Embrace the Change

As we mentioned recently, National League of Poker has made several major tournament adjustments in the last couple of weeks -- clearly due to its bankruptcy filing.  The weekly $1,000 championship on Sunday night is gone.  So are many daily games with cash prizes, unless you pay a monthly fee for VIP membership like Club WPT.

In addition, tournaments for NLOP points are hard to find now.  Players can win "fast cash" in one-table sit-n-goes -- but getting there is a slow process, dependent on success up a nine-level ladder and gaining "tokens" along the way.  That's why we're showing sit-n-go statistics again (and admittedly not doing well at them so far).

But the good news for us is that an NLOP check came in the mail the other day, for money we won in December.  This gives us hope for payment on our two cash wins so far in 2013.  It reminds us of a Bible verse....

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. - Job 1:21b

Job said this after losing more than a few daily online poker tournaments -- a whole lot more.  God allowed the devil to take Job's servants, livestock, work animals and children.  Yet somehow, Job didn't waver in his faith toward God.  Instead he realized....

Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. - Job 1:21a

In our day, the custom is a bit different.  People are buried in nice suits and dresses, or perhaps with their favorite sports team's logo on display.  But that's all they physically can take.  As some ministers like to joke, you don't see hearses pulling U-Hauls behind them.

Yet Job looked forward to an even bigger change -- a change that's beyond this physical life:

If a man dies, shall he live again?  All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.  You shall call, and I will answer you: you will have a desire to the work of your hands.  - Job 14:14-15 (KJV)

To borrow from the Nation of Islam, this will be the "final call" -- to be changed from a dead body to eternal life, rising to meet Jesus in the air when He returns to Earth.

I Corinthians 15 and I Thessalonians 4 explain that moment in detail.  Please take time to read those chapters.  They describe a change which leads to ultimate victory -- not "fast cash," but a quickened (as in made-alive) new body.