home

10.13.2006

General Pershing and My Jewish Friends

———————————-
Please don’t forget to read the email comments that I received concerning “General Pershing and My Jewish Friends”. They are posted at the bottom of this page.
———————————-

General Pershing and My Jewish Friends

Greetings my friends,

For those of you who read my latest article “An Appeal to Hal Lindsey” I want to share with you the response I received from two friends (posted below). Both of these men are born again followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are both natural Jews who have become followers of the Jewish Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. One of them is Sandy, who I have known as a dear friend since the 70’s when I was trapped in the darkness of atheism. He is the one I wrote about in my testimony which is posted on our website at “About the Author”. It was Sandy and his wife who came to my family and witnessed to us about a new life in Jesus Christ. Carol and I were drawn with them and the day soon came when all four of us where on our knees asking the Lord into our lives. I write this story so that you will all understand the love and bond that our two families have shared for many years. What I am about to say is heartbreaking.

There came a day in our fellowship when the Lord convicted me through the scriptures and the indwelling Holy Spirit, that my understanding of his bloody cross was not complete. The Lord instructed me that his blood was shed to not only keep me out of Hell, but also free me from the inborn sin nature that was sending me there. Sandy and I, and our families, attended a congregation that was deeply involved in Christian militant patriotism, the distorted prosperity gospel, and the psycho-babble “self” doctrines of men like Robert Schuller. Even though I was a young and ignorant follower of Jesus, what the scriptures call a “babe in Christ”, I was reading the scriptures for truth as though my life depended on it. I quickly began to realize how important it was for each new convert to diligently seek the truth while living and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

As time passed, the pastors of our congregation asked us to become members and later I was asked to join the governing board of the church and also to teach Bible classes. But the more I studied the scriptures, the more aware I became of how militant patriotism, the prosperity emphasis, and “self” psychology were not the foundational teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because I dearly loved the pastors who the Lord Jesus used to initially open our eyes to our lost condition I went to them with my concerns. Everyone just wanted to ignore there was even a problem. To them it was just a matter of different opinions and interpretations. I shared all of these concerns with Sandy, showing him from the scriptures the clear teachings of Jesus in these matters, to which he initially agreed that the pastors and leaders needed to reconsider what they were doing. Sandy went immediately to them and later came back to me saying it was only my opinion. He agreed with them. From that day until today my long-time friend has refused to again test these things with the scriptures, and trusts in what men are saying today rather than the writers of the New Testament.

In spite of these major differences we now had our strained friendship and fellowship continued until this year. I have begged, wept before, and pleaded with Sandy and his family to turn from the militant patriotism that has hardened them tremendously since 9/11. It all came to a crossroads this year when John Hagee was interviewed on Fox News. Hagee is one of Christendom’s major leaders and proponents of militant patriotism and the “just” war doctrine that is seducing Christians away from the truth of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sandy and some other old friends of ours said they agreed with Hagee that America should pre-emptively bomb Iran before they attack and kill more Americans. It was as though I saw a line in the sand, and I was compelled to tell them I could no longer be part of fellowship that distorts the fundamental teachings of the Lord Jesus. I pleaded with them all to reconsider what they were doing. They refused to turn away from the delusions of Hagee. I warned Sandy that if he continued down this road his heart would only harden and eventually if there was no repentance the Lord’s chastening hand would fall upon him. I have been under the Lord’s chastening hand and brought to shame for my own failings and rebellion in other areas, so I know what happens to believers who become stiff-necked and stubborn in their carnal ways. It hurts, but also ends in comfort and confidence if there is repentance.

David Chagall, is the other Jewish friend I mentioned in the beginning of this letter. He and I met over the internet in that he has a web site and television ministry in California….. http://www.lasthour.com/. After visiting David’s web site I invited him to review mine which he did. David agreed with me that America was Babylon the Great of Revelation 18 who would rule the nations and lead them in rebellion against the person and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. He responded favorably to many of my subsequent articles and admitted that he at times struggled with the pride that drives militant patriotism. I told him that I have the same temptations. My last article testifies to that fact. After meeting another wonderful friend who was also a Messianic Jew, I decided to make Sandy aware of David, hoping they would establish a friendship. I prayed that Sandy would have his eyes opened to who America is in the scriptures from someone other than me. As of this day there is posted on David’s web site an article called “Is America in Prophecy” in which he “concludes” that the scriptural evidence is “overwhelming” that America is Babylon the Great.

After David and Sandy became friends it now seems, according to Sandy, that David is not sure of what he has written about Babylon/America that is posted on his web site. I was perplexed and disappointed. And now, after reading David and Sandy’s response to my latest article “An Appeal to Hal Lindsey”, my heart aches for what my dear Jewish friends have fallen into. The hardening is taking place. Read it for yourself. Sandy sent me and David the story or myth of General Black Jack Pershing who dealt with Muslim terrorists in the Philippines before World War I. David commented on the Pershing story by saying “we” should learn a lesson from him. I asked Sandy if he and David included born again, Spirit-led believers in the “we” who should learn a valuable lesson. Sandy and his wife said, yes. I then asked the question I have asked him for many years….Didn’t Jesus say his Kingdom is not of this world system, and that we should not pick up swords but our own cross, until the day the Lord Jesus comes in judgment to destroy all those who have rejected him and his ways?

