Barry Meguiar 00:03
Welcome back to ignite. Everybody have a special friend, a new friend, but he feels like an old friend, Victor Dawson. And I met I was actually at a prayer breakfast speaking to prayer breakfast in Colorado Springs. I did a month or so ago. And I was still there’s this Victor Dawson that wanted to carry me to drive me to the airport in Denver. And I said, Well, that’s beats having maneuver. So is the is the I guess he’s a Christian. Is he exciting? Oh, yeah. Oh, you just, you have no idea. So I got in the car and Victor. Victor, welcome to our show. And I gotta tell you, that was like the quickest ride I’ve ever had. It felt like it went like that we are back and forth having so much fun sharing storage. We are soulmates disorder, buddy, I want you to meet a soulmate of mine. I knew from Adela, a dear friend, Victor Dawson from Colorado Springs. So I think your experience was similar to mine on that car ride.
Victor Dawson 01:07
Yeah, Barry, it was great to see you there. And it’s great to be with you again today. We had the ball on the trip up to Denver, sharing our stories, and just laughing and having fun. But I have to confess something to you. You may not know, I drove especially slow getting to the airport. I’ve made it to the airport in about 30 minutes faster than that.
Barry Meguiar 01:35
You come on, up, I guess he just flew I didn’t want to get out of the car. I I remember as we were approaching Denver airport as they Oh, no, this conversation is going to end and I may not see Victor again for a long while so variously in it. I always have so much fun talking to fellow faith shares, there’s a lot of us around, it’s hard to find each other. But when you find the hook up, I’ve been sharing the stories back and forth as we were doing. And that reminds me of the story when I was over here. Well, I had another one of those over here. And it is just Is it is it not fun to share your fate.
Victor Dawson 02:15
It’s, oh, it’s absolutely so fun, and so enjoyable to see the benefits that you that you get. And I want to commend you, first of all, for leading the charge, because there is never been a more important time for us to be sharing our faith with a hurting world. And so few people you say 1% I say maybe 3% In my book, are doing that that’s a dismal number. It’s useless. We got to get that number much larger than I’m excited to be for
Barry Meguiar 02:48
you and I are soulmates on that. Tell me a little bit about yourself at our in our in our in our audience, of course have got a quick background and where you are and where you came from and how you got to this place where you love to share your faith.
Victor Dawson 03:04
Well, I was born at a very early age, about 39 weeks, if I remember right. Some of your audience will get that later on. Yeah, but I grew up in a small town in Georgia and was educated Georgia Tech. For my undergraduate degree I married my high school sweetheart, Nan, and we’ve been married for 48 years, I have a daughter and son and two grandchildren that live here in Colorado Springs, spent most of my about the first half of my business career working for corporations, not big ones, but medium sized small ones. And then 18 years ago, I started my own company did glue, do global product sourcing mostly in Asia and Latin America. And then started a second company about 10 years ago with two partners. And we just sold that company in November, and been very involved in with an organization called CPMC. Christian business.
Barry Meguiar 04:04
Great organization.
Victor Dawson 04:06
I found out about 15 years ago after praying about it that my purpose in life is evangelism and discipleship.
Barry Meguiar 04:14
What did that what I mean? How did that? How did that hit you?
Victor Dawson 04:19
Well, I was talking to a friend of mine, who was with CBMC. And I told him I was I was looking and he said, Well, think about the things that that you’re passionate about that you get excited about. And then he said, You might be surprised that you’re not you’re already doing it. And he was right. Because I had been doing it for years, but I finally focused on it. And so I wrote this, I guess you’d call it a perfect life purpose statement that says as an ambassador for Christ as I as you go as I go, make disciples of all nations by giving, loving and serving people with integrity around the world and And I plan to do that, too. But the hospice nurse
Barry Meguiar 05:02
Yeah. Exactly to your last breath, right. That it does. So you were in the book on this talk about your book right. Quick. I want to promote your book.
