The Gambler

Matthew 6:13 – English Standard Version And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

A flush, full house, four-of-a-kind, straight, royal flush; to those who play card games or poker, or anything of the related sort, you will know that these are a winning hand, It is a sure win if you have any of these at the card table, but for me, who has no knowledge or concept of a card game except maybe solitaire and being the unfortunate victim of 52 Pick-Up, I would be guaranteed to lose, or be completely lost in the game.

Needless to say, I do not play card games or gamble. I am not what they call a “Gamer.” I barely even play video games. There is this issue I have with losing. If I am not assured a win, if I am not guaranteed victory or bragging rights, so that I may boast, chances are I won’t waste my time or risk losing any money on it. You see, losing or the possibilities of failing are not my strong suit, and it is an issue I struggle with. Some may call it “Pride.” As for me, I honestly cannot handle the concept of losing. One of the things that losing has been known to bring out in me is rage and anger, which I am not proud of and have been trying to submit over to the Lord. Guess some may call me a sore loser. On the contrary, I believe that I am the type of person that needs to know has the upper hand or a chance of winning before making the call.

Proverbs 24:16 – New Life Version For a man who is right with God falls seven times, and rises again, but the sinful falls in time of trouble.

The most I gamble with is probably the Lottery, and that is because it has been an addiction for years. The Hope that maybe, one day, my time will come. I have been playing long enough, so eventually I am bound to win. Putting my Hope on 1 in 175,223,510 chances of winning, but maybe this time, this week, this day, might be the day. How many of us have fallen into this belief?

C.S. Lewis quoted, “Don’t let your happiness depend on something you may loose.”

1 Timothy 6:9 – The New King James Version (NKJV) But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

It is obvious I have never been to Las Vegas. I honestly would not know what to do there besides just drive around, site see, eat, shop, take a few scenery pictures (for those must share Facebook posts), and then wonder if I can make the drive back home on the same day. Sure, I’ll probably try the slot machines a couple of times while I am visiting, simply because, well, “We’re in Vegas, Baby!” but it’s not a must do, for me. The Gambler? not really my thing. I try to treasure any and every penny I get. Again, my only bets go on a 2 dollar Power-Ball, Mega, or Lotto quick pick. If I lose, I am out 2, maybe 5 dollars at the most, not that big of a deal.

But five years ago, I sat at The Gambler’s table and I played the biggest hand of my life. I threw my life on the table, playing with God and Satan. Not knowing who was going to bet on me or who was going to fold. The three of us were in a card game of war, only this was not a game, it was literally life or death, and it was my life being gambled.

I was tired, tired of the pain, the sorrows, the suffering, tired of this life. Finding myself being dealt with, and continuing to play this game and never having a winning hand. Feeling defeated, I decided it was time for me to be The Gambler, and figure out if I could change the odds. If I raise the bet, will it make a difference? For at this point in time, the odds have been heavily against me. Is there any Hope?

This game went on for hours. God, the devil and myself, holding our cards, looking into each others eyes, trying to image what the outcome was going to be. All bets were on the table; the chips were stacked.

I glanced at my cards once more, looking at where I was, where I’d been, and wondering if I could win, but knew I had nothing. In this game we are in, the stakes were high and the chances of me continuing on my own were just too risky and to win was absolutely impossible.

At this moment, I decided that I had to fold; as I threw my cards down. I felt as if my life was over, or about to be. I no longer had any moves or any chips to continue to play this game of life.

All of a sudden, the devil makes a wager, and in an instant, I became the chips. Jesus and Lucifer were still in this war. Who was going to make the call? The bets were high. Neither of the two wanted to fold. I felt like I was the loser at the table, something I was already pretty used to being. But here they both found value in me. They kept raising the stakes, higher and higher, not wanting to lose the chance of claiming me as their own.

As they continued to concentrate and make their bets, I starred at them both and began to imagine my life with one or the other. After all, I was going to be their prize and possession, if you will. With Satan, I pictured myself continuing this life I am living. Drinking, swearing, smoking, lying, in acts of adultery and idolatry, watching pornography, stealing, just living a normal worldly life. Not a good life, but the life I have known all too well. Causing hurt to those who love me, causing shame to those who care, and even shutting myself down from everything and everyone. Living life; with no cares, no worries. Not having to change who I am; for what ever happens, happens.

