Category Archives: Matthew

Tony Funderburk shares messages of faith, hope, and love found in the book of Matthew

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When it comes to truth, most politicians would rather not. I hope that’s not true, when it comes to YOU. And I hope you don’t leave yourself in a compromised position when it comes to life and truth.

Because compromise can sear your soul when it comes to you.

That doesn’t make you a special target. Compromise can sear any soul who gives in to it.

And, for the sake of easy-to-understand clarity, I’m not talking about the compromise you make on which music to listen to, or which curtains to buy, or which appetizer to order. A little compromise, in those kinds of decisions, can make life more pleasant.

But when it comes to life and truth, compromise should sound like profanity to you.

Eight years ago, around this time of year, I wrote an unpopular opinion post. Sure, I know. I write those all the time, and that’s why the number of people connect with me is small.

Anyway…

The reason my post was so unpopular was because I dared to say you shouldn’t vote for Hillary or Donald. I said, “I understand not wanting her for a president. But I’d like you to consider something much more important…the issue of life.”

But, as I suspected, my recommendation fell on mostly deaf ears.

And I read comments like:

“I’ll just hold my nose and vote for Trump.”

“Well, when these are your choices, you have to pick the lesser of two evils.”

“Sure, he’s not completely pro life, but he’s closer than Hillary. And he loves this country.”

“If you don’t vote for one of the 2 parties’ candidates, you’re throwing your vote away.”

Yeah, that last comment came around a lot. But nothing could be further from the Truth. Because you NEVER have only two choices in elections and politics. There’s ALWAYS a third option. Always.

The third option is to not compromise the Truth. Jesus is that Truth. And He told his followers that if someone does harm to the “little ones,” it would be better to be thrown into the sea tied to a large stone. Yikes!

Of course, we’d never do that now.

We’re much too caring, civilized, and loving. So, we reward child abusers and molesters with a lifelong studio apartment, three meals a day, and all their needs met.

But, back to those silly little presidential candidates and their ideas on what’s good for America.

If your presidential candidate compromises on the issue of life (our first and foremost God-given right), then what issue(s) do you suppose he or she won’t compromise? Budgets? Spending? Foreign policy? Entitlement programs? All of the above?

Let’s say, for the sake of thinking things through a little further, there was one candidate who compromised on all the financial and foreign policy issues. But let’s say that candid wouldn’t budge on the right to life of every human being. And that includes the whole life, from conception to natural death. You could still make a compromise and vote for that candidate.

Because no office holder can live up to a perfect standard. Nobody can.

But if a candidate comes right out and says (and they all do) they’ll compromise on how many unborn babies to kill, that one issue disqualifies them. Period.

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 statement 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 just somebody who can beat the opponent.

I know there are Christians who struggle with this issue of life because of their own past.

But, when it comes to YOU, 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.

And 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, God hopes you’ll stand up for His Truth.

He’s much more concerned about your eternal soul 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, consider whether or not your vote will leave you compromised with God’s word. And consider whether or not your vote endangers the eternal soul of your candidate.

You can’t run away from real truth.
And every word of truth is a knife.
A captivating voice might pigeonhole your choice,
Cut free…and choose life.

Before you go, jump on the The TRUTH. And join the growing band of believers who enjoy my books, daily rhymes, songs, and videos about the powerful Rhyme and Reason of God’s love.

Stay tuned,

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“The State of Colorado Will Compensate Local Residents To Go Solar as Part of a Statewide Program (RPS).”

That was the headline to a short advertorial I recently read online. And I have a long history with Colorado, starting at birth, so it piqued my curiosity, of course.

But when “they” say “Go Solar,” it’s not a suggestion.

No, they’re not looking to get you to consider solar. Uh-uh. It’s a mandate (which is not two guys going to dinner). Here’s what “they” (the state of Colorado) said about it.

The Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a regulatory mandate to increase the production of energy from renewable sources like solar throughout the state of Colorado. This new, statewide renewable electricity standard is given to every state as a goal to have a percentage of its power come from renewable energies like wind and solar.”

Funny (odd, not ha-ha) how they never include oil when they talk about renewable energies. But, as I’ve shared right here on the The TRUTH, oil IS, and always has been, a renewable energy. And as bad as the mandate sounds, there’s something even more sinister at work in this so-called “initiative.”

