Good Reception

The National League of Poker gives, and then it takes away. Only days after we won two dollars in a cash freeroll, NLOP dropped the nightly freerolls again. Perhaps it was a limited-time offer.

So for the last few days, we've been trying out free PokerStars.Net tournaments for the first time in years. We're not in a U.S. state where we can win money, but the challenge is good and the "entry chips" are structured generously.

It was at a Poker Stars table that we met a player named "ReceiveJesus." We tried to strike up a  chat....

flopblogger: Good to see that name, "Receive Jesus"
flopblogger: Methinks everyone should

There was no response from that player. But the concept is a good one. It comes from Jesus Himself:

He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. - Matthew 10:40

Jesus was speaking here to His 12 main disciples, before He sent them out to the surrounding area (verse 5). It's humbling to think that disciples represent God the Father and Jesus the Son. But they do - and there's even a payoff for you if you accept them:

Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. - Matthew 10:41

Someone is "righteous" because of what Jesus Christ has done - not really because of anything you do:

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.... - Romans 3:21-22

Jesus wants you to receive Him in faith, to gain the reward of the righteous which is eternal life with Him (Hebrews 10:35-38). But Jesus won't force His way upon you. You must willingly receive Him:

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. - Revelation 3:20

If you catch the right card on the river, you can win a pot and survive in a tournament. If you "catch Christ" by receiving Jesus, the reward will be even better. Is it time for you to make the reception?

Poker Day 579: Rocket Test

They say any two cards can win a poker hand. But let's be honest: some cards are better than others, and are more likely to win. That thinking was tested today, when we joined a Friday morning deep-stack tournament at Jack Casino in Cincinnati....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: Ace of spades-Ace of clubs

Starter cards don't come much better than this! And we're in the starting position for this hand, sitting to the immediate left of the Big Blind. So we apply an old strategy: limp early, bet late. We call. A man across the table to our left raises to 1,200. A young man across and to our right calls. Other players to our right fold.

What would you do in our situation? This looks like a perfect moment to three-bet. We raise to 3,400. Others who tried to limp in now fold. The man who raised thinks it over, then calls. So does the man to our right. So three players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Q-5-6

Harmless looking to us! Still in lead position, it's time for the stereotypical continuation bet.

"I'll be consistent," we say - and bet 3,400 again. The man to our left gets the hint, and folds. But the young man to our right dares to take us on - and raise to 10,000.

What could this be about? We don't think he has pocket Queens, because he probably would have three-bet pre-flop before we did. We conclude he's overconfident with A-Q, so we go for it.

"I'm all-in," we say. A few early wins gave us a top score of 29,900 chips from a starting 25,000. We do this from a hand-starting total of about 26,000.

"I'll call," he answers - as we expected, given his raise. "Two pair."

Whaaaaattt? He turns over 5-6! Phil Hellmuth might call him a "donkey" on the spot. We don't. That's not our way. Instead, we hope for cards to bail us out. Preferably a Queen, for a better two pair. Another 5 or 6 will give our opponent a full house.

ON THE TURN: 2

No help there. One card to go, and we count five outs.

ON THE RIVER: 3

It's a painful, stunning loss. Our opponent's big gamble gets a big payoff, and we leave the table after only an hour of play - eighth out of nine players at our starting table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man to our right wondered if he could promote an upcoming local church festival with a poster in the poker room.

"They won't let you," the dealer quickly responded. This is a casino, not the corner store.

But that didn't stop us from promoting our upcoming festival, by word of mouth. "The church group I attend is planning a big festival in October," we said. It's so big that a hotel in Cincinnati has been reserved for it.

The other man was intrigued, so we explained. "It's called the Feast of Tabernacles, based on the Old Testament - and it runs for eight days."

Have you heard or read about this event? It's mentioned several times in the Bible. Even Jesus attended it....

But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.... after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. - John 7:2, 10

Don't be fooled by that "Jewish" label. For one thing, Jesus Christ was Jewish:

For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. - Hebrews 7:14

For another thing, the Biblical command to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (which has several names in Scripture) was given to all the tribes of Israel - all the way back at Mount Sinai:

...Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. - Exodus 23:16

Several churches in our area have weekend "festivals" during the summer. This festival is commanded by God and lasts an entire week - with an eighth-day holy day to wrap it up (Leviticus 23:36, 39).

If you'd like to know more about this "fall Feast," it's not too late to join in - and there are places to celebrate it around the world. Many groups will start it off with a Sunday night worship service on October 13. This independent site explains what the Feast of Tabernacles is, and how to find a location near you. (We've even played poker during it, and sometimes done very well.)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 222 final tables in 579 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes.

Poker Night 577: Over the River and To the Whoa

"Are the rules for tournament poker different in Canada?" we asked jokingly as we sat down for a Sunday evening game. "Like, maybe, an extra card on the river?" - a reference to Canadian football having three downs, compared to the U.S. four.

"Since you're American, you get only one hole card," a man to our left replied.

We traveled about 300 miles north of our home to Caesars Windsor Casino, across the river from Detroit. Our main goal was to see firsthand how people mark Canada Day on Monday. if poker winnings can help us pay for the trip, all the better.

With a strong exchange rate, a 65-Canadian dollar buy-in ($5 more for 500 bonus early bird chips) is less expensive than our home casinos. And no, the Texas Hold 'em rules aren't really different. The only quirk was that after a few levels, the player with the button had to ante the Big Blind amount. If only we could make it that far, on the Sunday night of a holiday weekend.... 

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Ace-4 of spades

An early try failed, so we start this hand with about 6,750 chips. These are suited. At least one card is high. So why not call? About four other players at the table of nine join in.

ON THE FLOP: Ad-Qh-6h (third card not precise)

There's our Ace. No one is betting. So we offer 175 at the pot. That chases most people away, except for a woman to our right who calls.