I am writing and sending this to all of you for one reason. Sandy has contacted some of you already and promised to email as many of my friends as he could (many of you posted your email addresses in my guestbook), to really see if others think like I do about the teachings of the Lord Jesus. I hope he does and finds the truth in the process. His son, Jason, has helped convince him that I am wrong on these things. Most of you are probably in agreement with David, Sandy, and Jason and will “send them emails” to encourage them in their opposition to what I have written. Their email addresses are below. However, there are others who see the foundational teachings of Jesus as I do and also have great love for Israel and the Jewish people, including Sandy and David. Please write them a kind letter as well.

I know you feel as I do that when Jewish people embrace Jesus Christ as their Messiah this is something special and warms the heart of our Father in Heaven. God’s promise to bless those who bless the Jews, and his promise to curse those who curse the Jews has always been part of my understanding, especially in these last days where Israel is now center stage in world events. Many Christian Gentile leaders, like John Hagee, seem to think that encouraging Israel and the Jews to fight and kill their Islamic enemies and joining America with them in battle is somehow blessing the Jews. I disagree. However, I do agree that God has preserved Israel from 1948 to this present day, but not because he is pleased with their rejecting of his Son and Hagee’s rejection of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. God the Father has supernaturally, through his holy angels, preserved Israel to set the stage for a mighty awakening led by the two Jewish prophets and 144,000 Jewish missionaries of Revelation 7, 11.

Babylon/America/Bush/Hagee is not the friend of Israel or the Jewish people as we all have been led to believe. The fallen angels have laid a trap by this supposed American-Israel alliance which will only produce the dark days of Daniel’s 70th Week and God is allowing it. The God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, wants his rebellious chosen people to confess that he is their Messiah who came two thousand years ago as the Lamb of God to offer them forgiveness for their sins.

Remember, the combined power of the precious blood and second coming of Jesus Christ is the “only” permanent solution to the death and destruction that men inflict upon one another to the hideous delight of their fallen angel masters.

Your eternal friend,
Jack

P.S. I have posted to the web site my letter on “Rick Warren’s Purpose” sent out in September, seeing that some of you want to reference it. If you haven’t already, please read my article “The Judgment Chronicles” which puts in sequential order the coming events of Daniel’s 70th Week. Just click on the link above and then click on “Articles” to read the article. You can also listen to my radio interviews by clicking on this link: http://www.weehoursradio.com/JackHook.html

——————————————–

From: Sandy sandy@sonteez.com; Jason Shapiro jmshapiro@mac.com
To: jdhook@cox.net

Subject: Re: History lesson from WW-1

General Black Jack Pershing:

Just before World War I, there were a number of terrorist attacks on the United States forces in the Philippines by Muslim extremists. So General Pershing captured 50 terrorists and had them tied to posts for execution. He then had his men bring in two pigs and slaughter them in front of the now horrified terrorists. Muslims detest pork because they believe pigs are filthy animals. Some of them simply refuse to eat it, while others won’t even touch pigs at all, nor any of their by-products. To them, eating or touching a pig, its meat, it blood, etc., is to be instantly barred from paradise (and those virgins) and doomed to hell. The soldiers then soaked their bullets in the pig’s blood, and proceeded to execute 49 of the terrorists by firing squad. The soldiers then dug a big hole, dumped in the terrorist’s bodies and covered them in the pig blood, entrails, etc. They let the 50th man go. And for the next forty-two years, there was not a single Muslim extremist attack anywhere in the world. Maybe it is time for this segment of history to repeat itself, maybe in Iraq? The question is, where do we find another Black Jack Pershing?

————————————————–

Begin forwarded message to Jack Hook:

From: David Chagall
chosenprophetic@aol.com

To: sandy@sonteez.com
Subject: Re: History lesson from WW-1

Reminds me of what the Russians did with the Chechnian Muslims who kidnapped and held some Russian soldiers hostage. The Russians rounded up some Muslim villagers there, cut off their balls and sent them to the Muslim terrorists (Castration also renders a Moslem male ineligible for those 72 virgins). Though there were subsequent terrorist activities, not another Russian soldier was ever taken hostage. What Pershing did was smart warfare against savages, and we should learn a lesson from him. Incidentally, Teddy Roosevelt eliminated the Barbary pirates (Muslims) by similarly harsh tactics and ended the raids against American and British ships. By the way, Jack sent me another e-mail (An Appeal to Hal Lindsey) and I replied as follows:

“Dear Jack–in the first paragraph, it seems that Christian common sense has started to invade, if ever so slightly, into your pacifist convictions. I pray that you soon come to understand that if real Christians would have risen up in Germany to bring down Hitler (as did the noble Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer who joined the plot to kill Hitler, unfortunately too late as Hitler survived the attempted bombing, and put Bonhoeffer into Auschwitz where he was hung by the Nazis two weeks before the war ended), millions of Jews and others lives’ would have been saved. Sometimes, as Jesus suggested when he commanded his disciples to sell their cloaks and buy swords, it is just and right to rise up and defend ourselves against savagery.”

