Something we all do every day is fail God. Even though it is the goal of every follower of God to live our lives perfectly as He did, the Bible tells us that we all sin and fall short of God’s glory. It also says that if we say we don’t sin, we are a liar. So accepting the fact that we all fail God at times, I want to focus on how we respond when we fail. Listen to me closely; you will never be able to live this life victoriously until you learn the proper response when you fail God.

The most important thing you can do when you fail is to accept responsibility for your actions. We are masters at blaming others when we fail. Man has not really changed since the Garden of Eden. When Adam failed, he blamed Eve. When God confronted Eve with her failure, she blamed the serpent. When you take responsibility for your failure, you become sorry for letting God down and go to Him with a broken heart asking for forgiveness.

None of us is immune from sin. That is why God gives us His special promise in 1 John 1:9. It tells us if we will confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We must trust His Word, know He has forgiven us and move on to fulfill our purpose of serving and glorifying God with our lives. We are no good to God when we allow our sin to strangle us and to paralyze us.

The devil loves to use our sin against us, to hold it over our head. However, the Bible says that when God forgives us, He not only forgives, but also forgets. If God forgets, then we need to as well so that we can move forward and live victorious, productive lives for the Kingdom. Jesus tells us in John 8:44 that Satan is a liar, that he is the father of lies. When he speaks, he speaks his native language, lying. One of the lies of the devil is to use your sin against you, to tell you that you are no good. He will tell you that you are not worthy of God’s love and grace.

We try our best each day to live like Jesus. We are all faced with the temptations of this world. We are all faced with the traps the enemy lays for us. From time to time, we all fall into sin.

How we respond to our sin is critical. Running from God is a natural response, but the wrong one. We quit reading the Bible, quit praying, quit going to church, which makes us an even bigger target for the enemy. Instead of running away from God, we must run to God, accept responsibility for our actions, and have the guts to say, “I sinned.”

What I want you to understand today is not if we sin, but when we sin, what our response must be. When you fail, you must accept responsibility for your sins and ask God for forgiveness, and move forward with your life.

God has much for you to do. He has a great plan for your life. Let me assure you today that He loves you. Whatever you may have done doesn’t change that. Our failure does not change God’s love for us!

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.

Since 1992, the month of October has been Clergy Appreciation Month. It is designed for us to encourage and thank the religious leaders in our lives. We should let our Pastors know that we love and support them. Also, let them know why we appreciate their hard work and labor of love. We tend to always hear about all the Ministers that mess up or make a mistake, but we don’t hear much at all about all the good things that are happening in churches across the country. Pastors are saving lives, helping families, feeding the poor, and helping hurting people with God’s help. The scriptures I have here are ones that we really need to take to heart. We need to listen to all of God’s Word.

HEBREWS 13:7

7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

NLT

The Ministry provided by Pastors and their families is very unique. God has chosen them to watch over His children and take care of the spiritual well-being of their congregation.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-13

12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.

13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

NLT

When a Pastor becomes worn down and worn out, the very souls of his flock are at risk.  Pastors and their families live under unbelievable stress and strain. Their lives are played out in a glass house, with the whole congregation and the public scrutinizing their every move. They are expected to have model families, to be wonderful people, to always be on hand, to never have problems, and to have all the answers we need to keep our own lives on track. These are impractical expectations to place on anyone; yet most of us are let down when a pastor becomes overwhelmed, seems sad, lets us down, or totally burns out.  That is why God teaches us to recognize His servants.

1 TIMOTHY 5:17

17 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.

NLT

The good news is that we can make a difference! Clergy Appreciation Month is one way we can return the favor and encourage our spiritual leaders and let them know that we care about them. There are four easy ways to help your pastors and their families feel appreciated: (1) Buy them a card. (2) Bless them with a gift card to a restaurant, movie theatre or department store. (3) Share with them, in writing, how much they have blessed you and your family. (4) Encourage others to do the same.

Show appreciation and honor your Pastor and his family this year. It will encourage them more than you ever may realize.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

A man ventured off on a quest to seek out the most fabled of all Seers. The journey was a difficult trek and took a good deal of time, but the man did not give up. And one day, he finally came across the “Great One,” the Seer of all Seers … the Sage of all Sages … the Wisest of the Wise.

“Great Seer, how does one become wise?”

The Seer answered, “From making good choices.”

“But Great Seer, how does one learn to make good choices?”

