From Matador to Missionary: A Life's Journey toward Seeking the Truth

By Salvatore Miliziano

Sal Miliziano is a follower of Jesus Christ. He never had a desire to write a book until at the age of seventy, when he visited Israel. Since he became a Christian at age eleven, it was his lifelong desire to see where Christianity began, and it was there, in Israel, that Providence took over. He fell deeply in love with Israel and with the Jewish people and became a Zionist, an "adopted Gentile-Jew" into the family of God's chosen people. In July of 2022, he was ordained in the Assemblies of God as an Emissary (Missionary in Messianic Ministry).

Like the song in the movie Exodus says, "This land is mine / God gave this land to me," Sal believes that because of Abraham's deep faith in God, the land of Israel and the Jewish people were "chosen" by God to bring His Word, the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Brit Hadassah (New Testament) into the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798888515891

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Preface

Acknowledgments

1: Dad

2: Mom

3: The Depression

4: The Glorious Bronx

5: Linden—the Nightmare Begins

6: The Little Miracle

7: You Look Like Manolete

8: Spain

9: Dreams Do Come True

10: The Missionaries

11: Please, Lord, Not Now!

12: The Aftermath

13: Vietnam

14: Post-Nam, Nineteen Years

15: Chick-fil-A

16: Israel

17: The Calling

18: The Truth

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From Matador to Missionary

A Life's Journey toward Seeking the Truth

Salvatore Miliziano

ISBN 979-8-88851-588-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88851-590-7 (Hardcover)

ISBN 979-8-88851-589-1 (Digital)

Copyright © 2024 Salvatore Miliziano

All rights reserved

First Edition

All Biblical citations were taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Sal Miliziano's book is surprisingly entertaining – as they say, a great read. A legitimate page-turner, with so many colorful details, you feel you're living his life with him and you don't want it to end. When I finally put the book down, I felt I read about a member of my family and rejoiced in his deep and enthusiastic relationship with God. Isn't that what we all want? I do.

Pat Boone—Legendary singer/songwriter

Every life has a story… Sal's is remarkable! His testimony of tough times and triumphs illuminates God's sovereignty and provision on a human scale. Sal provides a master class in discerning, trusting, and following your calling wherever it leads you.

Mark Miller—Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Culture Rules and former vice president of High Performance Leadership for Chick-fil-A, Inc

First and foremost, I dedicate this book to the person who is the reason for my efforts in putting it together, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I dedicate this book to Dan Cathy, chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A Inc., my friend and mentor for thirty-two years.

I also dedicate this book to you, the reader. Regardless of your religious preference, nationality, or where you are in your spiritual walk with God, the sole purpose of my story is to encourage all of you who (perhaps like myself, when you were younger) may have never been blessed with a strong and likable personality, nor eloquence of speech nor a physically attractive appearance.

If you, also like me, have ever had to endure feelings of inferiority, distressing marital situations, and problems or have ever felt a lack of self-worth, then this book is for you!

You will learn that faith in God is the key to what truly matters in our lives. You see, in God's eyes, not only are you remarkable, but you are capable of loving and of being loved—exceedingly way beyond measure!

May God richly bless you as you read my book and hopefully feel that you couldn't put it down!

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to Salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

—Romans 1:16, KJV

He that winneth souls is wise.

—Proverbs 11:30, KJV

Preface

As I begin writing this, my autobiography, my prayer is that the words of this book will become a symbol of God's love, grace, and mercy for anyone who is honestly searching for truth. The purpose of this book is to glorify God by being obedient to His calling on all our lives—to win souls to Christ, no matter whether they be Muslim, American Indian, Jewish, or any other religious belief.

Proverbs 11:30 says, He that winneth souls is wise.

I'm really just an ordinary guy, a sinner saved by the grace of an eternal and loving God. I am also on a pilgrimage, desperately seeking God's will for my life. In all honesty, I never expected to write a book. After all, who in their right mind would want to read a book about some kid from the Bronx who dreamed of wanting to go to Spain to become a bullfighter?