Shalom in Jesus,
Your eternal friend,
David

————————————————-
Following are many of your comments sent to me by email concerning my dear Jewish friends:
————————————————-

Jack,

We are lifting them up in prayer. I completely understand and have many brethern who are blinded to the truth. It is interesting that most people
who write us say that what we have said confirms what the Lord has shown them – not that we did anything…. so it is the Lord’s work and we stand with you and your Jewish brothers in Christ.

Dene McGriff
Pergamos Ministries
————————————————–

Jack, today I was in realization that so many Jews seeing the scripture about the 144000 in Rev 14 blesses them…so many understand, that Jesus CHANGES YOU.

Then they see this stunning scripture and then… understanding that the LAMB is brethren! is God…. AWESOME!

So many know they need CHANGE. So much need. We all want to change. ONLY JESUS CAN CHANGE US.

Peace and blessing to you
Zeph

————————————————–

Brethren,

General Pershing was a Freemason; a member of an occult brotherhood that teaches “the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of Man” and Novus Ordo Seclorum; a Tower of Babel counterfeit to the Narrow Way of our Lord Jesus.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, while noble in his stand against the Nazis, was a part of the “Radical Christianity” unbiblical theological movement which associated with the “God is Dead” movement.

Jesus is our only hope… God’s manifold wisdom being revealed through Job and through the assembly of Believers in Christ to the angels and the demons according to Ephesians 3:10 and 11 is our call… Suffering for the Name, not victory in this world’s political, economic, and religious system.

I pray our Lord Jesus would give us wisdom to speak the truth in love to one another.
Jim Baumgaertel
Proclamation, Invitation, & Warning
http://procinwarn.com

————————————————–

Dear Jack,

I read with empathy your email. My father was bounced on the knee of General Pershing as “Back Jack’ waited to see my grandfather for hernal and massage treatment. My grandfather was the last person to see Gen Pershing alive in Walter Reed Hospital. My father to this day teaches the same confused doctrine of Christian militarism, as you know. I will soon deal with Israel and the Bible in the Ot to show that there is no proper biblical support for Israel fighting either – once redeemed.

What is logical and functional for carnal nation states is not what we are called as Christians to do. Even the higher citiizenship article should make that principle clear. I am on the road after keeping Sukkot, or the feast of tabernacles in Victoria, BC with my brother, who mostly agrees with me doctrinally.

My prayers are with you and your Jewish friends,
Chris Patton

————————————————–

Greetings, Jack! Thank you for apprising me of your publishing my e-mails to your list. As a result of your citing my “overwhelming evidence” of the USA being Babylon, since that didn’t and doesn’t fully reflect my thinking, I revised my statement to it being my strong conviction but also naming two expositors whom I respect with different interpretations so as to encourage the reader to do their own reading and come to their own conclusions. I am a strong believer that “eductaion” is truly e-ducere, to “lead forth the from within” rather than spoon-feed my interpretations of prophecy to them as fledgling babes.

As to the more important issue of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his life and views, it was never his teaching that “God is dead,” and if you read his wonderful book The Cost of Discipleship you will know from his own pen his love, reverence and dependence on God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is true that as a young seminary graduate he espoused personal pacificism, but when as a more mature man of God he was faced with the stark evil of Hitler’s Nazism, he changed his mind, resolved with others to fight against his own country and to kill the Fueher for the sake of his nation and the world. Unfortunately Hitler survived the bomb blast, arrested Bonhoeffer, imprisoned him at Buchenwald, transferred him to the concentration camp in Flossenburg, and a few days before the Allies liberated that camp, at the orders of Himmler he was hung and died. Those are the facts, Jack, and we all must learn to respect truth more than our own notions.

Whether you personally choose the path of pacifism, which choice I respect, I have followed another calling. If drafted, I would have served in my country’s army (I wasn’t eligible, as the sole surviving son of a family who lost my older brother in the W.W.2 Battle of the Bulge. I could have enlisted, but I did not see the Korean police action as an overwhelming incentive for doing so. For the past 11 years I have served as the chairman of our local US Selective Service Board and you know my stance on the sword, wielded by governments for the sake of law and order (and backed by the authority of Scripture) as well as Jesus’ admonition to His disciples to sell their cloaks and buy swords (Luke 22:6).

Bottom line is this–none of this discussion has to do with the most essential element of salvation, which is faith. Neither Jesus, Paul nor any of His apostles said that following certain doctrines saved any one but only “Believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, that God raised Him from the dead and confess Him as Master and Savior” and you shall (have been) be saved.” I pray that you come back to basics and be more gracious with your own interpretations and judgment of others. In love, your brother David Chagall

I’d appreciate your sharing my response with the list of people you sent the e-mail to which I am responding. Thanks–

————————————————–

Aloha Jack,
I just wanted to give you some support and to tell you that I too had to “draw a line” against attending churches that preached an anti-Christ doctrine and in the name of love walked away from most all my family and friends. It’s the hardest thing for me to understand why people would drag our Savior into anything man would label a just war. I still to this day call myself a Jesus Freak because I disagree with the majority of Christan’s on many things. I’ve found the words in red mean just about everything to me. I take literally Christ’s words and try hard to please God with my walk.

