Thank you so much for tuning in and welcome everyone. I hope you're well, I'm your host, Ben Lively, and you're listening to Shaken Awake, episode number 32. I just wanted to thank you for tuning in wherever you are and whatever you're doing right this very moment. And I wanted to thank some new listeners that started listening last week and made some comments and reached out to me from the show. I just wanted to welcome you aboard. I'm sure glad to have you. And as always, I promise you another great show.

 

But more than anything, my hope for you today and always is that you have an actual encounter with the Lord. He's always right there beside you. And I also wanted to give a huge shot out just for a moment to my brothers in Christ of a very strong Christian men's group on Facebook known as Men who Follow Christ. And they're the official sponsor of the show. And I couldn't be prouder of them and the selfless sacrifices that they each make to spread the news of Christ and the gospel to men around the world.

 

And if you're a man of God or you're striving to be one, please join us today on that face group again, Men who Follow Christ. And this place is for men. But we do recognize there is a need for women to have a place just like this. So we also support our sister page at www.facebook.com/groups/theweepingwomenofchrist.

 

If you're a woman that would like to join that group, please do. And so, as I mentioned last week, I had the fortunate honor to have met another spectacular man of God, Michael Sanders from West Virginia through this very podcast.   I ask God on a regular basis, and I was telling him this, just Lord, please send them to me, whoever they are. You know my heart, test me in helping to achieve your will and allow me to be your mouthpiece and help me where you need me to.

 

I don't get out. I work remotely. And so what I do is I ask Him to send me those that He would like me to connect with. And every time, literally, every time I pray a prayer, which is, by the way, getting more and more frequent. It used to be maybe once every other month, and now it's almost weekly; every single time He's delivered immediately. So the very next day that I prayed the prayer, Michael reached out to me after hearing my show with our last guest, Matthew Hardy.

 

If you remember him from Henderson, Texas, if you haven't checked that show out, please listen to him on episode 28. It's from September 5, and Michael and I, we just connected. And he tells me that he listened to that show and he shares a little bit about his story and said he wanted to have a meaningful connection with another brother in the Lord. And so that's how our friendship started. We shared about a two hour conversation, and it was just a divine appointment from God, I believe.

 

And so I knew he was the one God sent and the one that needed to be on the show just to give God all the gloryyou and you all a glimpse into the power of God and the powerful testimony that Michael has. So without further ado, let's get shaken awake with Michael Sanders of West Virginia, who was a former alcoholic. He experienced great abuse growing up, he was a drug addict, sex addict and a pleasure seeker of all the wrong things life had to offer him, not to mention growing up with depression and anxiety disorders.

 

And God set him free from all the abuse, all his inflictions and all his addictions. And here he's with us today to give us one heck of a story of deliverance and being born again into the family of God. So welcome aboard, Michael. I'm so glad to have you on the show today. How are you doing today, brother?

 

I'm doing great Ben. Thanks for having me on here. Yeah. Touching on what you were talking about, the abuse and the things growing up and how I became shaken awake. I just thought I'd quickly go through from the time it all started with a very young age, but my goal in all this is to let them know out there, there is hope. You know, I had an abusive stepdad growing up, and I remember my sister and I.

 

We were just growing up just probably five years old. My mom and dad divorced and she married somebody not long after. And this guy, he was abusive. I'm talking pretty good. Pretty bad, actually. But I can't tell you all the times that I had thought that, man, I hate this guy. I hate this guy. I never really hated him. It's something that I grew upnd with and I thank God that I never had that actually in my heart. I just used to tell people that, but I remember he did introduce my mom and to an assembly of God Church.

 

It was kind of hypocritical. I thought after being being in Church at a young age and being like, okay, I can go home and I can expect this when I get home. But he goes to Church and he likes all this. So it was very confusing for me. I can tell you that I'm not going to focus on all that. But I will tell you that I had a heart and I knew I had a heart. But the more that I heard about the Lord, the more that we went to Church.

