of his importance in the world-wide mission of the church. Discuss this com mand to pray, and then do more than just discuss it, spend some time in definite prayer that God will call some of you to take the gospel to the lost. June 28, 1953 In a recent issue of a popular weekly news magazine was the story of the gambling situation in the State of Idaho. This State legalized slot-machines in 1947. As a result the State was overrun with 3,438 legal machines which brought nearly a million dollars into the State treasury. But the trouble was that all this money was being siphoned away from a legitimate channel. Doctors and dentists were finding it almost impossible to collect their bills, and many legitimate businesses were fall ing off, the businesses that made normal life in Idaho possible. Finally,, the legisla ture of Idaho banned the slot machines, the bill to become law next December. This modem illustration is but an ex ample of the history of all gambling. Gambling has brought nothing but trouble, heartache and bloodshed, and it will never bring anything other than this wherever it is allowed and practiced. The Evils of Gambling Gambling acts as a drug. Most gamblers started out on a small scale gambling for pennies. Gradually the stakes became high er and higher and the losses became more and more serious. Finally, in desperation the gambler finds it necessary to cheat or steal or even to commit murder in order to get enough money to pay his gambling debts. Gambling is cm act of disobedience to the Word of God. The Christian is commanded to seek not his own but another’s financial well-being (1 Cor. 10:24). This does not mean that it is wrong to earn money to meet your own needs, but that we are also to be concerned about the welfare of the other man, too. Certainly this bans gambling from the Christian’s manner of life. Gambling is definitely not seeking the other man’s welfare, but rather, it is seek ing to win from him his money. The Scrip ture makes,it clear that the Christian is to work with his own hands and to earn his living by his own efforts, not by gambling (2 Thess. 3:8). Gambling is a sin against loved ones. Many a man has gambled away his pay check so badly needed by wife and chil dren. Instead of going to pay his honest debts the gambler’s money has gone to line the pockets of dishonest men who are getting rich on the gambler’s foolishness. The Causes of Gambling In the first place gambling is a lucra tive business for the racketeer, but never for the sucker. It is said that a fool and his money are soon parted. It is also said that a sucker is born every minute. We are inclined to agree with both of these state ments. Gamblers and swindlers are first cousins. The wise man is the man who stays away from the gambling business: CONTINUED ► In Gambling Who Wins? 1 Cor. 10:24; 2 Thess. 3:6-12
ing some other sphere of full-time Chris tian service. This, however, is not the case with every life. God does not intend every believer to enter special life-time service. For some He has purposed a busi ness career, for others He has purposed them to he housewives, and for others yet other important occupations. But in every God-appointed sphere there is to be an eye single to His glory. My Possessions Are Not My Own In our previous lesson we discussed to gether the proper use of our possessions. It is important that every Christian dis cover God’s will for the use of that which he owns. When we speak of Chris tian stewardship we do not have refer ence only to money, but to every part of the believer’s life. If each one of God’s people would con sider themselves the stewards of God’s possessions there would be great and im portant changes in the church. Hundreds of missionaries would be sent out with full support. Mission societies would find it possible to enlarge their work and to widen the influence of the gospel. Churches would b e ‘ able to expand, Sun day school buildings could be erected to house adequately hundreds of boys and girls in each local church; ministers and missionaries who are now underpaid would receive adequate salaries to en able them to carry on the work of Christ. The Gospel Is Not My Own Too many Christians hug the gospel to their own hearts, forgetting that it is the plan of Christ to share that gospel with the peoples of the world. Always the church is coming up with “ too little and too late” . The command of Christ was given centuries ago, and today there are more heathen in the world than at any time in the world’s history. The cause of missions is not keeping up with the world’s population increase. With each passing year the church is becoming more and more outnumbered throughout the world. What must we do in the light of this situation? W e must first of all lift up our eyes and see that the field' is white unto har vest (John 4:35, 36). Lost humanity will not claim our time and our effort if we do not see them. W e must lift our eyes away from our immediate surroundings in order that our horizons might be broadened. Study missions in your group. Have reports made on the various mission fields of the world. Invite missionaries to speak to your group. Acquaint yourself with the work being done and with the vast untouched regions of the world. Surely this will help to stir your heart to greater interest in the cause so near the heart of Christ. Prayer is also the believer’s responsi bility in the matter of sharing the gospel (Matt. 9:37, 38). How long has it been since you prayed that God would send laborers into His harvest field? There is a mystery attached to prayer in connec tion with missionary service. It is difficult for us to see why it is that God has apparently limited Himself for workers to the prayers of His people. Perhaps it is in order to give the prayer-helper a sense
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MAY 1953
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