"Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God can not be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." - James 1:13-14
Selah.
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Fourth Watch Press
“And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.”
- 2nd Chronicles 1:11-12
These things are written for admonition. When we pray it is important to understand why we are asking God for what we ask. Are we asking for something to consume upon our lust (James 4:3), or are we asking for something that will help us to obey the Lord our God and bless his people as Solomon did here in 2nd Chronicles chapter 1? Money itself is an indifferent thing – we can use it to acquire a shiny object or we can use it to repair our local church building - but the love of money is the root of all evil and causes many to err from the faith (1st Timothy 6:10).
The riches that God grants Solomon in response to this prayer are detailed extensively in the elaborate and expensive décor of the temple recorded in 2nd Chronicles, and this should not be seen as worldliness but as an extension of Israel’s true wealth – the oracles of God that they were stewards of.
As we pray we must take heed to ourselves. Our prayers will be heard very differently if we are at odds with our spouse (Malachi 2:11-15) than if we are diligently serving the Lord in whatever station he has given us (Ruth 3:10-11).
Selah.
My childhood involved attending Mass on Sundays and CCD class (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) on Wednesday evenings. I believe my parents were trying to raise me with a set of “Christian” morals, so that I could grow up to be a decent human being.
In the Catholic religion, being a decent human being is an acceptable goal because sins can be reconciled by a priest and salvation can be achieved through outward ritual. Man's total depravity is masked in works of penance and there is no requirement to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Instead the Catholic church takes the place of the mediator, along with saints and the virgin Mary. It's important to understand that many of these rituals are traditions of men, rooted in paganism, rather than biblical ordinances.
For Catholics, born again Christians are often seen as hypocrites. They are sinners that say one thing about “religion”, but do another by continuing in their sins. This popular view is partially correct in that we can never stop sinning. Even on our best days we all come far short of God’s glory, and everyone knows this is in some way.
Even the unregenerate person crying, “hypocrisy!”, knows that they are personally incapable of being “perfect” and of not committing sin, so they look at born again Christians as fakers and decide it’s better to continue on in lust and pleasure. For the unregenerate, it’s easier to deal with Hell in death, than it is to understand the Word of God in life.
Some say Hell is just a man-made concept or that there is no such thing as eternal torment for souls. Some think God isn’t all-seeing and some say He doesn't exist at all! If you say you are Christian, do you believe these words?:
For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
-Jesus speaking in Mark 4:22
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
-Apostle Paul in Rom 14:12
And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
-Apostle John in Rev 9:6
I pray for the unregenerate souls, especially those clinging to the veil of Catholicism. Many of them may never know the sweetness of God’s promises to his beloved creation. Did you know that your life is a gift from God?
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. -Gen 1:27
Did you know He promised to blot out even the cringiest of our sins, along with giving us rest in our deaths and bodily resurrection upon his return? He promised life everlasting to those who love Him.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. -Jesus Christ speaking in John 8:24
It's unfortunate that many are unclear about what it means to be born again. They have no reference for the term other than people throwing themselves around mega churches, hootin’ and hollerin’ about the “rapture.” Unfortunately, this is the general state of American Christianity, but true faith is a lot less dramatic.
When Christ was crucified, the veil of the Jewish temple was rent and believers were made kings and priests unto God. No robed mortals needed for the remission of sins.
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father -Rev 1:6
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. -Matt 23:9
A born again believer is a person that God has called to repentance and that acknowledges the Word of God as the source of all truth. True Christians understand how short they come up in comparison to the Word and confess this continually to the Lord Jesus Christ. We rely on God rather than men for all things.
For many are called, but few are chosen. -Matthew 22:14
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