We Have the Society We Wanted

             During my morning commute, I like to listen to Don Imus. He is an old disc jockey, but with old western values,
recovered after a life of debauchery. For the last 20 years he has been clean and sober, and devoted to family. As the years pass he gains greater clarity and insight into our culture. A couple of years ago he observed about abortion, "You can
try and rationalize it any way you like, but it still is wrong to kill little babies". Nothing like an old cowboy speaking the truth.
   After the recent Sandy Hook shootings, he observed, "I guess we have the society we wanted". Absolutely spot on.
Are you old enough to remember the 60's? I am. I grew up just outside of Washington D.C. I remember watching the smoke rising up from the city during race riots, and "students" spitting on Vietnam Vets, I remember "protestors' mostly college
students protesting against the "system" while they lived off their parents money, earned from hard work in the 50's and 60's.  Much like the "occupiers' living off student loans and hating on people who actually work for a living.
  I remember Woodstock, a bunch of stoned, spoiled brats, living off their parents money, copulating in the mud and doing drugs, all the while cursing the culture that provided them with the time to "protest" instead of getting a  job.
 I remember the talk about "free love" and dismissing marriage as just a "piece of paper". Well, the spoiled brats of the 60's are running the country. And they have what they wanted. 
   People that work hard and provide for themselves are hated. Their money is taken away from them and given to people who won't work and it is called an "entitlement".  Almost half the country lives on handouts just as the 60's protestors did.
   In the last election, Obama taunted Mitt Romney, by saying, he wants to take us back to the 50's. Remember the 50's?.
80% of households had a mommy and daddy. The factories were humming, every small town in America had plenty of jobs and businesses. It was wrong to murder babies.  One had to work to eat.
  Now it's all about free love and free food. It is all about hating people who work hard. Gender roles have been done away with, and young men are left emasculated and confused. "No censorship" results in violent video games.
   The pinko hippie commie crowd controls our culture now. The fruit is DEATH. Dead marriages, dead babies, lazy government teat sucking welfare pigs. gender confused young people. The enemy? People who work hard and make a lot of money and provide no burden on society.
  The 60 radicals got what they wanted. 

              I would give anything to go back to the 50's except segregation. But at least Black families had mommies and daddies at home. Now we have BLM demanding segregation and promoting racial hatred and violence.

 Alas, we have chosen the way of the hippies, who hate hard work
and moral values.

You have your society. Enjoy. And may God have mercy upon us. You have a president who never had a real job, who has never met an abortion he didn't like, who champions homosexuality, who makes millions of dollars by hating on "the rich', 
Okay Woodstock kids. You have destroyed everything the Greatest Generation worked for,  you have created a culture of death. Be careful what you wish for. You've got it. May God have mercy on us.

Jack
   

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

  Sometimes life doesn't make sense. Sometime life knocks you down and runs over you and steps
on you., or those you love, or the innocent.  Yet we believe God is good and merciful. Jesus certainly
demonstrated God's attitude towards his children through his tender mercy and sacrifice.

 Yet sometimes we are overwhelmed. Never was this more apparent to me then in 2011. First my daddy
died leaving a giant hole in all of our lives. But people die and we must go on. But then our four year
old great nephew, Dusty, was brutally murdered and his body dumped in a sewage lagoon. How does one make
sense out of something like that? People talk a lot about 'closure'. But when things like this happen there
is never 'closure'. Closure will only fully happen in heaven.

  There are a few things that we must try to bear in mind. Of course, we all must bear pain in this life. But
God has promised in 1 Corinthians10.13 that he will give us the grace to bear it until that day when he
wipes every tear from our eyes, and there is no more pain and no more death.

  To understand the situation we face as we journey through this valley of tears, we must go back to
the beginning. God made a beautiful, perfect world, and walked with Man in the cool of the evening.
But we decided we wanted to do things our own way. So God gave us the thing we wanted: freedom.
God's way wasn't good enough. We wanted to be like God, and decide what was good and what was
evil. It was man's choices that brought sin and death and corruption into this world. It was not God's
choice, but ours. And as we see going back to Cain and Abel, our choices, good and bad,
 have an effect on others.

