Walking in Obedience with God // S05E10

No matter what God calls us to obeying God’s command is important. Take inventory! Is there something in your life that you need to let go of? Is there something in your life you need to do more of? No matter what, take the leap of faith and see that God has His hand outstretched waiting to guide you to and through what He has for you! Michael Thai tells us all about what God had planned when He quite literally, let go and let God.

VERSES FROM INTO THE FLAMES:

Hebrews 12:29, Daniel 10, John 14:15.

QUESTIONS FROM INTO THE FLAMES:

• Why is obedience important?
• The importance of quality time with God?
• How God takes care of us?

QUOTES FROM INTO THE FLAMES

“I love how much you allow God to nourish you, it’s not like in the world where you get flourished with a lot of your own hard works effort and what you’re born with. It’s that you come to Christ, you sit and your hands are open! You’re not expecting the worldly blessings, instead, your hands are just open for whatever he gives you.”

Michelle Watson, The Pantry Podcast, Into The Flames

“Unless we’re directed towards God and seeing what God is sitting there in the relationship saying, you know, you need to come with me.”

Shea Watson, The Pantry Podcast, Into the Flames

“I asked him like, you know what, Lord, what is it that you want me to do? I went from class hands of saying, God, can you do this? Can you do this? To instead, opening my hands in receiving asking the Lord, what is it that you want me to do?”

Michael Thai, The Pantry Podcast, Into the Flames

ANNOTATED TRANSCRIPT:

