Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I’m singing with grace in my heart because…

…I’m supposed to. And because it’s part of my job description. I’m not talking about the way I make a daily living. While that’s vitally important it doesn’t compare to my job working for the Creator of Heaven and Earth. The apostle Paul said it this way in his letter to the Colossians: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Singing with grace doesn't mean just singing about peace, love, and joy.

Now, don’t misunderstand the concept. When I’m singing with grace, it doesn’t mean I don’t convey a strong (and sometimes convicting) message. In fact, quite the contrary. Notice that passage from Paul’s letter where it says “admonishing one another”. The dictionary defines admonish like this: “to warn or reprimand someone firmly”. And to take the definition a bit further…to reprimand someone, according to the dictionary, means to “rebuke, especially an official one“. And to rebuke someone means to “express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions“. In other words…words and music shouldn’t be just all about peace, love, and joy.

So…singing with grace includes criticism?

In a word…yes. But that’s a good thing. When you receive a critique on something you’ve written, you have an opportunity to review and improve your writing. While it’s true, the critic might be wrong (they often are), it’s still another set of possibly more objective eyes. And their perspective might give you a clearer view of what you transmitted and how it was received.

That’s what I do when I’m singing with grace about the Grace I’ve received from Jesus. I love to be creative. But I also prefer to tell it like it is without pulling punches…when necessary. For example, I’ve sung against evolution with these criticizing words:

In awe of all creation and how it all could be
The fairy tale illusions increase with every year.
The wrinkled plans expand”exponentially”
Until one day, perhaps, a duck becomes a deer”yeah, right. (from my song “Fast Forward“)

I’ve also sung against abortion with words like these:

It should be so easy to just see we’re not free
As long as the innocent die.
To say that it’s legal we spit on the eagle
That stands for what we once held high.

Then there’s my song called “You Just Don’t Get It” about trying to be your own king:

Well you idolize with your idle eyes
Your body wants what it wants, and you let it
You identify what you deify
You’ll see the kingdom, but you just don’t get it.

If I’m not singing with grace, be sure and let me know.

You can admonish me with your own psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Or simply drop me an email through the form over in the sidebar and tell me why you don’t agree with me…or even why you do. When you do, I’ll send you some songs and a rhyming ebook for little kids. So, what do you have to lose?

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Listen to some Rhymes and Reasons
about being a doorkeeper or a snake in the grass

The Power of God's Love Podcast - Episode 182

Click or tap on these links to the topics I talk about in this week’s podcast…

This podcast episode brings those topics together for those of you who’d rather listen than read. Thanks for tuning in. There’s also a “pure” song by me! You’ll have to subscribe or tune in here on my website to hear it.

Use one or more of the links I’ve provided to share with anyone and everyone you know. Oh yeah, when you get a minute, please leave me a review on iTunes. Here’s the easy link. And don’t forget to get your free music and book if you haven’t already. Look over there in the sidebar .

Play

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Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk signature logo

P.S.  Share the rhymes and reasons with your friends and family. And let’s stay connected. Like this…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

These two objects may appear closer than they are

You’ve seen that little notice on the passenger side mirror on cars, right? The one that says “objects may appear closer than they are”. Well, something like that. 🙂 That’s a good description of the two “objects” I’m gonna talk about today. You…and your monkey’s uncle. Or cousin, or great-great-great-great grandfather. In other words…humans and apes.

Objects may appear closer than they are

For about 20 years evolutionists and the media made the silly claim that human DNA and chimpanzee DNA were about 99% the same. Now keep in mind, no one had completed sequencing human DNA, and sequencing of chimpanzee DNA hadn’t even started. Hmm…and evolutionists like to make fun of Christians for prophecy and predictions. Oh well, I guess you gotta expect that sort of behavior from adults who believe in fairy tales.

Genetic distance shows how objects may appear closer than they are.

For example…ladies, you might be more correct to say that your man is a “snake in the grass” instead of a big, dumb ape. It depends on how you measure the genetic distance between a particular protein, cytochrome, from a snake and the cytochrome protein from a man. According to evolution snakes should be more closely related to other reptiles, but a computer-based study found they were more closely related to man. Now, that’s a venomous contradiction!