Victor Dawson 05:16
Well, yeah, great. I appreciate that. A few years ago, I had emergency open heart surgery. Thankfully, my wife wouldn’t let the cardiologists off the hook. And they did a heart cath. And they found out that I had over 90% blockage of the left main artery called the Widowmaker. Yeah, I was literally ready to drop dead at any moment. I didn’t have a heart attack, they caught it in time, did an open heart surgery, and one week to the hour, which I celebrated the anniversary of yesterday. Oh, wow. I was sitting, sitting on the patio, at my home. And I remember thinking, God, if I’m still here, you must have something left for me to do. And I don’t know if that’s two months or 20 years. But it’d be really cool to know what it was. And for the only the second time in my life, God spoke to me audibly through the Holy Spirit. And he said, I want you to write a book. And I want you to call it as you go. And you know, those stories I’ve given you as you’ve traveled around the world and shared your fate and lived out the Great Commission. That’s what the books about, I found out writing a book for first time authors. It’s pretty hard to do. But we published it a couple of years ago, and
Barry Meguiar 06:30
there is his
Victor Dawson 06:32
conversation that impacts eternity.
Barry Meguiar 06:34
So explain now as we share our faith as we go wherever He leads us as we go and expound on that permitted Mises Fascinating.
Victor Dawson 06:43
Well, I think Matthew 28:19 is one of the most misunderstood verses because it sounds like something a pastor and a missionary should do. And a lot of most believers are thankful. That’s what they understand, because they’re scared to death to do it, but they don’t understand what you understand, which is that it’s fun, and so many benefits to it. Plus, Jesus commanded us to do it. That was not a suggestion in Matthew 18. So does that mean I need to quit my job, go to seminary and learn foreign language and move halfway around the world? I don’t think that’s what Jesus is talking about, at all, no. And so in researching the book, I discovered that the Greek word for go actually means as you are going. So I believe what and what I talked about in the book is that Jesus meant as you’re going along your way, every day, and everywhere you are to share about me, with your friends, your family, your co workers, your neighbors, and even strangers
Barry Meguiar 07:49
all the time. You know,
Victor Dawson 07:51
yeah, all the time. And it should be. It should be thought of as a lifestyle or a mindset, not some mission. I’m gonna go do one day or here there. No, I just live my life. And, and people actually, people come up to me all the time. And so one of the first steps I think, in this process is that you pray about it. I Scott almost every day, Lord, lead me to somebody that, you know, you start every day. And some, yes, sometimes I’ll say to somebody, or are you the reason I’m here? And they’ll say What do you mean? I said, Well, I prayed this morning, that God will lead me to somebody is that you? Yeah. And then you Be alert. God will make these appointments for you
Barry Meguiar 08:32
And you deal with a smile on your face. You know, it’s not it’s not this, pointing fingers up. I didn’t know maybe you’re the reason I’m here.
Victor Dawson 08:42
Yeah,
Barry Meguiar 08:43
you just have fun with it.
Victor Dawson 08:44
I got it. I got a great story about that.
Barry Meguiar 08:47
Go ahead. Tell us tell us. I want to stop you. Just a minute.
Victor Dawson 08:53
Yes.
Barry Meguiar 08:55
Understand that most people don’t know what sharing faith is. Okay. Probably most people watching this right now. Okay, just share my faith. What is it? They’re thinking of going to a class, memorizing a bunch of stuff, and having to repeat that stuff in the right order, and then get somebody on the knees and get him say, okay, that’s the classic. Nobody wants to do that. They have no concept of the fun that you’re talking about. They have no concept that you’re always on the ready to as you go. And leave or on the fact that almost everybody around us is last on their way to hell. We don’t like to talk about that. But that’s the fact of the matter. Jesus is coming. We’re running out of time if you’re not going to tell who is. So the the urgency and the opportunities are around us all the time. And it’s so easy to miss them. But they’re they’re right there. So go ahead, but I just I’d say an amen. Amen to everything you’re doing because I love your heart. You know that?
