Go Make a Difference

Posted on May 3, 2018 by billtonnis

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Beliefs are meaningless…if they don’t lead to positive action.

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

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John 14:5-6

Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

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Are you unsure of your direction…which way to turn…how to make that next step in your life?

Jesus gave us the template of how to live.

Believing what he said is one thing…but that’s just mind stuff.

A belief in your brain doesn’t make any real difference.

You can believe all kinds of stuff and still be a nasty person.

Jesus asked us to follow him.

Following Jesus requires carrying out what he said and did.

This is heart stuff.

This is the path to transformation and true life.

This is how the kingdom of God actually comes (as in, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.” Matthew 6:10).

Jesus went to great lengths to show us that the path to life included dying…dying to selfish desires, dying to all the trivial pursuits aimed at attaining things that won’t last.

This is the kenotic path that leads us to being our true selves: beloved children of God.

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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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Love Connection

Posted on May 2, 2018 by billtonnis

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Live in the awareness that God is in you and all things.

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

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John 15:4-5

“Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches.”

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Jesus speaks of God being the vine grower (John 15:1), himself as being the vine, and his followers as being the branches.

We are all connected to the Creator.

Everything is.

There is a oneness.

There is a flow.

There is an intimacy: “Remain in me, as I remain in you.”

This is a loving relationship.

The truth is…you cannot be apart from God who is as close to you as your very breath.

But if you are unconscious of your connection…or if you choose not to act in relationship with this Great Flow of Love…you will not come to know your true self.

Your branch will not bear fruit.

You may become quite successful in the ways of the world as far as attaining power, prestige and possessions.

But without becoming who you actually are at the core…you will never find peace and wholeness.

So be present to this moment.

Allow the awareness of God’s deep, abiding love for you to rise in your heart.

Live from that awareness now…and always.

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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.

Remember…God loves you!

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Compassion of Christ

Posted on May 1, 2018 by billtonnis

flower_straight_green_bluesky

Stop. Breathe deeply. Know you are treasured by God.

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

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John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

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Do you have inner peace?

If you’re like me…sometimes you find yourself anxious and worried.

When this happens…it’s good to catch it at the first inkling.

Contemplative prayer or meditation is an invaluable practice to help you do this.

It helps you to live in the present moment.

Many times our worries are due to fears over a perceived lack of something.

The truth is…you are enough and you have enough.

When anxiousness arises…simply observe the feeling.

Just observe it.

Realize that the person observing it…your true self…is completely whole and fine.

Sure…there might be some things going on that you don’t like…but your true self is secure.

The feelings you are having are feelings…but they aren’t you!

In the presence of the Divine Presence…the true you is perfectly loved and embraced as is.

As St. Paul said, “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Jesus brought this message of peace to his followers and continues to offer it to the whole world.

It is ours to accept or reject.

Why not accept it now?

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Single Hearted

Posted on April 30, 2018 by billtonnis

beach_sun_heart

Love is the ultimate purpose of our lives.

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

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John 14:23

Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”

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With Jesus, “love” certainly is the key.

He said the two greatest Commandments were to love God with your whole heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).

And in today’s scripture verse, Jesus says that love is what binds you to his word and to God.

If we love Jesus…then we will follow his ways.

If we do that, then Jesus says that he and God will make a dwelling with us.

How personal and intimate is that!

In truth, God is always dwelling within us but for us to experience this…our egos must loosen their attachments to things that won’t last.

Then we are free to experience the inner joy of lasting peace beyond understanding.

There are many ways to experience the deep, intimate love of God: through creation, relationships, music, art, a child’s smile, etc.

But one of the surest ways to experience God’s love is by living-out the words of Jesus.

When you do this you will not only experience inner peace and joy…but you will also discover your true self.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Free

Posted on April 23, 2018 by billtonnis

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Jesus shows us the path to a full life.

(Listen to my song “Slow Me Down” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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John 10:9

“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

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When you read the word “saved” above…substitute the words “made whole.”

When we follow Jesus in the way he lived and died…we are on the path of becoming whole.

This is the path of letting go of our ego’s desires so that our true self can bloom.

It is the path of love.

When we love…we are all that we were made to be.

Then…we are truly free.

Then we will “have life and have it more abundantly” as Jesus put it (John 10:10).

In the “Our Father” prayer, Jesus said that we should pray for God’s kingdom to come…meaning into the present.

When Jesus is our gate…we determine what we do and say by following his way.

If we do this…we are promised true freedom and inner peace.

When we live in the presence of God who is always present…is not the kingdom of God at hand? 

Easier said than done!

Let’s do it.

