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March 2007, Issue #21 |
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On Sabbath, February 24th we held a Soul Winning Made Simple Seminar at the beautiful Bass Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church which has been restored after suffering great damage from Hurricane Katrina. There was a different spirit there from these dear saints that went through the great storm not only bearing up to it but by helping their neighbors and leaving a great witness in their state that will hold up till the Lord returns! This newsletter could never do justice to the many stories we heard from the Katrina survivors, and the miracles and protection Yahweh gave the brethren through the storm. Truly a book needs to be written about it.
We had
the great pleasure of working witrh Pastor Steve Vaccaro who is the perfect man
the Lord sent there right after the storm. He told me they started a church some
30 miles away, and trhen found out that the government is building 8000 homes
for Katrina victims right around their new church plant! With the great
reputation and respect Adventists now have in the area I bellieve they will have
great success with the Bible studies and the training program and will see many
baptisms! Below is as a picture of Pastor Steve teaching the gospel presentation
to a
church member.
A good group of members stayed for the whole Sabbath (sorry about the blurry picture!)and in a ten minute break period, nine new Bible studies were gotten over the phone. Not one person got a refusal! It is incredible what Yahweh is doing in opening doors for personal work. That’s how I truly believe the work will finish with power!
All in all it was a great Sabbath for the Lord. The devil worked hard to keep me from going there. Just before the seminar I sprained my ankle snow scooting and my ankle swelled up like a balloon. It usually takes weeks for that to heal. But I prayed about it and wrapped it after applying Horse Chestnut cream on it and in three days I was able to walk on it pretty good with little pain. I was able to drive the 653 miles with no problem! HalleluYAH! We also were a little strapped for cash for the trip and two days before we had to leave I received a check from the New York State Attorney General’s office. It seems a place that pays your mortgage twice a month to save people interest costs. I belonged to the program years ago for a short time. It turns out that the company was involved in some kind of fraud. They were forced to pay every former member money. We received a check for $826! We knew nothing about this and were not expecting it! Yahweh truly has a thousand ways to bless us of which we know nothing!
March 26-29 Illinois Mission Trip
April 10 – Soul Winning Made Simple workshop with Canadian pastors
May 12 - Pittsboro SDA Church
May 16 – Presentation by CD for Atlantic Union Conf. Presidents and leaders
May 17-22 –Festival for the Laity with Elder Folkenberg at Southern Adventist University
Oct. 5 – Oct. 28 Evangelistic meetings in Foscoe, North Carolina
April 5 – April 26 Evangelist Meetings in Lenoir, North Carolina
May 26-2008 – Bible Study workshop at the Carolina Conference Camp-meeting
Week-ends for 2007 are still being booked. Call for a date and let’s work together to win souls! Call 828-263-0780 or e-mail pastortony@msn.com to set dates. If you want me to preach at your church on Sabbath the cost is $150 plus a special offering at the door on the way out.
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By Pastor Tony Cirigliano
We have been told by the Lord’s servant that “More people than we think are longing to find the way to Christ. Those who preach the last message of mercy should bear in mind that Christ is to be exalted as the sinner’s refuge. Some ministers think that it is not necessary to preach repentance and faith; they take it for granted that their hearers are acquainted with the gospel, and that matters of a different nature must be presented in order to hold their attention. But many people are sadly ignorant in regard to the plan of salvation; they need more instruction upon this all-important subject than upon any other.” – Evangelism, pps. 185-186.
Did you catch what the inspired pen has told us? We who preach “the last warning message” must spend more time teaching the plan of salvation than any other subject! Inspiration recognized that in the end of time many in and outside the church would be “sadly ignorant in regard to the plan of salvation.”
We were also told that “It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones.” –Desire of Ages, p. 83.
The focal point of Jesus’ life is Calvary. It was there that the whole universe saw the greatest example of Yahweh’s love for us and of His loving character. The trappings of this world will appear to be of little value to those who appreciate the great price of man’s redemption – the shedding of the blood of God’s dear Son. When we think about Calvary it awakens sacred emotions in our hearts. Pride and self-worship cannot flourish in a heart or mind that keeps fresh in memory the scenes of Calvary. So in this newsletter we will spend some time thinking about Calvary where so great a salvation was procured.
Imagine you are on the street in the wee hours of the morning approximately 1976 years ago. You hear the noise of a vast multitude following a man from the judgment hall to a hill called Mount Calvary. The Man’s sacred appearance and deportment tell you that it is the Savior they are following. The news is spreading like wild-fire. Yahshua the Messiah has been condemned to death! You see the heavy cross beam about the size of a modern day railroad tie. This cross was originally prepared for the murderer Barabbas. But now it is laid upon the bruised and blessing back of Yahshua the Messiah who we know today as Jesus the Christ. But the cross is too heavy for the Savior.
