According to The Associated Press, Pastor Bernard Crabbe of the True North Community Church in Port Jefferson, New York, announced recently that an anonymous parishioner had donated a winning lottery ticket worth $3 million to the church. A state lottery official said the independent congregation of 650 members would now receive $100,000 annually through 2028.
Only a month ago, however, Robert Powell hit the Florida Lottery jackpot of more than $6 million and then dropped a tithe of around $600,000 into his church's offering. But Pastor David Tarkington of the First Baptist Church, Orange Park, politely declined and told Powell the church wouldn't accept the lottery winnings. But another pastor, Dr. Lorenzo Hall of the El-Beth-El Divine Holiness Church, was quick to say he would welcome Powell's gift to his inner city church.
The fact that churches even consider accepting gifts from lottery winnings demonstrates how the church today has weakened its opposition to gambling. It seems some of God's people have failed to realize gambling is a form of covetousness – a violation of the Tenth Commandment of God. Covetousness may be rightly called "the mother of all sins."
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, has written eloquently on the evils of gambling:
"The Bible is clear on this issue. The entire enterprise of gambling is opposed to the moral worldview revealed in God's Word. The basic impulse behind gambling is greed – a basic sin that is the father of many other evils. Scripture repeatedly addresses greed, covetousness, and avarice as a sin against God, and often with graphic warning of the destruction that is greed's result. The burning desire for earthly riches leads to frustration and spiritual death."
In an editorial penned by Pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Piper eloquently explained why churches that accept lottery winnings do so in violation of some of the most fundamental truths of Christian living:
"Christ does not build his church on the backs of the poor. The engine that delivers his righteousness in the world is not driven by the desire to get rich. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not advanced by undermining civic virtue. Let the pastors take their silver and throw it back into the temple of greed....
"Is it a 'blessing' for the church of Jesus Christ to have the backing of a social sickness that destroys marriages, undermines the work ethic, increases crime, motivates suicide, destroys the financial security of families?....
"We are followers of Jesus. He had no place to lay his head and did not accept the demonic temptation to jump off the temple for the jackpot of instant recognition. The Calvary road is not paved with Powerball tickets, but with blood. The Church was bought once by One who refused the short cut of instant triumph. It will never be bought by those who dream of riches.
"Don't play the Lottery for Bethlehem Baptist Church. We will not, I pray, salve your conscience by taking one dime of your plunder, or supporting even the thought of your spiritual suicide. Let the widow give her penny and the laborer his wage. And keep your life free from the love of money."
Christians are to live by high and holy standards, rejecting the values and practices of the world. When they fail in this regard, the credibility of their lifesaving witness for Christ can be irreparably lost. Jesus said: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men" (Matthew 7:13). Continue >>
RSS
I will agree that playing the lottery isn't a super-spiritual thing to do, nor do I believe that it a horrible sin (unless you neglect, bills, feeding the kids, etc). How many of these people that decry the spending of $1 on a lottery ticket would go to their child's school fair and spend that same dollar on a cake walk or some other raffle. Same dollar different prize.
Quecat: "Get real! I suppose your imagination can conjure some honestly altruisitic [sic] reason for playing the lottery?"
Quecat: "I would like to see a valid argument for how throwing away money on gambling is being a 'good steward'."
So, before I answer your "questions," are you admitting that *you* cannot prove that everyone who gambles is motivated by worldly or fleshy greed, except if you presuppose that this is the case?
"How do you know that everyone who gambles is motivated by worldly or fleshy greed".
Get real! I suppose your imagination can conjure some honestly altruisitic reason for playing the lottery?
Shall we consider the biblical admonition that we are to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to our care?
I would like to see a valid argument for how throwing away money on gambling is being a "good steward".
And please don't bore me with some song and dance about "I have $100 to give to a charitable cause, but if I go to the dog track and win I could increase my funds fivefold and be able to give $500 to charity - so this is a good thing!" Uh huh, and I have some beachfront property in Arizona to offer for sale, cheap.
