November 10, 2025 • 37 mins
Makayla Thomas shares her powerful testimony of spiritual growth and recognizing the reality of spiritual warfare in her daily life.
• Experiencing divine provision after job rejection through prayer and trust
• Recognizing spiritual warfare through personal encounters with negative thoughts and temptations
• Breaking free from limiting beliefs about not being worthy of God's attention
• Understanding the ongoing battle between flesh and spirit in the Christian walk
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'll share.
So, as a little girl and I knowsome people when you hear
something that you don't reallyfully understand, you doubt it
because it's like you're kind ofscared, You're kind of fearful,
because you don't really, youcan't grasp it.
I knew spiritual warfare.
(00:20):
Spiritual warfare was real whenI saw I'm battling against
myself.
My flesh is literally cryinglike we need, we need a job, we
(00:42):
need to do this, we need to dothat.
But my spirit is like no, thisis the time where you spend time
with God.
You learn what you can.
You need to learn what you'redoing.
I, you know, I was I.
I I allowed it to, I didn'tallow it to be.
Um, I didn't become it, Ididn't allow it to, I didn't
(01:05):
allow it to, I didn't allow thatto be my identity.
Christ is my identity andthat's different.
And then, okay, so the time.
Okay, so how I got the job.
Now it's actually quite funny.
So I didn't get the job.
At first they said, hey, we'regoing to go with another
(01:27):
candidate, you know, thank youfor applying, but we're going to
go with somebody else.
And so I was a littledisappointed at the time.
I was like man, like I thoughtthis was it, like the benefits
and the circumstance, it wouldfit great.
And so I made up in my mind,like, okay, okay, you got two
choices.
We're gonna either we're eithergonna shut down, because at
(01:50):
this point I'm getting blows,like I remember one time I
received some news and like Ishut down, I went numb.
And so at this point I'mreceiving, like this, you know,
disappointments and no's.
And so I said back in my mindI'm like, okay, we got, either
we gonna succumb to this, we'regonna be done, or we're gonna
(02:14):
trust God.
And said, and so I said I'mgonna trust God.
And I went to go pray.
I said, father, I may not likethis.
Actually, I hate this, I don'tlike this at all like I'm
receiving no's and rejections,rejections.
But I trust you, I'm going tostay, I'm going to stay with you
, I'm going to ride it out Nextfew days.
(02:35):
I get a call hey, michaela, spijust opened up.
We were going to hire you.
We want to welcome you to theteam.
It's like the UPS just made theturnaround.
Wow, wow, yes, it was.
So prayer is very powerful too.
(02:55):
It is Prayer is very powerful,and I used to doubt that, like
that's another thing.
I used to think that wasn'tworthy, worthy of God's ear,
like God don't hear me, or whywould he listen to somebody like
me?
Because, growing, you know,sometime somewhere in my life I
felt like as if I don't know ifsomebody made me feel this way,
(03:16):
but made it feel like what I hadto say wasn't good enough or it
had didn't carry enough power,and so I brought that into this
relationship with God.
Or didn't carry enough power,and so I brought that into this
relationship with God.
I brought a lot of things fromold relationships, old
experiences, old mindsets,beliefs into this relationship
(03:37):
with God and I thought, and Ibelieve, like I'm not worthy of
good things, like he doesn'thear somebody like me, right,
right.
But he does, he does.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
He does yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
And so that that realization is helping me even
more, draw closer to God.
Because just think about it,like the God of the universe,
the almighty, who sits on thethrone, here's you.
You mean to tell me he hearslittle me on this earth, me.
(04:16):
And so when you break free fromthat belief in these mindsets,
it's freeing, it's liberating,because now it's like okay, god,
like I got you, got me, I I gotyour ear.
Like now I'm finna, come talkto you.
You know yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
So yeah, it's beautiful in that relationship
right yeah, it's like, it's likeuh, uh.
You know he's your daddy, he'syour friend, you know you could
just talk to him.
And even when you was talking,you remind me about that time
when I was in my twenties and Iwas like broke dead, broke right
, and I was in college eatingburgers.
(04:53):
I'm not going to say thecompany name, but I was eating
cheap burgers, fast food burgers.
And I remember one time I washungry.
I said, lord, I am hungry, andI just went in my room.
I started praying.
I started praying.
I said, lord, I am hungry, andI just went in my room.
I started praying.
I started praying.
I said, lord, please, lord, I'mhungry, I don't have no money.
And then immediately one of myparents' friends came knocking
on the door.
(05:13):
They said, hey, you know, yourfamily is a place in my heart.
Here's some pizza for y'all.
Y'all can have some dinner.
And I was like, wow, god, thankyou so much, like I was so
grateful that a person cameknock on our door.
And it shows you that God couldtouch the hearts of anybody to
supply even our needs.
But I heard you mention aboutspiritual warfare A couple of
(05:35):
times.
I heard you say you know theenemy.
This Because typically peopledon't usually talk about
spiritual warfare unless theyknow a thing or two.
Like who taught you aboutspiritual warfare and could you
elaborate a little bit more onthat?
Oh, yes.
I know you have a phenomenalpreacher over there at North
Colony Because I know sometimespeople don't talk about
(05:58):
spiritual warfare a lot.
That's something that's usuallybrushed over, but I know the
things you can see.
This is the physical realm, butthere's also another realm that
sometimes I feel that somepeople tend to ignore, but it
actually exists.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
And I know some people when you hear something
that you don't really fullyunderstand, you doubt it,
because it's like you're kind ofscared, you're kind of fearful,
because you don't really youcan't grasp it.
I knew spiritual warfare.
(06:40):
Spiritual warfare was real whenI saw something.
As a little girl, I sawsomething and it stuck with me
ever since girl, I saw somethingand it stuck with me ever since
, and to this and to the pointof today, like I have to tell
Jesus, like and I'll be veryhonest like I'll tell Jesus, hey
, like I'm scared in this moment, god, I'm scared.
Like I need peace right nowbecause I'm scared.
I'm going back.
(07:01):
The little girl is going backto what she saw and it scared
her, it scared her and so, um,there's moments where I have to
tell Jesus like, hey, god, likeI need protection, I'm scared.
But spiritual warfare is, isreal.
Um, and with my personalattacks he attacks my mind and
then he attacked me throughaddiction, through physical
(07:24):
activity, through people.
So I've seen and I've heard alot of things and then, just
knowing people who who operatein like witchcraft or voodoo,
I've seen that I've lived withsomebody who dealt with tarot
(07:45):
cards and all that kind of stuff, who summons up things, who
opened up Pandora's box andcouldn't close it?
Um, waking up in shakes.
I've seen it and I've heard it,so it's very real.
Like that's the thing.
Like spiritual warfare is real.
Like, uh, what you listen to,what you, what you, it's real
(08:07):
Because God wasn't playing whenhe said we were not against
flesh and blood.
Like we were not against fleshand blood, but spirits and
principalities, cosmos, likeit's real.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
It's real, yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
It's real, like that stuff in the movies.
It's real Like if you'reseeking that.
It's real.
