Gambling

What is "gambling"? Dictionaries define "gamble" as "to play games of chance for money," "to risk money on uncertain gain," "to stake or risk money, etc. in the hope of great gain." But gambling is not just taking a risk. Gambling takes place when risk is artificially created in order possibly to lose one's own possession. It is an attempt, through chance, to gain the possession of another. Both cannot win - someone must lose.

Forms of gambling in our society include card games, throwing dice for money, slot machines, betting on horse or dog races, betting on sporting events, buying lottery tickets, and playing bingo for money or prizes. We must take the time to study God's Word and then think through these activities. Otherwise, we may well consider them to be harmless forms of entertainment. But we simply must think and meditate upon what God tells us in His Word.

One principle that runs throughout the Bible is that of stewardship. The Bible repeatedly and consistently paints the picture that God is the ultimate owner of all earthly possessions. The psalmist observed that the Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). James wrote that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). Jesus referred to humans as stewards - those who are entrusted to take care of another's property (Luke 12:42). And He declared that every person has the moral responsibility to be a faithful steward of the money that has been entrusted to him (Luke 16:10-11). Yet, each year people shell out billions of dollars gambling away the money that has been entrusted to them by God. Imagine the good, wholesome projects that could be supported annually by such enormous stores of cash - children could be fed, the Gospel could be preached, houses could be built, and the list goes on. Instead of such worthwhile projects, however, these billions of dollars are pumped into a system that leads to addiction and abuse.

It would be difficult, indeed, to conclude that gambling is good stewardship of the money with which God has entrusted a person. In reality, to pour one's money into a system that mathematically and statistically has been proven, time and again, to benefit the "house," and take from the gambler, certainly would fall into the category of unfaithful stewardship. Concerning unfaithful stewardship, Christ said: "Therefore [if] ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon [money or riches], who will commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke 16:11). To stand before the throne of Christ, having squandered the money God entrusted to you on an idle and degenerative activity like gambling would be a frightening thought indeed.

Gambling also does not fit with the work ethic that is so clearly taught in God's Word. God wants people to labor, to work with their hands, to toil with the sweat of their brow. Paul said: "I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). He also wrote: "Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which, that he might have to them that needeth." (Ephesians 4:28). He also wrote: "If any would not work, neither should he eat," (2 Thessalonians 3:8). God wants people to work, toil, and labor - not gamble!

The Bible also teaches that we should not be covetous or greedy. God wants people to work to have money for daily living---for self, family, and the needy (1 Timothy 5:8; Galatians 6:10). But "making money to live" is very different from "living to make money." God has always warned people not to lust after this world's riches (Colossians 3:5; 1 John 2:15-17). Paul spoke of those who "are minded to be rich," who have "the love of money" and who "trust in uncertain riches" (1 Timothy 6:9, 10, 17). Gambling is extremely addictive and promotes the "love-of-money" attitude that God's Word so clearly condemns.

Who Happened To You?

There is a verse in Galatians chapter six where Paul is speaking to the churches at Galatia and he asks them a question, “O foolish Galatians, WHO hath bewitched you?” I have always found this question interesting as Paul did not ask the question that we often ask. The question we often ask is: “What happened to you?” Unfortunately, many times we ask the wrong question. We should not be asking “what” when it comes to change in our own life, we should be asking “who.” Who is it that has influenced my life to the point that I now make these horrible decisions? Who do I let in my inner circle that has brought me all of these bad circumstances?

Do you remember when you used to serve the Lord?
Do you remember being an effective witness for Jesus Christ?
Do you remember being faithful to church?
Do you remember giving of your time, resources, and abilities to Christ?

WHO HAPPENED TO YOU? Someone… somewhere, talked you out of serving Christ. Think about the people in your life: friends, family, co-workers, etc. Have any of these "who's" ever influenced you into doing something that you would not have done had they not been around? Well, of course, they have. We could probably have a lot of humorous illustrations right here where the wrong “who” told us to ask someone out, told us the wrong way to do something, made us look foolish, or dared us to do something embarrassing that we would NEVER have done on our own.

Rest assured, someone is going to happen to you. Yes, I said that right. Obviously, someTHING is going to happen to you; however, I’m telling you, someONE is going to happen to you as well. A pastor once told me that life is summation of the experiences you encounter and the people you meet – both good and bad. So, you’d best be on guard.

Think for moment… think about the “who’s” in your life. Throughout your life there will be good and bad “who’s.” God will give you the right people in your life if you will follow His plan; however, the wrong “who’s” will be there to mess you up every time.

Those you allow into your circle of friends, you give them the power to affect you. You give them power of influence (as you listen to what they say). You give them the power of interruption (as you take a phone call at any time). You give them the power of injury (as those that are closest to you have the most ability to hurt you) And you give them the power of inspiration (as they will inspire you in either a good or bad way).

Don’t let the people in your life keep you from being you. There is only one of you. God created you to be unique. Don’t succumb to the pressure of conforming to others. We are NOT to be transformed into their image; rather, we are to be transformed into His image (Romans 12).

