The King's Hand in History

Chris gives you a basic overview of the main events that took place immediately before, and during the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1941. This attack is what compelled the U.S. to declare war on Japan and the rest of the Axis nations, and sealed the defeat of Japan and its allies in World War 2. By thinking about how many warning signs there were leading up to the Japanese assaul...

December 7th, 1941 – “a day that will live in infamy” – was the day when a large Japanese fleet led by Harvard-educated Admiral Yamamoto suddenly began its aerial typhoon of bombs and bullets on the helpless American naval forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Why and how did the Japanese manage to get so close to the base with over 2 dozen ships, and yet remain undetected by any other Allied nations, e...

(Get ready for improved audio quality (finally!)) How did the first Thanksgiving holiday happen? Why was it celebrated? Why were the Pilgrims so thankful? And just who were these intrepid Englishmen with funny clothes and shoes living on an abandoned Indian settlement? These and many more questions will be answered in this special Thanksgiving Day episode. Chris and Casey give you an overview of t...

What made “Victorian Britain” “Victorian”? Was this society mostly a bunch of self-righteous, polite, and refined hypocrites who liked to attend plays and get together for tea parties? Or was the Great Britain of the 1800s a complex nation of diverse types of people who were thoroughly influenced by the gospel of Jesus Christ, and by those who worshiped Him? In this discussion, you’ll learn the es...

How can the Lord use division, war, hatred, and the worst of human suffering to perfect His saints and bring salvation to thousands of people? The American Civil War and its aftermath gives us a prime example of such glorious deeds. In this episode, Chris and Casey discuss the most influential Christian leaders in the Civil War; their impact on those under their leadership; the major spiritual rev...

How is it possible for a nation that shares the same language, history, foods, wars, and ancestries to become so divided that it splits into 2 opposing factions that seek to kill each other? By studying the American Civil War, you can find out. This important, world-changing, culture-shaping, and church-building conflict shows us how the Lord uses and disuses nations, governments, societies, trage...

Can biblical Protestantism overcome and conquer the anti-Christian forces of this trans-humanistic, AI, and pagan world in which we live? If you look at the 1800s, you'll see that believers faced similar enemies as we do today, and yet this century could arguably be called the "golden age" of Protestant Christianity, with the 2nd Great Awakening and the resulting benefits of that outpouring of God...

Westerners live in a largely humanistic, naturalistic, secular, and paganizing society that is increasingly hostile to the gospel, Christianity, the Bible, and those who are live according to them. Surprisingly enough, similar conditions dominated the U.S. shortly after the Revolution, and when it was being established as a sovereign nation. Once Christian colleges were now largely liberal, societ...

(Note: audio quality has been improved since last episode) Why is the American Revolution, and the founding of the United States, such an unusual and beneficial event in world history? What makes this revolution and national birth unique among all others? Was the United States a Christian nation when it began? Were the founders Christian? Most importantly, what role did believers in general play i...

Do you have the resolve it takes to be a growing and abounding follower of the Lord Jesus? Do you have a set of personal rules that you've determined to be the Lord's will for you to obey Him as much as possible? The influential and ingenious theologian and Bible-teacher of the New England Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards, compiled such a list when he was 18 and 19 years old. These "Resolutions"...

In the late 1730s to the late 1760s, a general Christian spiritual revival blazed across the American colonies and Great Britain, transforming both British and American societies, churches, and governments through its heart-changing power. Enlightenment-influenced immorality and debauchery was crushed, slavery was assaulted, the impoverished masses of England were helped, and new thriving congrega...

Believers in the western world are living in an increasingly hostile society, and under increasingly oppressive governments. Also, most of our Bible-believing “churches” are compromised, deceived, and thoroughly bewitched worldly ideas and behaviors. This was much the case for the first Baptists in the American colonies, who were living in an ostensibly free society, and yet were severely suppress...

