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9th December 2024
MondayReflection
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'A Clay Jar'
'Ed Jarrett'
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"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NIV
I am a clay jar, a fragile, fallible follower of Jesus.
And this blog is a reflection of who I am and what God is doing in me.
My hope and prayer are that God will use this to his glory and that it will be a helpful resource to the body of Christ.
A Clay Jar focuses primarily on theology, the study of God, and all that he is doing in his creation.
I do not pretend to have all of the answers to life's big questions or even most of the little ones.
And there is no guarantee that the responses I do have are correct.
But I love the opportunity to share the fruit of my reflections on the Bible and life with you.
And I hope you will be willing to politely correct me when you perceive that I am wrong.
Encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
... 1 Thess. 2:12 NIV
Stand Behind Your Pastor, Supporting Him
... Ezra 10:4
I have found that most church members say they stand behind their pastor, supporting him and recognizing him as the leader of the congregation.
Yet many of those same ones will question the direction he leads if it is not in line with that member's own view of where the church should be heading.
Ezra was a spiritual leader of the Jewish exiles in Babylon.
He was a part of a group that returned to Jerusalem some years after the initial wave of returnees.
And when he arrived, he discovered that all was not as it should be.
Members of the Jewish community were marrying foreign wives in direct violation of the Law.
Ezra, along with many others, prayed about this, confessing their sins to God.
Finally, one of the men in the group spoke to Ezra, calling on him to act to resolve this issue.
But he did more than just challenge Ezra.
He pledged his support, along with that of the others gathered there.
It is your responsibility to act. We are behind you, so go ahead and get it done.
... Ezra 10:4 NIV
So Ezra arose and began to deal with this violation of the covenant.
And it was a hard thing to do.
It required the Jews to separate from their foreign wives and their children.
That seems strange to us today.
But it was necessary for them in that time and place.
While the circumstances are different today, our pastors are still often called on to make hard and challenging decisions and then follow through on them.
Decisions that may well not be popular with much of the congregation.
Will we trust that he is God's man for this time in the life of the church and support him?
Or will we complain and resist his efforts?
How much better it would be for us if we all would stand behind our pastor and support him as the assembly did for Ezra.
A word of caution, though.
I am not suggesting that we follow our pastors if they are acting and leading in ways that are contrary to the Scripture.
We should instead flee from these false prophets.
But if we believe that God has called them to where they are, then we should support and follow them.
><(((°>
This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
'Ed Jarrett'
Just an old clay jar that God continues to see fit to use in his kingdom's work.
I have followed Jesus for many years.
And I love to share what He has given me from His word.
I am retired, married with 2 children, and 4 grandchildren.
The views expressed here are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect those of any other person, group, or organization.
While I believe they reflect the teachings of the Bible, I am a fallible human and subject to misunderstanding.
I am always interested in your feedback.
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