Chapter 17

RENEWED EVANGELISTIC VENTURES

The house meetings were picking up momentum, and again large numbers were attending. Murat Guregian was a blind young fellow in his teens. He relates his testimony: "Bored with sitting at home, I decided to walk down to the Marmara seafront. As I was walking along the shore, a middle-aged lady I had never met before approached me. After greeting me, she said there was going to be a house gathering and asked me if I would like to join in. I accepted, as I didn't have anything else to do anyway. With a cane in my hand I followed her. I got on the tram with this woman whose name I later found out was Azniv Hemshire. She took me all the way to Ortaköy. A very gentle-sounding man was explaining about the love of Jesus, the Savior. I learned his name was Vahram. The way he played his violin and led the lively singing captured my heart. That day I repented and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. This happened in 1947." There were many like Murat who were converted at the very first meeting they happened to attend.

New people were coming to the meetings, listening with enthusiasm to God's Word — and most of them got saved! As in the past gatherings, there was hardly room to stand. Usually Vahram preached. Sometimes he read from Charalambos Bostanjoglu's book, "The Second Coming of Christ". Men and women silently wept as they listened. Then they asked questions about the way of salvation and received the grace of God into their lives. To those who were converted, Vahram taught the necessity of holiness, studying the Bible, praying and leading sinners to the Lord.

Vahram's burden for the unsaved was so impelling that in the meetings they could barely extricate themselves from its effect. Many times the Holy Spirit laid someone on his heart and led him to fast and pray until that person got converted. When new believers fell into a static state, he would anoint them with oil and pray for them. He regularly visited the section for the elderly at the Yedikule Armenian Hospital and would tell them of the love and concern of God in very simple language. He led these people who had one foot in the grave into the reality of peace with God. When some referred to their religious accomplishments and good deeds, he would ask them a question: "In your seventy, eighty or ninety years have you managed to live a totally sinless life?" After Vahram departed for the Middle Eastern countries, many of these old people would gather and share how they had been saved through Vahram's insistence. He was a man who helped fill Heaven.

How did Vahram relate to Muslims whom he encountered daily? First of all, he showed them deep love and respect. Whenever he started speaking to a Muslim, he first centred on his testimony. He would tell how he had been a sinner with a deep longing for justification, and that he finally realised that Jesus Christ had been hung on the cross for him. When he believed this, Christ redeemed him, snatched him from hell and transferred him to heaven. Afterwards, Vahram would emphasise the uniqueness of the salvation provided by Christ.

Once he had to go to Gureba, one of the city hospitals, for a general check-up. He was examined by eight doctors and their assistants. He told all of them how Christ had saved and healed him. One of the doctors asked for historical ground for what he was saying. Without letting Vahram reply another doctor said, "Yes, Jesus is Healer". So the door was open for an effective witness. Vahram was not a person to miss any opportunity.

James K. Lyman, an old Congregational missionary who had spent his lifetime in Turkey said, "The supreme quality of Vahram's life was his unswerving loyalty to Jesus Christ. Vahram taught me many truths and gave me many insights. People would either run to him — which meant their running to Christ — or they would run away from him. In that case it meant that they were running away from Christ and the new life he offered, just as stated in the New Testament: "For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?" (II Corinthians 2:15,16) .

Chapter 18

THE CHAIR, THE CHASE, THE CONSTITUTION

In Vahram's ministry there were naturally some amusing situations. He was speaking in a crowded house meeting. Some were enjoying his message; others were obviously disgruntled. Suddenly a husky, well-built fellow walked up to where Vahram was sitting. With amazing ease, he lifted Vahram, chair and all, and removed him bodily onto the street where he unceremoniously dumped him. Some laughed uncontrollably, whereas others were upset.

