human organizations

2013-07-30 More – Reasoning together

ACH Study Groups

Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders

7659 Gingerblossom Drive

Citrus Heights, CA 95621

916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com

www.ACHStudyGroups.com

July 30, 2013

This is a letter to our friends –

More – Reasoning together

Christ was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?”

He replied, “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and all thy mind.

He added – The second greatest commandment, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.

He said everything else hangs upon these two commandments – Love God / Love others.

[MT 22:35-40; MK 12:18-31; LK 10:25-28]

I define “love” = Wanting the very best for the loved one. [John 3:16]

All the rest of the rules for life are wrapped up in these two simple commandments. Each of us, in our own special ways, has managed to make it seem a lot more complicated!

God created three human organizations to help us understand these rules of life: family, church and state. Example: Aaron was the high priest during the exodus. Moses was the civil leader. The society was organized upon families. (family, church, state). I find no other form of human organization, created and ordained by the God of the Bible.

Everything God creates has a purpose. His primary goal is to teach each of us how to love Him and to love one another. That is not an easy task (evidently!!). It took 1620 years to make a Pilgrim! Then it took another century and a half to build the Constitution!

Each of us has a free will. Each of us have different experiences and relate to the same things differently! Did you ever try to herd cats?

All that to say this – God is big enough and loving enough to deal with each of us as an individual. He will certainly use family, church and even state to help us learn – BUT – His primary goal for you is to help you learn to love Him and others.

When I was young, I thought I was right with God because I was American and went to church every week. That hardly qualifies for, “all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and all thy mind!

God ordained family, church and state and works through them – but – reason tells me that membership in these groups, though useful, is not a substitute for an individual, personal, loving, relationship with Him.

I can joyously testify that such a living relationship is life changing!

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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 »

Christians Should Not Be Distracted By Government

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That sentiment, my fellow Christian, is the greatest impediment to world-wide evangelism!

Christ was asked, “Which is the first commandment of all?” And Jesus answered, “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord’: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

He continued, “And the second is this: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’. There is none other commandment greater than these.” [Mark 12:28-31]

I find ONLY three human organizations in the Bible, created by God, and through which He has worked: the family; the church; and the state (i.e. civil government).

All three are governmental, i.e. all three have rules for direction, regulation, control, restraint.

There is yet a forth category of government: self-government. The quality of family-government, church-government, and civil-government rests squarely upon the corporate quality of its members’ self-government.

Both natural law (discovered through observation and reason), and revealed law (found ONLY in the Holy Scriptures) originate with God. These laws contain direction, regulation, control and restraint rules for governing self, family, church, and state.

Active Christians are well founded in rules for self, family, and church government. That does not appear to be the case with God-ordained rules for civil-government.

Thus, because we have forfeited the field, through ignorance and apathy (“I don’t know and I don’t care”), ungodly forces have taken dominion of the rules of civil-government. Civil-government, in the hands of the ungodly, is the greatest impediment to world-wide evangelism!

It is nothing new. Civil-government was involved in the crucifixion of Christ. Civil-government was involved in the exodus, and even at the Tower of Babble!

What IS NEW is a God-ordained nation, the U.S.A., founded upon Christian self-government, and purposely subscribing to “the laws of Nature, and of Nature’s God” (natural law and revealed law).

These laws are far superior to the “laws” of ungodly humanists.

Let’s look at fundamentals. Everything for a happy, healthy, productive life is on the earth. A man is placed in this garden. He is designed to be at perfect liberty, within the laws of nature. Then another person is introduced. The laws of nature now restrict each from violating the other’s liberty.

A guy and a gal make a baby and we have a family and the rules that govern it. The built-in desire of each family member for a relationship with something greater (God) manifests itself as worship and we have church. Families join together for mutual benefits and we have state.

Families are the building blocks of every society. There will develop a corporate relationship with some sort of god – or with the God. That corporate relationship will ALWAYS determine the horizontal relationship (civil-government).

NOW

Please re-read the words of Christ (above) and ask your Lord if it is important for us to retake the field of civil-government for Christ.

Afterthought – The phrase, “in the world, but not of the world” comes to mind. While we are in this world, I think we should learn and apply the biblical rules for horizontal relationships.

Another, “So heavenly minded – no earthly good!” Granted: We should focus upon our vertical relationship – but – That also involves our horizontal relationships while here!

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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/