John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

AMP

Why is it that when things aren’t going our way, or when trials arise, we can’t seem to handle things well? Fear, anxiety, worry, attitudes and life’s cares seem to get the best of us. The majority of the things that we worry about are tied to our past. Are we going to let yesterday’s problems dictate what we do today? We need to remember that yesterday is gone. There is nothing that we can do about it. We are able to start fresh each day (today). We choose each day, what kind of day we are going to have, so decide to have a great and peaceful day. Matthew 6:27 tells us that the things we worry about so often are the things that are beyond our control. We need to trust in the Lord. Shifting our focus off of God and onto the problems is a sure formula for worry. We then allow worries and problems to become bigger priorities than God. When that happens, the things we worry about begin to consume us! When life’s hassles get too big and you feel overwhelmed, stop, take a deep breath and focus on what God is doing today.

Philippians 4:7-8

7 Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious — the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

The Message Bible

When you worry about tomorrow, you’re worrying about what you can never control, and you rob yourself of peace today. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 says “God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” When you begin to worry, don’t panic – pray. God is the one who has all the answers. God is waiting patiently on us. He’s saying I’m here, give everything to me. God knows what you’re going through.

How are we ever going to learn to have peace, if we do not trust the God we serve? In order for us to have peace and to be a peacemaker, we need to trust our God. Scriptures speak of the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. You have to be at peace in order to know you’re in the will of God. If you’re not at peace, then you’re not trusting God. Don’t let stress and worries rob you of the peace you could have —focus on God!

Tony Guadagnino is pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Have you ever tried to quit doing something that you thought was a bad habit or maybe bad manners? Have you ever tried to change these things yourself without any help? If you have an issue with anger, you may have at some point just said, ‘I will stop getting mad all the time and stop yelling.’ How is that working out for you?

You may have that special gift that you think was straight from heaven, and you can find the fault in any situation or circumstance. You know who you are because you can look at any situation and see only what needs to be fixed or what can be better. Maybe at some point you say, ‘Well I just won’t say anything anymore and I will just mind my own business and keep my mouth shut.’ How is that working out for you?

In order for most to really change, they need help and assistance. We want to change and we need to change, but we do not have the ability to change on our own and we need help. Because God is great, He can help us change. Because of the greatness of His love, He will defend us and also help us to change.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.

—NKJV

God uses love as an action word. When God uses love, it is a verb. They say that love is not love until you give it away. The Bible says that God loved us while we were sinners. There are no conditions on God’s love for us; he chose to love us at our worst. Not only did God love us when we were a total mess, but God will never quit loving you because He is very patient with us. When I was much younger, I remember looking in the paper and asking for something for Christmas over and over. When I would open that present on Christmas day, I remember being so excited about getting that toy. Then, six weeks later, I would forget I even had that toy.

God will never quit loving you no matter what you did or what you do. God’s love even includes acceptance. God says, ‘I love you, come as you are;’ but we say, ‘I love you if you do this for me.’ Our love has conditions on it, but God’s love is unconditional. Not only will God accept you just the way you are, but He will give you room to grow.

We always seem to accuse others of not being able to change and staying the same way, but God loves us so much He not only helps us to change, but He gives us room to grow and change at our own pace. We should never compare our lives to anyone or anything but God’s Holy Word. God loves us so much it makes us want to change and not only can we change, but God will help us to change. Just be yourself with God and let Him change you into the person that He wants.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship of Deerfield Beach.

They always say that time goes faster and faster as you get older. They always say that we should enjoy our children while they are small because the time goes by very fast and it is gone before you know it. I never really understood those statements until I had my own children, and I started getting older.

My wife and I did not start our family until we were in our 30s. And now (a few years later — ha-ha) our son is 15 and our daughter is 13. Both of our children are in high school now and I just think – WOW!

As a parent, I want the best for my children. I want them to do well in school and get an education. I want them to be safe from all the bad and evil things that are in the world today. BUT, I do not want to be their God and make all of their life’s decisions for them. I want them to learn and grow and be able to take care of themselves so, when mom and dad are not around, they will know how to make wise decisions and do the right thing.

Matthew 7:9-11

9 “You parents — if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?

10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!

