My partner Cindy and I are the two ministers of End Days Deliverance, and neither of us attend church. There are others like us who are tired of institutionalized religion and want more of God but are either afraid to quit going to church for fear of offending God, or they are under pressure from other churchgoers who heap guilt on the one who has lost interest in church.

You may wonder why we don't want to go to church. Doesn't the bible say we have to go to church? No, it doesn't but so many "Christians" have been very quick to quote Hebrews 10:25:

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing." (NIV)

Yes, it does say that but why do they stop at half the verse? Why not quote the whole verse so we can see what God is really saying?

We have been slammed for not being in church on Sunday, even though we do the Lord's work as He has given us to do. We have had our faith in God questioned because we are not in church. The value of our ministry has been called into question because of our non-attendance in church. Over the past ten years we have both had more trouble from "Christians" than those in the occult, including Satanists and witches. And if you wonder why I put "Christians" in quotes, it is because of those church-goers who call themselves "Christian" but do not do the will of God. They are not Christian just because they attend church; they are church-goers. Neither are they Christian because they believe in God; Satan also believes in God. We do not stand in judgment of them but we seriously doubt that they follow Christ, as evidenced by the many we have helped and who complained that they have tried church after church but got no help for their spiritual problems.

So why are we mentioning this to the Christian community and the world in general? It is because of people who call us and question us for hours, then refuse our help because we are "not in church." In a recent five-hour phone conversation with a woman who was looking for help for her husband, the talk ended with: "I'll pray about this," and we never heard from her, again. In truth, she had already made up her mind that we were not suitable to help her husband but she wasn't honest enough to say so. During the five hours she asked me, "Where do you go to get fed?" I've heard that same question from others, and my answer is: "To God!" The Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23), not pastor Joe Blow. Do shepherds tear up the grass and stuff it into the sheep's mouths to feed them? Of course not! Then why must a man be hand-fed by a pastor? And what about all those "Christians" who have been getting "fed" by a pastor for years? Have they really learned anything, and are they now serving God, or do they merely attend church each week?

In a previous correspondence, a woman on a photographic forum, approached me and asked if I was a Christian. I admitted I was and she said, "I thought so. I felt drawn to you." As the communication continued I told her a little of what we do in our ministry. Apparently it was too much for her and she said, "I'll pray about that." I never heard from her, again. It's a pity that "Christians" can't be honest and just say it outright: "Sorry, I don't believe a word you say."

We hope, by this article, to avoid having "Christians" waste our time and theirs. We tell everyone up front that we do not attend church. If this bothers you, then please go somewhere else for your help if you can find it. We are not seeking people to help but always have our evenings full, accomplishing the work of God. We hasten to add that our ministry is one-hundred percent effective upon those who are seeking help. In just over seven years, Cindy and I have led over 6,000 people to Christ, apart from taking care of their spiritual problems. Is this not what we - as Christians - are supposed to do? Can anyone - indeed, any church - match our record for leading people to Christ? We do not boast of this, but simply point out what God has achieved through two ordinary Christians who are devoted to Him. And which is more important: Preaching the gospel and leading people to Christ, or attending church? When man's time upon this earth is over, the only thing which will really matter is if a person is in heaven or hell, not how many times he/she went to church.

You may wonder why we dropped out of church. We will explain. First, let us go back to our first paragraph in which we mentioned Hebrews 10:25 being thrown at us to "prove" that church-attendance is a must. Considering how many "Christians" have tossed that verse at me, not one of them actually quoted the whole verse which continues with a conjunction:

"...but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

So God wants us to encourage one another. That is the purpose of Hebrews 10:25, not mandating church attendance. And have we been encouraged by other "Christians" in the church? Perhaps you have but in my fifteen years of church, I was never once encouraged by any individual. On the contrary I saw more legalism, criticism and condemnation inside the church than outside it. I am not talking about just one church but many of different denominations.

In fifteen years of church, plus reading the whole bible and many Christian books and magazines, a person can become saturated with religion and still not serve God. Every sermon that was preached, I had heard before, so what benefit was it to me? I was already serving God! I know many who boast of how many years they have attended church but have not obeyed the Great Commission as described in Mark 16:15:

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone."

Some think that is the pastor's job to preach the gospel. They are wrong! It is Christ's commission to every believer! Jesus said:

"You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions." -Mark 7:9-13 NIV.

We do exactly as Jesus has commanded yet we are faulted by those who disobey Christ, for not being "in church."

For Cindy and me to go back to church, as some say we must, it would be like going back to grade school. Children attend school in order to receive an education but nobody expects them to attend for the rest of their days. It is expected that they will put their education to use and support themselves and serve their country. The same goes for military boot camp. Nobody expects a trainee to attend boot camp for the rest of his/her military days. They are expected to do their duty. So why should Christians be expected to attend church for the rest of their days?