I know satan has deceived so many because of their ego and pride. It seems many Christan’s care more about this life and there American rights then the beautiful gospel words of God which totally matched Jesus Christ’s walk.

Keep your chin up. I have a big faith in you Jack. My love of God grows. He is my baby. (someday you’ll understand) He is my only one.

Love your eternal sister, Tammie

————————————————–

Dear Jack Greetings to you and all the Hook Family.

It was distressing but not uncommon, what you have told about your two friends, but that’s how things are for lots of Christians.

I myself Jack ministered to a family and tried many times to steer them into just looking at God’s word, I got them out of the clutches of two “so called!Christian fellowships” but the damage to them was like a cancer, it was rampant, and that family are so far from our Lord, in fact they are fighting each other in the courts, and the man of the family spun us a yarn, and many other Christians only to borrow money and never to be seen again.

Well my thoughts are this Jack you have tried all the things we Christians are to try, but in the end we can only try and steer them, as you know, but I always remember what The Lord say’s about “you who are spiritual – should help to restore those who are falling” we must not get too close, else we may be tempted in the wrong, Galatians 6 verse 1, and in verse 2 we can only help with a burden, and fulfil the law of Christ only, if they want help.

So Jack I do have some idea of what you are going through but please Jack don’t let this get you down, too much, there is lots to do, as you already know, I will bring this up at our Bible Study / Prayer Meeting on Tue’s at 1.30pm, I will only mention your first name, no other details, but I feel this was on your heart, and is on mine as well, and I want to bring this to the throne of all understanding and grace, and let my Lord deal with this.

Take care my brother,
Ray, in England

————————————————–

Jack,
How sad! I used to be a follower of John Hagee, I spent the first 35 yrs of my life in the State of Texas (Dallas and South Padre Island) I like you after really studying the Bible was lead away from Hagee and his ministry, he lets some of the most “antichrist” people darken his pulpit (Copland, Duplantis, ect.)

I have since followed some of his doings, and not only do I agree, but more importantly scripture supports your belief. Hagee is no friend of the Jew make no mistake on this. He will not “evangelize” the Jew, and recently he removed some Jewish believers from a conference he was to give in Calfornia, David Brickner @Jews for Jesus has the letter sent to one of his representatives.

John Hagee is a proud and loud teacher who is accountable to no one in his ministry, a recipe for disaster as can be seen more and more in these last days.

It truly saddens me to hear these believers in their Messiah are getting caught in a trap laid by the god of this world. Scripture speaks of a time when there will be those who will kill Christians and believe they are doing Gods will-and follow the way of Cain, I often think these New Apostles, and yes, people like Hagee may very well be decieved into doing these murderess deeds that only the blind could think is Gods will.

You will be in my prayers, and your friends too.

God bless, and continue to present the truth to these people, perhaps God will open their eyes to the truth?

Brian

————————————————–

Jack,
Are you aware that John Hagee believes that Jews do not have to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved? He says that all Jews that have ever been born or will ever be born are saved even if they reject Christ.
Not sure about the Babylon thing. I have never studied it.
Bill

————————————————–

I quite agree with your main point, which is it is surprising how far from the basic Jesus teaching in the New testament our presumably knowledgable modern day leaders get from Jesus primary theme.

Let us all keep up the good work, re-discovery of the main themes of the NT.
Charles Walton

————————————————–

Dear Jack,

I could write a book outlining the error of your friend’s logic. For the sake of brevity I agree with you. No doubt the current situation in the Middle-East is propelling an unsuspecting world to the Second Coming of the Lord.

However I do believe:

President Bush has made a terrible mistake by invading Iraq.
President Bush’s handlers have co-opted the Christian right and made this a righteous war (which it is not).
The Christian right has been deceived by the Bush administration.
Patriotism and so forth has made an insidious entry into many of our churches (mine is not one). It has so permeated the American Church that to oppose the war or to raise any serious questions about Bush, the war, and etc is greeted with disdain and scorn.
All one has to do is read some speeches and writings by Joseph Goebbels, and incidentally Mien Kampf, and anti-Nazi heroes such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Mueller to understand the important role religion and the church plays in war. Hitler knew without the church he could not go to war. Therefore it is politically expedient to get the church on board for any war.
Your detractors (Hagee and the rest) are either ignorant or intentionally ignore World history, Church history, Jewish History, Christian traditions and orthodoxy, end-time prophecy and so on. I consider preachers such as Hagee false teachers as they twist and turn the scriptures to fit their positions. Any serious student of the Bible can easily spot their error.
Didn’t George Washington say stay out of foreign affairs! The wars of the 20 and 21st century are all foreign affairs!
The Moslem terrorists of today are well educated and have tremendous resources to harm the U.S. Read the biography of the 9/11 hijackers. None of them were herdsmen from the backside of the desert. But all schooled in or knew the ways of the West.
It is time for Christians to wake up and preach the gospel of the PRINCE of PEACE, salvation to all, and his soon coming.
We are soldiers of the cross not soldiers of America.
I can go on but I hope you see my point.
Sign me,

I DO NOT PREACH POLITICS OR AMERICANISM IN MY PULPIT. ONLY THE SAVING BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.