  God did not kill Dusty. A bad, evil person did. One day God will make everything right. Our anger
is misguided if we blame God for all the problems we have created through our sin. If everyone observed
the 10 Commandments, think of what a beautiful world we would have! We each must decide if we will
sow love into this world or if we will sow selfishness which is really the root of our problems.

Take the economy for instance. there are those who are highly skilled and educated and they cannot
find work in their field. They have worked so hard. It isn't fair. But is it God's fault?  God did not wreck
the economy, the selfishness of people wrecked the economy. A philosopher once said, "America will
destroy itself, if the people ever realize they can vote themselves money" The government takes money
away from people who work and gives it to a bunch of lazy bums who will not. It has run up huge deficits
wrecking the economy. God had nothing to do with it. Our anger and frustration should be aimed at the
government, and the judges and lawyers who run the 'disability' scam, where millions of able bodied
people sit on their butts while you have your money stolen in high taxes. The slob sitting on their porch
while you work, the blood sucking welfare crowd and the government that perpetuates it did this to the
economy, not God. Our government gives billions of dollars for corporate bail outs to the rich while
the hard working American struggles to stay afloat. It is wrong. The government taxing American
manufacturers to the point where they can't make a profit in the U.S. , Wal-Mart saving one penny will
outsource, trillions spent on undeclared unconstitutional wars. God didn't have anything to do
with any of this. People did!


 People are starving in many parts of the world. Is it God's fault? Take North Korea, for instance. Much
of the population is eating grass while the food is used to feed a million man army. God didn't do this.
Man did this. The innocent suffer, might is considered right. Our anger should be directed at death, Satan,
and sin, not a loving God. He gave us what we wanted: freedom.

 Some people say, "If God is so good, why is there so much bad in the world". I say, "The fact that there is
still good in this world, when mankind is so evil shows that God still is working in our world, in spite of us"
There are a LOT of good people. There are a lot of good things that happen every day. We must focus
on the good. Our response to evil must be good. Our response to tragedy must be love, not despair.

  When Dusty was murdered we all hurt so bad. We were angry, devastated. In fact a wound was opened
 that will never be healed completely in this life. But I also saw the response. Our family came together like
never before. We held each other , we told each other how much we meant to one another. We became
stronger than ever.

 When my good friend Kevin Harrison lost his beautiful daughter  Beth in the prime of her life, it was
as if the world had ended. So much hurt and pain, and yes anger. Even anger at God. God understands.
But something else happened. Hundreds and hundreds of people showered the Harrisons with love
and support. SO much good came to the fore. Closure? No. Heaven will bring closure at the great family
reunion we will have one day.

 There is still so much good in the world! Our family our friends. the beautiful rivers and the mountains.
Our spouses and children, and grand children, and great grandchildren. Yes human beings can be bad,
Just read the paper. but although we can be devils, we can also rise to be like angels. Angels of kindness
and love. Sure there is a lot of bad in this world. But this morning I woke up and the birds were singing.
My beautiful wife was lying peacefully asleep next to me. My little dog was wagging her tail with joy that
my eyes were open.

 Better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Corny but true. Today celebrate love! When my children
were little we used to listen to James Taylor a lot. A few years ago my daughter Monica called from
Mississippi to tell me she had tickets to a James Taylor concert. I couldn't leave Missouri at the time.
But the evening of the concert, she called me  and said,  "Listen Daddy". She held up her phone
and let me listen while James sang, "shower the people you love with love, tell them the way that you feel"
When the song was over she said, "I love you daddy, wish you were here". That is what life is all about.

 Today, have fun, enjoy life! enjoy nature, and your children. Say something nice to someone. Life
is still good. And God will straighten out the bad stuff one day.

