Announcer: Today, on Family Talk:
Jim Veldhuis: Christians are called to be salt and light in the world, and both salt and light change their environment. So the question is, are you changing your environment or is your environment changing you? Hello everyone and welcome to Family Talk with your host, psychologist and author Doctor James Dobson. Now, yesterday on the broadcast, Barry Meguiar challenged listeners with that question. Well he's back today to show us how easy it is to share the love of God with everyone you come in contact with. His energy and enthusiasm is contagious. So I want to get right to the broadcast, but first let me tell you a little bit about him. Barry is the host of the series Car Crazy and president and CEO of Meguiar's Car Care Products. In 2010 after recovering from a life threatening illness, he founded Revival Outside the Walls, a ministry dedicated to bringing purpose and excitement to followers of Jesus Christ. Let's listen now as he explains how it all started.
Dr. Dobson: Well, Barry, we were talking last time about the passion that the Lord has given to you. Yeah. You've been a car guy for as long as I've known you.
Barry Meguiar: I am a car guy.
Dr. Dobson: And you love cars, but you've come across something much more exciting than that. And it has to do with Revival Outside the Walls and a mission, a responsibility, a ministry, if you will. And you're not a minister. And I'm not either, but we have a ministry to God's people, or to those who don't know Him.
Barry Meguiar: I prayed one day in my office. Most fervent prayer of my life, asking God if He wanted me to go into full time ministry. I wept. It was a very aggressive prayer. And I said to God, "If I leave my little struggling business..." It was struggling back in those days. This goes back to 1976 and I said, "But you're always going to have to speak to me with an audible voice for me to leave my business because I'm the third generation leader of my family business. There's nobody else to lead it. And it might even fail. So, I need to know."
Dr. Dobson: That's the Meguiar...
Barry Meguiar: Meguiar's Car Wax. Yeah. So 20 minutes later, a guy walked into my office, a guy named David Pignut. I'd never spoken to him, ever. Never had a conversation with, he went to my church, and he walks in with a big smile on his face. Says, "Hi Barry, I was in the area, thought I'd stopped by, how's it going?"
And so I made a snap decision. He probably wasn't into cool cars and shiny paint finishes being a missionary kid. So, I just started telling people I was sharing my faith with, and he looked at me, he said, "God's given you a powerful ministry here, hasn't He?" He's the... "well the people you're reaching a pastor couldn't reach, but as a businessman you can." And then he gave me this line in 1976. "It's obvious that your business is your pulpit." Wow. I said, "Not 20 minutes ago. I just prayed this prayer." And I told him what I prayed. He's "Well that explains it." He says, "Well, I was driving up Bread Hill." Which is the closest street to my office in Irvine, California. Eddie said that "God spoke to me and said, 'Go see Barry McGuire.'" He said, " I argued with God all the way to your office saying, 'I don't know him.
I don't know what kind of business it is, I'm going to make a fool of myself.' But God would not let me go. And He put me in your office and when I walked in the door of your office. I didn't know what to say, but, 'how's it going?'" So, I prayed that prayer. Do I go into full time ministry? And what he told me was I am in full time ministry, as a car wax... We're all in full time ministry. And the moment we forget that we're in trouble.
Dr. Dobson: Because most people have forgotten that. They come as a spectator in church.
Barry Meguiar: Yeah. Like it's part of life. We go to church on Sunday morning, we get beat up all week long. No, in those tough times in particular, let your light shine that others will see what you have and want what you have and want your joy. And they will ask questions. They all need what you have, folks. They're desperate for it and you don't have to bang 'em- I don't offend anybody. I just throw out little pieces. God loves you. I just leave it all. They come back.
And some people I've been chumming with for 20 years, I haven't gotten them yet. Others, they'll come in the first conversation. It's God's timing. It's not our timing, but I tell you what, it's not our job to judge them and tell them how wrong they are. We're fishers of men. God's called us to fish, not to clean them up. God will clean them up. Okay? But we don't have to beat them up. "You shouldn't be doing this. You shouldn't be doing that and you shouldn't be..." People are suffering for love. They're craving for love. Everybody's craving for love and the answer to, "how do I find peace?" When they know that God loves you...
I had a taxi driver a few months ago. He was so mad and I said, "I'm just going to go a short distance because it's so cold outside." It's like 7 degrees outside. "But I'll give you a big tip." "I don't want a big tip." I said, "What?" "I don't want a tip." "Excuse me, sir. You don't want it?" "No, I don't deserve it." He's just furious. He's just enraged. "I don't want it. I don't. I'm a bad person." I said "No, and let me tell you, do you know God loves you?" "No." "God loves you." "No, couldn't possibly." "Oh yeah."
I said, "God loves you so much. You're breaking His heart right now. He's never loved anybody more than he's loved you. That's His word. That's His promise, His word." I got out. it was just a short drive. I gave this big tip. I said, "God, put me in your taxi. Make no mistake about it. God put me in your taxi today to let you know He loves you as much as He has ever loved anybody ever." He just sat there stunned looking at me. Now did I move him closer to Jesus?
Dr. Dobson: He's been trying to figure out ever since then, who was that... angel?
Barry Meguiar: Who was that nice man? But you know it doesn't take any time. It just takes intention, and it takes love, and don't be awkward about it. "God loves you."
Dr. Dobson: Before we went on the air today, we were talking about the scripture where we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. And that means something to you.
Barry Meguiar: Well that's part of it, isn't it? It's the same thing. Oh, all things work together for good - Romans 8:28 - if you love me and live for my purpose. That's the same thing as saying, love me and love your neighbor as yourself and everything else - I can't even quote all the 10 commandments this morning to you. I would, I'd be struggling to do that — but all of them hang on loving our neighbors as ourselves. So let me just put it in how I figured that out.
And it's so cool. It is absolutely so cool. When we love our neighbors as ourselves, we're as focused and intentional about getting that person to heaven as we are to get ourselves to heaven, right? That's our priority. So, if my focus is not on striking that deal or getting that accomplished or winning that game, or organizing the family or whatever the situation is. If my focus is number one to lead everybody around me, even those I don't know, even those who are just watching me, closer to Jesus, then I speak differently. In exhilaration, when I'm really happy, or I'm really mad. Bad words don't come. I'm appalled at how language comes out of Christians at emotional moments. Is that leading people closer to Jesus? I don't think so.
Dr. Dobson: Let's take a specific example. I was in a restaurant alone several years ago and when I finished eating, I paid the bill and I stepped out and I walked toward my car into the driveway that went by the side. And there was a woman that came by and she had a child in the backseat and she stopped my path and rolled down the window and she was crying and she said, "I just can't make it I don't have food for my child back there." And I said, "Well, tell me more about that." She said, "I just need $20 give me $20." I knew it was scam. I knew it. You can tell when somebody is playing onto your emotions, but I gave her $20 and let her rip me off because there was more there that she needed. Whether or not the story was true or not. What would you have done in that situation?
Barry Meguiar: Well, we could take a couple of programs to discuss that one. Those are not... We all have those people that come up on us. I know I'm normally being scammed. I let the Holy spirit speak to me and when I feel led to do, I don't always do it. In fact, probably most times I don't. But a lot of times I do because I feel the Holy spirit, but I always do it in the name of Jesus. Okay? God's telling me to give you this. You honor Him and use it correctly. Okay? It's just something. Now the responsibility is on them. I did what I... I'm trying to be obedient to the leading of the Holy spirit. I'm not going to, I'm not going to enable somebody to go buy more booze or drugs. So I do know that that happens. I'm not stupid, but sometimes there are real.
How do you know? So I just say "God, speak to me." And if I feel directed, even if I make a mistake, I am going to say to them, "God's prompted me to give you this and honor God back by using it the way you say you're going to use it." That puts the responsibility on them.
Dr. Dobson: And you also tell them Jesus loves them?
Barry Meguiar: Oh, absolutely. Always. Always, always, always. But getting back to this loving on people, the church is indulgent today. Christians on almost a normal basis are doing things that you and I still don't do, but most Christians didn't do back when we were kids. And they say to me, "Are you saying I'm going to go to hell if do that?" No, of course not. God loves you. You're honoring God. You're on your way to heaven and God bless you. "Well then why don't you do it?"
Let me put it this way. I'm focused on leading everybody to Jesus Christ. So, if I indulge in doing that, I have that in my hand or whatever, is that moving people closer to Jesus, or moving them further away from Jesus. I don't want anything to impede... I don't want to be a stumbling block to anybody. So I find that when I do these things, it's not to earn brownie... I used to be down- "Is this good? Can I do this? Can I do that?" Or legalism. You and I grew up in legalism. I hate legalism. It's not about legalism, it's about leading people to Jesus Christ. And when we love our neighbors, as ourselves, we act differently. We speak differently, we look at different things. We go to different places. We're restricted because we don't want somebody to see us do something that will say, "If that's what Christianity is, I don't want any part of it." Or worse yet...
