Dream Big Dreams to Win Men, One Man at a Time

Big dreamers who dream about what will be during the day and put it into action are people whom you want to be around. Men in ministry need to be dreamers and doers of dreams.

“All men dream, but not equally. Those that dream at night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake the next day to find that their dreams were just vanity. But those who dream during the day with their eyes wide open are dangerous men; they act out their dreams to make them reality.” -T.E. Lawrence

Dreaming with your eyes open, not necessarily physically but in the awareness mode coupling that with confirmation, understanding, planning and executing the dream is the key to success. Dreams that are confirmed by the Bible, the Holy Spirit and then confirmed by respected, Spirit led leaders are dreams that need to be carried through to fruition. Believe that signs and wonders follow, they do not lead. So as the dream is carried, out those signs and wonders will be obvious in their confirmation of your direction.

An example, that we recently participated in and experienced in our home church was one that involved a physical renovation, which is the representation of the larger dream to take the city for Christ.

The church 12 years ago had 37 members today there are over 650 members and over 2,000 people who call the church their home church. In the last few years the growth has been dramatic. The building is 100 years old and has been updated a number of times. Rooms have been created taking away from the space in the main auditorium. A room that at one time sat 1,500 would only seat about 900 for a single service. This was becoming a challenge but was OK for the time being, we went to multiple services. Our pastor then had a dream from the Holy Spirit for the balcony to be re-opened to expand the church. It had been covered over and made into offices. He also in the same dream saw the ceiling of the auditorium being removed so it would open to the rafters making it more modern and inviting. This would open the room up and with the balcony increase the seating to 1,200 plus.

He mentioned the dream to his inter circle a number of times. Then in rapid succession, two evangelists from different parts of the planet told him to open the balcony up, then another national church leader said the same thing and finally our pastors mentor, for 30 plus years, a true man of God, as he left the church for the last time (he died shortly after) told pastor to open up that balcony.

This is a huge project. First we had to raise a huge amount of money for this and all the other things we were doing. The pledges came I in an overwhelming abundance, the money then flowed. We thought the renovation would take months because fo money and workers. Oh we of little faith.

We started early one month and literally 3 weeks later the ceiling was down, the rafters painted and the balcony opened up. The auditorium now seats 1,200 plus. We expect it will be filled in the next 4 to 6 weeks. Counting is not important remember when David counted in 1 Chronicles 21:1. Don’t get me wrong God likes numbers He has book with the name. The importance is not how many people but how many hearts will commit to the Lord because of the increased capacity.

This was a huge dream. Well really not so, because to the creator of the universe and the one who keeps galaxies known and unknown logically in place, what is a huge dream. I can talk about others. How about 300 people at a Saturday morning 5 AM Prayer Meeting, or 50 men in a Bible Study on Saturday morning, or 100 men at a Men’s Ministry Retreat, need I go on.

In your ministry whether the dream is to have a Bible Study with 50 men, it is biblical confirm the timing of your dream with the Holy Spirit and your leadership then plan and go. Check the signs and wonders along the way.

Ultimately making disciples of the city and the nation. Creating relationships and seeing once again that iron sharpens iron, in your ministry with the Holy Spirit leading the way.

In the ministry believe in your Godly dreams, Dream big dreams and then test them, plan them and execute them.

Men in Ministry

Hardworking Men, at Work in Ministry, Changing the World One Man at a Time

That is a mouthful of direction for men everywhere. How can we effectively make a difference, everyday? We are each only one man, how can we make a long-term difference? How can we change the world? These are all good important questions for us to ask, ultimately how do we, as individuals, become world changers? Let us look we are really never alone.

Let us first look at making a difference everyday. We do this whether we think we do or not. Just by being, we make a difference. I live in San Francisco, California, not to confuse it with any other San Francisco. In this city, not unlike any other, just by walking around with a smile on my face and greeting the people I walk past, I make a difference, a modest difference, but a difference just the same. Now if I take that walking around, smiling and greeting to the next step and actually talk to a few people that are willing to have a conversation. With this conversation I will make a greater difference. Now let me become deliberate and decide I want to talk to people, who seem willing, about a particular subject. Now I will make a deliberate difference in some people’s lives. That deliberate action may be positive or negative we will move people one way or another.

