Well Karen and I made it back save and sound from Turkey. What a wonderful time we had while in Istanbul. I am always impressed by how our many friends around the world lay their lives down for us and this trip was no exception. I wish I could go into names, but for security reasons on their behalf we must honor their request to keep their names a mystery, God knows them anyway and will reward them justly. While we were driving across the big bridge that connects Istanbul Europe with Istanbul Asia (Istanbul is the land bridge between Europe and Asia) Karen asked me what do I think Paul would think of Turkey today. After some thought I replied, I believe he would be happy and sad. I believe Paul would be happy to know there are many people in the world today praying for and a few living in Turkey to ensure this wondrous Gospel message of the Jesus Christ will go forth no matter what. Paul too would know nothing can stop or separate us from the love of God, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39) But, on the other hand I believe Paul would also be sad. Today Turkey is a Muslim nation (99.9 of the 20 million population hold to the Islamic faith) and his hard work and effort sharing the Gospel message in the past has been rejected. After all while in prison Paul wrote many of his New Testament Epistles to churches, he help establish, localed in cities in Asia Minor or what we know today as the Country of Turkey. I would think Paul would be very disappointed to learn the word of God that he and others so painstakingly planted into his present day culture and civilization has been overcome by religion, traditions, rituals of men, and self-indulgences. As I think about it maybe present day Turkey is a reflection of futuristic America. We too seemed to have allowed the word of God slip through our fingers, after it was once delivered to us. The church of America seems to value prosperity and ease with worldly praise and power projection. Our Christian TV networks televise services from our mega-churches all in the name of Christianizing the world, well that was not Jesus' idea of "Go ye therefore and teach all nations." Jesus' idea of evangelizing the world was through discipleship, one-on-one sharing of the Gospel message. "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:20) These were the words Jesus commanded the disciples with, to go forth into all the world and my friend they are still true and even more relevant today. We must not allow Jesus' words to fall to the ground in our generation. He is depending on us to keep them alive in all the earth, so that many people from all nations will have the opportunity to come to personal knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
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