Dear Readers, I’ve
known Mike Mayhugh for decades. When he was in his late teens, he and my older
daughter dated for a while. His family and our family are long-time friends,
and both his mother and I hoped they would get married. There has been a lot of
water under the bridge in the decades since, but my opinion of Mike hasn’t
changed. He’s a wonderful family man who loves the Lord. I’m thrilled to
introduce you to his book. And here’s a bonus, he’s going to give away 3 print
books and 3 ebooks on this blog interview.
I find it rather funny that I have a Master of Divinity
degree from Southern Methodist University. Who can truly Master the Divine? I
have a piece of paper that says I did?! It should have been called a Striving
to be perfected in Love like the Divine Master degree. I also have a degree in Christian Ministries
from Asbury University . I am glad this pastoring
calling worked out, because otherwise, all I can do with my two degrees is
deliver pizza.
I also have a passion to keep pastors who have been mobbed
from leaving ministry.
I love your heart for
other pastors, Mike. Tell us about your family.
I have a beautiful wife who is a cancer survivor. She
underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. She is a mighty
warrior and the inspiration for my book. She is in ministry with me and is the
Christian Education Director at the church where I pastor. I have two adorable
daughters. One who is finishing up her student teaching and is applying for a High
School Biology teaching position in the Austin
area where she also wants to open up a knick-knack shop. Mikala has finished up
her sophomore year and is doing a yearlong internship at Walt Disney World
working in attractions.
Cool. Have you
written other nonfiction books?
This is my first book ever to write and was written out of
my passion to stop the destructive bullying and mobbing that is escalating in
our society today.
Do you have any other
books in the works right now?
Yes, Hell Is for Real
Memoirs of what was intended for evil, God used for good.
Can’t wait to read
that one, too. What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?
I love visiting amusement parks, riding the rides and seeing
the shows. My favorite park is the Magic
Kingdom at Walt Disney
World! My draw to this hobby came from my first job as a teenager working at
Six Flags Over Texas in my hometown of Arlington ,
Texas .
Why did you write the
featured book?
The world is under spiritual attack and many of us are not
aware of it. The use of intimidation, bullying, and mobbing are escalating in
our schools, workplace, and our churches. Clergy are leaving the ministry in
droves, and there is an exodus of laity who are leaving toxic churches, and people
are not participating in events where abusive people are present. The
disruption of church meetings and the destruction of people’s lives by toxic
people trying to get their way by coerced manipulation and the spreading of misinformation
to control how others view the victim is getting out of hand. This is Evil! This
is a Spiritual Battle that needs to be fought!
Unfortunately, most
clergy and people avoid conflict, and since these antagonistic people have
never been confronted with their wrongdoing, they become psychologically
abusive to individuals and institutions. When peace at all cost is more
important than justice, we create the monsters that are in our midst that destroy
our churches, schools, sporting events, workplaces and people’s lives.
I wrote this book to expose this demonic behavior, to help
victims find healing, and to embolden the reader to be proactive in spiritual
warfare.
What do you want the
reader to take away from the book?
I want people to know that the Christian answer to demonic
opposition is not confusion or retreat but firm resistance in faith. I want the
reader to engage in the struggle against hostile spiritual forces with
confident faith and trust in God. The reader needs to also be aware that personality
disorders are on the rise in our world. The Church has become a safe place for
these folks to practice their bad behavior without consequences or recourse
because we do not lovingly care enough to confront and take action to remove
the unrepentant abusive person from our churches. We don’t do it because we
think it is unchristian. I want people to know that if we continue to allow the
bullying, mobbing, and manipulation to continue that it is an unchristian
approach to resolving our differences. I want this book to empower the reader
to be able to confront, expose, and deal with this bad behavior.
This is why I invested my time, money, and resources to tell
this story. Please, let us break this sick cycle of abuse and lovingly confront
and make a pact to engage in spiritual warfare.
Is there anything
you’d like to tell my readers about you or your book?
