Tag Archive | "CHRISTIAN LOVE FELLOWSHIP"

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CLERGY CORNER: Pastor Tony Guadagnino to stand down, for now

Posted on 14 May 2015 by LeslieM

I will not be able to continue to write articles for the Observer any longer — between the Sheriff’s office and my church, I just don’t have the time anymore.

I will miss writing the articles. Thank you again for allowing me to be a part of the Observer Family the last few years. I enjoyed it all.

I appreciate all you do for me. You are always a great help.

-Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

Equipping God’s People”

Pastor Tony, you have become an MVP with our newspaper. Because of you, we have ObserverTV.

-Jim Lusk, Observer Vice President

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CLERGY CORNER: Not Shaken

Posted on 09 April 2015 by LeslieM

Sometimes in life things happen that we don’t expect and we get shaken to the very core of our being. We get caught off guard and events in life just rattle us. It is not a matter of being ready for bad things to happen but to know where your help and strength comes from when they do. When you learn to rely on God for your help and strength, then the devil can’t rattle or shake your life anymore.

HEBREWS 12:27-29

27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

29 For our God is a devouring fire. — NLT

The kingdom that we belong to, as children of God, is unshakable so let’s give thanks to God by worshiping Him with fear and awe. The fire of God will devour things in our lives that don’t belong like – poverty – sickness – gossiping – lying. You will not waiver and you will not be shaken. You will stay strong and courageous. The only unshakable thing that remains will be you.

PSALM 62:2

2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. — NLT

God is always with us and right beside us. God, and God alone, is our rock and our refuge. Nothing else will do – just God. We will not be shaken! When we are continually shaken, it steals our motivation and energy. It is like we are stunned or in shock; we get scared and don’t make any decisions at all, good or bad. The devil is not just trying to knock you down he is trying to destroy you. When the devil is trying to shake your life, you will shake his instead because you will trust in God and be unshakable. When the devil shakes, you will be set free from your chains and then you will be filled with courage and boldness. When you pray and worship God, the devil shakes. You will never be shaken, but your circumstances will be and your chains will be. You don’t ever shake or waiver – you shake the things and circumstances around you, instead of life shaking you. YOU WIN! You will stay strong and courageous.

LUKE 6:38

38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. NLT

Although, when God is shaking your life, you win. When God shakes you, it is to make room for you to receive more and more. He is shaking everything together. Therefore, start to stir up those things on the inside of you and start to say and start to believe, “I shall not be moved!” When you agitate someone, you get their attention; so begin to irritate those things in your life that you don’t want and tell them to get out. You will stay strong and courageous.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, located at 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, call 954-428-8980 or visit www.clfministries.org.

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CLERGY CORNER: Love is a four letter word

Posted on 12 February 2015 by LeslieM

Have you ever heard of the term “tough love?” People will say, “I think that person needs some tough love.” There is a new saying that is true that I heard the other day, and I think it’s the opposite of that term “tough love” because “love is tough.” Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, and it is easy to love on special occasions like this. However, there are still many days left out of the year where some days are easy to show love, and some days we have to work hard at showing love to others. How about showing someone love who does not love you back or even someone who may not treat you the way you believe you deserve to be treated? Love should be a big part of our lives. Love is something meant to be expressed, not something to be kept a secret. It seems like people even have a hard time saying “I love you” when we should say it all the time, and we should also show it all the time. It is tough sometimes, but it is not impossible. Why is it that we can say that we love our car, job, dog or even our favorite restaurant, but we cannot say it to each other? We have a hard time saying ‘I love you’ to the ones who really mean the most to us.

We have to understand that we need God’s help to love others in the same way that He loves us. We always want to put conditions on love, but God does not do that to us. We speak with our actions and say ‘I will love you’ if you do this for me, treat me this way, or buy me this, etc. God does not work on the point system and neither should we. God tells us to love others, period. There are no conditions on that love. God does not say love someone if they do something for you or make you feel a certain way. God says love each other, and if God tells us to love, we must be able to do it. Love is so many things, but it is not conditional. Let’s look at what love is.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud

5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

NLT

Love gives us the ability to be sensitive to the needs, hurts and desires of others and also to feel with them, and experience the world from their perspective. Love gives us the ability to give with no conditions or expectations. Love builds up and encourages; it is determining what is best for someone and doing it. Pray and ask God to help you love the way He loves and He will help you. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day. I LOVE YOU!

Pastor Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship church, located at 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, visit www.clfministries.org.

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CLERGY CORNER: Can God help?

