Category Archives: Christian Articles

Tony Funderburk writes and sings about the rhyme and reason for life so believers and searchers can see some of the millions of reasons to trust Jesus.

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Lazy Gluttons

Uh-oh. Mom! Tony just started calling names! He called some people lazy gluttons. Don’t know what a glutton is, but pretty sure it’s not good. Because it comes after lazy. [powerpress_player]

Why in the world am I talking about lazy gluttons?

Because America (and I’m sure the whole world, too) is full of ’em. But why did this even come up? And why am I writing about it today? Well, it’s partly because of a picture I saw on Twitter this morning (which I wish I could unsee). A woman, apparently named, or going by the name of Lizzo, was photographed walking on the beach in a red bikini.

No big deal, right? Wrong. It was a BIG deal. Because she’s BIG. And by big I mean rolls and billows of bigness from top to bottom. In other words, Lizzo is obese.

And you might think anyone who truly cares about her would be doing whatever they could to help her lose weight. But you’d be wrong. In fact, anyone who even remotely suggests she’s fat is ridiculed for saying so. I read comments in different posts about her. And the vast majority of the comments “supported” her choice to be fat. They called her beautiful. And an inspiration.

That’s how far feelings and emotions will knock the sense right out of logic and reason. If you let them.

And most people choose feelings and emotions over logic and reason. Because feelings and emotions can be manipulated to make you feel good about yourself. And even your bad decisions and choices.

But most people rebel against God. So most people can reject His wisdom even to the point of rejecting what’s healthy. And choosing to be lazy gluttons is unhealthy. Can even lead to an early death.

But who cares, right?

As long as you’ve got a fan base and you can “rock that red bikini” in peace.

Who really cares about you?
People who will say
Give it up and live it up,
You look good that way?
No, they don’t care about you
Or where you will end.
They don’t see your poverty,
And they’re not your friend.
But there’s always One who cares
Right down to your soul.
And if you just ask Him for
Help with self-control,
Wisdom will guide your choices.
What you’re looking for
Can be yours, when Jesus cures
You forevermore.

© 2020 Tony Funderburk

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Hmm…there’s nothing new to say today

Imagine a king from a far away land. From a distant time in the past. A king who had more riches than anyone. And literally lacked for nothing. But none of it was enough. And his days blurred together in a tepid tapestry. Just time passing until he felt there was even nothing new to say. It had all been said.

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The king with nothing new to say was the son of a prolific king.

If you’re not a fan of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, you might not have guessed I’m talking about Solomon. And you might not know he was the son of David. Those two were so completely different. David practically wrote a library of words giving glory to God. Solomon was given so much by God. And yet he threw it all away and said “there is nothing new under the sun.”

Solomon even made his personal agony sound so repetitious. And, I think it’s a very interesting twist how the section of his writing I’m talking about even sounds repetitious. It’s Ecclesiastes 1:1-11. Look at all those ones. And yet, Solomon turned his back on The One.

Here’s the simple way I see it. Even if there’s nothing truly new to say, under the sun, there’s still another way of positioning words. Another rack of rhymes. Another nest of notes. Something no one’s done quite that way before. And as long as that’s true, I wanna look for and collect those spiritual seeds. And then reach into my brain and scatter them through the air. Through the sound waves. Till they find fertile fields in other brains.

And wouldn’t it great if I could help even one new seed reach a soul and help it grow into Heaven?!

But…

There’s nothing new to say today,
Not even this.
So, I’ll just go outside and play.
Ignorant bliss.
You’ve probably heard it all before
So many times.
And nothing gives you cause to snore
Like simple rhymes.
But maybe this will flash a light
Inside your brain,
A spark of hope so you just might
Avoid some pain.
Now, even though there’s nothing new
To say today,
I know you’ll find some peace when you
Can see the Way
God did the deed you could not do.
And so I pray
For words to write and songs to sing
My whole life long.
To simply not say anything
Would be so wrong.
But will you pay attention to
These words I share?
Or will you say, “It’s nothing new,
And I don’t care.”
You’ll see, one day, you had a choice
Of where you’d be.
If you choose God, you will rejoice
Eternally.

© 2020 Tony Funderburk

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Don’t give it all you got

Cue up the Rocky theme music. Zoom the camera in on Rocky running through the backstreets of Philadelphia. Build up the music as he runs up those stairs. Feel the excitement as he reaches the top and dances with his fists in the air. Rocky gave it his all and overcame the obstacles. Yay! Scene fades. Point made. You don’t have to look far to find a motivational speaker urging you to do that, too. “Give it all you got.” And it doesn’t take much to find books, movies, songs, and even commercials with that same message. And on a natural level, it makes sense. So, you might be surprised to see me say don’t do it. But before you jump on my case, let me explain.

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If “it” doesn’t compromise you, sure, give it all you got.

