The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #4641

My highlighted verses:James 4:1  ¶From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

James 4:1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
James is not talking about world wars here.
He simply asks a rhetorical question about the root causes of conflicts and fightings and quarrels among the children of God, those dispersed tribes of Israel to whom this letter is addressed?
Remember, James has written this letter to the tribes of Israel who were scattered and migrated over the Caucasus mountains and into Europe and later over into the Americas, etc.
It was prophesied long ago that the house of Israel, the northern 10 tribes, would lose their identity as Jacob's descendents, Israelites, and that they would be called by a new name, His name.
And so it is that the prophecy has come to pass and they are now alled by His name, they are called Christians!
So James says that the feuds and struggles among us are a manifestation even of the worldly lusts that war (to contend with carnal inclinations) in our members.
In other words it is that desire to "get" and "have" which certainly seems to be the focus of many of our brothers and sisters in these last days.
[2]Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
You lust, you set your heart on pleasures and kill yourself trying to obtain wealth and status in this world, but you just can't seem to make it all happen.
Yes, with all that struggle and contending, you continue to come up short.
Why?
Did you say you were a Christian?
If so, then it is because you didn't ask your Father.
Oh, ok!
You'll try that approach.
So Sunday morning you turn on preacher I. M. Conningu and he tells you that all you have to do is "believe" and "have faith" and God will automatically give you your "healing" or your "financial miracle" if you will just sow (call the 800# on your screen) a "seed of faith" (with your VISA card).
"After all", says the preacher from the Church of the Unbridled Tongue, "God says 'Ask and it shall be given unto you'!"
What's going on here?
It's as if God were a genie in a bottle.
You don't have to do anything, no works, no following of God's health laws, and no studying to show yourself approved are required (2 Tim. 2:15).
The only difference is that instead of rubbing the traditional bottle you just rub your AmEx Card or place your hands on the TV screen and pray along with mitch and "poof" your wishes are granted.
Gimme, gimme, Father! Gimme, gimme!
This example might be a little extreme but it certainly happens to untold thousands and worse yet, millions of people think its Christian, merely because of a label.
Never mind that it doesn't align with the Book of James or any of the rest of God's Word.
But even though it is an extreme example, it is really representative of the attitude many of our brothers and sisters have of "Asking to Get for Themselves".
Where is wisdom?
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
You see, the fact is if you ask for the right things for the right reasons, you won't even have to ask for material blessings.
They will be added unto you.
So although you call yourself a Christian, if you are consumed with earthly desires, you do err (sin) even while you pray to God for Him to grant your wants and fill the desires of your lusts.
Do you really think He hears your prayers or might there be some conditions, some things you must "do" before He hears?
2 Chron. 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
The problem is that many of our brothers and sisters think that they are ok, that they are in good standing with the Lord.
But the reality of it is that most them are Biblically illiterate and they have been sorely deceived by the MANY preachers who have come in the name of Christ in this generation and have already deceived MANY.
Jesus Christ does not make false prophecies!
He said it WOULD HAPPEN and it HAS HAPPENED.
Matthew 24:5 "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
Take heed, Christian.

4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5  Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

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We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

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