[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] Lottery Fever - And Other Contagious Diseases

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "thefamilyoffaith" <TheFamilyofFaith at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>,
<INTERCESSORS-ALLNATIONS at yahoogroups.com>,
<dfpprayerwarriors at suddenlink.net>, <unitedprayermail at aol.com>,
<CcHhEeSsTtEeRr at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] Lottery Fever - And Other Contagious Diseases
Date: 
Sun, 1 Apr 2012 13:14:06 -0400

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries Blog

           
              All over the news, folks were talking about their dreams
for
            how they'd spend this record-breaking, $600 million-plus
jackpot.    
           
     
     

              Lottery Fever - And Other Contagious Diseases 
                 
                  

             So I went into the gas station to prepay for a fillup and
suddenly found myself in Crazyville. A long line in this small town store,
all talking about what they'd do if they won. Yes, I had inadvertently
walked into the Lottery Fever ward. Just like me, everyone had cash in
their hand. Except I was the only one who was buying gas. Did I mention
crazy?

            All over the news, folks were talking about their dreams for
how they'd spend this record-breaking, $600 million-plus jackpot. Even
though the odds of winning were 1 in 176 million! I didn't buy a ticket.
But as I saw my fillup total, I got to thinking that I might have to win
the lottery just to buy my gas.

             

            So now some lucky people have won the jackpot. I sure wish
them well. Sadly, so many people who "struck it rich" struck out
afterwards. There's story after story online of how winners' dreams turned
to nightmares. Divorce, bankruptcy, deep depression, conflict, relentless
"golddiggers" who want a piece of it.

            Part of the problem is that wherever you go, you take you
with you. So more money just means you get to make your mistakes and live
your drama on a bigger scale. You have more money to lose, to argue over,
to waste, to worry about, to keep you from fixing what's wrong inside.
Money can improve your environment, but it can't do a thing about your
invironment.

             

            The Bible warns that "people who want to get rich fall into
temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge
men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds
of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and
pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

            Of course, it's human nature to attach our dreams to getting
"more." And the cash lottery isn't the only one we bet on. Some of us bet
on the love lottery, thinking that finding the right someone to love us
will make our dreams come true. But, as so many have discovered, winning at
love doesn't guarantee happiness. And too often, the dream turns out to be
a nightmare.

             

            Life has lots of lotteries you can spend on, hoping your
dreams will come true. The success lottery...the "be the best"
lottery...the perfection lottery - perfect home, perfect kids, perfect
image...the "affair" lottery. Buy lots of tickets...dream your "better
life" dream. If you lose, you think that's why you're unhappy. If you win,
you're more baffled than ever about why you're not happy.

            We had a puppy once who loved to chase bubbles. I'd wave that
little wand of bubble solution, the bubbles would start descending toward
the kitchen floor - and our dog would dance and jump, biting as many
bubbles as she could. But as soon as she got what she was after, it turned
out to be nothing.

             

            King Solomon had chased and caught a lot of bubbles in his
day - lots of women, fame, historic projects, a buffet of pleasures,
incalculable wealth. His return on investment? "I have seen all the things
that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after
the wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Ultimately, this man who had won all the
lotteries says: "Here is the conclusion of the matter; Fear God and keep
His commandments...remember your Creator in the days of your youth"
(Ecclesiastes 12:13, 1).

            Turns out we were "created by Him and for Him" (Colossians
1:16). We'll keep coming up empty until we experience the God-Relationship
we were made for. The One who made us is the only one big enough to fill
the God-shaped hole in our heart. But since we've pretty much ignored God
and lived for ourselves, that relationship comes at a high price. Paying
the penalty for a lifetime of sinning.

             And no matter how deep we dig, we'll never come up with
enough to win forgiveness or peace or eternal life. But the price has been
paid.

             

            On Good Friday. By Jesus. On a cross. That's where, "though
He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty He
could make you rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

            My spiritual bankruptcy traded for His eternal treasure.
Because He gave it all. It was an offer I could not resist.

                  For so many - including me - our lifetime search has
ended at the feet of Jesus Christ. If you'd like to make today the day you
begin this ultimate Relationship - the one you were made for - I encourage
you to go to our website. It's there to help you get started with Jesus.
Just go to YoursForLife.net.
                  Jesus has been waiting for a long time to give you the
peace and purpose and love you've spent a whole life looking for. 


            Read More Blogs From Ron Hutchcraft

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                  © Ronald P. Hutchcraft . Distributed by Ron Hutchcraft
Ministries, Inc. 
                 "Lottery Fever - And Other Contagious Diseases" by
Ronald P. Hutchcraft is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.Hutchcraft.com 
                  Contact Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. 
           
     








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