Since the Passover, Jesus has taken neither food nor drink. He has wrestled with satanic forces in the Garden of Gethsemane. He has endured the anguish of Judas’ betrayal. He has seen His friend’s desert Him, and He saw and heard Peter, one of His closest friends, curse and swear that he did not know Him. He had been taken to Annas, then to Caaiphas, and then to Pilate, then to Herod to be shamed and mistreated, and than back to Pontius Pilate. Each time being pushed, dragged, and brutally treated and mocked. The Roman soldiers blinded-folded Him in Pilate’s Judgment Hall. They slapped Him taunting Him to guess which one was hitting Him. They even spit on Him – the Holy One of Israel! They must have brutalized the Messiah because Isaiah the prophet speaking of the Messiah to come wrote, “His visage (face) is marred (bruised) more than any man.” Isaiah 52:14. The Hebrew word translated “marred” is “mischath” and means “to bruise badly or disfigure.”
From insult to insult, from mockery to mockery, and He was also tortured with the deadly Roman scourge. Scourging was a legal preliminary to every Roman execution. The usual instrument was a short whip with several braided leather thongs of various lengths. These leather strips had nails or pieces of bone tied to them at different intervals. The prisoners were usually stripped of their clothing and their hands were tied above their head to upright posts. Then the back, buttocks and legs were flogged by two soldiers the Romans called lickters. The severity of the scourging depended to a great degree on the mood of the lickters. And no doubt Satan worked to fill these men with satanic fury! The soldiers would strike the prisoner with full force on his naked shoulders, back and legs... The brutal scourge would tear skin, nerves and muscles and cause extreme anguish. It was not unusual for prisoners to die from the scourging alone. What amazing love that the Savior of the world, the Son of Yahweh would go through such suffering to save you and me from paying the wages of sin! The Bible says in Isaiah 53 that “by His stripes we are healed.”
It would be impossible to adequately describe the suffering of Yahweh’s own Son. The inspired author Ellen White wrote, “Never was a criminal treated in so in-human a manner as was the Son of God.” (The Desire of Ages, p. 710.) Can you doubt that God loves you very much? The Savior would have gone to the cross if you were the only one that would be saved. He loves you that much!
All that last night of Jesus’ life there had been scene after scene of a character that would tax any soul to the uttermost. Jesus had not failed. He only spoke words that gave glory to Yahweh His Father. The farce of a trial they held He endured with great dignity. Even the crowd showed Him no compassion. They taunted Him because He was not able to carry the heavy cross.
The Jews scurried out of the way lest the despised cross touch them and defile them before the Passover. No one wanted to stoop down to help Jesus carry the cross. The cross was an offense to them. Do you know dear reader that there are people today who are offended by the cross of Christ? They don’t want any part of it. It is foolishness to them. But brothers and sisters, the cross of Christ was where the price was paid for our sins. It was there that the ransom was made and there that Jesus the second Adam tasted death for every man, woman, boy or girl! Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to them that believe.” – Romans 1:16. He also wrote “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved; it is the power of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:18. And when the Corinthians were debating this religious theory and that religious theory just like people do today, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
As Jesus falls under the cross no one helps Him. Suddenly a man called Simon from the village of Cyrene in Northern Africa meets the procession. He hears the taunts of the mob. “Make way for the King of the Jews!” Perhaps he said, “Hey this man is hurt. Leave Him alone.” Anyway, he said or did something to cause the Roman soldiers to notice him and force him to carry Savior’s cross. In Luke 23, verse 26 it is written: “And as they led Him away, they laid hold upon a man called Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from his country, and they laid the cross on him, that he might carry it after Jesus.” Simon no doubt heard of Jesus, in fact, he had two sons who were believers in Yahshua! We are told this in Mark 15:21 and Romans 16:13. Simon was not a believer before his journey to Jerusalem, but the bearing of the cross to Calvary inspiration says was a great blessing to Simon, and no doubt he was ever after grateful for this great privilege. Simon became a believer and with his two sons became one of the first missionaries for Jesus! (Desire of Ages, p. 742.)
Simon did not want to carry the cross. He did not volunteer. Sometime we have a cross we did not ask for, but we can carry it for Jesus. He will walk by our side and the cross we carry will become a blessing for us and for others! The Savior calls us to bear a cross today. In fact, He said, “Whosoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” – Mark 8, verse 34. Jesus said, “Deny your-self.” He said, “Take up your cross” and He said, “Follow Me.” If you desire to walk as Jesus walked and follow Him, then these three things are necessary to do and wonderful advice for the Christian life.
