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Would You ?


Lottery Money  

16 members have voted

  1. 1. Should your Church accept lottery money?

  2. 2. Should Christians play the lottery?



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http://www.foxnews.c...-win-m-jackpot/

If someone was to give a large sum of money to your church, and you knew it was coming from lottery/gambling money, would you accept it? Why or why not?

Personally I would not. I believe this money comes from that which the Bible tells us not to do, I believe gambling/lottery is covetousness.

You can vote in the poll and not add a comment. Edited by Bro Jim
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I think its not yes/no...I think it falls under the category of eating meat offered to idols.

In the NT they were told not to really ask questions, for conscience' sake. Just eat it. However if they make a scene about it being from idols, then you'd prOBably decline, for testimony's sake.

Say someone wins the lottery and gets several million per year annuity. 5 years later they move to your church and start tithing off of it. I don't necessarily thing it would be wrong to accept the money unless the person makes it clear its from the lottery and the pastor asks not to receive it. On the other hand, it may be that person's "income"...what if they get saved after they win the jackpot? And they want to tithe off of it?

Of course all the hypothetical stuff may never happen...I'm just saying that its not a yes or no answer. I feel its prOBably highly unlikely any IFB would win a jackpot anyway, so its pretty moot. LOL.

As for playing the lottery...no we do not play it...although with the huge jackpot going right now....my flesh wishes. haha. Although for a vast majority of people, its a simple waste of money! I mean logically speaking, that jackpot comes from all the millions of dollars people WASTE on the lottery!!!! That's a lot!!!!

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We had a lady in our church win the lottery about ten years ago, and she became a multi-millionaire. Pastor declined the tithe when she offered it. It's not an easy decision, and I don't think it's really clear cut, but in that situation I think it was the right one. We we're just getting ready to go into a building program, and if pastor had taken the money everyone would know or think that our church was built on lottery money. It was a public thing, everyone knew about it, and everyone knew what his decision was.

The situation Kita described is quite different.

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The answers are easy, NO, NO, NO, & NO!

Of course the lottery money would be blood money, money gained by sin. No New Testament Church should receive, accept, and money that is OBtained by sin. Yet many will happily accept it.

I recently read a book, the pastor that wrote the book told of a woman who claimed to have been saved and he baptized her. Yet she held onto her old life of gambling and drinking. He said I prayed that she would win much money for our church was in bad need of money to build out church.

Its quite amazing at the pastors, and church members that think ill gotten money is OK.

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I think comparing it to meat offered to idols would be carrying it to the extreme.

We all use computers, and some have telephones. Both can be used to promote licentiousness and sexual immorality. We all use shampoos, yet many of these shampoo companies use some of their proceeds to promote things that are not of God. Same with telephone companies, cable television, etc..

If someone offered the money to me, I am not sure that I would take it based on the fact that I would not want that person or others thinking he was buying favors with the Church or buying his way into God's grace.

Scripture is not totally silent on the gambling issue, for instance, throughout the Old Testament, and even in the New, we see people casting lots. There are times when it is good and times when it is bad.

Joshua was said to have cast lots before the Lord in Joshua 18. Yet there was no reprimand by God for doing thus.

If one looks at the account of the soldiers who cast lots for Jesus' raiment, there is no reprimand for doing so found in the Word of God. Does that mean they were right to do so? No, I do not believe they were. Not because it was a sin to cast lots, but because of their mockery I see that as wrong.

We all gamble with things every day. Some will gamble on God overlooking something that the don't see as too bad a sin. Some gamble on arriving at a destination safely when they are driving,.

Where I see gambling as wrong is when one uses his or her money or a poker game or a roulette wheel, slots, or other thing where they are losing money that could be providing for their household. 1 Timothy 5 tells us "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

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StandingFirm...I don't know if I can completely agree with you...on the other hand, many Christians play the stock market could be considered a gamble, because you have the chance of losing quite a bit of money if stock crashes. That's something that should make us go "Hmmmmm".....

I think the lottery is an unwise use of money plus its a bad testimony.

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Well, while it is true that I have not played the lottery in many, many years, if I had the extra money, I would feel no shame in buying a lottery ticket.

For one thing, a lottery ticket is not 'blood money' despite a claim that it is.

Most state lotteries use a good percentage of the money people spent on the lottery to fund books and materials for the education system to teach our children. That is not blood money.

I was given a ticket years ago that was bought for $1. It was a game in Virginia called Double Take. That $1 ticket put $2,000 in my pocket. It was not given to me for the Church, nor to buy favor. It was a gift for me personally. You betcha I cashed it.

Call me a heretic if you wish, but there is not one verse in the Word of God to condemn me, nor to condemn the man for buying it for me. He lived by himself, so he was not taking away from home needs. I worked part time for him setting up mOBile homes on empty lots. And the ticket was part of his appreciation to me. (he paid me for my work with cash too)

The Bible nowhere condemns the lottery, and to look down on someone who accepts a lottery winning is wrong.

edited to add: Most people who play the lottery do so using money they earned through working. If they earned it and can afford to buy a lottery ticket, I say let them have at it.

Edited by Standing Firm In Christ
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I believe gaining an income by gambling of any sort comes under the heading of "filthy lucre", and the scriptural principle is that the church should stay well clear of it.



