The First Trump

We used to write jokes for a living (well, at least we tried). So we offer this riddle:

Q: Why are Democrats switching their card games from poker to bridge?

A: In bridge, you can bid "no-Trump!"

But seriously, a lot of people who made wrong predictions about Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidential election now are making predictions about what he'll do as President. And the guessing game even extends to poker.

One analysis posted Wednesday night says the President-elect may face competing ideas from Republicans. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who's leading the government transition team, supports online poker. But Nevada billionaire Sheldon Adelson does not.

Of course, Mr. Trump has a history when it comes to gambling. He owned the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City - except it shut down four weeks before the election. It led to one of the most famous questions of the 2016 campaigns, as opponent Hillary Clinton asked how a casino can go bankrupt.

In fact, one religious magazine cited Mr. Trump's bankruptcies as a sign that he "fall[s] short of biblical character standards...." The implication is that if you file for bankruptcy, you've committed some kind of sin. Since the article doesn't give any Bible verses to support that implication, we'll take a guess....

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he has sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. - Luke 14:28-30 (KJV)

These words of Jesus contain a classic Biblical principle - "counting the cost." But read on, and you'll find the principle extends to something far bigger than building a "Trump tower"....

In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. - Luke 14:33

Now hold on here. Jesus said to be His disciple, you have to "give up everything" you have. Doesn't that sound a bit like declaring bankruptcy? At least to the things of this world?  Jesus was consistent on that point....

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." - Luke 18:22

A ruler who heard this and had "great wealth" was saddened by this advice (verses 18, 23). Other Bible accounts indicate he went away from Jesus (Mark 10:22).

In poker, "going bust" is a bad thing. In a tournament, you're out of chips and out of the running. But in spiritual terms, giving away the "stack" can be a good thing:

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.... - II Corinthians 9:10-11

Be willing to give up your seat at the table - whether in a poker room or otherwise - and God may bless you with much more than you ever dreamed. We'll talk more about Donald Trump in a future post.