Letters

Good Day, Brother:

I was reading your past article on Christian Hedonism, and I have been looking at some of Piper’s writings on it, as well as others, and one thing I have found woefully lacking in all their [Calvinist] writings is any mention of obedience. If satisfaction is all that matters, that is a pretty low bar to set. Many believers today are satisfied with a God that doesn’t judge, that expects nothing in return, that seeks no change in their life, in their walk, in their sin. That is a pretty easy satisfaction. So if all it takes for God to be glorified in me and my life is for me to be satisfied and to be seeking my pleasure, then obedience and service and sacrifice apparently have no place in such a philosophy. 

I find satisfaction in my Lord, whether happy or sad, whether in pleasure or in pain. Through [medical trials and subsequent] bills—yet I still, through it all, found satisfaction in my Savior, and still thank Him through and for it all, and continue to serve Him. Nothing to my credit, mind you, I don’t boast, but in my Savior—my point being, my happiness, my pleasure, makes no difference in the satisfaction I have in my God. Somehow it makes sense that the pleasure-seeking Calvinists would come up with such an idea. God bless, sir, you and your ministry. MR (email)

Dear Berean Call,

Your newsletter is a blessing to us. It has been one among a few out there exposing the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Brother McMahon, your articles about Catholicism are excellent, and we used them with Catholics who now are Christians and attending our church. The Lord really uses you. IF (Puerto Rico)

Dear T. A. McMahon:

[Brief excerpt of an extensive letter.] Without trying to be too critical, I felt a strong conviction to write to you regarding two issues. I enclose a letter that I recently wrote to another ministry. When you read it, you will understand why I felt a need to bring up a doctrinal issue [the pre-trib rapture].

The second issue is in regard to who is the “woman” sitting upon a scarlet colored beast. Both you and Dave believe that she is the Roman Catholic Church. From my exhaustive study of the Scriptures, I see this as an incorrect interpretation. It is biblical discernment that I see as a real problem in the church today. You have repeatedly made mention of this problem, especially in your May issue. Yet there doesn’t seem to be true biblical discernment from well-known Bible teachers (and I have to include you). LW (WA)

Hello,

This week, I received from Our Daily Bread (ODB), a topical devotional “Get Outside; Knowing God through His Creation,” written by Thomas Springer, senior editor at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, who has a Master’s Degree in environmental journalism.

As a regular reader of the ODB devotional it was distressing to read this author praising Julian of Norwich, a 13th Century English mystic, as having a call to ministry and having experienced “showings” (Chapter 3, page 18 and 19). There is New Age terminology throughout this topical devotional; however, I’m tossing it. I was going to mail this to you, but it is easy to bring this to your attention via email. Just disappointed that ODB published this without scrutinizing it for the red flags it presented. RN (email) [TBC: Springer’s quotation is not surprising, as he is a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Three Rivers, Michigan. The concern is the fact that ODB would use it.