This week, someone said to me, "You can't live in your emotions and fulfill your assignment at the same time. It's like trying to serve two gods or being 'double-minded.'" My heart lept -- knowing that the truth for me was the opposite. Emotions are a vital part of what it means to be a human being made in the image of God and redeemed in Jesus Christ. Certainly, the Lord understands our emotions (since He created us with the capacity to feel and express them), and He expresses His own emotions flawlessly.
The world's problems, and those in our personal lives, can cause us to feel discouraged these days and perhaps somewhat depressed. I don't know about you, but this has been a very difficult time health-wise for many friends, my family and myself. When stress of the unknown suddenly presses in, it is challenging to keep a Christlike mindset. Sometimes, our confessions can become rote and meaningless. Hope deferred can truly make the heart sick, as God's Word says (Prov. 13:12).
The FINISHED WORK WAS COMPLETED BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN AND BROUGHT TO MANIFESTATION AND REALITY AT THE CROSS when Jesus said, "It is Finished." We must catch and apply these truths for ourselves. Many Christians do not understand what transpired on the Cross. Many think we have to wait to get to heaven to inherit His promises. The Cross is the pivot point, centerpiece, conclusion, and centrality of the ages of why Jesus came to earth. The Finished Work means that the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross fulfilled what had been planned from before time began.
Jesus didn't come to earth just to take us to heaven so that we could sit on a cloud, playing a harp! He came to establish a NEW kingdom order. His perfect sacrifice on the cross was made and finished in order to enable believers to bring heaven's dominion, perceptions and administration as realities onto this earth. This is the revelation of Apostolic Sonship: The Divine Pattern (template) is for us to become grown-up sons and joint heirs.
There seems to be a lot more detachment these days. Too many sad stories°to much stress. Perhaps what we need now more than ever is to be more understanding, compassionate, and kind? There is an old saying called, "give yourself some slack." The idea of Giving Yourself Some Slack means that you start with yourself! The phrase is a sailing term from late 1700s that originally meant to loosen or give slack on a sail or rope. SLACK means to ease pressure upon situations and stop forcing a desired result.
Many actually see nothing wrong with how things have been going on. This confuses me. The Church is divided in many ways. It is fractured by personal opinions. With few exceptions, leaders know the church is declining, but they don't want to change their old mindset to find greater truth that would stop the decline. One major problem is the lack of believing Present Truth, the lack of teaching Truth, and the lack of searching for Truth. The question is, would you change your belief system in exchange for Greater Truth? Jesus became weary. He had been looking for her. He walked all the way to Samaria – because of TRUTH.
I'm beginning a section on tithing. And particularly the issue of "tithing-up." It should not embarrass us or anger us to talk about proper giving. Jesus talked more about giving and stewardship than any other topic. As a matter of fact, Jesus talked more about giving money to God than He did about the Kingdom of Heaven. How much money does Jesus want from you and me? Let me share two options with you. Option ONE: You can tithe. You can say, "If I give $11.42 as 10% and then I'm through with my giving because that is what I have to give and my obligation is satisfied. 
Have you ever wondered why some people don't break through? No matter how hard they try... it just doesn't happen. I believe that by going into the New Year with the same old "To do" list as you had last year, you are settling for mediocrity. (I know, ouch.) If there were but one truth for success that I could share you with, it would be this message: Many people are overwhelmed and stretched too thin. We live absurd lives trying and trying – but are stressing out. Stress. Stress. Stress. This once -- I don't want to make a New Year's list of MORE to do! I am on a personal and selective search for less and better.
"But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God" (Psalm 52:8). A few years ago, my husband and I went for a walk in the woods behind our house and saw these two beautiful trees linked together and it looked like there was a ring that joined them together at the top. Maybe you can also see the ring between them? They appeared to be a couple! We talked about how stately those two trees soared upward together -- and afterward we often looked at our photo. Scripture tells us that the magnificence of the Lord is detailed in nature..."And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord" (Ez. 17:24).
Where do we go as a Church? Today, we hear the Spirit of the Lord clearly say, "The future is in your hands!" On this New Year, let's consider what are some things that must be done to revitalize the Church? Where do we go from here? We must build out koinonia – our togetherness. Our connectivity must cross all pre-defined boundaries – past theological differences, past polarized partisan dogma, and beyond gender and racial divides. Probably none of us agree on very much on doctrine!! Could we be straining at the gnats?