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THE WORLD, THE
WORD & YOU! RADIO BROADCAST
I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about this AMERICA’S LUST FOR GETTING RICH QUICK... …Whether we like it or not in America, legalized gambling has exploded into a national frenzy and fever. Revenues doubled the past five years. Back in 1996 gambling waging totaled over $500 billion! Two decades ago, only two states had legalized gambling. By 1997, 38 states including the District of Columbia had lotteries; 23 states had sanctioned casinos. Today in 2003, now 48 states have sanctioned it and have joined in legalizing and worse, actively promoting public gambling. It is important to understand that gambling is an addiction just as real, as alcohol and drug abuse, and its consequences just as tragic. The American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association, together, recognize pathological (or "compulsive") gambling as a diagnosable mental disorder. Today experts on pathological gambling have shown that the prevalence of this disorder is linked closely to the accessibility and acceptability of gambling in society. So, the more legalized gambling the state makes available, the more pathological behavior is triggered in its citizens. This can be summed up as a “mass social destruction” policy of government for its citizens. This friend is America’s biggest problem we face in the 21st century. In a moment after another musical pause, I want to explore gambling from a Christian and secular point of view. Stay tuned… …Years ago, America and its lawmakers considered all forms of gambling, a "vice." Back in 1994, a considerable body of evidence surfaced that showed the expansion of legalized gambling was destroying individuals, wrecking families, creating homelessness and divorce, increasing crime, and ultimately costing society far more than the state or federal government could ever make from it. Yet this information was and still is ignored! In 1976, a national commission found that about 1,100,000 adult Americans, were pathological gamblers. Today, the situation has grown worse. For instance, in Iowa, the legalization of casinos more than tripled the addiction dilemma. A study released in July, 1995, found that 5.4% of the state's adults (roughly 110,000 residents) are lifetime pathological or problem gamblers. Before riverboats came to the state, 1.7% of Iowans fell into this category, now its 5.4%! In Louisiana, four years after the state legalized casinos and slots, a study found that seven percent of adults had become addicted to gambling. In Minnesota, as 16 Indian casinos opened across the state, the number of Gamblers Anonymous groups shot up for one to 49. This is a pandemic invasion of a pathological disorder that has inflicted millions of Americans, destroying individuals, wrecking families, creating homelessness and divorce, increasing crime, and ultimately costing our society greatly. Without a doubt, gambling is a root cause of much family savings being lost, college education or retirement funds disappearing, and home mortgages being foreclosed. Under the stress of losing everything, many problem gamblers go further and commit theft, embezzlement, domestic violence, abuse and even suicide. Yet our state lawmakers cast a blind eye, ignore this and tell us how great it is to gamble and receive a portion to lower our taxes, fund our schools, build our parks, and roads and make America a great and happy society! Friend, this is lie from Hell itself! Even worse, we’ve created a new generation of addicts in our children. Researchers call gambling the fastest growing teenage addiction, with the rate of pathological gambling among high school and college-aged youth about twice that of adults! According to Howard J. Shaffer, director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Addiction Studies, "Today, there are more children experiencing adverse symptoms from gambling than from drugs... and the problem is growing." What’s worse is many professing Christians have bought into this. The most troubling of all were statistics I read published by a major Christian denomination1. They reported: “Around two in three members (64%) and almost one-half of their pastors (44%) confessed participating in one or more forms of legalized gambling in the year prior to their in-house survey.” The most popular activities among their Christian leadership’s gambling was:
I tell you this gambling fever, unless recognized socially as an evil and vice and stopped, may well destroy America! Now reviewing all this, what can we say about gambling? Well, let’s explore what gambling is: Gambling in any form is: “an act by which one party consciously risks money or other stakes in the hope of huge gain at someone else’s expense and loss, without giving anything of value in terms of goods or services to the person from whom it is gained.” Today our nation plays all forms of gambling such as: State Lottery gambling, Pari-mutuel betting, Internet gambling, Riverboat gambling, Indian Casino gambling, Office pool gambling, Bingo and Raffle ticket gambling, you name it – all of it is out there and Christians and non-Christians alike play and participate without conscience. Do you know that more “personal income” is spent on gambling in the United States than all gross national spending for clothes, footwear, fuel, light and even travel! Now let’s ask what’s wrong with this? Well from a social perspective, I’ve shown you the statistics and damage and ruin it has caused our society and families. However, from a biblical perspective I can tell you this. Although “Thou shalt not gamble,” cannot be found in the Bible, all forms and practices still violate God’s Word and principles set forth for living in ways pleasing to God. Let me share with you some of these principles to show how gambling violates them and every Christian should have nothing to do with it in any form! First off, the Bible tells us there are only three biblically acceptable ways to gain assets. 1. BY HONEST LABOR AND PRODUCTIVE GOD HONORING WORK – This is the number one and normal way God wants all people to gain assets such as money, and material goods. The Bible says,
By personally working, God meets our basic needs and allows the building of our character. The Puritan work ethic is not something to shun, but accept gratefully for it is God’s plan and way. Secondly, we can gain assets of money or goods, 2. BY RECEIVING A FAMILY INHERITANCE – Yes, it is proper and God sanctioned that families care for their own and even beyond to their children and grandchildren. It is right to leave your assets to your family so they can carry on their lives as the fruit of one’s labor.
