Justyn Smith • A Heart For Revival

  Quitting Is NOT An Option We miss out on so much when we decide to give up. Grant it, it’s easy to become exhausted, weary, and worn, but, oh, if we would just understand the rewards of finishing for the glory of God! God, through the mouth piece of Paul, says in Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Proverbs 24:10 says, “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” And Psalm 27:13 proclaims, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Not quitting requires an understanding of future reaping, great strength, and hope in the goodness of The Lord. Do you possess these three necessities Without them you’ll quit every time. Decide to finish your course. You know, we just dealt with how to not quit, but maybe we should address why quitting should NOT be an option. I want to address this by stating, “Remember why you started.” Why did you start serv...

  When Two Become One Seven years ago yesterday (July 21st, 2014) I married the lady of my dreams! She is smart, godly, and lovely on the inside and out, and most of all, she is God’s perfect match for me! I call her my “good thing” based upon Proverbs 18:22 which says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the LORD.” (God knew I needed her to obtain favor with HIM…so He gave me Rachel!) :) The date: Saturday, July 21st, 2007. The location: Birch Harbor Baptist Church, Wasilla, AK. The occasion: God taking two individual people and making them one by the bond of holy matrimony (a term which many today disregard) before God and many witnesses.  Seven years have passed since that wonderful day when we said, “I Do,” and we thank the Lord for every minute of our marriage. The valleys, the mountain tops, the trials, and the joys have all been profitable to bind us together for the glory of God, for after all, two did not become one for the purpose of be...

  Are You Prepared For Death? My mind has rested upon my family several times through out this day, for, today, my great aunt on my mother’s side was “laid to rest,” as they say.  Death certainly has a way of creeping around and revealing its grim face when you least expect it. The spontaneity of my aunt’s passing has me asking myself that question we all come back to from time to time, “Am I prepared for death?” My answer? In some ways, most definitely! In other ways, I’m not so sure. Let me major on a couple areas that I have most definitely prepared myself for when it comes to dying, but first, a verse from the Scriptures! Hebrews 9:27 “…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…” This verse reminds us that life as we know it will come to an abrupt halt at some point…it also reveals that many will face judgments they aren’t prepared to face because they do not take the time to prepare for such judgments before their passing. This verse invited me to ...

  It’s a Sweet Life! Look at those pumpkin bar cupcakes with cream cheese icing! Are you salivating yet? Alaska mom did a wonderful job making these bite sized delights for a recent baby shower! Don’t you wish you could have one?! Life is sweet…or should I say, it can be. It all depends on how you handle the holy things of God. For instance, choosing the joy of The Lord, when you could choose otherwise, brings a sweet life! When Nehemiah and Ezra were speaking to the people they said in Nehemiah 8:10, “Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The people could take of the sweet things in life and be merry because they had God’s joy even in tough times. Also, we can enjoy a sweet life if we determine to think correctly and consistently about our Lord. Psalm 104:34 says, “My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.”  Are you noticing how gladness and joy are intertwined with the sweet life The Lord desires you t...

  Remember The Days Of Old Deuteronomy 32:7 “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.” Today is the Centennial Celebration of the Werner Homestead in Palmer, Alaska! Families are coming from around the country to visit the old homestead, and it is wonderful to see many familiar faces, as well as, those who we have never meet. As people gather around the old barns, the family cabin, and articles of their history, it is interesting to hear all the stories and memories that they have about life in Alaska in the homesteading days. My wife’s family picked a wonderful verse from the book of Deuteronomy to point out the importance of remembering our history, “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.” This verse is specifically referring to the people of Israel reminding their children about...

  Are You Level Headed? While on our 2014 Alaska Trip I had the privilege of removing an old hitching post and establishing a new one. The whole task took about 4 hours, and it was a very satisfying job. There were two things I always tried to keep at the fore front of my mind as I focused on this job: 1. Make sure the new posted in anchored deep and strong into the ground, & 2. Remember to make sure each vertical side of the post and the horizontal hitching post stay level.  As I was working on this job, the thought came to my mind, “Am I level headed for God?” Of course, I desire to be, but desiring is only the beginning. What else do I need to be level headed for God? The answer that comes to my mind is this: 1. Determine to be anchored deep and strong in the Word of God, and 2. Stay level by packing the Word into any loose places. The verse that God gave me for this thought is Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest...

  Created For A Purpose As you glance at the posted picture, what do you see? Well, at face value you see a neat old truck (some of you can tell me what kind) that represents one of Seward, Alaska’s great restaurants. But as I think about this picture I see a truck that was once created as vehicle to get someone from point A to point B while having the ability to carry a great load. We would call this the truck’s “main purpose” for being created. Now before I carry on any further with this illustration, please understand that I like that old truck that’s just sitting there holding a sign that advertises a unique Alaskan restaurant. I realize that that truck was once (or still is) someone’s “baby,” but I must give you a life application that I believe will help us to further glorify God as we take heed to the message in picture. The Scripture that comes to my mind is Proverbs 15:22,  “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are establ...

  What Is Your Life? Today I was reminded of a statement by a famous missionary, C.T. Studd. He said, “Only one life, ‘till soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” There’s a great question found in James 4:14, “…For what is your life?…”  Take some time to seriously contemplate this question…when everything is said and done, and you are standing on the edge of eternity, what will the sum of your life be?  Will you have wasted your life with “riotous living?” Will you have wined and dined at the finest our world has to offer? Will you have spent your resources on frivolous things? Or will Christ and eternity have been the sum of your life? What is your life? Are you investing in eternity? Take some time to write down the areas of your life where you are certain you are currently investing in eternity for the cause of Christ. Doing this will reveal areas of your life where you can say, “Yes! My life does count for God!,” but it will also reveal areas of weaknes...