Jack

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet-Thoughts about Police, Baseball, and Words

        How fast does a bullet travel? Depending on the caliber and ammunition, between 600 and
5000 feet per second. Useless information? I think not. Saturday night, I had a dream about my
nephew Chad, a Mountain Grove police officer. When I awoke I felt impressed to pray for his safety.
This led to a series of thoughts about police, baseball, and words.

   In baseball, a player has 1/4 of a second to decide if he will swing at a pitch. He then has 1/4 of a
second to decide rather or not to check (stop) his swing. This requires amazing skill and hand eye
coordination. Think about a police officer, faced with a criminal, who is threatening someone's life,
either a civilian or him/herself. If the perp has a firearm, the officer must make an instant decision.
If he fires a shot, it will travel at the minimum 600 feet in one second. The officer does no't always have
time to discern if a weapon is unloaded, or a bb gun. He must instantly act, to protect human life.

  The same with a soldier. He must act instantly or either he will die or the innocent will die. Unlike the
baseball player, he cannot recall his bullet if he must fire his weapon. I admire baseball players, for the skill
and coordination they display. But how much greater is the courage and skill of those called to serve and
protect us? Sometimes things go awry, and a mistake is made. The media and others rush to judge an officer
without giving thought to the urgency of the situation. This is why our officers need our prayers and support.

  My thoughts then turned to words. The Bible says that words can wound and hurt others. Like an officer's
bullet, once a word leaves our mouth, it cannot be recalled like the checked swing  of a baseball player.
That is why we should give thought before we speak. And we have more than 1/4 of a second to respond.
And as Chad pointed out to me when we discussed this, an apology after a hurtful word is never as good
as never saying the word in the first place.

 There is a good rule. One that I certainly haven't always followed. If you have any doubt , that you should
say something, don't say it. Remember, words can hurt, and cannot be recalled.

Peace,
Jack

 

The Baby in the King Cake

                                                                            


   Sometimes we hear talk about 'revival' in Christian circles. To 'revive' means: 'to make someone conscious, healthy, and strong again'. It means to bring back to life that which is languishing or even on the point of death. Certainly our nation, now having succumbed to neo-pagan socialism, is in need of revival, that is a reawakening to our spiritual roots. The key to revival on both an individual basis and on a corporate basis is the same. To understand how we are to experience revival, it is necessary to look at how revival has occurred in the past. The key is the same today for us to return to our first love for Jesus, and to the excitement and joy in God's love that we had when we first believed. To understand the path, we will need to take a look at 3 men and how they were personally revived and spread the fire of God's love to a needy world.

   St Paul: Paul experienced the fire of God's love and was dramatically transformed. He also was without a doubt the greatest herald and preacher of the Gospel who ever lived. The message of salvation transformed the world and spread throughout the Roman Empire. Dramatic encounters with the Risen Lord took place and men and women experienced the balm of the Gospel, the forgiveness of sins, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. But it wasn't long before sectarianism, pride, and even immorality started creeping in and the love of many started growing cold. In Revelation Jesus laments that his people had left their first love and were dying spiritually.
   Paul dealt with this in the Corinthian church as well as others. And he spelled out the remedy plain and simple. Return to the simplicity of the Gospel. The Corinthians were full of knowledge and erudition, they had begun to complicate the Gospel and in the process two things occurred: pride and sensuality. They had made the Gospel complicated and lost their way. Paul spells out for them the truth: 'Jews seek signs and Greeks miracles, but we preach Christ Crucified' 'God chose
what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world..the source of your life is in Jesus Christ'. 1 Cor.1.22,27-30. He then spelled out his teaching in 1 Cor 15.1-11 'I remind you of the Gospel I preached and you received, in which you stand and by which you are saved, hold it fast..Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried and was raised on the third day...
THIS is what we preached and what you believed'.
  For Paul, the Gospel is simple. We are all sinners in need of Jesus. We come to Him AS sinners, and so we are healed and redeemed. We dare not bring anything before Him but our sins in all humility.  We lay them at the cross and look to Him and his forgiveness and love wash over us and we are accepted into the bosom of the Father's heart, and the Holy Spirit
makes His abode within us. This is the Good News.
  Paul did not go around preaching end time seminars, or preach about "writing your own ticket with God", or try to adapt the message to the spirit of the times. For him,  Jesus saves sinners, and the moment this message becomes obscured or made complicated, pride comes, then confusion and sensuality, and then Ichabod, the glory departs. For Paul, revival doesn't come through a new message or teaching. Paul's message to the Corinthians is, revival comes not through building up, adding new teachings or wisdom, revival comes only through TEARING down all accretions or complications to the pure Gospel. Revival comes by going back, not going forward.

