Saturday, October 24, 2009 (Late Post)

Early Saturday morning we arrive at the port of Piraeus and disembark the Ocean Majesty for a transfer to the airport and the return flight home.

It was a wonderful trip. In addition to the tours to the islands, we were treated to wonderful Christian fellowship; too much good food, gospel music, and one evening a Greek dance troupe came aboard ship to entertain us.

The memory that will be the most lasting in our minds about this trip is the sacrifices that the dear saints Paul and John endured to spread the gospel of Jesus, not only to the Jews but also to Gentiles like us. They didn’t have the luxury of an ocean liner and air conditioned tour buses to get from place to place. They didn’t have a beautiful hotel to sleep in. They endured many hardships to get the message of Jesus out to a lost world. Paul records his trials and difficulties in II Corinthians, Chapter 11.

We today are so blessed to have the teachings of Paul and John throughout the New Testament. We should never take for granted the many sacrifices that the saints before us have made to keep the Gospel alive. It is our prayer that future generations can say that we were faithful in keeping the Gospel alive for them!

Friday, October 23, 2009 (Late Post)

Early in the morning we arrive at Santorini, jewel of the Aegean. This most scenic of all islands was created by a volcanic eruption over a thousand years ago. Perched atop 1,000 foot cliffs, this city is believed by some scholars to be the lost city of Atlantis.

We went ashore via small tender boats. Here we rode to the mountaintop city of Thira on a cable car.

The cable car on Santorini appeared in the 1961 movie “The Guns of Navarone.” The cave with the large guns, however, was shot on the Island of Rhodes. A little poetic license.

There were two ways to reach the top of Santorini, via cable car or by donkey. We chose the cable car. In this photo you can see the zig-zag route of the donkeys which took longer to reach the top than the cable car (and, by the way, a lot more smelly). We spent the day shopping and exploring the beauty of the island. There were a large number of shops, especially jewelry and souvenir shops.

Sharon and I ate lunch at a seaside café with a traditional Greek seafood lunch. The meal for two included: Prawns, anchovies, mussels, calamari (squid), octopus, deep fried sardines, and another larger fish that was also deep fried. The plate included a salad of eggplant, olives, lettuce and tomatoes. Including drinks of water, coke and mineral water the total bill was €41, approximately $60 US.

Thursday, October 22, 2009 (Late Post)

Early Thursday morning we arrive at the island of Rhodes. Paul during his 2nd missionary journey passed the island of Rhodes on his return to Jerusalem (Acts 21:1). He apparently did not have a ministry on this island,.

The original inhabitants of Rhodes were probably Greeks who settled there in about 1000 BC. According to legend, the island was first governed by a grandson of Crete’s King Minos. Little else is said about the island until Homer records in the Iliad that soldiers from Rhodes took part in the Trojan War.

A picturesque drive along the eastern coastline brings us to the city of Lindos. This enchanting site, the most important of the three great cities of ancient times, is guarded by medieval walls constructed by the Knights of St. John in the 13th century. From the Acropolis (incidentally, every Greek city has an acropolis which means "the high point") there are breathtaking views of the great expanse of the Aegean Sea, and St. Paul’s Bay where the Apostle Paul cast anchor during his historic voyage to Ephesus. We climb the Great Staircase to the Temple of Athena, among the most important temples of the Ancient Greek World. The climb was treacherous; very steep, slippery rocks, and no handrails.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 (Late Post)

This morning we dock at the isle of Patmos. We transfer to a small tender boat to go ashore since there is no dock for our ship. Patmos is a crescent shaped volcanic island located about 35 miles from modern-day Turkey. The island is only 24 square miles in size. There are about 3,500 full-time residents. Even with its sparse vegetation, the island is a charming, picturesque and tranquil island of white-washed houses and churches. It is a lovely resort island with much activity.

In about the 2nd Century BC, Patmos was subjected by the Romans. The island fell into a state of decline and began to be used as a place of banishment. It was in this context, in 95 AD, that the Apostle John was sent to Patmos under the rule of Emperor Domitian.

During his 18 month stay on the island, he wrote the book of The Revelation and converted many inhabitants of the island to Christianity.

In September, 96 AC, Domitian was assassinated and the new Emperor of Rome, Vocceius Nerva, recalled all those who had been exiled to the island. John was returned to Ephesus.

Once on land, a short bus ride takes us to the Monastery of St. John. In 1088 AC, Patmos was given to St. Christodolelos for use as a monastery. The Monastery is over 900 years old and contains many well preserved frescoes, mosaic icons, medieval textiles and vestments. Included in the library of ancient books and manuscripts are 33 pages of an early 6th Century copy of the Gospel of Mark. Other pages of this document are housed in the Vatican City in Rome, the British Museum in London and in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Nearby we visit the Grotto of the Apocalypse, presumed to be the place where John wrote the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:9-11 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea”). According to tradition, it was from within the cave that is now housed inside the monastery, where this took place. Inside we can see the niches in the wall that mark the pillow of John and the ledge used as a desk. Also we see the three-fold crack many believe to be made by the Voice of God to emphasize the honor of the Trinity. Photography was not permitted inside the cave.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 (Late Post)

We cruise to the Turkish port of Ephesus (Kusadasi), the greatest city in Asia Minor during the Roman Empire. We see recorded in Acts about Paul's visit in Ephesus-- (Acts 18:19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.)

We enter the city thru the Magnesia Gate, and find innumerable monuments: the Forum, the Odeon, the Library of Celsius and the Thermal Baths of Scolastika.