“And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him. But Jesus turning unto them said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For behold, the days are coming. In the which they shall say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps that never gave suck.’” –Luke 23:27-29.
From the scene before Him, Jesus looked forward to the time of Jerusalem’s destruction. In the terrible scenes of that event many of those who were weeping for the Savior were to perish with their children. So terrible would the suffering and starvation and slaughter be that it caused the Savior to weep and groan out loud over it. In Matthew 23, verse 37, it is written: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. See you house is left to you desolate.”
I hope there is no one who hears this sermon whom Jesus will have to weep over because he or she is unwilling to believe and be saved! One day the wrath of God will fall on your town or city as it did on Jerusalem of old. Be saved today. Don’t let another moment go by in an unsaved condition. Romans 10, verse 9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Confessing with your mouth that Yahshua Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that He came and lived and died on the cross for you and was resurrected is where the Christian life all begins!
The disciples followed Jesus at a distance. The words of Jesus found in Matthew 26, verse 31 was being fulfilled. “All of you shall be offended because of Me tonight: for it is written: ‘I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.’”
Arriving at the place of execution, the prisoners were bound to the instrument of torture. Place yourself in the scene as one of the onlookers. You see two young thieves fighting furiously to keep from being nailed to the cross – the cruelest instrument of torture and death ever invented! But then you see Jesus. He makes no effort at resistance. He actually lies down on the cross. It was time for Him to give His life for His sheep as He said in John 10, verse 11. The Good Shepherd was saving you and me!
Then as you are gazing at the scene your attention is diverted by the sound of a woman weeping. You turn and see Mary Jesus’ mother supported by the apostle John “whom Jesus loved.” She can not bear to stay away from the scene. This is her wonderful Son whom she has raised from infancy. She is the Blessed Mother as the Scripture calls her in Luke 1, verse 28. She is not to be prayed to or worshipped for that violates the Word of God, but surely she is to be called “blessed” as the Scripture states. She understood the goodness of her Son but did not fully understand why this was happening. Perhaps Mary and the disciples cherished the hope that a miracle would happen and Yahshua would deliver Himself from His enemies. As she watches the two thieves bound to the cross, the mother of Yahshua (Jesus) looks on with agonizing suspense. She watches as her Son has his hands stretched out on the cross. Then she sees the nails brought and as the spikes are driven through her beloved Son’s hands and feet, inspiration tells us that the heart stricken disciples had to carry away from this terrible scene the fainting form of the mother of Jesus.
And while you watch the soldiers doing their fearful work, the cool night air is pierced by a prayer from the Savior’s mouth as He is being crucified. He cries out “Father forgive them: for they know not what they do.” The Savior prays for those who are crucifying Him. What an awesome loving Savior we have! I believe that this prayer from the Savior’s dying lips covers all those through all ages who did not know what they are doing. I personally believe it covers those with mental illness or those who simply cannot understand or died never hearing of the Savior. The Lord knows the heart and He knows who would have believed if they had heard. He knows those who have a heart that wants to do right if they knew the truth. The Greek indicates that Jesus repeated this several times, “Father, forgive them! Father forgive them! Father forgive them!” The Savior is aware of what you have been through and what your upbringing was like. The Bible says, “Even if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.”1 John 3:20.
In Luke 23, verses 35-36, it is written: “The people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided Him, saying, ‘He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is the Messiah, the chosen of God.’ And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering Him vinegar, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.’”
Imagine you are there at the cross. You hear the mob saying these terrible words about the Savior. You suddenly realize that they are preaching the gospel! He could not save Himself and save us also. He had to die as the Lamb of God in the sinners place. He died for us.
By now if you were there the tears would be streaming down your face. As you behold the scene, you begin to realize the immensity of the “unspeakable gift.” The words of John chapter 3, verse 16 take on new meaning. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” For the first time, you realize how Paul felt when he wrote, “God forbid that I should glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” – Galatians 6:14.
And then you hear another voice come from one of the thieves on the cross. Both of the thieves who were crucified with Jesus mocked Him at first. And you notice that one under the suffering of the cross became more desperate and defiant. But this was not so with his companion. One of the thieves, a young teenager, who had been led astray by evil friends changes as he beholds Jesus on the cross. As you watch him, you realize that this young man is not a hardened criminal like the other. In fact, as you watch and listen to the people standing before the cross, you realize that he was less guilty than many of those who were making fun of the Savior. Surely this young man had seen and heard of Jesus. Some of Jesus’ words may have convicted his heart but he let his friends steer him away from the Savior. The young man plunged deeper into sin and crime until he was arrested. He was condemned to die on the cross. But on that cross He noticed the godlike bearing of the Man on the middle cross.
