Nov. 9, 2025

273. Fatherly Lessons, Part 2

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273. Fatherly Lessons, Part 2

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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

Watch Video Podcast: https://youtu.be/4c-o0Em1TnY


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Chapters

00:00 - Spiritual Warfare Revelation

04:40 - Job Rejection and God's Timing

08:23 - Breaking Free From Limiting Beliefs

16:47 - Encountering Spiritual Warfare

25:01 - Flesh vs. Spirit Struggle

31:11 - Balancing Faith in a Worldly Life

36:14 - God's Unconditional Love and Grace

Transcript
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00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:00.801
I'll share.

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So, as a little girl and I know some people when you hear something that you don't really fully understand, you doubt it because it's like you're kind of scared, You're kind of fearful, because you don't really, you can't grasp it.

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I knew spiritual warfare.

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Spiritual warfare was real when I saw I'm battling against myself.

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My flesh is literally crying like we need, we need a job, we need to do this, we need to do that.

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But my spirit is like no, this is the time where you spend time with God.

00:00:54.662 --> 00:00:55.264
You learn what you can.

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You need to learn what you're doing.

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I, you know, I was I.

00:00:56.927 --> 00:00:59.954
I I allowed it to, I didn't allow it to be.

00:00:59.954 --> 00:01:08.379
Um, I didn't become it, I didn't allow it to, I didn't allow it to, I didn't allow that to be my identity.

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Christ is my identity and that's different.

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And then, okay, so the time.

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Okay, so how I got the job.

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Now it's actually quite funny.

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So I didn't get the job.

00:01:23.257 --> 00:01:32.302
At first they said, hey, we're going to go with another candidate, you know, thank you for applying, but we're going to go with somebody else.

00:01:32.302 --> 00:01:35.289
And so I was a little disappointed at the time.

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I was like man, like I thought this was it, like the benefits and the circumstance, it would fit great.

00:01:41.531 --> 00:01:46.900
And so I made up in my mind, like, okay, okay, you got two choices.

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We're gonna either we're either gonna shut down, because at this point I'm getting blows, like I remember one time I received some news and like I shut down, I went numb.

00:01:57.709 --> 00:02:04.030
And so at this point I'm receiving, like this, you know, disappointments and no's.

00:02:04.030 --> 00:02:14.913
And so I said back in my mind I'm like, okay, we got, either we gonna succumb to this, we're gonna be done, or we're gonna trust God.

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And said, and so I said I'm gonna trust God.

00:02:17.465 --> 00:02:18.627
And I went to go pray.

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I said, father, I may not like this.

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Actually, I hate this, I don't like this at all like I'm receiving no's and rejections, rejections.

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But I trust you, I'm going to stay, I'm going to stay with you, I'm going to ride it out Next few days.

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I get a call hey, michaela, spi just opened up.

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We were going to hire you.

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We want to welcome you to the team.

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It's like the UPS just made the turnaround.

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Wow, wow, yes, it was.

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So prayer is very powerful too.

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It is Prayer is very powerful, and I used to doubt that, like that's another thing.

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I used to think that wasn't worthy, worthy of God's ear, like God don't hear me, or why would he listen to somebody like me?

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Because, growing, you know, sometime somewhere in my life I felt like as if I don't know if somebody made me feel this way, but made it feel like what I had to say wasn't good enough or it had didn't carry enough power, and so I brought that into this relationship with God.

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Or didn't carry enough power, and so I brought that into this relationship with God.

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I brought a lot of things from old relationships, old experiences, old mindsets, beliefs into this relationship with God and I thought, and I believe, like I'm not worthy of good things, like he doesn't hear somebody like me, right, right.

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But he does, he does.

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He does yeah.

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And so that that realization is helping me even more, draw closer to God.

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Because just think about it, like the God of the universe, the almighty, who sits on the throne, here's you.

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You mean to tell me he hears little me on this earth, me.

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And so when you break free from that 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 got your ear.

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Like now I'm finna, come talk to you.

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You know yeah.

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So yeah, it's beautiful in that relationship right yeah, it's like, it's like uh, uh.

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You know he's your daddy, he's your friend, you know you could just talk to him.

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And even when you was talking, you remind me about that time when I was in my twenties and I was like broke dead, broke right, and I was in college eating burgers.

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I'm not going to say the company name, but I was eating cheap burgers, fast food burgers.

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And I remember one time I was hungry.

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I said, lord, I am hungry, and I just went in my room.

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I started praying.

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I started praying.

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I said, lord, I am hungry, and I just went in my room.

