• WHAT I HEAR FROM YOU

WHAT I HEAR FROM YOU ======================

(These notes were all signed. I did not take time to ask permission to print all of them. So I am leaving out information that might identify the writers. Other notes may be read at my website Guest Book. CH)

"THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL, informative and Biblical teaching on legalism. The cross is hewn out of the tree of life, not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If salvation (justification) is obtained at the tree of life (Jesus), how can sanctification be `achieved' at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? One brings forth life and the other tree brings forth death. The evangelical church is mostly trying to get holy at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Sorry. Wrong tree. Thanks again for your excellent teaching." - Mike Murphy, Aslan903@aol.com.

"I HAVE THOROUGHLY and appreciated your writings through the years. You have a gift to lucidly present your case, and to cause one to consider his own place before God. I have especially enjoyed your several writings on the end times." -Indianapolis.

"JUST WANTING TO DROP A NOTE to you to let you know how much I enjoy these past Freedom's Ring articles you wrote on heaven, resurrection, Christ's coming, etc. You have such a good way of expressing thoughts and teachings in print. So much of the Bible makes more sense now, and I don't think about living in fear of the "last day," or the antichrist. Jesus is present. "the dwelling of God IS among men." It has given me a whole new outlook on life . love it!" -Iowa

"I HAVE JUST FINISHED reading the fourteenth chapter of `I Permit Not A Woman.To Remain Shackled' and I could wait no longer to send an e-mail saying how thrilled I am to have read it. I always felt `we' were missing some key information when teaching about women being in subjection to men, but I didn't know what it was! Now I do, thanks to this wonderful book. I want to look up every verse quoted, and revel in my new feeling that God does not rebuke me for wanting to share my understanding, though men likely will." -Susie Prater Sprater@webtv.net.

"THANK YOU, BRO. HOOK, for your insight into the TRUE message of the Gospel. Your distinction between `Good News" and doctrine was particularly helpful. I admire you for your courage to think and speak freely among brethren who can be as vicious as the Pharisees of old!" -Orlando, FL.

"I CAN ONLY IMAGINE how much fire you've probably come under from some brothers and sisters in the church, but I have to tell you that you've done more than you'll ever know to encourage me to continue in my search for God's real truth. Had reached the point in our local congregation that I was ready to completely give up -- that nothing I could ever do would be good enough for God, or in some cases, for His `chosen' people, either.

"I have finished reading your book, `Free In Christ.' Inhaled it, would be a better expression. Now I plan to go through it at a more leisurely pace so I can study and annotate. Wish I could buy it for every member of our congregation here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your humility and your love for a people who have wandered so far off the path God set out for them. I will be praying that your ministry can touch many hearts and bring about a change that cannot help but be beneficial and healing." -A Sister, Safford, AZ.

"I AM THE PREACHER for the (name) church in Nashville, TN. I just wanted to drop you a note of thanks, and a note of encouragement. I've read your Freedom series and feel tremendously blessed. I've encouraged others to do the same, and the responses I've received have been very positive. Keep up the good work. God IS making a difference through your ministry!"

"I enjoyed reading your article this morning and am glad that I have a copy of James Stuart Russell's book "The Parousia." There is a lot of reading in this book and a very challenging book indeed. Like the books you have written, I am having to look at everything totally in a different way in which I had never seen it before. The way in which Russell presents his interpretations of the events certainly seem to fit. In reading anything such as this, I tend to take the other side, which says `prove it' to me. In reading about the destruction of Jerusalem one can hardly imagine anything worse. The first time I read in detail of the outcome of Jerusalem it made me physically and mentally sick. So all those teachings of parables you mention are fitting to that time." r_patton 2000@yahoo.com

"I just wanted you to know I enjoyed your newsletter on prophetic parables. You did a good job. I hope there are readers who will grasp the truths you are presenting. The parables are all so rich once you see that all prophecy had been fulfilled by AD 70. Isn't it amazing how we can see things so wrong for so long? But once the truth shines through, the result is illumination! It is so easy to understand why it was called the Good News. You made me think about some things I hadn't considered before. Keep up the good work, and may God bless you always." logos@ViaFamily.com

"Dear One in the Lord, please keep your `wonderings' and other writings coming our way. I hope to continue to be edified by you until the Lord calls one of us home. When we meet before the Lord, I hope to have time to give you a big hug for all the learning and joy your writing has given me." Wenhudd272@aol.com.

"EVERY TIME I THINK you can't top Cecil Hook, you top Cecil Hook! That one yesterday was a . a doozie, for lack of a better word. Keep on keepin' on, brother, you get better as you grow older." -Florence, AL.

"I AM NOT SURE WHERE I heard this, it could have been on our site, but isn't it true that most, if not all religion, falls into only two categories -- law or grace. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and some Christian faiths practice salvation by works. `For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.' We need to hang those words over the entrance to every church building. Sometimes the shortest and most simple of scriptures are the most profound." tantex@trip.net

"YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS subject (fulfilled prophecy) may have been long in coming, I don't know. I know, for me, the light you shed on the subject is something I can embrace wholeheartedly. I started to see these things for the first time a year or so ago. I had asked for understanding on the subject for a long time and had wondered at so much of what I'd read and re-read -- then, John Eoff gave me a copy of a little book that changed my thinking entirely. It suddenly all began to make sense -- the pieces began to fall in place -- the various writings, statements, and even The Revelation itself -- all these began to make perfect sense for the first time!!! It was the most exciting and revolutionary thing I'd ever heard. I couldn't stop thinking about the numerous passages of scripture that suddenly became illuminated.

