Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I love life and the opportunity to live it. 

And I love life with all its:

  • smooth sailing,
  • trials and tribulations
  • growing up,
  • gaining knowledge,
  • building friendships,
  • awards and rewards,
  • challenges and failures,
  • clouds and sunshine,
  • joy and laughter,
  • pain and redemption, and
  • words and music…yeah, I love life!

It takes a lotta livin’ to make up this journey. It’s not a two part journey…it’s a two place journey. And I’m an eager participant in both. This place we’re in right now is amazing and difficult. The next place will be unfathomably kinetic, energizing, and joyous. It will be unimaginably beautiful, sustaining, and buoyant. It’s gonna be full of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

But not for everyone.

That’s a shame because it’s really not difficult to achieve. You just need to believe.

I’m not taking about believing in dreams…or yourself…or in a “force”…or in “the universe”…or in the “law of attraction”…or internal spirits…or in Mohammed, Confucious, Buddha, Allah, or even Oprah, Billy, or Barak…

Only in Jesus. If that’s the only name you find offensive or problematic, try to find out why.

The second place of your life depends on that One name. Don’t you owe it to yourself to discover why it’s so important?

I love life and this chance to live it.
I’ve got news and I’m gonna give it
To the ones who’d like more of it.
Yeah, life is good. Don’t you just love it?!

Stay tuned,

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subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional :  https://www.TonyFunderburk.com

 

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Life is music to my ears. How about you?

Tightly woven into the fabric of my life, God gave me this great and sometimes overwhelming gift of music. It’s been a constant companion even through the years when I had no human constant companion. It’s been my reminder that I’m “wonderfully made“. Music brings me great joy. Life is music to my ears, and my soul and spirit. I want a song in my heart until my heart no longer beats…and forever after that.  😉

It’s on that note (pun intended) I’m bringing you some excellent music from another perspective today. 

Watch and enjoy…and see if life is music to your ears, too…

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

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Do you wanna be happy? Or rich? Do you wanna live a long time?  Or live in peace? Would you like to know how you can do and be all those things? OK, here’s the secret – be wise.

Could it really be that easy? Yes. It’s that easy. And yet it’s harder than you might ever imagine. But the key is in trusting God. If you do that, you’ll know where and how to find wisdom. Do you know where it is? I’ll give you some hints.

If you wanna be wise, you won’t find the answer in…

  • Your favorite TV show.
  • Your favorite video game.
  • The movies.
  • Any public school.
  • The government.

That’s a few places you won’t find wisdom. And the one place you WILL find it is in the Bible. God’s word. When you dive into God’s word you’ll discover riches more beautiful and valuable than silver, gold, and rubies. Nothing you could ever imagine could or can compare to wisdom.

Being wise isn’t the same thing as being smart. Lots of people are smart. Only a few try to be wise. Those few are the ones who are willing to be humble and admit they’re not God or even A god. Wise people realize that only God can create everything in the universe. Wise people know they owe their own lives to Jesus. He is the Tree of Life.

And in Proverbs you’ll find that gaining wisdom is like taking hold of the tree of life. The writer also said that long life “is in her right hand”and “in her left hand riches and honor.” When God gives you long life, it lasts forever. All you have to do to get it is”ask. Have you asked Him for it? Here’s a rhyme to help you remember”

Would you like to live forever
Under bright and blue skies?
Then go get some understanding
In God’s word and be wise.

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

Stay tuned,

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Beat The World – It’s about more than love and rockets

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Marking the 20th anniversary of “Do Right” and “Beat The World”

It’s difficult to comprehend how it’s already been 20 years since I recorded my first collection of Christian songs. The CD I produced was called “Do Right”, and a clip of the title song is still heard on the radio almost every weekday. Another one of the songs that never got any radio airplay was called – Beat The World – and I’d like to share the lyrics with you today. I believe it’s important, if you’re a Christian, because the world is out to get you like never before. Equip yourself with God’s word and, like the Boy Scouts say, “be prepared”. Or like Peter, in the Bible, said “be ready to give a defense“.