Posted on 08 January 2015 by LeslieM

Almost half of every American makes a New Year’s resolution and only 8 percent of them actually keep them. New Year resolutions are really a waste of time and something not really intended to be permanent. If we truly want to change anything in our lives to make things better, then we would be better off asking God to help us change the way we think.

ROMANS 12:1-2

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

NLT

I find even myself every year making promises to eat better and work on keeping my body healthy and strong. We will have much better success if we allow God, through the Bible, to begin to change the way we think by renewing our minds. The word renewing in this verse means that there is a “constant action taking place that never stops.” God is always working on us to help change the way we think. It is not just a one-time quick fix; it is something that takes place repeatedly. We give ourselves to God once, but we need to transform and renew our minds constantly.

In 2 Kings, Chapters 22 and 23, we read that King Josiah was a man who sought after God. However, his life changed when God’s Word was rediscovered. He called the people to a renewed covenant before God (see 2 Kings 23:3). God moved through Josiah to crush the wickedness of his country like a hurricane crumbles houses as if they were made out of toothpicks.

Not only can God help us, but He wants to help us. We all have problems and issues in life and can use some help. First, God wants to be our source for everything and give us direction for our future. The more we get to know God, the more we understand what He wants us to do and how He wants us to live our lives and treat others.

Second, we need to have confidence in ourselves, and we can do that by developing certain skills in our lives. We need to make sure we have long term goals, as well as short term goals. Make sure you do not worry, look to God for security and not possessions, learn how to rest, and you must choose your friends and associates wisely. Lastly, we must have confidence in God. God has faith in you; but, do you have faith in Him?

In order for us to change the way we think, we need God to help us make our changes permanent and not temporary. Allow God to change the way you think for results that last a lifetime.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church (801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441, 954-428-8980, www.clfministries.org).

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CLERGY CORNER: Give & receive

Posted on 11 December 2014 by LeslieM

It is that time of the year when we give gifts to others. It is the time of year when we do not think about ourselves but others and what they want or need. God knew in His infinite wisdom that we would need help with our lives. Not only do I find that I need God’s help, I have also come to realize that I need His help every day of my life. God does not always give me what I want, but He always gives me what I need.

ROMANS 12:6-8

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.

8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

NLT

Our goal in serving God is to be able to continue to serve Him throughout our whole lives. Growing up in church I always heard the phrase “stay full of the things of God.” It took me a long time to understand what that actually meant. When my car runs, it uses gas and I have to fill it up when it gets empty, so it will continue to run and I can use it. So, when I give out things that God has blessed me with in life, I need to find spiritual things in my life so I can fi ll back up the same way I fill my car with gas. The more love, compassion, peace and hope we give out then, the more we need to stay full of the things of God. We can read the Bible, pray, go to church or even sing hymns and worship songs to fill back up. What a great cycle in our lives to have. We can continually give and receive.

When you get a gift, either you like it and use it or you do not like it and hide it somewhere. Gifts from the Father are to be used and not wasted or just put on the shelf. Gifts from God come as He wills (any gift at any time) for the profit of all. You should not only welcome the gifts from God, but also expect them in your life. We all know it is better to give that to receive. However, if we do not receive, then we have nothing to give. We have a responsibility to stir the spiritual gifts in our own lives. God has blessed our lives with many different gifts and there are many people that can use them. You have the gifts; you might as well use them instead of letting them go to waste. The good thing is that no one person has all the gifts. It takes many different parts to make one complete body and that is true for the church body as well. Gifts do not clash or compete, but they all work together to serve the same goal or purpose. Giving gifts is not about serving your agenda and making you happy; it is about serving others and bringing joy to others.

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

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CLERGY CORNER: Make lemonade

Posted on 13 November 2014 by LeslieM

Have you ever heard the expression, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade?” That is a great expression when you are the one telling someone else to make the lemonade. It becomes a little more difficult to be the one who actually has to make the lemonade.

Ephesians 4:32

32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

NLT

I believe that one of the keys to a fulfilling life is forgiveness. It is so easy to say “I forgive you,” but sometimes very difficult to actually mean it and actually live it. We must first forgive ourselves for things we have done in our lives. Then, we must forgive others for things they have done to us.

Colossians 3:13

13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

NLT

Forgiveness should be a way of life, not just something that we do in order to get through life. When we walk in un-forgiveness, we take our lives out of God’s hands and place our lives in someone else’s hands. We let our lives be determined by others and not what God wants for us. We are no longer able to do certain things, to go to certain places we want to go, or to even have the relationships we want to have or need.

