Ecclesiastes - discover the rhyme and reason for your life in this old book

It’s not impossible. Although sometimes it can certainly feel that way. And you definitely don’t have to accept it if you don’t want it. So, think it over before you accept or reject your secret mission. Because the fate of the world is in your hands.

But it DOES have some immeasurable consequences for YOU.

So, what do you say, Ethan? Does this sound like a secret mission you’re willing to accept? Keep in mind, the “Secretary” will disavow any knowledge of you if you’re caught. But that’s no big deal compared to when your Creator disavows you. “I never knew you” are words you never wanna hear.

OK, enough with the Mission Impossible references. But one last comment on that subject. I think Tom Cruise, and his team, did an excellent job of serializing the last two installments of those movies. I’m very interested to see “Dead Reckoning: Part 2.” How ’bout you?

Anyway…

None of that truly has anything to do with why or what I’m sharing with you this time. The following four verses, in a rhyme/poem called “Secret Mission” was started sometime last year. And as I spent some time clearing my computer’s desktop this week, I found the first two verses in an unfinished Pages document.

So, I made it my mission, this morning, to finish it. And my motivation for sharing it with you, today, is that I hope it helps motivate you to share God’s love with someone else as soon as you get a chance. If so, here’s your…

In the first ray of light there was a message

There were no dots or dashes or impulses.

Then a voice, filled with thunder, in a whirlwind,

I appeal, with an urgency of purpose,

© 2024 Tony Funderburk

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Nations and empires fall because of it. Governments become tyrannical and then crumble because of it. And families are torn to shreds because of it. And it’s something you can’t detect with your five senses.

And the “IT” I’m talking about is selfishness. The cruel selfishness that leads some people to want to steal, lie, cheat, and even murder other people. The bitter selfishness that fuels harsh words between members of a family. And even the fearful, hopeless selfishness that leads to suicide.

You can’t control everyone, thank God. So, you can’t do anything about those first two kinds of selfishness. And you and I WILL suffer (in fact, we already suffer) from the side effects of what those people do. But you CAN do something about the fearful, hopeless selfishness.

About 10 years ago I share three reasons to be drawn to life. I’ll share them again, here and now.

And it’s the only one you’re ever gonna get. You’re not living in a dream world. When you hear Christians talk about being reborn, they’re talking about your spirit. And your spirit is the only place where true and everlasting life can reside. Have you ever felt a pulling on you from within? It’s a sort of longing to know there’s more to life than what your five senses can tell you. Well, that’s your spirit’s sense of connection to your Creator. He put eternity in your heart. He IS life, and He wants you to be drawn to life. And it’s the kind that lasts forever.

Without it, you can easily become another sad statistic like the countless, nameless others. The living, loving God of the Bible wants you to know that you’re valuable to Him. And He also wants you to know that life in this current space/time continuum won’t last. Torment, torture, and tyrants will be done away with by the Prince of Peace. So, knowing that He’ll do this AND give you eternal life should provide you Hope.

As I’ve mentioned many times, forever is forever. It isn’t the absence of time. That’s an impossible paradigm. It’s time without end. Time will go on and never, ever end. So, it’s important to give some thought and consideration to where you’ll be during that time. My Christian worldview says you can live forever in paradise with the one, true, living, loving God who created you. Sure, you can exist apart from Him (and therefore apart from life) forever somewhere else. Just know, it won’t be paradise. And it won’t be enjoyable. But the choice is yours.

And I mean the Life of God. You can live forever because of it.

In case you’re on the fence about it, here are some lyrics to nudge you along. (hint: subscribe to the The Power of God’s Love Podcast and you can hear the song, too.)

Maybe it’s Your grace.  I don’t know.

Anytime it’s me making it up

I’m drawn to You

Maybe I’ll wake up…maybe soon

Chorus

Jesus, help me, won’t You take me to my heart’s desire?

Chorus…instrumental…repeat chorus to end

© 1998 Tony Funderburk

Maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, then get to know more about me and my worldview. Join the growing body of believers who’ve signed up for the Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. And enjoy my daily flashes of light from the power of God’s love.

Stay tuned…

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I get it. You’ve heard it all before. Right? And if you have to listen to one more person spout off about how “God so loved the world blah, blah, blah, you’ll scream. But here’s the thing.