Like that stuff in the movies.
It's real Like if you'reseeking that, it's real.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
It's amazing you mention that because, like it
brings me when I think aboutbefore I obeyed the gospel.
It's like it's like I wasn't,it's like I was possessed, like
when you don't have, when youdon't have Christ in your life,
and then you are, you feel like,controlled by another entity.
And me personally, I believethat I was controlled by those
(08:50):
spirits, those unclean spiritswhich were tempting me and
driving me to do things thatwere ungodly, although I was
doing them.
But I was tempted into doingthem and I just went for it.
So, in other words, when I waslost, I didn't have no
conviction.
Sin was pleasurable.
Hey, man, let's go party whenthey at.
Where the party at, there wasno conviction.
Like man where they at, hey,you sinned against God.
(09:11):
Who, god?
Man where the party at?
Man, what's up?
Man, let's go do this.
But now that I'm a Christianand I have the Holy Spirit, now
there's conviction I'm like,okay, now you know you have
those Holy Spirit because thethings that used to be fun ain't
fun anymore.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
I can't do that, no more.
God gonna get me.
I love you God.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
That is so true.
You be like.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I love God too much.
Yeah it's not even fun, y'allgotta stay away.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
That's how you know you have the Holy Spirit,
because the things you used todo in the past you'd be like man
.
I can't do that.
The Holy Spirit, you know youcan't be doing that right like
what you doing.
Yeah, you know God is notpleased with that right you know
you watch it, right.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
You be like, ah, yes, let me go ahead.
You have a good point when yousaid that.
It brought up a memory like some and my friends, they had like
a she had like a littlekickback at the hotel downtown,
downtown Dallas, and I wassmoking and drinking and that's
(10:19):
called cross, cross faded.
I remember.
I remember, remember us goingup to the rooftop and there's
like a pool and like as you walkinto the pool, like there is,
you can look over and like lookat, like you know, the streets
at that time, I remember,because it was protests going on
, and you can hear like conks,like hey, get out the way, you
know.
And as I'm walking, I hear a,I'm hearing stuff like jump over
(10:44):
, like end your life.
Like I'm hearing that and I'mnot in the right, in the right
mindset, like I'm, I'm out ofthere and I hear end your life,
jump over.
I'm, I'm literally terrifiedbecause it's like I'm in my body
but I'm, I'm not in control.
So so what if?
What if I was to do that?
(11:06):
I'm terrified and so like I hadto literally force myself like
to go, get in the pool and lookaway because I'm scared.
It's something that's tellingme go end your life, go jump,
you know, kill yourself.
I'm hearing that.
So spiritual warfare is real.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, it's real yeah, I used to do things um, and
then I used to do things atnight that were ungodly, like go
to the club party and do allkind of crazy stuff, and then
the next day I'll be like whatin the world did I do last night
?
So that's why it's like asthough I was like possessed by a
spirit, and then those samevoices that you say you heard, I
(11:47):
heard those voices too, likeyou don't care about your life,
just yeah, just you don't care,you're nobody, right, you know.
And so I used to hear thosevoices too when I was in the
world.
But I would say this that nowthat I'm a Christian, I know
although I know that thespiritual warfare is real, you
know their powers are limitedand God's power is unlimited.
(12:07):
Like God has unlimited power,like God has power even over
them.
And so I know, since theirpower is so limited and they're
only here for just a seasonuntil Jesus Christ returned and
I'm like man, if they could dothat, these little demons and
unclean spirits, if they coulddo that.
(12:30):
And Jesus Christ was here onearth over 2,000 years ago.
Jesus Christ was casting demonsout of people.
They trembled, they fearedJesus when they seen him and I
said, wow, if we're a child ofthe God, if we know the power
that we possess, they would fearus too.
So that's what gives me thatconfidence that now that I'm a
Christian, I'm like man.
I know they scared of me.
(12:51):
Let me tell you something whenI be encountering people, I
don't encounter people, I know.
Those are spirits.
Yes, I look beyond the fleshand they know when you're a
child of the king.
So I thought it was interestingthat you brought that up,
because normally people don'ttalk about spiritual warfare
like that.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Yeah, and I know I'm still like trying to like fully
put a grasp around it or, likeyou know, fully come to the
understanding that when I'mtalking to somebody, I'm talking
to a spirit.
And, if you know, you also haveto be mindful of people in the
world.
When you don't have Christ, ofcourse, you can't expect them to
(13:32):
talk like Christ or walk likeChrist.
You behave like Christ.
And so I recently just learned,this past week, like, hey, like
I have some kind of I have ananger, anger like a little, not
an anger problem, but like I canget easily flared if I'm
brought there, and so that wasbrought out by an employee, but
(13:54):
I didn't respond and I had spoketo a good sister that I look up
to.
Then I you know that I askedfor wisdom and I asked for
guidance.
She brought me back to like,hey, like you have to remember,
like we were not against fleshand blood but spirits and
principalities, and I was like,oh man, like you're right, and
(14:15):
so when we have that mindset andwe go into it, like with that
mindset, it kind of helpslooking past.
I'm not looking at you, I'mlooking at the spirit and how to
you know, um, I guess react ormove with that, with a, you know
, with the spirit, whateveryou're doing yeah, well, this is
the thing, um, we live in flesh.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
So this is why I believe that we need jesus more
than we.
We believe and we think becauseyou got, especially especially
as children of God, we got theflesh that is worn with the
spirit.
The spirit desires to be withGod and yearn for God, but the
flesh desires things of theflesh, you know, and this is why
, like, the more and more youdraw closer to God, you know,
(14:57):
the more and more you kill thedesires of the flesh.
You know, and by killing thedesires of the flesh, that's
when it goes to like.
You got to fast and pray, yougot to be in your word.
And even the ones that are lost, they're lost and that's why it
is our responsibility asChristians to proclaim the
gospel so they could get out ofthose spiritual chains.
(15:18):
So, when we talk aboutspiritual warfare, those people
that are lost because we wereonce once lost like god
literally broke those spiritualchains, like when you talk about
breaking.
He broke us because we was inbondage, we were prison, wasn't
a prison of sin, and so when oureyes was open, kind of like
what you said, you know in 2023and you gave your life to the
(15:38):
lord.
And many years ago, when I gavemy life to the lord, it's like
when god broke those chains outof me, like my eyes kind of like
lit up.
I'm like, wow, now I can see.
Now Everything made sense to me.
It's like it's like all thoseyears I was dead, right, yeah.
And then now I got baptizedit's not like I literally became
a new person, right.
What in the world Like this isa whole different world to me?
(16:02):
Right, the world like this is awhole a different world to me,
right, so the old person is dead, the person that people know me
as in the past.
He's dead.
Yeah, the only way that I couldresurrect him if I leave the
body of christ.
Okay, but that's not gonnahappen, through the grace of god
.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, I said, lord, hold on to me please please just
hold me to you please, becauseand and I do notice, like you
know, as I, as you get closer togod and you're, and you're
submitting to the holy spirit,willing, like being willing to
submit to the holy spirit, I donotice like the flesh doesn't
(16:43):
like that.
