Skip to content Waiting on God for Strength to Rise Up on Eagle's Wings with Michael Blades Feb 7 · 36 min ...more
Waiting on God for Strength to Rise Up on Eagle's Wings with Michael Blades
February 7, 2026 · 36 min
Ep. 0019 - How a man left behind financial success to follow God's purpose and inspire others on their journeys.
Series The Christian Capitalist Show with Russell Gray Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
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The Christian Capitalist Show inspires and equips individuals to express their God-given purpose through enterprise and stewardship powered by faith, fellowship, and balance.
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Discovering Purpose in Faith 0:00 You know, not all investments in profit are financial. Would you walk away from a good income and career to answer God's call? Well, in this episode, I sit down with a man who did just that. We compared notes about0:10 stepping out in faith to follow God's leading even when the path and provision aren't clear. So if you're standing on the diving board, working up the courage to jump into the pool of your God given purpose, this episode0:20 will encourage you. Stay tuned. Welcome to the Christian Capitalist Show. I am your host, Russell0:32 Gray, and we are here on location in beautiful New Orleans, Louisiana at the New Orleans Investment Conference. It's a conference I've come to for many, many years. If you've been paying attention to gold, you know,0:44 gold's all the rage for the last probably 18 months or so at least. And if you look it up, you're gonna find out it's been the number 1 appreciating asset class since the turn of the century. So if you're naive about0:54 gold or you're interested in gold and wanna learn more, be sure to check out the New Orleans Investment Conference. Just send an email to new orleans at the christian capitalist dot com. And, I'm here every year. I'll be1:05 here next year, and so hopefully you'll join me, and that would be super fun. But right now, I'm going to be having a chat with a man. I think I believe I met you here or at FreedomFest, mister Michael Blades. Michael,1:15 welcome.1:15 Yep. We met here, 2 years ago, I think.1:18 2 years ago.1:19 With the real estate guys.1:20 Yep. Yep. So during my career with the real estate guys, I met lots and lots of great people. Now I'm off preaching the gospel of Main Street purpose driven Main Street capitalism powered by balance1:32 and, really an outreach for the next generation. So, we talk a lot on this show about purpose because I think purpose matters. It matters a lot. Absolutely. And, you got a little bit of gray hair there. You've been1:43 around the block. And so, Michael, just to give folks a little bit of an idea who you are, where you're at in life right now, you know, what you're doing, and then we'll kinda get into where you're going and where you1:55 came from.1:55 Oh, great, Russell. Well, it's it was such a pleasure to meet you, and, I tried to connect with you, on the real estate guys, but it just wasn't that wasn't the doorway, I guess, that that I was supposed to2:07 now here, we meet you 2 years later, and you walked up to me and said, hey, Michael. So, excited to be here. I've only been coming 3 years. It's my third year. But,2:19 my my passion, my purpose is to, help people with the resources that they need to, become who God2:31 created them to be and, to influence when friends you know, influence others to help them become who they are created to be. And it's really all about the abundant life,2:43 you know, the, from a Christian perspective, my faith is very important to me. And, we're on a journey, in this life. And, God's got a plan and a2:55 purpose for each 1 of us. And so my goal is, you know, I hope that I can help people achieve their purpose and, the plan that God has for their life. So3:07 a couple years ago, it's like, I get tapped on the shoulder 1 day, and I was praying. And the Lord says, I want you to go to this. I don't remember how some through circumstances. I want you to go to the show. And I'm3:17 like, I don't know what it is. I was born and raised here in New Orleans and had never heard of NYC.3:21 You know? You've been here for 51 years. Yeah. This is the 50 first. It's the oldest running investment conference on Earth.3:27 It's awesome. But, anyway so I I wrote a check for 600 dollars to come, and and I said, okay, god. There must be some open doors you want me to walk through. So I feel like this is 1 of them, and I'm so happy3:37 to be here with you today. Yeah. I'm a big fan of what I call guiding providence. I have a daily prayer. God, please bless me abundantly Yes. With faith, wisdom, understanding3:50 Uh-huh. Courage, favorable circumstances, and guiding providence.3:57 Amen. Amen.3:58 And, and then I have a whole thing about the purpose formula, which is a whole different thing. But I think what's interesting to me is as I'm out in the world and I am, meeting people, especially as I've stepped into4:10 this ministry, which is really what it is.4:11 Right. It4:12 is. For me, I'm recognizing that even though there's diversity of ministry, even though there's diversity of personality skill set and the niches that we fall into4:23 Right.4:24 There's a unity of spirit that I'm sensing because there's many many people. And so the reason I invited you on the