It’s testable. And it comes through with flying colors every time it’s tested. But that makes it detestable to all those who love to fly their colors on rebellious, satin flags. Yeah, in case you haven’t heard me or someone else say this before, Truth Is Hate To Those Who Hate The Truth.

A guy, named Solomon, wrote “there is nothing new under the sun.”

In a way, that’s true. But it’s important to note how Solomon was a miserable shadow of his former self when he wrote that. And it’s also important to note that, sure, we have the same ingredients to work with as all the generations before us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make a “new” loaf of bread. Or a “new song.”

That’s why I’m always looking for a “new” way to manipulate the 26 letters of the English alphabet and the 12 notes in a chromatic music scale. Because I might manage to manipulate a message (how’s that for some authoritative alliteration?) into something that could change the course of someone’s eternity.

And nothing could be more valuable than that.

So, even though you think you’ve heard it all before, I’ll still keep plugging. Because you could be that someone.

There’s nothing new to say today,

You’ve probably heard it all before

But maybe this will flash a light

Now, even though there’s nothing new

God did the deed you could not do.

In words and songs that I have shared

But will you pay attention to

You’ll see, one day, you had a choice

© 2020

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OK, I’ll admit it. I’m human. And at least a part of me doesn’t like to be told I’m wrong. Sure, I’m the only person in the world who feels this way. Yeah, right. But the truth is…Truth needs to (and will) win out over feelings. Even mine. If and when they disagree with Truth. So, that’s why it’s crucial to be able to take criticism and rebuke. Otherwise, you get up each day and sing the song of fools. And each new verse is the same as the first.  

“Honey, I think Tony just insulted my singing.”

Not the voice. But maybe the content of your character.

No, I’m just kidding. At least for the vast majority of the people who read and listen to my ramblings and writings.

But I’ve heard there are a few of you out there…over the far horizons and beyond the bounding bends…who think you don’t need to listen to someone wise. Or that it’s just a silly idea some old white-haired guys with long beards and wrinkled faces made up a long time ago.

OK, you can think that if you want. But you’re gonna miss out on opportunities beyond your wildest, earthly imagination. Or you might, if you don’t hustle up some humility before it’s too late.

Because, like I’ve said lots of times before, it’s a limited time offer.

One leads to a downward spiraling whirlpool. And the other is caught up in a wonderful whirlwind.

They make the words up as they go along.

Stay tuned,

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Grab yourself a not cool tee

Or how about some music for kids

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Have you ever tried to grab yourself a good handful of wind? Simple. Right? Yeah, hardly. OK, now imagine you’ve literally been given the keys to the kingdom. In fact, you’ve been made the king (or queen) of the kingdom. And you got all the riches and authority that came with it. You start out all bubbly and you tell everybody, “I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me.” But before you get to the end of your life that great feeling turns to, “And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.” Wow, what could turn things around so harshly?

And anytime you’re gonna take a leap…whether it’s out of a plane, or into faith…you need a parachute. At least if you wanna have any chance of survival. The parachute for the plane is like bulky baggage you gotta carry. The parachute for faith is as light as a thought.

But thoughts can weigh heavy on you, too. Figuratively. And the king I described, before, was a real king. Solomon. Former king of Israel. Son of David. You remember David, right? The guy who killed Goliath, the giant Philistine. Anyway…you could say Solomon was given more than just about anybody before or since. And yet he considered most of his life to be all in vain. Talk about sad.

If you’ve never read about Solomon, check him out. You’ll discover an amazing example of how to become a miserable failure. And that’s in spite of being given more wisdom and riches than anybody. I hope you’re holding and not grasping…

I don’t wanna be grasping for the wind

Under Heaven, it’s said, there’s nothing new.

(to be continued)

© 2020

Jump on the The TRUTH, and join a growing band of believers who enjoy my books, daily rhymes, songs, and videos about the power of God’s love.

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Don’t worry. I’m not gonna share an old Bill Cosby jello pudding commercial with you. But I was just doing an internet search for the term, music and arts, and it got me thinking. Yeah, I know…that’s dangerous. But hey, even I think sometimes. Sure my head hurts afterwards. But it’s probably worth it. Anyway…

Easy, Speed Racer. I’m getting to it.

Think about your favorite song. Or your favorite work of art. Get it front and center in your mind. Can you see it? Or hear it? Good. Now focus on some of the details. Listen to the individual instruments of your favorite song. And even the individual notes if you can tunes into it even more.