Shea: Sacrifice. It may be giving something up, taking something on, or walking away from a dream, no matter what God calls us to. The important thing is our obedience. This week, we’re talking with someone who came to Christ, dropped something huge, and completely changed his life in a leap of faith. That’s paid off time and time again.
Shea: Hi I’m Shea
Michelle: And I’m Michelle,
Shea: There is a battle being waged. It’s not flesh, it’s not blood, it’s spiritual, and we need to be prepared. The last thing a warrior wants on the battlefield is spiritual anemia. So when the enemy attacks, we need to be prepared,
Michelle: I don’t always realize where the attacks are coming from or that we’re being attacked at all. This is The Pantry Podcast, and we’re here to remind you of who we answer to what we’re capable of and how we are called to do it in every aspect of our lives.
Shea: Season five and naturally flourished. We are gearing up where season four, left off looking at God’s unusual, amazing miraculous methods of elevating relocating, and redeeming us into his purpose in ways the world cannot access,
Michelle: Support our ministry, reaching the lost and found in over 35 countries with spiritual and literal nutrition, every one-time and recurring donation makes a lasting impact donate through Patreon or the pantrypodcast.com.
Shea: And now let’s dig into the meal.
Shea: Hey, come on. It is good to be here.
Michelle: Yes. I know. Y’all have been missing the beatboxing. We had to bring it back.
Shea: So proud man. Today’s episode, super excited, always, always into the flames. When I’m, when I’m thinking of this, I’m thinking about going into the flames, being into the flames,, how God puts us into the flames. We’re ministers of the word, right? So, so I was one of four, four. It says he makes his messengers win his ministers, a flaming fire. And as I was unpacking that statement, like his ministers, a flame of fire and plus, you know, we’re going to find out guys, the person that we have on today. And I, it just brought me to this realization of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and how they were thrown into the fire. See, Nebuchadnezzar he wanted, he builds this gold idol, right? So I’m gonna tell you right now upfront. So you understand I don’t world. I’m just gonna say it, whatever that is, and the world is captivating your mind or captivating you and taking you away from the word of God, or maybe taking you away from the thought of God. That’s my idol today. That’s, that’s what I want to talk about. So king Nebuchadnezzar builds his idol, man. This thing is gold. It’s a pig. It’s huge. It’s six cubits. It’s, you know, high and wide and all this, these cool things. And every time that they play the flute and the harps and all this sound they’re supposed to drop to their knees. Well, she had recorded me checking a pinnacle. I ain’t having it. I’m good, man. I’m not, I’m not doing all that. He says, you know that anyone who does this, it’s going to end up in a fiery furnace. And they’re like, okay. I mean, that’s fine. Do it. I mean, that’s, we’re not going to bow down. And I like that. Then we’re not going to bow down to any idol. We’re going to, if we got to go into the flames, we’re gonna go into the flames.
Shea: We’re gonna want a place of God. And I liked that ministers of planes. Right? So, so here they go. It’s like, okay, he’s mad. He’s angry. He’s I’m gonna throw you in there. He pumps this furnace up so hard that it melts his own people. Even the guards are going to take a minute. It’s like obliterated. Imagine that job anyways. Right. But here’s, what’s cool. These are Daniel’s friends. So see Daniel, Lion’s Den, hello. There’s something connected here. And these guys weren’t just like some people off the street. These were, actually administrators, you know, they were, they were put into a position in Babylon. And so they had this kind of status with Daniel, they had a God, they had our God, they had the God of the heavens, the God of creation. And they just wouldn’t do it. So he throws them in there and you know, they’re in the runaround, you know, it’s like, Hey, what’s up? What’s he, God, right. God is a consuming fire. He’s a consuming fire. But see with God the worldly fire couldn’t consume them. And they would not bow down to those idols and God lifted them up.
Michelle: Yeah. So speaking on all of that, we have someone that is guaranteed to lift you up with us today. He is a brother in Christ. We’re not even gonna say, he’s a friend. He is family, absolute family. This is Michael Thai out of California. And he is all about representing God, Allah, the transformation church motto. But he’s always, people got put in front of him and he has a word. He always has encouragement and prayer. And we just love hearing what he has to say. We’re excited to bring him on today. He’s also a reserve firefighter. He has a YouTube channel. You might hear a little bit about everything. I’m sure as we, as we get into it, but yeah. Welcome, Michael.
Michael Thai: Let’s go. Let’s go! Thank You so much. Thank you for having me. Thank you for being here.
Shea: I want you to just give us a little brief into the ministry that the Lord has laid on your heart.
Michael Thai: First of all, glory to God, praise Jesus for just having me for, for being present with us today, but just for making this all happen. Obviously, the place for me, when I surrendered one year ago on February 9th of 2020 at transformation church, by way of the church, bringing me out there on a crazy faith offering invitation. And so, yeah, I have just been on such a trajectory that I cannot even imagine. I grew up a certain way in a certain religion. And then coming, to finding God in a relationship aspect has been such a game-changer. Let’s just say that. And now my Instagram has changed. My YouTube has changed. I mean, we’re talking about what I once thought I wanted to do with all my social media. When it comes to just getting myself out there, being in the sector of the world, getting into the space of like, oh, I’m doing for notoriety.
Michael Thai: I’m doing for athletes. I’m doing for no, that has all flipped around. And it turns it. I’m doing this to glorify God. And that’s it this year in 2021, I felt this anointing God saying, you’re going to put on my armor. I’ll break it down real quick. When I go work out before I used to work out, because I’m like, oh yeah, I want to get a six-pack. I want to do certain things. I want to look a certain way feels. So I got this in January where God’s like, no, I need you to work out. And he calls it the armor of God for me, he’s like, I need you to put on the armor of God because what you are going to be doing is going to be for the long term. So now you are working out because I need to build your stamina.
