Daring to Dream

JULY 9 UPDATE: Ryan has made the money at the Main Event! An update on that is coming soon.

UPDATE: We looked at the wrong day's chip count. Ryan is in 846th place, heading to "Day 2C." Why he wasn't shown on the "Day 2AB" scoreboard despite not playing is a mystery to us.

As we write this, about 1,070 players remain in the 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event. This year's big tournament had 8,225 entries - including one (hold on to your chair) who's a candidate for President of the United States!

No, we're not kidding. Ryan Von Bevern filed the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for President. He has a billboard or two up in the Kansas City area. Of course, he has a campaign website. But by his own admission, he hasn't raised a lot of money - and he lost his buy-in at the Main Event, by not placing among the top 2,500 players [SEE UPDATE ABOVE]. (He won a discounted buy-in by playing in a local league.)

We've mentioned Ryan's WSOP exploits before, because he's married to one of our nieces. He obviously has big dreams - even though we think his Presidential bid is tongue-in-cheek.

Our poker dreams are a bit smaller these days. (For one thing, a $10,000 Main Event buy-in is massive.) But we have a big dream, too - and believe it or not, it ranks above being President of a country:

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." - Revelation 5:9-10

Can you grasp what the apostle John saw in this vision? Creatures in heaven are singing this to "a Lamb" (verse 6) - and it clearly refers to Jesus Christ....

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." - John 1:29

Jesus, who was with God the Father from the beginning (1:1), came to Earth to redeem us from our sins by His pure sacrifice. But it means more than that. We're made "to be a kingdom and priests" - or as the King James Version puts it, "made.... unto our God kings and priests...."

Pocket Kings in poker can be good. Becoming a real king is even better. And to be a king serving under God on this Earth? That's a huge dream, that the Bible indicates someday will come true. As Jesus put it....

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. - Revelation 3:21

Uh-oh - did you see the "catch" there? We have to overcome, before we can sit with Jesus. That's the daily battle of life, resisting sin and walking in a godly way.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:21

That's obviously not easy to do. But it's what God requires to obtain that big dream - and with His help, you can do it.

...Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. - I John 5:4

How are you doing, in achieving your dreams? Do you have the biggest dream of all? And have you put your faith in God, so you can gain it?

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?

Poker Night 575: Power Trip

A recent post here mentioned a poker pro who suggested an aggressive "three-bet" approach to pre-flop success. It sounds good in theory. But does it really work? We tested it Wednesday night at Hollywood Casino Indiana….

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: 10-10

It's the second round of blinds, and we haven't won a pot yet. This fairly big pocket pair is in the Small Blind. A man across the table from us raises to 300. We see these cards, and it's testing time.

"Raise - 675," we say.

Three other men are in the running. The Big Blind folds. The man who made the first raise calls. The third player folds. So there's no guaranteed success - yet.

ON THE FLOP: 7-4-4

A second pair, in our view - and a good-looking one, because it's low. We're first to act, and decide to keep up the pressure with a bet of 700. Our opponent thinks for a moment.... then folds.

OK, it worked! And it really worked later in the evening, when we bet with 404 after a flop of 9-6-3. That won us a big, stay-in-the-game pot. Slow growth in the first hour fell prey to bad betting on our part late. We reached the first break at 9,800 chips out of a starting 12,000.

A straight with 8-7 was part of a second-hour comeback for us. Our stack approached 25,000, but then more setbacks came including a blunder to a man with a 6-high full house. Yet we survived to the second break at 12,100, and built back to make the final table at 16,000.

Once there, we survived one all-in moment as the field dwindled. Then a young man saying some wild things admittedly distracted our focus (more on him below). But as the third break arrived, we had A-2 and an Ace on the flop. When another player bet 10,000, we went for it all with 7,100 left. But he had A-7, and the 7 played when nothing else paired.

So as we told a co-worker earlier in the day, "I'm due to lose."  No money came on this night - but it was a strong fifth-place finish on a night with 19 entries.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Our final table included a young man who sounded like a follower of conspiracy theorists such as Alex Jones. For instance, he made questionable claims that the space agency NASA founded Google, and is not a U.S. government agency. He went on to say some people "want a one-world government, and it's not going to happen."

