March 2015

2015-03-23 Ted Cruz anounces for POTUS

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 23, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

Senator Ted Cruz announces for POTUS

http://www.wnd.com/2015/03/ted-cruz-i-am-running-for-president/

It is a long time until November 2016. The grass roots will often ignore the Primary races in the Spring of 2016, when the crucial choices are made.

Sen Cruz may not win the Primaries in enough states to win the nomination. If that is the case, I believe it will be because of the choices made by the Churches of America.

I suggest circulating this speech as I have.

Pray 2nd Chronicles 7:14 – Repent of YOUR evil ways. Humbly offer our Creator God, our faith and trust, that He will unite a righteous people to honor what He has created in America. Rise up and defend the civil government “we the people,with His help, created to defend our God-given liberty.

2015-03-23 Ted Cruz anounces for POTUS Read More »

2015-03-17 Bring back the cleche

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 17, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

Bring back the cleché

In these days of “sound-bite” learning, we would do well to bring back some of the old clechés. I have in mind – I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend with my life your right to say it!

In these days of politically correct speech – liberty of speech is eroding. More and more often, speech counter to the “social norm” is subject to censure or even punishment.

The next step beyond societal control of speech is control of thoughts.

Have you considered the laws against “discrimination”? If an employer chooses not to hire a person, how can anyone truly know his reason for doing so? Yet he can be charged with “discrimination” and must defend himself.

Love the sinner” is ok – BUT – “Hate the sin” is politically incorrect. Homosexuality is clearly a wrong lifestyle choice. If we loved the sinner, we would warn him/her of the danger. Doing so will draw wrath. Such wrath is used to intimidate others from joining the chorus. Thus society loves the sinner, but lets them believe it is somehow ok.

This 85 year old man has learned that it only takes a little yeast to leaven the whole loaf.

My right to speak my thoughts freely, is protected by our Constitution – but – that right is not granted by the Constitution. It is my private property which is a gift from the Creator God.

I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend with my life your right to say it.

Will you do the same for me?

2015-03-17 Bring back the cleche Read More »

2014-03-14 An humble correction

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 14, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

An humble correction

Timeline –

First Great Awakening 1731 – 1755

Second Great Awakening 1790 – 1840

Charles Finney life-dates 1792 – 1875

In yesterday’s blog post, I said Finney preached during the First Great Awakening. That could not have been. His message was that of the First Awakening while the predominant message of his day was shifting toward the “Two Chapter Gospel.”

Thanks to my lifelong friend, John Hunter, for the correction.

Ben

2014-03-14 An humble correction Read More »

2015-03-13 Two Chistian Views – Both valid

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 13, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

Two Christian views – both valid

Christ summed up the whole Bible when He answered the question, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” –

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. [Matthew 22:37-40]

If we can all agree that our Creator God has invested the last 6,000+ years doing His best to teach man how to love God and love others, we have a point of agreement to build upon.

I have recently enjoyed reading Stephen McDowell’s book, “Biblical Revival and the Transformation of Nations.” (Providence Foundation March, 2013) In it, McDowell traces an historical shift in revival focus.

“Much good came from the Second Great Awakening [1790-1840]: Millions of people were converted to Christ, morality increased, the church grew, slavery ended in large part due to the impetus of renewed Biblical values. However, the seeds of theological ideas contrary to those of the great revivals before this, began to be planted within the church. Fruition of these seeds became evident in the ‘revivals’ of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

“As pietism [extremely strict devotion] began to affect the church, many began to teach, what has more recently been called, the ‘Two Chapter Gospel’ instead of the ‘Four Chapter Gospel’. …”

The “Two Chapter Gospel”

Chapter 1 Fall – Man is fallen and needs a Savior. Christ came to earth to restore man’s relationship to God.

Chapter 2 Redemption – So that man may live with Him throughout eternity, and the consummation of the end of the age.

The focus is upon the salvation of man. The work of the church is to see as many people saved as possible. In this view the Kingdom of God is largely about man’s salvation and life in eternity.

