THE WORLD IS STILL THE SAME

The world has not changed any bit, when it comes to dealing with God, His message and His messengers. The world had rejected God, His message and His messengers, all through the history…and it still does. Please follow the trail of incidents from the Bible and the Church history, to see how the religious powers and the secular powers were always opposed to Christ and His message.

Peter and John Arrested… 
– “11 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening….18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” – Acts 4:1-3,18

Peter and John Imprisoned again… 
– “17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison…27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” – Acts 5:17-18,27-28

The message of the apostles to their persecutors – be it religious heads of the Jews or the Roman powers…
– “29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” – Acts 5:29-32

The same is encountered by the faithful disciples of Jesus all through the history…
– On 28 May 1403 the masters of the German university attack John Wycliffe’s doctrines, which had spread through out Germany because of Jan Hus and others.
– On 28 May 1633 Joseph Alleine, the Puritan author of the popular book, “An Alarm to the Unconverted” is jailed in Lichester, because he did not comply with England’s Act of Uniformity.

The world hasn’t changed much since the early Church days. The so called religious heads, and the secular powers are all the same…they serve the prince of this world, and not the LORD Jesus Christ. So expect nothing different. The days, as we go forward, we will see more of such incidents, as in the past. May the LORD help us to stay true to Him and be His ambassadors, regardless of the cost. Even so the LORD help us.