"I think a one-world government is going to come," we responded. "Only someone bigger than you and me will bring it. Jesus will set it up."

Why do we say that? Because the Bible indicates it....

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said, "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." - Revelation 11:18

How will this happen? Through the work of some dominating church group converting people? The Bible shows something else - the personal intervention of Jesus Christ. In fact, He predicted it....

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. - Matthew 25:31-32

The young man said he believes in a "Christ consciousness," but has his doubts that Jesus really lived in the flesh. Yet on a day of Pentecost long ago (we're still working on that counting topic from our last post), Jesus's disciple Peter declared....

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.... God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact." - Acts 2:22, 32

The resurrected Lord was seen by 500 people during one appearance (I Corinthians 15:6). Yet that young man at the final table needs more proof from that. We'll have more of our fascinating discussion with him in upcoming posts. But in the meantime, will you accept the promise that Jesus finally will bring a united government to a divided world?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 221 final tables in 575 games (38.4%) - 48 cashes.

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.

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.

False Alarms, True Sense

Our last post mentioned the moment of fear we had driving to a poker night. A tire warning light started flashing as we crossed a high bridge. The last thing we wanted was a flat tire there - especially on a cold winter evening.

Thankfully, a tire store was still open on the other side of the bridge. There we learned a flashing light really means a "sensor battery" to monitor the tire had failed - not the tire itself. So we could drive on to the poker room with that knowledge.

Have you ever faced something liked that, when playing poker? You sense trouble in the middle of a hand - perhaps by how an opponent is betting or a "tell" you're perceiving. It could be right. Or you may discover it was all a bluff, to scare you out of a big win.

Some people say you should run at the first sign of danger. Others say you should "curse the torpedoes - full speed ahead." We consulted a famous book filled with wisdom for the best approach you should take....

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have.... pierced themselves with many sorrows.... man of God, so run from all these evil things.... - I Timothy 6:10-11 (NLT)

This is interesting - if your "spidey sense" (to borrow from an old cartoon) indicates trouble, you should check yourself. Why would you plow on? Because you're greedy for a big pot, or want to get even with someone for an earlier pot? If that's the motive, the Bible recommends running the other way.

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts... - II Timothy 2:22 (NLT)

(For some people, this could mean not playing poker at all - but that's not really our topic here.)

But you may be convinced that moving forward is the right thing to do. (For instance, it's easy when you have a nut flush.) If so, move ahead:

And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward...." - Exodus 14:15 (NKJV)

At this point, God was intervening to pull a nation out of Egypt - even splitting the Red Sea in two to do it (verses 21-30). He can back your wise decisions as well. He can even come to your rescue when a decision appears wrong; we've seen this happen in tournaments more than once.

In the case of our warning light, we stopped for advice from an expert. Obviously, that's not allowed in the middle of a poker hand - but we've seen blackjack dealers offer some from time to time. And after a hand or tournament, it's worth pursuing....

The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. - Psalm 37:30 (NLT)

So feel free to comment - what was the biggest moment you've ever had in poker where your sense of trouble was right, and you had a "great lay-down"? Or even a bad one?

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.

Poker Day 567: On the Outs

"You can move over to make yourselves comfortable," a dealer suggested during today's final table at Hollywood Casino Indiana.

"At the final table, you're never comfortable," we responded. Indeed, even reaching that point had some stressful moments....

BLINDS: 2,000/4,000

IN THE POCKET: 5-6 of spades

The blinds are this big because we're in the third hour of play. It's had highs and lows, but gone well for us so far. After about 45 minutes of action with 11 players out of 24, we finally and patiently reached the last ten with 30,800 chips.

Now we're in the Big Blind with low suited connectors. A lot of players are pushing to force the action, but no one does here. We can check, and we're heads-up with the Small Blind.

ON THE FLOP: 7c-8s-Qs

Three cards with a lot of potential for us - an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw. The Small Blind to our right offers 6,000. We start this hand with about 28,900, so any bet is steep. Yet we call in hope.