For example, here’s more about their “goal” from that advertorial:

“With the goal of being 30% solar dependent by 2030, the state of Colorado has introduced big incentives and is pushing all local utility companies to compensate their customers to switch to solar through Energy Buy Back programs like Net Metering.

These new, state-wide solar incentives help Colorado homeowners take advantage of all federal, state, and local solar programs and rebates, and can completely eliminate their power bills with $0 upfront costs.”

When a state “has introduced big incentives,” that should be a red flag for you.

Your first thought should be, “Hmm, where did the state get the money to introduce “big incentives?” And, your lightning-fast reply to yourself should be, “TAXES!” Because “free” is only a concept. Nothing is EVER free.

And any government that increases taxes on hard-working people in order to give “big incentives” to other people, is a tyrannical government.

Jesus wasn’t particularly fond of tax collectors. And He said a tax rate of 10% is tyrannical. I hope you don’t believe, even for a second, that your tax rate is 10%. Because it’s at least five times that much.

If you believe the government has your best interest at heart when they say “go solar,” then you’ve accepted their matrix. And I fear for your eternal soul. It might be in jeopardy of everlasting confusion and torment.

Because unjust taxation is stealing.
Those who implement it are revealing
Their contempt for what’s right. Pay attention, you might
Find an answer that’s much more appealing.

That’s all I’ll say on it for now. While you wait for my next sound-off, jump on the The TRUTH. And be part of the growing band of believers who know life has Rhyme and Reason because God is Real.

Stay tuned,

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So-called “enlightened scientists.” And so-called “moderns.” And I certainly wouldn’t use those labels for the so-called “Light People.” But they certainly like to use those kinds of labels for themselves.

Light People say the darndest things.

For example what the so-called “Light People historians” said on Ancient History Encyclopedia:

“Aside from being more accurate, BCE/CE is inclusive. The use of BC/AD relegates every event prior to, and since, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth subordinate to the Christian understanding of who he was. For Christians, Jesus is the Christ, the anointed of God, the Messiah. And the calendar “counts down” to the birth of Jesus and then proceeds to count away from it. To a Christian, this may seem like simple common sense and the way the world works. But not so to someone outside of that tradition. People of different cultures and belief systems should be able to access and discuss history without having to date it according to the Christian belief in Jesus as the son of God and the Messiah.”

In case you’re not familiar, BCE stands for before common existence. CE stands for common existence.

Yeesh.

Slightly side note: it’s interesting they call themselves “light people” since it’s Christians who are called to be salt and light. But I’m probably making a lamp stand out of a candle. So, don’t mind me.

Anyway…

Read that paragraph from the “historians” and you’ll see (again) how their so-called “inclusive” tends to shy away from including the Christian perspective. Oh sure, they’re not mean about it. But I suppose when you shy away from your Creator, that sort of action just naturally follows.

This all came up on my radar after reading an article about nothing.

Well, to be clear, the article was about zero. And why it’s important. I found this paragraph particularly interesting because of its reference to nothing.

“To answer this I think we need to investigate the idea of the zero. It turns out that zero matters a hundred percent. The place you start counting from counts. The zero divides and marks edges. It offers a mystery, and the mystery invites meaning. Zero denotes a threshold. A timeline without a zero is all how and no why. But don’t take my word for it. Let’s look at the zero in history and see if this can make more sense.

The ancient Greek philosophers, most of them anyway, did not invest much in the concept of zero. They didn’t really have a zero because they couldn’t make sense of the notion that nothing is something. The idea did not captivate the ancient rationalists. But other cultures did use the zero.”

Now, call me a nitpicker, if you must, but I also can’t agree with, nor “make sense of the notion that nothing is something. ” I understand what the writer’s intent was. But it’s kinda silly to say nothing is something. Because there’s no such thing as nothing. Maybe conceptually, for the sake of argument. But I prefer not to argue about something so blatantly obvious. There’s NO. Such. Thing. As. Nothing.

However.

A starting point must start from (the concept of) zero, aka: nothing.

Because every THING had a beginning. Every THING came into existence. Because every THING did not always exist. But in order for every THING to come into existence, there had to be a THING Maker.