Michael Thai: So every time I go into a workout and am going to a workout session, my thought processes, how am I going to surpass what my comfort zone is and where I can go? Because I’m representing God, I’m representing God in my workouts. I’m presenting, I’m setting myself up because this journey is going to belong. There’s going to be so many criticisms, everything back and forth. There’s going to be doubters and haters and all this stuff. And it’s long. But God’s asking me to build up that stamina to withstand that. Right. And so when you were talking about my Monday, Monday motivation, Wednesday Wisdom, and Friday’s fuel leading into the weekend. My post about my workouts on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of just different things I do. It’s just to show people that I’m an everyday person, right? There’s nothing special. Like I wasn’t just like, oh, Hey, this is, you know, like this guy’s been like this all his life. No, it’s this is just me who has really felt the presence of God changed my life. And I’m going all in my chips are committed. And like, you’re not going to tell me otherwise, there’s too many things that have happened in this past year, too many things I surrendered when I started tithing when I started doing the things that I never did before. Wow. Let’s just say that. Wow. Yeah. So I’d kick it off like that. Yeah. I mean the fire being refined, iron continues to sharpen iron. Let’s go. Let’s just go, come on.
Shea: That’s that’s. That’s awesome. So this is the kind of fire that, okay. So I’m kind of that guy that messes with people. So he’s, he’s in his workout, right? He’s got the medicine ball between his legs. He’s like, watch this, I’ll get this thing. So he kicks up. So he’d you jump up? The medicine ball comes up towards him and he catches it, puts it back down. He does it repeat right back into his legs. He brings it up with his legs into the air, catches it. My brother. I said you can’t get that medicine ball in your heart. It’s so funny.
Michael Thai: He’s like, can’t you kick it up any higher? I’m like, well, God’s pushing it back down. Hashtag resistance training.
Michelle: I love it. I love it so much.
Shea: But that’s the relationship that we’re building over this, this friendship that we have, and you just get to watch people just be excited for the Lord.
Michelle: I love the idea that you are so new to the faith. And I think sometimes because the world is focused, they associate age with wisdom in the world, and it’s a dangerous union because then you start to trust people to have wrinkles, no matter what foolishness has come out of their mouth. And you might dismiss wisdom out of the mouth of babes because you know, they don’t have gray hair. Right. But in the spirit, I think what’s amazing is that it’s about how much you’re putting in. It’s how much, how often you’re eating, how much you’re allowing God to nourish you. Like we did all last season. And what happens in that time. It’s not like in the world where you get flourished with a lot of your own hard work effort and what you’re born with. It’s that you come to Christ and you sit and your hands are open and you’re not expecting the worldly, blessing.
Michelle: Your hands are just open for whatever he gives you. Yeah, absolutely. And that’s what I see you doing and just flourishing in, in knowing him and the joy. I mean, we didn’t know you before, but I know that you’ve sold out to the Lord. You’re sold out for Christ. Right. And it’s so clear how he’s working in you in every aspect of your life, because you just were like, it didn’t take you years and years. You’re one of those case studies, I’ll say right of a Christian who jumps all in from the jump and is like, look, it’s scary. It’s uncomfortable. It’s hard. People are all, I’m sure you’ve heard this. Ain’t real. You’re going to burn out. You’re you know, you’re going to get bored with it. You’ve brainwashed all these things that happen if you’ve changed. So subtly like suddenly, but yet you don’t care,
Michael Thai: I tell people all the time, I’ve had a very colorful past and I love telling my testimony about the things that I used to do. The people I used to hang out with and all of those things. Right. Because it makes everything so relatable. Like I didn’t have a picture-perfect life. It’s just like, it didn’t come about that. But because of this colorful past and I get to sit down with people and tell them these stories, and they’re like, wait, you did what and hanging out. And, and, and, you know, I’ve just been able to, to just share in a way where people don’t feel offended and defensive. Right. And that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve learned in this past year is how to communicate that way.
Michael Thai: It’s not a scary thing to be a believer, right. And it’s not like, it’s not something that’s, oh my gosh, you, you are extremely, it’s not, it’s just a decision you make each and every day. And when you go on my Instagram and you go on on the things I post, I post roughly the same thing every day in some shape, form, or fashion, right. That you’re going to get prayer. You’re gonna get worship. You’re going to get some encouragement. You’re going to get some motivation. You’re going to get things. I come across every single day that I just repost. And the reason for that is twofold. One, I’m building a habit, right? I’m showing you that I’m doing it. Not to say like, Ooh, he’s in the Bible. He’s like, there’s a big-time believer/Christian no it is just to show that I’m being consistent. That’s all it is. So I’m building that habit. And then number two, I don’t know when people come and go on my journey when it comes to my social media. So as long as I stay consistent new people, like, you know, people who have been with me for a while are getting their nourishment. And if they leave and do their own thing, great new people are going to be coming in and coming across me every, every so often. And they’re going to be like, oh my gosh, this is, this is food. It’s been the same food for years a year. Right. So whoever comes and goes, I just want to show that I’m building a great habit to I’m giving the same thing, this great food that I’ve been provided. And I need to give it back and give it out.
Michael Thai: Right. And so it’s so important. I think a lot of people don’t realize that it’s, it’s not, it’s not an easy journey by any stretch of the imagination, but, it’s, it’s, it’s a very big decision that you have to dive yourself each and every day to realize there’s more for you to do. Right. And we can constantly just choose each and every day. What do you want me to do? What do you need me to do? Lord is telling me, you know, and I’m all about it.