show is because we were just chit chatting and you said, well, I am all about helping people find their4:35 purpose. I'm like, well, that's what started this for me. Purpose driven main street capitalism. So4:40 The the Rick Warren, purpose driven life kind of thing.4:42 Well, and it's interesting because I've created fellowship of Christian capitalist in that model to bring a mentorship program for capitalist, main street capitalist into the Christian church. I'm gonna be going4:54 to the National Religious Broadcasters Association in Nashville in February 20 26, and the purpose is to network with other Christian leaders and offer them because I have a great network.5:06 Yeah. People who don't know me in this space, they really don't know who I am. But in in kind of the financial podcasting space, I was 1 of the OG's. I connected to all these amazing people. Right. And I wanna bring5:17 Christianity into capitalism, capitalism into Christianity. I want there to be unity between old people and young people. It's what the raising capitalist project is all about. There's been too much dividing going on.5:28 And, you know, we know that It's5:29 Annette. I mean, it's Annette. Right? Jesus went to Fisherman. And he said, you know, follow me. Come and follow me, and I'll make you Fishers of Minh. And and what do Fishers use? They use a net.5:42 So God's given you a network. Yes. He's given us all we each have a network, right? But he's given us these people and these relationships for a purpose. You'll build community.5:52 Right. Build my church, which is a community.5:54 Exactly. And and you know, it says wherever there is unity of the brethren, it commands the presence of God. And that really is what we're about. Yes. Right? We're we're about the presence of6:06 God in our lives is is we're to shine a light in the darkness. Right? So for me, you're speaking to my heart, brother.6:13 Yeah. Well, I mean, that's that's why we're here. Right? It's it's almost gonna be like, you know, the mutual, admiration society here.6:21 But but,6:21 you know, you you've got this your business card here says wings of eagles over South Mississippi. What is what is that all about?6:28 Well, on the on the back, I'll I'll just give you the the short version, but, is my mission statement or or the mission statement of wings of eagles. It's it's not a 5 0 1 c 3 yet. I was gonna get the6:40 paperwork to do that and and Let's have6:42 a conversation about that because I can give you, I think, some, ideas based on my own experience because I have both a 5 0 1 c 3, which is the foundation Right. And a 5 0 8, which is the church.6:53 Okay. So and, yeah. So so when I started to do that, God kinda like, don't get ahead of me here. You know? Just wait. And says those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Right? Isaiah 407:05 31. But, anyway, so my mission is to bring together people and resources, to really help people live7:16 the abundant life that Jesus promised. You know, I don't mean to preach here, but that's that's okay.7:22 It's a Christian audience. It's a Christian platform. And so7:25 And and so he says, you know, the the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I've come that you might have life and life abundantly. Well, there's you know, I know so many people in my network that, yes, they have7:36 money or they may be wealthy or whatever, but the the abundance they they don't really feel the abundance. They don't have the joy. They don't have the peace that comes with true life and true abundance that from7:48 God's perspective. And so, you know, I I just said, how can I do that? And he said, well, he said, you take a step of faith. And I said, okay. What's that step? He said, well, quit your job. And I'm 568:00 years old, and I had some money saved to my 4 0 1 k and all that. I'm like, god. I don't have enough money to to to retire. And he asked me 1 simple question. He said, do you trust me?8:12 And I said, yes. I trust you, Lord. He said, then you take the step of faith, and I will provide for you. So 9 years ago, I retired. The first week, I retired on a Monday. On a Friday, I sat down with8:24 my wife, and I said, okay. Let's look at our financial situation because I don't know. She's like, you quit your job. But, wrote checks, a little under 200000 dollars worth of8:36 checks to pay off all my debts, which didn't leave me a whole lot left over for savings. But, you know, I trusted God with it, and, it's worked. Right? It's worked. There's always been opportunities that come along,8:48 and, you know, we're doing fine. We're doing fine. So my goal is to, mentor, teach, share, help however I9:00 can. And it's amazing the resources out there. Right? I mean, I end up at a at this conference and God says all the gold and silver are mine. Go. He said, because there's about to be the greatest transfer of wealth in9:12 ever9:12 Yes.9:13 That the history of the Earth has ever seen. It's gonna be transferred. What did God do when he sent them out of Egypt? He opened up Pharaoh's treasuries, and he blessed them, and he they were they were like, just take9:24 all our money and just go. You know? Well, that's the kind of thing, and I'm just saying, it's there for a purpose. It's there for9:32 a purpose. Well, what better purpose than to help people achieve their life purpose and help others? So That's amazing. Well, we definitely are