Homeward Bound

Posted on March 4, 2020 by billtonnis

We are spiritual beings on a human journey to discover compassion.

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

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Psalm 51:3

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love.

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In today’s scripture verse, “merciful love” is sometimes translated as “unfailing love.”

God is love (1 John 4:8).

Love does not fail.

It will never relent.

When it feels like you’re alone and in the dark – you aren’t.

Jesus also felt alone in the garden of Gethsemane when he felt the depths of human anguish as his crucifixion loomed.

He later cried out to God on the cross, “Why have you abandoned me?”

But Jesus was actually quoting the first line of Psalm 22.

The psalm goes on to praise God stating that God “did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out” (Psalm 22:25).

When it feels like we are farthest from God, perhaps God is actually intimately with us…sharing in our pain and helping us through the darkness.

That’s what Love does.

It carries you through the struggles to new life – every time.

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

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Join the Adventure

Posted on March 3, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Klappe from Pixabay

Creation is still happening – so why not be creative?

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Listen to my song “Shall We Dance” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Isaiah 55:11

So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me empty, but shall do what pleases me, achieving the end for which I sent it.

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The Prophet Isaiah first compares the word of God to rain and snow that waters the earth making it fertile and fruitful, then goes on with today’s verse.

God is truly the Creator – the Loving Source of everything.

From this Love flows life.

The Word is Life and Creativity.

Creation has not stopped…it is on-going.

You and I are a part of this creation, each of us called to connect to the Flow-of-Creativity.

We cannot sever our connection because Infinite Love would not allow such a thing.

But we do have our free will and are truly free to not consciously take part.

Even if we are not consciously taking part, God will still make use of our works in the grand masterpiece of creation.

When we do awaken to the adventure of the creation we are in the midst of, we are able to open ourselves to the Flow of Grace.

Some might call this being alive in the Holy Spirit.

Then our lives truly blossom and energize!

You will find yourself doing things you never would have imagined and connecting with people you never dreamed you would have met.

Take the chance and join the dance.

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Listen to the song of the day “Shall We Dance” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Churchianity or Christianity?

Posted on March 2, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Wolfgang van de Rydt from Pixabay

Jesus wanted followers…not fans.

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

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Matthew 25:35-36

“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.”

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This is from the famous passage in Matthew 25 when Jesus explained exactly what was expected of us by God.

The verses go on to state: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40).”

Christianity is all about helping those who are down and out, those who are in need, those who are rejected by the powers that be.

Is this the Christianity that you are part of?

Is this the Christianity that you are practicing?

Sadly, many have warped the teachings of Jesus into a “prosperity gospel” where God gives you riches in this world in response to your actions.

Others seem to believe that being a Christian is only about beliefs and going to church, something I call churchianity.

This is not what Jesus preached.

Jesus was always reaching out to those who were suffering or struggling.

We are called to do the same.

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

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True Fasting

Posted on February 28, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Maybe we should give up our egos for Lent?

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

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Isaiah 58:6-7

Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke? Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry, bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own flesh?

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What are you giving up for Lent?

I cringe at the question because it seems to me to be more of a badge of accomplishment than anything spiritual.

Motivation seems to be the key here.

Are you making the sacrifice to somehow score points with God?

If so, it’s pointless!

God does not need to be appeased or pleased.

God already loves each of us infinitely.

INFINITELY!

So any sacrifice you make is for your own benefit.

Hopefully it’s to remind you to be more loving, merciful, compassionate and forgiving.

Because that is what God wants – for us to care for those in need.

Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 when he said, “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ (Matthew 9:13).

We would all do well to re-read today’s scripture passage from the Prophet Isaiah. (Do yourself a favor and read all of Isaiah 58.)

How can we set aside our own desires in order to set free the oppressed, share food with the hungry, take care of the homeless and clothe those in need?

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

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Dying and Rising

Posted on February 27, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

When you let go…you can actually live.

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Listen to my song “Take the Road Less Traveled” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Luke 9:24-25

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”

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This is one of Jesus’ key teachings.

It’s very Eastern – much like a Zen koan which is defined as a paradoxical anecdote or riddle to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment.

I believe the gist is that you have to let go of what your ego is concocting as your life.

Your ego will likely try to create a world in which it is the center of attention and everything revolves around it.

Jesus calls on us to let that go and open ourselves to a deeper desire.

Many times we need to run into a wall or suffer some type of colossal failure before we are able to awaken to the delusion of living as a “false self.”

Usually it takes additional time in contemplative prayer such as Centering Prayer or meditation before something new will begin to rise.

Then one day down the road you find you are living as your true self…a person your ego could never have conceived of because more than likely you are serving others.

At this point you will no doubt look back at those dark times when you thought the world was ending and be thankful that it all happened just that way.

You will realize that it was all Grace and that you wouldn’t trade it for the world.

