December 2006
Newsletter, Issue #18
Greetings
and Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year all in one!!
I hope
this newsletter finds you doing well in our Savior. We are excited that regular
church members have been succesful in presenting the Soul Winning Made Simple
Seminar. Ted Brackett head elder of the Morganton Seventh-day Adventist
Church along with John Root held a very successful seminar at the Shelby SDA
Church. Bible studies were gotten even before the three sessions which they did
from 9-12AM on Sabbath were over. Another member Helen Self did a pre-meeting
talk at the church. Pastor Graves also requested the four sets of Bible studies
and vowed to continue the training. This team has also done training for Pastor
Ken Blake in several of the churches he has pastored. If you have anyone in your
church who is interested in doing this training, I have prepared a CD
presentation with sound so that all a person would have to do is show the Power
Point slides. A pastor using this Powerpoint with sound in his church in
Missouri trained 14 of his members who got nine Bible studies started in his
first class. See the order form if interested.
The
new Bible study book Revelation Made Simple is now available for
purchase. This booklet is a chapter by chapter verse by verse study of the book
of Revelation put in simple terms easy for the every day person to understand.
The back of the book has a special offer to receive a leather King James Version
of the Bible when the booklet is completed. They can call our toll free number
and we will contact the pastor in their area to have a Bible for them when they
visit church on an arranged Sabbath. This works great and we had several
baptisms in Columbia, SC when I was pastor there using this study booklet. The
booklet sells for $7 each – if 25 or more are purchased the cost is just $5. My
prayer is that Yahweh will use this booklet to lead many to our Savior and the
truth!
On Sabbath, November 18th we had the
priviledge to speak at the beautiful Table Rock Seventh-day Adventist Church. It
was like a home-coming for us because we were the pastoral family there in 1992
and 1993. Thank you Table Rock for your support! It is greatly appreciated!
If you want to enjoy the
blessing of a great Sabbath in a mountain church with great people, visit the
Table Rock Seventh-day Adventist Church with Pastor Roy Robinson some Sabbath.
You’ll be blessed. Thanks you to the church for their love and their support of
my family and my ministry. We love and appreciate all of you and miss seeing you
every week. By the way, the home grown food at the fellowship dinner was
outstanding as usual!
The book Revelation made Simple will be here by the time you receive this
newsletter. The book will be a great sharing book for those interested in Bible
prophecy. It has been a long wait, and Yahweh has provided the funds to
completely pay for the printing. As a pastor I found out through evangelistic
experimentation that I could get the same results from nine meetings that I did
from twenty-six meetings and the shorter meetings were better attended and did
not do as the Little Horn did that is “wear out the saints of the most high.”
This book has the nine meetings I boiled down from my 26 meetings. It has 25 of
the most important illustrations in it, and when you hand it to someone and ask
them to do you a favor and give you their opinion of the book it is like them
attending the series of meetings!
A church
can paste a label in the back of the book inviting the reader to call a phone
number requesting notification as to when the next evangelistic series will be
held in their area. The book could also be given to interests prior to an
evangelistic series. The book will retail at the ACBCs for from between $10.00
and $11.95. Churches can pre-order now and pay just $7 each. I will tie this in
with my Soul Winning Made Simple Seminar as another way to witness. It
would make a great Christmas witnessing gift. See the order form to order.
December
2 Banner Elk (Preach)
December
9 –
Warrenville, North Carolina
December
16th Banner Elk, (Preach)
Christmas
Break – Dec 17 – Jan 6
Boone
Anointing Service – New Years Eve starting at
7PM.
Week-ends
for 2007 are now 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.
_________________________________________________________
On New Year’s Eve there will be a special anointing service at the Boone New
Life Fellowship Church in Boone, North Carolina. Myself along with the pastor
and elders of the church will lay hands and ask for healing, and for the Holy
Spirit to fill each one that comes. All are invited. We have seen healing each
year we have held this service. In fact, the church has voted to have this
service every New Year’s Eve. This is the third New Year’s Eve we have had this
service. Come prepared to be blessed. Also in order to receive the blessings be
prepared to have a new start with the Lord in the New Year 2007 as you come for
healing, rededication, strength and the Holy Spirit. Here are some quotes to
consider from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy:
“When wrongs have
been righted, (and this includes silent confession of sins or grievances
between a brother or sister) we may present the needs of the sick to the Lord
in calm faith, as His Spirit may indicate. He knows each individual by name, and
cares for each as if there were not another upon the earth for whom He gave His
beloved Son. Because God's love is so great and so unfailing, the sick should be
encouraged to trust in Him and be cheerful. To be anxious about themselves tends
to cause weakness and disease. If they will rise above depression and gloom,
their prospect of recovery will be better; for "the eye of the Lord is upon
them" "that hope in His mercy. Psalm 33:18.” – Ministry of Healing,
p. 229.