He had heard Pilate say to the crowd, “I find no fault in Him.” He even heard Yahshua Jesus pray for His tormentors! This young man heard the other condemned man yell at Yahshua, “If you are the Messiah, save yourself and us.” The young man hanging next to the Savior had heard and seen enough. He rebuked the other thief saying, “Don’t you fear God? And see that you are in the same condemnation? And we indeed deserve it: for we are receiving the just reward for our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” (See Luke 23:38-41.) The Holy Spirit illuminated his mind. In the Man on the middle cross he sees the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!
The Bible tells us that this young man, who no doubt turned with great pain to look upon Jesus, said to the Savior, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” - Luke 23:42. Then the Savior quickly responds to this young man’s request, “Truly I tell you today (this day of My death), you will be with Me in paradise.” – Luke 23:43. For long hours all the Savior had heard was mocking and derision. With longing heart He had listened for some expression of faith from His disciples. But they had walked away saying, “And we thought it would be He that would redeem Israel.” The Savior’s burden was lightened when the dying teenager said, “Lord, remember me.” Many were ready to call Yahshua Lord when He performed miracles, and after He had risen from the grave. But none acknowledged Him as He hung in shame upon the cross except the young repentant thief who called Him “Lord” and was saved in the last hour! To this young thief came the perfect peace that one experiences when one is right with God. They could rob Jesus of everything else except His power to forgive. And He is just as ready to forgive sins today if anyone would repent and believe like the forgiven thief on the cross. The Savior does not judge by outward appearance as we do. He looks on the heart.
On the cross, the Savior suffered more than just the physical pain which was in itself was fearful. But He also experienced the feeling of being separated from His Father. He who knew no sin became sin, and the weight of our sins and the separation from God sin brings were a crushing weight on the Savior. Satan with his fierce temptations tried to tear the heart of the Savior. The fact that Jesus cried out from the cross: “My God! My God! Why hast Thou forsaken Me?” showed that He could not see beyond the tomb. Else why this cry? He did not know at that point that He would come from the grave a Conqueror. He was afraid that the sins of the world that were placed upon Him were so offensive to Yahweh His Father that the separation would be eternal! The Savior felt the anguish the sinner will feel when the mercy of God ends its pleading with the guilty hearts of mankind. It was this sense of sin and separation from His Father that broke the heart of the Son of Yahweh. The love of God for lost sinners is very great.
Now once more picture yourself, dear reader, at the foot of the cross. You notice that one of the big burly Roman centurions is staring at the cross as if he is hypnotized. You hear him say, “Truly this man is the Son of God.” – Mark 15:39. Finally you hear Yahshua Jesus cry out His final words. “It is finished.” And your heart thrills because you know that the perfect sacrifice for your sins has been made! It’s done. It’s finished! We cannot add nothing to what is already finished. Jesus has paid the price. He has tasted death for every man, woman, boy and girl! You can rest in His finished work.
Three days later He arose from the dead. Now He ever lives to make intercession for us. He is our Advocate in the heavenly sanctuary completing the last phase of His ministry as our high Priest. He is offering the merits of His atonement for those who come to Yahweh His Father through Him. When this work is over He will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to take His people home. (See John 14:1-3.)
A young man was walking along 42nd street in New York City one evening. He noticed a gang of teenagers accosting a young couple. Not thinking of his own safety, he ran to their assistance. Interrupted by the brave young man, the murderous gang turned their fury on the young man. While the gang was venting their rage on the young man who came to their rescue, the couple managed to flee to safety. When the police arrived, they found the brutalized body of this hero. The newspaper headline the next day read, “Young Hero Dies Saving Others!”
Dear reader, that’s what Calvary was all about. My hero and your hero Yahshua Jesus the Son of Yahweh who created the heavens and the earth died to save us! If there were such a thing as a universal newspaper the headline might read “Yahweh’s Only Begotten Son Saves Men and Woman and Boys and Girls on Planet Earth!” He saw us in trouble and being accosted by Satan and his gang of fallen angels. He came to our rescue and as He took the brunt of the evil band we escaped safely! But He had to die and His brutalized body was left hanging on a cross on a hill called Calvary. And unlike other heroes, Yahshua Jesus will bear the scars of His ordeal forever! There can be only one response to this kind of love. Give Him your heart today!
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Good Reasons to Use the Sacred names Yahweh & Yahshua as well as Jesus and LORD.
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