Observations from the Word by The Barking Fox

A House for All the World’s Prayers

Our Heavenly Father holds out the promise of redemption to every person. Do we really believe that? Or in our hearts do we consider some more worthy of redemption than others?
Isaiah 56:4-8; Jonah 3:10-4:10; Matthew 12:41; Mark 12:15-17
Jonah sits under the miracle tree near Nineveh,” Caspar Luyken, 1708, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Music: "The Prayer," Charlotte Church and Josh Groban, Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church, Integrity/Columbia(P), Sony Music, 2002.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: A House For All The World's Prayers.pdf
 

The Price of Revelation

Do people share their most intimate thoughts and plans with anyone who asks? No; we prefer to share such things only with close companions who have proven themselves worthy of our trust. Why, then, should we expect our Creator to do differently? Perhaps, instead of asking God what will happen in the future, we should ask Him how we can be worthy of His confidence.
Isaiah 39:1-8; Jeremiah 29:10-14; Daniel 5:31-6:12, 9:1-27; Matthew 24:15-22
Daniel's Answer to the King, Briton Rivière, (Manchester Art Gallery via Wikimedia Commons).
 
Music: "Old Daniel Prayed," The Stanley Brothers, The Collection: 1958-1960, Marmot Music 2013.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: The Price of Revelation.pdf

Aligning With The Right Spirit

Everyone goes through seasons of weakness and despair. The question is not how to avoid them, but how to get through them and move on to what our Creator has designed us to do. After all, it's not just our own destiny at stake, but the destinies of others around us - and sometimes of entire nations.
1 Kings 19:1-18; Proverbs 28:12; Malachi 4:4-6; James 5:13-18
Elijah Statue at Mukhraka Monastery, Mount Carmel, Israel, Dr. Avishai Teicher, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "Chorus: He, Watching Over Israel," by Felix Mendelssohn, performed by Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh, Mendelssohn: Elijah, 1846, Signum 2012.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Aligning With The Right Spirit.pdf
 

Happy Mules

God has been revealing Himself for thousands of years. You might think we would all be on the same page by now, with the same understanding and interpretation of scripture. That's not what we see. There are thousands of unique expressions of faith in the Almighty from the Christian and Jewish sides of the family. Is there some clue in nature that might help us understand why?
Deuteronomy 22:10; Luke 5:36-39; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
20 mule Borax team, Mojave, California Valley line, ca. 1880. Photograph shows teams of eighteen mules and two horses attached to large wagons in the desert; two pale horses, positioned closest to the wagon, wear coverings over faces. Albertype Co., Copyright Claimant (Library of Congress #2013647267).
Music: "Hoe Down - Rodeo," by Aaron Copland, performed by Phillip Ellis and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man, Billy the Kid, Appalachian Spring, Masterworks 2009.
Referenced article: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, “Animal Welfare: Ki Tetzei (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19),” Aish.com (https://www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/559748591.html).
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Happy Mules.pdf

Justice the Right Way

It's not enough to seek justice, and it's not enough to seek righteousness. We have to seek both, and do so in a spirit of compassion and mercy. But is that just a government thing, or is it something we can do in our daily lives?
Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9; Isaiah 51:12-53:12; Matthew 25:20-25; Luke 18:1-8; Philippians 2:5-11
Rubin Enyon's sculpture of King Arthur at Tintagel, Cornwall, England. (Photo: MonikaP (pixabay.com)).
Music: "Save the People," by Stephen Schwartz, Godspell (Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording), Masterworks Broadway, Arista Records, Inc, (P) 1997.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Justice The Right Way.pdf

An Interview with Author Miriam Feinberg Vamosh

What do you know about the time between the Great Jewish War (66-73 AD) and the Bar Kochba Revolt (132-136 AD)? If you know anything about those two events, you remember the first as the war that brought destruction to Jerusalem and the Second Temple, and the second as the war that ended the existence of any Jewish state for 18 centuries. It is a dark time in history, but a critical time in the separation of Judaism and Christianity as two related, but distinct, faith traditions. 
Author, tour guide, and adult educator Miriam Feinberg Vamosh has written a gripping novel about that time period. She was our guest in 2017 on Remnant Road, the Monday morning talk show on Hebrew Nation Radio that I co-hosted with Mike Clayton and Barry Phillips. This podcast present that full interview. If you would like to learn more, check out my review of The Scroll on The Barking Fox at:
Barking Fox Book Reviews: The Scroll 
Better yet, visit Miriam's website at https://miriamfeinbergvamosh.com/ to learn about all the other fascinating books she's written, and then order a few for your library!
 

Make Friends in the Way

What's more important: reaching a destination, or getting along with others on the journey?
Amos 3:1-15, 9:11-12; Matthew 5:21-26; Acts 15:16-18
Glen Canyon Dam, substation (left) and bridge (in front of the dam) as seen from the south, near Page, Arizona, USA, March 2010, by Adbar. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "Grand Canyon Suite - On The Trail," by Ferde Grofé, performed by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite; Gershwin: Catfish Row, Telarc, 1987
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Make Friends In The Way.pdf

Victory in Time

Doing what we're trained to do is good. Doing it at the right time is even better - but how do we know?
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Luke 7:1-10; 1 Corinthians 10:23-33
Scotland Forever! Lady Elizabeth Thompson Butler, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music: "Regimental March," Scottish National Pipe & Drum Corps Military Band, Music of Scotland, IndieBlu Music, 1995.
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Victory In Time.pdf