Alpha and the Omega

Posted on October 2, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Mrexentric from Pixabay

“God comes to you disguised as your life.” – Paula D’Arcy

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Listen to my song “How Magnificent, Wondrous and Glorious” by clicking HERE.

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Psalm 139:7

Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee?

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Yesterday I quoted Julian of Norwich: “The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.”

This is also the spirituality of St. Ignatius which challenges us to encounter God in all things.

I think you would also find that St. Francis found God in all of creation.

In his Canticle of the Sun, he writes: “Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun…Sister Moon…Brother Wind…Sister Water”…and so on.

This whole idea is a game-changer.

God is not somewhere far, far away in some distant heaven.

God is both here, there and everywhere.

Inventor and visionary R. Buckminster Fuller once said, “God is a verb, not a noun.”

St. Paul said that in God “we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).

Scripture itself says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

And Jesuit theologian and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, “Love is a sacred reserve of energy; it is like the blood of spiritual evolution.”

Allow yourself to bask in the Mystery of such a love – and rejoice!

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Listen to the song of the day “How Magnificent, Wondrous and Glorious” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Awestruck

Posted on October 1, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Jeff Klugiewicz from Pixabay

“The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.” Julian of Norwich

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Listen to my song “Breathe On Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Psalm 27:8

“Come,” says my heart, “seek his face”; your face, God, do I seek!

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Are you seeking the face of God?

What does that mean?

I think it simply means seeking the presence of God.

To do that, you must be aware, ready and open.

It’s a way of living your life.

It’s getting “you” out of the way so that God can enter.

By you, I mean your ego and your mind’s constant chatter and commentary.

When we still our minds, we suddenly experience the now.

I’m thinking this is a very rare experience for many.

It’s really more of a non-doing than a doing.

You seek God by letting go.

Stop for a moment.

Just stop.

Listen.

Get into the practice of pausing this way. (Centering Prayer or other form of meditation is a helpful practice.)

Notice what’s happening.

Be open to the awe and wonder of the ordinary.

When we do this, little synchronicities will occur, little coincidences.

We can get glimpses of the higher, more spiritual realms here on this earthly plain if we are present like a child.

As Jesus said, “Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it” (Mark 10:15).

The kingdom of God is already here for those who are awake.

As Jesus said, the coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed. “No one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20-21).

Seek it and you will find it! (Matthew 7:7)

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Listen to the song of the day “Breathe On Me” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Now Is the Time

Posted on September 30, 2020 by billtonnis

“Worship of Jesus is rather harmless and risk-free; actually following Jesus changes everything.” – Richard Rohr

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Listen to my song “I Want to Follow You” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Luke 9:59-60

To another Jesus said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

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Jesus wanted followers, not fans.

This requires action, courage, and dedication.

It also requires that a person make the proclamation of the kingdom of God his or her number one priority.

My opinion is that Jesus is exaggerating in today’s scripture passage to make a point.

It would seem a bit harsh to order this man whom Jesus called to ignore the death of his father.

But this type of story would certainly grab the listener’s attention.

Jesus urgently wanted people to hear the message that the kingdom of God, the experience of God’s compassionate acceptance and empowerment, is available now in this time and place.

Too many people are sleep-walking through their lives under the spell of materialism, consumerism, and other delusional human constructs.

They are unaware of the purpose of their lives here on Earth.

People need to wake-up to their responsibility in caring for the least of these as well as in caring for the hurting environment.

As Jesus said in the first statement of his ministry in the Gospel of Mark: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent (or change your direction!), and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

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

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Gratitude

Posted on September 29, 2020 by billtonnis

“To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything.” – Thomas Merton

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Listen to my song “Give Praise and Thanks” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Psalm 138:1

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart; in the presence of the angels to you I sing.

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There is much to be thankful for, even amidst all that seems wrong.

We have been granted life on this earthly plain.

We also believe that this physical life will not be the end but will lead us into a transformed life in a higher realm, heaven in religious lingo.

Each breath is another gift as we breathe in and out the goodness of God.