The flesh, it's like it comesharder, like I've noticed that,
like cause there's some thingsthat I battle and I struggle
with, and I remember saying like, hey, like I remember somebody
saying you have to be willing tosubmit to the Holy Spirit.
He's not gonna force you orpull you.
(17:03):
You have to be willing to walkand follow and submit.
And so I've been trying toapply that more into my walk.
The flesh is like, oh no, sheturned up to me.
I'm finna, turn it up too.
And so I noticed that the fleshbe trying to fight back.
(17:25):
But then, like when you, yeah,but then when you feed your
spirit, it's like the spirit'slike okay, calm down, she's good
, like you know.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
So yeah, yeah, that's true.
So let me ask you a question.
So, so, being a young adult, sohow do you find a balance
between being in this world andnot of the world?
Because I know like, asChristians, we are held to a
certain standard, and so whenyou look at the world, the world
does things one way, and thenGod expects us Christians to do
(18:00):
things another way, like we'renot supposed to look at the
world, although we're in thisworld, but we're not of the
world.
Like we're not supposed to lookat the world, although we're in
this world, but we're not ofthe world Like we are.
You know, the Bible says inColossians, chapter three, to
seek the things that's above andthat's our mind ought to be
focused on Christ, but at thesame time, we live in a real
world where we're of this world.
So how do you find that balanceof being in this world but not
(18:24):
being of the world?
Speaker 1 (18:26):
So I know.
For me it's knowing the why,the who and knowing the nature
of things.
So if I know that this issomething that's going to not
(18:49):
help me grow, it's going to pushme a lot further from God, I'm
not going to participate in itNow, mind you, I know that
there's things in life that youknow we have to take care of,
like responsibilities, we havejobs and all that.
But making sure that I'mputting enough time and energy
into the things that I know isgoing to help me grow
spiritually, because this is atemporary.
This is temporary Jesus couldcome back anytime and my mind
(19:13):
lately has been like God, I justwant to be with you, like I
don't want to be away from you.
So find that balance being ableto like identify what's going to
help help me grow, what's notgoing to cause me to fall, who I
need to you know my company, uh, my time, my energy.
(19:35):
So just being able to likebalance between the two, like
you know what's good for me andwhat's not, because we have
access to everything, but noteverything is good for you.
So that's why I've been tryingto find the balance Letting go
of distractions.
Letting go of distractions.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
There's a whole lot of those Social media.
Yeah, it's tough too, because,let me explain to you, it's
tough to have that balance andthis is why I believe to that
every christian should have likea community, a christian
community that they could alwaysengage with in fellowships and
(20:14):
conversation, because if you'renot careful you could find
yourself drifting so like, likeyou said, you know we gotta work
.
You know if you got a family,you gotta take care of your
family.
Um, in addition to that, yougot to take care of yourself,
but at the same time, you needto have devotional times with
God.
You need to have your prayertimes with God.
You got to get in the word andalso you got to encourage others
(20:35):
to draw closer to Jesus beforehe returns.
So now you're trying to findthat balance between working, or
whether or not you're in school, but and also spiritual things.
So sometimes it could get toughbecause we're bombarded by like
worldly things, so many things.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, and they call to you too.
A lot of things call to you,especially when you're trying to
focus.
It's like oh, you need you know.
Everything starts coming at youat once and you're like are,
are you serious?
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
So just making that decision to be willing to.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
It's true.
I once heard a preacher saythat whenever a Christian say
like Lord, here am I, use me,like Lord, I'm going to go all
out for you, that's wheneverything come your way.
Every time, every time, beprepared.
Yeah, be prepared.
I think about what Jesus Christdid for me and he did for the
(21:31):
world, and I really don't wantto disappoint him.
I always try to find ways togive glory to God and please him
, and I'm not saying thiswhoever's watching us, that
we're not perfect.
You know, I'm not putting it,putting us in a position where,
like we're perfect, you know,you know we're.
We have failures, we havefaults, um, you know, in other
(21:55):
words, we're fallible men.
That that um fall short ofGod's glory.
Um, that's what he said.
He said we all sin and fallshort of his glory, but what I
always aim to do is do somethingfor the kingdom of God.
I always say this that wheneverJesus Christ decides to return,
I would love him to return ofme doing his will, doing
(22:19):
something that that he requiredChristians to do.
You know, I don't want to becaught off guard Like, oh man,
jesus Christ, right, I'm noteven ready.
Yeah, Like you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I want to get caught up doing his, his will.
So my question to you when yourassignment is is complete on
earth, because you know whetheror not Jesus Christ returned the
day or tomorrow, at some pointGod is going to call us back
home.
And so when he does call ushome, you know, a friend of mine
would say you know we got twocalls, which is number one, the
(22:51):
gospel call, to obey the gospel,and the other call is when he
called us home.
So when Christ, god, call youhome and you finish your
assignment, what do you wantpeople to remember you for
spiritually?
Speaker 1 (23:07):
God's love.
God's love.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
God's love.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
God's nature is God Love.
God is love.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
I want to be remembered for having God's
nature and impacting andchanging people's lives,
bringing God to others.
I want I want to be rememberedfor that and for people to be
like Michaela didn't have it alltogether, but she loved God and
(23:42):
she was willing and she didn'tgive up.
I want to be remembered forthat.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Amen, yeah, yeah, I like that.
So when you say God's love,that's God's agape, that's agape
love, which is theunconditional love, yeah, that's
loving despite, despite, thinkabout that, despite Christ.
Jesus Christ loves us, despiteour failures, when you and I was
(24:12):
in the world and others beforethey obeyed the gospel, he loved
us despite when he was on thatcross.
He didn't call all the angelsto come down and rescue him,
because he thought about you, hethought about me, he thought
about the world.
To me, that is some powerfullove right there I was asking
(24:35):
god.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
I was like god, how, wow, oh, that's crazy that you
say that, because I was likeliterally thinking about that
like man, like jesus, jesusreally came down here, was
willing to go through all thingsjust for me, and you Like, how
(24:57):
do you grasp that?
Like you love me so much thatyou were willing to leave heaven
, get beat, scourged, die for me.
We were enemies before.
Like you know, we sinnedagainst God, we didn't even
(25:18):
acknowledge God, but, like thefact that God loved us before
the world was even created, it'sbeautiful.
It's literally so beautifulit's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
It's literally so beautiful.
So, yeah, I get emotionalthinking about that because, you
know, for a person I was likeraised in an urban neighborhood
where there is like violence,I've lost quite people, that I
lost quite a few people that Iknew around the neighborhood and
some that I didn't know but Iknew they died from violence.
And when you think about thingslike that, you'd be like, wow,
(25:54):
like like God, you didn't.
Nothing happened to me before Iobeyed the gospel.
Just think about that for aminute.
Like you, like you are savednow.
You saved right now.
God forbid, something happenedto you, something happened to me
.
We're going to be waiting inAbraham's bus and we're going to
be waiting, we're going to bein a place of rest.
