Observations from the Word by The Barking Fox

Citizen Soldiers of Heaven

Our Messiah won a decisive victory at the cross, but He did not call us to lay down our arms. In fact, He said He had come to bring a sword to the earth, not peace. How can this be? This is another paradox, but the answer becomes clear when we understand the type of warfare He calls and equips us to wage.
Judges 3:1-4; Isaiah 2:2-5; Micah 4:1-5; Matthew 10:34-39; Luke 22:35-38; 1 Corinthians 15:42-47; 2 Corinthians 10:1-6
The Minute Man, Daniel Chester French, Concord, Massachusetts, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "The Minstrel Boy," Thomas Moore, performed by The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, Irish Gold: The Best of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, Essential Media Group, 2007.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Citizen Soldiers of Heaven.pdf
 

The Nuts and Bolts of Victory

The enemy of our souls is relentless, and his attacks seem never to cease. It's a weary struggle. How do we win? Or, more appropriately, how do we avoid losing?
2 Kings 6:15-17; 2 Chronicles 32:1-8; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 6:10-13
The "Cobra King" crew - 1st Lt. Charles Boggess, Cpl. Milton Dickerman, and Pvts. James G. Murphy, Hubert S. Smith and Harold Hafner -- pose for a celebratory photo in the vicinity of Bastogne, Belgium shortly after the tankers led the armor and infantry column that liberated the city on December 26, 1944. US Army Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "Patton," by Jerry Goldsmith, performed by The BBC Concert Orchestra, The BBC Concert Orchestra Greatest Hits, Big Eye Music, 2008.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: The Nuts and Bolts of Victory
 

When I‘m 84

Somewhere in our journey of life, we will encounter others who are growing old. How should we treat them? This is important seeing that eventually others will be asking the same question about us.
Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:32; Proverbs 23:33; Ecclesiastes 12:1-8; John 21:18-19
Portrait of An Elderly Couple, Alexandra Pennycook, used by permission of the artist (http://www.pennycook.com/).
Music: "When I'm Sixty-Four," by Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon, performed by The Hit Co., Love Songs: A Tribute to the Beatles, Planet Music, 2006.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: When I'm 84.pdf

The Insidious Nature of Evil

It may be accurate to say that no one in their right mind would commend evil and condemn good. But then, the testimony of human history demonstrates that this happens far more often than we may be comfortable admitting - especially when those calling evil good and good evil also profess to be the people of God.
Isaiah 5: 13-25; Amos 5:4-15; Matthew 21:33-46; Luke 11:34-36; John 1:1-5
Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria. Adolf Hitler, 1914, via Wikimedia Commons. 
Music: Camille Saint-Saëns, Danse Macabre, Op. 40, performed by Daniel Barenboim conducting Luben Yordanoff and the Orchestre De Paris, Saint-Saëns: Symphony #3 "Organ"/Danse Macabre/Bacchanale/Le Deluge, Deutsche Grammophon GmbH 1976.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: The Insidious Nature of Evil.pdf

A Born Again Creation

Transcending our present imperfect reality is a universal longing. The Bible tells us about that transcendence in the context of new birth and resurrection. It is the work of God, but do the people of God have some work to do as well?
Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7, 5:1-3; Isaiah 42:1-9; John 3:1-6; Luke 4:14-21, 7:20-23
Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer (The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog), Caspar David Friedrich, c1817, Kunsthalle Hamburg via Wikimedia Commons. 
Music: Richard Strauss, Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24, performed by Herbert Von Karajan and the Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan Conducts, Ameritz Music Ltd. 2014
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: A Born-Again Creation.pdf

When Is The Kingdom?

Everyone wants to see the Kingdom of Heaven come right now, in our day, but is that desire consistent with how God wants His people to live day by day?
1 Samuel 15:22-23; Daniel 12:8-13; Hosea 6:6; Zechariah 13:7-9; Luke 17:20-21, 19:11-27; Acts 1:6-8
From the Temple the Jews Attack Idumeans / Placidus Beats the Jews at the Jordan / Famine in Jerusalem / Titus Crucifies Captured Jews, Jan Luyken, 1698, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. 
Music: "O fortuna!" Carmina Burana, Carl Orff, performed by Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, RCA Gold Seal 1992.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: When Is The Kingdom.pdf

Giving Peace A Chance

Is genuine peace truly possible anywhere on earth before Messiah Son of David establishes His kingdom in Zion? Is every announcement of peace merely a deception? Could it be that God intends for His people to be agents of peace even when it seems impossible?
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Jeremiah 8:8-13; Matthew 5:9
Hands Across the Divide, by Maurice Harron, Derry, Northern Ireland. Photo by Diego Cue (diego_cue / CC BY-SA3.0).
Music: "Must Ireland Be Divided?" The Wolfe Tones, The Troubles, Celtic Collections 2008.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Giving Peace A Chance.pdf

The Love of Just a Little Bit More

Is the love of money really the root of all evil? And if so, where do we get that love - and what do we do about it?
Deuteronomy 8:11-20; Matthew 4:1-10; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; James 4:1-7
Portrait of Leo Tolstoy by Mikhail Nesterov, 1907, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: “Money Money,” from Cabaret, performed by Judi Dench and Jonathan Pryce, Broadway to the West End 05: Cabaret, Jay Records, 2014.
Leo Tolstoy, “How Much Land Does A Man Need?” in What Men Live By and Other Tales, Aylmer and Louise Maude trans, Project Gutenberg EBook #6157, Joe Jurca and David Widger prod., June 13, 2009 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6157)
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: The Love Of Just A Little Bit More.pdf