Topic: faithful servant

Revelation and Reconciliation 'Serious reservations ... must be voiced against the dominant position of the idea of revelation in theology, with its corollary that man's...

* God calls us to worship Him. The Lord is ‘majestic’ (Psalm 8:1, 9). He does not remain remote. He does not keep His distance. He shows us His greatness, the greatness of His love. We feel forgotten. He remembers us. We feel unloved. He cares for us (Psalm 8:4). We are tempted. He will ‘still the enemy’ (Psalm 8:2).

‘In everything’Christ is ‘pre-eminent’ (Colossians 1:18). * He is pre-eminent in our salvation. In Luke 23:42-43, we read of the thief on the cross, trusting in Christ for salvation. Like the dying thief, we come to Christ in our weakness. He meets us with His strong salvation. Deeply conscious of our sin, we know that we can do nothing to save ourselves. We must look away from ourselves to the Saviour.

God is calling us on to glory. There will be difficulties along the way. There will also be blessings. * God is calling us on to glory. We begin with the prophet – Jeremiah – and the psalmist – David. Here are two men who caught a glimpse of the glory of God. Jeremiah speaks of the Potter and the clay. The Lord is the Potter. We are the clay.

1:1-15 - ‘“Why is everyone saying it is not the right time for rebuilding My Temple?” asks the Lord’. His reply to them is this: ‘Is it then the right time for you to live in luxurious homes, when the Temple lies in ruins?’ (2-4). God’s people had forgotten about God. They were pleasing themselves - but they were not pleasing God! God is challenging us to think about our way of living - ‘Consider your way of life’ (5,7).

Chapter 16 God shows us His glory (7). He assures us that He is God (12). He provides us with 'daily bread' (4). Yesterday's 'bread' is insufficient for today's challenges (19-20). 'Morning by morning', the 'bread' is to be gathered (21; Lamentations 3:22-23). Jesus is the Living Bread (John 6:32-35, 48-51). Feed on Him each day. Don't invite spiritual starvation by missing days. If you miss some days, don't let it continue.

1-25 - ‘He was useless... now he has become useful’ (11). This is the story of Onesimus (the name means ‘useful’). A runaway ‘slave’, he became ‘a beloved brother... in the Lord’ (16). It appears that Onesimus had stolen from his master, Philemon (18-19). He landed up in prison - and there, he was converted! This is what Paul is telling us when he speaks of ‘Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment’ (10).