I had the privilege of being able to go and see the fireworks at Deerfield Beach on the Fourth of July.

What a great time of year as we celebrate the independence of our country! I could not believe the number of people there at the beach to watch a fireworks show. I was really surprised because I thought it turned out to be one of the best fireworks shows in a very long time.

As we were walking back to our car, I began to calculate all the time and energy we had invested, along with thousands of others for some entertainment. We spent 15 minutes driving each way, 30 minutes walking each way, and 25 minutes being entertained.

I am not trying to say that there is anything wrong with being entertained because I absolutely loved the fireworks show and I was definitely entertained.

I guess it made me a little sad because we have an Easter sunrise service every year and we are always trying to find ways to get people to attend this wonderful celebration. I believe that it comes down to having a relationship with God and getting to know Him on a more personal level. Moses wanted to see God and have an encounter with Him, and, when Moses did this, he left God’s presence changed. When I am in church and spending time with God, I always leave changed and closer to God. What good does it do if we say we are friends with God and then not spend any time with Him? When people leave the sunrise service on Easter morning, they leave changed because they have had an encounter with God.

When I left the fireworks display on the 4th of July, I felt entertained. I felt good because it made me happy and kept my attention, but that was it.

When we left the fireworks show, it was over until next year.

When we have an encounter with God, we will leave His presence changed for good if we choose. Jacob had an encounter with God and he had a limp for the rest of his life as a reminder that he would be forever changed. It is nice to be entertained and have a good time, but it is even better to spend time with God and leave with something that you will never forget.

Sometimes, God will encourage us when we are down, love us when we are sad, hold us when we are hurting or even correct us when we make mistakes. No matter what the encounter, I always leave God’s presence with something I need.

The fireworks were great, but they did not help me with anything going on in my life. God wants to help you and encourage you, but you have to look for Him.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor of Christian Love Fellowship Church

It is upon us whether we like it or not. That’s right, summer is here! Summer brings so many thoughts and ideas it can actually be overwhelming if we are not careful.

To me, summer is laid back, easy going, children home from school and vacation time all rolled into one fun time.

It is always good to rest and relax. We must learn how to rest our minds as well as our bodies. Vacation is a wonderful thing, and I am looking forward to our summer vacation this year. I really have learned to enjoy my time off and just have a good time.

Your whole life is not supposed to be one big party, but I have always believed in’ work hard and play hard.’ I have found that it does wonders for you physically, mentally and emotionally. So, with all the signs pointing to summer and relaxation, I did something that may seem a little crazy.

I made a decision for my life that I want to share with you. Like so many others today, I have decided to go back to school. I received my B.A. in Pastoral Ministry from South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary, which is right here in Deerfield Beach. I am going to pursue a Master of Divinity degree. So I called my old school and began the process of reenrolling in college.

I believe that we all need to have the attitude that there is always something to learn. After that, I began to think, am I the teacher or the student? I teach and preach to people every week in church and I love it. However, if I could learn more, I could improve myself and also be better equipped to do what I love – help people. Knowledge is good and we all need to makesure we are continually learning with every opportunity we get, but it’s the wisdom that we need to go along with the knowledge. We can know the information, but God wants to help us with the application and give us His wisdom.

Titus 2:12

12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. NLT

James 1:5

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. NLT

With God’s wisdom and understanding, it becomes easier for us to do what He wants in our lives. I did not say it was easy to always do the right thing and make the right decisions, but, with God, it sure is easier.

So does that make me the teacher or the student? I believe I need to be both teacher and student. We should always be learning to improve ourselves and our knowledge, but we should always be teaching and helping others.

Be a constant student always learning and growing, but make sure you are passing your knowledge and wisdom to others as well.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Are you ready for Mother’s Day? It’s almost here; don’t drag your feet. I know it’s a few days early, but I wanted the opportunity to give the ladies the honor they deserve.

For you history buffs, let me fill you in on some of the Mother’s Day details. Mother’s Day in the U.S.A. started long ago when Anna Jarvis organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her Appalachian community. She called it “Mother’s Work Day.”

When she died in 1905, her daughter began a campaign to memorialize her mom. In 1914, Anna, the daughter named after her mother, saw her hard work pay off when President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday. Today, the second Sunday of May has become the most “dined out” day of the year and telephone companies record their highest volume of calls. The flower and candy businesses are not bad either. Oh, let us not forget about “the card.”

2 TIMOTHY 1:5

5 “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”

NIV

You are important and you will leave a mark on this earth. It’s up to you as to what you leave behind and pass on. All throughout the Bible, women have played an incredible role in the plan of God. We see women being used by God in amazing ways, helping to fulfill His divine plan. Women have always played a key role in God’s plan, and I want to make sure that we never lose sight of how important they are to all of us. Take the time to thank the women in your life who have helped shape you into the person you are today.

PROVERBS 31:10

10 “A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman — who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.”

