I don’t follow these kinds of things. But so-called news flashes before your eyes from just about every angle these days. So, it’s difficult to impossible to not see a knuckleheaded headline that talks about nonsense such as the Oscar nominations.
Oscar nominations, schmoscar nominations.
At least back in the day of the silver screen, most actors and actresses had more class and dressed better for the ceremonies. And most of the winners accepted awards with a certain degree of humility and gratitude.
But these days, with the vast majority of Hollywood productions being dark and filthy, the players tend to be let’s just say less than classy. And so many of them have a so-called social justice bone to pick. So, I already didn’t care about Oscar nominations. And now, I care even less than that. I would say not at all, but it’s important for Christians to counteract, as much as possible, the failing culture.
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (a.k.a. you and me) wrote a letter to the new Christians in Rome. A letter known as Romans in the Bible. And he told them not to be conformed to this world.
He said, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And in other places he said a daily renewing is needed.
I know I certainly need that. And I’m a guy who’s willing to identify with Jesus Christ. I call myself a Christian. And I say that I love and trust my creator, Jesus. I’m not ashamed of him. All that being said, I still need a daily renewing of my mind. And I believe that’s exponentially more true for those people who deny him. Or for anyone who is indifferent, apathetic, or willfully ignorant.
If you know, someone like that, even people who will never receive Oscar nominations, look for an opportunity to let them know they can be renewed. And let them know they need to choose before it’s too late. And when they do, don’t be surprised if they start singing something like…
Your Love Restored My Soul
From my mother’s womb You have been my God…
Even if I didn’t always know it.
And I’ve loved You since my salvation day…
Even if…I didn’t always show it.
I believe Your Son is the only Way
To the life I know is never-ending…
So I cast my lot with the King of Kings
And His Truth I trust is never bending.
Jesus…Your love restored my soul.
You gave Your life to make me whole.
I’d be a lifeless lump of coal…oh
But Jesus…Your love restored my soul.
On my darkest days I am not alone.
You indwell me with Your Holy Spirit.
And Your “still small voice”is an open book
And Your grace is there if I draw near it…
In that open Book is the one True God…
And the words revolve around His story.
Then the words are turned into flesh and bone,
And He shares, with each of us, His glory.
Chorus twice
Your love restored my soul…your love restored my soul
Your love restored…your love restored my soul. © TF 2010
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I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time reading, listening, and watching good stuff based on the power of God’s love instead of looking for it. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Have you ever read the list of the perils of Paul? It’s an epic list, to say the least. And it was because he shared the unvarnished, hard truth. About the only peril preachers, in probably 99% of American churches, face these days is obesity. And my guess is, that’s not because they’re sharing that same unvarnished, hard truth in God’s word.
Here’s the list of the perils of Paul, as he wrote it:
…in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides the other things, what comes upon me daily
Dictionaries typically define peril as: serious and immediate danger
So, Paul certainly found out how correct that definition is.
But he didn’t let any of that stop him from delivering the message that Jesus gave him to share with the world. Of course, the world, most of it anyway, doesn’t want anything to do with the grace gift from Jesus. Because that would require the humility to acknowledge that He is the creator, the sovereign God, who has sealed the fate for anyone who denies who Jesus is.
“But that’s so harsh, Tony.”
I guess, in a way, that’s true. But you wouldn’t say that if you had read what they did to Jesus. An innocent person who went around healing people, sharing a message of hope and love, and performing miracles for mostly small-minded people.
His own people falsely accused Him, had Him thrown in prison, and then had Him beaten and crucified. And all because they didn’t like His message. They preferred their tradition and visible pomp and circumstance.
Hmm, that sounds like so-called Christian churches in America these days. Big stages, light shows, fog, machines, loud repetitive mantra music, and anecdotal stories (what I call Sunday TED talks) from the pulpit.
Yeah, pretty much the only peril those so-called preachers face is obesity.
There won’t be a “well done, good and faithful servant” for those actions.
When you tell the actual truth in church today, it will be almost impossible to build a large church. Because most people who go to church fall under the itching ears category. And when you share the “harsh” truth with them, they’ll feel convicted. And they would rather feel good about themselves. So, they go to churches or the so-called pastor or preacher tells them they can live their best life now.
I bet that’s not you. And I bet you would rather live…
In The House Of The Lord
Father God,
You never leave me You never forsake me.
And Your Word…
Gives me courage to go where you take me.
You are with me through each dire upheaval.
With You in me I will fear no evil.
As I walk through the shadow of death…
I will sing till my very last breath…
Green pastures, still waters…
Goodness and mercy for your sons and daughters…
True love dwells in the House of the LORD.
Each person, each nation…
Can be renewed through Your sweet restoration…
True love dwells in the House of the LORD.
Father God,
You made a Way for my total redemption.
I believe…
Jesus died to provide that exemption.
He’s my shepherd through thorns and thru clover.
