Real Struggles And Real Hope

Ron Meyers 0:31

Real stories, real struggles, and real hope. My guess today is Pastor Mike McClough. Before he became a pastor, before ministry, before restoration, in his new identity, there was addiction. There were drug runs across state lines. There were broken relationships. There was loneliness so deep that even the high couldn't cover it anymore. And here's what I love most about Mike story. It reminds us that sometimes God meets us at the end of ourselves, not always in a church service, but sometimes while cleaning your house, sometimes staring at a picture of Jesus, sometimes in the simple, desperate prayer. God, I need help. Friend, maybe that's where you are today. Well, that's good because honest prayers change everything. Let's jump into this powerful conversation with Pastor Mike McLeod.

Mike’s First Steps Into Drugs

Drug Trafficking And A Near Arrest

Isolation, Despair, And Suicide Thoughts

A Picture Of Jesus And Surrender

Mike McLeod 1:33

I am Mike McLeod, and I do pastor in Hurley, Mississippi, Magnolia Springs Assembly of God. But my story began at an early age of trying different things, following the wrong crowds at around 13, 14 years old, my first try of marijuana. And, you know, that's the gateway drug they call to other things. And of course, it it led me down a pretty dark path, um be knowing that that it was dark. You know, the Bible teaches there's pleasure in sin for a season, and I would lie to you and to all the listeners if I didn't say that there was joy in some of that lifestyle that I lived. And throughout the years of of growing up in high school, started trying other types of drugs, started drinking real, real heavily in my high school years. About the eleventh grade, I tried uh cocaine and um enjoyed it and liked the feeling. Of course, you know, y you have to to keep doing it. And so I became an addict. I would snort it, shoot it, smoke it, however, to get high. And in my guess around 20, I started uh running drugs out of another state through uh father and son that that hid behind a construction business and uh literally would take flatbed trucks that looked like would haul welding machines on it, would have a false bottom in it, and I would I would run a hundred, two hundred pounds of cocaine across state lines, delivering it. Got married, got married to to my wife, and and we had a daughter and did she know you were doing this? Oh, absolutely not. You know, I I worked a job at a full-time job at Chevron, oil refinery in Pashcagoula, and worked every day with the help of of drugs kept me going. And she would find things around the house that would cause her to question, and of course I would lie and uh convince her. I guess I would convince her somewhat that I wasn't doing anything. Like I said, I lived I lived practically a normal life, and I started really making lots of money, running the drugs, the coke, some marijuana, and our life spiraled out of control. My marriage, I was more focused on my pleasures, my desire than my wife and daughter. I started a book sometime back, and the title of it was I love the high better. And it it it's sad, it's sad now looking back, but the reality of it is that I love the high better than I love my wife. I love the high better than I love my daughter because I put it before them. It causes me to choke up now to think that I was so selfish. It was all about me and never about them. And so we divorced. She left me and uh she divorced me and and I ended up in some pretty bad, dark situations. Neither was criminals, you know, and I was a criminal. And I was hauling quite a bit of drugs across state line, and I was in Louisiana and uh got pulled over. The cops run my license, and my license was suspended. A few other charges, so they took me to jail in Louisiana, and I had a I had a a hundred plus pounds of cocaine in this vehicle. I called the guys they connected with, and in my mind the the phones would were bugged, I would think, in a jail, and I wouldn't let them say nothing. I just told them that I'd got pulled over. I'm in jail. This is address. I need somebody to bring fine money, bond money, and get the truck and get me out of jail so I can, you know, my thing was because it looked like a welded truck, because I know we need this welding truck on the job to haul some welding machines. And they came, two guys came, paid in the in the compound that held the truck was right next door to the jailhouse, and they drove the cops, drove the truck out, and and uh we were walking out, and two cops come out behind us and hollered, hold up. And uh we spun around my heart. Oh wow completely stopped, spun around, and they said, Make sure he don't drive because his license is still suspended. And we drove away with over a hundred something pounds of coke in a truck. Wow. Three or four weeks later, of course I'm divorced now, and I done a lot of coke one night, drank a lot of alcohol right by myself, and uh woke up the next morning stuck to the carpet where I'd vomit. I hate to sound sound like that, but uh where I I throw it up and and threw up and and laid in it and all night long. My fists were all swollen, busted blood on my hands. I looked and blood was on the door facing between the living room and kitchen area where I I undoubtedly stood and punched the wall. There was a shotgun loaded with buckshot laying on the floor where I contemplated committing suicide. And uh I got up and went to the bathroom, got sick again. Got a towel, wet it, went into the living room, went to cleaning the floor up, and um I'm sitting here, Ron, and I this is the thought I had in my mind. Not quit drugs, not quit alcohol, but quit drinking so much and quit doing drugs so much. You know, that was the thought in my mind, you know, kind of back off. And my little girl, I never when my wife left, I locked my daughter's door in her bedroom because it was just too hard for me to go in there and see, you know, her room, her toys. Some of her toys were left. And I went in our bedroom and I said, I'm gonna clean the house up, you know, I'm gonna start doing better. And I had shoeboxes in the floor of the bedroom, and I stacked them up by the closet door. We had a big closet. And I sat down in the door facing of the closet went to stacking shoe boxes in the closet. And at the end of the closet was a picture about, I don't know, two foot by two foot uh framed facing the wall. And I didn't uh I didn't recognize the frame, and I crawled down and grabbed it, crawled back out, sputtered around. It was a picture of Jesus holding a sheep and a flock of sheep following him by the river. To this day, my wife or I, either one, know where that picture came from. And I broke down right there and said, God, I need help. Wow. And uh that's where I prayed through to salvation. Started going to church, and about three months later, my wife got saved and God restored our marriage. We got remarried and we started that journey. I will say this, you know, to me I don't have a testimony. I know people may think that I do, and but to me, you know what a great testimony is, Ron? It's someone that can say, I got saved when I was 10, 11, 12, 13 years old and hung on all those years and faithfully lived for God because they wasn't weak. They didn't give in like I did. They they stood the test of time and and they lived for the Lord. But when me and my wife was divorced, and this is what I'd like for people to hear because it's important, she got saved and we just started talking casually talking. And because I put Christ first in my life. I didn't put her or my child, I put him first. She asked me one day, she said, Do you think we'll ever get remarried? And I said, Carrie, not until I know Jesus Christ is your best friend. He's my best friend, and second to that, I'm your best friend, and you're my best friend. You know, we talk about love, and love, the agape love is the greatest love of all. That's the Jesus love. But then we talk about love, but true love is never really created unless there's a true friendship first. And we began to work on that. And 33 years later, I can honestly tell you, besides Jesus Christ, she's my best friend and I'm hers. And God just radically turned our lives around. A year later, after being saved, the Lord called me to evangelize. One of the scaredest moments in my life, I started to evangelize and then pastoring along the way. I pastored some churches along the way, and of course, the one that you spoke at up in Lisdale years ago. But now I'm in Hurley, Pastor Magnus Springs, and it to me is the greatest church in the world. And uh we own a restaurant in Tanner Williams, and God is it's out in the country, and God has just amazingly blessed our business, and uh we pastor a great church, and every day I wake up I I realize that if it had not been for the Lord who was on my side, where would I have been?