AMP

What’s the most important Mother’s Day ever? This one! Oh, I am sure you can recount some very special Mother’s Days — but the one you observe this year should be the best ever. Also, make sure your kids do the right thing. Honor the special ladies in your lives by recognizing the valuable contribution they make at church, as well as at home. It’s not easy being a wife, mother, churchwoman, bread-winner, homemaker, taxi driver—you name it! Let her know how you feel.

If I can speak to moms in particular and women in general on behalf of the husbands, fathers, brothers and sons today, I would like to say this.

The music of your life is beautiful. You are a beautiful flower with delicate petals and a wonderful fragrance. We envy the relationship that you have with our children and grandchildren. God created you beautiful in the depth of your being, and it is that beauty that draws us to you. We praise God for you and thank God for you, even though we don’t tell you nearly as much as we should.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Do you ever get tired, weary, or just worn out? I think we all go through times in life where we are just beat up and beat down. I guess then the question would be, what in the world do we do in order to get through those tough times without having a nervous breakdown?

If you ask anyone from our church, they should all know that I say often, “NEVER GIVE UP – NEVER GIVE IN – NEVER QUIT.” This is one of those things in life that we have to remind ourselves of every day and even sometimes more than one time in the same day.

GALATIANS 6:9, NLT

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.

I believe we need to simply trust God even more with our lives and that includes the things that wear us down. We need to talk to Him about everything. We also need to learn how to rest and have fun.

Sometimes, life is tough and hard, so if we are going to work hard, then we need to play hard. We need to find things that help us to have fun and relax. Enjoying a hobby or sports activity is not a sin; it will actually help you deal with issues when you are fully relaxed and rested. Lastly, we need to let things go that we have no control over. I shared a story with you a couple years back, and it is very fitting with this story, so I wanted to share it again.

The Donkey

One day, a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours, as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. So, he invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.

Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest well, just by not stopping and by never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up! Always remember, you WIN! When you are resting and trusting God, then He is working.

I recently had the privilege of going to Honduras for a mission trip. My sister is a missionary and works at a school as a fifth grade teacher. The school is Rancho Ebenezer and is run through World Gospel Outreach. It has always been a dream of hers to do missionary work and she was at a point in her life where her dream came true. I went there with her son (my nephew) and my 14-year-old son. I wanted my son to go and see how spoiled he really is. (Well, that was my dream).

I went thinking I was going to help them work on their facility and be a blessing to them. God has a funny way of always turning things around in my life. We did have a chance to help and do some repairs at their facility. We did some electrical work and replaced some old light fixtures with new ones in the houses where the staff and the children live. We also were able to do some plumbing repairs and replace old leaky faucets, fix toilets and repair leaking drains. We even had time to repair five or six bikes for the children who live on the ranch.

MATTHEW 28:19-20

19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

20 “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

NLT

When we got there, and began to walk around and meet everyone and see what they do there at their facility, I got thoroughly blessed by what I observed. I saw people who serve others selflessly because of the faith that they have in their God. When our faith is in God, and not in other people or in things we own, great things will happen in our lives. God will never let us down, even though other people will. I saw people working together because they believed in what they were doing and they also knew why they were doing it. I saw people working together to accomplish a mission with no personal agenda in mind. The school and the facility there in Honduras is run on donations, so they really need to trust God for all their needs.

I was encouraged by the faith I saw and it reminded me that we all can have great faith. I want to encourage you not to just have faith, but I want to encourage you to have faith in God. We need to trust God and know that the Bible is truth. Every promise we find in His Word is true and every promise is ours for the asking. We are so spoiled here in America. We need to stay strong and trust that God will do great things in our lives, but they will be on His terms, not ours.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

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

Wow! Another year has passed so quickly yet again. I don’t know about you but when the New Year rolls around, I will begin to think about preparing my taxes and collecting all the information that I am going to need. Every year, you have to do the same things and collect the same information over and over again. It is one of those things in life that we just have to do and there is no way around it. Every year, we have to take the task of evaluating our finances and give an account to the IRS so they make sure that they get their share. It seems like a constant evaluation process that we must do no matter what, or face the consequences of fees and fines.

This is, of course, the time of year when we evaluate our lives and make our New Year’s resolutions. I do not like New Year’s resolutions because we just do not keep them and follow through. Statistics show that of the ones who actually make a New Year resolution, only 3 percent will keep it … so chances are that you are one of the 97 percent. Let’s face it, if you did not want to do something all year long, what makes you think you will do it now? When we make a New Year’s resolution, we tend to look at the negative things in our lives that we do not like, and we want to change to make them better. I believe that there are things in our lives that we should change and make better. What if you tried something different and, instead of looking at the negative things in your life from last year, you focused on the positive things that happened to you, your friends and your family? We focus too much on the negative things in life all the time when the good things really outweigh the bad. When we focus too much on the bad things, they will appear to be larger than they really are. We can focus more on the good and positive things, and make the bad and negative things seem smaller instead.

