Eli's Coming

It's not easy winning a bracelet at the World Series of Poker. But this week, a man won a bracelet for the fourth time.

Courtesy Cardplayer.com

Eli Elezra won a seven-card stud tournament, defeating nearly 300 opponents to claim nearly $94,000. Four bracelets in 13 years could put him in the hall of fame, as fewer than 50 people have won four WSOP bracelets.

Elezra is a native of Israel - and his first name Eli has a history dating back to ancient Israel:

...Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord's temple. - I Samuel 1:9

Eli Elezra no doubt is good at reading his opponents. But Eli the priest made a mis-read, when he saw a young woman appealing to God....

Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." - I Samuel 1:13-14

He wasn't the first male to misunderstand what a woman was doing. Hannah explained, and Eli calmed down to bless her (verses 15-17). But chapter 2 shows Eli was flawed in other ways that were even worse. That led to this statement from God, to one of Hannah's children....

And the Lord said to Samuel.... "For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them." - I Samuel 3:11, 13

You can sit at a final table and look sharp. You can even sit outside the house of God and look sharp. But if you don't keep your family in order, God reserves the right to judge you for it. That's why a famous proverb advises:

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. - Proverbs 22:6

Eli Elezra calls himself on Twitter a "family man" - and his autobiography is called in Hebrew Poker Legend. May you put those titles in the proper order, and not do what made another Eli legendary in a Biblical way.

Kids' Poker?

We'll say right off the bat -- despite the title, this is not about "Kid Poker" Daniel Negreanu. It's about a different player, who thinks poker should be a game for children.

Maria Konnikova is more than a winning poker pro. She has a doctorate in psychology, and she's working on a book about the chances we take. In an interview, she explained poker is a great way to learn how "to make correct decisions" - and she says those decisions are based on calculating risks, instead of being emotional.

Konnikova thinks young people can develop thinking and self-control skills in poker, that can help them make better decisions in life.   But she used a striking phrase to explain what's involved - the "illusion of control." We don't have complete control over a poker hand, because one wrong (or right) card can change everything.

The Bible offers seemingly conflicting views on controlling our lives. Here's one example....

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

The fruit is called self-control. But if it comes from God's Holy Spirit, do you really control yourself? Or is Something greater and higher controlling you?

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.... - Romans 8:6

The idea of "mind control" mixed with religion often leads to thoughts of brain-washing and spiritual cults. But as strange as it might sound, it's how a Christian is supposed to live. But not with the mind of a guru....

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.... - Philippians 2:5 (KJV)

How do you do this? It starts with believing Jesus exists - and that takes "child-like faith" (Matthew 18:1-3). But then you need to grow up in that faith.

When I as a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. - I Corinthians 13:11

As another Bible writer put it:

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

Let God control your life, and the "self" control should follow. You might even play better poker as a result.

Fortunate One?

You could win a fortune in the biggest poker tournaments. But some say you need fortunate breaks along the way to do it.

Did you know a famous book includes a reference to good fortune? We were reminded of that this weekend....

Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" So she named him Gad. - Genesis 30:10-11

We quote from the New International Version here - but other Bible translations explain this very differently. The King James Version has Leah saying, "A troop is coming!" Perhaps that's because the birth of this child was not really "fortune" or luck at all....

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. - Genesis 29:31

God seemed to play games with the loves of Jacob's life, and even their servants (see 30:17, 19, 22). It was all God's plan, building a family with 12 famous tribes. Gad was one of them. But that does not mean you should claim membership in Gad to have success in poker.

But as for you who forsake the Lord and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter.... - Isaiah 65:11-12

"Fortune" is the same Hebrew word as in Genesis 30.

Put simply: trust God, not Gad. The true God blesses. False gods don't - and only get you in trouble with the true One.

The Hands of God: How Full Is Your House?

"A flush beats a full house!" said a truck near us the other day.

But then again, it was a truck for a plumber.

Poker players know better, of course. Full houses always top flushes and straights. But have you ever stopped to consider why?