Michelle: Yeah. There’s a common tie between this season, in that last season, we were focused on how God will nourish you. We needed to establish, like, you don’t need to worry about yourself. God’s got you, stop worrying about yourself. Stop spending all your time, trying to secure what you need and trying to get yours out of doubt. Cause it’s just, it’s just actually ruining your chances of being nourished, right. To try and nourish yourself outside of God. But this season, the thread that we’re seeing is that to be flourished. It’s when you’re no longer, you truly understand God’s nourishing me. That’s taken care of, but these people are hungry and I can feed them with what God’s given me with this everlasting water, with this unending basket of food, I can feed them.
Michelle: And that’s how we’re flourished. Right. We’re nourished. And we look healthy when we’re being fed. Right. And where we’re walking in it. But we’re flourished when like Mike, like Mike, when like Mike, you’re just so focused and dedicated on getting the word out in whatever way you can. You know, it’s not everybody to be on Instagram and YouTube, but see, he also was like, how can I work out? And God showing me how I can do this. Even with working out, he showed me the connections in every aspect of life where I can bring him glory.
Shea: Yeah. That’s, that’s like so essential to the Christian walk. People will look at us like, what are they trying to do? Really? We’re trying to, to be fed. And we’re also trying to, okay, like, okay, living water, right. Living water comes in. It fills me up at night. And then I overflow. We want to be in that overflow. We wanna be in that overflow. The things of this world will go away. The things of this world will will dissipate. You know, when they went into the fire like if you look at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they went into the fire nourished, you know? And what did they do? They flourished, you know, it’s like, it’s like an amazing thing. It’s because we’re constantly putting this into our minds. You know, the gold went away or it was bought or it was sold or, or it was transferred somewhere else.
Shea: And you know, I think of these things like these worldly idols, when we’re thinking of this stuff and how we combated as Christians, you know, ’cause, we fill our minds with things above. It’s not that we’re like trying to be hyper Christians and all that. He’s like, ah, you know, all these, but no it’s because we want to fill ourselves with, with nourishment. We want to feel ourselves so much so that we flourish and we start to have impacts on other people’s lives. Loving impacts, caring impacts, compassionate impacts. If you think of things that go away, okay, you remember Popeye’s chicken sandwich? Oh my goodness. I mean, people kill people, right? What have you heard about the chicken sandwich lately? Nothing. Nothing. See, that’s the world. The world comes in and they’re like, Ooh. Ah, and dude, they throw fits right. And crazy.
And then it just fades. Right? But see, our God has never faded. Our God has stayed the same. This by the Bible that sits in front of what we were talking about right now has been in front of us for thousands of years. Come on now. Right. And y’all scholars can get me on that one, but it’s fine. The word of God has been around for thousands of years. And it hasn’t changed. It’s infallible. It’s the one book that continually outsells every other book, every book. And this is what Mike was telling us about so that I got another job. See Michelle said at the beginning, I want to know about your firefighter, man. What makes you want to jump into that kind of fire,
Michael Thai: Man, I’ll break it down to you. My, my calling in life, and I’ve known this since I was a team was just to serve people by any stretch of the imagination. So my, my, my nine to five, or what do you want to call it? My full-time job. I’m a case manager working with transitional age foster youth, right. 17 to 24. Helping them transition out of foster care, into becoming, becoming young adults, living in their own apartment, going to school, work, all that stuff. Fire-fighting came to me a couple of years back. I actually, when I was young wanting to be a firefighter, you know when you’re in elementary, you’re like, whoa, that looks cool. And I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter. And then, just a couple of years back, we had some massive fires in California here and, especially Northern California.
Michael Thai: And one of my buddies was part of the group that went from Southern California up there to help, to help. And then we also had had a fire down here in Southern California and it dawned on me. I’m like I could be out there helping my community, as a volunteer or as a reserve firefighter, how do I do that? And so I jumped into it, started learning with the academy, and now am in Southern California, in orange county where I’m from, and reserve firefighters, but it’s just a constantly serve the community. And what I realized is I didn’t get this chance to share with you guys previously is that as this journey has taken off in this past year, wherever I go, I have found ways to connect and fellowship with people. So at the station, you know, like a lot of times you’re sitting down waiting for a call to go and take off, but I’ve been able to have conversations during training during about God about, and this is just because people were curious.
Michael Thai: I’m like, how are you? So joy joyful. Like, how are you so happy with life? Like what, what drives you? If people just ask me random questions and that’s like, Ooh, entrance. And I like kicked the door through once. And once they cracked that open, I’m like, here I come, this you really want to know. And it’s been great. It’s been great. Ever since in so far has been that, has just been in a season where I thought I was going to be a firefighter. Here’s the funny part. So while being a reserve firefighter, the goal is to become a full-time firefighter. Right? Last 4th of July, I volunteered to cover the station. So that means some of the full-timers were off. So we go in and relieve them. And at first, I was like, 4th of July guy, like I really want to do this. And, and this is where I knew God would just have his hand on me.