It all started in 2012, when after my seventieth birthday, I had been discussing retirement with my wife, Carole. Later on that year, I accomplished a dream that I had always had, and I visited Israel. It was there in the Holy Land that Providence took over, and I found out that God was not finished with me yet! He had other plans for my life.

Now, ten years later, I've been encouraged to write this autobiography. I have asked a few close friends to pray for me so that the words and stories in this book would not convey any form of vanity or pride on my behalf but would resonate with a clear understanding of God's tremendous love for all mankind. God gets all the glory as I attempt to write with complete transparency and total honesty. Nothing in this book is or has been fabricated.

Regarding bullfighting, from 1961 to 1964, I lived most of my dream by becoming a matador de novillos toros. I fought bulls that were younger than five years of age but were almost equally as dangerous as the full-grown five-plus-year-old ones. I have never achieved the prestigious rank of matador de toros since I was not in Spain long enough to have accomplished this.

I once read a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes:

Many People die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live, but before they know it, their time runs out.

Before my time runs out, this is a little bit of my music. My prayer is that you will enjoy whatever music you can gather for yourselves within these pages.

(Note: Lord willing, all of the proceeds from this book will go directly into our worldwide messianic Jewish ministry.)

Acknowledgments

My deepest gratitude, first and foremost, is to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha Mashiach), without whom life would not have very much meaning for me. Without the lessons and the miracles that He has shown me, from the time I was a child, this book could never have been made possible.

To Carole, the love of my life and my very best friend, who has stood by and encouraged me through both the joyful and the difficult times in our marriage. Her dedication to prayer and Bible study has been a source of comfort and hope not only to me but to everyone that she knows. In 2023, we celebrated our fifty-sixth anniversary.

To our children, Guy and Tara, their spouses, Angela and PJ, and two grandchildren, Gianni and Sofia, who have brought such enormous joy and laughter into our lives. We are so grateful to our precious heavenly Father for them all and how God has blessed their lives.

To my sister, Anjelica Cardillo, who practically raised me since I was born. She and her husband, Sam, raised a truly incredible family!

To Amy Beth Berner (who was recommended by our pastor). Her love, patience, and spiritual counsel helped to save our marriage.

To Pastor Anthony Parenti and Gina, and Ron Crognale and Beth, our dearest and best friends, for their spiritual advice, blessings, prayers, and influence on our lives.

To my pastor, Rev. Paul Jackson, who keeps us really focused on Bible scriptures and God's eternal plan for each of our lives. He preaches the Word of God—the Truth!

To Rabbi Felix Halpern, my friend and fellow partner in ministry, who encouraged and helped me since my calling in 2013.

To Jimmy Collins, President and CEO of Chick-fil-A, who hired me in 1989. It was the greatest job that I ever had, because it virtually changed my life!

To Dr. Ben Carson, whose book Created Equal has been a tremendous source of inspiration to me! He is the true example of what an American patriot should become. After having heard him speak in Washington, DC, I have always felt that he should have become president of our beloved United States in 2016, when he ran.

To Rev. Jason and Damaris Scalzi, also fellow partners in ministry, whose love for Israel and the Jewish people is very contagious.

To Rabbi Stewart Winograd and Chantal, ministers to the Holocaust survivors in Belarus, for sending me their book Behind the Curtain, the Candles Burn. This book will inspire you as you see what God can do through the obedience and the love of devoted missionaries.

To Rev. Carl Colletti for opening up the first office for messianic ministry in the Assemblies of God Headquarters in New Jersey.

To Rabbi Peggy Michalchuk for her anointed and inspiring teachings at Congregation Lion of Judah in Yardley, Pennsylvania, and to all my friends in her beloved congregation.

To Rabbis Jonathan Bernis and Jack Zimmerman of Jewish Voice Ministries who inspired me during my first trip to Israel in 2012.

To Seymour and Theresa Wasserstrum for their friendship and their help in editing two chapters of this book.