  St Francis of Assisi:  A Catholic bishop once told me that the Church is like a wedding cake. Layer after layer of teaching and tradition rises to a beautiful edifice. St Francis too had this understanding until he had a real encounter with Jesus. Jesus said to Francis, "Rebuild my Church". Francis, being a simple man, immediately set about collecting stones and mortar and started working to rebuild the local church.  He didn't get it. Jesus then called him to a life of poverty, simplicity, and simple faith, shunning the things of this world, he became the "Herald of the Great King". He reminded Church leaders and all the people that the Gospel was the Jesus who embraced poverty, suffering, sacrifice, and loved simple people. The Gospel is a message of humility. Francis got down to business and began to preach, "repent, and believe the Good news" Francis discovered that the Church is only rebuilt by tearing down. It seems a paradox.
But to tear down everything that obscures the simple fact that we are sinners and Jesus saves us by the foolishness of the Cross, is the only way revival comes. On a personal level, we must rip up all the accretions, spiritual pride, and return to the foot of the Cross. Here the heavens are opened and the Holy Spirit comes to us. What joy Francis received the more simple his life with Jesus became!
  St Francis originated the nativity Scene. Instead of all the pomp and glory of the Church, he pointed people to
a baby in a manger, in the midst of barnyard animals. Behold your King! He comes to you meek and lowly. Learn of Him and you shall find rest for your souls.

  Martin Luther:

         Luther was a faithful son of the Church. In many ways the Middle Ages were glorious. The arts served the Church. beautiful Cathedrals filled the world, religion was an everyday part of life. But the Church had become too "busy'. Everywhere there were favorite saints, and devotions, religious orders, pilgrimages, and penances all pointing the way to salvation. The simple message of the Cross was becoming obscured by distractions, however noble or pious their intent.
  The message was no longer the one of Paul and Francis. Luther struggled with his conscience. He tried every sort of spiritual exercise, and devotion, read books, became a monk. His life was full of seeking. Then one day a light went off.
Jesus died on the cross for his sins. All this busyness and work of man was not soothing his conscience. Finally he came to the foot of the Cross and became not a seeker and a pilgrim, but a poor sinner. He need not trust his own efforts, running to and fro. He need only say, "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner". The heavens opened and all he saw was Jesus. For him, revival came through tearing down not building up. It came from pulling aside the veil of everything in this world and beholding the man upon the Cross. The simple, poor, lowly, Son of Mary. Here was His Savior!

The Lesson of the King Cake:

   The tradition of the King Cake originated in Europe. It was made to celebrate the Church feast of The Epiphany on
Jan 6th. This commemorates when the Magi visited the Christ Child in Bethlehem. A cake (more like a giant pastry) was prepared. Inside the cake a tiny figurine of a baby was placed to represent the Baby Jesus. The Magi are also referred to as the 3 Kings, hence the name 'King Cake'
  In the deep South where I am from the King Cake is made during Mardi Gras. It is brightly colored, often purple and gold to represent royalty. The person who finds the figurine of the Baby Jesus is said to receive special blessings. The finder of the Baby is also expected to prepare the cake the following year.
  For me, the Baby represents the essence of our Faith, the Incarnation. God comes to us in all humility as a little baby. He didn't come in splendor or majesty, but as a lowly child.  Here we find the Gospel in all it's simplicity. the fact that the finder of the Baby makes the cake the following year represents that whoever finds Jesus will desire to share the gift with others.
  When I stress the importance of a simple faith, I am not saying theological studies or systematic theology are not important. In speaking of the cake of tradition, I am not saying that rituals and devotions cannot be useful. And the arts,
architecture, indeed everything should glorify the Lord. The beauty of the Latin Mass and the Orthodox Liturgy certainly can inspire heavenly thoughts. Nor am I saying that meetings, seminars, or books cannot be beneficial.
  What I am saying is that when we no longer have God's peace, when our relationships are strained, when our hearts are no longer tender and full of love, when sin has found it's way into our lives, then it is time to dispense with EVERYTHING: the whole cake.
  To have revival one must come as a sinner to the foot of the Cross, to behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We must come before Him, not as a saint but as a poor sinner, believing He died for your sins and loves you with every beat of His Sacred Heart. This is how we become changed. This is how we have revival. It comes from finding Jesus Christ in his simplicity, which is His glory and our salvation.