On the other hand; with Jesus, well, I would go to church, pray, read the Bible, and maybe get the chance of going to Heaven. Yeah, there is assurance of victory, righteousness, and salvation. There is also no more suffering, peace, rest and eternal life, but those are things that happen when we die. What about our lives now? We can worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes, but on this day, we need to worry about today. Who is going to give us love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Who or what is going to break me away from this life of insecurity and depression, this life of struggling to get by and the non-stop pain and suffering? Is there any guarantee of happiness? Of no more deaths, sickness, heartache, pain and heartbreak?

I hear stories about the struggles, the hard times, the challenges that you will face when you are in Christ. The “Good trials,” as the Christians say. The trials that will test your Faith and your Trust in God. Those moments when you are literally beaten and have no other choice but to lean on Him for the strength to go on, with the utmost Hope that He (being God) will get you through them.

Psalm 71:20 – Christian Standard Bible You caused me to experience many troubles and misfortunes, but you will receive me again.

But, if you are not in Christ, if you are already a mess, if you are lost, and feel broken, torn apart, and have no relationship in or with Him, then these trials have and will continue to overtake you.

You cannot overcome the temptations of evil, the struggles of life, the hardships, without God.

Truth is, I felt as if I had enough on my plate right now to add more worries, fears, panics, and trials. There seems to be an upper hand for Satan: he had so much of what I enjoyed and offered what I was afraid to give up: and he is not adding any more burdens to my life. Instead, I will be living my normal life, as I have been doing this entire time. As if nothing ever changed.

But wait, this is the reason I became The Gambler, and put myself on the table in the first place, because I needed a change, I wanted a change. I could not live this “Normal Life” anymore. I was giving myself up to either or (God or Satan) just to get away and escape my life. Because this life of alcohol, lying, stealing, watching filth, cheating, obsessing over girls, idolatry and depression were destroying me. These things I felt were necessities, the things I felt I could not live without, everything that just led me to problem after problem and hurting people. This had to stop; they had to come to an end, or it was going to end me. This is why I am here, this is why I have become a pawn. Is pawn even a card term? Probably not, but it sounds good, so we are going to go with it and keep it for now.

Psalm 107:4 – Amplified Bible They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region, and did not find a way to an inhabited city.

God had just gathered His people, some came from the wilderness, but He was leading them towards the Promised Land.

Why do we fall back to our old ways, time after time, knowing that it just leads to destruction, after God has already delivered us?

God will never turn His back on you. He will continue to be there for you, to love you and to deliver you from your darkness. The question is, why are we so afraid to ask Him for the deliverance, to give us another hit, so that we can remain in this game?

We are back at the card table, and Jesus makes a move and is All-In as He places all His chips forward. He is calling the devil’s bluff, Satan glances over at me as if to question whether he wants to take the bet and risk losing to God, or assumes that he actually has a chance of winning this game, not only beating God but also winning my soul.

The Lord calls him out and says in a firm, yet deep confident tone, “Lucifer, you have nothing. You know you will not win!”

With smug arrogance, Satan places all the chips on the table and calls Jesus into his game, quickly laying down his cards. The Lord does not back down or even quiver at Lucifer’s movement. He doesn’t even look down at the devil’s hand, keeping His eyes focused on Lucifer; as if He already knew what was in his hand. I looked at his cards; I was curious and saw that he had nothing; he cracked. 

I would remind you that the card game is unknown to me; but I was sure that my hand was better suited to defeat Satan than his was to defeat me. Even worse, he thought he had a chance against the Lord.

Let us not forget that the devil is a liar! He is conniving and misleading. He will lead you to believe all his tactics and tricks. That is what he does; do not be fooled. One of the many differences between him and God is that God will not promise you something that He is not willing to give you. The Heavenly Father will give you in abundance what you need and seek. It is not possible for Him to lead you with Hope only to leave you with disappointment. 

Ezekiel 33:11 – New International Version Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel!’

