Observations from the Word by The Barking Fox

Growing Into The Robes

Do we really get to wear robes in the Kingdom of Heaven? How do we get them? What do we do in those robes? And is there anything we should be doing now to make sure our robes get to that heavenly standard of cleanliness?
Exodus 27:20-30:10; Ezekiel 43:10-27; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Revelation 1:4-6, 13, 3:4-5, 6:9-11, 7:9-17, 19:6-8
Gerhard Fugel, "Apocalypse, chapter 6, Souls at the Altar," 1933, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "Going to Shout All Over God’s Heaven," Traditional, performed by Louis Armstrong, Louis Armstrong’s Gospel Book, Warner, 2010.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Growing Into The Robes.pdf

Holy Dogs

"Holy" is a word we throw around in spiritual talk, but do we know what it means? If we don't know what it means, then how can we expect to live holy lives, or explain to anyone why such a thing might be something they would want to do?
Exodus 25:1-27:19; 1 Kings 5:12-6:13; Ezekiel 11:14-16; John 2:18-22, 4:21-24; 1 Corinthians 3:9-16, 6:18-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Revelation 21:1-3
Blue has been my special friend ever since she came to live with us as a pup.
Music: "The Puppy Song," Harry Nilsson, Harry, RCA Victor 1969.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Holy Dogs.pdf

Half-Cocked Spirituality

A person may become an adult in the eyes of the law by reaching a certain age, but that doesn't mean he or she is an adult in fact. We could make the case that adult-aged people who continue to act irresponsibly and immaturely are still children in many respects. We can see how that works out in a person's emotions, financial management, employment, and social interaction, but do we see it also in the spiritual realm?   
Exodus 21:1-24:18; Jeremiah 33:25-26, 34:8-22; Genesis 2:16-17, 3:2-3; Psalm 58; Matthew 19:1-9; 1 Corinthians 13
Boy Scout Troop 102, Birmingham, Alabama, April 4, 1976. Standing at the ends of the middle row are Scoutmasters Bill Hard (R) and Bob Taylor (L). Al McCarn is next to Mr. Hard, second from right in the middle row.
Music: "Ralph’s Banjo Special," The Stanley Brothers, The Collection 1958-1960, Marmot Music 2013.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Half-Cocked Spirituality.pdf

Yakety Yak and Blah, Blah, Blah

Obviously we don't get into the Kingdom of Heaven simply by doing good works, or do we? We rightly claim that salvation is by God's grace and mercy, but then we look down on those who stray into legalism, as we call it, by trying to do what the Bible says. Somewhere there's a balance between saying we're saved and not living like it, and living like we're saved, but having no peace. Maybe we find that balance by learning who we are, and Whose we are.  
Exodus 18:1-20:26; Isaiah 6:1-7:5, 9:6-7; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Mark 10:17-22; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:1-6
Daughter looking a phone and ignoring her mother. Photo by verkeorg (National Centre for the Development of Online Youth Work, Helsinki, Finland), February 19, 2016, via Flickr.
Music: “Yakety Yak,” The Coasters, written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, Atco Records 1958. 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Yakety Yak and Blah Blah Blah.pdf

Faith Without Hats

What is our real motivation for following God? Do we really want to be His people, or is there some hidden motive - a motive we might even hide from ourselves? 
Exodus 13:17-17:16, Judges 4:4-5:31; Genesis 22:1-19; Matthew 14:22-33; Luke 18:1-8; John 6:60-70, 20:19-29; Philippians 3:17-21
Boy Playing on Beach with Pail and Shovel. Photo by Chris McBrien, June 5, 2011, via Flickr.
Music: “Out to Sea / The Shark Cage Fugue” (From Jaws), John Williams, John Williams & Steven Spielberg: The Ultimate Collection, Sony Masterworks 2017. 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Faith Without Hats.pdf

Becoming Little Donkeys

Human beings made in the image of our Creator are supposed to resemble our Creator in the way we think and act, but more often than not we tend to think and act like beasts. There is hope, though: our Creator makes a way for the redemption of beasts. 
Exodus 10:1-13:16; Numbers 18:1-20; 1 Samuel 1; Isaiah 43:3-4; Jeremiah 46:13-28; Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-9; Luke 2:22-24
Pinocchio and his friend Lampwick are transformed into donkeys in the Land of Toys.Illustration by Carlo Chiostri from a 1902 edition of The Adventures of Pinocchio: The Story of a Marionette by Carlo Collodi, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "Carnival of the Animals - 8. Persons with Long Ears" and "14. Finale", Camille Saint-Saëns, Karl Böhm: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Prokofiev: Peter & The Wolf; Saint-Saëns: Carnival Of The Animals, Deutsche Grammophon 1974. 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Becoming Little Donkeys.pdf

Pawns of Redemption

Is humanity nothing more than so many pawns in a cosmic game of chess between the powers of good and evil? Yes, and no. It's true that we are the instruments of either good or evil (or both), and that we are the prizes sought by our Creator and our Adversary, but there is a key difference: unlike the pawns in our chess matches, we actually have a choice about which roles we play. 
Exodus 6:2-9:35; Ezekiel 28:25-29:21; Matthew 6:5-13; 24:6; Luke 21:28; John 13:21-30; Romans 9:27-28; Revelation 11:15
Man Playing Chess. Photo by Jarmoluk on PIXNIO.com.
Music: "Anitra’s Dance,” Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, III. “Anitra’s Dance,” Wiliam T. Strømberg, Edvard Grieg, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Edvard Grieg Music to Henrik Ibsen Peer Gynt, Blikkboks Ltd 2018. 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Pawns of Redemption.pdf

Be A Deliverer

Can we really save ourselves? Is it really possible to "pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps" and fix all our problems? We can fix some things, but sometimes our solutions mess up life for someone else. Truly we need a Deliverer to save us from ourselves - but until the final redemption of this world, we still have an obligation to make things better for those around us. 
Exodus 1:1-6:1; Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23; 1 Chronicles 4:18; Hosea 11:1; Matthew 1:18-25, 2:15; Luke 1:26-38; Hebrews 11:23-29; Revelation 5:6-14, 13:8
Moses Laid Amid the Flags, James Tissot, 1896-1902, The Jewish Museum, Brooklyn (image via Wikimedia Commons).
Music: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," OCP Session Choir, Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 7, Oregon Catholic Press 2016. 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Be A Deliverer.pdf