Don't Be Lukewarm

Hello from Turkey! (Next up UK) Alejandra and I very much enjoyed our time out here in what used to be Asia Minor, and it was so awesome to walk some of the same streets as the first disciples, and try to get a feel for what the early church looked like.

In Celçuk we actually did meet up with some Turkish disciples of Jesus at a Christian camp - and it was especially fun to connect with good friends Gary and Linda Kirst, and listen to Dr. Kirst's exposition of selected Scriptures from the New Testament pertaining to the early Ephesian church that would have met just a couple miles from where we were staying.

Obviously, we had to check out all the ruins from this city where Paul spent about 3 years pastoring, followed by Timothy, and later perhaps even John.

Next, Alejandra and I drove out to Laodicea with my old college roomate Michael where we walked around in the lukewarm pools of Pamukkale.

Pamukkale means "cotton castle" in Turkish, and that's exactly what this place looks like, as mineral-rich waters have dripped down the mountainside for thousands of years, forming a shimmering white colored travertine limestone surface that looks like snow.

Just about 7 miles away, on another mountain lies the ancient city of Laodicea, and it was to the church in this wealthy metropolis that John penned the words of Jesus telling them, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3:15-17).

It was so amazing to feel the pages of the Bible jump out at us as we could see the white terrace pools of lukewarm water that we had just been in, from the very location where the Laodicean church used to meet...

You can just imagine how tremendous that message would have been to hear back then; and so I stood in what is considered the ancient Laodicean chapel of that city, and Alejandra took a picture of me as if I was preaching on that very passage 2000 years ago.

Even though being moderate at times is very important, when it comes to following Jesus - it's all or nothing. It's foolish to depend on your wealth and live for comfort if at any moment your life can be demanded from you (Luke 12:16-21).

...Just before traveling to Turkey, I decided to go help in the aftermath of the earthquake that took place in Morocco about a month ago...

None of the beautiful people that I met and befriended out in the village of Imeghlad could have known that when they went to bed on September 8th, some of their friends or family members would have their roofs cave in on top of them, and they would never wake up.

...And what happened in Morocco isn't even close to the devastation that took place here in Turkey on the 6th of February. Or what about the earthquake in Afghanistan or the flooding in Libya or the war in Israel? ...Don't think that all the people of these suffering nations are any worse sinners than we are... In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus talked about a couple terrible things that were happening in his own time, and he told his listeners that unless we repent - we too will all perish.

...Part of the rest of the passage in Revelation 3 says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me" (v.19-20).

Both in Ephesus as well as in Laodicea, Alejandra and I could see indications of houses that were inhabited by Christians well into the Byzantine period.

May countries like Turkey and Morocco be transformed by the power of the gospel so that millions of its citizens may be victorious, and sit on the throne along with Jesus (Revelation 3:21).

Sam and Alejandra