Category Archives: Christian Articles

Tony Funderburk writes and sings about the rhyme and reason for life so believers and searchers can see some of the millions of reasons to trust Jesus.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

My testimony is not a story of perfection…unless you see past me.

Whether I can say I’ve done something worthy of your boasting…or whether I must say I’ve done nothing worthy of anyone’s boasting…both are part of my testimony. I mentioned this a couple of years ago, and I’d like to share it again today because of something someone said to me recently

In my life I’ve attempted to carry myself with humility and “godly sincerity“. And for much of my life I’ve worked in a field where there is consistent danger of becoming filled with self. When you’re on a stage where hundreds and even thousands of people are clapping and cheering for you, the temptation is to believe you’re “all that and a bag of chips”. Truth is…you’re just somebody on a stage using gifts that came from God.

By the Grace of God I’ve enjoyed a life filled with music, singing, and songwriting. I’ve been all over the country because of my ability to carry a tune. And I say by the Grace of God because I’ve been a miserable failure in so many other ways…so many times. God never saw fit to take my gifts away. For some reason He still trusts me with them…even though I’ve let Him down time and time again.

My testimony of conscience, today, is this…

Even though I’ve tried to conduct myself with simplicity and godly sincerity in this world…I freely admit my shortcomings and count myself in the Apostle Paul’s corner as a chief among sinners.

So, does this mean there should be no boasting and I should throw in the towel? Well, if you take it that way, I wonder if you doubt Paul’s sincerity in 2 Corinthians 1:12-14 when he says “for our boasting is this…” And I wonder if you trust one of the follow-up statements “that we are your boast as you also are ours”.

Do you understand what Paul is talking about in that passage? Those 3 verses begin and end with words about boasting, but the key is in the middle…Grace of God. And shouldn’t that key always be in the middle of your life? Here are the lyrics to a song that describes my testimony. If you wanna hear the song, Get my Podcast

You Are

I’m not amazing. I’m no king.
No, I’m not the God of anything…
Oh but You are. Jesus…You are.
I’m not a savior. I’m not pure.
No, I’m not the One who has the cure…
Oh but You are. Jesus…You are.

You are…the start and finish
You are…the Morning Star.
Your love will not diminish.
>You’re the Life Everlasting.
>You’re the Rock of offense.
>You’re the Only Source of Truth
Who makes it all make sense.
If they ask who’s gonna mend
This broken world, I’ll commence
To saying You are. Jesus…You are.

I’m not perfection. I’m not near.
No, I’m not the One anyone should fear.
Oh, but You are. Jesus…You are.
I’m not the True Vine nor The Word.
No, I’m not the Amen that we’ve heard.
Oh, but You are. Jesus…You are.

Chorus 3 times      © 2010 TF

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered 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.

Daily Devotional

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Don’t leave yourself in a compromising position when it comes to life.

This year, in particular, Christian conservatives might feel like they have to give to get when it comes to voting for a candidate who isn’t Hillary. Believe me…I understand not wanting her for a president. But I’d like you to consider something much more important than whether the president is Donald, Bernie, Ted, or Hillary. The issue that’s infinitely more important is life. Every candidate running for president has taken a compromising position on the issue of life. And I hope you won’t leave yourself in a compromising position by voting for any of them.

I’ve heard it said more times than I can remember that if you don’t vote for one of the 2 parties’ candidates, you’re throwing your vote away. Nothing could be further from the Truth. I capitalized Truth for a reason. If your presidential candidate compromises on the issue of life (our first and foremost God-given right), then what do you suppose they won’t compromise on? Budgets? Spending? Foreign policy? Entitlement programs? All of the above?

Consider this perspective on a compromising position.

If there was one candidate who compromised on all of those issues but wouldn’t budge on the right to life of every human being…from conception to natural death…you could still vote for that candidate with a clear conscience. After all, I don’t expect any office holder to live up to a perfect standard. None of us can. But if a candidate states (and they all do) they’ll compromise on how many unborn babies to kill, that one issue disqualifies them. Period.

If you’re a Christian, and you truly believe the Bible is God’s word, you cannot vote…must not vote…for any presidential candidate now running. It’s better to obey God and let the chips fall where they may. And Jesus said (in red letters) “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to Me“. Look at that phrase carefully.

Jesus used words purposefully and meticulously. He said “one of the least.” He didn’t say “some” or “part” or “all.” And He said “one of the least of these.” And you can’t get any more “least” than unborn babies. When you take the compromising position that it’s OK to abort even one unborn baby, you disqualify yourself from having any wisdom. And what America needs, in a leader, is wisdom. Not merely winning.

