December is not the time of year for feeling hassled stressed or sad. This is a season of miracles; hope should abound at Christmas time! The miracle of Christmas is that Christ loved us and was willing to give His life for us, even when we were without knowledge of Him. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Jesus is the Promised One! He is Emmanuel, “God with us.” The prophets spoke of His coming centuries before it happened: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be.

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Justice Jackson stated, “A person gets from a symbol the meaning he puts into it.” What defines a symbol? Webster’s dictionary says, “A symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention; a visible sign of something invisible.” As we near the celebration of Easter and focus on the message of the cross, can the church be relied upon to stand for truth? Do believers today demonstrate allegiance to the cross? What is allegiance? According to Webster, it is “The obligation of fidelity. It is faithfulness, loyalty, devotion: Adherence to truth or fact;.

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“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” ~Proverbs 12:18 There are times when strong words are necessary. Words can shore us up, change our thinking, and support and strengthen our resolve. But, sharp harsh words are piercing, they wound, bringing nothing but pain. Have you heard the old expression, “soul weary and heart sore”? This well describes the bruising of our spirits and the weariness of our souls. The weight of the world and challenges of life often enough weigh heavy on our hearts and minds. Callous, thoughtless, hurtful words add.

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There are fundamental issues that must be addressed by those of us who claim to be believers and followers of Christ. Webster defines fundamental as “anything that serves as the foundation or basis of a system of belief, as a truth, law, or principle; a primary and necessary truth; an essential.” David who replaced Saul as the new king over Israel wrote in Psalm 138, “for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!” Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he.

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