And speaking of computer-based measuring of genetic distance, did you know the number of organisms that have had their genes sequenced is doubling every year? That means we’re increasing our molecular information bank exponentially. And on the molecular level, there is no evidence for the evolutionary model of how life began. None.

Why is it so important for me to share this information? Especially since I’m a Christian…and aren’t Christians just supposed to have blind faith in “a god” we created “in our own image as a crutch”? It’s important because my faith in the one true, living, loving Creator of the universe and all life in it doesn’t require me to cling blindly to anything or anyone. In fact, the Bible (bestselling book of all time…and only book supported by evidence almost daily) talks about evidence and how important it is.

So, don’t confuse yourself with a monkey.

Even though only about 4% of human DNA differs from that of chimpanzees, that 4% represents “thirty-five million single-nucleotide changes, five million insertions or deletions, and various chromosomal rearrangements.” And the differences between the males from each species is around 30%. See what I mean, ladies? Guys are not apes.

For more information on genetic distance and why it’s important to how we all got here, click on any of the links in this article. They’ll take you to that page in Dr. Walt Brown’s online book, “In The Beginning“. While you’re there, be sure and check out the myriad of other compelling reasons to believe in the Creator rather than evolution. I believe you’ll discover why I say objects may appear closer than they are.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Being a doorkeeper isn’t necessarily a dead-end job.

In fact, there’s one place where being a doorkeeper can be so amazing and the most demanding job you’ll ever have. You won’t get many tips (if any), but the pension plan is out of this world. In other words, the perks outweigh the jerks.

Being a doorkeeper can be an amazing job. But remember, location location location!

Of course, I’m not talking about being a doorkeeper for some mundane hotel, or exclusive high-rise, or even a swanky tech company. At best those jobs will only get you handshakes, smiles, and crossing of the palms with some crumpled cash. Big deal. You still won’t be invited to the CEO’s house for the holidays.

No…I’m talking about being a doorkeeper at the entrance to Heaven.

You might have heard the entrance to Heaven is some pearly gates with Saint Peter standing there deciding who gets in. And that’s just silly. Ol’ Pete doesn’t get to decide who comes and goes to Heaven. No more than you or me. But he did get to be a doorkeeper while he was here on earth. I’m one, too. And you can be one, too. See if you can meet the job requirements. You must…

  1. Wanna live forever
  2. Trust Jesus as the only way to live forever
  3. Be willing to share this information

So…how’d you do? Do you think the requirements are too difficult? If so, what part or parts would you change or want to be easier? I can tell you, from personal experience, I need the gift of grace for eternal life. Because I’ve done thing in my life I’m not proud of. And those things prove I’m not good enough, on my own, to live in God’s house. That’s why I’m so grateful I’ll be living in a Pure Place forever…thanks to Jesus. And I don’t mind being a doorkeeper to His house. Would you like to go in? Here…let me get that door for you.

(video no longer available)

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Listen to some Rhymes and Reasons
about a voice, a hurricane, and
building walls

A voice, a hurricane, and building walls - in this week's episode of Rhyme Reason Podcast 181

Click or tap on these links to the topics I talk about in this week’s podcast…

This podcast episode brings those topics together for those of you who’d rather listen than read. Thanks for tuning in. There’s also an embarrassing song by me! You’ll have to subscribe or tune in here on my website to hear it.

Use one or more of the links I’ve provided to share with anyone and everyone you know. Oh yeah, when you get a minute, please leave me a review on iTunes. Here’s the easy link. And don’t forget to get your free music and book if you haven’t already. Look over there in the sidebar .

Play

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Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Building walls is essential for your life.

I’m sure you’ve heard someone use that cliché to describe someone else who appears to be shutting everyone out. “She’s just building walls, and she won’t let anyone in!” You’ve heard that…right? Well, I’m here to share with you how you couldn’t even survive without some walls being built. Don’t believe it? Want me to explain? Good. Here goes…

Building walls is essential for your life

Imagine taking a journey into one of the trillions of cells inside your body. One of the first things you’d notice is how many chemicals there are. Lots of those chemicals are acidic. Many others are known as base or alkaline. Guess what happens if some of the wrong chemicals get mixed up! Yeah, you guessed it. A chemical reaction. And that’s not what you want going on down deep in your cells. So, what keeps that from happening?