Marriage Restoration And A New Calling

Ron Meyers 10:13

So, Mike, do you regret the past?

Mike McLeod 10:18

There's there's certain things, Ron, that you look back that you regret. I mean, everybody has things in their past that they regret that they've done. I regret hurting my family, putting them through of the things that I did in my early childhood, my mom, then of course my wife and my child. But I I'll say this out of that past that I lived, I I did make connections with people that I wouldn't have if I hadn't to live that lifestyle. And one particular story is uh is a guy that I had met growing up that we indulged in a lot of wrong, a lot of sin. That after I got saved and was ministering, pastoring, I got a phone call from him one day and he was crying. He owned a he owned a company and he was crying on the phone. He was crying so hard that I couldn't hardly understand what he was saying. And he asked me what I was doing, and I I told him what I was doing. I was at home, and he said, I want to come see you. So I invited him, and a few hours later he showed up at my house and walked in, tears running down his face, and I said, You know, what's going on? What's what's wrong? And he looked at me and he said, with tears in his eyes, he said, I want what you've got. He said, I've been watching I've seen how the Lord's radically changed you, and he said, I I want what you got. So we made the coffee table out of an altar and knelt down and said the sinner's prayer with this guy. So to say I regret everything, I can't say that because there's a lot of things that I lived through that when God changed my life and I began to be a Jesus follower, and people seen the change that the Lord because when I lived in sin, I was one of the best. And um so yeah, there's things that I regret, but there's there's things that I don't regret because I see how God used it for his glory. God does not, does not have a plan. God has a perfect plan.

Announcer 12:19

Amen.

Mike McLeod 12:19

We make plans. We make plans, our plans succeed and our plans fail. God's perfect plan does not. Get in the will of his perfect plan and life will be great.