A website we've grown to like gives the answer. In classic Five-Card Stud, you're mathematically more likely to develop a full house than a flush or straight. That's how the odds work.

But do you have a "full house" in the game of life, away from poker tables? You can look at that in a couple of ways....

How joyful are those who fear the Lord - all who follow his ways!.... Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. - Psalm 128:1, 3 (NLT)

Some people have taken this psalm (perhaps along with Psalm 127) as a promise from God's Word. But sadly, we wonder if some women have been heartbroken by it - women who have unable to conceive, despite their best efforts.

We write this from the perspective of lifelong singleness. We've thought "Ms. Right" crossed our path several times, but things simply did not work out. Yet we think believers in God can be "fruitful" in other ways....

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! - Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

When the Holy Spirit enters a believer, life can become more "full" overall. The spiritual fruit can be shared with other people in many ways.

Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.... - Matthew 25:34-35 (NLT)

Care obviously must be used in letting strangers (such as people you meet on poker nights) into your home. But we've dared to do it a few times over the years with people asking for help on street corners. They may not grasp what we're doing or why, but hopefully they see a spirit-guided example in the process.

Let's open this up for your comments. What have you done to create a "full house" - in the place where you live, and the life that you live?

Hope and Faith

At our last poker tournament, we brought up our hope at one point of making a big hand. That hope fell short. But we have a hope of receiving something much bigger, and more important....

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from the bondage of decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. - Romans 8:20-21

There are some big concepts here, so let's simplify things a bit. We're all God's creation, if you're humble enough to accept it (Genesis 1). But we face the frustration of eventual death....

By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. - Genesis 3:19

Yet the good news and the hope of believers is that we can be liberated from death's bondage! That takes something beyond mere hope, though. It takes faith in Someone bigger than us, who can make it happen.

Having faith in God making a flush or full house for you is asking for something relatively insignificant. God wants you to have faith for something much bigger....

Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. - Romans 8:17

You can become a child of God by putting your faith in Him (the Father) and His Son, Jesus Christ.

....So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. - I Corinthians 2:5

If you need help in developing this faith, please leave a comment. We might be able to help. In the meantime, express your faith in God by walking in a godly way (James 2:26) Sometimes the best message you can send is the example you set.

Deals and Dads

People who have followed the World Poker Tour on TV probably know the top players travel a lot. Big prestigious tournaments can happen in places as diverse as Las Vegas, Monaco and Australia.

But one successful poker player admits he's probably going to slow down his schedule this year. Jason Mercier will take a break because his wife will have their first child in October. His plan is to play a lot until the World Series of Poker contests, then potentially shut things down for a few months.

"I would imagine I'll be training him from a young age," Mercier said in an interview. Trouble is, he was talking about teaching his son about "gambling and poker." It seems to us he should also teach other things....

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. - Ephesians 6:4

How can you "exasperate" a child? That big word can mean to "make very angry or irritated; tax the patience of; provoke...."

Whether they realize it or not, we fear some parents are doing that by spending too much time on their careers. Even Mercier admits in the interview, "You can't really be on the road seven or eight months our of the year for your entire life."

A greedy man brings trouble to his family.... - Proverbs 15:27

For instance, by pursuing big poker paydays non-stop and not paying attention to your spouse or children. (In Mercier's case, it may help that his wife plays poker as well.)

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. - Colossians  3:21

Disclaimer: we write from the perspective of being single, with no children. We don't claim any parenting prowess. We're simply passing along the guidance that God's Word provides. But we think an unbalanced life can make children bitter and discouraged - feeling like their parents really don't care about them.

Balance in these things is good. We think the healthiest balance is to err on the side of being with your family too much. Take the necessary time for godly "training and instruction." That's the most satisfying win any poker player could have - even if it's at a kitchen table more than a poker table.

Change in an Instant

Many people dream of hitting the lottery jackpot, and becoming instant millionaires. For others, it takes a bit more time.... say, six hands of poker.