I know there are Christians who struggle with this issue of life because of their own past. But I ask you to remember that Jesus died for ALL your sins. And He wants you to use wisdom to help others see further down the road than you did. Just because you made poor decisions in your life doesn’t mean you can’t use and share God’s wisdom with others who might be struggling with the same decisions you once faced. One way you can help them is to show them you will no longer compromise on the basic human, and God-given, right to life.

And remember this…God wants you to stand up for His Truth.

He’s much more concerned about the souls of men and women than who is elected president. Elections, presidents, and even countries and nations will pass away. But God’s word will never pass away. And He says it’s never right, for any reason, to shed innocent blood. So, as you consider voting this year, consider whether or not your vote will leave you in a compromising position with God’s word.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

When you look around, does it appear
that God is the ruler of this world?

I hope you’ve given your heart to Jesus. I hope you’ve trusted He died and rose from the dead for your sins. I hope your hope is in the one true, living, loving Creator of the universe. I hope you’re willing to lean on God’s understanding rather than your own. And I hope He rules and reigns in your heart. But I also hope you can look around and clearly see how God is not the ruler of this world.

God blesses every person on earth every day. Every breath you take is a blessing. Every sunrise you see…every morsel you eat…etc. And in spite of every potential point of evidence pointing to the one true, living, loving God, the vast majority of humans thumb their noses, shake their fists, and turn their backs on Him. God’s not turning their backs…they’re doing it. They’re responsible.

And yes, if enough people, called by God’s name (Christians) humbled themselves, seeking God and His wisdom, then He not only could but probably would heal our land.  I’m not a pessimist, but I don’t see the tide turning in that direction. Instead I see Christians giving in and giving up on almost every single issue important to God.

Yes, God’s ways are higher than ours.

But they’re not lower. He tells us not to do evil so that good may come of it. And how much more should He, being a righteous, Holy Father, not do evil that good may come?

Nothing evil in this world is of God. If you, being a loving father, wouldn’t murder or cause murder to happen, how much more so for your Holy Father? God is not orchestrating the evil deeds of this world. That would make Him an evil ruler of this world, and He’s not that…nor will He ever be.

I know, on the surface, it sounds like blasphemy to say God is not in control of this world. But I’m repeating what Jesus, Himself, said…three times at least: John 12:31  John 14:30  & John 16:11  Another verse, to that point, is found in 1 Corinthians 14:33 – God is not the author of confusion. He did not write, speak, or command the confusion we currently see in our world. And yet another verse indicating there is another ruler of this world is 2 Corinthians 4:4 where Paul writes “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded“.

God has given His authority over, for a time, to the “ruler of this world” and to us. That’s why you see the world in the horrible, despicable shape it’s in. And it’s just like in the time before Noah…the world became so wicked that God was sorry He had made man. If they were just a part of His divine and chief orchestration, why would He have destroyed them…simply more of the perfect plan?

Absolutely not!

Which is more important to God: Prophesy…or love?  Understanding…or love?  Knowledge…or love? Faith…or love?  Charity…or love?  I’m sure you each know the correct answer.

So when you see love exhibited in this world…in particular through the Body of Christ…you can KNOW it’s of and from God. When you see evil, hatred, rampant sexual misconduct, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy, stealing, covetousness, drunkenness, drug use, extortion, etc…you can be sure it’s not of or from God, but it IS of and from the current ruler of this world.

God does not, and never has raised up pagan rulers or kingdoms. God never does evil that good may come of it. And to raise up a pagan ruler would be evil.

God allows chance and circumstance to affect our lives…as you’ll see in 1st and 2nd Samuel and the Gospel of Luke. God’s the quintessential risk taker. He wishes that none should perish, but He also knows that to give us our “self-control”, means that to hate Him must be an option. He is willing to risk the hatred of many to cherish the love of the few. Praise God!

One day Jesus will come back and be the ruler of this world…first for a thousand years…then forever. When that happens, there’ll be a world of evidence of His rule. There will be justice. There will not be anarchy. There will be loving logic and rational reason. There will not be mass confusion. And there will be peace on earth. Would you like to see that day?

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered 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.

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk signature logo

 

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Does the sign on your front door say Love Lives Here?

I hope your life is going well, today. As I write this, it’s about to be a beautiful Sunday here in Colorado. As I look toward the West and see Pike’s Peak and the other parts of the Front Range, it’s easy to see the the majesty of God’s creation. Then it’s easy to think about Him and how much He loves me. And then I can walk back in the house and see how blessed I am to have the wife I have and the “things”. I know love lives here. Do you have that security?