Jack

Heaven is Watching

 We all have lost dear ones.Yet,we have a sure hope, that as they trusted Christ, and we hold the faith, one day we will meet again. May the circle be unbroken. Having lost so many dear ones the last few years, I have come face to face with immortality and mortality. What happens to the believer when they die? The Apostle Paul said, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (1 Cor.5.1-9) He talked about the fact that our body is just the house we live in and that our spirit is eternal. Psalm 90.10 says our years are full of trouble, then we die and "fly away". When King David's baby dies he says, "He shall not return to me , but I will go to him" (2 Sam.12.23) Hebrews 11 talks about those who have died in the faith. Then chapter 12 says " since we are surrounded by these witnesses let us run the race set before us" The writer of Hebrews says clearly that those who have gone before are watching us and cheering us on.  

 People always tend to extremes. During the Middle Ages, the cult of the saints, became so predominant, that often Jesus was seen as distant and unapproachable. So people called upon the Saints to put in a good word for them. Jesus, is always near to us, and completely approachable because of the Cross. Yet, truly, when one dies, one does not cease to care for those left behind. In fact, they watch over us as Hebrews 12 indicates. Because people went to excess, calling upon the saints, the "reformers" threw the baby out with the bathwater. They constructed an "iron curtain" between heaven and earth. Any contact with those in heaven was seen as 'supersticious'. In so doing they negated the fact that the Body of Christ is one, on earth and in heaven. That our faith transcends time and space and the mystical Body of Christ is not divided. 

 We find an amazing passage in Luke 9.28-36. It begins, "Jesus went up the mountain to pray" His disciples found him in prayer talking to people who had died! Moses and Elijah. Jesus talking with the saints in his prayer time! Yet,now, so often in the Bible Belt, when you tell someone you feel the presence of a departed loved one, or that they visit you in your dreams, it is discouraged as nonsense. Often you are considered a nut. Yet Jesus was talking to the departed in his prayer time. There are of course dangers involved in attempting to contact the dead. The Bible forbids the use of mediums , with the death penalty attached. Demons pose as 'familiar spirits' and try to induce unhealthy obsession with the dead. But because Satan has a counterfeit, that does not mean that we are not in union and fellowship with those that have gone before. God really opened my eyes about this, when my sister-in-law Sandy described a visit from Dusty, her 4 year old grandson and our nephew who was murdered. She had a beautiful experience of Dusty's presence. 

 I have often thought of the Transfiguration, how wonderful it was, that Jesus was fellowshipping with those in heaven. Peter wanted to build tents and stay there. But Jesus wanted them to move on. Indeed, one may have a visit from a loved one in heaven. But we are not to build a tent and stay there, but move on with our lives and cherish the moment. A good rule is that we do not seek after these moments when our loved ones come to us in a vision or a dream. But we appreciate the moments God draws the curtain aside. I thank God for the times my grandmother visits me in my dreams. And sometimes I see my daddy smiling at me from heaven. We are all one in Christ. Heaven is real. The body of Christ is one.When your family and friends in heaven come to you in a dream, smile and know they are waiting for you, and have not stopped loving you

