Tag Archives: true humility

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

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Here’s a short PSA to the world. Looks can be deceiving. And what you see in this world doesn’t last forever. But grace lasts forever. And that’s how humility is a virtue. Because God gives grace to the humble.

But being humble isn’t something to brag about.

Yeah, that sort of cancels out your humility.

It’s OK to be confident. In fact, if you’re a Christian, you should be confident. Because you’ve been saved from a fate worse than death. Literally. If you’re not a Christian, the opposite is true. I didn’t make that up. Here are some key things to remember about God’s perspective. He…

  • Says the “perverse person is an abomination”
  • Keeps a secret counsel with upright people
  • Curses the houses of the wicked
  • Blesses the homes of the just
  • Scorns the scornful

Knowing all that, it would be a wise choice to choose to love God and His ways. It would be a wise choice to humble yourself because, like I mentioned before, God gives grace to the humble. And it would be a wise choice to realize you’re not God and that you need a savior.

And that’s how humility is a virtue.

So be wise when it comes to your eternal fate. When you are, you’ll inherit glory. When you aren’t, you can only leave behind a legacy of shame. Will you humble yourself before God today? Or will you make a foolish decision with negative eternal consequences.

Grace to the humble.
Grace to the wise.
And grace to the ones who
Choose truth over lies.

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It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Daily Devotional

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

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Yeah, your life is your own, and it’s unique. No one else who ever lived, is living now, or will ever live will have the same life as you. But your life is no different from anybody else’s either. Confused? I’ll explain.

The DNA found in every cell of your body is incredibly complex and singularly yours. The chances of it existing by chance are so small (translate that into nonexistent), you’d be more likely to win the powerball AND get struck by lightning on 3 birthdays in a row.

No, random chance and mutations had nothing to do with the making of you. Your living, loving Creator made you. And He made only one of you. And He put a code inside you that makes sure no one else will be you. Now, I said all that because I want you to know that you can know this is true.

And know that your life is your own. That’s mighty darn special.

But having said that, I gotta also say this.

You’re not special, unique, or one-of-a-kind when it comes to how your life plays out.

Because you’ll experience awesome days and disappointing days. You’ll have to go through pain. And you’ll enjoy wonderful pleasures. You will. And so will billions of other people (unless they live under dictators, evil kings, and terrorists, etc.). So did countless other people throughout history. It’s life.

But, just like everybody else in this life, you’ll come to a major fork in the road where you’ll have to choose a direction, an option, and make a judgment call. And your eternal fate will depend on your decision.

Of course, the fork in the road I’m talking about is Jesus.

He designed you. He formed you in your mother’s womb. And He installed that unique code inside you. He knows what makes you tic. And He’s available 24 hours a day. Every day of your life. And He’s as close as your breath. In fact, He’s closer. He’s the Spirit of Life…yours, mine…everybody’s. Without Him nobody would exist. But how do you get to know Him and discover what His advice might be for that fork in your road? His word.

Your Creator’s word says you can plan your way. And it says He will direct your steps. That means He won’t make your decisions for you. And He didn’t plan your life for you. But when you trust Him, He won’t lead you the wrong way. He’ll lead you the direct way. That means you’ll get where you need to be. It’s kind of like the guy who put in the sidewalk that leads up to the front door of your house. He made the clear, easy way for you. But he can’t or won’t force you to walk on the sidewalk.

So, here’s a challenge for you.

Give up trusting in yourself today. Start reading God’s word…more…especially the writings from Paul in the New Testament. And find out how much more important and dependable actual truth is than your own truth. Sure, your life is your own. But if you want it to be the best, it can possibly be, humble yourself so God can lift you up.

Worldliness; don’t let your joy turn into heaviness!
Worldliness; don’t let it rob you of your righteousness!
Humble yourselves and God will lift you up!
Worldliness won’t put sweet water in your cup!

