Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Which is better? To get understanding? Or lots of money?

OK…today’s post is just for the men. So, you females stop reading and listening. It’s not about you…it’ll be good for you, too, but it’s not for you today. I’ll give you a minute to leave the room. Ok…are they gone, guys? Good. Let’s get started. Have you ever read this passage in Proverbs? “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you“? Well, even if you’ve never read it before, you’ve read it now, and I’d like to twist it around a little.

It's extremely important to Get Understanding

In that passage, the author is using feminine pronouns to describe wisdom and understanding. But let’s separate getting wisdom and understanding from the rest, for now, and let’s take the rest and say it’s describing your wife or girlfriend. It’s important to do your best to understand her because it can make all the difference in how your day goes…or even your life.

Do you exalt your wife or girlfriend? That means to hold in high regard or to lift her up. Do you do that? I hope so, because according to God, if you do, she’ll promote you. In other words she’ll speak well of you to others. Do you embrace your wife or girlfriend? And we’re not talking about only the passionate embraces of physical connection. I mean a loving hug just because she’s near. Do you do that? I hope so because according to God, if you do, she will bring you honor. In other words, she’ll be yours in a way that speaks highly of your character. God’s word also says she’ll give you grace and glory. Not a bad exchange for a little embrace, wouldn’t you agree?

I know it’s not an accident that the author of Proverbs 4:7-8 used a feminine pronoun for wisdom and understanding. After all, God designed women with a natural capacity for understanding. And the female form is much more beautiful in grace and glory than us guys. So God was sharing a lesson about wisdom and understanding in a way we could relate to physically. We can actually wrap our minds around the idea because it takes the form of a “she”.

So get wisdom, and with all your might get understanding…especially when it comes to your wife or girlfriend. Keep in mind that you will never feel what she feels. But trust God to help you understand her. God made men AND women. He knows what works best, and if He says wisdom is the principal thing, it must be extremely important. With wisdom you can get an ornament of grace or a crown of glory on your head. Without wisdom it might be a hammer. Which one do you expect today?

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

You can’t mend a broken heart with broken tools.

Back in the early 70’s the Bee Gees had a hit song called “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?” The lyrics and the melody conveyed a deep sadness for a love lost. And the singer asked…

How can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go ’round?

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart

If you’ve lived more than a decade, you’ve certainly had your heart broken…maybe more than once…maybe several times. Here’s the thing. If you keep trying to mend it back together again with the same broken tools, you might find yourself in the same broken boat over and over again. It’s a matter of perspective and trust. When you have an eternal perspective, and you put your trust in the only One who will love you through every moment of your life, you can do much more than mend your broken heart.

You can get a heart transplant.

Of course, I don’t mean a literal heart transplant. I’m talking about “the heart of you”. Your inner core. The part of you that goes on forever. You can ask Jesus for a new heart and He’ll give it to you. And even though you may still experience disappointments here in this world, you’ll be “rooted and grounded in love” and you’ll “know the love of Christ which passes knowledge“. Build yourself up on God’s word and you’ll have a deeper, broader understanding of how people are in this mean ol’ world.

We humans have a strong tendency to be selfish. Our natural desire is to be king of the hill, or queen bee, or top dog, or whatever other figure of speech you prefer. That’s why we need to get an eternal perspective and put our trust in God…not self or others. Your “self” will never get enough “things” in this world. And other people will let you down. But your Creator will never leave you nor forsake you. His love will carry you through eternity. So why just mend a broken heart, when you can have a brand new one?

If you’d like some help getting to know who God is, write me. I’ll do what I can to help you understand and trust Him.

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

Not Condemned…wanna see that stamped on your soul?

I’d like to share two verses from Bible with you, today. And these are appropriate since we’re within a few short days of Christmas…the holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus. I know you’ve heard of Him even if you’re not a Christian. And you’ve probably heard this first verse even if you’ve never set foot in a church. It’s John 3:16 (remember the signs held up at football and basketball games?): “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The next verse is only 2 verses later in the chapter, John 3:18 – “He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God“. Did you catch the key?

You are Not Condemned if you do this one thing

The key to eternal life is held in and turned by your belief. Belief in the One who came to earth, took our punishment for sin, died, and rose again. If you believe it’s just a fairy tale, you do so at your own eternal peril, and you condemn yourself to an eternal existence in a universe of one. But if you can humble yourself and believe in the one, true, living, loving God who doesn’t ask you to pay for your own sins…you are not condemned.

This Christmas, ask God to give you the gift He already paid for. Ask Him to enter your heart, change you forever, and tell Him you’re sorry for the way you’ve hurt others and yourself. While you’re still breathing He’s still waiting in hopeful anticipation. Once you close your eyes for the last time, here on earth, there will be no more time for choosing. But you can freely choose right here and right now. You can freely choose to believe in the keeper of everlasting life. Or you can choose to believe in yourself. Either way, it’s your choice.

