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Reflections on the 1700th Anniversary of Christianity
"For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you ..."
Leviticus 25: 12
By Dr. Setrag Khoshafian
This
year is a Jubilee for all Armenians: the celebration
of the 1700th anniversary of Christianity as the official
religion of all Armenians. Throughout our history we
have suffered so much for Christianity and continued
to shine our light even in the midst of our darkest
hours.
From
the official 1700th anniversary Etchmiadzin web site,
www.etchmiadzin.com we read:
The outstanding feature of this period in Armenian
history is the establishment of Christianity as the
state religion. Tradition has it that the Gospel had
reached there by the Apostle Bartholomew and by Thaddeus,
one of the Seventy; the existence of a steadily growing
nucleus of Christians is certified by both Armenian
and foreign sources. The story of the triumph of Christianity,
as recounted by the historian Agathangelos, can be summarized
as follows. During a visit to the temple of the goddess
Anahita, Trdat III learned that his servant was a Christian
and, what is more, son of the Parthian regicide Anak.
After having subjected Gregory to agonizing torture,
Trdat had him cast into an underground pit where he
remained imprisoned for fifteen years. During this time
a group of Christian virgins under the guidance of the
Abbess Gayane arrived at Agharshapat. Trdat fell in
love with the virgin called Hripısime who, having refused
to accede to his wishes, was put to death along with
all of her companions. As a result of this deed, Trdat
became a prey to attacks of lycanthropy and was cured
only when, on the entreaties of his sister, he liberated
Gregory. Converted by Gregory, thereafter referred to
in Armenian history as the illuminator, Trdat proclaimed
Christianity the state religion at 301 AD.
And we have maintained Christianity as the religion
of our nation ever since.
It is truly a time to rejoice.
But in addition to looking backward and feeling proud
of our incredible inheritance as Armenian Christians,
we also need to be retrospective and evaluate our current
relationship with God. It is encouraging that Armenian
spiritual leaders from all circles are doing exactly
that.
As the late, Rev. Dr. Movses B. Janbazian expounded:
"it is our highest hope and ardent prayer that when
during the first year of the third millennium we joyfully
and with pride celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the
adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia,
all of us in Armenia and in the Diaspora will experience
the beginning of a new spiritual revival at government,
church and community levels, and we shall once again
rededicate ourselves as a nation to Jesus Christ. In
301 A.D. our forebears made a covenant with Jesus Christ.
If we fulfill our commitment to that covenant, then
God will abundantly bless our small but precious nation,
and He will make our nation a source of blessings not
only to its sons and daughters, but also to its neighboring
peoples and to all humanity.
In his reflections on the 1700th anniversary of Christianity
the late Karekin I, Catholicos of all Armenians, reflecting
on the history of our nation explained:
"The conversion of Armenia to Christianity permeated
the whole course and destiny of Armenian history. All
along the succeeding centuries, the Armenian people
lived their national life under the impact of the Gospel.
Their family life, domestic customs and public conduct
were impregnated by the tenets of Christıs life and
teachings. The relations with other peoples were guided
by constant concern and unyielding determination to
maintain and promote their Christian way of life. Their
attitude of both partnership with and resistance to
others was motivated and determined by the self-awareness
of their Christian identity and the preservation of
their distinct national integrity manifest through their
whole, all-inclusive culture.
Even
the Armenian Catholic Patriach Nerses Bedros XIX, stressed
that "the celebration [1700th anniversary] must be an
occasion of deep inner renewal, both in the spiritual
and daily life." To which we Armenian Evangelicals say:
Amen!
Perhaps more than any time in our recent history we
Armenian Evangelicals should live up to our mission
and call - our raison dıêtre within the Armenian nation.
For us as evangelicals the 1700th anniversary should
be a time where we renew our call to bring the good
news - the evangel to the Armenian people, with the
same zeal and focus as our evangelical forefathers.
All through our Christian history, Christianity has
been and continues to be a personal religion. Personal
salvation through grace and personal relationship with
God are not modern evangelistic inventions. They have
existed throughout our Armenian Christian history -
evangelical, catholic, and apostolic. I strongly encourage
us all to read the writings of Armenian patron saints
such as St. Nareg or St. Nerses from time to time and
try to identify with their incredible perception on
the relevance of the life of Christ in their daily living.
In one of his naregs, the Naregatsi identifies his sinfulness
and his lawlessness. He exclaims how he contradicted
the words and examples of the Bible. And then turns
to God and pleads with Him - to have His light shine
upon him one more time.
However, even as the need for reform and becoming more
like Christ echoes through the corridors of our spiritual
institutions, today as a nation we face many dangers.
Christianity within our nation - including the Armenian
Evangelical community - is in a state of siege. We face
many challenges. Traditions and celebration activities
alone will not cut it. Without a dynamic and growing
relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, we will become
spiritually and morally bankrupt.