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I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time reading, listening, and watching good stuff based on the power of God’s love instead of looking for it. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Real Christian love isn’t about sugar-coated, ubiquitous forgiveness. And it certainly isn’t about all the so-called “gifts of the Spirit.” No, if you truly want to be more Christ-like (and you should want that), you should focus on what God’s word. His WHOLE word.

Yeah, real Christian love realizes the need to rightly divide the word of Truth.

Because the sugar-coated, ubiquitous forgiveness kind of Christian love cherrypicks Bible verses to make people “feel good” about themselves. It gives an unbelieving world a false sense of security. And there is NO security in this world apart from a relationship with the One who made you.

Here’s something I shared, a few years ago, about real Christian love. And it applies more than ever…

– True Christian love won’t lie to you about your own power. And 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…

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?

So, 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 the ongoing struggles in life are only won in love. Only in love.

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. –

And here’s what I’ll add to what I said back then. Pay close attention to what’s required. Yes, required. Because, in spite of another ubiquitous phrase tossed around (which is also fake Christian love), God’s eternal love is NOT unconditional. There IS a condition. A requirement.

Your humble act of repentance.

But He doesn’t force you to repent. You have the freedom to choose between two choices. 1. To love Him. 2. Or not. And, out of real Christian love for my neighbor, I urge you to choose 1.

And, out of love for my Christian brothers and sisters, I urge you to not spread a false sense of security message.

Humble yourself and God will lift you up.
Worldliness won’t put sweet water in your cup.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I know a man who is the personification of wisdom. And this man has the deepest respect from all his friends. He’s living proof that humility is wise. And I defy you to find anyone who has done more for his (or her) friends…or even enemies.

But what’s that got to do with the whole humility is wise thing. Right?

Unless you understand the value of humility, you can’t understand why it’s the wisest trait to have. And until you’re humble, you’re on a rocky road. With no shock absorbers.

I remember that old Mac Davis song, “Hard To Be Humble” from back in 1980. The lyrics said,

“Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble,
When you’re perfect in every way.
I can’t wait to look in the mirror,
‘Cause I get better lookin’ each day.”

And it’s a funny song. But it’s funny, because you know…or at least you should know…those lyrics don’t apply to anybody. They blend pride and false humility together like fruit in a Vitamix.

But, you might have noticed, if you’ve been paying attention, how pride is a big deal these days. And more often than not, it’s pride for something completely against God, His commandments, and His promises. But in a world that increasingly hates God, it’s no surprise. After all, when you can thumb your nose at God as you publicly display your hatred for Him, you can feel empowered.

But pride and power are like oil and water.

If anyone ever had the right to be prideful, it’s that man I mentioned earlier. But that wasn’t his M.O. And he never used his position or power against his fellow man. So, it’s amazingly sad and despicable how much he was hated. And hated so much that he was condemned for crimes he didn’t commit. And he was sentenced to death. Even after being found innocent.

I’m sure that last short paragraph gave it away who I’m talking about. But it’s Him you and I should compare ourselves to. Because when we do, pride should be the last thing in our heads. Better yet, it should be non-existent. And it should be replaced with humility.

When you can humble yourself and admit that you’re not all that, then you’ve made a wise choice.

A choice that says you wanna live forever in paradise with the One who made you and loves you.

And your wise humility will gain access to the heart of your Creator who offers you eternal life.

That’s why, and how, humility is the wisest trait you can have.

A word to the confounded”
Pour light into your eyes.
If you expect more than neglect,
Get wisdom; yeah get wise.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Let’s talk about music and the devil

Remember the movie, Footloose? And how the so-called “minister” in a small midwestern town banned rock-n-roll and dancing? Everyone was told music and the devil went hand in hand. So, of course music had to be banned. At least some music. Well, what if I told you there’s something to that whole music/devil connection?  

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Music and the devil

It’s important to understand the connection between music and the devil.