The Seer patiently answered, “Through experience.”

“But Great Seer, how does one gain experience?”

To which the Seer replied, “Through bad choices.”

A colleague of mine shared this story with me just before the beginning of the High Holy Day Season, and I loved the message found within this lovely parable. No matter how perfect you think you are … no matter how much wiser you think you are than someone else, I can assure you of one thing – over the course of this past year, you have made some bad choices. The question on Yom Kippur is – did you learn from those bad choices … or, will you just keep making the same mistakes over and over again in the New Year ahead?

I saw a woman at the Rehab Center the other day. I remembered her from her last stay in the facility. It wasn’t all that long ago and so, I asked her, “What are you doing back here so soon? What happened?”

She let me know that she had gotten up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and she had fallen and, from that fall, she wound up with a broken hip. I asked her about the walker that she had gone home with. She told me, “Rabbi, it was only a few steps from my bed to the bathroom and I figured I can make a few steps without any problem.”

And that is when I asked her the question that I find myself asking people so often in my Chaplaincy. I asked her, “What did you learn from this?” Sadly, she did not have an immediate answer, so, after what I considered to be an appropriate amount of time, I decided to help her. I said, “Well, hopefully you learned two things. First, you learned to follow the advice of your therapist to use your walker even if you only have a few steps to take.”

She nodded in agreement and then asked what the second thing was. My answer … “Well, you learned that falling doesn’t hurt at all … LANDING … now that’s a different story. LANDING can hurt a lot. It can even break a hip.”

And with that, I asked her one more time, “So, what did you learn from this ‘grasshopper?’”

And I loved her answer.

She said, “You’ve got to learn how to LAND before you take a FALL; better yet, don’t take a fall at all.” What a wise woman! She had learned from her mistake and, G-d willing, next time she will prove to be much wiser and use her walker … even if it is only a few steps that she wishes to take.

Shalom, my friends, and may we all be wise enough not to repeat the mistakes of the past year.

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County. 

My wife and I spent about 10 years living in Argentina.  During that time we learned a great deal about the language and culture of Argentina.  Some things we did not like, and some we did.

One of the things we absolutely love about the Argentine culture is the Argentine Asado. Some would translate that as “barbecue” but it is so much more. An Asado is an event that brings people together. It’s so much more that just preparing a meal and sitting down to eat together. We used to have Asados almost every Sunday at our house.  Our neighbors, who now are more like family, would come over at about 10 in the morning.  First myself and my friend Juan would start the fire, and while we were starting the fire, Beth and Juan’s wife, Silvia, would prepare the salad and drinks.  While the coals were getting hot, we would prepare the meat, and nothing compares to Argentine beef.  To prepare properly an Argentine Asado, it takes about 3 hours.  During that time Juan, his son Nahuel, and my son Samuel, would talk, and, through these Asados, our relationship grew from one of neighborly friendship to family. I actually refer to the Gonzales family as our Argentine family. When the meat was almost done, we would prepare the table and sit down to a feast. The conversation would continue as we ate, and then long after we were done eating, as we sat around the table, satisfied by the wonderful meal we had all prepared and enjoyed. These little events happen all over Argentina on a daily basis.  Everyone looks for any excuse to have an Asado.  My soccer team would meet twice a month for an Asado. We would say it was important to get together to talk strategy, but in the four hours we spent together, we rarely talked strategy.

Last week, my son Isaiah prayed to receive Christ.  My wife described to him that Heaven is like a big Asado, where all your friends and family sit around the table, enjoying each other’s company.  In Matthew 7:21-23 it says this, ”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father, who is in heaven, will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

What I believe these verses mean is that not everyone is going to be at the big Asado.  God has given us an invitation. Matt. 11:28  says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The invitation is to cast your burdens on Him, and one day, sit down at a big table filled with friends and enjoy the best Asado ever.  Have you accepted the invitation?

Deron Peterson is is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach.

A friend of mine called to ask a question about Tisha B’Av, which fell this year on the 9th of August. It is a very sad day in the history of the Jewish People. It is a day on which many calamities have occurred. It seems my friend went to two Synagogues on Tisha B’Av. In one, the people were fasting and observing many of the customs that made it appear that they were in the midst of mourning. But in the other Temple, there were people who were dancing and singing; two different groups … each observing a very special day of the year in very different ways.

One would hope that they would permit each other to observe in their own way in peace and harmony, but alas, that is not the reality in which we live.