Acts 8:18-19
And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy
Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying Give me also this power, that
on whomsoever I lay hands; he may receive the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 10:1
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against
unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all
manner of disease.
“God
is just as willing to restore the sick to health now as when the Holy Spirit
spoke these words through the psalmist. And Christ is the same compassionate
physician now that He was during His earthly ministry. In Him there is healing
balm for every disease, restoring power for every infirmity. His disciples in
this time are to pray for the sick as verily as the disciples of old prayed. And
recoveries will follow; for "the prayer of faith shall save the sick." We have
the Holy Spirit's power, the calm assurance of faith that can claim God's
promises. The Lord's promise, "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover" (Mark 16:18), is just as trustworthy now as in the days of the
apostles. It presents the privilege of God's children, and our faith should lay
hold of all that it embraces. Christ's servants are the channel of His working,
and through them He desires to exercise His healing power. It is our work to
present the sick and suffering to God in the arms of our faith.
We should teach them to believe in the Great Healer.” - Ministry of Healing,
p. 226.
Mark 16:18
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Ellen White
did anointing services where hands were laid on the sick for healing and
blessings.
“Just as the
meeting closed, Sister Meade, who had been afflicted with a slow fever,
requested us to pray for her. We went into a room by ourselves, Brethren Holt,
Wheeler, Stowell, James, and self. After I had anointed her with oil we
prayed over her, and she was healed every whit and fell prostrate by the power
of God. That night we got into a rowboat and went on the pond about one mile to
Brother Meade's. His sister was there with a very sick child. We anointed it
with oil and prayed over it, and God heard our prayers.”
{5MR 239.5}
Luke 4:40
Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases
brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed
them.
Mark 6:13
And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick,
and healed them.
James
5: 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for
the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith
shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he
have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Luke 9:2
And he sent
them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Luke 9:6
And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing
every where.
Remember how
the man who came to Jesus on behalf of his daughter that was sick at home? Jesus
healed her because of his faith. You too can come on behalf of someone sick at
home. “Jesus Christ same yesterday, today, and even forever.”
Greetings brethren:
This is our 2nd Christmas in supporting ministry, and Yahweh has seen
us through. He has blessed us in ways we never imagined and His has blessed us
through you.
MaryAnn, Paul and I want to take this opportunity to say thank you for your
love and support this past year! We love all of you and pray for you daily. It’s
exciting to know that we are living in days just before Jesus returns. We have
in Jesus eternal life. Soon and very soon we will see Him face to face. Paul
said “to live is Christ, to die is gain!” Here’s a most precious promise from
the Lord’s servant that should be treasured. It’s from Manuscript Releases, Vol.
10, p. 175:
“The
message from God to me for you is "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise
cast out" (John
6:37).
If you have nothing else to plead before God but this one promise from your Lord
and Saviour, you have the assurance that you will never, never be turned away.
It may seem to you that you are hanging upon a single promise, but appropriate
that one promise and it will open to you the whole treasure house of the riches
of the grace of Christ. Cling to that promise and you are safe. "Him that cometh
unto me I will in no wise cast out." Present this assurance to Jesus, and you
are as safe as though inside the city of
God.
{10MR 175.1}
Rest in this promise always!
Here’s a little Christmas message I hope will be a blessing to you. At this
time of year, the whole Christian world celebrates the birth of Christ. Certain
sects that make a point of not celebrating Christmas and taking advantage of
this time of year to intimidate other Christians with words like "we don't keep
Christmas because it is a pagan holiday, and Jesus was not born in December.”
But that may not be the case at all.
One Christmas I decided to do some research into the date of Christ's birth,
and the observance of Christmas. I'll share a little of what I found in this
short article.