Courtesy The West Australian

Nigel Williams of Perth, Australia only played six hands at a casino last week. But ohhhh, that sixth one. Williams had the 10 of diamonds. The flop was Ad-Qd-Jd. Then came the turn - the King of diamonds!

Williams hit a royal flush, and won a progressive casino jackpot of $2.7 million. Considering he made a $10 bet on the flop, it was a bit overwhelming. It showed in a TV interview about his success.

First Williams called his wife, who said bluntly: "What are you doing at the casino?" Then he admitted being a "workaholic," and sobbed at the thought of reducing his workload from seven days a week to five to "spend more time with my children."

There are many lessons we could take from this story. The biggest one for us is how a big payday may change this man's priorities. Williams seemed to admit being detached from his children - which reminds us of this:

Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged. - Colossians 3:21 (NLT)

We think one way to cause aggravation is to be "missing in action" - and it can happen by being a poker-holic, every bit as much as a workaholic. A father who's not close to his children risks losing their love - as well as the opportunity to build an even more important loving relationship:

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. - Proverbs 22:6

The best way to go is God's way - following "the way, the truth and the life" otherwise known as Jesus Christ (John 14:6). But then, there's the reaction from Williams's wife to where he was.

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. - Colossians 3:19

We've never been married, but we've heard wives appreciate nice surprises. A check for $2.7 million would be one - but to learn your husband is in a casino may not seem like the nicest thing to learn.

If a wife objects to "punting" (as the Aussies say), a loving husband should respond by not doing it. Your family ought to come before your pastimes and hobbies - especially if they could cost your family a lot of money.

 We wish Nigel Williams well, and hope you learn from his example. Why wait for a playing card to motivate you to do what you know you should be doing already? Take time to make your family a success - because a "flop" there probably won't be in your favor.

Poker Day 478: Saved By the Felt

"South-Central Kansas's Premier Poker Room" is how Kansas Star Casino now promotes itself inside the building. Well, OK.... but it's practically the only poker room now. Yet we went there Friday, and had an afternoon of drama:

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: 2-2

We won an early pot with a "Big Blind Special" (more on that later), but have had some serious losses since then. We come to this hand with 1,475 chips out of a starting 3,500. So should we play the smallest of pocket pairs? We're second to act, with little margin for error. We decide to call, hoping no one will raise. But two seats to our left, a man reaches for a purple 500 chip.

"Raise," he says. But wait....

"That hit the felt," the dealer rules. She says the chip landed across the red commitment line before the man said "raise." Thus it is a 100-chip call.

"What do I do?" the man asks.

"I'll give you change," the dealer says.

No one else raises. Four players are in. And our mind goes back to the night before, when a Seattle Mariners pitcher may have given away a win over the Kansas City Royals by taking an out at first base instead of starting a double play. Could a small slip work that well for us?

ON THE FLOP: 3-2-Q

Oh yes, it can! We stumble into three of a kind - but of course, we check to the raiser. The man two seats over now can bet 500, and he does. A man across the table calls.

"All of it," we say - dropping down the remaining 1,375 chips.

The man who committed illegal procedure probably regrets it now. He folds. But that man across the table calls us.

"You did me a favor, by what you did," we say to the raiser before turning over our cards. "I probably would have folded." The remaining opponent has 9-9, so we're in a comfortable lead.

ON THE TURN: J

No harm with that....

ON THE RIVER: A

...Or with that! The man's little slip turns into a big double-up for us, as we move above 3,500 chips.

But more trouble came after that - and at the first break, we sat with a lowly 450 chips. Yet after the break, an amazing comeback happened. All-in with A-9 won a pot, to restore us to 2,200. Calling another man's all-in bet with A-10 paid off with Aces on the flop and turn.  Our stack advanced to a high of 6,100 - and that was despite folding 8-10 in the Small Blind, before a 10-10-10 flop showed up!

With three tables left, another crossroads moment came. We played K-10 of spades, and a Qs-Jx-7s flop gave us a big flush draw. Then we hit the flush with Js on the turn - and a man across the table went all-in!