And so it was that a member of one Temple ran into a member from the other, and, sure enough, they got into an argument. One argued that the day should be marked by weeping and sorrow, and the other argued that it should be a day to dance in joy.

Before long, the two men … two brothers of the same faith … began to exchange more than words with one another. I doubt that anyone could have convinced either one of them that there might be more than one way to observe the day. But, what they were doing was exactly why the Sages say the Temple was destroyed in the first place. It was destroyed by senseless hatred between brothers and sisters of faith.

As I recall from my youth, there is a tale of two great Sages who, upon looking at the destruction of the Temple, one began to weep and the other to dance. Each was confused as to how the other could react so differently to the very same thing.

One wept because he felt the immediate pain of the destruction. The other danced because he saw the destruction as a sign of fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy and as assurance that the day would soon come when the Temple would be rebuilt and there would be peace throughout the world.

When I am called on to go to a family who has just experienced the loss of a loved one, it is not unusual to find that each member of the family is experiencing the passing of their loved one differently.

One may be weeping at the pain of loss. Another might be feeling relief and, dare I say it, a form of joy in the fact that their loved one is no longer in pain, that they are at peace.

I don’t know that either way of dealing with the loss is superior to the other. I only know that both are ways that we deal with loss and, as friends … as neighbors … as brethren … our job is to be there to comfort the mourner however their psychological makeup brings them to deal with their loss.

May we come to honor each other’s way of dealing with the loss of a loved one. Just as we would want others to respect the way we choose to grieve, may we be wise enough to honor another’s way.

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County. 

Not too long ago, I did a tongue in cheek column about health insurance. While the piece was supposed to focus on the outrageous prices and the difficulties of getting coverage, especially if you have a pre-existing condition, many people focused, instead, on my jokingly stated verbage about seeking a young bride to lower the cost of my insurance premiums.

Well, for many, my tongue in cheek style was more like a foot in the mouth piece. While I know that a large portion of readers out there understood what I was trying to do, there were many who simply did not get it. I was accused of being immoral, of being willing to break the law, of being a dirty old man and of hating America. To those naysayers, all I can say is: What happened to your sense of humor?

Once this story appeared in The Observer, it took off and went rather viral. First, it was picked up by one of my favorite columnist, Frank Cerabino of the Palm Beach Post. Next, it went to Kaiser Health and, from there, National Public Radio picked it up. Then, the local Fox and NBC affiliate TV Stations … and, I have been told that it even made an Israeli Paper.

There were a lot of nasty comments. Some were so bad that they were removed from various websites because they crossed the line of protocol … anti-Semitic comments, anti-Clergy comments.

Some accused me of being to the left and some accused me of being to the right. The truth of the matter is I have usually tried to stay clear of politics and politicians. But, I have often said that if you put the Congress and the Senate and their families onto an HMO plan for just six months, then we would see just how quickly major changes will be made in our healthcare.

Thank G-d there were those who focused on the issue at hand. There were those who shared touching stories … stories of single mothers who are not sure if the money they earn should go to pay the mortgage or their health insurance.

Many suggested to me that I look into the pre-existing condition plans, but you must be without insurance for six months before you can even apply and who knows how long it takes for the application to go through. If, G-d forbid, something happens during that time, you could be cleaned out and in debt for life.

My cardiologist, Dr. Lawrence Weinstein, read the story and called to tell me that, if the time comes that I have to drop my insurance, not to worry, he will continue to care for me and he will do so at no charge. That’s right, a heart doctor with a heart!

Of all the comments that I read, one from a woman named Trena, who I do not know, summed it up so well. She said, “He’s joking people. This is humor, not a serious quest for a wife. He’s making a statement about the health insurance insanity.”

Trena gets it, and I hope you are smart enough to get it, too.

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County. 

According to the United States Department of Labor, “the first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union, which held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later on Sept. 5, 1883.

In 1884, the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and, in 1885, Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Through the years, the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them, developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York Legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on Feb. 21, 1887. During the year, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York – created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade, Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and, on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

Labor Day … a great time to sit, relax, enjoy family and friends, and rest. In John 11:38-42, we have the story of Mary and Martha, who are often contrasted, as though each believer must make a choice: be a worker like Martha or a worshiper like Mary. We all have special gifts and talents and should use those talents to glorify God. It would seem from this story that, while labor is important, we need to have balance between work and time for worshiping God.