And therein lies the rub. Methinks the “light people” have a problem with being the products of a divine Designer. They don’t want one to exist. Because they want to be products of their own imagination. And when you can manipulate thousands of years of record keeping into your own ideology, score!

I know this whole most people in the world will never ponder these seemingly insignificant little details. And maybe none of this means anything to you either. But I’m confident it matters.

Ideas have consequences. And most of them end up as eternal. Do with this what you will.

I can always use your support to help me keep the nearly 3000 posts I’ve shared on my website available to the world that needs to see and hear about the one, true, living, loving God of creation. So, see if one of my books suits your fancy. Get one for yourself or for someone you love. Here’s a link to check ‘em out:

(https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008R08LUG/allbooks)

Stay tuned,

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OK, let’s say it’s Good Deeds Day. And let’s say you’ve been a good deeds do-er. Now, what would you like as your reward? And who would you like to present that reward to you?

Or would you prefer that Good Deeds Day didn’t exist?

If you’re a Christian, I hope you stand firmly in the “didn’t exist” category. Here’s why.

Check out verses 1-4 of Matthew 6 in your red letter edition of the Bible. Because that’s where Jesus said don’t tell everyone about your charitable deeds.

It was important to Jesus that His followers understood this. So important He included it in His written word. And the topic of charitable deeds was important enough to be included with a list of these other topics:

  • Murder, Adultery, Divorce
  • Oaths, Retaliation, Love
  • Prayer, Fasting, Wealth, and
  • Judging

That’s a pretty serious list…right?

Jesus knew these were things each and every person would deal with in life, in one way or another. So He made sure to give us His (and His Father’s) perspective. And whose perspective has the most wisdom? His!

Jesus wants your good deeds to come from your heart. He wants it to be about loving your neighbor as yourself. And serving your fellow man. And just plain ol’ helping out, when you’re able and someone truly needs it.

He doesn’t want your giving to be about how good a giver you are. He knows when your focus is on what a good giver you are. And when your tendency is to focus on numbers and rewards, not loving your neighbor. Just read the stories in the Bible, or read the history of any country or civilization, and you’ll see it always ends up that way.

If you’re in a good financial position, and you have extra to give, pass it around as much as you cheerfully can. That’s awesome. But please don’t do it and tell everyone you did. In fact, it’s best if you don’t mention it to anyone.

Let every good deeds day be done in secret. And if there is any telling, let it be done by someone else. Trust that Jesus meant it. And that He knew it was true when He said God will reward you openly. It may not be until you’re in Heaven, but it WILL be.

So, give secretly. I believe your blessings will be richer.

Give To Gain

It’s a shame; it’s a crying shame
That so few ever stake their claim
To the life; to the life that’s free
From the world and from iniquity.
What a choice, to be loosed or bound.
Plant your feet on the solid ground
And receive; and receive the Grace
Put the Light in your dark heart’s place.

Ain’t it funny how we give to gain?
But let’s follow the lead of the Creator of this earthly plane.
It’s a wonder how we give to gain.
But it’s really not giving; it’s the one way of living,
That we should learn to give to gain.

It’s a crime; it’s an awful crime
That the world thinks in finite time
With their hands stretching out to take.
And they reap another big mistake

Chorus

Live the only way of livin’
Give like you’ve been forgiven…

Chorus…inst…chorus to end

© 1999

Stay tuned,

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I’m gonna share something that’s really out there. And I mean this is extremely radical info. So put on your flack jacket, crash helmet, and seat belt. It’s gonna be a short, but bumpy ride.

Last warning. Are you dressed and ready to head out there?

OK. Here goes.

As I type this, it’s early Monday morning. I’ve been up since 2:42. But that’s another story. So, forget I mentioned it.

Anyway, it’s early Monday morning. And I know you’ve got plenty to think about today. So, here’s a question for you. How’s it gonna help you to worry about tomorrow, today? (spoiler alert: it won’t)

And that’s not just my opinion. Yeah, someone else talked about this long before I was even born. And you can find that information in red letters in the Bible. (You DO know red letters are used when it’s Jesus talking, right?) But more about that in just a sec.

Anyway…

As an illustration, think about tomorrow for a minute. It never really gets here. It’s always “out there.” Somewhere beyond the next sunrise. Somewhere in the future. The future is always coming. But it never really arrives. That’s because it hasn’t happened yet. And when the future does happen, it’s today. Not out there in the future.

