My first true love lasted about four and a half years. Even though I thought it would be the rest of my life. But the relationship didn’t endure a separation that happened when I moved to Texas to be there for my dad who was suffering from terminal kidney failure.

And after “getting over” it, I discovered I could actually love again. Another multiple year relationship developed, blossomed, went sour, and ended. So, that’s when I decided to “play the field.” And see what all the “lotsa fish in the ocean” notion was all about.

Because, in spite of my Christian background, I vowed that no other girl was gonna rope me in. Nope. Enough was enough. And I used my professional musician platform (a stage) to impress and woo the opposite sex. Yeah, I vowed that, if any heart was gonna get broken, it dang sure wasn’t gonna be mine.

That worked out great!

Not!

Guilt. Shame. Conscience. A still, small voice would confront me each time I did what I shouldn’t do. I was able to ignore that voice for a few years. But it was there each time anyway.

Oh man. Why wouldn’t that voice let me have my fun?! Why did it have to be there? Every. Single. Time.

Eventually I discovered that’s how my actual first true love works. Confrontation when I needed it. Instruction, deconstruction, accomplishments, and even failures. And most of all, a light on the darkest parts of my heart.

And that’s because my actual first true love was God’s enduring love.

I discovered His love is bigger than problems. It’s more valuable and dependable than “feelings.” His love has endured every stupid mistake I’ve made. And there have been more than I care to admit. Now, that’s amazing Grace.

I’m so grateful and thankful God never left me. He never gave up on me. And He still works on me when I stumble back into my self. There’s a comfort and joy in His love that no human being can even remotely match.

All you gotta do is ask Him for it, and you’ll get it. It’ll last forever. And it’s more real than any heartbreak or loss you’ll you’ll ever experience. After studying evidence for decades, I’m more convinced than ever of the reality of our one, true, living, loving Creator. Nothing and no one else could explain love. Love didn’t evolve. It’s a gift from God.

What made You think

You made a world

Because You love me so…in spite of all You know…

You put a life

I can live because You live!

Listen up for that song coming up in The Power of God’s Love Podcast.

And if you love (or even like) what I shared, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

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.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

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“Gotta pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues. And you know it don’t come easy.” If you’re old enough, you might remember those lyrics from a song that Ringo Starr made famous. And another verse said,

Those lyrics popped up in my brain this week when I thought about how God tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Because I see Islamist people doing despicable Islamist things. And I see illegal aliens, also known as illegal immigrants, doing other despicable illegal things. Then I see black Americans doing despicable things to white Americans. And white Americans doing despicable things to black Americans.

And I used the word despicable because it’s a very effective word to emphatically inflect audible disdain. Another great word is contemptible. So, I might use that as I continue. Because human beings seem hell-bent on making it impossible to love your neighbor these days.

So, it’s more important than ever to know how.

Love doesn’t mean you have to be a doormat, always turn the other cheek, or simply keep your mouth shut. In fact, most of the time, doing those things can show how you don’t love your neighbor as yourself as much as you think you do. Yeah, like I said, it don’t come easy.

The main thing to focus on, when it comes to loving someone you don’t feel like loving is how your words, deeds, and actions will affect them. And you do that by keeping an eternal perspective first. Everything else is secondary to that. After all, what’s more important? 80 years of living here on earth, with all its chaos and confusion? Or an eternity of perfection with the one true, living, loving Creator of Heaven and life? (here’s a hint…go with the second choice)

When you have an eternal perspective, you’ll understand how important it is to make sure your neighbor understands there IS a God, there IS a Heaven, and there IS a choice to be made here and now. If God wishes that “none should perish”, we should too. But to love your neighbor as yourself means you’re willing to share the whole Truth. Not just the peace, love, joy, and forgiveness.

Not when he doesn’t even show remorse or ask for forgiveness. Remember, if Jesus doesn’t do it that way, you and I shouldn’t either.

You don’t truly love your neighbor, when you watch him drink himself to death. don’t be selfish. Speak up when you get the opportunity.

And you don’t truly care about your neighbor if you never say anything to him (or her)about Jesus?

If you truly want to do what God asks you to do, you have to truly love your neighbor as yourself. You don’t want your self to go to hell. So you shouldn’t want that for them. But, as I said, it don’t come easy. Because there are so many, let’s call them people for now, who could not care less what the one true, living, loving God of creation says or requires.

So, you can fully expect to stir up the demon soup when you tell them there is only one way to live forever in paradise with God. Just say the name, Jesus, and it will be like you just dumped a box of hot coals on their head. But here’s the thing. When they stand before God one day, and they will, they will be fully aware that someone showed them compassionate love and they despised and rejected it.

And you might hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The truth is worth the risk.

So go ahead and pay your dues. One day you won’t have to sing the blues.

Every time you see the morning news

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,

The post It don’t come easy especially when your neighbor is sleazy appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

There I stood. In between the guitar player’s loud amp and the drummer’s crash cymbal. That’s where my equipment had been placed on a stage in front of business executives. Things had already fallen behind a bit. So, there was no time to rearrange anything. So, that’s where I was for an hour and a half. And take my advice. If you ever get the chance to be in that position, pass it up.

And I’m not sure which was worse. The piercing guitar in my right ear. Or the crash cymbal in my left. Maybe it was a tie. Anyway, I can tell you my hearing was damaged, at least a little, from that day on.

But you know what’s worse than having your ears damaged? It’s having your soul damaged by somebody trying to impress you with their fancy skills just because it makes them feel “special.” And a wise man, named Paul, wrote about what happens to anyone who tries to do that. He talked about people who had special gifts from God like being able to predict things and speak other languages.

He said, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”

Yikes. That ain’t good. And as I already showed you, a clanging (crash) cymbal can hurt your ears. So, if and when you’re like that, there’s a good chance you might be hurting more than just ears. Because someone might think you’re just trying to show off. So, they won’t even wanna listen to your noise.

