Straight Ahead Lies Yesterday

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