Last Sunday we had A-LIVE Church – in our building, for the first time since March 8. We have had a few parking-lot services, but while they allowed us to be together in our cars, on church grounds, it just was not the same. Being in the building with each other, even behind masks and six feet apart was a wonderful time.
I am praying, as I am sure we all are, that there will be no spike, that no one in our congregation will acquire the virus, that soon this virus will run its course, whether or not there is a vaccine or better treatments. I want it to simply be G-O-N-E.
It did teach the church something, I hope. We hopefully learned how quickly a government can deem a church non-essential and simply close her doors. The churches in Idaho complied. And Idaho was not harsh in its shutting us down. Other states were, some issuing fines, arresting pastors who disobeyed. Even opening churches again one state wanted a list of names and addresses of attendees so it could “follow up” if there were problems.
Whatever the reason we were shut down, this time by a virus, we need to remember that the enemy of our souls will use anything and everything to see the church silenced and made non-essential in our day. We cannot allow that to happen, beloved. We must battle any attempt to render the church insignificant.
As I say that, I want to also remind us that there are many ways the church can become insignificant. Not all of them an attack from the outside! (One good example is when we preach a gospel that is not The Gospel of Christ Jesus.)
But mostly today, let us remember the most important thing. We are not fighting people. We are not fighting politicians. We are not fighting governments. No, our battle is so much bigger! “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” [Eph 6:12]
That is a battle we will not win on social media or in the polls or even in the voting booths, it is a battle fought on our knees in prayer.
