A Warning to the Rich. James 5:1-8

We ended James chapter four with this:

You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that." As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil. In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil. (James 4:14-17 MSG)

In James 4:14-17, we found the person who had developed the habit of pushing God aside, thinking that they were in control, and doing everything at their whim. Since the acknowledged, right thing to do is to consult with God, then that lack of consultation represents what most translations call sin. Sin, as you will recall, is merely missing the mark, something we all do, all the time, and in a variety of ways.

With that grand opening, we enter into James chapter five, which most translations entitle:

A Warning to the Rich.

I came to terms with destructive patterns, like envy, and jealousy, a long time ago. I had to because I was raised to be envious, and that childhood rearing taught me to hate those who had what I did not. One of the blessed things about this life in Christ is that, much like you find in Recovery, you have to own your lousy feelings and decisions. As a thinking adult, I have had to choose to relish and accept my circumstances as part of my decision-making process.

James 5:1-3 NASB  Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. (2) Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. (3) Your gold and your silver have rusted, and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

That title is a warning and not simply a dangerous thing coming from someone like me; this has to be from God; and, as such, is quietly taking on a much broader view here lately. Keep in mind that, as far as we know, there was no drive to create a New World Order during James' day. Besides that, James, we assume, was merely writing these words to the Jewish/Christian community, that held tightly to their Jewish customs, and a few laws. But we seem to forget that God destroyed the Tower of Babel, changed their language, and scattered the people. Why? Because, in their own way, they were trying to make a New World Order, and it did not include Jehovah. Things then, are not so different today, are they?

Because of the COVID 19/Chinese flu as my President likes to call it, who have we seen at the forefront of this global pandemic?

Global elitists, gathering under the guise of the Global Economic Fund; the Bilderberg Group; The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and surprisingly, The World Health Organization.

Who can we find at the World Economic Forum meetings?

Around 3,000 participants are drawn from all over the world and from every sphere of influence: business, government, civil society, academia, arts and culture, and media. From January 22 - 25, they will be convening in the snowbound Swiss town of Davos to discuss how to build a better version of globalization.

Or, as I like to call it, a One World Government.

The 2020 itinerary included our own President Donald Trump, which makes me wonder whose side of this insane fence, he is on.

Pastor Danny Jones, of Northlake Baptist Church, in Georgia, put together, in the early days of this COVID quarantine, a timeline that spells out exactly how this global pandemic came to be.

Here is just a little of that timeline.

January 17, 2017 - The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where 3000 of the worlds wealthiest gather every year to figure out how to rule the world. Bill Gates initiated a new working group called CEPI – The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation. CEPI is a collaboration of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Norway, India, Germany, Japan, and two big pharmaceutical companies called Inovio and Moderna. CEPI began working on the next epidemic there in Davos in 2017. Also there at Davos, Bill Gates began working on a Netflix video called “Pandemic.” It was released in November of 2019. The plot of the movie was a Coronavirus that originated in a wet market in China, leaving millions of people dead.

Almost two years later.

October 18, 2019 – There was a pandemic exercise called event 201, at John's Hopkins University. The exercise was conducted by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The World Economic Forum, and Michael Bloomberg's School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University; and yes, that is the same Michael Bloomberg that tried to run against the President. The pandemic simulation predicted that the virus would have the same kill rate as the Spanish flu of 1918, which cause around 55 million deaths worldwide, in an eighteen-month period. It is also good to note that Dr. George F. Gao, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control was involved in the simulation.

October 18-27, 2019 – On the same day, at the same time (as the pandemic exercise event 201, at John's Hopkins University,) the World Military games were being held in, of all places, Wuhan China. 10,000 athletes from 110 countries and the United States delegation was about 300 people.

2 months later.

January 7, 2020 – China reports the CORONA outbreak in Wuhan.

We have now learned, that China NEVER announced the Corona outbreak, this information was all generated by the deep state and leaked for their convenience.

January 21-24, 2020 – The World Economic gathering in Davos, Switzerland. Bill Gates and the CEPI announced a Coronavirus vaccine program, with partnerships including Inovio and Moderna; the United States Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is led by none other than Dr. Thomas Fauci. (Remember, this is Davos, where plans are made.) Dr. Fauci is now the Chief Medical Adviser to President Trump.

