While most people including Christians would not go out and steal from a department store or from someone else, when we look at the broader implications of the commandment, we find many areas where even Christians justify theft. In our culture much of the theft and cheating comes from a desire to have more than we need or simply trying to keep up with the Jones. Even our government today fuels the divide between the "Haves" and the "Have Nots", feeding the sin of covetousness.

A few translations including the KJV state this commandment as "Thou shall no Kill". However, most translations read murder rather than kill. The definition of murder is the unlawful killing of another human being without justification or valid excuse and especially with malice. We will see in the scriptures many times when the killing of another human being was allowed but there was justification and it was never with malice. However, in our society today, the incidents of murder are ever increasing and there seems to be little to no value in human life. This is fueled mostly by the lack of a biblical worldview concerning life and who gives it, when it begins and who can take it. When we come to Christ and believe that all mankind are image bearers of God and have worth it begins to shift how we view life.

There are 3 institutions that have been ordained by God; the family, the church, and the government and without a doubt, satan has worked overtime on the family. God's design of one man and one woman is still the standard for a healthy stable home for raising children and for a stable society. However, we have watched that break down exponentially fast over the last few decades and we now have children running the home rather than the parents. This lack of respect for parental authority has now spilled over into our schools and the streets where we expect teachers and police to clean up the mess that has been made.

There is no doubt that today in the United States there is very little regard for the idea of the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship unto God. We will see how over the years that Sunday has become just another day to stay home, work, have recreation or play sports. Although the strict observance that was required of Israel under the old covenant does not apply today as Paul states in Colossians 2:16. The principle of rest and a day set aside (Holy) to worship and remember God and all he has done is still beneficial to us today. "He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities." Benjamin Franklin

In view of the second coming of the Lord, there are four snares to guard against: Indifference, Negligence, Self-righteous, and Indolence, found in Matthew 24 and 25. Today we will look at the snare of indifference. Indifference: A lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern for something or someone. We are living in a society when indifference and heartlessness has become normative. The church is characterized by its indifference and getting too comfortable in its culture and success. "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." Albert Einstein

There is nothing that identifies a person more clearly than their name. The same can be said of God. Within the name of God is all of his attributes. We live in a world where people are quick to defend their name against attack or false hoods but do not hesitate to take the name of the most high God in vain. You can hardly watch a movie today that they do not throw in a GD where it appears just to defame the name of God. However, we will see as we look at all the implications of the commandment, there are many ways in which we do not revere the name as we should.

I think it no coincidence that the first 2 commandments given by God concern our allegiance to him. The keeping or violation of all the other commandments hinge on these two. There is always something in our lives competing for our affection. The question for all of us is that do we have God in his proper place within our hearts and lives. When we do, we can accept the concept of "I am therefore you shall". Certainly, since we have no wooden statues or images in our home that we bow down to, we have no concern with the second commandment. However, when you begin to explore the implication of worshipping the right God in the wrong manner, we begin to see that we may not be so free from the second commandment.

As we look around at our society today we see the result of neglecting God's perfect law. In this age of grace we do not hear much about the Ten commandments even in the church unless it is in a political conversation about how they should still be in the schools or in the courthouse. Although, I do not disagree with that notion, the reality is that they would have much more effect on our culture if they were in our hearts and lived as such. The prophet Jeremiah told us that in the new covenant that God would put his law in our minds and write them on our hearts. Jer. 31:33. In this study we will take a fresh look at God's perfect law and see that as the Psalmist wrote, the law of the Lord is perfect , converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple. Ps. 19:7

Even though the world scene looks as if God has been on an extended vacation, David shows us that God's plans have not failed and shall not fail. Everything is under His sovereign control and He will ultimately triumph in His ordained time. Thus, David appeals to the rebellious nations to bow before the Almighty God while they still have time. In Psalm 2, the wicked meditates (NASB = "devising," NIV = "plot"; same Hebrew word) on how to cast off the rule of God. Steven J. Cole Psalm 2 is the most frequently quoted psalm in the New Testament.

The great British preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote: "Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when, upon his knees, he comes face to face with God." One of the greatest encouragements to pray or the greatest display of our need for prayer is the fact of Jesus' private prayer. Throughout His life on earth, Jesus seized the opportunity to be alone with the Father, praying in secret. Jesus invites us to join Him in His secret place. May we not allow present-day distractions to stop us from spending time alone with God.