So, how do I know if there is a wrong “who” in my life? Here are a few questions:

• Do the cause me to love God more?
• Do they have a passion for reaching others?
• Do they celebrate God’s blessings in my life/church?
• Do they live what they believe?
• Do I trust them to make the call when I am not there?

When We Don’t Know the Will of God - Pt 2

Suppose you were to invite me to dinner tonight at 6 o’clock. For sake of my illustration, let’s assume (always a dangerous thing to do) that all is going well and I stay till after ten o’clock at night or so. After a wonderful evening, let’s suppose that you walk me to my car and I am about to leave. Then, I turn to you and say something like this: “I can’t leave now. I’ll never make it home.”

“Why not?’ you ask puzzled

Well… I will not be able to drive home because it is dark outside and I cannot see.”

You look at me baffled and ask, “Don’t you have headlights? …if you turn on your headlights you can see through the darkness and you will be able to see your way home.”

“Yes, I do have headlights, but my headlights only allow me to see about sixty feet or so. And I have several miles to travel.” I reply

“Yeah, but don’t you realize that if you turn on your headlights and drive… for every sixty feet you travel, your headlights will allow you to see another sixty feet and then another sixty feet and then another sixty feet. And sixty feet at a time you can see your way home!”

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This simple, abbreviated illustration can be applied to our lives. When we are searching for the will of God or for life’s path, we often search for the entire journey. We want to find the treasure map with the big “X” on it. However, with God we find that He does not tell us the entire journey. We have no such map that shows us the end game of our lives.

But scripture DOES tell us that His word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. Therefore, by using scripture I can navigate my way “home” successfully sixty feet at a time as long as I am walking in His paths and with His light. We can no more see the entire journey when set out on a car ride than we can when we set out on life’s journey. We have no idea the road hazards and accidents and detours that life will throw our way; but with His light (the Bible) we can navigate through these alternative routes.

So, what is my sixty feet? What is the known direction of my life? Surely I have to begin somewhere?

I previously posted a blog regarding “What to Do When We Don’t Know God’s Will.” In that post, I told you four things that the Bible tells us is the will of God:
* He wants us to be saved.
* He wants us to share our faith.
* He wants for us to be controlled by the Spirit.
* He wants us to separated to Him.

Through the lens of scripture we are able to determine God’s will for our lives, at least in the beginning stages. For sake of our illustration let’s call this the first sixty feet. If you don’t know what direction it is that God’s is trying to take you, I encourage you to do the known will of God (travel the first sixty feet that you can see) and He will reveal the unknown. These four things will allow you to see the sixty feet that you need to see in order to get started on your journey of living for Him. I promise you, once you travel these sixty feet, God will reveal the next sixty feet… and sixty feet at a time you will navigate through the road hazards of life and you will find your way “home.” Following this “sixty feet” principle, one day you will look back on your life and you will be amazed at the journey that God has taken you. All because sixty feet at a time you allowed Him lead you to His plan and His desire for your life. May our prayer be: “not my will, but Thine be done.”

When We Don’t Know the Will of God

I recently preached a message, and have gotten so much positive feedback from it that I decided to put it into a blog form. I hope this is a help.

In Colossians 1:9, Paul is praying for the church to be filled with the knowledge of HIS will. Now, that only means one thing: it is possible to KNOW what God’s plan and desire is for your life.

Now, obviously, God has certain things that He desires for all of us. He desires for us to be good parents, friends, hard workers, diligent, and wise stewards of the things He has entrusted in our care. However, more specifically, God has a will for each and every one of us. It is individualized specifically for each of us. For some, God has called us to be Sunday School teachers, Deacons, AWANA workers, Nursery workers, Choir members, Ushers, Parking Lot Attendants, etc. I think we all have a basic idea of what this entails. But what do you do when you have no idea what God’s will is?

Let me start off my telling you that from the time that I was 15, I knew what it was that God wanted me to do with my life. I was at the Gospel Light Youth Conference in Walkertown, North Carolina, and a preacher by the name of Steve Roberson spoke. I couldn’t tell you what the man preached on. I couldn’t tell you the book of the Bible or one thing that the man said. To be honest, I couldn’t even tell you if he preached on surrendering your life to full time Christian service.

In the moment that the pastor was preaching, I knew what God wanted for my life. I fought it for a while; however, I eventually caved to “not my will, but Thine be done.” From the time that I was 15, I knew what God’s desire for my life was. I knew the “what” of the will of God; however, everything else remained a mystery. You see, even though I knew what my future held, there were still times that I wondered about how God's will was to unfold. I knew the “what” of God’s will for my life; however, I have found myself many times trying to discover the “how” or the “when” or the “where” of His exact plan.

I remember wondering at one point, where I was gonna go to Bible college. There are a lot of choices out there. I knew what God had wanted me to accomplish, but I didn’t know the “where.” I wanted His will but I didn’t know “where” it was.