Dr. Dobson: I wouldn't tell them that they're on the way to hell in a situation like that. But I also wouldn't tell them they are not on the way to hell. Because some of them are.
Barry Meguiar: Well I, it's not for me to judge.
Dr. Dobson: No. So I don't go there. I don't say that to them, but I do point them toward Christ.
Barry Meguiar: That's why all the letters of the law, we don't have to, we're not under the law. We're under love, but not just loving God, loving our neighbor as ourselves. So when we love them, we complete all the law. We do all of the things God wants us to do because we're doing it. Not to earn brownie points with God, but to lead everybody around us, closer to Jesus. And it oftentimes is people we don't even know are watching us. Or sometimes I know. Sometimes I'm sharing with somebody and I'm not really talking to them. I know the person beside me is listening, and I call that a two-fer. I'm getting two people at once. You have purpose and meaning in your life. And it's just - you walk out in your life. Wherever I go, I go to a car show, that's my mission field, man. Bring it on. Every day I'm looking, everybody that comes into my life. I just want to move them a little bit closer to Jesus. The clerk at the store-
Dr. Dobson: Do you get a great thrill out of knowing that you're going to meet a lot of these people in heaven?
Barry Meguiar: Woo.
Dr. Dobson: They'll be there because of you?
Barry Meguiar: Don't you know it. And won't that be exciting? That song, "Thank You Lord for Giving unto Me." I was a life that was touched. People are going to come up. But you know, whenever we did it - we're part of a team. Even if we're at that last step, rarely, maybe one out of a thousand times we actually get to lead somebody to Jesus Christ. But no matter where we are in that chain, it's a lot of different people, and we'll be somewhere in that chain where we nudge them just a little bit further ahead. Each one of us need to be nudging. Can you imagine millions, we're 30 million Christians that are in the word and praying every day? Only 30 million, but that's a lot of folk. What if we got 1 million of us every day loving in the name of Jesus. "This person is so kind to me and they just said, 'God bless you.'"
You know, I'm bumping into Christians all over the place today that are loving and kind. They're not matching the description. I mean, there must be something to this Christianity. We can bring revival. We can ignite revival in America. We really can. If we take it personally responsible, it's not the job of the pastor. It's for us. We're in the world. Every one of us needs to be thinking every moment of every day and pray that with every prayer, every prayer, every food prayer, I say, "God, help me use the strength I get from this meal and every meal to honor you and to share my faith at every opportunity, every moment of every day until my last breath."
Dr. Dobson: Well, that brings us to something that I must not forget to ask you about because you recently went to the national religious broadcasters convention, and there are 2000 radio stations.
Barry Meguiar: Christian radio stations.
Dr. Dobson: Yeah, yeah. In this country and all stripes and the some of them are talk, some of them are music and you went back there and talked to a bunch of those station managers and something happened.
Barry Meguiar: Well, it's exciting. We do have a one minute feature called Ignite with Barry Maguire. It's on about 600 Christian radio stations across America. Usually aired in drive time. They're one minute Ignite features that encourage you to share your faith every moment of every day. So, we've been doing that for a couple of years, but we introduced a thought to the broadcasters at NRB and received an overwhelming response of us providing them with little 15 second, 30 second prompts to encourage people to share their faith, two or three times an hour, every hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And for all broadcasts to start doing it, we have to change the mindset for decades.
Jim, you know this as well as I do. We've talked about it for decades. We have taught, we have preached and we have believed, intentionally or unintentionally, we have believed that sharing our faith is an option. It's not an option. We have to change the mindset of the church. And the churches are not doing that. 2000 radio stations across America can change that mindset because those of us who are in the word or listening to Christian... thank God for Christian broadcasters.
Dr. Dobson: So what happened when you presented it?
Barry Meguiar: They just said, "Yes." How fast can you give us these things? So, oh, we're still in conversation.
Dr. Dobson: Give me an example of one of them.
Barry Meguiar: Well, we had a luncheon for broadcasters and I said to them at the luncheon, this is talking about changing your programming clock and doing something 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So I think you'll probably want to go home and talk about it.
I would love you to check the box when you go out. There's a card there for you to sign on a clipboard, by your name and your broadcaster name and put down- you could check "I'm in. I want it, how fast can we do it?"
Dr. Dobson: And right below it, it says send me a bunch of money.
Barry Meguiar: Yeah.
Dr. Dobson: No?
Barry Meguiar: This is not about money.
