Lord of the Lakes, 25402 Itasca Avenue, Forest Lake, MN (2026)

09/12/2026

9/13/26 Worship for the SixteenthSunday of Pentecost
Worship Service is posted.
Website Updated.
Join us in Worship:
lordofthelakes.org/worshipcovid19

09/12/2026

Eastern Turkiye September 10, 2026 - ancient city of Perrhe and Istanbul Archeological Museum

It’s our last day already! We stayed in Adiyaman overnight, near the Commagene Kindgom sites between the Euphrates River and the Ta**us Mountains. This morning we visited one last Commagene site, the massive city of Perrhe. This city was ruled by the Commagene kings, but in the early 1st century became taken over by Rome. It is near a cluster of still flowing springs and so has had occupation from neolithic times on.

The necropolis (grave) area is thought to be the largest in Türkiye. Because it was occupied by various cultures in the late BC and early AD, there are grave niches / catacombs / free standing sarcophagi - a huge variety showing various cultural preferences. You had to walk through the necropolis to get to the Acropolis - or top of the actual city (which has not been excavated).

The ancient spring area was recently restored and water is still flowing. Studies show a complex web of ancient piping underground. The little village still uses the water.

Our group flew from the little airport in Adiyaman together to Istanbul where we parted ways. Craig and I stayed the night at the airport hotel to catch a morning flight home and the rest of the group flew to Antalya to start a separate tour with the C.S. Lewis Institute in a couple of days. So thankful for new and old friends and for Jim and Belgin our forever Biblical adventure guides!.

Since we had a free evening, we got a driver to take us into Istanbul to see a part of the Archeological Museum that has been closed for years - the Ancient Orient building. Absolutely incredible!! So many things from the Hittite sites in Anatolia and many Assyrian, Urartian and Babylonian objects. The pictures are of a few that have some Biblical context.

For more Biblical travel photos and videos visit us at:
www.scriptureinstone.org/blog

09/11/2026

Eastern Turkiye, September 9, 2026

We traveled in the area of the ancient Commagene Kingdom today. Heading north from Sanliurfa into the start of the Tarus Mountains is an area that was ruled from 160’s BC to 72 AD by the Commagenes. These kings traced their ancestry from both the Selucid Greeks and the Achaemenid Persians.

The most famous of these Kings was Antiochus I. He tried to live in the in-between of Greek/Roman world and the Persian world and succeeded for a short time. Antiochus I was betrothed to a daughter of Herod Agrippa, but when Herod Agrippa died Antiochus backed out of the agreement because he did want to convert to Judaism.

The first site was the Karakus Tumulus which is a huge tumulus mound grave for the women of the royal Commagene family. There are monumental columns with statues of an eagle and lions around the mound.

Next we stopped at the beautiful Cendere Bridge over the Cendere River. The original bridge was constructed by the Commagene’s in about 60 AD and the cities of Commagene each contributed a massive column - two at each end - in honor of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, his wife and their two sons Caracalla and Geta. Geta’s column was removed after he was assassinated by Caracalla as a part of erasing his memory. The bridge was rebuilt 200 AD and is the second oldest single arch roman bridge still standing in Türkiye.

Driving further into the mountains, we came to the remains of the Commagene city of Arsemeia. We saw some interesting carved reliefs of King Mithradates I shaking hands with Heracles and lengthy Greek inscriptions in the stones describing the god like characteristics of the king - very full of himself and he passed that on to the next kings as well!

Finally we got to our main goal - a hike up to the tumulus grave of Antiochus I - Mount Nemrut. The terraces near the top of the tumulus (which Antiochus had raised on top of one of the tallest peaks around) are filled with massive statues of Antiochus and various Roman and Greek gods and statues of eagles and lions. The heads are separated from the bodies in all cases. Antiochus considered himself as equal to the gods. His actual grave has never been found within the tumulus. The terraces are at an elevation of 7,000 feet. The views and the climb are breathtaking!!

Joel - who is making the big climb! - was up at base camp 3 today and tonight at midnight will begin the final ascent of Mount Ararat with his fellow climbers. Praying for continued safety.

We are starting to get ready for the trip for home! Tomorrow we see one last Commagene Kingdom site and then to the airport in Adiyaman to fly to Istanbul. So thankful to God for amazing experiences and smooth travels! See you all soon, PB and Margery

For more Biblical travel photos and videos visit us at:
www.scriptureinstone.org/blog

09/09/2026

Goofing around on top of Mountain Nemrut!! Nothing changes!