If you just can’t bring yourself to choose to believe in Jesus, write to me and tell me why. If you read this and choose to believe in Him, write to me so I can help you celebrate. And we can know each other forever. Choose to be not condemned. I’m pullin’ for you.

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

Life carries on no matter what…so are you important?

Of course you are! Your significance is measured by the highest standard in existence…God’s love. He created you in His image. And He created you on purpose…to give you life. And that gives you meaning…a meaning you won’t fully understand or comprehend this side of Heaven. You ARE going to Heaven, aren’t you? In case you didn’t know, life carries on way past what you and I can see here and now. Even though your body doesn’t last forever, you do. That’s another part of why your life has meaning. God designed you to be eternal. He doesn’t create humans to be here today…gone tomorrow. If you’re gonna be truthful with me, you can feel something eternal inside you. Can’t you?

It’s easy to feel small and insignificant in this big ol’ world. Especially with all the technology around you. You’re bombarded with news, entertainment, and social media. Advertisements and word-of-mouth would have you think you need bling and swag to amount to something. You don’t. Your worth was determined by the Creator of the universe when He formed you in your mother’s womb. He gave you self-awareness and the capacity to learn and discover more about Him. Do you have a thirst and hunger to know where you came from? Or are you simply satisfied to explain away your existence on random chance?

Well…

…I’d like to suggest that random chance can give you that feeling of insignificance. Not creation. If you and I are only here as a result of trillions of beneficial mutations, then there really IS no purpose to life. It just is. And then it isn’t.

However…to know the one, true, living, loving God created you with purpose, meaning, and eternity written on your heart is to know you’re vitally important. And that solid, unwavering knowledge can lift you up in times of trouble, trials, and tribulation. Knowing that your Creator will never leave you nor forsake you can give you the strength to carry on when others give up hope.

And as you carry on, you can show others how their lives have meaning too. You can show them how life carries on, for those who love and seek God, way past the days they spend here on earth. Does this help you feel better about who you are? If so, let me know. Here’s a poem from 40 years ago that a 20 year old guy wrote about a feeling of life without meaning…

Ashes In A Breeze

Where was I when I thought this up?
I was staring into a coffee cup.
I thought I’d write the things I felt
So the cold inside my heart would melt.
I’m a peaceful man…I love the world,
And once or twice I’ve kissed a girl.
I lead a life that carries on,
But something’s missing. Something’s wrong.

I’ve looked into ashtrays before
And never really thought anything,
But now I see the ashes inside,
And they represent everything.

My life is passing by like ashes in a breeze.
It’s like there is no meaning…perhaps I’m hard to please.

Ashes in a breeze…
Sounds like a phrase I’ve heard before,
But emptiness stays with me.
It fits me more and more.
And more and more I’m looking
Into empty coffee cups…
Seeing a reflection and trying to wake up.
If I should ever make
Another meaning for myself,
I’ll erase the cruel reflection,
And put the cup back on the shelf.

© 1975 Tony Funderburk

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Tithing ten percent is one of the mosaic laws

Could you live on 40% of what you make now? What about 30%? How about 20%? OK, let’s talk it all the way…could you live on 0%? I’m guessing you dropped out at the first question…unless you’re rich. And if you’re rich, you could possibly hang in there all the way to the 0% question. Right? After all, 10% of 40 million dollars is still in the millions, and if you can’t live on that, you’re spending is grossly out of control. I shared all that to illustrate how tithing ten percent, as a Christian, shouldn’t be on your radar. Why? It’s like this…

…you’re under grace…not the mosaic law.

Simple as that. A Christian is under grace, and tithing is under the law. If you’re a Christian, you should not want to “turn again to the weak and beggarly elements“. Those elements are what you were under before you knew, and were known by, Christ. Anybody can tithe ten percent. That’s a simple matter of mathematics. Even unbelievers do that. But if you’re gonna do your best to keep that law, you’re required to keep all the mosaic laws. Can you do that? No one ever has. Can you?

If you’re a generous person, and I hope you are, give out of the fullness of your heart. Not some numerical calculation.

Tithing ten percent is not required of a Christian.

If you can afford to give away 90% of your income, and if you’ve determined a wise and discerning way to do that…with prayerful consideration, then do it by all means. But let’s say the government determines that the wealthiest Americans should go back to paying a 90% tax rate. Could you still afford to tithe ten percent? Well, that’s where the 0% question comes back. How would that work for you? You’d have to make some serious adjustments wouldn’t you?

The awesome news is…God thought these issues through. He knows, much better than any preacher or televangelist, how giving should work. Take some time and read through Deuteronomy 14:22 – 15:11. You’ll find tithing principles you’re not likely to ever hear inside the walls of the average church. Then read Galatians all the way through. You’ll discover a feeling of liberty. Paul wrote how we should use our liberty to serve one another. We’ve been given the freedom to do so…not by government, but by God. I believe, when you study these passages, you’ll want to leave the bondage of tithing ten percent for the liberty of serving and loving your neighbor.

