Bill Tonnis Ministries

Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Everyone is looking for happiness…and in the Beatitudes Jesus gives us the blueprint for being happy. The very first line is the key to having life to the full. Cling to nothing! Do not hold on to anything so as to be attached or identified by it. At the same time…do not renounce those things. Be able to accept and enjoy the blessings God brings into your life and be able to let them go…passing them on to others. When we are not attached to things that don’t last…we will be open to experiencing the things that do last. We will be able to begin experiencing the kingdom of God. We will be able to begin experiencing the joy of becoming the unique, beloved children of God that God intended us to be. As it says in today’s second reading, “Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

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.
Have a blessed day!

Romans 11:32
For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

God purposely made us imperfect knowing that we would disobey…so that God could show us love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion. It is easy to love those who love you back…but what about those who don’t love you back? What about those who are hard to love because of their imperfections? What if that person…is you? Being a Christian is not being perfect but being in need of the Great Physician. It is when we experience the love and compassion of God in our imperfection that we can be transformed so that we can extend the same kind of love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion to others. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel reading, “When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you” (Luke 14:13-14). God is inviting you. Invite someone else as well!

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.
Have a blessed day!

Luke 6:12
In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.

Even Jesus withdrew from the noise of every day life and went into isolation…or to His “inner room” as He put it (Matthew 6:6)…to pray to God. Praying is opening up the communication channel between you and your Loving Creator. It is quieting the endlessly babbling and judging mind…so we can hear God’s voice in our hearts. It is the practice of self-emptying…creating a space for God to fill. To many it would seem like a meaningless practice…like you are doing nothing. In reality…it is a practice that will open you to the Presence of God and will utterly change your life for the better. God wants to be with you and transform you. Spend some time in the silent Presence each day.

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.
Have a blessed day!

Luke 13:32
“Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.”

Jesus shows us that God wants to heal us and see us made whole. We are being led to a glorious completion. It is a process in which we encounter struggles, pain and infirmities. We are invited to let go of control so that in our struggles…in our weaknesses…God can lift us and transform us. Jesus showed us that ultimately death does not win…but in fact leads us to ultimate Life…eternal. So what appears to be horrible can actually be the very thing that leads to our transformation and joy…if we have faith and cling to Christ. For as St. Paul says in today’s first reading (Romans 8:38), “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is Good News!

Suggested song of the day—“Heal Me” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

Romans 8:28
We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Are we living according to our purpose or God’s purpose? Discerning this is a moment-by-moment process of opening ourselves to our Loving Creator’s will. Ask yourself: Am I loving God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength? Do I love my neighbor (everyone!) as myself? None of us do this perfectly. It is in our imperfection that God does the most glorious work of all…gently loving us in our weaknesses so as to transform us into being the same unconditional, compassionate lovers to the world. Jesus gave us the perfect model to follow. He loved when He was hated. He showed the unconditional Love of God when hanging on the cross when He forgave His persecutors…even when they had not asked for forgiveness! Jesus showed us that if we follow Him…God would turn all the grief, struggles and pain into the glory of resurrection and New Life!

Suggested song of the day—“Love God” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

Romans 8:22-23
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

All that God has created shares in our yearning for more. St. Paul says it brilliantly when he says we “groan within ourselves.” While our culture offers all kinds of things to satisfy this groaning…like material possessions, power, prestige, celebrity, alcohol, sex, etc. the solution is spiritual. The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” That’s because God is the only One who can satisfy this groaning for completion and wholeness. God is the only One who can tell you who you are. God alone can satisfy your inner groaning. You can find your way to God now by following Jesus who told us that He was “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Following Jesus will require making changes in the way we live our daily lives.

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.
Have a blessed day!

Romans 8:16-17
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

St. Paul’s message is such heart-warming news…until we get to that last part about having to suffer with Christ so that we may also be glorified with Him. We are God’s children but we usually don’t know this in a deep, intimate way until we go through some form of suffering. Our childhood programs for happiness…the endless attempts to satisfy our egos…must be dismantled so that we come to know that God is at the center of our existence…not our egos. These selfish programs for happiness must die…so that our true selves can be discovered and that we can truly live! It is called the way of the cross. We are each called to follow Christ in being a loving, forgiving and compassionate response to persecution and a culture that rejects us. We are called to build the kingdom of God. One day we will experience the glory of that kingdom in its fullness.

Suggested song of the day—“You’ll Lead Me” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

Romans 7:24
Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?

How often do we have the best of intentions but seem to get sidetracked? We feel the inner urge to call a friend or send an uplifting email, but instead we find ourselves wasting time watching a meaningless show on TV or mindlessly surfing the Internet. Sometimes it seems our flesh is at war with our souls. Take comfort in knowing that the great St. Paul also struggled with fleshly temptations and fell. Jesus also knew the pain of temptation. In His humanity He experienced a wide array of enticements during his forty days in the desert. Now the Resurrected Christ is willing to walk with us and pick us up when we fall, not kick us when we are down! On the occasion of a particularly painful personal failure, I began to berate myself over it. But then I heard the gentle voice of God in my heart telling me that Christ does not reject me in my sinfulness…but instead embraces me there! Such unconditional love is transforming. Allow Christ to do the same for 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.
Have a blessed day!

Luke 12:51-52
“Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three.”

Jesus is the master of saying things to unsettle the status quo. We know that Jesus taught that the most important of all commandments is to love God and to love your neighbor…so we know He is not meaning that his mission is to cause division! His mission is to heal and repair divisions. However…Jesus promised that following Him would result in persecution and division. Why? Because following Jesus means standing up for the poor, those without power, the outcast, the forgotten. It means calling for forgiveness and compassion in a world that calls for punishment and revenge. Such action will call on those with the power, money and prestige to change…to be welcoming and generous…to realize that all that they have is gift and will not last. Following Jesus can sometimes take you down a lonely road…but that road will lead you to true life and freedom.

Suggested song of the day—“Take the Road Less Traveled” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

Luke 12:48
“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

We hear Jesus speak but do we follow Him? Many seem to follow a philosophy of grabbing more and more for themselves…protecting it…and then sharing a few scraps. Each of us has to examine our own hearts and ask the question: Am I sharing as best I can my time, talent and treasure with those in need? Each of us is being challenged by Jesus to change…to be transformed into being more and more generous. Each blessing we are given is meant to be shared in a flow of generosity mirroring the relationship of the Trinity…which is a perfect giving-and-receiving. God is not interested in criticizing our shortcomings…but in lifting us and directing us to wholeness. So if you are an artist…be artistic. If you are musical…be musical. If you are a nurturer…nurture. If you are hospitable…be hospitable. If you are a teacher…teach. If you are a manager…manage. But do everything with a generous heart.

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.
Have a blessed day!