Michael Thai: It’s like, I need you to, I need you to go ahead and relieve that firefighter. I’m like, okay. So I go there and I do a shift over there. And I realize after that shift, I’m not supposed to be a full-time firefighter. And I look at it, God, I’m like, you wanted me to go there to experience that, to realize like, that’s not where I have you go in. You think you’re going to be a full-time firefighter. I got something else for you, but I needed you to experience that, to realize that it’s not for you. What I realized is I connect with people that just like what you guys do. Right. I connect really well with people as a firefighter, you come in patch things up, send them on their way. Right. That’s it. And I can’t do that. That’s just not who I am, but I needed to experience that to realize, all right, Lord, what is it that you want me to do? Right. So I still remain a reserve firefighter. But there’s more, there’s more to come.
Shea: Well, that, that, that is awesome, I’m rewinding you don’t just jump into fires, but you’d work with transitional kids. That’s
Michelle: A whole different fire. And I think, I remember you saying that the first time we met, but it was such a quick statement that I didn’t, it didn’t like settle in, but you know, what it makes me think of is we had a sermon at church today and it was about Daniel 10 and how there were three weeks that Daniel was in mourning over some news. And as soon as he started the morning, he prayed to the Lord. But the angel, when the angel finally made it to him, the angel explained he had been held up for three weeks, battling pretty much a demon, like the prince of Persia, pretty much like an eight, the guardian of Persia, which was a demon. He’d been held up in spirit in spiritual warfare for three weeks. And so Daniel had had to sit there for three weeks, not knowing what the answer to this prayer was going to be in.
Michelle: So he was in lament this whole time. But the pastor that was talking about it said, we don’t know why it like, why the Archangel, Michael didn’t just swoop in instantly to help him. Why Michael didn’t show up for three weeks, except that it definitely helps us see that there are spiritual battles going on that lead us to places that make us wait for certain times. But that realization can come to us in that waiting in that moment, wherein God’s perfect timing, we find things out. And I love that that happened today. And then you’re talking about you when he sent you to a place for a multitude of reasons. Probably we’ll never know all of them, but the one that you see clearly is that it was a realization that the flourishing you thought, and it sounds great. It’s morally aligned. There’s nothing wrong with it, right?
Michelle: It’s not ungodly, to want that, but he’s like, by the way, that’s not even it for you. There’s something else you’re gonna be flourishing another way. And so, instead of saying, but God, I really want to do this full-time you were like, oh, okay. And that’s just such a common pattern for those who aren’t wanting to flourish in Christ. We have this big idea and we’re like, but if he says no, or redirects it, instead of sitting in that, we just say, okay, cool. I’m excited. Show me what you actually have. Show me how you really want.
Michael Thai:I feel the spirit right now. I’ve got to tell you guys a story. You guys want to hear a great story. My very first, a test of obedience was to walk away from a relationship I was in for over two years. All right. Hey, let me, let me, let me, let me give you guys a little backstory. I was with someone for a little over two years. And we were going through a Rocky time of like the timing of man. Okay. How do I put this? I started a company with my cousin, after a couple of years of making good money. We, we, we decided to part ways, right? Close that shop. And I put all my money into that. I reinvest into the company, came out with like a blip, got into how to get back into the workforce was hustling and trying to just make ends meet.
Michael Thai: And I was, I was dating someone fast forward. It got to a time where, you know, like the question of the ring, the question of marriage, the question of when you’re gonna start having kids, all these came up and I’m like struggling, just, just staying afloat and trying to save money for certain things. And, and, and she wanted all these things to happen within the next like a year, year and a half. And I feel the pressure and I feel, and I’m just like, what is going on? And I think she’s feeling pressure from her family and all these things. Anyways, I surrender when I was in transmit strictly in February, we go through our ups and downs from February till the day we broke up. Or, or I say, I walk away. And what was crazy about it is I surrendered.
Michael Thai: I submitted, I was struggling with these, for this back and forth with her. My trajectory, when it came back from transformation, the church took off hers was kind of lukewarm. And I started studying about, okay, when you’re unequal, yoked, how’s this going to work out, right? Like if I’m all in for God and she’s like, oh, I’m not, you know, I, I know there’s a God, but I’m not committed. Like you are. I’m like, that’s fine. So what happened was, I would say, I love the story. April 9th, 19. I was on my knees in the back of my room, crying in tears of like, why can I get a job, high-paying job? Or why can I get a second job? Why can’t I do this? Can you help me out with this bubble? In the midst of all that I find taking a deep breath with tears and just boogers coming out my nose.
Michael Thai: I asked him, I’m like, you know what, Lord, what is it that you want? You want me to do? So I went from class hands of saying, God, can you do this? Can you do this to opening my hands in receiving asking the Lord, what is it that you want me to do? I kid you not April 19, 20, 20 eyes. My eyes were closed. My hands were open. And I see this hand come in front of me in front of my face. I get out of prayer. And I’m like, what was that? I do. I go back and prayer and I ask them, what is it that you want? So I, I see his hand coming in front of me and I hear him whisper. Are you ready to go on the journey that I have for you? And I, I remained there for a minute.
Michael Thai: I’m just, like I said, that I was surrendering my life to you in February. Yes. Yes. You have. You have me. And as I’m sitting there, I’m asking like, what about this relationship? Am I supposed to be in it? And I just feel this, like, weight lifted a little bit. And I look up and I’m like, I’m not supposed to be in this relationship. And the stress just all came off of my shoulders. And so the next day, April 20th, I’m talking to my girlfriend at the time. And I told her, this is what I feel. This is what God told me. I was in prayer. And I heard him. He’s asking me to go with him in, I want to find this out. And I feel like I’m not the right man for you. Like for the timeframe that you want everything to happen. There’s probably a better man that is suited for that. That can give you all the things that you want and your time, but I’m on God’s time. And I need to find out what it is that he has for me. And she, she, you know, obviously it was hard, but she understood. So that’s April, April 21st. I get a call for the job that I’m in right now. Wow. Hey, we want to interview you for a position that you applied for.
