Hebrews - discover the rhyme and reason for your life in this old letter.

Doubt and unbelief put you in a constant state of stress and worry.

I mean, I know you have flaws. Because everybody does. But flaws don’t define you. Unless you let them cause doubt and unbelief to grind into your mind and affect your daily life.

There’s a very reliable way to positively affect your decisions so you can effectively pursue your dreams. But it’s so simple that most people’s doubt and unbelief makes them run the other way. Are you ready for this? Stop putting all your faith in YOU. And put it in the One who made you.

I want you to know it’s not an unforgivable sin to have anxiety and worry in your life. But I think it’s important to know that God says “be anxious for nothing” and “do not worry.” Those are imperatives. Not wishy-washy suggestions. So, He must know they’re do-able.

Doubt is often referred to as fear, or a lack of courage, or unbelief. And whatever way it’s presented, the solution is always presented as faith. God wants you to have courage. He wants you to be powerful and loving. And He gives you the tool to get the job done. His word. His word is also called “the sword of the Spirit.” It’s not a visible sword made of brass, iron, or steel. It’s invisible. But it’s sharp enough to be used for the “division of soul and spirit.”

Here’s the thing.

I just want you to know that if you’re filled with doubt and unbelief instead of faith, you’re doing something wrong. Not evil, but wrong. You’re trusting in yourself. And leaning on your own limited understanding. And you’re not trusting in the Lord with all your heart.

There ARE successful people, in this life, who don’t trust in the Lord. But most of them will discover how their profits might’ve helped them gain the whole world. But the cost will be that they lose their soul?

Yeah, here’s an awful thing to think about.

Most millionaires and billionaires go to hell.

That’s not to pick on wealthy people. Because most poor people are going to hell, too. The point is…most PEOPLE are not going to Heaven. For one stupid reason. They choose not to go. If you have any doubt about where you’ll go if you die today, here’s what I suggest. Find a way to crush your unbelief and put your faith in Jesus. Without Him, the most you’ll ever be able to do is make a series of…

I seem to make so many false moves.

False moves, like shadows, fall behind.

I always seem to see the empty spots

I sit and dream of traveling so far,

Since I referenced Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, I’m gonna share a link to my own lyrical perspective on that book of the Bible. It’s called “Rhyme and Reason in Ephesians.” Get your copy today:

https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/retail

Stay tuned,

The post Doubt and unbelief will give you no relief appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I remember a line from a movie, but I don’t remember which movie, that applies to current events. And if you remember which movie this came from, let me know, and I’ll be sure to share that update and give you credit for it. But anyway…in the movie, which was set back in the pioneer days, the main characters had just gone through enormous challenges. And endured terrible losses. So, as they’re standing there, in the last scene, looking out at the horizon, one of them asks, “What do we do now?” And another one answers, “We carry on.”  

Just because life throws metaphorical boulders on your head doesn’t mean you have to lie down and give up. Because you’ve got something those boulders can’t crush.

You’ve got hope.

And that comes from your faith. Because your faith tells you that you’ll reach the mountain top because there actually IS a mountain top to be reached. And faith gives you hope that on that mountain top you’ll be with the Creator of the universe.

What’s that you say?

You don’t have that faith and hope?

Then, I encourage you to fill yourself with something even stronger than both of those. Love. Because without love, no matter what else you believe you have…you have nothing. But with love, you can fortify your faith and highlight your hope. And you can…

Someday”is comin’ at me like a meteor.

I hunger, and I thirst for what the future holds.

So I carry the dream in my pocket.

(repeat)

Knowledge is the key to understanding.

(chorus)

Well, it all goes so fast

(Chorus to end)

© 1996 Tony Funderburk

Stay tuned,

Get my Rhyme & Reason Podcast delivered (free) right to your player.

My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself a not cool tee

Or how about some music for kids

The post Carry on and on because hope isn’t gone appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

You’ve heard that old expression, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, right? Well, how about one planet’s debris is another planet’s beautiful scenery? That’s exactly what happens when we earthlings gaze at the rings of Saturn through our telescopes. You might say those rings are some delightful dust bunnies. But then you might be embarrassed when people laugh at you for saying that…so maybe you better not. Anyway…

Well, those rings actually prove Saturn is a young planet, not an old one like evolutionary scientists would have you believe. They’ve been saying, for years, those planetary rings around Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune are leftovers. Dust rings left over after those planets evolved from swirling gases and dust.

Silly scientists.

Here’s how the rings of Saturn and those other planets actually got there. “They form when a planet’s gravity captures material from a passing asteroid or material expelled from a nearby moon””by a volcano, a geyser, tidal effects, or the impact of a comet or meteorite.” (from Dr. Walt Brown’s book, In The Beginning)

By the way, that debris is called “ring rain”, and it can be seen falling to the planet’s surface “at a rapid rate” which proves the rings are young. In other words, the ring rain couldn’t have been falling at that rate for millions of years, or it would be long gone.

For those of us who love Jesus and trust Him to be the Creator of Heaven, Earth, and you and me, this is more good news. It helps prove the reliability of the Bible. It’s more evidence of things not seen.

The stars in the heavens

Stay tuned,

Discover my ebooks on Amazon.com or Smashwords

The post Rings of Saturn are debris – more good news for you and me appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Imagine you’re sixteen. You’re just beginning to look like the adult you’re becoming. You have your whole life ahead of you. Now, imagine you’ve just been told that your whole life might be only another year. Maybe less. Lots of young people would immediately use it as an excuse to wallow in self-pity. But Jeremiah Thomas kept smiling. He knew there’s a God. A Savior. For anyone who chooses to trust and believe. And when Jeremiah reached the end of the road this week…in his battle with cancer…he went to be face to face with his Savior.