Victor Dawson 09:56
Well, Barry, that was why I wanted to spend some time with you because I look Did your website and you were saying all the same things that I was saying? I don’t know, you might have set them before I did. But we’re on the same page, man. And so one of the reasons I do what I do is just what you said, we are surrounded everywhere by people who are hurting, especially now. And they are lost, and they don’t have hope. And we’ve got the answer to all of them. And so what do you do when, when you get great news? You know, you you’re getting married, you get a promotion at work, you haven’t a baby, you can’t wait to tell somebody about it. Right? Well, I’m convinced we have got the greatest news ever. I mean, is there any greater news than salvation? Nothing? No, I don’t know what it is. And yet it clams up and designate want to share it with their loved ones that they care about. So anyway, this quickly, the story about are you the reason I borrowed this from a friend of mine, Pat O’Neill in North Carolina, but he had used it. And so I went to church on this Christmas, New Year’s Eve, sat next, sort of next to a guy with an empty seat. He was on the aisle. And I had just written this part in the book. And so it was on my mind. And so yeah, you know, people talk about how do you start a conversation? Well, this is when I can’t come up with anything else. This is what I do. So he got up to leave. And I say, Excuse me, sir, are you the reason I’m here today? I’ve never seen anybody response. So so much as he did. He said, What are you talking about? I said, Well, are you the reason I came and sat here next to you this morning? He said, I don’t know. I said, well, would when you find out, would you let me know? I’m not gonna do that. So well, here. My name is Victor. Here’s my card. And then we’ve had this little conversation for 10 minutes. And I said, Well, we should get together for coffee and talk. And he said, I’m not very social person. I don’t know if I could do that. Okay, that’s fine. New Year’s Day, at about 10 o’clock, he calls me and says, Could we have lunch today? On Joe, your wife? On New Year’s, we didn’t have anything going on. So I’ll go and meet this guy for lunch. He pours out his life to me. And it’s it’s filled with some quite some stories and some horrible challenges. And so I suggest maybe we could get together some and he said, No, I don’t think I could do that. Okay, well, I’m just doing to do the part God’s asking me to do. So occasionally I sent him a message. Well, about two years ago, about a year and a half goes by. And one Saturday morning, I sent him a quick text and said, I was just praying for you. How are you doing? About five minutes later, the phone rings, it’s him. His name is Randy. He said, What is it with you? You just won’t give up? We just kind of nice, you know? And he said, Well, he’s actually a very mature believer. And he said, God’s been impressing upon me that I needed to start a relationship with somebody like you. And so for the last two years, we’ve been having an hour call on Saturday, man, oh, my goodness, say we were discipling each other, we’re sharing our life with each other. And he’s helping me as much as I’m helping him probably.
Barry Meguiar 13:33
Yeah, yeah. You know, there’s a ministry, mode mo most Christians, they may be saved on their way to heaven, but they’re not having fun. And a lot of them are worrying as much as the world is worrying. And so for those of us who have joy, we have as much responsibility to ignite them to get them back. I’m having that continually all the time. And, and I say, you know, you’re just a mil meter away from having joy. Now, I have a long way to go, you’re actually just a millimeter away from having joy. You could turn those problems and they’ll go, they’ll disappear. So quickly, stop focusing on your problems are going back because you’ve made the problem your God. You know, you’re saying, God, help me with my God. And that thing, because whenever we take anything else and make it our focus, that’s our God. And if it’s not God, it has to do with people and people always lead us down. So it’s so easy to look this way and be concerned when we look at him. We’re on the solid rock. He never moves. If we hold on to him, we’re solid and we never leave, lose our joy when we’re when we’re when we’re focused at him, you know that and so it’s so easy, really, quite frankly, to give you I know that I need to do that and just bring it back into ownership and in direct connection with God and loving him is their first love.
Victor Dawson 15:06
You know, so many people try to come up with excuses. And they do that. There’s all kinds of excuses why I’m not going to do this. But there’s so many wonderful benefits. Let me just mention a couple of other ones that I’ve experienced. First of all, your family and friends, close friends, don’t you want them to be in heaven with you? I’ll talk about that. Maybe in a minute, if we have time. And in the process of sharing my faith, I’ve made numerous lifetime friends.
Barry Meguiar 15:37
Yeah.
Victor Dawson 15:38
How wonderful is that?
Barry Meguiar 15:40
Yeah.
Victor Dawson 15:41
And in addition to that, you can have a dramatic impact on a person’s life, and their family and even future generations of their family. Not because you did because of what God did,
Barry Meguiar 15:54
yeah,
Victor Dawson 15:54
what Jesus did. He just wanted to use a little Oh, me, in the process of helping him what a privilege and honor that is.
Barry Meguiar 16:01
So give us an example.