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I started praying.

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I started praying.

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I said, lord, please, lord, I'm hungry, I don't have no money.

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And then immediately one of my parents' friends came knocking on the door.

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They said, hey, you know, your family is a place in my heart.

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Here's some pizza for y'all.

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Y'all can have some dinner.

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And I was like, wow, god, thank you so much, like I was so grateful that a person came knock on our door.

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And it shows you that God could touch the hearts of anybody to supply even our needs.

00:05:31.175 --> 00:05:35.456
But I heard you mention about spiritual warfare A couple of times.

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I heard you say you know the enemy.

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This Because typically people don't usually talk about spiritual warfare unless they know a thing or two.

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Like who taught you about spiritual warfare and could you elaborate a little bit more on that?

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Oh, yes.

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I know you have a phenomenal preacher over there at North Colony Because I know sometimes people don't talk about spiritual warfare a lot.

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That's something that's usually brushed over, but I know the things you can see.

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This is the physical realm, but there's also another realm that sometimes I feel that some people tend to ignore, but it actually exists.

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And I know some people when you hear something that you don't really fully understand, you doubt it, because it's like you're kind of scared, you're kind of fearful, because you don't really you can't grasp it.

00:06:31.877 --> 00:06:40.781
I knew spiritual warfare.

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Spiritual warfare was real when I saw something.

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As a little girl, I saw something and it stuck with me ever since girl, I saw something and it stuck with me ever since, and to this and to the point of today, like I have to tell Jesus, like and I'll be very honest like I'll tell Jesus, hey, like I'm scared in this moment, god, I'm scared.

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Like I need peace right now because I'm scared.

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I'm going back.

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The little girl is going back to 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, like I need protection, I'm scared.

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But spiritual warfare is, is real.

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Um, and with my personal attacks he attacks my mind and then he attacked me through addiction, through physical activity, through people.

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So I've seen and I've heard a lot of things and then, just knowing people who who operate in like witchcraft or voodoo, I've seen that I've lived with somebody who dealt with tarot cards and all that kind of stuff, who summons up things, who opened up Pandora's box and couldn't close it?

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Um, waking up in shakes.

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I've seen it and I've heard it, so it's very real.

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Like that's the thing.

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Like spiritual warfare is real.

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Like, uh, what you listen to, what you, what you, it's real Because God wasn't playing when he said we were not against flesh and blood.

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Like we were not against flesh and blood, but spirits and principalities, cosmos, like it's real.

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It's real, yeah.

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It's real, like that stuff in the movies.

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It's real Like if you're seeking that.

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It's real.

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Like that stuff in the movies.

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It's real Like if you're seeking that, it's real.

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It's amazing you mention that because, like it brings me when I think about before I obeyed the gospel.

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It's like it's like I wasn't, it's like I was possessed, like when you don't have, when you don't have Christ in your life, and then you are, you feel like, controlled by another entity.

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And me personally, I believe that I was controlled by those spirits, those unclean spirits which were tempting me and driving me to do things that were ungodly, although I was doing them.

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But I was tempted into doing them and I just went for it.

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So, in other words, when I was lost, I didn't have no conviction.

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Sin was pleasurable.

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Hey, man, let's go party when they at.

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Where the party at, there was no conviction.

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Like man where they at, hey, you sinned against God.

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Who, god?

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Man where the party at?

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Man, what's up?

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Man, let's go do this.

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But now that I'm a Christian and I have the Holy Spirit, now there's conviction I'm like, okay, now you know you have those Holy Spirit because the things that used to be fun ain't fun anymore.

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I can't do that, no more.

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God gonna get me.

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I love you God.

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That is so true.

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You be like.

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I love God too much.

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Yeah it's not even fun, y'all gotta stay away.

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That's how you know you have the Holy Spirit, because the things you used to do in the past you'd be like man.

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I can't do that.

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The Holy Spirit, you know you can't be doing that right like what you doing.

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Yeah, you know God is not pleased with that right you know you watch it, right.

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You be like, ah, yes, let me go ahead.

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You have a good point when you said that.

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It brought up a memory like so me and my friends, they had like a she had like a little kickback at the hotel downtown, downtown Dallas, and I was smoking and drinking and that's called cross, cross faded.

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I remember.

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I remember, remember us going up to the rooftop and there's like a pool and like as you walk into the pool, like there is, you can look over and like look at, 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.

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And as I'm walking, I hear a, I'm hearing stuff like jump over, like end your life.

