Thursday, May 31, 2007

Here's a rare article from one of my heroes in the Faith, Pastor Bill Johnson. It's titled, "Plundering Egypt".

My travels in ministry often take me to the center of Nevada. Nine hours in the car is a pain to most every part of my body. Reno is on the way, and is a nice halfway point. I now break this trip into two days travel, instead of one.
Reno is actually a great place to stay, if the local interests don't distract you. Because of the gambling, they are able to provide great prices at their hotels for lodging and meals, hoping we'll lose our shirt in the name of recreation. This Hilton has a wonderful fitness gym, with a fair amount of weights. By staying there, I can continue doing my workout before hitting the road.
When I called the Hilton to make reservations, I was pleased to discover they had a special deal; one night for $46, plus $15 in coins. Coin? No problem to me. Fifteen silver dollars spend as good as paper money, which means my room was really $31 - a very, very, good price.
When I came back through Reno I got my second coupon for coins and went to the appropriate place to exchange them both for cash. The woman behind the counter asked me what I wanted, "Quarters or silver dollars?" To walk out with $30 in quarters seemed somewhat uncomfortable, so I asked for dollars. To my surprise, their coins are not real currency. They are coins, minted for their machines only! I made the mistake of asking her where I could exchange them for real money. Apparently, in doing so, I hit a nerve. She lost her business-like social skills and informed me in a rather angry tone of voice that those coins were given to me so I could gamble. I smiled, thanked her for her help, and left with $30 in fake money.
Just think, $30 to use in their slot machines. Could this be Jehovah Jireh, God my Provider? Maybe there is a Jackpot of $1,000,000 just waiting for me to take that step of faith. "Oh God, I'll split it with You, fifty, fifty. No, no, I've reconsidered and am feeling real generous. You take 75%, and leave me with a measly ol' $250,000. That much money could really bless the Kingdom!" There is also the thought that this would be a great way to "plunder Egypt" - to take from an evil system and release it into the ministry of the Kingdom of God. And who could call it gambling? It's not even my money. Technically, it's not a gamble when I stand to lose nothing. Or, do I?
This past summers forest fires reveal the potential devastation of one careless act. A house that took thousands of man hours to build is destroyed in moments. The empires of wealthy people, that took decades to create, are gone in minutes. The thought of rebuilding is overwhelming. And there are the many items that can never be replaced.
How long does it take to build credibility and a good name? All the time you have. That is part of our life's work. With one careless act, that work can be destroyed. Is the prospect of winning $1,000,000 worth that possible loss? Not for me. Even worse than losing the above mentioned $30 in coins would be to win the million dollars. Why? Because I would have done something that would have been published far and wide - "Pastor wins a million in Reno" - again, lowering the standard of righteousness. I owe more than that to a generation that is desperately looking for examples to follow.
Am I saying that gambling will send someone to Hell? After all, it's a gamble just to drive on our freeways. No. But greed has sponsored many into a Christless eternity. Greed is at the heart of the world system and is the foundation of gambling. To accept that method of earnings goes against the whole counsel of scripture.
What about those who gamble with a modest amount of money, as recreation? I applaud anyone who has the self control to stop at a modest amount. There are so many who can't say no to the hope of wealth, and in turn put the welfare of their family at risk. But the real point is, it is not true recreation. It doesn't re-create anything we should want in our lives in the first place.
There is a better way. If you really want to prosper, do it the way that lasts and lasts. Take your lottery money, your one-armed bandit money, and your crap-table money (a moment of divine inspiration came upon the one who named that game), and place it into missions, or give it to the poor. Giving is never a gamble. It always brings a return. In addition, it plugs us into the order and benefits that exist in the Kingdom of God. And the result is true prosperity . . . real re-creation.
I have been invited to return to central Nevada in the spring. If I drive I will no doubt stay at the Reno Hilton. I will eat there, and work out in their gym before the 4 1/2 hour drive. But, exchange my name for 30 pieces of silver? No thanks. That's been done before.

Sunday, May 06, 2007