ON THE TURN: 10d (perhaps not precise)

We missed - and our opponent raises the stakes to 8,000. Now it's time for some quick math:

• Nine missing spades would make a flush.
• The other three 4's or 9's (other than spades) would give us a straight.
• TOTAL OUTS: 15, out of 46 unknown cards. The odds are almost one in three.

Would you take a risk like this? We'll be in serious trouble if we miss. But we've made the final table, so we decide to call.

ON THE RIVER: 2s

Victory! Or is it? The Small Blind ponders for a moment, then bets 8,000 more.

"I'm all-in," we say - with 8,900 left. The Small Blind calls.

"Did you hit the flush?" we ask. "Because I did."

We show it to prove it. The Small Blind turns over.... K-K! He fought for his big pocket pair, but our stubbornness gains us a double-up to more than 52,000 chips!

"Big risk," a man to our left says. Indeed, it was - but this time it worked.

Yet on the very next hand, we lost with our own big pocket pair - as Q-Q fell to A-Q when an Ace came on the turn. We survived to the three-hour break at 21,500. But with seven players remaining, we called an all-in bet with A-7 and 12,900 chips left. Our opponent's 6-6 held up, and we left in seventh place. (Only three were paid money.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You gave those chips right back," the man to our left said after we lost that Q-Q hand.

"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord," we told him.

That man didn't seem to acknowledge that famous quote. Do you know who said it? It's a Biblical quote, of course. From a modern translation...

He said, "I came naked from my mother's womb and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!" - Job 1:21 (NLT)

Read the first chapter of this Old Testament book, and you'll see Job lost a lot. Due to a challenge from Satan to God, Job lost his farm animals, farmhands, shepherds, camels, servants.... and all ten of his children.

If you lost even one-tenth of this, could you say what Job said? For many people, it might seem impossible. Yet in that moment, Job worshiped God (verse 20). How did he do that?

There once was a man named Job who.... was blameless - a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. - Job 1:1 (NLT)

Job worshiped God through it all, because he "feared God." Note his words above about nakedness. He realized God was the source of all he had, and God would be his hope through it all.

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

While the entire book of Job reveals he was not a perfect man, he truly was strong in faith. And we can understand the "change" that's coming is a change from human flesh to eternal life for believers in God.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. - Matthew 24:13 (NLT)

Jesus said those words. Then He did them. He's now the resurrected Son of God in heaven, and the Bible indicates He'll soon come back to resurrect faithful believers as well. Is that the source of your faith? If not, what is - and do you really think it's any better?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 215 final tables in 567 games (37.9%) - 46 cashes. That's five final tables in our last six live tournaments.

Poker Day 566: Flop-House

We arrived at Hollywood Casino Indiana today for an unusual (for us) Tuesday midday tournament, then discovered we could pick up a nice consolation prize.

A snack shop across the hall from the casino was offering free dessert, to mark National Strawberry Ice Cream Day! This was a $4.95 value - and c'mon, how many casinos offer free ice cream? If only we could survive to the first break, and not have to wait around for the coupon….

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: K-10 of clubs

At this point, the ice cream coupon is secured. It's the middle of Hour 2, after we overcame an early setback with pocket Kings to close Hour 1 at 13,475 from a starting 12,000 chips. We tend to fold K-10 when blinds go up and things get risky. But these are suited, so we try them. Two other players at the table of eight call.

ON THE FLOP: 10-10-K

No clubs. But no problem! We build an instant full house! A man to our right plays first, and offers 1,200. This reminds us of our last tournament in Kansas City.

"I can do 12," we say matter-of-factly. The third man can't; he folds.

ON THE TURN: 7

We doubt this helped our opponent at all. This time he checks. We want him to stick around and keep feeding our beast, so we make a hesitant-looking bet of 1,500. He calls. We're glad about it.

ON THE RIVER: 3

We should have the TV "check-mark" at this point. Now our opponent is ready to bet again - but backs off a little, to 1,100.

"No," we say. "Not enough." Forgetting it's an ice cream day, we raise to 3,100. Will our opponent take the dare? After a moment.... he does!

Then we remember the famous words a man said to oust us at a Alabama poker night years ago. "I flopped it," we say. When we show the full house, our opponent folds without showing.

