Philippi . A field strewn with sunflowers. A bubbling brook. A flurry of many colored butterflies. A canopy of breezy shade. Lydia, a God-fearer, gathered at this very scene to hear Paul speak. The Lord opens her heart and she and her whole household are baptized. It is through this woman that the church flourishes in Philippi. A demon-possessed girl roams the Philippian marketplace, cursing Paul and his message. Today we stand in this same marketplace, the place where the power of God prevails over the power of darkness. A prison. A powerful earthquake. A Philippian jailor who dies to sin as he encounters Christ. He and his entire household believe and are baptized. This city is rich with spiritual history. The vibrancy of the gospel shone forth from Philippi, a gospel of peace and freedom. A gospel for the Jew and for the Greek. A gospel for the man and the woman, for the young and the old, the rich and the poor. A gospel of transformation and salvation. From Ph...
Final Days in Istanbul : We spent the morning strolling through the city of Istanbul , retracing it’s ancient roots, the famous city of Constantinople. Emperor Constantine the Great established this city as the capital of his empire. The center pieces of the Hippodrome still stand, modern cement now covering the ancient paths. The ground which once felt the wheels of racing chariots and heard the cheering of the crowds now gives place to an array of shops and the bustle of a modernized world. Near the Roman hippodrome still stands the magnificent church originally erected by Constantine — Hagia Sophia (“Holy Wisdom”). Standing within this sacred space, the lofty domes and gilded artwork invoke a sense of awe. Within this historical church lie some of the most important artwork of the early church. The mosaics of Jesus, the exalted Christ interceding for the world, Mary his mother, and John the Baptist adorn the marble walls. As insignificant as such a grand space makes you ...