ON THE TURN: Ah

We may be in Canada, but now we're a "triple A" member. But there's one problem. Three hearts are showing. Our opponent checks to us. We raise the bet to 250. She calls. Uh-oh.

ON THE RIVER: 4h

Big-time uh-oh. It's a fourth heart! Our opponent checks again, and we have to hit the brakes and check with care to avoid a trap. She turns over Kd-Jh.

"You hit the flush," we say with a bit of disappointment. So the pot goes to....

"You've got a full house," the joking man to our left points out. Why, yes - yes we do! We never noticed it until he said it!

"You have a case of early-game jitters?" a man across the table asks. We didn't think so. We simply were looking for one thing (in this case something bad) - but the river brought an unexpected nice surprise.

That win improved our chip stack to a high of 8,800. But it was our best showing of the evening. Not many good cards came, but clever betting "stole" us a couple of pots with modest hands. We reached the first break after 90 minutes with 6,075.

Things didn't get better from there, as A-7 and A-8 were drowned by pre-flop raises. Finally with 2,300 chips left, we went all-in with A-J. That won us a split pot to stay alive. But minutes later, we were all-in for a 300 ante with pocket 2's. While we had a diamond to make a flush, another player had higher diamonds to top us. Final result: about 40th place, on a night with about 105 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Late in the tournament, we tried limping in for 600 with something like J-10 suited. That had unexpected consequences, as a man on our left folded a better hand.

"I had Ace-9," he explained later. "And I know you're supposed to push with that. But he [us] limped in, so I couldn't do it."

We didn't explain what we had, but we responded generally. "Thank you for having mercy on me," we said with a smile. "A famous book says mercy rejoices over justice."

We added a question to the players about what that book might be. We think a man to our immediate right knew. Regular readers of this blog ought to know - and we admittedly didn't word it quite correctly:

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. - James 2:13 (NASB)

It's easy to point fingers and mock new poker players who make "rookie mistakes." It's another thing to take a moment to counsel that player about what they did wrong, or how they could play better. Remember that judgment will come someday for how you handled both big moments and small ones:

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27 (NASB)

Whose judgment? The judgment of God's Son:

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you set at nought your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. - Romans 14:10 (KJV)

Yet here's the amazing thing: you can turn that judgment seat into a "mercy seat". It starts by repenting of your sins, seeking God's forgiveness and help in walking in a holy way.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. - Matthew 5:9 (NLT)

What are you showing in your life - and what kind of seat do you prefer?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 221 final tables in 577 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes.

Conscious or Con?

Our last post introduced you to young man at a final table with some unusual theories about life. When we brought up our belief in the second coming of Jesus Christ, he said he believed in a "Christ consciousness."

Is this how you look at God and Jesus? Is the Godhead (as some call it) simply a good way of thinking? Or is there more than that?

A good moral conscience might influence how you play poker. For instance, you might tell other players that they're exposing their cards to you. But other players can work in exactly the opposite direction....

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. - Titus 1:15

In other words. a lack of belief can corrupt your conscience. So belief can make your conscience right. But belief in what?

I speak the truth in Christ - I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit - I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. - Romans 9:1-2

Our NIV Study Bible has this note about these verses: "Conscience is a reliable guide only when enlightened by the Holy Spirit." How does the Spirit give you a true Christ-conscience?

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. - Hebrews 11:6

It takes faith that God exists. And that includes both the Father and the Son....

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.... Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. - I John 5:1, 5

Having a "Christ consciousness" is good. Believing that Jesus Christ was a conscious human being who's now in heaven as the Son of God (with "Christ" meaning "Messiah") is even better. Why not take your belief "all the way to the river" - and believe in what Jesus came to Earth to do for you?

Clever or Deceptive?

Sometimes the poker game starts well and gets better. But many times, the cards run dry and you're tempted to get creative to win pots. How far would you go to do that?

We've been analyzing an article on something many poker players would appreciate: deceit. It can be as subtle as making a big bet on the turn with three clubs showing - or as outlandish as going all in before the flop with 8-3 offsuit.

Trouble is, this article calls deceit a sin. That's because the history of that concept is not very good....

Then the Lord God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it." - Genesis 3:13 (NLT)

This Bible verse comes from the garden of Eden, where the devil appeared as a serpent and persuaded Eve (the woman) to eat from a tree that God declared off-limits (verses 1-6). That brought sin to Earth, and it's spread from there.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God.... Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. - Romans 1:28-29 (NLT)

Deception (a similar word to deceit) follows from not acknowledging God. We each have to ask ourselves: is it "part of the game" in poker and "good fun" - or is it a sign of something deeper and more sinister in our lives?

The good news is that God sent Someone to overcome Satan's deceits....

Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. - Hebrews 2:17 (NLT)

Jesus Christ not only offered the sacrifice. He was the sacrifice - dying so that His blood would cover and remove our sins. He even gave His bruised and abused body that we might be healed (Luke 22:19-20).

Many believers will symbolically take Jesus's "blood" and "body" this week, at a ceremony which has several names. The Bible calls it Passover, the Lord's Supper or "communion." Whatever name you use, it shows a commitment to what Jesus has done. If you're not familiar with it, this article explains it. Will you accept what Jesus has done for you - and live a deception-free life?

Into the Unknown

We've been writing about our "seven-game mix" tournament during the recent Heartland Poker Tour visit to our area. It included several versions of poker that we'd never played before, and couldn't find for online practice.

"So wait," you might be saying. "Why would you enter a poker tournament when you don't really know how to play the games?"

Yes, that thought occurred to us as well. It was a set-up for potential disaster. Yet we chose to try, anyway. In part, it was because of the opportunity to do our main goal of ministry. And in part, it was a step of faith. A famous book defines it this way....

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. - Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

 We had no way of knowing what would happen in the tournament. The order of the games wasn't even determined until we showed up.

