While sharing pictures with friends at breakfast this morning, Janet lamented that several of our photos contained too many tourists, and the beautiful Parthenon was marred by unsightly scaffolding. Someone showed her an iPhone feature that removes the unwanted people and objects from photos. How cool is that! I think that’s a good analogy for God’s forgiveness. When we’re washed in the blood of the Lamb, God takes the things we do wrong in life—the sin, the “photo blemishes”—and removes them to make us pure, whole, and white as snow. This is an ongoing process and is one of the greatest blessings of being a Christian.
On our way to the port, we passed by the Panathenaic Stadium, the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. Originally a simple racecourse (circa 330 BC), it was rebuilt by Herodes Atticus around 144 AD with a capacity of 50,000 seats. After being largely abandoned for several centuries, it was refurbished and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896. It is the last venue in Greece from where the Olympic flame handover ceremony to the host nation takes place.
Our group was super pumped to arrive at the Port of Piraeus, the largest passenger port in Europe. We boarded the Celestyal Discovery for a 3-day Aegean Sea Cruise (… a 3-day cruise), with planned stops in Mykonos, Kusadasi (in Turkey, to visit Ephesus), Patmos, Crete, and Santorini.
As we scanned the daily itinerary full of on-board entertainment and excursion options, Joe pointed out that our captain was Russian, so I signed up for the “Launch Artillery Shells at Ukraine” excursion. Later, Dana blamed the confusing itinerary times (1900 hrs., 2130 hrs., etc.) on the ancient Greeks. I nodded, assuming she was placing the blame at the feet of the Titan ruler Kronos, aka “Father Time”.
Our onboard afternoon entertainment options included:
- Zumba with Cuban dancers
- Arts and Crafts: Origami
- Sirtaki Dance Lesson
- Chess tournament
- Violin romantic music with Melody
As enticing as doing Origami while listening to the violin was, I really just wanted to soak in a hot tub, feel the sun on my face, indulge in a milkshake, and enjoy the sea views. So, I went that route while Janet opted for cards with friends.
I stepped down into the hot tub and sat across from a Turkish couple. He spoke a little English and was able to explain that he had visited the United States twice… “Santa Monica and Connecticut”. His wife, who had the coarser facial hair of the two and spoke very little English, reiterated that her husband had been to Connecticut and Santa Monica. “So, I hear,” I replied. I asked what town they were from and she started giving me distances between Turkish cities… “You know, Burka? Burka—Ankara 325 kilometers.” I nodded in appreciation. “I did not know that.”
Shortly after the Turkish couple exited the tub, one half of the 12-member senior class from a private school near Navarre, Florida dropped into the tub like allied paratroopers into Sainte-Marie-du-Mont on D-Day. They gave me concerned looks like you might give a partially beached whale who would be better off fully submerged. Wanting to connect meaningfully with folks 42 years younger than me, I longed for a question related to something in my wheelhouse… something like, “Sir, do you know how far it is from Burka to Ankara?”
After visiting Our Lady of the Perpetual Buffet on Deck 8, we disembarked at Mykonos. Every Greek island is beautiful, but each have their own flavor or vibe. For a lively party atmosphere, there’s Mykonos. The island balances iconic whitewashed architecture, legendary beach clubs, and ancient history. Over the course of a few hours, we accomplished our Mykonos “to do” list: wander the maze-like streets of Chora, view the 16th-century windmills, and shop and people watch in Little Venice. Although we had fun, be aware this island is known for its extreme luxury pricing and relentless party scene.
Fun fact: In the romantic final scene of The Bourne Identity, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) finally tracks down Marie who has been running a scooter rental and excursion business in the picturesque, waterfront neighborhood of Mykonos’ Little Venice. Damon became a massive fan of the island, and he and his wife have made it their go-to summer vacation, often bringing along family and close friends, like Chris and Liam Hemsworth. Speaking of close friends, Joe, Jan, Dana, and Kevin joined Janet and me for another round of delicious gelato before returning to the ship. Opa!
Our next stop was Kusadasi, Türkiye, for a visit to Ancient Ephesus, once again picking up the trail of the Apostle Paul. As impressive as Ancient Corinth was, Ancient Ephesus is ten times better! The marvelous ruins are preserved and extensive enough to allow you to go back in your mind’s eye and really imagine the bustling city in its heyday.
We walked the ruins, with each area/artifact even more impressive than the one before it. There were literally dozens of cool things to see—I won’t attempt to cover them all here. I’ll mention two stops at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Library of Celsus, with its majestic design and façade, is stunning—in the same category, in my opinion, as what you see in Petra.
