User:Meet John Doe

Personal note from MeetJohnDoe

I'm not a student of the Shepherd's Chapel but I am knowledgable of it's doctrine. I listened to the pastor's tv broadcasts quite a lot in the 90s and I've had biblical discussions since then with students. I admit I learned some pretty cool things and that the pastor sure made me want to study my Father's Word more in depth! When I did this I became aware that much of what he taught was his own theories and the evidence to prove them was not concrete. One of the things I noticed about this ministry that made a real check in my spirit was that almost everytime he came across a passage that talks about what we're supposed to act like and what fruit we're to have he changed it so that it was always about believing false doctrine.

Jer 7:21-24 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. 22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23 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. 24 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.

What do these verses mean to you? What's being discussed and what commandments does He mean?

I caught an old broadcast by Murray the other night. I think it might have been from 1999 because a woman had written in to ask what she should do about Y2K. When the pastor came to these verses not a word was taught about God's commandments against deceit, cheating, coveting, unruliness or any of the ways Christians should not walk. Instead the pastor explained how this was all about not having knowledge and eyes to see, and being deceived by the false messiah.

Too many times I've seen the pastor come to New Testament verses about charity, humility, patience and tenderness though not say a word about those things. Instead he starts talking about knowledge and eyes to see and not being deceived by the false messiah. Is it any wonder some of his students don't seem to know these Christian attributes are the outside proof that one is a Christian?

Don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself.

Col 3:12-14 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye. 14 And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

1 Cor 13:1-2 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

2 Tim 2:24-26 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all [men], apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Do we think these traits play second fiddle to knowledge of seedlines or without them you can be of the elect? Let me tell you, brothers and sisters, if you don't walk in these ways you do not have eyes to see and your religion is vain.

Matt 22:37-39 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

1 John 2:4 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Who are the elect of God?

Rev 12:17 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev 14:12 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Rev 22:14 14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Because ...

James 1:19-26 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, My brothers and sisters, if we aren't putting the principles of Christianity into our daily lives and how we act to others we're only play acting! Even if we have all this knowledge in our heads and no displays of charity and mercy and humility and patience in our deeds we are fakes. These are the things that demonstrates our Christianity is for real.

My question to you - How does anyone teach the bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse if they don't teach these things?