The eight ball is the one who doesn’t fit in any group in anyplace. It’s a standalone ball on the pool table. It really doesn’t fit in with the other solid color balls. It certainly doesn’t fit in with the striped balls either. Well, this eight ball is just like some people out there who seem to not fit in any type of group. No matter where they go, they just don’t fit in at all. Now what is interesting is the eight ball has to go in last to win the game on an normal pool game. That’s what makes the eight ball so special. When someone puts in the eight ball that person wins. It’s the same in the Kingdom of God. No matter how left out you feel, when you find Jesus and accept him you become a winner. Consider this scripture Matthew 19:30 “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” At first we felt in last place with being an outcast, but in the end will be first, because Jesus has come in and turned our situation around and we become a winner with Christ Jesus.

Now, some may fit in with a group, but still feel like an outcast within the group as well. Being labeled as something can hurt deeply. Why? It identifies you as something that you’re not. Then it can take a good long period of time to break that labeling off of you. I am here to tell you that your “stand alone” feeling can go away with Jesus.

Labeling is no different now than what it was years ago. The only difference is the list has gotten longer. Here are some labels that can be put on a person such as a drug head, an alcoholic, a rich kid, a poor kid, a trouble maker, or even being called a funny one in an ugly way, and the list goes on and on.  Labeling is the same in the Christian world as it is in the real world. Someone can be called a pew warmer, a faith doubter, one who is earning brownie points, being classified with certain denominations because of certain beliefs, and this list can be just as long as the worldly list.

I know this is true. I have experienced some of those labels myself. I also have had some of those deeper inner wounds that needed to be healed. Often times someone will bring up that subject and begin to stir up that old wound, but one night I found the one who can take those labels off of me and start removing that anger and hurt out of me. I would also like to add that some can get rid of those hurts easier than others, but for those who have trouble with getting rid of those hurts, hang in there with Jesus, because he will get rid of those hurts as you strengthen your relationship with him.

Remember when I said, there is one who can take all that hurt away from you and that is Jesus. Why?  Because Jesus thinks you are special to him. Take a look at this scripture out of Luke 15:4-7 “4) What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5) And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6) And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7) I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” What I love about this passage is that the eight ball represents the one that is to be part of the ninety-nine. Jesus didn’t only leave the ninety-nine to get the one who felt left out, but he called out to everybody to rejoice with him for finding the one who was lost. Why is this important? The one who was not welcomed or fitting in is now welcomed in. This person will eventually take on the likeness of Jesus, because they felt the love of Jesus working inside of them. Meaning that label given to them by other is beginning to fall off of them. Yes, it means a change of heart has taken place and salvation will begin to take place.
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Now, just as that subtitle above says “Labeling may look bad up front, but it has its rewards with Jesus” is now taking place within this passage. The greatest reward is your going to be with Jesus and living in that promise land forever. John 14:2-3 “2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Most importantly when this happens he calls us friend John 15:15 “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

This means we need to seek him daily to find those avenues to remove those hurts. 1 Chronicles 16:11 “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” Now as you seek him you begin to find rest in him. Matthew 18 28-30 “28) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The trick of it all is that you have to be serious within. What do I mean by this? It has to come from the heart not of the min. Take a look at Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

   Gambling, is it really for or against God’s word.  The word of God says this in Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  Jesus says this in Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”  The point is gambling is very symbolic to playing with the word of God.  Jesus also said this in Matthew 22:37, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”  Hopefully this tract will give us a deeper understanding about how gambling really doesn’t mix with God’s word.
 
     Let’s take poker and add the joker as a wild card.  Why was the Joker added as a wild card?  It was a way for us to have better odds of winning.  Right!  Let’s talk about that joker card and how it can be wrong.  That joker card becomes a manipulator.  1 Timothy 4:1-2 “1) Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2) Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”  Can we see what is happening here?  We just might be teaching ourselves without knowing we’re twisting the word to comfort our beliefs or better words allow ourselves to still partake with and of sin, which will cause us to become unstable or double minded.  James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”  The point is we’re truly training ourselves to manipulate our own mind.  When we get to that point it will be harder for us to know if were being manipulated by others.  Matthew 7:15 tells us, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
 
     There is another way the wild card can get us in trouble.  God’s word says in Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”  We must understand that the hand we may be holding may not look like a winner, but in reality we may be holding the winning hand to start off with.  God’s word also says in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” So this means we need to have the mindset of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  We must understand through Jesus we have the winning hand even when the odds are stacked against us, John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  So, do we really want to be playing against our blessing from God with the curses of the world?  Most certainly not!  Let’s look at this for the moment.  1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”  That’s an automatic winning hand, right?  Then satan comes in saying, “Do you really think you’re healed.  Look at the other symptoms you have.”  What could happen here?  We allow ourselves to get manipulated and reject the word of God, so now we have let our own guard down, because our minds have been trained by manipulation and can’t resist the attacks as easily, which is a wrong poker move. Why? James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Let’s move on.
 
     The Russian roulette is all about the marble and where it lands at.  What could be wrong with this game?  We just might focus on one thing at a time, when God can take care of all are needs.  This really 
happened. When ministering in a nursing home a man wanted some prayers to be answered, as a minister I responded “what can I pray for you.”  This man said “Let me get out my prayer box and see what the most important one is.”  Do you see the resemblance?  Let’s place our bet on red 1 (health) red 5 (finances) or black 10 (relationship restored).  This demonstrates we’re only trusting God to take care of one thing at a time or whichever one that ball lands on, it’s the one God will take care of first.  This is not  training our minds properly.  The truth is God wants to take care of everything for us, 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
 
Let’s add this game. Craps isn’t only about the dice, but it has many other options involved such as: pass the line or don’t pass the line, odds or evens, and other options of the game, which brings bigger problems.  How?  It’s not just about manipulation anymore, but now an attitude is with it.  This becomes like “I will scratch your back if you will scratch mine” or “God, I am going to go this way, now bless it”, when he’s actually telling us to go another route to be blessed. God and his word or ways won’t be mocked in the first place.  Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”  We only end up mocking ourselves    instead of getting the favor of God.  Proverbs 14:9 “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.”
 
    Now, can we see why gambling isn’t for us.
 
     Don’t get caught playing with the Joker (satan’s ways) get to know Jesus and live a more abundant life.  John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”