• Hook's Points

HEAVENLY MEETINGS: With little prospect of us meeting in this life, some kind folks have expressed a desire to meet me in heaven. That is nice. Even flattering. Sorry folks! There will be no disappointments in heaven! Excited anticipation of meeting me might be as disappointing as looking forward to the heavenly banquet only to be served oatmeal.

DEAD WITNESSES? The OT heroes of faith are pictured in Hebrews 11. They are alluded to (12:1) as a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us in the stadium as spectators cheering us as we run our race. Are those "witnesses" dead? Or has there been a resurrection?

EARTHQUAKE. The February 28 earthquake centered more than 100 miles north of here was my first such experience. The components of my desk joggled with the undulating earth movement. There was no damage. But its tremendous power, felt all the way to Salt Lake City, was unbelievable.

BUSH APPROVAL: I am pleased to have a man of his Christian convictions and ethics in the White House. I did not expect him to turn the White House into a sort of Vatican and make his cabinet a new set of apostles. He must preside over a people of ever-growing diversity. It is impossible to please everyone. Liberals denounce him as too conservative, and visa-versa. Anyone in that office needs our understanding and prayers.

Sir Walter Scott pondered: "Who o'er the herd would wish to reign, / Fantastic, fickle, fierce, and vain! / Vain as a leaf upon the stream, / and fickle as a changeful dream; / Fantastic as a woman's mood, / And fierce as Frenzy's fevered blood. / Thou many-headed monster thing, / Oh who would wish to be thy king!"

SOCIAL vs. ACADEMIC: The conflict between the academic and social emphasis of public education is not new. In former time, Alvin's teacher sent a note to his parents to the effect that he smelled terribly and needed a bath. After the third such note, the agitated father sent a note to the teacher: "Miss Hall, Alvin is goin' to school to be lernt not smelt."

CHANGED SUBSCRIPTION PROCEDURE: To be put on the email list to receive Freedom's Ring, address freedomsring-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and SEND. To be removed, use freedomsring-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

COORESPONDENCE COURSE: Suzanne, the daughter of Sylvia and Bob West ("Theophilus" cartoon creator) has produced a 5-lesson Bible course which she and her husband, Fred, are making available free. You may check it out at http://www.theophilus.org/course/getting.html.

ENVIRONMENTALISTS: A tanker truck overturned near the Oregon coast spilling about 6000 gallons of bunker oil into the Yaquina River which empties into an estuary near Newport. This made front page news and lead TV stories for four days because of the threat to salmon spawning grounds, oyster beds, and crabs. Finally, it was concluded that damage from the spill was minimal.

Oh yes, in case it matters, it was mentioned that the 22-year old driver of the tanker died in the fiery crash.

MILLENIAL HARBINGER: If you have a set of Campbell's MILLENNIAL HARBINGER or CHRISTIAN BAPTIST, you may lend them for the benefit of many readers. Bob Lewis has given many hours of labor in posting material of interest to our people of the "Restoration Movement" on the internet. He wants to make these journals accessible for all on the world wide web. He will handle your copies carefully and return them or, if necessary, he will purchase them at a reasonable price. Contact: blewis553@sc.rr.com or 200 Atrium Way, Apt. 1004; Columbia, SC 29223.

Bob is also currently at work installing all of Leroy Garrett's RESTORATION REVIEW. He deserves much commendation for his extensive work done so unselfishly for the benefit of all of us. Maybe you can help. He lacks all issues for 1959 through 1960; issues 3 and 4 from 1975; issue 9 from 1981, and issue 7 from 1986. Contact him at the address above if you can and will help.

HAS SOMETHING CHANGED? When I was a teenager, preachers generally condemned movies. About 1943, while I was preaching at Sundown, Texas, a man told me if a preacher said it was all right to see a movie, he would never let his children hear him again. I caught the hint! However, it is common now for preachers to use movies for illustrations -- even some unsavory ones. There is a popular trend for Bible study groups to view such films as "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Beverly Hillbillies," and "The Brady Bunch" as a basis for their lessons.

AN EXCITING SUCCESS! Many of our planned projects start out downhill and then fizzle! The Church of Christ North in Shreveport, Louisiana where Garry Knighton preaches and our son, Sol, is an elder started a web site. No big deal. Everybody and his dog has one. Garry produced a balanced grace-oriented Power Point CD presentation of the gospel. They offer a free CD to anyone requesting it.

So what? Well, in 140 days they have received 12,000 requests! From everywhere -- many from China and Russia. Average: 85 daily! Positive responses! Help! Their congregation is not prepared for that financially. It is a dream opportunity. Who will help? One of you who has learned that expensive toys and diversions are not satisfying may gain deep satisfaction by serving others in this project with eternal rewards.

Check it out at their web site http://www.cocn.org. Or follow Links from our site.

RUDENESS AND BULLYING. School shootings, we are being told, are carried out because of rude and bullying kids. Maybe so. Where do the kids learn that kind of conduct? Just observe the talk shows, discussion groups, sit-coms, dramas, and just about everything else seen on television. Rudeness, yelling, interrupting, and bullying are presented as acceptable culture -- by adults who know better.

"SO MANY HAVE BEEN BRAIN-WASHED over and over again by the utter nonsense taught as a pre-tribulation Rapture, that it is believed as gospel truth by many -- even though the subject was never preached nor published before 1788. Amazing it is that the "Left Behind" series of books has sold over 18 million copies, with $200 million in sales, and made two co-authors (Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins) very rich. There will be thousands and thousands of Christians who ignorantly follow such teachings when the Bible nowhere even mentions a seven-year tribulation (at any time), nor an antichrist showing up after a Rapture, nor a Rapture taking place before Daniel's 70th week, nor Israel becoming a nation in 1948, nor so many other things we keep hearing about today." Thus writes John Bray (P.O. Box 90129, Lakeland, FL 33804) in his 4-23-2001 mailout.

THANK YOU for your kindness toward us. Our general situation continues to be normally abnormal. Lea's courage is challenged by constant pain. If we were in a primitive state, we would have long-since been eaten by the lions or other beasts that prey on the stragglers. If I fail to fill your orders correctly or fail to respond to your personal message, please let me know. I do not have time and mental energy to read materials of length. In clearing a stack of Christmas greeting from my desk a couple of weeks ago, I found a $25.00 donation dated in December! That's a bad sign when a preacher overlooks money! (Cecil Hook, April 29, 2001) []

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