Ow, I’ve got a headache just thinking about that conundrum.

Today is the only day you can actually do anything about. Tomorrow isn’t here yet, and yesterday is over and done with. (Yeah, I ended a sentence with “with.” So, sue me.) And since today is the only time you actually live in, shouldn’t your focus be on what you can do today? That should be a rhetorical question, but sadly too many people are so fearful of what’s out there in the future they let today slip away.

And when today slips away, what does it become? Tomorrow? Nope. It immediately becomes yesterday. A saying I coined many years ago is this: “Today is yesterday’s tomorrow and tomorrow’s yesterday.” Feel free to pass that on, but be sure and give me credit so I can continue to feed my family on all those royalties.

Wow…time is really a weird thing, isn’t it? When Jesus said “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things,” He highlighted the futility of worrying about tomorrow. It’s so futile, in fact, you should let tomorrow worry about itself. Hmm, can a tomorrow do that? Well, I’m not gonna worry about it. How about you?

Here are the lyrics to a song a young guy sang that expressed his misgivings about the future.

Tomorrow Never Came To Me

I saw a bluebird fly across the sky,
And I closed my eyes to listen.
Where was the pretty song I longed for?
The silence was unending.
It was one of those days
When everything is gone.
No one seems to care,
And nothing’s going on.

Oh, and it’s just so hard to see
Why tomorrow never ever came to me.

Feels like a lifetime in a moment’s space,
And I can’t understand.
How can the time pass by and leave you drained
Wishing for a chance?
The things you want to do
Are plans that just fall through.
The pieces just don’t fit.
You lose them bit by bit.

Oh, and it’s just so hard to see
Why tomorrow never ever came to me.

© 1978  (October 13)

Stay tuned…

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Just heard a song on the sound system of this coffee shop. “Tears in Heaven.” And I remembered the sad news that went with it. On March 20th, 1991, Eric Clapton’s 4-year-old son, Conor, died after falling from the 53rd-floor window of a New York City apartment. Eric dealt with the grief of his son’s death by isolating himself for a while. And eventually cowriting the song with Will Jennings. The song’s title reminded me of the phrase, treasures in Heaven, that a wise man mentioned a long time ago.

Treasures in Heaven?

At first glance (at least to MY first glance) it almost seems redundant to say/write that phrase. Because Heaven, itself, will be an eternity of treasures. And that’s because anyone who’s there will experience the mind-boggling love of God forever.

Yeah, all those streets of gold and all those jewels and stuff can’t, and won’t, hold a candle to the Light of the world. The Light of Heaven. The One who holds every molecule of every part of the universe AND Heaven together with the power of His will.

As I said, “Mind-boggling.”

What’s even more mind-boggling is how (or why) I’d even pop up on His radar at all. But He even considers the “lilies of the field” and how beautifully He made them. And He says, as beautiful as they are, they’re not as important to Him as anyone who loves Him.

Count me in.

I never sang Eric’s song, “Tears in Heaven,” when I played live music back in the day. But I certainly appreciate the award-winning melody and production and what it took to write it. I DID sing another one of his hits that makes a personal connection. But I’ll talk about that another time.

Mr. Clapton experienced the same heart-wrenching anguish that has crippled this world for thousands of years. But he discovered that even “this, too, shall pass.” I don’t know if the heartbreaking loss of his little boy, or anything else in life, helped turn Eric’s heart to God. I hope so. And I hope he will experience those treasures in Heaven that will include him reconnecting with his son.

But it will take more than writing a mournful song with hinted references. That would be just another moth-eaten or rusted “treasure” that thieves can break in and steal.

It’s only for a little while our time here on the earth.
It’s only for a little while, it’s true.
No matter what you see and do while you are in this world
It’s only for a little while you do.

Stay tuned,

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This isn’t fun to say. And it’s difficult to impossible to hear. But church is dying. To be clear, I don’t mean THE church. But what church is, these days, in America, reveals the death of what it’s supposed to be.

And because church is dying, I tend to stay away.

Because I’m not the peace, love, and joy kind of Christian. So, if and when I attend a church that doesn’t rightly divide the word of truth, I can’t just sit quietly and listen. And that includes the vast majority of churches I see or read about these days.