Will you read it? If so, let me know what you discovered.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

This week, on the Truth in Words and Music Podcast, I talked about hope, trust, rejoicing, good deeds, and God’s hearing. I shared lyrics to one of my old songs, and when you tune into this podcast episode, you can hear a hissy, 4-track cassette demo version of it. You don’t wanna miss out on the opportunity to poke fun at my clinkers.

As always…if you like what you’re hearing, leave me a review on iTunes. That’ll help me spread the words and music to even more listeners and it would be a very good way to help me put food on the table. Yeah, my family hasn’t figured out how to give up eating. Seriously, your support is prayerfully appreciated.

OK, I won’t keep you lingering around here any longer. Give a listen to the podcast, and I’ll talk to you more…soon.

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. For other awesome ways you can help me get
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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Your life is meaningless without love.

Surely you get my point. And surely you’re not offended by that statement. If you ARE offended, I have to question whether or not you have love in your life. If that’s truly the case, I recommend you attend to that right away. Tomorrow is not the time to start. If you’ve been following my articles and podcasts, you’ve probably noticed that’s an ongoing thread I harp on. That’s because tomorrow is a concept to help us understand the flowing of time…even though it never gets here. And your free will means you get to choose. Things like whether you’ll believe in creation or evolution, science or fairy tales.

True Christian love won’t lie to you about your own power. Christian love will tell you the truth about yourself…even when it disagrees with your earthly sensibilities. You might hear a guy on TV talking about how “faith can move mountains”. Or you might gaze in amazement as another televangelist babbles “in tongues”…as you wonder what in the world it means. And you might hear yet another TV ministry boasting about how much they feed the poor, heal the sick, and tend to the needy. But a guy known as the Apostle Paul wrote about what a Christian’s greatest gift is…

Without LOVE

Paul said speaking in tongues without love is like making an obnoxious noise. He also said being able to prophesy and understand all mysteries…and having a faith to move mountains…without love…means you still amount to nothing. He also said that even if you give all your “goods to feed the poor” and even if you give your “body to be burned“, but you don’t have love…it amounts to nothing.

Wow. That’s pretty strong talk. And Paul used the word “nothing” twice within two verses. He must have known how important it is to emphasize what everything amounts to without love. Wouldn’t you agree?

Here’s the good news.

Love can build inside you despite what you might feel this very moment. Maybe it has to begin with an act of your will. Maybe you don’t feel loved and you don’t feel much like loving. But the great thing about love is…it increases in you the more you give it away. You can be the starting point, and God will not allow you to go unloved as a result. Paul wrote “love never fails”. And it never does. You may see a small “battle” not being won in love, but that’s how the ongoing struggles in life are won.

If you’re feeling unloved today, I’d like you to know you’re not. Your Creator loves you, and He wants to be close to you. Will you let Him be the centerpiece and cornerstone of love in your life? Or do you prefer to struggle in doubt without love? The choice is yours.

Stay tuned,

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No-cost, low-cost, and premium ways you can help me spread the Word…

Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional
(emails with good stuff for Fa-Ree)

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Get digital Bible stuff from the same company I do.

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Or how about some music for believers, dreamers, and thinkers

 

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Are you making time for rejoicing?

Have you noticed a great distress all over the world? You’re not alone. Lots of people are talking about it. Many Christians are focused on topics like “the end days” or “the last days” or “the end of this age”. I get it. Sure, there’s a disproportionate amount of wars, rumors of wars, and “men’s hearts failing them from fear and expectation“. But I recommend another strategy…make this a time for rejoicing. Don’t put it off till tomorrow because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to anybody. No, start today. Look up and rejoice. Why…?

Time for Rejoicing

…because Jesus said so. He said when these terrible things are happening, that’s the time to “look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”And while there IS a lot of war, famine, and other signs of the “end days”, some of the other signs Jesus mentioned have yet to manifest themselves clearly. Things like: “signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars…the sea and the waves roaring“. Don’t misread blood moons and eclipses to be those signs. Jesus was talking about signs that couldn’t possibly be mistaken for anything else than a move from Heaven itself. And you better believe when God moves, we’ll all notice.

And even if the worst signs start to happen today or this week or this month…look up! It means we’re another hour, day, week, month, or year closer to the coming of the Lord. But while another day remains, tell somebody about Him. He wants us to bring as many with us to His home as possible.

I wrote a song, back in 1983, about the time for rejoicing. The lyrics show you that time is today. I hope you’ll take it to heart. And I’ll share my old 4-track cassette demo recording of the song in this week’s Truth in Words and Music Podcast. Don’t miss the opportunity to snicker at my less-than-professional sound. Here are the lyrics…

There’s A Time

You can’t hold on to nothing when you leave.
It’s only you He will receive
And only you that means a thing.
So learn to love the things you are
And though you may not be a star
You still can hear the angels sing.

There’s a time for rejoicing;
Between the sunrise and the sunset.
There’s a time for your heart to be free from pain.
There’s a time for believing;
This is only the beginning.
There’s a time when your spirit can see so plain.
That’s when you’ll know
You’re welcome to go.

