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Radicalization

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"My ardent desire is, and my aim has been … to comply strictly with all our engagements foreign and domestic; but to keep the United States free from political connections with every other Country. To see that they may be independent of all, and under the influence of none. In a word, I want an American character, that the powers of Europe may be convinced we act for ourselves and not for others; this, in my judgment, is the only way to be respected abroad and happy at home."

—George Washington, letter to Patrick Henry, 1775

Granted: It is too late to follow the wise thoughts of President Washington. (Emphasis above is mine.)

“Radicalization” has become the buzz-word of the TV talking heads since last weekend in Boston. What does it mean? Webster associates “radical” with “root” and “fundamental”. Thus – Not to be “radical” is to be “compromised”, “complex”.

Washington wrote of an “American character”. That unique character has its “roots” in “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”.

When the talking heads speak of “the radicalization of Americans”, they appear to mean the switch from “American character” to another character with different “roots” and “fundamentals”.

If one has little understanding of his own “roots and fundamentals” (i.e. principles) – It should be an easy transition to a more attractive set of principles. One of which friends, teachers and mentors approve. With little understanding of America’s “roots” what have we to compare?

It should be expected that state-run education is going to train its students in things important to the state – State perpetuation and state power.

It is to be expected that church-run education is going to train its students in things important to the church – Church perpetuation and doctrine.

It should be expected that family-run education is going to train its students in things important to the family – Character and independence.

Family, church and state each have vested interests in educating your child!

Our current public school system appears to me, to be the definition of “child abuse!” Children are being used as lab mice in various indoctrination techniques!

My experience with many church-run schools are little better than public schools, with “Jesus” and “prayer” rubber-stamped on the outside!

It is imperative we once again radicalize American youth in the roots and fundamentals of

our unique American character.

The ACH three-month online course in “Principles of American Government” begins on Monday, June 3rd and again on Monday, September 9th. Any adult or teen will profit by this course.

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Cross-examine Your Faith

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One of the Glenn Beck TV shows featured an hour long discussion about faith in God. It featured three nationally known authorities – a Rabbi; a Mormon; and an Atheist.

I found the discussion interesting. Each was an accomplished “defender” of his position, and understanding of the God of the Bible, or the “myth” of the Bible (the atheist view). It is important to have these discussions on national TV (Channel #212, if you subscribe to Dish Network).

I was disappointed. I felt that each position broke down under the others’ cross-examination. That prompts my thoughts on the subject. Will my faith in God stand up to a similar test?

Without a move of God, our nation, and the whole world, appear headed into a darkness that will make the holocaust look like a grade B movie! Your relation with, and understanding of, the God of the Bible is about to be severely tested. Will your faith withstand cross-examination?

Is God the uncreated creator?

The question has been around a long time. Roman Governor, Pontius Pilot, asked, “What is truth?” [around 33 A.D.] “They who assert that a blind fatality (i.e. evolution) produced the various effects we behold in this world talk very absurdly; for can anything be more unreasonable than to pretend that a blind fatality (i.e. random events) could be productive of intelligent beings?” [Charles Montesquieu around 1750 A.D.]

John Locke wrote, “Reason is a gift to humans from God.” [around 1690 A.D.] It was God Himself who said, “Come now, and let us reason together.” [Isaiah 1:18]

Thus – The God, which the Bible states is the uncreated creator, is reported to have encouraged, and apparently given us the ability to, reason about him. Why should anyone accept, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it!” Where is the reasoning to support that? Why should anyone hear that and believe?

The product demands a producer. The existence of intelligent design demands an intelligent first cause. We may study any product and discover attributes of the producer.

Wholesome means of fulfillment. We are provided a wholesome means of fulfilling every need. That is an indication of the concern of this uncreated creator. Consider the alternative!

Love God and love your neighbor. To “love” is to unselfishly will the very best for the loved one. I know of no better standard by which to evaluate my choices.

The problem is that pride and selfishness encourage us to resist our consciences and push aside truth. “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them (men holding under truth); for God hath shown it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

Think about it. –If one will only stop and consider the evidence – God is doing every thing He can to teach us about Himself and how to get along. In our hearts, we know that is true. We can choose to accept it and seek His will, or we can, “pretend that a blind fatality” is in charge and “hold under the truth.”