Ron Meyers 12:29

You know what? And and that's why I wanted to ask you that. I had a feeling that would be your answer because I tell people that a lot of people that have this walk and they're going through things, they think because of their past that God could never use them. They're just terrible. And I try to tell them that, hey, I have a shady past too. But God takes that old. And when we come to him, we have a relatable story now to other people that are going through the same thing and we can say he did it for me, he'll do it for you. And it's it's, you know, if there's somebody that walked into your church on Sunday morning and said, Hey, I'm an addict, I uh I'm doing drugs and I need help, man, you're the one that could help him and talk to him because you're going to talk his language.

Using The Past To Help Others

Mike McLeod 13:15

Right. We have a uh a rehab, it's called the Mercy House here, the community that's that's houses men that are going through bad past drugs, alcohol abuse, whatever criminal charges. If they come every Wednesday night to our services, and there's 20, 35 men ever every Wednesday night that show up here, and you know, every now and then I'll interject a little bit of my past in those services to let them know that they're not looking at an angel.

Ron Meyers 13:44

Amen.

Mike McLeod 13:44

He's got his wings while he's preaching and something. They open up. There's these guys, you know, they'll come and after service and just thank me for being real with them, transparent. Our past, our past can be used for the glory of God, I agree.

Ron Meyers 14:00

Absolutely. And you know, you said something a minute ago, and I'm finding this because I talk to everybody when I'm out and about. People that don't go to a church or they are turned off by a church. They said, Well, we just we want some authentic Jesus. We want some real Jesus. It's it's like we go to church and we're signing up for committees and we're doing all this kind of stuff. But you know, I I I need to know more about Jesus. They want that real, you know, because they've already started going to church to think of who's gonna fall in on them. And and when we can be just authentic and real and transparent. That's the whole point of this show. Is to kill people, that's all people, we all have issues, all of us have problems that finds this world and we can come to him and have a new heart, a new life, and now look at this. I had I remember the Mercy House now. I'm so glad you brought that up. Yeah, the Mercy House, that's an incredible program over in Jackson County.

Mike McLeod 14:59

Jackson County or George County Jackson County, yeah, right here early.

Ron Meyers 15:03

Yeah, I remember that's where I think I came and spoke at the Mercy House. There are a lot of people listening right now on, and I buy time on non-Christian radio, and they're saying, Man, that man sounds like me. But you know, yeah, God just loved him more. What would you tell that person that thinks that?

Mike McLeod 15:22

Well, you know, first of all, God's no respected person. When he looks at us, he sees something that he created, not man. Man didn't create no one, God created. Just Easter Sunday, stood in the pulpit by the worship team. I stopped the worship team from singing, and I stood in the pulpit, and I I said, somebody needs to hear this. That God is not against you, God is for you. No matter where you're at in life's walk, God's for you. And God's not throwing you away. You may be throwing yourself away, but God stands with open arms, with love, compassion, and mercy and grace, ready to help you, ready to turn your life around, ready to show you that agape love, that God love. The same love that he showed me. I'm counseling a 20-year-old young guy right now that is really growing in the Lord, but but you know, a 20-year-old young man he struggles. And and just met with him yesterday and carried him out to eat at Bozos. I gave them a plug. And um, we we set out and I just I told him the same thing. I said, you know, the Bible says the righteous man falls seven times, but he keeps getting back up. The key to him not being declared a cripple is he keeps getting back up. And that's the key to success in our walk with Christ is when we do fail, because we will fail, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Just get back up, dust yourself off, forgive yourself. Forgive yourself.

Ron Meyers 16:52

I'm gonna ask you one other thing. I always like to ask my guests this. The title of this show is called Get the Hell Out of Your Life. So, Pastor, how do you get the hell out of your life?

Mike McLeod 17:03

Number one, by submitting. The Bible says in James 4 and 7, it says, Submit yourself, therefore, unto God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Submit. Submit to the Lord, surrender. That's one of the hardest things for people to do because we're so self-sufficient. We think we know it all, we can do it all, but at the end, everyone was created to rely on God. Amen. Trust God. And so submitting to the Lord and put up a resistance that I'm not gonna live like this no more, I'm not gonna walk this path no more. I'm gonna find that path in Christ, and I'm gonna walk that path.

Ron Meyers 17:43

Amen. Amen. Your congregation is a very blessed congregation to have a leader like you, your past, your authenticity, and your just love for the fellow human out there, and and and God bless you. And before we go, will you pray for our listeners?

Mike McLeod 18:02

Amen. Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to you as humbly as I know how. As Paul made the statement that I feel that I'm the least among the least, but I am so blessed and so thankful to be able to worship you, to have a relationship with you. And I send up the highest praise that's ever been given to you. Hallelujah. Lord, I just pray for all those that are listening right now by radio, by whatever means that they have. And one day, Lord, at the end of this life, they'll hear you say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of the Lord. Lord, for that individual that's struggled with drugs and alcohol and addictions. Lord, I pray that you break those addictions from their life. God, that you transform their mind, their spirit, God, into the newness of life. Lord, I pray, God, that you help them. Lord, that family that's dealing with marital problems, children's problems. God, I pray that the love and the grace and the mercy of God come down and intervene in their lives. Lord, we give you praise and glory and thanks for what you're going to do. In Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen.

