Turkey Bible Study Tour (23 May - 3 June 2008). 

I thank God for the opportunity to lead a group of Lifers on a Bible Study Tour of Turkey. It might seem strange to want to go to Turkey, a Muslim country, to tour Biblical sites. But this was the land of the Hittites, the Galatians, the 7 Churches of Revelation, the birthplace of Paul and Timothy and their missionary journeys, as well as the early Church Councils of Nicea, Chalcedon, and Constantinople.

Before going on the tour, participants were required to read Richard Mayhue’s book "What Would Jesus Say About Your Church?" The participants who read the book said that it gave them a greater appreciation of the things they saw and helped them have a deeper reflection of their spiritual condition.

We saw in Antioch, how the early believers must have met, in secret, persecuted for their faith, and yet their love for Christ, the brethren, and the Gospel constrained them not only to send relief to Jerusalem in times of hardship, but to send Paul and Barnabas to the mission field. We saw the remains of the ancient harbor in Seleucia, from which these two men sailed off in their first missionary journey.

Their missionary journeys were fraught with danger and hardship. But what constrained them to preach the Gospel and to risk their lives for Christ? We are told that it is the love of Christ that constrained them. This was no where truer than in the life of the Apostle Paul, who called himself the chief of sinners. Only Christ and His love could cause such transformation. He gave up his status, his position, and his worldly potential to serve Christ. Visiting Tarsus gave us insight to what he gave up. As the Roman capital of Cilicia, Tarsus was the cultural and intellectual center of the region, being the home of many renowned classical philosophers. Coming from such a city and intellectual background would have given Paul many reasons to boast, but he considered these honors as refuse compared to the incomparable Christ.

It was in Tarsus that we also saw the well-preserved remains of the Roman road. In God’s providence, these roads were responsible for the spread of the Gospel, and they show the great irony that despite their rabid hostility to the Gospel, the great Roman emperors were unwitting participants in the spread of the Gospel by the very roads they built. But with the spread of the Gospel, came the spread of persecution.

No where clearer was this seen than in Cappadocia. When Peter wrote his epistles, he addressed, among others, the Cappadocians. And we learn in 1 Peter 1 that the trials these Christians went through were manifold. Forced deep underground by persecution, the Christians lived in these caverns and practised their faith. When visiting these places, it was significant to note that when Christianity was persecuted, it grew, but when it became respectable in the eyes of the world, it declined. But many other reasons contributed to the decline of a church - shallowness, lifelessness, disobedience, and compromise.

In Laodicea, we understood the uselessness of such a church obsessed with respectability and a skin-deep religion, and how Christ was sickened by their shallowness. This was seen clearly in the neighboring cities of Colossae and Hierapolis. Colossae was known for its cool refreshing waters and Hierapolis for its invigorating thermal waters - but once these waters were piped into Laodicea, they had become tepid - the cool lost its freshness, and the hot became lukewarm - they had become useless. We must ask ourselves individually and as a church, if our religion is skin-deep, and if we have lost our usefulness for Christ.

In Sardis, we saw the deadness of the church - the church had a good reputation, others thought they were doing very well and admired them, but this reputation was something they did not deserve. Others saw her as being alive - perhaps with her many programs and activities, but they had no true spiritual life - they were inwardly dead. History tells us that they had no real problems with her heathen neighbors - they lived in harmony. This was mirrored interestingly in the synagogue - which had pagan influences on its architecture. We must ask ourselves individually and as a church, if our much activity and attendance of church, are a lively cover for an inwardly dead spiritual life, and whether we have allowed the world to influence us.

In Ephesus, we saw the disobedience of the church. Although they were pure in doctrine and continued on in the faith, they had lost their love for Christ - they had failed to obey him. Gone were their first deeds of zeal, preaching the gospel, love for one another, and sacrificial leaders. They were told to remember their past - and what a glorious past it was! We saw the streets on which Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila would have sold their tents; working hard to support their Gospel endeavor; we saw the stadium in which the mob gathered to oppose the missionary endeavors of Paul; we saw the temple of Diana which started the whole controversy; and we walked on the same streets that Timothy, the gentle and self-sacrificial Ephesian pastor, would have walked on. We must ask ourselves individually and as a church, if our love for Christ has waned - we may be pure in doctrine, but are we obedient?

