James 5:1-6 ~ at Runboard.com

GaleB
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James 5:1-6

"1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.

2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.

3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days.

4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

6 You have condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you."

Thank you Lord for your word...

9/2/2008, 1:09 am

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GaleB
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Re: James 5:1-6

Thoughts and study conclusions?

Gale

9/2/2008, 1:26 am

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horseshadowrider
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Re: James 5:1-6

I am trying to picture the type of rich person that James was talking about when he wrote this and one picture that came to mind was Saddam Hussein and his sons. They built golden palaces while the citizens of their country starved. They tortured and killed their own citizens. They seem like the perfect picture of this sort of rich person.

Then a Christian nation came in and stopped this sinful life. And for me, this is one reason that the war in Iraq is a noble battle and our soldiers are heroes and being used of God to overcome evil and to help hurting people.

Then I think of someone like Paris HIlton in our country. She does not torture or kill, but she surely has "golden palaces" and a wasteful/wasted life.

These are just examples, there are many others. And there are rich people who use their money for good, like Bill Gates.

The Lord is the only one who will sort through all of this, just like he will do with poor people and middle class people. People are not doomed b/c of their money, they are judged according to their hearts, just like all people are.

However, it seems that rich people got rich because of their obsessive nature to get more, have more, collect things that are useless when that money could be poured out upon the poor in this world and do so much good. I think Jay Leno is a nice guy, but his huge collection of cars which is ever-growing: that money could do so much good (and I'm sure he probably gives a lot to charity as well, but much more blessed is the widow who gave her last "mite")

We have worked for many very rich people on ranches and I have always seen waste and a non-understanding about their wastefulness. They were sometimes very nice people, in fact, the richest of them all were the nicest. But they did waste a lot. Which demonstrates an attitude of, "I want what I want no matter the consequences."

As we've talked about before here, it's so hard for rich people to come to the Lord b/c we all seem to come to Him at a point of very deep need. When you are very rich, you don't have needs that can't be fulfilled except one, that empty hole in your heart. And your money can transport you and divert your attention away from facing that need. You can go play on a South Pacific Island or you can hire nannies and therapists to deal with your children.

And all of us here are rich compared to many many others in the world. To a lesser extent, we can do the same wasteful things, we can be diverted from a closer relationship with God. In some countries, we would be considered very, very rich. So, these words need to be hearkened by everyone.

It might be true to say that everyone is rich in the eyes of someone else. The man sleeping in a box under the bridge might be considered rich by the man who has no box.

V.

---
Virginia
4 plc fracture of the C1, Tethered Cord, (acquired chiari and elongated brainstem resolved by Tethered Cord surgery); atlanto occipital dislocation and cranial settling all due to equestrian accident,
2004. CC Fusion upcoming.

9/2/2008, 11:11 am

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GaleB
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Re: James 5:1-6

In a million years, no one, could possible surmise this better.

What brilliant examples, I too can see, even in Biblical days, a king like Saddam. Thank you Virginia for taking us there.

I can readily see modern day Babylon, too.

Wonderful Virgina.. Just wonderful!

9/2/2008, 1:55 pm

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ket85rn
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Re: James 5:1-6

Yes, Virginia, wonderful discussion.
It is good to remind ourselves of how rich we are indeed, compared to so many others.
I think this passage calls us to recognize that material riches of any kind are just that, materials, that will eventually decay and disappear and have no lasting worth whatsoever. It is a warning to value heavenly treasures instead.

I am taking this lesson to heart today. I have a tendency to be a packrat. I sit in my computer room, surrounded by a bunch of stuff. None of it is necessarily anything of even earthly value, but it is just the result of not wanting to let go of certain things because they might come in handy. Yes, indeed, much of what has cluttered this room could be useful, if I was able to deal with it all, but as my life is right now, I can't. So now I am inspired to pick away at this mess and get back to basics. All these things that I have allowed to accumulate, get in the way of me spending time on what really matters. This room is supposed to be my 'sanctuary', my quiet space for reading and reflection and prayer. Can't to any of that in here right now. So thank you for this lesson today, ladies. please join with me in praying that I will have the physical ablility to clean out, and make room for spiritual growth.

Karen

9/2/2008, 2:52 pm

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GaleB
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Re: James 5:1-6

Very good Karen. Looking at it from that perspective puts us all in the rich category. I personally, see the pictures from Kariman Kenya, see they have no shoes, or ragged shoes with toes cut out so they can wear them, soles flopping, yet they wear them with pride... has made my mission for next year, to collect used tennis shoes, or new ones, for this village.
I can do more, and this study of James has made me realize,little kindnesses, may be more valuable than gold.

Thank you Karen, for stirring this with in us, can we look around our room too? Can we see, how much we have? Does our possessions interfere with our worship?

Deep thoughts from a wonderful servant, thank you ....

God Bless

9/3/2008, 3:39 am

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bornagin4ever
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Re: James 5:1-6

Good thoughts girls. I was thinking about the empty hole in the lives of the unsaved. The comment V made. That emptiness that many people have is in the shape of Jesus Christ. That empty hole never gets filled until someone
gets saved and accepts him as Saviour.

Just a small thought on the matter.

Take Care,
Regina

9/4/2008, 3:33 pm

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horseshadowrider
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Re: James 5:1-6

I love that description, Regina! And find it so true. Lots of people try to fill that hole with the wrong-shaped things, but they never truly satisfy. Money, things, other gods which are no gods, that all may give fleeting happiness but they are always lacking.

Good one! thanks

9/4/2008, 4:46 pm

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