And it’s a matter of perspective. Eternal versus temporary. Things in this life are temporary. But YOU aren’t. And if any “thing” compromises your soul, your future will be so dark, night goggles won’t help.

“But what kind of ‘thing’ can compromise your soul?” you ask.

Thanks for asking. And I’ll give you three examples. There are others. But these three are huge. Money. Power. Sex. When you give any one (or all) of those things all you got, you’re asking for trouble like you never thought. Trouble that can go on forever. And ever.

Now, I’m not saying money, power, or sex are evil or will definitely destroy you. Kept in check, they’re not. But I AM saying when you focus your attention on any one (or all) of them, they can become your master. And you’re human. Subject to the temptations all humans experience. So, you WILL face the problems. And you’ll probably compromise on some level at some time in your life. Because you can’t withstand the world on your own.

There’s only one Way to overcome those soul-threatening compromises.

Thankfully the Way is so easy even a young kid can do it. But it requires something most people in the world won’t even consider. Humility. When you decide you’re too cool for school, and you deserve everything your heart desires, you’re skating on thin ice. And the freezing cold water of hell is eagerly waiting for that ice to crack.

Wow, this all sounds so much different than the lyrical, melodic things I’ve been sharing lately. Right? So, I’ll leave you with this lyrical version of what I’m talking about…

Don’t give any thing all you’ve got.
Look for wisdom no matter what.
Every thing can take you away
From what matters most day to day.
Please remember you will go on
Even after your body’s gone.
Where you go will depend on you.
Here’s what I suggest that you do:
Don’t let any thing steal your soul.
Ask for God to help you control
Your desires for things and not Him.
He can fill your heart to the brim.

© 2020 Tony Funderburk

Think all the good things that prove life has Rhyme and Reason because God made you.

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How come the whole world knows his name?

About 2000 years ago, a baby was born. Well, a lot of babies were born. But only one of them was THE baby. No one, these days, would even know who he was, if he was just another baby. And yet, the whole world knows his name. At least in one form or another. Matter of fact, even our calendar pays respects to his life. So, what in the world did he do that made him so famous?

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The whole world knows his name

The whole world knows his name and most still hate or ignore him.

Before I reveal who it is, I’ll tell you he was the most original and creative inventor who ever lived. Or ever will live.

“Oh yeah,” you say. “What did he invent?”

Well, look in the mirror. Or take a selfie and look at that. Yeah, that’s right. He invented you. And you might be amazed at how many people respond to that claim by saying his name. Of course, it’s just a vain exclamation. And they don’t realize the depth of importance when they say it. But say it they often do.

“Oh, Jesus Christ.”

Yeah. That’s Him. The greatest, most original, incredible, and loving inventor who ever lived. Because He spoke and breathed His creations into existence. Try doing that with your brilliant ideas. Bet you can’t do it. The most you and I can do is manifest our ideas into existence using materials that already exist. And that’s awesome. A beautiful thing to witness. But it’s not even worthy to be compared to speaking and breathing material objects into existence.

And most of the world hates Him because they’re not Him.

I hope you’re not like most of the world. But since I don’t know who might be reading this (or listening to the podcast of it) I’ll give you benefit of my doubt. And that benefit is to point you to Him. And to let you know that whether you believe and trust in Him or not, you WILL see Him one day. Because your body isn’t eternal. (not even if you spend hours at the gym every week) And if you want to get a new body and live forever in a place that beats anything this old planet has, you’ve got a serious decision to make.

But don’t take my word for it. What do I know? I’m just a boomer with an axe to grind. Right? Or…maybe I care about your soul even more than you do. And I know life has Rhyme and Reason because God made you.

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Are you a mess in times of stress?

In times of stress do you stop and think about whether God might be mad at you? No? Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. Because I’m sure you’re like almost everybody else. Even Christians don’t tend to think about God’s anger…even during prayer. Or maybe especially during prayer. But a guy named David thought about it. And he wrote a song about it.

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In times of stress

If you ARE a mess in times of stress, then maybe you’re depending on yourself too much.

And you might discover you don’t have all the answers. Then, you might find out nobody else does either. And then you suddenly find yourself stressed out even more. But, like I said, a guy named David dealt with stress another way. He didn’t trust in himself for all the answers. And he was a KING. Not a make-believe king. A real king. With a lot of enemies. Now that’s stressful.

King David would pray to God. And a lot of those prayers became songs. A lot of those songs can be found in the Bible. For some reason, probably a printer’s error, they misspelled the word “songs.” Didn’t even get close. I’m not kidding. Go look it up. It’s a whole section in the Old Testament. And right at the very beginning of that section, in bold font, there it is: Psalms. I mean, come on! It even starts with a P and has an M instead of an N. But, when you overlook that little faux pas, and dive into the songs, wow! Some incredible examples of a man trusting God for answers to prayers!