But before I go any further, let’s call him by his name. Lucifer. You remember him from. Right? The most beautiful angel. In fact, the Bible says he was “…the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” Wow. Perfect in beauty. Like they say in Texas, it don’t get no better. But the trouble was, Ol’ Luci developed a superiority complex because of it.

Check out that link I just shared. And you can read the rest of the amazing description of Lucifer. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out it was the inspiration for the song, “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”, by the Beatles. Of course, they might be surprised because they were probably high when they wrote it. And they probably forgot they ever came across the words. But anyway.

Getting back to that description of Lucifer, it also talks about his music gear. It says, “The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.” So, it appears he had at least a drum and horns section in the band. But the point is, the future Satan started off with some amazing abilities and qualities. Not the least of which was music.

Hmm…a good looking musician?

Yeah, I’ve always struggled with that same blessing/curse.

But seriously. Think about it. Could you resist thinking too much of yourself, if you were as beautifully blessed as Ol’ Luci? Well, you’d certainly need God’s help to stay humble. So, you’d have a choice to make.

Yeah, that’s right. even the angel who was “perfect in beauty” had a choice to make. But he made an eternally bad choice. Because he chose to think he’s as good as God. And that made him God’s enemy. And you don’t wanna be God’s enemy. Remember, He holds the key to eternal life in His hands.

And that’s why I brought this up today. Ol’ Luci’s story should motivate you to stay level-headed. Especially if you’re a musician. Particularly a musician in the secular world with all its temptations. Or even some other sort of celebrity or person in a prominent position. Actor, actress, news anchor, motivational speaker…even minister of a church. Just remember it like this…

Keep your head level and learn from the devil
About what you shouldn’t oughta do.
Thank your Creator for music now and later
‘Cause He’s the one who gave it to you.

Music stories we can learn from in the Bible…more examples of how life has Rhyme and Reason because God made you.

Stay tuned,

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Humbled And Exalted

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Is there a way to be both humbled and exalted?

With faith, hope, and love for your Creator, you can be both Humbled and exalted.

There sure is. The “humbled” part is something you can do. In fact, true humility should come from you and not be forced upon you.

The “exalted” part will be done by God for those who love Him. Just think…a reward of exalted, eternal life, and we did nothing to earn it except love. Paul wrote to the Philippians and told them Jesus “did not consider it robbery to be equal with God“.

I’ve heard that passage mentioned by “faith teachers” who think it’s a proof text that we can say the same thing about ourselves. Not true. Jesus could say He was equal to God because He was…and is. I don’t know if you’ve checked your superpowers lately, but I know mine don’t include raising myself from the dead. I don’t have any others either. Go figure.

Even though Jesus is God, He didn’t come to earth (the first time) in all his glory. Instead He “made Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men”. Think about that for a second, and put yourself in His place…figuratively speaking. You’re God. Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Universe, and every living thing in it. You design a couple of human beings and give them the power to procreate. Then, you see your creation descend deeper and deeper into selfish depravity…to the point of every imaginable sin. So, you think to yourself, “I’m sorry I ever made these people…I’ll just destroy the whole world”.

But your love for them is stronger, fuller, richer, and deeper than your anger. So, you make a way for them to be redeemed. And you do this by paying the ultimate price. You take on human flesh and become obedient to the flesh even to the “point of death”. You had always lived from eons and eons past, and you could never be killed by anyone. But you divulge yourself of that which makes you invulnerable and give your life for your creations. You couldn’t possibly humble yourself more than that. However; because you’ve just paid the price for the sins of the world…past, present, and future, you will now be exalted to the point of having your name above all other names.

And that, dear reader, is exactly the love of Jesus, allegorically speaking. Jesus was both humbled and exalted infinitely lower and higher than any other person, living or dead, or yet to come. And that’s why at His name, every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. His sacrifice gives me the Christian love to humble myself. And one day I’ll be exalted into Heaven to live with Him forever.

In Christian Love”

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

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