Letters As Prompts for Deeper Meditation

Re: post on letter to Donald Trump; do you think that God extends His grace to anyone, regardless of how evil they have lived, if they humble themselves and ask Him for forgiveness before death, such as Hitler? Not that I think that Trump is anymore evil than most people, but this is a question I have always had.

Dean

Thank you for your open letter to the President about salvation. His recent comments about Heaven troubled me a great deal. I am no preacher, but it hurts my heart when anyone seems to be confused about salvation. I have prayed for the President in the same way I would pray for any other person, as well as in ways appropriate to pray for the most powerful figure in the world. I know he has spiritual advisors. His comments made me consider that he has not been counseled as to the real saving power of grace. Powerful people often do not have access to truth simply because their position precludes true advisement. Thank you, sir. Politics aside, the man needed to hear this. Others need to hear this. Everyone needs to hear this. You broke it down to understandable, digestible information. I consider your letter an answer to prayer.

Terri

WOW!!! I just watched your video letter to President Trump. I have never heard an explanation of true salvation in such down to earth, relatable terms, EVER! Your explanation cut through all “religiosity” and made it so easily understood that it makes me think of how we mere mortals make it seem so complicated and difficult.
I forwarded your message to my small prayer group and asked them to share it with their saved and unsaved friends. Please pray with me that your message reaches far beyond President Trump, around the world to every ear. It is a powerful message.
Thank you

Mark

Any thoughts on how we should balance physical vanity, with being presentable and honoring God through technology in our appearance. One end of the spectrum may be foolish, in which a monk becomes unkempt in an “ash on the head” sort of way, and the other end may be injections and the sort. I’m asking because my pastor(who I have every reason to respect and trust) recently got some hair treatment done. Maybe it’s just back to the heart of the matter . . .

Logan

I’m a young man that dearly struggles with my own internal thoughts and intentions. Essentially which parts of my brain genuinely love the things of God and which of them are filled with ‘false humility’? “Maybe I’m writing Doug so as to seem pious . . . Oh how mature of me to notice my own struggle with this” . . . You can see how this devolves further. Any resources would really help, thanks so much.

L

For context, I’m married 24 years with two daughters age 17 and 16.
I had a comment about wives in the church. I study the Bible most days with my wife and daughters, and they had questions about what it means that women should ask their husbands questions at home rather than in the church (1 Cor. 14:35). This is commonly used to defend the belief women shouldn’t lead in the church, but I believe there is an additional reason. Bouncing off you out of great respect, as I certainly do not want to be in error.
I believe most Christian men, including pastors. have a natural instinct to protect women. I also believe many pastors are frightened of women. It is easy to admonish husbands, and doing so in front of smiling and nodding wives feels heroic. Meanwhile, it is very difficult, even dangerous, to minister to women. Many caring pastors inadvertently sow marital strife by reflexively encouraging wives and undercutting the husband. Then they expect the husbands dealing with an odious wife to lead and minister to her, having just made it more difficult for him to do so (Prov 30:23).
My pastor recently preached on the Proverbs 31 woman. Not to be too hard on him, but he was understandably nervous and glossed over the parts that women do not like to hear. He then pivoted, struck a heroic pose, and said “now for the verses men don’t like to talk about!” He then proceeded to preach on the verses that praise virtuous women for being trustworthy and honored, but framed these as commandments to men to trust and honor their wives. He’s a good guy and fairly new, and I am sympathetic to the tension he felt.
Your closest article I know of is “Fear of women brings two or three snares,” apologies if I missed others. As my daughters near the age to begin courting for marriage, I counsel them that they should never let anyone sow strife with their future husbands, including their pastors. I just do not want to mislead them.
God bless.

H

I watched your video on dealing with porn by having young men get married. You mentioned that there is a 5% with this problem that should not get married. What are the characteristics of a man that is of this 5%, and what should he do exactly to change?

Kurosaki

I recently read Holly Ordway’s book “Apologetics and the Christian Imagination” based on a recommendation I heard from your pal Glenn Sunshine. Sunshine has been saying for a while that we need to focus more on a robust apologetic of the imagination, in addition to the more traditional “reason-based” apologetics most of us are used to. I think there is something to this. The kind of strict materialistic atheism that trad apologetics is excellent at dismantling seems to be shrinking, and in its place, a swell of paganism in its various forms.
I think the reason under this is the meaning desert materialism has created, because of its tendency to drain the life-giving meaning out of everything it contacts. Traditional apologetics was very powerful against this old foe. But in this new meaning desert, I wonder if the pristine reasoning of that tool is as useful as it once was. Or maybe there is work that needs to be done on the imagination before the reason side of things can be addressed? What are your thoughts on an apologetic of the imagination? Would you consider this a formal approach that can be outlined, or more of a manner in which apologetics is approached?
Thanks.