Inside the city we stopped for a group picture and a brief message from Dr. Stanley in the Grand Theatre. This magnificent ancient theater which will seat 25,000 people has such perfect acoustics in its natural bowl shape that Dr. Stanley did not have to use a microphone.

On the way back to the motor coach we strolled along the Arcadian Way, where Mark Anthony and Cleopatra once rode in procession. Just outside Ephesus, we see the Basilica of St. John, erected over his grave by the Emperor Justinian. Downhill lies the famous Temple of Diana now in ruins one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Paul was in Ephesus in 53 AD. He stayed there for two years, teaching in the school of Tyrannous. While there, God allowed Paul to do many miracles including the casting out of evil spirits.

John the apostle, also went to Ephesus to live and teach after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. John is buried at the Church of St. John shown at the right. It is throught (but not proven) that Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her last days with John in Ephesus and is buried there.

After touring, there was time to shop in the local craft shops known for their carpets, jewelry and leather goods. We visited a Turkish carpet dealer in Ephesus. Turkish carpets are hand made from wool and are the finest carpets in the world and are very expensive. Each thread is tied separately, one thread hand knotted at a time. The detail in the design is remarkable as you can see from the depiction of the Last Supper. It may take a worker 2 to 4 years to complete one carpet.

Monday, October 19, 2009 (Late Post)

The ship arrives at Kavala and after debarking, we take a short drive to Philippi. Philippi is a city in ruins located about nine miles from the Mediterranean coast. Excavations continue and more of the ancient ruins are unearthed each year.

The major site of excavation, where the ruins of the Roman Forum from the 2nd Century AD are located, is divided by a modern highway. It has been found that many large staircases and other structures still remain buried beneath the road.
Philippi is also on the Via Egnatia, the trade route from Rome to the east. There are large sections of the Roman road still evident in Philippi.

In 42 BC, Philippi was the site of the famous battle of Roman leaders. Brutus and Cassius fought against Mark Anthony and Octavius. Mark Anthony and Octavius claimed the victory resulting in the suicidal deaths of both Brutus and Cassius.

In 50 AD, Paul and Silas arrived to preach Christianity (Acts 16:12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony, and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.), and the first European convert, Lydia, was baptized (Acts 16:13-15 On the Sabbath, we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. … One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer of purple cloth…When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited them to her home.) There we visited the chapel that commemorates the baptism of Lydia.

No tour to Philippi could be complete without a visit to the site of Paul’s imprisonment. From here Paul was inspired to write Philippians 1:7-14. After Paul and Silas were imprisoned for proselytizing, there was an earthquake and God opened the doors of the prison and set Paul and Silas free. This story is recorded in Act 16:25-26: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose”. The Scripture goes on to record how the jailer and his whole family came to believe in Paul’s God. St. Paul’s prison was a Roman cistern that was converted into a prison. As you can see, it was a crude and uncomfortable place. A church was later built over the site, but since destroyed.

Being located strategically on the Via Egnatia (the Roman Road), Philippi was often the site of battles for control of the trade routes. During the 4th Century, the Goths attached the city, then the Slavs in the 7th and 8th Centuries, followed by the Bulgars in the 9th Century. In the 11th, 13th and 14th Centuries, the Crusaders came, followed again by the Slavs. Finally, the Turks occupied the city at the end of the 14th Century. But wars, malaria and hunger left the city desolate. Only a few ruins remain of its glorious past.

Sunday, October 18, 2009 (Late Post)

Sunday, October 18, 2009: Sunday morning we dock at Thessaloniki, the modern day name for Thessalonica. After breakfast, Dr. Stanley conducted a morning worship service with the music lead by Mike Speck and John Starnes. At noon we boarded a bus for a drive through Thessaloniki which is the capital of Macedonia and the second largest city in Greece. It is built around a major seaport and the city is a major industrial center of Greece. Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica on his second missionary journey.

We visited the Citadel where Paul addressed the Thessalonians.

(Acts 17:16-34 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went to the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”). Many of the Thessalonians came to believe in Jesus through Paul’s ministry. The Jews were jealous, and ran Paul and Silas out of town.

Paul retreated to Berea, a nearby town, which we visited next. Berea is known as the place where Paul preached to the Jewish nobility. (Acts 17:10-15). Along the drive, we enjoy magnificent views of the city, along with the numerous monuments from centuries ago. It is evident everywhere we go, that new construction waits on the old when ruins are unearthed. This is an example in Berea.

We visited St. Paul’s Tribune (built in 1950 it contains many colorful mosaics of Paul) and the Byzantine Church of Christ from the 14th century. The Church of Christ contains a number of frescos which on first glance looked dark as if they were covered with soot, but when the photographs of the frescos are viewed a wealth of color can be seen.

We also visited the Eptapirgion Walls (ruins) that stretch along the northern edge of the old city. From the top of the hill it is possible to imagine where the wall originally went to the south because the Lefkos Pirgos (White Tower) still stands and is all that remains of the southern part of the wall down by the seaport’s coast.

It was in Berea that we saw a dog that looked exactly like Jill, Billy and Grayson’s dog, Jilly. There were tame dogs or cats in all the cities that we visited in Greece. The city feeds and cares for the animals, and they are all well fed and well behaved.

Saturday, October 17, 2009 (Late Post)

Later we board the Ocean Majesty which will be our home for the next seven days. We were welcomed aboard by Dr. Charles Stanley and guest speaker Ed Diaz, along with a great lineup of Gospel singers who encourage and entertain us during the week.