1. Adult Bible Study Guide Oct Nov Dec 2014 Adult Bible Study Guide Oct Nov Dec 2014 powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com

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3. Carlos Steger, Principal Contributor

4. The Book of James Contents 1 James, the Lord’s Brother 2 The Perfection of Our Faith 3 Enduring Temptation 4 Being and Doing 5 Love and the Law 6 Faith That Works 7 Taming the Tongue 8 The Humanity of Heavenly Wisdom 9 One Lawgiver and Judge 10 Weep and Howl! 11 Getting Ready for the Harvest 12 Prayer, Healing and Restoration 13 The Everlasting Gospel

5. The Book of James Our Goal O ur journey this quarter spans the entire Christian era, as it includes some of the earliest preaching, as well as special insights for these last days. Let us not miss these insights.

6. The Book of James Lesson 10, Dec 6 The Book of James Lesson 10, Dec 6 Weep and Howl!

7. Key Text Matthew 6:21 “ ‘ F or where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ ”

8. Weep and Howl! Initial Words M any people vicariously enjoy the rags-to-riches fantasy and probably hope it could happen to them someday. But wealth isn’t all that many believe it to be. Increasing income follows the law of diminishing returns: beyond allowing people to live comfortably, more possessions do not buy more happiness.

9. Weep and Howl! Quick Look 1. The Wealthy’s Wretchedness (James 5:1) 2. The Wealth’s Worthlessness (James 5:2, 3) 3. The Wealthy’s Wickedness (James 5:4-6)

10. James 5:1 NKJV “ C ome now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!.” Weep and Howl! 1. The Wealthy’s Wretchedness

11. Justice Will Be Done! J ames 1:10, 11, reminded the rich of the impermanence of wealth. Chapter 5, urges those who stubbornly hold on to it to “weep and howl.” The vivid description continues throughout our passage bringing to mind the divine retribution for the wicked excess that characterizes the period just prior to Christ’s return (see Luke 17:27–29).

12. 1. The Wealthy’s Wretchedness Justice Will Be Done! A similar attitude permeates God’s last- day church (Rev. 3:17). Interestingly, the Greek word translated as “miseries” in James 5:1 comes from the same root used to describe Laodicea as “wretched” in Revelation 3:17.

13. 1. The Wealthy’s Wretchedness Justice Will Be Done! There is so much injustice in the world, especially economic injustice. Sometimes it is so hard to understand why some people get rich exploiting the poor and seem to get away with it! We should do what we can to alleviate injustice, while resting in the promise that, somehow, when it’s all over, God’s justice will be done

14. Weep and Howl! 2. The Wealth’s Worthlessness James 5:2, 3 NKJV “ Y our riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”

15. 2. The Wealth’s Worthlessness Wrong Use T he world’s economic situation always seems to be going from one crisis to another; even the “good” times, when they come, rarely last and are always followed by a downturn. Discontent and instability grows as the disparity between rich and poor widens.

16. 2. The Wealth’s Worthlessness Wrong Use Money has its place; the problem is when people put it in the wrong place. Money will be “a witness against” those who misuse it (James 5:3). Though given in an end-time context, the point should be clear: how we use our money matters.

17. 2. The Wealth’s Worthlessness Wrong Use The image of flesh-consuming fire is meant to wake us up to the seriousness of the choices we are making with our money. Are we heaping up treasure that will ultimately be burned up, or are we saving for eternity? (See Luke 12:33, 34.)

18. Weep and Howl! 3. The Wealthy’s Wickedness James 5:4-6 NKJV “ I ndeed the wages of the laborers... which you kept back by fraud, cry out.... You have lived on earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just....”

19. 3. The Wealthy’s Wickedness Cries of the Poor I n Bible times, as soon as wages were paid, many, if not most, of the workers used these earnings to buy food to feed their families. Withholding wages often meant the family had to go hungry. For someone already rich to hoard wealth by stealing from the poor is a sin, not just against the poor but a sin against heaven itself.

20. 3. The Wealthy’s Wickedness Cries of the Poor “Riches bring with them great responsibilities. To obtain wealth by unjust dealing, by overreaching in trade, by oppressing the widow and the fatherless, or by hoarding up riches and neglecting the wants of the needy, will eventually bring the just retribution....” —Testimonies for the Church 2:682.

21. 3. The Wealthy’s Wickedness Fat and Happy (for Now) In the ancient world, the notion prevailed that there was a fixed amount of wealth. The rich can get richer only by making the poor poorer. The issue of wealth inequality still rages today. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the real focus is this life, not the afterlife; no future life in which we can make up for what isn’t done.

22. 3. The Wealthy’s Wickedness Blame the Victim When someone has done wrong, the natural tendency is to try to escape responsibility. Often people try to do this by transferring the responsibility to someone else—including the person who has been wronged.

23. 3. The Wealthy’s Wickedness Blame the Victim James never condemns the rich simply because they are rich. It is their attitudes and actions that matter to God. Similarly, the bare fact of being economically poor does not in itself endear a person to God. It is the “poor in spirit” and “rich in faith” who will be “heirs of the kingdom” (Matt. 5:3, James 2:5, NKJV).

24. Weep and Howl! Final Words “ H oarded wealth is not merely useless, it is a curse. In this life it is a snare to the soul, drawing the affections away from the heavenly treasure.... He who realizes that his money is a talent from God will use it eco- nomically, and will feel it a duty to save that he may give.” —Christ’s Object Lessons 351, 352.