You can’t make it to the other side
“˜Til you’ve got nothing more to hide
“˜Cause you can’t hide it from His eyes.
So try to learn from your mistakes
And try to do just what it takes
To live your life away from lies.

chorus

Don’t turn your head.
Don’t turn your head and walk away.
Your time just might be today.

Copyright Tony Funderburk 1983-2007

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Do you believe God hears you when you pray?

If you’d like to be sure He does, I have some good news for you. You CAN know. For example, there was a guy named John, who wrote this in the Bible: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” That seems pretty straightforward. The verse contains a qualifier “ask anything according to His will”, but it nevertheless assures you that God hears you. Still not convinced? Need more? OK…

…what if God himself told you that He hears you? Would you believe and trust that He does? Well, guess what? He DID tell you. Your Creator said it like this: “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Now, you don’t actually see the words telling you He hears you, but could God do what you ask, if He couldn’t hear you? Before I go any further I’d like you to know you can’t just pray to God for anything you want and expect Him to hear you and give it to you. He’s not a magician, and He’s not Santa Claus. The verse I just quoted, from Matthew, was for a particular group of people in a particular time with a particular set of circumstances. I won’t go into that right now.

But please realize the principle is the same. God hears you.

Depending on your perspective, this next thing I’m gonna tell you will either sound harsh…or completely sensible. Here it is…

…there is only 1 true, living, loving God. When you deal in reality, not dreamy-eyed self-focused fantasies, you realize there can only be 1 God. The very definition of “God” makes that true. There can only be 1 supreme being above all others. After all…if every being is “supreme”, then no one is. Think about it.

Since there can only be 1 true, living, loving God you owe it to yourself to discover who He is. Here are some examples of who He isn’t:

  • you
  • allah
  • mohammed
  • confucius
  • buddha
  • the whole of creation

The 1 true, living, loving God of the Bible is the only one who can give you eternal life. But He won’t force it on you if you don’t want it. He requires one thing from you, in order to receive eternal life, and that’s this…ask. Ask Him to come into your heart and save you, change you, and make you whole. Ask with a humble and repentant heart. When you acknowledge you’re sorry for the things you’ve done to others and to yourself, God hears you. And the angels rejoice.

So this Christmas season why not get the gift that keeps on giving forever…salvation. Jesus already paid for it. And if you’ve already gotten yours, pass it on. Tell others about it. When God hears you talking about His Son, He’s well-pleased. Will you?

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.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

It’s important to remember how to trust God when life is awesome.

That might sound a little odd at first. But trusting God oftentimes becomes blurry for the man or woman whose life is full and rich. It’s a human tendency to take the credit and leave God out of the equation, and if you find yourself in that boat right now, I’d like to offer some help.

How To Trust God

They say (and I believe) that things are easier to remember in 3’s. So, I have 3 P’s to help you remember to trust God when things are going well.

  1. Perspective: How many people do you know or people you’ve read about who live or have lived forever? Zero…right?
  2. Power: And do you know anyone who’s ever created…um…let’s say…a grain of sand? Or a blade of grass? Or even a single cell? And I’m talking about creating from scratch. What’s that you say? Zero again? Exactly.
  3. Praise: There IS someone who created all the grains of sand on earth. And all the blades of grass. And every cell in every living creature and plant. That sort of power should put things in perspective, and you should be awestruck and ready to praise such power. Are you?

Since you didn’t create the resources you’re able to use to make a living in this world…and since there’s an incredible amount of complexity in those resources…and since you and I don’t have the power to add even one drop of water to the atmosphere…doesn’t it make sense to look into it all more deeply? If you don’t believe in God, let’s say there’s a 50/50 chance you could be right and He doesn’t exist and there’s no eternity waiting. I say 50/50 chance because my position is that He does exist, and there IS an eternity waiting for each person.

Well…if there is no God, there’s no use in anyone discussing anything or worrying too much about anything. Time would be better spent doing anything and everything you ever dreamed of. That’s because it appears most people don’t live past their 80’s. But on the other hand…

If there IS a God (and that’s my assertion), and He actually IS like the God described in the Bible, then there IS an eternity waiting for every person. And where you spend it is determined by your choice in this life. An eternity of spiritless, bodiless existence. Or an eternity of life so abundantly rich…in a body that will never die again. And an eternity filled with love so overflowing and fulfilling you will never, ever want for love again. Your very spirit will exist in love…forever.

OK…that’s the kind of God a Christian trusts and believes in. God has always lived, and He always will. And He’s made a way for anyone who trusts Him to live forever, too. I can’t do that for you. All the laws of the land, and all the rulers of the earth can’t do that for you. And you certainly can’t do it for yourself. So, I hope some of what I’ve said will help you learn how to trust God, if you haven’t already. Remember, you wouldn’t be here to even try to build a rich and rewarding life if it wasn’t for Him. Give Him all the credit for anything good in your life. He doesn’t demand it from you right now…but He certainly deserves it.

