Faith, Gospel, Salvation, Sin

Risque Business: Or, How an Adult Product Company Provided Some Very Interesting Content for my Blog

Michelle Lesley

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I received a hilarious e-mail today. Was it a video of a cute and bumbling puppy? No. A clever joke or anecdote? No. A funny political cartoon? No.

It was actually a piece of spam from an up and coming …shall we say… “adult” products company.

Normally, I would just roll my eyes that my spam filter didn’t catch it and simultaneously click delete, but due to the fact that there were no pictures in it nor a subject line that would raise a red flag, I didn’t realize what it was until I started reading it.

This company wasn’t trying to sell me one of their products, they wanted me to review one of their products.

On my blog.

Which sent me into hysterical fits of laughter.

The company wants to provide me “with the opportunity to write interesting content for [my] site.” And, “If this project goes smoothly, there are probably other ways we could work together as well.”

Do tell.

No, on second thought, don’t.

Sorry, my friend, I’ve already got the most interesting content on the planet for my site.

I’ve got a God-man who came to earth, lived for three decades without ever committing a single sin in thought, word, or behavior, turned water into wine, healed blind eyes, deaf ears, crippled limbs, and broken minds, fed tens of thousands of people from one plate of food, and spoke the wisest words that have ever been uttered.

And to top that all off, He willingly let His own community butcher him. Why? For billions of rebellious people who hate Him. So that He might set them free and rescue them from an excruciating eternity.

Oh, and then there’s that bit about Him coming back to life.

My reply to the spam e-mail I received was this:

I’m just curious, have you actually read my blog? Take a look and let me know whether you still think it’s a fit for your product: (web address)

I truly hope my e-mail makes it through and is actually read by someone. Because it turns out that “Brian” at the adult product company was right. They did give me the opportunity to write interesting content for my site: the Gospel.

And, Brian, if you want to discuss this interesting content more, get in touch and we’ll chat. I believe you have my e-mail address :0) “If this project goes smoothly, there are probably other ways we could work together as well.”

Faith, Heaven, Salvation, Sin

Andy Walks with Me, Andy Talks with Me…

Michelle Lesley

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 Actor Andy Griffith died last week, and in the wake of his passing, I’ve seen several cartoons like these, depicting him entering Heaven.

From everything I’ve heard and read, Andy Griffith was a nice guy. A loyal friend. A hard worker. A caring person. All qualities to be admired and emulated.

 But is being a “nice guy” enough to get somebody into Heaven?

Answer: No. No, it’s not.

The truth is, the question itself is fundamentally flawed. From God’s perspective, there’s no such thing as a “nice guy.” We’re all born sinners in a state of rebellion against God, and things just get worse from there as far as our “niceness,” in God’s eyes, goes.

as it is written, “ THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
Romans 3:10

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Many people hope that when they stand before God after death, the good things they’ve done in life will outweigh the bad things they’ve done.

That’s impossible.

The Bible tells us that even the good things we do are dirty.

For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Isaiah 64:6

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A “filthy garment.” Ick.

My husband owns a home maintenance and lawn care business, and does almost all of the labor himself. Frequently, that heavy physical labor has to be done outside.

It’s July.

In south Louisiana.

A.k.a. “hell’s armpit.”

There are days when my husband comes home from work so sweaty, dirty, and nasty that he strips down before coming in the house and leaves those disgusting clothes on the back porch until they’re ready to be picked up and put straight into the washing machine.

I’m familiar with the concept of a “filthy garment.” And those are the good things we do.

Giving money to charity. Helping at a soup kitchen. Letting somebody else go first in line. Visiting your grandmother in the nursing home.

That’s the stinking pile of rags we’re going to lay before the King. And that dirty laundry isn’t going to buy a single day in Heaven.

Why are those things a stench in God’s nostrils? I mean, they’re all good, noble things to do, right?

Imagine that I went to Tiffany’s and bought you the most exquisite diamond ring they had. But, before I gave it to you, I took it home, went out into the back yard, and rolled it around in some dog poop. Would you reach out for it eagerly when I offered it to you? I doubt it. Nobody wants a poop covered ring, no matter how nice it is.

