From: Ben Kelley
Subject: Fortune and Destiny

But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune (Hebrew "Gad"= the Babylonian god of fortune) and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny (Hebrew "meni"=  the goddess of fortune who was thought to number the fates of men, ie. "destiny"), I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in." Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit. You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord GOD will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name. So that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes. (Isaiah 65:11-16 (English Standard Version)

I realize many are confused about whether Christians should gamble.  I believe this passage speaks to the mindset of those who practice gambling.  Gambling is practiced for a few reasons that come to my mind.  First of all, there are those who gamble because of the "rush" they get in the moments just before they learn whether they won or lost.  Others gamble in the hope they will win the money they need to meet their financial needs.  Then there are those who do it because they want to impress others with their cavalier attitude towards their wealth.  Notice that God said in our passage above that the Israelites, when they honored "Fortune and Destiny", they were dis-honoring God!  I'm sure that those of you who gamble will quickly say, "I'm not honoring false gods and dis-honoring my God and Savior!"  You can squawk all you want, God says that you are doing those things!!!  Whether or not you practice gambling, if you look to fate and fortune, or give the glory for what happens in your life to them, you are taking the glory away from God; you are following after false gods!  God is the source in your life.  Give the glory and honor to Whom it is rightly due.  Don't talk about your "good fortune", but about your good God.

Did you notice what God called those who honored Fortune and Destiny, in our Scripture passage?  HE called them, through the prophet, you who forsake the LORD!  It's the same scenario as Jesus spoke about, when HE said,  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  (Matthew 6:24 (KJV)  There Jesus stated that whoever you honor by your actions, is your true master.  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me  (Matthew 15:8 (KJV)  You may say: "Jesus is my Lord", but you show who you truly serve!

What does your life reveal about you?  What do your words reveal? Do phrases like: "I've got the worst luck!", "I don't have a chance", "I was just fortunate enough-----", "man, fate really smiled on me today!", etc., come from your lips regularly?  Are you giving to God and then trusting Him to honor Luke 6:38? (Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:38 (KJV))  Are you tithing (giving at least 10% into God's church) and believing His promise to supply? (Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10 (KJV)  Are you serving God and trusting Him to supply all your needs, or are you serving Fortune and Destiny?  Who or what are you looking to and trusting in?  If you insist on betting, bet on God, you will be a sure winner!!!!

Ben