Pastor Curtis Bond

————————————————–

Dear Jack,

Enjoyed your letter. Let me ask your forgiveness in writing as I do! Due to old war wounds & such, its hard for me to even try to write a letter,as you know www2/korean/ v/n has taken its toll on my body & mind so overlook all mistakes & ask God to bless.

I agree with most what you say other i do not understand it all in what i do understand i am with you all the way it is sad your friends turned out as they did but dont fell to bad as it allso happened to me that way too! family allso.

We are in the last few hours of the last day!woud you agree?

I will have to stop for now may God bless
Charles Maples

————————————————–

Here is what they are missing: God’s power and judgement. They only see things in the natural, and not that the curtain of the last act is opening and the actors are taking their cues.

It really doesn’t matter what nations or leaders do. Don’t they see that it is a mockery to assume that “we” have the power to oppose God and hinder his plans? They don’t see that the attacks of wicked people is judgement – because they don’t see their own attitudes as sinful.

I believe this is part of the strong delusion. The idea of a “strong delusion” makes me thing of strong drink. And you can’t sober up while you are still drinking.

Regarding what Pershing did in the past, perhaps it was the right thing to do at that time. I cannot say. It is foolishness to say Hitler could have been removed. As now, the delusion about him was part of God’s plan, and he was kept alive until his part was finished. It appears your friends give themselves too much credit; they are saying God needs them to accomplish his will, and they appear to be sure they know God’s will. We are no less wicked as a nation than Iran, and worse, because we know better.

I suspect your friend was snared by the fear of men. It is something we are all tempted by; the desire to be accepted and fear of rejection. I understand why you parted ways with your friend, as he is sadly worshiping another God.

Shalom
Claire

————————————————–

Jack: Thank you for your quick reply. I agree with you 100% that we are living in Satan’s domain. But are we to do nothing when we see his direct attacks coming upon us? You did not address my question to you concerning proper stewardship over what God has given and entrusted to us. I feel that you would have me stand still like a dumb, mindless sheep and let an assassin murder me when the Lord had given me the mental and physical capability of preventing it. I would see this as an act of poor stewardship at best. Is this what Jesus meant in Mark 8:35?

What do you think about the commands of God to Israel to make preemptive attacks on her enemies? I feel that you would call that a “sinful” command.

I’m reminded of the story of the man standing atop his house to escape a flood that had engulfed his city (New Orleans) praying that the Lord would come and help him to survive. He first turns down someone coming by in a boat offering to rescue him, saying, “No thanks, the Lord is going to rescue me.” Next he turns down a helicopter offering him a rescue basket with the same reply. He finally drowns and faces the Lord who asks him why he didn’t accept any of the help the Lord sent to him. He is an example of a poor steward. 1 Corinthians 10:13 shows that the Lord will provide a way of escape from temptation. Very often that way of escape is to use one’s legs and simply walk away. That is one reason why the Lord gave us legs. Are we not to use them?

Thanks again, and may God bless your works.

BUZ

PS: You also plucked John 18:36 completely out of context and thus misapplied it too.

————————————————–

JACK, I AM SO SORRY YOU HAVE TURNED FANACTIC ABOUT HE BIBLE, THESE OTHER PEOPE ARE CORRECT “””””AMERICA MUST PROTECT ITS SELF FROM ALL TERRORIST NATIONS AND IF A PREEMPT STRIKE IS WHAT NEEDED TO PROTECT AMERICA , THEN SO BE IT. “”” YOU ALSO MUST KNOW HERE I AM A VIETNAM VET AND HAVE SEEN FIRST HAD WHAT THOSE PEOPLE CAN DO AND DO TO THEIR OWN PEOPLE. IT IS VERY EVIDENT THAT YOU HAVE NO EARTHLY IDEA ABOUT SUCH THINGS AS THE MUSLIM TERRORIST HAVE IN MIND FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD. THEY WANT TO SET THE WORLD BACK THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND IMPOSETHEIR RELIGION AND IDEAS ON ALL PEOPLES OF THE EARTH. IF YOU DOUBT ME ,,,,,PLEASE GO THERE AND LIVE WITH THEM AND TRY YOUR RELIGIOUS IDEAS ON THEM “”” I SUGGEST YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE THAT ORDEAL. DON

————————————————–

Best e-mail I’ve read in quite a while. Excellent. I hope this encourages you, Jack. You have got it right. Dave

————————————————–

Forwarded message from Jason Shapiro:

Dear Mr. Buzz Smith:

I am a member of the family of one of the Jewish believers that Jack Hook wrote about in his email entitled, “General Pershing and My Jewish Friends”, “Sandy” is my father.