McDowell continues-

“These two chapters (Fall and Redemption) are certainly true and important, but this is not the whole Gospel story. The ‘Four Chapter Gospel,’ which is what the church generally believed and preached for eighteen centuries, recognizes God’s created order and purpose before the Fall as well as the broad redemptive work of Christ.”

The “Four Chapter Gospel”

Chapter 1 Creation – God’s creation is good. Man, vice-regent of earth, is created in God’s image. The ‘Creation Commission’ and ‘Cultural Mandate’ require man to work with what he has and replenish it.. (Genesis 1:26-28;2:15)

Chapter 2 Fall – Man disobeyed God. Everything got messed up. Expelled – man, could no longer care for God’s creation. (Genesis 3:6-19; 6:5, 11)

Chapter 3 Redemption – Christ came into the world to restore all that sin had affected. Not only man, but all creation which groans for His redemption. (John 3:16; Romans 8:9-22)

Chapter 4 Restoration – Personal conversion is important. For what purpose have you entered the Kingdom of God? If we are to learn to love God and love others we must work to restore His creation order of things. Loving God and loving others obliges us to fulfill the “Cultural or Dominion Mandate.”

“The end of redemptive history is seen with the coming of the ‘New Jerusalem’ (Revelation 3:12), the City of God. When the new city comes, the ‘tree of life’ (Revelation 22:12), the same tree of life in the garden, is now in the midst of a developed city. The Cultural Mandate has been fulfilled. This is the consummation.”

Charles Finney, a major American evangelist of the “Four Chapter Gospel,” preached in America’s “First Great Awakening” (1731 – 1755) Concerning the Kingdom of God, he wrote:

"Every member must work or quit. No honorary members. … Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation. …

“The church must take right ground in regard to politics. … Every man can know for whom he gives his vote. And if he will give his vote only for honest men, the country will be obliged to have upright rulers. …

“God cannot sustain this free and blessed country, which we love and pray for, unless the church will take right ground.

“Politics are a part of religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to the country as a part of their duty to God.

“It seems sometimes as if the foundations of the nation were becoming rotten, and Christians seem to act as if they thought God did not see what they do in politics. But I tell you, he does see it, and he will bless or curse this nation, according to the course they take."

Stephen McDowell concludes his chapter with, “We are not redeemed to get to Heaven, but to bring Heaven to earth. … The creation itself will be set free through Christ’s redeeming work. (Romans 8:19-22) …

“While Finney and others taught that Christians must change civil society, the conversion of men began to become primary, and by the end of the nineteenth century much of the church had abandoned teaching societal transformation. [They] preached the sovereignty of God, but they did not think it applied to the state. The state began to assume the role of the sovereign in regards to law, education, economics, and pubic life.”

We, as the body of Christ, need to be praying for a “Four Chapter Gospel” revival.

2015-03-13 Two Chistian Views – Both valid Read More »

2015-03-02 Apologies

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 6, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

Apologies!

This is a reminder message for all those who have completed a PAG course.

My apologies to the others on this list. – – –

The monthly PAG – Post Graduate class will be at 1300H, Sunday, March 8th. (Next Sunday)

Those already on the call list have received a direct e-mail reminder. If you are a graduate and wish to join us, please contact me ASAP to be added to the call list. There is no charge for participation.

2015-03-02 Apologies Read More »

2015-02-27 New Regulations

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 6, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

The internet is changing

No one has read the new internet regulations. One thing is certain. “Big Brother” has climbed on the bandwagon to help steer.

Over the years, these columns and blogs have earned a loyal following. In the unlikely event that these blog posts “disappear,” I hope you will stop now and record the e-mail address, phone number and physical address somewhere. Then, if need be, contact me.

There will always be a way to be heard.

John Locke went to the fundamentals, “[W]hat State men are naturally in, and that is, a State of perfect Freedom to order their Actions, and dispose of their Possessions, and Persons as they think fit, within the bounds of the Law of Nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the Will of any other man.”

