The men and women that God has used mightily in history had to be trained, tested and approved by Him. This is so because those whom God foreknew, predestinated, saved, and designated to reign over their respective domains must also be trained and appraised by Him. In other words, they must be called, competent, and committed to their God-ordained purpose, Romans 5:1 - 3; Romans 8:29 - 30.

"There are numerous biblical and other historical examples of this truth. For example, Joseph, Moses and David. Their life stories, as recorded in the bible, prove these points. To pass God's tests, one must possess knowledge, understanding, and wisdom imparted throgh revelation by the Spirit of God. These gifts are essentials, because God's testing methods often seem mysterious to natural reason. God's tests, the training and appraising of His chosen ones, are intended to help them comprehend His purpose, which entails developing a Godly character and enhancing God endowed competence. The purpose of these tests, in other words, is to qualify His chosen people to reign in their God-ordained domain." (Taken from Reign in You Domain, by Seaton D. Wilson)

Therefore, anyone who failed to be trained and appraised by God will never be able to reign in their domains that God has ordained for them. Their lives in history will be lived in failure rather than success. NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!

No leader can succeed if their followers put idolatrous trust in them. Since God has pronounced a curse on those who put their faith in man. Jeremiah 17:5 states"... Curse is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength..." 

It has been the practice of man throughtout history to put their trust in leaders rather than God. There is an interesting example in Judges 8:22 - 23 after God used the insignificant Gideon and his 300 hundred men to defeat approximately 135,000 Midianites soldiers and liberated Israel from slavery; the people instead of putting their trust in God, who used Gideon and his men to give them victory, immediately began to focus on Gideon the leader rather than God. Hear what the people said, in verse 22 "Rule over us - you, your son and your grandson- because you have saved us out of the hand of the Midianites." Notice their emphasis, "You have saved us".

This has been the crisis in world politics and all spheres of leadership, including the church. People have been focusing on the leaders that God has given them rather than God Himself. As a result, God's declaration in Jeremiah that "curse is the one that trust in man", has come through in their lives.

The crisis is increased when leaders accept the idolatrous focus given to them by their followers. They even go further, by giving the people more promises than they know they can fulfill. But true authentic leaders turn people away from themselves to God. 

Look how Gideon responded to the idolatrous Israelites in verse 23; "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you." This should be the spirit and attitude of every leader to their followers who  want to put them in the place of God.

Leaders and followers who put their trust in man's ability rather than God's grace will certainly fail, because they are under the curse of God. FOCUS ON GOD, FOR HE IS THE ULTIMATE LEADER  AND HE BLESSES THOSE WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM,as Jeremiah 17:7 says, "... Bless is the man who trusts in the Lord ..."

There are many forces at work in human relationships. But love is the most powerful force in all kinds of human relationships. It is the greatest force in wife and husband relationship, parent and children relationship, relatives relationships, community relationships, workplace relationships, school relationships and every other kind of relationship. It can neutralize social evils and then change relationships for good.

Love is the force that one shoud use to fight hatred. When people fight hatred with hatred, both fight on the same level, but when one fights hatred with love he fights on a higher level than his opponent. He wins the fight even if humanly it appears as if he has lost the fight. 

Therefore, fight hatred with love and be the winner. For love is ultimately good.

SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 12:21 (NIV)

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

There are different methods through which leaders have risen to power throughtout history. But despite these different methods, there is only one source through which a leader can come to power. No leader, political or otherewise, can come to power except through the soverign will of God. Even secular rulers, according to the bible, came to power through God, as the book of Romans 13:1 tells us.

God raises up good leaders to bless righteous people and bad leaders to punish the wicked. The is evident in Psalm 125:3 (NIV) where it says, "The secpter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil."  If this is so, and it is, then logically if a leader is wicked they can only rule over a land inhabited by a wicked majority. Under such leaders the righteous are usually a small minority. However, when a nation is righteous or God intends to make it righteous, He raises up righteous leaders to lead. The book of Judges in the blible gives us outstanding historical examples of these principles. 

Since this is so, one cannot dispose a leader, good or bad, until God's purpose is fulfilled and God is ready to replace them. Both kinds of leaders manifest two aspects of God nature: His nature to bless the righetous and His nature to punish the wicked. Since God is the ultimate leader, every leader is a deligate of God. Woe to the leader who does not recognize this, for God will call them into account at the proper time.

Those who live in a democratic country and think that their votes are the final factor should think again, because they are greatly misguided. God is the final decider as Psalm 75:5 - 7 (NIV) states, "Do no lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretch neck. No one from the East or the West or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, He exalts another."

Faith in God and obedience to His commands make us righteous. If we are righteous, we will live in God's presence, Psalm 140:13 (KJV). If we live in God's presence, we will have fullness of joy, Psalm 16:11 (KJV). Epheasians 5:18 - 20 gives the New Testament view of fullness of joy: "Be filled with the Spirit, speak to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." (NIV) 

To glorify God and enjoy Him forever should have been the pursuit of man from the beginning, but sadly man disobeyed and instead of enjoying God He was affraid of God and running and hiding from Him. The very opposite of what he was created for. However, despite this, man can enjoy God again. This why Jesus came and died for man sins. When one believes in Jesus as Savior and Lord and repent of his sins he begins to enjoy God again. ARE YOU ENJOYING GOD?

This is the third and final part of the presentation on gambling. (4) Gambling is also wrong from the perspective of reason, in the light of its historical pragmatic results. Even Governments, although many have legalized it and have collected billions of dollars in revenue from it, usually have stringent laws to regulate it, because it attracts the criminal elements of society and all kinds of cheating devices are usually implemented to aid winning and losing. 

