Coming Out of Darkness

Some professional poker players don't stop their gambling at the poker table. They make bets on other things - sometimes quite outlandish things.

One strange recent case involved Rich Alati, who was offered $100,000 if he stayed in a bathroom for 30 days. A bathroom with no lights - the only "extras" being a bed, an unlit refrigerator and five cameras watching him.

It sounds like something out of solitary confinement at a prison or a concentration camp. Yet Alati endured it so well that the man who offered the bet settled for about $62,000 after 20 of the 30 days. (How they negotiated this while Alati was in the bathroom is unclear.)

We find this fascinating because, whether you realize it or not, we're all doing this to some extent. We're living in a dark place....

But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. - Proverbs 4:19 (NLT)

This may seem like an enlightened age, with technology which was only a dream 200 years ago. But the Bible says wickedness and sin have darkened this world....

And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them.... God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. - Jude 6 (NLT)

That "darkness" is not some mythic underground world. Sadly, it's here on Earth - where we are (Revelation 12:9).

But the good news is that we don't have to stay in darkness, like Rich Alati did. God provided a big "out" for us....

And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world.... John 3:19 (NLT)

It's more than sunshine by day, or the moon by night....

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." - John 8:12 (NLT)

Following Jesus is a walk out of wicked darkness, into light. And the payoff is far better than $100,000 - it's eternal life.

Alati hasn't made many final tables in his career, but has healthy winnings from tournaments. Now he also has a place in poker trivia, which could lead to more stardom. But we challenge you to do the opposite of what Alati did. Come out of this world's darkness - and stay there.

For more on this topic, listen to a short message we presented in 2017.

Poker Night 562: Better by the Dozen?

"We're at table 12 on 12/12," our dealer properly observed at Hollywood Casino Indiana Wednesday night. "And we start with 12-K" - as in 12,000 chips.

In fact, one donut chain called it the "Day of the Dozens" and offered a special discount. But instead of driving there after work, we drove to Indiana. The five-dollar buffet special was (pun intended) a more well-rounded meal. But would the number of Jesus's original disciples (Matthew 10:1) and the tribes of ancient Israel (Revelation 21:12) have deep meaning for us? A test of that came early....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 6-6

We joked with the dealer before the tournament started about playing A-2 (sort of like 1-2). But 6 + 6 = 12, right? So in the first few minutes, this pocket pair is a must-play! With no one raising, it's even better. As we remember, three players at a slowly-growing table of eight are in.

ON THE FLOP: 10-8-2

Not much to brag about there - and no one is betting. So we toss out 125, hoping for a quick win. Except one player calls; the others fold.

ON THE TURN: 8

The board pairs. We have two pair. Our opponent now checks. But what if he has a third 8? We decide to be cautious, and check as well.

ON THE RIVER: Q

Finally a face card - and our opponent acts on it. He bets 300. We suppose he could have been waiting for that. But we conclude this is a "test your mettle" bluff, maybe with Ace high. We call. Are we right?

The other man shows.... 10-5! There was no bluff. He hit top pair, and simply waited us out to win the pot.

But on this night, more good cards came. Our stack went up and down, but was a healthy 17,575 at the first break. Hour Two was worse, with bad decisions leaving us at the edge of the cliff with 6,700. But then came Hour Three - and back-to-back pushes with A-Q and A-J led to double-ups, and a total of 24,800!

After we lost to A-K to a man's pocket Aces, we reached the final table with 17,400. But setbacks struck as blinds went up, and finally we pushed again with King-Queen of spades. A man with A-J pushed first and won the race. On a night with 21 players (come to think of it, that's the reverse of 21), we finished a respectable seventh. (Only the top three earned money.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that a pager or a pencil sharpener?" a dealer asked at one point about our card protector.

"It's a reflector," we explained to our table, holding up the small red item we'd taken before. "It's a reminder to me that I should reflect the light of Jesus Christ."

Perhaps you've been a bit confused about that light. Two Bible verses can seem contradictory at first reading....

But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world. - John 9:5 (NLT)

Jesus called Himself "the light." Yet He also declared....

You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. - Matthew 5:14 (NLT)

So which is it?

Actually, it can be both. And that's where our reflector comes in. We can reflect the perfect light of Jesus to other people. As one great song puts it, believers can "shine like the moon" which reflects the sun shining on it. Jesus seemed to understand that:

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." - John 8:12 (NLT)

If you hold a flashlight close to a mirror, the intensity of the light should be stronger. So how closely do you follow Jesus's life and example?

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. - I Peter 2:21 (NLT)

That's the part of "following" which might scare some people. Not everyone appreciates God and Jesus Christ. They might put you down, and occasionally even beat you up. But reflecting God's goodness now will be rewarded someday with eternal life. Upon reflection, isn't that worth it?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 211 final tables in 562 games (37.5%) - 44 cashes.

Poker Night 561: Little Becomes Much

"Maybe they're trying to tell me I shouldn't play poker tonight," we said to people behind us in line at the JACK Casino cashier's windows.

The line was long tonight, then the first woman available said she could not take poker entries. The second woman available put up a "next window, please" sign when we approached her. But we finally found one window that would accept our $80 buy-in, so we could enter the Sunday night tournament.

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: 7 of spades-10 of spades

We've been biding our time, waiting for good cards to play. After almost one lap around with the button, we have yet to enter a hand. But sitting first with suited mid-range cards, we decide to give something a try. We're in for the minimum, along with about three others at a table of eight.

ON THE FLOP: 9-5-3

As we remember this, only the 9 is a spade. So there's an outside shot at a flush. A man to our right bets the minimum 100.

"I can do 100," we say with a who-cares tone. After all, we started with 15,000.