Mindfully take in a deep breath…then slowly release it.

Do this again and again and again.

It is all Grace!

Life on this planet is so precious and yet seemingly so precarious.

In our human existence, we are responsible for caring for all that lives here.

May we awaken to the blessings we are surrounded by and to our responsibility as stewards of what we have received.

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Listen to the song of the day “Give Praise and Thanks” on the Give Praise and Thanks album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Death Happens

Posted on September 28, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Reinhardi from Pixabay

Let go and let God.

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Listen to my song “Make Your Way” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Job 1:21

Job said, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there.”

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Death.

Let’s talk about it.

I know, I know, you’d rather not.

But it truly is the proverbial elephant in the room.

What if I told you that death was the key to a happy life?

Sounds contradictory, but the universe seems to thrive on paradox.

Jesus said that when you lose your life, you find your life (Matthew 10:39).

He also 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).

Death leads to life.

Jesus walked the talk.

He died to any ego pursuits, and discovered his calling to heal the sick, free the oppressed and to preach about the kingdom of God.

That’s the state of love and harmony that is available now to those who are present to it.

As Jesus said of this kingdom: “It is among you” (Luke 17:21).

Jesus also showed us that physical death is also not the end, but a new beginning of life transformed.

This is what all the Near Death Experiencers are confirming.

So, returning to today’s scripture passage, Job stated this after finding out that great calamities had just wiped out his sons and daughters as well as his livestock.

Job’s response shows that he knew that everything in this earthly existence will wither away.

Physical death can come at any time.

In other words, “You can’t take it with you!”

Job’s next statement was, “Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

Dying always leads to new life.

That realization saves and frees me every day!

When you see this pattern in your life and consciously live it, you will have much joy and peace.

And when physical death does come one day, you will be well versed in the practice.

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Listen to the song of the day “Make Your Way” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Meaning of Life

Posted on September 25, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Tilgnerpictures from Pixabay

“Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

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Listen to my song “You’ll Lead Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Luke 9:20

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?”

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This is a very interesting question because if you asked it of all those who identify as Christians today, you would get a myriad of answers.

There are so many different beliefs as to who Jesus was and why he lived and why he died.

And I’m sure you’d get plenty of people absolutely convinced that they are right and everyone else is wrong.

Of course, there are many people who would say they have no interest in who Jesus is.

(I completely understand that conclusion if they are basing it on the actions of many self-proclaimed Christians today!)

Some people throughout history would not have ever even heard of Jesus.

Of course, thousands and thousands of people who lived before Jesus had no way of knowing him.

Probably over 25 years ago I read this particular scripture passage and the question Jesus asked struck me deeply.

It became personal.

I went on a very passionate journey to discover and study all that I could find in my quest to answer that question.

Today the profound mystery and meaning of Jesus ever deepens.

Jesus gives me my blueprint for life.

He shows me the way of letting go of all that is false so that that I might live in the joy of all that is true.

He shows me that love is all that matters.

He instructs me to be compassionately present to everyone and everything.

In living out Jesus’s question, “Who do you say that I am?”- I believe I will slowly discover not only who Jesus is, but who I am as well.

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

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Go with the Flow

Posted on September 24, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by David Mark from Pixabay

“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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Listen to my song “Love Will Always Lead You Home” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Psalm 90:5-6

They sleep, and in the morning they sprout like an herb. In the morning it blooms only to pass away; in the evening it is wilted and withered.

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Sobering words in today’s psalm.

All the material things we yearn for will one day disintegrate – and so will we.

Just prior to this passage it reads: “You turn humanity back into dust” (Psalm 90:3).

Our days on the Earth are numbered.

We will one day wither like the morning blooms do in the evening.

If that was the end of it, life would seem pitiable indeed.

But we believe that life will go on – transformed.

Christianity proclaims that death did not mean the end for Jesus.

His followers experienced him again as the risen Christ.

Earlier, in what is known as the Transfiguration, Jesus was seen by a few apostles conversing with Moses and Elijah.

