Back when I was in school, I was always choosing role models -typically older students- that I would emulate both in thought and action. For the most part, I have grown out of this. There is still one major area in my life where I am still easily persuaded with little regard for my own judgment: females. When it comes to going out, for food, fun or otherwise, I am not picky so whatever the lady says is almost automatically accepted without question. Where she goes, I will follow. For the most part that's fine, but what happens when that lady wants to go somewhere or do something that is in opposition to my core values? Case in point, I have dated more than one girl who was not strong in her faith. When the time came to go to church, Bible study, or anything else of that nature, alternative plans were presented and they were often convincing. Several times in my life I have fallen into a routine that did not involve God simply because of a lady.
I am involved in a street ministry in Hollywood that includes a midnight church service in a 7-11 parking lot. During the hour prior to the service, our team walks around the street talking to people, and, when they are open to it, we pray with them and/or invite them to the church service. We get a lot of no's. After all, these are addicts, dealers, transgender prostitutes, and the like that we are inviting. Most wouldn't be caught dead in a traditional church. We sometimes devote weeks, months, and even years building relationships with the people we meet before they will even consider attending a service. For example, one transgender prostitute talked with us off and on for over three years before finally walking into a service. The short version of that story is that he was saved, not just in the afterlife but here on earth too. He is no longer living on the streets, no longer doing drugs, no longer getting drunk, and no longer selling his body to strangers. Better than all this, he has been reunited with his family. His life was saved by Jesus but our team and our church services had something to do with that.
It breaks my heart therefore when I see this scenario: We manage to convince a small number of people from the street to join us for church. They are a mix of dealers, prostitutes, etc. and they vaguely know each through their regular encounters on the street. They are more familiar with each other than they are with us. Just as service begins, one of them gets sketchy and gets up and leaves. Then one or two others follow them!
The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12:9 NIV, emphasis added)
[Jesus says,] "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. ... The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ... I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:1,2,10,11 NIV)For further study, please read the story of Balaam as told in Numbers 22:1 - 25:3; Numbers 31:7-8,15-16; Revelation 2:14. The bulk of the story involves a certain king trying to get Balaam to curse God's people. God thwarts all these plans and actually blesses His people through Balaam instead. Numbers chapter 24 ends with Balaam and the king going their separate ways, but further reading reveals that Balaam left the king with some very destructive advice... Numbers chapter 25 begins with the king's women seducing God's people and leading them into all kinds of sin!
Oh how easily we can be led astray, toward our destruction. Beware the Judas Goat.