Building walls of chemical barriers and buffers in your cells was a brilliant design.

If life just evolved, then all those barriers and buffers would have evolved, too. And how could they develop with all those chemical reactions destroying all the building materials? How could it all happen at just the right time in the right way…for millions of different species…enough times for a single cell to become something more complex? Short answer…it couldn’t that way. Accidents don’t create. But God does. And He did.

When the Bible says you’re “fearfully and wonderfully made”, I’m guessing even the writer of that Proverb didn’t know just how intricately we’re made. That’s one of the great things about living in these times. As science and technology look more deeply inside creation, the more they discover the Creator and how amazing He is to love us like He does.

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Share the rhymes and reasons with your friends and family. And let’s stay connected. Like this…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

How can a still small voice be
stronger than a hurricane?

And the answer is: when a still small voice comes from the one, true, living, loving Creator of the universe. Yeah, God doesn’t need the destructive forces of nature to show His power. He doesn’t create the chaos in the world to display His majesty. In fact, He communicates most effectively with a still small voice…with anyone who’s willing to listen.

Right off I’d like to ask you if you think you’ve ever heard the voice of God. If so, was it truly audible? Or wasn’t it more like a thought in your head? Well, let’s look a little more closely at that phrase: a still small voice. Notice…it doesn’t say “a small voice”. Or “a voice”. No, the voice is still. Some dictionaries define the adjective form of the word “still” like this: not moving or making a sound – She sat very still, her eyes closed. He lay still, unable to move.

A still small voice from God doesn’t make a sound.

And if it doesn’t make a sound, it also doesn’t make a hurricane because…well…they’re mighty loud. I mention the hurricane reference because you might hear some Christians say what’s going on down in Houston is God getting our attention. Or maybe He’s sending down some wrath on sinners. Have you heard anything like that? Well, it’s total nonsense. That kind of thinking doesn’t come from a good (or even somewhat decent) understanding of the Bible. Click that link I shared a few sentences back and you’ll see what I mean.

In fact, the Bible is a collection of writings from prophets, teachers, and apostles that perfectly illustrates the power of a still small voice from God. He inspired all the writers to tell a history of the world. And even more importantly, He shows us, through His words, what an awesome, eternal future anyone can have. All you gotta do is believe and ask.

But I should warn you. When you do believe and ask God to save you and give you eternal life, you might hear that still small voice on a regular basis. And it might make you uncomfortable at times. But it means He cares about you enough to let you know when you’re messing up. And maybe you’ve noticed…we humans mess up a lot. But God’s grace is sufficient to cover it all. Here are the words to a song I wrote about it. You can hear it on this week’s episode of The The Power of God’s Love Podcast.

Still Small Voice

Gotta go make some noise
and go drinkin’ out with the boys.
And maybe I’ll watch TV.
It all really sounds good to me.
And where’d I put my guitar?
In the back of my muscle car.
I’m gonna rock some rock n roll…
Jam the music into my soul.

‘Cause I hear a voice all day, and it just won’t go away.
Ain’t no place I can hide from that still small voice inside

Cheerin’ for my football team on the high def satellite stream
Yellin’ when they mess up bad.
Got a runnin’ bet with my dad.
Saturdays in my yard, you can see I really do work hard.
And then I buzz to the video store
And rent maybe two or three more.

‘Cause I hear a voice all day, and it just won’t go away.
Ain’t no place I can hide from that still small voice inside

Still small voice inside me sayin’…
Boy you know you’re only playin’.
Still small voice inside me askin’…
What’s with all the pain you’re maskin’?
Still small voice inside me killin’…
Everything that once was thrillin’…
No, there ain’t no place to hide
From that still small voice inside.

© Tony Funderburk 2009

Now, maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, let’s change that. Get to know more about me and my worldview. Join the growing body of believers who’ve signed up for the Tony’s Daily Devotional . And bask in daily, delightful flashes of light from the power of God’s love.

Stay tuned…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Listen to some Rhymes and Reasons
about being in the spotlight and
who’s in the eclipse

In the spotlight and the eclipse of the sun - The Rhyme Reason Podcast episode 180

Click or tap on these links to the topics I talk about in this week’s podcast…

This podcast episode brings those topics together for those of you who’d rather listen than read. Thanks for tuning in. There’s also an embarrassing song by me! You’ll have to subscribe or tune in here on my website to hear it.

