Андрей Викторович Шибанов - Leave Your Pastor

his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. – Lamentations 3:30

If you teach people, perhaps they will listen to you and repent from their sins and false practices. If no one will teach them, how will they know the truth? There are always a small number of people who belong to God. If some do not listen to you, teach others who do listen. If God gave you the knowledge, then you must speak up because to whom much was given, of him much will be required:

Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. – Luke 12:48

The prophets prefer to discuss the matter with church leaders, pastors and priests privately, behind closed doors away from others. Do not follow this evil practice but speak up publicly, expose inequities of others, including your church leaders, pastors and priests without any fear of men. You must rather fear God. Do not ask anyone’s advise, blessing or permission to do this work because you will only need God’s approval and He indeed blesses anyone who speaks on his behalf. When you prophecy, you fulfill the will of God and the mission you were called for.

Being a coward is a sin, so don't be a coward:

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death”. – Revelation 21:8

Does whom God consider a coward? Those who are scared to stand for the truth, to fight against their own sins, to take personal responsibility and to fulfill the will of God. God values the fearlessness and courage:

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. – Deuteronomy 31:6

Do not fear the religious leaders who will definitely persecute you for the truth but fear God instead. Jesus Christ was killed by the religious leaders but He became victorious and seated at the right hand from God.

Teachings of demons

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons… – 1 Timothy 4:1

You have departed from the sound gospel of Christ and devoted yourself to the teachings of demons. Just like Paul warned Timothy, the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching. This time has come now. You have turned from listening to the truth and wandered off into myths:

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. – 2 Timothy 4:3-4

You have turned from doctrine of Christ to the doctrine of your religious organization which is nothing else but a myth. Those doctrines are the divisions and obstacles for disciples of Christ:

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. – Romans 16:17

There is only one doctrine, the doctrine of Christ, so why would you follow the doctrine of your church?

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. – Galatians 1:6-7

In this chapter, I will go one-by-one through the demonic teachings which believers plagued with.

Disfellowshipping, Excommunicating or Expelling

The practice of disfellowshipping which I have exposed earlier in this book is the demonic teaching which was neither taught by Jesus Christ nor apostles. This is originally Roman Catholic practice that was later adapted by other religious organizations. When Jesus spoke to Peter, he said that he will build a church and gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Jesus indeed have built a church but it is a spiritual church, not a building:

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

At the time of Catholic inquisition, the excommunication was almost a certain death. Roman Catholics used to excommunicate believers falsely charging them with heresy and request the government to execute the person. Nothing changed regarding church practices since then. The Catholic Church and other organizations continue to excommunicate.

“Seeking advise” practice

Seeking advise practice is widespread among believers. Solomon taught that you must seek advice to succeed in your deeds and actions:

Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. – Proverbs 19:20

When church leaders, pastors and priests request disciples of Christ to seek advice from them, they actually mean that disciples must ask permission from them. By doing so, they reveal their craftiness. Church leaders manipulate with the Scriptures for their own benefit. For example, if any man asks a woman for marriage without seeking advise from church leaders, they might warn or even disfellowship that person. This is a practice of control over person and his decision-making. It sets hierarchy, making believers dependent on church leaders, pastors and priests. It is not acceptable practice because Jesus warned against the hierarchy among his disciples:

The greatest among you shall be your servant. – Matthew 23:11

You all are equal before God, so you must not ask permission from any church leaders. Would Jesus ask permission from anyone except God? So neither you should ask a permission because you are conformed to the image of Christ. You have the mind of Christ:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. – Romans 8:29

"For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. -1 Corinthians 2:16

Jesus Christ renounced ranking among believers, so instead of reporting to those higher in rank, you must admonish and encourage each other to do what is right:

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 3:1

Misinterpretation of the word “church”

Whenever your church leaders, pastors and priests speak about your organization as of a church, they deceive you. Please look at this scripture:

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

This scripture clearly says that there is one body, that means one church. The church is composed of disciples of Christ, where every believer is a member of the body of Christ. Church is a spiritual entity, hence it must not have its own name such as Catholic, Baptist, International Church of Christ, Church of Christ or any other name, it must not have its own building, bank account as well as a church leader, pastor and priest. Elder is the only position which was approved by apostles.

Do you think that Roman Catholicism, Baptist, ICOC and other religious organizations are the body of Christ? No, the body of Christ is the church.

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. – --">