We
will loose it all.
When it comes to the essence of our Christian faith,
many times the attitude of our leaders and the Armenian
public at large is that of apathy. Christianity has
lost its relevance. It appears old and tired and worse
irrelevant to our daily lives. It is there shrouded
and surrounded with traditions or practices that sometimes
do not make sense. It is there as familiar as the smells
emanating from our grandmotherıs kitchen. It is there
and it fills our pews on occasion. It is there but
is it alive and transforming our lives?
The central theme and the main purpose of our existence
have been replaced by other "idols" especially entertainment,
materialism, and even nationalism. Donıt get me wrong.
I am from those who believe if we are true Christians,
we should do our best to increase the talents our Lord
has given us. One of the greatest talents God has given
us is our Armenian heritage. If we are obedient to His
Word, we need to increase and multiply it. Our Armenian
Christianity, Armenian language, Armenian history, Armenian
culture and Armenian literature are pearls and gems
that are given to us by our Lord.
But we need to go to the source. We need to know Him,
so that He can inspire and enable us to accomplish this
great task. As the Apostle Paul says, "I consider everything
a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all
things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my
own that comes from the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from
God and is by faith" (Philippians 3:7-9). Paul had tasted
Christ. He walked with Him, suffered with Him, and rejoiced
with Him. He was persecuted and eventually died for
Him. Christ dwelled in Paul as well as many of our Armenian
Christian forefathers - be they apostolic or evangelical
- and completely permeated their lives. How much Christ
and His Word permeates your life today? Can we truly
say: "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming
like Him in His death." Philippians 3:10.
We are good Armenians. We have good hearts. We are good
Christians. We are a creative and constructive people.
We have built so many monuments: churches, schools,
and charitable institutions. The 1700th anniversary
celebrations this year will culminate with the consecration
of St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan.
I am proud to be an Armenian. Praise God!
But much more than the external manifestations of Christian
faith, the Lord wants to have a personal relationship
with us and indwell our hearts. We are His Church. He
wants us all each and every one of us to become more
Christ-like. This is not a call only to the clergy.
A Christian nation is a nation of priests each of
us has the duty and responsibility to be a mature Christian
and stand in the gap between God and mankind through
bringing the gospel to the nations. St. Gregory the
Illuminator continued his evangelistic work among the
surrounding nations. St. Mesrob invented also the Georgian
alphabet to evangelize the Georgians. Our Evangelical
forefathers helped to translate the Bible into Kurdish
and evangelized the Kurds, Turks, and Arabs. We need
the vision to become a light and bring Christ to all
the nations.
It all starts with our personal walk with God. Each
one of us as Armenian Christians need to examine ourselves
and ask the more critical questions. Where am I today
with respect to my relationship with Christ? Am I growing
and becoming more Christ-like? Do I have a hunger and
thirst for the Word of God? How is my prayer life? Am
I "breathing" and spending enough time communicating
with our Lord through praise, thanksgiving, and confessions?
Am I burdened for the unsaved whether Armenian or non-Armenian?
Do I have a missionary perspective? Do I want to bring
the gospel to all nations?
As we reflect on the 1700th jubilee, let us consider
these questions and take practical steps to answer them
affirmatively. Then with an inner joy and a strength
that comes only from Him we will be able to appropriate
the true meaning of the celebration of Christianity
within our beloved Armenian nation.
Impossible? With Him and only through Him all things
are possible.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me" Philippians 4:13.
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| Worship
updated
February 28, 2001 |
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A View From
Calvary
By
Rev. Stephen D. Muncherian
Rev. Edward Tovmassian, in his book "Humor is the Spice of Life,"
shares the following story.
An elderly Armenian minister
was going to preach about the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
River. He wanted to make his sermon very graphic and dramatic,
so he called on the church janitor to assist him.
"Sarkis,"
he said, "On Sunday I am going to preach of Christıs baptism.
I will ask you to go to the dome and stay there. When I come
to the high point in my sermon and say, and the Holy Spirit
descended upon Him like a dove,' I want you to drop a pigeon
from the dome." The janitor promised to do as he was told.
On Sunday morning the minister began his sermon. At the point
when he said, "... and the Holy Spirit came upon him" he looked
up at the ceiling, but did not see the pigeon. He repeated the
phrase a little louder, but still there was no sign of the pigeon.
Then he yelled, "Sarkis, where is the pigeon?"
Sarkis shouted back, "Reverend, the cat has eaten the pigeon.
Would you like me to throw down the cat?"
The work and ministry of the Holy Spirit is too often a mystery
to us. We hear so much about God the Father and God the Son.
But, who is God the Holy Spirit?
