Freedom

2013-06-27 Come – Let us reason together

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

June 27, 2013

This is a letter to our friends –

Come – Let us reason together, saith the Lord …[Isaiah 1:8]

Earlier this month this column asked, “Is there a flag in your sanctuary?” Several answered, “Yes, there is.” Only one responded, “The [American] flag was removed.” I have observed many American sanctuaries that fail to honor our nation’s flag.

Our flag represents one nation under God. It represents an idea –

· God created and intends for men to live free. That liberty is “unalienable” (i.e. it cannot be legally or justly transferred to another).

· God created only three human organizations: family, church, civil-government. Christ summed up all of God’s law with, “Love God (vertical) and Love your neighbor (horizontal). [Mt 22:36-40 & Mk 12:29-31]

· Such men (We the people) chose to design a civil government under God for the purpose of protecting and preserving that God-granted liberty. The first in himan history!

That idea displayed in a sanctuary represents the civil-government under God that protects our liberty from tyrants. Do American pulpits and pews need desperately to understand that idea? Indeed they do! Freedom is NOT free!

By abandoning the third leg of human relationships (civil-government) the pulpit is tacitly telling the pew it not important. Thus – Offering the enemy a base from which to dominate all three!

By tacitly accepting that situation, the pew is accepting the approaching tyranny.

Remember – God said, “There is the promised land. I give it to you. – Now go fight for it!” A responsibility is attached to being “endowed by our Creator.

Many have never read through the Declaration of Independence. It is among the outstanding documents ever penned by man. I have attached a copy for someone to stand and read aloud during your 4th of July celebration next week.

2013-06-27 Come – Let us reason together Read More »

Liberty

–By Ben Gilmore

My goal – To offer a deeper understanding of “liberty”.

To begin- God exists.  It is absurd to believe intelligence can be created by random chance.  Creation around us demands intelligent design.

Everything seen and unseen has laws (rules of action) that direct, regulate, control, restrain – that is – govern.  Step outside those natural laws – chaos!  Stay within them – peace!

Everything necessary for a human to live a peaceful, healthy life was here before people were placed upon earth.  Inanimate creation is governed by cause and effect.  Plant life is governed by photosynthesis.  Animals are governed by instinct.  Only man is governed by reason and conscienceBoth are God’s gift to humans.

Now, let us focus upon you.  Visualize yourself the only human on earth in the midst of the Garden of Eden.  A state of perfect natural freedom.  Go where you wish. Eat and sleep when you wish.  Use what is here to create as you wish.  You are limited ONLY by the “laws of nature” (gravity, fatigue, etc.).

Cherish that concept – The root of  your “unalienable Right … Liberty.

Now – Let us add another human.  This introduces another limit upon your natural liberty.  Reason and observation, the “law of Nature,” dictate that you should not violate the other person’s liberty if you want him/her not to violate yours. Violation equals chaos.

Perhaps you and the other person make a baby.  Now we have a family.  New obligations are introduced to your “liberty”.  The family unit is in a perfect state of nature, respecting other family units that have been introduced.  Reason and observation discover laws of nature to govern the family unit.

Several families join together to share tasks – hunting, gathering, shelter, etc.  A social unit is formed.  Joining such a unit must be voluntary, else liberty is violated.  Before joining, one must:  (1) Know the rules of the society and – .Once joined, have an equal voice in making and amending those rules;  (2) There must be a set means of judging violation of those rules; (3) The society must have authority to enforce penalties for violation of its rules.  All of this governance is for the purpose of preserving the natural liberty of the individual members.

Because human reason and observation so often misinterpreted the data (once they thought the earth was flat), God in His benevolence gave us the Bible (inspired word of God), which is much more difficult to misinterpret.  Thus we have, “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”.  “Natural law” and “Revealed law,” both from the same source.

The American colonists understood these concepts when they chose to create a society to protect their natural state of God-endowed liberty.

Selfishness is prone to violate other’s liberty.  Americans have permitted those violations to continue too long!  We must repair, rebuild, restore our society if we are once more to enjoy peace and liberty.  That can only be done in cooperation with the God of both Nature and the Bible.  He cannot do it alone.  We cannot do it alone.  It must be a cooperative effort.

How we choose to use our unalienableright to liberty” in governing ourselves will determine the quality of corporate self-government in our family and that of our local, county, state and national society.

America once more, has the blessed Liberty to turn from her steady drift away from “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” and once more to become a beacon of hope and righteousness for a dark and hurting world.  Let’s not waste the opportunity!

Ben Gilmore
[Contact Ben]

Liberty 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/