 

I believe God was working at me at a young age. There's no doubt I will say, though, that growing up, of course, like we all do we go through school, we go, we go our separate ways, even when it's from God, away from God. We all tend to at times separate, you know, unfortunately, some don't come back. But I will say that God had his hand on me. I did sort of using alcohol at a very young age, probably since 15. And that's what I used to do to mask the pain and how I dealt with things.

 

And I remember the more that I got into this, the more I loved it. And I can tell you a lot of life and death situations that I have encountered and still never learned, not only for myself but for other people. I had literally watched people close to me die from not only alcohol, but drugs and what I end up doing drugs. You know, I can't say I really went into anything hardcore. I did try cocaine one time. It was scary. But, you know, I'm not gonna sit here and say, hey, I was a good sinner.

 

No, I'm not proud of the things I'm proud of. Where God brought me from. You know, mine started with actually, medication, pills, pain medication. I had my first encounter with it at the age of 32, and I had Corporal tunnel surgery done. And I went back for more. And just to let on from there, I was addicted. That's just how my mind worked. I went wherever there was pleasure. And it was very, very confusing, along with very rough, you know, when you're trying, you know, there's a gun out there and you don't know how to reach out, you know, that someone's, you know, they say they're setting an example for you.

 

But there, you know, there's abuse. There's all this stuff everywhere. I mean, and, you know, just to jump around real quick. My stepfather and I hate it to this day. But this man that introduced us to the Lord, and I thought that he was living this great life. He was showing us. He ended up dying of a drug overdose back in December of 92, and my heart breaks. I really looking back. I wish I could. I just feel like I could have helped him somehow. And so with that unfortunate, though.

 

I mean, you know, life goes on at that time. Growing up experienced depression, out of anxiety, suicidal thoughts. There was just a lot of issues growing up. And my biggest one was selfesteem. I was one of those people that thought, Man, do I even have any esteem? You know? I mean, I'm growing up, and I'm like, Dude, you can't even take up for yourself. You know, I had no guidance in life, and I hit a lot like, okay, help me out. You skipped in school, whatever.

 

And getting in trouble. Get attention that way. Not the right attention. But it worked out. In my case, I will say through all that, you know, the selfesteem part I actually believed for a long time that I used to look at people and say, Man, I wish I could serve God like you. I wish I could be like this person like that person. But, hey, they've got some esteem, you know, they've got this. They, you know, they they know how to present themselves. They know how to talk.

 

And to me, it was just I felt like I was doomed. Like, dude, I cannot even come to the Lord unless I've got, you know, some selfesteem about myself. If I just cared about myself, if I just quit doing these things that, you know, would rescue me temporarily from life in general, if only I could, as, you know, what my mindset was. And that went on for a long time. It took a long time for me to realize that, hey, and I tell you what it was, actually, I believe last year that I was really awake on that aspect of it because I got to realize, hey, it's nothing that I can do for myself.

 

You know, I've reached out for help, but I didn't come to God. I would say, I come to God. I've been in and out of Church all my life. So, you know, with me telling, you know, myself and others said, hey, I give this to God. I realized that, hey, I really didn't. You know, this is a supernatural work. I did not allow God to take these things. I had just, you know, I had been, you know, proclaiming that I did. But so I really didn't know Christ in that way.

 

And so, anyway, back to my, you know, what I was talking about? I think I jumped around there, but, you know, if I go back, you know, I think I was 24 years old when I got married and anyway, had a few kids with my ex wife. We were married 13 years. That was a disaster. And I can't say that. Meaning that was a total disaster. You know, there were a lot of good in that. But at the same time, I brought my abuse, my abuse, that was, you know, brought on me.

 

I brought that into the relationship. I brought the alcohol into the relationship, the drugs eventually and everything with it. I had cheated. I was, you know, I had done all these things to her. Now we did them back and forth, though, you know, it wasn't just one side. But so I cannot blame, blame anybody but both ourselves. We both did this and, you know, so it was not very good for kids growing up. And I thank God that they're here today. I thank God that, you know, they're just where I need them to be, you know, for me.