09/08/2026

Eastern Turkiye September 8,2026

Today took us further back in history than Abraham, to around 9,500 BC Neolithic sites in the Tas Tepeler area of northern Mesopotamia (southern Turkiye today). And if one needed more proof that God’s creation of humans was never as a stereotypical “caveman”, this is it!

The specific sites we visited were Gobeklitepe and Karahan Tepe. Archeologist know now that this entire area is filled with similar structures that seem to have a religious nature, but also show evidence of daily habitation / homes. Clearly there was not as straightforward a timeline between “hunter gatherers” and cultivation farming as has been traditionally thought. These site have left scientists with lots and lots of questions. To look at these structures and try to imagine creating them with flint and stone tools boggles the mind!

It was a long and jostling bus ride for us to get to these places as they are pretty remote. Belgin. our guide and translator and friend, had purchased a bag of fresh in-the-shell walnuts a few days ago and put them in the back with the luggage. Since then we have been entertained by walnuts rolling down the aisle - a nice snack - and when we are really out in the back roads we know it by the rattle of the walnuts 🤣 and they were shaking today!!

We ended back in Sanliurfa where we are staying a second night. We made a quick visit to the archeological museum here, especially to see finds from the sites we visited today.

Tomorrow we are moving on to the ancient Kingdom of Commagene, 163 BC to 72 AD, and Mount Nemrut!

Sleep well and God Bless! PB and Margery

For more Biblical travel photos and videos visit us at:
www.scriptureinstone.org/blog

09/08/2026

Eastern Turkiye, September 7, 2026

At breakfast this morning, at our hotel in Midyat, we met a Christian couple who live in New Jersey but grew up in this village, are Syriac Christians, attended the church we went to last night, and speak Aramaic in their home life! There is a community of Aramaic speaking Christians in New Jersey! The woman’s father was a priest at Mor Barsavmo Church. What an amazing world!

Our first stop was the Mor Gabriel monastery south of Midyat. Founded in 397 AD it is the longest surviving Syriac Christian monastery, older than St Catherine’s at Mount Sinai. A beautiful and peaceful place.

We back tracked a bit and stopped along the Tigris for some drone footage and then turned back south to Nusaybin ( ancient Nisisbis) to visit Mor Yakob monastery.

Mor Yakob was dedicated to Jacob of Nisibus, Bishop of Nisibis in 309. He attend the counsel of Nicea in 325 AD and is venerated as a saint in the western church and the east. We’ve seen statues of Jacob of Nisibus in some of the large basilicas in Rome and now we know the story! This town sits right on the Syrian border.

Final stop today was Haran - where God called Abram to come to the promised land, and the home of Rebecca, Laban, Leah and Rachel. Incredible to see a plateau filled with remnants of mud brick from thousands of years ago!

Joel, who we left behind in DogubayaIt to join a group of climbers who will summit Mnt Ararat, has made it to the first base camp!Beautiful weather and all is well, praying for safe climbing the next few days!

For more Biblical Travel photos and videos visit us at: www.scriptureinstone.org/blog

09/07/2026

The MILWAUKEE AREA BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY

John on Patmos: Vanishing Islands, Peak Consumption, and the Apocalypse
An illustrated lecture by Dr. Steve Friesen
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 7:30 PM at Wisconsin Lutheran College in the Fine Arts Building, FM15 - Reichel Lecture Hall (8815 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53226)
or online via Zoom.
John’s first vision in Revelation took place on the island of Patmos, but modern interpreters mostly ignore the island. The disappearance of Patmos gives us a chance to reflect on John’s Apocalypse and the climate crisis, with its rising sea levels and disappearing islands. In this talk Patmos reappears through examination of its natural resources and the surviving inscriptions. The inscriptions from Patmos focus on their “peak consumption”—periods when maximum consumption of resources occurred. Peak consumption is at the heart of the modern climate crisis as well, and so the session compares the elite island evaluation of peak consumption with John’s evaluation of peak consumption.
Dr. Friesen is Louise Farmer Boyer Chair of Biblical Studies Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin. His publications includeImperial Cults and the Apocalypse of John: Reading Revelation in the Ruins (Oxford Univ. Press, 2001); Ancestors in Post-Contact Religion: Roots, Ruptures, and Modernity’s Memory (editor; Harvard Univ. Press, 2001); Corinth in Contrast: Studies in Inequality (co-editor; Brill, 2014); and Philippi, From Colonia Augusta to Communitas Christiana: Religion and Society in Transition (co-editor; Brill, 2022). His current research interests revolve around labor, economic inequality, and religion in the Roman Empire, and he is working on the Hermeneia commentary on the Revelation of John.