What is "church" anyway? There is the Church (the Body of Christ) and then there is the organized church. The Church (capitalized) consists of every born again believer wherever they may be in the world. They are "The Body of Christ." Cindy and I are the Church, so why must the Church attend church? There is a reason for some to attend. When people become believers in Christ, they usually need some leadership and nurturing, but even that can be shaky, depending on what kind of pastor they have. Not all pastors are men of God. We know none are perfect but there are some who actually oppose God in their preaching and leadership. They become entangled with one doctrine and base their whole Christian walk on an out-of-context scripture. That's why there are so many denominations. A denomination is a division yet God is not divided!

Some years ago, having attended several different churches, I became confused because they all had different teachings. I asked God about this. "I know they are not perfect, Lord, but surely one of them is closer to all the Truth than any other. Which one should I follow?" Immediately came the answer: "Do not follow any of them; follow Me." I was astounded at such a fast answer and so to the point. When Jesus began His ministry He gathered His disciples to Himself, saying, "Follow me." He still utters that call to Christians, today, yet most will not follow Him. Instead, they attend church and condemn those of us who do not follow them.

I have been told by seemingly mature Christians (in leadership positions) that I need to be "fed by a pastor." From where on earth do they get this nonsense? Let us consider this ridiculous belief for a moment. Jesus wants us to follow Him.

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice. John 10:3-5 NIV

The scripture continues:

Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. -John 10:6 NIV.

And still many Christians do not understand what Jesus is saying in that passage, so let us explain. Cindy and I are His sheep and we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and we will not follow another. We have the bible which is the inerrant Word of God. We also have the Holy Spirit in us who is sent to be a guide. The bible tells us that our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple , God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. -1 Cor 3:16-17 NIV

God's Spirit lives within us, and for what purpose?

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. -John 16:13-15 NIV

The above scripture passages beg the question: Why, then, do "Christians" place so much faith in a pastor? Why do they follow everything he says? If they don't know the scriptures, how do they know the pastor is telling them the truth? Jesus has warned us:

"If the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the pit." -Matthew 15:14.

Having said all that, we will now look at what a pastor's job is.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. -Eph 4:11-13 NIV.

Have we all reached unity in the faith? Has your pastor prepared you for works of service? If not, why not? I can find no scripture which tells us that the pastor's job is to run a weekly ritual in which three hymns are sung; the choir entertains you; you listen to a sermon and the church notices are read to you. Yet this kind of service goes on all over the world every week while people are dying without a knowledge of Christ and His salvation. No wonder God says:

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. -Hos 4:6 NIV.

Is your attitude one in which you think "Let them come to church and see for themselves."? That is not the mind of God. He has made it plain that the Christian is to

"go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone." -Mark 16:15.

Again I repeat that they

have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe their own traditions.

Jesus did not set up the weekly church ritual as it is held, today. He went among the people, healing the lame, restoring sight to the blind, casting out demons and preaching the gospel. A Christian is a person who follows Christ, that is, to emulate His ways. The church ritual does not do that, yet this is where we are told we must be every week, and we are told this by those who disobey Christ.

In the early days of the Church, they met in one another's homes in order to hear the gospel preached by a knowledgeable person because they had no churches. They had little other means of communication as we do, today. They had no bibles, magazines, books, TV, radio, telephones or computers in order to gain knowledge. The means of spreading the gospel was by mouth to ear. Even so, the organized church may offer good fellowship to Christians but that is not the ultimate purpose as we have already shown. It is a sideline so don't let that become the priority.

Among the many who have come to us for help, are Satanists, witches, KKK, pornographers, murderers and others in similar evil situations. Many of them have tried church but have been let down. They have wanted to get out of Satanism and witchcraft but are unable to do so. They seek help from the churches but find none. They are told to put a bible under their pillow or, as in one case, to put a bible in every room. One man bought twelve bibles and put one in each room of his house, and still he was plagued with spiritual problems. The bible is not a lucky charm! In other cases pastors go and anoint the person's home with oil to get rid of the spirits, or they hang a cross on the wall - sometimes on every wall of the house, but they didn't do as Jesus said:

"In my name they shall cast out devils." - Mark 16:17.

We hear so many complaints like this in which church leaders did everything but what Christ said, yet those who condemn us for not being in church would be happy if we submitted to such men.

I have seen in Christian chat rooms how "Christians" tell those caught up in the occult that they will be going to hell if they don't stop what they are doing. A fat lot of good that does! These "Christians" have no idea that these people cannot just leave and come to Christ. This is why we help so many of them, and it is Jesus who brings us together with those people for the help they need.

We have also heard the complaints from witches and Satanists who went to church and tried so hard to come to God but were rejected by the "Christians" once their occult involvement is discovered. The church people fear them, which show a total lack of faith in Jesus. Is this the church that "Christians" insist we must attend? They need to read how Jesus dealt with such people, and then do as He did. That is what Christianity is really about!

The organized church may provide stability, fellowship and teaching, but there is no mandate for compulsory attendance. We do not condemn it nor do we promote it. We just say that having been led by God into such a powerful ministry (despite not being in church), we have left the organized church behind. No Christian has the right to tell us what we need, when they don't know what God desires of them. It is as Jesus said:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." -Matt 5:13 NIV

For further reading, we highly recommend a book called So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman. This book is available at Amazon.com and costs a little over $6.