Tim

What is your policy for the conferences you take speaking engagements at? Would you speak where a disqualified pastor speaks? Where women pastors speak? Where NAR prophets speak? Where a Muslim spoke?
Does the fact it is a “Christian” conference versus a conservative conference change your approach?
Obviously you can read through the lines here and know that this stems from Driscoll’s inclusion in a conference you are speaking at. But I do not need you to address Mark.
Thank you.

Jonathan

So our church just built a new building a few years ago, but the increase in attendance we have been blessed with since then already has us bursting at the seams. Rumors are swirling that the pastors may propose starting a second service on Sunday mornings in order to deal with this influx.
I don’t know how I feel about this. I have read “One Assembly” by Jonathan Leeman and have always appreciated Mark Dever’s position on the topic, but I am unsure . . . is this worth being worried about? Can this be a reason to leave a church? Or am I (and Mr. Leeman) making a mountain out of a mole hill?

Dwight

I saw I believe in your interview with Tucker Carlson that all of your kids and 23 grandkids are saved. I grew up evangelical and like 85% of the kids I knew went into dark territory. What’s the keys of success in this current culture to having kids grow up and stay the course?

Joshua

I hope this note finds you well. Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I pastor a new church plant with the hopes of one day joining the CREC.
I want to begin by expressing my deep gratitude for your ministry. Over the years, your teaching, writing, and pastoral faithfulness have shaped me and those in our church more than you know. You have been, from afar, a father in the faith—modeling a sturdy, joyful obedience to Christ that I earnestly desire to imitate. Your work has helped me see that unwavering courage and optimistic cheerfulness are not opposites but companions when Christ is Lord over all. For that, I thank you sincerely.
I’m writing because I would deeply value your wisdom in a situation unfolding within our church. One of our members, who is a Captain that serves in the United States National Guard, as an OIC (Officer in Charge) is now facing serious persecution in his service. He has graciously but firmly refused to participate in a mandatory sexual harassment training that explicitly affirms homosexuality and transgender ideology, explaining that his Christian convictions will not allow him to affirm what God calls sin.
As a result, an official investigation has been launched, one that has already moved beyond his immediate command and now involves generals within the National Guard. The situation has become increasingly tense, with the real possibility of severe disciplinary action or discharge. (I have attached two documents below showing the Counseling form against Captain Andrew Garza as well as His rebuttal)
As his pastor, I want to shepherd him and his family faithfully, helping him to be both steadfast and gracious, courageous without being quarrelsome. But I also want to guide our church in standing with him rightly, with wisdom and biblical clarity.
If you have any counsel or practical wisdom for navigating such situations, whether in terms of pastoral care or preparing for potential legal fallout, I would be deeply grateful.
Thank you again for your faithfulness and for the joy with which you’ve taught so many of us to fight the good fight. I count it a privilege to be one of your students from afar.
In Christ, with gratitude and respect,

Garrett

I’m a 19-year-old Christian facing a moral dilemma with the upcoming elections and wanted your biblical perspective.
A family friend of mine—let’s call her “Susie”—is running as the Republican candidate for delegate in my district here in Virginia. She’s a godly wife and mother of several young children. I struggle with the fact that she has chosen to step away from her home and children during their most formative years to serve in public office. My conviction is that her primary responsibility during this season should be to her family, not the legislature.
Earlier in the race, I voted for her Republican opponent for that very reason. Now, it’s down to her and a Democratic opponent. I disagree strongly with the Democratic platform and don’t want to support that direction for the state, nor for our country. But I also have trouble with voting for someone who, in my view, is neglecting an important biblical role. If I abstain, it effectively benefits the Democrat party.
I want to handle this faithfully and not just emotionally. Could you offer biblical counsel on how to approach this kind of decision?
Thank you for your time and wisdom.

Lee

I hope you’re doing well. I’m listening to Fidelity, merely because of all of the hubbub regarding one of the paragraphs that’s been floating around on the internet. I find the book totally fine and reasonable, considering the context of what’s going on in the book, and its intention. My question doesn’t revolve around that, as I found myself, as usual, satisfied with researching for myself one of your quotes taken out of context. My actual question lies is in the realm of the book itself, the topic, and its intended audience. Since you wrote it, a lot of course happened within the realm of, particularly how it relates to the opposite gender, the females. I would be very interested if you already have written a book on this topic. If so, could you please point me in that direction? If not, would you ever consider writing a book on that? I think what’s most pernicious is the realm of, especially, emotional manipulation for women through romance novels, smut novels, movies, and the culture at large.
I also find the celibacy chapter quite oddly amusing. I grew up during an era where singleness in the church is preferred, especially as it relates to having free labor in a church. Unfortunately, a lot of ladies like me felt like they had to control the guys to ask them out because so many guys were afraid of rejection, or simply felt as though they had far too many females from whom they can choose in the realm of the church. As a result, lots and lots of singles in the church ended up not getting married until their mid to late 30s. I was wondering if you had any comments on that in a book somewhere? It feels like we flipped the exact opposite direction.
Let me know!