Use one or more of the links I’ve provided to share with anyone and everyone you know. Oh yeah, when you get a minute, please leave me a review on iTunes. Here’s the easy link. And don’t forget to get your free music and book if you haven’t already. Look over there in the sidebar .

Play

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

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk signature logo

P.S.  Share the rhymes and reasons with your friends and family. And let’s stay connected. Like this…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

My years in the spotlight had quite a humble start

For a young singer songwriter, a chance to be in the spotlight, even for just a few bucks, is something you gotta take. And that was me, way back in the early 70’s. After a couple of years teaching myself how to bang out some chords and riffs on the piano…and after writing a lot of world-changing songs…I knew I was ready for the big time! And one of my first opportunities to play for an actual audience was in the world renowned, Dinkledorf’s Deli in Kansas City, Missouri.

In the spotlight - the humble rockstar beginnings of Tony Funderburk

I remember going into just about any place that had a piano, in the River Quay area of Kansas City, and asking if I could audition to play there. Believe it or not, several of the owners and/or managers let me. My repertoire consisted of nothing but Tony Funderburk music, so it wasn’t enthusiastically received in 99% of the places I tried. But at one place, a little delicatessen with the motto “Thin Is In, But Fat Is Where It’s At”, the manager liked my confidence and booked me for a weekend. A whole weekend! That meant two whole nights of playing for a real crowd! I was stoked!

Who knew being in the spotlight could be so challenging?

The first night of my booking arrived, and I made it to the deli extra early to get ready. They kept an old upright piano in the place, and it was mostly in tune. So, that was a plus. They also had a built-in sound system…and a microphone on a boom stand next to the piano. Who could ask for more in a first time booking? Well…not so fast.

Like I said, the piano was mostly in tune. But what I didn’t mention was how it faced a wall that didn’t face the audience. In other words, when it came time to perform, I was playing with my back to the crowd. Just like all those honky-tonk piano players you see in the old western movies. And that’s not the best (or worst) part. The microphone stand had a boom attached with duct tape. Yep, you read that right. Duct tape. And I could position it where I wanted, but as the song progressed, so did the mic boom. Slowly dropping down.

So, there I’d be…singing my heart out, with my back to the audience, and slowly lowering my head to keep singing into the dropping mic. Can you picture it? A young guy singing his own songs on a microphone that wouldn’t stay in place and all the while wondering how the crowd was reacting. Talk about the glamor of showbiz!

I learned a valuable lesson in my very first music booking.

No…not persistence. And not embracing failure in order to succeed. My first lesson wasn’t even about how to get everything in writing. It was that duct tape doesn’t actually fix everything after all. Ha! Just kidding. The first lesson I learned about being in the spotlight was some sort of combination of those first three things I just mentioned. I didn’t give up, or see myself as any kind of failure, and I did go on to enjoy 25 years in the music business. In fact, I’m still in it thanks to the power of the internet…and YOU! And for that, I thank you from the bottom of my duct-taped heart.

Stay tuned to the The Power of God’s Love Podcast, and I’ll share an old recording of me from way back then.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

The 2017 eclipse of the sun reveals the Son

August 21, 2017, in America millions of people will be looking up to see the eclipse of the sun by our moon. It’s a pretty cool phenomenon. And what makes it even cooler is that it doesn’t happen by accident. Want proof? How about being able to predict when eclipses occur? That’s certainly not random, is it? Not only can scientists predict WHEN they’ll happen…they can predict WHERE they’ll be total and partial. That’s because the design is dependable.

Eclipse of the sun reveals the Son

Here’s why an eclipse of the sun reveals the Son.

The moon is approximately 400 times smaller than the sun and also about 400 times closer to the earth than the sun. Because the Son of God made it that way. The apostle John had this to say about how everything was made: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” Lots of people, for some reason, get stuck on that “nothing was made that was made” part. They “feel” like it’s talking in a circle. But that’s not what’s going on.

It’s a description of what’s made and WHO isn’t. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, was not made. And God, as The Son, made everything else. The sun, the moon, the stars, Earth, and all the creatures on the earth…they’re all made. And not like some random act of creativity either. The solar system, our galaxy, and all the universe are functioning like a finely tuned clock…in fact, even more precisely and more dependably than any clock.