The main motivation for me to email you is that I would like to thank you for your service to this country during the Korean war. I wonder what you must be thinking now, with the current (more serious) threat in North Korea. But we can leave that for another day. I have deep appreciation and admiration for those who choose to serve in all of the branches of military. It is a thankless job, that has many despising those who choose it. It is a job that is as selfless as I can imagine. Extremely hard work with very little pay, the failures are broadcast worldwide and successes are most often hidden, and to top it off about 30% of the people your fighting to keep free, despise you. There is a very strong correlation with what Jesus did, in fact. Which I find ironic, considering the timing of this email. I agree that you were in service of the Lord Jesus Christ while doing your duty, and I thank you for your service. I pray the Lord continues to richly bless you.

Jack is, as he stated in the email, a very old family friend. He has known me since I was in diapers, and I am now married with four children of my own. For a little background on me, my faith was challenged several years ago by an atheist and I was unable to provide sound reasoning for my belief in Christ. My response to his challenge was basically, “the bible says so”, without even being able to logically explain the bible’s legitimacy. After all, he didn’t even believe in any kind of supreme being. To a Christian that may be enough, but to an atheist, it sounded uneducated and illogical. In response to this challenge, I began studying apologetics. This lead me to further, deeper study of the scriptures, in order to understand and give reasoned logic for doctrinal issues within Christianity. As I continued these studies, I also began studying eschatology a few years ago which, as you probably know, is the focus of Jack’s message. I still have a long way to go with eschatological study, but I have discussed with Jack most of the doctrinal issues at great length, as well as, worked with my father to show Jack where he is misinterpreting scripture.

I have pointed out the stories of the solder who looked upon Jesus while dying on the cross and said, “Truly He is the Son of God”, who was never rebuked for his service in scripture. And the Centurion that you referenced in Matthew 8, again never rebuked. As well as Cornelius in Acts 10, described as a “devout man and one who feared God with all his household”, and one who “prayed to God continually” who is also described as “a righteous man and God-fearing man”, all of this while in active military service. At no point in scripture does it say Peter instructs him to leave the military. To all of this Jack has said, “it is implied that they left the military”.

God, the author of the bible and creator of the universe didn’t see fit to in any of these instances note any rebuke to their service, but left it as an implication? Is He purposefully ambiguous here in order to confuse us? Is that the God we serve? This is the kind of logic we are dealing with in Jack. I don’t believe that he wants to know if he is wrong about this. He is a very intelligent and well read man. He reads the bible constantly, and knows a lot of scriptures, so I can’t see how such a smart man, so well read in the scriptures would misinterpret so many of them.

I know I have restated much of what you said in your email, and I’m sorry if it seemed redundant. I want you to understand that we’ve been down this road many times. Jack simply refuses to acknowledge these things. Rather than say, “your misinterpreting this because…” and then go on to show within that same book where the fallacy is, he says, “in (chaper:verse) is states…” to show a “contradiction”. This is one of the biggest sources of the tension that exists with Jack, or for that matter any Christian doctrinal difference. One thing I’ve learned about hermeneutics, is that you never let the minority interpret the majority. If the majority of scripture says one thing, and there is a set of scriptures that seem to contradict them, then you are misinterpreting the minority. But those minority are what Jack uses to hold to his pacifist views. And even those are many times scriptures intended for individuals, that he is applying to nations, so they are being misapplied. He has actually gone as far to say that “only unsaved men should fight in war”. So saved men, who will go to be with Jesus when they die should let those who will parish in hell for all eternity fight against international injustice? It doesn’t make any sense at all……………………

I love Jack very much, he is a good hearted and talented man. I believe that he genuinely believes that he is “saving” us by telling us these things. He is just misguided and refuses to see it. I’ve been there, believe me, but sometimes God slaps us across the face with it. When God chooses to show him his error, I’m sure He will do it in a way that it is sure to get his attention.

Again, thank you for your service, and your reply to his email. Your points were spot on. God bless! Jason Shapiro

————————————————–

Dear Jack;

I am fully in agreement with you that we ARE the Babylon in Revelation 18, and have thought so since the very first time I read Revelation in 1978, a few months after I was saved. My opinion has been nothing but reinforced every one of the more than 30 times I have read it since then.

However, the one “bone I have to pick with you” is the Jesus you see. You apparently view Jesus only as the one in Matthew 5:39, who tells His listeners (now readers) to just turn the other cheek when smitten. My Jesus is is the one who twice physically removed the moneychangers from the temple area (at least one of those times using a whip that He had personally made from cords, according to John 2:15), because they were defiling His Father’s house.

So, once he tells people to be pacifistic, but twice He acts militant. Even on an equal basis, actions speak louder than words, but since there are twice as many occasions of His physically defending His Father’s tenets, as opposed to just once talking about playing the Casper Milquetoast, I really think that those actions are what should be emulated, and not the verbal instructions.

Whenever Jesus says or does something more than once, it is for emphasis. Look at Matthew 7:13, 14: He is VERY emphatic about there being very few
that will find eternal life, as opposed to there being very many that will miss out on it. When I did my nine-month Bible study on the “Sermon on
the Mount”, that was the only subject that took more than one week to discuss (the discussion actually carried over into the third week).