Ron Meyers 19:46

Wow. That was a rescue story. What hit me the most in this is that sin will always advertise pleasure, but it never kills you the invoice. It promises escape, but delivers pain. It promises confidence but leaves pain. It promises freedom, but builds prisons. And Mike said something powerful. Sometimes the near misses don't wake you up. And sometimes surviving the overdose or escaping the arrest doesn't change you. Sometimes it takes looking around at your own house and realizing I have built a life I don't even want. And maybe that is where some of you are today. You're functioning and you're smiling, people think you're okay, but inside you know something's not right, you know the addiction, you know the compromise, you know the hidden pain. And maybe today, God is using Mike's story to tell you this. It's never too late for a new beginning. Your past is not stronger than God's grace. I loved also what Mike said about marriage. Restoration is not built on feelings. It's built on friendship, forgiveness, and love. Love that stays, love that serves, and love that shows up. Now, friend, that's real transformation. And that's where freedom lives. When I returned, I have five action steps to help you get and get the hell out of your life.

Announcer 21:41

You're listening to get the hell out of your life, real host, reality, real stories, real struggles, and real hope. Your story validates God's love, mercy, restoration, and forgiveness. We want to help you share your story with the world. Visit our website thepromoter.org and click on the share your story link and submit your story. Your testimony of God's amazing grace will change a person's destiny for eternity. You've failed again.

Speaker 1 22:23

You promised yourself you'd do better, but here you are, back in the same place. The condemnation feels crushing. But grace is available through the sacrifice of Jesus. Because his love never fails and his grace never runs out. Second chances aren't just available, they're abundant. Learn how to start fresh in God's grace through trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Call or text Need Him Global at 888-633-3446.

Speaker 6 23:12

Get the hell out of your life.

Ron Meyers 23:19

So how do you get and keep the hell out of your life? Well, Pastor Mike gave us the answer straight from God's word. Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Now that's simple to read, but hard to live. And when you resist temptation, it's freedom. Now here are some action steps for this week. Number one, to get brutally honest, stop managing appearances. Freedom starts where pretending ends. After all, who cares what people think? Your life is about you and Jesus. And maybe your first prayer is simply, Jesus, I give my life to you. Let's do life together. I want to discover my purpose. Number two, identify what keeps pulling you back. Who? What and where? Sometimes deliverance starts with distance, long distance. You can't keep visiting the same darkness and expect different results. It's time to cut the cord. Number three, find your people. Healing happens in community. Isolation is the playground of addiction. The Bible says that idle hands are the devil's workshop. So find a trusted friend, someone you can talk with, maybe a pastor, maybe a recovery group, a mentor. And every day I encourage you to have your conversations with Jesus. Number four, stop letting your past introduce you. Yes, you did something wrong, and yes, it did happen. You can't change it. With Jesus, the old is gone, the new has arrived, and you have a destiny that will absolutely blow your mind. God is for you and never against you. Yes, God still uses broken people. Actually, that's mostly who he uses. Number five, keep getting back up. Some people quit because they stumbled. No, get back up again and again and again. Progress is not perfection, and God honors persistence. Friend, don't live on the island of regrets with villages called should've, would have, and could have. Let me ask you, why do you think you're listening to this today? I think you're listening to it because God answered my prayers. My prayers are Lord, let the person you're trying to get a message to hear today's show and to discover who Jesus is. Because friends, if you don't become you, who will? Well, I want to thank you for spending some time with me today. And if this episode touches your heart, send it to someone who's struggling, someone fighting addiction, someone hanging on by a thread. Because, friends, aren't we all in this together to encourage, empower, and inspire people to discover their plan that God has for them? I will be back next week with another grace-filled episode of Get the Hell Out of Your Life available wherever you listen to podcasts. Until next week, this is Ron Myers reminding you that I love you, Jesus loves you, and when you give your heart to Jesus, not only do you get the hell out of your life, life begins to start making sense.

Announcer 27:14

Today's show was produced by Ron Myers Ministries, a listener-supported ministry. For a copy of today's broadcast, please visit our website, thepromoter.org. And would you prayerfully consider making a tax-deductible donation so that we may continue to share stories of God's amazing grace with the world? And join us next week for another broadcast of Get the Hell Out of Your Life. Real people, sharing real struggles, and offering real hope.

Speaker 2 27:42

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