Consider Martha’s situation. She received Jesus into her home and then neglected Him as she prepared an elaborate meal that He did not need! It’s hard to believe that a seasoned hostess like Martha did not have everything in order in preparation for the Lord’s visit. What Martha did not realize is it is far more important what we do with Christ than it is what we do for Christ. Mary seemed to understand this balance and put this into practice when, after finishing her work, she had gone to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn from Him. Martha, feeling neglected, complains to the Lord, expecting Him to scold Mary for neglecting her work, as though she could care less about her responsibilities.

There are few things in the Christian life that are as damaging as trying to work for Christ without taking the time to commune with Christ. “For without Me, ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Mary chose the better part, the part that could not be taken from her. She knew that she could not live “by bread alone” (Matt. 4:4).

Instead of criticizing others and feeling self-pity for ourselves, maybe we should take time to examine our lives and see if, in all our busy schedules, we have neglected the Lord. The problem was not that Martha had too much work to do, but that all her work distracted her from what was really important in her life.

The key is to have the right priorities. Unless we spend time each day with Christ, we will soon end up like Martha, too busy and not blessed. If you are struggling, then let me ask you a question, how is your devotional life? The usual response is, “I can’t remember the last time I had a good quiet time or prayed.” And then, we wonder why we have problems! Don’t forget that just a few short verses earlier Christ said this, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you,” He said, “for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matt. 11:28-29).

Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Deron Peterson is is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach.

There was a heavy downpour the other day as we were in the midst of a service at one of the local health centers. At one point, the electricity went out for a minute and, while many people made a joke out of it, others were immediately worried and voiced concerns:
“What if the elevator doesn’t work?”
“What if we don’t get the air-conditioning back on? After all, the temperature is in the 90s outside.”
While the electricity was off, I posed the question if anyone had taken the time recently to thank G-d for the fact that we have an elevator to get up and down to the various floors and if anyone had taken the time (before the power went out) to thank G-d for the air-conditioning system, which keeps the place nice and comfortable in the midst of the brutal heat wave of recent weeks.
Fortunately, the power came back on rather quickly, but, I asked them to think about what they would have done if the power had not come back on. Many said they would stay in their rooms until the power was restored. Well, that might be fine if the power comes back on at some point in the day, but what if the power doesn’t get restored for several days? What then?
And without realizing it, we began an important dialogue on hurricane preparedness. Some of the people at the service have portable oxygen tanks. Others have to be hooked up to a machine three times a week for dialysis, so I had to ask if they knew what they would do and where they would go should a major storm like a hurricane kill all the electric power for a while.
We talked about what to do and we made a list of the many things we are blessed with that we often take for granted, and we thought about how we would survive if we did not have them in our lives.
Many people remembered things that they had read about … what you need to have around in case of a hurricane. Many had even been to seminars about it. People talked about the need to have a flashlight and extra batteries. People talked about the need to have bottled water. People talked about the need to have some food around that is easy to open and requires no refrigeration and no cooking.
The residents came up with just about everything one needed to have in preparation for a major storm and a major power failure. Everyone was listening. Everyone was participating. Everyone was paying attention.
And just before the end of the service, I decided I had a few more questions to ask …
“How many of you have extra water in your house?”
“How many of you have a flashlight and extra batteries?”
“How many of you have bottles of water?”
“How many of you have food that does not require refrigeration or cooking?”
“How many of you know where to go if you need special medical care?”
Amazingly, not one person could answer “yes” to any of these questions. Many said that someone else would take care of it for them, but who?
Hillel asked the question, “If I am not for myself who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And, if not now, when?”
It is time to prepare. Get what you need so you are covered. Cover for others who are unable to get the supplies they need, and remember, knowing what needs to be done … knowing what supplies you need doesn’t do any good unless you go out and purchase those things. Don’t delay. If not now….when?

Shalom My Friends,
Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County.

There might be a path you are traveling down in life that seems good, but the reality is that we may be headed for destruction because we are following ourselves (a man) instead of The Man.

I heard a sermon illustration once about a battleship that appeared to be on a collision course with another ship one foggy evening.

The battleship’s captain radioed to the unknown ship, “Advise you change course 20 degrees to avoid collision.”

Someone on a radio replied, “Advise you change course 20 degrees to avoid collision.”

The battleship’s captain was not amused. He radioed, “I am a ship’s captain. Change course 20 degrees now!”