Victor Dawson 16:05
Okay. So I’m sitting in the San Diego airport early one morning, looking at about the gate or the plane, going to take me back to Denver, and then having my journal in a quiet time. All of a sudden, there’s this very loud bang, right behind me about 20 feet. So you think of as a gunshot was a explosion or something in today’s world, but it didn’t sound like that. It sounds like somebody had dropped a bowling ball from about six feet off the floor. So I jumped up and turned around and they’re lying on the floor was a woman face down. I had seen her when I came into the gate, she was sitting there reading the books, probably in her early 50s. Turns out, she was having a stroke or seizure or something. And she started to get up. And she passed out and she fell and hit the floor. There was a doctor in the gate, he came over, they yelled call 911 didn’t look good. And so just as the they were trying to take her away, the paramedics were a man about my age, professionally dressed, walked up beside me, and was looking to see what’s going on here. And he said, what’s what’s happened? And I said, Well briefly explain what had happened. He said, Well, that’s horrible. And the Holy Spirit prompted me. And I said to him, Well, it might be horrible. But it all depends on where what you believe about where you’re going when you die. In my case, I actually, it’s going to be great news, because I’m going to be with Jesus in heaven for eternity. And the Holy Spirit prompted me again, and not sometimes not quite this bowl, but I said to him, do you know where you’re going when you die? Oh, my. He looked a little surprised. Yeah, little pockets and maybe said, Well, I hope I’ll be in heaven. Oh, well, you know what that means? Yeah, it means he’s thinks he’s a good guy. He’s done some good stuff in his life and his hopes he’s done enough. Good. Yeah, he’s sweet. Fairly gates. Exactly. And you and I both know that no amount of goods gonna get you into heaven, or hell, your relationship is gonna do that. So I said to him, Well, if you don’t know where you’re gonna go, for sure. You might consider Jesus Christ and His forgiveness. Okay, said and I said, Okay, see you later. Have a nice day. Now, some people would say, Well, wait a minute, you had the opening. Why don’t you sitting down there and giving the whole deal? That’s not what God was wanting me to? Do. God want me to just do my part. Yeah. Yeah. And so I’m on way I say a prayer for him. And then I’m looking for the next divine appointment. That’s what as you go, is it people think that I’ve failed if I did if I tried to share my faith or some part of my faith, and I didn’t get them to get down on the knees and pray the prayer? No, no, no, no, you’re just what maybe one little part. And so my definition of success, and I’ve heard you say this, too, is me moving someone one step closer to Jesus.
Barry Meguiar 19:11
Yeah.
Victor Dawson 19:11
Even one half step closer. Yes.
Barry Meguiar 19:13
Just a scope.
Victor Dawson 19:16
Yeah. And even sometimes, you know, maybe I’m sitting on an airplane, I do that a lot. And I try to start up a conversation and the guy just shuts me down actually, maybe is even rude to me. You say, Well, you failed. I don’t believe that film in it. Because no, you don’t know what God is going to orchestrate in that man’s life in the next two months or two years or whatever. And you’re going to find Him in heaven. He’s going to come up and say, you know, I’m sorry, I was such a dirt to you, but you actually got me started thinking. Just hang loose
Barry Meguiar 19:53
is, as you and I talked about it, it’s a team sport. And even if we have the privilege of leading some by the Lord. You know, there’s probably 20 people before us who were doing what you just did. And you just and God orchestrates all of that. He brings people in the lives that just you move a little bit further forward. And now that you were sensing the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit might have direct you to go further. But he didn’t. Yeah, it was enough. You gave him a comment. That’s all you need to do. And that’s not failure that’s listening to God’s voice that’s being you can walk away from that say yes. And God do not lead into the next person. And there’s more of that than anything else. Probably in our in our sharing where we just remove everybody. If all of us there’s 30 million Christians, okay, there’s 30 million board again, Christians in America, what if we all just did that? And nothing more? What do we all just started, you know, they don’t see us as loving the world does not see as Christians as loving, they see us as, as really bigoted, narrow minded mean, there’s all kinds of words on the on the internet. So when you just do that, it’s saying, I just met a Christian, and he was nice. And if you start bumping into a few people like that, at some point, you have to come to conclusion, you know what I mean? A lot of nice people who are Christians, maybe I need to rethink what Christianity is all about. And so you are playing a critical role. That’s, that’s what that’s the body of Christ.
Victor Dawson 21:26
Yeah, that’s it exactly.
