming that only he is the minister, and the rest are just parishioners, the mere church members. In fact, the priesthood is given to all those who believe in God and follow Christ. God did not divide believers into priesthood and church members. God gave priesthood to everyone who followed Jesus.
You are the temple of God. The head over you must be Christ. The pastor comes to you and takes the place of judge among you. The pastor excommunicates believers from the church and so called god's kingdom, although God did not give him this authority. Only God has the right to judge believers.
Christ did not send leaders, pastors and priests, but they came themselves. Neither Christ nor the apostles created pastoral positions.
As you can see, leaders, pastors, and priests act in the same way as the man of lawlessness. Pastors and this man of lawlessness Paul wrote about are led by the same spirit. Their deeds are the same.
Jesus honored the God of his fathers, but the pastor does not honor God. The pastor is concerned about collecting more money from you to build a temple, and they don't care about the poor. When he helps the poor, he does it in such a way that everyone sees his alms and praises him.
Christ cleansed the temple and drove everyone out of it, but the pastor defiles the temple of God, that is, you. The pastor demands that you do not seek the will of God, but ask for "advice" and "blessings" from him. This is how he defiles you.
Christ ministered to the needy, but the pastor robs the poor. Many bring tithing to the pastor, even when they have no money themselves.
People give the pastor the last what they have. The pastor claims that these contributions are a gift to God, although God did not require the gifts to be given to the pastors. Whoever wants to make a gift to God – let him give his donation to the poor.
Christ was rejected by the people, but the pastor is accepted and loved by the people. People idolize pastors.
Christ was killed for the people. The pastor attacks and pushes out of the temple those who oppose him. The pastor closely monitors that believers live according to the doctrine of the organization. The temple, where believers gather, is registered in the name of the pastor, organization or pastor’s servant, so this allows pastor to act as a master and treat you as his slave.
The pastor in many ways opposed himself to God and Christ. Christ ascended to heaven, but the pastor will descend into the Lake of Fire. This is because the pastor teaches what Christ did not teach, and what Christ taught he rejects. The pastor persecutes those who oppose him. He took the place of God, judges the believers and robs the poor.
God sent delusion on many. The believers followed their church leaders, pastors and priests. They refuse to hear the truth. They are the self-righteous ones who don't want to hear anything against their "faith" and their pastor. Many of them are aware of the dark things that are happening in their organization, but they prefer to remain silent about it – they enjoy evil. God will judge them. Here is what Paul wrote about believers, who followed the lawless one:
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. -2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
In this book, I will expose religious organisations, church leaders, priests, pastors as well as members who serve them.
Church
In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:22
The devil has plotted to conquer believers through the false doctrines of their organizations, the so-called churches. The devil’s plot to conquer saints is in line with the prophecy:
Also it [beast] was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. – Revelation 13:7-8
The church doctrine lead you away from Christ because there are no other approved by God doctrines apart from the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Paul in his letter to Timothy requested him to make sure that believers follow no other doctrine except the one they preached:
As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, -1 Timothy 1:3
It is a fact that majority of believers are divided by the different types of religious organizations, the so-called churches, with a variety of their traditions, dogmas, rules and doctrines. The Antichrist are the church leaders, pastors and priests who have replaced Christ and preached the doctrine of their organization. Those church leaders act as a government. They appoint staff responsible for finances, new projects and expanding of the organization. They have ushers at their service who take care of people during the worship service and turning into security team when required. The “constitution” of those churches is their doctrine, whether it’s written or unwritten. All those little governments are so far from “ekklesia” (the Greek term for church) which has been described in the Scriptures. No wonder, all those churches have taken roots in Roman Catholicism which ruled the world for centuries, being a government itself. Some Catholic members became dissatisfied with the Catholic doctrine and have created new organizations, rejecting some Catholic practices but adapting others. Martin Luther, the ex-Catholic priest, refuted many of Catholic teachings but still left quite a number: Holy Communion, Worship Service, hierarchy, church building, worship songs, etc. Jesus has never created all these organizations but they have been created by human hands. Jesus said to Peter:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. – Matthew 16:18
Paul writes that church is the body of Christ:
And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church [ekklesia], which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. – Ephesians 1:22-23
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. – 1 Corinthians 12:27
So, the fellowship of believers is not an organization, neither a religion, nor a denomination, even not a movement, but disciples of Christ joined together in Spirit. It's the body of Christ. You are the people who build it up if you follow the teaching of Jesus:
And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. – Luke 13:29
You must not build or rent designated temples for worship because you must worship God in spirit and truth. The scripture is clear:
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. -John 4:24
Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands… – Acts 7:48
You must neither pay believers salary for teaching and leading you. God gives those gifts of teaching and leading to whomever He wants to give. Do not try to purchase those gifts from God. If you give your money in form of tithes to church leaders, you will perish along with your money:
But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!” – Acts 8:2
Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” He emphasized the spiritual power of His church, so even hell shall not prevail against it. Therefore, it cannot be controlled by men, for example church leaders, influential people, governmental authorities or any other forces of this world.