Then came another reply, “I’m a seaman second-class and I advise you to change course 20 degrees now!”

The captain was furious, “This is a battleship! I order you to change course 20 degrees immediately!”

The seaman radioed back, “I am a lighthouse!”

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you just don’t want to budge on your position? Everyone is stubborn from time to time, but people who live a lifestyle of stubbornness are dangerous to their relationships with others and with God. When we are overly stubborn with others, we build walls that prevent relationships from growing – and when those walls are high enough, they actually cause relationships to die. In successful relationships, no one has their own way all of the time. Both in friendships and in family relationships, the one who is never willing to “change course” damages those relationships.

NEHEMIAH 9:29

You warned them to return to your Law, but they became proud and obstinate and disobeyed your commands. They did not follow your regulations, by which people will find life if only they obey. They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen.

NLT

God has been warning us over and over to listen to his word and not to ignore it. If we continue to ignore Him, we will be living with some things much longer than we would like to and possibly forever. When all is well, stop assuming that you had anything to do with it, you stubborn little goat. Stubbornness in our relationship with God works much the same way as stubbornness with friends and family. Being stubborn with God means that we really don’t want to please the Lord, but we want to “call our own shots” and determine our own course in life. God becomes the little pocket genie, “the magic lamp” we rub and ask for favors when we want something for ourselves. When we are stubborn with God, we push his rightful place in our life aside. Being stubborn with God is sin, plain and simple. When refusing to “change course,” we might well find ourselves, much like the battleship captain, on the verge of disaster. We may get what we want, but getting what we want can actually destroy us.

My challenge for you today, in relationships with people and with God, is that you be willing to give and be willing to “change course” if necessary, in order to build your relationships instead of tearing them down. Have you damaged relationships with people or with God by being stubborn? Will you have the courage to ask them for their forgiveness?

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

As I returned home from work the other day, I did what I always do … I stopped on the way up to my condo to pick up my mail. I started thumbing through and, in the midst of all the junk mail, I noticed an envelope that showed that my health insurance company, which has been wonderful, sent me my renewal rates.

I am on the small business guaranteed issue plan. When I first went on the plan, my wife of blessed memory, worked as my bookkeeper, and we were fortunate enough to get in as a two-person group. When she passed away, even as I dealt with my grief, I was concerned about my health insurance. Caring for my beloved wife had taken its toll on me and I was emotionally and physically exhausted. Fortunately, I was informed that, as I had been on the plan for quite some time, I would be grandfathered in at the two-person rate.

Now, please don’t get me wrong, the two-person rate was not exactly what you would call inexpensive. But I needed a good insurance plan and I stayed with it. This year, however, I was informed that I would be receiving rates based on a one-person group. Well, let me tell you something, when I saw the rate increase, I almost had a heart attack… So you might be wondering what the new rate is? Well, let me tell you, and before I do, remember that I am only 56. I do Zumba two to three times a week and I do ballroom and Latin dancing twice a week. It is true that I had bypass surgery within the past five years, but my cardiologist says that I am in better aerobic shape than most people my age. I don’t smoke and I don’t drink. So what is the new rate? Are you ready for this? $1,553.71, and that is not the yearly amount … no, that is what I am expected to pay each and every month to keep my health insuranc!

On top of this raise … since I hope to remarry again someday, I asked my agent what the rate would be if I had a wife whom I wanted to put on the plan. He said, “Double it.” For those of you who don’t feel up to doing the math in your heads, doubling it would meant I would be paying just under $40,000 dollars a year for health insurance premiums on a high deductible no less.

I needed to come up with a solution and fast. So I did a little research and found that the small business rate I get is based on the age of the owner of the company. So I thought about marrying a 21-year-old and making her the owner of the corporation, but let’s face it, 21 is a wee bit young for me.

So when I was at one of the health centers the other day, I walked over to the nurses’ station and announced that if any of them have good insurance and would like to get married that I am available. While they found the announcement amusing, the truth is that their response was … “Rabbi, we work in healthcare, we don’t have good insurance … you’re looking in the wrong place.”

So, dear readers, I now turn to you … and who knows … maybe this will get passed on to the national or international press … If any of you ladies out there have a good insurance plan and that plan entitles your husband to go on it for a reasonable (or at least, affordable) price, give some thought to the possibility of marrying me … a good insurance plan is all I ask … okay, there may be one or two other things I ask for, but, sadly, right now, insurance has become a top priority.

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring