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God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Does the Bible explicitly condemn or forbid gambling? No. However, I do believe there are certain principles that militate against it. 1. Gambling is poor stewardship. The believer’s responsibility is to use wealth to promote the kingdom of God. The emphasis in Scripture is never on the use of money with a view to increasing one’s personal fortune but on putting our money to use in the service of those who are in need. It simply is not wise and responsible behavior to take what God has graciously bestowed and entrust it to circumstances over which we have no control (Pr. 12:11). 2. The biblical command is that the believer should obtain money by faithful and diligent exercise of God-given talents in work. Gambling is an attempt to obtain money that promotes sloth and is often an excuse for not working. 3. Gambling promotes covetousness and greed, whereas the Word of God encourages contentment (Phil. 4:11-12; Heb. 13:5). If one is seven times more likely to be struck by lightning than to win a million dollars in a state lottery, why do people continue to buy tickets? Greed! 4. Gambling appears to create a condition in which one person's gain is necessarily another person's loss. In other words, in gambling, someone always loses. If so, it would seem to violate brotherly love and justice. 5. There is a fundamental flaw in the character of any government that seeks to capitalize financially on the moral weakness of its members. 6. Gambling appears to violate our belief in the sovereignty of God. 7. Gambling has such a powerful potential for enslaving those who participate that it may well violate the admonition of Scripture that we not be mastered by anything or anyone other than the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:12).
Sam Storms

If it were really true that living together is a trial of marriage, then divorces would be more common among couples who hadn’t first lived together than among couples who had. Actually, just the opposite is true: Divorces are more common among couples who have lived together first than among couples who haven’t. The reason isn’t hard to find. The very essence of marriage is having a binding commitment. The very essence of living together is having no binding commitment. That’s why living together can’t be a trial for marriage, because in everything that matters, the two conditions are opposites. And that’s why not having a binding commitment is less like training for marriage than like training for divorce.
J. Budziszewski

Bible – danish – Amos Chapter 7:1-17.

Index: Danish Bible

 

Amos 7

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[5]
[6]
[7]
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7:1 Således lod den Herre Herren mig skue: Se, græshopper kom til syne, da Efterslætten var ved at gro frem, Efterslætten efter Kongens Høst.

7:2 Og da de var ved helt at afæde Jordens Urter, sagde jeg: “Herre, HERRE, tilgiv dog! Hvorledes skal Jakob stå det igennem, så lille han er?”

7:3 Og HERREN angrede. “Det skal ej ske!” sagde HERREN.

7:4 Således lod den Herre HERREN mig skue: Se, den Herre HERREN kaldte Ild frem til Straf, og den fortærede det store Verdensdyb; men da den vilde til at fortære Agerlandet,

7:5 sagde jeg: “Herre, HERRE, hold inde! Hvorledes skal Jakob stå det igennem, så lille han er?”

7:6 Og HERREN angrede. “Ej heller det skal ske!” sagde den Herre HERREN.

7:7 Således lod han mig skue: Se, Herren stod på en Mur med et Blylod i Hånden.

7:8 Og HERREN sagde til mig:”Hvad ser du, Amos?” Jeg svarede: “Et Blylod!” Da sagde Herren: “Se, jeg sænker Loddet i mit Folk Israel: jeg vil ikke spare det længer.

7:9 Isaks Høje bliver øde, Israels Helligdomme styrtes, med Sværd står jeg op mod Jeroboams Hus.”

7:10 Men Amazja, Betels Præst sendte Bud til Kong Jeroboam af Israel og lod sige: “Amos stifter en Sammensværgelse imod dig midt i Israels Hus; Landet kan ikke bære alle hans Ord.

7:11 Thi således siger Amos: For Sværdet skal Jeroboam dø, og Israel skal bortføres fra sin Jord.”

7:12 Og Amazja sagde til Amos: “Seer, gå din Vej og se at komme til Judas Land! Der kan du tjene dit Brød og profetere.

7:13 Men i Betel må du ikke profetere længer, thi det er kongens Helligdom og Rigets Tempel.”

7:14 Amos svarede Amazja: “Jeg er hverken Profet eller Profetlærling: jeg er Fårehyrde og avler Morbærfigen;

7:15 men HERREN tog mig fra Hjorden og sagde til mig: Gå hen og profeter for mit Folk Israel!

7:16 Så hør nu HERRENs Ord! Du siger: Du må ikke profetere mod Israel, ej prædike mod Israels Hus!

7:17 Derfor, så siger HERREN: Din Hustru bliver Skøge i Byen, dine Sønner og Døtre skal falde for Sværd; din Jord skal udskiftes med Snor, og selv skal du dø på uren Jord. Og bort fra sin Jord skal Israel føres.”