In Pergamos, we saw the compromise of the church. We learned that the compromise was not doctrinal; in fact, the Pergamos Christians faced persecution because they held fast to their faith, even in the face of death for not worshiping the emperor - we saw the seat of Satan, the Temple of the Emperor Trajan - to which every citizen had to go annually to offer sacrifices. But despite their doctrinal purity, they did not maintain moral purity - their compromise was moral - believing that as Christians, they could live as they pleased. We must ask ourselves individually and as a church, if we are worldly - we might have doctrinal purity, but are we striving to be untainted from the world in our activities, appearance, and acquaintances?

When we visited Philadelphia and Smyrna, it was interesting to note that these two cities have very little ruins - in fact, they are the only two cities that continue to be inhabited. And these two cities, were the only churches out of the seven in Revelation which received no condemnation from Christ. We were left to ponder the significance of that.

Our study tour of Turkey ended with a visit to Istanbul, with its great mosques and former churches. Many asked how a country with such a rich Christian heritage would now be 99% Muslim. We do know that God’s will is perfect and that through his providence, these things have been allowed to happen. Perhaps it was to cleanse the land of a false Christianity that had dominated it for many centuries, perhaps it was chastisement for the sins of God’s people, or perhaps it was done so that the will of God might be accomplished in other areas. But what we can rejoice in is the fact that many of those who had Christian ancestors, are now hearing the Gospel afresh and surrendering their lives to their Lord, Isa al Masih.

We left Turkey in very much the same way Paul and the Ephesian elders left one another in Mitylene (which we saw from Assos) - with greater intimacy, hearts wide open, and being more on guard for our spiritual lives. The testimonies show of the greater warmth we share with one another and the deepening of our knowledge of and love for Christ. Soli Deo Gloria. —Mark Chen

I thank my parents and God for giving me this opportunity to go to Turkey. Everything in Turkey was good except one thing: I fell sick. I could not enjoy the food and ate very little until a few kind-hearted aunties talked to me, kept me companied and took care of me. I want to say a big thank you to them. (I hope they know who they are.)

I also thank my "baby-sitters", Michelle Chiam and Wei Yan, who had to entertain me daily.

The food, scenery and tour guide were excellent. I am really grateful that Uncle Mark Chen arranged for us Korean-Chinese dinners for two wonderful nights.

I still enjoyed the trip, though I missed some of my church friends.

The people there were very friendly and so was our Turkish tour guide Arzu, even though she had to rush us sometimes.

We went to the churches and mosques which were broken down. I enjoyed going to the caves and fairy chimneys. I just hope that "the pieces of history" would not crumble into tiny pieces. I was simply amazed with God’s creation when I saw the mountains. Sitting on the hot air balloon was also quite an experience even though my father had to pay "through his nose".

I thank God for giving me this wonderful opportunity. —Janice Ng (10)

Turkey, a land of immense history and significance to us as Christians. It was in this land that the Lord used the Apostle Paul to propogate His word to the gentile nations. On 23 May 2008, Brother Mark Chen led a group of 25 brethren on a tour of this ancient land, to survey the landmarks of its ancient cities and to see the cities where the 7 churches of Asia Minor recorded in the Book of Revelation once stood.

Initially, on signing up for this trip, I was not sure of what to expect of Turkey, its geography and historicity. Having lived most of my life in Singapore, I was accustomed to seeing modern buildings while traveling on the roads. The furthest distance we get to travel is from Tuas to Changi and this is considered far even by car. It is difficult to compare both countries as they are poles apart, so I can only share through the experience of what it was like. We traveled from city to city via coach and at times it took us more than 5 hours to get to our destination, such that a travel time of 2 hours is considered short and in 2 hours of travel, we cover almost 200 kilometres. We had the luxury of traveling in a modern air-conditioned coach and modern highways that cut through huge chain-mountain ranges and valleys. Just the traveling alone brings me to remembrance how difficult it would have been in the days of the Apostle to travel to each city. In those days, the mode of transport included possibly horse carriages, mules or feet. There were no modern roads and the traveler would have to cut across treacherous terrain and face the full force of nature. As such, this brings about a greater appreciation of the work that Paul performed on his missionary journeys.