"Was it that ice cream?" another player asks.

"I haven't eaten the ice cream yet," we answer with a smile.

Thankfully, the ice cream had to wait a long while. Big timely cards kept coming our way - never pocket Aces, but several winning A-K's and a couple of successful flushes. We ballooned to 36,200 after two hours of play. then reached the final table at 42,200.

Marvelous moments kept happening there. Even though we fell to 32,200 at the three-hour break, we won a sidepot with A-10 and made a big flush with 6 of hearts. Then we had three hands of 3-3 4-4 and 3-3! The first pocket pair was blown up for a full house on the river, but the other two led to double-ups - and we survived to the final three, to make the money!

After a few hands of chip shuffling, we asked a question. "Is it time to say 'chop'?" The other two men agreed to that. We wound up with $360 - seven times the $70 buy-in! We were thankful for God's guidance in making money. And since it's January, we were able to drive the free ice cream all the way home to enjoy later.

MINISTRY MOMENT: When we turned over 6-6 at the final table, one talkative opponent declared: "Satan's hand."

"Actually, that's three sixes," we said in correction.

"You'll need three sixes," he predicted in response.

That man turned out to be wrong, as the 6 of hearts led us to a winning flush. But this is a reminder that some people don't know the Bible as well as they think. Let's review his reference....

Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666. - Revelation 13:18 (NLT)

Many people have made guesses about what 666 means. We will not do that here. But the prophecies of Revelation indicate the future "beast-man" will require everyone to worship it, and receive some kind of mark for trading (verses 15-17). But believers in the true God should do something else....

….This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. - Revelation 13:10 (NLT)

You don't have to wait for an end-time beast to come to do these things, you know. The best time to start practicing these traits is now:

If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. - II Timothy 2:12-13 (NLT)

By the way, there's one other 666 in the Bible - the size of a Israelite family (Ezra 2:13). We didn't find any 66's in the text. But there's one big overarching one - as the standard Bible has 66 books! Can you name all of them? And even more importantly, have you read through all of them?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 214 final tables in 566 games (37.8%) - 46 cashes. Since we crossed the 500-tournament mark in April 2017, we've had 31 finals in 66 tries.... not far from 50 percent!

Is This Crazy or What?

The public address announcer in the poker room announced someone had a seat waiting for "pineapple." At our tournament table, that led to a question.

"What's the difference between 'pineapple' and 'crazy pineapple'?"

Our table decided there was none - that it was P.A. shorthand. But a check online reveals they're actually two different games. Both involve being dealt three cards. "Pineapple poker" requires you to dump one card before the flop; "crazy pineapple" lets you wait until after the flop.

So in poker slang, something becomes "crazy" if you have time to wait before making a decision. Of course, some people think it's downright crazy to play poker at all - especially people like us, who claim faith in God.

But some people said the same sort of thing about Jesus Christ long ago. In fact....

Then said the Jews to him, "Now we know that you have a devil...." - John 8:52 (KJV)

How could Jesus, the Son of God, possibly be demon-possessed? The skeptics didn't think He was the Son of God - and they certainly didn't understand some of the things He said. Such as....

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am now here. I have not come on my own, but he sent me." - John 8:42

Jesus the Son came from the Father's throne in heaven. This was a first - one the critics simply could not grasp. And that appearance had a great purpose:

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. - I Peter 1:18-20

Jesus was designated to redeem us from our sins, that we might have hope of eternal life. And God the Father planned it all out before our Earth came into being! That may sound "crazy" - but a supernatural God made it happen.

Believing that requires faith - a crazy kind of faith to some. But let's be honest: what other hope do you have of living beyond this life? Isn't the promise of living forever with Jesus worth taking a "chance" on Him?

Poker Night 546: From Ace-Rags to Riches

"Has John Cynn ever played here?" we asked our first dealer in tonight's tournament at Hollywood Casino Indiana.

"I don't know," he answered. Cynn, a native of Indianapolis, won the World Series of Poker Main Event this week. He was not in Lawrenceburg for our tournament, so our chances for success jumped dramatically....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Ace-6 of hearts

We've won one pot with hidden pocket Aces, and split another with a Jack. Now this "turbo tourney" is near the end of its first hour, and we have about 10,800 chips from a starting 12,000.