To Geoffrey Cohen, my friend and author of four books that demonstrate God's undying love for His covenant people. His book My Jerusalem Encounter is a great example of God's persistence in pursuing the hearts of His Jewish people, the apples of His eyes.

To John Horn, who has taught me the importance of the Jewish culture, especially about all of their seven sacred feasts.

To Chris Cline, who was instrumental in helping me to get this book published. I could not have accomplished this without his help.

To all my Jewish friends (past, present, and future), many of whom I've known since high school, you are the main reason for this book to have been written. You are the chosen of God and the apples of His eyes (Deuteronomy 32:10 KJV): Allen B., Barry M., Bobbi and Al F., Nate and Elaine F., Jeff and Fran G., Larry and Ann Z., Dr. Lou S., Barry S., Art C., Ellen C., Eric and Sherry L., Mr. and Mrs. Lynn J., Hal and Gail M., Mayor Ken and June P., Gary R., Lenore E., Muriel F., Jane H., Bob and Shelley G., and many, many others.

To my dear Jewish friends in ministry and music—David Cohen, Scott Novick, Brian and Sue Samuels, Barry and Batya Segal, Julie True, Marty Goetz, Paul Wilbur, Sandra Sheskin Brotman, Karen Davis, Maurice Sklar, Zemer Levav, Marc Chopinsky, and Ted Pearce with Beer Sheva (all of whose anointed music has inspired me tremendously since 2012).

1

Dad

In the beautiful little village of Cattolica Eraclea, which is situated in the middle of a small mountain range just northwest of the Sicilian capital of Agrigento, my dad, Giuseppe, was born to Giorlando Miliziano and Angelica Maraventano. He was one of six children.

The family business was composed of making bricks and tile for construction, and at an early age, Dad and his brother Salvatore learned to become quality stonemasons. This was the trade of the Miliziano family in that village. According to my sister Angelica, who was very close to our dad, he was drafted into the Italian army under Mussolini in the Russian front war around 1917. She remembers him telling her that things were bad and that food was very scarce. The soldiers had to catch, cook, and eat mice and rats in order to survive! When World War I ended, Dad returned home to Cattolica.

Once back home, his heart led him into Christian service; and with the help and advice of the family, he decided to become a priest. After all, every Italian family had to have a priest! He was enrolled in a Jesuit school in Agrigento, according to my mom's story. At the school, he was deeply inspired by this young monsignor who became his mentor. Dad wanted to become just like this priest and worked very hard at it. Dad also had a best friend who was a career fisherman. His friend was married to a very beautiful girl. As the story goes, the fisherman would be out at sea for about a week at a time, making his living. One week he happened to return home earlier than expected because the fishing was bad and unfortunately found his beautiful wife in bed with the monsignor! He then proceeded to do what any normal Sicilian husband would do under the circumstances: he got his shotgun and killed his wife and the monsignor. After the trial, he somehow avoided prison, and the case was dismissed—but not so for my dad. The situation had a very devastating effect on him mentally and disillusioned him to the point of agnosticism. He said, Where was God? There can't be a god who would allow something like this to happen!

In his discouragement, he took on a different and materialistic approach to life. Earlier, his brother Salvatore had come to America to make his fortune, so he decided to do the same thing. Unfortunately, he was not able to obtain a visa or passport like his brother did, so he arranged to be stowed away in the coal bin of an ocean liner headed for Canada. (Many Italian immigrants came to America this way and were later given the nickname WOP, which means Without Papers.) Once in Canada, he sneaked off the boat and made his way down to New York City, where he hooked up with his brother who was already established and working as a stonemason. Uncle Salvatore (whom I was named after) was attending an Italian Pentecostal Assemblies of God church in the Bronx, which was under the CCNA (the Christian Church of North America), and tried to get my father to attend with him; but my dad refused to go. He was still obsessed with unbelief and anger. I believe he was about twenty-four at that time.

One day, this cute little Italian girl started attending Uncle Sal's church. Her name was Giuseppina Belone, and she was about fifteen years old. She worked for an Italian doctor