Dr. Dobson: No, it's not.
Barry Meguiar: So, the next column was a, "I'm really interested, send me more information." Only three asked for more information. All the others said we're in, count us in. I mean we could not believe the response. So we are building now a program to support it. Again, it's no money, there's no cost. We're a resource. We're a resource ministry. We're not attaching our name to these things. We just want to be a resource for Christian broadcasters to motivate revival. Can you imagine 2000 broadcasters throughout their day, every day? [crosstalk 00:15:41]
Dr. Dobson: Give me an example, 15 seconds. What do you do?
Barry Meguiar: You can say a lot in 15 seconds. You know there's, there's these little breaks between programs and between music. They have a little thing and they'll come on, they'll give a nice little scripture, they give a nice thought and it's always a godly host, who has gained people who respect them and say, "thank you. It's a beautiful day in the greater Wichita area today and you know, it's going to be great and here's a great scripture to think about." But how about, "Beautiful day in the, in the Midwest today. What a day to share your faith."? Of course, every day is a day for you to share your faith because that's God's purpose for your life. Don't forget about it. And just… but you do it a lot of different ways. Creative ways.
We have a team of people that are writing there. It could be creative. It could be fun. They'll be poignant.
Dr. Dobson: Who are some of those people that are writing?
Barry Meguiar: Well, we actually have, we're up to 20 now, people, most of them with PhDs, but all of them scholars, biblical scholars, pastors, evangelists that have joined forces with us and said, "This is the message for today. How can we help?" They're not even wanting to charge us for it. So we're doing, we have a whole lot of initiatives. One's Ignite Sermons, writing Ignite Sermons that are sending sermons, because our sermons aren't sending us, their edifying us to edify us and we're bored out of our minds on Sunday mornings. But if they're sending sermons, "Take this down, or you can use this," so you can actually relate your sermons and equip people for ministry. We're doing, the same team up here are helping us with Ignite Bible Studies to ignite the Bible studies where instead of just being edifying and then you have your cake and...
Dr. Dobson: Explain how you using that word "ignite."
Barry Meguiar: Ignite. To ignite us. To ignite our lives so we have fun. Ignite our own spirit. Give us joy every day. But then to share that, to ignite America and ignite Christians across the country, and to bring revival. Our country, the numbers are horrible. Less than 20% of our US population still goes to church just two or more times a month. And of that 20% only half of those are saved, folks. We're talking about 35 million... We are a post Christian society. That's where we are. We can celebrate all kinds of… but we've looked at all the statistics and folks, we're in trouble. And we're in free fall, with all the good things that are going on, we're looking at the picture, we're in trouble and the only thing could solve it, salvage that is us getting off the bench and getting into the game. That's you and me lay people.
We have the power. There's 30 million of us. If we can get two or three million of us just loving on people in the name of Jesus, we can ignite revival in America. What would change the horrible things that happen in America? We need a Holy Ghost revival sweeping America. And not another church or another broadcaster or another program or whatever is going to do that. It's going to take 30 million of us, or two or three million. It's going to take the body of Christ. It's time for the church to be the church and not out of obligation. No. It's let's have some fun. You want the… church in car guy terms are, the church is not where the service is. The church is a service station, that's where we get our gas tank filled. Okay? And they would go out of the service and outside. If you're only living for your Christian life inside the church, you're missing all the fun.
And I love church, I love my pastor. But when you go out and recognize that your real life, it's all about getting… John Maxwell says, "We just stay in the huddle." Everybody wonders why we won't ever get out of the huddle. We've got to get out of the huddle. The enemy has taken our land. He has. The enemy has come and taken our land and we've hunkered down in our bunkers of our churches and just complained. It's time to get out of our bunkers and take our land back, take our country back for Jesus Christ. And we do that with a revolution, a rebellion of love. Not of telling how bad they are, but a rebellion of love. Love your neighbor as yourself. If you really do that, then you'll perform all the rest of the law. It just becomes automatic. And we're…
We're living God's pur... We have purpose for our life every moment of every day and when the bad stuff happens, just laugh and say, "God, you're going to use this for good, too."
Dr. Dobson: Barry, you're he first one that I remember, not only saying we need a revival in this country, because a lot of people are saying that, but saying, how will it come about?
Barry Meguiar: Yeah.
Dr. Dobson: How will it happen?
