Less Is More

Posted on February 28, 2018 by billtonnis

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The key to abundant life…is helping those in need.

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

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Matthew 20:26

“Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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Jesus continues his teaching from yesterday…this time contradicting what the world teaches (and our egos gladly believe)…that greatness means being first and being served.

He says it’s the opposite.

And Jesus demonstrates this by the way he lives his life…giving the perfect example of being a servant.

He showed us how to stand up for the poor and rejected…while still responding to the most unjust persecution with love.

Even on the cross…Jesus responded with forgiveness.

He gave his life so each of us could live in the freedom of knowing there is a bigger picture where God’s unconditional love reigns.

We are meant to share it with others knowing that death is not the end.

The resurrection shows us that there will be new life.

Let that sink into your soul.

See how it “saves” you right now?

This is the way to true freedom…serving others and extending mercy and forgiveness to all.

We are called to 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.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Listen to Your Heart

Posted on February 27, 2018 by billtonnis

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Service puts you on the path to self-discovery.

(Listen to my song “Listen to Your Heart” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Matthew 23:11-12

“The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

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Well this is about as counter-culture as you’re going to get.

Instead of material wealth being the measuring stick for success as it is by the world’s standards…Jesus says our measuring stick should be whether we serve others.

And the more humbly we serve…the more exalted we are in the eyes of God.

All of creation pours itself out in being whatever it is.

A bird is all in as a bird. A dog is all in as a dog. A flower is all in as a flower.

But each of us has a choice.

Will I be all in as I pursue my ego’s desires…or all in as I pursue my true self’s desires?

To know the difference…I must be consciously awake.

I must see my ego for what it is and for what it is not.

It is necessary to give me some structure as I start out in life…but it will never lead me to my true self.

It takes letting go of my ego’s desires for me to discover God’s desires for me.

When my selfish desires diminish…then I will be open to the needs of others.

It is then that I will discover my true self.

It is then that I will know true joy and peace.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Freedom

Posted on February 26, 2018 by billtonnis

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Choose to love…and love will return to you.

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

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Luke 6:37-38

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you.”

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You’ve heard the saying, “What goes around comes around.”

It’s really true.

When you judge someone…you are really judging yourself as better than whomever you are judging.

When you look down on someone…you place yourself on a pedestal. And you know in your heart of hearts…that you are guilty of whatever it is you are finding fault in someone else.

The truth is…we all need forgiveness.

We all need mercy.

We all need unconditional love.

And God always gives it to us.

Jesus modeled it when he forgave from the cross: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

He willingly and freely forgave his killers…even when they had not asked for forgiveness.

Instead of returning violence with violence…he responded with mercy.

Jesus modeled what is true: When you forgive…forgiveness returns to you.

This is the kind of mercy that changes hearts and transforms lives.

It’s the kind of love that makes me want to share the gift of this “saving” forgiveness with you.

I want you to receive the gift that by Grace I received.

Receive it…and be free.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Be

Posted on February 23, 2018 by billtonnis

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God is always Present…but we often are not.

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

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Psalm 130:5-6

I wait with longing for the Lord, my soul waits for his word. My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for daybreak.

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How attentive are you for God’s word?

Is your soul looking for God…with the expectation of soldiers on guard at night awaiting the break of dawn?

God is always Present…but it is we who often aren’t.

It’s hard to be present when we are lost in our constant thoughts.

Many people mistakenly believe that they are their thinking.

They are attached to their chattering minds.

But you are not your thoughts.

Sit and be silent.

Observe the stream of thoughts as they come.

Who is doing the observing?

It is the real you…your true self.

Take some quiet time to allow the thoughts to drift away.

Observe them without judgment.

Let them dissolve.

Cultivate a contemplative place in your soul. 

Then as you live each day…be present to the moment.

As I walked this morning…the sound of the birds could have been meaningless noise…unheard due to the din of chattering thoughts in my head.

Instead…as I calmed my mind and focused on the present…the beautiful chirping became God’s harmonious music singing, “I Am here. I Am with you. I Am.”

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Breathe

Posted on February 22, 2018 by billtonnis

sunset_darkhorizon

Let the peace of this moment free you.

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

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Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

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If we truly took this verse to heart and lived it…we would know peace.

If we truly let God lead us, guide us and love us…we would have all we need.

We…and everything else…would be enough.

Unfortunately, many of us are living in the trance of a culture that leads us to always yearning for more stuff.

We are constantly being told that we need more and more to be happy.

Advertisers and marketers know well what they are doing.

But the fact of the matter is…in this moment…right now…what is lacking?

Nothing.

You are breathing.

Life is pulsing through you.

You are a miraculous child of God.

Who or what is leading you in life?

Who or what is your motivating source?

Are you trying to please your ego or God?

Did you ever hear that EGO stands for: Edge God Out?

When we let go of our attachment to worldly things…in a sense emptying ourselves, we are free to experience the Divine Presence.

When God (or Unconditional Love) is our primary focus and we are totally present to God (or Unconditional Love)…we lack nothing.

A contemplative prayer practice will help you immensely. Try sitting quietly for 15 to 20 minutes…allowing all your thoughts to slowly slip away.

Be present to the Divine Presence…breathe…and all will be quite enough.

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Listen to the song of the day “Breathe On Me” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Eternal Acceptance

Posted on February 21, 2018 by billtonnis

flying_birds_lake

When you let go of your ego…you discover your true self.