It pleases God to surprise and delight us.

He could have designed the Earth and moon to simply work together efficiently and left it at that. But God loves to throw in the fireworks…the concert…the spectacle. Why? I suspect He’s like any good father…it just delights Him to see the looks on our faces. And which direction will millions of faces be pointing during the eclipse of the sun? Yeah, UP!

Why?

Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green?
Why is the sun gold? What does it all mean?
Why is the air clear? Why is the ground brown?
Why does the earth float and never fall down?

Cause God made skies. He made them blue.
He made the world for me and you
And all because it pleased Him to.
God loves us through and through.

Why is a horse fast? Why is a snail slow?
Why does it get cold when Northern winds blow?
Why is the sea green? Why is the sand white?
Why is the day day? Why is the night night?

Cause God made creatures big and small,
And sand and seas; He made them all.
And even if we trip and fall
God helps us to stand tall.

God’s love is always there.
His love will never die.
And so you can trust in Him
For all your questions why”

© 2008 Tony Funderburk

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Listen to some Rhymes and Reasons
about complexity, the best family,
and an unnamed guest singer

Complexity in life, the best family, and an unnamed guest singer - The Power of God's Love Podcast 179

Click or tap on these links to the topics I talk about in this week’s podcast…

This podcast episode brings those topics together for those of you who’d rather listen than read. Thanks for tuning in. There’s also a song, with a special unnamed guest singer you should hear! You’ll have to subscribe or tune in here on my website to hear it.

Use one or more of the links I’ve provided to share with anyone and everyone you know. Oh yeah, when you get a minute, please leave me a review on iTunes. Here’s the easy link. And don’t forget to get your free music and book if you haven’t already. Look over there in the sidebar .

Play

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

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Share the rhymes and reasons with your friends and family. And let’s stay connected. Like this…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Have you ever noticed the complexity in life?

And have you ever wondered how the complexity in life could have gotten that way if things started out so simply? Well, if you haven’t wondered about it, plenty of people have…including scientists, philosophers, atheists, and of course those who believe in the one, true, living, loving God of creation.

Complexity in life - if life appears to have been designed with a purpose, why not follow that and see where it goes?

One noted (and boldly affirmed) atheist, Richard Dawkins had this to say about life: “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” (The Blind Watchmaker, page 1) He’s not alone in acknowledging at least “the appearance” of design. Plenty of Darwinian scientists agree with that much. After all, they have powerful microscopes. And they can see a complex design doing amazing things inside a single cell. However…

Most Darwinian scientists say no to the complexity of life affirming a designer.

It’s a matter of ignoring where the evidence appears to take you…and going, instead, where you’d prefer the answer to be. That’s not science, by the way. It’s a religion. It requires faith…and mostly a blind adherence to that faith. For example, to say even a single cell could have emerged from proteins…even if the whole world was full of proteins…is to ignore how each cell in your body is a “membrane-encased, self-reproducing, self-repairing, metabolizing” unit. Every part in one single cell had to be there from the beginning in order for the cell to function. Every part! That means it had to be completely assembled at one time by a highly intelligent assembler. It couldn’t have worked any other way.

Scientists, who deny the existence of the Creator God, have been trying for hundreds of years to show how life could have come from non-life. Yet, they’ve never been able to demonstrate how even one cell could have formed from proteins without some outside help.

I’m glad to admit how the complexity of life shows an even more complex Creator.

Knowing God is there helps me make sense of the world, the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe. I can only imagine the sense of hopelessness inside the hearts and souls of atheists. The sense of time running down and out. Life coming to an end. A black hole of nothingness in the not-too-distant future. No. Thank. You.

If you’ve been living your life as though no Creator God exists, I encourage you to look again. If you can’t bear the thought of listening to (or reading) the words of Christians, at least be willing to go where the evidence truly leads. And when it gives “the appearance of having been designed for a purpose“, stop and ask, “Hmm, I wonder if it was?” As you wonder, you’ll be using one of the strongest pieces of evidence for the complexity in life coming from an even more complex designer…your brain.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Children of God are part of the only lasting family

Have you ever thought about what it means to be children of God? For one thing…it’s the only family that will last forever. So, there’s that. But there’s so much more to it that it’s difficult to even wrap your mind around it. And that’s pretty cool because as a child of the one, true, living, loving Creator of the universe, you’ll get to spend eternity discovering more and more about your original Father.