In this world, we are fighting against the “prince of this air”, and we must sometimes use the tools of this world to carry on that fight to the enemy. I seriously wish that you would review and rethink your position on the
lesson learned from Black Jack Pershing – – but don’t change your position on Revelation 18; you are RIGHT ON !!!

Dicken Hall

————————————————–

Hello Jack,

Doesn’t the word say that in the last days, The Love of many will grow cold? I have been taught that Babylon is confusion. False teachings. The more that I study and see the church, the more that I am sure that we all need to stop listening to men and to read for ourselves what the Lord says. Is it right to kill others? Is it right to kill in the name of Jesus or Yeshua? We need help. All of us. Our eyes need to come off of man and to look to our Lord.
Shalom, Cynthia

————————————————–

Hey Jack,
All I am seeing these days is so-called “believers” finding any and every other way to go BUT the way of the cross. They are getting quite creative. Even within my little band of believers it feels like there is a sniper just slowly picking people off. My heart is so sad. But yet I am so greatful to the Lord for showing me TRUTH. I certainly don’t deserve it.

As I am sure you have experienced, the verbal assaults from the enemy are quite fierce. I have been hit pretty hard of late, with some even questioning my christianity. While I try to ignore it, it does still hurt. I WILL NOT go along the broad road, therefore I guess I am a thorn to those who are on it.

There are times that I wish I did not know all that I do, yet, to go through life deceived, well, the thought of that is just unbearable. So I press on. WE WILL ENDURE!!!

Be Blessed, Amy

————————————————–

Dear brother Jack,

What is all this but a confirmation that the Kingdom of God is (still as Jesus said 2,000 years ago) not of this world? I feel no betrayal by Bush, for my expectations are not in him or his earth-bound religious kingdom. I forsook politics as a solution to spiritual problems many years ago when I realized that patriotism is merely a substitute gospel for the real kingdom of God that abides in the heart of the believer.

As “strangers and pilgrims” (not Puritans and their “New Israel” being America), we must confess “Here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come” (Heb. 13:14), and remind ourselves “our citizenship- is in heaven…” (Phil. 3:20). We are warned that if we “call to mind that country from which we have come out, we will have opportunity to return” (Heb. 11:15). Why are so many of God’s people bend on returning to an earthly kingdom? I believe it is becasue they have confused the Constitution of the USA with the clear teachings of God’s Word to the contrary. Hebrews 11 fully states that it is only those who do not become mindful of the earthly kingdom from which God called them out, that “…God is not ashamed to be called their God” (Heb. 11:16). Earthly politics are keeping God’s people ever-mindful of America. This is a subtle substitute of Satan!

Democracy is George Bush’s “gospel” which he feels called to take to the uttermost parts of the world to “set the captives free.” He might indeed set them free physically from tyrants like Saddam, but he will leave them in their spiritual bondage to the false god of Islam. They are still bound for hell! In the near future I am planning to dedicate a newsletter to this false gospel in which multitudes of Christians in this country are engulfed.

Enough! Let us “Ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls…” (Jer.6:16).

Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Randy Shupe

————————————————–

Dear Brother,

It is with great disappointment, but not suprise, that I read your article. I too, am disturbed with the militant patriotism which I witness throughout this nation.

I am a decorated veteran of the Navy’s elite Silent Service. I am a chaplain of a veteran’s organization, and a pastor of a church in Columbus, Ohio. The name of our church is Good Soldier Church and Outreach Ministries (www.goodsoldierchurch.com). I have a long family tradition of military service and I am quite proud of my time of service to my country. I assume that these are some of the reasons that so many assume that I am equally as militant as they. And they are right, however my militism is for the One True Kingdom, not some earthly geo-political principality. I honor my country, as the Bible instructs me to do, however I do not pledge my allegiance to any other than God.

We are truly in the last days, my brother. Be encouraged. I am blessed by the ministry which God has placed in you. In my humble opinion, and by reasoning of scripture, your feelings on this subject are correct. I am disturbed by the lack of love and general intolerance toward others that I see in the Body.

Please pray for us as we continue to pray for you. I would be honored to correspond with you.

Yours because of Calvary,

David Johnson, Pastor
Good Soldier Church and Outreach Ministries
Columbus, Ohio

www.goodsoldierchurch.com

————————————————–

Dear David, Sandy, and Jack,

I consider myself pretty accepting of the various endtime scenarios and interpretations, but when it comes to
attacking the very core of Christian life, living, and testimony, I must speak out. David wrote,

“Sometimes, as Jesus suggested when he commanded his disciples to sell their cloaks and buy swords, it is just
and right to rise up and defend ourselves against savagery.”

