Steven Breaks Even

When we left Kansas last year, an FBI investigation was underway into possibly illegal action involving house poker games. The biggest name in that case was thought to be a Wichita business owner who's won money in serious tournaments such as the World Series.

The long investigation apparently ended this week, with Brandon Steven making a deal with federal prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to hiding records of illegal poker games, and could have gone to prison for it. Instead, Steven received three years of probation, a lot of community service time - and he must give more than a million dollars, either in poker winnings or hush money.

The four-year FBI investigation may have led to police shutting down open poker rooms across Wichita. We played at several of them during this decade. These days, we only play in legal tournaments at casinos or charities. We try to live by a simple Bible verse:

Avoid every kind of evil. - I Thessalonians 5:22

Sounds simple, doesn't it? Except the King James Version puts it this way: "Abstain from all appearance of evil." A lot of things may appear evil to others, but they're really above-board. The list of items fitting that description can change almost daily, based on the news cycle and social media posts. We have to be careful in all the decisions we make about what we do.

As for Steven, you'd think he would have known better. Secrets come out, sooner or later. If they're not exposed by the FBI, they will at an even higher level of justice....

You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. - Psalm 90:8

The time is coming when Jesus will judge all humans, on behalf of God the Father.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.... The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:12

We don't see much evidence in the Bible that "plea bargains" will be allowed then....

...Those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. - John 5:29

Defense lawyers say Brandon Steven is a solid citizen, who supports youth sports among other things. But this case revealed he has a "dark side." If we're honest with ourselves, we all do. Will you learn from Steven's example, and come "out of darkness" into God's "wonderful light" (I Peter 2:9)?