A man at our table of eight raises to 500. We take the approach that any Ace is a potential top pair, and we call. Five players are in the hunt.

ON THE FLOP: A-4-3 (no hearts, as we recall)

There's the top pair - but are others thinking the way we're thinking? The only way to find out is to bet. After the lead player checks, we offer 500. Three other players call. They can't all have Aces.

ON THE TURN: 4

Now we have two pair - and we really doubt anyone else has a 4. Our bet on the flop would have run off those chasers. So we choose to keep the pressure on, with another bet of 500. That scares away one more players, but two others call again. Is our "rags" kicker good enough for this?

ON THE RIVER: 5

Ugh - that opens the door for trouble. Anyone on a straight draw just made it. The first man in line checks. We pull out chips, as if we're about to bet again - but then think better of it and check. The third player ponders for a few seconds. If he bets, he probably runs us off. But he checks.

"I have an Ace," we say as we show. The other players.... don't even show! They apparently missed their draws or had smaller pairs! We win a big pot of more than 4,000 chips, and reach the first break at a high of 16,125.

The trouble is, we never made it any higher. Good cards such as K-Q didn't convert into pairs for us in the second hour. Then when we saw pocket Jacks, we took on an aggressive woman across the table. She bet 2,200 on a meager-looking flop. We went all-in for 8,400, and she called.... with Q-Q! Her Queens held on to top our Jacks, and we missed the final table. We finished 13th out of 19 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man two seats to our left won the first three hands of the night. That started jokes about whether he could win every hand and score a perfect game. One man suggested a sidebet on it.

"I would bet against me making it," the winner admitted.

"C'mon now," said the man between the winner and us. "You've got to have faith."

That was our opening. "I'd rather have faith in God, than have faith in him winning every hand."

The men smiled at that thought. But it reminded us of a line a well-known radio preacher said years ago: "Everyone has faith.... in something. The question is, what is your faith in?"

If you put all your faith in yourself or in other people, you're likely to be disappointed....

But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah. - Psalm 49:12-13

Sad but true - our bodies eventually wear down and die. But God promises to resurrect us, at least to a moment of judgment (Revelation 20:11-12). And if you put your faith in God and Jesus Christ now, that moment will be better than you might think:

For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. - Ephesians 2:8 (KJV)

Faith in God can lead to salvation and eternal life. And did you notice the amazing thing about it? It's not really our faith that does it. It's His faith, which God gives to believers through His Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.... - Galatians 5:22

It starts by asking God for something the first disciples of Jesus requested when He was on Earth: "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5) If you'd like help in doing that, please leave a comment; we'll be happy to help you.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 201 final tables in 546 games (36.8%) - 41 cashes.

Cynn City

Soccer fans will be focused today on the World Cup finals in Russia. The event might last three hours, if it winds up in a penalty kick shootout. But imagine an event where determining a world champion came down to a showdown even longer than that - practically lasting all night.

Courtesy Joe Ginn/WSOP.com

That's what happened this morning at the World Series of Poker's Main Event. The final two players battled from Saturday sundown until nearly 5:00 a.m. Las Vegas time - and it ended with Indiana native John Cynn (right) outlasting Florida's Tony Miles to take the "title belt" and $8.8 million.

The lead in heads-up play went back and forth several times, so we give credit to both men for playing hard and well. But in the end, this Main Event probably will inspire a lot of clever headlines (like ours) - and maybe even a few sermons from preachers.

For instance, Miles wore a Tim Tebow college football jersey to the final table. Tebow is known as a  believer in Jesus Christ. We're not sure where Miles stands on that - but his challenge for more than ten hours was, well, overcoming Cynn. It's your challenge, too, only with a different spelling....

...for everyone born of God overcomes the world.... Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. - I John 5:4-5

Louis Armstrong sang years ago, "What a Wonderful World" - and in some ways it is. But it's also a world filled with sin:

For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. - I John 2:16

This endurance contest isn't only for one night - it's a lifelong "main event." So how can you overcome these more common "sins"? We skipped over part of chapter 5, which offers an answer:

This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. - I John 5:4b

The late George Michael sang it correctly: you've got to have faith. But it needs to be in the right things - or better put, the right Ones. It means believing in Jesus as God's Son, and turning to Him to cover your sinful life.