To be truly free, we must choose to walk in forgiveness. It has to be a choice and it has to be a choice that only we can make for ourselves. I’m sure you have realized by now that you will have many opportunities to be offended by someone, and you will also have many opportunities to practice forgiveness. When the opportunity comes, just take it and forgive, and please stay away from excuses.

Here are a few excuses we have used: “But you don’t understand” – the truth is that we don’t understand what un-forgiveness costs us; “it’s not in my nature or personality to forgive” – we must simply choose to forgive and change our ways to avoid the self-made prison that un-forgiveness brings; “you don’t know what they did to me and how deeply they hurt me” – you are absolutely right, I don’t know. I do know that if you don’t forgive that person, you will put yourself in prison and you will hurt other people whom you love deeply as a result. You will also continue to bring more pain into your life because you have now hurt someone that you care about.

The greatest advantage of forgiveness is your freedom. Forgiveness sets you free, not the other person.

Forgiveness is a choice, and it’s up to you to do it or not do it. You can have the greatest benefit or the greatest devastation. It’s up to you to do it. So, please, when life gives you lemons, just make lemonade.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, located at 801 SE 10 St, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. 954-428-8980, www.clfministries.org.

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CLERGY CORNER

Posted on 09 January 2014 by LeslieM

It is a new year and that is always a good time for us to evaluate our lives and all the things we like and do not like that is a part of our lives. I am so grateful that God loves me enough to allow me to start over whenever I mess up and make a mistake. With God, I do not have to wait until New Years Eve to start over or to start something new in my life. God allows me to start new every morning if need be. Some things in life we want to (or need to) change are easy and we have no problem at all making the change. However, we all know that there are some things in life that are very difficult to change in our lives. Some things in life feel like we have been struggling with for years but we can do it. God will give us the help we need to become victorious over things that we may tend to struggle with and have a hard time changing.

Philippians 4:13

13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. NLT

If I can encourage you to do anything different this year, it would be to go to church, to read your Bible, and to pray and talk to God. If you already do those things, then, I want to encourage you to do those things a little more and also, at the same time, encourage someone else to join you. I know, at times, we do not like change; but, I think that change can be exciting and fun.

We are very thrilled about changes at our church starting in January. Right now, we have church services on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. and we are adding a new service on Saturday nights at 6:30 p.m. Many people have to work on Sundays now, so we wanted to have an alternative in our weekend services for people to choose from. We are also delighted to be adding home group Bible studies during the week for our members to be able to have an opportunity to discuss topics from the weekend services and to connect with other church members by building trusting relationships. It is always exciting when God adds something to your life, and I am looking forward to starting our Saturday night services. This Saturday will be our very first service we are having. We are very thrilled to meet new people and to have a great experience with God, and have Him change lives, help people with hurts and to introduce the God I know to some people who maybe do not know Him.

Please pray for us as we pray for you. I want to pray the following Bible verse over your life and I believe that, with God’s help, you can do the things you know you need to do, and have wanted to do in your life.

Ephesians 3:16

16 I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources, He will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. NLT

Tony Guadagnino is pastor at the Christian Love Fellowship Church in Deerfield Beach.

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Clergy Corner: 1 CHRONICLES 28:9

Posted on 12 December 2013 by LeslieM

Clergy Corner: 1 CHRONICLES 28:9

9 As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

NKJV

Loyalty of heart and willingness of mind is essential for faithful, effective service.

God should have first place in your lives and consume all your thoughts. With the mind of Christ, we should have control over our thoughts and those thoughts should match what the Bible says. We serve God, and we give Him everything we have and then the holidays come. Thanksgiving and Christmas come around, and we do things that we do not normally do:

We eat in large groups and/or with family.

We give cards.

We give gifts.

We act more hospitable with others.

We go to church more.

We give time and money to people in need.

We focus more on our military and those serving overseas.

These things we do need to be part of our lifestyle and not just part of a holiday tradition. Do not allow traditions to affect the things you do and say – be yourself. God blesses us with many different things throughout our lives.

God gives us power, love and a sound mind.

God gives us control over our flesh and soul.

God gives us the ability to have good judgment.

God gives us the ability to have a disciplined life.

God gives us the ability to make the right decisions.

God gives us _____. (Fill in your own answer)

However, we choose what we are going to do with those gifts and blessings and we choose what kind of life we will live. Society and traditions try to tell us how to live our lives around the holidays and even how to celebrate our holidays. We need to be ourselves and serve the God that we love by living this Christmas lifestyle all year round.