He’s my new wine, and my cup runs over.
As I walk through the shadow of death…
I will sing till my very last breath…Chorus © 2010 TF
Cheers to your day free from shipwrecks and prisons.
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time reading, listening, and watching good stuff based on the power of God’s love instead of looking for it. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
I wrote this cold hard truth over 10 years ago. And it’s still true. Living on dreams is not a good strategy. Dreams require action. And action requires faith, determination, and commitment. Are your dreams good enough to put those things behind them?
So if dreams require action, do you
Dream The Dreams?
Waking up from silly dreams
Isn’t silly as it seems
Because dreamers are what makes the world go ’round.
With those pictures in your head
As you rise up out of bed
You might find the thing that needed to be found.
You might dream of flying cars
That go cruising through the stars,
Then design a brand new turbo rocket ship.
You might wake up from your sleep
With an awesome way to keep
People safer when they’re going on a trip.
What if you could dream a dream
That, to some, could sound extreme.
But your idea helped to ease a lot of pain?
Well, put on your dreaming hat
‘Cause we need more dreams like that,
And they’re waiting to be dreamed inside your brain.
If you’re eager to create,
And you find you just can’t wait,
And your dreams are overflowing from your ears,
Take a breath and write ’em down,
With a smile and not a frown.
Then your dreams become ideas you’ll have for years.
When you dream, don’t think it’s odd.
Dreams are thoughtful gifts from God.
They can help to give your weary mind some rest.
So relax and dream away.
Every day’s a brand new day
To begin to dream the dreams that you dream best. © 2013 TF
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I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time reading, listening, and watching good stuff based on the power of God’s love instead of looking for it. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
You might not believe it. But America was actually debt free one time. It was way back in 1835. And it happened thanks to President Andrew Jackson. He was the first and only president to pay off the national debt completely. One biographer wrote that the former president “viewed debt as a ‘moral failing,’ a sort of black magic.” Tragically, America is now trillions of dollars in debt and congress acts like it’s just the cost of doing business.
But trillions of dollars of debt is actually evil.
Because the root cause is the love of money. Not money. The love of it. So when a government collects trillions of dollars from its citizens, and still manages to run up trillions of dollars of debt, something ain’t right. To say the least.
President Jackson understood how debt enslaves you to your creditors. And he knew that being debt-free helps assure American independence. Thankfully most Americans agreed with him at that time.
There were some who did not agree. And President Jackson had to endure an assassination attempt. I read this account about how that went:
While campaigning against the evils of national debt and central banking, Jackson miraculously survived an assassination attempt when an assassin’s two pistols both misfired. Shadowy interests tied to the central bank were almost certainly behind the effort.
However, Jackson survived and went on to “End the Fed” of his days. He successfully bested the central bank. And the powerful interests behind it, and shut down the Second Bank of the United States.
After that, he also repaid the federal debt in full, which was no easy task.
But he couldn’t do it with an increase in federal income tax. Because it didn’t exist at the time. Matter of fact, it would have been unconstitutional.
These days, the Federal Reserve just prints more currency. But President Jackson couldn’t do that to pay off the debt. He got the money to pay off the debt mostly from. import tariffs and excise taxes. And he did something outlandish. Would you believe he cut federal spending? Yeah, by a lot. And he even vetoed spending bills. Now that’s crazy talk.
Crazy like a fox.
Because it worked. In January 1835, America was debt-free for the first time. And only time. But since too many people have an unquenchable love for money, America was in debt again and only about a year. And it has never been debt-free since then. I bet President Jackson would be appalled at our debt load now. But not surprised.
Because I also bet he understood the Biblical teaching on the love of money.
Most people, today, hear the phrase, trillions of dollars, And don’t really have a clear idea of how much that is. I saw this interesting breakdown:
Suppose you had a job that paid you $1 per second, or $3,600 per hour.
That amounts to $86,400 per day and about $32 million per year.
With that job, it would take you 31.5 years to earn a billion dollars.
With that job, it would take you over 31,688 YEARS to earn a trillion dollars.
Now, multiply that by however many trillions our national debt adds up to, some say up to 30 trillion, and you can see what an evil thing it is. Because it enslaves every man woman and child in America for who knows how long. There are only a couple of ways out of it. But I don’t see politicians willing to go in those directions at all.
Even if you earned one dollar every second, it would take you over 1 million years to pay off America’s debt. And that’s if it never got any bigger. And hopefully you can see that wouldn’t be very likely.
Yeah, I read this little factoid that backs that up:
The US federal government has the largest debt in the history of the world. And it’s continuing to grow at a rapid, unstoppable pace.
There is a such thing as debt forgiveness. But that’s almost definitely never gonna happen in this evil world. And we probably can’t count on Congress or the president to do the right thing. So I sure hope there’s another solution somewhere. Don’t you?
Oh wait. I just remembered….
