Open Invitation

Posted on May 11, 2020 by billtonnis

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To love is a choice that will set you free.

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Listen to my song “Breath On Me” by clicking HERE.

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John 14:21

“Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

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On the surface, this sounds like Jesus is saying you must love him as a condition for being loved by God.

That would make Jesus and God very petty.

And since God is love (1 John 4:8), that simply cannot be so!

There is more under the surface of this quote.

Plus, we don’t have access to the original Aramaic language that Jesus spoke so we aren’t privy to the many nuances of his language.

I’ve come to learn that a LOT is often lost in the translations.

This is my take.

Jesus is the incarnation of God.

Therefore, if you love Jesus you are loving God and so of course God will love you.

It’s what Love does.

The love of God will come back through Jesus to you and you will know Christ.

It’s all about relationship.

The love of God has been incarnating throughout all of creation since the big bang (and probably before that).

The spirituality of St. Ignatius (founder of the Jesuit order) has always proclaimed that God can be found in all things.

Jesuit theologian Teilhard de Chardin said this: “God is not remote from us. He is at the point of my pen, my pick, my paintbrush, my needle – and my heart and my thoughts.”

St. Francis also found God’s love in all things like the sun, the moon, the wind, the water, all creatures and the Earth.

If you want to experience God’s love…simply awaken to its presence everywhere – including inside of you.

There, too, is the dwelling place of God.

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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.

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

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Remember: God loves you!

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All Shall Be Well

Posted on May 8, 2020 by billtonnis

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Deep in your soul resides a peace beyond all understanding.

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Listen to my song “Radically Okay” by clicking HERE.

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John 14:1

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”

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Allow Jesus’ words to settle in your soul.

Sit peacefully and repeat this verse to yourself as you close your eyes.

Rest.

When we are quiet and present to the Divine Presence, all is well despite the happenings in the world.

As you rest in this Loving Presence, you know deep inside that you are safe in the arms of the very Ground of Being that we call God.

Though your body will face diminishment, your soul is eternal.

So do not be afraid!

Be mindful of when your mind starts to tell you a fearful narrative.

It’s just a story.

Do not become attached to it.

Let it go.

In the late 1300’s, Christian mystic Julian of Norwich had a series of divine visions revealing to her that God was nearer to us than our own soul.

She said that Jesus assured her that, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Believe it.

Experience “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

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Listen to the song of the day “Radically Okay” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

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

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

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Remember: God loves you!

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Pay It Forward

Posted on May 7, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by John Hain from Pixabay

When we serve others, we help heal the world.

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Listen to my song “Mercy Reigns” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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John 13:20

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

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Jesus wanted us to know that it’s a team effort.

It’s all about relationship.

It’s all about oneness.

We are many parts but one body.

We are called to carry on the work of Jesus, and, as I said yesterday, that means actually doing the things he did.

That means reaching out to the ones in need and those who have been rejected and cast out to the margins.

It means restoring all to the one body.

Jesus would later say, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Just before today’s scripture verse, Jesus had washed his followers’ feet.

He sends us forth to do the same.

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

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music 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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Shine

Posted on May 6, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay

What the world needs from each of us…is compassion.

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Listen to my song “May I Be Light” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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John 12:46

“I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.”

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Jesus says his way of life is like a light for us.

His teachings, if followed, will lead us out of darkness.

Our lives would then be like a light to others.

Wow, who wouldn’t want that, especially in these dark times?

Well, let’s see what Jesus’ way of life was all about.

First off, take a look at what is known as his “Sermon on the Mount” where Jesus gives us the Beatitudes:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10).

Then, you also have to emulate this: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36).

He summed it up saying, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

Then, of course, there’s “Love God with all your heart, soul and mind” as well as “Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).

Oh, and don’t forget, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).

Note that Jesus almost never talks about going to church (not that that’s a bad thing), nor does he talk much about rules.

(Actually, he regularly criticizes the Pharisees for harping on the rules while lacking any compassion.)

So…who’s ready to be the light of Christ to the world?

When you get down to it, all you have to do is be compassionately present each moment.

Easier said than done.

More light is desperately needed in this world.

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Listen to the song of the day “May I Be Light” 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 “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Contemplation and Action

Posted on May 5, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Abel Escobar from Pixabay

Be still and listen to your deepest longings.

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Listen to my song “I will Give You Rest” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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John 10:27

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

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The people of Jesus’ time knew well the relationship that sheep had with their shepherd.

These animals intimately knew their shepherd’s voice and knew that they could trust him to lead them and protect them.

They were “in tune” with that voice.

Their ears were always attentive to hearing it.

In today’s scripture, Jesus says that he is like a shepherd to those who follow him, and the followers are like the sheep.

The question is: Are the sheep listening?

All of us are deeply loved and cherished by our Creator, not for anything we do or achieve but simply because of who we are: beloved children of God.

And when we live from that place of belovedness, surrendering our ego’s desires and turning ourselves over to a Higher Power, we then need to be attentive to the voice of the Shepherd.

Set aside time for contemplative prayer.

Just be still.

Listen.

What is that quiet voice in your heart nudging you to do?

It will never be harsh or judging, always kind and compassionate.

It’s a voice that will lead you to green pastures and the life you were meant to experience as your true self.

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

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music 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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All Inclusive

Posted on May 4, 2020 by billtonnis

God’s love knows no boundaries.

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

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Acts 11:17-18

“If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?” When they heard this, they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying, “God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too.”

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Peter had been confronted by other Christian believers for including the Gentiles.

Peter said he was told to do so in a dream and that the Holy Spirit fell upon them all.