...For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. - Revelation 12:10-11

That "accuser" is Satan, the devil (Job 1:6-9). The blood of Jesus can pay the penalty for your sin, and give you freedom to testify of the good things God does in your life.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:21

On this Sunday in Las Vegas, Mr. Cynn came out on top. It's a victory he earned. In your life, "sin" doesn't have to win. Put your faith in the Son of God who can help you overcome it.

Prophets of Profits

We told you a few days ago about Frankie Flowers - the operator of a non-profit organization in New York who did well in the World Series of Poker Main Event. He made the money, which is good. But he's now out of the running, finishing in 424th place.

Courtesy WSOP.com

Flowers earned close to $30,000. Trouble is, he talked about making much more than that. WSOP.com posted he was "prophecizing" at the Main Event about making a million dollars or more at the final table. We'll forgive the writer for not knowing the proper way to write that big word. Flowers actually may have been prophecying. Or, in street slang, he simply may have been "trash talking."

Yet some religious people have the idea that "faith talk" can lead to success - whether it be a lot of money, a spouse or something else. Where do they get that? From Bible verses such as....

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.... - II Corinthians 9:10-11

Claim that as a "faith promise," some people suggest, and the "God from whom all blessings flow" (to borrow from a famous church song) will pour them out on you.

We've admittedly seen God do that in our life - but there's a problem with that suggestion. It doesn't happen every time. The Bible nowhere shows that the first apostles died as tycoons or millionaires. In fact, the apostle who wrote the verses above wound up dying in a prison dungeon:

...This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. - II Timothy 2:8-9

You may win a lot of money playing poker. You may go bust a lot. Yet through good times and bad, the best thing to do is what Paul did. He kept his focus on God:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. - I Timothy 6:6-8

Instead of talking big, the model prayer of Jesus recommended a small request....

Give us this day our daily bread. - Matthew 6:11

Can you be content with that? The Bible indicates you should. Be thankful for whatever blessing God gives, even if it seems small. If you do, something great could come in the long run.

In the Eye of the Storm

Many poker games are friendly and good-natured - an evening for buddies to get together and have a good time. Many of our tournaments have been that way, even at casinos.

But what we saw in our first tournament at JACK Casino Cincinnati was different. Several of the players were dead serious - barking at each other and accusing them of committing violations worthy of penalties. It was a bit like WWE Monday Night Raw (even though that was not on any of the TV screens in the room).

In fact, a man to our right at the start of the evening seemed ready to draw us into the fuss. When we eliminated a player who went all-in, he bumped our chair with delight - the closest thing he could do to hugging us after a hockey goal. Apparently we'd knocked out one of his main rivals.

What do you do when it feels like you're surrounded by Phil Hellmuths having bad days? We picked up on the mood right away, so here's part of what we did....

1. FOCUS ON THE GAME. Instead of getting caught up in the circus around us, we played our cards (with perhaps one exception) as we normally would. There's a Biblical reminder along those lines....

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" - Matthew 14:28-30

Peter did something miraculous when he stepped out in faith and looked toward Jesus. When he saw stormy circumstances, trouble happened.

Many people pick on Peter for losing that focus - but consider this. Where were Jesus's other disciples at that moment? They "were terrified" and never left the boat (verse 26). Refusing to play poker until a stormy table calms down could cost you a big opportunity.

2. NOTE VIOLATIONS PEACEFULLY. At least twice during the tournament, a man to our left acted on his cards before we played ours.

"Uhhhhhhh....." we said loudly when it happened. That's all we needed to say; the dealer and others at the table got the message and responded accordingly. And we didn't rub it in to the other man. He had to skip some hands, and that was sufficient.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath.... - Romans 12:18-19

And along those lines....

3. BE SPORTSMANLIKE. When we finally lost at the final table, we walked around the table and shook the hand of the man who eliminated us. We didn't notice many others people doing that, but it's something we've always done.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. - I Thessalonians 5:15

Take those small steps at a poker table - whether the mood is sunny or stormy - and you're likely to stand out as different from the crowd. But it probably will be in a respectful way.