As Singaporeans, we are taught in our education system, our history from our founding as a trade colony by the British East India Company and we do at times take pride in our colourful past and multi-cultural diversity. However, this pales in comparison to the vast history that Turkey has. The land is as old as the Bible itself. We visited caves that were dug and used as underground cities by the ancient Hittites and subsequently used by the early Christians to hide from persecution in Cappadocia. We saw the ruins of great Grecian and Roman cities such as Ephesus, Hieropolis and even the remains of Atermis’ Temple, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Yet, all these wonders alone could not compare to the knowledge that these were cities where the Apostles passed through in keeping the charge of the Lord’s commission to them.

Sadly though, in its current state, with a population of over 71 million souls, there are only approximately 3,000 Christians living in various parts of Turkey today. Though it is a secular state, the vast majority of Turks are Muslims. How could a land that used to be the centre of Christianity fall into such a sorry state is beyond my limited comprehension, maybe it is the Lord’s hand that snuffed out the candlesticks of the churches for not heeding the warnings given in Revelations. Nevertheless, it serves as a stark warning to me that if churches that the Apostles founded could be removed, so it could be that our light might be snuffed out if we are found wanting by the Lord. —Amos Lim

The most popular question asked by many since I returned from Turkey was, "How was your trip?" to which my response was always, "Good!" This was usually followed by "Good in what way?" to which I would reply, "In every way!"

How do I even start to give thanks for the basic physical blessings received? To list a few: safety on the road, good health, good food (although I am staying away from mutton for a long time…), protection of our belongings, and even just being able to be there!

And all those lessons from the Word of God? Thank God for the "compulsory" reading of Richard Mayhue’s book, the daily sharing from the Word of God by Bro. Mark Chen, Eld.Beng Kiong and Dn. Mark Heah, as well as the daily devotional passages printed in our handy songbook. These have "worked together" to prompt me to ask myself if I have been like the Church at Ephesus that has lost its first love, or if like the Church in Pergamum, I have compromised with the world. May God be merciful that we will not be like the Church at Laodicea that is blind to its own spiritual poverty.

Last but not least, I can hardly put into words the blessings I have received from the fellowship of the saints. I have to admit that when I first "checked out" the people on the trip, I had doubts about how comfortable I would be with them as many were not "friends around my age". Thank God that my doubts were totally unfounded and age proved no barrier to the fellowship! I enjoyed the talks with the more experienced ones as they freely shared gems from their life experiences, and the energy of the younger ones (including the young at heart) was highly infectious! Thank God for the many new friends made!

To list or elaborate further on the blessings received would take too many paragraphs and pages. Truly, my cup overfloweth! —Karen Lim

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the father may be glorified in the son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" John 12: 13-14.

My world seemed to have collapsed around me when I was required to undergo an appendectomy exactly a week before we were scheduled to depart to Turkey. Besides the post-operation rest that was mandatory and required of me, my movement had to be monitored, any forms of "vigorous activities" were banned and I had to follow an imposed diet. Even the doctors recommended that I give the trip a miss. I felt really troubled. But through His grace, I managed to draw strength and I prayed that God willing, I would be fit to travel.

And Truly God does answer prayers! I was recuperating at a remarkable rate, and there was a nurse amongst the group members- Auntie Juat Lan, who could remove my stitches 10 days after the operation. This led me to believe that it was indeed God’s will for me to go for this pilgrimage.

During the course of the days spent in Turkey, we were brought to various sites, namely 6 out of the 7 churches recorded in Revelations, Tarsus; where Paul came from and several non-Christian attractions. Bit by bit, we saw the "past" unravel with the excavated remains and the commentaries given by our local guide, Arzu and our Brother Mark Chen. We saw how much persecution the church went through, the distances Paul had to travel from place to place and the daunting locations where Paul had to preach to the heathen. It gave us a deeper insight, and made us appreciate the situation that we are currently in. Surely we are fortunate and blessed to worship in a safe country like Singapore, and we should count our blessings and name them one by one.

By the grace of God, I became much better in Turkey. The stitches were removed with minimal pain and fuss, and slowly, I was weaned off my diet. It would not have been possible if not for the love shown by every individual of the group. They exhibited Christian love and brotherhood, and through this, ties were forged. Strangers became friends, and friends drew closer. The love was "contagious" and soon we were like a big family. Truly, they have been blessings to me. It was individuals like Auntie Juat Lan and Auntie Li Peng who showed me what selfless love was, and Mr. Chen Foo Yan who put me to shame with his zeal for God. Furthermore, the Lim siblings (Karen and Amos) exhibited hospitability to my sister and I, and together with Michelle, Mark, Hui Min and even the amicable Janice, fellowship amongst the "younger generation" was sweet.

