W W W W  World Wide Web Witness Inc.  Home Page    What is New



A SPIRITUAL POT POURRI

Actually, A and F Grade Schools becomes the first unit in

A SPIRITUAL POT-POURRI.

16 more follow.

With this first unit, we have three closely allied and useful items to put together for overall interest and impact. To them is added a broad spread digest, data spread, collation. Thus the current 8 are listed in chapters, below.

A SPIRITUAL POT POURRI

Rev. Dr. Robert E. Donaldson
January-February 1998
© 1998
Published by World Wide Web Witness Inc.
ISBN 0958888723540

Introduction

This is planned simply as a convenient collection of my different writings, usefully grouped in review themes. While some of these are already published, there has been a measure of revision, all progressive to our purpose. Others have not before been published, but cohere together with what has, thus providing a fascinating sweep of scope and breadth concerning what goes on in the medley of life on this planet, relative to its source, its origin, its procedures, and of course, its destiny - which, like it or not, is a matter of division.

With the first unit, we have 9 closely allied and stimulating items to put together for overall interest and impact. To them is added a medley, Chapter 4, which is a broad spread digest, data spread, collation for useful reference and comparison. CREATION in all its phases is the topic area.

The second section deals with items of GENDER which need address in the current confusion both in some churches and many societies. So much is written about what can be done that the consideration of divine direction from the specification Maker is often lost in the maze of aspiration, desperation, desire, tradition, oppression and ambition. Especially, the nature of love and this particular expression of it is often quite lost in the pursuit of pleasure, politics and vanity of nearly every sort imaginable.

The third concerns the SALVATION in Jesus Christ, and the acme of invisibility: the power that is lent to the Gospel (Romans 1:16), however visibly it may be proclaimed, however apparent is its locale. The works of Jesus Christ go on; His word continues impregnable to even the most ingenious assault. His work of redemption complete, except for its application, He works all things after the counsel of His own will in the triune splendour from which He came.

Partaking of that work is an inimitable privilege in His invisible presence. It is also a grace for His church, which IS His and to which His people move, like family members, first born, and HENCE in the family; who follow His words and will; and within the ambit of His word is inestimable grace and cherishing (John 17:6-8,11,21-23). His Church is no more a miraculous substitute for personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ than does it have liberty to sacrifice Him afresh, through manipulating His word, presence or power in flirtations with idolatry and confusion.

Blessed are those called to His presence and work, as His children - and indeed every Christian is so called (Romans 12:13-21, I Corinthians 12-13), in whatever function, in the love of Christ and the unity with Him, with His word and with one another. The call includes this: both directly or indirectly in His Great Commission faithfully

So is found the peace the world wistfully yearns for, mystically imagines or projects, or inanely despises. While its depths are past understanding in their wonder, its reality is like a sunset, like a dawn, the entry and exit of day, and it suffuses His people (Philippians 4:6-7, John 14:23-27).

A SPIRITUAL
POT POURRI
Currently there are three main themes
I

First on Creation: The Real versus theSurreal - nine units, the fourth a data bank...

1. A and F-GRADE SCHOOLS

2. THE EXTRAPOLATION OF WHAT DOES NOT EXIST (from The Other News, Appendix 3)

3. MARS BAR - MAGIC MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THOUGHT
(from Ch.1, The Kingdom of Heaven...)

- and all three of these are found from the hyperlink above in one composite unit.

4. TRIMMINGS AND TRAPPINGS for the Pot - some basics peeled and blended into the pot (mainly from the trilogy, The Shadow of a Mighty Rock)

5. The CATCHISM OF CREATION and the Excision of Evolution - a dialogue approach (from Ch.5, The Kingdom of Heaven...).

6. LIFE - WHAT IS IT ? Life seen on the one hand in its authoritative setting, and on the other, in its observable procedures... life defined, scrutinised and followed to its source, in wonder (relate to Ch.6, That Magnificent Rock, and Repent or Perish Ch.7).