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Like I'm hearing that and I'm not in the right, in the right mindset, like I'm, I'm out of there and I hear end your life, jump over.

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I'm, I'm literally terrified because it's like I'm in my body but I'm, I'm not in control.

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So so what if?

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What if I was to do that?

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I'm terrified and so like I had to literally force myself like to go, get in the pool and look away because I'm scared.

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It's something that's telling me go end your life, go jump, you know, kill yourself.

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I'm hearing that.

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So spiritual warfare is real.

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Yeah, it's real yeah, I used to do things um, and then I used to do things at night that were ungodly, like go to the club party and do all kind of crazy stuff, and then the next day I'll be like what in the world did I do last night?

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So that's why it's like as though I was like possessed by a spirit, and then those same voices that you say you heard, I heard those voices too, like you don't care about your life, just yeah, just you don't care, you're nobody, right, you know.

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And so I used to hear those voices too when I was in the world.

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But I would say this that now that I'm a Christian, I know although I know that the spiritual warfare is real, you know their powers are limited and God's power is unlimited.

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Like God has unlimited power, like God has power even over them.

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And so I know, since their power is so limited and they're only here for just a season until Jesus Christ returned and I'm like man, if they could do that, these little demons and unclean spirits, if they could do that.

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And Jesus Christ was here on earth over 2,000 years ago.

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Jesus Christ was casting demons out of people.

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They trembled, they feared Jesus when they seen him and I said, wow, if we're a child of the God, if we know the power that we possess, they would fear us too.

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So that's what gives me that confidence that now that I'm a Christian, I'm like man.

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I know they scared of me.

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Let me tell you something when I be encountering people, I don't encounter people, I know.

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Those are spirits.

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Yes, I look beyond the flesh and they know when you're a child of the king.

00:13:04.741 --> 00:13:11.023
So I thought it was interesting that you brought that up, because normally people don't talk about spiritual warfare like that.

00:13:11.590 --> 00:13:22.062
Yeah, and I know I'm still like trying to like fully put a grasp around it or, like you know, fully come to the understanding that when I'm talking to somebody, I'm talking to a spirit.

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And, if you know, you also have to be mindful of people in the world.

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When you don't have Christ, of course, you can't expect them to talk like Christ or walk like Christ.

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You behave like Christ.

00:13:36.256 --> 00:13:59.201
And so I recently just learned, this past week, like, hey, like I have some kind of I have an anger, anger like a little, not an anger problem, but like I can get easily flared if I'm brought there, and so that was brought out by an employee, but I didn't respond and I had spoke to a good sister that I look up to.

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Then I you know that I asked for wisdom and I asked for guidance.

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She brought me back to like, hey, like you have to remember, like we were not against flesh and blood but spirits and principalities, and I was like, oh man, like you're right, and so when we have that mindset and we go into it, like with that mindset, it kind of helps looking past.

00:14:21.275 --> 00:14:36.403
I'm not looking at you, I'm looking at the spirit and how to you know, um, I guess react or move with that, with a, you know, with the spirit, whatever you're doing yeah, well, this is the thing, um, we live in flesh.

00:14:36.503 --> 00:14:39.410
So this is why I believe that we need jesus more than we.

00:14:39.410 --> 00:14:46.072
We believe and we think because you got, especially especially as children of God, we got the flesh that is worn with the spirit.

00:14:46.072 --> 00:15:00.460
The spirit desires to be with God and yearn for God, but the flesh desires things of the flesh, you know, and this is why, like, the more and more you draw closer to God, you know, the more and more you kill the desires of the flesh.

00:15:00.460 --> 00:15:05.457
You know, and by killing the desires of the flesh, that's when it goes to like.

00:15:05.457 --> 00:15:07.975
You got to fast and pray, you got to be in your word.

00:15:07.975 --> 00:15:18.115
And even the ones that are lost, they're lost and that's why it is our responsibility as Christians to proclaim the gospel so they could get out of those spiritual chains.

00:15:18.115 --> 00:15:28.998
So, when we talk about spiritual warfare, those people that are lost because we were once once lost like god literally broke those spiritual chains, like when you talk about breaking.

00:15:29.018 --> 00:15:39.221
He broke us because we was in bondage, we were prison, wasn't a prison of sin, and so when our eyes was open, kind of like what you said, you know in 2023 and you gave your life to the lord.

00:15:39.221 --> 00:15:45.642
And many years ago, when I gave my life to the lord, it's like when god broke those chains out of me, like my eyes kind of like lit up.

00:15:45.642 --> 00:15:47.035
I'm like, wow, now I can see.