Nothing exists without a set of laws to govern it. Were you placed as the only person on earth, you would be in a “State of perfect Freedom”. You could go where you liked, eat and sleep when you choose, without getting permission. However: You could not fly because you would still be governed by the “Law of Nature”.

Suppose you discover another person. Now there are two of you. You reason, “If I do not want that person to step on my toe, then I should not step on his toe.” – – You have just discovered another “Law of Nature.” Your “freedom” stops at the tip of his nose.

Dear reader, that is the sort of liberty upon which our great nation was founded. That liberty did not come from government, it was a gift from God. BTW – God does exist!

I do not consider “belief in God’s existence” to be a “religion.” It is a fact. Evidence is overwhelming. Disbelief is foolish. On the other hand, religious denominations are created around differences in understanding among men, all of whom are imperfect.

America’s founders recognized that men must be free to develop their individual understanding. To be at liberty, one must be free to search for truth where and how he “thinks fit.” Our founders saw their goal in forming the structure (laws) of America to create a government that would safeguard that “State of perfect Freedom”.

I am an American possessing God-given liberty. I will not be told I may not pray where and when I “think fit.” I will not be told I may not share my thoughts with others whether or not they are “politically correct.”

2015-02-27 New Regulations Read More »

2015-02-15 Thoughts on Fear

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 6, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

Thoughts on fear

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

[2nd Timothy 1:7]

Today’s radical Muslim images and actions are becoming more and more violent and sensational. That is with a purpose. Evil feeds upon fear.

Most Americans have grown up in a “plastic” world. We have the impression that police laboratories and detectives have only one case at a time. Further, that they are solved in an hour (less time-out for commercials)! We think all stories end with the “good guys” winning.

We say we have faith in God – but – We hesitate to put our faith to the test. We are assured by the verses about lying down in green pastures and cup running over – but – Not so much by walking through the valley of the shadow of death.

I was a new Christian in the mid 1960’s. A phone call summoned Fran and me to help a mother whose grown son was threatening her with his warlock father’s pistol. I had no knowledge of “spiritual warfare.” Before leaving for the encounter, I phoned a knowledgeable pastor friend. His advice, “You must rebuke fear.”

God used that event to illustrate to me the supernatural power of faith without fear.

With faith, what is the worst thing that can happen? Being martyred for faith in Christ appears to me to be the best way to go. On the other hand, facing down the source of fear often reveals a paper tiger.

We are called to love those who despitefully use us. Responding in anger fueled by fear will not go well! Forcing yourself to rebuke fear and keep a cool head is not an easy thing.

Evil exists. Hate exists. More important – God exists. He wants to teach us to love those who despitefully use us. Love becomes a powerful weapon.

That same God has been very harsh in directing the annihilation of evil societies.

What am I trying to say?

We need to recognize that the world is far less peaceful than America. If we are to preserve and protect that peace, we must keep cool heads. We must recognize reality and not live in denial. We must know that God honors faith NOT FEAR!

2015-02-15 Thoughts on Fear Read More »

2015-02-14 My Reasin for Hope

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 6, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

My Reason for Hope

It is the morning after a week traveling to the “Reason for Hope” conference hosted by the Foundation for American Christian Education (FACE) in Chesapeake, VA.

FACE is the “mother ship” of the groups dedicated to restoring knowledge of America’s Christian heritage. Founded in the early sixties by two amazing ladies in San Francisco, Miss Verna Hall and Miss Rosalie Slater, FACE was among the first to break ground researching, reasoning, relating, and recording America’s Christian history.

Fran and I were invited to attend the conference. The agenda called for me to deliver a 10 minute breakfast devotional and participate in a panel discussion. It was a ruse. At the breakfast, the devotional was “overlooked”. Later, during a gala banquet, to our total surprise, I was called forward to receive the prestigious, Verna M. Hall Research award for 43 years of teaching America’s Christian history. I am honored for my name to be listed on a plaque among my betters, dating back to the first award in 1992.

