Are You Overwhelmed ?

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.” -Exodus 20:8-10

I read a study awhile back that said 62% of American workers indicate they have, at some point, experienced burnout from being overworked at their jobs. Now, burnout is usually a symptom of being overwhelmed – so much that you give up on trying to get ahead and just want to quit.

 "SET ASIDE TIME WEEKLY TO REST AND RECUPERATE AND YOU’LL AVOID BECOMING OVERWORKED AND BURNED OUT."- Dr Jack Graham

Today in America and all over the globe, people are overworked and under rested. That’s because we live in a pressure-cooker society that demands more and more from our workers and is less and less concerned with giving them rest. But God knew people needed rest… which is why He mandated a day of rest when He gave the Law in the Old Testament.

When we look at how God rested on the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:2-3), and how He gave Israel the commandment to rest on the seventh day in the Old Testament, the logical conclusion is that God created us not to toil every day of the week, but to set aside a day to rest.

Maybe today, you’re feeling overwhelmed because you’re overworked. Perhaps you’re reading right now and wondering, “How can I rest when there’s so much for me to do?” Start small and dedicate a period every week to resting and rejuvenating yourself. When you do, you’ll find you’re much more effective at work and much less prone to burning out!God Bless You.

Credit:PowerPoint Ministries

 

Keeping A Written Record of Your Christian Progress Will Help You in the Waiting Period

“Remember today what you have learned about the Lord through your experiences with him.” (Deuteronomy 11:2 TEV)
Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and across the wilderness to the Promised Land. It should have only taken them a few weeks, even with a large crowd. But it took them 40 years.

What in the world were they doing? For 40 years, they were walking around in a circle. God was giving them one test after another and saying, “Will you trust me?” There were seven tests. Every time they failed the test, he sent them on another lap around the wilderness. But even in that wilderness, they were not there by accident. Waiting in the wilderness always has a purpose.

Some of you are in the wilderness right now. Remember this: The way to the Promised Land is through the wilderness. You’ve got to go through that waiting period. You’ve got to go through that desert. You’ve got to go through that dry spell.

You are waiting in the wilderness for a purpose. And while you’re waiting, you need to keep a record of the lessons you’re learning.

Numbers 33:2 says, “At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress” (NLT, second edition).

The Bible also says, “Remember today what you have learned about the Lord through your experiences with him” (Deuteronomy 11:2 TEV).

Are you keeping a written record of your progress in the Christian life? Are you writing anything down? You need to start keeping a journal when you’re waiting. A journal is different than a diary. A diary is for events; a journal is for lessons.

I have learned in the waiting periods of life that little lessons lead to big successes. Some of the tiniest lessons I’ve learned in dry periods, in depressing periods, in discouraging periods have been the keys to big successes in my life. Little lessons lead to big successes. So you need to write them down!

Psalm 119:33 is a good prayer to pray when you’re in the wilderness and waiting for God to deliver you:
“‘God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course’ (MSG). So I don’t wander around. Teach me how to live so I can get through this with the minimum amount of time. I don’t want to be here for 40 years. I don’t want to go in circles. Teach me the lessons for life so I can stay on track and grow in spiritual maturity.”. God's Help as you do so.Amen

Action Points

1.     Why is it so hard for us to wait?
2.     What have you learned from the waiting periods of your life?
3.     Why is it important to be able 

Credit:Pastor Rick Warren

Keeping The Best Things First

Sequel to the yesterday's message here,this is to buttress it and a reminder that God loves your putting Him First In Everything that you do -Matt 6:33.More Blessings as you read and act on it.

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best… Philippians 1:9-11"

How often do we resign ourselves to the "tyranny of the urgent"? If you're me, it's a daily struggle not to use that little phrase as an excuse for losing sight of the big picture. It's so much easier to take care of what's immediately in front of me instead of what should be first in my life.

I'm a task-oriented Martha, so concerned with getting the job done that I forget to focus on Him first. I can tell myself that I'm doing my work "as unto the Lord" as much as I want, but I don't serve anyone when I get harried. You probably know the feeling; you tell yourself that you're cooking a wholesome dinner as a supreme act of service and love for your family - if they only appreciated how many other things you have to do besides stand over a stove! - when little Anne asks if you'll help her find a favorite CD. Something boils over, and it's not the pot on the stove. In taking care of dinner, you've forgotten to feed a godly attitude of patience and love.