Our God Is LPRGL
The world is…obsessed with death and dying.
They’re drowning…in bitterness and crying.
It’s such an awful shame.
They could call upon the name of Jesus.
As followers we say
We know He’s the only Way that frees us
From the sins we hide deep inside. They… can’t please us.
Our bodies…become the dust that scatters.
If that’s it…then nothing really matters.
We may as well give in
When we feel the world begin to seize us.
Who needs all that guilt and blame
You get calling on the name of Jesus?
But it’s not like that. It’s a fact…Jesus sees us.
He’s living and He’s life…He’s personal to talk to…
Relational with every son and daughter.
He’s good and so much more…. He’s loving to the core…
Jesus is the Living Water.
And each time a soul is saved all the angels above sing….
Our God is living, personal, relational, good… and loving.
Our souls know. infinity is calling.
But temptation…can keep our spirits falling.
So we need to fix our eyes
On the true eternal prize of Jesus.
When we stand before the throne,
He knows our lives, alone, won’t appease us.
No, we need the blood of the lamb…we need Jesus. © 2008 TF
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time reading, listening, and watching good stuff based on the power of God’s love instead of looking for it. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Here are the links to the flashes of light, from the week of Dec 29 – Jan 2, 2025, I shared in Tony’s Daily Devotional and on the The Power of God’s Love Podcast Episode 1022:
- Harry Houdini loved magic and was still tragic
- Get wisdom and understanding and change where you’ll be standing
- Pelican landing memory brought to you by me
Get The The Power of God's Love Podcast Delivered to Your Device Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional , my ongoing Devotional for believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Enjoy the convenience of having these flashes of light delivered, for free, right to your inbox. Then, you can spend your valuable time reading and listening instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Stay tuned,
It isn’t scientific. And it rhymes. So my book about the first 6 days of creation might not be appropriate for the intellectual Christian. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the apostle Paul would enjoy reading it. And I might even go as far as to say I don’t even think Jesus would have a problem with it.
And He was the only one there during the 6 days of creation.
So, my claim might be mighty bold talk for a one-eyed fat man, but I stand by it. Judge for yourself. Here’s an excerpt from the book.
The Very First Day
Before there were created things, and darkness filled the air…
No world or human beings were existing anywhere.
Then God created earth and sea and all the heavens too.
There was no sun, no moon, no stars, and only God shone through.
He looked down at the waters and the dark face of the deep.
The earth was still and quiet just as we are when we sleep.
He said, “Let there be light” the way a perfect, true God could,
And then He saw the brand new light and knew that it was good.
Then God divided light and dark, and darkness He called Night.
The light would be called Day, and it was pleasing in His sight.
That evening and that morning wouldn’t be the total sum…
No, that was just the very first day…five were yet to come. © 2012 TF
I’ve been working on some revisions of the book.
Those revisions include a new book cover, which you can see in the blue glasses up at the top of this page. And the new paperback version will be available on Amazon before too long. It’s gonna be about $16 and will include special links where you can scan and listen to me read it out loud as you follow along.
But you don’t have to wait for that revision. Because I’ve made it available for no cost at all to anyone who adds an email to the form below. Be the first on your block to get The Very First 6 Days digital download with included audio.
Plus you also…
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time reading, listening, and watching good stuff based on the power of God’s love instead of looking for it. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Last Sunday, Elgielene and I spent some time with my brother. And he told a story about a trip he took to Alaska. And his eyes lit up when he mentioned the boat ride through the blue water of the “inside passage” en route to his destination. Because he saw all sorts of wildlife and marine life, including whales, all sorts of birds, and more.
You won’t find a big blue whale there.
But, according to a travel website, “the Inside Passage winds through fjords, glaciers, and islands along Alaska’s southeast coast. It’s one of the most scenic cruise itineraries in the world. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have humpback whales as your traveling companions.”
So, here’s my guess. Visitors who see the humpback whales probably won’t be disappointed that they didn’t see a big blue whale. Because once you’re up close to a sea creature that big, the largest creature on our planet, I’m sure you’re satisfied with whatever version you get. I know I would be.
Anyway…
My brother wrote a song called Inside Passage. It’s an instrumental, and I don’t have access to it. But his memories and the fact that I’m in the middle of Friday vibes as I write, this brought back my own memories of a song I wrote about island life. Here are the lyrics. And if you’re reading this on Friday, have yourself a big, blue whale of a weekend where each day is an…
Island Day
Over in the mango tree
Toucan looking straight at me
Starfish in the ocean waves
Dolphin, laughin’, misbehaves
Oh, oh, oh, it’s an island day
Oh, oh, oh sail your cares away
Oh, oh, oh, cross the seven seas
Oh, oh, oh, on a clear cool Breeze
Parrot is a private eye
Big Blue whale don’t tell no lie
Swordfish out there watching you
Wonders what you’re gonna do
Chorus
If you want to roam,
Just bring a little note from home.