Paraphrasing Rahm Emanuel, “A good devotion is a terrible thing to waste.” Herewith I offer my FACE breakfast devotion:

My Reason for Hope

The late Miss Verna Hall often taught, “Get the students into the ‘Red Books.’ Have them read from original source documents.” She introduced us to Arnold Guyot, the geographer, who described the earth as the stage upon which God placed man to act out his destiny. Then on page 10 of her book, “The Christian History of the Constitution of the United States of America” (CHOC), Miss Hall presents a paper on “Nation Making” by the American historian, John Fiske, 1889.

It was our Lord, Jesus Christ, who reduced the whole teaching of the Bible – thus God’s purpose – to love God and love others. [Matthew 22:37-40] Mr. Fiske presents an overview of the hand of God in human history.

God has invested the last four thousand years teaching man to love Him and one another. Man is a slow learner! It took Christ 1620 years to make a Pilgrim!

Fiske begins with savage culture, a guy and a girl get together and make a baby. That is a family, the building block of every society. Families gather to share tasks, food gathering, protection, and the like. That is a tribe. Tribes grow, absorbing neighbors until reaching a boundary like a river or mountain range.

The tribe chief looks across the river – The virgins are fatter and the cows are prettier. He and his guys build a raft, take clubs and raid the other tribe. Half way home, he shouts back, “Have another tribute ready in a year when we return.” Those folks have no voice (representation) in his government and he takes no interest in how they raise the tribute – no incorporation and no representation. Fiske calls it “Oriental Conquest.”

There is a 400 year gap between the Old and the New Testament. During that time, we see the last examples of “Oriental Conquest” with the Greek city states under Alexander the Great. Greek philosophers thought a large umbrella government would not work because of the differences in people groups. Even the city states could not get along!

Along come the Romans and plant a Roman Staff in your town square. “Friend, your town has just been incorporated into Rome’s city limits!” After an impressive start, “Roman Conquest” degenerated into a tyrannical government like “Oriental Conquest,” but with incorporation and no representation. Roman law and culture produced a form of liberty and union that had not before existed.

In the midst of the Roman era God sent Christ. That changed everything!

Meanwhile, there developed a Scandinavian (Teutonic) principle that the leaders of a conquered tribe were incorporated into the governance of the victor’s tribe – incorporation and representation. These became the Saxons of Britain. Other Teutonic tribes sailed into the English Channel and settled in Gaul. They became Normans and adopted the Latin culture of southern Europe.

Normans attacked their cousins, the Saxons, and the top down Latin/Norman culture conflicted with the intrinsic value of a “represented” individual of the Saxon culture. The result of much trial and error was the Magna Cartar, the English Bill of Rights and the Parliament. Fiske calls this “Teutonic or English Conquest,” – incorporation and representation.

The advent of Christ with the resultant highlighting of individual relationship with God produced a desire for knowledge. Then the Bible in a common language fueled a massive explosion in literacy. That, in turn produced the industrial revolution, with growth in arts, science – – everything! Sovereignty flipped from what the King said was law, to what the law said was king!

All of that turmoil resulted in “Government by the Consent of the Governed” in the North American English colonies. At last man was ready for an opportunity to illustrate His Biblical principles of civil government. The world took notice. Even today, though they say they hate us, they secretly hope to see us crest the hill and ride to save them.

As a nation, America has exchanged that birthright for a mess of pottage! We have squandered what men of whom the world was not worthy, bled and died to leave us.

It is easy to see the foolishness of the Hebrews, having just witnessed a string of awesome miracles during the exodus, when they chose to worship a golden calf! What we have done is far more foolish! Once, God chose to flush it and start over with Noah. Another time He permitted Abraham to negotiate with Him over Sodom.

Yet again God told Moses He was going to erase the Hebrews and start again with Moses. Moses buried his face in the sand and prayed, “Don’t do it, Lord. It will give you a bad name. The world will say you are a vengeful God.” The Bible says that God changed His mind and gave the Hebrews another chance.