Notice how the notes take you up and drop you down? And the beat moves your fingers and your feet. Pretty cool, right? Just listening to something can cause movement. Almost irresistible movement.

Now, picture your favorite painting. Or photograph. Or even a sketch. Can you see it? OK, focus in a little more. See the brush strokes. Maybe you can see where the pen or pencil moved along the paper. And maybe you can even see where the ink or paint or lead of the pencil skipped or faded.

And what does the art do to your emotions? There’s no doubt about it. You feel something just by gazing into the picture. Right? Maybe it speaks to an experience in your life you love to remember. Or would like to forget. But whatever the feeling, you like the art because it moves you from inside.

It all had a non-physical beginning. Because no song or painting began as a song or a painting. They started as thoughts. But where do thoughts originate? Evolution certainly doesn’t account for it. If it did, why doesn’t every grain of sand and every molecule of oxygen use logic and reason. And feel emotions?

No other creature on earth has the depth of logic, reason, and emotion as we humans. And that’s because we’re the only ones designed in the image and likeness of the logical, reasonable, living, loving Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Because He loves, we can love. And because the ultimate Creator cares about us so much, we have intangible, creative thoughts. Like music and arts. God wrote those, along with eternity, in our hearts.

So…the proof is in the pudding. (See? That’s why I started out with pudding.) And your favorite song and your favorite painting are two more examples of how life has Rhyme and Reason because God made you.

Stay tuned,

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Do you ever feel like life is a battle? Do you find yourself asking “where is my shield from all this chaos?” Well, believe me…you’re not alone.

You could get yourself a good set of noise-cancelling headphones from one of those high-end electronics manufacturers and tune out the world. But you’d only be shutting out the sounds…not the actual problems. They’re much deeper and more firmly rooted in the human condition.

For thousands of years men and women have written, sung, and lamented about their troubles, their fears, their trepidations in life. The vast majority of the world’s population seeks hope and relief in things and feelings. But a few understand that Jesus is THE Life. And they have hope in the midst of their troubles and fears…because they can say,

Who are these people? Are they privy to some deep, mystical secrets found only after an intense search throughout the caverns of the world? Or do they live high on mountain tops with legs crossed and palms facing outward…in a trance…seeking knowledge found only in the depths of the human mind?

Nope.

These people are the ones who have humbled themselves and recognized the sovereignty of God and His eternal salvation found only in accepting His Son, Jesus, as Savior.

“Wow, Tony…you have such old-fashioned ideas about things. When did you lose your coolness and become such a fuddy-dud?”

Guess what. Everyone’s ideas are old-fashioned. “New age” isn’t new. It’s the original sin. The metaphysical proponents have been here almost as long as all of human existence. There truly is “nothing new under the sun“. But…

…there is something very new under the SON.

All you gotta do is ask, and He will come into your heart. Then you’ll put on the “new man” and live into the “newness of life”. And it will last forever.

What are you waiting for? It’s a limited time offer. It’s more important than what clothes you’ll wear today…or what food you’ll eat…or what car you’ll drive. And it’s your choice. Life or death. As for me…I’m choosing life so I can stand behind my shield and live forever. I’d love to see you there.

Stay tuned…

The post My Shield Is Revealed appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I just heard some statistics about suicide this past week that were very disturbing. Of course, I’m sure the topic is fresh on minds since Robin Williams decided to take his own life. Suicide is more than three times as likely to be the cause of death as murder by gun. It’s almost twenty times as likely to be the cause of death as malnutrition. I could go on and on. But, instead I’d like to give you three short reasons to be drawn to life…not death.

And I mean the Life of God.

I hope you’ll ponder them with an open heart and mind. And I hope you’ll take my words, music, and pictures in the spirit of love they’re given. I wanna live forever in paradise with my Creator. Do you? In case you’re on the fence, here are the words and music to a free song to nudge you along…

Maybe it’s Your grace.  I don’t know.

Anytime it’s me making it up

I’m drawn to You

Maybe I’ll wake up…maybe soon

Chorus

Jesus, help me, won’t You take me to my heart’s desire?

Chorus…instrumental…repeat chorus to end   © 1998 TF

Maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, then get to know more about me and my worldview. Join the growing body of believers who’ve signed up for my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. And enjoy my daily flashes of light from the power of God’s love.

Stay tuned…

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