Voice of the Kingfisher speaks out …from a different perspective
by Elinor Montgomery
A Gamble or a Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow
January 24, 2008
You have heard it said, “Life is a gamble.” But such is the precept of man and, today, a godless society builds upon this precept. Is there a single corner store, now called the convenience store, which does not sell Lotto tickets? Are there any shopping centers, which do not have booths set up solely for the purpose of luring one into gambling away one’s resources?
And who are the buyers of the Lotto tickets? Generally, they are those who can least afford to spend the money for which they have labored, hard and long, only to gamble it away on a chance at the ‘get-rich-quick’ sham. And who is the benefactor who takes the money from this poorer segment of society, over and above taking their tax dollars? It is your Caesar of the day, no less, your elected ruler over you who is chosen to serve you, your Big Brother, who instead controls you and your money by luring you into his money game. Think about it! They make billions of dollars every year on your hard work, and on the money that goes from your pocket over to theirs.
However, it cannot be ignored that the religious bodies also play Big Brother’s money game. “Put your money on the card before you, and you will play bingo tonight! Take a chance, you could become a winner!” But you will note that it is again the poorer segment of the parish that gambles away its money to the big corporate church, which greedily grabs it away from them. There is barely an institutional church, which does not have the lure of a draw of one form or another. It is all part of today’s form of the money tables, which Jesus overthrew.
God is our Provider. How can I make that statement with absolute surety? Because He has told me so and, strangely enough, He has told you so as well, even though you may not have heard Him. He has a free wealth of treasures waiting in store for you, if you would only be wise enough to claim them. Well might you argue that there is a price for this gift and that the price is too great, even though some of you will gamble away much of your hard-earned dollars for something that you are almost sure not to win!
The gambler has a very different perspective from that of the one seeking rewards from the Lord God. The Lord has chosen you to be a sure winner before you have to pay any price; but then you must choose Him, in return. He has provided a game plan and a guide, which leads you to the treasure. The reward is assured; it is no gamble. He tells us so in the guide Book.
“The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of shekels of gold and silver (Psalm 119:72).” In the same Psalm, the psalmist states that God’s hands have fashioned him and given him enough understanding that he may learn His commandments.
Have we ever stopped to think that, when we regard the segment of society to which we often refer as being slow learners, in its simplicity of spirit, it often reflects the heart of God more than our so-called blessed academia? As opposed to the first group, academia often cannot see the woods for the trees of its brain-power and pride of self; as a result it can be spiritually blinded, and basically suffering from spiritual brain-death, something of which it is unable to conceive, in its lack of understanding.
Let us look at the hearts of the rich and famous, which, in their lust for stardom and wealth, have gambled away their lives – men and women such as O.J. Simpson, Britney Spears and Elizabeth Taylor, to mention but a few. Their appetites are insatiable, and their lusts endless.
Then, in contrast to this segment of society, let us look back at the apostle Paul who helped write the guidelines to truth, with his denunciation of religion and pagan gods. He stated in the book of Romans that if one confesses with one’s mouth the Lord Jesus and believes in one’s heart God raised Him from the dead, then that person will be saved. He goes on to say there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
Note that there is no chance in this message of riches and that if one merely chooses to be a winner, then one can become a winner by simply calling on the Lord. First of all, the million-dollar winner has no purchasing power for eternal life. When he dies the millions, for which he gambled his money, are left behind with the rest of the wealth of the rich and famous. While having gambled for his winnings to come from this present life, the gambler misses the way to the future, which was always there for him in the riches of the Word.
The author of Psalm 119 we do not know, but we do know he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write, “Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold (Psalm 119:127)!” “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure (Psalm 119:162).”
One must make the choice; one can gamble away one’s future by choosing to gamble with one’s life. One thereby places it onto the broad road, which leads to the riches of this world and a future guaranteed plot within the underworld among reptilian spirits. Or else, one can be sure-footed on the path to salvation in the truth of God’s Word in which there is no such thing as a gamble. Truth does not appeal to the gambling spirit, for it does not allow for chance to play a part in outcome.
Truth remains the same today as yesterday, for it comes from a God Who never changes – a God Who knows the beginning from the end. Only He can guide your soul along the Way to life everlasting. Would a win of five, ten, or fifteen million dollars be any kind of substitute for this priceless gift?
No amount of money can buy life for you; you must purchase it with servitude of a life dedicated to the will of the One Who gives it.
Before you reach into your pocket to buy your next ticket of chance for the million-dollar jackpot, or place your money on the bingo card, why not invest, without spending any money, in something, which will guarantee the pot of pure gold at the end of the rainbow? Jesus is the Light broken for you and me (the rainbow). Eternal life is the pure gold in the pot at the end of the rainbow.
Invest your money in a Bible, and you will possess the guiding map, which will lead you to truth. It is guaranteed to lead you to that incredibly desirable pot of gold containing everlasting life, the free winnings to be found at the end of the rainbow.