LIFE STORY, WITH SPIRITUAL EMPHASIS

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A TIME TO PRAISE GOD

An Autobiographical Record of Contemporary Life

under the Eternal God

Rev. Dr. Robert Euan Donaldson

Published by World Wide Web Witness Inc.

January 2008

with some updating November 2010

ISBN 978-0-9804100-4-4

Introduction

It is not often one is asked to provide a life story, but since much material is already written for the purposes of our Web Site as illustrating various features, and my journey is now one of some 80 years, and the request comes from the archives section of one's old school, it seems good to make some endeavour to meet this request.

This is not an autobiography, but rather a selection of significant and instructive points in one's life, leading to the call to Christ and to His work, and embracing the opposition, obstruction and plain persecution which has resulted, for ALL who live godly MUST suffer persecution as Paul so clearly states to Timothy. Yet that is the rind of the orange; within, there is much sweetness.

Obviously, since this world has crucified Christ, originally courtesy of Rome for the Gentiles in the person of Pilate, and Israel for the special race of the Jews, though neither of these bodies fails to have many who love the Lord, delight in their Creator and seek His will joyously, then there must be collision, as between light and darkness. If as John declares, the darkness does not comprehend the light, nor does it like it. It may like part of it, but not another; but if you like a man's pen, but not his writings, the result is negative in the end.

The grandeur of the Lord is such that His majesty is phenomenal; and His grace is such that His friendliness is no less so. The fear of the Lord is clean, a fact shown when we had to learn Psalm 19 when in the Scotch College Junior School, and His judgments are true and righteous altogether, and sweeter is His word than honey, and better than much fine gold. As far as this student is concerned. the emphasis on this when one was 12 years of age, was one of the best things the school ever did for me. The teaching of Hosea and Amos in year 12, was another grand action, and this time, it was from the Principal of the Senior School, just as the earlier teaching was from that of the Junior School.

However in the other years, between those, one could find little at that level, since the Bible was not implicitly honoured in certain classes, and when one learned of this fact, although not then a Christian, it became apparent even to one's youthful mind, that if someone arrogated the power to trivialise scripture, nothing good could be expected concerning religion from such a source. What after all is the passing show of the mouth of some man, compared with the mouth of the Lord through the ages! Hence in such classes, one tended to do mathematics or physics, since one appeared quite free.

When all is done, if one had to summarise what one has found in four words, these might well be: THE LORD IS GOOD. In fact, HE IS! In discipline as in blessing, in adventure and in confrontation with this world's powers, in degradation by false accusation and in error alike, one finds that He is good, and His goodness never fails, nor does His mercy cease to have that vital quality of kindness that is the work of the heavenly Father. This is empirical. It is what one has found. In writing, then, these memoirs or this account of living, one has no option but to include some of the grounds of conduct, constraints of action and authority for performance, the more in this, that the case has shown a considerable necessity for differentiation between biblical and other authority, that of the Lord's Christ and that of human inventions, aspiring to use that name (cf. II Corinthians 11!).

Small wonder that the Lord so instructed Jeremiah concerning the division of the sacred and the profane, His word and man's as his duty, joy and task (Jeremiah 15:19ff.).

It has been good to serve, since the age of 24, the Lord Jesus Christ. It has been a privilege associated with much evil wrought against me, but that is as nothing compared with the delight of knowing and serving Him, whom to know is eternal life (John 17:1ff.).

What would be this life if it simply stopped ? IT would be be a menace, a malady, an apportionment for severance, an introduction to eternal things in order to be divorced from them, an abhorrence. Such is like having your head cut off; it would be fine if it stayed, but divorced, it leaves only a mess. When however eternal life comes into sight, then there is resolution of all things, for the source of it is the Creator of the life one has, so that this brings an adjustment of splendour to vision when the obscurities are removed, and with this comes their ground and cause, and cure.

IF one had to select another twenty words, it might be these: Jesus Christ crucified is bodily risen, and with all power, gives all peace. As God of all Truth, He loves.

Praise God for the privilege of life, and eternal praise is due for eternal life. It lifts the soul, encourages enterprise, fashions thought and gives grace so stunning in its source and course, that it is not merely good to be alive, but in this first instalment of life, positively grand! His tender mercies abound, and even as the giant breakers like ocean waves, rear and assail, He washes and abounds. What a great and exhilarating thing it is to be permitted to share life with Him who made it, what colossal wisdom is His and what definitive love! There is one's abode.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Beginnings

Chapter 2

Developments

Chapter 3

Overview

Chapter 4

Duty, Doctrine and Drama

Chapter 5

Confrontation and the Praise of Christ

Chapter 6