"Anybody can do 100," our opponent says. Well, no they can't. The other players fold, putting us heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 10c

A small risk gets a potentially big card. Now we have top pair. Our opponent checks.

"If you can do 100, surely you can do 250," we say. He thinks it over, then calls our bet.

ON THE RIVER: 6

It's still top pair for us. Our opponent checks again. We reach for 350.

"And if you could do 100," we say, "and you can do 250, then...."

Thud. He folds his cards before our chips hit the table.

"Well, maybe not," we conclude with a bit of comedic timing. A fun little hand leads to a little gain of 550.

We'd love to say things got better than there. But they didn't. We never won another pot, and started going downhill when we misread an opponent who had a full house. That cost us 5,000.

After about 90 minutes, we were down to 1,675 and went all-in. Our K-5 of hearts caught a 5 on the flop, but a man with an 8 also caught a pair. We left stunned by a lack of good cards, and were third out at our table. We didn't read the delays at the cashier's window right, either.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I don't think I've ever seen a candle here before," the man to our right said when he saw tonight's card protector. Indeed, we brought a small candle for the first time in two years.

"It's the first night of Hanukkah," we explained. "And I brought it to remind me that Jesus Christ is the light of the world."

"There you go," the man replied. And then, wouldn't you know it - his smart phone rang. He answered it, and the potential discussion was over.

Yet we put Hanukkah and Jesus together. If you think Christ only belongs "in Christmas," you may have missed this section of Scripture....

It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. - John 10:22 (NLT)

Why would the Lord be there? Because even though He came from heaven to Earth, He entered through the line of a Biblical tribe....

From Judah will come the cornerstone, the tent peg, the bow for battle, and all the rulers. - Zechariah 10:4 (NLT)

A lot could be unpacked from that verse, but we'll save much of it for another post. Let's focus on the first item. Who or what is "the cornerstone" of Judah? Let's let the Bible answer that:

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. - Ephesians 2:20 (NLT)

God started building a church after Jesus was resurrected. He's still doing that - but Jesus has to be the "cornerstone" of any "holy temple" for God (verse 21).

As Jews mark the "festival of lights" this week, we hope you consider the true "light" who once paid a visit to that festival....

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." - John 8:12 (NLT)

As for keeping Christmas, we'll ask you this. Where in the Bible does it say anyone kept Christmas - or is required to do so? Leave a comment with your answer. We'll wait for it before responding.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 210 final tables in 561 games (37.4%) - 44 cashes.

Poker Night 557: Couple's Therapy

It was a dark and rainy night. Then suddenly.... a poker game broke out.

That's as far as we'll go, in comparing Wednesday night's tournament at Hollywood Casino Indiana to Halloween. We made a good decision to avoid the "holiday" by playing poker there. Scarcely anyone there put on costumes. And the only "scares" at the table were the usual ones. You know....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: K-Q offsuit

The one-hour break is approaching, and we need a rally. Despite winning an early pot or two, things have not gone well. Hands like 8-8 have fallen short. Now we have good cards in the leadoff position, with 9,350 chips from a starting 12,000. We limp in, as is our custom. The players on either side of us call, with no raises.

ON THE FLOP: Jh-10c-9c

WOW! The royal couple leads the way to a straight! But what will other players do? A woman in the Big Blind does us a favor, by betting 2,000. But then comes the "scare" - because two clubs are showing, so someone might be chasing a flush. We decide a patient play would be too risky.

"All-in," we announce - for 9,150. The man to our left wants nothing to do with that. But that woman thinks things over for about a minute. We simply smile at her, to "help" with her decision.

"I'll call," she finally says.

"Do you have the straight?" we ask.

"I'm on the way." She shows K-10, with no clubs.

"Because I do have the straight." We show our cards.

"Nice," she admits. But could she escape with a split, by getting the complete straight?

ON THE TURN: 9s

The board pairs. No worries there.

ON THE RIVER: 2s

We go to the first break thanking God! We double-up to 20,200 chips, while the woman is left with only about 800.

After the break, we quickly reached the final table after a round of blinds with 19,600. But attempts to be creative failed from there. We survived to the second break with 8,200. Then with blinds climbing, we tried to force the issue by pushing with K-J. But a different woman made a full house to knock us out. Our money run ends, with an eighth-place finish on a 14-player night.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Only one dealer dressed up in a "costume" of any kind for the tournament, and that man simply put on an orange reflective vest. "Keep it as simple as possible," he explained.

We thanked our opening dealer for the fact that the poker room seemed to be a "Halloween-free zone." And we said a couple of times about the event, "Give the devil his don't" - as opposed to "his due."

If you think Halloween is simply a big money-making project for costume companies and other businesses.... well, that's true. But its roots are in something very ungodly:

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. - II Corinthians 4:4

That "god of this age" isn't the God of creation. It's Satan the devil - promoting darkness instead of light. Or have you noticed how dark, scary things dominate Halloween-related events and traditions? Here are some examples....

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. - Deuteronomy 18:10-11

It may seem like harmless fun in late October. But the Bible shows God views it differently:

Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.... You must be blameless before the Lord your God. - Deuteronomy 18:12-13

As one study Bible explains in its notes: consult with God about the questions of life - maybe even about whether you should play poker. Any other method goes outside God, and will not have his blessing.

Visit this link to learn more on the history of Halloween (and related events such as the "Day of the Dead" and "Guy Fawkes Day").

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 209 final tables in 557 games (37.5%) - 44 cashes.

Poker Night 535: Hollywood of the East

"I've never seen that before," a man said as he processed our rewards card tonight. "Because you've played in Kansas City, it showed you as a 'distinguished guest.'"

The title came as we entered a poker tournament at Hollywood Casino - but now we need to specify which one. For years, we played on occasion at the casino next door to Kansas Speedway. But Hollywood is really a chain of casinos - and in our new home, there's one about 20 miles away in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, at the west edge of the metro Cincinnati "tri-state."

