Q. 49. Which is the second commandment? A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Ex. 20:4-6.

Q. 48. What are we specially taught by these words, before me,” in the first commandment? A. These words, before me,” in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God. Ezek. 8:5-18; Ps. 44:20-21.

"I'd rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet." - Jack London

Today in History "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! ...this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom." – Ronald Regan (Speaking at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin on June 12, 1987.)

Q. 47. What is forbidden in the first commandment? A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying, the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone. Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:21; Ps. 81:10-11; Rom. 1:25-26.

"Until you spread your wings you have no idea how far you will fly." - Napoleon Bonaparte

“Rulers have no authority from God to do mischief…As soon as the prince sets himself up above the law, he loses the king in the tyrant. He does to all intents and purpose unking himself…and in such cases has no more right to be obeyed than any inferior officer who acts beyond his commission.” – Jonathan Mayhew (1720-1766), ‘A Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers’, January 30, 1750

Q. 46. What is required in the first commandment? A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God, and to worship and glorify him accordingly. 1 Chr 28:9; Deut. 26:17; Matt. 4:10; Ps. 29:2.

Hebrews 10:19-25 (ESV) 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all

"Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare." - Dale Carnegie

Strange but not really.

"If a man is to live, he must be all alive, body, soul, mind, heart, spirit." - Thomas Merton

Q. 45. Which is the first commandment? A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Ex. 20:3

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority.” Lord Acton

"A ship in harbor is safe--but that's not what ships are for." - John A. Shedd

"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." – Benjamin Franklin

Texas Scorecard

E Pluribus Unum

Strength is found not in diversity, but in unity.

E Pluribus Unum by Michael Quinn Sullivan “E pluribus unum.” No concept has been more uniquely American than the national motto first suggested in 1776 by our founding fathers. It is rooted deeply in a Christian view of our culture that has, sadly, been shoved aside in favor of the European tribalism favored by tyrants. There is a reason 20th-century dictators ranging from Adolf Hitler to Joseph Stalin railed against “the others” in their societies. By creating division, it is easier to exercise dictatorial control. In our American culture of the 21st Century, the same dictatorial impulses have done the same thing but with a twist. With a faux fervor that belies history and reality, we’ve become fixated on hyphens and modifiers in a way that would have baffled our founding fathers. Consider men like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Rush. They could not have been more different in their views of the world and even what motivated their participation in the cause of independence. In writing to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul emphasized the need for unity in the faith. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Just as the early church was built by a wildly diverse people who came together under Christ, so too was our nation built by people whose differences were unified in political liberty and self-governance. Such notions are antithetical to the whims of the ruling elite. They need us to be divided against ourselves. This is why we are told to celebrate that which makes us different. We must make ourselves the “other,” who is opposed, hated, or feared… And we must view all the others likewise. Our culture encourages dressing this up in that most delicious of self-centered sins. The algorithms of modern life have us find what most differentiates us from our neighbors, and wave it as a point of “pride.” Not coincidentally, Holy Scripture has a lot to say about the results of pride… and none of it is good. “Pride goes before destruction,” begins the line from Proverbs 16. It is so much easier, the tyrants know, to control people who have destroyed themselves. Strength is found not in diversity. Strength is found in unity. If we are to reclaim our republic, we must rejuvenate a culture that celebrates our founding principles. From many, we can be one people when we are united in liberty. E pluribus unum.