Mat 6:21 "...Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Mr. Creech: "Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, has written[:] 'The entire enterprise of gambling is opposed to the moral worldview revealed in God's Word.' "
Really? Where does Biblical Scripture condemn gambling wholesale, Mr. Mohler?
Mr. Creech: " 'The basic impulse behind gambling is greed . . . ' "
Really? How do you know that everyone who gambles is motivated by worldly or fleshy greed, Mr. Mohler?
Mr. Creech: "In an editorial penned by Pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Piper [said:] 'Christ does not build his church on the backs of the poor.' "
Mr. Creech: "According to Family News in Focus, Pastor Scott Thomas . . . added that impoverished people largely play lotteries and the church shouldn't profit on the backs of the poor."
Who forces those who are in the poorer socioeconomic classes to play a state lottery or a multistate lottery, Mr. Piper?
Mr. Creech: "In an editorial penned by Pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Piper [said:] 'Is it a "blessing" for the church of Jesus Christ to have the backing of a social sickness that destroys marriages, undermines the work ethic, increases crime, motivates suicide, destroys the financial security of families?' "
And by what basis do you classify playing a state lottery or a multistate lottery a "social sickness," Mr. Piper? Simply because some people who play a state lottery or a multistate lottery do not know how to play it in proper moderation and/or do not know how to play it with proper motivation?
BTW, perhaps that just like advocates of Gun Control who blame guns, not specific people, for murdering people, you blame the state lotteries collectively, not specific people, for people who cannot play the lottery in proper moderation and/or with a proper motivation?
Mr. Creech: " 'Don't play the Lottery for Bethlehem Baptist Church. We will not, I pray, salve your conscience by taking one dime of your plunder, or supporting even the thought of your spiritual suicide.' "
"Salve [my] conscience"? No thank-you, my conscience does not and will not need any salving, Mr. Piper.
"Taking one dime of [my] plunder"? I do not believe that the doctrine of [New Covenant] Tithing is Biblical, so neither you nor any other local institutional "church" has to worry about getting any tithes of "plunder" from me, Mr. Piper.
"[My] plunder"? Labeling oneâ
Mr. Creech: " 'We are followers of Jesus.' "
Speaking of Mashiach Yehoshua--if YHVH Elohim gave the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the possessions of others[1] when they gave them the Land of Canaan or the "Promised Land"[2], then why can Mashiach Yehoshua and YHVH Elohim not give certain people the money of others through giving certain people lottery winnings from a state lottery or a multistate lottery?
Footnotes:
[1] Deuteronomy 6:10-12, Psalm 105:44, etc.
[2] Genesis 15:18-21, Genesis 17:8, etc.
Mr. Creech: "Churches that accept gifts from lottery winnings should beware of the deal they make with the devil. They are trading power for prosperity, direction for deviation, and reputation for reproach."
Please, Mr. Creech. All you are doing here is providing unsubstantive anti-lottery rhetoric.
I'm not sure that I agree with the premise of this article. I have never found any specific admonitions against gambling in the Bible. While I respect the men mentioned in the article, their Biblical injuctions are extrapolations of verses that are not contextual to gambling. Greed is the love of money that will drive a person to dishonest measures to attain it. I'm not sure that this qualifies as the odds are the same for everyone and the rules are agreed upon by all who participate. In terms of advancing the kingdom on the backs of the poor, does this mean that the church should refuse the tithes of the poor? We are to give a tithe of all of our increase. God doesn't need chance to advance His Kingdom. Proverbs 16:35 states "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." In other words, there is no such thing as chance. Coveteousness is the harmful desire for things and people that belong to your neighbor, but if he or she volunteers it, it is a gift. I feel bad for the church that lost so much of their membership, but you really can't make a causal connection. Who knows what was going on there in the years leading up to the tithe? I am open minded to change my mind on this topic, but the arguments above are neither Biblical or persuasive.
is that so mr. creech? gambling is a form of coveteousness? what about pastors / televangelist who buy multi million dollar homes, luxury cars & private jets. isn't that covetousness? is that living a high & holy standard? that is hypocrisy. I don't see them deciding to be poor, but want the whole package for themselves.