Yet that's how faith operates - and if you think about it, poker players use more faith than they might realize. Why would you call a big bet with a draw for the nut flush? Why would you pursue an open-ended straight draw? It's due to faith that the right card could come.

But this Bible verse challenges us to make our faith bigger. It's more than an Ace on the river. It's
about believing in a God who created real rivers....

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. - Hebrews 11:3 (NLT)

Atheism demands physical proof of things. So does scientific research. But Biblical faith calls for belief in evidence that seems incomplete to the naked eye. It also calls for walking every day in that sort of faith.

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. - I Timothy 1:19 (NLT)

Read all of Hebrews 11 to see some amazing examples of faith-filled people in history. Then put your faith "in Christ" - far more than a poker hand. When Jesus comes again (and we write in faith, based on the Bible, that He will), your faith will be rewarded.

The Rule Book

How confusing was it to play in a "seven-game mix" poker tournament? So confusing that a dealer was stopped for tossing third cards face-down at our table - because the dealer was thinking Pot Limit Omaha, instead of a Stud game.

In fact, at one point other players complimented a dealer for stopping after two cards in a Hold 'Em hand! And the dealers kept a chart at their seat of what the blinds, antes and "bring-in" prices were at various moments.

The rules for Razz are very different than for Omaha. Isn't it nice to know that there are some places where the basic rules never change? The original "rule book" for life is one of them....

I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. - Malachi 3:6

God says He doesn't change. And the Son is described this way....

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8

Admittedly God and Jesus did change some things during the time span recorded by the Bible. For instance, Jesus took a traditional ceremony called the Passover and added foot-washing to it (John 13:1-17). Yet the basic rules of the Godhead have not changed:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. - Matthew 5:17

The main rules for living can be found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. We know them now as "the Ten Commandments." You might be surprised by how many professing Christians can't name them all. Jesus didn't do away with them - instead, He summed them up:

Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. - Matthew 22:37-40

Have you forgotten God's big ten rules? Reach for a Bible and review them. And as you do, ask yourself - have you forgotten them in practice? Are you really doing all ten? That takes some soul-searching - or what the Bible describes as "examining yourself" (II Corinthians 13:5). This is a perfect time to change yourself, to become more like an unchangeable God.

Faith at Work

We mentioned to a table at a recent poker tournament how everyone should be a "person of faith." No one asked about it then, but perhaps it a question with you: what is a "person of faith," anyway?

Baptist preacher Charles Stanley said years ago, "Everybody has faith.... in something." You may have faith in your poker-playing skills, and how they can make you money. Perhaps your faith is in your money - that you have a big enough bank account to survive a personal or national trial.

The Bible offers several definitions of faith. Here's a common one:

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. - Hebrews 11:1

Come to think of it, doesn't that rule out faith in money? You can pull that out of the bank or investments and stash lots of dollar bills under your mattress.

But the Bible is talking about a different kind of faith here....

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. - Hebrews 11:3

Not even the strongest believer in reincarnation would dare say he/she remembers what happened at creation. It admittedly takes faith to believe that happened, although there's some scientific evidence to support it.

But here's the biggest "faith matter" for you and me....

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. - Hebrews 11:6

God actually wants you to come to Him, as Jesus encouraged (Matthew 11:28). But it takes faith to believe Someone you've never directly seen.

Many poker players ought to know a little about faith. How many times have you called bets with a straight or flush draw? You have faith (or, better put, hope) that the key card will come to give you a winning hand - even if the mathematical odds are against you.

 It may seem like even more faith is needed to believe God. But what other hope do you have of advancing past this life?

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.... If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. - I Corinthians 15:14, 19

Yet the Bible records the resurrection of Jesus Christ, from several reports. Put your faith in them, and by extension in a God who raises the dead. After all, He wants to raise you to eternal life.

Memories of "Buddha"

We saw this on Facebook Saturday night, from the place where our poker-playing began....

Goodbye to a great guy and sometime a obnoxious one but he had a heart of Gold..RIP Buddha

He went by "Buddha," (center) but we never were sure of his real name. (As we recall, he hid that for legal reasons.) He was a true larger-than-life poker character - so large that he somewhat resembled a Buddha statue, and sat almost sideways at makeshift poker tables in the Columbus, Georgia area.

He also had another nickname - one we ironically remembered a few weeks ago when we quoted his mic-drop line, "I flopped it" during a poker tournament. After winning some big pots (and he eliminated us more than once), he would announce in a loud voice: "That's why they call me BIG DADDY!!!"

(By the way, that last link includes an example of why the Facebook announcement called him "sometime... obnoxious".)

We interviewed "Big Daddy" for an unusual Father's Day post on our old news-and-humor blog (the blog which led to this one). He talked there about competing in the U.S. Sumo Wrestling Championships. But we don't know if he ever did. Someone with a pro wrestling troupe might have made an interesting discovery.

If Buddha had played in Las Vegas, he could have become a regular on TV poker nights. His size and personality would have made him, well, a "character" - not unlike some pro wrestlers. And let's face it: interesting characters always make TV more interesting. It's true in poker; think about Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson's personalities, which have made them famous.

But after a lengthy illness, Buddha died at approximately age 38. If he was really Buddhist, he never said so. But we shared our faith with him a few times at poker tables, and concluded he was simply not a religious person. If that describes you, consider a verse we mentioned here recently....

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27 (NLT)

No matter what you believe - or even if you don't - death is inevitable. The big question is what happens after that. Buddhists believe they'll enter "nirvana" or be reincarnated. But the Christian Bible says there will be judgment. How will that happen?

...When the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. - II Thessalonians 1:7-8 (NLT)

The judgment won't happen until Jesus returns - and it won't be immediate. Buddha will rest for quite a while....

The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.... I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne... And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:5, 12 (NLT)

Jesus is coming to judge - a judgment that includes a "lake of fire" (verse 15). But as we say in poker, you have an "out"....