Poker Night 520: Ladies' Night

They were playing Omaha Hi-Lo at Five-Star Billiards tonight. Well, sort of. The Kansas Jayhawks did - and it wasn't poker. College basketball was on one of the TV screens. It wasn't much of a game. We wanted ours to be every bit as successful, but we knew it would be more competitive....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

We started the night with a 1,000-chip disadvantage. Everyone in WPT League receives 10,000, but "platinum" members (including everyone else at our table) get an extra 1,000 before the first hand. But we made up for that on the first hand - dealing ourselves A-J which won a nice pot when the Ace paired. That also earned us a "bounty chip," worth 5,000 only if we reach the final table.

Now it's hand two, and we have potentially better cards. No one raises at the table of eight, so we do - to 700. Three men across from us call.

ON THE FLOP: A-J-J

"Where's your Ace-Jack now?" a scoffer out of the hand asks us. Admittedly, that would look brilliant. But as it stands, this flop is quite discomforting. Our opponents could have an Ace for a higher two pair, or a Jack for three of a kind.

The Big Blind doesn't wait on us, betting 500.  The other two men call. "I can bet 500," we say - and do.

ON THE TURN: Q

Ahhhh - now that's better! We have a full house. And for unknown reasons, the men across from us slow down and check. No thank you - we bet 1,000. The Big Blind folds, while a man in a wheelchair calls. We're now heads-up, and feeling very good.

ON THE RIVER: 6

A non-essential. Our opponent checks. We look for the right amount to bet for a maximum payoff.

"1,300," we decide. "Nice round number." Good decision, as he calls.

"I've got the ladies," we declare. The opponent folds showing a bit of disgust, but not his cards. We gain more than 5,000 chips, plus a 5,000-chip on-the-spot bonus for the highest hand so far.

That was a big two-hand start - but wins were hard to come by after that. Pocket Jacks gained a pot when we raised pre-flop, and no one called. Then we hit it big with A-J, which topped three players with two pair on the board and took a man out of the game.

Our chip stack at one point reaches about 27,000, and stood at 20,900 at the one-hour break. Then promising cards, as the blinds kept climbing. We survived to the semifinal table, winning an all-in bet with A-9 when a 9 came on the river.

But with nine players left, we felt compelled to push in our last 8,000 with A-8. A man to our left called.... and this time, he had the pocket Queens. They turned into quad Queens on the river, and we were through. Our best showing in WPT League in more than a month still missed the final table by one - and the bounty went elsewhere.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You've got to put some faith in the dealer," the man who eliminated us said at one point. He was dealing the cards, of course.

But no, we couldn't agree. "I put my faith in God," we said.

We think he acknowledged that with a gesture, but said nothing more. We'd ask you: where is your faith these days - as in where you put it?

....If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. - Isaiah 7:9b

God offered these words through the prophet Isaiah when two kings (including the king of Israel) threatened to conquer Judah's capital, Jerusalem (verse 1). The Lord dared Judah's king to ask for a sign. King Ahaz declined to do so (verses 10-12) - and that led to this famous verse:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14

Many churches cite that verse at this time of year, as a prediction of Jesus's birth to Mary. The New Testament shows that prediction came true. But have you considered the story behind that sign?

Our NIV Study Bible notes Jesus may have been the second fulfillment of that prophecy. The first one may have occurred during Isaiah's time....

Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz." - Isaiah 8:3

Perhaps this is why some Jews do not consider Jesus the Messiah. That long name means, "Quick to the plunder; swift to the spoil." Jesus was anything but that when He walked on Earth. But Isaiah later adds....

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.... Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. - Isaiah 53:11-12

These verses indicate because Jesus sacrificed His life to redeem us from our sins, He will be rewarded greatly. We think that will happen in the ultimate sense when Jesus returns. If you've been thinking about the Lord's first coming, do you have faith to believe there will be a second?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 188 final tables in 520 games (36.2%) - 38 cashes.

Can We Tempt You? II

We focused recently on a column about temptation in the poker room. We noted temptation can take place anywhere - and even Jesus Christ faced it while on Earth.