Many, if not most (or all in some way), families are dysfunctional. The simple definition of dysfunctional is: not operating properly. Maybe you can relate. As little kids, my brother and I had to deal with the consequences of my parents’ divorce, so I know I sure can relate. When you have to travel a long distance across three states to leave one of your parents and go see your other parent, that’s a family “not operating properly“.

Children of God can look forward to an eternity of perfect function.

On the surface that might sound like a cold description, but when you look more closely, it’s anything but cold. I’ve actually heard people say they believe if everything is gonna be perfect, then Heaven will be boring. Are you kidding me?! To quote a character from the movie “The Princess Bride”… “I do not think that word means what you think it means.”

If something is perfect, then according to the dictionary it has “all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be” and it’s “free from any flaw or defect in condition or quality; faultless” So there. If you can’t take God’s word for it, then at least take the dictionary’s. And if something is perfect, it can’t be boring or have any other fault.

Perfect function in your home in Heaven and in your forever family means you’ll never have to deal with the destructive, dysfunctional issues of life…ever again. And, on top of that, you’ll never have to deal with death and dying and decay. Imagine living forever in a place of perfect love where disease doesn’t exist.

There’s only one Father who can make a home like that for His family.

Now, tell the truth…wouldn’t you rather be one of the children of God instead of wandering around in your own private universe with a population of one? I wrote a song about it…and sang it with a sweet, little girl a few years back. I’ll showcase the song on the upcoming episode of the The Power of God’s Love Podcast. And here are the lyrics…

Child of the Living God

I am not a silly chance…
Not a random circumstance.
I am not a lucky dance
In an accidental place.

I am not a spark of light
That evolved from darkest night.
If you say I did, I might
Have to make a funny face… “˜cause…

I am a child of God…child of the Living God…
The One who spoke and made the universe.
I am a child of God…child of the Living God…
The One who saved me from my sinful curse.
(repeat)

I did not come out of slime.
That would take way too much time.
You can clearly see that I’m
A whole lot more than simple dirt.

Take a closer look and see
Information runs through me
From The One Who sets me free.
Listen now to my alert…

Chorus

© 2010

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Listen to some Rhymes and Reasons
about proteins, carbs, fats, the law, and YOU

The Power of God's Love Podcast with Tony Funderburk - Episode 178

Click or tap on these links to the topics I talk about in this week’s podcast…

This podcast episode brings those topics together for those of you who’d rather listen than read. Thanks for tuning in. There’s also a song you should hear! You’ll have to subscribe or tune in here on my website to hear it.

Use one or more of the links I’ve provided to share with anyone and everyone you know. Oh yeah, when you get a minute, please leave me a review on iTunes. Here’s the easy link. And don’t forget to get your free music and book if you haven’t already. Look over there in the sidebar .

Play

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Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Share the rhymes and reasons with your friends and family. And let’s stay connected. Like this…

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You are awesome! And that’s not an accident.

When you look deeply into the structure of your human body…right down to the proteins, amino acids, and every cell…you’ll discover you are awesome. And with all our advanced microscope technology, I can’t imagine anyone wanting or deciding to believe all that complexity could have gotten here by random chance in only a few billion years.

You are awesome and there's a reason why.

Have you ever thought about how YOU got here? I don’t mean mankind. I mean YOU. Let’s leave the whole world out of the question for a moment. Just take a minute and think about how you got here. You probably know, or have some understanding of, how 23 chromosomes from your mom and 23 chromosomes from your dad mixed together and created the singularly unique combination that is you. Right? And maybe you’ve thought about how that process goes back to their parents…and their parents’ parents…and so on. Right? Maybe you’ve even thought about the process of forming in the womb and childbirth. Do you see how you’re not just accidental proteins, carbs, and fats?

You are awesome because you’re here on purpose.

