“And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.” The “casting of lots” in Matthew 27 describes soldiers gambling for pieces of Jesus' clothing an evil scene that no Christian should want to be involved in. Rob talks about gambling.
<ul><li>The Bible doesn’t come right out and call gambling a sin, but it does contain many verses to guide us about wanting easy money.</li><li>Proverbs 13:11 reads, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”</li><li>And 1 Timothy 6:9 warns, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”</li><li>That could certainly describe gambling. It is a snare that often plunges people into destruction. The purpose of Man is to give glory to God. There are many arguments that gambling violates God’s principles.</li><li>When you go to work, you’re part of a production process. Something is created that didn’t exist before - a product or service that has real value.</li><li>How is gambling is harmful to your neighbor? It’s what is known as “zero sum” economics. In order for one person to gain, another must lose. Nothing of value is produced by the act of gambling.</li><li>The argument is often made that gambling has a positive impact on society. Casinos create jobs that benefit the local community. The lottery produces funds that benefit the schools and children.</li><li>But at what cost? Remember, with gambling, no one can win unless someone else loses.</li><li>Gambling has long been labeled an addiction by mental health professionals, and the cost of that addiction is hidden from view.</li><li>A Baylor University study on the negative impact of gambling addiction placed the cost to society of a single pathological gambler at $9,300 a year.</li><li>There is also a spiritual loss for the addicted gambler who craves “just one more win.” In Matthew 6:24, Jesus warns, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”</li><li>Researchers have identified a host of ways that gambling harms the individual and society as a whole, including crime, loss of work productivity, bankruptcy, broken families and even suicide. </li></ul>Next, Rob answers these questions at 800-525-7000 or via email at Questions@MoneyWiseLive.org: 
<ul><li>If you took early retirement at 55 to look after your grandchildren and have been living off your stock portfolio which is 80% in Apple, should you diversify away the risk?</li><li>Is there a formula for how much you should tithe from Social Security?</li><li>Is the bank still the best place for short term liquid investments over and above your emergency fund, or is there an alternative that offers a higher yield?</li><li>What should you do to help save your son from bankruptcy if he's a spender and is constantly in debt?</li><li>Should you accept a cash offer on your home if you would walk away with $150,000, live in Florida, and have no savings for retirement?</li><li>How can you give a rental property to your daughter if she is currently living in it, and you have several properties in your portfolio?</li><li>If you are inheriting over $100,000 worth of pharmaceutical stocks, should you sell or keep them if you have 401k accounts, an emergency fund and want to help your young adult kids?</li><li>Is it a good idea to take funds out of your combined $150,000 in Roth and traditional IRAs to pay down $50,000 for each of your children's $100,000 in student loan debt if you are aged 63, semi-retired, and have no debt? </li></ul>Be sure to check out the rest of MoneyWise.org to connect with a MoneyWise Coach or access our books and our many free helpful resources. You can also find us on Facebook (MoneyWise Media) and join the conversation. Thanks for your prayerful and financial support that helps keep MoneyWise on the air. And if you'd like to help, just click the Donate tab at the top of the page.

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The “casting of lots” in Matthew 27 describes soldiers gambling for pieces of Jesus' clothing - an evil scene that no Christian should want to be involved in. Rob talks about gambling on this MoneyWise.

The Evils of Gambling

FaithFi | Mar 9, 2022

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