Vahram was at a meeting on the island of Kinali where rich Armenians spend the summer. In the meeting there was a woman who had turned to Jesus Christ. Her husband was furious. He warned her, "I strictly forbid you to attend such meetings!" But the woman had such deep hunger for spiritual truth that she determined to go, come what may. When the meeting finished, there were only a few minutes' time to get to the scheduled ferryboat. Vahram said his goodbyes quickly and ran at top speed for the quay. Unbeknown to him, the husband was waiting outside. Seeing Vahram come out of the house, he chased him. Vahram was racing down the street and he was on his heels, but couldn't catch him. If he could just get hold of him, he'd give Vahram the thrashing of a lifetime! Vahram was totally unaware of the chase — he was simply running for all he was worth to catch the ferryboat. At last he just managed to jump onto the boat as it was edging away from the quay-side. The man had failed to catch Vahram, but consoled himself with the thought that he had inspired such fear in his intended victim. With great relish he declared to everyone: "I made that man run so fast that when he was cut off on all sides by the sea, he was just able to hurl himself onto the boat. If he hadn't had a stroke of luck, I'd have beaten the living daylights out of him, the poor wretch." The women who knew the real truth of the matter could not stop chuckling to themselves. When Vahram heard what had happened, he praised the Lord for his own deliverance from harm and lifted up a prayer for the salvation of his pursuer.

Boat trips to the Princes Islands, Üsküdar, Kadiköy or along the Bosphorus always were looked at as opportunities to spread the Good News. Often a conversation that was started with one person would in a matter of minutes involve others around until it became a public discourse. Selling books provided the starting point for many a friendly conversation, helped spread God's Word, and provided pocket money. People's reaction to all this varied. Some bought books, others were interested, still others were hostile and a few mocked at him.

While waiting for the boat at one of the Princes Islands one day, Vahram's attention was drawn to a wealthy Greek man and his wife. After a brief prayer he approached the couple offering them a Greek New Testament. They were not interested. Five minutes later he offered them the book of Proverbs. The woman glanced through it, was interested and bought it. Vahram withdrew from them and following a silent prayer approached them again. This time he sold them a New Testament. A friend travelling with him asked, "What was it that turned the indifference of this unconcerned couple into such interest?" "It was the power of God in answer to prayer," replied Vahram. Before approaching people, he would always approach God.

Picture Vahram with his violin and Artaki with his harmonica as they stand in an open space playing and singing hymns and declaring the gospel of God. A policeman joins the crowd to see what is going on. After a while the crowd disperses. What a joyful opportunity to spread the Good News to so many people! The policeman knows Vahram and the place he lives. A short time later there is a knock at the door. This policeman summons Vahram and Artaki to the police station. Addressing his chief he says, "My inspector, these men gathered a crowd around them and were preaching about Jesus and Moses." Soberly the inspector says, "Instead of wandering around talking about Jesus and Moses, give yourselves to some business that brings in money. What do you think Moses and Jesus can do for you if you've got no money!"

Vahram answers, "Mr. inspector, money is a good thing, but it can't carry anyone to eternity. The good news we proclaim takes people who believe in Jesus to a bright eternity." These words didn't mitigate the inspector. "These men are whacky," he says. "Look, in this country we got laws, and we're going to deal with you by the book." He doesn't want to send them to the state prosecutor without a charge, so he reaches for the constitution on the shelf and sifts through it carefully. He thumbs through the whole book from cover to cover. How strange! He seems to have drawn a blank. He cannot find any way in which this kind of behavior is unlawful. "There's no law about Moses and Jesus," he mutters. "So how can I send them to the state prosecutor without a charge?" So saying, he lets them both go free. Here was an official who understood and applied the rules of the secular state. Their being brought to him could only be providential.

The inspector had suggested that they give themselves to some money-making proposition. True, Vahram was penniless. He lived in his sister's home and fellow-believers often invited him home for a meal. Usually he didn't even have enough money in his pocket for the tram, so he would go to meetings on foot. He was living in Topkapi by the old city walls and had to get to a meeting in Gedikpasha. It was summertime. He didn't even have the ten kurush for the tram, so he had to walk. Praying as he walked, he arrived at the house an hour later. Thirty people were waiting for him. As people were dispersing after the lively and heart-warming meeting, an elderly sister shook his hand, pressing some small change into his palm. With this he was able to jump on a tram and get back to Topkapi.

Another day there was a very joyful meeting in Gedikpasha. It was winter and the weather was cold. The last tram was at ten to one in the morning. The meeting went on and on, and he missed the tram. Knocking at the door of an elderly sister, he asked if she might have a place for him to spend the night. She had no spare bed. He went on to another house. The woman here said to him, "If you don't mind sharing a bed with my husband, come in; I'll sleep on the floor."