...People escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.... - II Peter 2:20 (NLT)

We quoted the "good news" part of that verse; there's a warning in the rest of it for people who don't really make the effort to escape.

So our sympathies go to Buddha's family and poker friends. May they turn to Christ, not that better-known Buddha - and be able to sing what another "Big Daddy" recorded several years ago.

Poker Night 568: Four-warned?

Driving to poker night in six-degree F. cold was challenging enough. But as we crossed the Ohio River toward Lawrenceburg, Indiana Wednesday night, a light on our dashboard starting blinking. We'd never seen the "tire light" blink before.

"I'm heading to a poker night, but I'd don't want to gamble with my tires," we told a man at an automotive shop where we stopped. The man understood, and a check showed our tires simply needed a little air. (The blinking was something else, which we'll explain another time.)

With that service done for free, we drove on to Hollywood Casino Indiana. Would warning lights abound as we returned to night tournaments?

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 4-4

We won an early pot with A-10, which topped a man's A-8. But slow losses after that (including one with A-K) have put us at about 10,500 out of a starting 12,000. Now we have a small pocket pair in the Small Blind. The table of six isn't betting. So we choose to trap and call. The Big Blind checks, so we're heads-up.

ON THE FLOP: 4-3-Q

Four the win! A third four plays exactly into our strategy. Small Blind plays first, so we check. Big Blind bets 200. We call, of course.

ON THE TURN: K

No worries to us. Our patient play continues, with another check. Now Mr. Big Blind offers 425. We call, of course.

ON THE RIVER: 10

We have no idea what out opponent has. But he's betting, so we'll let him do it again with another check. This time, though, he checks as well.

"I hoped you'd bet again," we admit as we show "trip fours." Our opponent folds without showing a thing.

"At least I only lost 625," he admits. His wariness of us was correct, and that saved him a larger loss.

We reached the first break with 11,525 chips. A slow drain continued after that - but with only 16 players in action, we made it to the final table with 9,200.

After two players dropped out, a man bet 6,000 with us in the Big Blind. We saw pocket Queens and naturally called. So did a third player - and that man turned a 4 into his own "trip fours" on the river. Our big winning hand turned into our big loser, and we drove home with eighth place and no more blinking lights.

MINISTRY MOMENT: One young man at our starter table is chewing Nicorette gum, to overcome a tobacco habit.

"It beats smoking, I guess," he said. We agreed with this. Lots of things are better than smoking, especially for your body.

"We're all gonna die of something," he added. We agree with that, too. But that gave us a thought.

"And after you die.... what happens?" we asked.

"Most likely.... nothing."

"But what if there's a judgment?" we followed. "There very well could be."

Some ministers would say that response was too soft. We should have spoken in more convicting faith. because the Bible has no "could-bes" about this:

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27 (NLT)

People unaware or unaccepting of God have no real knowledge of this. That's because they haven't seen it directly. But a Christian should have faith in God, but in what He plans to do for people after this physical life is over.

For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead. - Acts 17:31 (NLT)

These words originally said to the generation alive after Jesus Christ was resurrected. Some of them may have heard about it. But other people who actually saw the risen Savior may have still been living witnesses to it. Jesus will come back to judge. But there's some good news about that, back in Hebrews....

...So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await him. - Hebrews 9:28 (NASB)

People who "eagerly await" Jesus strive to live a life free of sin. They repent, if and when they do sin. They long for salvation and eternal life, and the Bible promises they'll receive it. Other people who expect "nothing" after death are in for a rude surprise. Why take a chance with that? Isn't the better course to accept salvation through Jesus now?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 216 final tables in 568 games (38.0%) - 46 cashes.

First, Second or Chop?

Some people show up at poker tournaments with other issues on their minds. We mentioned one recent game where a player was in the area for a funeral - and we tried to remind him of the Bible's promise of a resurrection.

Believers in God have held onto that hope for thousands of years - even in Old Testament times:

If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. - Job 14:14 (KJV)

Job is not talking here about setting out a 1,000 chip and betting 250. The "change" he wants is described in the NIV as a "renewal" - a body being renewed to new life. Jesus Christ confirmed that....

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies…." - John 11:25

But our prior post may have surprised you, by mentioning multiple resurrections. It's explained in the Bible's final chapters....

...They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. - Revelation 20:4-5

The first resurrection belongs to those who are faithful to God until the end of their lives (first part of verse 4; Hebrews 11:35). But if there's a first one, that logically means there's going to be at least a second one - after Jesus rules over Earth for a millennium.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:12

This will be a massive resurrection, likely involving billions of people. It also will be a resurrection of judgment, with this sobering warning....

If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:15

Some believers actually consider this a third resurrection - with the rebellious burned up along death and "Hades" (verse 14). This really is not a "podium finish." The Bible calls it a "second death."

We've won some money in poker tournaments lately by "chopping" the prize money with other players. We're thankful to do that, even if it means a little less than a first-place prize. But some tournaments don't work that way; the World Series of Poker Main Event comes down to one person in first place, with another in second.

God's judgment works the same way. We see nothing in the Bible to indicate you can "straddle" and be in more than one resurrection. Which resurrection you receive ultimately is up to God, since He's the only one who can resurrect us. But read Revelation 20, and strive for the first one. Any judgment there apparently will be quick, with the prize assured.

Poker Day 551: Going Greens

It's been about six years since we were off on Labor Day. So were took advantage of the privilege to enter a holiday morning poker tournament at Jack Casino - making sure we thanked the dealers and cashiers who were on duty. So was it a paid holiday for us?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: Q-J of spades

Early efforts have not gone well for us. Our starting stack of 15,000 chips eroded to about 9,500, before we won a modest pot to begin a comeback. Now we're in the Big Blind at a seven-player table with 11,450, and have set out four stacks of lime-green chips worth 25 each.

"You don't like greens?" a man to our left asks.

"Sometimes I don't have any choice," we say. Such as now.

