Unmerited Forgiveness

Posted on August 16, 2012 by billtonnis

Ezekiel 16:62-63
For I will re-establish my covenant with you, that you may remember and be covered with confusion, and that you may be utterly silenced for shame when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord God.

God’s people constantly broke their covenant with God…time after time. We continue to do so. Each of us has turned away…probably many times. Yet despite this…God did not and does not reject us. Instead…God forgives! I believe that it is precisely the fact that we receive forgiveness when we don’t deserve it…that makes all the difference. We are not punished but loved by a Creator who can only love. And when we receive this unconditional love in return for our sinfulness…we are “covered with confusion” and “utterly silenced for shame.” We weep in the face of such unmerited Love. Our hearts are changed. This is the transformation we undergo as we gaze upon Jesus on the cross as He looks down upon those who have rejected Him and says, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). This is the forgiveness freely given…to you.

Suggested song of the day—“Come to Jesus” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Set Yourself Free

Posted on August 16, 2012 by billtonnis

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter approaching Jesus asked, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”

In effect Jesus tells us that the number of times we must forgive others is limitless. It is truly the key to our salvation…as in completion and wholeness. You cannot move freely into the freedom of the kingdom of God while shackled in the chains of grudges and resentments. Jesus showed us the importance of forgiveness in the prayer that He taught us…when He instructed us to pray, “Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us.” In the book, The Four Things that Matter Most, author Ira Byock writes, “It is wrong to think that people need to feel forgiveness in order to give forgiveness. Forgiveness is actually about emotional economics. It’s about a one-time cost that you pay to clear up years of compounded emotional pain.” “Refusing to forgive is a decision to remain in debt.” God’s forgiveness is freely given to you. Pay it forward. Forgive…and be free!

Suggested song of the day—“God’s Love Is All You Need” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Letting Go to Live

Posted on August 14, 2012 by billtonnis

Matthew 18:3-4
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus turns our culture inside out. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven is not the gold medal winner, the one who wins the trophy, the American Idol winner, the celebrity. No. The greatest in God’s kingdom is someone who humbles himself or herself like a child. And you really can’t attempt that…it has to be genuine. A child tends to live very keenly in the present moment. A child is open to the awe and wonder of the moment…in the simplest of things. This is the entrance way into the kingdom of heaven. It’s the place where all power, prestige and possessions are freely released so that the Divine Presence might be fully experienced. And the paradox is…when we do this…we actually find our true selves. As Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life”? (Matthew 16:24-26) How sad it would be to face death and not to have discovered who you were made to be! It’s never too late to change directions.

Suggested song of the day—“I Surrender” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Give Praise

Posted on August 13, 2012 by billtonnis

Psalm 148:11-13
You kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all who govern on earth; Young men and women too, old and young alike. Let them all praise the Lord’s name, for his name alone is exalted, majestic above earth and heaven.

Stop for a moment and consider all your blessings. Look back at your life and all the amazing, wonderful people who made a difference. Look at the blessings that surround you now…your senses are immersed in gifts from God. Each breath is a gift. While each of us has struggles…God never stops showering us with free gifts of love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion. God is so close to each of us. At our deepest core…our deepest essence…is God. Our Creator has loved each of us into existence and will never abandon us. How amazing is the One who made us!

Suggested song of the day—“How Wonderful to Me” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Transformative Journey

Posted on August 10, 2012 by billtonnis

John 12:26
“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.”

Being a Christian involves taking part in a transformative journey with Christ. Jesus didn’t just ask us to believe in Him…but to follow Him. Jesus lived His life in service. In order to follow Him…we, too, must live our lives in the service of others. That will mean letting go of self-centered, egocentric desires…and using our gifts and talents to help others. This will feel like dying…but paradoxically it will lead to more life than you can imagine…as well as finding your true self. As Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24).

Suggested song of the day—“I Want to Follow You” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Open Mind

Posted on August 9, 2012 by billtonnis

Matthew 16:23
“You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

We tend to base so much of our lives on our own ability to reason…and yet Jesus was quite clear in his response to Peter that our thinking can be far from God’s. Who would not have sided with Peter when he rejected Jesus’ prediction that He would suffer greatly at the hands of the religious leaders and be killed? But how else would God show us what true, unconditional love was? How else…but to be hated, persecuted, and crucified…and then to respond with loving forgiveness? This is not just some payment to “even the score” with God. This is a model which we are to follow…a model of life that will lead to transformation. It is the way in which the kingdom of God truly comes! Jesus is inviting us into a life-changing, life-transforming journey of self discovery and love. As St. Paul says, “Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Ephesians 4:23-24).

Suggested song of the day—“I Surrender” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Eternal Promise

Posted on August 8, 2012 by billtonnis

Jeremiah 31:3-4
With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you. Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt.

God did not make us imperfect in order to punish and condemn us for our imperfection. God made us imperfect so God could be with us in our imperfection…so that we could know true unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion…and be transformed in the process. If you look at the story of God’s people throughout the bible it is one example after another of us rejecting God…and God relentlessly pursuing and calling us back. Jesus showed us that God will go to any lengths to show us love in the face of rejection…and that love will win in the end. Our Loving Source will never stop working to restore and redeem us. This is Good News!

Suggested song of the day—“Salvation” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” link.
Have a blessed day!

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Step Out of the Boat

Posted on August 7, 2012 by billtonnis

Matthew 14:29-31
Jesus said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Is there something in your life now that is causing you to be anxious or fearful? Jesus walks amidst the troubling waves. He is the calm amidst the storm. He invites you to step out of the safety zone of the boat…where you might feel safe but are paralyzed to any real growth. Step out into the waves…but make sure you keep your eyes on Jesus. He invites you to “come.” The experience will lead you to growth and discovery of your true self. Should you falter…which is inevitable due to our humanity…Jesus will always catch you. He will do it time after time after time. Have faith! As Jesus told Peter, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). God will see you through to your completion and wholeness!

Suggested song of the day—“Come to Jesus” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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The Voice Within

Posted on August 6, 2012 by billtonnis

Mark 9:7
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

This is one of those major moments in the life of Jesus when Peter, James and John hear God’s voice giving them a powerful message. Jesus is the beloved Son of God…and they should listen to Him. As followers of Jesus…we also are to listen to Him. How do we do this? Spend some time in solitude reading Jesus’ words in the Gospels and then sit in silence and allow those words to speak to you in the depths of your heart. “Listen to him.” These are God’s words to us. Are you taking time to listen? If you do…you will be asked to make some changes…changes that can initially be unsettling…but will eventually lead you to new life, inner peace and your true self.

Suggested song of the day—“Listen to Your Heart” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Life Giving Words

Posted on July 27, 2012 by billtonnis

Matthew 13:22
“The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.”

Sometimes people think Jesus is irrelevant to their lives. But have they truly listened to His words and followed them? Could it be that they have bought into the ways of the world and so any alternative message is not welcome? For the words of Jesus to truly take root we must cultivate the soil of our hearts so the seeds can grow. What are some of the things we do that allow thorns to pollute our soil? To nourish the soil of our hearts will require setting aside some special time of silence to sit and read the words of Jesus. Allow the words to settle deep in your heart. This practice led to some drastic and difficult changes in my life…but ones that have led to great peace, inner joy and freedom. Why not set aside a few minutes for silent prayer today?

Suggested song of the day—“Turn Off the Noise” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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