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came rushing in like a mighty powerful
wind. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit
- like the wind - blows where it wills - and we hear the sound
of it (John 3:8). That can be frightening. What will the Holy
Spirit do in our lives?
In the Bible we read that the Holy Spirit blew into peopleıs
lives and they were empowered to lead armies - to defy ungodly
leadership, to perform superhuman feats of strength and courage,
to speak boldly for God, to write Scripture, to change the course
of history. All of that is a little beyond where most of us
live our lives.
We need to keep in mind that this same Holy Spirit is God who
also speaks in a gentle whisper - lovingly to our hearts. He
knows our hearts - our struggles our cares - our concerns.
The Bible tells us that when we come to salvation in Jesus Christ
- the Holy Spirit is the one who creates the new life of God
within us (John 3:5,6). When we come to Christ, the Holy Spirit
comes to dwell within us (John 14:16,17). He puts a seal on
us - a postmark - that says that our final destination is Heaven
- which means that He protects us from Satan while we live here
on earth (Ephesians 1:13,14).
The Holy Spirit is the one who works in our lives to help us
to grow as Christians (2 Thessalonians 2:13), and to grow in
our relationship with Jesus (John 15:26). He gives us a place
of service in the Church (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12;Ephesians
4:4-13). The Holy Spirit carries our prayers and deepest concerns
to the heart of God (Romans 8:26). He leads us (Acts 8:29; Romans
8:14) and guides us (John 16:13).
The point being that we need to think of all of the blessed
and wonderful and loving things that the Holy Spirit does in
our lives - and not be afraid. Even when He speaks with the
sound of a mighty rushing wind, it's with love.
Speaking practically - Iıd like to go one step further with
this. Trusting is hard for us - because it means completely
surrendering ourselves to the Holy Spirit - yielding to His
authority over our lives - to do and serve as He commands. That
goes against every fiber of our pride and what naturally makes
us comfortable. But its the only way to live as God calls us
to live.
And yet, if weıre willing to completely surrender to Him - surrender
to Him everything that we are - He will have the freedom to
work in our lives and do in us and through us what we could
never do on our own. Dwight L. Moody - the great evangelist
- pastor and preacher once said, "The world has yet to see what
God can do with a man who is wholly yielded to Him." May we
be that man - that woman - who is totally surrendered to God.
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More Than Conquerors
By
Rev. Ron Tovmassian
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble
or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger
or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all
day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No,
in al/these things we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us. Roman 8:35-37
In
the year 2001, we as Armenians celebrate together 1700 years
of Armenian Christianity. Since 301 AD when Christianity was
declared their official state religion, the Armenian people
maintained an uninterrupted legacy of faithfulness to Jesus
Christ.
I have always been and always will be proud to be an Armenian.
There are many good reasons- the art, music, architecture, writing,
rugs, food, character, wisdom, strong family emphasis, etc.
Yet all these things seem to fade in importance when I consider
the tremendous legacy of Christian witness of our Armenian people
over the centuries.
Each year in February, we celebrate another important date in
Armenian history. In 451 AD, 150 years after we became a Christian
Nation, the people of Armenia faced one of their greatest challenges
of faith. As a young person I came to find my real pride in
being an Armenian when I fully understood the real significance
of Vartanantz.
By reading historical accounts of the life of Vartan Mamigonian
and the events of the Battle of Avarair, I discovered a depth
of faith that parallels the greatest martyrs and reformers of
church history. The statement of faith presented boldly to their
persecutors, represents a fearless conviction that transcends
the everyday faith of most people. These stories hold much more
than just national pride, they hold an example. These were people
who understood and lived out their faith in a way that few others
have been able. They lived and died for God and for their Lord
Jesus Christ. I believe that everything we have achieved as
a people over the centuries is a direct result of this faithfulness
to God. I take pride in that and in that alone!
On the fields of Avarair, our armies were defeated. We suffered
fewer casualties than the Persians, though we were vastly outnumbered,
but we were finally overpowered. Our great leader Vartan Mamigonian
was killed in the battle. A lesser people might have given up
and lost their faith. Our ancestors, however, lived by the words
of Romans 8:35-37. They knew that even in death, we are more
than conquerors through Him who loved us! Their battle was not
against the Persians, but against the power of evil which was
trying to extinguish their faith. They valued Christ more than
their very lives and for that they will be rewarded to eternity.
Yes, I am proud to be an Armenian. I am proud to say I am of
the same blood as these men and women who lived with such tremendous
faith. I only hope and pray that some day others may look back
on our lives and be uplifted and challenged by the example we
have set for them. Our names may never be printed in history
books. We may never face the kind of persecution our ancestors
faced. Yet we too must live each day of our lives with integrity
and faith in Christ. It is imperative for future generations,
whose lives will be built on the foundation we lay for them
today. May God help us to be examples for them, as our ancestors
were for us.
Evangelical
Links
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