Tag Archives: judge not

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I know you’ve heard this. Because, if you haven’t, where have you been hiding? People say you should judge no book by its cover. And that’s especially when they don’t want you to judge someone for the way they look. Or their “lifestyle choice.”

But “judge no book” isn’t about “a look” or “lifestyle choice.”

Well, sometimes it is. But, for the sake of illustrating a point, in this case that’s not what it’s about.

I personally don’t care what shade your skin is. You and I are members of the one, single human race. That whole idea of different “races” because of different skin colors was/is a product of hate-filled minds. Because anyone who understands the value of love, described in a letter from about 2000 years ago, doesn’t judge someone according to skin color.

And that’s not “racist.” It’s rebellious.

Your Creator says there are basically two commands He expects you to obey. Love Him. And love your neighbor as yourself. Those commands don’t include colors. And they are directed at one gender or the other. They’re not only required of old people. Or young. And they certainly aren’t expected of some so-called “chosen” people.

Nope. Those commands are for every human being. And if you can’t obey, then you can’t judge. Because you don’t know:

The One True Way To Peace

Judge me; I need to be judged
Correct me;  whenever I’m wrong
Save me from thinking my thoughts
I’ve lived in them way too long

Show me what I need to see
Tell me what I have to hear
Give me a voice of wisdom
Thank You for taking my fear

And I have to trust that my God is just
And I feel my boldness increase
I’m a dissident, and I’m an instrument
For the one true Way to peace

Search me for the deeper things
Fill me from Your living well
Free me from the ways of man
Take me off the path to Hell

Listen to my fervent prayer
Bless me so that I can bless
Change me with Your mighty Word
Spare me with Your tenderness

Chorus

Make me to always understand
I’m only mighty in Your mighty Hand

inst…Chorus to end

© 1998

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

There it was again today. Another case of a Christian guy saying, “Don’t judge.” And he’s a nice guy. We’re connected on a social media channel. We’ve never met in person. But if we knew each other better, I’d be sure to tell him to stop saying that. Because it’s hypocritical talk.

Yep. Telling people not to judge is hypocritical talk.

Because you DO judge. In some way or another you judge every day. Unless you’re brain dead or just an imbecile, you judge. And I’m not talking about the pie contest kind of judging either.

You judge others because you need to judge others. Otherwise how would you know if you could help them? Or if you should? For example, how would you know whether or not to assist someone who walks up to you and asks for money?

And that’s just the small stuff.

Every election cycle highlights tens of millions of people judging others. And every day millions and millions of people decide whether one store is better than another. Or whether one doctor listens better. And just because those judgments don’t fall into a category you might believe is a “don’t judge” category doesn’t mean they’re not judgmental moments.

You almost can’t keep from judging. Neither can I. But we can (and should) learn to judge rightly.

When someone says or posts something on social media that condemns someone for doing something, your first response should never be, “Don’t judge.”

Because you gotta judge. So you need practice.

You should want to get as much good practice at judging as possible. But not that hypocritical talk like the people who hate God do. I mean righteous judgment. Ask God for wisdom. And ask Him to help you get good at it. Because, if you’re a Christian, He’s gonna put you to work as a judge one day.

And if you don’t believe me, you don’t believe the Bible. Simple as that.

Yeah, if you think you’re not supposed to judge, let me (yet again) recommend you get busy reading what Paul wrote. Because he seemed pretty set on the idea in his letter to the Corinthians. Of course, he might have gotten it all wrong.

But who am I to judge?

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Hard work and dedication

It’s not the same thing to everyone. For example, farmers need a lot of physically demanding hard work and dedication to grow food. And there are guys who somehow manage to wrestle steel, glass, and concrete into skyscrapers. But it’s not just the guys. There are plenty of women doing amazing work every day. And let’s not forget the nose-to-the-grindstone musicians. (*sound effect: needle scratching across a vinyl record)  

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Hard work and dedication and a silly altercation

“Did he just include musicians in the hard work and dedication group?”

I know it sounds like crazy talk. But musicians who truly want to make a living with their gift and skills, work hard. Maybe not the same physically demanding type of work as other jobs and professions. But it takes a lot of work and sacrifice to be able to sing well and compose and produce music. Stop shaking your head. It does. I know. Because I put in way more than the 10,000 hours they talk about in motivation seminars.

But before you dump musicians into one box, let me share a little bit about the other work I’ve done.