I hope you can look around you and get the same feeling of love I’m talking about. If it isn’t immediately clear, think about it…pray about it. Ask God to open your heart and the eyes of your understanding. Ask Him to flood your heart with His love, mercy, and wisdom. Then, you simply need to believe He will. And when He does, be prepared to let that love flow through your heart and into the hearts of the ones you love. God’s love won’t empty out. There’s more than enough to go around. So, don’t be afraid to let it flow right through you. To get filled up, read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.

There was an interesting picture in my news feed yesterday where a young man was kneeling next to an older man lying on the street. The young man had his hand on the older man’s knee, and his head was bowed in prayer. That’s love. It doesn’t have to be some great act of sacrifice or some giant financial gift to a charity. You can express God’s love for others simply by touching someone and praying for them. And you don’t even have to touch them. When you see someone who needs prayer…and that’s everyone by the way…pray for them.

In this mean ol’ world, there’s a massive amount of hate, contempt, and rebellion against God. But love lives here, too. How do I know? Because I’m here. And by that I mean…I count myself a Christian. I’m part of the Body of Christ. Since I’m part of the Body of Christ and I’m still here, it means the Holy Spirit is still here. And where the Holy Spirit is, there is love. Don’t miss out on your chance for everlasting life in the place where the sign on the door says

“Love Lives Here”

Before you go, share this link with everybody you know. Tell ’em to jump on the The TRUTH AND get some music and other good stuff, for Fa-Ree.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Hate the sin – love the sinner?
God doesn’t do that, so how can you?

How many times have you heard you should hate the sin love the sinner…and ask God to help you do it? I’m here today to tell you it’s physically impossible to hate sin apart from where it resides…in the sinner. Because sin doesn’t exist apart from your body and because sin isn’t what God is sending to hell…your goal shouldn’t be to separate sin from the sinner. It should be to get a better focus on sin, using God’s Word and wisdom. And you should ask God to help you judge rightly. Ask Him to help you see more clearly the sin in your own life and how you can help others with theirs. If you’re going to hate the sin, then love the sinner and tell him he needs Jesus. You can’t do that without first making a judgment call. Sorry, but you’re gonna have to judge, but here’s some help…

My recommendation to you, if you’re a Christian, is to dig in more deeply to Paul’s writings. This is good advice for an unbeliever, too. Start with Paul’s writings to the Galatians, then the Ephesians, then the Corinthians and Colossians. As you read his words, ask yourself if you’re like one of the Galatians, Ephesians, Corinthians, or Colossians. Do you find yourself in their troubled shoes? Are you walking and talking Christianity without realizing what it truly means? Do you parrot non-biblical clichés like “hate the sin love the sinner” or “cleanliness is next to Godliness” or “God is all about forgiveness” or “who am I to judge?”

Please don’t use those phrases anymore.

Read Paul’s writings and see if you find him saying any of those things. You won’t. Instead you’ll discover a man who fell deeply in love with the love, forgiveness, power, and judgment of Christ. You’ll discover words, inspired by God, telling you to judge. He says the “saints will judge the world“. And he asks if you’re “unworthy to judge even the smallest matters”. When you read that passage, you’ll discover how important it is to be able to judge rightly and wisely.

And here’s the kicker for why you should stay away from saying “hate the sin love the sinner”. Because not even God does that. He won’t be sending sin to hell. He’ll be sending people. You may have heard God is love. He loves with a love we can’t even fully comprehend. But have you heard God also hates? Here are 7 things God hates:

  1. A proud look
  2. A lying tongue
  3. Hands that shed innocent blood
  4. A heart that devises wicked plans
  5. Feet that are swift in running to evil
  6. A false witness who speaks lies
  7. And one who sows discord among brethren

I’d like you to pay special attention to what each of those things has in common. Know what it is? They’re all physical. A look is on a face. Physical. Tongue…physical. Hands…physical. Heart…physical. Feet…physical. And the last two are the whole person…somebody who speaks lies or somebody who mumbles and grumbles. God doesn’t merely hate the intangible, unseen “force of sin”. He knows it couldn’t exist apart from human flesh. So, He lists what He hates.

And God loves at the same time.

He loves you enough to make a way out of your sin forever. But He won’t force you to choose that Way…Jesus. And His love for you will lift you into eternal life when you choose Him. But He hates you if you choose “self love” over His love. And He’s made a place for you spend eternity away from Him and all of us who love Him. It’s your choice. Choose now. And don’t just hate the sin and love the sinner. Learn to love and hate with God’s wisdom and discernment leading the way.

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk signature logo

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered 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.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

If you believe it’s difficult to figure out the will of God for your life, I’ve got some good news

Lately I’ve heard several Christians (on the radio and in person) saying you need to seek the will of God for your life. Some have said things like “It isn’t always easy, but it’s so important”. Or they say, “Pray and ask God to show you His will for your life”. On the surface, there appears to be nothing wrong with this advice. But let’s dig a little deeper and see how we don’t have to dig so deep.

