Observations from the Word by The Barking Fox

Aspiring Martyrs

How do we want to be remembered? If we'd like to be remembered by how we lived for God, then maybe we should ponder what it means to be a martyr.
Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25; Isaiah 49:14-51:3; Psalm 25:1-22; 2 Timothy 2:1-13
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Aspiring Martyrs
Music: "A Baroque Letter,” Aaron Kenny, YouTube Audio Library, April, 2021. Listen to the complete audio on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnABSZNB82I.
Illustration: Sydney Carton going to the guillotine in A Tale of Two Cities. Sketch by Frederick Barnard in Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, by Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, Marion Harland, Ed. (New York: Selmar Hess, 1892), via Flickr.

Reason to Trust and Obey

Do we really believe God is trustworthy? If so, why don't we do as He says? And how exactly are we to know what He says?
Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11; Isaiah 40:1-26; Mark 12:28-31; John 14:15; Revelation 14:6-7 
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Reason to Trust and Obey
Music: "Trust and Obey,” by John H. Sammis and Daniel B. Towner, performed by PaPi Clever & Dorcas, November 13, 2023. Downloaded from CeeNaija.com. Listen to the complete audio at https://www.ceenaija.com/papi-clever-dorcas-trust-and-obey/.
Photo by Carol Walker, Ayn Sokhna, Egypt, April 2, 2003, via Flickr.

More Certain than Death and Taxes

Government happens. That's not a complaint; it's a simple statement of fact. God instituted government when He created order in His universe. We know how human governments operate, and the record isn't very encouraging. That's why we may be apprehensive about God's government in eternity. How should we prepare for it?
Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22; Isaiah 1:1-27, 9:6-7; 65:17-25; Micah 4:1-4; Matthew 19:27-28; John 5:39-47; 1 Corinthians 6:1-11, 15:23-28; Hebrews 11:32-40
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: More Certain than Death and Taxes
Music: "St. Anne’s Reel,” Nat Keefe & Hot Buttered Rum, YouTube Audio Library, February 2020. Listen to the complete audio on Youtube at https://youtu.be/qEGDnhDDV8c?si=L2PkrRDfBY3xK3As.
Photo: Benjamin Franklin sculpture by Hiram Powers, 1844-1860, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC.

Come Heal Your Land

We all want healing and restoration to our nations, so what happens if God doesn't answer our prayers as we expect and our lands remain sick and divided? Maybe we should ask Him if we've missed something in our prayers - such as praying for the healing of His land. 
Numbers 30:2-36:13; Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:1-16, 29:5-14; Deuteronomy 11:12; Psalm 122:1-9; Romans 8:18-23; 1 Timothy 2:1-7
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Come Heal Your Land
Music: "Across the Savannah,” Aaron Kenny, YouTube Audio Library, October 2020. Listen to the complete audio on Youtube at https://youtu.be/_uQyXCDK8rM?si=rS8DNRN-RQcj0nWI.
Photo: Dead Vlei (Dead Swamp), Namibia. Photo by Giovanni, August 9, 2022, via Flickr.

The God of Boundaries

Everyone gets triggered when other people cross their personal boundaries. When that happens, the results can be unpleasant, and sometimes lead to unintended consequences. If that's the way it is when we trespass human boundaries, what happens when we trespass God's boundaries? 
Numbers 25:10-29:40; Jeremiah 1:1-2:3; Proverbs 25:17, 27:3, 10; Hosea 5:10; Acts 15:1-29
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: The God of Boundaries
Music: "In the Wild,” National Sweetheart, YouTube Audio Library, July 2024. Listen to the complete audio on YouTube at https://youtu.be/1ELV7kMB4Ww?si=TucsyvmZhu7T3lQa.
Photo by Joshua Hilgart-Roy, Johnsburg, Illinois, May 20, 2009, via Flickr.

Finding the Narrow Path

Yeshua told us about the narrow gate and difficult way that leads to life. Does He mean that it's hard to find the way into His Kingdom, or is He referring to the narrow and difficult path He expects us to walk along once He has brought us in?
Numbers 22:2-25:9; Micah 5:7-6:8; Genesis 12:2-3; Psalm 103:1-22; Matthew 7:7-14; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Finding the Narrow Path
Music: "Lost & Found,” Dan Lebowitz, YouTube Audio Library, April 2020. Listen to the complete audio on Youtube at https://youtu.be/ZRkYMhQyUck?si=GWRpesszaqt-OYbr.
Photo by Henry Burrows, Ashley, England, April 21, 2015, via Flickr.

Fighting Against God

Who comes to mind when we think about those who oppose the will of God? Everyone has a list of the usual suspects: atheists, satanists, occultists, criminals, people of other religions, and quite possibly people with different political views. However, before we cast blame outward, we might want to look inward and see if the greatest opposition to God's plans originates in our own hearts.
Numbers 19:1-22:1; Judges 11:1-33; 1 Samuel 20:27-32; Jeremiah 21:1-10; Acts 5:27-40; Hebrews 4:1-13
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Fighting Against God
Music: "Jeremiah’s Song,” Dan Lebowitz, YouTube Audio Library, January 2018. Listen to the complete audio on Youtube at https://youtu.be/GN-jLRUCN5g?si=uox50suj-8UOE3d3.
Photo by Orest Ukrainsky, New Lisbon, New Jersey, August 20, 2014, via Flickr.

Shaky Ground

We all chafe under what we perceive as overbearing leaders. Sometimes they really are overbearing, but sometimes it's simply our resentment of and resistance against any authority. The path of wisdom is to discern which is which. We can fix our attitudes, but we may not be able to fix a bad situation with a bad leader. Then again, sometimes fixing the situation means not making it worse.
Numbers 16:1-18:32; 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22; Matthew 6:22-23, 20:25-28; Jude 1:1-25
Click here to download a transcript of this podcast: Shaky Ground
Music: "Forgiven Fate,” Dan Lebowitz, YouTube Audio Library, April, 2020. Listen to the complete audio on YouTube at https://youtu.be/04qy6i9mKRA?si=XLH7orlY9-GWZrWI.
Photo by Chris Hawkins, March 21, 2008, London, England, via Flickr.