At the tender age of 12 I took on two paper routes in Pasadena, Texas. And I delivered the Houston Chronicle…which was not a small paper. Each day, after school, my papers were delivered to my Dad’s house. And I’d roll ’em up, put ’em in the rack on the back of my bike, and deliver ’em before supper. Plus, the giant Sunday paper had to go out early each Sunday morning.

When I was 13, I was hired to tend to a family’s farm and livestock while they went on vacation for a month. That same summer I learned to drive a tractor equipped with a hay rake. All day long for days. In the hot Kansas summer sun. With no shade, except for the trees at the edge of the field when it was lunch time.

At 14 I started hauling hay for 12 to 18 hours a day…again, in that hot Kansas summer sun. Bucking bales onto the back of a flatbed truck. And then taking them to barns to be stacked inside. Two cents a bale. After two or three summers of that, I spent one more summer laying sod. Sweaty, dirty work.

And in high school I had after-school jobs that included sacking and stocking groceries, baling recyclables at Sears, and even helping fellow students with their homework.

After graduation, I worked at a lumber yard for a couple of years. Loading lumber, driving the lumber trucks and forklift, and carrying large loads of sheetrock, by hand, into new construction homes. But it certainly helped pump me up. Because I was able to even carry a 94 pound bag of cement on each shoulder from the trucks to the site.

“Yeah right, Tony. And what’s this got to do with musicians?”

Wait. I’m gettin’ to that. After almost 5 years in Kansas I returned to Houston because my Dad was diagnosed with “terminal kidney failure.” And I wanted to spend time with him. He lived another 9 years after the diagnosis, so I got to know him better. When I first got there, I got a job as a trim carpenter. It was learn-as-you-go. And I gotta tell you. Hand nailing base, casing, shelving, crown moulding, and more…in the heat and humidity Houston can throw at you…ain’t no picnic.

Each night, after work, my brother and I would work on learning and playing some popular songs. And eventually we started doing auditions around the city. So, carpentry by day. And music auditions in the evenings. We even entered talent shows and gong shows. For some reason those were popular back then.

And we were great. So great, in fact, that in one competition we lost out to a guy who could balance a lawnmower on his chin. And in another show, we lost out to a less-than-manly guy who disco danced on roller skates.

Finally, after tons of auditions, we landed a “sweet gig” in a very popular night spot on the West side of Houston. We were the happy hour duo. So, we got to play steadily for five nights a week. Every week. For a whole year. And from that nice venue, we were able to have other venue owners come see us instead of doing all those auditions. That got us some nice ongoing circuits. And were off to the races after that.

Because of all our hard work and dedication we were able to play music around a lot of America. And then I had some awesome traveling years as a solo performer, too.

And I remember, more than once actually, a guy…typically a drunk guy…telling me (in those colorful ways drunks tell you) that I had it made.

“You don’t know what REAL work is, dude!”

Then I’d get the story of his personal hell. Followed by, “Yeah, must be nice. Work 4 hours a night. Sleep all day. Hang out by the pool.  Get all the girls you want. Yeah, you musicians wouldn’t know real work if it bit you in the…”

Or some rant like that.

Well, of course that’s the way it is. Because songs just magically fall into our brains. And we get hired right away since we already know every song that’s worth knowing. No rehearsals, scales, or vocal training required.

You know. Now, that I think about it…I almost feel guilty for having such an easy life.

Almost…

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Who knows the secrets of men?

Almost every day I see a video or movie, or read an article, or hear someone in person say something like, “I’m not judging you.” Or “Don’t judge me.” And of course, the ever popular, “You’re so judgmental.” The irony is, 99.99% of the people saying those things are judging somebody at the very moment they say the words. Most of the time, they’re basing their judgments on what a guy named Paul called the secrets of men. In other words, most people make judgments on things they can’t even see. And then they claim to be non-judgmental. There’s a word for that…

Secrets of men in a world of sin

Hypocrisy.

If you’re a fan of language, not just talking to hear yourself talk, then that word, hypocrisy, might have a seriously harsh tone to it. And rightfully so. It’s not a complimentary word. You don’t use it to praise someone. Quite the opposite. Hypocrisy is the perfect word to describe people who judge the “secrets of men” while they carry those same secrets around.

And just in case you think I’m being harsh and judgmental right now, I’ll let you in on something about me. I’ve played the hypocrite, too. But don’t get on your high horse because so have you. Yes, YOU.