11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

NLT

As my wife and I began to raise our children, it was then that I began to realize how much God truly loves us. The very same way that we love our own children is the same way that God loves His children. God want the very best for us. God wants us to do well and learn as we go through life, and get educated so we will make the right decisions. God wants to protect us from the bad and evil things in this world. The Bible teaches us that safety is not in the absence of danger, but in the presence of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18

17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”

NLT

The same way we pray and hope that our children listen to us and make the right decisions when opportunities come is the same way that God feels about us. God wants us to listen to Him and make the right decisions when the opportunities come. The best ways I have found to learn from God is by reading your Bible, praying and going to church. There are also benefits for our children to obey their parents and do what they are told to do. We have benefits of obeying God and by doing what He has asked us to do. As we pray for our children to be happy, healthy and holy, let’s also pray for ourselves as well.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

I believe that we live in the greatest country in the world. I just spent a week in Ecuador on a mission trip. I was with a team of medical doctors, dentists and eye doctors. They were providing medical services for some of the tribes of the Quechua Indians in the mountains around Riobamba. It made me really appreciate the opportunities that we have here in America. Some lived in homes made with concrete block or bricks and some even lived in mud huts with grass roofs. They had no heat other than the fire they would use to cook and warm the house with. Most houses were one room houses where everything was all in one room and the bathrooms were all outside. There were some who needed medicine for medical issues, and some who were not able to see that received glasses. There were many who needed dental care and received fillings and there were a lot of extractions of teeth that were not able to be saved. Most of the Quechua Indians’ only mode of transportation was to walk wherever they needed to go.

The most amazing thing I learned is that the people in these villages we visited were all happy and not one had their head down about how they had to live or how cold it was in the mountains of Ecuador.

Most of the people in the villages have a good relationship with God and their contentment was in the fact that they trusted God, and they were very happy with God and God alone.

We are very spoiled here with all the stuff that we have. Last year, I wrote about the fireworks display at Deerfield Beach and how many people show up to watch the show. I was not able to go this year because I was in Ecuador, but my wife and two children told me that there were just as many people this year as last year.

When the fireworks are over, then it is over, but, if we could find a way to get all those people into a church, they would be given something that would last for more than 30 minutes worth of entertainment. More people need to have a relationship with God and learn how to be content with God and God alone.

Our country was founded on God and on His holy word – the Bible. We say we are the land of the free. How, then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 235 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional? We are “One nation under God.” Why don’t we just tell those who do not believe in God to sit down and be quiet? Oh, that’s right, if I tell someone who does not agree with me to be quiet, they will say that I have no tolerance. Yet, that same person will tell me that I need to remain silent. It seems a bit confusing and very hypocritical if you ask me, but that is just my opinion. Everyone is entitled to have their opinion on any matter, but, facts are facts. The facts are that our wonderful country was founded on God and godly principles and that will always be true. Please don’t forget to pray for our soldiers who are still fighting for our freedom to come home safe and soon.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church. 801 SE 10 St., Suite 4, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

You know how you feel after a big awesome meal? That’s right, you feel like doing nothing because you are so full that all you want to do is sit and rest. Sometimes, in the same way, around Easter, we try to fill up on God so we have enough to last until Christmas. We try to squeeze it all in over one weekend and leave full and sleepy.

Hebrews 6:10

10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

NLT

God will not forget about you, so I would encourage you not to forget about Him. Easter just passed and we tend to think more about God during this holiday than we may at other holidays. We think about what God and His son Jesus did for us and it makes us feel good and we even get excited as we are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Maybe you do not know God the way you would like to or maybe you do not understand some things about God, religion or Christians in general. I would encourage you to continue to get to know God a little better this year. I know that sometimes, after a holiday or a big event, we just want to sit down, rest, and take a nap because it is over and we want to get ready for whatever is coming next. Do not get tired or weary in getting to church or even spending a little time with God every day. You can make an effort to continue to go to church and that will give you a great opportunity to get to know God a little better. You may even find out things about God that you did not know before. You can also take a few minutes each day and just talk to God. Just start to have conversations with God and you will be amazed at what you start talking to Him about. It all starts with one church service or with one minute spent talking to God. I think the key word here would be to start. You cannot walk a mile without taking the first step.

