Day 03 - Hot Air Balloon Ride, Hierapolis, Laodicea

Today found 13 members of our group watching the sunrise from a hot air balloon. What a way to greet the day. God is good!

After that we visited ancient Hierapolis known as Pamukkale today. We saw where the disciple, Philip, was reportedly martyred and later a church was constructed in his honor. We talked about the cost of being a disciple of Christ.

Matthew 16:24-25: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it'."

We were challenged to die to self and choose to live for Christ every day. It’s a calling to make much of His name, to make Him famous and not ourselves.

We then spent a a little time in the Travertine Hot Springs of Pamukkale - it looks like snow but it’s actually calcium deposits!

Afterwards we traveled to get lunch, Turkish pizzas, and then visited Laodicea, which has an impressive amount of excavations that have happened through the years. We learned how rich the people were of this city, they even turned down financial help from the emperor after they experienced an earthquake. So as we read the letter to them from Revelation 3:14-21 we saw how this came up in the letter.

“You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.”  Revelation 3:17-18 NLT

The question to ponder is this: are we rich in the right things?  Do we have everything we want in this world except what truly matters?

Keep seeking Jesus!