I pray this book will help those who have been deeply
wounded by psychological abusive attacks recover, heal, thrive, and survive! I
also believe this book will help people realize that on one hand, there was
suffering, but on the other hand, God, out of that suffering, can bring a
blessing that could not have come any other way. I believe this book is a
result of suffering in my life that allows me to be a blessing to others
overcoming their pain.
Please give us the
first page or two from the book.
INTRODUCTION
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”. –The
Apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:12 NIV)
“Evil is not to be traced back to the individual but to the collective
behavior of humanity.” --Reinhold Niebuhr
Do you know you are in a spiritual battle with evil every
day? Do you know that the battles that wage around us are not only a part of our
individual lives but also our corporate lives in the body of Christ?
These battles are a part of our journey, our destiny and our
calling in doing God’s work. Let me just say, you can deny your purpose and the
war that rages around you, but that does not mean that it is not happening. To
acknowledge that spiritual warfare is around us and to engage in that war is a
part of our Christian walk, life, testimony, inheritance and narrative. This
war is fought on different fronts, with fluctuating degrees, and forces. We may
not win all the battles, but we know, by the grace of God, we will win the war.
All battles are woven into the tapestry of our lives that
eventually make up the big picture that God desires for us but that we, many times,
cannot see in the here and the now. It is like a child looking through a
knothole in a fence at the circus parade going through town. He sees the
acrobats, and their crazy routines in the parade that make him laugh. He sees
the bearded women and is amazed. He sees the lions and he is all of a sudden
afraid. He sees an elephant, and he is astonished at its size. Then he is
totally freaked out by the clowns with their painted faces. If we were to sit
up in the tree by the fence, we could see the beginning, the middle, and the
end of the parade. The spiritual world we live in is like that boy looking at
that parade from the knothole. Life is all about perspective. Only God can see
the big picture, but it is our responsibility to be aware of what is around us
and trust that God has the best plans for our life.
We must believe that God knows the desires of our hearts including
the desires that we do not even know. That is why it is imperative that we not
only know that we are in a spiritual war but we need to be willing to fight. We
need to develop some tactics to maneuver in this world to be battle ready. The
spiritual world is real. The battle is being fought. The question is, do you
want to engage in the warfare or live a life in denial of the war waging around
you? To engage is the difference between being a victim of our circumstances or
living victorious lives.
Jesus told us in Matthew 28:18 that, “All authority has been
given to me in heaven and on earth.” (NLT) As believers who trust in God, we
have this confidence that we are free for joyful service to the Lord because
the war has been won. We have victory in Jesus and grace saves us through faith
in Jesus as God’s Son. So my prayer is that this book will empower you to
choose not to be a victim but to be victorious because the battle is ours!
1 LIVING IN THE HERE AND THE NOW
“In this life, we have to make many choices. Some are
crucial, and some are not. Many of our choices are between good and evil. The
choices we make, however, determine to a large extent our happiness or our
unhappiness, because we have to live with the consequences of our choices.” --James E. Faust
How we choose to live our lives is important. We can take
the easy road and live in denial of the spiritual world around us and pretend it
does not exist. The other day, I was at IHOP eating some of my favorite
pancakes. The delicious harvest and grain pancakes make my stomach happy! To my
right and across from me, there was this cute little girl sitting at a table
and, for some reason, she was enamored with me. I guess I just look goofy or
something. I remembered one of my daughters’
favorite games to play when they were little was “Peek A Boo!” So, I took a
napkin and unfolded it and held it before my face. Now to the toddler, I
mysteriously disappeared and when I pulled it down and said “Peek A Boo”, I
suddenly re-appeared. For a child’s mindset, this appeared to be magic. Every
time I disappeared she was quiet and when I re-appeared she squealed with joy.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of Paul’s analogy in 1 Corinthians 13:11, where
he says “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
(NKJV) We are at a time where we must all grow up and cease to play “Peek A
Boo” with the spiritual world that surrounds us. We may try to mysteriously make
spiritual warfare disappear, but it is there all the same. Here are some
scriptures that unpack what this spiritual world looks like. So let us fold up
the napkin and face the reality of the spiritual world in which we live.