Chapter 19

BOTH SALVATION AND RESTORATION

A woman was seeking the Lord for eight years. She would spend whole nights in various churches, sometimes lying in dusty attics crying out and pleading in prayer until morning. Yet she couldn't find the assurance that she had obtained peace with God and the certainty of eternal life. One day on a street she saw a hamal lugging a basket of coal on his back. He was humming the tune of a hymn as he went along. She thought that this hamal straining under the heavy load might be a true Christian. Hoping that he might be able to point her to God she called out, "When you have delivered your load, would you mind coming to my home?"

When the porter arrived at her home she asked him, "Do you know the way that leads to heaven?" The porter declared that she needed to be like the saints and that to reach such a level she had to go to church, prostrate herself on the ground, give generously to the poor, fast and pray constantly. "But for eight years I've been doing all that," said the woman, "and still I have no assurance that I shall get to heaven. Instead of these things, I'm going to perform a kindness to you in your need." So she proceeded to cut the porter's hair and trim his nails, and shaved his beard. She threw his lice-infested shirt into the fire and furnished him with a brand-new one. Pressing some money into his hand, she sent him off to the nearest hamam. After all these works of mercy she hoped that her soul might be blessed with that peace she sought. Cruel disappointment again mocked her. Instead of experiencing spiritual release, she felt only coldness inside her soul.

She started to read the lives of the saints; all were very splendid and remarkable, but what was the relevance to her? One day she went to see her sister who had some joyful news to share. "I have met a very interesting man," she said. "He's a living saint. May I bring him to your home?" Immediately, the woman's curiosity was aroused. "Oh, find him and bring him to me as soon as you can!" she earnestly begged. Finding Vahram, the sister said, "Can you come with me immediately to my elder sister's home?" Vahram was always ready for such urgent calls.

When Vahram reached her home, his first question was, "Do you have sin in your heart?" "You've put your finger on my problem exactly," she said. And she began to unburden herself: "My sin is very great. I am crushed under the weight of it. I know of no way to get rid of it — I've tried everything." Vahram sweetly sang a hymn of invitation to Christ. Then he clearly explained how God is love and offers salvation to the sinner through his Son, Jesus Christ. Like one who has just stumbled upon a whole new world, the woman cried, "I understand, I understand!" Joyfully she went on, "I am now putting my trust in Christ, receiving the forgiveness and peace He offers." The blessings of salvation she had vainly sought for so many years finally became hers.

Vahram was not only seeking out sinners to lead them to the grace of God, he was also moved with compassion towards backsliders. Whenever he received news of someone who had strayed from the life of faith to love for the world, he would be consumed with compassion to lead him back to the Lord. After prayer he would go to see him. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and filled with the love of Christ, he would approach that person and re- introduce him to the reassuring love of Jesus Christ.

On one occasion, he learned of the arrival in Istanbul of someone who had come to Jesus Christ while in Anatolia but had since gone back to the pursuit of pleasure. The man was looking for a friend of his and hearing that Vahram was the only person who knew where he was, came reluctantly to Vahram's home. Vahram was on his knees praying. When the door opened and the visitor caught a glimpse of his face, radiant and luminous with joy, he was deeply affected. Vahram at prayer was truly transported to heaven. The man was immediately convicted of sin and plead that the Holy Spirit would grant him the same joy and radiance. He genuinely repented and fell on his knees to pray with Vahram. The backslider was restored and promised to follow Christ. He had long before given up carrying a New Testament, so Vahram gave him a new one. He never forgot that day — and never let go of that New Testament. From then on, he too sought to restore backsliders who had made shipwreck of their lives. "Save some, by snatching them out of the fire" (Jude 23a).

Suzan was offended by another sister. She unburdened her heavy heart to Vahram. "Sister, it's normal for offences to come. We must know how to let them go. When I became a Christian, my Lord showed me that I must not bear a grudge against anyone in my heart. He is your Lord, too. Listen to his word." The grudge that Suzan had been carrying evaporated into thin air.

Vahram's ministry encompassed men and women equally. Hundreds of women believed in the message of salvation they had heard from him. This man who never married extended to many the ministry of reconciliation through Christ. In this way he demonstrated the equality for women in God's kingdom. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to apply to him this passage from Scripture: "This continued for many years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord..." (Acts 19:l0) .