09/07/2026

Eastern Turkiye September 6, 2026

A very long day of driving today - over 6 hours - but completely worth it!

We traveled from the area of the mountains of Ararat all the way south to Midyat. Our purpose was to attend a liturgical service at Mor Barsavmo Church. The church is an ancient Syriac Christian church that was founded in the 4th c AD.

In Midyat, there is still a community of Christians who speak 1st century Aramaic, the every day language of Jesus and his disciples. The service was chanted in Aramaic, a moving experience to sit listening and pondering that these words in this language were spoken by Jesus. After the service the priest was generous in taking time to answer questions. He even recited the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic and then chanted it in Aramaic. The priests allowed us to record the service!! Truly amazing. The church building is in the heart of the city. Thanking God for a truly unique and inspiring experience.

At a stop during our drive today, ran into a family that we met on the ferry in Van on day one! Carol had made quick friends with the two school boys in the family, one of whom has taught himself English. They had all exchanged What’s App contact info - and then we run into the whole family in a busy congested city 6 hours away! Crazy!

Tomorrow we begin heading down toward the Syrian border to see another ancient monastery. Then we drive west toward Haran, Urfa and Gobeklitepe.

Good night and God Bless, PB and Margery

For more Biblical travel photos and videos visit us at:
www.scriptureinstone.org/blog

09/06/2026

Eastern Turkiye, September 5, 2026
Today’s focus was on the “mountains of Urartu / Ararat” and sites related to Noah’s ark. We had stunning views of Mount Ararat all day, but equally beautiful was the entire craggy, mountainous area north of Lake Van. “…the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.” Genesis 8:4
We stopped first at a rocky outcrop at an elevation of 7,000+ feet near Mnt Ararat. These rocks are loaded with sea fossils.
Next we went to the Durupinar Formation (Noah’s ark site). The lead researcher gave a lecture on the state of the scientific studies. We came away far less skeptical than when we arrived. We walked down onto the site and walked around the entire area - exactly the dimensions of the ark from the Bible.
We visited small Kurdish villages in the area that have interesting place names. One village name means “the place where the raven will not land.” Another village is called the “village of eight” - there’s were 8 people on the ark. These names have been consistent for a very very long time. We visited an area known as “Noah’s House”. The remains of an ancient foundation are of an early Armenian church which is built over another stone foundation and floor like a lasagna and the locals believe it was Noah’s home.
Finally we made a rather ill advised attempt at climbing up to the top of another ancient Urartian fortress next to Ishtok Pasha Palace in these mountains. risked life and limb and had to be practically carried back down by the guide! Our friends Jim and Carol are mountain goats and did great but even they were feeling like the drone would have been a MUCH better option!!
One last thing - our drive today took us a stones throw from the Iranian border. There is a several miles long line of semis pulled to the side waiting to cross the border between Turkey and Iran. We hear they may have to wait weeks to get their goods over the border.
God Bless, PB and Margery
For more photos and videos:
www.scriptureinstone.org/blog

09/06/2026

Eastern Turkiye, September 5, 2026
Today’s focus was on the “mountains of Urartu / Ararat” and sites related to Noah’s ark. We had stunning views of Mount Ararat all day, but equally beautiful was the entire craggy, mountainous area north of Lake Van. “…the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.” Genesis 8:4
We stopped first at a rocky outcrop at an elevation of 7,000+ feet near Mnt Ararat. These rocks are loaded with sea fossils.
Next we went to the Durupinar Formation (Noah’s ark site). The lead researcher gave a lecture on the state of the scientific studies. We came away far less skeptical than when we arrived. We walked down onto the site and walked around the entire area - exactly the dimensions of the ark from the Bible.
We visited small Kurdish villages in the area that have interesting place names. One village name means “the place where the raven will not land.” Another village is called the “village of eight” - there’s were 8 people on the ark. These names have been consistent for a very very long time. We visited an area known as “Noah’s House”. The remains of an ancient foundation are of an early Armenian church which is built over another stone foundation and floor like a lasagna and the locals believe it was Noah’s home.
Finally we made a rather ill advised attempt at climbing up to the top of another ancient Urartian fortress next to Ishtok Pasha Palace in these mountains. risked life and limb and had to be practically carried back down by the guide! Our friends Jim and Carol are mountain goats and did great but even they were feeling like the drone would have been a MUCH better option!!
One last thing - our drive today took us a stones throw from the Iranian border. There is a several miles long line of semis pulled to the side waiting to cross the border between Turkey and Iran. We hear they may have to wait weeks to get their goods over the border.
God Bless, PB and Margery
For more photos and videos:
www.scriptureinstone.org/blog

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