The Bible says “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” And no matter who you are…man, woman…young, old…rich, poor…Christian, atheist…you will “fall into the hands of the living God” when you die. Am I making it sound scary, yet?

There’s a way to avoid the “fearful” part. Believe. And trust. Not just anyone or anything. And certainly not the universe or some other non-living entity. Trust Jesus. Don’t just do it because I say so. Test my assertions. Open the Bible and actually read and study it. Not to simply attempt to discredit it, but to honestly see what it says. Jeremiah Thomas was raised on the Truth in the Bible. So when he came to end of the road a couple of days ago, he fell into the hands of the living God. But he was received with the eternal love only Jesus can give.

Is your end of the road far off or close?

Most people don’t know the answer to that question. If you’re one of them, ask yourself this: “If I die today or tomorrow, what’s gonna happen to me?” And if you don’t know the answer…it’s a fearful thing.

Be sure to jump on the one-of-a-kind The TRUTH today and get my latest words, music, and voice delivered to your inbox instead of having to come looking for them all the time.

And share with your friends, family, and other business owners. Don’t keep this good stuff all to yourself.

Stay tuned,

The post End of the road where you lay down your load appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

You may be asking what you can do for God. I hope that’s the question anyway…and not a question of why. The answer is simple, really. Consider what you’re good at. Then figure out how to use that in a way to spread the message of God’s love in your circle of influence. It doesn’t matter if you’re a singer, writer, illustrator, photographer, plumber, electrician, butcher, baker, or candlestick maker. The point is to use your gifts and do something. And like the old saying goes, “don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today”.

When you put your trust in the Lord, He’ll never leave you nor forsake you. That means He’ll help you do what you do best. You don’t have to know how everything is going to work out. But you do have to know that eventually it will. That’s called faith. And faith is the evidence of things hoped for but not seen. So, stand on your faith and do something for God today. Here are lyrics to a song about it. If you’d like to hear the song, you’ll need to Get my Podcast.  

Lightning, thunder…got this feeling that’s pulling me under

I gotta do something

Longing, yearning…got this fire that won’t stop burning

chorus

inst…chorus to end

© 1988 Tony Funderburk

Stay tuned,

No-cost, low-cost, and premium ways you can show your support…

Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional

Get my Rhyme & Reason Podcast delivered right to your device. (also Fa-Ree)

Get digital Bible stuff from the same company I do.

My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself an un-cool T-shirt

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

The post Do Something for God Today – it won’t be for nothing appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

When you can see the light of God’s love shining on you, there ain’t no dark. And there ain’t no black hole in your heart…ever again. But it requires some faith on your part. However…it’s not like the blind faith required to believe in evolution or some other silly notion of our origin. Faith in God is substantive. There is more evidence proving His existence than there is to prove yours.

When I see pessimism, anger, selfishness, public lying, government thievery, and so many other of this world’s troubles, I know what’s missing.

God.

If you believe what’s “right for you” or what’s in your heart is (or should be) the ruling force for your life, you’re going to experience darkness on an epic scale. It may not come today or tomorrow, but it’s coming.

I can’t imagine a life without the Creator of Life. I hate to think about what a dismal battle I’d have with my own consciousness, if I thought I only had a dark nothingness to look forward to at the end of this life. But maybe that’s just me. Maybe I’m just one of those dorky people who wants there to be eternal hope. So maybe I’m just fooling myself into believing there’s a living, loving Creator God.

Maybe.

But maybe the overwhelming evidence I’ve found is true. Maybe my faith isn’t misplaced. Maybe this living, loving God I’m always writing and singing about really exists. And maybe He’s made a beautiful way for me to live forever. Maybe I really do see the Light of Truth because it’s real.

If that’s true…and I’m staking my eternal destiny on it…then I can only die once and where I’m going is paradise because…

Pessimistic inclinations; oh statistical emotions

There ain’t no dark when you can see the light

Artificial illumination; oh perpetual solutions,

Chorus

No matter what they do or say

© 1993 Tony Funderburk

Here’s the recorded version of this song. I recorded it in a small room with poor acoustics on an analog 4-track machine. I take full responsibility…

Stay tuned,

The post Words And Music About How I See The Light appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Do you pursue peace with all people? If so, I’m sure you’ve found out how difficult it is…impossible, in fact.

Just because something is impossible doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pursue or attempt it. Remember…you aren’t in this life alone. You have God on your side, and with Him “all things are possible“.

You DO have God on your side, don’t you?

Plus, you have two chances of success without God. Zero…and none. Without the hope of an absolute standard of truth, love, and peace you’ll be wandering in the wilderness your entire life. And it will all have been in vain when it comes to an end. Even if you became the conquering king of the whole world…but forfeited your soul…you gained nothing. And your conquests devoured peace like a ravenous buzzard.

I’d like you to take special notice of the word “pursue”. God tells us to “pursue peace with all people”. He doesn’t say “attain” or “accomplish” or “establish”. He is fully aware that many people want nothing to do with your childish notions of peace. God isn’t looking to you (or me) to make sure peace with all people occurs in our lifetime. He’s trying to establish an attitude…a heart condition for us. He wants us to WANT peace.

This doesn’t mean you have to be a doormat for those who would seek to destroy you and your “peace”. Quite the contrary. You can stand fast and be strong. It’s OK to be powerful and courageous. As a matter of fact, it’s the only way you should be operating in this mean ol’ world.

I hope you’ll start and/or finish your day, today, with an attitude of pursuit. While you’re busy taking care of your family, or helping your neighbor, or running your business…think of ways you can pursue peace. You may not achieve it with all people, but you may surprise yourself at how successful you can be with a little peaceful practice.

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…

The post Pursue Peace With All People appeared first on Tony Funderburk.