Even if I can’t prove to you He exists, which of the scenarios I described above would you rather see come true?

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

Good without God is a philosophical impossibility.

If God does not exist, then good and evil and right and wrong are merely concepts within the minds of individuals. Or at best, a consensus arrived at by process. And if and when “the people” discover they can vote on right and wrong, history shows, over and over, they rarely vote wisely. (can you say Hitler?) No, there has to be a universal standard of right and wrong and good and evil or else it all becomes a matter of opinion and “feelings”. There is no good without God because only His standard clearly illustrates the consequences of a world left to its own interpretations.

Good Without God - there is no such thing

I read an article this morning, on my iPhone news app, that appeared in The Guardian. It was a story out of Lincoln, Nebraska of all places, about a secular humanist group that moved in on what was traditionally a nativity scene in the halls of the state capitol there. You can check out my link to the story to read the whole thing for yourself, but I was struck by how unoriginal and un-creative the group is. They want the so-called “separation of church and state” agenda to trump all other views, and they believe they can achieve this by using (and bastardizing) Christian symbols. For example…

…they set up a “large pine ‘reason tree’…decked with messages promoting free opinion and scientific and philosophical thought“. They also set up “a seasonal scene of a snowy model village and the happy humanist“. Of course, this is to mock and trivialize Christmas trees and traditional Christmas scenes. One man, Tom Gray, who recently retired as a lieutenant colonel after 23 years in the US army, and who is also a secular humanist, said, “There are a lot of religions that discourage the free exchange of ideas“. Ironically, our right to free speech, here in America, was paid for by Christians who knew our rights come from God…not government. And Christianity encourages a free exchange of ideas. See how far you get with your exchange of ideas in communistic countries. Or Islamic countries. Or other places in the world where the one, true, living, loving God of Creation is shoved out.

They say they’re all for a “spirit of open-mindedness”…yet Chris Clements of Lincoln Atheists told the Guardian. “Our message is that it’s a secular government and religion has to stay separate from that.” Did you get that? When you say something “has to stay separate”, how open-minded is that? He also said, “And it’s meant to communicate that atheists are not bad people ““ we can be good without God.”

I agree that atheists CAN be good without God. However, when they are, it’s totally by random chance because without God’s standard, how can they ever truly know when they’re being good? If everything is good, then nothing is good. If everything is right, then nothing is. But hey…that’s just my opinion. Can you accept it in a spirit of open-mindedness? Or would you rather I just “stay separate”?

Stay tuned,

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Hope is a good thing to have…especially when it’s so scarce.

When you realize how numbered your days are…when you understand how many bad people are around…when you wonder how you’ll make it through another day, hope is a good thing to fall back on. Do you have it…hope? Or have you hoped before and things didn’t come through? Or do you question whether there’s any hope left in the world? Or for the world? Well, consider this…

Hope Is A Good Thing

Faith. Do you have faith? In God? The reason I ask is because without faith in God you don’t really have any hope. Or at least any hope you have is like a vapor. But faith in God has substance. In fact, that kind of faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” What things can be hoped for when you put your faith in God? How about these: everlasting love, everlasting life, paradise where no evil person will ever threaten you again. Any of those things sound good?

I hear grown men talking about silly things like the weather being our greatest threat, or how people are “just basically good”, or how we’ve got to “address this problem of crime”. Statements and positions like those show me why God says “wisdom is the principal thing“. All the college training or trade schools or online degrees in the world won’t give you wisdom and understanding. And without those, you’re nothing more than a clanging cymbal that eventually becomes a vapor in the wind.

Latch onto wisdom. You can find it all through the Bible. And it will help you understand why people do the things they do…and then why God has to do the things He does. And as your understanding grows, and you apply it to your daily obstacles, you’ll discover a hope inside you that many others never find. A hope that knows perfection is coming. That kind of hope produces faith. And together they produce love.

And that’s why I say hope is a good thing to have, and I mean when your hope is in your Creator. Do you have it yet?

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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In this episode, Tony talks about dark days, indecision, pot, how the wind blows and a baby grows, and even colorblindness. And yet…it’s all positive and upbeat. Seriously.

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

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Christmas stress is a matter of focus and trust.

As I write this Christmas 2015 is 2 weeks from tomorrow. I’ve already been asked that question I’ve heard every year since I became an adult: “Are you ready for Christmas?” My pat answer is: “I’m always ready for Christmas.” And it’s true. That’s because every single day is like Christmas to me. Every single day is a gift. That’s why they call it “the present”. (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun) Seriously, I believe Christmas stress…that undue feeling of dread that you’ll forget to buy somebody a gift, or send out the cards, or the meal won’t come together…is a matter of where you place your focus and trust. My focus isn’t on gifts, cards, or meals. It’s on relationships…

…my earthly relationships with my wife, my extended family, and my friends. And most of all my relationship with the One who came to earth, born as a child in a manger, to bring the hope of salvation and eternal life to everybody who wants it. That person is Jesus, the Christ. The One Christmas is named for. Focus on Him instead of spending money, and I’m confident your stress will melt away. Trust in His love, and I’m certain you’ll have a whole, new, enlightened and heightened awareness of the meaning of Christmas.