That’s how our good deeds look to God. They’re made so gross by our sin that they’re not appealing to Him, they’re repulsive.
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Fact is, there was only one truly “nice guy” who ever lived. His name was Jesus, and He died on the cross and was resurrected so we could be made clean from all that sin.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

Being a “nice guy” won’t get you into Heaven. The only way is to confess and turn from your sins, accepting, through faith, that Christ paid the penalty for those sins for you.

We can’t assume that Andy Griffith is in Heaven just because he was a nice guy. But if he repented and placed his faith and Jesus, book it. He’s there. And if you do the same, Heaven will be your eternal home, too.

Whenever they “may bury” you.

Calvinism/Arminianism

Tiptoeing Through the T.U.L.I.P.s

Michelle Lesley

ImageWith all the debate going on out there about Calvinism vs. Arminianism, I thought I’d weigh in with where I stand. So here it is:

I stand on the Bible. I believe all of it. Every word.

The Bible tells us that we are all sinners who abide under the wrath of God, and that the only way to escape the just penalty for our sin –an eternity in hell—is to repent from our sin and place our faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross as payment for that sin, and in His bodily resurrection.

Precisely how God accomplishes salvation at the nanosecond of a human’s repentance and faith, and the minutiae involved in predestination that isn’t revealed in Scripture, along with some of the other fine points of disagreement between Calvinists and Arminians, are, and will remain, a mystery understood only by the mind of God. And no amount of debate will change that.

Scriptures concerning election, predestination, and free will are constantly tossed back and forth in this debate, but I don’t believe I’ve ever heard either side bring out:

Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”

Isaiah 55:8-9: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

I Corinthians 13:9,10,12: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”

How are we doing on the things that have been clearly revealed to us in Scripture? Is the entire world evangelized? Is the church a pure and spotless bride ready for Christ’s return? Has false doctrine been eradicated? Is every widow and orphan cared for?

No?

Then we are to be about the business of “the things revealed” and leave “the secret things” to the Lord.

The truth is, when we get to Heaven, no matter where we land on the spectrum of Arminianism vs. Calvinism, we’re probably all going to find out that none of us had every single aspect of this theological construct precisely correct. What is the point of debating to the death something we may eventually find out we were wrong about?

Let us “Be diligent to present [ourselves] approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth,” (II Timothy 2:15) and, “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling,” (Philippians 2:12) as we seek to work together to carry out the Great Commission.

Church

6 Thoughts on the Luter-an Presidency

Michelle Lesley

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Southern Baptist Convention as a messenger representing my church. It was an historic meeting, as we elected the first African American president of the SBC. As I sat in the meeting and listened to what everyone had to say about the election of Pastor Fred Luter of Franklin Ave. Baptist Church in New Orleans, several thoughts came to mind…
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1. I don’t know Pastor Luter personally, but from what I’ve read about him and heard about him from those who do know him personally, he is a Godly man with a genuine love for our denomination and a concern to see it flourish in a biblical way for the furthering of God’s kingdom. I was glad to have the opportunity to vote for him.

2. I wish this could have happened about 30 years or so ago. I’m afraid that the perception from outsiders, and even from some Southern Baptists, is that, up until last Tuesday, there has been a concerted effort by the majority of  Southern Baptists to keep African American pastors out of the SBC presidency. I concede that there may have been a small amount of that going on behind the scenes in the last few decades, and that even today, there is probably a tiny minority of unrepentant racists who call themselves Southern Baptist who were not happy with Pastor Luter’s election to the presidency. In a word to those folks: repent.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that African American pastors (SBC presidents are nearly always pastors) are a very small minority in the SBC to start with. Sometimes, this is because of the African American pastor’s own choosing, not because the SBC is trying to exclude African American pastors. I have heard African American pastors say that they were strongly discouraged by other African American pastors, friends, and loved ones from joining the SBC denomination because of the perception (and admittedly, decades ago, the actuality) that it is a racist denomination.

My guess is that we haven’t had an African American president before now (in the last 30 years or so), not because those behind the scenes have been actively trying to keep African American pastors out, but because: a) a suitable African American candidate could not be found, or b) the African American pastors who were approached about the presidency would not accept the nomination.

3. A lot of the speeches and talk surrounding Pastor Luter’s nomination/election were saturated with phrases like, “diversity,” “this is long overdue,” etc. Of course, this type of talk is true, and it was proper for things like this to have been said, however, as Christians, skin color and diversity should not take center stage when it comes to electing ANY president of the SBC. God should. The Bible should. Theology should. I honestly think more people were focused on the diversity issue than finding out about Pastor Luter’s theology, and as Christians, that should not be.

4. Because of all the talk of this finally happening and everyone –rightfully so—being glad about it, there was a slight aroma that all of these white guys were patting themselves on the back for electing a black man. I want to stress here that I absolutely do not think that was the intention of any of my brothers’ or sisters’ hearts, but sometimes unintended perceptions arise. It made me feel bad for Pastor Luter that he might have felt any hint whatsoever that he is just a “token black.” I do not believe that is the case. Quite the opposite, in fact.

5. I think there will be a lot of pressure on Pastor Luter to focus on diversity when he has clearly stated that the main focus of his presidency will be on strengthening evangelism and discipleship in the SBC (which I was extremely happy to hear). This pressure, unintended or not, is not fair to Pastor Luter. We need to be sure to give Pastor Luter the space and freedom to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in whichever direction He might take him. Though diversity is indeed an important issue, the SBC is facing a lot of important issues besides diversity, and Pastor Luter will need to be able to focus on all of them.

6. I’m excited to see how God will lead us as a denomination through Pastor Luter, and I’m expecting great things from him.

Church

You’d Probably Have to be a Southern Baptist to Understand: The Budget Business Meeting Edition

Michelle Lesley

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What people like me (if there are any) think about during the budget/finance portion of the church business meeting:

1. Lord, thank you so much for the smart and trustworthy people at my church who understand and handle our budget and finances.

2. I wonder how many pizzas that $30,000 they’re talking about would buy. I’m starving.

3. How many bake sales would we have to hold to keep the lights on if I were in charge of the budget? Mmmmm….cupcakes…I’m STARVING!

4. Uh oh, while I was thinking about bake sales, they called for the vote. Are we voting on the motion, or the amendment to the motion, or to table the motion? Wait, what WAS the motion?

5. Come on, baby, do the locomotion…

6. I wonder if anyone can tell that this budget report would make just as much sense to me if it were written in Chinese.

7. Mmmm…Chinese…

8. I’m going to raise my hand and make a motion that we order in some Chinese food and “table” it. HAHAHAHAHA! That would be so funny! Ok, maybe it would only be funny to me. Everyone else in the room seems to be an adult.

9. WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS?????

10. Why do I understand the motion LESS now that the discussion on it is over than I did when it was first proposed?

11. If you got the notion, I second that emotion…

12. If I volunteered to write a check for whatever it is they’re talking about, could we move on to something more interesting? Like, maybe: would a church member who writes a rather large check to divert a business meeting necessarily be excommunicated if it bounced? Or, how about the ever scintillating topic of ORDERING SOME DOGGONE CHINESE FOOD FOR CRYING OUT LOUD?

13. . …motion…potion…ocean…lotion…Goshen (5 extra points for a Bible word!)…notion…ummm…coastal erosion…

14. Interesting. The word “fund” starts with FUN. I’m not feeling any fun happening here. Anyone else? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

15. Bueller…Bueller…rhymes with Muller….George Muller (where’s the dumb umlaut on this keyboard?!?!)…yeah, George Muller, the guy who prayed for everything he needed and God just provided…I wonder how many business meetings HE had to go to….

16. I should start making notes for the blog post I’m going to write about this when I get home. Why didn’t I think about that two hours ago!?!?

17. Are we STILL talking about this???

18. I wonder if it’s too soon to make a motion to adjourn. I wonder if someone else will do it soon. I wonder if I’m going to have to do it. I wonder if I’m the only one wondering this.

19. If ONE MORE PERSON makes a motion from the floor, I’m going to give myself a fatal paper cut with this ream of reports and spreadsheets they gave me when I walked in.

20. Lord, thank you so much for the smart and trustworthy people at my church who understand and handle our budget and finances.

 

“I move we adjourn.”

 

SECOND!