Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show.  The secret lies in an inner glow.  It’s lighting a fire inside the heart.  Good will and joy a vital part.  It’s higher thought and a greater plan.  It’s glorious dream in the soul of man.”
–Wilfred A. Peterson

     “And is it true?  And is it true,
      This most tremendous tale of all,
      Seen in a stained-glass window’s hue,
      A Baby in an ox’s stall?
      The Maker of the stars and sea
      Became a Child on earth for me?”
               –Sir John Betjeman

Christmas is that wonderful time when we celebrate the 1st Advent of Jesus Christ to the earth.  It is a time of joyous wonder, and there is a thrill that should permeate the heart of the believer.  He came to earth to die, now that is a concept.  His purpose was to reconcile and redeem lost humanity to His Father.  We celebrate His death and resurrection at Easter and it is another joyous time; a time of victory.
The severe, merciless death on the Cross and then the victory in Resurrection.  Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave.  His power was unmatched by anyone on earth or anything in the spiritual realm.  Nothing could hold Him back when He burst from the clutches of death.  Remember that sin causes death, and Jesus had all of the sins of the world upon Him, yet He came forth as a conqueror.
We are amazed at the Incarnation, the 1st Advent.  We are amazed at His death and resurrection.  Yet, so often we fail to realize that He was not only the conqueror of the grave, but He also conquered life.  Maybe it is because we struggle so much in that area.  We have our sins, and some of them seem to conquer us.  We want victory, but in despair, we often cry “what’s the use.”  We believe in the victory of Jesus, and we know there will be a final resurrection, but we bemoan this life.
Take heart!  Not only because Jesus defeated the forces of sin and evil on the Cross and at the Tomb, He was also victorious as He walked through this life.  He conquered life!  Because of that He was able to give us the promise that we too, can be conquerors, even more than conquerors.  No, not in our power, that is why we struggle and fail so much, but we must resist in the power of Christ.
Death did not faze Him; neither did life.  He walked through it fulfilling the Word of God and obeying the will of His Father.  So this Christmas, as we worship in awe of His incarnation, do not forget His ability to face life as a man and succeed not succumb. 

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
–1 Corinthians 15:55 (KJV)

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have LIFE, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
–John 10:10 (KJV, cap. emphasis added)

Have you ever thought that God has abandoned you?  Maybe you have made the statement, “Where is God?”  As soon as you said those words did you feel the bitterness seep in bringing more despair?  That was perhaps the thought of the nation 75 years ago on this “day of infamy.”  Where was God when those bombers flew into Pearl Harbor and thrust America into a bloody, deadly war?
It had happened before, and many before have felt the same despair.  There was a man whose wife’s clothes caught fire and she burned to death.  This challenged his faith, and then there was a terrible war dividing the very soul of America.  This man believed strongly in the power of God and prayed earnestly to end the madness of the Civil War.  Then on top of it all, his son was wounded in battle and sent home to recover, and the man’s prayers turned to rage.

          “I heard the bells on Christmas day
           Their old familiar carols play,
           And wild and sweet the words repeat
           Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

           And in despair I bowed my head:
           ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said,
           ‘For hate is strong and mocks the song
           Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.'”
                    –Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

There are seven stanzas to the song, therefore it is too long to note here.  It is a song of despair, of a man with a broken heart, both for his wife and son, and for his nation.  The things he loved had been wrenched away from him.  Some have called this the most personal of all carols.  It speaks of the heart of a man in despair, who has lost hope and faith in the God in whom in so strongly believed and trusted.  This would be a bleak song, but then Longfellow’s hope and faith is renewed within his spirit.  No matter what happens on earth, no matter was situation a person is in, there must come the realization that God is there with him!

          “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
           ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
           The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
           With peace on earth, goodwill to men.’

           Till ringing, singing on its way
           The world revolved from night to day–
           A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
           Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!”