Yet Jesus successfully resisted three rounds of temptation from the devil. (You can draw your own comparisons to a flop, turn and river.) Note the words Jesus used to push the tempter away:

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" - Matthew 4:4

The Son of God may have been walking in the flesh, but He knew the Scriptures very well. He quoted from Deuteronomy, to put the "word of God" above physical food (Deuteronomy 8:3). In the same way, there are times when we need to put the Bible ahead of a non-stop poker life.

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" - Matthew 4:7

There actually are verses in the Bible where God allows you to test Him (see Malachi 3:10-11 for an example). But Jesus was responding to a challenge to jump off the top of the temple. As poker players need to discern the right time to take a big risk with a hand, Jesus realized this was not the proper moment for a "leap of faith."

Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" - Matthew 4:10

The Son of God refused to worship the devil. Are you doing that - even in hidden ways that might surprise you?

In all of this, Jesus defeated the tempter by referring to Scripture; the other two quotes also come from Deuteronomy (6:13, 16). That can help us when we face temptation in life - even in a big poker hand.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.... - James 4:7-8

From time to time we've offered Bible verses to keep in mind as you play poker. Search for them on this blog, then make them part of you. We don't guarantee final tables or big wins. But by resisting the tempting moments, your outcome may be better than you expected.

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.

Hey, Big Spenders

We're not in a place where we can watch the relaunched Poker After Dark. But the show is making news for some big pots - and big blunders.

One hand posted this weekend finds pocket Aces getting crushed on the flop, when a man with A-4 gets trips with a 5-4-4 flop. The man with Aces apparently assumed a raise was a bluff; he re-raised, then went all in on the turn.

This is a classic case of "loose" play versus "cautious" play. A TV series like this tends to encourage looseness; this pot wound up totaling $980,000. But for the cautious player, an opponent raising on the  flop would have set off alarm bells.

So what sort of poker player are you? If you're playing with real money in a cash game, we'd bring up this verse....

A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. - Proverbs 12:26

"Righteous" people might come across as cautious people. That's because they don't want anything to soil their righteous reputation. But if the righteousness comes from their own standards, there's a potential problem:

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. - Isaiah 64:6

Our righteousness, as cautious as we might be, ultimately doesn't amount to much. We need something better.

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

People who put their faith in Jesus receive God's version of righteousness. There might still be caution after that, but only because they don't want to bring shame on the name of Jesus in whom they've put their faith.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness.... - I Timothy 6:10-11

Loving God and Jesus Christ leads to the right kind of righteousness. Being loose and "eager for money" does not. In fact, it can lead to costly mistakes. That advice may help you far from a table filled with Aces.

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.

The Miracle Man

Our last post included a conversation with a dealer who admitted he sometimes makes mistakes. It ended with the man admitting Jesus did some things that were "miraculous."

Perhaps you've experienced a "miracle" or two at the poker table - getting the single card you need to make a straight flush on the river, or something less than that. While that's certainly a thrilling moment, Jesus Christ had miracles far beyond that:

Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me.... even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." - John 10:25, 38

The Lord admitted He performed miracles - from healing the sick to feeding thousands of people. He faced scoffers and skeptics while walking this earth, but Jesus said they should still believe the miraculous things He did. And yet at another time....

He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. - Mark 6:5-6

Jesus was stymied in His own home town (verse 1) - and a crowd of people there even "took offense" at him (verse 3).

This should point out something important about miracles of God: they're a two-way exchange. If you lack the faith that miracles can happen, they probably won't. Occasionally you might beat the odds. But to go back to the earlier quote, we need faith that the Father and Son are at work in our lives.

Some people (and even some ministers) claim the "age of miracles" ended with the completion of the Biblical New Testament. And yet that testament says this:

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles.... - I Corinthians 12:28

Earlier in this chapter, we're told God gives some believers "miraculous powers" (verse 10). We personally do not think we have that sort of thing - but we also admit we could use more faith that other people have it.

So next time you need a miraculous hand or comeback, remember the source of true miracles. Not some group of "poker gods" that players love to bring up - but a real God who wants you to put your faith and trust in Him.