After the cards are dealt, that man raises to 1,200. "You don't seem to like orange," we point out. (An orange chip is worth 1,000). But with strong suited connectors, we call - taking back some of those greens as we do. We're now heads-up.

ON THE FLOP: Qc-2d-Qd

A Big Blind Special, if there ever was one! But we humbly check to the raiser. He offers 2,000.

"Raise," we say. We go up to 5,000. Our opponent calls, with a bit of a shrug.

ON THE TURN: K

This card is a bit concerning. What if he has something like K-Q? This time, we're not waiting.

"I'm all-in," we say - pushing in our last 5,250. This puts our opponent in the tank.

"So you're saying you have a Queen."

"I could be saying a lot of things," we tell him. The last thing we want to do is say his read is right.

"But I can't really get off these," he muses. After several moments, he calls with fewer chips - and shows pocket Aces. Our three of a kind will win, if we dodge one card.

ON THE RIVER: 7

Yea - for a change, we do! The man arrived late to the table, and leaves early - while we expand to more than 24,000 chips.

More success came minutes later, as K-J brought K-J-9 on the flop. We dared to call an opponent's push for more than 13,000, and our two pair wound up eliminating two men! It brought our most massive chip harvest in years, and led to a high of nearly 48,000.

That helped us through a dry period, and we reached the two-hour break at 35,350. But then, an amazing evaporation happened. We lost 3,000 to a pre-flop raise, then another 9,000 in the Big Blind when our pair of Kings lost to the Small Blind's 7-5 which made two pair.

Then with a push across the table and a caller, we saw A-J and dreamt big. We went all-in for about 19,000 - but a woman with Q-Q topped both us and the pusher with A-7. A day where we thought we could cruise to the final table ended with us falling short, finishing with a head-scratching tie for 15th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Jack Casino is a stickler when it comes to playing out of turn. A man at our first table received a one-hand penalty simply for a checking motion. So we waited later to be sure the player ahead of us acted, before doing anything.

"Don't want to wind up in the sin bin," a man sitting to our left said when we explained it. That phrase gave us a thought.

"You know, we've all sinned," we told the man, "and come short of the glory of God."

The man pondered a moment. "Did that come from a 2,000-year-old book? That's been translated about 5,000 times?"

Why yes.... yes, it did. Do you know where we found that?

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.... - Romans 3:23

"But that book [the Bible] has the way out of sin," we responded.

We waited for a reaction, but the statement brought nothing but silence. We're not sure if the man knows what that way is or not. Do you know?

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

A lot of applications are embedded in these words. But let's focus on Jesus being the way. He likened Himself elsewhere to being a door (as the King James Version puts it) or a gate....

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. - John 10:9

We enter God's holy throne through Jesus the Son (Hebrews 10:19-22) - and salvation comes to us through Jesus Christ. But there's something you need to do:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - I John 1:9

Confess them, then repent of them - turning your ways and life over to God, and away from the sins you've been doing. Perhaps you do them while playing poker. Search yourself, asking God for His help in discovering what they are. Then act on what He shows you. There's no penalty for doing that.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 203 final tables in 551 games (36.8%) - 36 cashes. After six months in our new area, we're still at 10 final tables in 18 tries!

Poker Night 549: Monsters' Ball

Courtesy Fox19.com

If we had gone to Jack Casino for poker tonight, we might have encountered this. A small "colony" of homeless people (their word for it) has set up a tent camp across from the casino.

We left it to that group to send someone inside, to try and win enough money to gain everyone housing. They probably would have done better than we did tonight at the alternative, Hollywood Casino Indiana....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 9-9

It's the fourth hand of the night, with a full table of ten. The previous hand brought an awe-striking fold - as a woman with pocket Kings gave them up, when a man with pocket Aces went all-in pre-flop.

We were in the Big Blind then, and folded a measly 4-8. Now we're in the Small Blind, and no one has raised.

"I'm not going to do what he did," we say, "but I'll raise." We make it 150 to go, and three players take us on.

ON THE FLOP: 8s-8d-8h

It's a toll-free flop - and an immediate full house for us! This calls for a continuation bet, to see who's simply chasing big cards. We put out 400. The first opponent folds. The second calls. The third folds. So we're heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 4h

We doubt this helped our opponent at all. But what does he have? A full house of his own? We check, hoping to get a clue - but he checks, too.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

Now three hearts are showing. If he stumbled into a flush, we still have him topped. The larger concern is a larger pocket pair. So we make a rather cautious bet of 500.... and he raises to 2,500.

We've taken the lead in this hand, so we feel compelled to see it through to the end. We call. "Do you have a full house?" we ask.

"I have the 8," he says. OUCH!!! He hit quads on the flop, then waited us out! A good, well-played monster hand for him. We won a few hundred chips back minutes later with a hidden A-Q.

But then, when a man raised to 1,100, we saw pocket Aces in the Big Blind. Pushing like that earlier player did would have seemed too obvious, so we raised to 3,500. He called - and the flop was K-Q-10. For no good reason except to scare him away, we bet 5,000. Our opponent went all-in. We feared the worst, but called anyway. His cards: Q-Q. The turn and river didn't save us, and we finished our worst poker night this year - first out, in under 30 minutes.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "We're all playing with a short deck," the dealer said at one point in the early minutes.

"Now you're getting philosophical," we told him with tongue-in-cheek. But we admitted, "I need to grow in knowledge." And when our turn with the cards came, we explained, "I need to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ."

That reminder comes right out of the New Testament:

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. - II Peter 3:18

These closing words of the apostle Peter should be taken in their entirety. For years, we attended church groups that emphasized the "knowledge" part - but on knowing scriptures, more than knowing the One who is the focus of Scripture. The two should go hand-in-hand....

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. - Colossians 1:9

Spiritual wisdom means a "sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7, KJV). We'll admit we really didn't have it in our last hand of the night.