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Listen to my song “Take the Road Less Traveled” on the Live to Love album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Action Required

Posted on February 26, 2020 by billtonnis

How will justice and compassion manifest…if not for us?

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Listen to my song “Glorify You with Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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2 Corinthians 5:20

We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.

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When I was in chaplain training there was a particularly difficult situation one night when I was on call.

In the middle of the night the shrill beeping of my pager jolted me awake.

The call was from the infant delivery room where I was told twin babies were being born by Caesarian Section at around 23 weeks gestation.

The babies were very ill and if they were not birthed not only would they die but the mother would die as well.

I was asked to come and baptize the twins.

I couldn’t imagine the horror I was about to walk into.

The tiny little babies would be given comfort care and be held by their mother until they died.

I was amazed at the calm and tranquility in the delivery room as a whole team of doctors and nurses were at work.

I noticed one nurse pass by me with a tear running down from her eye to the mask that covered her nose and mouth.

I carried out my task with the most compassionate presence I could muster.

In reality, I couldn’t muster it.

I could only surrender in an impossible situation and allow a Higher Power to channel through me.

I had never baptized anyone in my life. I had never seen a live birth.

As I returned to my room a couple hours later, it hit me that it was my birthday.

How was I to make sense of any of this?

Sometime later this realization hit me: How would the compassion of Christ be known in that time of great sadness – if not for me, if not for the doctors and nurses present?

Each one of us is an ambassador for Christ, standing in for him on this earthly plain.

Who will be Christ to those we meet, to all of creation, if not us?

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Christ Criteria

Posted on February 25, 2020 by billtonnis

What is your definition of success?

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

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Mark 9:35

Then Jesus sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

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Jesus’ disciples had just been arguing over who among them was the greatest.

Talk about a huge “fail”!

Unfortunately, this idea of greatness is still the philosophy of our culture.

It’s a continual climb uphill to achieve and to amass power, prestige and possessions.

That is our culture’s idea of success.

But it is obviously not Jesus’ idea!

Just re-read what he said in today’s scripture verse.

Talk about a radical subverting of all that our culture preaches!

The problem is: Jesus’ philosophy is basically not taught – even in most of our churches.

How sad! 

Jesus tells us of a downward path to success through joining those at the bottom in service.

As a Christian, each of us must take this into account in how we live our lives.

What is your definition of success?

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

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Good Motives

Posted on February 24, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Devanath from Pixabay

EGO stands for: Edge God Out.

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

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James 3:16-17

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.

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What if we stopped before taking an action or making a comment and paused?

What if during that pause we asked ourselves what our motivation was for what we were about to do or say?

Is our motivation for the common good?

Is it to seek the truth?

Or are there ulterior motives such as wanting to be declared right or superior?

That is a sure sign our egos are in control.

Are we willing to be fair and honest with ourselves and admit when we were about to do or say something that was mean-spirited or simply not necessary?

How can we both work for the common good and be compassionate?

These are tough questions.

Perhaps the best policy would be to simply have today’s scripture verse posted around our homes and workplaces for frequent reference.

Of course, there’s always another question we could ask ourselves: “What would Jesus do?”

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

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Being Christian

Posted on February 21, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Beliefs in your head are useless without compassionate action from your heart.

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

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James 2:26

For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

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A person can be very pious and regular in devotions, prayers and going to church…but still be grouchy and mean.

Faith is not just a set of beliefs and rituals.

They can be quite meaningless if they don’t lead a person to actually do good works.

Beliefs are all stuff of the mind.

Information is one thing but transformation is quite another.

What is needed is a changed heart.

Once a person’s heart is transformed…just and compassionate acts follow.

And how is a heart changed?

Not by information…but by love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion.

It’s by grace.

When we receive unmerited love and forgiveness…it allows us to experience unconditional love.

And Unconditional Love is what God is.

Do you know that you are loved unconditionally by Love itself – just as you are?

You are!

Receive it.

Then pay it forward!

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

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Gut Check

Posted on February 20, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Love is supposed to be the bottom line for all Christians.

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Listen to my song “Love God” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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James 2:8-9

If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

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How’s that for getting to the point?

This scripture verse truly cuts to the chase and if you listen closely…you just may hear the mic drop.

This is the bottom line for being a Christian – loving your neighbor as yourself.

By neighbor, of course, Jesus meant everyone.

If we all practiced this to the best of our abilities…the world would change overnight.

Instead, many Christians argue over all kinds of other things and treat each other quite harshly.

And when it comes to loving people who are different in some way, well, let’s just say we have a long, long, long way to go.

Elsewhere in scripture it says this: “If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).

Stop for a moment and think of the one person you just can’t stand.

That person is the one person you need to find a way to love.

That same challenge is mine as well.

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Listen to the song of the day “Love God” on the Live to Love album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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