That's me to a fault. James makes it clear that faith is constantly looking for ways to serve; like Martha, however, we can get so busy that we forget why we're doing it. I often catch myself thinking that if I'm not busy, I'm not "doing enough" for God. But then the act becomes its own end, instead of an outworking of love. Imagine Martha in the kitchen, fluttering around and looking for that special recipe to serve Jesus, while Mary just sat, soaking up His words. Martha's response to this was probably well-intentioned - that is, from a human point of view. She was serving and wanted others to serve with her! But Jesus called her bluff. "Only one thing is needed," Christ said, "and Mary has chosen what is better" (Luke 10:42). 

Better? 

Lord, you mean that sitting at your feet and being quiet is better than my idea of being busy serving you? 

That's right.

I think I got a double-portion of Martha's spirit. Too often, I think that sitting and listening to Jesus is the same thing as sitting and doing nothing. I think it's laziness. Satan whispers that my time could be better spent doing than learning, and then the tyranny of the urgent takes over. But even Olympic acts of service are as nothing if not done in love (1 Corinthians 13), and only time at the feet of Jesus can teach me that.

Love leads to action, as Paul writes to the Philippian church, not the other way around. I can't "discern what is best" in my work and words unless I keep the very best in front of my eyes, like Mary. My prayer this week is that I will focus on Jesus and see how to love. Then the priorities will fall in line. Then I see what is best, because I see Jesus.

Intersection of Faith &Life: We have to preach the Gospel to ourselves daily, as Jerry Bridges writes, so we never lose sight of what is first and last in importance. Reevaluate your commitments and make sure that you've set aside time to sit at the feet of Jesus before anything else. 

Katherine Britton

THE AUTHORITY OF INTIMACY WITH JESUS

"Jesus’ mode of operation… is to call His friend, His bridal partner, one with whom He has shared the secrets of His heart, to His side.  He has given her the authority to stir His heart to do the work that needs to be done.  He will not do it on His own.  He will not do it without His friend.  So when Mary prays… the door is opened, all the power of heaven come to bear upon the issue of the day and resurrection power is released.” – Gary Wiens (adapted)

In a previous letter,we looked at strategic delay in the story of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13.  Five virgins were wise, and five were foolish.  Five had cultivated oil in their lamps.  The fuel for that oil is our intimate relationship with Jesus and the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Most of us struggle with times of delay.  Through our human eyes it’s hard to wait, and it feels so unnecessary and like such a waste of time.  But God wants to show us the authority of intimacy in two very familiar Bible stories in the life of Mary and Martha.  In Luke 10:42 and John 11:1-44 we see the strategy in delay that leads to authority and resurrection power.

In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus came to visit Martha and Mary in their home.  How would you feel if the living God came to visit you?  As you know in this familiar Bible story, Martha was distracted with all the preparations and Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to what He had to say.  Mary chose to sit at the feet of the living God.  Martha was distracted by all the preparations.  She was doing good things for God, but she was distracted and worried.  She said in verse 40, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”  We can understand her point of view.  After all, Jesus was there and the food had to be prepared.  From Martha’s point of view, it looked foolish or even lazy not to be serving food to Jesus at this time.  She didn’t understand God’s priority.

But Mary was cultivating intimacy, and Jesus said to Martha in verse 41-42, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

So often we can be focused on our ministry instead of sitting at Jesus’ feet.  It’s not that ministry isn’t important.  It’s very important.  But we need to get the oil.  We must put first things first.  We can’t do the second thing first.  Ministry will burn us out, exhaust us, and cause worry and anxiety just as it did in Martha’s life if we don’t have the priority right.  Loving God is the first priority, and then everything else will fall into place.  Ministry can then be done with joy and gladness.

The second story, recorded in John 11:1-44, is about Mary and Martha and their younger brother Lazarus.  He was very sick, and they called for Jesus to come to Bethany where they lived.  Jesus loved them, but He didn’t come as expected – it was a strategic delay – and He stayed where He was an extra two days.  How would you feel if you were Martha or Mary and your brother was about to die?  You also would probably be anxious for Jesus to come quickly and heal him!  I know I would.    

But Jesus delayed in responding to Mary and Martha when they sent word that Lazarus was sick.  In fact, He stayed a few more days away and did nothing.  The unthinkable happened, and Lazarus died.  Does this delay make any sense?  Jesus could have healed Lazarus but He didn’t.  From our human, common-sense perspective, an immediate intervention would have been perfect.  But instead, the situation looks absolutely hopeless from man’s point of view.  Time had run out.  It was too late!  Lazarus was dead.  This was outside the realm of human possibility.  Even Jesus said to His disciples that Lazarus was dead, and for their sake He was glad He was not there so that they would believe (John 11:14-15). 

