Sunday, February 22, 2015

Chinese Checking

Our current home is southern Kansas - a state where less than three percent of the population is Asian. Yet for the second year in a row, we received an invitation to celebrate Chinese New Year at a nearby casino.

The offer of a midnight buffet featuring "curry dusted frog legs" didn't really appeal to us. But a coupon for a five-dollar lottery ticket by playing a table game enticed us to make the trip. We couldn't stay long on a Friday afternoon, but we went to an Ultimate Texas Hold 'em table to see what would happen.

BLINDS/ANTE: $5/$5

IN THE POCKET: 6-6

Pocket pairs pre-flop can be a good thing - but a low one like this is potential trouble at a regular table.  Yet in "Ultimate" play, your only opponent is the dealer.  But still we're wary, and choose to check inside of doubling down.

ON THE FLOP: A-K-5

Flops like that are the reason why.  We check again, at the sight of two big cards.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: 10-10

A running pair actually gives us some comfort.  It probably shouldn't, but it does in this case.  We bet the required $5 to stay in the hand with two pair.... and find the dealer misses the board!  It's a $15 gain for us.

Our investment of $60 reached a high of $65 - and we chose to leave at that point. Given our recent casino trips, any gain in Ultimate is a good day.  We moved to a blackjack table, where the odds are supposedly better for winning -- but several 16's stymied us, and we lost $15 there.  It was a modest drop of $10 on the day.  Oh, and the lottery ticket didn't win us anything.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We dared to take a card in blackjack with A-7.  A King came, and we stood on 18 - but other players at the table wondered what we were doing.

"It's a free card," we explained.  Not for them - as they feared we'd lead to something that would help the dealer.

"Rules are made to be broken," a man to our left said.  Perhaps he said it to encourage us - but he actually opened a door.

"Some rules are made to be obeyed," we told the players around us.  "I read a book that's full of rules. It's called the Bible."

One man to our right seemed to nod his head in understanding.  But sadly, some religious groups - and even some Christian groups - would take issue with our comment.  They might say something along these lines: "Christianity is not a list of do's and don'ts." Is that accurate?
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." - Matthew 19:17


Some claim Jesus did away with the Ten Commandments. If that's true, why did He make this comment?  And then go farther?
"Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 19:18-19
Jesus lists half of the Bible's "big ten." And this list is repeated in two other gospel accounts of the Lord's life (Mark 10:18-19; Luke 18:19-20).  The apostle Paul even lists some of them in a letter after Jesus's resurrection (Romans 13:9-10).


Christ made it clear: keeping God's key laws are vital for entering into eternal life.  They were written for us to obey - even now.  Is that what you're doing?


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