For 70 dollars, we entered the Wednesday night turbo tourney. We discovered it's one of the poker room's slowest nights of the week. Making the final table potentially would be a breeze.... or would it?

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 4-3 of clubs

Wednesday is so slow that there's only one table of players in the tournament as this hand begins. (Another table is almost full, but that's a cash game.) No one is raising. It's early, so why not call with suited connectors? About six players get in.

ON THE FLOP: 4-5-6

We have bottom pair, which isn't much. But we have an open-ended straight draw - and we're betting early, so we decide to see if we can discourage others away. We bet 150. Three players call.

ON THE TURN: 9

That's not a high card, but still a slight concern. Is anyone stubborn enough to play a 9? We bet 200 to see. Only a man to our right calls.

ON THE RIVER: 10

Our opponent checks, and now we face a challenge. Do we bet bigger again, in an attempt to scare the man away and claim the pot? Or should we be more careful, to limit potential losses?

We decide to check, and show our 4. Our opponent has a 9, and claims the pot. Given what he had and the timing of the game, we don't think any bet would have run him off except for something ridiculously massive.

That's the kind of night it was for us - trying to make the most of a lot of weak cards. We never won a pot in the first hour of play, and our starting stack of 12,000 dwindled to 5,975. Then we tried pocket 9's, but folded to a flop with A-Q when another man bet big.... only to see a 9 come on the turn.

Yet on a night with 14 players, enough people bet big and failed that we reached the final table - despite never winning a hand! We made it with 3,800. Then we went for it all with K-Q, in a hand that saw four players push! But a man with A-J was rewarded with a full house. He took out three players, including us; we finished tied for seventh (officially ninth).

MINISTRY MOMENT: Because of our weak hands and other people talking about other things, that moment never happened tonight. We'll take the blame for not following the command of our Lord....

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." - Mark 16:15-16

It's a big world, filled with places where the good news about Jesus Christ can be brought up. We admittedly go to very unusual places to do it, but we do. Yet simply going is not enough....

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? - Romans 10:14

We've heard preachers say over the years than believers in God are told to be "lights, not loudspeakers." Yes, Christians are called "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14) - but lines like that overlook the fact that Christians also are supposed to be something else....

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. - Acts 1:8

A witness gives a testimony in court or to authorities. That could be in writing, but often it means speaking up. At least we can write about our faith-sharing here, and offer it to you. May all believers have the wisdom and courage to know when to talk about God and Jesus with others.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 194 final tables in 535 games (36.3%) - 40 cashes. We're now two-for-two in final tables in our new home area!

The Biggest Blind

Newcomers to the game of poker learn right away what a blind is.

It's a bet put on the table before any cards are dealt, to start a pot. A typical tournament has a "small blind" immediately to the left of the dealer or button, and a "big blind" to the left of that. Many cash games require new players to post a big blind on their first hand, no matter where they sit.

But are you sitting "in the blind" right now, as you read this - whether you're playing poker on a second screen or not? If you don't believe in God and Jesus the Son, you very likely are....

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. - II Corinthians 4:4

This is a spiritual "big blind." And the "god of this age" (or "world," as the King James Version puts it) is not God in heaven....

The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.... - Revelation 12:9

Satan wants to steer you away from God, and into spiritual darkness. But....

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him is no darkness at all. - I John 1:5

This leaves you a choice. Would you rather be in the "big blind" of darkness, or in God's light?

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. - John 3:19 (KJV)

If you're playing high-stakes poker illegally - sorry, you're not getting any sympathy from us. Most cases of law-breaking are evil, even if you consider them fun and games. It's time to come out of that darkness - and most importantly, come out of spiritual blindness and "the condemnation." Instead, walk in the warm light of God's love.

Checking in the Dark

In our last poker tournament, we had 300 chips left when the Big Blind came around to us. But the blinds were 200/400 - so we were all-in from the "get-go."

"I'll check in the dark," we announced jokingly when the play came to us. Not only because no one raised, but because there was nothing else we could do. It didn't matter if we looked at them or not, so we didn't - only turning them over when we were down to a make-or-break showdown.

But remember the candle we took for a card protector, mentioned in our last post? Earlier in the tournament, we mentioned we were trying to be a light for Jesus Christ "in a dark world." That prompted some, well, enlightening thoughts from our dealer.

"A casino can be a dark place," he noted. "No windows. No clocks on the wall."

We understand that's by design. The casino managers would like you to stay all day and all night, so "distractions" like those are left out. The inside of the building may be well-lit. But except for sports events on big screens, you're "in the dark" when it comes to the world outside.

If we come out of that darkness on a sunny day, the light may be blinding. And there's a spiritual lesson there:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. - I Peter 2:9

God wants us to walk in light - the light of Jesus Christ, as we mentioned. But our last post also noted this stunning statement:

For you were once darkness.... - Ephesians 5:8

Not "you were in darkness." You were darkness - as dark as a chocolate Dove bar. How do we get out of that?

...Find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:10-11

Walking in God's way can require you to walk away from darkness - whether it be sinful actions or harmful people. There's this warning about people who don't walk away:

These men are blemishes at your love feasts.... for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. - Jude 12-13

Satan the devil wants people to stay in darkness. But thankfully, God plans to send Satan eventually "to the rail." A Biblical festival beginning tonight pictures that - the Day of Atonement, known to Jews as Yom Kippur. We invite you to read more about it, and even start practicing it. Then head for the light that's much better for you.