This Christmas season (yes, Christmas…not holiday season), if you simply must stress, make it a good stress. Stress the importance of your family…the love you have for your wife, or husband, or mother, father, sister, brother, or friends.

Make their happiness your top priority.

And keep in mind that their happiness can’t be purchased with a brand new outfit, or toy, or car. Happiness occurs when emotional and spiritual needs are being met. And that can only happen through an act of your will to put others’ needs above your own.

The greatest example of putting others’ needs above self is Jesus. He came to earth to live as a man. And He gave His life, a free gift, so that you and I could live forever with Him in paradise. So, if Christmas stress is building up in you, focus on Him. Remember to give yourself. No greater gift, or love, could you possibly have than to lay down your life for a friend. I hope that helps. Does it?

Stay tuned,

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Do bumps, scratches, and glitches ruin your day?

Did you know it’s up to you what can ruin your day? I know that sounds a little weird when you first read it, but let me explain a little with a description of my day. It started off very early and actually very well. No problems getting up on time. Breakfast was nutritious and delicious. Plenty of hot and cold running water in the shower. Jeep started easily, and I got to my morning meeting ahead of schedule. Got to hear nice things said about me in the meeting. And had some nice one-on-one time afterwards. Drive home was easy breezy. Lunch was tasty. And then it began…

I had some scripts to write for a client, and my word processor locked up. After some repeated attempts it was working again. Then it locked up again…well…it sort of stuttered. So, I re-booted the computer, and it was working again. Then it started stuttering again. Then, I decided to email my client to tell them my files would come tomorrow, but my email service wasn’t sending out. I kept trying to get it to go…and the emails would send, but apparently they went into server limbo. So, my second glitch was in full throttle.

OK…that’s often enough to ruin your day…right?

But, choosing to take the high road I decided not to be fazed. I figured it was time to look into my computer’s software to be sure I was up-to-date on things so the different applications would work correctly. Turns out my operating system needed updating to work more seamlessly with the latest updates I’d done on my…you guessed it…word processor. A couple of other apps had been updated as well. So they’re probably in need of the same operating system update. OK, no problem. I started the process of downloading the operating system update. And, that was 4 hours ago. It’s still updating as I write this. And let me check…hmm…according to the download status bar, it still has an hour and twenty-five minutes to go. Yeesh.

If all that happened to you, would you let it ruin your day. It would be your choice you know. I have to admit, there have been plenty of times in my life when that many glitches, bumps, and thumps would have ruined my day. But lately I’ve been attempting to approach it a different way. Wanna know how? Good, ’cause I’m gonna tell you. I’ve been trying to quiet the irritable Tony and listen to the still, small voice of God. When I do (and I don’t hear an audible voice, by the way), I find that the awful stuff that typically irks me doesn’t take me to a place where I know I shouldn’t go.

So…you may wonder how to listen and hear the still, small voice of God. Here’s the simple solution…

Read.

God wrote a manual for how to handle just about any of the trials and tribulations you might face in your life. Even if you’re not a Christian, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s the bestselling book of all time. Yep…the Bible. And here’s the key takeaway. The Bible isn’t just a bunch of black (and red) words on fancy pages. It’s God’s word to anyone who wants to read it and know Him. And His word is living and true. It’s just as appropriate for you and me, today, as it has been for every generation who has ever read it. And it’s alive!

When you read God’s word, it comes alive in you. And it becomes the still, small voice you can hear when you come up against the harsh realities of life.

So, if you’d rather rule your day instead of letting shortcomings ruin your day, see what you can do to let God rule your day. My experience has been the more I lean on His understanding, the less selfish and self-serving I become. I believe it works for anyone. I know it does. What’s stopping you from giving it a try…starting today?

Stay tuned,

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No-cost, low-cost, and premium ways you can help me spread the Word…

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Indecision: When not deciding IS deciding –

There have been many times in my life when indecision caused me to miss out on opportunities. The good news is…those were situations that only had temporary consequences. I was able to recover and move on. If you’ve lived more than a couple of decades, I’m sure you can relate. But there is one area of your life where indecision won’t be an excuse. And it won’t be some temporary setback you can recover from. I’m talking about your decision for where your soul will reside…forever.

Indecision can have eternal consequences

Eternity is gonna be a long, long time. In fact, the definition of eternity is time without end. You are an eternal being. It’s true. Even if you don’t believe in and/or trust in the living, loving God of the Bible. There’s a place in the Bible where it says God “put eternity in their hearts“. He created each of us to last forever. That may seem counterintuitive when you see how everyone eventually dies. But, of course, your body is not the eternal part of you.