I remember wondering at one point, who was I to marry. I prayed for years about the person that I was gonna marry. As a matter of fact, I prayed for years for the right person to marry. I knew some of the trials that a pastor’s wife goes through as I saw my Mother play that role. Let me tell you something, a pastor’s wife goes through more than you will ever know. Being a pastor’s wife is lonely at times, discouraging, sacrificing (time, money, family), and heartbreaking; however, there are some pretty big rewards too! I prayed for a wife, but I didn’t know “who” of the will of God.

I remember just before I got out of college, the girl that I thought I was gonna marry left me. I thought I knew the will of God was, but evidently, I did not. (Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever thought that you had life all figured out only to find that the floor came out from underneath you?)

I remember getting out of college, I knew God wanted me to preach, but I didn’t know to what church God was calling me. Needless to say, God gave me wisdom and direction as He led me to a place of service. Since that time, I have experienced several transitions in ministry where I have not known various facets of what God’s will was to entail, and I know that there will be many more in the future.

Perhaps that is you today. Maybe you know the general idea of what God’s will is for your life. I know as sure as I’m writing this blog that God has called me to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe that is you… maybe you know exactly what God has for you, but you are searching for the “who” and the “how” and the “when” of God’s will.

Friend, scripture tells us that we can know what God’s will is. God is very plain throughout scripture to tell us exactly what His will is for our lives. Consider these four things that scripture plainly tells us is God’s will:

#1 - SALVATION

Listen, in order for you to know God’s will, you must first know God. Listen to the scriptures below:

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. - II Peter 3:9

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. – I Timothy 2:3,4

Before you search any further on a quest for God’s will, you must make sure that you know God.

#2 - SHARE YOUR FAITH

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. – Luke 14:23

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. – I Timothy 2:4

If you are searching for God’s will, the best thing you can do is be saved, then you should help someone else find God. It is said, “you can’t lead in a direction that you are not going.” When you are spending time in His word and pointing others to the Savior, you cannot help but be attentive to His voice.

#3 - SPIRIT FILLED / SCRIPTURE FILLED

We are to filled by the Spirit. Sometimes we fail to understand this concept properly. To be filled with the Spirit is not like going to a gas pump and getting “filled up.” You cannot run “empty” on the Holy Spirit. When I am filled with the Spirit means that I am controlled by the Spirit. Let me ask you something: do you know that you have as much of the Holy Spirit today as you will ever have? It’s true. The Holy Spirit does not enlarge himself; instead, we must decrease our self. John the Baptist said, “He must increase and I must decrease.” Consider the verse below:

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit...” - Ephesians 5:15-21

Here it is again, God is telling us what His will is for our lives. It is His will that we be not drunk with wine; however, we should be filled with the spirit (or controlled by the spirit). Why do you suppose that drunkenness and Holy Spirit power are listed as contrasting in this verse? Here me out for a moment:

I have seen some people intoxicated. It is amazing what someone will do when they are impaired. It is amazing what someone will do when they relinquish control to external addictions. I have seen people do things that they never would do otherwise because they allowed for some “outside influences” to control them.

I’m gonna tell you something, when you allow the Holy Spirit to control you, you will do things that you never thought possible. You will find yourself with wisdom you do not possess, grace that you do not deserve, and blessings that you have not earned. When you allow the Holy Spirit to control you, He takes over and does phenomenal things.

#4 - SANTIFICATION / SEPERATION

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour…” - I Thessalonians 4:3, 4

To properly understand sanctification, we must realize that Biblical separation is not separation FROM the world, but rather separation TO God. The Mormons, Jehovah Witness, Muslims, etc – all of these people are separated from the world. Are they close to God? I tend to think not. Therefore, just staying separated from the world is not enough. I must exercise personal holiness by identifying myself with Christ. I Peter 1:16 – “It is written, be ye holy as I [God] am holy.”


In closing, let me tell you that God is not going to reveal any more of His will until we are doing what His KNOWN will is now. What is His known will? That’s very simple, His will is that you be saved, share your faith to others, be Spirit controlled, and live sanctified lives. I guarantee you, once you do these known things, God will reveal to you the unknown.

I know how frustrating it can be searching for various aspects of the will of God; however, trust me, it’s worth it. God has a reason for not revealing His will just yet. It may not make sense. I remind you what Isaiah recorded for us in chapter 55, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Do all you can for Him now! He will reveal His purpose, plan and program for your life. In the meantime, it is imperative that you exercise good stewardship and be faithful with what He has told you to do.
• Salvation is a must
• Share your faith
• Spirit filling is imperative
• Sanctify yourself unto the Lord





Pastor Micah recently spoke this message at Faith Baptist Church (www.fbcbelong.com) as the Senior Pastor was on vacation and asked him to preach in his stead. To find out more about Pastor Micah, please visit www.gbcfamily.tv. If you would like to listen to this message in its entirety please cut and paste the internet link below:

http://www.fbcbelong.com/media1.asp