But the reality is that somepeople had the opportunity.
(26:14):
Now, whether or not they obeyedthe gospel or where they go,
that's between them and God.
But the reality is I think Imake it a little bit more
personal because I'm like man,god, like all the times like I
rejected the gospel and I hadtimes that I almost died
numerous times and then yet hekept me.
That mean if I would have diedin my sin.
(26:35):
This is why I get emotional IfI would have died in my sins
before being a gospel.
There's a place that's eternallike it's eternal, like that's
it.
There's no, there's no goingback.
You remember Lazarus and therich man.
Like the rich man he got.
Yeah, there was a gulf that wasfixed.
(26:58):
And then he said can I just,yeah, can I just go back up and
like, share, tell people aboutthis place so they won't come
here?
And then the word of God saysno, like that's it, that's it,
the judgment is already set,right, oh, like that's it,
that's it, the judgment isalready set.
And that's where, like, I go inmy deep thought and I started
thinking like, wow, god, likethank you so much for giving me
(27:20):
that time to obey the gospel.
And then so, when I think aboutJesus Christ, what he did for
me and then what he did for you,what he did for the world,
sometimes I get emotionalbecause I start to think about
that Like man, like God sparedme, because if I wasn't right
with him where he is, I wouldn'tbe there.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Right, and that's, that's very beautiful.
Um, I remember a time, um, Iwas, I had a relationship.
I had a relationship with God,but I wasn't living how I should
have been.
I wasn't walking with Him.
I still had a relationship withHim, but I wasn't faithful to
God.
I remember I was up in Idahobecause I was working and I'm
(28:03):
clubbing.
I'm acting a fool, I'm goingcrazy as if I don't know God.
I'm going crazy as if I don'tknow God.
I'm clubbing.
And one weekend and this isweeks of clubbing every weekend
it was one weekend.
I was ready to go.
Antoinette was that's who Irode with.
(28:28):
I was ready to go.
She wasn't, but I told her hey,I'm about to go, wait in the
car.
But on my way to the car, I hearone of my employees, because it
was a group of us that would goclubbing on the weekends and
he's always into like in analtercation with somebody.
(28:48):
But I'm like, I'm ready to goto the car, but something
happened to where I wasn't ableto get to the car.
I don't remember, but like Ididn't make it to the car, few
minutes later I hear gunshotsoutside.
It's going crazy, like it'sgunshots outside and, um, we
wasn't able to get to the car.
I don't know why.
Uh, before before I found outwhy I wasn't we, we weren't able
(29:12):
to get to the car, we had toleave with somebody else.
But we came back the next dayto pick up Antoinette's car.
Come to find out, the car gotshot up and if I would have went
to the car at the time, I wastrying to get to the car but
something happened where Ididn't go.
If I would have been at the carI would have been dead, I would
(29:33):
have been gone, because the cargot shot up and I broke down.
I broke down and I still gotthe picture in my phone.
I was like God, I'm done, I'mdone.
No more clubbing, no'm done,I'm done.
(29:53):
No more clubbing, no moredrinking, I'm done.
So when you said that, god, andjust the four years I was gone,
something could have happenedCar accident, health, something,
even just being, even gettingpregnant before I was married.
Something could have happened.
(30:21):
But the fact that I'm here,it's nothing but grace and mercy
and I thank God for letting mebe here, because I could have
died in my sins and it wouldhave been done.
So there's hope.
There's hope when you wake upthere.
There's hope, he's there, he'swilling to forgive, restore, and
I just sometimes I get I don'thave the words to process Like
(30:42):
God really loves, like Godreally loves us in this
condition, and it was sometimesI was battling because I didn't
have, I didn't grow up with thatlove.
The was sometimes I was battling, like battling it because I
didn't have, I didn't grow upwith that love, the love that I
have now, and that's probablywhy I felt lost, because I'm not
loved.
I felt unloved.
I didn't get the love that Iwanted.
(31:02):
I was abandoned, not to evenjust you know, say that about my
parents, cause they're there, Ilove them, but we were not
against flesh and blood, it'sspirits stuff.
We people go through their ownthings, but that love that I
have now, I needed that and thefact that you know God's loves,
we have access to their love,and I battled with that for the
(31:24):
longest, like I felt like Iwasn't worthy of love, and I
know that God loves me and heloves you, he loves us.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
So yeah, that is good .
So in closing, um, you knowwhat is some words that you
could encourage like a youngadult that's in their twenties,
or older person in theirthirties, forties, fifties.
What is some words that youcould encourage them to draw an
older person in their 30s, 40s,50s.
What are some words that youcould encourage them to draw
closer to Christ, like somethingthat you know we could take
(31:56):
away either from this episode,or even something that they
could take away and hold on to,because I really, you know, the
Bible says it's not God's desirethat any man should perish, but
come to the knowledge of thetruth.
You know, god really wantshumans, all of us, to be saved,
but the reality is there aresome people that's going to
reject him.
So, but what would be somewords of encouragement you could
(32:20):
give somebody before we close?
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Love doesn't force.
And I would say God knows all.
You don't have to hide with God.
You don't have to fear with God.
He can be you with God.
God isn't going to shame you.
God isn't going to, you know,condemn you or pull out your
(32:47):
faults or, you know, make youfeel or belittle you Like he
accepts you and he loves you andhe waits.
He waits for us like, patientlywaits for us.
So every day that you wake up,draw closer to God, pray to him.
It's a relationship.
Sometimes we overthink it and,like I know for me, I overthink
(33:10):
it Like what do I say to God?
Or this, and that he alreadyknows.
But this is a relationship.
He loves you, he cares aboutyou and look at all the things
that he's done.
A day where we won't be able tohave access to him, and the
(33:31):
thing that you're looking for,it really is God.
He has all the answers in that,that hole that you have, that
unfulfilled thing that's in you.
God can feel that that wasmeant, that was meant for God to
feel.
That was meant for God to feel.
Be willing to anything that'sof great worth, a great value is
(33:57):
always going to be worth thefight.
So we fall for you.
So be willing, because somebody, jesus died, jesus died.
So that's my word ofencouragement.
I probably have more.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
I couldn't say it more, better than you, jesus
died Jesus died.
Yeah, he died.
He rose and now he went on upback to glory.
And now we just waiting untilhe returned.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
So much it was the gospel.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
But again, Michaela Thomas, thank you again for
coming on to the Call by Godpodcast.
It was just a blessing just totalk to you, just to hear your
testimony, because it's alwaysencouragement to me to hear how
others you know came to Christ,Either went away and came back
to Christ, or were in arelationship with Christ and
(34:47):
completely left or came back.
I just like hearing thosestories and it blessed me and
hopefully that it blessedsomebody out there as well.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Thank you so much.
And God isn't going to.
God is willing to forgive.
God is willing to forgive.
But thank you so much for thisopportunity.
I hope that it blesses the earsof those that it speaks to,
whoever it needs to speak to.
I really love this to be ableto enlarge God like you know,
(35:20):
give like you know, lower me andmake God big, you know, because
it's not about us.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Yeah, Thank you again .
It was my pleasure, so allright.
Well, so y'all heard it fromSister Michaela.
I want y'all to remember thatJesus Christ, he is the King of
Kings and he is the Lord ofLords.
Until then, be blessed.
I'll share.
So, as a little girl and I knowsome people when you hear
something that you don't reallyfully understand, you doubt it
because it's like you're kind ofscared, You're kind of fearful,
because you don't really, youcan't grasp it.
I knew spiritual warfare.
(00:20):
Spiritual warfare was real whenI saw I'm battling against
myself.
My flesh is literally cryinglike we need, we need a job, we
(00:42):
need to do this, we need to dothat.
But my spirit is like no, thisis the time where you spend time
with God.
You learn what you can.
You need to learn what you'redoing.
I, you know, I was I.
I I allowed it to, I didn'tallow it to be.
Um, I didn't become it, Ididn't allow it to, I didn't
(01:05):
allow it to, I didn't allow thatto be my identity.
Christ is my identity andthat's different.
And then, okay, so the time.
Okay, so how I got the job.
Now it's actually quite funny.
So I didn't get the job.
At first they said, hey, we'regoing to go with another
(01:27):
candidate, you know, thank youfor applying, but we're going to
go with somebody else.
And so I was a littledisappointed at the time.
I was like man, like I thoughtthis was it, like the benefits
and the circumstance, it wouldfit great.
And so I made up in my mind,like, okay, okay, you got two
choices.
We're gonna either we're eithergonna shut down, because at
(01:50):
this point I'm getting blows,like I remember one time I
received some news and like Ishut down, I went numb.
And so at this point I'mreceiving, like this, you know,
disappointments and no's.
And so I said back in my mindI'm like, okay, we got, either
we gonna succumb to this, we'regonna be done, or we're gonna
(02:14):
trust God.
And said, and so I said I'mgonna trust God.
And I went to go pray.
I said, father, I may not likethis.
Actually, I hate this, I don'tlike this at all like I'm
receiving no's and rejections,rejections.
But I trust you, I'm going tostay, I'm going to stay with you
, I'm going to ride it out Nextfew days.
(02:35):
I get a call hey, michaela, spijust opened up.
We were going to hire you.
We want to welcome you to theteam.
It's like the UPS just made theturnaround.
Wow, wow, yes, it was.
So prayer is very powerful too.
(02:55):
It is Prayer is very powerful,and I used to doubt that, like
that's another thing.
I used to think that wasn'tworthy, worthy of God's ear,
like God don't hear me, or whywould he listen to somebody like
me?
Because, growing, you know,sometime somewhere in my life I
felt like as if I don't know ifsomebody made me feel this way,
(03:16):
but made it feel like what I hadto say wasn't good enough or it
had didn't carry enough power,and so I brought that into this
relationship with God.
Or didn't carry enough power,and so I brought that into this
relationship with God.
I brought a lot of things fromold relationships, old
experiences, old mindsets,beliefs into this relationship
(03:37):
with God and I thought, and Ibelieve, like I'm not worthy of
good things, like he doesn'thear somebody like me, right,
right.
But he does, he does.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
He does yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
And so that that realization is helping me even
more, draw closer to God.
Because just think about it,like the God of the universe,
the almighty, who sits on thethrone, here's you.
You mean to tell me he hearslittle me on this earth, me.
(04:16):
And so when you break free fromthat belief in these mindsets,
it's freeing, it's liberating,because now it's like okay, god,
like I got you, got me, I I gotyour ear.
Like now I'm finna, come talkto you.
You know yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
So yeah, it's beautiful in that relationship
right yeah, it's like, it's likeuh, uh.
You know he's your daddy, he'syour friend, you know you could
just talk to him.
And even when you was talking,you remind me about that time
when I was in my twenties and Iwas like broke dead, broke right
, and I was in college eatingburgers.
(04:53):
I'm not going to say thecompany name, but I was eating
cheap burgers, fast food burgers.
And I remember one time I washungry.
I said, lord, I am hungry, andI just went in my room.
I started praying.
I started praying.
I said, lord, I am hungry, andI just went in my room.
I started praying.
I started praying.
I said, lord, please, lord, I'mhungry, I don't have no money.
And then immediately one of myparents' friends came knocking
on the door.
(05:13):
They said, hey, you know, yourfamily is a place in my heart.
Here's some pizza for y'all.
Y'all can have some dinner.
And I was like, wow, god, thankyou so much, like I was so
grateful that a person cameknock on our door.
And it shows you that God couldtouch the hearts of anybody to
supply even our needs.
But I heard you mention aboutspiritual warfare A couple of
(05:35):
times.
I heard you say you know theenemy.
This Because typically peopledon't usually talk about
spiritual warfare unless theyknow a thing or two.
Like who taught you aboutspiritual warfare and could you
elaborate a little bit more onthat?
Oh, yes.
I know you have a phenomenalpreacher over there at North
Colony Because I know sometimespeople don't talk about
(05:58):
spiritual warfare a lot.
That's something that's usuallybrushed over, but I know the
things you can see.
This is the physical realm, butthere's also another realm that
sometimes I feel that somepeople tend to ignore, but it
actually exists.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
And I know some people when you hear something
that you don't really fullyunderstand, you doubt it,
because it's like you're kind ofscared, you're kind of fearful,
because you don't really youcan't grasp it.
I knew spiritual warfare.
(06:40):
Spiritual warfare was real whenI saw something.
As a little girl, I sawsomething and it stuck with me
ever since girl, I saw somethingand it stuck with me ever since
, and to this and to the pointof today, like I have to tell
Jesus, like and I'll be veryhonest like I'll tell Jesus, hey
, like I'm scared in this moment, god, I'm scared.
Like I need peace right nowbecause I'm scared.
I'm going back.
(07:01):
The little girl is going backto what she saw and it scared
her, it scared her and so, um,there's moments where I have to
tell Jesus like, hey, god, likeI need protection, I'm scared.
But spiritual warfare is, isreal.
Um, and with my personalattacks he attacks my mind and
then he attacked me throughaddiction, through physical
(07:24):
activity, through people.
So I've seen and I've heard alot of things and then, just
knowing people who who operatein like witchcraft or voodoo,
I've seen that I've lived withsomebody who dealt with tarot
(07:45):
cards and all that kind of stuff, who summons up things, who
opened up Pandora's box andcouldn't close it?
Um, waking up in shakes.
I've seen it and I've heard it,so it's very real.
Like that's the thing.
Like spiritual warfare is real.
Like, uh, what you listen to,what you, what you, it's real
(08:07):
Because God wasn't playing whenhe said we were not against
flesh and blood.
Like we were not against fleshand blood, but spirits and
principalities, cosmos, likeit's real.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
It's real, yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
It's real, like that stuff in the movies.
It's real Like if you'reseeking that.
It's real.
Like that stuff in the movies.
It's real Like if you'reseeking that, it's real.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
It's amazing you mention that because, like it
brings me when I think aboutbefore I obeyed the gospel.