"Did you hit it?" we asked aloud - realizing he might have the Ace of spades and a higher flush.

"I wouldn't push if I didn't," the opponent said - suggesting he doesn't lie.

"I have little choice," we said as we called for our last 3,400.

The opponent turned over.... 7-7!  He hit something we didn't expect: a full house! We had an open-ended straight flush draw, if As or 9s came on the river - but no, it was a 5. Our big risk failed, and we finished 26th our of 69 entries.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Back to that early pot we won in the Big Blind. We described to other players as a "BBS."

"Does that stand for basic bulls***?" one man asked us.

"No, I meant Big Blind Special."

Then a man between surprisingly suggested something else. "I thought he said VBS - as in Vacation Bible School."

Do you have memories of those schools? We remember a week of summer mornings, eating duplex sandwich cream cookies and playing "Red Rover" on the grounds outside the church building. But VBS is supposed to teach something else....

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. - Proverbs 22:6

To be honest, we can't recall a single Bible lesson from our Vacation Bible Schools - although we remember the pre-school play time stopping for a story or two, and thinking Bible references on the walls were clocks. For example:

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. - Philippians 3:20

"It's 20 after three in the Philippines," we told grown-ups with our five-year-old reasoning. Right?!

Well, of course it's not right. But we needed to learn - and summer Bible schools and camps are designed to help young people learn about Jesus, and what a Christian life is all about.

If you want to improve your poker skills, you might go to a "boot camp" or watch videos. Young people learning to walk in a godly way have the same kind of option at this time of year. But if you send a child to VBS, don't forget something....

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. - Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Parents should reinforce what children learn about godly living - not only with their words, but their actions. If you're a mom, dad, grandma or grandpa, we hope that's what you're doing all year long.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 177 final tables in 478 games (37.0%) - 33 cashes.

Poker Night 475: House A-fire

Maybe it's because the players shuffle their own cards. Maybe it's because Kansas Star Casino has an automatic shuffler under its poker tables. Whatever the reason, we're finding Yvie's poker games tend to have stranger hands. Here's an example from Monday night....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: K-K

Blame us for this one. We're dealing, in a game where we've won a couple of small early pots. A woman at our table of seven has raised to 1,600. We're certainly not going to run away from "donuts," so we call. About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Ad-Ah-Ac (suits may not be precise)

Talk about stunning the table!  "The Auto Club flop," we say - as we've dealt ourselves a superior full house.  But there's one nagging little problem. The deck has a fourth Ace somewhere. Does the woman across the table have it? She makes a continuation bet of 1,000. A man to our right calls. So do we. Everyone else is out.

ON THE TURN: 2d

A card from the other end of the galaxy which doesn't seem to matter.  Now the woman across from us checks, The man in the middle checks.  We sense some insecurity from this, make a bet of 1,500 - and get two callers.  If one of our opponents had that fourth Ace, wouldn't they have raised?

ON THE RIVER: 3d

Now three diamonds in a row are showing - but we know a straight or flush won't do someone any good. Our opponents check again, and we reach for chips.

"C'mon, just call," someone at the table tells us.

"No, I have to bet," we answer - and set out 2,000.

"He has to be an a*s about this," someone else says.

"I have to call," the woman opposite us then decides. "I have a boat, too."  Those actually are comforting words. We were concerned she might have quads.

"I'm going to fold," the man in the middle says. "My boat's not good enough."

Then the woman shows - J-J!  Our Kings top her and the other player who admitted to 6-6. We make a massive gain of more than 10,000 chips, and receive a bonus of 5,000 from the Tournament Director for the best hand of the night so far.

"You weren't afraid of the Ace?!" the woman asks. Well, that's why we didn't go all-in at some point. We made the bets big, but not so big as to be potentially crippling.

Good cards kept coming for us, and our starting stack of 10,000 grew to 34,600 by the first break - then to 60,500 in the second term. We reached the final table with 45,000.  But then the good cards ran out, with the blinds getting huge. We went for it all with K-10 of clubs and our last 25,000. But the board didn't pair for us, while A-9 by another man was rewarded with 9 on the river.