Michael Thai: Can’t make it this up, man. I tell people all the time, I cannot make this story up. Like when I saw that hand and I heard him whisper in my ear, like, are you ready to go on the journey that I have for you? That was the first I felt like that was the first test. It would be like, all right, you need to leave this relationship to develop the relationship with me so I can take you to where you need to be.
Shea: Wow, man. Wow, come on now, John 14:15, if you love me, you’ll keep my commands. That is what you just said has so much depth. See, we turn away from the world. We redirect our love. You know, God has love created in his image. Therefore we have love, but love that we have directed to the world is nothing. Unless we’re directed towards God, seeing what God was sitting there in that relationship and saying is, you know, you need to come with me. You need to come with me. And sometimes that’s hard. Those are hard. Those are hard. But like you said, man, I’m going to go into the flames. People can’t see your face because this is not a video, I’m watching my brother here. And as he tells the story and, and there’s, there’s, there’s, there’s thought there’s reflection. There’s, there’s a moment in time when you know, one love was replaced with the love and, and, and he took that step. And when we take that step, when we take that step, listen to me. When we take that step, we flourish because he’s going to nourish us, in ways that we never understand he’s going to nourish us in the unseen. And yeah. I mean, it’s like, okay, you know, you can sit and be like, yo dude, really?
Shea: It’s like, that hard choice, that hard moment. And look, it was funny. He goes, yeah. She was like, oh, okay. Right. It was, I wonder what she really thought through. That was like, oh,
Michael Thai: I’ll tell you right now. She’s like, okay. So, so you’re telling me that, that you’re gonna, you’re gonna follow God. Have you ever thought about being a priest? So let me, let me, let me pull a little bit more so that you guys have seen on YouTube. I did a video about how I’m waiting for marriage, right? So I’ve been waiting for all my life, to consummate as, as we say, or, or do it. Dang. And so with our relationship for two years, you know, none of that happened, so she, she in her mind is like, oh, you’re going to be a priest now. Right. Because you’ve been waiting. Okay. So if you’re all in, you can be a priest or something like that. So yeah, at first she thought, oh, this is great. You know, like, you’re gonna be a priest, like, that’s cool.
Michelle: In that part of the Royal priesthood. No, I think that that’s amazing. And it makes me think of all the time, those pivotal times where I surrendered something big, like when I was trying to date without God. And then in the middle of all that online dating, I came to him, and then I started, I remember one night I was going on a date with a guy who seemed real solid on the way out the door. I just got down on my knees, all dressed up and I was like, Lord if it’s now you will give me a flag tonight. And I got a flag, a very obvious flag. I got few flags and one very obvious flag. And the time that he, you know, on the note of things, some people might believe like, you know, what, how God reached out to Michael.
Michelle: Well, darkness reached out to me. I had several instances in my life where I had encounters with darkness, where there was no physical presence there. Right. And, and I think that the real gateway there was astrology. And I had these two books that I think we’re probably the biggest gateway I had. And one night God was like, just get rid of them. And instead of selling them, I was like, I paid hundreds of dollars. You be like, I could, I could sell them, make some money and give it to the church. And he’s like, why would you profit off lies? And so right there, I got up and I throw them in the trash. And then when you look at the outcomes of those things, like the long term of me saying, give me a flag every single time. I never even bothered to have hope in men.
Michelle: I was just like, give me a flag, Lord, let’s cut this quake. Don’t let me waste any time. When I handed that over to him, when I hit it over the astrology stuff, all these things that we hand over at the moment, they seem so big to us, and looking back, I’m like, who cares about them? Books? The Lord has covered me down on every little thing who cares about all these dudes who weren’t the right one. Like it’s like the Lord just doubles down on everything. And even if you have something great, he’s like, let it go. It’s like that meme with the Teddy bear with a little girl, he’s like, give me your Teddy bear. And she’s like, it’s all I have. And he’s got this giant Teddy bear behind him. And that’s not to say that, like, if you donate $10, he’ll give you $10,000 because that’s worldly thinking about riches. It’s that it’s all glory. If you do a little obedience that brings him glory. There’s so much more glory to be brought on that road. As opposed to saying, no, God, I’m gonna keep this Teddy bear.
Michelle: People misconceive obedience though. They don’t see it for the love. So wait, if yours was a book and yours was a relationship, was mine. The dishes? Our fan base will understand that if you’ve listened, I came home to cupboards, just emptied of dishes. Like everything, everything in my cupboards, everything, every door was open. Every shelf had been collapsed and I’m looking at a floor. This was right at the time of my surrender. Right? And I’m like, and he’s like, oh, well he goes, just clean it up. That’s what I did. Then watch it. He left me one plate, one bowl, and one glass. And it was almost like, that’s all you need son.
Shea: You know what? I’ve never told you. When you tell me that story, I have the same thought every time it was the devil throwing a tantrum while you were at church, because he knew he was going to lose you. And he knows what he has for you. God has for you. And God’s like, I mean, you can wreck all that, you got to leave him a dish because it’s me and him. You know, every time you tell me that story, I think of that because that is, that’s what happens when we obey God evil throws a tantrum. And that’s why sometimes when you obey God, you might have this instant, really bad thing happened or scary thing happened. Something might happen. And you’re like, I obeyed you God. And then you let this happen. It’s like, well, yeah. If, if I had control of someone and someone was stealing them away, right. And this one’s like, just obey me, everything will be fine. I would sure as heck really try to make them think that it wasn’t. So really we have to think from like a PSYOP war level that like if you’re obeying God and something bad happens, don’t blame God for it. That’s really just the enemy being real salty and bitter that they’re losing their, hold on. You just think of it that way.