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Poker Day 487: Royals, Baseball

We should explain that title right away. The Kansas City Royals' baseball season is over. They missed the playoffs. But playoff baseball was on TV at the Kansas Star Casino poker room Friday. And the royals? Well, keep reading....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: A-Q offsuit

We split an early pot with a full house, but haven't done much else so far. Yet these are cards that could spark a comeback. We start the hand with about 3,000 chips from a starting 3,500. When a player across the full table raises to 250, we call. Four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Kd-8h-Qd

We have a piece of the flop, but not the best piece. That man across the table makes a continuation bet of 250. We sense this is a "feeler" bet and he doesn't have a lot. Considering our kicker, we want to stay in - so we call. It's still a four-horse race.

ON THE TURN: 8s (suit may not be precise)

Now we have two pair - and if that bettor is using the King as a "kicker" card, we have him topped. He offers 250 again.  Of course, he could have a King - but he's not betting big like he does. So we call in hope. It's still a four-horse race.

ON THE RIVER: 10d

A third diamond potentially complicates matters. That bettor tosses out another 250. We've committed this far, so we're prepared to go all the....

But wait a minute. A man wearing red ahead of us goes all-in - for 1,250. That extra 1,000 is too steep for us.

"We were doing fine, until you did that," we joke as we fold. The other three players fight on.... only to see the man in red turn over Ad-Jd!!! It's not merely a flush. He made a royal flush!

He wins big, of course - but because it's a tournament, he doesn't win a "high hand" or "bad beat" jackpot. He tells us later that was the first royal flush he's ever had.

That loss hurt, but we mounted a comeback near the first break. An all-in bet for 925 with two pair helped. Going all-in again with A-K and winning a race with J-10 thanks to three Aces helped even more. We reached the break back at the starting line of 3,500. But a third all-in try with J-7 and a Jack high on the flop lost to A-J. We wound up betting our last 300 on the Big Blind and failed, finishing about 37th on a day with 75 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Are we having a séance?" the first dealer asked when he saw our card protector. We brought an old, well-worn candle - but of course, the occult had nothing to do with it.

"I brought it to remind me," we explained, "that I need to be a light for Jesus Christ."

"Sounds like a plan," the dealer said.

"It's a very good plan," we assured him. We should have clarified that remark. Our candle may not have been a good plan - but God's plan involving being a light is.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. - II Corinthians 4:6

This verse speaks of a plan that goes all the way back to creation. The world was a dark place then....

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep.... - Genesis 1:2

There's one school of thought based on the original Hebrew that the earth became that way, because Satan rebelled against God.

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness." - Genesis 1:3-4

Much later, Jesus Christ came to Earth to be "the light of the world" (John 8:12). And until Jesus comes back, believers are to be "lights" in their own right. That means having "knowledge" of God's glory through Christ. And we think it means sharing that light with other people.

For you were once darkness, but now are you light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)... - Ephesians  5:8-9

Feel free to read on in that section of Ephesians; we plan to come back to it in future posts. But that little candle opened a way for us to share the light of God with others in a poker room on Friday. What can you do when you play poker, to be a positive light to others?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 180 final tables in 487 games (37.0%) - 35 cashes. Our next live tournament probably won't be for several weeks; we'll explain why in an upcoming post.

Poker Day 453: A Little Something Extra

As some people like to say at the table, "The price of poker has gone up."  Only we're talking about the entry fee at Arrowhead Poker -- now $35 instead of $30 for the Sunday tournament, even though the poker room website didn't say that today.

But we were able to start with 60,000 chips (62,000 with an "on-time bonus").  The challenge was holding on to them:

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: K-9 of spades

All those chips and low blind levels have allowed us to take some early chances.  Trouble is, they've all fallen short so far.  We come to this hand with about 56,000 chips, looking for something to get us going.  We're in the Big Blind, and get help when no one raises at our table of seven.  As best we recall, four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 6s-10s-Kh

Top pair seems good to it.  When the Small Blind checks, we bet 1,000. A man to our left calls. So does a man across the table. The Small Blind folds.

ON THE TURN: 8c (guessing on the suit)

If this card helped anybody, we still possess top pair.  So we turn up the heat by betting 2,000.  The man to our left clearly isn't comfortable with this, but he calls.  So does the other player.

ON THE RIVER: 3s

Uh-oh -- three spades now are showing.  We check cautiously.  The man to the left checks.  The man across the table ponders a moment, then checks as well.

"I've got nothing," the man across from us says.

"Kings," we say.

"Flush," the dealer points out.

"Oh yeah!" we say with surprise.  We admittedly overlooked the fact that we had two spades!  Our checking of the river looked like a great trap.  Too bad nobody bit -- but at least we gained several thousand chips.

We climbed back to the starting level, then scored a big gain when we called with K-K and topped a man who went all-in with Ace-high.  Another big gain with Q-Q fell short, when an all-in opponent with 10-9 hit two pair on the flop.  But we still reached the final table with about 70,000 chips.

Once there, climbing blinds took their toll.  We stayed alive with A-7, when we called a man with a matching hand. (Amazingly, the flop was 7-A-A.)  Then A-K brought us an all-in win.  But another try with K-J fell short, when a man with a 7 caught a pair on the flop and we missed.  End result: eighth place for the second tournament in a row.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "This man is using a salt packet for his car protector," a player at the final table said with a laugh.

It was our salt packet, of course.  "I brought it to remind me that Jesus said I'm supposed to be the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13).

A man across the table actually was delighted to hear this. "I try to bring up Jesus at poker tables, but other people don't want to talk about Him," he said.  "They don't think it's the right place to talk about that, but I think we should talk about Jesus all the time."

Wow!  Regular readers know this sort of reaction is rare. And we think we know why....

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. - John 3:19

These words of Jesus seem as true today as they did long ago. People who don't want to embrace the "light of the world" (John 8:12) would rather not even talk about the things of God.  What they may not realize is that they can try to run from God.... but they can't hide:

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up against me." But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.... - Jonah 1:1-3

Jonah tried to run away from God's assignment. That led to a violent storm (1:4), Jonah being thrown off a ship (1:15), a giant fish swallowing Jonah for three days and nights (1:17), then a second command from God to go to Nineveh (3:1-2).  This time....

