7 Churches Part III

What a wonderful day it has been!
Sunny.
60.
Full of thought-stimulating history!

I started out up on a mountain right next to Hierapolis. I stayed in an interesting international hotel full of Japanese, German, and Turkish citizens. There are natural hot springs here, so it attracts lots of people; most of them probably do not know the biblical significance of the area.

Selcuk picked me up and we made our way to Laodicea. This is an active archeological site and is just beginning to be developed. Read Revelation 3:14-22 to see what Jesus said to them. I’ll explain in future lessons more of the interesting background of this place. One thing I did not know is that you can see Hierapolis from Laodicea (see photo below).

From Laodicea we made our way to Colossae. This was not part of my tour, but Selcuk said he would take me. Colossae has not been developed at all, so we had a little trouble finding it. We drove down a muddy road and then walked out in some pastures and vineyards. We finally found a few ruins. I loved this adventure! Some of the local villagers/squatters have taken some of the ancient ruins and used them for the walls of their huts. Amazing!

One thing funny happened as we were leaving the Colossae site. An old villager came up to the car. Selcuk talked to him a little bit, and then the old man got very antimated. He went on for several minutes. I could make out "Mohammed." Secluk said the old man keep saying, "Jesus did not die; he was taken to heaven. He is a prophet. He did not die." This is the Muslim view. I guess he could discern I was a Christian??

From Colossae it was on to Philadelphia. Philadelphia, like Thyatira, is only a small area. There is an old church there from the Byzantine period. One thing struck me about this site. There is now a mosque right across the street from this old church building. Turkey was once the heart of Christianity; today it is 98% Muslim.

From Philadelphia we made our way to Sardis, after another Turkish lunch. Lunch today was Izmir Meatballs (lamb meatballs grilled). Not bad. Sardis was pretty stunning. Archeologists have gone beyond just putting columns back up. They have fully restored some things which gives a much different feel. In Sardis there is large synagogue. Also at Sardis is a Temple to Artemis which was constructed in the 4th century B.C. It is huge, but not as large as the one in Ephesus. I found this temple very impressive. The foundation is as it was the day it was laid. The columns are massive. Sardis is so rich in history. People like Cyrus and Alexander the Great were here.

From Sardis it was back to Smyrna (Izmir). There are not many things to see at Smyrna, but it is such a significant place. Here is a very Interesting Article about one story.

Oh, I have left out so much! Hopefully I have given you an idea of what I have seen. Please read Revelation 2 and 3 to see what Jesus had to say to the folks who lived where I have walked the last couple of days.

I had an interesting talk today with Selcuk, my guide. I asked him what he thought about Jesus and the resurrection. He knows the stories but has not thought about them in a way that applies to him. He considers himself a Muslim; he believes in Alla. He says he is afraid to draw too close to his religion. He says he knows that if he draws closer, then he will have to give up significant portions of his lifestyle. Interesting (but sounds familiar).

I am now in Kusadasi. This is about 10 miles from Ephesus, where I plan to spend the next 3 days. My hotel is right on the Aegean Sea. “I am not worthy!”

Here are few photos from today.