Letters

Dear Dave and Friends at Berean Call,

We left a mega-church after 19 years of membership and leadership because we could no longer tolerate the marketing, the programs, and seeker-friendly/sensitive atmosphere, notwithstanding our many meetings and conversations with the pastor and other associates. At one time there were 20 ministers on staff, each with a different ministry, office and staff….Dave, what are true Christians to do? Many looking for true Bible-trusting fellowship are out here grieving at a church gone astray. CL (CA)

Dear T. A. McMahon,

Every one of the blinded and emotionally moved “Christians” for the Gibson film The Passion [of the Christ] should read your book [Showtime for the Sheep?]. You describe and evaluate each of the film’s flaws in a most accurate way, and I want to thank you for having had the courage to write it down and make it a public tool. Finally, I thought, someone has the insight a disciple of Christ should have! AW (GA)

To those who faithfully serve,

I think often of the video you all have expressed effort and desire to make concerning psychology. May the Lord continue to give you wisdom and discernment to speak as you ought, to clearly communicate His truth in the dense fog in many minds and hearts. We listen to little [of] “pop” Christian radio, but have listened recently, and I was amazed at how blatant and intermingled self-esteem and [self-]worth were, in both song and many messages. It grieves me to think that so many “young” and immature in the faith are feeding on this worldly “manna.” FH (WI)

Dear Dave,

Calvinism is sweeping the country…. My Calvinist friends sing praises to God for electing them to go to heaven. My non-Calvinist friends sing praises to God for His free gift of eternal life to whosoever believeth in the perfect, finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ and receives His substitutionary atonement as full payment for the penalty of their sin. The Calvinist says, “I’m going to heaven because God chose me.” The non-Calvinist says, “I’m going to heaven because God’s Son redeemed me.” MP (MN)

Dear Berean Call staff,

Thank you for your May newsletter, “Showtime for the Sheep?” by T. A. McMahon. It was a welcome and helpful brief warning of the many scriptural errors set in and around the production of the film. As you have stated, though, it can certainly be turned for good in lovingly evangelizing the truth by weighing the Word against the erroneous trappings of this film. I would also like to extend my appreciation for the access to all the newsletters on the web….They are a valuable tool in supporting fundamental biblical studies, and great comfort for the readers in knowing that we are not alone in the belief and practice of the pure and unadulterated Word of God. HG (Australia)

Dear Brothers in Christ,

Our pastor started to talk about “Forty days of purpose” and said he would start this program in ten weeks. After that, every sermon was geared toward this. In my spirit, I felt something was wrong, but didn’t know what it was. As I prayed and asked God for discernment concerning this, your February newsletter, “The Vanishing Gospel,” came. I knew immediately it was from the Lord….Our pastor has taken the direction of being a “seeker friendly” church and our hearts are burdened for the congregation, which seems to enjoy this. Please know that your messages are needed. There is still a remnant that only wants God’s will [but there are] so few churches that are preaching the true gospel. CB (PA)

Dear Brother in Christ,

I always read The Berean Call with great interest and appreciate your fight for the purity of the Word of God. Most of the time I even agree with you. However, I wish at times that you would give your criticism of fellow Christians in a more loving way. The Satanic forces seem to be working frantically to keep people from accepting Christ, whether it is the reawakened Islam, the never-defeated Communism, our news media, or “Christians” who live obviously ungodly lives….Ultimately, the Lord is our Judge. He knows our motives. If portraying Christ in a movie is a way to bring young people to salvation, or bringing young people to church services with a more modern beat, the Lord will judge the motive and the result. (I myself think that it’s terrible what has happened to all the beautiful, harmonious music and meaningful words of the past. I call those boring, repetitious choruses “the dumbing of Christianity.”) Anyway, please keep TBC coming. MK (SC)