Chapter 20

NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER

The teenager who had come from Sungurlu to Istanbul to establish himself in his trade brought with him an unquenchable thirst for higher gain. His intensifying search in Istanbul finally led him to the true and living God, to His grace and a vital relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit was now using this man, once a seeker himself, to bring countless other seekers to the same joy and blessing. The man who discovered the truth and embraced it led many others to the same truth and certainty of the eternal. Eventually a genuine revival occurred, spreading from house to house and from one end of the city to the other. It was not organised by any human agency nor promoted by any political or commercial enterprise. This spiritual awakening did not emanate from any religious authority nor financial adequacy. The Holy Spirit with His own authority and sufficiency drew many a simple man and woman to the riches of God. He was used to negate the contamination of numerous sinners whose religious knowledge could not transcend a given traditional ritual. He elevated the concept of faith to a plane not conceived by the natural mind. He guided lives from uselessness to total usefulness.

The meetings that grew out of the revival were lively gatherings in which the redeeming power of Jesus Christ experienced in crooked lives was shared among those who attended. The sole guiding principle was God's Holy Word; the only power present, the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ, who effected the new birth. The God to whom Vahram belonged was the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory, constituting one holy being, creating, redeeming, sanctifying, revealing, teaching, strengthening and ultimately judging all mankind. In God's service, to discern His voice and obey it is the prime prerequisite for usefulness, bringing victory in this present life which extends to eternity. As stated in the Scriptures: "For the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (II Corinthians l0:4,5). The Word of the prophet Zechariah in the Old Testament was being fulfilled: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice" (Zechariah 4:6,l0). Ignorance of the supreme power of the Holy Spirit is ignorance indeed!

Vahram's success in the service of God derived from his total dependence on God's Word, always referring to it for the support of his words. He used it systematically in every situation and applied it to every difficulty. He believed that the Word of God was trustworthy, speaking to man's condition. Whether selling and distributing the Scriptures, quoting them from memory or preaching, Vahram well knew how effectual God's Word was. Varied experiences in his own life confirmed this stance. When he would say to anyone, "Look what is written!, this word came over as an underpinning of God's authority. Vahram's messages always were flavored with truths from the Word. He would never waste his time uttering a word insupportable by the Holy Scriptures. Without formal education or theological training, uninformed about the classics, lacking knowledge of languages, still this servant of God was able to come alongside thinkers and intellectuals. He could open up the most profound subjects because his inspiration was the Word of God and his instructor the Holy Spirit. And his heart was burning with zeal.

In this admirable dependence upon the word he trained himself to write simple poems. Reading these, he would call his hearers to repentance and new birth. Spare time, or killing time, were not found in his vocabulary. He either prayed or jotted poems on scraps of paper he carried in his pocket. He was intent on sharing with others every blessing and joy he experienced. It was his delight to relate to people a spiritual insight that God had revealed to him. Teaching God's truths to new believers was extremely important to him. Of foremost importance, he taught that the believer must be a praying person. To new Christians he would offer topics of prayer, also telling them, "Please pray for me." Through these means he would bring them to the commitment of prayer. He had no training in psychology, but he knew how to perceptively address the most intricate problems.

Vahram had absolute faith in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to heal, but he was never known as a 'healer'. He would certainly have objected to such a designation. He believed that anyone's prayer could be used for healing. Suzan Hemshire was a new believer. One day, he arrived at her home. He had a bad earache. He asked her to put her hand on his ear and pray to the Lord in faith. His request sprang from his own deep faith. He now wanted to implant this same faith to her. Suzan prayed. The next day he visited her again and gave her the cheerful news, "The Lord healed the ear for which you prayed."

In one of the house meetings a substantial sum of money had been collected. It was sent to brothers and sisters in Hasköy with instructions to use it to help a needy family. A New Year's Eve service had been arranged at the Hasköy church. In spite of the snowy weather and that the church was surrounded by a vast cemetery creating an eerie atmosphere, many people came. Neighborhood people were also invited. On the way a few believers came across a child looking for a house, but alas, that house had just collapsed and the family had retreated to a poor shelter. The meeting was postponed, and the believers all hurried to the market quite a distance away. They bought as much food as they could and then returned, presenting it to the destitute family. The poor people couldn't believe their eyes. "You are angels sent from God," they said. In this way the brothers and sisters showed that social responsibility and spiritual witness must go hand in hand. "That was the happiest New Year's Eve I have ever had!" said Vahram.