Looking back on the trip, I can only thank God for his sustenance, and with a renewed fervour for Him, it has allowed me to grow steadfastly in His love. The Lord can and will work miracles in our lives, only if we ask and commit to Him. His love never fails and it is my hope and prayer that we surrender our all to him. —Chen Wei’an

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. (Colossians 3: 16-17)

"Blest be the tie that binds, Our hearts in Christian Love"! Indeed there was constant caring and sharing for each other out of Christian love, as our Heavenly Father graciously showered His blessings upon our group, during the biblical study tour to Turkey. He gave us good weather and protected us from serious illness and harm. He provided appropriate logistical support (a skilful driver with good temperament) to make our trip a pleasant one. Most of all, He enriched us with historical knowledge through the tour guide (Ms Arzu) and spiritual edification through the daily devotions by Bro. Mark Chen, Elder Ng and Bro. Mark Heah. Bro. Mark Chen also related the secular historical facts to biblical events.

Most of all, the caring and concern were evident throughout the trip. The happy time of sharing and singing by the young people and the cordial interactions in the bus, at meal times and during the visits to the sites. In informal interaction we learnt much from the sharing by brethren on God’s Word and occasionally were able to sharpen the countenance of each other. In particular I wish to praise and thank God for our younger brothers (Elder Ng included) who showed loving care in helping us descend the sandy slippery slope. It looked precarious coming down that hill. O, what Christian love they showed, lining the sandy path of the slope to provide a "human railing" to ensure that our sisters-in-Christ and I (the oldest to dare that climb) do not fall or even slip while descending.

Indeed the tour has been a meaningful and enriching experience to be able to see and understand what the early Christians had to bear with and how strong their faith must have been. We give praise and glory to our Heavenly Father for inspiring Brother Mark Chen to organize and lead this Turkey study group. —Lee Fong Seng

The 12 days, 9 nights Turkey trip had enabled me to get to know the country Turkey. Before I went for the trip, I did not know much about Turkey except that 99% of its population is made up of Muslims. Other than that, I wondered how the Turks looked, what we would eat and anticipated the many sites that we would visit on our tour.

During the trip, God was always with us. We were provided with good weather, enabling us to cover the many sites as planned. Although some people were down with a little diarrhoea for a few days, God was gracious and did not let them miss any of the sites. We also had some elderly folks who were on the tour with us but God kept them strong and healthy. Their liveliness during the trip can be seen as a testimony of God’s blessings even in their old age.

The culture in Turkey is very much different from what we have here in Singapore. The Turkish children are delighted to see tourists and are often very friendly, striking up conversations, waving and giving us hi-fives. Their curiosity and friendliness to strangers like us reminded me of the verse in Hebrews 13:2 which says, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." The children served as a reminder to me of how sometimes amidst our busy and hectic lives, we should take a few minutes to notice the people around us, give a smile, help others in need and even look out for opportunities to evangelise.

The thing that stood out the most for me during the trip was when we visited one of the churches in Istanbul on the second Sunday that we were there. We were fortunate to be able to have a short worship in the church led by Bro Mark Chen. Also, we met one of the missionaries there who gave us a little insight into Christianity in Turkey. It is sad how in Turkey, the word "Missionary" is frowned upon and should not be said. Instead, these missionaries call themselves "workers". The missionary told us that he and his wife have been serving in Turkey for 16 years now. Through the years, the Christian population over there has increased from about 500 to 3000. Given the large population in Istanbul itself, it is sad how little of them are Christians. It is difficult to evangelise in a Muslim country like Turkey and I think this is something we can all help to pray about. With Turkey originally being a Christian country, it is worrying how Christians are a minority there now.

