January 2022

A man with a righteous dream, and the guts to go after it, will always be the among the most dangerous and misunderstood of all men.

Today in the United States we commemorate the memory of a great man with a large dream…Martin Luther King, Jr. The son of a minister, the father of four children. He was educated in the finest of schools and had a path that would lead to a comfortable life as a respected clergyman in a fine church in Atlanta or somewhere on the east coast. But, he had a dream … and he committed his life to that dream; Brotherhood.

The true measure of a man is not the size of crowds he can speak in front of, but the size of the dream he is willing to die for. Dr. King said it this way, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Dreams are the substance of every great achievement.

The dream of this one man and his friends changed the world for millions of people. But, make no mistake, we remain in a battle for the hearts of men…for the souls of nations.

Benjamin Watson, the NFL great, wrote a powerful book that swept the nation called ‘Under Our Skin’. He spoke on the CMN BraveMen podcast about racial divides and how Christian brotherhood brings us together.

You can listen HERE.

If the Church will become a true place of Godly brotherhood, if the church will lift up Jesus without apology, if the church will go outside its walls – if Godly men will coach little league and run for public office, volunteer at community centers and mentor fatherless children… if the Church will be the Church, we can win this fight.

Dr. King said this, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”

Jesus said, “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in His slaves. Now you are My friends, since I have told you everything the Father told Me.16 You didn’t choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name.17 This is My command: Love each other.” (John 15:15-17)

Our ministry to men can be effective as the result of purpose, communication, strategy, honor and work. But, fundamentally – it’s about brotherhood. It’s about having a dream to change the world.

Thank God for those who dream. Thank God for brotherhood.

P.S. As we pray for unity in our nation – let us also pray for our brothers around the world who face excruciating persecution, prison and death. The Dangerous Nations outreach has great opportunity and large obstacles. But, you and I will not back off the work of the ministry in the face of great obstacles – because – we are brothers. #cmnbrotherhood

The brotherhood of CMN has unleashed a mission to the nations that is gaining momentum and leading men to Christ. We are focused on results.

The Dangerous Nations outreach goals for this year are to reach men in terrorist-besieged and impoverished areas—specifically, in the darkest places in nations such as the Philippines, India, and Pakistan. And continuing our successful work in VietNam, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan.

“Decisions translate into energy” 

It’s true. When we seek God for wisdom, make the decision, meditate on it, write it down – we set into motion the next step – and our destiny.

Stop – think about it—what are your large goals?

Now – what have you decided will happen in 2022 toward that?

Act —what small step could you make today to move closer? 

“Wisdom is the principal thing,” the Proverb states. Don’t live under the bondage of resolutions. Stop – think – act … create a habit.

Make wisdom a habit. Wisdom produces right thinking and right actions.

Get wisdom by reading the Bible every day. The Proverbs in the morning, the Psalms at night, plus whatever other readings or plans you may follow on YouVersion or another platform. Get wisdom.

Wisdom is what produced the Dangerous Nations outreach. And the results are saving families, inspiring pastors, and transforming hearts.

First up for 2022: the Philippines on January 15. Directly into the region under siege of jihadist militants.

You are making this happen because of your ongoing partnership. Your consistent prayer and financial help is still desperately needed to reach desperate men.

Get wisdom. A wise decision is to help other men. 

Perhaps you can give $15 each month, or even $40.

Whatever it is, you can JUMP IN HERE

The great golf instructor Harvey Penick was asked by one of his students, “Help me to get out of the sandtraps.” 

Harvey replied, “I’ll eventually teach you that. But first, I’ll teach you how to stay out of the sandtraps.”

Life is full of traps. Some we see and still walk into them, others are unseen and we’re surprised when we’re captured by them. Regardless of whether we are caught or not, they are all around us every day.

The first trap right now is making New Year’s resolutions instead of starting new habits.

Habits are the fuel of your day. And a habit is formed by repetition. Make the decision that you won’t take any more of your excuses. Make that decision in the strongest part of your day. 

No more excuses.

You are a master negotiator. You’ve become that by negotiating with yourself.

I find myself doing it all the time. I get up with a lot to accomplish, a huge ‘to do’ list, urgencies, or maybe I’m just plain too tired…

…so my negotiating sets in. And I’m good at it – with great persuasion … “too much is happening”, “people need me right now”, “I’ll get to it later this afternoon”, “I’ve read it all before”. And on it goes. So many good “reasons”.

BUT ALL THOSE ‘REASONS’ ARE JUST FEEBLE EXCUSES. 

But, when you were strong, you’ve already made the decision. You’ve decided against all your lame excuses and – created a habit.

Now, we’re not submitting to lame excuses. We’re living in the strength of a powerful habit!

Moving closer to God will keep you out of the sandtraps of life. Having Godly wisdom and resolve will keep you from falling into the traps of self negotiation and self-justification.

This is something I just do. It is a habit, not just another resolution. It is part of my daily regimen and ritual. And, it has strengthened my life.

Wake up, decide against yourself, and just do it.

Start a solid habit of Bible reading in 2022. God’s Word is the pathway to a courageous and brave life.

His strength will sustain you and rescue you from the traps – but not falling into them in the first place is wiser.

Let’s live 2022 with passion.
I’ll be praying for you.
Brotherhood.

Skip that New Year’s resolution. Here’s what to do instead. 

Paul told the Galatians, “You were made for freedom – why are you putting yourself under the law again?” Resolutions have the unmistakable fragrance of the law. And, we are great at breaking the law. 

The parking lots of health clubs will be full this week and half-empty by February. We all laugh about it, but it’s true. Why?

We all have ways to push back: “It’s too cold to workout, it‘s too late, let’s make this happen tomorrow” and so on. 

It certainly doesn’t help to turn on the rants of some self-proclaimed success coach who just tells you, “Get up and kill it … you’re unstoppable … you’re the beast no one can conquer…” And etc. 

You’ve heard it before. It’s so easy to just turn that stuff off. 

What we really need is a mindset reset. A spiritual resolve that becomes our center. Our true self.

What one action could you take today, that will move you further toward your goal? 

Make the decision today for what you need to do tomorrow. 

Start by deciding to read the Bible every day. Then, create another habit … and another. Embed them into your day.

A few years ago, I started using the YouVersion Bible reading programs for my early morning routine.

Bible and pushups. It’s a great workout.

Start there.
Read something.
Every day.

Let God’s Word wash over you and renew your mind. And if you can do a pushup, or go for a walk, that’s your second habit to start.

Let’s start the new year off right – and let’s do it together.