Well, I believe there are many Americans with their faces in the rug, confessing that America deserves to be erased. My prayer is, “Lord, we deserve justice, but I am pleading for mercy for America. Not for our sakes, but for the sake of all YOU have invested in illustrating Biblical principles of Christian Self-Government. If those principles appear to have failed, thick darkness will fall all around the world. It will appear to the world that not even your Biblical principles will work.”

With Moses’ God-centered prayer, God changed His mind. Perhaps, with enough humble intercession, it can happen again – That is my “Reason for Hope.”

2015-02-14 My Reasin for Hope Read More »

2015-02-02 Wealth

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 4, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

Wealth

The President and his supporters want to redistribute the wealth in America so that everyone has an equal share.

That sounds fair to those who would gain a bigger slice of the pie;

I have a better idea:

First – What is wealth. It is a possession of yours that has value. Let us say, a stack of gold coins, for example.

You fancy a beautiful mountain. You negotiate with the owner of the mountain and exchange part of your gold for ownership of the mountain. There has been no redistribution. Rather, the seller has exchanged dirt for an equal value of gold. You have exchanged gold for an equal value of dirt. Neither is any more wealthy than before.

Next, you exchange the rest of your gold with a contractor who builds you a beautiful home on the mountainside. You have no more gold – but you are just as wealthy as before. You have exchanged all your gold for dirt and a home of equal value.

On the other hand – The contractor has gained some wealth because he was able to build your home for less than you valued it. He made a profit. His profit represents the value the contractor added to the materials and labor in building your home. No wealth has been redistributed. A little has been created by the contractor.

You are out of gold. You need some more wealth. You have a mountain and a home. You mix your labor with what is available and dig into your mountain. You find gold.

Mixing your labor with what was available made it possible for you to create more wealth!

The bottom line – – If there is a fixed amount of wealth and everyone shares equally, everyone will starve! – – If we mix our labor with what is available, wealth is being created and the pie gets bigger and bigger.

Let’s get busy and create a bigger pie and stop quibbling over the size if each slice!

2015-02-02 Wealth Read More »

2015-01-31 It;s on my heart to ask

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

March 4, 2015

This is a letter to our friends –

It’s on my heart to ask

It has been, I believe, almost 3 years since the Benghazi attack. This column was among the few, that day, that shouted “TREASON!” Specifically – Treason in the White House.

Since that day evidence of treason has been piling up in event after event.

The words of Patrick Henry come to mind.

“They tell us, sir, that we are weak – unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when will we be stronger? Will it be next week, or next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a [federal] guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies have bound us hand and foot?”

It is on my heart to ask every law-maker, “Are you busy polishing the brass on the Titanic?” Stop “soothing” us with rhetoric and show us some leadership. The founders gave the purse strings exclusively to the House of Representatives [Article I Section 7].

Granted: The President and his supporters will stand fast and refuse to budge. OK: Suppose the true Patriots in the legislature do the same? Without a Bill originating in the House of Representatives, not a single unauthorized federal check may be written!

Suppose we call their stubborn bluff and shut down the goose that keeps laying golden eggs for the left. I believe there would be howls and screams from the left. On the other hand, I believe the nation as a whole would send a resounding shout toward Heaven in approval.

If I am right – Well praise the Lord. If I am wrong and the patient dies on the table from the trauma – We are dying anyway! “But when will we be stronger? Will it be next week, or next year?”

If the Patriot law-makers cannot call it “treason” now, then when will there ever be another opportunity. With the will to do so, the legislature is well able to bring charges and hear the case within days. I believe arguments to the contrary notwithstanding.

Doing what is right, because it is right, will always bring positive, often unexpected, results. In the face of righteousness – unrighteousness becomes a paper tiger. BUT it requires courage and steadfastness!

2015-01-31 It;s on my heart to ask Read More »

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Ben Gilmore 1929-2023

On March 30, 2023 Ben Gilmore, the co-founder of ACHStudyGroups (co-founded with his wife Fran), went to be with the Lord in Glory.

A Memorial: https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/BenGilmore/