A few days before 9-11 while on business in LV I attended a storefront church Sunday AM and PM. The Sunday School teacher was an older gentleman very learned in the scriptures. I feel almost foolish saying it now, but then I asked him the question how he handles ministering in Las Vegas. My question was quite condescending I suppose, as if everyone living there were somehow a sinner and the stigma of the city tainted the saints.
Beyond downtown and the strip Las Vegas is a city like most others. There are places you can go and almost forget you are in Vegas. This little church was one of them. Here were people trying to serve God and survive. The pastor was an elderly man from Kansas City who grew up in the same part of town I spent my youth. He was an interesting man. I went to service very ill. Tension was in the air and I could feel it. Something was about to go down. It was taking a physical and emotional toll. We had prayer together and I felt some relief.
One thing I had to ask them, "How do you deal with all the gambling in this town?" He answered that there were people in the church that worked in the gaming industry. This almost blew my holiness bible belt mind! "Uh, Uh, well, how do you deal with that?!", I asked. His tender soft spoken reply- "We let the Holy Ghost deal with people." At first it sounded like compromise. But in time I have come to realize that I'm not God- even though under the guise of preaching I have tried to be.
A few days later in a room I awoke to smoke pouring from the towers. What a place to be during the end of the world or the start of WWIII. The casinos cleared out. People were as alert and sober as I have ever seen people. The megatrons posted God Bless America and like slogans. I have pictures of this. The place was deserted. You could almost stand on the strip and not get run over. Look to the south- no cars. Look to the north- no cars.
A lot changed for me that week. I realized that God loves sinners and is willing to send really good men into that environment to reach the lost and shepherd the flocks. I felt stupid for insinuating that the pastors and teachers ought to be ashamed of themselves for coming to sin-city! Surely God does not call good men there?! How arrogant can a person be? I had the strange sense that my attitude was as bad of stinch to God as any filth that could be mustered in Las Vegas.
