One act of love can extinguish a firestorm of hate.

(Listen to my song “Pour Me Out” by clicking HERE)

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Matthew 17:22-23

As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief.

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When you stand up for Love in the face of hate…sometimes you pay a heavy price.

Witness what just happened in Charlottesville.

All the non-violent protesters of the hateful extremists were examples of Jesus. He, too, stood up to injustice with non-violence…and it led to his crucifixion.

Jesus’ followers believed he would be the long-awaited military Messiah that would lead them to freedom.

How devastated they must have been to hear him say that he would be killed!

God’s ways are not our ways.

Jesus would instead be the suffering servant Messiah to demonstrate that while the path of Love leads to persecution…it also leads to waves of good works.

It ushers in the kingdom of God.

Jesus showed us that the way to God’s kingdom…to true life…is through dying to your own desires…your ego’s cravings…emptying yourself so that God’s desires could rise in you.

In letting go of your ego-created false self…you find your true self.

This is the same way that God’s kingdom can break into the present. It led Jesus to call on those who held the power and wealth to care for those on the margins…the sick and poor. He called for the end of divisions.

Jesus knew, of course, that this would not be accepted by those who held the power and wealth in government and religion. They wanted divisions.

He knew that eventually this path would lead him to the cross.

Every step of the way…Jesus showed us that it is only through self-emptying love…dying to our ego…that we experience new life whether in our daily struggles or at the end of our earthly lives. 

We begin to experience heaven…all the way to heaven.

When we surrender ourselves to God’s purposes…amazing things happen.

Love triumphs over hate and new life overwhelms death every time.

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Listen to the song of the day “Pour Me Out” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!