Don’t allow people or circumstances in your life to break your holiday spirit and steal your joy. The words that come out of our mouths show what is in our hearts, and our actions will speak even louder than our words. The things we do and say show the kind of lifestyle that we have. Don’t become what the pressures of life want to mold you into, but rather become a person full of joy and peace all year round. Then, it is not just a holiday thing; it is a lifestyle thing. When we do things the way God wants and not by our own way, then those changes become more permanent. Why change the way you act and behave like the seasons change? Just be the same happy, joyful, peaceful, giving person all year long. Then, you will not have to change around the holidays to fit in.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

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CLERGY CORNER: Thankful and happy

Posted on 14 November 2013 by LeslieM

The holiday season is officially here! Thanksgiving is two weeks away, and it is the time when we are to reflect on all the things we are most thankful for. It is a time of friends and family getting together (eating, of course) and giving thanks. I believe that the Bible and history can speak for themselves on this subject. I want to share with you a quote. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, “We often forget the Source from which the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies come… No human wisdom hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God … I, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States … to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” The Bible has a lot to say about giving thanks and being thankful. What better source for us to turn to today. Let me share just a few scriptures on being thankful.

PSALMS 136:26

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.

NLT

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

16 Always be joyful.

17 Never stop praying.

18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

NLT

Thankfulness is an attitude. It is a condition of the heart. When we are truly grateful that should allow us to be happy, not just once a year at Thanksgiving, but all year long. If we are going to have an attitude of being thankful, then it must be something that we do all year long, not just one or two days out of the year. When we can do that, it will show in a joy that is very evident to ourselves and to others as well.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again Rejoice! We all have things that go wrong in our lives every day. If we learn to focus on the things we are thankful for, and not all the negative things in our lives, then we can begin to learn to be truly happy and content. This is something that should actually show in our outward actions and attitudes. God has blessed us and given us so many things to be thankful for that we should be full of joy and peace every day. Remember the things that God has saved you from and do not live in the past. Our everyday lives should show that we are thankful and grateful for all God has done for us. As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, remember the original spirit of the oldest of all American holidays — gratefulness to God. In the middle of all the hustle and bustle, take time to give thanks and praise to God for all the wonderful things in your life. Be happy!

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

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CLERGY CORNER: Physical exercise

Posted on 10 October 2013 by LeslieM

It is absolutely incredible to see how much money, time, energy and effort we spend just to look good and feel good about ourselves.

We tend to spend a lot of time and money trying to take care of our physical bodies and get healthy or even to stay healthy. In the United States, we spend $20 billion a year in the weight loss industry alone. This includes diet books, diet drugs and weight loss surgeries. There are 108 million people on diets in the United States every year, and they average four to five diet attempts each year. Eight-five percent of the customers in the weight loss industry are female. Anyone who has lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for five years will spend one hour every day on exercise. In 2009, in the United States, 220,000 people with morbid obesity had bariatric surgery, which reduces the size of the stomach, with the cost averaging $11,500 to $26,000. It is amazing the things we go through just to look better and, of course, ultimately feel better. Do not get me wrong, please; I am very happy that U.S. consumers have become more health conscious in the way they eat and exercise.

1 TIMOTHY 4:7-8

7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.

8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

NLT

We may try to fix the outside but if we don’t fix the inside we will never truly be happy and full of joy.

The Bible tells us that physical exercise is good, but spiritual exercise is better. It is a good thing to take better care of our physical bodies and to get in shape and make better eating choices, but we also need to make sure that we are not neglecting our spiritual life in the process.

MATTHEW

16:25-26

25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

NLT

There are many ways to take care of your spiritual life. You need to read your Bible every day because this will help you understand who God is, and what He wants you to do with your life and what He wants to do for your life. You need to pray and talk to God every day as though He was your best friend. Talk to God about everything that is going on in your life, even though He already knows. He will enjoy talking with you. You need to go to church and have corporate worship with others; that way you can encourage someone when they need a friend, and someone can encourage you when you need it. Make sure you take care of your body, but, even more importantly, make sure you take care of your spiritual life. God Bless.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor of Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Sources: John LaRosa of MarketData; National Weight Control Registry; American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery; Jo Piazza, author of “Celebrity Inc.: How Famous People Make Money;” http:// abcnews.go.com/Health/ 100-million-dieters-20-billion- weight-loss-industry/ story?id=16297197

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