This interpretation may fit the Declaration of Independence; but contradicts everything else the Lord Jesus taught.
Keep in mind that in the Luke 23:36 statement by the Lord, He did not instruct what to do with the sword. In verse 38 He says two swords are enough. Enough for what? Surely not an insurrection to overthrow the “savagery” of the Roman Empire. No, but enough to help fulfill the prophecy that “He was reckoned with transgressors”. Or maybe even enough for one of the greatest object lessons of all time. He tells the group to carry a couple swords, and almost immediately leads them into a situation where He rebukes Peter for using one. After the arrest He explains to us all by telling Pilate that His servants don’t fight with physical weapons, because His kingdom is not of this world. Peter, the apostles, and the church for the following three hundred years understood the object of the lesson, that physical weapons are useles in Christ’s Kingdom which is not of this world, His servants don’t fight, and those who live by the sword will die by the sword.

And then of course there is the Hitler example. Did you ever think that if the professing Christians of of “Christian” Germany would have lived out their faith and refused to serve in the military, Hitler would not have had an army. I just read an excellent out of print autobiographical book by Reinhold Kerstan called “Blood and Honor”. It details his life in the Hitler Youth Corps during WWII. At the time not only was Kerstan convinced that he was serving God in a “just war”, his Baptist pastor father was an officer in Hitler’s army.

So the Hitler’s army then pulls us into the whole debate of Christians “honoring” their government even if it means
dishonoring the Lord’s commands. With this mentality the Iraqi Christians should have fought the invading American forces, and on and on.

The bottom line is, Sandy and David, that you have been sucked into (deceived) by the “American Civil Religion”,
where the direct teachings and commands of our Lord are somehow righteously violated for a higher call of physical liberty and democracy. So if we can send our sons off to kill, I suppose we can send our daughters off to prostitute for this higher calling. If we can violate the killing command, then of course we can lie, cheat, steal, etc.
Actually this Civil Religion is a different/another gospel which the apostle Paul warned us against, and said that
those who teach it would be accursed.

May the Holy Spirit convince of the Truth and timelessness
of His Word.

Carl Mease

————————————————–

Forwarded message to Jack Hook:

Dear David Chagall,

Of course you don’t know me. But those who do know how my life was transformed by the Lord Jesus, and I use every opportunity to evangelize to even preaching in the streets. I grew up under American Civil Religion and because of it served in the Marine infantry in Viet Nam. That is where I realized that war and all the trappings are not returning evil for good, doing good to those who persecute etc. As a servant of the Lord Jesus I put my trust in Him, not in the armies and govt’s of the world. But the bottom line is I take His word literally, and will not violate His moral law because I am told to even by this earth’s highest authority. Of course God judges through governments, but the apostles did not start an insurrection, nor did they choose to side with the Roman Empire.
Regardless, like you say, I will go back to preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, but I would still maintain that it is a different gospel (2Cor.11:4; Gal.1:8), which twists our Lord’s words to condone and participate in wars and violence.

Respectfully,
Carl Mease

————————————————–

I just started to read your letter and realized that you feel the same as I have felt regarding this preemptive strike against Iraq. Some religious leader’s have lost their way. They are no different from the politician’s that gain power and it corrupts them. I used to listen to Hagee, but then he started to become militant in his sermon’s. Keep up the great work. Helen, a messianic believer.

————————————————–

Wow Jack, you got a lot of crap to sort through to help these poor lost folks, blood thirsty people– they will have their blood to drink soon enough. I’ll be praying for you. it all reminds me of how the Romans treated people–we are in fact the image of that beast. God bless you for all you hard work. Have you done an article on the military commissions act of 2006 and the loss of habeas corpus for us american terrorists yet and the implecations it will have on your message of dissent, just wondering? It won’t be long until we are witnessing to our muslim friends in the Fema torture death camps. well take care and keep up the Good work.

————————————————–

Amen! going through similar things with what few friends are left. Standing for truth at all costs. And the cost has been very high, as both of us are disabled. I was in the hospital over the weekend, had lovely nurses and very good treatment. But we are old and it hurts that we have no family left, and few friends. We await our true friend, Jesus. Mariel

————————————————–

Dear Jack;

Thank you for your courage. We will keep your freinds in prayer. It is sad times we live in when savagery is held up as a Christian ideal. We must not lower ourselves to their level. My athiest mother even taught me that. Vengence is by YHWH. He alone knows all the factors involved and true justice.
Delia Reed

————————————————–

Well said Carl and Jack!

One must understand that there is no command or record in the NT of God’s people being called, taking part, or justifying “going to war”. In the OT God’s people were, where it was an eye for an eye, and God’s physical people had physical structures, physical ordinances, a physical temple, and a physical high priest, as well as fighting physical wars against a physical enemy. Under the New Covenant, this is not so … God has a spiritual people, who worship Him spiritually, the true circumcision, who place no confidence in the flesh, who now have a spiritual High Priest, in a spiritual sanctuary, and are called to a spiritual war, to fight with spiritual weapons (not carnal). We are the spiritual living stones, read as spiritual living letters, looking to a spiritual city. This world is not our home … we are only pilgrims (strangers, aliens) passing through to our spiritual home. Trouble is … many can’t see we are now under a different covenant, trying unbeknowingly to marry two covenants together … the Old and the New, where one is obsolete having been superseded with the better and more superior, and eternal.

Daring to go beyond the camp …
Your fellow pilgrim, Berean, and Rechabite,
Tom Lamb
http://beyondcamp.net