Dismissed

It's tempting to say the other "horseshoe" has dropped in the Tim Giardina case - as in Horseshoe Casino.  The navy officer we mentioned here recently has been stripped of a top position with U.S. Strategic Command and demoted one star.  It's all apparently because he's accused of bringing counterfeit chips to an Iowa poker room.

We've already pointed out one lesson of Giardina's story.  Here's another potential one.  Keeping in mind Giardina is innocent of criminal charges until proven guilty, we'd offer him this advice.  If you feel compelled to cheat at poker to be successful at it, maybe you shouldn't be playing cash-game poker in the first place.

The Bible offers several examples of people who tried to take ethical shortcuts.  Consider two people named Simon...

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." - Acts 7:18-19

The Simon who made this request sounded ready to share spiritual gifts.  But in reality, he was practicing sorcery and magic (verses 9, 11).  An apostle formerly known as "Simon" gave him a blunt answer:

Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!  You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.  Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord...." - Acts 7:20-22

Yes, we know -- a large number of Christian ministries seem to constantly ask for money.  But this blog never has.  And in this case, Peter turned down a donation because he could tell the other Simon didn't have the right motivation.

Gifts to God can be good things.  But the spiritual gifts God offers require something else in return:

Peter replied: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:38

"It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.... Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:10-12

Success in God's eyes doesn't come through cheating or shortcuts.  It comes through repentance -- real repentance, not a counterfeit.  And it comes through accepting God's Son as your Savior.  Is that the game plan you're taking?