It's like it's like I wasn't,it's like I was possessed, like
when you don't have, when youdon't have Christ in your life,
and then you are, you feel like,controlled by another entity.
And me personally, I believethat I was controlled by those
(08:50):
spirits, those unclean spiritswhich were tempting me and
driving me to do things thatwere ungodly, although I was
doing them.
But I was tempted into doingthem and I just went for it.
So, in other words, when I waslost, I didn't have no
conviction.
Sin was pleasurable.
Hey, man, let's go party whenthey at.
Where the party at, there wasno conviction.
Like man where they at, hey,you sinned against God.
(09:11):
Who, god?
Man where the party at?
Man, what's up?
Man, let's go do this.
But now that I'm a Christianand I have the Holy Spirit, now
there's conviction I'm like,okay, now you know you have
those Holy Spirit because thethings that used to be fun ain't
fun anymore.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
I can't do that, no more.
God gonna get me.
I love you God.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
That is so true.
You be like.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I love God too much.
Yeah it's not even fun, y'allgotta stay away.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
That's how you know you have the Holy Spirit,
because the things you used todo in the past you'd be like man
.
I can't do that.
The Holy Spirit, you know youcan't be doing that right like
what you doing.
Yeah, you know God is notpleased with that right you know
you watch it, right.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
You be like, ah, yes, let me go ahead.
You have a good point when yousaid that.
It brought up a memory like some and my friends, they had like
a she had like a littlekickback at the hotel downtown,
downtown Dallas, and I wassmoking and drinking and that's
(10:19):
called cross, cross faded.
I remember.
I remember, remember us goingup to the rooftop and there's
like a pool and like as you walkinto the pool, like there is,
you can look over and like lookat, like you know, the streets
at that time, I remember,because it was protests going on
, and you can hear like conks,like hey, get out the way, you
know.
And as I'm walking, I hear a,I'm hearing stuff like jump over
(10:44):
, like end your life.
Like I'm hearing that and I'mnot in the right, in the right
mindset, like I'm, I'm out ofthere and I hear end your life,
jump over.
I'm, I'm literally terrifiedbecause it's like I'm in my body
but I'm, I'm not in control.
So so what if?
What if I was to do that?
(11:06):
I'm terrified and so like I hadto literally force myself like
to go, get in the pool and lookaway because I'm scared.
It's something that's tellingme go end your life, go jump,
you know, kill yourself.
I'm hearing that.
So spiritual warfare is real.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, it's real yeah, I used to do things um, and
then I used to do things atnight that were ungodly, like go
to the club party and do allkind of crazy stuff, and then
the next day I'll be like whatin the world did I do last night
?
So that's why it's like asthough I was like possessed by a
spirit, and then those samevoices that you say you heard, I
(11:47):
heard those voices too, likeyou don't care about your life,
just yeah, just you don't care,you're nobody, right, you know.
And so I used to hear thosevoices too when I was in the
world.
But I would say this that nowthat I'm a Christian, I know
although I know that thespiritual warfare is real, you
know their powers are limitedand God's power is unlimited.
(12:07):
Like God has unlimited power,like God has power even over
them.
And so I know, since theirpower is so limited and they're
only here for just a seasonuntil Jesus Christ returned and
I'm like man, if they could dothat, these little demons and
unclean spirits, if they coulddo that.
(12:30):
And Jesus Christ was here onearth over 2,000 years ago.
Jesus Christ was casting demonsout of people.
They trembled, they fearedJesus when they seen him and I
said, wow, if we're a child ofthe God, if we know the power
that we possess, they would fearus too.
So that's what gives me thatconfidence that now that I'm a
Christian, I'm like man.
I know they scared of me.
(12:51):
Let me tell you something whenI be encountering people, I
don't encounter people, I know.
Those are spirits.
Yes, I look beyond the fleshand they know when you're a
child of the king.
So I thought it was interestingthat you brought that up,
because normally people don'ttalk about spiritual warfare
like that.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Yeah, and I know I'm still like trying to like fully
put a grasp around it or, likeyou know, fully come to the
understanding that when I'mtalking to somebody, I'm talking
to a spirit.
And, if you know, you also haveto be mindful of people in the
world.
When you don't have Christ, ofcourse, you can't expect them to
(13:32):
talk like Christ or walk likeChrist.
You behave like Christ.
And so I recently just learned,this past week, like, hey, like
I have some kind of I have ananger, anger like a little, not
an anger problem, but like I canget easily flared if I'm
brought there, and so that wasbrought out by an employee, but
(13:54):
I didn't respond and I had spoketo a good sister that I look up
to.
Then I you know that I askedfor wisdom and I asked for
guidance.
She brought me back to like,hey, like you have to remember,
like we were not against fleshand blood but spirits and
principalities, and I was like,oh man, like you're right, and
(14:15):
so when we have that mindset andwe go into it, like with that
mindset, it kind of helpslooking past.
I'm not looking at you, I'mlooking at the spirit and how to
you know, um, I guess react ormove with that, with a, you know
, with the spirit, whateveryou're doing yeah, well, this is
the thing, um, we live in flesh.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
So this is why I believe that we need jesus more
than we.
We believe and we think becauseyou got, especially especially
as children of God, we got theflesh that is worn with the
spirit.
The spirit desires to be withGod and yearn for God, but the
flesh desires things of theflesh, you know, and this is why
, like, the more and more youdraw closer to God, you know,
(14:57):
the more and more you kill thedesires of the flesh.
You know, and by killing thedesires of the flesh, that's
when it goes to like.
You got to fast and pray, yougot to be in your word.
And even the ones that are lost, they're lost and that's why it
is our responsibility asChristians to proclaim the
gospel so they could get out ofthose spiritual chains.
(15:18):
So, when we talk aboutspiritual warfare, those people
that are lost because we wereonce once lost like god
literally broke those spiritualchains, like when you talk about
breaking.
He broke us because we was inbondage, we were prison, wasn't
a prison of sin, and so when oureyes was open, kind of like
what you said, you know in 2023and you gave your life to the
(15:38):
lord.
And many years ago, when I gavemy life to the lord, it's like
when god broke those chains outof me, like my eyes kind of like
lit up.
I'm like, wow, now I can see.
Now Everything made sense to me.
It's like it's like all thoseyears I was dead, right, yeah.
And then now I got baptizedit's not like I literally became
a new person, right.
What in the world Like this isa whole different world to me?
(16:02):
Right, the world like this is awhole a different world to me,
right, so the old person is dead, the person that people know me
as in the past.
He's dead.
Yeah, the only way that I couldresurrect him if I leave the
body of christ.
Okay, but that's not gonnahappen, through the grace of god
.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, I said, lord, hold on to me please please just
hold me to you please, becauseand and I do notice, like you
know, as I, as you get closer togod and you're, and you're
submitting to the holy spirit,willing, like being willing to
submit to the holy spirit, I donotice like the flesh doesn't
(16:43):
like that.
The flesh, it's like it comesharder, like I've noticed that,
like cause there's some thingsthat I battle and I struggle
with, and I remember saying like, hey, like I remember somebody
saying you have to be willing tosubmit to the Holy Spirit.