Chris and Casey give a general overview of the exploration, settlement, and establishment of the American colonies that would later become the United States. After giving some background for the motivations and means of settling in the New World, they highlight the major settlements of America. These include Jamestown, New Plymouth, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, the Carolina...

Chris and Casey discuss the life, literature, and legacy of the author of the 2nd bestselling English book (and arguably the 1st novel), The Pilgrim’s Progress . They hit the highlights of this most famous of Puritan’s life, including his upbringing, tinkering trade, military service, married life, conversion, preaching, imprisonment, writing, and death. At the end, they note some of the most impo...

Chris and Casey discuss the Puritan reformers and their followers in the mid-1500s to the mid-1600s. They give a general survey of the Puritans’ part in the development of Great Britain and the Church of England, as well as in the establishment of the American colonies. The main topics include what issues they had with Anglicanism and the different monarchs, what steps they took to remedy them, an...

Chris and Casey discuss the main beliefs and practices of the main Christian groups that were active immediately after the Protestant Reformation, in about the turn of the 16th century AD. They briefly explain the origins of each group, and then summarize their beliefs regarding Authority, Salvation, Baptism, Communion, Church Government, and finally what distinguishes them as unique among the oth...

Chris and Casey discuss the amazing stories of the first Anabaptists during the Protestant Reformation. Although they are largely discredited, discounted, and misunderstood, they were the true reformers of the Reformation, who actually followed the principle of sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) to its logical conclusions. By doing so, they became convinced of believer's baptism, the separation...

Chris and Casey discuss the beginnings, well-known people, major events, and results of the popularized magisterial Reformation of the 1500s. They emphasize that the magisterial reformers and their allies were almost just as concerned with reforming society and government as they were with reforming Christian teachings and practices. They show that such a reformation would be nearly impossible to...

Chris and Casey discuss the major events, ideas, people, and results of the Renaissance era. They pinpoint the new discoveries, philosophies, practices, and institutions that were birthed in this period. Specifically, such topics as the rise of nationalism, humanism, literacy, and great technological advancements are described. Finally, they reflect on how modern-day Christians can learn from the...

In this special episode, Chris describes the extraordinary and courageous lives of the "pre-reformers" John Wycliffe and Jan Huss. He notes the main parallels between their day and our own, and how believers can learn from their superb examples of faithfulness, holiness, courage, and leadership in the face of societies and organizations that hated them. Specifically, he points out how be...

Chris and Casey provide an overview of the famous crusades of the middle ages. They start with the background of the condition of Europe and the Islamic empires in the early 1000s, discuss the causes of the first crusades, highlight the more significant events of the several different crusades, and describe the conclusion of the last crusade in the 1300s. Finally, they note the immediate and long-...

Chris and Casey discuss the origins, offensives, and outcomes of the Islamic empires of the early middle ages. Beginning with the establishment of Islam by Mohammed, they trace the major events, institutions, and interactions of the Muslims from the early 600s AD, and all the way to the first crusade in 1096. They highlight how the Lord was working through this religion and its adherents to furthe...

Chris and Casey discuss the roots, stages, and aftermath of the slow disintegration of the Roman Empire. How did arguably the most powerful and long-lasting empire in history collapse into a multitude of weak and conquered kingdoms? And this when it was ostensibly the only empire worshiping the Lord Jesus? Your ambassadors for the King discuss all this, as well as what we can learn from it about o...

Chris and Casey discuss the adult life, ascendancy, and reign of Constantine in the early 300s over what once was the Roman Empire. They highlight the truth about his conversion, practice of Christianity, and imperial policies. Lastly, they note the benefits of his reign, its corrupting influences on professing Christians and Christianity, and we can learn about our Christian views and treatment o...

Chris and Casey discuss the first main period of Christian persecution in history. Beginning with the Jerusalem saints and the martyrdom of Stephen, they survey the main persecutions and well-known martyrdoms of early Christianity. They note the reasons, methods, and results of the persecution of these believers. Among the notable figures discussed are some apostles, Polycarp, and the most notorio...