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.... - Jonah 3:3

Are you trying to be like Jonah -- running away from God?  Trust us: it won't work.  He's bigger than you.  He wants you to come to the light of His Son.  And the light won't hurt.  Honestly.  In fact, your life might be a lot better for it.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 167 final tables in 453 games (36.9%) - 29 cashes. A busy schedule will restrict us to online poker only for the next few weeks.

Light on the Subject

Our last poker tournament had a full table of players.  But only after we were eliminated did someone notice something missing.

Electric lights were on throughout the room. But a special group had not been turned on over our table - lights to make sure players see the cards properly.

To be honest, we never noticed a difference.  But for some, good lighting matters.  And we think that should be true away from the poker room as well....

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. - John 3:19

Have you ever played cards in a dimly-lit room?  The lighting may have been that way to prevent being noticed - by law officers, sleeping relatives or whomever.  In many places, the Bible equates darkness with evil acts.

Everyone who does evil hares the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. - John 3:20

But verse 19 suggests "light" can refer to more than an electrical bulb made possible by Thomas Edison. Indeed, the One who said those words also declared....

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12

It's a "light of life," as opposed to the darkness of death which awaits those who reject Jesus:

These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. - II Peter 2:17

Accepting the "light of life" can lead to eternal life, in the Kingdom of God which Jesus someday will bring.

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.... there will be no night there. - Revelation 21:23, 25

If a few extra lights over a poker table can help people play better, why can't the light of Jesus Christ help you live better - and even live forever?  Isn't it (and He) worth a try?

Poker Day 443: Just Hanging Around

The schedule has been so busy for us in recent weeks that today marked our first trip to a poker tournament in almost two months.  The format at Arrowhead Poker hasn't changed, which for our city is a bit surprising.  But would the success rate change?

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: King of clubs-King of diamonds

A full table of ten players has shown up today.  Some early feelers have fallen short for us, so we have about 58,000 of a generous 60,000 starting chips.  When we see this high pocket pair late in the betting order and no one has raised, we obviously should.  We go up to 1,000; about half the table is in.

ON THE FLOP: 3h-5d-7h

Unless someone jumped in with a small pocket pair, this flop seems harmless.  So when the table checks, we put out 1,200.  Most players get the message and surrender, but one man at the opposite corner from us calls.

ON THE TURN: 10h

Hmmm - now three hearts are showing, and we don't have one.  But we don't want to back off with an "overpair," so the bet goes up only a little.  Our opponent checks, we offer 1,500 and he calls.

ON THE RIVER: As

It's not a heart, but it's practically the last card we want to see.  Yet our opponent seems delighted, because he now bets 6,500 instead of checking.  Even if he was laying low with a flush, any Ace has us beaten.  We mumble a little and fold.  Then he turns over.... sure enough, an Ace.

"He let you hang around," another player tells our opponent.  Indeed.  But a big bet on the turn with three hearts showing could have been risky.

We rallied after several losses to win a big pot with Q-Q, to get above 63,000 chips.  But we never won another pot after that.  A pre-flop push for 31,000 with A-K found us heads-up against K-Q, but a Queen on the flop doomed us.  Not even a King later allowed us to beat his two pair.  Out of 11 total players, we finished middle-of-the-pack in sixth.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Our handling of pocket Queens with big bets frustrated a man sitting next to us at the table.  "Jesus Christ," he said on the turn.

"He's my redeemer," we said confidently.

Our opponent didn't react to that statement - but you may be asking what we mean by that.  The idea of being redeemed goes back to long before Jesus was born:

Therefore, say to the Israelites: "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment." - Exodus 6:6

The Lord "redeemed" Israel from slavery -- as in buying their freedom.  In fact, Israel didn't have to pay much for that freedom besides sacrificing lambs at the Passover and putting their blood on doorposts (Exodus 12:1-30).  In the same way, Jesus Christ can redeem you spiritually now:

....We wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. - Titus 2:13-14

The blood of Jesus redeems believers from wicked, sinful ways.  They can become "God's people," and God wants pure sinless people.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. - I Peter 2:9

The world of sin can be a very dark place.  Wouldn't it be better to have Jesus redeem you from your sins, so you can follow the One who says He is "the light of world"? (John 8:12)  We'll consider that a bit more in our next post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 160 final tables in 443 games (36.1%) - 26 cashes.

Poker Day 426: Bright Ideas

"You know it's going to be serious poker," we said at Winners Cardroom today, "when the dealer is wearing sunglasses."

No kidding - the female dealer had shades covering her eyes.  She took them off once the tournament began.  We have a pair of sunglasses, but find we have trouble reading the cards when we wear them.  So instead of looking "poker cool," we focused on trying to win....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: A-9 offsuit

The first few minutes of this game haven't been the greatest for us.  We lost one pot when our two pair were outkicked.  This likes a good hand for attempting a comeback -- and with no one raising pre-flop, we can play rather inexpensively.

ON THE FLOP: K-9-3

It's middle pair and top kicker, but nothing to make us overconfident.  A man to our right tosses out 500 nonchalantly.  We're led to think he's chasing something, so we call.  A young woman across the table who's rather new at the game calls as well; everyone else folds.

ON THE TURN: 5

A card which probably didn't help anyone.  That man to the right tosses out 500 again.  Now we're even more convinced he's chasing; we call again, as does that young woman.

ON THE RIVER: 3

This pairs the board, and gives us two pair.  The man to the right makes another 500-chip toss.  Enough of that, we say to ourselves.

"Raise - 1,500," we say.