00:15:47.035 --> 00:15:49.115
Now Everything made sense to me.

00:15:49.115 --> 00:15:52.440
It's like it's like all those years I was dead, right, yeah.

00:15:52.440 --> 00:15:58.739
And then now I got baptized it's not like I literally became a new person, right.

00:15:58.739 --> 00:16:02.197
What in the world Like this is a whole different world to me?

00:16:02.197 --> 00:16:09.119
Right, the world like this is a whole a different world to me, right, so the old person is dead, the person that people know me as in the past.

00:16:09.119 --> 00:16:09.318
He's dead.

00:16:09.318 --> 00:16:12.591
Yeah, the only way that I could resurrect him if I leave the body of christ.

00:16:12.591 --> 00:16:16.481
Okay, but that's not gonna happen, through the grace of god.

00:16:21.317 --> 00:16:43.500
Yeah, I said, lord, hold on to me please please just hold me to you please, because and and I do notice, like you know, as I, as you get closer to god and you're, and you're submitting to the holy spirit, willing, like being willing to submit to the holy spirit, I do notice like the flesh doesn't like that.

00:16:43.500 --> 00:17:00.719
The flesh, it's like it comes harder, like I've noticed that, like cause there's some things that I battle and I struggle with, and I remember saying like, hey, like I remember somebody saying you have to be willing to submit to the Holy Spirit.

00:17:00.719 --> 00:17:03.538
He's not gonna force you or pull you.

00:17:03.538 --> 00:17:07.537
You have to be willing to walk and follow and submit.

00:17:07.537 --> 00:17:12.175
And so I've been trying to apply that more into my walk.

00:17:12.175 --> 00:17:17.299
The flesh is like, oh no, she turned up to me.

00:17:17.299 --> 00:17:21.820
I'm finna, turn it up too.

00:17:21.820 --> 00:17:25.696
And so I noticed that the flesh be trying to fight back.

00:17:25.696 --> 00:17:36.492
But then, like when you, yeah, but then when you feed your spirit, it's like the spirit's like okay, calm down, she's good, like you know.

00:17:36.974 --> 00:17:39.223
So yeah, yeah, that's true.

00:17:39.223 --> 00:17:40.432
So let me ask you a question.

00:17:40.432 --> 00:17:47.832
So, so, being a young adult, so how do you find a balance between being in this world and not of the world?

00:17:47.832 --> 00:18:05.223
Because I know like, as Christians, we are held to a certain standard, and so when you look at the world, the world does things one way, and then God expects us Christians to do things another way, like we're not supposed to look at the world, although we're in this world, but we're not of the world.

00:18:05.223 --> 00:18:08.295
Like we're not supposed to look at the world, although we're in this world, but we're not of the world Like we are.

00:18:08.295 --> 00:18:18.397
You know, the Bible says in Colossians, chapter three, to seek the things that's above and that's our mind ought to be focused on Christ, but at the same time, we live in a real world where we're of this world.

00:18:18.397 --> 00:18:25.595
So how do you find that balance of being in this world but not being of the world?

00:18:26.476 --> 00:18:26.856
So I know.

00:18:26.856 --> 00:18:36.885
For me it's knowing the why, the who and knowing the nature of things.

00:18:36.885 --> 00:18:56.259
So if I know that this is something that's going to not help me grow, it's going to push me a lot further from God, I'm not going to participate in it Now, mind you, I know that there's things in life that you know we have to take care of, like responsibilities, we have jobs and all that.

00:18:56.259 --> 00:19:08.193
But making sure that I'm putting enough time and energy into the things that I know is going to help me grow spiritually, because this is a temporary.

00:19:08.193 --> 00:19:20.442
This is temporary Jesus could come back anytime and my mind lately has been like God, I just want to be with you, like I don't want to be away from you.

00:19:20.622 --> 00:19:35.183
So find that balance being able to like identify what's going to help help me grow, what's not going to cause me to fall, who I need to you know my company, uh, my time, my energy.

00:19:35.183 --> 00:19:44.180
So just being able to like balance between the two, like you know what's good for me and what's not, because we have access to everything, but not everything is good for you.

00:19:44.180 --> 00:19:51.712
So that's why I've been trying to find the balance Letting go of distractions.

00:19:51.712 --> 00:19:53.597
Letting go of distractions.

00:19:53.857 --> 00:19:57.287
There's a whole lot of those Social media.

