May 2019

ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
May 28, 2019

This is a letter to our friends –

* – because we want to.

I believe we sin because we want to.

Sin is not something you can put into a laboratory test tube. Sin is a choice. A choice cannot be compelled. We cannot be forced to make a choice. Thus – Every choice is our very own creation. Once created it becomes part of history – forever! Each of us are answerable for our choices.

I have heard it said, “Sin is doing something legal in an illegal or excessive way.” What is “legal” or “illegal”? It is illegal to violate the “laws of nature”. (The “laws of nature” are the will of the creator God.) It is illegal to violate the Revealed Law. (Found only in the Holy Scriptures.)

Some believe it is easy to sin. Think about it – How many “Warning”, ‘STOP”, “Caution”, signs and barriers must we jump over to make a sinful choice! With practice we become good obstacle course athletes!

On the other hand, choosing to repent, confess, and ask forgiveness leads to peace and growth. Christ paid the penalty for your illegal choices. It is through Him you receive forgiveness. He said your main job is to learn to love God and one another. To “love” is to unselfishly want the very best for the loved one.

Every person we meet will be either, “careless”, “convicted”, or “converted”.

* The “careless” need our concern.
* The “convicted” need our challenge.
* The “converted” need our encouragement.

These columns are archived since 12/10/09
See www.ACHStudyGroups.com
“Ben’s Blog”

ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
May 21, 2019

This is a letter to our friends –

To Pictures of Hope

ACH Study Groups used to host “American History and Government Study Seminars”. We were targeting world changers. (Who else would want to attend an event with a name like that!)
They were scheduled Wednesday – Saturday (4 days) by 12 hours a day! We arranged Christian hospitality (gratis) for out of town students. James Rose lead the faculty. Beth Ballenger and I completed the list.

The events ended with a Commissioning Banquet when each faculty member had a “last word”. We held several of these events in Columbus, Georgia. My closing statement from the 1996 event recently came across my desk.

It is not long. As you listen it is obvious I was using a world map and concepts with which the students were familiar. I believe the message remains timely.

To Listen Click The Play Button:

These columns are archived since 12/10/09
See www.ACHStudyGroups.com
“Ben’s Blog”

ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
May 13, 2019

This is a letter to our friends –

There are no Baptists in Heaven

There are no Baptists in Heaven, nor are there any Methodists, Presbyterians, or Roman Catholics. The denominational label will either fall off or burn off! Christ did not come to save groups of believers. He came to save individual believers.

“[I]f thou shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believes in him shall not be ashamed.” [Romans 10:9-11]

Fellowship with fellow believers is important. It helps you learn and grow closer to the Lord, – but – your life adventure here and throughout eternity does not depend upon a group membership, or something your dear grandmother taught you!

You must come to grips with the fact that there is a creator God (intelligent design), and that He is doing everything He can to help you learn to love Him and to love others! No one can think that through for you. Once you understand that, you must confess your sorry state of selfishness and pride and submit your will to His.

No – He is not likely to send you off to Africa! Rather, He will open the doorway to an adventure that will surprise and thrill you. A fulfilling and exciting adventure that never ends!

This creative God, to whom you have submitted, never stops creating. Your pathway may be different than another’s. Human nature tempts us to say, “Because theirs is different than what God has shown me, theirs must be wrong.” Be careful not to put your suit on the other guy and criticize him because it wrinkles!

Once your personal relationship is established and settled, please don’t miss out on the excitement. Dig down into what you can learn and experience with Him. Learn to laugh, love teach, pray, dream, prophesy, speak in other tongues, serve, heal, …, …, … . As long as your heart is truly right with Him (and only you can know that!), you can trust His guidance.

This December, Fran and I will have been married 66 years. Or marriage has been a “threesome”, Fran, Christ, and me. As we have each grown closer to Christ, we have grown closer to one another!

I have taken Proverbs 16:3 as my life verse: “Commit your works unto the Lord, and your thoughts shall be established.” I have learned to trust that – and – it works!!!

These columns are archived since 12/10/09
See www.ACHStudyGroups.com
“Ben’s Blog”

ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
May 11, 2019

This is a letter to our friends –

The Bible & common sense
For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
[Isaiah 33:22]

Your day begins. You decide what you are to do [legislate]. You do those things [execute]. You look back over the day and evaluate the events [judge].

These three things are functions we use all the time without much thought. They are just part of the life adventure. A law of nature – common sense.

Our Constitution creates three governmental departments, “Legislative” (The House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate), “Executive” (The President of the States), “Judicial” (The Supreme Court).

Each department is designed to be independent of the others. (“separation of powers”). Each is expected to be jealous of its responsibilities and to defend its “turf’ (“checks & balances”).

All that to say this. This is important! Please pause and take the time to think it through. – –

Please draw an equilateral triangle, but do not join the corners. Label the legs: “L” for legislator / lawmaker; “E” or executive / president; “J” for judge / judicial.

Now suppose the “L” (lawmaker) and the “E” (president) are the same person. Anything the president wanted to do, he could make a law that made it legal and the “J” (judge) had no say in it!

Think it through – any two of the legs in the same hands neuter the third leg.

If you are watching the news today regarding the Congress and the President, you will recognize that President Trump is defending the Constitutional and Biblical principle of “separation of powers”.

These columns are archived since 12/10/09
See www.ACHStudyGroups.com
“Ben’s Blog”