Michael Thai: I need to address this. So it’s really people that don’t realize like everybody wants to put everything on God, I get it. You have to understand spiritual warfare, I didn’t know this, but there’s spiritual warfare after you can, every day, the closer you come to God, the more the enemy is going to call at you. And a lot of people are just like, no, you know, if, if, if God didn’t, if God was so good, why would this happen to this person or that person or this it’s like, you got to understand there’s light and darkness. There are two things attacking are the two things fighting over that person. Right. And I’m hearing, I’ve heard this so many times this past year that I had to explain to people like, if you don’t believe that there is an enemy after you, like, where are you living right now?
Michael Thai: This is the devil’s playground. Look at all the temptation that’s in the world. Look at all the things that are happening. You really think that our glorious God will want this stuff to happen. Like all this bad stuff and all this. And then there are still good people like within all this, like, oh, you’re in, you’re surrounded by it. This is where the fight is. Right. And I really want people to understand that like it’s, it’s, it’s hard. But it’s also fun because you get to be surrounded and meet people like yourselves who are all in, who are, who are doing, I’ve been through the fire and still put yourself back in the fire and the flames and just get refined. Right. Right. And so, I just want, I just wanna encourage her, but to understand that as you get deeper and dive deeper and get out there with God like just know the target on your back gets bigger and bigger. And the enemy is just trying so hard to get your attention.
Shea: Yeah. That, that, that, that comes into my arena of tactics. Military fighting wars, y’all sorry. You might like, this is not dividing countries. So that agendas could be, put in place or, you know, good. Sometimes it was good. But you’re right. You’re right. The more you go to war, the more chances it is that you’re going to be struck by the enemy in one way or another in one way or another, why the Bible is so tactical and it’s writing, you know, like gird up your loins, you know, grid your mind up. How’s that go? Something for your mind or something like that. I want to get that. Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. We’ll get to, that is how we do this. I want to do it right. I want to do it right. There are the verses like gird up the loins of your mind. That’s a military-style talk, you know, some translations say practice or, you know, those kinds of things, but it’s like, no, when you take it into this military militant type look like I’m girding on something, I’m putting on an armor I’m putting on. And you said earlier, the full armor of God because what does the devil want to do? He wants to come into a fight, but where does that division start? What we’re talking about, dividing you and pulling you away from God. Now imagine the Shadrach, Meshach, I’m going to go into the fire, disconnected from God. They would have melted down. Like the guards would throw him in. There was see, they didn’t see we go into these fires, but we go into these fires. Perfect. But because we’re not trusting in ourselves, we’re trusting in a holy and perfect God.
Shea: And we just dig in that, dig in that I’m with y’all on this. Holy smoke. How after it, we had a conversation with Michael and some of the friends last night. And the first thing I prayed getting off of the conversation was Lord protect us, protect us. Because when we start to work for the kingdom, now he is threatened. When we start to work for the kingdom, it’s like, oh, hold see he omniscient. Y’all, we’ve talked about this before. He’s not omniscient. The enemy does not know what, if a person is saved or unsafe, or this is just a raw battlefield to him. And we’re a threat to who he wants to take away and take with him. Absolutely. And so he comes against us because this is the one, one reason not to make your life worse, not to, to take something away from you, not to degrade you, beat you or, or, or really hurt you. One thing, silence your mouth, stop you from talking about God, that’s it.
Michelle: His goal is to hurt God, that’s it. He knows God loves every single human being on this earth. And so all his motivation is out of spiteful, hatred for the God who even loves him. And he can’t bear it.
Shea: Yes. He loves to hurt people because he’s hurt. Right? Hurt. People hurt. People hurt. Right. But I want to get in the crucible. Ooh. I want to get into the crucible. I’m weirdos. I think I’ve said this a couple of times. People I’m like, I’m the kind of likes get slapped around by God. Now they’ll come back. He doesn’t slap you around. Now. I’m telling you that dude punched me sometimes
Michelle: In a way that speaks to you, but he’s always the same.
Shea: So I liked the roughing up. Let me do this biblically. I like correction because correction refines correction has me in the crucible being melted down with all the sludge being taken off the top. I know that every time I go into the crucible, I come out the other side, I am more refined. And the pure, the more, the better,
Michael Thai: I’m just going to say, it’s just holy discipline. That’s all it is.
Shea: Oh, come on now, come on that. What’s holy discipline. Come
Michael Thai: On. And it’s like, people used to say, or I’ll say back in my day, when I, when I was growing up, you know, we, what would be considered getting beat down or beat up or, you know, it’s discipline, right? Like if I was doing something wrong, I’m going to get disciplined for. And yet, sometimes it could have been physical. It could have been just verbal. It could have been whatever. I, I honestly believe when, when, when God is trying to get our attention, when we’re veering off the course, he will discipline us in certain ways where we realize like, oh, I’m getting off track or I’m not paying attention. Or, or he’s really trying to work something through me. He disciplined to get your attention so he can show you the road again.