Dr. Fauci wrote in March of 2020, in the New England Journal of Medicine, that this Coronavirus was going to be nothing but the seasonal flu. But when he went before America, on camera, he told us that this virus was going to be 10x worse and may kill two million Americans if we do nothing; It may still kill 200 thousand Americans even if we shut down the country and shelter in place. He said, there is NO known vaccine and it's going to take 12 -18 months to get a vaccine ready for trials. Of course, the question is, where did Dr. Fauci get his numbers; where did he get the model that projected that quantity of deaths? It turns out, that information came out of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Nexus and Evaluation, which happens to be funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

We Americans were not even aware of how bad this could be. I remember thinking, good, maybe this will kill all you Chinese, so just keep your lousy virus in China. Little did we know that China, fully aware that their people were contaminated, was putting 8000 infected travelers a day on planes and spreading their love across the globe.

With NO declared pandemic, the US was making preparations for what they knew was coming.

January 24, 2020 – The US House of Representatives began drafting a Corona Virus stimulus bill called the CARES act. So the money we got in April started back in January. So somebody in Washington knew that we were going to need relief.

On the same day.

January 24, 2020 – The US Senate was getting an ultra-secret briefing on this event that was about to get unleashed upon the United States. Senator Kelly Loeffler, all of a sudden, made major changes made to her own investment strategy.

January 30, 2020 – The United Nations World Health Organization officially launches a worldwide public health emergency for what the called a Novel Coronavirus, even though, at that time, there were only 150 declared cases in the world. But they knew it was going to be an emergency. By the way, Novel means newly discovered, never seen before. That means COVID 19 didn't just come crawling out of the woods. That should make you wonder, where did it come from?

January 31, 2020 – President Trump orders a travel ban on anyone traveling from China.

So while we are all distracted by this bogus impeachment trial.

February 4, 2020 – The Centers for Disease Control decided NOT to use the World Health Organizations COVID 19 test kit, as they did not think they were good enough; and they (The CDC) had to come up with their own. So the CDC made their own tests and they were defective; and they had to pull them off the market. CDC got out some new tests by the end of February. But they (the CDC) were backlogged, taking from one to two weeks for people to find out if they had it (COVID 19) or not.

At this point in the video Pastor, Jones talks about his own resume and how he was a pre-med student at the University of North Georgia (North Georgia College.) He continues: “And so I went to the CDC website and looked at those test instructions to see what was involved in a Coronavirus test.” “A positive COVID 19 test, DOES NOT rule out bacterial infections, or, co-infections with other viruses. COVID 19 may NOT be the definite cause of the disease, however, continue to report autopsy cases to the CDC as such.”

February 5, 2020 – President Donald Trump was acquitted on the articles of Impeachment. So we had been watching the news about the impeachment and we knew nothing about this COVID 19 thing that was going on out there in the world.

March 11, 2020 – The World Health Organization officially declared COVID 19 as a global pandemic.

March 14, 2020 – The Associated Press announced that volunteers in Seattle were given the COVID 19 vaccine, that was made by MODERNA, and it was approved by Dr. Fauci of the National Institute of Health. Pastor Jones again interjects: “that is less than two months, and yet Dr. Fauci had earlier said, it would take up to 12 to 18 months to get a vaccine ready for trials, so something is going on there.

March 16, 2020 – President Donald Trump declares a state of emergency for the United States, for COVID 19, and that is when we began the social distancing, standing six feet apart, sitting six feet apart, and no meetings with over ten people.

So, once again, I show you James 5:1.

"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you."

In light of what these Globalists have done, and want to do, this makes a tremendous amount of sense.

James 5:2 ERV  Your riches will rot and be worth nothing. Your clothes will be eaten by moths.

Riches can also be read as wealth or possessions.

To say that they will all be worth nothing could be indicative of a devastating financial crash, but think about this, they are not trying to crash, and yet they will.

Look at what Peter has to say.

“to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,” (1 Peter 1:4 NASB)

If Peter can speak of an inheritance that cannot fade away, then obviously, the riches of this world, will, at some point, fade away. The Prophet Isaiah also tells us a similar story.

"Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My law; Do not fear the reproach of man, Nor be dismayed at their revilings. "For the moth will eat them like a garment, And the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation to all generations."
(Isaiah 51:7-8 NASB)

When it comes to the word rot, the KJV tells us that their riches are corrupted.