We finished the night in fifth place, satisfied to score our best finish since mid-April. And the take-home lesson for us from the last two tournaments is that being slightly more disciplined can make a big difference.

MINISTRY MOMENT: At one point we bet 2,500 to take a pot. An opponent across from us said, "I'll fold, you silver-tongued devil."

"I try not be a devil," we answered. "I try to be an angel." Then we turned to a man at our left. "But I can't even be an angel. I can be a child of God, but not an angel."

Does this confuse you?  If you think humans are on Earth trying to "earn their wings" to become angels in heaven, what the Bible says might come as a surprise.

But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor...." - Hebrews 2:6-7

Humans are made "a little lower" than angels - and verse 9 goes to say Jesus was "made a little lower than the angels" when He came to Earth. Yet should our human goal be to become angels?

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life? - I Corinthians 6:3

That's not merely a rhetorical question. Your Bible says humans someday will judge angels. This implies we won't simply be on their levels - we'll be above them. How is this possible?

...Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.... Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in is sufferings in order that we may also share in is glory. - Romans 8:14, 17

True "children of God" have an amazing future - as heirs of God's Kingdom, joining in an inheritance with Jesus Christ Himself. That's a step above angelic living. If you'd like to know more about it, leave a comment and we'll try to explain it further.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 177 final tables in 475 games (37.3%) - 33 cashes.

A Real Life-Changer

This weekend's Heartland Poker Tour telecast had the final table at a casino in metro Kansas City - a casino we haven't tried yet, but might consider since we're about four hours away from it.

The winner took home more than $100,000. The HPT host likes to call that first-place money "life-changing cash" - and for some people, it certainly would be.

But what if you could change your life, without any cash at all? It's possible, you know....

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:2-3

Jesus Christ's lesson is here is quite the opposite from what males are usually told.  The dressing-down moment often includes the phase, "Grow up!"  So why would Jesus seemingly say the opposite?  Keep reading....

"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:4

Win a $100,000-plus first prize in a poker tournament, and it certainly would be tempting to brag about it to the world. But Jesus's point is that we need to be humble, instead of arrogant and boastful.  That's a true change - and life-thinking.  And consider why He said that....

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" - Matthew 18:1

Other parts of the New Testament indicate several disciples wanted that title for themselves (Luke 22:24). We think a better approach is to acknowledge Jesus as the greatest of all - even in the character trait of humility.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! - Philippians 2:8

Jesus's example has changed many lives down through the centuries. Have you examined it closely, to see if it might change yours?

Poker Day 440: Two for the Money?

We could have rested on last Sunday's big win.  But the only way to make more money is to invest some of those winnings.  So we went back to Arrowhead Poker today, hoping to go two-for-two in 2015....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 6-10 offsuit

It's the very first hand of the day -- and after Saturday's big state poker tournament, only seven players have shown up.  That potentially is better for us.  So sitting in the Small Blind, we call with little at stake.  No one raises.

ON THE FLOP: 2-4-6

Well, what do you know -- top pair!  We're first to act, so we offer 700 in hopes of claiming the pot inexpensively.  A few players fold; as best we recall, three stay in.

ON THE TURN: 7

Now we don't have top pair, and we wonder what other players have.  So we check.  So do the others.

ON THE RIVER: 10

A second pair looks very good to us!  So we raise our bet accordingly, to 1,500.  One player folds -- but a man across from us raises to 3,000.  We think that's a one pair "I dare you" bet.  So we're not really concerned, and we call.  What could go wrong?

"Straight," the opponent says.

Ohhhh.  That could go wrong - as he turns over 8-9.  He had an open-ended straight draw and made it.  We lose a bunch, and wonder why that didn't cross our minds.

Looking back, we really wouldn't change how we handled that hand.  It's hard to bet the turn when top pair is gone - unless you're making a bluff bet to scare other people away.  What would you have done?

