As far as gambling, it’s not a sin to gamble, play lottery, buy scratch offs, play bingo, or go to the casino. Make sure it’s legalized gambling. But if gambling becomes a problem to the point where we can’t do what’s written in(1 Timothy 5: 8), we should quit.
KJV 1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
Definition of Infidel is one who is an unbeliever of Christ
If our household goes without because of gambling or whatever, we deny the faith, if we deny the faith we deny Jesus, if we deny Jesus, we deny the Father also.
John 5: 23
23. That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
If gambling hinder us from providing food, clothing, and shelter for our household, it becomes sin, we should quit.
Gambling can take the form of greed, yet it’s not greed. It’s all about control. Money itself is not the root of all evil. For the love of money is the root of all evil. People, who lust after money, will sometimes do evil to obtain it. It’s the people with the problem, not the money.
KJV 1 Timothy 6: 10
10. 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.
If going to the casino, playing the lottery, and buying scratch offs to play was a sin, well…why don’t the pastors speak against the stock market(buying stocks). It’s a form a gambling, you’re putting money up, taking a risk on losing your money, yet also taking a chance on winning. Then we have County Fairs and State Fairs. We have all these games, for instance: drop your quarter down in the slot, it rolls down behind all the other quarters and gradually pushes them until some fall off the cliff into your pocket. You might drop a $1.50 or more before you get anything to fall. Is that not gambling? Yes, although it’s a game, it’s still gambling. You have the basketball game, the throwing of rings around certain objects, throwing the baseball in the basket, 3 card Monte, etc. You’re putting money up to play, if you don’t play good or make the right move, you lose. It’s all gambling, you’re taking a risk, you could win a prize or money, or just lose your money. The thing is, whether we lose or win, it’s a get away for most people. We enjoy ourselves. It’s not to much different than, spending $50, $200, $300, or $5000 to go overseas to the Bahamas to have fun and get away. The only difference is that, when a person go to the casino to play the slots, card games, etc.they might hit a lick, and win big, yet going on just a trip don’t give you that, when you give up that money, it’s gone, no return value as gambling.
The reason why the majority of the pastors, bishops, preachers, and ministers, preach against going to the casino’s, playing lottery and scratch offs, is that they know those places of gambling is the most quickest and accessible ways to gamble. Most of the time the County and State Fairs come around once a year. To them, that’s no big deal. I’m gonna be straight up, as far as the blacks, how many of us invest in or buy stocks, slim to none. That’s no big deal to them pastors that promote gambling as a sin, therefore they don’t stress the stock market.
As far as the preachers who teach this, in their mind, probably saying, “Once a year, that ain’t nothing, as far the County and State Fair, we got to target these casino’s, gas stations, and grocery stores. They can just about walk a block or two to gamble, buy scratch offs and play the lottery. We’re gonna create our own law or commandment, and if they break it, they’ll feel guilty, and feel like their sinning.” Sisters and brothers, it’s all a scheme, plot, and greed, so that you’ll have more money in your pockets for them to cipher/ask for during church. You know, 10% tithes is not enough. If you have spare money and you want to give a freewill offering, cool, so be it, but we shouldn’t feel obligated or less than a servant if we’re not giving more than 10% of our net, or any extra. They’ve created all these other ways to get money and offerings, for instance a love offering, giving up money for the pastors anniversary, guest speakers, etc. along with your 10%. It’s not written nowhere in the bible. Where did it come from. Let’s continue. Here’s an example.
Mark 7: 1-13
1. Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
((To project you into the future in our time, these Pharisees, and scribes can be considered your modern day pastor, bishop, preacher, minister, elder, or leader.))
2. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
((Them Pharisees are trying to condemn some of the disciples and called them defiled for not washing their hands before eating. It’s not a commandment of God to wash your hands before eating. It has grown on us over the years, “wash your hands, did you wash your hands.” I guess it could be good at sometimes to wash your hands before eating. The thing is, it’s not a sin to not wash your hands before eating. The question is, “What if there’s no water around, what then?”))
3. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
((Now, their breaking down for the disciples this commandment that they’ve created, not God.))
4. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6. He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
((Jesus responded with scriptures, and called them hypocrites, “basically, with their mouth confessing Jesus, yet their heart(mind) is somewhere else, other agendas going on.”))
7. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
((In vain they worship him, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, not the commandments of God.))
8. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
((Recap: laying aside the commandments of God for instance: The 10 commandments, in particularly the 7th day Sabbath(Saturday), as well as others, Feast Days, ect., that ye hold the tradition of men for instance: saying that sin is gambling, drinking liquor and wine, smoking cigarettes, etc., but it is not sin.))
9. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
((In full, they reject the commandment of God, that they intimidate and push the congregations to honour them and their manmade laws, throwing Gods commandments out the window.))
10. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11. But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
((Basically saying, “If I take care of my mommy or father, let them stay with me, feed them, and/or pay their bills out my pocket, I don’t have to honour them, and respect them. You know, basically saying , “Their surviving because of me, all these gifts I’m giving them and freebies, I’m free to do what I want, whether it’s calling them bad names, or cussing them out.” Maybe the parent is a dope attic or alcoholic, if that’s the case, some find themselves not honouring their parents. No, we aren’t supposed to support their habits, but we are supposed to still respect them as our parents. Some find themselves, not respecting them, saying things like, “They ain’t done nothing for me. I have no respect. I’m at liberty to do whatever I want, talk to them however I feel, because of what I do for them.” It’s not good, God don’t delight in that. He strongly disapproves that, it’s even in his 10 commandments, ref. Exodus 20: 1-17.))
12. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Until again,
Grace and Peace