At the other end of the spectrum, we laughed as we meandered through the Public Toilets. Most citizens did not have toilets in their homes, so public toilets were a necessity. Marble benches lined three sides of the building and each had 16 keyholes cut in them. Beneath the toilets was a channel which carried an uninterrupted flow of water. There were no dividers—you just found an open keyhole and sat down next to as many as 15 neighbors, to do your business and catch up on the latest news and gossip. Imagine that setup at your local coffee shop or Walmart.
Let’s pick up the story in Acts 18:19-21 – “And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, ‘I will return to you if God wills,’ and he set sail from Ephesus.”
Paul wanted to preach in Ephesus some two years earlier but the Holy Spirit prevented him from doing so (Acts 16:6). Now, the Holy Spirit gave him the green light to preach in this important city, and great results were seen.
Lesson 1: God has a special timing for everything in our lives. If Paul could have discerned it, the Holy Spirit was really saying, “wait” when he wanted to go to Ephesus, instead of “no.” Sometimes God says, “wait” and He always knows what He’s doing when He says it.
Later, in Acts 18:24-26, we read of an eloquent Jewish man named Apollos, competent in the Scriptures, who taught fervently about Jesus in Ephesus, though he knew only of the baptism of John. Priscilla and Aquila heard him, took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately, and he continued his ministry. Seemingly at Paul’s request, Aquila and Priscilla stayed at Ephesus. Something good had been started there, and Paul wanted the work to continue with his trusted friends.
Lesson 2: Never think you have “arrived” at truth—you’ve figured everything out in your faith life and have nothing left to learn. Although Apollos was a fervent man, competent in the Scriptures, he was open to learning the way of God more accurately.
We assembled among the ruins to hear another fine message from Bruce McLarty. He mentioned that this may have been Paul’s best season of ministry, though he may not have realized it at the time. The 2.5 to 3 years he spent there may have been the most productive time in Paul’s life. He wrote 1 Corinthians directly from Ephesus during his third missionary journey. Depending on the scholarly timeline, he may also have written Galatians and Philippians while in the city, though historians debate if those were written from Ephesus or later from Rome.
Dr. McLarty mentioned Dr. Ganus, his predecessor at Harding University who, at retirement ceremonies, would often sum up someone’s time at Harding with, “They came, they stayed, they made a difference.” The same can be said about Paul’s time at Ephesus. The gospel radiated through him. Christian leaders of the early church came to visit him. Many churches like Colossians started while Paul was at Ephesus. Again, it was a highly productive time in his ministry.
On his third missionary journey, he met some disciples who had only received John’s baptism and were unfamiliar with the Holy Spirit. Paul spoke to them about the baptism of Jesus, and they were then “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5).
Lesson 3: An appropriate, obedient response to hearing the gospel—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—includes being baptized into Christ. It doesn’t involve reciting a sinner’s prayer—asking the Lord into your heart—which is found nowhere in Scripture.
Later, on Paul’s third missionary journey, there was a major riot at Ephesus against his teachings. The riot was ignited by Demetrius, who made shrines to Artemis. Paul was affecting his business. He caused an uprising during which the crowd met at the theater. There—for two hours—they cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:34) After the uprising, Paul left for Macedonia. In Ephesus, Paul experienced the ups and downs of ministry.
Paul met with Christians from Ephesus one more time in Miletus. He prayed with the elders, wept with them, blessed them, and warned them to pay careful attention to themselves and their flock. Paul would never see them again.
Dr. McLarty asked us, “What are the most productive years of your life? What might God be doing in your life right now? What lies ahead?”
Lesson 4: Though it may not feel like it, it’s possible you’re having the most productive season of your life right now. Sometimes success—the results—don’t come into view until long after the seemingly fruitless ministry has taken place. It’s best to just keep at it—keep sowing—and trust that God will bring forth a harvest on his schedule.
You may be a young mother, up all night trying to nurse a crying infant, feeling like you aren’t cut out for motherhood. Is it possible you are in your most productive season, doing your very best work? I think so.
You may be a middle school Bible class teacher, and the young people don’t seem to be all that receptive to your lessons. You feel like you’re not up for the task—you’re wasting your time. Is it possible one or two or three students are actually listening, and you’re teaching them the most important lessons they’ll ever hear? Is it possible you are in your most productive season, doing your very best work? I think so.
Whatever ministry or ministries God has called you to, keep at it. Don’t judge the outcome of the game based on being seemingly behind at the end of the first quarter. Maybe you are wearing Satan down. If you don’t give up, maybe you’ll own the fourth quarter and win the game. Keep working. Trust the process. Let God worry about how it all fits together and what the outcome will be.
Is it possible this is your most productive season?
Is it possible you’re doing your very best work?
I think so.