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

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Psalm 51:18-19

For you do not desire sacrifice; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart.

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We do not need a “burnt offering” to appease God.

That’s why Jesus said his followers should “go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13).

The point is…you don’t have to get all cleaned up before God can like you.

God is not angry. God is Love (1 John 4:8).

God loves you just as you are…in your imperfection.

Many people try to hide their imperfections because our culture ridicules vulnerability…which creates shame and the feeling that we “aren’t good enough.”

This leads us to beat ourselves up over it…feeling like failures…feeling like God is pointing at us in disdain.

But Jesus shows us that this is untrue. God simply wants us to offer our broken spirit…and we will receive mercy.

This is so we can experience Unconditional Love.

Remember what Jesus said as he hung on the cross: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

What more proof of God’s unconditional love do you need?

Instead of trying to earn points with God by sacrificing material things, why not sacrifice your ego? 

Why not offer God your self-centered desires?

Empty your false self…so God can fill you, inspire you and heal you…so your true self can emerge.

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Listen to the song of the day “Pour Me Out” on the Give Praise and Thanks album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Prayer of Presence

Posted on February 20, 2018 by billtonnis

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“Silence is God’s first language” – John of the Cross

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

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Matthew 6:7-8

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

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Jesus gives us a very meaningful teaching today about how to pray…but it has been roundly ignored by many of his followers.

Instead…they have done the opposite and have formulated written prayer after written prayer to recite endlessly…over and over.

Not that all written prayers are bad! It’s just that Jesus specifically advised his followers to pray by saying little.

In the only recited prayer Jesus is recorded as teaching (known as The Lord’s Prayer), he told his followers to say to God, “Thy will be done”…which of course means…not my will.

We need to get out of the way. 

By we…I mean our egos…and our non-stop chattering minds.

If, as Jesus told us, God knows what we need before we ask…why not ask God what that is?

The only way “God’s will” can be done is if we hear what it is that God wants us to do to make it happen.

For this to happen…we must be in tune with our Loving Source.

One good way to be in tune with God is by following the instructions Jesus gave just before today’s verses: “Go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret” (Matthew 6:6).

Be still.

Be present.

Be. 

Listen.

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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.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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True Fasting

Posted on February 16, 2018 by billtonnis

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What the world needs now…is love.

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

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Isaiah 58:6-7

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.

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In the wake of the Florida school shooting…we hear calls for more prayer, more gun control, and more mental health care.

All of those things would no doubt help.

But what is really needed are more compassionate people.

We need more people who know they are loved…and that takes other people to reach out to let them know.

It takes real connection. More civil discourse. More heart-felt listening.

Lots of Christians are fasting for Lent.

But if the fasting isn’t making you more loving, merciful, forgiving and just…then what good is it?

Isaiah was a prophet who lived over 700 years before Jesus. He preached many things that foretold of the coming of the Messiah…but a Messiah quite different from the powerful warrior that Israel wanted.

Jesus quoted today’s scripture verses from Isaiah when stating his mission (Luke 4:17-18). He also quoted the Prophet Hosea (Hosea 6:6) when he said we should learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ (Matthew 9:13).

Mercy is what God wants from us.

The sacrifice is putting aside myself…putting aside the self-centered desires of my ego.

Fasting is not meant to “earn points” with God but is a practice to help us know that only God can satisfy our deepest yearnings…not the things of this world.

Fasting should free us from our bondage to stuff…so that we are free to serve God and others.

How can we, today, help to free someone who is oppressed, shelter someone who is homeless, clothe someone who is impoverished and act with love toward all?

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Saved

Posted on February 15, 2018 by billtonnis

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When we allow our egos’ desires to diminish…our true selves emerge.

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

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Luke 9:23-24

Jesus said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

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This is a key teaching of Jesus…but probably is mostly skimmed-over out of lack of understanding.

He’s giving us the formula for living our lives…for becoming our “true selves”.

To deny yourself is to deny your ego’s self-centered desires so you can truly be present to yourself and those around you.

To take up your cross is to then carry whatever struggles you might encounter in following the way of Jesus.

Living for the greater Good of all will not endear you to those playing the world’s game.

It will make you radically different in the eyes of today’s culture which tells you to grab and amass more and more possessions…to satisfy your ego’s every whim and desire…and avoid struggles while numbing your vulnerabilities.

The paradox is this: If we follow our culture’s path…we end up with lots of material stuff that all eventually disappears and we never actually know our true selves.

But if we follow Jesus and let go of our ego’s insatiable desires…we end up finding the true meaning of our existence.

That is truly salvation!

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Listen to the song of the day “Breathe On Me” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Renewed

Posted on February 14, 2018 by billtonnis

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You are loved and accepted as is by the Love that made you.

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

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Psalm 51:12

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

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Whatever you have done to turn away from God…is in the past.

That includes something you did seconds ago.

That time no longer exists.

As St. Paul said, “Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Now is the only time where God is present, where the kingdom of God comes alive.

Now is when God is always gazing at you with unconditional love and acceptance.

God always looks at us with open arms.

There is no condemnation.

There is no question of worthiness.

You are loved and accepted as you are.

This Love makes you worthy.

Open your heart and allow Compassion itself…your loving Creator…to renew you.

During this time of Lent, take the opportunity to repent…which simply means, turn to God…or in other words, turn to Love.

Live in the knowledge that you are loved and accepted as is.

Spend some quiet time and bask in that love and acceptance.

Be renewed!

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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