Divide and rule
Since the church is a spiritual body, who are the ones misleadingly call themselves church nowadays? A church nowadays called a temple, human-made organization with its distinctive doctrine.
“Divide and rule” – this is a well-known principle which devil uses to pervert the gospel of Christ. By dividing believers into religious organizations based on different doctrines, these denominations oblige believers to follow their ungodly ways. Church leaders under the threat of disfellowshipping request disciples of Christ not to associate themselves with other believers outside of their organization. They tell you concerning other believers, “They have different faith”, but it’s not about the faith they are concerned. Church leaders are concerned the most about unity in their organization. Their traditions, practices, and doctrine within the organization must be the same.
This false teaching about different churches but one faith or universal church has led disciples away from Jesus into the hands of the Antichrist: church leaders, pastors and priests.
The way for disciples of Christ to overcome division is to break the spiritual dependence on any human-made religious organizations, denominations and movements. You must study the Scriptures daily, refute ungodly teachings and traditions, fellowship with other believers away from the influence of religious organizations and its leaders. God called you to be united in Spirit with other believers:
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 12:13
Do not drink of the spirit of different religious organizations, but drink of one Spirit. The fellowship is crucial for all disciples of Christ to support and to encourage one another but do it away from these organizations.
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. – Hebrews 3:13
And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12
When someone apart from church leaders, pastors or priests attempts to teach you publicly, your church leaders disfellowship or drug him out. No freedom to teach means no Spirit of the Lord among you:
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. – 2 Corinthians 3:17
Believers have turned from God to follow their church leaders. The ways of your church leaders with their doctrines, dogmas and traditions lead you to nowhere. Jesus is the only way:
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. -John 14:6
Source of division
This division was created by Roman Catholicism who built numerous temples for believers and called it church buildings or simply churches. They obliged believers to attend those temples instead of growing in the knowledge of God. They did not allow people to study the word of God because they did not want anyone to know the truth. They called their temple ceremonies a worship service, church service or Holy Mass and taught that by attending it, you are actually worshipping the Lord. What a lie!
According to the Scriptures, there was only one church in each town: Corinth, Laodicea, Rome and all others. Were there many churches in the city of Rome? Only one. Were there many churches in the city of Ephesus? Only one. All disciples of Christ in each town used to fellowship with one another without the division you can observe today:
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:4-6
The churches can be divided only by geographical reasons. Followers of Christ in one region fellowship with each other and together they make up the church:
To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 1:7
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. – 1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons. I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. – 3 John 1:9– Philippines 1:1
Unless you want to expose those religious organizations, do not even mention their names. These are the gods leading you away from Christ by their false doctrines.
Pay attention to all that I have said to you and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips. – Exodus 23:13
Prophecy about so-called churches
Roman Catholicism has been described in the book of Revelation as a “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations”:
And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." – Revelation 17:5
It is because Roman Catholicism has developed a doctrine and practices which God hates. Since long time back, it has been supported by different governments and spread to all the continents. God compares false teachings and practices to a sexual immorality:
with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk." -Revelation 17:2
And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. -Revelation 17:15
It used to persecute believers by excommunicating and sentencing them to death, and even now it has the same practice of excommunication:
And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. -Revelation 17:6
The capital of Roman Catholicism is Rome, a city on seven hills or mountains:
This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated – Revelation 17:9
And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth. – Revelation 17:18
It has a lot of gold and jewels and pearls. Roman Catholic priests are adorned in purple and scarlet:
The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. – Revelation 17:4
All so-called churches have derived from Catholicism and adapted its demonic practices. God describes them as prostitutes whose mother is Roman Catholicism.