We’ll chase the rising sun
Never will the fun be done…
King crab with his mighty claw
Claims that he’s from Panama
And he invites Electric eel
On a quick trip to Brazil. © 2008 TF
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Just saw pelican landing in the water yesterday. It reminded me of a short memory I shared several years ago. It went a little something like this:
I remember my first ferry ride across Galveston Bay in Texas. Yes, it was a long time ago. My grandparents were visiting from Oklahoma. And my dad drove them and the rest of the family to see the sights along the coast. That included the ferry ride. Once a fairy left the dock, we were all able to get out and walk around for the whole . I noticed lots of seagulls, jumping fish, and one particular sloppy pelican.
First, I saw the pelican landing in the water.
Then, it just floated there and bobbed up and down in the gulf. And every once in a while it plunged its head underwater and came back up with a mouth full of small fish. The milk chocolate colored gulf water gushed out the sides of its mouth, too.
It must have been a memory I logged in my brain subconsciously. Because I haven’t really given it much thought since. Until today. I found a picture of a pelican, in my files, as I plotted out some of my writing. And it just so happened to have a sloppy mouthful of fish.
So, that’s how I came up with this rhyme…
The Sloppy Pelican
There was a sloppy pelican who lived on a dock
That stood by the bay that lead to the deep, blue sea.
He would float in the water and eat lots of fish
But wouldn’t clean up no matter how others would plea.
And when a sloppy pelican who lives on a dock
Won’t leave it the way it was when he first got there,
Well, he shouldn’t be surprised if friends disappear…
‘Cause wouldn’t you, too, if you saw some junk everywhere?
So if a sloppy pelican was found on your block
In a house like yours, in fact in your very own room,
And you saw him in the mirror, and he looked like you…
Would you just take a nap…or go get a mop and broom?
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Proverbs 16:16 says, “How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”
But it’s more fun to get gold than to get wisdom. Right?
And why waste your time trying to get understanding when the price of silver is trending upwards.
C’mon. Let’s be logical about this. After all, I’m sure you’ve seen the price of groceries lately. And mortgages and rents don’t look like they’ll ever come back down. So, it’s kind of a waste of time to work on getting wisdom and understanding when working on a six (or seven) figure income is so much more necessary and practical.
Plus…
The added benefit of higher earnings is that you can then give more to the needy. And if I understand correctly, that certainly seems to be noble thing to do. So, double the goals reached.
Wisdom and understanding, AND more income and more giving.
Quadruple bam!
Just one problem.
That’s not how God sees it.
In fact, his view on wisdom might seem selfish…without understanding.
Proverbs 19:8 says it like this: “He who gets wisdom loves his own soul” Wow, sounds like it’s OK to love your own soul. And there’s no mention of giving to the needy there.
And just in case you wanna take me to task and say that God wants us to help the needy rather than focus on ourselves, let me save you the time. Because I know that’s true. But that truth doesn’t cancel out the other truth I’ve already mentioned. Which is in the Bible as I’ve shown.
So, that’s why wisdom and understanding are so connected. Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do and the right time to do it. And understanding the context and circumstances is key.
Thankfully, God wrote a book to help us with all that. But that book is absolutely useless to anyone and everyone who doesn’t read it. I know there’s really no extra time, right now, with all the football playoffs and such. But I recommend, as soon as you can find the time, that you read it. Because it can help positively affect where you and your soul will spend eternity.
Would you like to live forever
Under bright and blue skies?
Then go get some understanding
In God’s word and be wise. © 2016 TF
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
It doesn’t matter how well you do in this life, how much you gain or lose, or even how much influence you can buy or steal. In the end, you will leave no trace anywhere on the planet.
And when I say you’ll leave no trace, it’s not a figure of speech.
But I guess I should clear something up. When I used the phrase, in the end, I didn’t mean when you die. Because for a time you can still leave a trace, a mark, or even a monument behind. But that time will come to an end. And then the end will be consumed.
No, I’m not writing a screenplay for an apocalyptic movie. I’m talking about actual future events. What’s actually gonna happen. Whether anybody likes it or not. And whether anybody believes it or not. It’s gonna happen.
It’ll be the ultimate doomsday. And even if Thanos were real, he would be as effective as an adhesive stick figure on the back window of the SUV du jour.
God inspired Peter to write about it. And Peter said this: “…the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” See how God will leave no trace of even the heavens and Earth?
Of course, you don’t have to believe any of that’s true. In fact, you can totally disregard anything I share with you from the Bible. I don’t recommend that you do. But you have your own will. And you get to choose who and what you believe.
I recommend you look into the mountains of evidence that support the truth of the Bible. And my hope for you is that it convinces you that there IS a God, you are not Him, and He will execute judgment on the whole planet, and then create the new heavens and new Earth. It will be absolutely terrible. For everyone. But especially for everyone who does not believe and trust in the only hope of survival from all this.