We fought back form that setback to win several hands -- including two big ones in the row in the second hour, when J-10 turned into a straight which allowed us to double-up.  Our high chip count was 96,000, from a starting 40,000.  But then we lost a lot when we challenged an all-in bet with A-Q, and ran into A-K.

With blinds getting very high, we felt forced to go all-in with 40,000 chips and A-4.  Opponents called with Q-Q (as best we recall) and A-K.  The board didn't help us at all, and the man with a pair scored a double-takeout.  We finished tied for fifth, out of ten total players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: After that double-up straight, we said, "Thank you, Lord."

"Thank you, Lord," another man repeated -- perhaps a bit surprised.

Yes, we said it.  And we meant it.  We believe in being thankful to God for every blessing which comes our way.  Why?

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. - Colossians 2:6-7

Believers in Jesus should "overflow" with thankfulness.  That may remind you of a classic Bible passage:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. - Psalm 23:5

Some Bible commentaries indicate the "cup" overflowing here refers to the "table" God prepares for us.  God can bless believers, even as skeptics and "enemies" watch.  In fact, that can be a sign of Who ultimately is in charge of things.

But let's go back to Colossians for a moment.  That "overflowing" is the final step in a process that starts with receiving Jesus as Lord.  If you haven't done that, why wait?

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.... - John 1:12

You may think you're a "child of God" now, but the Bible indicates it depends on receiving and believing in Jesus.  If you need help with that, leave a comment - we'll be glad to assist you.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 158 final tables in 440 games (35.9%) - 26 cashes. .Yes, it was another one-table game. But if people want to deny us final tables, they need to show up to stop us.

My Millions of Sons?

We're going back to our last poker day and a chat we had about Jesus with "Gramps."

The man told us he considered Jesus the "Prince of Peace."  Then he said, "I think we're all sons of God."

Is that an accurate statement?  We can see how he might draw that conclusion, based on a few Bible verses:

The God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:26-27

So we're made in God's image. That means we look to some extent like God.  But does that really make us His children?

Lots of people are poker players.  But only a few are really considered, if we may, Poker Players.  You know - the skillful pros who compete for big money on circuits, winning cash games and tournaments.

God may have called His creation "sons of God" for awhile, giving them the benefit of the doubt. But....

....The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.  Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be 120 years." - Genesis 6:2-3

Bible scholars debate what the phrase "sons of God" means here -- perhaps people, perhaps fallen angels.  But Genesis 6 clearly shows God wasn't happy with what they were doing, so He decided to wipe them out (verses 6-7).  The phrase "sons of God" only appears a few times in the Old Testament after that, clearly referring to angels (see Job 1:6 and 2:1 in KJV).


But in the New Testament something changed -- when Someone special came to this earth:

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.... - John 1:12

To all who received whom?  The One John calls "the Word" (verse 1) - then One who "became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (verse 14).  The One we know as Jesus Christ.


The Bible shows that title "children of God" is not as wide-open as you might think.  It's reserved for those who receive Jesus and believe in His name.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. - Romans 8:14 (KJV)

Does this really describe you?  Or does this seem too elitist and far-fetched to be believed?  Please leave a comment with your thoughts about it, and we'll come back to it in a future post.

Poker Day 438: Hearts On Fire

Our last scheduled poker tournament for 2014 found us plunking down 60 more dollars at Arrowhead Poker, and winning the first hand of the day with K-10 when a King came on the flop.  But then a string of losses -- including a fold on the river when we had a pair of 10's and an opponent with nothing ran us off with a 3,000-chip bet.

We needed a big comeback at some point, and hoped the right cards would provide it....

BLINDS: 2,000/4,000

IN THE POCKET: A-9 of hearts

We start this hand with the Dealer button at a six-handed table, holding 42,000 chips.  No one is raising -- and even though these cards are pretty big, that's fine with us.  We call, and about four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 7h-7c-8h

Talk about a big flush draw.-- not to mention 60 percent of a straight flush.  A man who moved over from the other table in this two-table tournament a few minutes ago puts out 10,000.  Other players ahead of us fold.  This man bet us off a hand with a big wager moments ago, but we can't really afford to move aside now.  We call in hope.