Have you been waiting for God to answer some of your prayers, and the answer has not come?  The situation may look hopeless from every human standpoint.  You may feel that it is now far too late.  We have all been there.  Many of us are waiting right now, and the hour seems late.  We hear of rumors of revival and things happening around the world, and we think, “God, we need You here.  We need You now!”  But God seems to wait.  Could this possibly be a strategic delay?  Is he deepening our relationship and level of intimacy for a powerful intervention in the future?  Let’s continue with the story of Lazarus.

Jesus finally went to Bethany and upon His arrival there, he found that Lazarus had been dead for four days.  Martha came out to meet Him, but Mary stayed inside.  She said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Imagine her anguish.

Jesus comforted her and said, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25).

She did not understand what He was going to do.  She believed in the resurrection, but could not comprehend that He could raise Lazarus from the dead by that point.  Her level of intimacy with Jesus was not deep enough to have faith and understand at this level.

Jesus then asked for Mary.  She came and fell at His feet and said the exact same thing that Martha had said – “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Mary began to weep.  Her intimate relationship with Jesus was deep.  She was like the wise virgin.  She was the one who sat at His feet and had cultivated oil for her lamp.  She had cultivated intimacy with Him throughout her life.  And the depth of her relationship in her words and emotions touched Jesus deeply.  When Jesus saw her weeping, the Bible says that he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  Jesus was touched so deeply by Mary’s sorrow, that He, the God of the universe, did the most amazing thing in verse 35:

“Jesus wept.”

Mary had touched the heart of God with her prayer.  There was an authority in Mary’s intimacy with Jesus.  

Her words and her heart of intimacy unlocked the power of God. The prayer of Jesus’ intimate friend, Mary, loosed resurrection power from Jesus.  She had the authority through intimacy to stir His heart to do the work.  He waited for the authority of intimacy to do the work.  He did not do it without his intimate friend.  So, Jesus, deeply moved, went to the tomb and told them to take away the stone.  He called to Lazarus to come out – and Lazarus rose from the dead and came forth from the grave.  He was alive! Hallelujah! Jesus had done a most amazing miracle that brought far more glory to His name now.  This strategic delay had brought forth the greatest miracle of resurrection from the dead.

God can do this today but He will not do it without His intimate friends.  Let’s use this waiting period that many of us face in order to let Him build character and a deeper intimacy with Him.  Let’s thank God by faith for what He will do, for surely we shall see His resurrection power if we do not give up our faith.

Let’s all seriously evaluate our lives and answer the following questions:

1.     Am I putting an intimate relationship with God first?  Is Jesus my priority above everything else?   
2. .   Am I troubled by all the work and confusion of daily life, or am I sitting at Jesus’ feet and getting oil for my lamp?
3.     Am I willing to prepare for God’s resurrection power and put God first in my life every single day?
4.     Am I willing to go the way of intimacy so that everything I do is done through the anointed power of God?

God wants to release resurrection power in these last days.  The power of prayer to do resurrection miracles will not happen without the power and authority of intimacy.  Do you want to be one who stirs the heart of God with your prayers?  Let’s invite Jesus to rearrange our lives and our agendas so that we can draw near to Him on a daily basis.  He invites us as His friend.

“Jesus invites you… to come aside for a moment and put first things first, to allow the issues and agendas of the day to be set aside for a moment.  I am utterly convinced that those who draw near to love Him will find themselves on the receiving end of the earth-shaking power of the living Word, for He cares about the issues and agendas of the day in an infinitely greater way than we do.  God talks to His friends so that they might be established in faith, that in the time of delay,their hearts will not be shaken and that they might stir the very heart of God with their prayers.” – Gary Wiens

Together in the Harvest,

This was originally posted by :
Debbie Przybylski Intercessors Arise

What To Do When You Are Bored With Your Faith

"Somehow, many Christians have come to believe continuing a lifeless spiritual discipline is more important than finding new ways to experience a life-giving God."

The human brain craves stimulation. When we don’t receive proper stimulation, boredom creeps in. When boredom is left unchecked, disgust forms. Things get worse from there.

Boredom, in small doses, is actually healthy. Boredom protects you. When you engage in monotonous tasks, listen to mono-toned speakers, or join an organization that accepts mediocrity, boredom acts as a red flag. This red flag compels you to go deeper, start something new or get more creative.

But if you’re not careful, boredom can easily creep into your faith. Worship gets unfulfilling. You wake up every day content with just going through the motions. You start feeling cynical.

Why is it that God offers people a life to the fullest, yet many Christians seem to live on life support?

Don’t just accept complacency. If the red flags are up and you are feeling bored with God, here are a few things you can do to refresh your faith.