Jesus. He is the only way to eternal life. And your only hope of being more than…
Whispers In The Wind
Backbiters, selfish thieves,
And darkness everywhere.
Conceited, jealous outbursts,
Hurtle through the air.
But selfish ambitions and
Contentions will all end
And leave no traces,
Like the whispers in the wind. © 2023 TF
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to a special book and music right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect today.
Today I recall how much I enjoyed watching a movie, on TV, about the life of Harry Houdini. He was portrayed by another famous Tony. Tony Curtis. And Mr. Houdini’s wife was portrayed by Mr. Curtis’s real life wife Janet Leigh.
I remember how much I enjoyed Harry Houdini’s daring feats.
Apparently, he could escape from just about any set of handcuffs, most any jail cell, and even from containers of water where he was hung upside down inside.
I read a little blurb about Mr. Houdini that I didn’t know about him before. According to Wikipedia, the source of all absolute truth: Houdini made several movies but quit acting when it failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator and became the first man to fly a powered aircraft in Australia.
So, he certainly was an interesting character, and he lived a full life in about 52 years.
Unfortunately, Harry Houdini didn’t appear to be a Christian believer. In fact, he started delving into the paranormal and spiritualist realms. And according to what I’ve read, and what the Tony Curtis movie sort of portrayed, he believed he could communicate with certain dead people. Or he certainly hope he could. Because he wanted to communicate with his mom who died.
That sort of belief doesn’t lead to good things.
Certainly not eternal things. As Harry Houdini now knows and has known since his death in 1926, nearly 100 years ago.
But it sure seems like a lot of people want to be able to talk to dead people. And it seems like they like that idea much more than talking to their living, loving Creator. That is the epitome of futility.
Here’s what I recommend instead…
There will be trials…and tribulation,
In every life…in every nation.
You could give up…but bow your head
And thank your loving Lord instead.
from the poem, Instead © 2010 TF
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
You’re not doing the work because you don’t have a ministry. Right? And you don’t even work in a church. Right again?
Whether or not you have a ministry or you work in the church, guess what?
You should be doing the work.
“What work?” you ask.
Well, first off, your work isn’t necessarily the same as anyone else’s. The goal is. But not the work. And you don’t have to be a preacher, a deacon, an elder, or even a daycare helper.
Yeah, even if you don’t attend church regularly or at all, you should be doing the work. But don’t panic. I’ve got 7 things you can do once you know what your gift or talent, from God, is. These seven things aren’t easy. But remember, God has equipped you. So you CAN get it done.
Paul wrote a letter to his spiritual son, Timothy. Maybe you remember from the Bible, yes? It was his. second letter (or Epistle) to Timothy. And in chapter 4, Paul laid out 7 things to do to fulfill your ministry. And they all lead to you doing the work of an evangelist. That’s just a 4 syllable word that means you’ll be talking about Jesus.
Because, apart from Him, you don’t truly have a purpose in life…at least not one that leads to eternal life. And that’s a goal you should definitely have on your to-do list.
So, here are 7 ways you can do the work:
- Preach the word
- Be ready in season and out of season
- Convince
- Rebuke
- Exhort with patience and teaching
- Be watchful in all things
- Endure afflictions
Easy…right?
Wrong!
With each passing day the job of telling the world about Jesus becomes increasingly more difficult. But here’s the thing…you’re not alone. You will never be alone. You have the Creator of the universe as close as your next breath. And He will never leave you nor forsake you. He’ll help you do the work of an evangelist. So, you’ll be more than well-equipped to share His promise with anyone and everyone who will listen.
So what do you say?
Gonna start doing the work today? I hope so. We need you.
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Computing at the speed of light, but is it good? And is it right? Well, to jump on this topic, here’s a little information I read and saw in a video clip. It said:
We’ve hit a wall with silicon chips. Electrons can only move so fast and that’s what limits how quickly today’s GPUs can train AI.
So researchers are building optical neural networks processors that compute using light, not electricity. They replace transistors with photonic circuits made of waveguides, mirrors, and modulators. When beams of light intersect, they perform calculations…addition, multiplication literally as light waves interfere.
But how can light actually do math? Each laser pulse represents a number. When two pulses overlap, their amplitudes combine the foundation of matrix multiplication in neural nets.
Companies are already building these chips that can train AI a thousand times faster with a fraction of the power.
So, computing at the speed of light certainly sounds doable.
Because using a fraction of the power makes sense. But for the purpose of training, so-called AI, I think is small minded, actually. Which is ironic, of course, since so-called AI is supposed to be all about big minded stuff rounded up and delivered up to your computer screen super fast.
But here’s the thing. Regardless of how fast so-called AI is, it’s still man-made technology. And that means it still infinitely pales in comparison to the one true living, loving God of creation.