ON THE TURN: 3h

Hope is rewarded!  And our poker face must be working well, because our opponent takes a look at our chip stack before acting.  Now he bets 20,000.

"All-in - 28,000" we announce.

The opponent doesn't really hesitate.  He calls, and the dealer takes a moment to sort out the chips.  Then comes our cliché line, as we show our heart flush:

"You can call me Planters - because I've got the nuts."

Our opponent turns over 7-4.  He has three 7's, but we need to dodge a full house.

ON THE RIVER: 5s

We do!  It's a big gain for us, to around 110,000 chips.

Other big hands came for us -- including A-K, which brought another Ace on the board.  That provided enough pad to last through bad blinds, and we reached the final table with 50,000 chips.  Then A-Q brought an Ace on the flop, and we built our stack to a high of 190,000.

But rising blinds eventually did us win, and we were forced to go all-in with Q-3 in the Small Blind.  The board didn't pair for us but did for a woman down the table.  We finished with a strong fifth-place finish, then sat disappointed as the last four players split up the prize money.  They each won $105. We received.... well, a few slices of free pizza and drinks.  But it was still our best finish since late October.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We showed our "Lord's Supper" card protector medallion to a grandfather at the final table. (At least we assume he was, from the Gramps" shirt he wore.) He seemed surprisingly amused by the portrayal of Jesus on the back, which we keep face-down.

"What do you think of Jesus?" we asked Gramps.

"I think he was the Prince of Peace."

We agreed, because the Bible agrees:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

You may have heard that verse sung countless times during Handel's Messiah, especially in December.  But you may be asking a question -- where's the peace?  Why didn't Jesus end all wars, violence and hostility?


If you're asking that, maybe you haven't experienced the peace Jesus personally talked about....

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. - John 14:27

The Lord went on to say, "....in me you may have peace" (John 16:33)  We think it means peace of mind, knowing what follows this life.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9

Do you consider yourself a "son of God"?  Jesus hints here one way to prove it is to be a peacemaker -- making peace with other people, instead of stirring up difficulties.  That phrase brings up another part of our conversation with Gramps; we'll get to that in a future post.


UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 156 final tables in 438 games (35.6%), 25 cashes.  Our next post will wrap up our 2014 poker activity

The Family That Plays

True confession: we've felt personally convicted for the last several days.  Not because we broke that rule at the poker table in Kansas City -- but because of a little message we heard at church about a big word:

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.... Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. - Romans 12:10, 13 (KJV)

Hospitality in the Bible often seems to refer to inviting people into your home - especially fellow believers.

When it comes to inviting fellow poker players, this can be a bit complicated.  Some people might only drop by for a cash game, where they can win money (and risk breaking local laws).  And to be honest, not that many poker players seem to be firm believers in God and Jesus Christ - firm as in word and action.

But before we heard that message at church, we did something else which might encourage to give a "home poker night" a try.  We went to a "Bonding Through Board Games" event in our city - designed to promote family togetherness by everyone playing together.

Some think board games are a dying tradition, in the era of computer games and "Words With Friends" apps.  This event was designed to bring it back.  There were no card games to play on this night, but we joined a man in a few rounds of "Mexican Train" dominoes.  We won two of the three rounds, but that's really not the point.

An evening of family poker (only using pretend chips, to keep it safe) can promote family togetherness.  And you might be able to use the occasion to provide teachable moments to children:

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

Train them not only in the difference between a straight and a flush - but in the difference between good ethical conduct and bad unethical ways.  In other words, teach what's godly behavior and what is not.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. - II Peter 1:5-7 (KJV)

We admit we haven't done enough to be hospitable toward other people, in terms of opening our home to them.  In fact, we've concluded our living circumstances are so restricted that we might have to a place that's more open to outsiders.

If you pull out a card table or a dining table, you might find better relationships are built -- and opportunities to talk about the ways of God will open.