ReviveUSA

Since an early age my girls have enjoyed it when I chase them and try to catch them.  It goes something like this.  Riley or Sidney will slowly walk up to me when I am sitting down.  They will look at me with a look that only a father understands.  It is a look that says, pursue me.   So I slowly get up and tell them, “I am going to get you.”  They get this excited and loving look on their face, turn around, and run as fast as they can.  All the time they know that I am in pursuit.  It ends in me chasing, catching, and gently wrapping them up in my arms and rolling on the floor in one big pile of hugs, kisses, and giggling.  Because of this “pursuit” game they understand that they are worth the effort to catch.  They are looking for validation from their father and I want them to have the security of knowing that their father will pursue them for as long as it takes.

The girls stayed with grandparrents last night, so my wife and I decided to spend an extended time in worship and prayer together alone.  As we were laying there on the living room floor during worship I heard that familiar small voice.  It went something like this, “Scott I want you to pursue Me because I enjoy it when you seek My heart.  I will answer your questions but I will not answer before you pursue me.”  It made me realize that our Father requires our love and our pursuit of Him.  He is a jealous God and He wants us to run after Him.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7, NKJV).

If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV).

I came across this video a few years back produced by Igniter Media and I thought about it again this weekend in my quest to focus on Jesus and really get to know Him. This message was preached by S.M. Lockridge many years ago, but I think it is very timely. That’s My King!

I have had multiple discussions this past week about effective evangelism and what it looks like.  Spreading God’s word has been effective in many ways including: local churches, large stadium crusades, missionary work in foreign countries, and many more.  The topic of most of my discussions this past week, is the need to take evangelism to a more personal level in order to promote real change.  Let me stop for a minute and  explain the thought process.  You look at some of the most damaging and effective things in this world, like a virus.  It doesn’t matter what virus it is but it survives by spreading from one person to another.  That said, the most successful and wide spread viruses are spread through physical human contact.  Why can’t we as Christ followers apply this same principle to our lives and make evangelism more personal and in-turn mimic the viral effect.  What do I mean?  Jesus chose His disciples for multiple reasons I am sure; but one that I can comprehend is the fact He chose men that He would personally train and send out.  I want to do the same thing and be the conduit for my Lord on one life at a time, because I know that if I can have an effect on one man, he will in turn have an effect on his family and others within his circle of influence.  We need to focus on building strong, personal, and real relationships so that the cause of Christ is spread at a very personal level.  At the same time you are building a network of other Christ followers that can offer support to each other, their communities, and their churches.   I want you to understand that I am not discounting the importance of any other form of evangelism because it is effective and must take place.  I am speaking to the many men (including myself most of all) that are not full time pastors or missionaries.  As followers of Christ we have a duty to spread the same grace and mercy that we enjoy.  I plead with you to to step outside of your comfort zone, ask somebody to breakfast or lunch, listen to them, listen to them some more, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, Amen” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall be converted to you” (Psalm 51:10-13, NKJV).

This is a verse that I try to read every time I open my Bible.  I have it written on note cards that I use as the book mark.  To me this is the most amazing Psalm in God’s Word.  It came at a time when David had seriously messed up and was desperate and probably frightened.  It is a verse that I can personally relate to and when I read it, I want to scream it at the top of my lungs.  Some day I want to stand in the middle of desperate men and read this verse to our Creator together.  I truly believe that these are the words that our Holy Father longs to hear from His children.  The day that men cry out these words is a day that the Holy Spirit will move in this land.

Many of you may remember the Tombstone pizza commercials back in the early 90’s kind of cheesy I know, but I was thinking the other day what people might say about me when I am gone. It made me realize that I need to plan for that now by what I choose to invest my life in today. What would I want to have people remember about me? I loved cars, had a successful business, was always the good time guy? NO! I want people to remember how much I loved Jesus, and others, how well my wife and children were taken care of, and how successful they had become. I want my tombstone to read “This man gave his life to Jesus and it changed things” Now that I know my end game it is time to set a course for the finish line!

What do you want on your tombstone? And what are you doing about it?

<3 Travis

These are the chronicles of two men who desperately desire to serve Jesus and to spread His saving grace. These are also the writings of two men who are far from perfect and fall often, but follow a Lord that consistently picks them back up and dusts them off.  Travis and Scott are long time friends who have a longing to change the world one person at a time. They are desperate for revival in America and are on a journey of prayer and petition of their Father to forgive this great land. This blog is one of reality, not how to live a “perfect” Christian life. We believe that the “perfect” Christian life does not exist on this earth but only one filled with mercy and grace. This is our attempt to share our lives openly, so that you can witness the adventure, confusion, struggle, and often sheer desperation of two men trying to serve Jesus the best they know how. We hope that you will relate and find comfort in the fact that the Christian life is not perfect nor easy, but we serve a Master that loves us unconditionally and offers us His mercy and grace daily.