"The little book? It was `Behold, I Am Coming Quickly.' Many questions were answered for me that night and it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to view the scriptures as I previously did. So many things take on a different outlook from this "preterist" (if I should need to give a label to it) point of view. The truth is it eliminates the fear factor so rampant in our world -- the grandiose religion schemes whereby we have been duped into thinking that what has already past is yet to come! Thank you, Cecil, for an outstanding job on a subject many have yet to embrace." -Gary Nunn, San Antonio gnunn@satx.rr.com

"PLEASE TELL ME HOW to order the book, `I Permit Not a Woman To Remain Shackled.' It sounds just like the book our church needs. We are once again looking at scripture to try to unlock they mystery of woman's role in the church, but we're not getting anywhere. A fresh approach would certainly be appreciated.

"I enjoy your work so-o much. We ( my husband and I) have been in the COC for over 20 years but we were not raised in the COC. I have been able to find freedom in Christ again after being brain-washed for so many years. I realize now that I allowed it to happen because I was not praying and studying the scripture for myself. We are still in the COC only because we are seeing many, many changes for good in our congregation. It still has a l-o-n-g way to go, but at least the Holy Spirit is recognized as living and working in each of us -- it took a long time to get to that point." -Signed.

"MY BACKGROUND IS the following: I grew up in the family of atheists in Ukraine. In 1993 when the group of missionaries from KY, TN, and AR came to Ukraine, I heard and obeyed the Gospel. Very quickly I got involved in the active work of the Church. But more I grew in understanding, more I realized that my faith was based on some boyish enthusiasm rather than on some deep convictions. I started asking questions but got no responses from COC people. Actually, I did get responses but they were all so alike as if all these people grew up in the same "denomination" and were taught the same thing. That's when it hit me. These COC people represent nothing else than another "denomination." I am not raising the question of rightness or error, that is a separate subject all together. But "theology" all all these people, credo, if you will, is so alike that once you step a little bit to the right you are not recongnized as one of them any more. It was very strange to me and not good for my faith, frankly speaking. I started doubting. After a period of total unfaithfulness the Lord brought me back to my knees. I realized that I denied Him because of what other people say and practice. How foolish of me. I started searching on my own. Visited other denominations, worshiped with other Churches. Now I am trying to understand if it's possible for a person to find that "Ideal" Church where I can associate myself. Or anywehre I go I will see imperfections of faith (note that I am not saying "imperfection of behavior". That is inevitable anywhere you go). Meaning that all denominations, and all Churches are wrong at something. If this is true then how do I select "the most innocent wrong"? I hope you understand where I am coming from. Thank you very much for sending your book to me. I pray that God will bless it and that you will be able to teach something through it." -NY.

"PLEASE ADD ME to your monthly newsletter subscriber list. I have enjoyed your comments on the "time factory" described in the New Testament and would enjoy reading more about the preterist viewpoint. Sadly, such a viewpoint is denounced in many churches of Christ and I am fearful of bringing the subject up without careful consideration of those present." -Houston.

"THANK YOU FOR SENDING the books. It was refreshing to talk with you on the phone and to be reminded that reform comes from within. Sometimes, especially over here, it is so easy to feel alone and that no one is sharing in your struggles. I know that believers everywhere are wanting to be free in Christ and that is something else it was nice to be reminded of. May God continue to bless you in this work." -Okinawa.

"I AM MINISTERING for a small church. It has been dead for ten years. I know, I was a member and its preacher ten years ago. While in Memphis seeking other paths, I ran into the new concept of Cell Group ministry. From that experience I looked into scripture as if for the first time and saw things I could not believe were there. I have been delving into the issues raised by Acts 2:42-47 and by 1 Corinthians 14:26 and was losing the fight before a relative of one of my members gave me your book. It has spread like wildfire in a number of days and is opening doors for the real Gospel." -VA.

"I WANT TO THANK YOU for these books. My husband has shared them with many people. I wasn't raised in the church but I have gained valuable and much-needed information from reading "Free In Christ." I'm so thankful for my husband who is so patient with my lack of knowledge and the books have helped."

"I HAVE NOW COMPLETED your book and I must say it is an eye opener, and amusingly enough quite a bit of it reads like the early Campbell and Stone material. How far we have strayed. One thing that I find interesting, especially in the light of Romans 14, is the fact that, although the Jerusalem Conference decided that Gentiles did not need to become Jews to be Christians, there seems to have been no time when the leadership said that the Jews would have to stop being Jews. This means that from very early in Church history we had two radically different styles of activity in the assembly and lifestyle. In fact many of their individual choices would have been absolutely diametrically opposed and would have amounted to sin in the eyes of their brothers. And yet in Christ all were one, even in their diversity. May He continue the ongoing work of restoring men to that understanding."

"I HAVE RECEIVED the M-Bag of books last Friday. I was surprised and very glad that you also included the book that I have asked you (The Stone-Campbell Movement). You know, many (preaching) school library don't have a copy of that book and other books that you published. That's why many of Filipino preachers don't really know the true motive and purpose of the Stone and Campbell Movement. Many believe that we are only for restoration and not for reformation. As of now, I started to contact those young people and young professionals that have met in the recent Youth Camp. And I'm ready to distribute it to them. They promise that they will read and study it carefully. Thank you very, very much, Cecil, for your continued support through the books that you are sending to me. And you can be sure that it will be received by many Filipino preachers and members! May the Lord bless you and take care of you." -Jhun Ma, Philippines.

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