I know those who don’t believe or trust in God, especially when you mention Him using the name, Jesus, just had a huge eyeroll moment. But so what? I couldn’t care less. Because if it wasn’t for Jesus, there wouldn’t be any eyes to roll anywhere.
OK, here’s the reason I brought any of this up today.
because it feels like (and I say feels like for a reason) the culmination and curation of knowledge is reaching a reckoning point. I don’t know if that’s equivalent to what Paul called “the fullness of the Gentiles.” But I won’t say it isn’t. Because it feels like a digital version of the Tower of Babel.
And if you’re familiar with that part of history in the Bible, you know that didn’t end well for humans. Because God knows how despicable we can be individually. So He also knows how exponentially more despicable we would be as a unit.
Anyway…
When I read or listen to technology information like this, I still don’t worry or fear. Because God says, don’t do those things. And I have enough faith in Him to know that if He says do not worry and do not fear, then I shouldn’t. Because I trust that He has my best interest and health in mind.
But maybe that’s just me.
Maybe you just can’t bring yourself to trust God that much. And maybe you’re gonna find something to worry about or fear regardless of what God’s word says. If so, I hope you at least keep it to yourself and don’t mess up someone else’s day with your fears and worries.
At least care about your loved ones that much. Because remember, your worry and fear comes from YOU. Not God.
As for me, I choose to smile, trust God, and keep my…
Faith Over Fear
Faith over fear,
Like a rainbow, landed here
As I navigated through the stormy skies.
I could feel eternal love
From the One, so far above,
Who created such a painting for my eyes.
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Do you desire a big paycheck? A snazzy car? A status symbol house? All of the above? If so, do you think you’ll ever get ’em? And even if you’re well on your way, do you think there’s an ironclad guarantee you’ll get ’em all?
There’s nothing wrong with self improvement. And you certainly don’t need my approval. Or anyone else’s for that matter. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. If “things” or “power” or “vanity” control the desires of your heart, you’ll eventually end up very disappointed.
And the disappointment will last much, much longer than your big paycheck.
The top desires of my heart grow stronger with each passing year. They can’t be bought. But they’re paid for. They can’t be measured. But they overflow. And they can’t be stored. But there’s no expiration date.
PLUS, they’re guaranteed by the manufacturer to surpass all I can think or even imagine.
First, I want to live forever with the Creator. The one true, living, loving God who gave me my heart in the first place. I find my joy in Him.
Second, I want as many of my friends and family as possible to be there, too.
But I know that most people on this planet don’t know the peace that passes all understanding. You’re probably not one of those people. And I’m sure that makes you very glad and thankful. But maybe you aren’t aware of the evidence of things hoped for. Maybe you don’t have a sense of security that nothing can separate you from the love of Jesus. If those descriptions fit, I encourage you to start with the two desires I mentioned.
I’d love to see you take the eternal road less traveled.
In the blink of an eye
It will all pass you by,
But the future is bright for the free;
The ones who will trust
That this house made of dust
Is a shadow of life that will be
When your soul travels on
And, forever, is gone
To the good Lord’s divine jubilee. © 2025 TF
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
So, let’s talk about your vortex energy generator. Sounds fun, right? I recently discovered that a man named Rudolph Steiner said the heart is a seven-sided regular form that sits in an imaginary box in the chest. And in case you don’t know what a “seven-sided regular form” means, it’s a three-dimensional form, and the “regular” part means the surface areas are all identical.
That means your vortex energy generator is your heart.
Who knew? Well, apparently that guy named Rudolph Steiner knew.
And another guy named Tom Cowan, who’s a doctor with some very different ideas, mentions Rudolph Steiner in an article about how your heart is a vortex energy generator. The article talks about a lot more than just that. And I found it extremely interesting. But I’m kinda nerdy that way. You might find it extremely boring.
Anyway…
Yet another guy named Frank Chester spent fifteen years trying to figure how to sculpt a seven-sided regular form. And he eventually did it and called it a chestahedron. Catchy.
Then, Chester made a cast of the heart. And he “put it into a vat of water and spun it to see what would happen. What happens first is that it creates a vortex, a spiral within the chestahedron itself, like the Milky Way. If you do it long enough, you’ll see an appendix form that creates its own horizontally shaped vortex off the edge of it. The horizontal vortex closely resembles the shape and attachment of the right ventricle to the left ventricle of a human heart.”
It also closely resembles a strand of DNA. Very cool.
Yeah, before I completely bore you into clicking away, I’ll tie this whole vortex energy generator stuff into something much more romantic. And I’ll do that by sharing a poem. I wrote to Elgielene when I was working on winning her heart. It goes a little something like this.
The Heart
They use the heart as a logo.
They use the heart as a prop.
And they show it all deflated.
They show it about to pop.
They have it wearing faces.
And they have it in the stars.
They draw it into corners
And even behind bars.
But a heart is still a heart
Feeling pleasure; feeling pain.