He's not gonna force you orpull you.
(17:03):
You have to be willing to walkand follow and submit.
And so I've been trying toapply that more into my walk.
The flesh is like, oh no, sheturned up to me.
I'm finna, turn it up too.
And so I noticed that the fleshbe trying to fight back.
(17:25):
But then, like when you, yeah,but then when you feed your
spirit, it's like the spirit'slike okay, calm down, she's good
, like you know.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
So yeah, yeah, that's true.
So let me ask you a question.
So, so, being a young adult, sohow do you find a balance
between being in this world andnot of the world?
Because I know like, asChristians, we are held to a
certain standard, and so whenyou look at the world, the world
does things one way, and thenGod expects us Christians to do
(18:00):
things another way, like we'renot supposed to look at the
world, although we're in thisworld, but we're not of the
world.
Like we're not supposed to lookat the world, although we're in
this world, but we're not ofthe world Like we are.
You know, the Bible says inColossians, chapter three, to
seek the things that's above andthat's our mind ought to be
focused on Christ, but at thesame time, we live in a real
world where we're of this world.
So how do you find that balanceof being in this world but not
(18:24):
being of the world?
Speaker 1 (18:26):
So I know.
For me it's knowing the why,the who and knowing the nature
of things.
So if I know that this issomething that's going to not
(18:49):
help me grow, it's going to pushme a lot further from God, I'm
not going to participate in itNow, mind you, I know that
there's things in life that youknow we have to take care of,
like responsibilities, we havejobs and all that.
But making sure that I'mputting enough time and energy
into the things that I know isgoing to help me grow
spiritually, because this is atemporary.
This is temporary Jesus couldcome back anytime and my mind
(19:13):
lately has been like God, I justwant to be with you, like I
don't want to be away from you.
So find that balance being ableto like identify what's going to
help help me grow, what's notgoing to cause me to fall, who I
need to you know my company, uh, my time, my energy.
(19:35):
So just being able to likebalance between the two, like
you know what's good for me andwhat's not, because we have
access to everything, but noteverything is good for you.
So that's why I've been tryingto find the balance Letting go
of distractions.
Letting go of distractions.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
There's a whole lot of those Social media.
Yeah, it's tough too, because,let me explain to you, it's
tough to have that balance andthis is why I believe to that
every christian should have likea community, a christian
community that they could alwaysengage with in fellowships and
(20:14):
conversation, because if you'renot careful you could find
yourself drifting so like, likeyou said, you know we gotta work
.
You know if you got a family,you gotta take care of your
family.
Um, in addition to that, yougot to take care of yourself,
but at the same time, you needto have devotional times with
God.
You need to have your prayertimes with God.
You got to get in the word andalso you got to encourage others
(20:35):
to draw closer to Jesus beforehe returns.
So now you're trying to findthat balance between working, or
whether or not you're in school, but and also spiritual things.
So sometimes it could get toughbecause we're bombarded by like
worldly things, so many things.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, and they call to you too.
A lot of things call to you,especially when you're trying to
focus.
It's like oh, you need you know.
Everything starts coming at youat once and you're like are,
are you serious?
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
So just making that decision to be willing to.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
It's true.
I once heard a preacher saythat whenever a Christian say
like Lord, here am I, use me,like Lord, I'm going to go all
out for you, that's wheneverything come your way.
Every time, every time, beprepared.
Yeah, be prepared.
I think about what Jesus Christdid for me and he did for the
(21:31):
world, and I really don't wantto disappoint him.
I always try to find ways togive glory to God and please him
, and I'm not saying thiswhoever's watching us, that
we're not perfect.
You know, I'm not putting it,putting us in a position where,
like we're perfect, you know,you know we're.
We have failures, we havefaults, um, you know, in other
(21:55):
words, we're fallible men.
That that um fall short ofGod's glory.
Um, that's what he said.
He said we all sin and fallshort of his glory, but what I
always aim to do is do somethingfor the kingdom of God.
I always say this that wheneverJesus Christ decides to return,
I would love him to return ofme doing his will, doing
(22:19):
something that that he requiredChristians to do.
You know, I don't want to becaught off guard Like, oh man,
jesus Christ, right, I'm noteven ready.
Yeah, Like you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I want to get caught up doing his, his will.
So my question to you when yourassignment is is complete on
earth, because you know whetheror not Jesus Christ returned the
day or tomorrow, at some pointGod is going to call us back
home.
And so when he does call ushome, you know, a friend of mine
would say you know we got twocalls, which is number one, the
(22:51):
gospel call, to obey the gospel,and the other call is when he
called us home.
So when Christ, god, call youhome and you finish your
assignment, what do you wantpeople to remember you for
spiritually?
Speaker 1 (23:07):
God's love.
God's love.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
God's love.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
God's nature is God Love.
God is love.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
I want to be remembered for having God's
nature and impacting andchanging people's lives,
bringing God to others.
I want I want to be rememberedfor that and for people to be
like Michaela didn't have it alltogether, but she loved God and
(23:42):
she was willing and she didn'tgive up.
I want to be remembered forthat.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Amen, yeah, yeah, I like that.
So when you say God's love,that's God's agape, that's agape
love, which is theunconditional love, yeah, that's
loving despite, despite, thinkabout that, despite Christ.
Jesus Christ loves us, despiteour failures, when you and I was
(24:12):
in the world and others beforethey obeyed the gospel, he loved
us despite when he was on thatcross.
He didn't call all the angelsto come down and rescue him,
because he thought about you, hethought about me, he thought
about the world.
To me, that is some powerfullove right there I was asking
(24:35):
god.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
I was like god, how, wow, oh, that's crazy that you
say that, because I was likeliterally thinking about that
like man, like jesus, jesusreally came down here, was
willing to go through all thingsjust for me, and you Like, how
(24:57):
do you grasp that?
Like you love me so much thatyou were willing to leave heaven
, get beat, scourged, die for me.
We were enemies before.
Like you know, we sinnedagainst God, we didn't even
(25:18):
acknowledge God, but, like thefact that God loved us before
the world was even created, it'sbeautiful.
It's literally so beautifulit's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
It's literally so beautiful.
So, yeah, I get emotionalthinking about that because, you
know, for a person I was likeraised in an urban neighborhood
where there is like violence,I've lost quite people, that I
lost quite a few people that Iknew around the neighborhood and
some that I didn't know but Iknew they died from violence.
And when you think about thingslike that, you'd be like, wow,
(25:54):
like like God, you didn't.
Nothing happened to me before Iobeyed the gospel.
Just think about that for aminute.
Like you, like you are savednow.
You saved right now.
God forbid, something happenedto you, something happened to me
.
We're going to be waiting inAbraham's bus and we're going to
be waiting, we're going to bein a place of rest.
But the reality is that somepeople had the opportunity.
(26:14):
Now, whether or not they obeyedthe gospel or where they go,
that's between them and God.
But the reality is I think Imake it a little bit more
personal because I'm like man,god, like all the times like I
rejected the gospel and I hadtimes that I almost died
numerous times and then yet hekept me.