At the heart of you is your soul. Your soul will endure forever. But I suggest you give it the opportunity for more than a mere existence or endurance. Give your soul the spirit of life. And you do that by deciding. You must decide that you want to LIVE forever, not merely exist. When you make the decision to accept the gift of grace that Jesus sacrificed Himself to make available to you, He imparts His eternal spirit into you, and you will then LIVE forever. The alternative is to merely EXIST forever…apart from that spirit of life. And here’s the kicker…

…indecision is the same thing as deciding not to accept that free gift.

It’s like this…when you stand before the throne of God on judgment day, you won’t get to claim an inability to decide. You won’t get to claim you didn’t know. You won’t get to claim ignorance of any kind. Unlike in the lousy justice systems we have here on earth, your excuses won’t stand up in God’s court. But you don’t need to get to that point. You can avoid the harsh judgment. You can avoid an eternal, lonely, solo existence. You can avoid eternal sorrow. But you’ve got to decide. And you’ve got to choose now. After your body wears out and dies, It. Will. Be. Too. Late. Don’t wait.

If you’re standing at a crossroads in your life…if you’re wondering whether this whole Christian ideology is true or just a bunch of rules and regulations a “bunch of men came up with”…if you get a feeling there’s something more to life than just your time here on earth…I urge you to intellectually consider the possibility of eternal life. If you just can’t do it…why? What’s holding you back? There’s nothing more important for you ponder. And your indecision will be your worst enemy.

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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Being Colorblind Can Be A Good Thing

To be colorblind means you have a deficiency of color vision. This problem affects a significant amount of the population. And when you consider some of the potential hazards, it’s not something to be taken lightly. Another form of colorblindness shouldn’t be taken lightly either. And that’s the ability to, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “judge someone by the content of their character…and not by the color of their skin”. Are you colorblind that way? I hope so, and I wish that type of colorblindness affected a more significant amount of the population.

Colorblind - It's not just about color

Sadly, many people who claim to be “non-judgmental”, when it comes to the color of a person’s skin, are some of the first to bring skin color up when a heinous crime has been committed. I’m sure you’ve heard, over and over in the news, how white cops are killing black people. Or how blacks are attacking whites. And so on and so on. The point is…if you’re gonna be non-judgmental when it comes to skin color, why wouldn’t you just report one human being committing a crime against another? Why would you even think to make it a racial issue? If someone murders someone else, I don’t care what the skin colors were (other than to hunt down the perpetrator). I care that a precious life was snuffed out at the hands of a murderer.

As we get closer and closer to Christmas this year (2015) I hope you’ll do your best to look past the skin color of other people. I hope you’ll use wisdom and discernment to convey God’s love toward each of His creations. Wisdom and discernment tells us that genetics determine skin color, eye color, hair color, and a variety of other individual traits. Those potential colors are in every human being’s DNA. You’re not better or worse based on your skin color. You’re like everyone else…in need of a Savior who can give you eternal life. A Savior who is colorblind when it comes to our skin. He looks within. He sees your heart. He knows if you’re letting in His light or living in the dark. Do you know which one you are?

Here are some lyrics to a song I wrote back in 1987. I made a motel room demo recording, and I’ll share that on this week’s podcast.

Colorblind

Look in the mirror tell me what do you see
A person who’s as normal as a person can be
You watch your money right down to the last dime
You know that life’s a struggle but you’re gonna make the climb
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all keep the pace
Instead of having to be judged by the color of our face…
And be colorblind…let’s be colorblind

Well we’re equal when we’re born; so some famous men have said
But there’s still some crazy notions in a lot of people’s heads
They don’t want to face the future while they’re living in the past
We’ve got to learn to live together and we’ve got to make it last
Do you think that God in Heaven would be proud of what he sees
I think He wants us all to stop and get rid of this disease
And be colorblind…let’s be colorblind

inst…

Colorblind; it’s just a state of mind
Why on earth can’t we believe it
Colorblind; a gift we give ourselves
So why on earth can’t we receive it and be colorblind…let’s be colorblind

We share the stars and the world keeps spinning round
We share the sun, and it never lets us down
Why can’t we share with all the peoples of the earth
Because colors don’t determine what another person’s worth
I’d love to see it but perhaps I never will
“˜Cause the devil’s doing damage and it’s hard to keep him still

© 1987 Copyright Tony Funderburk

Stay tuned,

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How the wind blows and how a baby grows:
a common answer

If you’re a scientist, or even a layman with a curiosity for how things work, you should be in awe of the complexity found in a single, living cell. I’m not talking about merely being curious. I’m talking about being awestruck. Literally! If you don’t understand how all the parts of the bacterial flagellum have to be in place in order for a living cell to live and reproduce…then you risk coming up with wild explanations of how the wind blows or a baby grows. You might even postulate theories like it all happened by random chance. I’m not kidding. Real adults have already done this. Why?

It’s easier for most people to follow an evolutionary worldview because it helps them avoid having to answer to a higher authority than “self”. I understand it can be scary to think there might be a God who can “send you to hell” for doing bad things. And I understand how it’s more enticing to believe you’re the ultimate master of your own fate. You’re in charge. You da man! Or woman. But…

…our whole planet, solar system, and universe speak out against you being some happy accident.