Beat The World

Every time you turn your back
There’s somebody there to pick your pockets
And so you see there’s more to life
More than love and rockets

Deal with reality the best that you can
Try to remember there’s a higher plan
That’s the only way to beat the world at its own game

Yeah…every time you make your mark
There’s somebody there to erase it
And people say that’s just the way it is
And boy you’d better face it

But you believe there’s gonna be a better day,
So you pray for strength and better words to say
That’s the only way to beat the world at its own game

C’mon and beat the world, and try to leave a dent
But don’t regret the time that you’ve spent
C’mon and beat the world, and try to leave a bruise
You need to know the life that you choose
Is gonna beat the world…

Every time you see the morning news
They talk about another killing
It’s beyond my power to comprehend
How the taking of life could be thrilling

Banish the dark side; live in God’s light
Rise and shine and you can win this fight
That’s the only way to beat the world at its own game

Oh, can you imagine”
If we were all serving the True God,
Would we still be living this way?

Instrumental…repeat chorus to end

© Copyright Tony Funderburk 1996

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. Please share them with others. Here’s how”

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

In this episode of The Truth in Words and Music Podcast”

I talked about bad stuff and who’s doing it, getting up early and the best way to start, Psalm 23, and biomarkers. You can go back and read the articles that go along with the podcast, or you can simply sit back and enjoy the audio version. Ain’t America great? You have all these choices, and the best part is”it’s all free to you, the listener”or reader”or both. Now, stop reading already, and enjoy the show”

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.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. Please share them with others. Here’s how”

Discover my ebooks on Amazon.com or Smashwords
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Or use the social media links below

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Who’s afraid of some teeny tiny biomarkers?

A functional medicine chiropractor friend of mine suggested I have a blood test, known as the A1C or HA1C, run so we could look more closely at what might be going on in my blood. Turns out…things weren’t so good. The doctor went over my results with me, and I guess I failed to stay within preferred levels for pretty much all of the 5 main biomarkers he recommends monitoring. I’ll share those markers with you, what their levels should be, and what mine were…

  1. Homocysteine: This is now the gold standard, for many doctors, as a means for judging whether or not someone is at risk for cardiovascular disease and incidents. Healthy levels should show up in your results between 4-8 umol/L (symbol for micromole) When your levels fall within that range you may consider yourself fortunate and possibly healthy. My level was 17.8
  2. CRP (C-reactive protein): This is a protein produced in the liver, and it’s associated with inflammation. Truly healthy levels should fall between 0 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L – That’s not much of a range because it should ideally show up as 0. My level was 1.53
  3. Vitamin D: It’s so cool how your body actually converts cholesterol derivatives into Vitamin D. Take note…your body creates cholesterol, and here’s one of the main reasons why. Healthy levels of Vitamin D (which is actually a hormone by the way) should show up right around 50 ng/ml. And the bare minimum recommended by almost all doctors is 30 ng/ml. My level was 20.7
  4. Hemoglobin AC1 (HA1C or A1C): This indicates how much glycosolation is going on in your blood. And that’s all about sugar binding to proteins. Most standard testers say you’re OK in the range between 4.8%-5.6%. My doctor says he gets “nervous over 5.4%”. My level was 5.6%…not outlandish, but combined with my other high levels…not good.
  5. Fasting Insulin: This has everything to do with insulin regulation. And while many labs say a level lower than 25 mIU/L is OK, some others say you shouldn’t go above 8. Another source says an ideal decent range is between 2 and 5. My level was 100.

OK…I failed the 5 biomarkers. So, I’m in trouble. But does being in trouble mean you throw your hands in the air and give up? Certainly not. What you do is find out the adjustments you need to make in your lifestyle, emotions, and diet…then make those adjustments. And for a Christian, the primary response should be to ask God for wisdom and discernment and for strength to follow through. I’ve done that, and I’m continuing to do that. I’m also fortunate to have a beautiful health coach living with me…my wife.

For a much more in-depth look at these biomarkers and so much more valuable health info, check out Dr. Kurt.

What about you? Have you had your 5 main biomarkers checked lately?

Stay tuned,

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Before you go, share this link with everyone you care about. Tell ‘em to jump on the The TRUTH AND get some music and other fun stuff, for Fa-Ree.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

You know all that bad stuff going on in the world? God’s not doing it!