gonna continue the conversation off mic9:44 because a big part of what I'm doing is creating a network or an infrastructure for people like you9:50 Mhmm.9:51 Who want to mentor, are gifted to mentor, called to mentor to people who need that mentorship, whether they're young people or they are people who are on the other side of the journey, they areStepping Out in Faith and Embracing Abundance 10:02 working a job, but they feel that they're called someplace else. 1 word you've said multiple times that I wanna come back to is abundance. Yes. And my view is that God10:14 has been preaching abundance and training us in abundance from the beginning. Be fruitful and multiply.10:22 That's right.10:22 And, of course, we all know Micah challenged me now in this and see if I won't open up the store houses. Right. And, the Sabbath, I believe is abundance. It trains you to trust that 6 days will10:34 pay for 7 because God will double bless on the sixth.10:38 That's right.10:38 I think, tithing or the concept of giving Yes. Is always designed to teach you to let go and not be too attached.10:46 Wait till I let God. That's correct. Yeah. He's our source.10:49 So I think sometimes the economic part of spirituality, because of the 1 of the scriptures that I think is constantly abused and misused, which is that the love of money is the11:01 root of all kinds of evil. And11:04 it's But money's not.11:05 But money's not. Money money11:06 is a tool.11:08 In fact, money is a byproduct of having been productive Right. And we're called to be productive.11:13 Money's just the language of business. It's the language of the world system. And and so you have to have money to function in the world system. Right? But it's it's your11:24 source, and it's it's your focus, and it's what what is your priority? Money shouldn't be you shouldn't love money first. Right? It's about loving the Lord and loving thy God and and doing and11:36 then trusting him, and the money comes.11:39 Yeah. I I call it the master's plan. Everything I do has gotta fit into the master's plan. That's right. Love God, love your neighbor, make disciples.11:45 He's got a plan for you.11:47 Correct. Underneath that. But whatever plan he has for me, he's gotta fit inside the master plan. Right? He's got the big vision and I get a little piece of it. And so let's go back to this word abundance. When when you11:58 actually are talking with people that you're mentoring and you're trying to work them out of perhaps scarcity mentality, which is the antithesis of abundance mentality. How do you get them12:09 there? Do you is it is it experiential? Is it just, pointing them to scripture? Is it coaching them bump on just to ask and pray? I mean, it's big I I pray it every day. That is my core12:21 prayer.12:22 You know, so many Christians do pray every day, and they pray often, but they don't see the answers to the prayers that they're praying. So So there's probably12:33 Asking amiss,12:34 are we? Yeah. There's there's possibly 1 because12:36 you might spend it on your pleasures.12:38 Right. Maybe they're asking for the wrong things. Right. I wouldn't say maybe they're asking in the wrong way because God can see past that, you know. But I think it's it's, for me, when I start trying12:49 to mentor or counsel somebody, then I try to get to know their heart. Right? And it's I I I tell them right up front. I said, before you ask for more,13:02 thank him for what you have. And it's really,13:05 Attitude of gratitude.13:06 Of gratitude. Yes. It's an attitude of gratitude. So I try to help them, you know, gently turn that away from give me give me give me or god I need I13:18 need I need. And it's more about, lord, thank you for what you've given me. Thank you thank you that when so when I hit the ground every day, I I literally I don't necessarily literally hit my knees, but I13:30 start with prayer. And the first words out of my mouth are always thank you, Lord, for another day. We're not promised tomorrow, but we are given today. And so if you can become thankful and you13:42 say thank you, Lord, for today, what's the opportunities you have for me? And be expectant. Yeah. And you know what? If you can just get them to make that subtle shift and their focus what they're focused on,13:54 you don't get out of poverty by taking. You get out of poverty by giving. You have to give yourself into an abundant14:06 life. So the more you give, the more you receive. The more you sow,14:11 the more you reap.14:13 So that that that's really at the heart of it. It's a it's a heart shit, but but it's also trying to teach them. Your mind is not your friend. Your mind can be your friend.14:26 But my wife told me many years ago, your mind is not your friend. Your heart is your friend. So start looking at the issues of the heart. What do you think?14:37 Keep your heart with all diligence for out of its spring the issues of life. I think that's Proverbs 4 23. Amen. And, Psalm 37 4 and 5, which is 1 of my favorites. That's right. It says, delight yourself in the Lord and14:47 he will give you The desires. The desires of your heart, which to me is he will program you with the desires of your heart.14:53 He says many of the plans of a man's heart, but it is I, the Lord, who direct your steps. Yes. So it really becomes look looking upward, looking outward, getting out of our ourself and15:05 saying, wow. Look at the opportunities