A New Voice of Freedom

Season 4 Podcast 125 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 5, Pt II Episode 13 “Descent into Hell.”  In last week’s episode, the Redcross Knight battles Sansjoy. It is a very bloody battle that The Redcross Knight barely wins; however, just before he delivers the death blow, through the magic of Duessa, Sansjoy is taken to hell for safety. Sansjoy. whose name means without joy, is at ho...

Season 4 Podcast 124 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 14, “Miracles.” When John the Baptist was beheaded, the Savior understood that his mission was completed. The language of the Bible is terse; therefore, we are required to read between the lines. Matthew records. 13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, t...

Season 4 Podcast 123, In Defense of Christianity, “The Sabbath Day, Part III, The Ten Commandments.”  A lawyer, trying to trip Christ, asked,  “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”  Christ’s answer not only confounded the Pharisees, but it establishes the law of liberty for all time.  James calls the Ten Commandments The Law of Liberty.  He calls the two great commandments The Perfe...

Season 4 Podcast 122 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 5, Pt I Episode 12 “The Full Armor of God”  In last week’s episode, Sansjoy, seeking revenge for his brother’s death challenges the Red Cross Knight to a duel. Remember that we are in Faerie Land; therefore, strange things happen, and there is nothing stranger than the outcome of the duel. Spenser, following ancient traditions,...

Season 4 Podcast 121 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 14, “The Beheading of John the Baptist, a Parable for our Day.” The story of the beheading of John the Baptist is perhaps one of the most famous stories of the New Testament. It has all the aspects of high drama: sex, violence, intrigue, deception, collusion, revenge, power, seduction, manipulation, and murder. It was later elevated...

Season 4 Podcast 120, In Defense of Christianity, “The Sabbath Day, Part III, The Ten Commandments B.”  Parallelism has many uses in the Old Testament.  It allows for easy memorization.  It provides structure and makes strong connections over distance, even down the centuries.  It gives unity, economy, clarity, emphasis, variety, and coherence with minimum use of language.  It provides multiple wa...

Season 4 Podcast 119 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 4, Pt III Episode 11 “Sansjoy”  Fidessa, of course, her name suggesting fidelity, is the former Duessa, her real name suggesting infidelity. Though she has fooled the silly Red Cross Knight, she has not fooled anyone in the underworld. After all she rode with Lucifera high on the coach leading the Seven Deadly Sins driven by Sat...

Season 4 Podcast 118 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 13: 2:24-58, “The Kingdom of Heaven” Christians are associated with the terms God and Satan, good and evil, heaven and hell. It is a battle ground. Peter tells us, 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”   Paul warns us to put on the whole a...

Season 4 Podcast 117, In Defense of Christianity, “The Sabbath Day, Part II, The Ten Commandments, A.”  In the creation story it is important to understand the sequence of events for they all center around the Sabbath Day.  In the first, or spiritual creation, everything is completed on the Sixth Day of creation as is made plain in Genesis Chapter I. For economy’s sake, I shall only deal with the...

Season 4 Podcast 116 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 4, Episode 10 “The Seven Deadly Sins.”  Duessa is at home in the house of pride; however, the goodly Red Cross Knight sees only vanity. Goodly they all that knight do entertain, Right glad with him to have increased their crew: But to Duess' each one himself did pay   All kindness and faire courtesy to shew; For in that cou...

Season 4 Podcast 115 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 13:1-23, “The Parable of the Sower” According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a parable is an allegorical or metaphorical saying or narrative; an allegory, a fable, an apologue; a comparison, a similitude.” The Dictionary adds, “A usually realistic story or narrative told to convey a moral or spiritual lesson or insight; esp. one...

Season 4 Podcast 114, In Defense of Christianity, “The Sabbath Day, Part I, The Law of the Sabbath.”  It is very possible that the least regarded and least understood law is The Law of the Sabbath. Today we see an alarming rise of atheism, a decline in church attendance, and an increasing disregard for the Sabbath day even among professed Christians.  The term bellwether originated from a sheep (w...

Season 4 Podcast 113 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Pt I Canto 4, Episode 9 “The House of Pride.”  Last week we followed the adventures of Una as she was threatened by a lion, a robber, a magician, and then by Sansloy, a lawless Knight. She conquered the lion, the robber, the magician, but we left her under the terrible power of Sansloy. We will return to Una in the future. Today we fo...