Every day…and I mean Every. Single. Day…all you have to do is get up and read or watch or listen to the news…and you realize the bad stuff is still happening. Wars, murders, rapes, stealing, lying, and the list goes on and on. No country or continent is immune. And since it’s a worldwide epidemic, many people like to say either God is working some sort of masterplan…or He’s not interested…or He simply doesn’t exist. All three answers are incredibly incorrect.

I expect people who don’t believe in God or those who even hate Him to say ignorant things. But it’s pure silliness for Christians to make statements like “God is in control”…or…”God has a plan and a reason for all this”. If God is actually in control and is actually causing all the bad stuff to happen, then He’s not a good, righteous, and holy God. And He’s a terrible father. Why?

Because a good father doesn’t tell his children to “do as I say and not as I do”.

Here’s the good news…

God isn’t doing that because He IS a good father. He IS holy and righteous. And He doesn’t tell us to be a certain way while He’s being another. Why would God tell us not to do evil things and yet cause evil things to happen all around the world? He doesn’t. This world isn’t being controlled by God. And how could you possibly look around you and say it is. And why would you portray God to the world in such a way? It conveys a negative view to anyone who actually thinks and ponders. Like this quote from Brad Pitt for example:

Brad Pitt grew up learning that God even does the bad stuff.

Are you a Christian? If so, do you believe the Bible when it says Jesus will return one day and rule and reign for a thousand years here on Earth? If you believe that, do you believe the Earth will be filled with violence and every other horrible, sinful thing mankind can devise? Or don’t you truly believe Jesus will make the world a better place? Of course He will. And that’s when…let me repeat…THAT’S WHEN you’ll know God is in control. No more war. No more unpunished crimes. No more evil men trying to rule the world.

No more bad stuff.

So…if you’re telling people God is in control, I hope you mean of your own personal life. Otherwise…will you please stop? Get back in His word. Read the writings of Paul. If you’re not a Jew, Paul’s writings are specifically FOR YOU. You’ll discover how to rightly divide the Word of Truth, and you’ll be a much better witness to a hurting world. Will you start today? If not…why not?

Stay tuned,

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If you haven’t already, be sure to jump on the The TRUTH AND get some music and other fun stuff, for Fa-Ree. If you’ve already jumped on, share the link with everyone you care about.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Even Hollywood knows about the Lord is my shepherd Bible verse

If you’re a Christian, I’m sure you’re familiar with Psalm 23. Little kids know it as – The Lord Is My Shepherd verse. It’s beautiful lyrics to a beautiful song King David wrote to his Creator. You should pause from reading this article of mine, look up the passage, and go through it line by line right now. I’ll wait…

OK, now I’d like to share a clip of one my songs I wrote to the Lord. It begins with a reference to the verse just before the Lord is my shepherd verse. Psalm 22 talks about how God knows us from our very formation in our mothers’ wombs. And there are some much deeper and even more meaningful verses in that Psalm, but I won’t go into that right now. You’d do yourself a service to read through it and study it. But for now…here’s a clip from my song, and the lyrics…

Your Love Restored My Soul

From my mother’s womb You have been my God…
Even if I didn’t always know it.
And I’ve loved You since my salvation day…
Even if…I didn’t always show it.

I believe Your Son is the only Way
To the life I know is never-ending…
So I cast my lot with the King of Kings
And His Truth I trust is never bending.

Jesus…Your love restored my soul.
You gave Your life to make me whole.
I’d be a lifeless lump of coal…oh
But Jesus…Your love restored my soul.

On my darkest days I am not alone.
You indwell me with Your Holy Spirit.
And Your “still small voice”is an open book
And Your grace is there if I draw near it”

And in that open Book is the one True God…
And the words revolve around His story.
And the words are turned into flesh and bone,
And He shares, with each of us, His glory.

Chorus twice

Your love restored my soul”.your love restored my soul
Your love restored…your love restored my soul.

© Copyright Tony Funderburk 2010

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Tomorrow morning say this to God: I will seek you early

A man named Isaiah wrote those words thousands of years ago. He spoke of his desire to know and remember God always. He said it like this, “Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek you early…” Isaiah also understood how God’s righteousness and judgments help the “inhabitants of the world” to learn righteousness. The more we inhabitants learn righteousness, the less likely we are to want to harm others and ourselves. But do you see more…or less…righteousness in this world right now?