This is a "bully bet" on our part, trying to seize the pot by indicating we have something big.  The young woman ponders this for a moment -- then calls.  Uh-oh; that's probably trouble.

The man calls as well.  He shows 9-4 - much as we suspected.  Our Ace has his two pair outkicked.  But the young woman turns over A-K.  She had the high card, but let everyone else bet in front of her.  A good move on her part, to take the part.

That loss plus a continual dearth of quality cards put us in a deep hole.  We limped to the break at 5,000 chips.  But then things changed.  A desperation all-in with A-10 led to two more 10's on the board, and we stayed alive with 10,000 chips.  Then A-K brought a winning King on the flop, and we escaped again.  Then we pushed with 10-10, gained a third 10 on the river, and suddenly had 40,000 chips!

But with the final table nearing, the odds finally turned against us.  We went all in with A-9 and received an Ace on the flop (as best we remember), but lost to a man with A-10.  We're thankful for a great rally, even though we fell short by finishing 11th/

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that a candle?!" the dealer asked about our card protector.  Yes, it was - a small green one that we haven't used in years.

"I brought it to remind me," we said, "that I should be a light for Christ."

This led to a discussion about whether God wants people to play poker.  We'd looked at that topic before, and we probably will again.  But what we found most noteworthy about the candle came later, when a man to our left looked closely at it.

"Do you plan to use that again?  It doesn't have much of a wick."

We admitted we haven't been able to use it in recent years for that very reason.  And that leads us to an important point about candles.

For you will light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. - Psalm 18:28 (KJV)

A church or dining table can have the nicest-looking candlestick known to man.  But something has to light it, or it has no real value.  King David in this psalm refers to the Lord as the one who lights his candle (see verses 1-2).  But you have to be the wick - willing to let God enlighten you.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick: and it gives light to all that are in the house. - Matthew 5:15 (KJV)

A covered-up candle loses oxygen and expires in a short time.  Are you willing to let God light your candle - perhaps ignited by His Holy Spirit through a study of the Bible?  Then are you willing to openly display that light, by letting the Spirit work in your mind and life?

If you're willing, God is able - and you might find you can burn brightly for Him for a long time.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 151 final tables in 426 games (35.4%) - 25 cashes.

The Grandest Theft

A recent tournament at National League of Poker had this chat:

Dealer: 　knightfan2 wins Main Pot ($14,400)
TJFill: 　thief
knightfan2: 　like stealing candy from a baby
TJFill: 　*** low life
Me: 　Thief in the Knight :-)
TJFill: 　pc oc rap
Me: 　Straight outta the Bible

We did a play on words to bring up a phrase of Scripture.  Perhaps you've never thought of Jesus this way before....

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. - I Thessalonians 5:2 (KJV throughout)

It's tempting to conclude Jesus will come like a thief -- but that's not really what this verse says.  After all, would a Lord who opposes stealing (Matthew 19:18) come back to Earth that way?

It actually says the "day of the Lord" will come like a thief....

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. - I Thessalonians 5:3

If you think our modern time is peaceful and secure -- well, some might call you hyper-optimistic.  We've seen confident poker players lose big stacks in a hurry to a couple of bad decisions.  And our blessings of life could erode in the same way.

Paul's point is that we should all live carefully -- and perhaps even play poker the same way:

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  You are all the children of light, and the children of the day.... let us watch and be sober. - I Thessalonians 5:4-6

Are you guarding against potential theft by keeping your "light" on -- the light of Jesus Christ in you?
 

The Come-Out-of-Your-Shell Game

Poker "can be excruciatingly boring when nothing is happening."  So writes a columnist at ESPN's poker site. And yes, we can understand that.  It's a lot like baseball in that regard.

But the writer also says player with interesting personalities can make the game interesting and entertaining for viewers -- and also are more likely to gain endorsement deals.  We can understand that, too.  It's one of the ways we try to liven up a table, and get people talking about topics of faith.

Jesus offered this advice to those who would follow Him:

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:16

We once had a Pastor who emphasized: "You're a light, not a loudspeaker."  In other words, we were urged to keep quiet about our faith until someone asked about it.  But over the years, we've concluded "being a light" only gets you so far.  You may set a great Christian example for others, but that doesn't necessarily mean others will "get it" and grasp what you're doing.

Besides, Jesus called Himself the light of the world (John 8:12) -- but He didn't simply stop with performing miracles and good deeds.  He spoke a message, also:

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. - Mark 1:14

The challenge is to "proclaim" in a way that attracts people to God, instead of turning them away.  So when we're at poker rooms, we often try to start conversations during quiet moments.  Or we can wait for other people to bring up God (it happens more often than you might think) -- or we take a "one-on-one" approach with a player alongside us.

A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. - Proverbs 18:24 (KJV)

....and that's our goal: to be friendly with the gospel message, more than preachy.

So if you've become a "friend" of this blog by reading it often, we ask: do you believe the good news Jesus brought?  Have you acted on it, to turn your life to Him?  A "clock" is running on you, whether you realize it or not -- the clock of your life.

Ask, and Ye Shall....

We asked in a recent post if you pray before entering a poker room -- whether for a tournament or cash game.  For some people, this question may sound absurd.  But it's something we do on a regular basis.

So what do we request of God?  Let's use our successful Sunday in a poker room as an example.  We first prayed for wisdom....

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5

We take this verse a couple of ways -- asking for wisdom not only in playing hands well, but in doing the "poker ministry" that we like to do at the tables.  We want to say the right words at the right time, to express our faith and offer guidance if need be.

So along those lines, we also ask for God's help in being a "light":

Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.... - John 12:36

Jesus offered this advice, and the Bible shows He called Himself "the light of the world" (John 8:12).  But Jesus also told His disciples they are "the light of the world" as well (Matthew 5:14).  We take that to mean Jesus wants us to reflect His light in everything we do (verse 16) - even a dimly-lit poker room.