 

And they do know God. And I can say that, you know, I'm still working on, you know, we converse all the time, you know, my kids. But I can say that things are going well. I always teach them about the Lord. It's I just feel impressed all the time to share stuff like that with them.  I mean, but with all that, you know, it was a self destruction for me, you know, the addictions and the marriage. And, you know, it could have ended a lot sooner than it did.

 

I don't even know why I honestly, we dragged that out. You don't know what you do, not only yourself and to others, but anyway, I can say that things had changed since. And so with that, that's just a little bit about me.

 

Yeah, absolutely. I do remember you saying you had a lot of we were sharing stories and we just had a lot of similarities. And there was at that point when your stepdad had passed it. There was some animosity in things at that time, correct. It wasn’t I'm so sad. It was let's throw a party. If I remember that correctly, I'll just jump right to it. How did you go from a life of abuse and addiction and a marriage that didn't work?

 

And from your words, raising your kids in a way, possibly some of which how you were raised. How did it go from that to where you are? How did your life change? How did God shake you awake, basically. and what does life kind of look like now?

 

It sounds like a big mess.

 

No, it sounds like my mess. It’s right in my backyard, man.

 

I can relate to everything that you've said I can relate to. I tell you, I didn't mention it prior to, but I will. I just kind of thinking here my girlfriend now. Well, fiancé. Okay. I met her, I'd say, about three years ago. Okay. And it's just I'll tell you a little bit about herself. I really believe. And like I said, I think that God, God knows what I need. Okay? I know he does. And I really believe he's had his hand upon me off this time.

 

So, you know, what seemed to be not right over the years of things I've done. But with all that being said, you know, I'm gonna skip over. She has been the best inspiration for me as far as I've always told her. You know, God knew I needed brains and he sent you. But, yeah, I'm with the beautiful, beautiful woman. Very caring, you know, has a big heart. I used to always sit there and wonder, you know, we met her work, you know? And I've always been like, you know, why is this girl message to me what she want to do with me?

 

But I can say she's just to make it sort. You know, she she's been there through average. She knows every detail about me, and it does not bother her. And I can't say that for sure, because there has been some things bother her. But I can say she has stopped by me through everything, everything that we've been through together, everything that I've done. Okay. We've had some you issues, just not really anything major, except I can't remember. Well, this is major. I had been unfaithful to her a couple of times in my relationship, and the more we talked about it, it's just like she just came to me one day and said, now you think you'd like to start going to Church.

 

And this is a girl that I talked about Church when we got together. And I used to joke and say, you know, well, with us or go to Church, you know, we can't do this. We can't interact this way. We can't be sexual or nothing. And I was not joking. But he I think, thought that I was. And one day I told her, I said, I am. I am serious. This is how I believe it should be. This is the way God's word says it should be.

 

And she was totally against it. She says, Well, you know, I I was raised believing in Jesus. She didn't know too much about it. But she said, I don't think you need to go all that for her. But I told her I said, yeah, one day we'll get to Church. So we did. We ended up going. And it was pretty much after that. It started to be a weekly thing. I've actually got my pastor that comes over. And now once a week, just because we can't make a Bible study on Wednesday night and he devotes his time to us in our home.

 

That's terrific.

 

And I'll tell you what, when I look back, you know, this girl, not only did she really, I can't say she didn't believe, but she was skeptical, you know, but she told me when I came through the things that I've been through, she told me. She said, If I didn't never believe there was a God, she said, I know there is now. Wow. As she saw me go through some of the things that I went through, and I don't want to leave this out. I kind of didn't get ahead of myself.

 

But anyway, there was an instance then that had been just a little while back, but not too long ago. We were sitting in Church service, having just a regular service. And the pastor, which I am very close to. She's very close to. He happened to just look my way right in the middle of preach, and he looked my way, and he pointed his finger and he motioned for me to come up. And she kind of looks at me like it was a good thing. And I just thought, Well, I don't know what he wants, but, hey, I'm walking up.

 

I grew up. And now this is one of those where your past comes back to bite. Okay. So anyway, he tells me, he says, hey, he said, I'm just troubled he said, you know, the Lord spoke to me and said, something's gonna happen. He said, and if something Bad's gonna happen, and I'm sitting there looking at him like, okay, well, what should I do from here? You know, all these questions arousing your mind. How should I take this? And, you know, it kind of makes you question, hey, you know, he really talked to God, or, you know, and he just got all this stuff going through, like, hey, my life is so great right now.

 

How can something, you know, just possibly, you know, lead me to this point? So, you know, with my little bit of unbelief, I'm just and he's a Holy Spirit filled man. But later on, I can say that I think a couple of days go by. Okay. I'm headed to work. I'm actually leaving the gym right up the road so I can beat feet and go to work. Just so happens. And I'm not one to speed. But I'm coming down the road and see an officer there.

 

And that's what I do. Slow down, pull over. The guy comes up. I actually knew the guy. He let me see your license, forget everything else. And you can go about your business, comes back. And he says, you know, you have work. I said what he says, you have a warrant. And I didn't know how to take him at first. So I said, you need to find out what it's for. So he went back and he was very nice, you know? Hey, this is what it's for.

 

And, you know, I'm not going to mention it was something stupid is what I can say. But it shouldn't have been at all. So anyway, I literally called my girlfriend. Hey, you know, this happened. This happened. And I thought back to when the pastor did that the previous Sunday. This was on a Tuesday that this happened. And so anyway, it's almost like God orchestrated everything that happened. And I don't have the time to go into that. But needless to say, I was supposed to end up in jail that day up to ten days before I had to be at the actual state that this happened.

 

And so let me skip here. I ended up not having to go being released in that state and being released in the other States and on my own personal recognize. So anyway, and that was one of the times that she had reminded me, hey, I believe there's a God. There is no way pastor could have known what was going to take place. There is no way he would have known anything was bad. And, you know, I kind of sit in there, like, for joy, and she talks about it, man, what are you going to do?

 

What he said? Well, I'm gonna pray. I'm gonna pray, contact an attorney, whatever, you know, if I have to. And so needless to say, I can tell you that a couple of months. Yes, that's what I'm looking at. But I will also tell you that, you know, no matter what would happen, which I'm hopeful. But at the same time, she says, Well, what are you gonna do if you happen to go to jail or something, you know? So I told her I said, Well, I'm gonna take the Lord with me and try to take as many people with me as I can.

 

You know, you know, I'm gonna tell people because, God, I did this. God, didn't he's gonna turn around for good what I did, you know, at my stupidity, he's gonna turn around and make it for the good. No matter what happens, why should I walk in fear when I've got Christ, I'm supposed to hold my head high. I am not gonna sit there and hold my head in shame over anything. So I said, yes, I will go and I'll praise God in there. So I mean, God forbid that happened.

 

But, man, God has I can never repay what he's done for me. Why should I stop now? Why do I want to quit pursuing the Lord? You know, it's just one of those things where, man, you just it's life. It happens, you know, it could have been worse, right?

 

Right.

 

You know, that could have been a lot worse. But I will tell you here's the other thing when I left, when I left there, of course, you know, that night being an alcoholic. Hey, you know. Yeah. And now, mind you, this is where I didn't elaborate. I was struggling with alcohol even when I was going to Church. Okay. I was struggling. We got to that. I won't basically the whole thing. But I will tell you that I was praying for deliverance, praying for some peace of mind, praying that the Lord all my I've dealt with that all my life and just whatever.

 

I would just do my best at my ability. And that night I told her I said, Well, no, because she don't like alcohol at all. I told her. I said, Well, I did get, yeah, this happened today as a lost stress on me. I went and I bought a bottle of wine. And anyway, I did not touch it that night. So a couple of nights goes by, and I told her, I said, Then I said, I think I might have a couple of night. I see, of course, you know, that hating the idea, you know, it's almost like she was like, Well, whatever, you know.

 

And so I knew, you know, she was disappointed. I knew that. And but the addiction was just I could never. I could never beat the craving myself. And I remember taking that bottle, open it up, taking a sip and putting it right down the drink. And I remember she said, what are you doing? And I told her I said, I can't do it. I can't stomach it. Said, Just a smell. I said, it's just I can't. And she said, Are you serious? As she knows how I was.

 

And I said, yeah, I said, I just can't. And I will say that from what she told me the other day, I'm coming up on three months. No alcohol at all. Totally clean, totally delivered. I don't have any room in my life or any kind of sub. You know, I know the Bible says about drunkenness. Okay?

 

Yeah.

 

Just because I might have had a few drinks and I wasn't drunk per se. It wasn't right for me. Okay. I'm not going to go off here and preach everybody else. But God did not want that in my life. Right? Okay. And so I knew it was an addiction. I knew that it had a hold of my life and God wanted to set me free. I had prayed for it. I had prayed for it, but I actually took the step. I believe. I know God did a supernatural work.

 

Absolutely. Who, as an alcoholic and drug addict get set free by themselves. They don't.

 

They can't.

 

You don't beat the crave. And I literally woke up and had no craving for alcohol. The Friday Saturdays went by after work, wasn't craving it. To this day. I don't crave it. And I believe with all my heart that was Jesus. Because there is no way that came from this man. That's right. There is no way my depression. I am not depressed. I am not stressed. I am not anxious for anything. I am at peace, no matter what happens. I finally learned that if I put Christ first in all things and wait upon Him that he will deliver.

 

And I can tell you right now, I feel so excited just talking about it as another. I'm just filled with a complete joy because I didn't do it myself. You know, I boast in the Lord. If I'm gonna boost, you know, that's, right? It's not about me. It's not about nothing. I did. It's about His glory, it's about him. And so, yeah, I can say that that has changed. That's what changed my wife. That's great.

 

Even the fact that you couldn't stomach what you used to crave and not get away from you can't make that up. That is supernatural, as you said, that's deliverance. And it truly is a gift, a gift from God. You put your faith in Him. You asked for help. It wasn't for selfish reasons. It was for him. And he answered prayer. And that's how you were able to do the impossible. Because, as the Bible says, with man, not everything is possible, but with Him, everything is possible. So that's a great example.

 

A few great examples.

 

Definitely.

 

If if you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, young Michael, what would you tell him?

 

I was actually encouraged strongly to cling on every opportunity that I have had just to embrace Christ I mean, like I said, look, you know, I was raised in the Church and I was constant just ignoring, ignoring, you know, live my own life. But I would definitely encourage, you know, the younger me to embrace them. There is no time left re's, no time to mess around there, you know, there's just we don't know what can happen. I've seen too many people pass away. I've seen too many people just with the same issues as me.

 

And it feels hopeless, you know? And so, yes, for me, if I could go back, I would just tell myself to hang on, hang on. And not necessarily just the stress that we don't have time. It's running out. But, yes, that too. But there is deliverance if you just hold on. If you just hang tight. If you trust in the Lord, if you trust the Lord to orchestrate your life. And that's how I love to look at it. Lord orchestrate my life. He will work it out.

 

There's no mess too big to disastrous that he cannot work in my gosh. He created our hearts. If our hearts are full of filth, I mean, I don't care to the person that, you know, is addicted to sex. You know, I came from that masturbation. I mean, people don't like to talk about it, but it's real. It's in. It's from the enemy is stuff that you cannot control within yourself. You have to rely on Christ to deliver you from the things that he calls it.

 

That's right.

 

So, yes, I would encourage myself, but trust Christ in all things. Don't just give them something and hold on to something else. This works. It's not how it works. He wants to our whole heart. And it took me 46 years to get to that point. I wanted to hold on to think, you know, when I when I, you know, meet the Lord. I don't want to stand there knowing that I, you know, held back some things from him. I want to hear those words well done. I want him to wrap his arms around me.