I’ve been going through a book called “Man In The Mirror” by Patrick Morley with a group of fellow Christian men on Thursday mornings. We meet early and discuss some of the “finer points” of how that man in the mirror should live. During one of the more recent meetings we were talking about finances and how a Christian should approach money. I mentioned that, in America, we don’t actually have a financial crisis…we have a terrible heart condition.

When a nation turns its back on the weakest and most vulnerable among us…unborn babies…it really doesn’t matter how well any of us or all of us do financially. We’re still morally bankrupt. And do you think, for even a moment, God cares more about our fiscal responsibilities than He does about our life? So, how does a nation, that was once the beacon of God’s grace and hope, become a country where Jesus isn’t tolerated or welcomed in schools, places of business, and government. Simple. That nation determines its own “laws” to be above those of God. That nation says “my will be done on earth”. That nation swears by self-righteousness.

And so we have a failing heart. We don’t seek God early, or any other time, for answers to the trials and tribulations America is experiencing. Instead we make more “laws”. And we punish the innocent and tolerate the guilty.

You are either part of the cause…or part of the cure. It begins with you. And I’m saying this to the man in the mirror, too. Either you say to God “I will seek you early” and the rest of the day…or you say “to my own self I will be true”. But here’s the thing…both perspectives have eternal consequences for you and for some of those people within your circle of influence. If you truly care about your fellow human beings…will you stop and consider God’s way today? I can guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Would you like to see how music paints a picture? In slow motion?!

What does it take to see the color of music? Well, take an old boom box, some music, paints, and an ultra slow motion camera, and you’ve got the ingredients for razzle dazzle. Here you go…

Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. Please share them with others. Here’s how”

Tell ‘em to jump on the The TRUTH AND get some music and other fun stuff, for Fa-Ree.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

In this episode of The Truth in Words and Music Podcast…

I talked about geometry and parallel lines, insurance plans, rewards, games, laws, and love. You can go back and read the articles that go along with the podcast, or you can simply sit back and enjoy the audio version. Ain’t America great? You have all these choices, and the best part is…it’s all free to you, the listener…or reader…or both. Now, stop reading already, and enjoy the show…

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.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. Please share them with others. Here’s how”

Discover my ebooks on Amazon.com or Smashwords
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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

If love is the fulfillment of the law, who needs God…right?

Yep, it says so right in the Bible. And it’s written by Paul…the apostle to the gentiles. That’s me. And if you’re not a Jew, that’s you. So, Paul was writing to us. And he wrote these exact words, “love is the fulfillment of the law“. Just click here and see if I’ve misquoted it. You’ll find I haven’t. Now, that’s good news to anyone who considers himself or herself a good person but doesn’t want to get into “that whole God thing”. All you need is love. (slightly unintentional quote from the Beatles) Just love. And you’ll fulfill “the law”. Bam!

Love is the Fulfillment of the law

Well, what’s this law you’ve just fulfilled? It’s the law that says things like “you shall not commit adultery” and “you shall not murder” and “you shall not steal” and “you shall not bear false witness” and “you shall not covet” and some others. Apparently Paul is telling us if we just love…”your neighbor as yourself”…you’ve fulfilled all the law.

But is Paul actually saying all you gotta do is love AND you’ll make it to Heaven? That’s where the meat of the matter lies. And the answer to that question is “No”. Sorry to burst your bubble, but here’s the thing…you might love your neighbor as yourself, but you don’t do it all the time. Admit it…you’ve had some pretty bad thoughts about some neighbor here and there at some time or another. Haven’t you? Don’t feel too bad. So has everybody else. I’d never make the claim that I’ve only loved my neighbor as myself. There have been times when what I felt was anything but love…and…

…that doesn’t mean I’m cursed to do my best to not break any of those laws. Far from it! I’ve been set free from those laws. Would you like to know how? Hope so ’cause I’m gonna tell you. I put my faith in the only one who was and IS the fulfillment of the law…Jesus. He lived here on this same mean ol’ planet as you and me. And He didn’t commit one sin. Not one. And He had greater love for His neighbor than all of the rest of us put together. He laid down His life for sins and crimes He never committed. In fact He “became sin” so God could pour His anger out on Him and not me…or you. Guess what that did…

…it made eternal life in paradise a real possibility for every human being.