Let me share with you why I say “on purpose”. Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. But did you know amino acids can’t link together to form proteins if oxygen is present. “So what,” you say. Well, if oxygen was present when the first forms of life were supposed to have evolved (and it was, as I talked about recently) then proteins couldn’t have occurred from random chemical reactions. And scientists have discovered oxygen in rocks that were supposedly here before any of the earliest fossils. So much for the ideal random circumstances to form even the basic building blocks of life. But wait, there’s more…

To form proteins amino acids need to be “highly concentrated in extremely pure liquid“. And if the earth was a molten mass of liquids, solids, and gases when life was beginning, how pure would that be? Answer: Not very. And there’s more, but I suggest you follow one of the links you see on this page and read about it from a brilliant scientist, engineer, and former atheist. Don’t just take the word of a singer songwriter for cryin’ out loud.

Here’s how I put it…

You’re here on purpose.
You were designed.
The living God
Had you in mind
When you were formed…
And given breath.
You can live on
After your death.
But you must choose
While you’re still here.
Don’t live in doubt.
Don’t live in fear.
Give up the world
And keep your soul.
You’re here on purpose
By God’s control.

© 2017 Tony Funderburk

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Free from the law…but you still wanna pay?!

What if you found yourself standing before a judge behind his ominous, oak desk…and you were found guilty of a crime that carried a $20 billion fine? If you’re like the rest of the people on the planet, your first thought would probably be, “Oh man, I’m never gonna be able to pay that.” Right? Well, imagine hearing the judge say, “Case dismissed! Your fine has been paid, and you’re free from the law and free to go.” You’d be shocked and relieved…right? And there’d probably be a big question on your mind…

Free from the law - could that be right?

…who paid the fine? At least if you have any sense of decency in your brain, you’d wanna know who could have come up with that much money and be willing to spend it on you. I’d wanna meet that person. Wouldn’t you? I’d wanna thank him and let him know how much I appreciated it…and ask…why me?

Anyone can be free from the law, and all you gotta do is ask.

I’m not talking about one particular law you might have broken. In fact, I’m talking about every law you’ve ever broken or ever will break. According to God, who gets to make up the rules because He’s God, breaking even one law is a sin that leads to eternal death. Yikes! But wait…remember the silver lining here. God made a way for you to be free from the law of sin and death. But there’s a catch. A-ha! You knew there would be…didn’t you?

The catch is…you gotta ask. Huh? Ask who? What? Ask God to forgive you. Simple. In fact, it’s too simple. Most people on the planet figure it can’t possibly be that simple, and they’d prefer to pay their own debts…thank you very much. They don’t wanna even hear how God made sure all debts are paid for anyone who asks. And that’s such a shame because it’s an awesome story. But if you wanna hear that story, you gotta let me know. How’s that for a cliffhanger?

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Listen to some Rhymes and Reasons
about life and separation

Separation and Life from Life - The Power of God's Love Podcast 177

Click or tap on these links to the topics I talk about in this week’s podcast…

This podcast episode brings those topics together for those of you who’d rather listen than read. Thanks for tuning in. There’s also a song you should hear! You’ll have to subscribe or tune in here on my website to hear it.

Use one or more of the links I’ve provided to share with anyone and everyone you know. Oh yeah, when you get a minute, please leave me a review on iTunes. Here’s the easy link. And don’t forget to get your free music and book if you haven’t already. Look over there in the sidebar .

Play

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Life comes from life. It’s just good chemistry.

My friend, Greg (who’s humor rivals his intellect), likes to point out both funny and serious things and finish by saying “it’s just good chemistry”. And on both the most basic and complex levels, that’s the perfect description for how life comes from life. It’s simply makes good sense, and it’s so easy to see. Let me share some basic chemistry, and you’ll see what I mean.

Good chemistry proves life comes from life.

I’ve mentioned Dr. Walt Brown’s science book, In The Beginning, many times here on my blog and in my The Power of God’s Love Podcast. And in one section of the book, he talks about how it’s extremely unlikely the chemical elements of life could have evolved. For example…carbon. You’ve probably heard the term “carbon-based lifeforms”. Right? Lots of scientists, news media reporters, and teachers love to use that description for humans. But that’s silly and outdated.

Good chemistry proves we’re much more than carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.