00:19:57.287 --> 00:20:21.204
Yeah, it's tough too, because, let me explain to you, it's tough to have that balance and this is why I believe to that every christian should have like a community, a christian community that they could always engage with in fellowships and conversation, because if you're not careful you could find yourself drifting so like, like you said, you know we gotta work.

00:20:21.747 --> 00:20:23.833
You know if you got a family, you gotta take care of your family.

00:20:23.833 --> 00:20:30.054
Um, in addition to that, you got to take care of yourself, but at the same time, you need to have devotional times with God.

00:20:30.054 --> 00:20:32.240
You need to have your prayer times with God.

00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:38.182
You got to get in the word and also you got to encourage others to draw closer to Jesus before he returns.

00:20:38.182 --> 00:20:46.571
So now you're trying to find that balance between working, or whether or not you're in school, but and also spiritual things.

00:20:46.571 --> 00:20:49.839
So sometimes it could get tough because we're bombarded by like worldly things, so many things.

00:20:50.260 --> 00:20:52.291
Yeah, and they call to you too.

00:20:52.291 --> 00:20:55.423
A lot of things call to you, especially when you're trying to focus.

00:20:55.423 --> 00:20:57.830
It's like oh, you need you know.

00:20:57.830 --> 00:21:02.101
Everything starts coming at you at once and you're like are, are you serious?

00:21:03.825 --> 00:21:04.105
Yep.

00:21:04.787 --> 00:21:07.656
So just making that decision to be willing to.

00:21:08.252 --> 00:21:08.698
It's true.

00:21:08.698 --> 00:21:19.296
I once heard a preacher say that whenever a Christian say like Lord, here am I, use me, like Lord, I'm going to go all out for you, that's when everything come your way.

00:21:19.296 --> 00:21:24.681
Every time, every time, be prepared.

00:21:24.681 --> 00:21:26.630
Yeah, be prepared.

00:21:28.213 --> 00:21:35.398
I think about what Jesus Christ did for me and he did for the world, and I really don't want to disappoint him.

00:21:35.398 --> 00:21:46.071
I always try to find ways to give glory to God and please him, and I'm not saying this whoever's watching us, that we're not perfect.

00:21:46.071 --> 00:21:50.711
You know, I'm not putting it, putting us in a position where, like we're perfect, you know, you know we're.

00:21:50.711 --> 00:21:57.051
We have failures, we have faults, um, you know, in other words, we're fallible men.

00:21:57.051 --> 00:21:59.498
That that um fall short of God's glory.

00:21:59.498 --> 00:22:01.021
Um, that's what he said.

00:22:01.021 --> 00:22:10.853
He said we all sin and fall short of his glory, but what I always aim to do is do something for the kingdom of God.

00:22:10.853 --> 00:22:22.326
I always say this that whenever Jesus Christ decides to return, I would love him to return of me doing his will, doing something that that he required Christians to do.

00:22:22.326 --> 00:22:27.238
You know, I don't want to be caught off guard Like, oh man, jesus Christ, right, I'm not even ready.

00:22:27.778 --> 00:22:28.923
Yeah, Like you know what I mean.

00:22:29.230 --> 00:22:29.631
Yeah.

00:22:29.750 --> 00:22:32.375
I want to get caught up doing his, his will.

00:22:32.375 --> 00:22:44.877
So my question to you when your assignment is is complete on earth, because you know whether or not Jesus Christ returned the day or tomorrow, at some point God is going to call us back home.

00:22:44.877 --> 00:22:56.090
And so when he does call us home, you know, a friend of mine would say you know we got two calls, which is number one, the gospel call, to obey the gospel, and the other call is when he called us home.

00:22:56.090 --> 00:23:04.803
So when Christ, god, call you home and you finish your assignment, what do you want people to remember you for spiritually?

00:23:07.015 --> 00:23:07.636
God's love.

00:23:07.636 --> 00:23:10.880
God's love.

00:23:12.071 --> 00:23:12.895
God's love.

00:23:14.711 --> 00:23:15.957
God's nature is God Love.

00:23:15.957 --> 00:23:17.794
God is love.

00:23:18.636 --> 00:23:18.999
Yeah.

00:23:20.330 --> 00:23:29.384
I want to be remembered for having God's nature and impacting and changing people's lives, bringing God to others.

00:23:29.384 --> 00:23:44.815
I want I want to be remembered for that and for people to be like Michaela didn't have it all together, but she loved God and she was willing and she didn't give up.

00:23:44.815 --> 00:23:47.453
I want to be remembered for that.

00:23:48.958 --> 00:23:51.103
Amen, yeah, yeah, I like that.