Galatians 6:9

9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

NLT

Do not be satisfied with a little bit of God here and there. God is not a magic eight ball that we take out only when we need it and shake it and ask it questions about our lives. God wants to have a relationship with us. My wife loves me, but if I only talked to her when there was an emergency or crisis, then my relationship with her would deteriorate and be ruined. Since God loves us, then we need to communicate with Him so our relationship grows and gets better. Do not get tired of God or church; make an effort to get to know Him more this year.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL, 33441.www.CLFministries.org

Easter is coming very soon and many people will be pouring into churches to celebrate. What are we actually celebrating? Do we make it all about the Easter bunny and the candy? Don’t get me wrong. I like candy, probably a little too much. As a matter of fact, I even think that Easter candy is better than Halloween candy. Easter candy is the absolute best candy of all time, in my humble opinion, but it is not about the candy. God loves you so much that He sent His son.

John 3:16-17

16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. NLT

God gave us all the wonderful gift of His son Jesus. Jesus did some amazing miracles while He was on the earth but, to me, the most amazing thing He did was the way He lived His life. Jesus lived a life without sin! Whenever I think about that, I cannot help but think “WOW.” I did not even make it through yesterday, let alone for my whole life. Jesus came and lived a sinless life.

Then He went to the cross to pay for my sins and your sins. Jesus deserved righteousness, but He took our place so His righteousness could be ours. Jesus took what I deserved so I could have what He deserved.

2 Corinthians 5:21

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. KJV

God loves us so much that He sent His son. The son loves us so much that He came. Jesus loves us so much that He suffered the pain of the cross to pay for our sins. We all know that the story does not end there because the Easter story is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The week before Easter is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Passion Week and, on Sunday, Jesus came because He had to finish what He started. We all may go through times where we feel unloved or feel like no one cares about us, but my prayer is that you will always remember how much God the Father loves you. Jesus had a hard time dealing with the fact that, in order for Him to go and pay for our sins, He would have to be separated from His father. Jesus did that for us so we would never have to experience being away and separated from God the Father. The Bible encourages us by telling us that God will never leave us or abandon us. I want to thank you, God, for the fact that you love us all so much that you gave your son. Have a great Easter.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church. 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL, 33441.www.CLFministries.org

James 5:13

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

NLT

No one is exempt from going through bad times, but please do not forget that we have many good times also. Whether everything is great or it totally stinks, God should always have our attention.

Last Sunday, when I went to church, I knew I was in for a great day. How could I not be? I was in God’s House, the “Happiest Place on Earth.” However, as I looked around at this happy place, I started to think. In this happy place, there was a crying child, a man who just lost a family member to cancer, a young woman going through a divorce and a preacher who felt each of their pain. I couldn’t help but think, even in God’s House, the happiest place on earth, there is still suffering and hurting people. Check out Psalms Chapter 20 (Awesome)

Psalms 20

1 In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry. May the God of Israel keep you safe from all harm.

2 May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

3 May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

4 May he grant your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.

5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.

6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.

7 Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the LORD our God.

8 Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.

9 Give victory to our king, O LORD! Respond to our cry for help.

NLT

For some, our happiest place is with our family and friends, or taking a walk on the beach. We cannot escape suffering; no matter how hard we try we are not exempt.

Sometimes, suffering is used for correcting; sometimes, it is used for God’s glory; sometimes, it is used to build our character and, sometimes, one person suffers for another’s benefit.

Yet, there are times when we really don’t understand why others or we ourselves are suffering. Like Job from the Bible, we must seek to trust God and endure because we win when we do! We have a happy place found in the presence of the Lord. If God could hear Jonah’s cry from inside the whale, then I am sure he can hear your cry. One thing is for sure: if we are suffering in any way, then we should be praying and talking to God a lot. What do you think?

Perhaps, you are in a season of hurt or suffering right now. In this moment, it may not be clear why your suffering is happening. Your role in this season is to spend time with and reach out to God, knowing that He will help you through this trial with His strength. In this way, at the end of the day, you will be able to rejoice in who God is.

James 5:13 says we should pray and praise God during the good times and the bad times. In good or bad times, we’d better be spending time with God. Try happiness; it is found in the presence of the Lord.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, 801 SE 10 St.,Deerfield Beach, 33441. www.CLFministries.org

JEREMIAH 29:11

11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

NLT

God has a plan for you and He wants to help you and give you hope. We all plan and build our lives around things. We plan around all of our extracurricular activities: dinner, dancing, sporting events, gym, golf, tennis, etc. We plan for death by making a will to make sure everything goes to the right place. We plan for our vacation by making sure we know where we are staying and what activities we will be doing. We even plan the times we are going to certain places and what rides we want to go on in the amusement park. When we get ready to build something, we get a set of blueprints or plans done to know what we want to accomplish. There is even a plan for the plumbing, the electrical and for the walls.

