he proverb shown came to me in an e-mail from a friend recently. In the e-mail he encouraged all to seek those things with an "upward" path. He said, "Those who desire heaven, the wise, will look upward (that is, to God) and follow the path of life. In seeking the upward path we are sure to avoid death. If we are not seeking God, then we are putting ourselves on the wrong path." (Proverbs 15:24, NASB)

o seek and to stay on this upward path requires a mind-set that we must constantly work to improve on. Col. 3:2 instructs us to "Set your mind on things above, and not on the things that are on earth." The Greek for the phrase "set your mind" means to not only be mentally disposed toward a certain direction, but to also have our affections placed toward a certain way of life. This means we must love what we are pressing toward! Jesus reminds us in Mark 12:30 to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." Loving him with heart, soul and mind indicates the willingness to put Him first while loving Him with all our strength indicates the effort we must put into doing it. To be heavenly-minded is hard work, for sure. Spirituality is not something that just drops out of the sky and infuses itself within us, rather we must work at putting our priorities in a godly order if we are to get any benefit out of living a Christian life.

eople from all walks of life put all their effort into doing what they love most whether it's sports, secular work, or hobbies. Why would we not put in at least the same amount of effort required to live a life pleasing to God which gains us more than any sport, hobby, or job: The heavenly home that is every Christian's hope! 1 Cor. 15:58 urges us to be "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," indicating again that the work of the Lord is just that: Work!

o be "always abounding" means we've got to show not only persistence in doing what is right, but also consistency. We are to be faithful always, not only when we "feel spiritual." Unfortunately though, some folks take another road, that of the path of least resistance. You see when we are taking the "upward way" we will meet with resistance whether it is from our family, friends, co-workers, or even ourselves. Yes, ourselves! We oppose ourselves when we have "scheduling conflicts" between secular things (sports, work, side jobs, etc) and spiritual thing such as attending worship, Bible study and prayer. Hence, we take what should be our 1st priority and relegate it to 3rd, 4th, or 10th place in our lives as we rush down that wide path to destruction that the Lord warns about in Matt 7:13-14.

o your unsaved friends, family, or neighbors, "the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Cor 1:18) It will never be the power it was intended to be unless YOU make it first in your life! Let the gospel truly be the power that enables you to put the kingdom of heaven above everything this world offers. Remember the proverb: "The path of life leads upward for the wise." Are you wise or foolish? &

GAMBLING (Part Three of Four)

By Kenneth Thomas

ome time back...we read, "Millions of Americans are seeking their fortunes through various forms of gambling, according to a New York Times/CBS News survey. 63% of those questioned said they had placed at least one bet in the past year; 23% reported playing the lottery. "The poll also found widespread public acceptance of gambling, with 77% approving lotteries and 43% approving legal sports betting. Gambling is accepted even among religious people, according to the poll. More than half of all Protestants--and nearly half of those who said religion is very important to them- reported having gambled at least once in the last year." That poll is outdated I might add, being taken in 1989. The numbers would MUCH larger be if the survey were taken today without a doubt!

ebster says gambling is, "to stake money or other things of value upon an uncertain event; to hazard; to wager." A gospel preacher friend of mine, Gene Frost, observed the following things involved in gambling. 1). the deliberate hazarding of something of value. 2). that profit is determined by an uncertain event which is arbitrarily determined, i.e. the event is not inherent in the activity of gambling: It may be whatever the participants choose and may differ from event to event. 3). one profits at the loss if others who participate, without whose participation there could be no gamble; i.e. he gains all or part of what they lose.

 have had countless discussions with people in which I have attempted to show that the gambling condemned in principle in God's word, is not the same thing as involving one is some activity where there is risk or chance. The most often used "proof" offered in defense of gambling is the gamble a farmer takes when he plants a crop or the risk one takes who gets into an automobile or an airplane to take a trip across the country. They say you are betting your life by such activities. Some say you bet your life when you attempt to cross the street. Gene gave a good answer to such quibbles. He said first of all, "that's absurd!" I agree. "When I cross the street, whatever risk may be involved are not arbitrarily and deliberately brought into play. Secondly, I do not stand to gain the property of others because I successfully transact the walk (or drive) across the street or the country, nor do others (by a deliberate participation) stand to gain something of value that I have put up with an understanding that I will lose if I don't make it across the street or the country. Just because there are natural dangers about us, and one confronts specific risks in particular activities, does not mean that one has deliberately and arbitrarily selected what the risks are and has wagered something of value to forfeit if he is unsuccessful, while standing to gain that value from others is he is successful." In farming, for example, profit is not sought at the expense of others and risk is not contrived. The farmer would be pleased if there were no risks involved. But you cannot have gambling without contriving the element of chance, nor without someone gaining value at the expense of others who lose."

ot only is the foregoing true, but natural risks do not contribute to a compulsive addictive disorder. When one engages the kind of gambling condemned by principle in the Scriptures, he may well become a compulsive gambler. I've never heard of anyone who successfully crossed the street becoming a compulsive street crosser. Have you? Let's clear our minds of all such trash introduced by those who wish to justify their sin. Let's consider why gambling is indicted in Scripture as a SIN. & [To be continued]