7.THE ORGAN OF SIGHT

AND THE ORIGIN OF EYES

The Spectacle and the Spectacular

8. GOING OVER THE TOP, AT THE BOTTOM

The "Puzzle" of the Ocean's Bottom as a Cradle -
The Pathos of Myth

9. ENGINEERING NATURE AND ENGENDERING MAN -

The Scope, Perspective, Grace and Gravity of Genesis
 
 

II

Second on that Part of Creation called ... GENDER -

The Wonder or the Woe ?

10.  MEN, WOMEN AND YOUNGER PEOPLE
ALL HAVE THEIR SPECIALTIES:
SO DO ELDERS

Assault on I Timothy 2 is Vain, Unnecessary and Irrelevant - though it may serve some till the Day comes. 101-110

Confusion is a sign of the times, and empty forms of godliness can evacuate functions of beauty from the church.

11. THE DANCE OF LIFE - the sheer beauty of complementarity without surplus,

spirituality without identity,

faithfulness without sameness.

 

III


Salvation is our Third Main Theme...
Having it, and Missing it.
Don't Wait to a Funeral to Reflect!

12. ALL THIS ROT ABOUT NOT BELIEVING... An escape from convention in looking at the truth. Without it ? nothing but fraud. Perhaps the worst reward of the impenitent perpetrators who remain so, is this: that they shall never see the light

(John 3:19-21, 9:5,37-41, 8:12,44-55, 15:21-23, cf. II Peter 2:16-20, Isaiah 8:20).

13. THE WONDER AND THE WITCH - taken from Ch.8,
The Kingdom of Heaven... This is verse that covers things in a vast scope. Try it and see if you are
stirred to thought, action, understanding! It looks
at the hills of truth over the valley of darkness,
taking some infra-red snapshots as it goes.

14.

THE INVISIBILITY OF THE VISIBLE CHURCH...

The Invisible Basis of Visible Things in the Church which is Christ's  ... A question of working visibly in the realm of the invisible.

15. REST IN REALITY AND IN REDEMPTION

Ways In and THE WAY OUT of the Curse at the STRICTLY PERSONAL LEVEL, for man in the midst of a marvellous but marred universe (adapted from Ch.13 of Biblical Blessings).

16. THE FLASHING FALLS OF FREEDOM
The actual liberties of this world are a crafted testing place to exhibit reality. Here these are contrasted with freakish imaginary options, which would make it programmed pap, neither proving nor exhibiting the vitals of vitality.

If God were out of it all, there would be an immediate downgrading to programmed pseudo-people. But again, if He were not there, NOTHING could be (SMR Chs.1,3,10). He IS there, and some still ask questions. Let us look at freedom.

17. ON STAND-BY, BUT NOT IN FLIGHT

Pathology, power and the presence of the Lord in practical Christian life. Substitute christs, goals, loves, lords, psyches make up an interesting display of callow spiritual displays that do not have the advantage of being what the Bible calls . Christian.

Neither slack sleaziness nor proud self-assurance is needed, but ... obedience as the fruit of faith. THERE lies the wonder of the real. YOU, said Christ, are MY friends if you do whatsoever I command you. In practice, he called His disciples friends right at that time. It is real, practical and true (John 15:14-15 cf. 14:21-23).

18. TOUCH-DOWN !

It is Christ who is coming, despite the carnal confusion of many who have distanced Him, the imaginations of some who would make it secret or "before the great tribulation". He will come when He is ready, denying to man the knowledge of the "times and seasons" of its occurrence, while yet, in gracious generosity, placing a certain knowledge of the last lap, when the bell goes clanging! As to the antichrist, spiritually he is a non-event, like pus when a sore is reaching its crisis, before healing. The healing in this case however, like a vaccination, is within, for the Christian, it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory!" (Colossians 1:27), for whom we look with patience tinged with delight, as the time draws near.