Fighting the Sting of the Enemy

After Covid 19 hit our country, my church decided to hold services outside.  The worship team and pastor minister under a large, 2-story front entrance porch.  The congregation sits facing the front of the building either in a tent on the parking lot or on the lawn.  As my husband and I worshiped together on the lawn, we have a great view of the building and the steeple that rises to the sky above.  The history of the architecture of American churches goes back to when our nation was settled.  One of the first buildings the pioneers constructed in their villages was the church.  It was the center of all activities.  Worshiping God was their chief priority.  Most of the churches built had a steeple that was topped with a spire.  It symbolized the church's heavenly aspirations.
 
When I sit at one of our services and look at the front of our church, my eyes are instantly drawn to the steeple.  Recently, I noticed that hornets have been very busy over the summer, because there is a huge hornet's nest at the juncture of the steeple and the spire.  The hornets chew wood to build their paper-like structures.  The teardrop-shaped nest only has one opening for the hornets to enter and leave.  Fortunately, the nest attached to our church steeple is so high that we do not have to be concerned about an attack by the hornets.  In addition, fall and cooler temperatures are approaching.  The nest will deteriorate over the winter.  I began to wonder how a hornet determines where it will build its nest.  My research shows that they look for a location that has cracks in it so they can firmly attach their nest.  It is recommended that homeowners caulk and seal any cracks in the sides of their buildings so that hornets will not attempt to build their unwanted structure.
 
As I looked at the nest on our church steeple, I felt like God was telling me that there is prophetic significance to this picture.  There is a battle going on between good and evil in our world today.  Sadly, much of the Church has compromised their position and allowed the enemy to have his way.  We are warned about this in Ephesians 4:27:  "...Do not give the devil a foothold."  Just as the hornets built their nest in the cracks of our steeple, the devil found cracks in the foundation of our churches and has built a nest so that he can operate inside the life of the church to influence her decisions for evil.  Our country has bought into the lies of the enemy and has made decisions that are directly opposite of the commandments in Scripture and the foundations upon which our nation was formed.  The Church cannot continue to compromise!  The soul of our nation is at stake, and the country needs the prayers and actions of the saints to bring it back into alignment with the intentions of our founding fathers.  This could be the Church's greatest hour of achievement or failure for the Kingdom of God.
 
The enemy is attacking the Church's foundation.  For seven months our lives have been severely restricted through government regulations meant to protect us from Covid 19.  At this point they have been softened somewhat; however, it appears as though they will continue through the rest of the year.  They hit at the heart of the Church--worship and fellowship!  In addition, fear has struck many—not only fear of sickness, but fear of violence that is ravaging our cities.  Rage and anarchy have been unleashed by those who want to control our nation in an unholy agenda.
 
I praise God for the churches that are standing their ground!  They found the cracks in their foundations and are filling them.  They are leading their congregations in repentance and return to lives of purity and love.  They see that God has given us a period of grace.  But I wonder how long this grace will last.  Peter gives us good advice for this season:  "Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your bothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:8-9)
 
Paul gives us solid advice in Colossians 4:2-6.  "Be faithful to pray as intercessors who are fully alert and give thanks to God...Walk in the wisdom of God as you live before the unbelievers, and make it your duty to make Him known.  Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity.  For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith." (TPT)