When you dig deep into the earth to layers of sediment that are supposed to have been here before life evolved, you discover the rocks contain very little carbon. And that’s the exact opposite of what you should find if evolution is true. Still not convinced? OK, how about oxygen? The earth’s atmosphere has oodles of oxygen. If the earth is billions of years old, a lot of things would have simply oxidized away in an oxygen rich environment. And if oxygen wasn’t plentiful, there wouldn’t have been an ozone. And without an ozone, the sun’s ultraviolet rays would have destroyed things.

Talk about a Catch-22.

Well, what about nitrogen? Did you know clay and other rocks absorb nitrogen? They do, and if there had actually been millions of years before life evolved on the planet, the rocks that were here should have absorbed tons and tons of nitrogen. But guess what? Archaeologists keep digging…but not finding those sediments.

Life happened suddenly, but not spontaneously.

When you’re willing to go where the evidence takes you, eternity in paradise can be yours. Are you willing to give it another look? Because it’s just good chemistry.

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Share the rhymes and reasons with your friends and family. And let’s stay connected. Like this…

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Neither death nor life can separate me from true love.

It’s not manly to cry. So, I don’t…as a rule. But I’ll let you in on a secret I haven’t talked much about with anyone except those closest to me. I actually have cried in my life. Even after I became a man. “Gasp!” I don’t cry at the drop of a hat. Like over sad movies. Or because someone gave me something nice. In fact, as I look back over my life, my crying was always connected to separation. And that’s what made me remember a verse in the Bible, this morning, where it says, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Neither death nor life can separate you from the love of God

So…what does Paul mean when he says “neither death NOR life”?

Well, as far as the death part goes…you know (at least if you’re a Christian) God never leaves you nor forsakes you. And you know that once you die, instantaneously you’re in His presence. You’ll be separated from your body, but not from the living, loving God who made you.

But what about the life part? Well…life happens to you every day you’re alive…right? Like one of John Denver’s songs said, “some days are diamonds…some days are rust.” Even on those rusty days when you don’t feel lovable or worthy, your dumb deeds won’t separate you from the love of God.

When I was a young boy, my parents divorced. And they moved two big states apart. We were living in Oklahoma, and when they split, my Dad moved to Texas, and my mom moved to Kansas. Once the dust settled, twice a year my younger brother and I would take a couple of 18 hour train rides. One from Houston to Kansas City at the beginning of summer. And another from Kansas City to Houston at the end of summer. Each year (while I was still young) I’d cry when we had to leave Dad for the summer months. And each year I’d cry when we left Mom to head back to Texas.

Separation is tough on your heart because of the unknown.

When you’re not sure if you’ll ever see someone you love again, it can tear at your heartstrings. At least if you’re a caring, loving person it should. But that’s what is so cool about what Paul said when he described the “love of God”. Paul was convinced that nothing can separate those who love God from God and His love. No governments or powerful things, no created thing of any kind, and most importantly…neither death nor life itself. If you love God, He holds onto you like the most caring father holds his child. And you’re in the best hands.

What separation have you endured in your lifetime? Wasn’t it painful? And what did you do to get through it? The good news is…you will never be separated from God’s love if you love Him. It’s an empowering feeling knowing you’ll live forever with the One who made you and loves you that much. If you haven’t already done it, give your heart to God. And get on board the train bound for eternity in Heaven.

There’s a train that’s bound for Heaven,
And my ticket has been bought
By the One who loves me truly.
And I know He’ll leave me not.
So, I drop my bags and troubles,
And I jump on board that train.
Everything I’ll leave behind me
Won’t compare to what I gain.

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Share the rhymes and reasons with your friends and family. And let’s stay connected. Like this…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Rhymes and Reasons out of order – stay strong!

The Power of God's Love Podcast - Episode 176

Click or tap on these links to the topics I talk about in this week’s podcast…

This podcast episode brings those topics together for those of you who’d rather listen than read. Thanks for tuning in. This week’s episode includes a song you need to hear! You’ll have to subscribe or tune in here on my website to hear it.

Use one or more of the links I’ve provided to share with anyone and everyone you know. Oh yeah, when you get a minute, please leave me a review on iTunes. Here’s the easy link. And don’t forget to get your free music and book if you haven’t already. Look over there in the sidebar .

Play

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

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk signature logo

P.S.  Share the rhymes and reasons with your friends and family. And let’s stay connected. Like this…

Join my Rhyme and Reason Club
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