Armenia... and the book of Jonah...

I was there mostly during August. And it was a hot and dry weather most of time. It was very hot to walk around during the day, yet there are many water fountains that we could drink along the ways, which I loved to stop and to drink it forever!


I have visited Armenian Genocide museum, which made me once again to think about natural sinfulness of human being. It was hard to even look at the photos of what happened to Armenians by Turks about 100years ago.

'God, how can any human do such a thing to another human being?'

Right after this question in my mind, there wasn't taking any second to be reminded of brutal human history, even including biblical histories from the Bible, terrible news throughout the world in the present, and my own sinfulness of heart. 'Yeah, that is why we desperately need God's grace, Jesus.... Lord, please forgive our sins...'

There was a chance for our team to teach the book of Jonah to one of churches in Armenia. One of big messages of Jonah was to go and to preach to the nations in spite of how terribly we fear about and what they have done because God's heart for everyone is same.'...for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.' Jonah 4:2
Jonah didn't want to obey to God's commandment to preach to Ninevah, which was known as one of cruel nations at the time and an enemy of Israel because he knew that God would be gracious with them if they repent. Nonetheless, God's sovereignty taught Jonah that His love is for every single person on the planet.

I was teaching them of how we should apply the message of Jonah today and to us. Without me talking about their feeling toward Turkey, they talked about their own history, Armenian Genocide by Turks. I am not sure if the message of Jonah has meant anything to them.

But, I pray that by God's grace and power, they would be used greatly to preach His good news to everyone including Turks.
I believe that God would use this nation mightily to be a blessing to surrounding nations, mostly Islam countries.