Yes, it is true: God does not discriminate.

God includes all people.

There is no separation between the sacred and the profane.

All of it is sacred!

Yet we humans still tend to divide everyone into the “good guys” and the “bad guys.”

We, of course, are always in the “good” group!

It seems many define their identities by who they are against.

But God loves all people…even those who do evil things.

This is why Jesus commanded his followers to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44).

This is also why he commanded us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

Not love your neighbor as you love yourself but love your neighbor as yourself – as though your neighbor is you!

As I’ve quoted Thomas Merton before:

“My dear brothers and sisters, we are already one. But we imagine we are not. And what we have to recover is our original unity. What we have to be, is what we are” (The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton).

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

Remember: God loves you!

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Restorative Justice

Posted on May 1, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Sebi6000 from Pixabay

Truth accompanied with compassion and forgiveness can transform hate.

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Listen to my song “The Way You Are” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Acts 9:1-2

Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.

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This Saul was quite notorious at the time to any followers of Jesus.

He was spearheading efforts to round them up and drag them back to Jerusalem in chains to be put to death.

So, naturally God chose him to be an evangelist.

What?

Well, that’s what happened.

Obviously, we don’t have to merit favor with God.

We already have favor because we are children of God!

Nobody is too far gone as to be rejected by God.

This is good news!

Note that in today’s scripture passage, the members of the original Christian community called themselves “The Way.”

Jesus had provided this community a way of life.

Not just a way but the way.

These followers knew that by living the way of Jesus that they would experience true life right now, a life full of richness in love, compassion and grace.

This way of life put no stock in possessions, power and prestige but in caring for all people and their needs equally.

Saul was transformed after a mystical encounter with the risen Christ on the way to Damascus.

However, that transformation had just begun.

It took several years of being taught by the followers of Jesus before Saul became known as Paul.

This once notorious Saul would become the famous evangelist St. Paul who would eventually be executed for being a promoter of The Way.

Thankfully, the first disciples actually practiced Jesus’ command to ‘love your enemies’ (Matthew 5:44).

Who are the Sauls of today’s world waiting to encounter Christ through you and me?

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Listen to the song of the day “The Way You Are” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music 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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Listen

Posted on April 30, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Evita Ochel from Pixabay

Make sure to set aside time today to simply be.

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Listen to my song “Turn Off the Noise” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Acts 8:29

The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and join up with that chariot.”

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Does the Spirit speak to you?

Yes, I assure you.

The Spirit is moving in and through all of creation.

But you must listen or you will not hear.

Some are not even aware that there is a Spirit to listen to.

Philip was listening and was prompted by the Spirit to take an action without any explanation.

Philip obeyed and found an Ethiopian court official aboard that chariot who happened to be reading the book of Isaiah but was struggling to understand whom the prophet was talking about.

This gave Philip the opportunity to explain that Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus.

This court official’s life was changed for the better…all because Philip listened and then acted.

We are all called to listen to the Spirit so that we can take action that leads to good works.

As scripture says: “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).

In order to listen, you must have a contemplative practice – some form of meditative prayer.

For me it’s Centering Prayer.

Cultivate a listening presence so that you can follow the gentle or not-so-gentle nudges of the Spirit.

In so doing, you will experience many blessings and will be part of many more unseen blessings as the kingdom of God comes to life in the here and now.

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Listen to the song of the day “Turn Off the Noise” 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 “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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Be You

Posted on April 29, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by hudsoncrafted from Pixabay

Becoming more like Jesus leads to becoming more your true self.

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

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John 6:35

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

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Bread was one of the basic foods that sustained life at the time of Jesus.

So when he said this, what did he mean?

Jesus meant that those who followed him and digested his teachings would find their true lives.

He was using hyperbole in saying the people would never hunger or thirst.

Jesus was talking not about their physical needs but their spiritual needs.

You see, when you become a true disciple of Jesus…your true self comes to life.

You discover who you are as a beloved child of God because you will become more and more like Jesus.

Your old ego-generated false self will dissolve.

As St. Paul put it, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:3-4).

This is the life meant for you!

This is also why he gave us the Eucharist as his very body.

It is true that ‘you are what you eat.’

We are meant to become Christ to others.

Jesus will show you the way.

As he goes on to say just after today’s scripture passage, “Everything that God gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me” (John 6:37).

So follow!

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

Remember: God loves you!

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Be Inspired

Posted on April 28, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by John Hain from Pixabay

God is still calling us to stand up to corruption and stand with the oppressed.

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Listen to my song “The Spirit’s Alive” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Acts 7:51-52

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?”

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So many people are set in their ways.

They hold rigidly to the belief that they are right.

They want security.

But the current situation shows us that there is no such thing as security.

All the power, money and prestige that America has could not stop a tiny, microscopic virus.

That little invader has wreaked havoc.

All power, money and prestige will disappear in the end because it is delusional.

It all has an expiration date…for sure when we die.

As the old adage goes: “You can’t take it with you.”

Stephen, who was “filled with faith and the holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5), criticized the people for their long history of persecuting the prophets sent by God.

He called them out for being “stiff-necked” or stubborn.

He said they “always oppose the holy Spirit.”

This might give us pause.

The Spirit is still alive and well.

The Spirit is still calling each of us to be messengers and ministers of God’s unconditional love and compassion as well as to speak truth to power and stand up for the “least of these” (Matthew 25).

Each of us is called to do this.

But to hear God’s silent voice, we will first need to let go of our egos, open ourselves to the possibility that we might not have all the answers, and then humbly listen in prayer.

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Listen to the song of the day “The Spirit’s Alive” 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 “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!

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