Like in Psalm 6, where David is stressed to the max. In fact he feels like he’s drowning. He said it like this, “I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.”

Can you imagine?

Groaning. And drenching your couch with tears. Sweating so much at night you make your “bed swim.” And even losing your eyesight because you have so many enemies. I’ve been stressed in my life. But I can’t truly say I’ve ever experienced that level of anxiety.

And what did David first ask for in his prayer, his song, to God? Please take it all away, Lord? No. Destroy my enemies? No, nothing like those requests. First David focused on his own shortcomings. And he hoped God wouldn’t rebuke him in anger or displeasure. In Psalm 6 you see an earthly King humbling himself. Asking for mercy and healing that reached down to his bones. Because his troubles were dug in deep.

As I read that Psalm, I try to hear it in my head as a song. And when I do, I can detect a mood change in the music, right before the end. That’s where David’s faith in God breaks free. He doesn’t finish his prayer with pleading and despair. He recognizes how “The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer.” David even tells his enemies to depart. And he knows they’ll soon be ashamed and troubled.

So, he goes from BEING troubled to transferring his troubles onto his enemies. Not on his own power. But by the faith he has in God’s ability and willingness to answer the fervent prayers of those who love Him.

Psalm 6 is another one of the many reasons I say “Life has Rhyme and Reason because God made you.”

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Even in this troubled world the Lord sustains me

I know I’m not alone when it comes to having troubles in this world. In fact, no one on Earth escapes trouble. And there are billions of people who are far worse off than me. Most of them don’t even realize just how much worse off. So, I have a distinct advantage over them. Because I know the Lord sustains me through this life into the next.

The Lord sustains me in a way anyone can see.

The Lord sustains me just like He sustains kings.

One king, in particular, King David wrote a song (aka Psalm) about how God sustained him. He said, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” And just in case you think you’ve got massive troubles, King David’s own son was trying to kill him. I know that’s might be a growing possibility here in America…and the world…but David had to also deal with an army coming after him.

And so, as he faced some serious life challenges, David cried out to God. He knew where his Shield was. Where true Glory lives. And just by using his voice, David’s confidence grew. He was completely sure God heard him from His “holy hill.”

I’m confident the Lord sustains me, too. I believe it’s plain for anyone to see. I’m still here. And I’m still able to think up new ways to write about my Creator. I haven’t lived a life worthy of God’s grace. No one has. In spite of that, He’s seen fit to give me time and tools to write and sing about Him. He doesn’t force me to use those tools and my time to write about Him. And that’s one of the many reasons I hope to continue for a long time to come.

I know, since the Lord sustains me, He’ll sustain you, too. Why not go ahead and take Him up on His offer of eternal life. What have you got to lose? Besides your soul forever…

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“Community is everything”
The message is everywhere

I just listened to another podcast, from a guy I respect, where a big part of the message was “community is everything.”And while I certainly get what he’s talking about…and it makes sense…I also know something he might not have considered.

Community is everything and might end up being nothing

A big community is everything until it’s not.

Building a huge community, these days, isn’t as difficult as it was in the days before digital technology and social media. And as long as you provide relevant information (or entertainment) to an interested audience, the possibilities are virtually unlimited. But mass appeal requires a key component I’m not willing to plug into my Rhyme and Reason Empire…

Compromise.

My Dad used to illustrate a compromise between good and bad with his two hands. One hand he held up near his eyes. And he held the other hand near his waist. Then he’d say, “This hand, up here, is good. And this hand, down here, is bad. Now, let’s say they have to compromise. So, what does the good hand have to do in order for the bad hand to be raised up a little in compromise? That’s right. The good hand has to be lowered a little.”

And with that simple illustration, even as a boy, I realized you should never compromise what’s true and right.

God never compromises on what’s true and right.

And He knows it won’t build the biggest community. In fact, He says the biggest community will have nothing to do with Him. What?! Can that be right? I mean…He’s God. If anyone could build humanity’s biggest community, it would be Him…right?

Nope.

Most of the people who believe building the biggest community is everything will ultimately find themselves in the biggest community. And membership is forever. No cancellations. No exits.

So, I understand how and why some well-meaning people believe it’s crucial to build as big a community as possible. And on an extremely temporary level that’s true. But, for Christians who know Job One is rightly dividing the Word of Truth and sharing it with the world, it requires too much compromise.

I’ve certainly been guilty of compromising God’s message with sugar-coated and disguised lyrics in some of my songs. But as I’ve gotten much closer to the end of my time here on Earth, I’ve realized the futility of that strategy. It’s not much of a strategy when you don’t highlight the most powerful community building tool there is. God’s Word.

Helping as many people as possible get into God’s eternal community is everything worth anything. I hope and pray I’m an effective voice for that purpose.

And, as always, remember: Life has Rhyme and Reason because God made you.

Stay tuned,

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