How could that be since those two prophets were long dead?

Life doesn’t end but is changed.

Near Death Experiencers are also testifying to this claim.

What we also have come to understand is that dying and rising is built into the way God’s creation continues.

All things seem to die and then are part of a transformation into something new.

This also happens on a smaller scale throughout each of our lives as we experience little deaths: you lose your job; you are stricken with an illness; your house burns down; your spouse leaves you.

But if you hang in there, if you go with the flow and have faith that something new is being birthed, you will experience new life.

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Listen to the song of the day “Love Will Always Lead You Home” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my new book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Freedom

Posted on September 23, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Jamie Johannsen from Pixabay

“If you do not know the difference between pleasure and spiritual joy you have not yet begun to live.” – Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

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Listen to my song “Pour Me Out” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Luke 9:3

Jesus said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.”

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When Jesus sent his followers out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick, he sent them with none of the securities of this world.

Seems rather extreme, doesn’t it?

We all seem to crave security which is likely due to fear.

And if we examined that fear and searched for its root, it would likely boil down to fear of death.

My friends, we cannot be guaranteed total security in this life.

Sure, we can do reasonable things to provide a reasonable amount of security, but security is largely an illusion.

You’d have to put yourself in a shatterproof bubble and isolate yourself from everyone and everything.

And even then, you could easily be stricken with a medical event that would burst your illusion of security.

Jesus seems to want us to engage with the world and to do so with total trust in God.

Have you ever thrown caution to the wind and stepped out of your comfort zone into an adventure?

I have found that nothing truly amazing and transformative happens until you do!

When I quit my career in radio news and took a job as a youth minister, many people thought I was crazy.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid.

But Jesus said over and over not to fear.

He also said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).

Since that time, I have experienced more deep joy and growth than I ever could have imagined.

I have recorded four albums and published two books.

I have sung my songs for inmates, for sick people, for dying people, and in concerts for hundreds.

I have held the hands of the sick and dying and have experienced the deep sense of connection with Christ.

This was all thanks to Grace and my cooperation with it.

As Jesus also said: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

What are you waiting for?

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Listen to the song of the day “Pour Me Out” on the Give Praise and Thanks album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Just Do It

Posted on September 22, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Jaroslav Šmahel from Pixabay

“Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” – St Francis of Assisi

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Listen to my song “Make Me a Channel” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Luke 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

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Jesus was definitely not being disrespectful to his family since we know he wouldn’t do that.

Once again, he is exaggerating to make a point.

Jesus had a very expanded view of family.

He knew the importance of being included in a wider community who not only heard the word of God, but acted on it.

Action was required or what good was it?

As it says elsewhere in scripture: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).

For Jesus, all who got together to hear God’s word and who then went out to put those words into action were his family.

So, two important points today: First, find a community to share God’s word and to listen for how you are to respond.

Second, respond!

Go out into the world and be an instrument of love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion as well as justice to those most in need.

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Listen to the song of the day “Make Me a Channel” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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In Christ

Posted on September 21, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

“We’ve learned to fly the air as birds, we’ve learned to swim the seas as fish, yet we haven’t learned to walk the Earth as brothers and sisters.” – Martin Luther King Jr

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Listen to my song “I Stand in the Light” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Ephesians 4:1-4

I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call.

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This is a timeless message from St. Paul to all the followers of Christ.

He wrote it while imprisoned for preaching this type of message about the oneness of all.

He went on to say that we are all here to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).

We are all part of one body and one Spirit.

Hear his message again: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, we are to strive to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.

This is my call.

This is your call.

Bear with one another through love!

We simply must take this to heart as we deal with all the issues of our day.

It is what is expected of us.

When we go before God one day, this truly will be all that mattered: Did we live in a manner worthy of the call we have received?

Let us stop dividing; let us stop hating and ridiculing.

Despite our differences, let us come together as one body.

Each of us is being called!

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Listen to the song of the day “I Stand in the Light” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my books, “Listen to Your Heart: A Daily Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life” on Amazon by clicking HERE

Or “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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