Christianity 101

Posted on January 7, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by giselaatje from Pixabay

Each of us is called to be a channel of love.

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

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1 John 4:8

Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

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The older I get…the more I am coming to know God as Love itself.

As St. Paul said, “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).

This is a Love that is unconditional and always giving without end.

It’s a Love that carries me through my struggles, lifts me in my sorrows, celebrates with me in my joys and forgives me in my failures.

God is so beyond what we can put into words or concepts.

I have probably had my deepest sense of God’s presence in the hard times and when I least deserved or merited such Love.

That is what is so amazing and transforming!

That is what makes it grace!

How sad when you consider those who are doing harmful things to others and those who are hateful to others.

Such people are also God’s children.

They have been led astray by many things…probably mostly beyond their control.

How will they come to know God…unless they experience love from someone?

Perhaps that someone…is you?

This is the bigger picture of the “kingdom of God.”

This is why Jesus says that the greatest Commandments are to love God and our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40)…and why he commands us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

This is hard and I am a work in progress on these endeavors daily.

When we act in vengeance we perpetuate hate.

We are called to perpetuate love.

Many self-proclaimed Christians are failing miserably.

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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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Share the Good News

Posted on January 6, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Christians are called to follow Jesus’ example in words and actions.

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

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Matthew 4:23

Jesus went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

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This was Jesus’ mission.

He proclaimed the “gospel of the kingdom” and he healed people.

And what is the “gospel of the kingdom”?

I would say it’s the good news of God’s unconditional love for all.

Do you believe that?

It’s seems so hard to believe when so many of our human relationships seem to be based on reciprocity: I’ll like you if you like me.

I’ll do something for you if you do something for me.

However, with God…it’s all one-sided.

We are loved without any conditions.

When you know this…really know it in your heart…you melt.

That’s how it feels.

For me…I just want everyone to know and experience that love.

For Christians (as in followers of Jesus), this is what we are called to do.

Sharing God’s love requires more than words.

It requires action.

When we go out each day…we are meant to bring healing to those who are broken or sick.

We are wounded healers…those who know what it’s like to be in need of healing…who agree to be instruments of God’s healing grace to others.

May it be so!

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

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Life Song

Posted on December 19, 2019 by billtonnis
Image by Jim Black from Pixabay

May all our days be songs of endless praise to God’s unconditional love.

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(Listen to my song “How Wonderful to Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 71:16-17

I will speak of the mighty works of the Lord; O GOD, I will tell of your singular justice. God, you have taught me from my youth; to this day I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

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God’s justice is not retributive but restorative.

God’s aim is not to punish…but to make everything whole.

It is God’s “singular justice.”

We see this pattern throughout creation: all things are in a perpetual process of dying and rising.

The dead of winter is always followed by the new life of spring.

We all experience losses…but when we trust in the Flow of God’s grace…we always experience new life.

We simply must let go…or allow certain things to end…in order for something new to start.

When we look back at our lives…we see that many of the so-called bad times actually led us to better times.

It was the process needed for our transformation to a higher level of consciousness and existence.

For me…I see those times as God’s greatest gifts to me…when I most needed grace and mercy.

Those were the times that inspired my creativity to write songs that I share today in ministering to the sick, dying and incarcerated.

I give praise to God for all of it.

May we all allow our stories of death and resurrection to lead us to the good works we were designed to do!

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Listen to the song of the day “How Wonderful to Me” 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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Open to Serve

Posted on December 18, 2019 by billtonnis
Image by billy cedeno from Pixabay

May our hearts be inspired to reach out to those on the margins.

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

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Psalm 72:12-13

For he rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help. He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor.

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Jesus didn’t sit in the temple all day waiting for those in need to come to him.

As a matter of fact, it doesn’t appear Jesus spent all that much time in the temple.

He was out and about…to “seek and save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Jesus was God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion personified.

He showed us how to live.

And scripture shows us that Jesus repeatedly asked those who were listening to him…to follow him.

That means you…if you consider yourself a Christian.

How are you following him?

How will the poor be shown mercy and their lives be saved in this time and place…if not for you and me?

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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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Be the Change

Posted on December 17, 2019 by billtonnis

May we all aspire to collaborate for the common good.

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

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Psalm 72:2-4

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the king’s son; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment, that the mountains may yield their bounty for the people, and the hills great abundance, that he may defend the oppressed among the people.

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Doesn’t this passage describe the kind of leader we all would want…someone with integrity, dignity, wisdom, compassion and courage?

These are the qualities we would like to see not only in our leaders…but in all people.

The world is in desperate need of more people with such attributes.

So where to start?

With ourselves, of course!

As Gandhi reportedly stated, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

It starts now with you and me.

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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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Grace

Posted on December 16, 2019 by billtonnis
Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay

Love and forgiveness are always given by God.

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(Listen to my song “Come to Jesus” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 25:6

Remember your compassion and your mercy, O LORD, for they are ages old.

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Did you ever feel like you messed up…like you really messed up?

I have.

And if you are like me…when that happens, you just might beat yourself up.

You might feel like you are no good.