Jesus then says, “Lock!” as He lays His cards down on the table. As He is laying his cards down, I cannot help but notice the marks on His hands from the nails from when He was crucified on the wooden cross. The nails He took for me. Yet here He is, laying down His life for me again. Here He is, knowing that the price for the holes in His hands is my Salvation. Yet, I again nailed Him on the cross against the evil one for me. Fighting a battle that I put Him in, because I did not feel content with what I already had. My heart’s thoughts and desires would have led me to see God’s Mercy, His Grace, His Forgiveness, and the greatest of all, His Love, if I had looked deep within.

We have a tendency to turn our backs on God time after time because we want more. We are never content. We want it at our time, and when the Lord does not answer us or does not answer right away, we assume that He does not care, or is not listening to us, or maybe He is just ashamed of us, which is far from the truth, and, on the contrary. This is all the devil’s lies.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – New International Version   Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  

Loved ones, that is not at all who God is. Our Father knows us; He hears us. He knows our heart, and knows what we want, but more importantly, He knows what we need. That is why sometimes we do not have, because God is not going to give us what we want, He is going to give us what we need, and what we need is to be better people. We need to believe and have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to love when we find it impossible to love, to repent of our sins and turn away from evil, to forgive when we cannot forget, to help and be there when someone is in need. And, give thanks and praise that through it all, God will never fold on our lives. He has already laid His chips on the table (which was His Son on the Cross). What more do you need? What more proof of love do you need than this?

John 3:16 – New International Version For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus puts His cards down, and in His hands he holds a Royal Flush. This reminds me of a song by the Charlie Daniels Band; you all know this song. The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Part of the lyrics in the song says, “Devil, come on back if you ever want to try again, because I told you once, you son of a (Let’s just say gun), I’m the Best there has ever been!”

Revelation 1:8 – English Standard Version “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Even if the Lord had a pair of anything, He was going to beat Satan, but God will not fight for us if He is not going to give it His Ultimate Best. God will not fight for you in a way of simplicity. He is not a mediocre God. He is going to fight in a way that no man can stand against you. In a way that will make the devil muck and shake, knowing that you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, and the Blood of Christ in you.

You want to put fear in the evil one? Mention the name above all Names, the Name of Jesus Christ. Mention the Name, Yeshua, Jehovah, JHWH, Emmanuel, Messiah, The Lamb of God, Christ, and you will put the utmost fear in him.

Genesis 28:15 – English Standard Version Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.

God will not give you a little of His love, care, kindness, gentleness, or peace; No! He is going to give you more than you can bare, than you can handle, than you can ever imagine. God is going to give you “Agape Love,” the highest form of love; His unconditional Love.

We all know the parable of the Lost Sheep.

Luke 15:4-7 – New International Version 4- “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5- And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6- and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7- I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Here I thought I was what they call a “Bee Stinger,” the losing hand. Yet, I came out the winner. Because when Christ won and grabbed hold of me, not only was I saved by what would have been my life in damnation, but I also became a New Creation in Him. No longer did I need the things of the world that I felt and believed I could not live without. But instead, I found a New Life and a New Purpose.

Ephesians 6:12 – King James Version For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

I could not have won this card game on my own. I had to get behind Christ. I needed to lean on Him. It was obvious that I needed to submit my hand to Him so that He could get me through this war.
If I had faced the devil on my own, his tricks, lies and tactics would have defeated me, but I had the upper hand when I laid my cards down and allowed Jesus Christ to take my life into His hands. I needed to fold so that I could win.

Loved ones, listen. I used the term of cards to elaborate on this testimony; but the truth is, this fight with the devil is not a game. He is evil and is a Master of Manipulation. He will fill your head with fear, worries, doubt, and even have you believe that God does not care for you. Satan is the master of lies and deceitfulness.

2 Corinthians 10: 3-6: – New International Version 3- For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4- The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5- We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6- And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

When you find yourself lost, confused, fearful, overwhelmed, tired, and feel you cannot go on any longer; turn to God, for He will lay His chips down and turn your losing hand into a Royal Flush. Do not be The Gambler and take your chances at the risk of your own life. God chose you, God Loves You, and He will not let anything or anyone beat you at His Winning Table.

Willie Torres Jr.

Ephesians 6:12 – King James Version For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.