In 1948, Winston Churchill said to the House of Commons, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Our own nation is in the midst of a revolution. An outright revolt against history. While not everything in our history is good, it is true. And only truth can guide us forward.
The attack is not new. It is one of Satan’s greatest strategies: cause people to forget their past and you can affect their future. We have for many years seen a wave of “revisionist history” at work in our educational system. Rewrite what you don’t like. Now, it is even more pronounced. Erase it all.
What is true on a national scale is also true on a personal level. We must never forget our heritage. We must remember where God has brought us from. We must not lose our history.
I am reading Stephen Mansfield’s book More Than Dates & Dead People right now. It is a wonderful reminder that if anyone should be concerned with history it is God’s people. Think how important it was to God to give Israel ways to remember Him and all that He had brought them through. We all need reminders!
Just this morning I was reading devotionally in the historical books of the Old Testament. In the midst of that history God spoke to me in a very definite way about my life. The past affected my present. History must not be ignored.
Scripture is full of history: the history of Israel, the history of world empires, the history of individuals and families, the history of the church. It seems the Lord is deeply concerned that we not forget. Listen to the words of 1 Corinthians 10:
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant…Now these things were our examples…Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
History is most important as we near the end. Our generation needs a truthful perspective on the past, present, and future. It is time to take a long look at history again…
- History causes you to look back. Such remembrance is a constant reminder of man’s failures and God’s blessings.
- History causes you to look up. It is not just about man – it is about God. History is more than our story. It is the story of God’s dealings with a fallen world. History is intimately connected to theology.
- History causes you to look within. We are a part of something bigger than ourselves. History is being written for the generations to come and our decisions have lasting implications. It’s our turn.
- History causes you to look ahead. All of history ends at the throne of God. Every man must give account of his own life.
Someone has wisely said that what we learn from history is that no one learns from history. Let us do more than remember our history – let us learn from it.
Great truth, and great application! In I Cor. 10 God provides a ‘written memorial’ of the deceased in order to teach those living about the errant behavior of some of “our fathers”. [“Our fathers”: “with many of them God was not well pleased” (v.1 & 5).] The ‘written memorial’ was given for “our examples, to the intent we should not” do as the deceased and errant fathers of history have done.
Whether or not statues have been erected, all mankind is flesh and prone to errant behavior. With God’s help, we must live right, and must learn the lessons from the good and the bad of others — to better ourselves and to help those around us.
Amen. Thanks for taking time to read and share your thoughts!
Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I don’t know if you listen to pod cast, but Ronnie Brown has a series called Forgotten, that has really opened my eyes to what some of the saints before us had to endure for us to have the freedom we have today. God bless you brother! And thanks again!
Thanks for reading. yes, I am familiar with that podcast and actually just recommended it to someone recently. Very good. God bless you!
Thanks Bro. Pauley! I appreciate your recommendation. I appreciate your ministry, it has been such a blessing to me. I also enjoy your podcast “Enjoying The Journey.”
Thank you my friend. I have enjoyed your podcast! Appreciate what you are doing and hope our paths cross sometime.
Amen Scott Pauley. I have shared your post to facebook. We love you and your family.
Beacon Baptist. Jupiter Fl.
Thank you my friend. We have been praying for your pastor and all of you. God bless.
Recently an interesting comment was made by my godly wife: In referencing the folly of those destroying our history and of those desiring to destroy much more of it, she mentioned the folly of their behavior. She quietly referenced the time in America’s history when, basically, all women were under some degree of suppression by mankind — after all, it was the 19th amendment, ratified in 1920, that gave women the right to vote! She asked, “Why does this group only want to destroy the statues of certain men? Shouldn’t they set about to destroy the statues of all men?” Of course, her words ‘calling for destruction’ were only spoken to show the foolishness of those blind and misguided individuals attempting to erase America’s history..
Over 2 months after your August 24th post, an interesting thought came to me today. It is as follows:
First, read Acts 7:44-47. Within these verses we find Old Testament “fathers” (v.44 & 45) referred to from the current time in history of Stephen. And, several “fathers” are specifically named by Stephen — Moses; Joshua; David; Jacob; and Solomon. Never were these “fathers” mentioned in a demoralizing or disparaging way even though ‘sometimes they had faults aplenty’ — faults which could needlessly have been referenced to ‘bring these historical “fathers” to their knees’. However, the Old Testament “fathers” are referenced in a favorable manner. That is, although everyone knew the humanity and the faults of these “fathers”, these God-loving and well-meaning forefathers were revered and spoken well of — rather than removing their names from history or needlessly trashing them.
Interestingly, scripture teaches us that Jesus was “full of GRACE and TRUTH” (John 1:14). TRUTH allows us to honestly acknowledge the mistakes of others, and the mistakes of our self, too. However, GRACE allows us to deal kindly, gently, and lovingly with the ‘historical mistakes’ of our fathers which cannot be undone, and –thankfully!– allows us to deal kindly, gently, and lovingly with our own ‘historical mistakes’ — mistakes of yesterday — which cannot be undone. TRUTH prevents us from forgetting or whitewashing the past; however, GRACE allows us to move into the future unscathed — to move past the sins of our “fathers” and the sins of our self. “And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16).
THIS IS SCARY STUFF!!!! how come they do this stuff???
The devil is a liar and he loves to sow deceit wherever he can.