Defying the Odds

Short Answer: Over the course of two years, I was instructed in prayer to learn about gambling and the casino. The first year, had only a few visits and focused entirely on the physical problems and the spiritual dangers of the casino. The second year had several trips as I practiced playing the games and found I had moderate card counting skills and mild dice control. By this time, it was revealed that the long-term goal was to use the casino as a source of funding for helping the poor ... a concept that has some irony and an achievement that will require the miraculous

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Why Would I Participate In Gambling?

I am a conservative Bible believer ... why associate myself with something so dark? It is difficult to come up with any positive aspects of a casino. However, the Eternal's view on things if far above ours and He is known to work in mysterious ways. If He wants to provide for a cause through the almost unlimited funds of the casino, that is His choice to make. And if I am restoring what has been wrongfully taken in order to help the poor I am comfortable with that.

In popular folklore, there is the legend of Robin Hood. He was known for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Although getting money from the rich and giving to the poor seems a good idea, becoming a thief and stealing to get it from them is simply wrong and breaks the commandments. On the other hand, making wagers and winning money from the rich is legal and fine.

Any purely physical attempts to win funds from the casino will result in a still risky and challenging situation where one must not be timid to take the risks involved with wagering and should strictly follow only where there is an advantage play. Any spiritual help to win funds is, by default, going to be a special form of advantage play and may be much easier.

Furthermore, where money is involved, there can be much deception and outright thievery. While it would be nice to assume all casinos are legit, at least some of them do cheat and steal. I believe I will be focusing my efforts on those ... so all the more miraculous to successfully get money out of them.

An Uncommon Walk!

I hope it is clear that I do not think this is something most people should do. I do not think He is leading most people to use this as a tool. It is specifically for people who can handle this type of dangerous situation without being tempted by money. It is His choice to have me use this resource, not mine. In fact, I was quite resistant to the idea initially as my view of gambling has always been that it is a bad thing. He had to show me the difference between a simple wager and all the manipulations that the casino does to show that the casino is the actual enemy form of wagering.

If you read my testimony articles, you will know that I spent most of ten years living in a tent as I studied creation. I am sure that this is not a path the Eternal would have most believers take in their walk. Similarly, I am sure that gaining funds from a casino is something very few would be called to do. I actually find the casino games boring and repetitive and the environment is unfriendly. Even so, I must be wary of the possibility of greed or other sin trying to enter the scene.

I must discourage people from going to a casino unless they are directly instructed to go there by Elohim because they will likely fail miserably and lose much because they are not ready. It is not a one-time thing where you go in and say a quick prayer. It is a lifestyle. It is being in regular prayer and communion, it is continually being busy with doing the work of the kingdom of heaven [in this case childrens outreaches], it is a strict obedience to His leading which has been practiced and learned, it is hating sin and evil so that you know the casino is the enemy. Without all these things, it will be futile to go to a casino to win.

The Funds Are Not Mine

Perhaps most importantly, is that the money is not mine. Many years ago, we had been told we would be 'provided for' back when we lived in Ohio. We traveled for years, helped out at different places for a time, ... eventually, I came to a point where I more fully understood what it meant to be provided for. I realized I was not working for what we needed. I could spend my time working for the Kingdom of Heaven. This was such a wonderful thing! I made a vow to continue like this ... it was not exactly a vow of poverty as poverty can imply a need or a lack of something. But it was a vow to not own anything. What I have is His. He has provided it, He can choose what to do with it.

Therefore the money is not mine. I have to pray before it is spent. If I go to a casino and win a million dollars, it is His to use and not mine. I am still poor personally. As I try to keep expenses to a minimum, funding can go to helping other people. This means I can walk into a casino and it is much easier not to be greedy because anything I get there is not mine. I cannot use it. It is for another. Whomever Elohim says needs it ... which for us is whomever the children's outreach will be currently helping.

It is somewhat ironic that I will be using the money won from the enemy to fund helping people. Winning little or winning big means being able to give to children and families.