 

You know, I want to be embraced by him like, yes, I know you. You know, that's what I you know, whenever I see the Lord, I want him to say he's mine. So, yeah, if I had to go back all those near death experiences I ever had, the only thing I can do right now is praise him. Yep. You know, that's all I can do is give him praise. I didn't want none of this stuff. I didn't want the alcohol to go. That's right. I didn't want cigarettes to go.

 

I did not want, you know, the drugs, the pills. You know, I love pills. I didn't want them to go. I needed that. I felt that that was the only thing that made me, you know, so that I had some self worth and self esteem to accomplish things in life. I do not need those crutches. All I need is Christ alone. That is all I need. And I tell you what to anybody that can't get over this stuff. Yeah. You know, you're right. You can't. Jesus.

 

He's only one that can set you free of this.

 

I mean, I'm perfect. I said terms with it. Yes. My whole heart is he's not going to change my mind now.

 

He softened it, and it can only work it's often, even further. But on that subject, there are a lot of listeners and just good people that they fall into a state of lukewarmness or they become backslidden. What advice do you have for those that may be in one of those two categories? Lukewarm and or backslidden?

 

Well, I can't say because I've been there many times and, you know, the only thing that I can really think without it. I don't want to come off as too horse or. Hey, you know, just right up front. But, you know, my first two words would be to wake up. I mean, we are close to His return. Like I said, you know, the Lord is good and it is a life of joy and peace. If you just put your life in his hands, you know, I can't stress that enough.

 

Our human nature. I will say this. We are not. And God just revealed this to me. Not long ago. I used to wonder why. Why? Depression? Why anxiety? Why this stuff? Why does it seem so spiraling all out of control? Why? Because this medicine not work or any work for a short time, you know? And it's just like a vicious cycle of the mind. And I will say our bodies were not designed. It's not our human nature. We weren't designed for a stress. We weren't designed for anxiety.

 

We're not designed for depression. Worry. We are basically to really find any peace of mind. We were set up to worship the Lord to raise them to glorify him. If you want to know why you're bodies don't function the way they should, I'd suggest to run to the Lord and just ask him to show you your life and just open up to Him and ask him to touch the areas that maybe you lack. Or you don't understand. This is not about what I can do for me in the Lord.

 

What I can do to get God's hand to move. You can't do nothing. You can do absolutely nothing without Christ you. I don't care if you pray. A whisper prayer when you take off in the morning doesn't make you any more spiritual, less spiritual than somebody that's spent an hour. I would encourage prayer. Prayer has actually been on my heart for the past few weeks. Big time. I'm not one who likes to, you know, get down and pray. It's just, you know, I admit that, but I will tell you, prayer is the only thing that got me through you.

 

Know. Talk to God. Communicate with them like I told my kids. Hey to God. As if you were talking to me. Tell them what you like. Tell them you like it. And it's not right, you know, because none of this stuff is gonna save you. I've seen too many people lose their lives. I know. I've said that a few times here, but it's. I just rule it's close to home. It's happened close to home. I've lost a niece. I'm on the verge of losing a nephew.

 

If you don't stop just. There's too many friends. I've had old friends that I've seen. Just lose their lives over something stupid in addiction. I just. Yeah, I can't stress enough. You can if you it to the Lord. You don't have to be. We are not super spiritual. None of us are. We're all sinners, you know? Right. What's Luke say about the man that beat his breast and cried out to God. He was more justified than the God that said that he's glad he wasn't like him.

 

You know that's, right?

 

Yep. That's exactly it. Yeah, it is.

 

And you know, you and I could have been one of those that were lost. And thank God he saved us.

 

Exactly.

 

Pulled us out of that fire. And now, you know, it's our calling, and I can't decide between an honor or a pleasure just to put forward, move it forward and help others that are in the same boat. Because you made a really good point. I don't think I've ever heard someone make that point before. Your point was, our bodies were not designed for abuse. Therefore, stop allowing the abuse and use your bodies for what they were for designed for - for the great designer, the Creator. And that was to worship Him and live a life that's pleasing to Him and live a life that He has set His purpose in front of you to run the race that He has for you.