First off…let me say, I’d never recommend not praying. Of course you should pray. You must pray! But your prayers should be more about thanksgiving and supplication…not always asking for things. It’s good to ask your Heavenly Father for wisdom and discernment. And it’s even OK to ask Him for the intangible things like more love in your life, or more fruit of the Spirit, or even a calm heart. However, you don’t need to ask Him for His will for your life. He’s already told you.

God wants to set you apart from this world. His word says…

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification…”

Two words. Your sanctification. Simple. To the point. No long-winded, expansive, voluminous explanation. And only one mildly difficult word: sanctification. What does that mean? Like I said…to set you apart. Apart from what? All the dirty darkness so much of the world seems to prefer. God doesn’t want you to be weighed down, dragged down, or pulled down into that darkness. He wants you to stand up, reach up, and look up…to Him. Doing so sets you apart. It sanctifies you. The dictionary defines sanctify like this: set apart as or declare holy.

When you ask Jesus into your heart, God declares you holy. Wow! How cool is that?! And that, in a nutshell, is the will of God for your life…to declare you holy. And when you’re holy, you will live forever in a place so glorious your imagination can’t conjure it up.

All the day-to-day tasks, your job or career, whether you should buy the green shirt or red one, or where you’ll go for dinner…these are all decisions you’re free to make for yourself. God doesn’t need or want to micromanage your life. That isn’t His will. He certainly wants you to lean on His understanding, not your own, and that’s because His wisdom is infinitely deeper and higher than yours. But He doesn’t make your daily decisions for you. You’re fearfully and wonderfully made. God designed you with your own will, your own brain, and your own abilities. He delights in seeing what ways you’ll use them to declare Him to the world.

So…what ways are you declaring the good news of Jesus to the world? Use the skills or talents you have and tell somebody about Him today…or this week…or this month. And don’t be afraid. Remember, the will of God for your life is sanctification. Since He sets you apart and declares you holy, I guarantee you can do it. And when you send His Word out, it won’t return void. I’m pulling for you!

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk signature logo

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered 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.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

When you realize you are not good enough to live forever, your life can change forever.

It’s tough, sometimes, to find out there’s something you love and enjoy, but you are not good enough to pursue it. Have you ever found yourself in that boat? I remember multiple things like for me. The first real letdown was when I wanted to be on the football team in high school. Family circumstances always kept me from being able to attend spring or fall training for sports. But during my freshman year I just knew I could somehow find a way to make the team. It didn’t happen, and I was extremely disappointed. Time passed, and I eventually thanked my lucky stars I never made the team. But at the time, it was hard to take. Do you have a similar story?

There’s another part of life you’ll come to terms with…one way or the other…

And you’ll discover, once again, you are not good enough.

But that discovery can have much more dramatic and dire consequences. It won’t be simply a matter of disappointment. It’ll be a matter of eternal torment versus eternal bliss.

Some people think they can make it to Heaven by being “a good person”. But here’s the thing…God has the key to Heaven. It’s in the hand of His Son, Jesus. And God’s standard for living eternally in Heaven with Him is 100% perfection 100% of the time. Can you say you’ve been that good? I can’t. I’m not even close. I don’t think I’m even in the top 80 percentile. You may be in the top 1 percentile, but you still miss perfection by a country mile. Only one person who ever lived on earth ever reached that unreachable mark of !00% perfection for 100% of His life. Yep…Jesus.

And since the key to Heaven is in the hand of Jesus, it’s important to know how to get Him to hand you the key. The secret is in your attitude. If you have an attitude of gratitude for what Jesus came to earth to do…and if you realize He came here to do it for you…you will find you are not good enough, and you don’t have to be. You can be a child of the one true, living, loving God by trusting that His Son took your eternal punishment. That’s all…believe and trust. Will you do it today? Don’t wait, because one day you’ll see Him…

Face to Face

When we’re born into this world,
We’re empty-handed.
We can’t speak, and we can barely even see.
As we grow we see this life,
In which we landed”
Is a thread of well-designed complexity.

Each and every one of us
Had a beginning…
And so very small a spark of life sufficed.
Then we turned away from God
And started sinning…
And that put us face to face with Jesus Christ.

Face to face with Truth…face to face with Life.
Yeah, the Way to paradise is face to face
With the One who died and who lives inside.
Jesus Christ even loves us face to face.

When we leave this world, we’re
Leaving empty-handed.
We can go to that eternal, perfect place.
When we make the choice of Life,
We won’t be stranded.
And we’ll get to see our Savior’s loving face.

© 2010 Tony Funderburk

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered 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.

Daily Devotional

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk signature logo