Christchurch

The date was 21 February 2011. The place – Christchurch, New Zealand. The event – a magnitude 6.3 tremor.

The air was filled with dust. Everyone tried to grasp what had happened. It seemed unreal. Abbey looked at the ruins of the church building on the other side of the street. She thought that if she was dreaming the time to wake up was overdue. Gradually reality settled in.

Marc walked up to her to calm her down. “It seems so unreal, Abbey. But hey, thank God we’re alive!”

“Marc, look in front of you at that old iconic church building! It is completely ruined! The house of God is gone!”

“Abbey, I don’t want to burst your bubble but that heap of rubble was not the house of God.”

Abbey looked at Marc with an expression of disgust on her face. “How can you say that, Marc? It was a church building, the house of God!”

Marc took her hand as he spoke to her softly, “Do you really think God would stay in a cold and empty building only to meet a few people once a week for a brief hour or two and then just watch them go out and leave Him again to be on His own for the rest of the week? Definitely not!”

He continued, “On the day Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. That day God removed His presence from a building and He would not move into another structure made by man ever again! You are a Christian, Abbey, and since the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, the Holy Spirit has been indwelling you. God is in you. You and every other Christian all over the world are His house now. (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19, 2 Cor. 6:16)

You know what? Jesus showed me a picture of this ruined church some days ago. No, He did not tell me what would happen here in Christchurch. He told me that thousands of His churches look like that. I could not believe what He told me but He said there are thousands upon thousands of empty broken down spaces like this. Some appear to be fine but at closer inspection one would notice them to be in disrepair, speaking of confusion and despair among their inhabitants.

If you would look at the inventory lists you would notice that all these houses are still counted for as perfect churches, a false picture, however. But He also told me that the situation was not that bleak. God had not forgotten them or left them in ashes.”

This quake took place in Christchurch, the oldest city in New Zealand, but the real church of Christ is still alive. Take note however, that many also need some repair.

So many people have lost their way because of the cares and/or pleasures of this world. Many think that joy is only found in the world. Many think salvation depends on the way they live.

Pray for the victims of this quake and for the church of Christ all over the world – we need it!