|
|
|
Archive for February, 2010
Friday, February 26th, 2010
Matthew 5:20
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
The scribes and Pharisees believed they were doing everything right…following the rules…and therefore didn’t need forgiveness. The so-called “sinners” like the tax collectors and prostitutes allowed Jesus to reach out to them. They knew they needed forgiveness. Life is not about being right…but it is about right relationship…with each other and with God. God wants to forgive us. Didn’t Jesus show this quite plainly? When we allow God to forgive us and when we pass on this forgiveness to others…the kingdom of God breaks into the present. Dear God, forgive us as we forgive others…and may Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven!
Songs available on itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bill-tonnis/id325748505
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Matthew 7:7
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Jesus is quite the teacher. He is not saying that God is a genie waiting to grant your wishes or is He saying that God is some cosmic Santa Claus. What God wants you to have doesn’t come wrapped in a box. Each of us has gifts to share so that God’s kingdom comes…so that God is made known now…in the present moment. What is it that you truly desire in your heart? Ask for God’s help. Seek! It is in the seeking…that you will find!
Songs are available on itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bill-tonnis/id325748505
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Psalm 51:3
Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense.
Who among us is without the need of forgiveness? No one. We were made this way. If we were perfect…we wouldn’t need Jesus. Wherever you are struggling and are in need of forgiveness…allow God to embrace you. That’s what God wants to do. Then…pass it on to someone who needs to hear that message!
Songs available on itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bill-tonnis/id325748505
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Matthew 6:8-10
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.”
A toddler wants all kinds of stuff…but a loving parent knows what the toddler truly needs or doesn’t need. How much more is this so with our Loving Creator? You are the beloved son or daughter of the Maker of the Universe. Jesus said that the will of God was that His kingdom come “on earth as in heaven.” How will God’s kingdom come about “on earth” if not through you? Dear God, how do you want to do this…through me?
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
Is God at the center of your life…or is it your ego? Are you trying to please God or your ego…or others? When we let go of our attachment to material or worldly things…in a sense “emptying ourselves”…we can allow God to fill us with the divine presence. When God is our primary focus and we are totally present to God…we lack nothing.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Psalm 51:12
A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit.
Whatever you have done to turn away from God…it is in the past. It no longer exists. As St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Now…the only place where God is present…where the kingdom of God comes alive…open your heart and allow Compassion itself…your loving Creator, to renew you. As Lent begins, take the opportunity to simply turn back to God. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:6, “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” Spend some quiet time with God.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Psalm 94:18-19
When I say, “My foot is slipping,” your love, Lord, holds me up. When cares increase within me, your comfort gives me joy.
When someone was struggling and falling away from God, the Pharisees would hold tight to the rules and not offer a helping hand. They were “either-or” kinds of guys: either you were “in“…or you were “out.” Jesus was a “both-and” kind of guy. He knew the rules in his mind…but His heart had been transformed by the unconditional love of God. He could both embrace the rules…and embrace someone who was “slipping” without judging them. Rules will not transform someone. Love will. Do you view the world through an “either-or” lens…or a “both-and” lens?
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, February 15th, 2010
James 1:2-3
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
It’s hard to look at a trial or struggle as a “joy”! But perhaps you know of someone who went through a period of suffering and emerged transformed into something beautiful and wonderful. Perhaps that person is now sharing how God pulled them through the troubles and is encouraging others that there is new life ahead. It seems that sometimes the struggles and trials are necessary to divert us from ego-centered pursuits focused on building our own kingdoms…so that we might engage in self-giving pursuits to build God’s Kingdom. Jesus showed us the perfect example of total self-giving leading to transformation and New Life!
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, February 12th, 2010
Psalm 81:11-12
“Open wide your mouth that I may fill it.” But my people did not listen to my words; Israel did not obey me. So I gave them over to hardness of heart; they followed their own designs.
It’s a testament to the undying, unconditional Love of God. Before Jesus and after Jesus, people have not followed God’s commands. They have chosen the way of power, prestige, and wealth over Jesus’ way of mercy, forgiveness and compassion. But God keeps on loving us and calling us back. When will we wake up and be free?
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
1 Kings 11:4
When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods, and his heart was not entirely with the Lord, his God, as the heart of his father David had been.
King Solomon was said to have more wisdom than all the kings of the earth…and yet his heart strayed from God. None of us are immune from the lures and temptations that surround us and bombard us. It takes perseverance and determination to set aside time each day to be quiet in the presence of God so that your relationship can deepen. If you are unsettled inside, perhaps the Holy Spirit is gently calling you to put aside any “strange gods” or things that are leading you away from God. Know that your Loving Creator is never spiteful or vengeful. Simply fall back into God’s open arms.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
|
|
|
|
