Straight Ahead Lies Yesterday
The above is the
title of a book written several years ago by Harry Rimmer. As well as I can
remember, (I first saw the book in 1945) Rimmer's theme was that most
everything repeats itself. Certainly
this has been the truth concerning nations.
Look at
Israel-God appointed a judge over Israel but when that judge died, they forgot
God and were punished by neighboring enemies. God raised another judge who led
them back. He died. They went astray again. And again they were punished.
Another judge .....etc., etc. Again 12 times the same pattern was followed.
They never learned their lesson under the judges and they continued in the same
path with their kings until they were completely devastated in 70 A.D.
The same is true
of other nations down through history. Babylon, the Grecian Empire, the Roman
Empire, the third Reich. All followed the pattern. None learned from the
other's mistakes. Yesterday being replayed.
Solomon said the
same thing Rimmer did--about 2700 years before Rimmer ever thought about it.
The Preacher put it this way: "That which hath been is now; and that which
is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past."
(Ecclesiastes 3:15) He also said that "there is no new thing under the
sun." (Ecc. 1:9) That which hath been is yesterday and now is today and
then he turns it around and says the same thing from the now of today back to
the yesterdays of times gone by.
Why will we not
profit by the events of yesterday? Do we lack wisdom to comprehend? Or do we
reason like the fool who always says, "It can't happen to me (us)." But
it does. So, the church suffers just like the nations and like the foolish
individuals. In spite of all the warnings God has given us, we plunge blindly
down the path that leads, always, back to yesterday. Hence, the first great
apostasy; the second; the third; and more yet to come. Why can't we learn?
We are now
entering a new year. A new paper. Perhaps a new beginning. To what can we look
forward? The same old mistakes? The same old hassles? The same old lethargy? We
have 525,000 minutes lying out there to be used --- or---wasted.
Let's do
things this year! Let's not bog down in endless controversy that leads to--zip!
If someone can be saved, well and good; but if it is just continuing
controversy, saying the same old things over and over---mark it off and go on
to something beneficial. Let's do like they are advocating over yonder in
Luchinbach, Texas; let's get back to the basics--faith, repentance and baptism;
the glory of the church; its mission, its work; the right kind of living; back
to the spirit and truth of worship.
Let's build up
the Cause that we all claim is dear and precious to us, or was that just lip
service? We're all getting a little closer to eternity. Since my last
journalistic effort, many faithful soldiers of the cross have laid their armor
by and gone on to greater things. Several good friends and past stalwarts have
departed from the faith and have reenlisted in the army of Satan. If one of them
is reading this, we beg, we beseech, that you consider tomorrow. None of us are
getting younger. It won't be very long. Do we no longer believe there is a
hell?
By now we are
probably down to 496,800 minutes. How are you going to use them? Let's prove both
Rimmer and Solomon wrong as far as we, individually, are concerned. We will
make new history for the Lord's church. We will not relive--yesterday!
R.L. (Bob) Craig, 1982