Oh yes -- and lastly, we do ask God in prayer that we might be able to play well, and perhaps win money at the table.  Sometimes it happens.  Sometimes it doesn't.  Either way, we leave it in the Lord's hands....

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. - Job 1:21b (KJV)

So that's a brief summary of how we pray before a tournament.  But it clearly raises a deeper question: why does God sometimes reward us with good days in the poker room, while sometimes we go bust on the first hand?  We'll ponder that one in a future post.

Good Light, Bad Light

Most local poker tournaments are played in bars, which can be pretty dark inside.  At The Red Barn this past week, the Tournament Director told someone how to turn on an overhead light.

"Let there be light!" the Director then said.  "God's first command...."

Hmmm.  We know this man is a believer in God.  But was he right about this?  Let's check the official record:

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. - Genesis 1:3

This is the record of "creation week."  But deep Bible students realize there's a record of pre-creation as well - the time when the angel Lucifer rebelled against God.

How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!  How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! - Isaiah 14:12 (KJV)

A check of Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 shows no command from God toward Lucifer, so our Director's statement is correct.  But consider that name a moment.  The Contemporary English Version translates Lucifer by the meaning of the name: "the bright morning star."  Lucifer was bright.  But now as Satan, the devil is quite the opposite.

Giving thanks to the Father.... For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son he loves.... - Colossians 1:12-13

Satan is called "the god of this world" in II Corinthians 4:4 - a world which the Bible calls "darkness," whether we'd like to believe it or not.

Lights are turned on in bars on poker nights so everyone can see the cards.  (Yet some players wear sunglasses - but that's another issue.)  And to see life more clearly, we need the light of God in us:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. - I Peter 2:9

As you play poker and live from day to day, whose light are you reflecting?  If you're involved in sinful activities, you're reflecting a bad light -- the light of Lucifer.  Wouldn't it be better to be a shining example of God's goodness, reflecting His light to others?

A Player Outside the Door

It was well after dark Monday, when we stepped outside to go to the car and drive to a poker tournament.  Four people were chatting in two separate conversations near or apartment door.  We thought little of it, said "Hello" when someone greeted us and walked on by.

"Hey," one of the four people then said when we were halfway down the sidewalk.  Instinctively we stopped, knowing he was talking to us.  It was based on years dealing with beggars whose path we crossed -- strangers who summon up the courage to get your attention, so they can make a pitch for money.  A few times, they've even gone door-to-door at our apartment complex.

We turned around, walked back a little -- and found the man who called us was someone who attends other poker tournaments.  He explained he used to live in our apartment complex.  "I wondered why you didn't say hello to me," he said.

Well, we had in a quiet way.  But we never looked at the group, to see who was standing outside the door.  (It was hard to see in the darkness, anyway.)  We also presumed the four people outside were talking with a neighbor -- and that none of the people in his circle of friends would also be in our circle of poker players.

We drove to poker night and became increasing upset -- with ourselves.  By simply walking past a group of people, we had failed a command of Jesus:

You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.... let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14, 16

One way to be a "light" is to be friendly toward others.  Yet for some Christians, who read their Bibles closely, this can be a challenging concept.  Why?

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendly with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. - James 4:4

The man who stopped us Monday has challenged our belief in God at times.  Some might contend he's no "friend" at all.  But consider the example Jesus set....

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." - Matthew 9:11-13

We never even looked to see who any of the people outside the door were.  We actually didn't want to interrupt them.  But Jesus probably would care enough to check, and engage with that group -- doing the work of calling people to walk with Him.

Based on the population of our area and the number of regular poker players we face in live tournaments, the odds of a "regular" standing outside our door on a Monday night were about 4,500:1 -- far higher than the odds of hitting a "one-out" straight flush on the river.  Yet it happened.  And not only did we miss it, we were totally unprepared for the possibility.

When we see that man again (wherever it might be), we plan to ask for his forgiveness.  And we hope to learn a lesson from it: "checking" and "reading" other people goes far beyond the poker table.  It can be all about building good relationships.

As we finished writing this, we heard an old song on Christian radio which seemed perfectly timed to put an exclamation point on this personal lesson.  Maybe you could use it, too....

NOTE: We'll have more to say about "light" in a future post.

Poker Night 343: The Pace of the Race

This was a day of small triumphs for us.  We recouped some of the losses on our recent trip to north Florida, when a gas station where we stopped called to announce we won a drawing for a gift card.  We also reached a final table in an online tournament with 118 players.  A successful night at The Red Barn would only make things better....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Q-9 offsuit

The night hasn't been very successful so far.  A 500-chip investment with 5-5 missed the flop, and then big bets ran us off.  But for the most part, the table has calmed down since then.  We're in the Small Blind and no one raises ahead of us, so we call to give this a try.

ON THE FLOP: Q-6-9

A very good try!  We have the top two pair and leadoff position.  But betting on the flop has been common so far, so we check.  We're a bit disappointed when the entire table checks.

ON THE TURN: 4

We're not waiting this time.  A low card allows us to make a lead bet of 500.  A couple of players with much larger stacks call, as if they're "fishing" for something huge.  The rest of the table folds.

ON THE RIVER: Q

It's a river "boat" (slang for full house)!  So sit in our lead position for a moment - how much would you bet, to maximize our gains?

We decide to set out 1,500.  Nope, that's too much.  Our opponents fold.  We gain about 1,800 chips, but in a way hoped for more.

We needed some more, because that's the only hand we won all night.  We missed a gold mine late in the first hour, when we folded K-10 and the flop was A-J-Q for a top straight.