00:23:51.103 --> 00:24:05.750
So when you say God's love, that's God's agape, that's agape love, which is the unconditional love, yeah, that's loving despite, despite, think about that, despite Christ.

00:24:05.750 --> 00:24:20.712
Jesus Christ loves us, despite our failures, when you and I was in the world and others before they obeyed the gospel, he loved us despite when he was on that cross.

00:24:20.712 --> 00:24:30.205
He didn't call all the angels to come down and rescue him, because he thought about you, he thought about me, he thought about the world.

00:24:30.205 --> 00:24:36.117
To me, that is some powerful love right there I was asking god.

00:24:36.278 --> 00:24:58.153
I was like god, how, wow, oh, that's crazy that you say that, because I was like literally thinking about that like man, like jesus, jesus really came down here, was willing to go through all things just for me, and you Like, how do you grasp that?

00:24:58.153 --> 00:25:11.526
Like you love me so much that you were willing to leave heaven, get beat, scourged, die for me.

00:25:11.526 --> 00:25:15.038
We were enemies before.

00:25:15.038 --> 00:25:26.916
Like you know, we sinned against God, we didn't even acknowledge God, but, like the fact that God loved us before the world was even created, it's beautiful.

00:25:26.916 --> 00:25:33.565
It's literally so beautiful it's beautiful.

00:25:33.644 --> 00:25:34.690
It's literally so beautiful.

00:25:34.690 --> 00:25:51.101
So, yeah, I get emotional thinking about that because, you know, for a person I was like raised in an urban neighborhood where there is like violence, I've lost quite people, that I lost quite a few people that I knew around the neighborhood and some that I didn't know but I knew they died from violence.

00:25:51.101 --> 00:26:01.251
And when you think about things like that, you'd be like, wow, like like God, you didn't.

00:26:01.251 --> 00:26:02.477
Nothing happened to me before I obeyed the gospel.

00:26:02.477 --> 00:26:03.380
Just think about that for a minute.

00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:04.182
Like you, like you are saved now.

00:26:04.182 --> 00:26:05.126
You saved right now.

00:26:05.126 --> 00:26:07.092
God forbid, something happened to you, something happened to me.

00:26:07.092 --> 00:26:10.597
We're going to be waiting in Abraham's bus and we're going to be waiting, we're going to be in a place of rest.

00:26:11.760 --> 00:26:14.692
But the reality is that some people had the opportunity.

00:26:14.692 --> 00:26:19.490
Now, whether or not they obeyed the gospel or where they go, that's between them and God.

00:26:19.490 --> 00:26:33.792
But the reality is I think I make it a little bit more personal because I'm like man, god, like all the times like I rejected the gospel and I had times that I almost died numerous times and then yet he kept me.

00:26:33.792 --> 00:26:35.939
That mean if I would have died in my sin.

00:26:35.939 --> 00:26:41.721
This is why I get emotional If I would have died in my sins before being a gospel.

00:26:41.721 --> 00:26:47.281
There's a place that's eternal like it's eternal, like that's it.

00:26:47.281 --> 00:26:49.375
There's no, there's no going back.

00:26:49.375 --> 00:26:51.381
You remember Lazarus and the rich man.

00:26:51.381 --> 00:26:55.175
Like the rich man he got.

00:26:55.175 --> 00:26:57.382
Yeah, there was a gulf that was fixed.

00:26:58.869 --> 00:27:04.383
And then he said can I just, yeah, can I just go back up and like, share, tell people about this place so they won't come here?

00:27:04.383 --> 00:27:15.492
And then the word of God says no, like that's it, that's it, the judgment is already set, right, oh, like that's it, that's it, the judgment is already set.

00:27:15.492 --> 00:27:22.053
And that's where, like, I go in my deep thought and I started thinking like, wow, god, like thank you so much for giving me that time to obey the gospel.

00:27:22.053 --> 00:27:38.930
And then so, when I think about Jesus Christ, what he did for me and then what he did for you, what he did for the world, sometimes I get emotional because I start to think about that Like man, like God spared me, because if I wasn't right with him where he is, I wouldn't be there.

00:27:39.371 --> 00:27:42.195
Right, and that's, that's very beautiful.

00:27:42.195 --> 00:27:47.851
Um, I remember a time, um, I was, I had a relationship.

00:27:47.851 --> 00:27:52.643
I had a relationship with God, but I wasn't living how I should have been.

00:27:52.643 --> 00:27:54.276
I wasn't walking with Him.