If you fall for a silly notion like evolution or natural selection, you’re liable to say irresponsible things like “no threat poses a greater risk to our future generations than climate change”. Yes, it’s irresponsible to scare little kids into thinking we’re all gonna burn up…or drown…or that cities and even states could submerge into the ocean.

It’s big talk from small minds.

That kind of reckless disregard for truth and human emotion is just one of many reasons why you should trust the one true, living, loving God of creation. Here’s what He says about our planet: “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”Those words deliver hope…not despair. They deliver confidence…not doubt. They deliver truth…not self-serving lies.

Yep, the complexity of our planet, solar system, and universe clearly illustrates an even more complex designer. But you don’t have to explore the far reaches of the universe…you can simply use a microscope and look inside a single cell. God wrote an irreducibly complex code into each and every cell of your body. And that’s how a baby grows inside the mother’s womb. It’s how the wind blows across the whole surface of the earth. And God designed it all for you and me just because it pleased Him to do so.

Just how the wind blows and a baby grows
Is a matter of God’s beautiful design…
He wrote the whole code, and, from Him, life flowed.
You can trust the master writer’s storyline.

Stay tuned,

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No-cost, low-cost, and premium ways you can help me spread the Word…

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God is good…but not just any god

You can make anything or anyone a god…your god. But that doesn’t make it or them THE God..the one, true, living, loving God who created all the universe. And when you make something or someone into a god…your god…you’re thumbing your nose in the face of the only God who cares about you. Your actual Creator God is good. Not simply good like you and I think about it. He is only good. And righteous. And loving. And just. His love and eternal life is available to anyone who asks for it in humility. But that word goes against the grain of self-righteous individuals. They believe that they, and they alone, can determine who or what god is. And they twist the truth into a world of foggy, smoky, dark clouds of delusion.

Sometimes the smoke is literal. Here in Colorado pot has been legalized. And despite what anyone says…taking hallucinogenic smoke into your lungs isn’t good for anything. It doesn’t cure anything, and it doesn’t improve anything. Oh sure, you might “feel” like something is better, but there’s no doubt about it…you’re not in the right frame of mind to make a good judgment. Pot is not good for anything. You can certainly disagree, but you’re only hurting yourself…or is that true?

An alarming number of murders and various other crimes have been committed by people under the influence of pot. While on the other hand, an amazing number of lives have been saved while someone was under the influence of the one, true, living, loving God.

Yes. God is good. And He can make good…scratch that…eternally wonderful things happen for you. But if pot is your god…

Nothin’s Gonna Happen To You

Well you’re human and it’s hum-drum
So you find yourself in front of a screen
The remote control slowly takes its toll
Then you’re thumbing through a magazine
Years a go you had to know
You had to stand out brave and true
You said, “Don’t wait for nothin’, or
Nothin’s gonna happen to you”.

You were Ghengis Khan and Napoleon
You were king of cool to all your friends
But the juggernaut fell into the pot
And so this is how the story ends
But I have to know what could change you so
I have to see what cut you through
And don’t tell me “nothin’ “, or
Nothin’s gonna happen to you

Why the empty stare…nothin’ nothin’
Tension in the air…nothin’ nothin’
You just can’t admit…you’re too mortal to conquer it
And nothin’s gonna happen to you

Well, it’s so posh how you whitewash
And the truth starts falling through the crack
So your winter scheme is a broken dream
And the pieces stab you in the back
Time gone by can make you cry
And the tears can freeze inside your heart
But don’t obsess in that icy mess
Blow the danger and the pleasure apart

On the inner side it feels like a ride
And you rollercoast into the sky
But the outer side shows the demon lied
Give him anything to keep you high
Years from now they’ll wonder how
How it ever got to you
And I’ll just say “nothin’…

Nothin’ ever happened to you.

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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Not Just “A” Way…The Only Way

You might be brilliant. You might be indispensable to your business, your company, your friends, and your family. But you are nothing without the spirit of life in you. I know, in a way, that sounds harsh. But the truth isn’t always a kinder, gentler reality. Oftentimes it’s rough around your edges. The only way you can have a life with hope is THE Way…Jesus. (uh-oh, there he goes again with the Jesus stuff) Yep, any hope you have in your life, apart from your Creator, is short-lived and somewhat delusional. But here’s the easy part…

…your Creator loves you and overlooks ALL your imperfections. As long as you’re willing to trust in His perfection. No matter what you struggle with in this life, God wants you to live forever. He sent His son as a loving sacrifice to make sure eternal life could and would be available to anybody who wants it. But it’s not automatic. It requires one condition…your belief.

Be willing to give up your position as god of your own universe. And believe in the one, true, living God who loves you. When you do, He’ll restore the spirit of life in you, and you can live forever. If you can’t do that right this minute, what’s holding you back?

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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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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