Gambling: Should Christians participate in it?

I think a lot of us may have done it at some point in our lives, whether it was playing Bingo, the Lotto or going to Vegas for a vacation.  And while it can seem like harmless fun especially for those who can restrain themselves from spending too much money on it, the dangers of falling into a love of money is present.  Not speaking on all who gamble but often times the motivation is a desire for more money which leads to coveting.  This post is meant to hopefully give some scripture that will guide you into making an informed Biblical decision on whether we as Christians should gamble.

Luke 12:15

"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."

There is also an inherent competitiveness when gambling often at the expense of others.  People have died over gambling disputes.  Stories of Men/Women who lose everything are infamous.  You might say they brought it on themselves, how about their innocent loved ones?  Do they deserve the fate handed to them by their family member's sin?  We as Christians can't solve these types of issues, however we can choose not to have a part in it.  What we can do as Christians, is choose to give our money away to brethren in our midst that need it rather than the Gaming Predators.  Are we investing in the Kingdom of this world or God's Kingdom in Heaven?

1 Corinthians 10:24

"Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth."

Exodus 20:17

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."

Do we seek to do things that are pleasing to the Lord or are we seeking to please ourselves?  Go to any Casino and you will find that the gaming world also brings with it an assortment of other things not pleasing to the Lord.  Drunkenness, Cigarette smoking, prostitution rings, other criminal elements etc.  Is a Casino a place where Jesus would want us to invest our time and hard earned money in?

Ephesians 5:16

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Isaiah 65: 11-12

"But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.

Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not." Does not the Bible warn us of falling into the lust of money and material gain by way of covetousness?  The answer is yes,  so why don't many Christians heed this and stay away from Gambling and other hurtful lusts that come with it often times?  Could it be because they have already fallen into the temptation of wanting to be rich?  Could it also be that their Pastors are co-signing on their wanting to Gamble due to the Bible not spelling it out that Gambling is a Sin?  Could it be that they are sincere and not in love with money and just want to have a good time?  I suspect that all of the above is true in varying degrees. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 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." With the scripture below stating that covetousness should not be named among the Saints, is that not enough to stay away from the Casinos, Bingo Parlors and playing the Poor Man's Tax otherwise known as the Lottery?  Even if these gaming institutions use some of the proceeds and profits to fund good programs it doesn't supercede what scripture tells us.  Obedience is better than sacrifice.  Are we also not to be good stewards of our money? Ephesians 5:3 "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints" The Bible makes it clear that all this coveting after money and material gain is vanity so why would we, now that we have the Mind of Christ want anything to do with it?  What is really the motivation for people to give away their money to these Gaming institutions?  And yes, it is giving away your money. They didn't build all those Casinos because people win more than they lose. Ecclesiastes 5:10 "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity." Does God really bless this type of Gain?  Apparently not.  Ill gotten gain comes to mind. Proverbs 20:21 "An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed." Most pressing on my heart is the below scripture that tells us to keep ourselves unspotted from the World.  Why is it that you always hear the first part of the scripture but not the last from Pulpit preachers?  It's because in my view that acknowledging the last part of the scripture requires obedience in a lot of uncomfortable areas of our lives.  Maybe the Pastors in the Pulpits don't want to offend those in their congregations that love going to AC or Vegas for vacation.  Maybe they don't want to make the road narrow for their sheep but rather broad.  Maybe it's because many of Christendom's leaders are themselves in love with money so they see nothing wrong with going and spending money to get money at Casino's.  I really do think that Satan wants Christians in Casino's, Night Clubs and other places of debauchery so as to get us to stumble and then devour us eventually. James 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

Click on the youtube below and you will be able to watch a posting regarding Gambling by Bianca Juarez Olthoff, daughter of Pastor Pancho Juarez from Calvary Chapel Montebello.  Bianca teaches over many women in the Evangelical Christian Denominations throughout the country with Calvary Montebello as her launch pad or at least it was at some point.  I have warned the Pastor there about his daughter teaching the female believers false doctrine however nepotism being what is, the warning went unheeded.  The justifications by Bianca for a Christian being able to gamble are alarming.  The fact that she is in a leadership position teaching women is downright scary.  This type of attitude towards something that feeds upon the Lusts of Men/Women is indicative of how lukewarm today's visible 501 C 3 State Institutional Church is.

Revelation 2:20

"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."