Barry Meguiar 21:28
What’s the payback for you, because God really is interested in you. And using that facial experience to bless you and fill you with joy and direct your steps and all the buses come down because of it. So every time you have that experience, I talk about that for a moment, when you have that kind of experience. What is it? What’s your takeaway?
Victor Dawson 21:51
My takeaway is that I feel like, I’m following Jesus command. And I’m obeying what he’s asked me to, or not asked me, he’s told me to do. And it just, it just feels wonderful that you’re sharing the love of Christ, you’re not going out to someone. And this is another misconception, you, you’re not going out and trying to say to you, how you your sinful person, most people don’t need to know their sin, or they already know that they already know that and, and so you’re just trying to love on him, and, and share your life and your experiences, and, and build in many cases, build a relationship. I’m not talking about meeting people every day that you’re going to share the whole story with, it may take years, I’ve got one story of a guy that I gave a Bible to in China now 15 years ago, and we stayed in contact and 12 years ago, he told me he had started reading that Bible. And after a few sessions on a zoom call, or a Skype call time, he asked what do I need to do? So it’s about building relationships, listening to the Holy Spirit. And, and it’s just one of the most fun things. And of course, that lead can lead on into discipleship, which is one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done, especially for younger guys.
Barry Meguiar 23:17
Yeah, yeah.
Victor Dawson 23:19
Lead them, you know, to not make some of the mistakes I might have along the way
Barry Meguiar 23:25
Yeah, really. And you know, when you when you encourage them to share their faith, we call it self discipleship. Because if it’s if it’s a discipleship program, that tells you, you should be reading your Bible and praying every day, most people already know that. But they were our days are filled and busy. And we have good excuses of why we don’t do that. But when we’re actively involved in sharing our faith, we’re digging it all the time. And we we can’t wait to pray for the people that we’re meeting and words to say and scriptures to give them and we’re in the game and it’s all flowing it it just it just puts us in a whole different place. Doesn’t it spiritually?
Victor Dawson 24:04
Oh, yeah, absolutely does. It’s, it’s just so exciting and so much fun. And, and like I said, it’s, it’s, it’s so such a pleasure to believe that God wants to use me and you
Barry Meguiar 24:17
Yeah,
Victor Dawson 24:17
and that others do that work and build His kingdom here on earth.
Barry Meguiar 24:23
To think that we’re his arms and he’s, he speaks to people through us the privilege, right, the opportunity we have to do that.
Victor Dawson 24:31
Jesus said, we’re gonna say embassador what is an ambassador? Do we represent the country where you know, and that’s what we’re here to do?
Barry Meguiar 24:40
Try. Amen. Okay, we’re out of time. Victor, thanks for coming on. A final word. Look at that camera. A final word. Why should people be Miss sharing their faith moving everybody everyday closer to Jesus? Why should they do that?
Victor Dawson 25:00
I want to tell you that you need to do it because Jesus told you to do it. And that you can have a great deal of fun, and enjoy the process of getting to meet people and know people and experience life in a whole different way. And, and take away that, that idea that this is hard. And this is something that’s divisive and all that sort of thing. People are gonna end up in the lake of fire if you don’t get out there and do something about it. Especially your family, friends and family.
Barry Meguiar 25:34
And, and let me just add, we’re all called, you said it, Victor. But that call is for all of us. And whatever our our personality is. You and I are soulmates. We are wired differently, we communicate differently. But we have the same focus and the same patient, and you will reach people that I can’t reach. Maybe I can read fewer you can reach but all of us collectively, I mean he every single one of us, God has a plan, how he can use us, it doesn’t matter where we are, if we’re in firm for handicap it does doesn’t matter. None of those things matter matters the heart, you get the heart right. And even those with the least of those have a powerful ministry. Me just powerful. I had. I had a I had a friend who was passing away and and she got down where she hardly had any breath left. And I just encourage you, you know, God’s keep you alive in the hospital for a few more days. You still have people to reach, you know, and even if your breath and your voice is hardly audible, you will never speak louder than right now just before you pass into glory, you know, so it’s great hanging out with you. I love you. I love your heart, Victor. I really do. We are soulmates. And we’re both having the time of our lives we’re supposed to do right.
Victor Dawson 27:03
Absolutely. Thanks.
Barry Meguiar 27:06
Thanks for joining us. Okay, we’ll see you next night. Okay.
Victor Dawson 27:09
Thanks, Barry. God bless