You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for the power of God’s love. Yeah, He loved the world (which is another way of saying you and me and all the people) so much that He put Himself into a human body to be punished for all the bad stuff He did.

Wait a second! Read those last 6 words again.

NO. He wasn’t punished for all the bad stuff HE did. He let people beat Him, make fun of Him, and even put Him to death because of all the bad stuff YOU did. And all the bad stuff everybody did.

So, what He did is WAY more important than any so-called “special gifts” you and I might have. And He did it because of His love. That’s why you don’t wanna be a crash cymbal in this world. But that’s exactly what you’ll be if you go through your day without love. Because…

Without love there’s just no way out

And I’d love for you to get encouraging, regular issues of my Tony’s Daily Devotional the easy way. Just add your email address and they’ll come to you and you won’t have to look for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, when you do, I’ll send you download links to 2 of my Christian books for kids and 2 songs, right away, that grownups AND kids can enjoy.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Crash cymbal is kinda like a crash symbol appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Slim and None. Those are the probable answers to the question. But, naturally, that begs the question. And at least one version of the question would be, “What are the odds that everything happens for a reason?” And I’d say chances are also slim and none that people who believe everything happens for a reason would agree with Jesus on that.

Uh-oh. I done went and done it that time. So, before I move on, I’d like to know if you agree with this:

My option, on that statement, is NONE. But I’ll play the Lord’s advocate (because I prefer never to advocate for the devil) and assume not everyone agrees with me.

If that’s you, bear with me as I blast out some info that maybe you haven’t considered before. And this doesn’t come from some marketer. It’s not from a metaphysicalized so-called “pastor” or “minister.” This word, that affirms accidental circumstances, comes right out of the Bible in at least three different places. Actually four places. And maybe even five. But I don’t want you to start with the first place it’s found in case you’re the type who’s easily confused.

So. Are you ready for the affirmation word? Are you sure? Because this gets kinda complicated and it triggers people.

OK, if you’re still reading, it means your mind is fortified and you’re ready to hear some truth.

So, here’s the word. Chance.

Bam! Oh yeah, that word IS in the Bible. Four times when you do a search in the New King James version. And are you ready for the high octane Spirit chaser? One of the times the word “chance” is used, it’s in RED. Bam again! (for the initiated, red letters mean those words were spoken by Jesus)

Anyway…

The reason I brought it up is because I see, literally every day, Christians debating whether or not everything happens because God ordained everything. And anyone who says He does has NOT yet comprehended the book He wrote. Because He’s infinitely creative (meaning His creative abilities have no end). And He’s infinitely brilliant (meaning He knows how to create worlds and beings that don’t require Him for day-to-day operations.

So, that means God designed you to be able to think for yourself. And decide for yourself.

Because there seems to be no depth of depravity that human beings aren’t willing to go. People have done things to each other so horribly wicked that it never entered God’s mind they would do them.

Sure, God knows everything knowable. And everything He wants to know. But do you think for a moment, that God, for eternity past, had any thoughts of burning children on altars to sacrifice them to Baal? No, that’s not His nature. It’s ours.

OK, I just had to get that out there for your consideration. And I know chances are slim that everyone will agree with me. But I also know there’s a chance somebody’s mind could be changed. And that notion motivates me to share the info. Here’s a little outro rhyme of chance…

Will the sun rise in the morning?

Will the songbirds all be singing?

Will some words of wisdom visit?

Will the world go on forever?

© 2022

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I guess Valentine’s Day (tomorrow, as I write this) has a lot of people asking that age old question: What is love? It’s only natural to ask, I suppose, since it’s not something you can see, smell, hear, taste, or hold in your hand.

You can go just about anywhere, including online, and get yourself a good pair of gloves. And when you get a good fit, you won’t even think about it. You’ll just put ’em on, and they’ll fit…like a glove…so to speak. No second guessing. Certainly no hassles, unless you lose one.

But love isn’t like a glove. You don’t just fall in love and it fits. It needs constant adjusting and attention. Love has no “one-size-fits-all” option like some gloves do. In fact, you’ll discover, over the course of your life, how your love will go through many changes. Young love, for example, is full of emotional passion and is too often confused with and mixed with unrequited lust. Add some years to your life and you’ll notice you become much more focused and intentional about it.

As your time on earth shortens, you should begin to see, if you haven’t already, love is like the old song says, “a many splendored thing.” It’s kisses on your forehead when you’re sleeping. It brings you a bowl of hot soup when you’re sick. It lets you know when you’ve said more than you should. AND it cleans up the broken glass you dropped.

Love is an understanding ear opposed to a demanding mouth. It lifts up instead of lashing out. It’s a compliment instead of complaint. And it searches for solutions instead of pointing out problems. Love is found in kindness, not candy. And it endures, engages, and expects.

You wouldn’t exist it it weren’t for the love that flows from your Creator. So, you can’t believe in it, if you don’t believe in your Creator. And if that’s the case, no amount of candy, cards, romantic dinners, or romantic getaways will ever bring you love.

Here’s to a truly Happy Valentine’s Day.

Smiling eyes and rosy lips

Because I’m holding out for…I’m holding out for…

Violet skies and mountain tops…

A sailing ship; a crystal sea…

I’m holding out for…I’m holding out for…

Sometimes the dream is the only thing…that sees me through.

Quiet talk; a crackling fire.

Instrumental…repeat chorus to end

© 1987 Tony Funderburk

Now, maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, let’s change that. Get to know more about me and my worldview. Join the growing body of believers who’ve signed up for the Tony’s Daily Devotional . And bask in daily, delightful flashes of light from the power of God’s love.

Stay tuned…

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