Just about every person on the planet, at least those who’ve been able to grow into adults, has played the hypocrite at one time or another. And that’s why the apostle Paul, in the New Testament, wrote such a straightforward letter to the Romans of his day. In the second chapter of that letter (scribes divided it into chapters…not Paul) he talked about God’s righteous judgment. That’s because…

Only God truly knows the secrets of men.

So, only God can judge your heart. We humans have to judge according to what we see and hear. But the first five words of that previous sentence are vital to understand. “We Humans Have To Judge”

The only way you can get through life without judging others is if you have no contact with others. None. Every day you have to make judgment calls, if you’re gonna be around or deal with other human beings. Judgments like:

  • Should he be telling another one of “those jokes”?
  • Is she right to talk about her co-worker behind her back like that?
  • I saw him take that money. Should I tell on him?
  • Is it OK for a married person to do that?
  • That politician is lying. Is it important for others to know that?

 

Here’s the main point I want to make. When it comes to being judgmental, don’t be a jerk about it. Be wise. And in order to be wise, read God’s word. It’s the only way you’ll ever be able to judge rightly. You can leave the secrets of men to God and trust His righteous judgment. But, if you’re a member of the Body of Christ, you should be doing the work of judging while you’re here on planet Earth. And you should be willing to be judged. At least by others who are wise and trusting…

The One True Way To Peace

Judge me, I need to be judged.
Correct me, whenever I’m wrong.
Save me from thinking my thoughts.
I’ve been in them way too long.

(hear the rest of the words in the Podcast version)

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Is there a chance you might not be a Christian?

Yes. That’s the short answer. What I’m about to share with you might make some people feel uncomfortable. Truth, so often, has that effect. But truth needs to be shared even though it’s getting more and more difficult for many people to hear it. In fact, I might have already offended you, and I’ve hardly even begun to illustrate how you might not be a Christian. However, I hope you’ll stick with me and check my statements with what the Bible says about it. And I promise to make this quick and easy…maybe not painless, but easy.

I’ll list five fairly common misconceptions that many Christians pass around. And I’ll share Biblical evidence to refute those ideas. Here goes…

1. Judge not –

This is one of the biggest signs you might not be a Christian. If you call yourself a Christian and you say Christians aren’t supposed to judge, I wonder if you’ve actually read the entire passage in Matthew 7. What that passage is actually teaching is that you ARE supposed to judge. It’s telling you not to judge IF you don’t want to be judged yourself. In other words (found in the same passage) don’t judge like a hypocrite.

2. It’s all part of God’s plan –

The world is full of chaos, confusion, and evil. None of that is part of God’s plan. Yes, He has a plan. But…hold onto your seats…it’s not the same plan He started with when He created the world. God tells us not to do evil so that good may come of it. He also tells us He is not the author of confusion. He even tells us things happen by chance…and that’s written in RED. God is not like a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do father. He wants us to follow Him and His ways. And, like any good and loving father, He allows us to mature and make our own decisions. Trouble is…we make bad decisions.

3. God loves everybody the same –

Ooh…this is a tough one, isn’t it? Let me ask you a quick question. Do you think God loves the people in hell the same way and just as much as He loves the people in Heaven? Here’s the thing…God desires that no one would go to hell. But He realizes that in order to give us our choice to love Him or not, most people choose not to love Him. It’s uncanny. It’s surreal. And it’s true. So, God made a place where you can go if you don’t wanna live with Him, in His love, forever.

4. God created evolution –

This one is too complicated to go into at length, but let me say…if you don’t believe in the literal, six day creation account found in Genesis (and confirmed in Exodus), then you might not be a Christian. That’s because it’s the foundation for the whole Bible. If you can’t trust that God could create the whole universe and everything in it in six literal days, then you’re vulnerable to any other lie perpetuated about the rest of God’s word.

5. God made you “that way” –

No. God created you to be either male or female. Not something in between, and not something you can transition from or to. He lets you choose who you’ll be…even though He knows most will choose unwisely. He lets you choose whether you’d prefer to live with Him forever or be apart from Him forever. And if you’re willing to simply accept anyone as they are…unrepentant and rebellious against God and His design, you might not be a Christian. Your worldly wisdom might make you a fool.

OK…I told you it might not be painless. But it was quick and easy. What do you think? Agree? Or disagree?

Here’s a clip of lyrics from my song on this subject called “A Thousand Times No”…

And who are you to judge?
Your eyes can clearly see
That you’re no holier
Than him or her or me.

So should you shut your mouth
And skip the words of Paul?
Did he misunderstand
The Lord’s enduring call?

No, no…a thousand times no.

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