● March 2025 "The Mountain Top Messenger" Newsletter
(please click on above link to open current newsletter)
Well here we are March already, it has been a crazy first few days of the month as you can tell because
I was late getting this to Lynn and I slowed down the whole newsletter process, sorry about
that. And then with Lent starting, the snow storm on Ash Wednesday and the cancelling of the first
soup and sandwich it just keeps adding up.
So as promised in my last two newsletter covers I am going to dive into the first Commandment today.
It is a familiar one, it is a big one, perhaps the Big one. Numero Uno.
"You are to have no other gods."
Or in other words we are to recognize, regard, believe in, worship, only the God. Our God, Yahweh,
God Almighty, is and should be the only God we regard. In his large catechism Dr. Luther askes the
following question; "What does 'to have a god' mean, or what is God?"
Answer: "A 'god' is the term for that to which we are to look for all good and in which we are to find
refuge in all need."
We can then say to have a god is nothing other than to trust and believe in that one with your whole
Heart. Dr. Luther says, "it is the trust and faith of the heart alone that make both God and idol. If your
faith and trust are right, then your God is the true one. Conversely, where your trust is false and
wrong, there you do not have the true God." He continues; "For these two belong together, faith and
God. Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God."
That last statement is the one we are going to spend a little time on, for I believe it is a statement to
which we can all relate to one degree or another. As we examine that statement let us think about
what people of today let their hearts rely and depend on. I believe the list could almost be unending
but for the sake of discussion let's stick to the big ones that pop into our minds. First and foremost,
on the list would be what? Money? It's an easy choice, the world tries to tell us that if we have
enough money everything will be fine, we will be happy. And as long as we have enough money life
will be great, we will be popular, we can have everything that we could want, we will be content. Just
a side question for you, have you ever met anyone who told you they had enough money? That they
didn't need any more, that wanted you to perhaps take care of their extra money? One of the other
things that comes with or after money is stuff, personal possessions, property, things. He with the
most toys wins! And not only do we need stuff, but we need more, bigger, better, faster, you name it we need it,
or at least the world tells us we do. If that wasn't the case we would still be using IPhone 1's. Now we
might think that this is something that plagues people of our age, this age of plenty, of instant gratification,
the age of lighting communications and short attention spans. But alas, this is an issue with sinful man,
sinful from the fall of Adam and not just something that has come about in the twentieth and twenty
first century. The following was written by Dr. Luther in 1529:
"There are some who think that they have God and everything they need when they have money
and property; they trust in them and boast in them so stubbornly and securely that they care for no
one else. They too, have a god -mammon by name, that is money and property – on which they set
their whole heart. This is the most common idol on earth. Those who have money and property feel
secure, happy, and fearless, as if they were sitting in the midst of paradise. On the other hand,
those who have nothing doubt and despair as if they knew of no god at all. We will find very few who
are cheerful, who do not fret and complain, if they do not have mammon. This desire for wealth
clings and sticks to our nature all the way to the grave."
It is easy to fall into the trap of this false God, Satan is always at work finding ways to lure us away
from the one true God and to follow all those false gods out there. Following the one true God can
only be accomplished through faith. That faith includes trusting that God will provide for all our
needs of body and soul. We must remember there is nothing wrong with having money or property
or possessions, where we go wrong is when those things become our desire. When instead of
thanking God for all that he has blessed us with we simply want more and walk away from God to
seek those other gods. We must trust the Lord, He will provide. Dr. Luther closes off this first commandment
lesion this way: "if the heart is right with God and we keep this commandment, all the
rest will follow on their own.: Keep a right heart with God, allow Him to work within you."
Until next month, when we look at the second commandment.
The Lord Bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto
you, the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Pastor Rick
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