Michelle: You’d need only look at just even if you’re not a parent, right? You’ve seen kids do things that are dangerous. You’ve seen kids want things that are unwise. Think of a parent that gave you everything you ever wanted. That’s a terrifying parent because I have wanted some terrifyingly bad things. And so, although it sounds great because of this indulgence thing we all have, God is just the perfect parent, meaning he will not give you things that are bad for you. If you have something that’s bad for you, and that goes against a Bible, then don’t thank God for it because he’s not the one who blessed you with it. And you’re not hashtag blessed for having it. But on the other hand, sometimes things that are really hard and uncomfortably, like you said earlier, Mike, he might’ve given you those because he’s lovingly building you up because he loves you so much.
Michelle: And he knows what you’re capable of. And you’re capable of so much more than what we can imagine. Our little girl, she has, you know, wine cried through things that she wanted to know how to do, but she wanted help a little too much. And she always was like, I’m going to help her. I’m gonna make sure she’s not like in utter danger, but I’m going to let her muscles hurt a little, try to get up that rock wall. So that next time it’s easier. And man, she’s not even two and she’s owning the playground because you know, she wasn’t completely coddled, but she wasn’t left out there to her own devices to break an arm. There was that, that balance, and how much better balance can God give us? And so we can’t be upset that he denies things. Hands are things that are a challenge or tells us, yes, you have to go through this and no, you don’t get this thing you want because we just have to know that he has that long-term in mind, you know? And he has that eternal in mind. We also forget about the eternal level and we’re thinking, but if I don’t get this, this world’s just going to be so much harder for me. And it’s like, well look, but this is a blip. This is a blip.
Michael Thai: I was going to say one thing that I’ve seen in my, in, in this journey in this past year. And I, and I talk about this to a lot of my friends who, who always ask, like, what’s the difference on how you were raised in a certain religion too, to where you are now as, as, as a Christian believer. And I’ve seen these nuggets and tell people all the time, I’ve seen these nuggets now that God will place smaller, big to see your obedience to him throughout this journey. You’re like, Hey, are you going to, are you going to help that person out? Can you buy this person? Can you buy this person? This, that this, can you help this? And it’s just like a sign of obedience. And the more you pick up on it, the more God gives you bigger and bigger blessings and in bigger and bigger blessings of others, like more things for you to do because he trusts you now.
Michael Thai: Right? And people wonder why, how do you see this? How do you feel it? How do you know it’s from him? Number one, remember your mind is going a hundred miles per hour because you are filled with everything in this world until you really dive into prayer and prayer, just having a conversation with God until you really take the time to really connect and let everything else go. You can’t hear what he’s trying to tell you. You’re too busy trying to figure out how much money I need to make, what car I’m going to drive, what person I’m going to get. All these other things don’t really matter. You’re so just discombobulated in your head and feel that you will never be able to receive or hear even a glimpse of what God’s trying to tell you. If you take the time to pump the brakes, just say a quick prayer.
Michael Thai: I don’t care if it’s 30 seconds or it’s 30 minutes. That quality time that you spend with God, you will hear him in anyone, go ahead and drop a nugget on you. Be like, Hey, do this for me. And it’s your opportunity to shine. Will you pick up the ball? Will you pick up the rock and run with it and complete what he’s leading right in front of you? You know, it’s such a journey. I love it. I love these challenges.
Shea: Just the constant build. The more we go in the fire, the more trained we become. We’ll do things that we’ll never understand. We’ll do things that did I really get trained for that? No, but you’ve been training with the father, you know, and, and I’m going to say this, I know we’re kind of wrapping up and we’re getting in this, but, she brings up our daughter in the playground and I’m sitting here thinking of what you’re saying and you know, this prayerful aspect, one thing that we’ve always done, over our daughter, it’s kind of like, I truly took it to a Samuel moment and was like, God, she’s yours. When she went, before she was born, I just was like, yeah, she’s yours. And I’ve lived by that. Like really have lived by that when things fall in. But there’s that training her up, raising her up, bringing her up, see, that’s what God’s doing to us.
Shea: He’s raising us, bringing us up, and all this stuff. And you know, we’re talking about the playground. This is where I was going with this. He’s climbing all this stuff yesterday. We took the scooter up, you know, it was a little one. The kids hold onto and they push it with the leg. Never showed her how to ride it. I put her on it at the park and I said, okay, just put your, but she listens, put your hand here, hand here. And, and she did that. And before we could even say anything else, she has her foot up and she’s pushing the scooter. Like she knows what she’s doing. You can see God. And I’m not saying that God was there taking control of that moment. But what I’m saying is because she has been trained and raised up, we can be trained and raised up that when something comes at us and it’s the unknown we’ll know that we can walk into it. Oh yeah. Cause we have a God who is with us. He is that consuming fire. And when you read that verse in Hebrews 12:29 and read above it, just read above it to, I’m challenging my listeners. I’m going to read it here. I want you to go out and read this Hebrews 12:29. Just read a few verses above that. But why, who is this? God, he’s unshakeable. His kingdom is unshakeable. What he takes on is unshakeable. We can live unshakeable, dive into that fire be refined tomorrow. Amen.
Michelle: Amen. This has been so fun. Thank you so much for being here.
Michael Thai: Thank you for having me so much. Oh my goodness. Y
Michelle: There are so many things God is doing, and it’s just so exciting across the board. But for everyone listening, you hear who this is and we encourage you to follow him. We follow him on Instagram at Michael Thai. We’re gonna have everything in the show notes, go to the pantrypodcast.com to connect with us as well as read more about our good friend Michael Thai. So until next time, bye.

KEYWORDS: OBEDIENCE. WALKING WITH GOD. LETTING GO. LIVE IN OBEDIENCE. QUALITY TIME WITH GOD.SCRIPTURES ABOUT OBSEDIENCE. SCRIPTURES ABOUT GOD. PURPOSE IN LIFE. GOD IS OMNISCIENT.