God has a plan for you because He loves you and cares about you. God wants you to be blessed and happy. If God has a plan for you, because of His love for you, then make sure you do the same for those you love. Valentine’s Day is here and I want to encourage you to plan a special day because of the love you have for others in your life. We plan so many things in our lives that we need to make sure we have a plan to make Valentine’s Day special and memorable. It is that time of the year when we can let those who are special to us know exactly how we feel. Valentine’s Day is not only about romance, but it is also about love. Love comes in many different forms in our lives and we usually use it for not so important things. I could say that I love my wife, my children, my parents, going to church, eating out, buying electronics and my job. That would actually mean something a little different for each one on my list, but we all tend to use the word “LOVE” for many different things. Let’s all show those who are special to us how much they mean to us by telling them we love them and also telling them why. I know sometimes it is hard to express our emotions, but it is OK; it is Valentine’s Day, after all.

Just do it, and make a plan to go buy your cards, candy and flowers (today) ahead of time, and do not wait until the last minute. Plan now and make sure those people in your life know that you love them and make sure they know why you love them. Let God be our example and plan for those we love the same way He has a plan for us. The plan doesn’t work if you don’t work the plan. God has a plan for your life and now you have a plan to follow God and to tell others that you love them.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, Weekend Services are on Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m.

JAMES 4:7-10 Humility Cures Worldliness

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. NKJV

• SUBMIT

Submit: to give over or yield to the power or authority of another like clay to the potter.

Submit: to relinquish or concede; to cease opposition; give up complete possession of and claim to.

When we truly submit to God and the Godly things in our lives, we get blessed in all areas of our lives. Want your wife and family to be more submissive? Then you had better make sure that you are submissive in all areas of your own personal life. You can’t just decide to be submissive when you need God to move in your life; it must be a condition of the heart. The same Biblical principle applies to reaping and sowing. You just can’t sow when you want to reap something. You must continually sow in order to continually reap. Don’t stop sowing when you begin to reap.

GENESIS 26:4-5

4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; (Why, God, are you going to do this?)

5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” NKJV

HEBREWS 12:9

9 Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever? NLT

• RESIST

EPHESIANS 6:11-13

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. NKJV

1 PETER 5:8-9

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. NKJV

MATTHEW 4:3-10

When Jesus fasted for 40 days, the devil came to tempt him. Jesus quoted scripture and he resisted the devil. It’s easy to resist when you submit your life to God

• FLEE

MATTHEW 4:11

11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. NKJV

LUKE 4:13

13 When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. NLT

Pastor Tony Guadagnino ministers at Christian Love Fellowship Church

By Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Have you ever quit and now justify it in your mind as to why you quit? Have you ever heard someone give excuses as to why they quit?

We all have our reasons why we do the things we do in life. Let’s take a look at what Jesus went through for us:

• They plotted to kill Him

• One of his leaders betrayed Him

• Jesus knew one of the 12 would betray Him

• He asked God if there was any other way

• His best friends could not even pray for an hour

• He was arrested on false, made-up charge, then taken away and put to death

• Peter denied Jesus three times

• They spit on Jesus and struck him with the palms of their hands, when he was with the high priest

• They mocked and beat Him, made fun and laughed at Him

• They lied about Him

• He was found ‘not guilty;’ they had no evidence to convict Jesus of a crime

• The people wanted a rebellious murderer over the King of the Jews

• Pilate gave in to the people – I don’t think he did that very often at all

• They whipped Him with a cat o’ nine tails

• They mocked Him by placing a purple robe on Him

• They put a crown of thorns on His head

• They began to salute Him and spit on Him

• They struck Him on the head with a reed

• They bowed a knee and mock worshipped Him

• And then after all that, they nailed Him to the cross and He asked God to forgive them

• They laughed at Him and mocked Him, telling Him, “Save yourself if you are really the Christ”

• His own mother and his disciples had to watch his cruxifiction on a cross

• One of the men hanging next to him even mocked Him

• He cried out “it is finished” and died

• They divided His clothes, cast lots for them

JOHN 19:30

30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. NLT

Jesus finished what He started. He never quit and he never gave up. He suffered the sins of the world, then He rose from the dead. He empowered the disciples with a new message, the good news that He had defeated the power of sin and death. Jesus taught us to refuse to quit, and to fight with everything that is inside of us. Do not just remember what Jesus did, remember why He did it.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church