1 Samuel 8:3 And his sons walked n
ot
in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgme
nt
.




1 Tim
ot
hy 3:3 N
ot
given to wine, no striker, n
ot
greedy of filthy lucre; but patie
nt
, n
ot
a brawler, n
ot
covetous;




1 Tim
ot
hy 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, n
ot
doubletongued, n
ot
given to much wine, n
ot
greedy of filthy lucre;




Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; n
ot
selfwilled, n
ot
soon angry, n
ot
given to wine, no striker, n
ot
given to filthy lucre;




1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, n
ot
by constrai
nt
, but willingly; n
ot
for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;



Websters 1828 Dictionary definition:
LU'CRE, n. lu'ker. [L. lucrum.] Gain in money or goods; profit; usually in an ill sense, or with the sense of something base or unworthy.

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We had a lady in our church win the lottery about ten years ago, and she became a multi-millionaire. Pastor declined the tithe when she offered it. It's not an easy decision, and I don't think it's really clear cut, but in that situation I think it was the right one. We we're just getting ready to go into a building program, and if pastor had taken the money everyone would know or think that our church was built on lottery money. It was a public thing, everyone knew about it, and everyone knew what his decision was.


Hi Bro. Rick, that was a good decision by your pastor. I'm curious, how did that lady react to the decision? Is she faithful in church, still coming to your church?


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I am not convinced that which is won in a lottery is filthy lucre.

As I said, most who play the lottery do so with hard earned money. If that is filthy lucre, then every paycheck across America is also filthy lucre.

Notice Webster says it is 'Gain in money or goods; profit; usually in an ill sense'

It can't mean gain from one's employment. it means profit... usually in an ill sense. That would be if the money was gained from selling stolen property, gained from selling illegal contraband, gain from rOBbery, murder or such like.

But for one to take his own money that he has worked for and to purchase a lottery ticket that will be paid by the state if the ticket is a winner cannot be considered 'filthy lucre.'

Edited by Standing Firm In Christ
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There is also the important scriptural principle of 'Christian stewardship'.

The premise is that everything we have is from God, even our honest hard earned money. God gives us the health & energy, the ability, the time & opportunities to work and bring in an income and we are to be good stewards of all the we receive at His hand, and use it for His glory, amen.

Psalms 50:10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.


Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Gambling and taking unnecessary risks with God's money is not good stewardship, it is called wasting (Luke 16:1).

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There is also the important scriptural principle of 'Christian stewardship'.

The premise is that everything we have is from God, even our honest hard earned money. God gives us the health & energy, the ability, the time & opportunities to work and bring in an income and we are to be good stewards of all the we receive at His hand, and use it for His glory, amen.

Psalms 50:10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.


Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Gambling and taking unnecessary risks with God's money is not good stewardship, it is called wasting (Luke 16:1).
I'm sorry, I didn't know 'manifold grace of God' meant money?

The fact is, if gambling were truly sinful as many claim, Joshua would not have cast lots before the Lord without the Lord rebuking him for it.

As I said, if someone wants to spend a dollar they worked to earn , on a lottery ticket, it is their dollar to do as they wish. The winnings are not given to them by an underhanded drug dealer off the street, it is given to them by the state.

I am reminded of the time Jesus was asked by the Pharisees if they should pay tribute. Jesus asked for a penny and asked whose inscription was on the penny. Remember his answer when they said 'Caesar'? He said they were to 'Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's.' In other words... God doesn't want our money! Shocked? Well, it's true. The penny had Caesar on it. It was the property of Caesar.

Our money is own by the United States Treasury. If one spends a dollar on the lottery, guess what? That dollar goes to the state where the state distributes part of it to the educational system. Edited by Standing Firm In Christ
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Standing firm,

I noticed that a few times you stated that the money was "earned" and "hard earned". I think that's the main prOBlem here with the disagreement. You are approaching possessions as something that you (or anyone else) can earn or get on their own. Myself (and OBviously a few others in this thread) believe that nothing is "ours" by our doing, but only because God gave it to us. When that's the case, we don't gamble with what He gives us, but rather seek to be good stewards of that "manifold grace" (yes, physical blessings are what this is referring to). If you have an "extra" dollar, it should be given to God, not the lottery that aides in educating the children throughout this country in the lies and deception of satan's ways.

Hope that makes more sense for you.

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Standing firm,

I noticed that a few times you stated that the money was "earned" and "hard earned". I think that's the main prOBlem here with the disagreement. You are approaching possessions as something that you (or anyone else) can earn or get on their own. Myself (and OBviously a few others in this thread) believe that nothing is "ours" by our doing, but only because God gave it to us. When that's the case, we don't gamble with what He gives us, but rather seek to be good stewards of that "manifold grace" (yes, physical blessings are what this is referring to). If you have an "extra" dollar, it should be given to God, not the lottery that aides in educating the children throughout this country in the lies and deception of satan's ways.

Hope that makes more sense for you.

And yet, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself disagrees with your theory that nothing is our by our doing. Notice:

Matthew 20:1-14 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

Jesus showed that people earn the money they get. They are hired to work and earn that which they agree to work for. Those who received a penny worked for that penny. And He who hired told them "Take that thine is." Notice He did not say "Take my money," He said "Take that thine is."

The money is not God's money, it belongs to the one who worked for it. If that one wants to give it to a Church, fine. If he wants to buy a lottery ticket, he can do that too. Edited by Standing Firm In Christ
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You take a parable outside it's context and you can make it mean anything you wish. This in no way supports your argument. It's merely a vain attempt to twist scripture to support a liberalistic approach of "I can do anything I feel like with my stuff". The truth still remains: God is the provider.


Matthew 6

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot ° serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold ° the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.


Who provides it??

And...if you are saved, as I presume you claim to be, Christ has bought you and you belong to Him. Therefore, anything that is yours is not yours at all, but belongs to Him.

You show me how you can truly walk in the spirit and buy a lottery ticket at the same time and I will show you a misled fool. You can't serve two masters.

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