At CrossHope Chapel we have just started a series through the epistles of Thessalonians, and last week we looked in Acts by way of introduction.

In Acts 17:5-6 we read were “the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers…” (ESV).

I wonder if I was the only one who saw that the jealous protesters of the incoming Trump administration were using the same playbook as Satan did against the believers in Thessalonica.

Satan’s way is “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” while Jesus’ way to give “life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Satan’s way is to “speak lies” (John 8:44) while Jesus is “truth” (John 14:6).

Satan’s tactic is to “accuse others” (Revelation 12:10) while Jesus bids others who are burdened, troubled, guilt ridden, oppressed “to come to Him and have peace” (Matthew 11:28).

Satan is using these jealous protesters as willing pawns in his doomed game of fighting against all things righteous, good, and promoting of life. Most of us who claim the name of Christ do not look to Trump for the solutions to the world’s problems. We may recognize that his policies will favor religious liberties and other constitutional lawfulness, unlike his predecessor’s policies, but biblical Christians know that only the return of King Jesus will end the pain of earth’s jealous sorrows.

Of course Americans have the right of peaceful protest, but there is nothing peaceful about obstructing other citizens from their right of movement, destroying public or private property, or even breaking the glass windows of businesses whose ideology agrees with the very ones breaking the windows.

To the jealous protesters I say…“it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:28) so stop and think before acting upon jealousy.

Daniel 2:21 makes it clear that God Himself “changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings” so if a Trump administration is that threatening to you, take that to God in prayer not to the streets in anger.