The Lottery

So recently there was a $300+ million dollar lottery given out to the poor folks that buy lottery tickets. And I could not help but hear God’s voice…

Now I don’t know if it was a real promise, or if it was meant to get me thinking along this thread, but it seemed as if I heard him say that I could win that if I played.

I don’t play the lottery. To my logical mind, it’s a waste of money. As the joke says, “The Lottery is a tax on people that are bad at math”. Aside from that, I feel it’s against my morals, as it is gambling.

Now God is God, he is completely sovereign. To him nothing is impossible or even difficult. Therefore, if he genuinely told me that I would win if I played, then I would win. It’s a 50-50 shot… either I play and win or I don’t play and don’t win. That’s how I view it.

But it got me thinking. What would $200 Million dollars (after taxes) do for the kingdom of God if I got it? Spending the money on myself is not an option… “for you are bought with a price”. I’m owned by God, and everything that I have is owned by God. I am his “doulos”, slave, bondservant. I have his name on me, his spirit in me, his blood over me, and his law written on my heart.

Therefore, what would I spend it on? What causes are “of God”? I would give money to my home church where I serve, of course. I would give money to overseas missions. I would give money to worthy causes that I feel are doing good. But $300,000,000 is a lot of money. Where would it go, so that it could have a positive effect, and yet not corrupt or lead the recipients into affluence, laziness or corpulence?

Then it hit me. God already provides for those ministries that need it. Nobody needs any more money. God doesn’t give us more than we need usually, because this leads to a bloated bureaucracy… he doesn’t give us “too much” because then we are not faithful with what we have. A $30 million gift to the missions department might give $29.5 million to the missionaries, but they really needed a bigger building. Every dollar should go to reach the lost.

I know of churches that have overspent on God’s provisions, and are now in financial bondage. They sure do have fancy carpet and high technologies and nice cherry wood pews… but the church is having no more effect than it did when it was in it’s previous building. Is this us being faithful with what God has given us?

I’m reminded of Pharisees and the sepulchers…

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Matthew 23:27, KJV

I’m not calling anyone hypocrites, but building a beautiful church building when your city is poor and wretched, strung out on drugs and crime… when people need to be reached… is squandering the resources of the church in the worst way.

Could it be that God has given us all we need already, and if we were but faithful with what he had given us, then he would be faithful to give us our cities? Is this not the focus of the message of Christ?

I also remember the disciples admiring the temple.

And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
Mark 13:1, KJV

What is the purpose of a beautiful building? I fear that this is an indicator of us “rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing”.

The Church has no need of money, or winnings from the Lottery. I certainly don’t. The Church has gotten along just fine, and will continue to do so. More resources just mean we don’t depend on God when we should, and that is the foundation of our faith.