PORT JEFFERSON, N.Y. — A man who scratched off a lottery ticket and realized it was worth $3 million promptly donated it to his church, his pastor said Wednesday.
Pastor Bertrand Crabbe of the True North Community Church of Port Jefferson said the donor, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "This was why God put the ticket in his hands."
The state Lottery announced Wednesday that the independent Christian church will get at least $102,225 a year through the year 2028. The amount could be higher if withheld taxes are refunded because of the church's nonprofit status.
The "Ba Da Bling" scratch-off ticket was bought July 19, the lottery said. The same day, Crabbe said, the man with the ticket "called me, invited me to his home, told me he had won and his intentions. He said he wanted to bless the church."
He gave Crabbe the ticket, and Crabbe claimed the prize on behalf of the 650-member church he founded three years ago. The pastor said the church would give the first year's proceeds to charities including Love 146, which battles human trafficking and slavery.
Starting next year, at least 20 percent will go to charity. Some will go toward a new building for the church, Crabbe said.
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these televangelist are a bunch of hypocrites! they do not practice what they preach! televangelist preach about self denial, obedience, honesty but in this example this preach does not want to be 'investigated' or to question his actions!
God bless him for his generosity!!
I'm inclined not to believe in coincedences and maybe this whole scenario was meant to happen for whatever reason, whether it was to test that persons soul, or to send that money to that Church to be used for a specific purpose,...Huh?...Maybe maybe?? if for nothing else is makes for an interesting conversation...the problem is getting rid of the "if for nothing else"....follow me?
I am glad that the man gave the winning ticket to the
local church where they can use it wisely to reachout
more people. Had the prosperity preachers heard about
the winning ticket, they all could have promised the
person heaven on earth and grabbed the ticket.
believer, I appreciate your comments concerning people that develop gambling problems, and for those there should be help to treat them, just as there is help for alcohol abusers. But as christians on CP like to point out, we are all accountable for our own actions. For those that consider gambling wrong, then they should avoid the activity, for those that favor it, I say enjoy- like most things though, in moderation.
scitsonga, there are many in the Christian community who consider gambling a sin and especially considering the damage that can be done when someone gets caught up in it. In Kentucky, for instance, there is a move afoot to allow for gambling casinos, at the forefront in the battle to prevent that are the Christian community and the churches.
believer, one persons sin is anothers pleasure. i like to gamble fom time to time, sometimes its stocks, sometimes it poker, sometimes its other things. never thought of it as a so-called sin.
The Bible doesn't address gambling as we know it today. It does declare greed and covetousness as sins (Exo 20:17 "You shall not covet...; Mat 6:24 "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.)if someone obssessively plays the lotto due to a consuming desire to be rich, it would be idolatry ((Eph 5:5 For you may be sure of this,... who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.))
schuck, I guess it depends on if a person considers gambling a sin and if playing the lottery is a form of gambling then he had to gamble to win the money.
Believer how do you think he sinned exactly? He wasn't greedy with his money?
This issue has always both concerned as well as confused me. He won the money as a reult of gambling and he's giving a good portion of it to his church, so will God honor that gift considering he sinned to get it. Now some have justified things like this by saying the devils had the money long enough now it's God's turn to have it. I can honestly say I'm not really sure where I stand or perhaps better said where Christians should stand on this one?
cool beans! Go God!
That's what the gift of giving does in a man.
Rom 12:6-8 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; (7) if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; (8) the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.