Be Still

Posted on June 28, 2016 by billtonnis

sunset_harbor

Your soul is always safe and sound.

Listen to the song:  “I Will Give You Rest”

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Matthew 8:24-26
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.

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We all experience rough seas in our lives.

But during these times…there is always a safe harbor…deep inside us.

Jesus knew that nothing could disturb the inner calm of his soul. It could not be harmed by circumstances that will not last.

Most of us are control freaks. That’s why we freak-out so much when we encounter storms that we cannot control.

But Jesus’ message to his followers was to trust in a higher power when those storms popped up. That is when our faith can be nurtured and strengthened as we admit that we are not in control.

Jesus constantly told his followers: “Do not be afraid.”

God’s unconditional love for us never changes.

It is only in those times of turmoil when we can truly experience what faith is and allow it to transform us.

Cultivate a calm interior by setting aside times of quiet meditation or contemplative prayer. Then even when storms engulf you…inner calm will remain.

What are the storms that are raging in your life?

Have faith! Jesus invites you to rest in his care and peace which is always available…in each moment.

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Listen to the song of the day “I Will Give You Rest” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Way of Life

Posted on June 27, 2016 by billtonnis

love_Jesus

Being Christian means more than going to church on Sunday.

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Matthew 8:21-22

Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

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Jesus often used exaggeration to make a point.

This is an example of hyperbole.

Jesus wanted to grab his listeners with this rather blunt and seemingly cold comment.

Responsibility to your family was of utmost importance to Jesus…after all, it is a commandment (“Honor your father and your mother”). So the above scripture is not meant to be taken literally.

What Jesus wanted to make clear was that following him would demand sacrifice…and it would be costly.

He promised that it would get you persecuted.

“Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me” (Matthew 5:11).

When you join those who are discarded…when you join those who are deemed sinners…when you hang out with the “wrong” crowd…those in the “in” crowd will look down upon you.

When you stand up for those without power…those with the power will try to get rid of you.

But the payoff for following Jesus…or the way of Jesus…is experiencing a taste of what he called the “kingdom of God.”

Practicing love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and seeking justice for all…will get you in synergy with the Creative Flow of the Universe.

In the process you will experience deep inner peace and joy…and you will discover your “true self.”

What could be more important that?

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Listen to the song of the day “I Want to Follow You” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Born Again

Posted on June 24, 2016 by billtonnis

nature_flower_grow

The awakening of your true self will feel like dying and rising.

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Luke 1:80

“The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.”

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The desert is not fun…but necessary.

Today’s passage comes from the account of the birth of John the Baptist. Many believed John was destined to do something great…but it took years of being in the desert to manifest his calling.

Each moment was part of the “birthing process” of his true self.

It’s easy to feel impatient when we are having a “desert” experience…wandering…not sure where it’s leading. It’s a struggle.

Many succumb by numbing their spiritual yearnings with various addictions.

Many mistakenly think something physical will satisfy their soul’s cry. For others…worldly attractions distract them from their soul’s desires…and they never even enter the desert.

But just like the Israelites were led through the desert to freedom…we, too, need the desert experience.

This is usually second-half-of-life stuff…but it can happen earlier for those who are ready. It starts when all the old answers no longer satisfy or even make sense anymore.

The desert experience can feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you! But if you persevere and keep trusting in God after taking three steps forward and two steps back…one day you will look back at what has transpired and see how your life has been transformed.

You will then see how faithful God has been…even when you were not.

What will be your “manifestation” of God’s unconditional love to the world?

Letting go of your ego and entering the desert…is the only way for your true self to emerge.

Has this…or is this happening in your life?

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Listen to the song of the day “Singing My Song” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Love Transforms

Posted on June 23, 2016 by billtonnis

amazing_sky_tree_ocean

When we act with compassion…we experience a taste of the Divine.

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Matthew 7:21

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

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This is not a threat about eternal punishment! It’s a simple statement of truth.

Remember…if God is love then there is nothing to fear.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

Jesus would alternately use the phrases “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God.”

He would sometimes say that the kingdom of God “is at hand.” (Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:17)

When a scribe who questioned Jesus understood that the greatest Commandments were to love God and your neighbor as yourself…Jesus said that he was “not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:34)

The kingdom of God could break into the present moment whenever someone loved God, neighbor and self. In other words, whenever someone did the will of God.

A person can go to church, do rituals, say prayers and repeatedly utter words like “Lord, Lord”…but if that person isn’t also living the gospel…being Jesus’ hands and feet in the world…doing the will of God…carrying out acts of love…then he or she is not entering…or experiencing…the kingdom of God.

It’s the simple truth!

Experiencing the kingdom of God requires both faith and action…which will only happen by way of a transformed heart.

And for that to happen…many times it will require that you go through a painful struggle so you can truly experience God’s unconditional love and mercy.

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Listen to the song of the day “Changed” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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God Centered

Posted on June 22, 2016 by billtonnis

clouds_sun

Let Love lead you.

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Psalm 119:36-37

Direct my heart toward your decrees and away from unjust gain. Avert my eyes from what is worthless; by your way give me life.

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Who is at the center of my existence?

Is it God…or is it me?

The truth is that God is at the center of our existence…but we have a choice to live from that truth or not.

If my ego remains in charge…I am living out of the delusion that everything revolves around me and my desires.

When God is at the center of my life…then my main motivation is “love” since God is love (1 John 4:8).

My ego must surrender control.