Season 4 Podcast 112 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 12:22-50, “The Temple of the Holy Ghost” Christ performed a variety of miracles, particularly healing. We seem to learn something new from each miracle. The following is the story of one possessed of a devil. 22 ¶ Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and du...

Season 4 Podcast 111 “The Story of Creation, Genesis 1-3 Pt III” Now we move to Genesis Chapter Three.  We have already learned that the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil were planted in the garden, thus giving Adam and Eve a choice. Two things give mankind agency. One is choice, the other is enticement.  The choice is between good and evil; the enticement is between Christ a...

Season 4 Podcast 110 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Canto 3 Episode 8 “The Adventures of Una.” Pt II In the previous Podcast, # 107, The Redcross Knight listens to the tale of The Weeping Tree. It is a warning to the Redcross Knight to flee from Duessa; however, the Knight does not heed the warning because Duessa presented herself as Fidessa, the daughter of an Emperor who had been kidnapped b...

Season 4 Podcast 109 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 12:1-15, “Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy” During the time of Christ, the Pharisees and Sadducees, rejecting his divinity and seeing him as a threat to their power, sought early on to destroy the Savior. Before John the Baptist, A prophet had not been in Israel since Malachi, 400 years earlier. The Mosaic law had become buried under la...

Season 4 Podcast 108 “The Story of Creation, Genesis 1-3 Pt II” DAY SEVEN In this podcast Linda and I will analyze Genesis Chapter 2 which continues to relate the story of creation. We thank you for taking this journey with us. Notice that in Chapter Two of Genesis the structure of the first six days is abandoned.  In Chapter One, each day of the first six days begins the same way: “And God Said.”...

Season 4 Podcast 107 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Canto 3 Episode 7 “The Adventures of Una.” Pt I In the previous Podcast, # 104, The Redcross Knight listens to the tale of The Weeping Tree. It is a warning to the Redcross Knight to flee from Duessa; however, the Knight does not heed the warning because Duessa presented herself as Fidessa, the daughter of an Emperor who had been kidnapped by...

Season 4 Podcast 106 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 11, “My Yoke is Easy” The relationship between The Savior of the World and the forerunner, his cousin, John the Baptist is intriguing. There is only one recorded incidence of their meeting, and it is one of the most spectacular events recorded in scripture.  First, you get a rugged image of John the Baptist. MATTHEW 3 4 And the same...

Season 4 Podcast 105 “The Story of Creation, Genesis 1-3 Pt I” In this and the succeeding two podcasts on The Story of Creation, Linda and I will analyze Genesis Chapters 1-3 which relate the story of creation and the fall of man. The story of creation is among the greatest stories ever told. Those who read the Bible are acutely aware of what is not said. For such an important story, the language...

Season 4 Podcast 104 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Canto 2 C Episode 6 “The Weeping Tree.”  In the previous Podcast, # 101, The Redcross Knight kills Sansfoy and Duessa changes her name to Fidessa, and deceives the Redcross Knight. Having abandoned Una, his true love, The Redcross knight now travels with Fidessa whose only desire is to destroy the Redcross Knight for killing her lover Sansfoy...

Season 4 Podcast 103 “The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 10 B” Last week we learned that the gospel is to be taught and the children of Israel to be gathered until Christ comes again. This brings to mind the statement of John in the Book of Revelation. Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the...

Season 4 Podcast 102 “Sing A New Song of Freedom.”  Linda and I live on the banks of Big Creek in East Tennessee. I love to sit in my Amish rocking chair on the wide wooden deck of our log cabin, listening to the singing creek rushing over the washed rocks, watching the cardinals, blue birds, and yellow finches feeding on sunflower seeds from our red bird feeder hanging on an iron post under a bla...

Season 4 Podcast 101 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen Canto 2 A Fidessa In the previous Podcast, # 96, the Redcross Knight and the Dwarf abandon Una. In his very next adventure, he encounters Duessa which means false, and Sansfoy, her lover, which means faithless. The Redcross Knight kills Sansfoy and Duessa changes her name to Fidessa, true, and deceives the Redcross Knight. This episode begins...