We should have realized the flop gave our opponent an excellent chance of hitting two high pair or three of a kind. Yet instead of making the awe-striking fold like that woman did, we did our own version of "going on tilt" - hoping the longshots that bit us recently would turn around and help us.

So the knowledge of Jesus Christ is important - but so is His grace. We need it, after clearly making a bad decision to go out for a poker night instead of staying home to work on other things. But thankfully, we can do this....

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. - Hebrews 4:16

Do you need God's mercy for some reason - perhaps something much bigger than a poker meltdown? Ask God for it in prayer, repenting of sin if the case requires it. He's willing to listen and forgive.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 202 final tables in 549 games (36.8%) - 41 cashes.

Remember As You Play....

...Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. - Ephesians 4:22 (New Living Translation)

Poker players like to joke during tournaments about how "truthful" they are. The real truth is that sometimes, players resort to deceptive moves to win pots. We did something like that, with an all-in moment in our last tournament. A man did it several times to Phil Hellmuth at this year's World Series of Poker Main Event, leading to one of Hellmuth's most famous rants in years.

Does the verse we quoted mean poker players should end all that? Not necessarily. The New International Version translates the last part by saying, "Your old self.... is being corrupted by its deceitful desires." The desire is deceitful, more than the person or his actions - although the two certainly can combine:

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? - Jeremiah 17:9

What does your heart desire, when you play poker? If it's simply a good time with friends or an entertaining evening, that's one thing. But if you're hungry for money or fame, be careful....

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. - Ecclesiastes 5:10

Some things really are worth desiring - and they're things which require no deception at all. In fact, they depend on you being truthful.

Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. - Hebrews 13:18

That desirable life can lead to eternal life in God's kingdom - but it depends on having a "clear conscience." Have you checked yours lately? Are you really living a life that God would accept - in the poker room, as well as outside it?

Poker Night 540: Restless Hearts

The Stanley Cup finals. The Women's College World Series finals. The major league baseball draft. Amidst all that, we played poker tonight at Jack Casino. Could we, like Las Vegas hockey fans, have a golden night?

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Ace of hearts-Queen of hearts

A couple of early efforts have not worked, and we come to the Small Blind with about 13,500 chips out of a starting 15,000. These big suited cards are worth a raise, and no one else at the full table of nine has done it.

"Three hundred more," we announce. Then the dealer corrects us, because we only put out 300. As Small Blind, we also must add 50 to match the Big Blind. OK, we'll do that. "What's 50 chips among friends?" we joke. But the serious matter is that three players call.

ON THE FLOP: 3h-4s-5c (last two suits may not be precise)

A flop from the wrong end of town, as far as we're concerned. But we're first to act, and realize we should to avoid looking weak. We bet 500. A man across from us calls.

Then a man at the far end of the table raises to 1,200. Huh?!?! What part of that flop led to a raise? Perhaps he has a low pocket pair, and made three of a kind?! We're not sure, but decide not to be bullied. We call. The other man calls, and three are left in the hand.

ON THE TURN: Jh

This is a bit better, because now we have a draw for the nut flush. This time we check - but the man down the table bets 3,000.

A lot of river cards are potentially good for us here: any 2 for a straight, any heart for a flush, and even an Ace or Queen to secure top pair. That adds up to 18 outs, with a 39 percent chance of success. But we think the man is trying to stop people on draws, and bet big to prove it.

"Nice block," we say - and fold. But the other man in the hand calls.

ON THE RIVER: 5s

We missed all the options, and feel better about our decision. The big bettor goes all-in, and the other man folds. Then the winner of the pot is nice enough to show what he had - A-2! He hit a straight on the flop, and defended it well.

That's the sort of night it was for us - a night when potentially big cards simply didn't work. While pocket 9's turned into a full house for a nice win (we never showed it), A-10 lost to a straight. Pocket 6's lost to pocket Jacks, when a man went all-in. Finally we were forced to go for it all in the Big Blind with K-Q - but a man with pocket Aces beat us. No final table tonight; we finished in 24th place out of 36 players.

Courtesy Twitter.com/DwightC87

MINISTRY MOMENT: Breaking sports news occurred during the tournament, with the death of pro football legend Dwight Clark.

"The good news," we told players around us, "is that he'll live again. There will be a resurrection."

Those players said nothing. Perhaps they didn't understand how we could we say that. Perhaps you've presumed Clark went to heaven immediately after he died. But the Bible tells us something else....

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27

The sad news about life is that it ends. Our physical bodies will stop functioning, due to an endless number of reasons. But this "judgment" does not occur right away.

...So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. - Hebrews 9:28

Jesus will bring salvation. People don't have it in heaven now - not even believers in God. They're waiting for the second coming, in their graves.

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. - Revelation 20:6

First?! Yes - the Bible indicates there are multiple resurrections, based on your relationship (or lack of it) with God and Christ. Eventually....

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.... The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:12

That point is when the real judgment takes place. We will not attempt to guess whether Dwight Clark will be in a first or second resurrection; that determination is up to God. But we offer sympathies to his family, and hope you'll consider carefully what the Bible really says about what happens when loved ones die.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 197 final tables in 540 games (36.5%) - 40 cashes.

Poker Day 529: She Persisted

If the "Time's Up" movement needs something to show how gender equity can work, we recommend checking poker tournaments. Women and men pay equal amounts to enter. Women and men have an equal chance to win the same amount of prize money. We faced what they used to call a "Battle of the Sexes" today at Kansas Star Casino....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 9-8 of clubs

The first hour of play started slowly, but then we won two nice pots - one of them with A-K. Our chip stack reached a high of 5,400 (starting from 3,500), and reached the first break at 4,925.