00:27:54.276 --> 00:27:58.682
I still had a relationship with Him, but I wasn't faithful to God.

00:27:58.682 --> 00:28:04.315
I remember I was up in Idaho because I was working and I'm clubbing.

00:28:04.369 --> 00:28:08.778
I'm acting a fool, I'm going crazy as if I don't know God.

00:28:08.778 --> 00:28:12.132
I'm going crazy as if I don't know God.

00:28:12.132 --> 00:28:12.432
I'm clubbing.

00:28:12.432 --> 00:28:19.478
And one weekend and this is weeks of clubbing every weekend it was one weekend.

00:28:19.478 --> 00:28:22.820
I was ready to go.

00:28:22.820 --> 00:28:28.684
Antoinette was that's who I rode with.

00:28:28.684 --> 00:28:30.186
I was ready to go.

00:28:30.186 --> 00:28:36.637
She wasn't, but I told her hey, I'm about to go, wait in the car.

00:28:36.657 --> 00:28:48.700
But on my way to the car, I hear one of my employees, because it was a group of us that would go clubbing on the weekends and he's always into like in an altercation with somebody.

00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:55.250
But I'm like, I'm ready to go to the car, but something happened to where I wasn't able to get to the car.

00:28:55.250 --> 00:28:58.232
I don't remember, but like I didn't make it to the car, few minutes later I hear gunshots outside.

00:28:58.232 --> 00:29:05.578
It's going crazy, like it's gunshots outside and, um, we wasn't able to get to the car.

00:29:05.578 --> 00:29:07.400
I don't know why.

00:29:07.400 --> 00:29:13.984
Uh, before before I found out why I wasn't we, we weren't able to get to the car, we had to leave with somebody else.

00:29:13.984 --> 00:29:16.646
But we came back the next day to pick up Antoinette's car.

00:29:16.646 --> 00:29:28.575
Come to find out, the car got shot up and if I would have went to the car at the time, I was trying to get to the car but something happened where I didn't go.

00:29:28.575 --> 00:29:40.221
If I would have been at the car I would have been dead, I would have been gone, because the car got shot up and I broke down.

00:29:40.221 --> 00:29:44.942
I broke down and I still got the picture in my phone.

00:29:44.942 --> 00:29:49.846
I was like God, I'm done, I'm done.

00:29:49.846 --> 00:29:53.528
No more clubbing, no'm done, I'm done.

00:29:53.528 --> 00:29:57.230
No more clubbing, no more drinking, I'm done.

00:30:04.791 --> 00:30:13.105
So when you said that, god, and just the four years I was gone, something could have happened Car accident, health, something, even just being, even getting pregnant before I was married.

00:30:13.105 --> 00:30:21.353
Something could have happened.

00:30:21.353 --> 00:30:26.892
But the fact that I'm here, it's nothing but grace and mercy and I thank God for letting me be here, because I could have died in my sins and it would have been done.

00:30:26.892 --> 00:30:28.375
So there's hope.

00:30:28.375 --> 00:30:31.583
There's hope when you wake up there.

00:30:31.583 --> 00:30:50.770
There's hope, he's there, he's willing to forgive, restore, and I just sometimes I get I don't have the words to process Like God really loves, like God really loves us in this condition, and it was sometimes I was battling because I didn't have, I didn't grow up with that love.

00:30:50.760 --> 00:31:00.182
The was sometimes I was battling, like battling it because I didn't have, I didn't grow up with that love, the love that I have now, and that's probably why I felt lost, because I'm not loved.

00:31:00.182 --> 00:31:01.435
I felt unloved.

00:31:01.435 --> 00:31:02.775
I didn't get the love that I wanted.

00:31:02.775 --> 00:31:13.634
I was abandoned, not to even just you know, say that about my parents, cause they're there, I love them, but we were not against flesh and blood, it's spirits stuff.

00:31:13.634 --> 00:31:36.041
We people go through their own things, but that love that I have now, I needed that and the fact that you know God's loves, we have access to their love, and I battled with that for the longest, like I felt like I wasn't worthy of love, and I know that God loves me and he loves you, he loves us.

00:31:36.342 --> 00:31:39.345
So yeah, that is good.

00:31:39.345 --> 00:31:48.616
So in closing, um, you know what is some words that you could encourage like a young adult that's in their twenties, or older person in their thirties, forties, fifties.

00:31:48.616 --> 00:31:51.067
What is some words that you could encourage them to draw an older person in their 30s, 40s, 50s.