I think these are the times we figure God is mad at us…that God is keeping tabs and will seek retribution.

However…this is not the face of God that Jesus shows us.

Jesus instructs his followers to forgive an infinite number of times (Matthew 18:21-22).

And scripture tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8).

There was a time that I messed up when I was so sure I deserved nothing from God…when instead…wonder of wonders…I was immediately inspired to write a song.

It came to me almost as if dictated…like an unexpected gift.

The song is titled “Come to Jesus.”

It’s about Jesus calling all people to him when they feel lost and afraid…and all would be welcome with open arms.

I recorded that song on my second album.

Much later…one of my fellow jail ministers told me that he always plays that song when he does jail ministry…and how much the inmates have been moved by it.

I then remember God’s compassion and mercy…for they are ages old.

Let somebody in your life know the Good News.

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Listen to the song of the day “Come to Jesus” 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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Listen

Posted on December 13, 2019 by billtonnis
Image by Ilona Ilyés from Pixabay

The Spirit is yearning to guide you to new life.

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

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Isaiah 48:17

Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD, your God, teaching you what is for your good, leading you on the way you should go.

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What is your guiding star?

What is your motivation and objective in life?

For me…there was a time when I was just on automatic pilot.

Each day I was repeating the last…going to work as a radio news anchor and announcing over and over the worst of human activity.

I was doing my job and doing it well…but I was empty inside.

There was a gnawing desire to change.

But change wasn’t possible until I was so miserable that I had no choice but to give up.

That is…my ego had to surrender and admit that it was clueless in figuring out how to satisfactorily guide my life.

Then…and only then…did new life begin.

Then…and only then…in the silence of my surrender…could I hear a quiet, inner voice.

The voice gently told me to get my guitar…a guitar I hadn’t touched in ten years nor played much since I was a kid.

From that point forward, I began to listen to that inner voice in times of silent prayer.

Slowly my life took a new, unexpected and unplanned direction leading me out of media and into ministry.

Today I experience much joy in ministering to the sick and the elderly…as well as to those who are incarcerated.

I bring my guitar and sing songs from my four original music albums.

I have published a book titled Mercy Reigns – a Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing and am about to publish a second book titled Listen to Your Heart – a Devotional of Calling, Purpose and New Life.

Never in a million years could “I” have come up with any of this…for as St. Paul said, “I live, no longer I, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

Slow down…listen to your inner voice. It’s the way to discovering your true self.

Allow new life to begin in you this Christmas…and allow God to lead you on the way you should go.

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

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Blessed

Posted on December 12, 2019 by billtonnis
Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Be the love that you are.

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(Listen to my song “All Are One” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Luke 1:46-47

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

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Each of us…at our core…is good.

Each of us is a beautiful creation of God.

As Psalm 139:14 states, “I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works!”

Each of us is part of the Divine fabric of creation…all of it being “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

When we live from that place of belovedness…we share our goodness for the sake of all creation.

We know that we and all of creation are in this together.

We are all part of the Sacred Whole…God’s on-going creative project.

Those who want to divide and ridicule are living from the delusion of separation.

They have forgotten the Original Unity.

Do not allow the negative forces to lure you into the same delusional game.

Know that we must confront injustice…but it must be done with non-violence, compassionate truth and goodness.

When we do this…our spirit will rejoice in God our savior because we are being our true selves.

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Listen to the song of the day “All Are One” 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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Christ Consciousness

Posted on December 11, 2019 by billtonnis
Image by Johannes Plenio from Pixabay

Beyond the delusion of human-made chaos…is a Peace beyond understanding.

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(Listen to my song “I Will Give You Rest” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

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Jesus spoke words of comfort to those who were beaten down by life’s struggles.

He invited such people to come to him.

There was no judgement or criticism…only acceptance and mercy.

Jesus said if you knew him…then you would know God (John 14:7).

So…Jesus is reflecting the true nature of God.

That nature is loving and compassionate.

Something very amazing happens when we receive such unconditional love and acceptance: we are transformed.

Then…we want others to experience the same.

Hear Jesus’ words as they are spoken to you today…and be at peace.

Then…be a missionary of this peace in all that you do.

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

Posted in faith, inspiration, progressive Christianity, religion, Self Help, spirituality, Today's Contemplation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Peace Be with You

Posted on December 10, 2019 by billtonnis

The Light of Love will always overcome the darkness.

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

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Isaiah 40:1

Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.

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This time of year is not always filled with joy.

The holiday season can be a time of sadness for people who have recently lost loved ones…or even years after losing someone close to them.

The prophet speaks in today’s scripture verse of the comfort that God wants him to bring to those in exile…to tell them that a new day of freedom is coming.

If you are feeling down…left out…unwelcome…or are grieving a loss…know that a Great Unconditional Love is holding you and would never reject you.

As Isaiah goes on to write: “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, leading the ewes with care” (Isaiah 40:11).

Receive these words of comfort from the Creator of all…and then pass them along to someone who needs to hear them today.

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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!

Posted in faith, inspiration, progressive Christianity, religion, Self Help, spirituality, Today's Contemplation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment