Encouragement – Page 9 – Michelle Lesley

My Testimony to the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ

by Lisa Brown

My prayer is that God would use this as a witness to His Truth and that He will be glorified.

When I was 12, during an invitation, I walked the aisle up to the pastor. The Sunday before, an 11-year-old boy had been saved and I didn’t like that he was only 11 and I was 12 and I hadn’t “done that yet”. I do remember knowing “Jesus died on the cross for me”. I didn’t understand what that meant, but since I had heard this all my life, I believed it. I don’t remember what I said or what the pastor said. I remember being told that I was saved and was baptized a few Sundays later. Nothing about me changed.

For the next 23 years I did whatever I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it without regard to whether or not it was pleasing to God, nor did I care. It didn’t matter to me how I lived my life as long as God forgave me at the end and I didn’t go to Hell. As I was in and out of churches, the false belief that I was saved was reinforced by the sermons I heard. I could name a time and place I had “made a decision for Christ”. I didn’t really understand what salvation was but I didn’t know that at the time. I didn’t see myself as having sinned against a holy God. As far as I was concerned I had prayed the prayer and that was all I needed to do.

When I was 35, God caused me to see how sinful I was (I will spare you the details). For the first time I realized that my prayer as a kid did not save me. For the first time, I hated who I was and how I had been living my life. For the first time, I realized that how I was living my life hadn’t just hurt me, my friends and my family, but I had grieved God. For the first time I understood that salvation was not just about getting out of Hell. I finally understood what “Jesus died on the cross for me” meant. I finally understood how wretched I was and why Jesus had to die for me. It was at this time, that I truly wanted God to forgive me and save me and I knew then that I belonged to Him.

The Holy Spirit has taught me so much in the past 16 years and has grown me steadily at times and by great leaps and bounds at other times. The first 5 years He showed me how I was to live my life as a Christian. I wasn’t very good at it. I had no one to mentor/disciple me. But, as time went by, God taught me more and more through reading Scripture and my desire to obey Him grew. The next 9 years He showed me that because I desire to obey Him I would lose some close relationships and other friendships but that He is never going to leave me. He strengthened the godly friendships and brought strong Christians into my life, including moving me from one church to another so that I would be taught and understand the truth of His Sovereignty. He has also taught me even more to not depend on myself or other people but to completely depend on Him. He has taught me not to be afraid to ask Him to break me.

About 2 years ago God gave me a greater understanding that my relationship with Him is not about how obedient I am. Much of what I had believed since being saved was that I had to “be good” or God would not be pleased with me and not hear my prayers. I knew I was saved but thought that my day to day relationship with God was based on how good I was. I hadn’t prayed enough. I hadn’t read my Bible enough. I hadn’t shared the Gospel enough. I hadn’t given enough. I continually felt that God was not pleased with me most of the time and I needed to do better so God would hear my prayers. I thought that I was forgiven of my past sin but had to answer to God later for all these sins I was committing now and continually having to repent of.

When I was challenged by a friend to dig deeper into God’s Word I realized that when God forgave me, He not only forgave me of my past sins, but for ALL my sin. God is pleased with me because of Jesus, and not because I am meeting some standard. That correction in my thinking was a great burden lifted. Now, I live my life for God because he saved me and not because I don’t want God to regret that He saved me. What freedom! God’s grace to me is beyond my understanding and I can never be grateful enough for it and I can never love God the way He deserves to be loved, but I can obey His commands out of gratefulness and love and no longer out of fear of disapproval.

God continues to teach me and draw me closer to Him. He has put a love in my heart for fellow believers. This is a big deal because there were times that I didn’t think I was capable of loving anyone other than my children. He has brought a precious Christian friend into my life that truly cares about my relationship with God. She has mentored and discipled me and continually pushes me toward God with both her words and her example. I have grown more passionate for Scripture and my time alone with God. I am learning every day and falling in love with Jesus more and more.

I want the world to know God as righteous and holy and treat Him with respect and reverence; not in a casual manner as a buddy, or as merely a gift giver. I want everyone to understand that God is not only good when we get the things we desire, but that He is inherently good. I want my friends to be aware of the dangers of false teaching, so I warn them. I want others to understand who God is and the truth of His Word so I share the Gospel. I want others to truly understand how man’s standard for goodness compares to God’s so that they can see their own sin. I want the whole world to hear about God’s salvation, but my heart goes out mostly to those that sit in churches week after week like I did as a false convert.

Please pray for Lisa: Prayers would be appreciated. I have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This is the 2nd time. The first was 19 years ago. I had surgery last week and am now recovering. Doing this all with a broken foot. God is merciful and worthy of all my praise. I just want Christ to be glorified.

Update from Lisa (1/21/16): “Thank you to those that have been praying. I just learned yesterday that the cancer is not in my lymph nodes so I do not have to have chemo. And I have plenty of family and friends to help me while I recover from the cancer surgery with a broken foot. God is merciful!”

Ladies, God is still at work in the hearts and lives of His people, including yours! Would you like to share a testimony of how God saved you, how He has blessed you, convicted you, taught you something from His word, brought you out from under false doctrine, placed you in a good church or done something otherwise awesome in your life? Private/direct message me on social media, e-mail me (MichelleLesley1@yahoo.com), or comment below. Try to be brief (3-4 paragraphs or less) if possible. I’ll select a few to share on the blog another time. Let’s encourage one another with God’s work in our lives!

Colossians Bible Study

Colossians: Lesson 7

October 19, 2016April 5, 2019 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Colossians 4:7-18

Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. ⁸I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, ⁹and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

¹⁰Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. ¹²Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. ¹⁴Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. ¹⁵Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. ¹⁶And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

¹⁸I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Questions to Consider:

1. What is the theme or purpose of this passage? With what sort of tone (rebuking, emphatic, compassionate, etc.) does Paul close out this epistle? Thinking back over the previous lessons, give a 3-5 sentence synopsis of Colossians in your own words.

2. List the people Paul mentions by name in this passage, noting the words of praise he has for each. Paul did not take those who served with him in ministry for granted. Are you thankful for those who serve in the various ministries of your church? What are some ways you can show appreciation to others who serve in ministry alongside you (and over you) at your church?

3. What else do we know about Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Mark, Barnabas, Epaphras, Luke, Demas, and Archippus? How can cross-referencing give us a fuller picture and better understanding of a passage we’re studying?

4. Examine and describe the ministry roles each person in this passage fulfilled in the Body of Christ in light of 1 Corinthians 12:4-7. How does Colossians 4:7-18 demonstrate the need for various people to carry out various “services and activities”? How does this passage show value for a variety of servanthood roles and ministries, even those we might consider small or unimportant? Think about your church and Christianity at large. Do we place a greater value on those who serve in “spotlight” (“important”) roles compared to those who serve in obscure (“unimportant”) roles? How does 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 speak to this?

5. Note the words “encourage your hearts” (8), “they have been a comfort to me” (11), “struggling on your behalf in his prayers” (12), and “the church in her house” (15). How were encouragement, comfort, prayer, and hospitality crucial to the early church? Are they just as crucial to the church today? Is your church particularly strong or weak in any of these areas? How could your church improve in these areas?

Homework:

How can you serve your church in the areas of encouragement, comfort, prayer, and hospitality? Think of one specific thing you can do for your church or a particular person in your church in each of these four areas, and do them over the next week. For example:

Monday: Write an e-mail encouraging my pastor.
Tuesday: Visit one of my church’s members who is hospitalized or a shut-in.
Wednesday: Pray through my church’s prayer list.
Thursday: Invite the lady who visited my church on Sunday for coffee.

Encouragement, Share Your Testimony

It’s Testimony Tuesday!

October 18, 2016May 16, 2019 Michelle Lesley

Could you use some encouragement these days? I sure can. Here are some testimonies readers have recently sent in and left in blog and social media comments testifying to the goodness of God and proclaiming His work in their lives. Let’s celebrate God’s good deeds together!

From a reader commenting on Do You MIND?: Five Reasons for Pastors to Mind What Their Brides Are Reading:

I was that gal! I read bad theology for years, led ten women astray for approx. 10 years. I was not grounded in Gods word, like many in the church today. It grieves my heart the pain I’ve caused from NOT accurately handling the word of God. Like so many I just didn’t know any better. Much what I believed was deemed o.k. even by leadership. After a Mike Bickle weekend at IHOP I happened to carelessly leave my book on the kitchen table. This was a book written by Wendy Alec, from God T.V. (premises of this book as I cannot remember the title) was about her many visitations from God while they sat over tea for I believe a course of ten days. My husband found the book and read the back. Praise God this was the day which changed everything for us. He realized he had been an absent husband and I was far off down stream drinking the poisoned water from these wells of false gospels and heretical teachers. Long story short my husband helped me see the truth. It has been a long, painful ten years but now I check everything and everyone’s teaching against Gods word. Only by Gods grace we now teach against such things(not very popular I must admit) But We cannot go backwards once the truth has been made known!

From a Facebook follower:

One thing I can say I have honestly been convicted on as a young mother is Eph. 6:1..and in a way more for myself than my children..My motivation for their obedience shouldn’t be from a prideful standpoint of “I’m your mother and you should listen to me. End of story.” But from a place of “my dear child, I want you to obey because that is what the Lord commands of you to do. And we respect the authorities He places over us in our life, because in doing that we respect and please Him.” This simple change in the way I look at obedience has changed my responses to my children as well as my general heart toward them. I am no longer frustrated when they don’t listen as much as I am grieved and take that opportunity to exhibit grace and teach them the proper way of obedience.

Encouragement, Suffering, Tragedy

Weeping with Those Who Weep

August 26, 2016August 23, 2023 Michelle Lesley

It was the week after the historic Louisiana flood of 2016. I was driving down the road, if sitting through three red light cycles per intersection due to horrendous traffic could rightfully be called “driving,” that is. Hot and sweaty, filthy, emotionally drained, and exhausted from cleaning and hauling, I was making my way from my friend’s flooded house to help out at my ninety-five year old grandmother’s flooded house, guilt-stricken that I couldn’t be in both places at once.

And that’s when I heard it.

I was listening to one of my favorite theological podcasts, and when the host began talking about the flooding in Baton Rouge, my ears perked up. He began talking about God’s sovereignty- that, because God always does what is best for believers – for our discipline, growth in holiness, increased dependence on Christ, and the like – that this flood was good for us. He said it kindly, lovingly, and backed up with Scripture. And he was absolutely right.

Yet, three days after a life-altering catastrophe, with a heart still raw and broken for my loved ones and my community, it was exactly what I did not need to hear.

It’s crucial to bring good theology to bear on every situation we face in life. We need to apply Scripture to the situations we go through in order to help us make biblical sense of things, walk obediently, give thanks, and glorify God.

And yet, the Bible doesn’t say, “Give a theology lecture to those who weep.” It says, “Weep with those who weep.” Why? God is all about the Word, isn’t He? Why wouldn’t He want us to jump right in and exhort hurting people with scriptural principles?

Because He knows us. He created us.

People need a minute to take a breath and absorb everything that has happened to them before their hearts and minds are ready to transition into thinking theologically about the situation.

Sometimes we just need to sit and cry for a while. And maybe we need someone we love to sit and cry with us. No Romans 8:28. No talk about how God is going to use this to grow us. No discussion of whether God “caused” or “allowed” this tragedy. Just some time to grieve without having to think. And God’s word says that’s OK.

background-1014963_1280_20160825204650279

Even Job’s companions, poor theologians though they were, got this part right:

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
Job 2:11-13

But sometimes, even with the best of intentions, maybe without even realizing it, we skip the vital step of making an appointment to sympathize with and comfort our suffering loved ones. We neglect to rend our hearts and sit on the ground and weep with those who mourn. We fail to see that their suffering is very great. And yet this is one of the very ministries Christ calls us to.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

A time to discuss theology, and a time to weep with those who weep.

Encouragement

God is Still Working and I’ve Got Proof

May 20, 2016August 29, 2023 Michelle Lesley

Has the world lost its collective mind, or what? From our presidential candidate options to perversion in public restrooms, to Christian business people having to risk their livelihood in order to operate in keeping with biblical principles, it seems like every time I turn around there’s some new piece of bad news smacking me in the face.

And it’s not just “out there,” either. The hits just keep on coming for the church as well. I hear almost daily from ladies who are distressed that the women of their church are being indoctrinated with false teaching in the name of “women’s Bible study.” Women who have left no stone unturned in their search for a doctrinally sound church to attend, and simply can’t find one in their area. Women who weep over their friends and loved ones held captive by the latest pop heresy.

It’s enough to discourage even the most bubbly of Pollyannas.

I wish good news got as much press as bad news, because, believe it or not, I hear from at least as many, if not more, women with encouraging stories to share about how God has been at work in their own lives, in their churches, and the in the lives of their friends and loved ones.

It always builds me up and gives me hope to hear their stories, so I thought it might encourage you, too. Take a look at what Christian women (and men!) like you are saying* about what God is doing in their lives – and what He can do in yours, too!

Wanted to share with you regarding your authors and speakers list. I sent it via e-mail to some friends. I received three positive responses back. One was already questioning [the doctrine of a particular false teacher]. She has been invited to one of [that false teacher’s] conferences. She will not be attending after reading this and will warn her friends that are attending.

[Another friend] shared with me that she feels God is calling her out of [a false doctrine church].

A pastor’s wife that thanked me for the information and said she will never be a a part of someone who embraces false doctrine.

I was thankful for your post on Priscilla Shirer and sent it to some women in our church. I had one very positive response with a request to learn more of the Scriptures.

I am thankful to be a member of a local church that is taught the Word of God through expository preaching and teaching. In fact, our pastor leads our “women’s ministry”. We are being taught theology and how to minister to one another and other women within our body and the ultimate body of Christ.

I told [the person leading the book study by a famous women’s Bible study author] that I was not signing up for the next one. I have just finished John MacArthur’s How to Study Your Bible, and I will begin reading the Bible through starting tomorrow morning. I just finished reading [the Bible] through this morning, but I am starting over again using the method he outlines in his book.

[I recently read your article] regarding Lysa TerKeurst. It made me extremely sad to read about her emergent-leaning doctrines. I’d been following P31 ministries for about two months when [I read the article]. I would appreciate any advice or direction you give me for biblically sound studies!

Here’s the view into my recycling bin. I was going to get rid of it last year, but ended up holding on to it. It’s gone now!

12227009_984483224931780_4841028828370165098_n

(From an elder at a doctrinally sound church)- I was not familiar with Beth Moore until I realized our women’s Bible group was hooked on Beth.

After bringing her un-biblical teachings to the attention of our elder board I am now charged with finding something better.Keep us in prayer as we attempt to wean the women off of Beth and onto the solid rock of the Word.

I’ve recently felt prompted to study more about sound Christian doctrine. Can you please provide a list for all your recommended Christian sound doctrine women [teachers]?

I went to the movie theater the day [Fifty Shades of Grey] came out. I’d say, on average there were 4 women to every man. They came in droves. I stood outside the theater and passed out gospel tracts. Seizing every opportunity, we must carry the gospel to them.

[As a women’s leader at my church, I got rid of] Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Angela Thomas, and Lysa Terkeurst studies. My pastor is fully on board and is faithful to preach the Word each and every time we gather.

I have gotten rid of my copy of [a Christian mysticism book]. Now [female false teacher’s] book will follow.

[Several of us had to leave our former church due to false doctrine.] We all prayed [for a new, doctrinally sound church] and God answered our prayers. We have a church building and a pastor. We [recently] celebrated our church’s fourth anniversary.

My wife and I left our church of 20+ yrs. because God was gracious and truly regenerated our hearts, giving us eyes to see and ears to hear the unbiblical nature of what was happening.

I have left the last two churches I was a part of. Thankfully, we are now in a wonderful, Bible-believing, Gospel-centered, theologically/doctrinally sound church who believe discipling true Believers the way God has instructed us in the Bible is more important than how many people fill the seats.

This is just a tiny sampling of the many e-mails, comments, and private messages I’ve received from readers who are growing in Christ, serving in healthy churches, and helping others to grow in biblical truth. If you’re going through a rough time at your church, in your walk with the Lord, or are troubled by what’s going on in the world around you, rejoice with those who rejoice, and don’t be discouraged! The same God who carried these folks through their difficulties will carry you through yours.

Now it’s your turn to be an encourager.
How has God grown you in your relationship with Him, opened the eyes of a loved one to biblical truth, or made your church holier and more obedient to Scripture?

*I’ve changed or deleted a few identifying details to protect the writers’ anonymity.