Are you gonna take advantage? Or do you wanna see how well you can love your neighbor as yourself every minute of your life?

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. For other awesome ways you can help me get
these messages out to others”

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Hide and seek is a fun game for kids, but it’s not God’s game.

When you were a kid, I’m sure you played hide and seek. Almost every kid plays it in some way at some time or another. It’s fun. One person closes his or her eyes, counts to a certain number while everyone hides, and then rushes off to find the others. We used to play right around dusk…the cool of the evening when the shadows fell long over the grassy yards. That made it just a little bit more of a challenge for the seekers to find the hiders. And that, of course, made it more fun. I’m sharing this with you because…

Hide and Seek - It's not a game God plays

…there are a lot of people on the planet (most people, in fact) who believe God plays this game. They think, if He exists at all, He’s hiding in some special place where only the purest of hearts can find Him. Nothing could be further from the truth. First off…there are no pure hearts in this world. Not yours. Not mine. Nobody’s. Thankfully God isn’t looking for the purest hearts. As a matter of fact, He says “the heart is deceitful above all things” and “who can know it?” Then He answers His own question.

God also says you will find Him “when you search for Me with all your heart“. That’s the kind of living, loving God who created you and me and everyone…He’s right where He needs to be, and He’s waiting and hoping for you to seek and find Him. He’s made His presence known in His word, the Bible. And you can see His handiwork in all of creation. To deny His design in the complexity of life requires a leap of faith so great…it’s a chasm you might never get back across.

Why would you not want to believe and trust in the God who made the ultimate sacrifice in order for you to have eternal life? What would make you want to play hide and seek with your own heart? If you’re struggling to grasp hold of something that won’t fade and disappear, I suggest asking Jesus into your heart. You’ll still be in this world with all its trials and tribulations, but you’ll be eternally connected with the only One who can see you into…and through forever.

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. Please share them with others. Here’s how”

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

When you do a good deed, or charitable deeds,
do you want someone to reward you openly?

If you answered yes to that question, who would you prefer to reward you…and what would you like as your reward? If you’re a Christian, I hope you agree that it’s important to know what God says about giving. And if you have a red letter edition of the Bible, open it to Matthew 6. What you’ll discover, in verses 1-4, is that Jesus says you should not tell everyone when you’re doing charitable deeds…or what they are. In fact, He explicitly says “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly“.

It was important to Jesus that His followers understood this…important enough for Him to include 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…from one perspective 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 giving to come from your heart. He wants it to be about loving your neighbor as yourself, serving your fellow man, just plain ol’ helping out when someone 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, your tendency is to focus on numbers and rewards…not loving your neighbor. And all you need do is 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. Don’t mention it to anyone. Of course, you can claim it on your taxes. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re just following governmental policies. But you’re not making a big deal of it. Let your giving 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.

Are you giving in secret? If not, will you trust Jesus and begin to give in secret? I believe your blessings will be richer.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Do the words, armor of God, sound scary to you?

They shouldn’t. They should sound incredibly reassuring. They should be the words that bring you comfort anytime this mean ol’ world dumps on your head. In fact, I’d like to share 3 reasons why the armor of God should be your insurance plan.

The Armor of God

Did you know that when you buy car insurance the price you pay is determined by your driving record? OK. That’s not hard to figure. But did you know the price you pay is also determined by the insurance company’s evaluation on how likely it is you’ll actually file a claim. Yep. They’re betting you won’t. And they win the bet more times than not. If that wasn’t true, they’d go belly up. So, you’re buying insurance just in case you ever need it…hoping you won’t. And they’re selling it to you because they’re estimating you won’t need them…and hoping you won’t. What a great system…right?

And that’s all about cars and earthly transportation. Yeesh.