O.N.

I appreciated your recent article about “Big God Theology,” and admit I am extremely sympathetic to your perspective, that Christ being Lord also means Lord of our culture and politics. I am a bit dumbfounded by those who would contend with you on that basic principle. But I am still hesitant at one point and would appreciate your thoughts . . . I can perhaps best explain by invoking Lewis. Regarding education, he wrote:
“I do not, therefore, think that our hope of re-baptizing England lies in trying to ‘get at’ the schools. Education is not in that sense a key position. To convert one’s adult neighbor and one’s adolescent neighbor (just free from the school) is the practical thing . . . if you make the adults of today Christian, the children of tomorrow will receive a Christian education.”
Lewis didn’t in the least perceive the schools as a “no-fly” zone when it came to seeing Christianity pervasively infiltrate England’s schools, of course . . . indeed he wanted to see that very thing . . . he just thought that working to “get our teeth into the schools” was the wrong way to go about it. His thought process seems applicable to me as to how we ought to go about getting Christianity back into society, culture, and politics as a whole. Similarly, If I might paraphrase Lewis, it seems that “our hope of re-baptizing America lies not in trying to ‘get at’ the government or culture . . . To convert one’s adult neighbor and one’s adolescent neighbor is the practical thing . . . for if we make the adults of today Christian, the children of tomorrow will vote for and work to establish a Christian nation.” Especially given our democratic government: we don’t need to convince any particular king or leader to enact laws in submission to Christ… we need to (more or less) convince 51% of the population.
I certainly don’t consider culture and politics to be a “no-fly” zone in the least . . . but I conceive of them as being like Berlin in WWII before we’ve yet made a successful landing at Normandy . . . Absolutely, Berlin needs to be in our minds as the ultimate objective, but I am just hesitant about efforts that focus on it as the primary focus of our immediate efforts.
I mention this as I wonder if I’m alone or if there are many others who think the way I do, not sold on the effort being dedicated to what is coined “Christian Nationalism”—not because I disagree with the ultimate objective, but only as it doesn’t seem the best place at present to direct our efforts?

Daniel

I have been following your work for about two years and have found it deeply enriching. I’m writing to ask for your guidance on navigating a growing misalignment between my personal convictions and my local church’s doctrine. Week by week, I find myself increasingly drawn toward paedobaptism, and I’m also struggling with our church’s emphasis on our children’s program. A few other things as well.
What makes this particularly challenging is that I previously served as a pastor at this church. I stepped back from that role after recognizing my own lack of qualifications due to being a recent convert, not leading my life effectively or my families . Also, due to some structural issues within the church that had led to my ordination in the first place. This history adds a layer of complexity to my current situation. Plus all the deep relationships we have.
I don’t want to be divisive, yet I find myself genuinely divided on significant matters of doctrine. I know your own journey has included doctrinal shifts and the challenge of navigating them well. I would be grateful to hear how you approached those transitions.
Thank you for considering my question.

MRF

I have a question on the danger of Roman Catholicism upon these United States of America. My understanding is that the founding, experience, and prosperity of the US is good fruit that grows from the Protestant Reformation and the English Reformation. Today, I see very favorable attitudes towards Rome and was curious how you see the influence of Catholicism on our country. I came across these words by Ryle in Holiness:
“The consequences of this changed tone of feeling (acceptance of Rome), I am bold to say, will be most disastrous and mischievous, unless it can be checked. Once let popery get her foot again on the neck of England and there will be an end of all our national greatness!…I beseech you to realize the painful fact that the Protestantism of this country is gradually ebbing away, and I entreat you, as Christians and patriots to resist the growing tendency to forget the blessings of the English Reformation…What makes Scotland, the United States, and our own beloved England the powerful, prosperous countries they are, and I pray God they may long continue? I answer, unhesitatingly, Protestantism, a free Bible, and the principles of the Reformation.”
As the thought sinks in, my new question is if the strongholds of Marxism, socialism, postmodern sexuality, feminism, egalitarianism, etc. are the main battlefields. Is the greater threat Catholicism? If the West and it’s morals and prosperity flow out of the Protestant recovery of the true gospel and the break with Rome, how much can Rome be a help? We hear that Islam cannot be reconciled to Western ideas and ways of life. Can Catholicism?
Peace,