That mean if I would have diedin my sin.
(26:35):
This is why I get emotional IfI would have died in my sins
before being a gospel.
There's a place that's eternallike it's eternal, like that's
it.
There's no, there's no goingback.
You remember Lazarus and therich man.
Like the rich man he got.
Yeah, there was a gulf that wasfixed.
(26:58):
And then he said can I just,yeah, can I just go back up and
like, share, tell people aboutthis place so they won't come
here?
And then the word of God saysno, like that's it, that's it,
the judgment is already set,right, oh, like that's it,
that's it, the judgment isalready set.
And that's where, like, I go inmy deep thought and I started
thinking like, wow, god, likethank you so much for giving me
(27:20):
that time to obey the gospel.
And then so, when I think aboutJesus Christ, what he did for
me and then what he did for you,what he did for the world,
sometimes I get emotionalbecause I start to think about
that Like man, like God sparedme, because if I wasn't right
with him where he is, I wouldn'tbe there.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Right, and that's, that's very beautiful.
Um, I remember a time, um, Iwas, I had a relationship.
I had a relationship with God,but I wasn't living how I should
have been.
I wasn't walking with Him.
I still had a relationship withHim, but I wasn't faithful to
God.
I remember I was up in Idahobecause I was working and I'm
(28:03):
clubbing.
I'm acting a fool, I'm goingcrazy as if I don't know God.
I'm going crazy as if I don'tknow God.
I'm clubbing.
And one weekend and this isweeks of clubbing every weekend
it was one weekend.
I was ready to go.
Antoinette was that's who Irode with.
(28:28):
I was ready to go.
She wasn't, but I told her hey,I'm about to go, wait in the
car.
But on my way to the car, I hearone of my employees, because it
was a group of us that would goclubbing on the weekends and
he's always into like in analtercation with somebody.
(28:48):
But I'm like, I'm ready to goto the car, but something
happened to where I wasn't ableto get to the car.
I don't remember, but like Ididn't make it to the car, few
minutes later I hear gunshotsoutside.
It's going crazy, like it'sgunshots outside and, um, we
wasn't able to get to the car.
I don't know why.
Uh, before before I found outwhy I wasn't we, we weren't able
(29:12):
to get to the car, we had toleave with somebody else.
But we came back the next dayto pick up Antoinette's car.
Come to find out, the car gotshot up and if I would have went
to the car at the time, I wastrying to get to the car but
something happened where Ididn't go.
If I would have been at the carI would have been dead, I would
(29:33):
have been gone, because the cargot shot up and I broke down.
I broke down and I still gotthe picture in my phone.
I was like God, I'm done, I'mdone.
No more clubbing, no'm done,I'm done.
(29:53):
No more clubbing, no moredrinking, I'm done.
So when you said that, god, andjust the four years I was gone,
something could have happenedCar accident, health, something,
even just being, even gettingpregnant before I was married.
Something could have happened.
(30:21):
But the fact that I'm here,it's nothing but grace and mercy
and I thank God for letting mebe here, because I could have
died in my sins and it wouldhave been done.
So there's hope.
There's hope when you wake upthere.
There's hope, he's there, he'swilling to forgive, restore, and
I just sometimes I get I don'thave the words to process Like
(30:42):
God really loves, like Godreally loves us in this
condition, and it was sometimesI was battling because I didn't
have, I didn't grow up with thatlove.
The was sometimes I was battling, like battling it because I
didn't have, I didn't grow upwith that love, the love that I
have now, and that's probablywhy I felt lost, because I'm not
loved.
I felt unloved.
I didn't get the love that Iwanted.
(31:02):
I was abandoned, not to evenjust you know, say that about my
parents, cause they're there, Ilove them, but we were not
against flesh and blood, it'sspirits stuff.
We people go through their ownthings, but that love that I
have now, I needed that and thefact that you know God's loves,
we have access to their love,and I battled with that for the
(31:24):
longest, like I felt like Iwasn't worthy of love, and I
know that God loves me and heloves you, he loves us.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
So yeah, that is good .
So in closing, um, you knowwhat is some words that you
could encourage like a youngadult that's in their twenties,
or older person in theirthirties, forties, fifties.
What is some words that youcould encourage them to draw an
older person in their 30s, 40s,50s.
What are some words that youcould encourage them to draw
closer to Christ, like somethingthat you know we could take
(31:56):
away either from this episode,or even something that they
could take away and hold on to,because I really, you know, the
Bible says it's not God's desirethat any man should perish, but
come to the knowledge of thetruth.
You know, god really wantshumans, all of us, to be saved,
but the reality is there aresome people that's going to
reject him.
So, but what would be somewords of encouragement you could
(32:20):
give somebody before we close?
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Love doesn't force.
And I would say God knows all.
You don't have to hide with God.
You don't have to fear with God.
He can be you with God.
God isn't going to shame you.
God isn't going to, you know,condemn you or pull out your
(32:47):
faults or, you know, make youfeel or belittle you Like he
accepts you and he loves you andhe waits.
He waits for us like, patientlywaits for us.
So every day that you wake up,draw closer to God, pray to him.
It's a relationship.
Sometimes we overthink it and,like I know for me, I overthink
(33:10):
it Like what do I say to God?
Or this, and that he alreadyknows.
But this is a relationship.
He loves you, he cares aboutyou and look at all the things
that he's done.
A day where we won't be able tohave access to him, and the
(33:31):
thing that you're looking for,it really is God.
He has all the answers in that,that hole that you have, that
unfulfilled thing that's in you.
God can feel that that wasmeant, that was meant for God to
feel.
That was meant for God to feel.
Be willing to anything that'sof great worth, a great value is
(33:57):
always going to be worth thefight.
So we fall for you.
So be willing, because somebody, jesus died, jesus died.
So that's my word ofencouragement.
I probably have more.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
I couldn't say it more, better than you, jesus
died Jesus died.
Yeah, he died.
He rose and now he went on upback to glory.
And now we just waiting untilhe returned.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
So much it was the gospel.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
But again, Michaela Thomas, thank you again for
coming on to the Call by Godpodcast.
It was just a blessing just totalk to you, just to hear your
testimony, because it's alwaysencouragement to me to hear how
others you know came to Christ,Either went away and came back
to Christ, or were in arelationship with Christ and
(34:47):
completely left or came back.
I just like hearing thosestories and it blessed me and
hopefully that it blessedsomebody out there as well.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Thank you so much.
And God isn't going to.
God is willing to forgive.
God is willing to forgive.
But thank you so much for thisopportunity.
I hope that it blesses the earsof those that it speaks to,
whoever it needs to speak to.
I really love this to be ableto enlarge God like you know,
(35:20):
give like you know, lower me andmake God big, you know, because
it's not about us.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Yeah, Thank you again .
It was my pleasure, so allright.
Well, so y'all heard it fromSister Michaela.
I want y'all to remember thatJesus Christ, he is the King of
Kings and he is the Lord ofLords.
Until then, be blessed.
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