November 28
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CAUTION TO THE RICH
A poem by ILMA
Listen carefully, all you who are rich: weep with anguish for what’s coming at you
There will be terrible troubles and suffering ahead of all those who are rich and famous
Your wealth will not last long, they will rot away and your clothes are like rags
Your gold and silver are corroded and that wealth will eat away your flesh like fire.
Those of you who are hoarders will face the day of judgment
Hoarding is clinging on to material possessions which you can’t bring anyway
You are born in this world without anything but naked
You will also return to the place you belong in the same way.
Hear the cries of those whom you have cheated so you can gain more
You have spent your years here on earth in luxury and convenience
You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter
You have fully satisfied yourselves instead of looking after other.
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MEMORY VERSE
Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you – James 5:1
Read: James 5:1-6
This letter of James gives a very harsh warning to the rich people. Like the man in the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12, we see how greedy that man was storing up so much riches for himself instead of gaining riches in heaven. He had no idea that one day, all these things he stored up for himself will be gone for he doesn’t know when his life will be taken away from him.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the rich are cautioned vehemently here by James?
• Do you think that all rich people are not going to enter God’s kingdom?
• How can you be wealthy and yet enter the kingdom of God?
• Why is it very hard for the rich to really be true disciples? What stops them from being a true follower of God?