It’s not easy to discern, just by reading about them on a website, whether a church is dying or not. Because I believe many of them copy and paste their position statements. Of course, I can’t prove that. But it sure seems to be the case when paragraphs sound almost identical. If not literally, at least the essence.

And this morning I looked up churches in the city where I am right now. After using certain search terms, I discovered a church with some pretty good “position statements.”

For example, on the subject of creation, they say, “We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. Therefore, we view evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution, etc., as unscriptural theories of origin.”

And they don’t just back up their position with Genesis 1.

They add Exodus 20:11. Most churches I’ve ever attended don’t do that. And it’s a small, but mighty, detail.

The creation account doesn’t tend to be one of the more contentious positions. But, shamefully, there ARE churches where members DO believe the evolution, gap, day-age, and theistic evolution theories.

THEN, this church I found this morning, added an actual contentious position. It shouldn’t be one. But it IS in most, if not ALL, contemporary churches. And I frequently see people on social media platforms make fun of any Christian who would dare take this position.

It’s the D word that causes most churches to tear their clothing and sprinkle ashes on their heads. And the word is, Dispensationalism. Here’s what they said about their position on that topic:

“We believe the Scriptures, interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal dispensations of grace, determined by God which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations – the law, the church, and millennial kingdom – are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture.”

And they used proof texts from Matthew, John, Acts, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, and Revelation. Pretty broad cross section of references. So, that’s good.

Then, they added other church positions.

And those included civil government, church separation, human sexuality, the hierarchy in family relationships, abortion and euthanasia, and love.

I’m glad they ended the position statements with love. Because I believe it’s the most important component of all Christian belief. In fact, without it, none of the rest matters much anyhow.

And when a church is dying, none of the rest of those statements of position will save it.

So, sounds like a great church to look into more deeply. Except, it’s a church that’s still very mixed up. Especially since they claim to adhere to dispensational theology. I like that. But they have “help” materials from John Piper, and somewhat devout Calvinist. Hardly dispensational.

And just as bad as that Calvinist connection, they make this statement in their Doctrinal Statements:

We believe the Church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ…”

Stop the presses!

The Church is NOT the body AND the bride of Christ.

Think about that for more than a glancing second. And you should be able to see the clear mistake. It’s basically saying Jesus is married to Himself. Yes, it is. The “Church” is also (better) known as the Body of Christ. So, logic should show you Christ, who is Jesus, has His body (body of believers) on Earth. Why would He choose His body as his bride?

Short answer? He didn’t. He hasn’t. And He won’t.

When you read the Apostle John’s description of the “Bride,” in the Revelation, you can clearly see he isn’t talking about the Body of Christ, the current Church. Because the Body of Christ never had 12 tribes, 12 gates, or 12 names of 12 people on those 12 gates. We are NOT the New (or old) Jerusalem.

We are in the age (aka: dispensation) of Grace.

And by “we,” I mean anyone who’d rather trust Jesus than try to face eternity on their own merit.

I told Elgielene that I’d bet the entire salary of every member of the American Congress that she could go into that church and meet some of the friendliest, nicest people you could hope to meet.

But I also told her I’d keep looking for a church that doesn’t confuse some of the most important parts of Christian teaching. It’s a cryin’ shame that it’s so difficult to find a church where stuff like this doesn’t happen. And maybe I’d go ahead and go if I thought they wouldn’t be too spiritually fragile and immature to withstand me “admonishing…in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.”

Sadly, that’s not the case.

And even more sadly, most churches prefer dark auditoriums with rock concert-style, repetitive songs, and a built-in coffee shop to actual Biblical teaching.

If that’s your church, your church is dying.

No matter how many show up for the concert, that building is a “whitewashed tomb.”

I’d like to invite you to join us dispies. It’s highly exclusive/inclusive. So, you might be surprised at how much you’ll love the clarity when you join.

And who are you to judge?
Your eyes can clearly see
That you’re no holier
Than him or her or me.
So should you shut your mouth
And skip the words of Paul?
Did he misunderstand
The Lord’s enduring call?
No, no…a thousand times no!

(from my song, “A Thousand Times, No”)

Stay tuned,

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