Disrupt Your Spiritual Rhythms

Many Christians continue to read a Bible every day that does nothing to their heart. They pray, and their words mean nothing. Somehow, many Christians have come to believe continuing a lifeless spiritual discipline is more important than finding new ways to experience a life-giving God.

Think about it: Do you feel guilty on those days when you don’t open the Bible? I often do.

Several weeks ago, I had an “aha” moment. I was reading like a good Christian boy, and I came across the story of Jesus walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33). I finished reading the chapter, closed my Bible, and started praying. Then I had a realization: I’d become so familiar with the passage that it didn’t even amaze me that Jesus walked on water!

For the next week, I didn’t read the Bible. It was the longest span away from Scripture since my baptism.

You see, the Bible tells stories of a God who speaks the world into existence, floods an entire earth, makes the sun stand still and walks on water. These stories are designed to paint a picture of God’s character. And the picture should cause you to bow down in worship and jump with joy at the same time.

One of the greatest threats to faith is feeling too familiar with an all-powerful God. When you read stories like a real man taking steps on open water, it should cause you to stop and think. If it doesn’t, you may need to find new and fresh ways to encounter God, rather than being enslaved to your regular spiritual practices.


Spend Time in God’s Creation

In his book "The Nature Principle", Richard Louv says for the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, rather than rural environments. The result is “nature-deficit disorder,” which Louv defines as “a diminished ability to find meaning in the life that surrounds us, whatever form it takes.”

When I read this, I think about Paul’s words in Romans: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (Romans 1:20).

The more you disconnect from God’s creation, the more you disconnect from God. And, let’s be real, most of us would rather play video games or watch Netflix for an entire day than spend time outside. We are pretty disconnected from nature.

Every inch of God’s creation reveals something about his character. There is a certain peace and “completeness” that comes with being outside.

Turn off the Xbox. Put down the phone. Go for a walk. Sit outside. Go camping. God’s invisible qualities are waiting there for you.


Invest Time in Meaningful Relationships

I bet every dollar I ever make that the most bored, cynical, pessimistic people are the ones with the fewest meaningful relationships. You were created for social interaction. God, after all, lives in community with the Trinity. He has for all of eternity.

I see this in my life. I am an introvert, and there are seasons when I disengage from people as a way to deal with stress or disappointment. Ironically, the more I disengage from meaningful conversations and neglect important relationships, the more stress I feel.

Don’t come into a church building one hour a week, then wonder why your relationship with God feels fickle.

You must invest in relationships with other people to experience a full understanding of God.


Spend More Time Being Alone With God Than Doing Things for Him

As I said, boredom isn’t a negative emotion. In fact, a recent article found that boredom is essential for human development and unlocking creative potential.

To avoid a life plagued by boredom, you must have intentional periods of boredom. Call it the paradox of boredom.


Here’s what it means for Christians. If you want to avoid a discontent, overwhelmed existence, the rhythm of your life must include periods of resting. You must be still and know that God is God.

Too many Christians are sucked into the speed of the world. The world responds to boredom by going faster and doing more. After all, what other framework does the world have?

But Christians should be different. Maybe you need to learn the practice of holy boredom. When was the last time you observed the Sabbath? How long has it been since you spent an extended amount of time with God?

The mouthpiece of God is silence. So, if you’re feeling discontent, maybe you need to disconnect from the noise of the world.


Credit:Frank Powell

What happens in heaven?

 “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”-Psalm 16:11

In high school, I once overheard some friends say that they’d rather go to Hell instead of Heaven. I was like, “WHAT?!” That seemed crazy to me!

So I listened in on their conversation to find out why. It turned out they wanted to go Hell because they thought Heaven would be boring.

Even today, this breaks my heart. But honestly, I can’t really blame them for thinking that way.

Like when someone once told me that they thought Heaven would be a never-ending church service… depending on your church experience that might not be too fun. Thankfully, though, heaven is not like that.
 

So what is heaven like?  

Well, first you have to know something about heaven. This may come as a surprise, but heaven is not the place where believers spend eternity with God. (Say what?!)

Yes, heaven is where God lives now (Matthew 6:9). And it’s true that if you’ve put your faith in Jesus you will go to be with Christ when you die (Luke 23:43). But heaven is just the first stop. It’s not your final destination.

The Bible tells us that after God’s final judgment, God will make a new heaven and a new earth. It’s there that followers of Jesus will live forever. So when people talk about living in heaven forever, what they really mean is living in the new heaven and the new earth forever.
So the real question is, what will we do in the new heaven and the new earth?

