28 The spirit of the world has not changed from that day to this.
Christian people of today in various parts of the earth are being placed in situations of deprivation and suffering because of their love for Jesus.
No matter what country we may be living in at this time, let us keep firmly in mind that the world and the worldly churches will murder Christ wherever He appears. Nothing has changed. If the world is showing kindness toward us, speaking well of us, we had better go to God and find if we truly are showing in ourselves the resurrection Life of Christ.
Christian people ought always to pray for the civil government that has the rule over them that they may be permitted to go about their business in peace and godliness. Government has been instituted by the Lord God of Heaven, and we are to submit ourselves to it unless it directs us to sin against God or to refuse to obey God.
Let us take up our cross where we are and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. We are the eternal enemy of the God of the world. He understands that fact fully. Let us make sure we do not allow Satan to lull us to sleep in the lap of Delilah.
There is a cross for everyone. There is a cross for you. Pick it up. Carry it faithfully each day of your pilgrimage until Christ Himself directs you to lay it back down. If you will carry your cross behind Jesus your perception will be sharpened so you will be able to distinguish between Christ and Antichrist. Your eternal inheritance will flow from your cross.
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. (Revelation 11:10)
When wicked men believe they have overcome the righteous they congratulate themselves. But their rejoicing does not endure for long because it is an abomination to God Almighty.
Notice how the trial of Christ reconciled wicked men:
And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. (Luke 23:12)
The peoples of the earth, being filled with Satan, will rejoice when they drive out the anointed remnant from the cities of the earth, persecuting and killing them. The Laodicean "Christians" will approve and assist in the torture and martyrdom of the saints just as the priests and Pharisees encouraged Pilate to crucify the innocent Jesus.
. . . because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. (Revelation 11:10) Moses and Aaron, two witnesses of God, tormented the Egyptians.
Elijah was a tormenter of the backslidden Israel:
And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? (I Kings 18:17) And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. (I Kings 21:20)
Elisha, who is the strongest of all the types of the two witnesses, also was a threat to Israel: Then he [the King of Israel] said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. (II Kings 6:31)
It appears, from the preceding verse, that Elisha was being blamed for the famine in Samaria. Elisha previously had captured the Syrian army but had refused to allow the king of Israel to slay the men whom he alone had captured (II Kings 6:21,22).
In spite of this generous treatment by Elisha, King Ben-hadad of Syria turned around and besieged Samaria, causing a terrible famine. Therefore, King Jehoram of Israel blamed Elisha for the famine, considering him to be a tormenter of Israel.
John the Baptist, another strong forerunner of the two witnesses, was a tormenter of King Herod: But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him [John] for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, (Luke 3:19)
Christ was a tormenter of the scribes and Pharisees of Israel:
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Matthew 23:33)
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