Now, after an attempt to hit it big failed with K-J of clubs, we have more clubs. Our stack is down to 3,800, but we hope mid-range suited connectors will give us an opportunity to make something sneaky and big. So we call, and four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 9-K-8

Clubs, flubs. We make two pair - and with two pair showing, we're going for the pot right now. We bet 1,000. An older woman sitting to the dealer's left calls. Two other men bail out, leaving us heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 4

We can't imagine that card helped her. So we decide to be a hard-driving man. "All in," we say for our last 2,600. The woman ponders for only a moment - then chooses to call, with only 2,200 to offer.

"B", we say dramatically.... "98." We borrow from a local radio station. She turns over K-10 (the second card was so far away, it was hard to see) - top pair, but no more.

Let's analyze this. If the river is a 9 or an 8, she'll make a second pair BUT we'll make a full house. She can win the hand with either a 10 or a 4 to gain two better pair, or a third King. So she has eight outs - a lowly 18-percent chance.

ON THE RIVER: K

Ouch!!! For the second time in three weeks, a longshot river card comes up to bite us! She doubles up with change.... and we're left with a mere 400 chips.

After that loss, we were compelled to push with A-8. The board didn't pair for us, and someone made a pair of 9's to eliminate another man with us. We wound up tied for 22nd, and shaking our head again.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Kansas Star Casino has a nice deli conveniently located next to the poker room. We used points earned on our "Lucky Star" card to buy a free chocolate-chunk brownie. But we had to show not only our card, but a driver's license for identification.

"I'm legally old enough to eat this brownie," we joked to the server.

"I know," she answered, "but it's the dudes in the sky we have to answer to."

We thought about that statement a moment, then had a response. "It's God in the sky that I answer to."

Another woman behind the counter laughed at that comment. We think she got the point. We're not sure if our server heard it - but she obviously was talking about her casino bosses. We used the moment to think bigger....

This is what the Lord says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?" - Isaiah 66:1

The throne of God the Father is in heaven - but He's not alone there:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2

The Father and Son are together in heaven. But we hope that deli server doesn't refer to the Godhead as "dudes." They are much more than that....

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.... ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. - I Chronicles 16:25, 29

After all, this is the God who created you and me. He created the tongue and vocal cords for us to speak. Instead of dismissing all that with a casual word or two, shouldn't we give Him respect and honor?

Tremble before him, all the earth!.... Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!" - I Chronicles 16:30-31

You may work for "dudes," but God is divine. Be careful not to misuse His name, by taking it lightly (Deuteronomy 5:11).

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 191 final tables in 529 games (36.1%) - 39 cashes. Experiment update: down $175.

Poker Night 524: One Last Chance

We began our poker career in Columbus, Georgia - a city so much along the Georgia-Alabama state line that we could jog from our front door to Alabama in less than 15 minutes. The college football national championship game dominated that area's attention tonight. But we don't live there anymore, so we focused on the return of Monday night poker at Five-Star Billiards - warts and all.

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: A-Q

We won the first hand of the night with pocket 9's. Our chip stack has gone up and down from there. Now as we sit in late position, we decide to change our usual strategy. We call with these big cards, instead of raising.

A man to our immediate left who likes to wear a bowler hat at the table goes all in for 700. Two other players get in, so other players sort out the chips. Mr. Bowler Hat can win 2,800 chips. Another 1,200 is in a sidepot.

ON THE FLOP: A-10-J

We like the looks of this - top pair with almost top kicker. The other men check, so we bet 1,500.

"You don't know how to play, do you?" a man across the table grumbles.

"I don't?!" we ask. The man folds, indicating we should have left well enough alone.

"It's not a dry pot," says a man out of the hand. In poker lingo, that means a sidepot exists for three players to win. We bet more than the sidepot's value, which may explain why the disgruntled player thought it was outlandish. But as they say in late-season sports events, we want it more. And we get the sidepot, when the other player folds.

Now we show our cards, as a little grumbling continues. Mr. Bowler Hat turns over K-J. Middle pair is not enough.

ON THE TURN: 9

"And I didn't get it," Mr. Bowler Hat concedes. But he's overlooking something.

"There's still one more card," we point out to him. In fact, we both have draws for a clinching straight....

ON THE RIVER: Q

...and he makes it! Mr. Bowler Hat stays in the game, winning the main pot of 2,800.

We reached the first break slightly above the starting point, at 10,600 chips. Then the grumbling man seemed intent on getting us out of the tournament - answering our pre-flop raises by going all-in twice with two weak clubs. We "doubled up" on him twice, with A-8 and A-K. (We'll talk more about that tension in a future post.)

That man bowed out early, as did Mr. Bowler Hat. Pocket 10's which led to a third 10 on the turn helped us reach the final table with 17,000 chips - and we advanced to 28,000 by the second short break.

Minutes later, a woman went all-in for 45,000. We looked at Q-Q and declared, "The book tells us to play this." We also pushed, with only 25,000 left - but then discovered that woman had pocket Aces. The board brought no rescue for us. We finished in seventh place, and perhaps in need of another book.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Because of holidays, WPT League night at Five-Star Billiards had moved to Tuesdays for the last couple of weeks.

"I take part in a Bible discussion on Tuesday nights," we explained to Mr. Bowler Hat.

"What do you talk about?" he asked.

"All kinds of topics," we said. "How to live a godly life; how to be united as a body of Christ."

For some players, poker nights are their idea of a "small group" meeting. Friends and acquaintances  get together to discuss their common interest and lives. While that can have its place, we focus more on a different form of small group....

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25

Weekend worship services in churches are nice. But some church groups are so big that it's hard to make friends and truly fellowship with other believers. That's why many pastors (especially those with megachurches and radio ministries) recommend "small group" meetings during the week. Gatherings at homes or restaurants can allow personal sharing and encouragement.

But encourage one another daily, while it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. - Hebrews 3:13

The writer of this Biblical book clearly wanted the church to stay together, so it could grow together. The internet era has made it easier than ever for people in isolated areas to find togetherness; we heard on radio today about a converted Muslim who can only join in online Bible studies because he faces family persecution.