How much more important is your life? And then…how much more important is your potential eternal life? Even if you don’t believe in the God of the Bible, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, humor me for a minute and pretend they do exist. And let’s say that God has always existed and He actually DID create the earth, the solar system, the galaxy, the universe, and all life. He’d have to be pretty powerful to do that. Wouldn’t you agree? I mean as long as you’re pretending He exists, don’t you agree He’d have to be more powerful than everything else put together? After all it’s the old “cause and effect” law. No effect is greater than its cause. Remember?

I can just hear you asking, “What does all this have to do with insurance?” Well, it’s like this…a guy named Paul wrote about the “whole armor of God” in a letter to a group of people in Ephesus, an ancient city in Greece on the coast of Ionia. He used metaphors and descriptive adjectives to describe each piece of the armor. And He wanted the readers of his letter to know how important the the whole armor was…not merely the separate pieces. If you’re a Christian, you should be able to visualize Jesus in each part. Here’s the list from the top of the head to the feet…

  • The helmet of salvation –
  • The breastplate of righteousness –
  • The girding of the waist with truth –
  • The shoes are the preparation of the gospel of peace –

First, the helmet of salvation. What does the helmet cover? Your head. You can KNOW you are saved. You don’t have to wonder or guess. Next, the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate covers the heart. And when you let Jesus into your heart, He imparts His righteousness to you. Then, there’s the girding of the waist with truth. You’ve probably heard your waist described as your “core” amongst fitness enthusiasts. So, at your core you need to have…and to know…truth. Jesus said He IS the Truth. So keep Him in your core being. Finally, you cover your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. In other words, you can stand on the peace that surpasses all understanding…and you’re prepared to take it with you and talk about it wherever anyone is willing to listen.

Now, if you have all the working for you, the assurance of eternal life is yours. That means Jesus holds your insurance policy. And here are the 3 reasons you should consider the whole armor of God to be your insurance plan:

  1. The policy has no term limits
  2. The provision is life and love from God
  3. The premium is already paid in full

So…what’s your preference? The armor of God? Or that t-shirt with the name of your favorite beer on it?

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. For other awesome ways you can help me get these messages out to others”

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Do you remember studying parallel lines in geometry?

The mathematical or geometrical definition of parallel lines is like this: They are lines in a plane which do not meet; that is, two lines in a plane that do not intersect or touch each other at any point are said to be parallel. I remember finding that very interesting as I also studied acute and obtuse angles. I enjoyed geometry. It’s chock full of logic and reason and it can either be proved or disproved. Geometry isn’t girded and supported by emotion. I guess the easy way to say it is…it IS what it IS.

Parallel Lines are found in the sedimentary layers.

Notice the parallel lines of strata in the picture? Look closely at how even those lines are. That’s very typical of sedimentary layers all across and around the earth. You can easily see them in places like the Grand Canyon and where roads are cut through mountainous areas. And here’s the thing…if those layers had been deposited slowly over millions of years, you just wouldn’t see such distinct parallel lines in the sediments. How do I know?

Well, spend a little time observing the earth’s topmost surface. What you’ll discover is how quickly things erode. If sedimentary layers were deposited even over thousands of years, let alone millions of years, erosion would have cut and carved them into anything but parallel lines. So, it makes much more logical and reasonable sense to say the layers were deposited quickly…one right after another.

Ironically, that happens to be the Biblical account of how sedimentary layers formed, too. The Bible doesn’t lay it out geometrically, but the math, found in the Genesis account of the worldwide flood, is the only logical and reasonable explanation. I apologize if you’re uncomfortable with how this all leads to God and creation. But if you’re going to be true to science, you want to go where it truly takes you…right? In this case, those parallel lines found in the Grand Canyon can lead you right to the Way of Truth. Will you go?

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. For other awesome ways you can help me get
these messages out to others”

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

“Your father the devil”…yikes, that can’t be a good thing.

When you were growing up”or as you’re growing up now, do you or did you ever think about or call your father the devil because you thought he was too mean? Maybe lots of kids think that at one time or another. But you know it’s not true. Right? Once you get older you should realize what a hard job it is to be a father. Then you should give your dad a break. He was probably doing the best he knew how at the time. And he did what he did because he loves you.

Is Your Father The Devil or does he love you?