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Listen to the song of the day “Slow Me Down” 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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Mercy Reigns

Posted on April 20, 2018 by billtonnis

blinds_sun_hand

Compassion can transform the world…one person at a time.

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

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Acts 9:17

“Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.”

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When Saul was blinded by a flash of light on the way to Damascus…he was heading there to persecute Christians (he was “breathing murderous threats”).

He had been responsible for dragging Christians from their homes to be imprisoned…and many certainly were killed.

This is the man that Jesus chose as his instrument of love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion!

God’s ways are clearly not the ways of humans!

God sees each of us as a precious daughter or son…no matter what we’ve done.

God sees our infinitely good core.

God knows that many of us are living inattentional blindness…when we are oblivious to something in plain sight…like our oneness with all humanity.

So in the case of Saul, the risen Jesus spoke to a man named Ananias and told him to go to Saul and lay hands on him so that he might regain his sight.

We read the words of Ananias in today’s scripture verse above.

What followed was the transformation of Saul into the one who would become known as St. Paul.

Instead of punishment and retribution…Christ responded to Saul with mercy and compassion.

This is what changes hearts.

How might each of us respond in the same way to someone in our lives?

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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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Be You

Posted on April 19, 2018 by billtonnis

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Each of us has a unique calling.

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

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John 6:44-45

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: ‘They shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.”

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We’re all yearning for something.

Unfortunately, many times we end up trying to satisfy that yearning with material things.

That will not work…because the origin of our deep yearning is God.

The yearning can only be satisfied on a spiritual level.

God is drawing us, calling each of us to wholeness.

To be whole…you need to be your true self.

As Thomas Merton once said, “If I find God, I will find myself, and if I find my true self I will find God” (New Seeds of Contemplation).

This will require letting go of things that are preventing you from being your true self…so that God can give you what you truly need.

Try setting aside quiet time to simply be present to the Divine Presence.

Listen to the silent whisper in your heart…that internal yearning…inviting you to be you.

You are being drawn by God, your Divine Teacher, to follow the path of Christ.

It will lead you to service and new life.

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Grace

Posted on April 18, 2018 by billtonnis

sunrise_horizon_clouds

There is an Infinite Love that cannot be defeated.

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

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John 6:37-39

“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day.”

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How comforting are these words of Jesus!

They reflect a Love that is unconditional.

This does not mean that our actions don’t have consequences…as they surely do.

It just means that our hurtful actions do not nullify the love that God has for us.

We will no doubt have to face any pain we caused for others when we face our Creator…but we will face it in the light of an Eternal Love.

What Jesus is saying is that God loves us like any loving parent would love us…times infinity.

So let go of any fear or thoughts of unworthiness…and slowly re-read the words of Jesus above.

Allow them settle in your heart.

Then live in the freedom of God’s amazing grace.

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Listen to the song of the day “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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The Way

Posted on April 17, 2018 by billtonnis

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Love is the only thing that will transform the world.

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

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Acts 7:59—8:1

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his execution.

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Stephen, known as the first Christian martyr, would appear to be a “loser” in the eyes of the world.

Those in power killed him because of his belief in Jesus.

Just like Jesus…Stephen did not respond to violence with violence but he instead responded with forgiveness.

Thanks to Jesus…Stephen knew that responding to hate with love was the only way to transform the hateful act to a path to goodness and light.

We believe that just as Jesus demonstrated that new life follows death…Stephen also entered new life.

And, just as the way Jesus lived, died and rose transformed many…Stephen’s bold, non-violent response transformed many as well. 

His stoning started the process by which a man named Saul would also be transformed.

Saul persecuted and was at the very least complicit in the murders of many Christians…but would later be known as Paul…the greatest Christian evangelist in history.

Paul would one day lay down his life in the name of Christ…on behalf of Love.

Paul’s message would be that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

May we believe and boldly proclaim the same message!

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Ultimate Gift

Posted on April 16, 2018 by billtonnis

grass_sunshine

The unconditional Love of God is continuously offered to all.

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

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John 6:27

“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

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

He healed the sick, helped the poor and worked to free the oppressed.

Jesus poured himself out to all out of unconditional love.

His words and his very body in the Eucharist are meant to nourish us on our path to the fullness of life now…and forever.

What food are you working for?

Our culture offers food that promises you happiness but instead creates an insatiable appetite for more and more that never satisfies.

I promise you that if you read and ruminate on Jesus’ words…then follow his ways…you will find an enduring peace and joy.

You would begin to experience the kingdom of God right now.

For the kingdom of God is available in your very midst (Luke 17:20-21).

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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!

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