Some good examples that we know, your father was / is a world changer. He had an impact on you. You will take that experience and have an impact on others, one person at a time. Liken it to the butterfly effect. The flapping of the delicate wings has an impact on the movement of the air.

The best example is Jesus; He was very personal, He developed a deep personal relationship with a few people. His inter circle was James, John and Peter. Jesus was a one man at a time guy. He lived the fact that iron sharpens iron. He is deliberate in His relationship with us. He is the ultimate example.

The original questions can then be summed up in one question. How can we change the world one man at a time? That is the only way to change the world one man / person at a time. It is work and it is rewarding.

The “how to” of this will take practice. We cannot do it alone. I will be deliberate and say how do we complete the mission which we were assigned right before Jesus ascended into heaven, as told to us in The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

If we look at this command, backwards, and say Jesus is with us, individually, always, to the very end of the age. He gave the command and then said He will be with us to execute the command. He then sent the Holy Spirit, to be along side of us to assist us, when called on to do so, to complete the command.

In a conversation or in a public speech the most important words are, if planned well, the last words spoken. This is what the speaker or the person wants the audience to remember.

These were the last words Jesus spoke, while in the flesh on earth. They are the important words; they are our mission in life.

The formula for the mission is to garner all the resources we have been given to succeed in the mission.

Call on the Holy Spirit each morning and throughout the day to prepare for the people He will put in our path to effect, then pray that we will recognize those people. Then ask for the words to say. We do not want to offend with harsh statements, we want to lift up the people we meet with the love of Jesus.

Once we have done this and put on the armor of God then we are ready to change the world one man at a time. And that is your ministry!

Men in Ministry

Who are you listening too?

Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International conducted a Men’s Bible Study this morning. The subject for all our Men in Ministry is Evangelism. Particularly witnessing to men. The mission is witnessing to one man at a time. This brings to the for front the question “Who are you listening too?”

My career began in the 70’ s in the computer industry. I love the productivity that technology produces for individuals and businesses. The advances over the time I have been in the industry have produced dramatic gains in productivity. Properly technology has created dramatic changes to our lives, allowing flexibility in work schedules and allowing professional people to spend more time with family and in ministry. The ultimate is the ability to get more work done in a shorter period of time. The quality of the work is always the question.

Technology has also allowed us to hide behind email, voicemail and the like. It has allowed us to “communicate” without talking to anyone. It has allowed us to make excuses for, at times, garbage in the communication, causing disruption or at a minimum confusion, which may slow others in the chain of communication in the execution of their tasks. How many times have you received a text or an email with a word missing or out of order, leaving you to wonder what the message is?

From the early days of the industry to the present time, one phrase continues to ring true. Garbage in, garbage out, is the phrase, whether that garbage is conversational, a tweet, an email or a text or data into a business model. This phrase also applies to our lives.

Letting garbage come in to us allows that garbage to have an influence on us. Let negative stuff in and sooner rather than later it will affect our attitude and our actions. Where does the negative stuff come from? All over radio, TV, Internet, Spam, people on and on. The age we live in allows somewhat unbridled access to us. If you leave your email address on a site for any reason or do a search on Google or another search engine you have opened the door for a barrage of “stuff” to come your way.

Who are you listening too? With all this stuff coming in, much of it trying to influence how you think or react to situations and people, the stuff needs to be screened and off set with the truth. If it cannot be screened, which is difficult, it will need to be filtered through the truth by which you can test everything you hear, read or see.

If you will live to a consistent standard, what is that standard or is there a standard that has absolute consistency?

Who are you listening too? You can listen to all the people who say what you want to do is hard, it is not supported by the “norm”, it will be a lot of work, and the possibility for success is slim. They say!

Do the research and look to the successful, experienced sources for the answers. Find those people who consistently perform, way above the norm. If it was easy everyone would be doing it and the value will be much less, when you are successful.

For me the Bible is the one true over arching source of truth. From here I can test everything I hear, see or read, no matter where it came from, to see if it measures to the truth. Once, what I am using has been tested, then I can be comfortable putting it to use. The results will be consistent and fair, decisions and actions in my family, business and personal relationships. In all three areas iron sharpens iron. This then gives me a strong foundation for building great success for the people around me and myself.

Glad Tidings Mens Ministry International