What Is Your Motive?

Posted on July 23, 2018 by billtonnis

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Pause frequently to assess if Love is your guiding force.

(Listen to my song “God Is” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Micah 6:8

You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

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What if we all lived by these words of wisdom?

The world would change for the better.

But what is right and what is the good?

Sometimes it is easy to figure out…sometimes not.

Have you ever changed your position? I know I have.

That’s why we must always be compassionate.

Jesus said it all comes down to love: loving God, neighbor and self (Matthew 22:37-39).

Always do what is good but do it with love.

When you do what is good with love…you cannot harm, hate or cast out.

Love works for oneness.

The Prophet Micah said that God is not interested in our sacrifices to prove ourselves worthy of God’s love. That’s because God already loves us infinitely…and that love is unconditional.

Let this realization sink in.

Feel it.

Know it in your heart.

This is the kind of love that makes you fall in love with such a God!

Doesn’t this kind of love make you want to “do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God”?

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Listen to my song “God Is” on the Give Praise and Thanks album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Radical Love

Posted on July 20, 2018 by billtonnis

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When laws are tempered with compassion…hearts can be transformed.

(Listen to my song “Radically Okay” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Matthew 12:7

“If you knew what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned these innocent men.”

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Jesus said this after the Pharisees had just criticized his followers for picking the heads of grain in a field and eating them on the sabbath.

Reaping grain on the sabbath was against religious law.

Laws and rules are good in that they help us keep our focus, give us guidelines, and help us avoid chaos.

But Jesus says the motivation for our actions should always be filtered through mercy.

Love has higher priority than the law in God’s eyes.

Jesus’ followers were picking grain because they were truly hungry. A human need was at stake.

Which is more important…a human need or upholding a law?

When it’s a choice between keeping a rule or extending God’s mercy…the rule needs to be bent or broken.

In that light, each of us must ask ourselves: How merciful am I to others…and myself?

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Renewed

Posted on July 19, 2018 by billtonnis

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In the present moment dwells the Divine Presence inviting you to dwell.

(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 said that if we know him…then we also know God (John 14:7).

Given how Jesus was always reaching out to those in need, comforting and healing them, inviting all those who are burdened to come to him for rest…then we have to conclude that God is not nasty, harsh and judgmental.

A God of rules and regulations is good to start with…when we are children starting out on our spiritual journeys. 

That’s when we need defined boundaries to guide us.

But as we grow…we realize life is not so black and white and that there are many gray areas. Therefore, our experience of God must grow as well.

Jesus blasted the religious leaders of his time for holding people strictly to the rules…and laying a heavy burden on those in need of compassion.

Jesus invites you to let go of your need to control or to change others…as well the struggles and difficult situations that life hands you.

Simply hand them over in this moment to Jesus…or God…or a Higher Power…and find rest.

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Open

Posted on July 18, 2018 by billtonnis

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God is still igniting awe and wonder…in the hearts of the humble.

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

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Matthew 11:25

Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”

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How often have you been convinced of something only to have some sudden revelation that you were wrong…or at least are no longer sure?

When you look at the world from a position that you are right…you are at a dead end.

We must keep a “childlike” openness to something new or we will never grow.

Just ponder a moment the vastness of the universe and the amazing intricacy of the trillions of cells that make up one human body.

Allow this experience to humble you to be open to discovering something new and awe inspiring.

In today’s scripture passage, Jesus seems to say that those whose egos are in full command, who are self-righteous, who believe themselves wise…are essentially blind.

Those who are able to let go of their egos and humbly open themselves to mystery with the awe and wonder of a child…will see great works of God.

Are you able to listen and look with childlike curiosity?

If so…get ready for a wondrous adventure to begin!

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Unconditionally Loved

Posted on July 17, 2018 by billtonnis

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Let your faith not be grounded in your goodness…but God’s.

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

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Isaiah 7:9

Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!

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How many times do we think we have to have our lives totally together before we’re ready to take a stand in faith?

It’ll never happen.

It’s a set up for constant striving and constant failure and guilt.

If God is Love as it says in scripture (1 John 4:8), then God is not some ogre looking to punish you for not being perfect.

What a cruel God that would be!

God is Love.

I hope that you have experienced being unconditionally loved by someone in your lifetime. If you have…then know that God is infinitely more loving than that person.

And if you haven’t experienced such love…I hope that you will hear my voice as I say to you here and now: God loves you with no strings attached!

We are not here to prove ourselves worthy of God’s love.

God does not love us because we are good…but because God is good.

God loves each of us infinitely just as we are! 

Allow that to sink in.

It’s a foundation that you can stand on and have faith in…no matter how badly broken you are. 

God wants to love you in your brokenness!

Read about all the broken people Jesus reached out to in the Gospels. Look at all the broken people that he still picked to follow him.

The Living Christ is reaching out to you…and wants to be with you and give you new life.

Have faith in that!

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Restorative Justice

Posted on July 16, 2018 by billtonnis

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Love calls us to help those in need.

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

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Isaiah 1:16

Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.

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The prophet Isaiah said that God was not interested in the people’s sacrifices…their attempts to win favor…to somehow merit more of God’s love.