The Roman Historian Tacitus, said that the ancient Germans gambled their possessions, families, liberty and ultimately themselves. One Chinese, he noted, gambled his hand and lost it. It was estimated a few years ago that over 98% of all gamblers lost and less than 2% won. Therefore, it benefits the few and hurt the many. It hurts families and society at large and sometimes leads to the revenge of the winner by the loser. Also it undermines legitmate work and ultimately economic production. 

Jewish Rabbis in the Thalmud, say, "Acceptance of gambling winnings is thievery."  Some psychologists consider it a morbid symptom and in Hasting Encyclopida of Religion and Ethics it is refer to as "secularized divination" and "the demonic power of passion."   The Quaran forbids Muslims to gamble and Confucius, the revered Chinese religious leader and philosopher, condemned it. All these persons perceived by reason, the evil of gambling, without any special revelation from heaven, because of the historical realities associates with it. 

I could give you a long list of statistics of the evil of gambling but space does not allow this. The fact is, gambling is evil. God is against it. So have nothing to do with it. If you are in need, work hard, depend on God, and He will supply your needs according to His riches in glory, Philippians 4:19.

Yesterday we did part 1 on gambling. Today we continue with the third principle why gambling is wrong. It is also unloving and evil because gambling breaks the law of equivalents, which amounts to stealing and the bible says, "thou shall not steal". The law of equivalents requires that both parties benefit equally, at least in principle, in a buiness transaction. However, this is not so with gambling, for in it few gain and many suffer lost. Everytime one wins in gambling, many lose. According to Hastings Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, in gambling, " The happiness of the winner implies the misery of the loser." It further states that "It is a habbit intrinsically savage." Since gambling violates the law of love it is based on the law of hatred, covetousness, exploitation and injustice, despite the fact that one gamblies by choice. Therefore, It is anti-man and anti-God.

Keep away from gambling it is an evil practice because it breaks the two greatest commandments, to love God with everything you have and to love your neighbor as yourself. Gambling show that one love himself more than his neighbor. 

(4) Gambling is also wrong from the propsective of reason in the light of its historical pragmatic results.

To be continued.

SCRIPTURE:

"Love does no harm to its neighbor ..." Romans 13:10

Gambling is a multi-trillion dollar buisness worldwide. There are mixed views, both in the church and in the secular society, as to whether or not it is wrong.

What is gambling? The Lexicon Universal Enyclopedia defines gambling as, "The wagering of money or other values on the outcome of a game or event." A more philosophical definition is given by Jewish Rabbis, which is, "Mutual Robbery". I combine both definitions, which is wagering whatever it may be on the principle of mutual robbery. The process of wagering something maybe based on trickery, luck or skill which ever one is used the out come is the same. Some lose  and others win what was wagered. 

So What is wrong if people choose to gamble and some lose and other win? The answer is, the practice violates biblical principles. And whatever violates biblical principles is rebellion against God. Whatever is in rebellion again God is evil and carries evil consequences. What principles of the bible does gambling violate, since the bible does not deal directly with gambling? The question is answered by deducing the answer from clear biblical teachings. I will now proceed to deduce the answer from the following principles. (1) It violates the golden rule of Jesus in Luke 6:31, which says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  No gambler wants to lose their possession when gambling. This clearly violates the golden rule, because they are seeking to do to others what they don't want for themselves. (2) Gambling violates the law of love, which "does no evil to its neighbor,"  Romans 13:10. To win what belongs to your neighbor through gambling is coveteous, unloving and selfish according to 1 Corinthians 13. (3) It is also unloving and evil because gambling breaks the law of equivalents. I will explain this and more in part 2.

All that have been said so far, show clearly that gambling is evil because it hurts one's fellowman and by implication violates the law of love which is against the very nature of God. KEEP AWAY FROM GAMBLING OR ELSE YOU WILL BE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF GOD!!

What God does absolutely, man can do finitely through the enablement of the Spirit of God. This is one reason why God created man in His own image; that he may think, be and act like God. When man thinks, be and act contrary to God's purpose, he betrays God's purpose for his existence and therefore, deserves to be destroyed by God. Because no one and nothing that does not serve God's purpose deserves to live.

Therefore, look at your own life, based on the bible, and see if you are serving God's purpose. If you are not, then begin to serve His purpose today. If you are, continue to do so more and more.

SCRIPTURE:

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

"... Hear the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13 - 14 (NIV)

REMEMBER!! YOU CAN'T ESCAPE FROM GOD. YOU WILL HAVE TO FACE HIM, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.

A spiritual person is a unique individual in a world that is saturated by sin. This person lives by the laws and requirements of God as they are written in the Bible, but he/she lives a life that goes beyond rules and laws that are written in the Bible. Because the Holy Spirit guides one to accomplish specific things in one's life and ministry that are not specifically written in the Bible, but are in agreement with the Bible. This is so because the Holy Spirit speaks personally through revelation to such a person so he/she is not confined to the general teachings of the Bible. For it is evident that it is not practical for God to specify in the Bible every single thing that He wants every specific person to do in every specific sitution.

The mind of a spiritual person goes beyond natural reason, but is not illogical, because his/her mind is governed by the logic of God. So even though such a person may do things that do not seem to make sense, yet they do make sense because they are in agreement with the mind of God. The spiritual person is a person that does the will of God in his/her daily life. This is the kind of person God is looking for today to carry out His will in every area of life in a sinful world and a worldly church. 

To be a spiritual person one must be filled by the Holy Spirit according to Ephesian 5:18 and 1 Corinthians 2. To be filled with the Spirit one must hunger and thirst after God. To satisfy this hunger one must pray, study and meditate on Bible continuously. One must also do more than these; one must obey both what God says in the Bible and what God tells one to do persnally through the Holy Spirit. 

ARE YOU A SPIRITUAL PERSON?