A heart is not an object
Of some far, unearthly plane.
It should never be taken lightly,
When, in faith, it’s passed along.
For this day I pass mine to you
Hoping you won’t think it’s wrong.
Let me also take this chance to say
I’ll be thinking of you on Valentine’s Day. © 1987 TF
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
This is something I share on January 7th of each year. Because that’s the day that marks the anniversary of the birth of the woman who birthed me. It’s a short story, and I hope you enjoy it.
1938. It was a cold day in January. In rural Oklahoma. FDR was in the first year of his second term as president of the U.S. And a second daughter was born to a young couple named Lee and Syona. But it was also a time when America was still struggling to recover from the Great Depression. So, when the little family was ready to travel, they piled into their sedan and headed west to California.
The cold day in Oklahoma turned to west coast warm.
And the young couple went to work, as countless other migrant workers did, picking produce and fruit from the fertile California farms and orchards.
But times were tough.
And even the Golden State didn’t provide enough work and wages for Lee and Syona to take “proper care” of their two daughters.
So, they sent Donette, the oldest, and Doris, who was 2 years younger, back to Oklahoma to stay with their maternal grandparents. And Poodle and Poppy, as the kids called the old couple, were happy to take them in to their home “on the farm.”
There would be multiple trips back and forth between parents and grandparents. And there would be hardships far beyond what many Americans would call hardships these days.
Hunger from sometimes only one meal a day. Worn out clothes. Barefoot walks to school because there wasn’t enough money for shoes. And every day life in shantytowns.
But, as life often turns out, the young sisters made it through those hard times. With the loving help of Poodle and Poppy. But both girls yearned to venture out on their own. And, while they were still kids (young teens) themselves, they both married and started having children of their own.
(You might be thinking, “What’s this got to do with the happiest birthday?”)
OK, from this point on, the story will focus on Doris.
She married a young man named Dwight who attended the same school as her in Norman, Oklahoma. And, before long, they had two boys. They were the typical young couple adding to the baby boomer population. But their own youthful inexperience proved too much of a hurdle. And they divorced, after only 4 years.
So, on another cold day, Doris started looking for her next step.
After some bumps and stumbles, she found and married a young man named Bill. And after a stint in the Army, Bill went to work for General Motors in the Kansas City area. He and Doris also had two kids. A girl and then a boy. Plus, the two boys from Doris’ first marriage would join the four of them each summer.
And that life went on for several years until the two older boys had graduated high school and left to start their own lives. Sadly, Bill and Doris began to drift apart till one day they also divorced. They worked out the details for the care of their two younger kids. And they went their separate ways.
Once again Doris faced a “cold day” on her own.
I’d like to tell you her life rebounded onward and upward like a comeback story in an old Hollywood movie. But, for years, quite the opposite was true. And I won’t dwell on the dreary details. Just know that there were considerable obstacles for her to overcome. Some she created with her own choices. And others were thrust upon her.
After a couple more seriously broken dreams, Doris trained for restaurant management. And she worked her way through Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas. Either as a manager or assistant manager for restaurants like Village Inn and Sambo’s.
Usually it was to be near one or more of her kids and grandkids.
After years in the restaurant business, Doris became a dispatcher for a transportation company based in the Kansas City area. And she lived and worked there until she retired and moved into her tiny, one bedroom apartment in the small community of Gardner, Kansas.
And she remained in Gardner until late in 2020.
Her health declined for several years leading up to that time. And, on a walk from her bedroom to the living room, she fell, injured her head, and required several stitches.
She bounced back somewhat, but dealt with more frequent bouts of headaches and dizziness.
Then, on January 8th of 2021, one day after her 83rd birthday, Doris suffered a stroke. And her health and stamina began to slowly deteriorate until she died in her sleep in her daughter’s home.
She is survived by her four kids, 10 grandkids, 6 great-grandkids, and 4 great-great-grandkids.
And her story is something I share with you because she was my Mom. She died February 11, 2021. And today would have been her 88th birthday here on Earth. But she’s in Heaven. And that’s why I say it’s her happiest birthday ever.
Dorsie, as she was affectionately called by family and friends, will be remembered as a Mom, Memaw, Great-grandma, sister, aunt, and friend who always finished her good-byes with “I love you.”
And we all love you, too.
Your gracious love shone through
The darkest days, like songs of praise,
To those you loved and knew.
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
I just read a very short, very cool article that started out with this: For the first time in human history, scientists witnessed the precise instant human development initiates. What they observed wasn’t biological randomness, it was orchestrated precision.
Of course, the term orchestrated precision piqued my interest.
And since I’m one of those right-wing extremists who says we should abolish all abortion, I thoroughly enjoyed the next sentences immensely:
At fertilization’s exact moment, a coordinated biochemical wave erupts across the egg’s surface. This isn’t gradual activation. It’s an instantaneous “on switch”, a cascading molecular signal that transforms a dormant cell into the blueprint for an entire human being. Time zero. Life’s starting gun.
