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Today we started out early with a visit to the Acropolis and to Mars hill as spoken about in Acts 17.
The Acropolis is a very high point in the centre of Athens township. It was a temple dedicated to and what a magnificent structure it is. The years and invading forces have not been kind to it and it stands now partially standing with repair and restoration work well underway.
The first thing that struck me on the way up was the marble paths; in fact everything was marble as the whole country is filled with mountains made of marble. From what I understand this material is very cheap throughout Greece and used in almost every application. And of cause it is very slippery to walk on, even in its natural state.
Then I was struck by the enormity of the temple itself, I felt like an ant in the doorway! Corinthian pillars stood many times my height, and as I walked through the old temple I begun to spence the enormity of God.
It was interesting to think about the scriptures that say that God does not live in temples built by human hands. I began to understand that human hands cannot hope to make objects that can hold God; but human hearts can. But how; the God of the universe is large enough to fill all of eternity and all things, yet he desires to fill us with the very fullness of his being. Thank God for His amazing love for each of us.
After our tour around the Acropolis we walked two minutes to Mars hill where the Apostle Paul addressed the leaders of the city.
Mars hill is just that, a rocky outcrop where the leaders of the city would meet to talk about many things. It was here that the dream of democracy was born, right on this very hill overlooking the Agora, now in ruins at the foot of the hill.
Think about that and re read Paul's speech to these leaders, where he introduces to them for the first time(!) the good news about Jesus being raised from the dead. It was this talk about a resurrected Christ that divided this audience, and still this message divides those who hear it today, some hear and follow Him, others hear and reject the greatest, most important message ever given.
As I stood there on Mars hill, in the open air, I begun to understand why God chooses to dwell in us instead of in man made temples, he cannot move a temple to do anything, but He can move the hearts of man to move the world.
The second day of our tour and I am completely dumbfounded by this awesome God I serve, who chooses to live in me and commune with me daily.
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