In Ezra 3, when Ezra returned from captivity with the people of Israel, the first thing they built was the altar upon which sacrifices might be made to God. For this work, they did not experience any opposition. In fact, their enemies were indifferent to their worship. The only time they experienced resistance was in Ezra 4, as they began to build the foundation of the temple and the walls of the city.
Rarely does the enemy martial his primary forces against a worship service, it will be over in about an hour. However, foundations represent something totally different. People only construct foundations because they plan to build something which lasts.
The foundations of the church are not physical bricks and mortar, but stones of theology which represent repentance, the Lordship of Christ, unmerited salvation, unconditional love, purity and integrity. When these foundational stones are laid in your life, the life of other's or in the life of a church, we should be prepared for war...but also for victory! Live right, live well...