Our egos seldom willingly “let go and let God.” It usually happens through great love or great suffering. The other way is to practice letting go. Regular contemplative prayer or meditation is needed.

Another help is to follow Jesus who said he was “the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus demonstrates the path of “letting go” in his ministry and death. This path leads to resurrection and new life.

Jesus said that the greatest two commandments are to love God with your whole heart, mind and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).

If love was at the center of my motivation…then I would turn away from unjust gain…and avert my eyes from what is worthless.

I truly would have life to the full.

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Listen to the song of the day “You’ll Lead Me” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Great Awakening

Posted on June 21, 2016 by billtonnis

tunnel_light

Letting go of attachments leads to inner peace.

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Matthew 7:14

“How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.”

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Freedom is wonderful…but sometimes it causes us to be shackled in the chains of unlimited choices.

With so many choices it can lead to “egos gone wild.” If your ego is in charge…no amount of power, prestige or possessions will be enough to satisfy.

What gives you life?

What is it that truly gives you inner joy, contentment and peace?

What are the many things that you need to say no to…so you can say yes to the one thing that will set you free?

We are attached to many things. One exercise in letting them go is the practice of “presence.”

Simply sit in silence. Let your mind be still.

Listen to God’s silent voice in your heart…then go where it leads you.

Take one step at a time on the narrow path to freedom.

On the road less traveled is where you will find God. And in that process…you will discover your true self.

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Listen to the song of the day “Take the Road Less Traveled” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Love Unites

Posted on June 20, 2016 by billtonnis

bridge_unity

Build bridges…not walls.

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Matthew 7:1-2

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.”

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Jesus tells us that before we notice the “splinter” in our neighbor’s eye…we should attend to the “wooden beam” in our own.

While I have to laugh at the humor in that statement…I am also amazed at the keen insight. How often do I look at everything in my line of vision and simply judge what’s good and what’s bad, what’s in and what’s out…with me as the all-knowing judge? How tainted is my vision by misperceptions and lack of information and wisdom?

Jesus says each of us has more than enough obstacles in our eyes to cloud our vision…so we’d best focus our attention on our own improvement before focusing on someone else’s.

Instead of rejecting people we disagree with…what if we tried to figure out how to remain in relationship with them and attempt to dialogue about our differences?

The fact is…there are no divisions in God’s eyes.

Everything is included.

Jesus commanded us to love our enemies…for God “makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

Our Creator loves each person exactly the same…faults included!

God made each of us flawed…with areas of brokenness. That isn’t so God can then judge us as unworthy…but so we can come to know God’s love and mercy.

Our broken places are where we truly encounter God’s unconditional love. Those places then become sacred places of transformation and growth.

How are you being called to share this unconditional love with someone today?

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Listen to the song of the day “Mercy Reigns” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Spiritual Wealth

Posted on June 17, 2016 by billtonnis

blue_sky_stars

Are you living your life from an eternal perspective?

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Matthew 6-21

“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

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What is your “treasure”?

Is it found in material things or is it found in spiritual things?

There is nothing wrong with material things in themselves…but only in our attachment to them.

Jesus said it was hard for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God…because when you have lots of material things…it is very difficult to not be attached to them.

The kingdom of God is a state of being when you are in the flow of love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion. You freely share this flow with others and all of creation.

In the kingdom of God…you lack nothing.

God is offering it to you now. It’s free with no strings attached.

Material treasures…all worldly treasures of power, prestige and possessions…will all decay.

Spiritual treasures never end.

They lead you into the kingdom of God…both now and forever.

To which are you giving your heart?

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Listen to the song of the day “You’ll Lead Me” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Your True Self

Posted on June 16, 2016 by billtonnis

seagull_flying

Let go of your attachments…and live.

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Psalm 97:7

All who serve idols are put to shame, who glory in worthless things.

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What are the things of “worth” in your life?

What things do you assign a high value?

Do any of these things last?

Do any of these things have eternal value?

It seems our culture glories in many things that are illusions. They are the things of power, prestige, appearance and possessions.

They will all eventually disintegrate.

What are the things that I glory in that at the end of the day…are truly worthless?

I believe God gives us all kinds of things to enjoy as long as we always remember that God is the giver of those things.

We are not meant to glory in the things…but in the Giver of the things.

A good test for each of us would be to look at any power, prestige or possession that we have (any enjoyment) and ask ourselves: Am I letting this thing define me?

Could I simply let go of this…if God asked me to?

Is this thing blocking me from my life-giving, Divine Source?

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Listen to the song of the day “Listen to Your Heart” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Sanctuary

Posted on June 15, 2016 by billtonnis

candles_meditation

Stop. Rest. Be. You are loved as your are.

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Matthew 6:6

“But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

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The instruction Jesus gives us on how to pray is largely ignored.

Instead, we’ve been instructed to recite written prayers to God.

But Jesus himself told his followers to spend time with God in “your inner room.”

In the next verse he tells his followers to “not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.” Jesus goes on to say that God “knows what you need before you ask him.”

Jesus seems to be telling us to spend quiet time with God…and simply be present to the Divine Presence.

Following Jesus is about experiencing the Paschal Mystery. It is about experiencing Christ’s “dying and rising”…death leading to new life…in our daily lives.

One way to “die to yourself” is to practice contemplative prayer…sitting in quiet…turning off the noise…letting go of your ego…letting go of your incessant thoughts…and simply be.

Allow God to commune with you…and you will most assuredly begin to experience new life…right now.

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Listen to the song of the day “Turn Off the Noise” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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