Lastly, one can rightly gain assets and goods, 3. BY RECEIVING AN UNEARNED LOVE GIFT – Benevolent giving is God approved and encouraged. When someone has a legitimate need, it is right and proper for those who have ability, to give love gifts to help them. It is not wrong to give it, and it is not wrong to receive it. This is God’s way of showing His love through the stewardship of Christians who have more than they need for their basic living. Paul the apostle encourages this in,
Now apart form these three ways of gaining assets, all other “get-rich-quick,” at the expense of others acts are wrong and violate biblical principles God has set forth! Now let’s look at what's wrong with Gambling from a biblical perspective. The Bible reveals that the first principle of Christian stewardship is all we have belongs to God. Gambling violates this first principle for, #1 GAMBLING DENIES THAT ALL OUR assets belong to God! – We are not our own to do as we please with what we have. God is the source of obtaining everything we have for He created it and owns it all. The Bible says,
Gambling says this is not true and we are the sole arbitrators of what wealth we have or gain. Now secondly for the Christian, money is to be seen as a trust; as such, #2 GAMBLING VIOLATES OUR trust from God - We are strongly told in Scripture that we are each given talents and abilities and a measure of wealth. We shall all be held accountable for how we use it. The Bible also says,
As such, I am not free to use it as I wish, but for God’s ordered purposes. First of course is to meet the basic needs of our family, and then with what is left over, it is to be used to help others as God directs. This principle of stewardship opposes gambling in any form because we are to be responsible to use and share our wealth and possessions, not take it away from others. Gambling denies this responsible stewardship. Seeking to get rich at the expense of another, even if they agree on the same terms, avoids responsible work and exchange of goods and services, and violates Scriptural truths.
The Bible says we are to love our neighbor. How can we love him or her by engaging in profiting from their losses? That is stealing. One of the Ten Commandments is,
But also another of the Ten Commandments is,
To desire to fulfill this by gambling, is the sin of covetousness and greed. Yes, regardless of what you are going to use the money for, your desire to gain it quickly without work or proper investment smacks of greed and covetousness which God hates. Listen to God’s Word again,
In fact, the Old Testament gives many warnings of disaster that can fall upon people who want to get-rich-quick,
Moreover, God warns us that wealth quickly gained without work, inheritance or gift often is lost as quickly, and in the process often destroys families. We’ve seen this in lottery winners after time does its work with their windfall wealth.
#3 GAMBLING IS AN INSULT TO THE SOVEREIGNTY AND LOVE OF GOD - To resort to “chance” to gain money by gambling is yet another violation of God’s principles. You see God’s universe is one of “order” and not “chance.” The gambler’s world view is ruled by the odds and artificially created “chance,” mechanism that denies God’s sovereign control. Such “chance” as a way of life or a path to take, is incongruous to God and His universe! To resort to any forms of gambling in the hopes to gain money for any reason, good or bad, by blind chance, is a virtual denial of faith in our sovereign God who has promised to care for us and provide for our every legitimate need. We read again in Scripture,
Mat 6:28-30 (NIV) “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? The notion of “chance” winnings, which is the basis of ALL gambling, great and small, is an insult to God! Gambling in whatever form is most irreverent. Now fourthly, #4 GAMBLING IS SINFUL BECAUSE OF ITS BAD EXAMPLE – Now even more serious is the fact that to resort to gambling can bring great disaster to ones psychological and spiritual well-being. Society already has documented the “ADDICTION factor.” God says watch out! Even if you don’t fall prey to becoming an addict at gambling as so many do, you can be the cause by your habit and example, of leading others into it and for them to be enslaved.