Then we limped into a hand in the second hour with pocket Queens, then went all-in when all the cards on the flop were below them.  But our friend Harry (who says he left the hospital last Friday) stayed in with a 7.  Another 7 on the river combined with one on the flop to give him a winning three of a kind.  He eliminated two players, and sent us home tied for 19th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Our area is seeing a bit of outer impact from Tropical Storm Isaac.  So we took a small flashlight to use as tonight's card protector.

"This shows I'm ready for Isaac," we told the man to our right.  "And it's also a reminder I'm supposed to reflect the light of Christ."

We're not sure that man heard the last part -- which is too bad, because that's the most important part.  Believers are expected to shine....

For this is what the Lord has commanded us: "I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." - Acts 13:47

You might think the idea of "letting your light shine" originated with Jesus.  But the verse we cited actually appears first in the Old Testament (Isaiah 49:6), hundreds of years before the Lord walked on Earth.  So how do believers do that?

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).... - Ephesians 5:8-9

A "goody-goody" walk might seem self-righteous to other people.  But if your walk is humble and you regularly give glory to God for it, your words and actions should reflect the opposite - Christ's light.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 121 final tables in 343 nights (35.3%) - 19 cashes.

Poker Night 290: Ladies' Choice?

One of our local poker players made the evening news a few weeks ago.  "D.J." was questioned in a report on male-female relationships.  We're not sure if he's as daring and loose on dates as he is playing cards, but he certainly wanted us to go "all the way" a couple of times tonight at Lil Kim's Cove....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-J offsuit

We started with 10,000 chips, thanks to a generous server at the bar who doubled our starting stack simply because we bought a soda.  But we lost a couple of promising hands early, and enter this one with about 6,200.  We limp in, and D.J. simply calls -- which is unusual, because he loves to raise pre-flop early in the game.  As we recall, a couple of other players join in.

In the tradition of the dearly-departed Poker After Dark: Director's Cut, D.J. takes the mike to tell the story from there:

"Here's how it happened...."

ON THE FLOP: Q-3-7

"He bet five [500].... I called.  The next card to come out...."

ON THE TURN: 10

"He checked.  I bet 5,000.  He called; he goes all-in [1,025 more] with absolutely nothing.  [Nothing?  Top pair is nothing??] I could have had two pair."

ON THE RIVER: 4 (as best we recall; D.J. didn't record it)

We'll take over again from here.  "I have queens," we say showing our hand.

"I have two pair," D.J. answers; "Queens and 3's."  He turns over a 3 -- then shows a King!  "Oops, that's not a Queen."  We get a nice double-up to more than 12,000 -- and humorously suggest D.J. see an eye doctor.

So why did we get so brash with top pair?  Because we knew our opponent -- and we know D.J. likes to play "I dare you" a lot, betting big with almost anything.  Our hunch was that he was bluffing by over-betting, and we were right.

A similar moment came later in the hour when we re-raised D.J. with A-Q.  The flop brought an Ace, he called a modest bet of 500 we made -- then after checking the turn, he bet 10,000 on the river to lure us all-in.  With only top pair again, we gave it a lot of thought.  But then we folded, because D.J. was due to have a big hand and we were due to guess wrong.

It was a night when we played a little looser than usual in a live tournament, and that meant ups and downs.  We reached the one-hour break with 3,750 chips -- but then doubled up again in the second hour with 10-10 when a 10 came on the turn.  Another pot win moved us up to 12,000.

But rising blinds and failed chances led us to an all-in bet under the gun with A-9.  We lost to a woman with pocket Queens when an Ace didn't hit the board.  It was an 11th-place finish -- close to the final table, but not quite.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "What sort of toy did you bring?" a man asked as we plunked down our card protector of the evening.  It really wasn't a toy.  It's a small battery-powered red reflector which can flash when turned on.  We've clipped it onto our clothing and worn it over the years for evening jogging.

"I brought this to remind me," we said, "that I should reflect the light of Jesus Christ."  It's something all believers should do....

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. -- Matthew 5:16

These instructions come from Jesus Christ.  But whose light really should be shining -- ours?  We think there's a better Light than that:

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world.  Who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." -- John 8:12

A contemporary Christian song puts it very well: "Lord, let me shine; shine like the moon/ A reflection of you in all that I do."  Is that light shining from you these days?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 105 final tables in 290 nights (36.2%) - 17 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 190 point wins in 815 games (23.3%), 66 final tables, 7 cashes.

We probably should count Tuesday night's 13th-place finish in the Senior Championship as a point win.  But points aren't awarded in championships, so we're not going to presume any.  However, we've made final tables two days in a row to qualify for a couple of February championships.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL:  Pretend cash games - $66,338, up $539.

Just One Look

At a poker night last week, we mentioned a man's suggestion that we should envision Jesus as "looking like you."

At first thought, that sounds sensible -- since God made humans to look like Him.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness".... 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

The Bible also shows Jesus came from heaven not as an animal or a bird, but as a human being.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. - Luke 2:11

Did Jesus look extraordinary while He walked the earth? Did He have a halo around His head, so everyone could recognize Him? Apparently not....

They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. - Luke 4:29-30

How could Jesus do this if He looked different than everyone else?

So the man's comment on poker night is well taken. Jesus probably looked like any rank-and-file Nazarene of His time. But there's something else to consider, when it comes to this topic....

All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols -- worship him, all you gods! - Psalm 97:7

Having a picture of Jesus (or some other god) in your home for worship purposes actually are violating one of God's Ten Commandments.

So how should we envision God the Father and Jesus -- for example, when we pray? The apostle Paul may have offered the best advice....

....God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lord, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light.... - I Timothy 6:15-16

Paul was blinded by a light when he first encountered Jesus (Acts 9:3, 8-9). May we all look to that "light of the world" for wisdom, guidance and help when we need it.