For that question, Revelation 21:1-4 gives us some answers:

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

From these verses we learn three things about the new heaven and the new earth:

1.     First, the new heaven and the new earth are like a city (v.2)
2.     Second, God lives there with his people, and he is God over everything (v.3) 
3.     Third, there is nothing bad there (v.4)

How does this tell us what we will do there?

Since it’s described as a city, we can expect to do city-like things there. For example, Zechariah 8:5 paints a picture of children playing. The Psalms describes people dancing, laughing, and making music (Psalm 30:11-12, 126:1-2, 150). Other Bible verses describe people eating (Isaiah 25:6), drinking (Revelation 21:6), and singing (Revelation 15:2-4).

Like word pictures in poetry, not all these images are meant to be taken literally. But they are meant to point to a very real truth. That the new heaven and the new earth will be a place of peace, a place of joy, and place of worship.

This is what David knew when he wrote the words of Psalm 16:11: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” God’s presence is always a place of joy and great pleasure. This is something to look forward to!

We don’t know everything about what we will do in the new heaven and the new earth, but we do know one thing is for sure: whatever we do, it will definitely not be boring and it will glorify God.

 Credit:fevr.net

God's Dream For Me is Bigger Than My Own Dreams!

“God can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” (Ephesians 3:20 MSG)

God’s dream for your life is exponentially bigger than your dream. It’s eternally significant.Read More below.

There are a lot of dreams you could have that may seem big, but they wouldn’t be significant. You could dream of being a millionaire by a certain age, but for what purpose? 

Do you think God put you on this planet to live for yourself? Of course not! God’s dream for your life is bigger than your dream.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “God can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” (MSG)

I’ve never been accused of small dreaming. I have big visions in life. Yet God says, “Rick, think of the greatest thing I could do in your life, the greatest way I could bless your life. Dream the biggest dream, the greatest vision — and I can top that!”

You have no idea what God wants to do in your life. You are living such a small fraction of what you’re capable of. You are doing with your life such a small portion of what God wants to do in your life.

God wants you to dream big. He wants you to base your dream not on what you think you can do but on what you think God can do. He wants you to use the imagination that he gave you, because dreaming big honors him. It shows faith. It shows trust.

Many years ago,Our  Church purchased 120 acres of land for our campus. That’s bigger than Disneyland! When word got out, people said, “What kind of church is this that’s going to go buy 120 acres of orange county property? Who do those people think they are?”

When I heard that, I said, “That’s the wrong question. The question should be, ‘Who do we think God is?’”

 We were dreaming big because we knew God had a big plan for Our Church.

Let the size of your God determine the size of your goal.
 

Action Points

1. If you could have one dream come true in your life, what would it be?
2. Do you have a hard time accepting that God’s dream for your life is bigger and better than your biggest and best dream? If so, why?
3. Take some time to pray and ask God how he wants you to expand and refine your goals so that they reflect your trust in his great vision for you and for the world.

P.S:"Our Church" is used to depict Saddleback Church in this context.

Credit:Pastor Rick Warren

Happy Great New Year.Welcome to 2016!

Hello dear readers,2015 has been a great year for You and I especially for the Grace of God that has been abundant on us each day,each season,each year.We are all grateful for the gift of life,peace and tranquility among us and in our homes.We are most grateful for all he has done for us amidst trials,persecutions,crisis and pain.God has been so Faithful.Let us cerefully look back on what he has done.He is so Great.

In 2016,let us make it a priority to praise God amidst trials and troubles,appreciate Him for who He is and what He has done.God's Word for you in 2016 is in the book of Isaiah 41:8-20 says,

8“But you, Israel, My servant,
         Jacob whom I have chosen,
         Descendant of Abraham My friend,

9You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
         And called from its remotest parts
         And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
         I have chosen you and not rejected you.

10‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
         Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
         I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
         Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

11“Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
         Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.

12“You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
         Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.

13“For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand,
         Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

14“Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
         I will help you,” declares the LORD, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15“Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;
         You will thresh the mountains and pulverize them,
         And will make the hills like chaff.

16“You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away,
         And the storm will scatter them;
         But you will rejoice in the LORD,
         You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17“The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none,
         And their tongue is parched with thirst;
         I, the LORD, will answer them Myself,
         As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.

18“I will open rivers on the bare heights
         And springs in the midst of the valleys;
         I will make the wilderness a pool of water
         And the dry land fountains of water.

19“I will put the cedar in the wilderness,
         The acacia and the myrtle and the olive tree;
         I will place the juniper in the desert
         Together with the box tree and the cypress,

20That they may see and recognize,
         And consider and gain insight as well,
         That the hand of the LORD has done this,
         And the Holy One of Israel has created it.


Do not forget Him in 2016 and He will not Forget You.More Grace for all of us in the New Year.Amen