As tough a job as it is to be a dad, imagine if you were the Father of everybody in the world. Now THAT would be tough! Well, that’s God’s job. He’s the Creator of everybody in the world. And He wants to be your loving Father. And if you choose to let Him into your heart, that’s exactly what He’ll be forever”your loving Father.

Like any good, loving father, God will sometimes need to give you a good talking to. That’s because He loves you, and He doesn’t wanna see you hurt yourself or others. And He knows, better than you do, what’s best for you. That’s why He wrote a book to show you just how much He loves you”and what He expects from you. He has a very high opinion of you. God doesn’t expect you to be perfect, but He wants you to trust in His Son who IS perfect.

So, when you give your heart to Him”and you read His book”and you learn to listen to His quiet, small voice inside your heart”God will guide you down better roads. He’ll lead you into better places and better relationships. And when you try to go your own way, He’ll correct you. The best part of that is knowing He’s watching over you.

When you ask God to be your father, the devil will never ever be able to take you away from Him. Here’s a rhyme to help you remember”

If you trust God, the Father,
And Jesus, His Son”
And lean on God, your Father,
The devil will run.

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk signature logo
P.S.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. For other awesome ways you can help me get
these messages out to others”

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Have you achieved your own definition of success?

Here’s how it tends to go…at least here in America where I live… First, you see in the media what seems to be the definition of success, and you measure yourself against it. When the rockstars and pro athletes and TV personalities get millions for their jobs…or models appear beautiful beyond belief, or the “stuff” is piled up on TV shopping networks, you just might feel pitifully inadequate. So you work and pour blood, sweat and tears into your days to get what those “others” have. Maybe you make it. Maybe you don’t. You only know you gotta try. After all…the beautiful people and the rich people with all the stuff must have all the fun…right?

The Definition of Success really should be the same for everybody

But you are not the sum total of your dollars, beauty, or “stuff”. You’re not the sum total of the monikers you wear through this life. You’re not the sum total of the varied opinions about you. They don’t make you. Don’t let ’em break you. Here’s what I recommend…

  • Work to produce…not for the money.
  • Play to relax…not to escape.
  • Laugh to enjoy…not to cover up.
  • Love to give…not to acquire.
  • And live to be thankful…not to compare.

Serve your fellow human beings. Love them as much as you are able. And make being a child of the one true, living, loving God your definition of success. You are the sum total of where you position yourself for eternity.

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. For other awesome ways you can help me get
these messages out to others”

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Happy New Year 2016

I can’t believe I’m already saying “Happy New Year 2016”. It seems like only a few days ago I was telling you the same thing for 2015. It’s odd how time seems to speed up as more candles are added to your birthday cake. Do you find that to be true, too? Anyway…I hope your 2016 will be full of faith, hope, and love. Most of all, love. I plan to do all I can to bring you as much eternally valuable words and music as possible.

Happy New Year 2016

I’ll end this post with a short poem I shared last year at this time. It’s still relevant, and I believe it always will be…at least until God decides to end this dispensation of Grace and make a new Heaven and new Earth. Until that time, each person has a decision to make that will have everlasting consequences. So, if you’re gonna make any resolution at all this year, I recommend you resolve to be sure where you’ll spend eternity. You gotta spend it somewhere. Make it Heaven. Then you’ll not only have a happy new year 2016…you’ll have a happy new year forever. The choice is yours.

New day new year…
Old thoughts still here.
When does time change?
Not yet…so strange.
Where will we be
Eternally?
You get to say.
Don’t wait…today.
Choose life, then live.
Receive, then give.
Throw out your fear…
New day new year.

Stay tuned,

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P.S.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. For other awesome ways you can help me get
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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

This week, on the Truth in Words and Music Podcast, I talked about tithing, condemning, mending broken hearts, and understanding women. Now that’s a combination of topics you shouldn’t miss…right? It may not all tie together with a nice Christmas bow, but…hey! Wait a minute! I gotta tell you Merry Christmas. I hope each day this week is a gift you take into your heart and keep forever. Now, here’s the podcast…

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.  Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. For other awesome ways you can help me get
these messages out to others…

Discover my ebooks on Amazon.com or Smashwords
Get my Podcast
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