Gambling is still a vice that destroys lives and families, and violates God’s Word and principles of living rightly in His world and universe. All forms of gambling especially professional gambling and state lotteries should be opposed as morally offensive and practically destructive to American lives and families. Regardless of what gains one or the state make, it was gain at the destructive expense of others who have lost. In our society today as a whole, and many Christians all are now blind to this Satanic spread of his nefarious influence and denial of God under the guise of innocence. We are being fed the lie, that legalized gambling is good for society and doesn’t really hurt anyone. This is a corrupt value system which has now been passed onto the next generation and even infected our children! It’s time to take back what we’ve given away by this sinful lusts for wealth. We must confess gambling is sin and wrong and stop it. We must not buy lottery tickets, or sweepstakes, and we must stop participating in bingo games, raffles, and all other forms of gambling, not to mention Casinos, even internet gambling now easily available to all. Secondly, we must speak out against it and constantly write the newspapers, congressional and state leaders to cease supporting and running gambling programs. I know it will not be popular with men, but with God, Oh how He will bless you! Now, if you know someone who is addicted, try to help them. Steer them to groups such as Gambler Anonymous or call the Gambler’s hotline at 1.800.522.4700. They have a 24 hour hotline to help people caught up in this gambling fever. I for one have taken the time to speak out, and I hope you will too. Gambling addiction is no different from alcoholism, or drug abuse. Once the fever takes root, you can no longer help yourself. But the greatest help for any addiction and sin is Jesus Christ. God is in the business of freeing us from the enslavement to sin that besets us all. Friend, if you want victory over sin in your life, and to be assured of God’s love and heaven in eternity - Come to Jesus! Call upon Him as your God and Savior and He will free you from sin and its penalty and grant you a new heart and life to live for Him. The Bible says, Jesus speaking,
God can and does cure all addictions, but even so, we must also seek the means of help others can bring us. You may be a Christian who has fallen into this sin of gambling, and yes it can take root in your life. But, you can be freed by fresh confession to God, and seeking of help from others. May God so bless anyone listening today who may need such help and hope. For the rest of us, let us steer clear of all temptations to get-rich-quick, and let us trust God and His means and ways to meet any and all needs we have. To God be the glory great things He has done… …The practice of wagering money or goods on games of chance for getting rich quick is as old as history itself. Yet today people in our society are still gambling, but most worrisome of all is now it is legalized and promoted by the State. This is but one step before God’s promised judgments will fall on a nation that rejects the sovereignty and love of God to care for those who serve Him. The Bible warns us not to defy God, nationally and personally,
Whether it is the roulette table or a lottery ticket, God watches and sees where our heart is. The gambling fever is surely upon us, and it is our responsibility to stop it. May God so lead every Christian in the USA to speak out, stand up, and walk away from this vice and sin. FOOTNOTES: 1 - FROM INTERNET RESEARCH SERVICES - "Gambling & the Christian Faith" (08/30/02) - A Ministry of the Presbyterian Church USA, Louisville, KY.
· Radio talk # 0503 · Broadcast date: February 02, 2003 · Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator · Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast · Address: P.O. Box 40133 Grand Junction, CO 81504 The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 22 years, and serves as General Director. These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are actual radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of recent messages is available upon request also. Want to Help? If you've been blessed and encouraged by these messages, you can help keep them on the Internet. Below is a secure link to PayPal, a way to donate through the Internet to this Christian Radio Broadcast. We are a faith ministry depending totally upon the love gifts of friends like you. Please consider a donation today of any amount. Or you can use the snail mail address at bottom left to write to us. God bless you.
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