00:31:51.067 --> 00:32:08.919
What are some words that you could encourage them to draw closer to Christ, like something that you know we could take 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 desire that any man should perish, but come to the knowledge of the truth.

00:32:08.919 --> 00:32:16.740
You know, god really wants humans, all of us, to be saved, but the reality is there are some people that's going to reject him.

00:32:16.740 --> 00:32:22.741
So, but what would be some words of encouragement you could give somebody before we close?

00:32:24.269 --> 00:32:25.375
Love doesn't force.

00:32:25.375 --> 00:32:31.818
And I would say God knows all.

00:32:31.818 --> 00:32:34.806
You don't have to hide with God.

00:32:34.806 --> 00:32:36.490
You don't have to fear with God.

00:32:36.490 --> 00:32:39.775
He can be you with God.

00:32:39.775 --> 00:32:41.498
God isn't going to shame you.

00:32:41.498 --> 00:32:54.318
God isn't going to, you know, condemn you or pull out your faults or, you know, make you feel or belittle you Like he accepts you and he loves you and he waits.

00:32:54.318 --> 00:32:57.878
He waits for us like, patiently waits for us.

00:32:57.878 --> 00:33:04.742
So every day that you wake up, draw closer to God, pray to him.

00:33:05.412 --> 00:33:06.296
It's a relationship.

00:33:06.296 --> 00:33:12.492
Sometimes we overthink it and, like I know for me, I overthink it Like what do I say to God?

00:33:12.492 --> 00:33:14.795
Or this, and that he already knows.

00:33:14.795 --> 00:33:16.215
But this is a relationship.

00:33:16.215 --> 00:33:20.679
He loves you, he cares about you and look at all the things that he's done.

00:33:20.679 --> 00:33:42.330
A day where we won't be able to have access to him, and the thing that you're looking for, it really is God.

00:33:42.330 --> 00:33:45.074
He has all the answers in that, that hole that you have, that unfulfilled thing that's in you.

00:33:45.074 --> 00:33:48.499
God can feel that that was meant, that was meant for God to feel.

00:33:48.499 --> 00:33:50.141
That was meant for God to feel.

00:33:50.141 --> 00:33:58.880
Be willing to anything that's of great worth, a great value is always going to be worth the fight.

00:33:58.880 --> 00:33:59.624
So we fall for you.

00:33:59.624 --> 00:34:08.103
So be willing, because somebody, jesus died, jesus died.

00:34:08.103 --> 00:34:09.574
So that's my word of encouragement.

00:34:09.574 --> 00:34:10.320
I probably have more.

00:34:11.291 --> 00:34:15.253
I couldn't say it more, better than you, jesus died Jesus died.

00:34:15.253 --> 00:34:17.358
Yeah, he died.

00:34:17.358 --> 00:34:21.737
He rose and now he went on up back to glory.

00:34:21.737 --> 00:34:23.501
And now we just waiting until he returned.

00:34:25.590 --> 00:34:27.074
So much it was the gospel.

00:34:27.235 --> 00:34:34.081
But again, Michaela Thomas, thank you again for coming on to the Call by God podcast.

00:34:34.081 --> 00:34:49.242
It was just a blessing just to talk to you, just to hear your testimony, because it's always encouragement to me to hear how others you know came to Christ, Either went away and came back to Christ, or were in a relationship with Christ and completely left or came back.

00:34:49.242 --> 00:34:55.498
I just like hearing those stories and it blessed me and hopefully that it blessed somebody out there as well.

00:34:56.510 --> 00:34:57.255
Thank you so much.

00:34:57.255 --> 00:35:01.556
And God isn't going to.

00:35:01.556 --> 00:35:03.501
God is willing to forgive.

00:35:03.501 --> 00:35:05.036
God is willing to forgive.

00:35:05.036 --> 00:35:08.090
But thank you so much for this opportunity.

00:35:08.090 --> 00:35:14.143
I hope that it blesses the ears of those that it speaks to, whoever it needs to speak to.

00:35:14.143 --> 00:35:27.914
I really love this to be able to enlarge God like you know, give like you know, lower me and make God big, you know, because it's not about us.

00:35:28.195 --> 00:35:29.376
Yeah, Thank you again.

00:35:29.376 --> 00:35:30.960
It was my pleasure, so all right.

00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:33.846
Well, so y'all heard it from Sister Michaela.

00:35:33.846 --> 00:35:40.164
I want y'all to remember that Jesus Christ, he is the King of Kings and he is the Lord of Lords.

00:35:40.164 --> 00:35:42.170
Until then, be blessed.