PHILIPPIANS 4:8

8: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” NLT

Why is it easier for us to repeat the negative things in our lives than it is for us to repeat and tell everyone about the positive things that happen? We need to make an effort to let the bad things go and to forgive and be grateful for the good things that happen to us. If you can change your attitude about your life, then maybe your life will be a whole lot better. It is too easy to be negative and bitter; lots of people do that already. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Thank God for what you have, and do not focus on what you do not. Be blessed and be positive.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

You are preparing your Christmas shopping list, the cookies, and your time to accommodate all the activities you want to participate in. Do not forget the lights, tree, decorations, presents or wrapping paper . Do not forget all the planning, inviting guests, grocery shopping and cooking that you have to do. We prepare for Christmas, but do we actually prepare for the Christ of Christmas? Let me assure you that Jesus is more interested in how you prepare yourself for Christmas than He is in all of your other Christmas preparations.

God wants the most powerful impact of this Christmas to be the one He makes on your heart.

Let me ask you again, are you ready? Are you prepared for the coming of the King? Are you prepared for Christmas and Christ? How are you preparing your heart for Christmas? How are you preparing your life for Christ? Evaluate what the meaning of Christmas makes in your daily planner, your checkbook, your family, your marriage, your friendships and your spiritual growth.

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 we love by living for Christ 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 choice. When we do things the way God wants, and not by our own way or by our own plan, 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.

People will try to tell you how to celebrate Christmas but don’t let it happen. Make sure you wish someone a Merry Christmas every chance you get. May God bless you this holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

Are you a complainer or a thankful person? You cannot be both, so you must be one or the other. Every group seems to have one complainer who everyone tries to avoid. If you do not have a complainer in your group, then it is probably you! Which do you think God wants you to be? Take a few minutes and write down the things you are most thankful for on a sheet of paper or index card. The reason why I want you to write them down is so you can go back and look at it, to remember what God has done in your life. So when things do not go right, instead of feeling down in the dumps, we could look back at what God has done for us. We tend to forget all that He has done for us.

1THESSALONIANS 5:18

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

Right in the middle of whatever challenges you are facing, you need to be a person who gives thanks. I know that it doesn’t seem to make sense sometimes when we are going through very difficult circumstances, to say, “Thank you, Lord, for these difficult circumstances in my life,” when we really wish God would just fix it and make it go away. Instead of complaining about our situation, we need to look back over the year on how God has worked on our behalf and start to thank Him, knowing that He is bigger than all our circumstances and will help us through them all.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6

6: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. NLT

Thankfulness is an attitude. It is a condition of the heart. What kind of condition is your heart in, not just this Thanksgiving, but year-round? If we are going to have an attitude of being thankful, then it must be something we do all year long and not just one or two days out of the year.

We need to have an attitude of gratitude.

PSALMS 100:4

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. NLT

This is a Psalm of Thanksgiving and refers to a public acknowledgement of God. 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.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino is pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Laughter can be the best medicine. It won’t cost you anything, and it is one of the purest forms of medicine on the market. In times of doubt, hold on to the promises God has given you in the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When we have God in our lives, these character traits can grow in us.

PROVERBS 17:22

22 A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. AMP

PSALMS 30:11-12

11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!

NLT

In 1998, Universal Studios released a movie entitled Patch Adams, named for the man whose story it tells. If you saw the movie, you may recall that Adams chose to go back to school late in life because he wanted to help people. His only roadblock was the system. One thing he felt was necessary for the recovery of his patients was laughter – a sound often missing from the halls of hospitals around the world. He brought a personal touch and smile to patients, many of whom were dying.

It’s been over 40 years since Patch Adams founded Gesundheit, the hospital, and it still prides itself on fun. Besides offering free healthcare, two main elements of its vision are:

• All patients are treated as friends.

• The healthcare experience is infused with fun.

Job 8:21

21 God will let you laugh again; you’ll raise the roof with shouts of joy, (The Message Bible)

It sometimes can seem impossible to laugh when someone is sick, or unthinkable to joke if bad news comes our way.

Laughter offers more than a distraction from the pain. It offers healing and revitalizing medicine for our souls. In fact, laughter has been found to medically decrease stress, strengthen the immune system, relax the muscles, benefit the heart and lungs, and decrease pain by releasing endorphins which produce a sense of general well-being. Laughter is a gift from God for our souls.

As the proverbs states, laughter is good medicine, healing and rejuvenating. I, for one, am thankful that grief is not a permanent condition. A cheerful and positive outlook can make a world of difference in the most difficult situations. God can always bring joy out of tragedy and exchange mourning for laughter. It’s not always easy to smile when things are tough, but we can have a joyful heart. Even Paul, when he was in jail, found joy in his sufferings, because he trusted in the Lord and knew the best was yet to come.

Find your joy. Take your medicine … because the best is yet to come

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church