“And in this place I will grant peace,” declares the Lord Almighty. Haggai 2:9 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/hag.2.9.NIVUK
At first, this might seem a bit bizarre. It's clear from what Jesus said during the clearing of the Temple - which is largely believed to have taken place in the Court of the Gentiles, or Nations, that the Temple was supposed to be a house of prayer for everyone, including the Jews (Mark 11:17). It was supposed to be a place where they could find peace. This was a quote from Isaiah (Isaiah 56:6-8). But how this could be fulfilled was quite unclear, particularly at this moment in their history. Jerusalem was surrounded by non-Jewish enemies. Ezra tells that they even managed to stop the building of the Temple by doing something incredibly mundane - getting its construction permit denied (Ezra 4). Nehemiah details later conspiracies and threats of violence (Nehemiah 4 & 6). While the Temple was being constructed, Jerusalem had no walls, no army, no king and was highly vulnerable to attack. Both Ezra and Nehemiah record in detail that God's people were anything but pure, holy and righteous (Ezra 9 & 10; Nehemiah 5, 9, 13). Beset by threats from without and within, under the thumb of a foreign power and worshipping on a construction site, the very promise of peace would seem to be absurd. Nowadays we are in the same position. Defenceless against a deadly virus, worried about the economy, our livelihoods and our children's education, we find ourselves feeling as exposed as the Temple builders. Yet look what Haggai says to them: But now be strong, Zerubbabel,” declares the Lord . “Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,” declares the Lord , “and work. For I am with you,” declares the Lord Almighty. “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.” Haggai 2:4-5 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/hag.2.4-5.NIVUK
Be strong. Do the work you are called to do. Do not fear. Why? But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/1co.15.57-58.NIVUK
I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.16.18.NIVUK
Peace comes when we leave our situation with the Lord, trust Him with it and instead commit ourselves to doing what He would have us do. It is in this very Temple that something so dramatic happened which brought peace to all mankind: With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Mark 15:37-38 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mrk.15.37-38.NIVUK
The way was opened to God for all men. We could finally be at peace with Him. And since we are reconciled to God, we also seek to be reconciled to men: For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. Ephesians 2:14-16 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/eph.2.14-16.NIVUK
In Istanbul there is a grand building, famous across the world. It used to be a great church, then a mosque, and is now a museum. That grand building is the Hagia Sophia. It's truly an impressive place. But as we visited it and walked around it a few years ago, I quickly became quite sad. You see, in 1054 the leader of the Eastern church was excommunicated by the Pope right there in that building. The schism this created has caused much harm for the church since. It's easy to say that we are Evangelicals and this shouldn't affect us. However, this division was carried out seemingly in God's name and caused hatred and bitterness among those who call themselves Christians for generations. What would the secular world think of that? The full name of that building is "The House of the Wisdom of God". There can be no wisdom in division. Just as there can be no peace. It is not just a museum to religion. It is also a museum to division and hatred. What happened there is a stain on Christian history. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter how beautiful the building is if there is no peace. The same can be said of any form of worship. Our world needs peace like fresh air. As I stated earlier, we are facing a global crisis, particularly regarding mental health, that is unprecedented in living memory. We have peace. Or, at least, we should. To share it with the world, there are three steps we must carry out. We firstly must be at peace with God. We must resolve any sin standing in the way of His peace until we have it in ourselves. Secondly, we must be at peace with our fellow believers and in our relationships. Then, and only then, can we extend this peace to those who need it the most. This is a promise for the new House of God, the place of worship: the church. And the church is not a construction; it is the community of God's people, wherever we are and however we gather. May we truly know His peace so that we are enabled to pass it on to those who so desperately need it.
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