I thank God for the opportunity to visit Turkey, to be able to see the different places and churches mentioned in the bible and to get to know the Turkish culture better. While we pray for our missionaries in the other countries like Africa and Cambodia, let us not forget to pray for Turkey, that God may open up the hearts of the Turks and provide the Christians there with many opportunities to evangelise. —Michelle Chiam

Having the privilege and blessing to explore Turkey with 26 (everyone including our friendly Omega Tours’ guide, Mr Kris Liew as well as our local guide Ms Arzu) is truly one of the best things that has happened to me and I thank God for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

What touched my heart most was the world of a difference between this very tour and any normal regular tour. Even though most of the people somewhat knew each other in church being in the same fellowship groups for years and all, traveling and being together physically in a coach for at least nine hours a day was a completely different story.

During our briefing, we were forewarned of potential disagreements amongst the 25 of us because we’re human and prone to err. Coupled with grumpiness due to a lack of sleep (jetlag) as well as opposing personal habits, a rift could easily occur.

Yet, all that I witnessed and experienced throughout our days together were warmth, sincerity and love. Even though it was my first time interacting in such close proximity with most of them, it was not as awkward or strange as I had anticipated it to be. From Auntie Juat Lan’s steadfast and unwavering care and attention to my brother’s operation wound, to Auntie Li Peng’s fastidiousness, to Karen’s and Huimin’s giving and sweet natures and genuine concern one evening when I was down, to the chivalry of the men who constantly looked out for the women as we roughed it out in the uneven and steep terrain in some of the sites and many more. Unlike any regular tour group that I have ever been in; (all of which mainly remain distant and self-serving even throughout the entire journey), this group was the complete opposite with everyone looking out for everyone, busrides peppered with the singing of songs of praise and worship, a perpetual uplifting spirit in the air. The only thing that sets us/these wonderful people apart from a normal regular tour group is that we have a common love; a common bond holding us to the Lord. At the end of 12 days together, it felt like family, His family.

Journeying together across Turkey in a comfortable air-conditioned bus with a bunch of wonderful people as juxtaposed with Paul’s tiring trek from place to place on foot made the learning all the more meaningful and I felt immensely touched by Paul’s unbending, resolute dedication to serving the Lord.

This trip has showed me that we as Christians stand out from the world; we are so different from them because we have Christ in us and that alone makes a world of a difference. It has also echoed the importance of fellowship with like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ. "In His family, we can meet each one’s needs, we can light each one’s path; we can bear each one’s grief. As His children we can comfort each care, we can build each one’s faith, we can work we can share." —Chen Weiyan

In preparation, the Turkey Trippers had to read and do homework on the seven churches (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea). At each site and during devotion, Bro Mark Chen and Elder Ng reinforced with references from the Bible. Some sites were well preserved. I marveled the underground city of Derinkuyu, where early Christian settlements lived "some fourteen levels" below the ground to hide from their enemies, although we were only allowed to view to the seventh level for safety reasons. The city had dwelling rooms, chapel, kitchen, system for ventilation and even a stable for animals. Such architecture was designed and built in the 2nd century or even earlier!

The trippers ranged from 10 years old (Janice) to 70s (Uncle Chen). Yet, the warm fellowship was overflowing with laughter (Weiyan amazed me with her energy and ability to make her laughter infectious), singing of praises in the bus, and getting to know each other. I got to know four pairs of siblings better; Linda and Audrey Chia (Teochew sisters), musically talented Karen and Amos, the bubbly Wei’an and Weiyan and experienced teachers/grandmothers Nellie and Iris. There were acts of love manifested among trippers; e.g. offering of medication for stomach discomfort, nursing of wounds, massaging of tired shoulder/back and snacks for the hungry. "Let brotherly love continue" – Hebrews 13:1.

I thank God for granting us journey mercies, good health and above all, lessons from the Bible. Ruins, monuments and rock formation were beautiful to look at. As we view His creation from the hot air balloon, we can only declare that God’s handiwork is magnificent and He is the Creator and Almighty God. I am reminded of how the saints (Paul, Aquila, Priscilla, Apollos, Silas, Timothy and John - to name some) had traversed the tough terrain to preach the Gospel and to pastor the churches.

Reflecting on the seven churches, I am also reminded of what Christ had warned us in Revelations. We are to take lessons from the churches of Ephesus (Lost Love Church), Pergamum (The Compromising Church), Thyatira (The Tolerating Church), Sardis (The Dying Church), and Laodicea (The Useless Church) and quickly take actions to obey God and repent. We should be like the churches of Smyrna (The Suffering Church) and Philadelphia (The Obedient Church).