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A past memory has new meaning when filtered through God’s Word in the Holy Bible
Way back last century when I was in high school I took shorthand as well as typing classes. One of the first things I learnt how to type on the old mechanical Remington typewriter was “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party”. Soon I could type along to this at the rate of 35 wpm (words per minute) which was discovered when receiving the results from my first typing speed test.
Sharing this little piece of information from my school days with my husband recently we realised that he too had a similar experience but the wording was slightly different — “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country”. No matter the difference in a word or two, the essence was captured and it was great fun to be able to feel as though you were actually typing as the clickety clack of the keys reverberated in quick unison when pressed down, followed by the ding of the bell announcing the end of the line, prompting the need to grab the handle and physically move the whole carriage to the left in one swift motion so that typing could commence again on the next line. A whole classroom full of students could cause quite a considerable noise with dinging bells going off seemingly at random.
I remember the excitement at being able to type and finding it easy to do so. I was told I was a “natural” meaning naturally adept at this skill. I loved it. It was enjoyable, made sense straight away, was purposeful, and could help people who had bad handwriting so that others did not have to try to interpret their hieroglyphics.
Many years later we now type away with very flat keyboards on iPads, Tablets, laptops, desktops, and smart phones which makes it much easier to speed type. At the peak of my career I was able to achieve up to 100 wpm and over, with 98% accuracy on an IBM Selectric golf ball typewriter in the mid 1980s when working as a private secretary.
I miss those older style typewriters. In fact if we ever see an old IBM Selectric at a garage sale one day and the price is right, and it is in working condition, then it would be nice to purchase it. There was an opportunity back in the 1990s when I could have done so but the timing was not right. As time has gone by it seems as though some appreciate even more what we had back then when we were growing up.
Reflecting back on how far things have changed and progressed with technology, I have to say that I would never have predicted the nature of these changes and the way in which they have rapidly come about as we have experienced. Things are definitely speeding up in more ways than one. Many times I have deeply desired to know what the future holds, but these days I am more than content to leave this department in God’s expert hands.
The Time Is At Hand
In similar fashion the world changed rapidly with the advent of the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, so much so, that people were claiming the world was turned upside down in their time.
Remember John the Baptist? We can read the account of how John’s birth was announced to his priestly father via the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:5-25 and other details further along in Luke 1:57-66. John was the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth who was cousin to Mary, mother of Jesus. John was a prophet who started his ecclesiastical service at the age of 30 and was 6 months older than Jesus. They were second cousins. He preached in the Wilderness — the desert valley of the Jordan during the time of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was Procurator (governor) of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee. Herod’s brother Philip was tetrarch of Iturea, and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests at the time (Luke 3:1-2).
Matthew 3:1-6 begins with “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is He who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD, make His paths straight’”. And John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptised by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.”
The Old Testament reveals prophecy of John the Baptist where the scripture says in Isaiah 40:3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God”. John was predestined to fulfill the role of a mighty prophet testifying of His witness to Jesus Christ as written in John 1:6-7 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light”. Of course this passage is referring to Jesus Christ as that Light.
The main message from John the Baptist is found in Mark 1:2-5. John preached of repentance for the remission of sins and baptised in the river Jordan all those willing to confess their sins. We are not told how long John preached and baptised for. We are told that his life was cut short when he was put in prison and then beheaded on the orders of King Herod. The account is recorded for us in Mark 6:17-29.
After John’s imprisonment, Jesus began his Galilean ministry, likewise at the age of 30 (Luke 3:23) declaring “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 4:17). Jesus sent out His apostles in this way also (Matthew 10:7). Almost 2,000 years into the future, we are living in the end times as Christ’s disciples with the same message as all those who have gone before us.
We are told many times over throughout God’s Word that the Kingdom of God is at hand. In the last book of the New Testament in Revelation 22:7, we are warned that Christ is coming quickly! And again in verse 10, again in verse 12, and one final time in verse 20 right at the end of the Bible that the time is at hand, that Christ is coming quickly and surely. Now is the time to be ready for the soon coming Kingdom. As Christ’s disciples our time is now to be ready for God’s Kingdom to be ushered in by Jesus Christ. Will you be ready? We do not have a moment to lose.