Why did God create the universe?

Sincerely,
Big Picture

Dear Big Picture,

God created the universe for His enjoyment and His glory (Col 1:16-17).  God makes it clear that before He made even one molecule of the universe, He planned to offer salvation to mankind (Eph 1:4).  His plan was that all mankind would be offered the opportunity to spend eternity with Him through Jesus Christ (Eph 1:5).  God created the earth, so we might live on it, choose Him, and spend eternity as His children.

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

I would like Bible reading about if gambling is a sin and where to find it in the Bible.

Sincerely,
On A Roll

Dear On A Roll,

The Bible never specifically mentions gambling as a sin, but gambling is wrong for several major reasons.

Gambling focuses around money and greed.  God warns us clearly about being fixated with money (1 Tim 6:10, Heb 13:5).  God wants us to be satisfied with our income (Eccl 5:10).

Gambling is used as a means to gain money without working for it.  God finds pleasure in people working for their money (2 Thess 3:10-12,Pr 10:4).

Gambling wastes money because, ultimately, the house does always win.  God expects us to be good stewards (1 Cor 4:2) and save for the future (Pr 6:6-8).

Gambling and the places where gambling occurs are often associated with other sinful things.  There is a reason Las Vegas is called “Sin City”.  That industry is not one that a Christian should be supporting (2 Cor 6:16-17).

Gambling is addictive.  We can only have one master (Lk 16:13).

All of these things deal with what is normally thought of as gambling.  Things like school raffles, cakewalks, penny-ante card games among friends, etc. fall into a grayer area.  So whenever considering these activities, use wisdom in comparing them to the concepts listed above.

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

The Bible says in the New Testament that a deacon or pastor should be the husband of one wife.  I attend a Baptist church that does not allow a man to be a deacon or pastor unless he has only been married once in his lifetime.  I do not disagree with this and I believe this to be true, but my question is if the pastor or a deacon in my church has had sexual relationships prior to meeting and marrying their first and only wife, would this not disqualify them from their office of pastor or deacon?

Sincerely,
Double-Checking

Dear Double-Checking,

The qualifications you are referring to occur in 1 Tim 3:2, 1 Tim 3:12, and Tit 1:6.  The term ‘husband of one wife’ literally means ‘a one woman man’ in the original Greek.  In order to be a deacon or a pastor, a man must have shown himself to be dedicated to one woman and committed to monogamy.  Previous relationships before marriage would not necessarily disqualify a man from serving, but all those details must be considered before appointing a man to the position of deacon or elder.  The question is simply, “Is this man a dedicated one-woman man?”  Answer that question, and you will know whether he is qualified.