 And, you be good, so that the circle may be unbroken. Jack

Reality Check

Some of us complain about our jobs. It is human nature. But next time, before you do, think about, a soldier and a policeman's job. I read this poem this morning and wanted to pass it along: 

A COPS LIFE

  A man once asked me, besides the tickets and the donuts, What it like being a cop? As I forgave him for his ignorance, years and years of memories Spun round and round in my head And the only answer I could give him came out in a collage of single words That any cop would understand. Academy. Badge. Rookie. Patrol. Honor. Valor. Bravery. Drunks. Bar fights. Car chases. Foot chases. Felons. Perverts. Cop haters. Cop killers.  Meth labs. Battered wives. Abused children. Murders. Suicides. Accidents. Fatalities. Mental patients. Dirty needles. Dirty trailers. Deep nights. Weekends. Overtime. Marriage. Kids. Divorce. Marriage. Promotions. Demotions. Politics. Good cops. Bad cops. Funerals. Gray hair. Wrinkles. Years. Blood. Sweat. Tears. Live it. Love it. Hate it. -A cops life.

 By Andrew G. Hawkes Sergeant Andrew G. Hawkes is a 17 year veteran of law enforcement. He is currently a sergeant with the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office (Texas).

A Fresh Look at the 10 Commandments

God gave the commands to Israel through Moses, but Scripture also teaches that the moral code is written on all peoples heart. This is our conscience and what makes us in the image of God. (Romans 2.14,15) Unfortunately, God's moral mandate is often only viewed as only prohibitions, rather than for they what they really are: a positive guide for living. Each 'command' carries a positive connotation as well as what not to do. Let's take a look at each one in that light.

1. 'You shall have no other gods besides me' We know through God's Word that there is only one true God. Any 'god' besides the Triune God of Scripture is a false 'god'. But first we must ask, "what is a god?" "A god is that to which we look for all good and in which we find refuge in every time of need." (Luther). A god is what you look to for comfort, solace, and refuge. It is what your heart clings to, it is what you treasure most.
What is commanded in the above command is that we must make sure that what we hold dearest and what we turn to in time of need is not a false god. Today false gods are money, drugs and alcohol, sex, pride, selfishness, or even another human being. Your god is what you turn to in time of trial, it is what dominates your life, it is where you turn in time of anxiety and stress.
The positive aspect of the command is that we are to love and trust God in all things. We are to lay hold of him and embrace Him with our heart. We are to pour out our hearts to Him in time of trouble and give thanks to Him in time of joy. We must remember that he does not only forbid us from in trusting what is false, but he desires and invites us to have a personal relationship with Him.

2. 'You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God' What, then is God's Name? His name is how he has revealed Himself. His Name reveals His attributes and His character. God has 2 primary names in Scripture. 'I Am" and 'Jesus'. The name 'I Am' is from 'Yahweh', which derives from the Hebrew word 'hayeh' which means 'to be'. God is there, and He is real and eternal. The name 'Jesus' means 'I Am and I save'. The Name of God reveals to us that He is there for us and desires to "save us" to be always present for us.
We are not to misuse His name. How would we misuse His Name? By taking it lightly or for granted. By when we curse, lie, swear, joke, or deceive using His Name. It is misused by false teachers, like televangelists and cults in our day who rake in cash, using the Name of God.
How do we positively use His Name? When we treasure His Name and cherish it in our hearts. His Name means He is there and He loves us. We use His name properly when we call upon it in every trouble in every need, and for every joy, and in all praise and thanksgiving. We bear His name as 'Christians'. We honor His name when we live in such a way that brings honor to His Name.