The Antichrist
I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. – 3 John 1:9
Church leaders, pastors and priests have replaced Christ with their personality and by doing so, they have become the Antichrist. The Antichrist does not only mean “against” Christ but also “in place of” Christ. The Antichrist is not only a single individual but a group of people. John the Evangelist warned believers that the Antichrist is coming in the last days, which means now:
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. – 1 John 2:18
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. – 2 John 1:7
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. -1 John 4:2-3
Those positions derived from Catholicism. Catholics speak of pope as of a Vicar of Christ (from Latin “Vicarius Christi”) which means an earthly representative of Christ. Church leaders, pastors and priests pretend to be the representatives of Christ on earth. Why have you believed them? Church leaders charge those who confront them with rebellion. When loyal to church leaders people say, “Jesus Christ is in heaven, but church leaders are on earth,” they admit that they serve their leaders.
The Lord and Savior is not a church leader but Jesus Christ. Church leaders, pastors and priests are not for the good of believers. The only true position in the church is the position of an elder or overseer. They pretend to be elders but domineering over believers contrary to the will of God:
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock. – Peter 5:1-3
Elder must not dominate over disciples of Christ. Paul used to teach Timothy and Titus what qualities overseer must possess. It is important to note that the husband of one wife means not that an elder must necessarily be married, but that if he married, he must have only one wife. An elder can be single, just like Paul was unmarried too.
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… – 1 Timothy 3:2
Timothy and Titus used to visit churches to appoint elders. They did not appoint anyone on such awkward positions as a church leader, pastor, priest, deacon, chairman, evangelist and others:
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. – Titus 1:5
Elders must not appoint believers on the position of an elder. Elders are appointed by knowledgeable and trusted brothers in Christ from another city. A trusted believer must come to a town and look for those who are qualified for the position of an elder and only after that appoint one.
You must reject the authority of church leaders, pastors and priests. The elders must be the kind of servants who can easily be reproved if their teaching is not in line with the teaching of Christ and apostles. They should be mature, wise, kind and able to teach.
The elders must not collect money from believers and use this money as a tool to rule over people. The fellowship of believers is free of charge. When money is collected to help someone, other believers must take charge of it, not the elders. Elders must only oversee.
Small group leaders and “disciplers”
There are no such positions as deacon, small group, cell group or bible talk leader in the church. All these positions have been created by church leaders to dominate over believers. Small group leaders report to church leaders, creating a hierarchy among believers which Christ detests.
In the same way, the recently introduced by modern religious organizations position of a discipler aims to build up a hierarchy like never before. The doctrine of those organisations states that every believer must have a discipler. Discipler means a mentor or spiritual father who dominates over a believer and reports to the small group leader. You must reject the illegitimate authority of a discipler because the only authority over you is Christ:
And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. – Matthew 23:9
Being a slave to church leaders, pastors and priests is a heavy burden. They put a yoke on believers, requesting them to obey their ungodly burdensome commands. You must take the yoke of Christ instead:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. – Matthew 11:28-30
Different gifts
If you want to be more valuable in God's eyes then you must desire the greater gifts. For example, you can teach multitude of believers in different cities or speak the truth on behalf of the Lord; you can teach; you can even do miracles and healings; you can serve people with your skills or possessions. You can do all according to the gifts you received from God.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. – 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
As you can see from the above Scripture, an apostle, prophet, and teacher are the top three gifts. These three gifts are about teaching because God wants people to know Him and worship Him in spirit and truth:
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. – John 4:24
When a church leader divides believers into groups and appoints a head over each group, it means that a church leader is domineering over you. Do not give away your freedom which was given to you by Christ. Let no one lord over you:
You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. -1 Corinthians 7:23
Disciples of Jesus Christ must teach each other, encourage each other, and take care of each other with love. This is the godly way to build up the church:
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Small groups
The church leaders argue that the practice of dividing believers into small groups derived from Moses who divided Israelites into groups and appointed a judge over them. They refer to the below Scripture:
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country. – Exodus 18:24-27