to help somebody today or to, you know, do something different today. You know, you're never gonna do something different if you're looking inward all15:17 the time.15:17 Yeah. Let's talk about the business side. Okay. Okay. So you had a job. You quit your job. Right. And you said you're doing better today. Yep. How were how does that work? Is are you monetizing your ministry?15:29 Did you manage to invest a portfolio and get the portfolio to provide for you? How how do you actually pay the bills every month? Because we live in a real world and part of the Christian capital show is to deal with the15:40 pragmatic things that we all have to deal with every day.15:42 Answers all things.15:43 Yeah. So how how are you handling that right now?15:47 So from a perspective of how we handle it, let's just say, you know, when I retired I'm not bragging. I'm just saying when I retired, I walked away from a job. Right? And I quit a job, and it was15:58 paying about a little less than 200000 a year. And I went to making nothing. Right? But I didn't do that with nothing. I mean, I'm I'm not an idiot. Right? I mean, I'm like,16:10 okay, god. Well, what do I have? Right? And he's he's taking inventory of what you have. So, I inherited a house from16:16 1 month. Had your 2 loaves and your fish. Right.16:19 And, so but I had inherited a house from my mother. And so, we we, I had enough money to be able to fix that up and rent it out. So Okay. So, actually and then a16:30 little while later, the person I rented it to said, hey. Would you sell me this house? I said, well, I have this income, you know, and,16:42 but but he had needs. He had special needs children that he was supporting. He had elderly parents and all that. And the lord says, I want you to sell your house to him. And my wife is not very happy about that because16:53 that was, you know, 2000 dollars worth a month of income that we were using. Right? But, anyway, long story short, I sold it to him. Well, I was the bank, so I financed it.17:02 So you carried it back. Okay.17:03 So so so I financed it over 10 years. And, but the lord said don't charge him interest. And I'm like, k. So, I didn't listen to the lord. I told him I17:15 said, how about 7 percent interest? Which was good because he had no credit. No credit. And, he goes, well, the Bible says that you're not supposed to charge me interest. And I'm like, you know what? You are our brother,17:27 and it does say that. So okay. I won't charge you interest. Trust in God. So but, anyway, and so he was paying me the money for 10 years, but I knew at 10 years, that was gonna be17:39 gone. Yeah. Right? So, anyway, long story short, he paid me for 9 years and then walked out walked away, sold it back to me for what I sold it to him for. So now I got it back, and17:51 then I'm getting more. But but I helped him for 9 years. He went got married, moved. Right? So About that. Helped him, and I helped the the 2 special needs children and his elderly parents for 1018:02 years. And the Lord took care of them for 10 years, took care of me for 10 years. I didn't come you know? And then now I got it back, and we we're going round 2, whatever round 2 is. You know? So So but that but that was18:13 the primary That18:14 was enough to get you here.18:15 That was enough to get me here with with the with what I had saved, and I put I put it put us on 7 year plan and, you know, a step down plan from from the the money I was making. Yeah. Each year, I I18:27 dropped it by 30000 a year till I was till I could live on the amount that I would have with Social Security and my, pension. I have18:39 to use a defined pension plan from Emerson. Right? So between my 4 0 1 k and all that, it was a plan. It was just a plan.18:45 Okay. So you've accepted a fairly modest lifestyle, a downgrade perhaps from where you were when you were working18:52 For a period of time18:53 For a period18:55 of time. Till God would provide other resources. Well, then later, we had, her mother my my wife's mother died, and she left us quite a bit of money. And then we invested that in real estate. And so it's just19:07 been little bits here and there, God providing. You know, I hate that her mother died, but but what I'm saying is she was in her eighties, late eighties, and it was time, and and we didn't even really think about that19:17 back then. Right? But I'm just saying God provides. So that's But I did plan. Now here's the key.19:23 But you have to steward too.19:25 Yes. So so the stewardship part was, what do you need? What do you need? What do you really need? I had to go through a self analysis project. I didn't need a 4000 square foot19:37 house with a 2500 dollar a month payment. So I moved into a house that my mother had, which was a rental home as part of that, you know so it was positioning. It19:49 was planning. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Yeah. So so, you know, think about what's important to you. What makes you happy? What's your goals in life? What would you do if you could do nothing else but just20:00 that? And for me, it was helping people through the the gospel, through the word.Show more In this video 0:00 Discovering Purpose in Faith9:55 Stepping Out in Faith and Embracing Abundance20:01 Stewardship, Fellowship, and RevivalComments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
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