3. 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy' The Sabbath day was the day that was set aside for public worship and rest. We profane the Sabbath day when we refuse to attend community worship and listen to the preaching of God's Word. We profane it when we refuse the fellowship of believers (Hebrews 10.25)and we refuse to enter God's rest.
We fulfill the Sabbath when we gladly honor the preaching of God's Word and participate in public worship. We honor the Sabbath when we enter the rest of Jesus. The Old Testament Sabbath was a physical day of rest. It was a type and shadow of the true Sabbath rest that is fulfilled in Jesus, a spiritual rest found in hearts that receive His mercy and salvation. (Hebrews 4.9, 10; Colossians 2.16,17;
Matthew 11.28. We "keep the Sabbath rest" when we cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5.7) and do not give way to worry and fear.

4. 'Honor your Father and your Mother' This means that we honor our parents and all those placed in authority by God over us, including civil government, our pastors, our employers, and teachers.
How do we dishonor our Father and Mother? When we despise, ignore, rebel or display contempt or anger, undermine their authority, or slander them.
How do we honor them? By loving, esteeming, obeying, and respecting them, because they have been placed there by God (Romans 13).

5. 'You Shall Not Murder" God forbids taking human life, through murder, abortion, euthanasia, neglect, unlawful military orders, and suicide. God does not forbid all killing, such as in defense of the helpless, or one's family, by the military in a just war, or by the execution of criminals.
We break this command not only by directly committing such crimes, but when we fail to assist those in danger of death. If one fails to feed a starving person, or defend a helpless person, or warn someone who is about to be attacked or hurt themselves, we commit murder in an indirect manner.
When we feed the hungry, defend the helpless, promote health, and safety, and when we speak out against the unjust crimes of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and help our neighbor in any way to live , we honor the command.

6. 'You Shall Not Commit Adultery' Adultery is a violation of the covenant of marriage.
How do we break the command? But not remaining sexually pure in our marriage, devoted only to our spouse, or by undermining the institution by anything we say or do.
By having any kind of relationship that infringes upon the sacred trust and friendship of any marriage. By promoting any practice in society that undermines sexual purity, such as homosexual 'marriage', pornography, jesting or denigrating marriage in any fashion.
How do we positively obey the command? When we recognize and promote the fact that any sexual activity outside of a permanent marriage between a man and a woman is mortal sin. When we treat our spouse with respect, kindness and gentleness. When we do and say things to promote their self-esteem. When we refuse to say unkind or hurtful things, especially in the presence of others. When we maintain an honest, open relationship and never allow someone of the opposite sex to intrude into our friendship and devotion to one another. When we help other married couples through counsel and friendship. When we encourage couples living in fornication to embrace the sacred covenant of marriage.

7. 'You Shall Not Steal'
God forbids, every kind of deception for personal gain, dishonest or deceitful business practices, every kind of robbery or theft, failing to repay debts, claiming government welfare when one is able to work, taking money from some and giving to others (socialism and communism), unjust taxation.
We obey the command positively by never defrauding our neighbor but assist them in defending their goods and finances. By objecting to the theft of others and denouncing it. In always practicing the utmost integrity in business, even if to our detriment , knowing a just God will reward us. By supporting law enforcement and those devoted to protecting the resources and property of others.

8. 'You Shall Not Speak Falsely of Your Neighbor'
God forbids telling lies about our neighbor, passing on rumors or innuendo,
and also withholding telling the truth about a defamed neighbor. He also forbids revealing secrets our neighbor has entrusted to us in confidence in order to defame him or promote our own self interest. (Proverbs 11.13)
We obey the command when we refuse to listen to gossip, when we always choose to believe the best about our neighbor. When we say good things about our neighbor, and honor them in the presence of others. When we thank our neighbor and appreciate the good they say and do. When we present something positive about our neighbor whenever they are presented negatively. When we confront someone who lies about our neighbor.

9. 'You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbor's House' This means his estate and all his personal wealth.
How do we obey this? By being content with what we have. By rejoicing for what our neighbor has and helping our neighbor preserve and protect what they have.

10. 'You Shall not Covet Your Neighbor's Wife, or Anything That Belongs to Your Neighbor.

This means we are not to be jealous or envious of what another has. That we not only refuse to undermine or steal from the blessings of another persons life, but we help them safeguard it. It means above all that our neighbor should be able to trust us.