Islam is the largest religion on earth with roughly two billion followers. Some countries are mainly Muslims while others are a mixture of Muslims and other religions including Christians. But is Islam a religion or a political system? 

In this interview with two preachers in Nigeria, we will hear from brothers in Christ who have firsthand experience with this movement. These Christians did not learn about Islam by watching videos. They know it because they have seen it in action. In this episode we will learn about their persecution and their fears, but we will also be amazed at their courage and perseverance. 

This is Part One of a moving interview with two TBC graduate students from Nigeria who share the story of their conversion and how they became gospel preachers. Tom Ekpot and Joseph Azembah are seasoned ministers who reflect on lessons they have learned through the years. By the grace of God, their work continues to influence many souls throughout this great nation, where opportunities to spread the gospel abound.

It is easy to acquire a pessimistic, even cynical view of mankind as we age. Disappointments in others and in ourselves accumulate, leaving us with a despondent outlook. Read the words of almost anyone in history who lived into his sixties or seventies and you will notice this negative frame of mind. 

It is true that the majority of people are lost in sin (I John 5:19). It is also true that evil tends to go from bad to worse (II Tim. 3:13). We understand this when we read about it happening in the Bible, and witnessing it ourselves makes this impression even deeper over time. 

But there are times when groups of people, sometimes in surprising numbers, turn back to God. The Old Testament records periods in the history of Israel when this happened.

We may be seeing such a revival in the hearts of many today. There is still much evil in the world, but there seems to be a surge of interest in spiritual matters, especially among young people. This trend is no landslide, but it has marks of being genuine. This episode explores how and why this may be happening before our eyes.

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• Scripture: Jude 3; II Timothy 3:16-17
• “As For Us”

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• RENEW 2021 “Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled”

It’s one of the best known stories in the Bible. There are countless drawings of it. Children learn it in Bible school. Christians of all ages love to read it and hear sermons about this challenge in Daniel’s life. Daniel had faced dangerous situations before, but being thrown into a den of lions was not something he expected.

This is a story of faith and courage. It is also a story of what happens when God’s law and man’s law collide. But to Daniel the choice was clear. He had resolved to follow the law of God regardless of the consequences. 

If Daniel could face this life-threatening crisis with faith, then Christians today can take courage and trust God in the face of trials that challenge our faith.

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• Scripture: Daniel 6
• Church, State and Disease in Light of Scripture and Common Sense

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• Bible Commentary: Hebrews 11

The signs of doom were there, but this arrogant king didn’t see it coming. A large army was stationed outside the city walls waiting for the command to attack. But this king was oblivious. He throwing a party in his luxurious palace. His name was Belshazzar, the grandson of king Nebuchadnezzar. He inherited the throne from his father and was the most powerful man in the world. But the Babylonian Empire he was over was about to come to a halt. Another major change was about to happen in the book of Daniel.

The old adage “the writing on the wall” comes from this story in Daniel 5. It is a warning against being prideful and forgetting the lessons of the past. It is also an encouraging story because Daniel once more had to adjust to changes in his world, and he does so without complaining or compromising. 

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• Scripture: Daniel 5
• TBC Free Course: What Happened to America

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• America Through the Eyes of Isaiah, Track #15 "God Rules Nations"

When people know the Bible, they understand life better. One of the simple yet profound truths of the Scriptures is that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). A thousand years after Simon wrote these words, Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12).

There are few things that lead to pride like power. That is why people in positions of authority are suspect to it. This episode looks at an ancient king who was warned by God but paid no attention to the warning and suffered the consequences. It is a warning to any politician today. More than that, it is a warning to us all not to give in to the old enemy called pride.

Read about this subject

• Scripture: Daniel 4
• “A President’s Mind and the Hand of God”

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• America Through the Eyes of Isaiah, Track #15 "God Rules Nations"

There are two kinds of Bible readers: those who read it for themselves and those who want someone else to do their thinking for them. That’s why there is so much big government religion today. Denominations set up a governing body supposedly to guide and assist the individual churches in that denomination. There are tow major problems with that arrangement. First, there is no biblical authority for it. Second, it is the source of  many personal and doctrinal problems.

A recent example is the Southern Baptist Church which is coming under fire for proposing a “constitutional” ban on women preachers. A vote of delegates passed the resolution with almost 75% approving the inclusion of the ban. But the proposal must pass two consecutive years to become part of the Southern Baptist charter. 

This episode will look at two questions about this issue in light of the Scriptures: Why do churches vote on matters the Bible already addresses? Does the New Testament authorize any form of church government higher than elders who oversee individual congregations?

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• Scripture: I Timothy 2:11-3:12; I Corinthians 14:34-35
• What is “Church”? Chapters 5, 9-11

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• Jesus and Issues of Today: “Can Women Be Preachers?”

How many times has your faith really been put to the test? Your faith is tested every day, but there are times in the life of a Christian when our faith seems to be pressed to the limit. It's not that we're unclear about what we should do. The problem is that it also seems very clear what could happen if we do. That stress causes fear, and that fear clouds our judgment. We must choose between faith and fear. 

Three godly, successful young men in the Old Testament found themselves in a life or death situation that revolved around their religion. They were given a choice—disobey God in order to obey the government or obey God and die. Their story is a tremendous example of faith and the courage it gives. That Bible story is known as the fiery furnace, and it is a powerful lesson for Christians today.

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• Scripture: Daniel 3
• “A President’s Mind and the Hand of God”

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• Bible Commentary, Track #32 in Ephesians study

Nations rise and nations fall. Politicians come and go. The world of politics is unstable and unpredictable. It’s no wonder that elections make us nervous. We work hard to secure our lives and set things in place for our families, and the government with a single decision can change everything we’ve built. We sometimes fear what the future will bring in our nation. 

Daniel lived in a foreign land. He had already been ripped away from his home in Judah and was taken to live and work in a country he did not choose—the strange land of Babylon. But in chapter two he learned that he would see another great change. The nation of Babylon seemed secure, but that would eventually change. Another nation would conquer Babylon and Daniel would find himself under a new government. But that was not all that God revealed. The nation that conquered Babylon would be conquered by another kingdom, and then that kingdom would be defeated by another empire. 

The cycle of changing administrations of power is the same. But God showed Daniel that He would establish a kingdom that is the exception to the rule. That kingdom will not fall and be replaced by another. It will stand forever.

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• Scripture: Daniel 2
• What is “Church?”

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• Bible Doctrine, “The Church”, “The Kingdom”

Americans disagree with each other on many points, but there is one thing we agree on: things are changing and they’re changing fast. People are moving from one state to another and from one country to another. The world is a smaller place. Everything seems to be challenged: our government, our education, our families, our values and our way of life. 

The book of Daniel is about adjusting to change—not compromising, but standing for what is right and against the wrong while learning how to get along with others with different customs and opinions. Daniel did both. He stood for truth and refused to budge. But he accepted changes that were inconsequential to his faith. 

Daniel was a young man whose life changed overnight. He was taken to the strange land of Babylon where everything was different. He saw quickly that he had to choose his battles. There was no point in resisting everything in the Babylonian way of life. But there were some lines he would not cross because the law of God had drawn those lines. 

We are living in a spiritual and moral Babylon today. Our world has changed and we are forced to deal with it. Daniel is noted for his wisdom in dealing with difficult matters. We need that wisdom today. This is the perfect book for our time and situation, and this first episode will teach us an important truth about living in a changing world.

Read about this subject

• Scripture: Daniel 1
• “Thoughts on the Passing of Time”

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• Bible Commentary, I Corinthians