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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!

2013-07-30 More – Reasoning together Read More »

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 »

Redistribution

–By Ben Gilmore

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.”  [Exodus 20:17]

This requires a definition of “covet”, 

  • Strong’s number: 1937, Greek: epithumeo … from 1909 and 2372; to set the heart upon, i.e. long for (rightfully or otherwise): — …

NOTE – Some readers may be unfamiliar with “Strong’s”, a list of Hebrew and Greek Bible words.

Dictionary definition

CŎV´ET, v. t. [Fr. convoiter, to covet; …]

  • To desire or wish for, with eagerness; to desire earnestly to obtain or possess; in a good sense.  “Covet earnestly the best gifts.” 1 Cor.12.
  • To desire inordinately; to desire that which it is unlawful to obtain or possess; in a bad sense.  “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, wife or servant.” Ex. 20.

[Webster’s 1828 Dictionary]

Without the principle of private property, the 10th Commandment (above) has no meaning!  “Don’t covet your neighbor’s community property?”  You and your neighbor already own your community property.

Even without the Bible this principle – “private property” makes sense.

Each of us need food, water, air, and tools with which to gather what we need to support our life and the lives of our family.  Nature provides what we need, if we are willing to work for it.  That is – pick it up, plant and harvest it, carve it, assemble it, market it.

The apple on the ground in the forest may belong to everyone, but it will not nourish me until I remove it from the place nature (gravity) left it, and pick it up.  That makes it my private property.

The water in the stream will quench the thirst of everyone, but the bucket of stream water I placed upon my kitchen counter is mixed with my labor.  Reason says that no one may drink from that water without my permission.

Thus – Reason, one of God’s gifts to humans, tells us we must not violate another’s property, if we want our property to be respected.

The term, “redistribution of wealth”, is now being code-worded, “direct payments”.  It is a tool of socialism, based upon the false premise that there is only a fixed amount of wealth.  If that were true, the haves would be forced to give to the have-nots to support their lives.

Wealth is not a fixed amount.  Wealth is created by work.  Someone picks up an apple or carries a bucket of water.

The answer is NOT letting civil-government redistribute the wealth of others.  The answer to our nation’s problems is to create individual and thus, national wealth.

 Simply put – Americans need to go back to work!

Ben Gilmore
[Contact Ben]

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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/