You can’t earn what is already freely given to you!

There is nothing you can do to make God love you more!

What God wants is for us to lay down our egocentric desires…so that God’s desires can rise in us.

God’s desires and our true self’s desires are one in the same.

Isaiah told the people that God called them to help those without power.

Jesus modeled this type of service for us and called us to follow him.

He told us that through the process of dying to our ego…we would become our true selves.

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

When you let go of your ego’s insatiable desires…you will find the true life meant for you.

And that life will always involve helping those in need.

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Wholeness in Progress

Posted on July 13, 2018 by billtonnis

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God is renewing all things…including you and me.

(Listen to my song “Let It Be Done to Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

(revised post from July 8, 2016)

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Psalm 51:12

A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit.

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God is in the redemption business…not the punishment business.

We have our struggles not so we can experience God’s wrath…but so we can experience God’s grace.

No matter how many times we screw up…no matter how many times we come up short…God is always embracing us in love.

That’s what “Love” does (“God is love” 1 John 4:8)!

Our Loving Creator only wants to heal us, restore us and renew us.

Forgiveness is always given.

Every pain, suffering or struggle and eventually physical death will lead to resurrection and new life.

Jesus demonstrated this pattern for us with his entire life. The pattern is all around us: the darkness of night is followed by the light of dawn; the dead of winter is followed by the new life of spring.

God is constantly but patiently working to heal us, renew us and bring us…and all of creation…to wholeness.

We are on a grand, transforming adventure of learning and love.

Two things necessary from each of us in this process of transformation…are humility and cooperation.

Some helpful advice on how to cooperate with God’s grace in creating a clean heart is found in Ira Byock’s book, The Four Things That Matter Most. Here are the four things:

  1. Please forgive me
  2. I forgive you
  3. Thank you
  4. I love you

Is there someone who needs to hear these four things from you?

Why not do it today?

May your heart and spirit be renewed!

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Listen to the song of the day “Let It Be Done to Me” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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In the Name of Love

Posted on July 12, 2018 by billtonnis

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May we freely share the gifts of our talents and uniqueness.

(Listen to my song “Shall We Sing” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Matthew 10:8-9

“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.”

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This does not compute in our consumerist, quid pro quo culture.

When we receive something…we pay something.

When we give something…we expect something in return.

Let’s face it…this even goes for our relationships.

If I do a good deed for you…I kind of expect you’ll at least thank me.

But Jesus’ basically says that we have been given life and eternal life without cost…so we ought to give ourselves in service without expectation of being paid in return.

Now, I know in our culture…we have to make a living.

But Jesus is talking about true reliance on God…on a Higher Power…on a Love that will never let us go.

Jesus instructs his followers to share the love they’ve been lavishly given without expecting a reward.

The reward is in the giving.

And in the giving we will surely receive love that will outlast any material payment. 

Jesus wants his followers to let go of any attachment to money…clothing…or whatever else we are giving a top priority.

It’s only then that we are truly free to appreciate how much we’ve been given.

Share this Good News with someone today.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Reign of God

Posted on July 11, 2018 by billtonnis

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Be a conduit of love, mercy, justice and peace.

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

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Matthew 10:7

“As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

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When we are living in the Flow of God’s unconditional love…when we are giving and receiving this Love…then we truly are proclaiming: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

This was the instruction Jesus gave to his apostles as he sent them out.

It is his same instruction to you and me right now.

Jesus clearly wanted us to cooperate in bringing the “kingdom of heaven” into the present. 

Easier said than done.

Our egos will not be on board with this. When a person’s ego is in control…that person will be self-focused and concerned about his or her own kingdom.

It takes a “dying to self” to be able to participate in the kingdom of God.

As Jesus so famously put it: “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).

Letting go takes practice. It comes either through meditation / contemplative prayer…or suffering…or both.

So…how can I proclaim the kingdom of God?

It starts now…by being present to the Divine Presence in each moment…in each person…and in every created thing. 

Namaste.

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE. (Also available on other sites)

Remember…God loves you!

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Compassionate Care

Posted on July 10, 2018 by billtonnis

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God is carrying you through your struggles to new life.

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

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Matthew 9:35-36

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

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Jesus was going around “proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom”…or in other words, “the good news of the reign of God in the here and now.”

We experience that reign when we know in our hearts that we are loved exactly as we are.

You don’t have to earn it.

That, my friends, is the Good News.

And once we know it…we can follow Jesus in proclaiming it through our words and actions.

When we are participating in the flow of God’s love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion…the kingdom of God is near.

Notice that Jesus brought this message mostly to those at the bottom of society…those who were left out or rejected.

He brought this message to those who were sick…and he cured them.

Do you ever feel like one of the people in this crowd?

Are you troubled over something or feel abandoned?

Each of us has a place inside in need of unconditional love and compassion. We have an issue or a struggle that we just can’t seem to deal with on our own.

It is a part of the human condition that Jesus knew so well.

This isn’t so you can feel ashamed or defeated…but so you can experience what Unconditional Love is.

Jesus wanted to be with the people who were suffering and in need of help.

The Risen Christ wants to be your shepherd today.

Bring your troubles to him…and find rest.

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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