 

That's a great takeaway for me. I appreciate you sharing that analogy. That's spot on - you're, right.

 

Very powerful for me to even think about from time to time. The Lord showed me that I can't remember when, but it hasn't been too long ago. My body was not designed to sit there and stress about anything. It wasn't. It wasn't designed to worry. I am not designed to fear things. I am designed to be a conqueror through Christ. We're designed for so many things, except all these things that are killing us. Your spirit, your body. We are so living below what God would have us, right for us, right.

 

We are living. I believe a lot of people live below their means.

 

Absolutely. Well, that actually is a good segway. I had just another question for you, though. I think this is right along those lines. I would love to know from you, and it's okay if you don't have the answers, we usually don't until He gives us the answers, because nothing happens as you know, unless He ordains it and is always in His time, never hours. But, where do you feel that God is calling you to do or go now? Or what is He calling you to do?

 

That is a good question, I will say, because I've thought about this a lot many times, just within myself ponder and I've prayed and said, Lord, what am I to do first and foremost, what comes to my mind? Because I actually brought about in Scripture. I cannot remember where it's at right now. But where he says about being conformed to the image of Christ. For people that wonder, is this jaw break for me? Is this where God wanted me? And I know for me it used to trip me up so bad to where I give up?

 

I think once or twice just because I was afraid that I was living all the wrong stuff in the wrong place, wrong time. But I think for me, you know, God tells us enough. I believe it's in Romans. And I'm not sure he says something about being conformed to the image of Christ. You know, that is his plan for us. That's first and foremost his plan. Everything else is guidance from Him. The Holy Spirit will lead people. But I will say, I believe right now and this was wholeheartedly.

 

I believe right now that the Lord wants me to live is just a witness right now. He wants me to be people don't know, you know, this change, you know, and that's well, another reason why I like this. People have not there's people out there that you don't know, that there's hope. I believe that the Lord wants me to just rest in Him right now to live as a witness. He's really laid prayer upon me. Like I said, I wasn't, you know, one that really I was one of those hurry through it.

 

And I hate to admit that, but the Lord has laid prayer on me to the point where I will literally just every time, whether it be in my own family, my kids. I remember my son. He called out on me one day and he said, hey, he said, I'm really going through some things right now. I don't know what to do. And I was driving down the road and I was getting ready to pass this house. I said, I think we should pray. And you know how awkward you get.

 

You know, even though it is family, you know, you just get that offer to him. Well, I felt that and I was like, you know what? I get over yourself, you know, I told myself, you know, that boy needs prayer. So we went and prayed and he gave us art the Lord and that one there. I told him, I said, that was God or an absolute no. I said, I really had this overwhelming something inside me just like my gut, you know, that said, hey, pray, pray, you know?

 

And it's like another example. My girlfriend and I, we were doing a lesson one night, and we have some books that we go by. Just some little books, paperback stuff. We'll share the word take turns, read and whatnot. But all of a sudden, we were just up and she got a pain in her house, has no problems, nothing. And, hey, I'm going like this and it just went on for minutes and minutes. And I said, what can I do? What can I do to tend to go somewhere?

 

You know, I start flipping out.

 

I don't know what this stuff is, you know?

 

 

And and it got so bad to where I just said, you know what? I put my hand on her and I said, let's pray. And I prayed. And, you know, people can say, yeah, coincidence. Okay. I'm gonna give you one of those examples. But, you know, I put my hand on her and I prayed, and I prayed. I said, Lord, I rebuke this said. And I reminded Satan. While I was praying, I said, look, we prayed before this. And I said, I didn't want no distract distractions.