The next part of the article said that MIT researchers were stunned. Not just by the fact that this happens, but by HOW it happens. Like this:
The activation wave moves in rhythmic, structured patterns following mathematical proportions found throughout nature. The same ratios governing spiral galaxies, nautilus shells, sunflower seed arrangements, and hurricane formations. The Golden Ratio. Fibonacci sequences. Universal mathematical constants appearing at life’s very first moment.
And I love conclusions they were able to arrive at with that information:
This suggests something profound: organization precedes consciousness. Order exists before brain, before nervous system, before any structure capable of creating order. The instructions for building complexity are embedded at the origin point itself.
The article said, “We’ve always known fertilization starts development.” And I thought, “Well, some of us have.” then they shared some more conclusions those MIT researchers drew from the information:
…seeing it reveals life doesn’t “stumble” into existence through chemical accidents gradually organizing. It ignites with purpose, structured signals executing a predetermined biological program with geometric precision. This challenges purely mechanistic views of life’s origins. Random molecular collisions don’t produce mathematical elegance. Yet here it is, visible under microscopes, following patterns woven into the universe’s fabric. Life’s first instant looks less like chance and more like code executing. Time zero isn’t chaos becoming order. It’s order beginning.
I don’t exactly agree with the “time zero” part.
Because I don’t believe that there’s any such thing as time zero. Yes you and I had a physical beginning. But time has always existed. Because God has always existed. So, while the ordered beginning of our physical existence started at fertilization, I believe you and I actually began in the mind of our one true, living, loving Creator. And He’s eternal. So that puts a whole ‘nother spin on it.
And on that note, I’ll sign off for now, wishing you an excellent start to the first full week of 2026. Go do the best you can with the power of God’s love to propel and guide you.
Everyone has a right to life,
A gift from God, before it even starts.
Everyone has a right to life.
Your right is wrong when it stops innocent hearts.
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Here are the links to the flashes of light, from the week of Dec 29 – Jan 2, 2025, I shared in Tony’s Daily Devotional and on the The Power of God’s Love Podcast Episode 1022:
- Happy new year 2026 and cheers to getting your kicks
- Spotify stats and dot com back pats
- Two days one night now to do what is right
Get The The Power of God's Love Podcast Delivered to Your Device Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional , my ongoing Devotional for believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Enjoy the convenience of having these flashes of light delivered, for free, right to your inbox. Then, you can spend your valuable time reading and listening instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Stay tuned,
Yeah, two days one night.
That’s how old 2026 is as I write this. Well, at least approximately. The point is this year is still a baby. Well, at least. if you look at a year as something new with the beginning of every January 1st. And most people do.
So, as I said, two days one night.
And I wonder what I’ll do that’s right.
I wonder what I’ll do that’s wrong.
I hope not much and not for long.
‘Cause the sand inside my hourglass
Is mostly gone and what has come to pass.
That makes me happy and leaves me sad
For what’s to come and what I’ve had.
But know these melancholy lines
Belie a smile that brightly shines.
A smile that lives because of light
From the Maker of two days one night. © 2026 TF
I hope this coming first weekend of 2026 brings you the rest you need from the previous week or the motivation you need to move into the next one. Or both actually. And I thank you for being a regular to my humble flashes of light. And if you’re not a regular, what in the world are you waiting for? Because you’ve got easy, free ways to enjoy some of the most uplifting, power of God’s love you’re gonna find in the entire universe right here.
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.
I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.
Happy new year 2026. Yep, this is the last day of 2025. And this year will never, never, ever, ever happen again.
I’m sure I’m not the first to say happy new year 2026 to you.
Especially since most people who read this will do so after the new year has already begun. But I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to tell wish you a blessed and safe year.
I pray that this year many people will come to know, understand, and trust their Creator. And I have faith that no matter what challenges we face in 2026, we still can always lean on the One who overcame the world. Because we’re told by God that He gave us a “spirit of power and love and a sound mind.” So, since fear doesn’t come from God, so don’t let it have any room in your life.
When you say “happy new year 2026”, remember it’s a year you’re talking about. Not just a moment. Each year is connected to the one before it and the one after. Time keeps moving on. And you don’t have to be defined by the tiny moments, the tiny glimpses of your life. Identify yourself with the One who created you and knows the number of the hairs on your head.
Always remember, when you’re a child of the one, true, living God, you’re bound for an eternal life of freedom.
That beats anything your government, your country, or this world can ever offer.
OK, happy new year 2026, ya’ll.
And cheers to infinity and beyond.
So, think of the life you’ll live,
Of the smiles you’ll give,
And remember love to all you know.
For years come and go so fast,
Present fades to past
All that’s left is pastel afterglow. (excerpt from Laughter and Love)
Get Tony’s Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free. I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.