"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Gambling
is for fools! Billy Sunday wisely preached aloud against gambling and
so should we. It was Governor Rockefeller of New York who started the
New York State lottery back in the early 1970's. The godless lottery
(gambling) spread from New York across the country like wildfire.
Today, every state in the country has a lottery. The lottery is pure
gambling (or as one wise man put it...a tax on the stupid). Why give
your money to the government, don't they already take (confiscate) too much?
The lottery should be outlawed.
Lottery pools are extremely popular across America (especially in the workplace). What is a "lottery pool?" This is where multiple employees pitch in money to buy lottery tickets. One person is entrusted to collect the money and buy the tickets. If one of the tickets is a winning ticket, the money is shared equally between everyone that pitched in money (at least that is what is supposed to happen). I cannot tell you how many times I have heard in the news about someone who stabbed co-workers in the back by claiming all the money for himself/herself. It's the power of greed, it drives them to insanity. When it comes to money, some people will do anything. It was IBM who designed and manufactured the stamping devices used on the holocaust victims of WWII. Germany's I. G. Farben was a conglomerate of hundreds of companies, many of whom were American companies. It was I. G. Farben who manufactured and distributed the Zyklon B death gas used on the holocaust victims. Was it worth the money?
The Bible clearly warns us against falling in love with money (1st Timothy 6:10). Ironically, most people who are money-hungry are in denial. This is exactly why a gambler's famous last words appear at the top of this web page..."I'D NEVER SELL THE FAMILY FARM!" Yes, you would...and so would I if I were a gambler. We all would. I know what you're probably thinking..."we'll I've been gambling for years and I've never had a problem with it." Not yet! I will admit that a small percentage of people gamble just for fun and never sign over the title to their house. However, gambling is by it's very nature an extremely emotional event because it involves money, and money represents a better life (something everyone thinks they want).
But is it a better life? Though the grass may seen greener on the other side of the fence, it often is just a mirage hiding the dry desert sands and heat. Some of the most miserable people in this world are rich, and the same can be said of the poor. Money cannot buy everything. Yes, money can give us a better life in certain ways; but money cannot buy righteousness, faith, love, friendship, or peace.
There are two way to be rich in this world:
- Have all you want.
- Want all you have.
We must learn to want all we have and thank God for the miseries and heartaches we don't have. God wants us to be content with such things as we have (Hebrews 13:5). Many people have pierced themselves through with unnecessary miseries and sorrows by gambling. Gambling is a sin because covetousness is a sin. You won't hear too many preachers preaching against covetousness, but it is a wicked sin just like homosexuality.
To be clear, not all risk-taking is considered gambling. Nine out of ten new businesses fail every year. Entrepreneurs take risks all the time when trying to get a new business going. This is hard work and acceptable with the Lord. However, to simply gamble at a slot machine, craps table, or horse betting is pure covetousness where no work is performed for money gained. God blesses hard work. I do not believe it is a sin to invest in companies (the stock market), but there are many things to consider. A person who invests money in the stock market to try to get out of debt is behaving very foolishly. If you owe someone money, you should never gamble with money you do have in an attempt to gain money you don't have. Pay your bills first. If you gamble and lose, then you have nothing. You could have at least paid the person you owe money to something, now you have nothing. Besides, the stock market is a scam (Read Richard Ney).
Gambling involves two of the most powerful monsters known to mankind: FEAR and GREED. Many people who thought they would just "paper trade" the stock or futures market ended up in the abyss of debt and misery. Many people who thought they would never "sell the family farm" did just that and worse. Gambling is a fool's game. The saying "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" is very appropriate here. Why gamble what you do have, knowing that MOST people LOSE their money gambling? Listen my friend, "The house ALWAYS wins." Casinos implement cleverly calculated algorithms into all their gambling machines, designed to take away most people's money. No matter which players win or lose doesn't matter to the house because THEY ALWAYS WIN! Why play their Satanic game and make them even richer. Furthermore, casinos are nothing but magnets for prostitution, illegal drugs, and other forms of debauchery.