The rich tend to have more than enough so that you or I never witness them wearing something that is corrupted. When we think of or use the terminology that we see in Matthew 7:1,2, why do we NOT comprehend that this applies to everyone?

Matthew 7:1-2 AMP DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. (2) For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

Matthew's gospel tells us that all of the earth's treasures are subject to moth and destruction.

Matthew 6:19-24 NASB "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (20) "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; (21) for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (22) "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. (23) "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (24) "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, “In light of the coming of Christ, they are warned that all the riches of the world will come to naught. This obviously would not impress a godless rich person on that day any more than it would today; however, the rich man knew that the future was uncertain for him, just as many realize that today. There is always a danger of a panic, a crash, a drought, or a depression. That has been the order of the day since men started to mint money.”

James 5:4 NASB Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

It may not be laborers who mowed your fields. Just this morning, my wife pointed out how factory workers, in foreign countries, were putting together expensive tennis shoes for Nike, and paying these laborers $0.20 cents an hour, so that a football player like Colin Kaepernick can take a knee in disrespect for the national anthem and the American flag.

Their crimes, sins, and general abuse of the masses cry out against them.

Haven't you ever wondered, why God comes back with such a vengeance?

James 5:5-6 NASB You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. (6) You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

“You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.”

There is no doubt in my mind that James is speaking of the time of God's wrath upon the earth. Look at the description of the crowd gathered for battle in Revelation 19:17,18.

Revelation 19:17-18 NASB (17) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, (18) so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves and small and great."

• Kings
• commanders
• mighty men
• horses, and them that sit on them
• the flesh of all men, both free men, slaves, the small, and the great.

Their end comes rather quickly.

Revelation 19:19-21 NASB (19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. (20) And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. (21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Although the NASB pushes the next two verses under the title of “Patient in Suffering” these two verses are a continuation of thought.

James 5:7-8 NASB Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it gets the early and late rains. (8) You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord, is near.

When James chapter five opens, there is no doubt that these are angry uncomplimentary words being spoken.

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. (2) Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.”

And yet, with verses 7,8 James is now trying to comfort who are suffering while they look for the Lord's return. James tells them twice that He is coming, and that He is near. It is obvious that there is a 2000 plus year gap between these words of encouragement and today; and yet, we are implored to wait, just as a farmer waits for their crop. In the meantime, strengthen your hearts.

What does it mean to strengthen your heart?

It means to turn resolutely in a certain direction; confirm. Establish, and set yourselves.

In listening to Pastor JD Farag speak about 2 Thessalonians 2:3, he effectively said, I went back and forth on my understanding of this passage, and attempted, much to my chagrin, both schools of thought. Thankfully, there was a day, with the help of Dr. Andy Woods's book, The Falling Away, that allowed me to settle it. Pastor JD, went on to explain what settling meant to him. It meant, that he came to grips with a firm comprehension and understanding that there was to be a gathering of the church before the Antichrist would come on the scene.

Let me show you a fairly standard reading from the NASB.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB (3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

As you can see, there is nothing about this verse that implies a gathering of the church. The other problematic point is that it also says, “and the man of lawlessness is revealed,” This usage of the word “and” could be understood to be an additional requirement. This is where Dr. Woods comes into play, as he did the background work for us, and discovered that original English manuscripts translated the word apostasia into the English word departing. The Catholic church, angered at the large number of people leaving the church, pressured Jerome into transliterating apostasia in apostasy because they wanted to make a statement against the migration to the upstart Protestant church.

So now, let me show you the Geneva bible, a very early translation, which uses the correct translation for apostasia, in this case, to a departing.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Geneva (3) Let no man deceive you by any mean: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first and that that man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition,

I too wanted to have this settled, and yet, even here is that peculiarity that I stumbled at - "and that that man of sin be disclosed.” If I follow the context of the 2 Thessalonians 2, I continue on to verses 5-8, and suddenly there is NO doubt in my mind.

2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 NASB (5) Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? (6) And you know what restrains him now so that in his time he will be revealed. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. (8) Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

We are watching the rich of this world at work, trying to gain total control of the populace while reducing the overall quantity of people on the earth. Aside from God's anger at Israel for their rejection, He is also angry at these rich people who are abusing His creation.

James is just one more piece of evidence that He is coming soon.