Barry Meguiar: We can do this. We can do this. It can't take another organization. We have wonderful organizations doing great jobs, wonderful jobs. It's bigger than that. It's each one of us saying, "I'm going to have to take personal responsibility. I'm going to share my faith." I call it a 15 foot rule. Wherever you are, 15 feet around you, 360 degrees, there's people watching you, and you have opportunity to lead them closer to Jesus Christ by your countenance, by your attitude and always bring glory to God, not to yourself.
That's self-righteousness. I tried that. That's deadly. God doesn't like self-righteousness. Always attach.. but don't do it where it's overbearing or it's, oh there he goes with that Jesus thing again. I don't ever go there.
Dr. Dobson: The title of your ministry here is Revival Outside the Walls.
Barry Meguiar: Yes.
Dr. Dobson: Where did that come from?
Barry Meguiar: Yes, yes. I used the term Outside the Walls for 20 years, and then we decided there's a lot of things outside the walls, outside the prison walls, whatever. We thought we should add revival to it and it was a whole, I could. Just a miracle how we ended up getting the name Revival Outside the Walls. But the call letters are of, course R, O, T, W. So our website is rotw.com. Better yet our mobile app, if you do mobile apps folks, go to your app store with your iPhone or Android and just type in ROTW. Say ROTW Ignite Your Life, and you will not believe how this… your phone will become an instrument of exciting you to share your faith every moment of everyday.
Dr. Dobson: ROTW Ignite Your Life.
Barry Meguiar: If you just put ROTW, you go to your app store, put in ROTW, it'll just come up ROTW Ignite Your Life. But all you have to put it in is ROTW. That's all you need. Revival Outside the Walls. ROTW. And it pops up there. You click it, it's free. And you will not believe how much fun-
Dr. Dobson: Is the how-to there.
Barry Meguiar: The how-to's. And every day I have a fresh message, one-minute message on radio, and that's on your, it comes up on your phone. So, every day you get that fresh. One minute. If nothing else, you get that one minute message. Ignite your passion for sharing your faith that day.
Dr. Dobson: Barry you really do love the Lord.
Barry Meguiar: I do.
Dr. Dobson: With all your heart.
Barry Meguiar: How can we not? Wow. When I get heaven, it's not going to matter how many bottles the car wax I sold. I love my business, but my passion is following Jesus Christ and living his purpose in my life every moment of every day.
Dr. Dobson: I'm glad you're my friend.
Barry Meguiar: I am honored to have you-
Dr. Dobson: How about 60 more years?
Barry Meguiar: Yeah, absolutely. We'll go for it.
Dr. Dobson: And we want to be together throughout eternity.
Barry Meguiar: For eternity. Woo.
Dr. Dobson: Along with a whole bunch of other people that maybe we will have an influence on.
Barry Meguiar: What a privilege we have to do exactly that.
Dr. Dobson: Wouldn't it be great if some of those people would reach out to Him today?
Barry Meguiar: That would be powerful.
Dr. Dobson: How hard is it to do that? People who have heard about Jesus all their lives and don't know who He is and don't know how to find Him. They're lost, absolutely lost. They have no hope. They're lives are coming apart. Things have not gone well.
Barry Meguiar: And they don't know God loves them and He's not trying to beat 'em up. He's just trying to get their attention to say, "I love you and you need Me. Just come to Me and I'll give you rest. You don't have to earn My love. You already have My love. I've already paid the price. All you have to do is receive my gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ and you could spend eternity in heaven with Jim and Barry."
Dr. Dobson: Well, give Karen our regards.
Barry Meguiar: I will.
Dr. Dobson: And your family.
Barry Meguiar: Thank you Jim.
Dr. Dobson: And love from Shirley and then we'll do this again.
Barry Meguiar: Okay. Praise God.
Jim Veldhuis: You're listening to Family Talk and if you want to know more about receiving Christ as your savior, please call us. We'd love to talk to you about how you reach out to Him today. Our number is (877) 732-6825 and you can call anytime, 24 seven, and someone will be waiting to take your call. That's (877) 732-6825. Call now and change your life for eternity. And if you're already a believer, I pray this two day broadcast has ignited your passion to tell others about the love of Christ. I urge you to go online to drjamesdobson.org and download a copy of the entire broadcast and listen to the simple steps Barry Meguiar gives for sharing Christ with the people you come in contact with. We also have a link to his ministry Revival Outside the Walls. On that site, you'll find all kinds of resources to encourage you to be salt and light everywhere you go. I'm Jim Veldhuis. Thank you for joining us today. God bless you and we'll see you again next time for another edition of Doctor James Dobson's Family Talk.
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