I would like to have you read the following scriptures and
then answer some questions about what these scriptures are teaching us. Read
the following and let us discover the truth that God’s wisdom reveals.
• Nehemiah 9:6: “You alone are the LORD. You made the skies
and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and
everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship
you.” (NLT)
• Luke 2:13-15: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from
them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this
thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” (ESV)
• Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of
this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (NIV)
• Colossians 1:15-16: “Christ is the visible image of the invisible
God. He had existed before anything was created and is supreme over all
creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on
earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as
thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was
created through him and for him.” (NLT)
• Hebrews 11:3: “By faith we understand that the universe was
created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things
that are visible.” (ESV)
What do we specifically learn about angels from these
scriptures?
Who is it that is besieging us?
Who are we combating?
How does Paul describe the “invisible world”?
Who gives us the perfect image of the invisible God?
Where on the Internet
can the readers find you?
My wife and I have a website Mayhughbeblessed.com where we sell
our books Battle Ready, Hold Tight
and her CD Anchor of My Soul. It is
also a site where you can book Lisa for an event or sign up with me for “Life
Coaching” that is limited only to those Clergy under attack.
Thank you, Mike, or sharing this book with us.
Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book or ebook. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book or ebook. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
13 comments:
Thank you Lena for this opportunity! It is my passion and desire for every Christian to be a mighty warrior for God with the tools to be able to "fight the good fight." If any one has any questions, I would be more than welcome to answer them! God bless you all for your prayers and support for this book!
I enjoyed reading Mike's comments. I'd like to win the book Battle Ready. :)
Thanks Jackie for entering! Your prayers and support are appreciated!
Great interview. So glad my mom, Dorothy Hocott shared this with me.
Wow. Sounds like this book really resonates with what we are experiencing in Pearland ISD where I'm the Communications Director. Our superintendent, our school board and our community are under attack and divided after our superintendent gave his personal beliefs on the President's transgender bathroom issue. We experienced a very difficult school board meeting Tuesday night that unfortunately was filled with more anger and hatred than I've seen in a long time. I know God is with us through this as he sent his army of supporters for our superintendent and district to speak against the attacks and call for us to love one another. Tolerance is the highest form of disagreement in love. That is what we're called to do.
I would love to get a copy for my superintendent and one for myself.
A powerful first book.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
I want you all to know it is designed to be a book and bible study combaation. This saves you from buying a book and then a study guide to go with it. It is great for Sunday School Classes and for small group bible studies or home groups. Thank you everyone for your interest! Tell your friends! I have three books and three ebooks for Lena to give away!
Sounds like a good read. north platte nebraska.
I would love to have a copy of this book. We know exactly what you're writing about. My husband is a retired pastor. He retired early, before we had planned, before we were prepared, because the stress and pressure of the spiritual battle was too much for us at this point in life. We had fought spiritual battles before, within the church and in life in general. But in this last situation, those who schemed and caused discord were the "spiritual leaders" of the church. Many of the non-combative church members knew some of the deacons had held secret meetings and told lies. A few stood up for what was right, but the majority sat back and let it happen. When my husband retired, things got more out of hand, and many people left. The church is struggling financially and every other way, but those who are "in charge" are still calling the shots. I pray this book will enlighten many who are blind to the battle.
Connie, I am so sorry you went through that psychological abussive mobbing event. I know that I nor my family will ever be the same again. I still at times struggle with wanting to leave ministry but through the grace of God and a loving church family in Alvin I am still in the ministry! There is a chapter on healing that I worked through and wrote that I believe will be helpful for you and your family. The goal of this book is to keep clergy from leaving ministry, educating the laity, and empowering the church to confront and remove clergy assasins.
God Bless you Connie. If you don't win a book, I will hook you up no matter what!
Mike
Nice interview Pastor Mike! Good luck with your book!
Enter me!!
Conway SC.
We tend to think of bullying as being a youth issue but it is found in all age groups and all professions.This book covers an extremely relevant topic and the scripture shared in the introduction is abundant!
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for Mike's comments. His book sounds great.
Brenda in VA
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