 

I said, You're not welcome here. And so literally, right when I got I'm praying. She said, Man, she said, I felt that go through my arm, break down and my exit out my feet. She was having problems radiate from her chest, through her arms. She said, I felt that go out my feet. And she basically just, I mean, and she just rejoiced like, yes, I cannot believe this stuff. And I said, you want to move on. So we just we finished our lesson.

 

That's awesome.

 

And we praise God. I hold my pastor. I'm like, Dude, hey, guess what? And I told other people, man, I have never in my life. But it just reminds me of just how, you know, if we just believe, you know, Satan. Hey, we have to exercise our authority. We have to take authority over the enemy. You know, I look back in a day sometimes. And I say, Mike, you know, you want to, but your day at work or you went here and you went there. How many times did you have to take captive?

 

You know, a thought, you know, like Paul says, Take, take every thought captive. How many times, Mike, did you have to submit yourself to the Lord? Resist the Devil? And how many times did he sleep from you? Sometimes it's sad to say, I'll come home in a day and be like, I didn't have to do that today, you know?

 

And ask myself why, you know, if Satan not attacking me, you know? I mean, and I'm not saying, every day we need to be, we just need to be on Lord. That's right. You know, it could be anything from just being at work and hearing something you know, I've got a good atmosphere, but, you know, you can be out of work and realize you're entertaining stuff that you shouldn't be. And it doesn't hit me until later and you catch it and be like Lord. You know, I prayed to the Lord Lord, help me to be the terrain.

 

Help me to catch these things in time. You know, Paul or knows Peter. He Lord told him he was gonna know him. He didn't see it come until after the fact. In turn, he doesn't see it so we can be deceived. We have to put the whole armor of God. My golly. I know what that means. Now be armored up and it's not hard. We just said, you ain't got to be no Bible scholar. You just have to pray and trust and believe. Yes, the Lord.

 

Well, the Lord will honor that he loves his children. He's not beating us in the head with a club. Yeah, I straightened up. Exactly.

 

And I'll tell you what too, if you want to know if you want to help, help, believe and all this stuff, no. God know the attributes of God. You learn about him. Learn about his attributes and how how loving he is. I mean, he don't even curse Satan. The angel never curse Satan when he had a confrontation with him. Right? All he said was the Lord Rebic. You remember back in joke, he says when he came to present himself before the Lord, God says, Where do you come from?

 

He didn't say, what are you doing here? Get out. So we need to keep quit thinking that God's beating us over the head every time. It's all short. Who's not?

 

That's right. Absolutely.

 

I can’t thank you enough for allowing God to speak through you today and into the ears and the hearts of our listeners. What a blessing it’s been just to hear your story and just see and hear and feel how the glory of God can just take over and pull someone out of a state of being lost and using, like you said, what the enemy meant for evil and turning it and using it for good. And with such a great man of God like yourself. Michael, you are welcome back anytime.

 

I'm sure it's not going to be the last time we hear from you because God's not done with you yet. And we'd love to see how you and the Lord are blessing others in the future. Would you be willing to come back on the show in the future?

 

Oh, yes, indeed. It's been my pleasure. A lot of things I just can't contain. And this gives me the opportunity to let people know what God did for me.

 

Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, God bless you, Michael. Thank you. And you and I will be staying in touch. And I can't thank you enough. And so before we end today's show. I just wanted to thank you all again for tuning in. I hope you were touched by God through today's show and Michael's story and Michael, who gives God all of the just glory that He deserves. And I'd like to ask you a favor - only  if you received any value out of today's show, would you tell at least one person you know, call them, text them, email them, talk to them, tell them they give a show a listen and you can check out the show at shaken-awake.com?

You can email me at Ben@Shaken-awake.coom or just call or text me directly for any reason. My direct number is 407-493-3208. Again, the number is 407-493-3208. And if you have ideas for the show or you would like to be on the show, let me know!   Next week - tune in next Sunday or whenever you're able as we dive into a hot but important topic and it's “The false doctrine of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture” and we're going to expose it. So next week's episode is another powerful and do not miss episode.

 

Thank you all for joining until next week. Take great care of yourself and each other and God bless you all.