Some groups deride the celebration of Christmas and like spiritualist
terrorists they come across as having a holier than thou attitude to those who
celebrate the birth of the Saviour. The critics have arguments like: "Don't you
know that December 25th is a pagan date. Tammuz was born on December 25th." Well
I found out that no one really knows that for sure. Besides the devil always
counterfeits the real thing!
Personally, and this may surprise you, I believe there is good evidence that
supports a late December birth for our Lord and Saviour Jesus (Yahshua). Here’s
something to think about. A noted advocate of the December 25th date was John
Chrysostom (c347-407), a humble and caring man, and perhaps best known for his
writings on the Bible and religious issues. Through his strong preaching
ministry, many souls were led to Christ. He claimed that the actual census/tax
records of the holy family supported December 25th when they registered in
Bethlehem! We have no way to prove if these records were still in existence, or
were authentic, but Chrysostom was not the only one who referred to them.
Justin martyr (100-165 AD), in his noted Apology - a detailed
explanation of the Christian faith addressed to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius -
stated that Jesus was born at Bethlehem "as you can ascertain also from the
registrars of the taxing." Apol. I, p.34. Chrysostom taught that it was on the
Day of Atonement that Zacharias received the angelic announcement that he would
have a son. This would place the conception of John in late September of that
year, and therefore the conception of Christ was six months later, which would
be in March, and His birth would have been in December.
In fact, according to rabbinical tradition, when the temple was destroyed in 70
AD, the priestly course of Jehoiarib was serving. If the order of priestly
service was unbroken through all those seventy years, it has been calculated
that the course of Abijah, to which John's father Zacharias belonged, would have
been serving during September. If this is true, then it would mean that Jesus'
conception by the Holy Spirit was in March and His birth in December! (See
Christmas Reconsidered by Ralph Woodrow, page 36.)
It is true, we cannot fully prove that Jesus was born in late December, but
neither can anyone disprove it – and the evidence favours it!! What about the
idea that it was "too cold" for the shepherds to be in the fields in December,
therefore Christ could not have been born then? This is far from conclusive.
There may have been exceptions. That some shepherds did face cold weather may be
seen in Jacob's complaint to Laban that he had suffered from frost by night.
(See Genesis 31:40.)
In his highly regarded and scholarly volumes, The Life and Times of Jesus
the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim says this about December 25th: "There
is no adequate reason for questioning the historical accuracy of the December
date. The objections generally made rest on grounds, which seem to me
historically untenable." On page 286 of this book, Edersheim shows from ancient
Jewish sources that many flocks were in the field year round. The fact that Luke
says there were shepherds "in the field" may mean that these were very poor
shepherds who had no place of shelter and therefore abided in the fields year
round!
Some misinformed Protestant Christians are even afraid to mention the word
"Christmas" fearing it is a pagan term and comes from the Catholic word "Mass."
Actually mas is an ancient Egyptian word which means: “to be born or Birth.”http://christmasarchives.com/christmas_in_egypt.html
Christmas simply means Christ's birth.
Even if the word Christmas did come from the word mass as some say,
so what? The names of the days of the week come from paganism, so do the words
church, crusade, and chaplain! We are not worshipping the God Thor when we say
Thursday (Thor’s day) are we? Neither are we worshipping the pope or the Roman
Church when we say Christmas.
Instead of putting down this day and giving the devil credit for it, we
ought to lift up the story of Jesus Christ! Paul used the tomb of the unknown
god to preach about the real one - Jesus Christ! Pagans had wedding
feasts; Jesus went to a wedding feast. But that did that make Jesus an idol
worshipper. Long before the time of Christ, people in parades waved palm
branches when worshipping pagan idols. People waved palm branches to Jesus when
He entered Jerusalem, were they worshipping idols, or praising Jesus? Of course
they were praising Jesus! And Jesus did not put them down saying, "Don't you
know that this custom of waving palms is pagan - God hates it!" If a palm branch
once used to greet idols could be used to praise Jesus, why not a fir tree on
Christmas?
For Seventh-day Adventists, Ellen White gave some counsel about Christmas
and the practice of giving gifts to one another. She wrote:
“God
would be well pleased if on Christmas each church would have a Christmas tree on
which shall be hung offerings, great and small, for these houses of worship.
