Across the Lines

We made another discovery while working on our taxes this past week. It relates to poker directly - and it comes with a confessional.

We live in Kentucky - a state with no poker rooms, as far as we know. It's famous for "the sport of kings" (horse racing), but not pocket Kings. We cross rivers into Ohio and Indiana to play poker. And while filling out an Ohio state income tax form for another reason, we found out we must pay income tax on our Cincinnati casino winnings.

That led to a guilt cloud, then a check of Indiana's income tax rules. Sure enough - we have to pay that state as well on our casino winnings in Lawrenceburg, even though we've never lived there.

To be honest, we should have thought of this before. We'd heard stories of professional athletes being ordered to pay such out-of-state taxes, when their team goes on road trips. After all, they're working in the state of the team they're trying to beat.

But we never thought of applying this to us. And we crossed state lines to win at poker, well before moving to our current area. We're not sure if the statute of limitations has run out for those states - but we apologize to the states we may have stiffed. (Don't expect casinos to tell you about this; they never have with us.)

Why are we so concerned about this? In part, because of these words...

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.... "Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" - Matthew 22:15, 17

This was a question to Jesus, whom some people thought had come to start a rebellion against the Roman leadership. What better way to do it than with a tax protest - right? Well, keep reading....

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Some me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" - Matthew 22:18-20

We don't think the words "In God we trust" was on that coin. But we've heard people try to argue against paying taxes, based on the government being "un-Christian" or other such things. Yet what did Jesus say to the crowd?

"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." When they heard him, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. - Mathew 22:21-22

Jesus never told anyone not to pay their taxes. For one thing, you'd be breaking the law in the U.S. if you did that. For another thing, Jesus had a disciple pay a "temple tax" earlier in His ministry (17:24-28). To us, it's about obedience....

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. - I Peter 2:17

That "king" has a small king, indicating a human leader. God puts those leaders in charge (Romans 13:1, KJV) - so if you say you fear God and not them, what does that say about you?

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.

Mister In-Between

Big-time poker may be on cable sports channels.  But it isn't football. Or basketball. Or hockey.

You probably already knew that. But here's why we're pointing that out. Poker players normally can't blame what happens to them on a bad call from the referee. Or poor instructions from the "bench." Or even lousy work by the dealer (although some have tried that). It's ultimately up to you, and the choices you make with the cards you have.

Our last post pointed out how some poker players would rather not talk about God or Jesus Christ. They seem more comfortable talking about people who represent the Godhead.

That happens more often in the Christian world than you might realize. Our last post noted it even happened with ancient Israel asking Moses to be their representative before God. But that's not really how God wants things done.

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. - Matthew 27:50-51

Why is that detail about a curtain mentioned alongside the death of Jesus? Because it symbolized a major change in worship for believers in God. Before that moment, the temple area was divided into sections....

Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. - Exodus 26:32-33

Israel was told God occupied that "Most Holy Place," and humans could go in there only one time a year - or better put, one human, in the form of a high priest (Leviticus 16). But the splitting of that curtain changed everything - as the New Testament era brought new symbolism.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.... - Hebrews 10:19-22

There's a lot packed into those four verses. The blood Jesus shed when He died for our sins allows us to go before God the Father directly.

When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here... he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood.... - Hebrews 9:11-12

So you can "draw near" to God now, in worship and prayer. Not because of some intermediary high priest. Not because of an angel. Not even because you like some Christian celebrity poker player. As an old hymn says, you can "come to the Father through Jesus the Son."

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. - Romans 5:11 (NLT)

The poker players we met the other night seemed ready to keep God at a distance, with someone intervening for them. But God wants us to have close contact with Him - and actually become His friend. Are you ready for that kind of relationship? And ready to honor the God who invites you to it?

Heifers, Temples and Poker Players

A recent poker tournament which we mentioned here got into an unusual subject - heifers.  It happened not because we're in Kansas and play with cattle ranchers, but because someone at our table dared to call the female dealer a heifer.

Women have been called by that label far longer than you might think.  In fact, there's a case in the Bible where it happened:

Samson said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle." - Judges 14:18b

Samson described his wife this way -- during their wedding feast!  But this is clearly a figure of speech.  Samson's wife had been threatened with death by some people at the feast, because they didn't want to pay up by losing a bet (verses 12-15).  The chapter ends with Samson giving up his bride, and 30 people killed (verses 19-20).

This case shows how unethical and mean-spirited some people can be when a big bet is involved.  Stories of the American "Old West" are filled with poker games leading to drawn guns and serious threats.  So it's no wonder poker still has a negative stigma with some people.

But our recent post also mentioned how red heifers are considered important by some religious for cleansing - such as removing sin from a temple.  You may be insulted by the thought of being called a heifer.  But have you ever been called a temple?

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days".... the temple he had spoken of was his body. - John 2:19, 21

Jesus referred to Himself as a temple.  And that comparison clearly stuck in the brains of New Testament writers:

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? - I Corinthians 3:16

The ancient Jews relished worshiping God in a specially-built temple building.  Some churches and synagogues today have the word "temple" in their names.  But the apostle Paul makes it more personal than that.  You are supposed to be a temple - a place where the Holy Spirit of God dwells.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you.... Therefore honor God with your body. - I Corinthians 6:19-20

Maybe we don't need to build a new temple in Jerusalem.  Maybe we all need to become the "temple" God desires us to be - people which honor God in our lives, whether we're at a poker table or other places.