Charles

This post about Candance Owens has brought me relief.
I am a “new born” Christian. Before I accepted Christ, I went to a local church to observe. I sat in the back watching people singing loud, swaying, and raising their arms. Then in the sermon the pastor would say things like “God wants our love, and to be worshipped.” In my friend circle, my Christian friends kept saying “I love God so much,”
This worshipping was very odd for me. Being 35 at the time, I was a bystander watching this, trying to understand…
I kept asking myself “Why does God want to be worshipped?” Seemed kind of petty and weird (from a secular mindset).
Yet Jesus says “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” (KJV Matthew 22:37) .
Then you go to the Old Testament, it’s the first thing God says to do, ” Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (KJV Exodus 20:3)
I struggled with this question for months, while going to church, watching, listening, and reading the Bible.
Then it hit me.
Humans naturally worship. We worship music, famous people, money, etc. etc., God knew this about us, He knew that if we focus on Him first, we can have a better life.
Since the killing of Charlie Kirk, we have had the grandest opportunity to come together, which many of us did.
What also happened is we got to see our friends, families, and favorite commentors show who they really worshipped.
When Candance did her first post, I was so disturbed by it. It has hurt me for weeks. Seeing other people come to her defense, watching podcasters call her out, then redact because “she was right,” it’s hurt my inner being knowing we have left the focus of connecting, of praying for the family, and instead talk about Candance Owen’s opinion and her discoveries.
I really believe the conspiracy of Israel is Candance’s golden calf. This is her day job, she really wants to get to the bottom of things, but to not even wait until her friend was buried to bring up her ideas, is disheartening and I lost all of my respect for her.
If anything else, maybe her golden calf is “being right,” she must spend hours beyond hours digging for “connections” to create the story that makes sense to her.
What if that time was spent on the word of the Lord? What if that time was spent volunteering at a women’s homeless shelter? What if that time was spent building a garden to feed her family?
This is a question we can all ask ourselves. What are we worshipping that isn’t God? What are we spending hours looking into? Are we spending hours into something, yet we don’t know how to treat our spouse correctly?
I want to thank Douglas for putting things into words I couldn’t.
Sincerely,

SB

I’m a listener/follower from Bangalore, India.
My question is in relation to your recent interview with Ross Douthat on ‘Interesting Times’.
The Christian Nationalism that you espouse forbids the ‘taunting’ of the Christian majority by other religions—in your ideal Christian state, the 90-ft Hindu statue in Texas would not be a possibility, let alone being built.
That does make sense to me. However, as I thought about the implications of that kind of religious nationalism in the current context here in India, it seems to me that the steps taken by Hindu Nationalists to preserve their culture and heritage would be somewhat justified.
Those steps include an Anti-Conversion Law (already implemented by several states) making it a criminal offence to convert someone from one faith to another by coercion/force, monetary gain or for other benefits. Now due to this law, several pastors and missionaries, especially in North India, have been arrested, because they’ve led non-believers to faith. The worst part is that the burden of proof lies on the accused, to show that he/she didn’t play a role in the conversion. As a result, public outreach activities have come to a standstill.
If your brand of Christian Nationalism was extended to Hindu Nationalism, it would seem that they are in they right to squash any attempts by Christians to publicly proclaim the Gospel, because such proclamation would be a ‘taunt’ to their majority religion. Despite the fact that the Indian Constitution is supposed to guarantee every citizen the right to profess, practice and propagate a religion of their choice.
Among right-wing groups, there is also a large and growing undercurrent of the thought that if one isn’t Hindu, one isn’t Indian.
As an Indian Christian, it seems hypocritical to me to vouch for your brand of Christian Nationalism, and yet feel angered and frustrated when that same idea and methodology is being used by the Hindu right-wing majority to persecute and oppress my brothers and sisters across the country.
Am I right in calling myself a hypocrite? How should Christians in non-Christian majority countries think of Nationalism?

Jonathan

Your writings and other works published through Canon Press have been a tremendous blessing for myself and my family, especially those books on marriage and the covenant household. Do you know if any of Canon’s published works have been translated into Turkish, and if so, where might I find those? Asking for a friend.

Will

I hope this message finds you well. I’m reaching out because I’m seeking some biblical wisdom and counsel regarding intimacy and self-control within marriage.
My wife and I love the Lord and are striving to walk faithfully as husband and wife. We have been blessed with six children and believe that our family is complete. Because of medical limitations, both my wife and I are unable to undergo permanent procedures at this time, and we do not use birth control. So, our family planning requires careful self-control and communication as a couple.
As we’ve discussed this together, something has become more clear: my wife has a very high sexual desire [and] her thoughts and desire are only for me, which I’m thankful for, but it’s frequent and strong. While our intimacy is healthy, we’re also aware that we may need to practice seasons of restraint as part of family planning.
My question is: Can an intense sexual desire within marriage ever cross into sin, or become something we need to spiritually guard and steward more intentionally? I want to lead our marriage well, honor God in this area, and not place unnecessary burdens on my wife either.
Thank you for your time, wisdom, and faithfulness in shepherding. I trust your counsel and biblical perspective.
In Christ,

Isaiah