Until the existence of The Uncreated Creater is discovered – Nothing else matters. Man becomes the ultimate authority. Unless there is a “Law of Nature and of Nature’s God” to govern our will and appetite we will be lost in a sea of chaos!

On the other hand – If we submit our individual will and appetite to that “Law of Liberty” we will discover peace and security in the midst of chaos.

Among those discoveries, I submit – Will be the divinity of Jesus Christ, the “Prince of Peace.”

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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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A Challenge

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What follows is a sincere plea from my heart to yours.

Once we were a people who prided themselves upon being unique. Has it ever occurred to you that, nothing God creates is a duplicate? Further – nothing exists without a set of rules that limit and govern it.

Reason is a gift from God to humans. It is among the items in each life-adventure “tool chest.” Use it or lose it!

Let’s begin –

God is the uncreated creator.

Have you ever paused to reason why that is a true statement? Once “We the people” understood and focused on that. If we are not to live in confusion, frustration, anger, and ultimate hopelessness – We MUST first apply our individual reason to the above statement. It is not enough to accept the word of a trusted parent, religious leader, or friend.

If you are to experience your life-adventure as you were placed here to do, you MUST think this through for yourself! God has no step-children! Such reasoning has been removed nibble by nibble, until we are no longer challenged to reason for ourselves. Others are happy to do it for us!

· Wisdom may be found in the Bible (biblically).

· Wisdom may be found in history (historically).

· Wisdom may be found through observation and reason (governmentally).

Why do you trust wisdom from the Bible? It is NOT enough to say, “I trust the one who told me the Bible is God’s word.” Have you observed the evidence and applied your own reason to draw a wise conclusion? Would your conclusion hold up under cross examination?

Are you prepared to illustrate wisdom in His-story? Discussing evidence of providential history has become rare these days. If we are to see our current situation as it truly is – We must see it in the context of God’s hand in human history.

Are you prepared to demonstrate wisdom through observation and reason? There is a cause and effect to everything. I label it, “Thinking governmentally.” Others might call it, “critical thinking.”

All three of these sources of wisdom are valid and useful – if – we will study them and use them. Things of value come with a price! That is one way of judging value!

It appears to me – American society in general, is ill-informed and almost illiterate in all three of these forms of wisdom. We have been lulled into our individual “comfort zones” and we will fight to defend them! In doing so – I guarantee – You will be missing the exciting adventures available to you! You may also be failing to fulfill your part in His-story.

A Challenge

On June 3rd, We will begin our next online course in PRINCIPLES OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT (PAG). This is NOT a course on the Constitution. This is a course in building wisdom –and understanding – upon a solid first cause.

I guarantee – This course is outside your “comfort zone.” That is the “challenge.”

Read the syllabus and student comments on our web site. Phone or e-mail to chat about it.

You are encouraged to forward this “challenge” to other adults and teens.

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Passion

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“PAS’SION, n […, to suffer] …

3. Suffering, emphatically, the last suffering of the Savior.

To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs. Acts 1” [Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of The English Language]

It is my honor to be associated with a family in Alabama, the Flesher’s.

Listening to the attached clips from a Passion Play will make the ideal Easter blog post.

“Ben,

For the last three nights, we have watched the Mobile Passion Play. Tessa played with the orchestra. I wish you could have been there. The majority of the performers were students from University of Mobile, the Christian college Tessa plans to attend. The entire performance was breathtaking in terms of musicality, but it was the light of Christ shining through the students that moved every person in the audience. Playing with them inspired Tessa. They and the Lord working through them to bring the lost to Christ are reality.

Bonita

P.S. The links are to three of the songs use in the play – Mary’s song when she learns she is carrying the Savior, the song of the man healed from demons (short ad at the beginning, sorry), and the song of the thief on the cross.

[youtube http://youtube.com/w/?v=QsXOP7aQeqQ][youtube http://youtube.com/w/?v=QsXOP7aQeqQ]

[youtube http://youtube.com/w/?v=VzGAYNKDyIU]

[youtube http://youtube.com/w/?v=HMRi6XDeeRo]

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