If you're looking for a Bible-centered "small group" to call home, we invite you to join us on Tuesday evenings. It's a conference call format, that actually has events throughout the week. Click here to learn how to participate.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 190 final tables in 524 games (36.3%) - 39 cashes. Tonight marked our first final table at Five-Star since mid-November.

Poker Night 517: This Is the Big One, Elizabeth

If you follow NASCAR, you know fans at some race tracks wait for "the big one" to happen - a crash that takes out about a dozen drivers at once. That happens once in a while in a poker tournament, too. Check what occurred tonight at Five-Star Billiards....

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: Ad-Qc

After a slow start, we split a pot with A-4 and won one with pocket Kings. But then our pocket Queens lost to a man with A-K who hit a King on the flop. That was costly to our stack, and now we have 5,300 chips from a starting 10,000.

"Thousand more," we say after no one else at the table of eight raises. We make it 1,600 to go.

"Thirty-six," says the man sitting next to us. Uh-oh. This could be big.... or big trouble.

A woman sitting across the table from us in the Small Blind calls the 3,600. Another woman to our right, who's been hitting big hands all night, also calls! Now it's our turn again - and while we've never read "The Book" poker players talk about a lot, we know it says we should press on.

"I have to go all-in," we say to ooo's from other players. "I've come this far by faith. I might as well."
The man to our left calls, of course.

"I have 54," the Small Blind says. She goes all-in as well, for 100 more!

The woman to the right decides to make it a huge party, by calling. "I have 1,100 left," she reports. The Small Blind adds his missing 100, and we have a monster pot of more than 21,000.

ON THE FLOP: 6d-4d-2h (best memory)

Not to our liking - and we doubt it is for anyone else. Two players can still bet. The woman to the right checks.

"I'm not checking," the man to our left says. He bets 1,600. The other woman calls with her last 1,100. Now it's time to show and tell:

Man to the left: K-K
Small Blind: K-J
Woman to the right: 7-7

Instant analysis: We need an Ace.

ON THE TURN: 10d

But hold on. Now three diamonds are showing. If one more shows up....

ON THE RIVER: Qs

We get a pair - but it's the wrong one. The man with Kings wins it all, in an unusual triple takeout.

At a casino, we probably would have simply called the 3,600 pre-flop. But we probably would have been put all-in on the flop, with little choice but to push. It's another explosive "free poker" bust.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Did you spot the Christian song we mentioned during that hand? "We've Come This Far By Faith" has been sung by many people. When we hear it, we think of an Old Testament drama....

Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." - Exodus 14:13

Moses had led Israel out of Egypt. Now the nation stood at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's army closing in (verses 9-10). Was Moses corrected by God, when he said to "stand firm"?

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground." - Exodus 14:15-16

Moses did as he was told, and the water split in two so Israel could pass through (verses 21-22).

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. - Hebrews 11:29

Sometimes that sort of thing happens to us at a poker room. Several people have been eliminated at once while we were in peril, leading us to a final table or a cash payoff. It doesn't always happen, as we saw tonight - but then, poker isn't a life-or-death matter. Yet it's still inspiring to us when it does.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 188 final tables in 517 games (36.4%) - 38 cashes.

A Place of Your Own

We introduced you in a recent post to a poker player who called himself a "generic Christian." He doesn't go by a list of beliefs from denominations. Instead, he says he does what the Bible says.

Yet that same man admitted he had only attended a church occasionally in recent weeks. There's a big problem with that - as the Bible indicates you should:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25

Believers in Christ are expected to meet. They do that weekly, and sometimes more often, in groups large and small. It could happen in big buildings or in small homes. But the meetings are supposed to be for encouragement toward "love and good deeds."

If you attend a church group, does it do that? And if you don't attend one, how can you find a place that does?

We think it starts with determining which group really loves God and Jesus Christ. Many say they do, of course. But how many live up to the Bible standard?

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. - John 14:21

Jesus emphasized keeping his "commands." We recommend searching the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) to learn what He commanded when He walked the earth. Among other things, you'll find this....

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. - John 13:34-35

Love indeed matters - toward God in obedience, then toward other people. If you need help in finding a church group truly doing that, leave a comment and we'll help you as we can.

The Human Element

We've played a computer in heads-up Texas Hold 'em at a casino a few times. Sometimes we've won. Sometimes we've lost. But imagine having to take on three computers at once.

The Texas Hold 'em table at the family-friendly game site Pogo.com is set up that way. Unless you're a member, you sit down to play for free against "Computer 2", "Computer 3" and "Computer 4." If you fold, the computers take on each other like an old Japanese monster movie - and they're programmed to be aggressive at times, with pre-flop raises and bluffing pushes.

It took us four tries to figure out a winning formula against these guys.... uh, machines.... and Saturday night it worked. By ignoring the prodding voice who says, "Let's play some poker!" we were able to knock out #2 and #4 at the same time with an all-in bet - then eliminate #3 on the fifth round of blinds with a full house.

For doing all that, we won.... 60 tokens, which we could use if we had a paid membership. That's not exactly what we're looking for online these days.

For one thing, how can you talk about the things of Christ with a computer? Even God realized this long ago....

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil.... - Hebrews 2:14

Verse 11 makes clear this is talking about Jesus - the God-Being who created humanity:

He is the image of the invisible God.... For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. - Colossians 1:15-16

Jesus created human beings. Then He came to Earth to "share in their humanity." Why would a God-Being lower Himself and do such a thing?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Jesus the Son lived a perfect, sin-free life to defeat Satan the devil, and open the way for us to have eternal life with Him. You don't have to become a mechanized "bot" to do that, either. It starts with confessing how human you are, repenting of your sins and turning to God's way of living.

Jesus shared Himself and went "all in" for you. Are you willing to respond to that love, and do the same thing toward Him?