Letters of inquiry have come to us asking, Shall we have a Christmas tree? Will
it not be like the world? We answer, you can make it like the world if you have
a disposition to do so, or you can make it as unlike the world as possible.
There is no particular sin in selecting a fragrant evergreen and placing it in
our churches, but the sin lies in the motive which prompts to action and the use
which is made of the gifts placed upon the tree.”
{AH 482.1}
Even
the giving of gifts is blessed as long as we don’t forget the Lord!
In the book
Adventist Home, Ellen White wrote:
“The
holiday season is fast approaching with its interchange of gifts, and old and
young are intently studying what they can bestow upon their friends as a token
of affectionate remembrance. It is pleasant to receive a gift, however small,
from those we love. It is an assurance that we are not forgotten, and seems to
bind us to them a little closer.” - AH 478.4
“It is
right to bestow upon one another tokens of love and remembrance if we do not in
this forget God, our best friend. We should make our gifts such as will prove a
real benefit to the receiver. I would recommend such books as will be an aid in
understanding the word of God or that will increase our love for its precepts.
Provide something to be read during these long winter evenings.” -
AH 479.1
The fact of the matter is that Jesus was born! He lived a perfect life and
His perfect life is ours through faith! He died on the cross and tasted the
second death for every man, woman, boy and girl! His death counts as payment for
sins that you and I have committed. He was raised from the dead, and when He was
raised, we were also raised by His power to walk in newness of life! Now as our
High Priest he imparts grace to walk as He walked, as redeemed, God loving,
commandment keeping believers! And He is returning soon to take us to be with
Him forever! So I say put up the tree! Light the lights, ring the merry bells as
ye remember that men shall live forever more because of Christmas day!
'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE JESUS CAME
Modified By Pastor Tony Cirigliano
'Twas
the night before Jesus came and all through the house,
Not a person was praying, not one in the house!
Their Bibles were laid on the shelf without care,
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.
The
children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap,
Was watching the late show while I took a nap.
When out of the east there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash:
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here!
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray,
I knew in a moment it must be the day!
The
light of His face made me cover my head.
It was Jesus returning, just like He said!
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In
the Book of Life which He held in His hand,
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name,
When He said, ''It's not here,'' my head fell in shame.
The
people whose names had been written in love,
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready, He arose without sound.
While the rest were left hopeless still here on the ground.
I
fell to my knees, but it was too late,
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate!
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight,
''Oh, if only I had been ready tonight!''
In
the words of this poem, the meaning is clear.
The coming of Jesus is drawing near!
There's only one life, and when comes the last call.
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!
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(Purchases
of material are not tax deductible.
Make checks
for books, Bible studies or CDs to
Pastor Tony
Cirigliano
887 Seven
Oaks Rd.
Boone, NC
28607
( )
Power-Point CD containing The Soul Winning Made Simple Seminar $49.00
( )
Power-Point CD containing The Soul Winning Made Simple Seminar with
Pastor Tony Cirigliano’s voice on each slide for easy presentation. $49.00
( ) Four
sets of our most popular Bible studies on CD with Copyright Permission for each
set. $49.00
( ) The
Great Controversy Reaping Meetings CD $49.00
( ) The
Soul Winning Made Simple Manual on CD with legal copyright permission. $49.00
( )
Sacred Name KJV Bible with the true names of the Father and the Son
restored. Leather $49.00
( ) Bible
Prophecy Made Simple (New Book!) $10.00 Send me ____ copies.
( )
Exceeding Great and Precious Promises for the Last Days book. $10.
( )
Remedies for the Remnant Book $10
( ) The
Holy Bible Says Bible Studies set $7 each. Send me ( ) sets.
( ) They
Tampered With the Word CD Book, $10.
Do you get a
blessing in some way from this ministry? If so, would you consider donating to
help support it? You can donate by clicking on the DONATE button on the top of
this page. Each one who donates this month will receive the updated CD book
They Tampered With The Word. This time of year independent ministries feel
the pinch as churches take a break from lay training and seminars for the
holidays and individuals have the burden of gifts, holiday expenses, etc. We
know Yahweh will bless you as you give to His work and you'll have more than you
had before. It's God's financial mathematics! Have a blessed Thanksgiving and a
very Merry and Christ filled Christmas! - Pastor Tony, Mary Ann and Paul
Cirigliano