No matter the issue, no matter the circumstance, no matter the challenge or difficulty that life may bring, God is still in charge.  He is not dead!  Bring Him into your life if it is in sorrow and suffering this Christmas season.  Listen, He is speaking to you.  Listen…

Christmas is love in action.”
–Dale Evans Rogers

“Now, the tree is decorated with bright merriment, and song, and dance and cheerfulness.  And they are welcome.  Innocent and welcome be they ever held, beneath the branches of the Christmas Tree, which cast no gloomy shadow!  But, as it sinks into the ground, I hear a whisper going through the leaves. ‘This, in commemoration of the law of love and kindness, mercy and compassion.  This, in remembrance of Me!'”
–Charles Dickens

Jesus is the reason for the season!  He spent approximately thirty years on this earth; this earth which He created.  He faced the wrath, the patterns of which He spoke into existence.  He walked the terrain of what we now call Israel; the land promised to His friend Abraham.  As He moved through the land He saw the evil that He had come to earth to defeat.
The most prominent thing in your house right now, or soon will be, is the Christmas tree.  It is probably adorned with ornaments and lights, possibly some garland.  What is at the top–a star or an angel?  Packages, if not already there, will soon lay below the boughs and there is anticipation every time someone looks at the tree.  Yes, anticipation, excitement, and wonder should be there and in the hearts of every individual.
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but He came to earth to adorn a tree.  Not as pretty as the one that will adorn our homes; and we sometimes refer to it as the “Old Rugged Cross.”  The tree upon which He hung became marked with color–it became red, stained by His blood.  The tree upon which He hung had splinters that dug deep into His back that was already raw from the scourging.  Now look at this tree!  What is it that you see upon the tree–pain and sorrow or hope and joy?  On that Cross hung joy and the garland of the Cross must surely have been peace.  Can you see the ornaments of grace, mercy, patience, atoning sacrifice, and redeeming power?  And the light, oh so bright for upon that tree hung the Light of the world.
Under the tree, the packages, the bright paper wrapped around gifts bought for loved ones, hiding the contents that are inside.  What, besides the actual gift on the Cross were the gifts under it?  A robe to be gambled away, a dice game, tears of a mother, fears from His friends were all there at the base of that old Tree.  Under ours are gifts yet to be unwrapped.  Yet, when we gaze at our tree, we dare not forget the great gift from the heavenly Father.
Yes, we should look at the tree the way Dickens suggests, “in commemoration of the law of love and kindness, mercy and compassion.”  To be in Christ is to enjoy each morning as a Christmas morning with the family of God, celebrating the Gift of God around the Tree of Life.

“For he himself endured a cross and thought nothing of its shame because of the joy he knew would follow his suffering; and he is now seated at the right hand of God’s throne.”
–Hebrews 12:2 (Phillips)

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.”
–Washington Irving

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”
–Roy L. Smith

Come on, get out some of the Christmas songs.  Whether they be secular or Christian, play them.  Let the bells ring, at least in your heart.  What a joyous time!
But that brings me to an interesting thought.  I happened to be reading some comments on Facebook about Christmas.  It went something like this.  Since I’ve become older Christmas just isn’t as much fun.  Maybe I should have put fun in quotation marks — “fun.”  What do they mean by “fun”?
Now I usually do not leave comments, but just had to this time.  I remarked, “Nah, it’s more fun.”  This is a grand, “fun” time of year.  Lights, presents, glitter, cookies, pies, friends, family, carols, did I say ‘pie’? — this time of the year is fun. 
To me, it is definitely more fun.  Sure maybe the excitement of a kid is no longer there.  I don’t run down to the tree on Christmas morning, but I enjoy getting up, making coffee, putting a fire in the fireplace and waiting for our traditional breakfast.  Or, staying in bed and ignoring the cries of the kids to “get up”. 
To me, it is so enjoyable to see the smiles on the faces of the grandkids as they pass out the presents, and then when they begin to open them.  Hey, it doesn’t stop there, I like to open mine as well.
It’s fun to give a secret gift to my wife.  Don’t know what that might be this year–maybe just sitting next to me.  It’s fun sitting around the table to feast on the bounty that the Lord has allowed us to have.  Nope, this ol’ fence post just can’t understand why these folk would say Christmas just isn’t that much fun.
The older I become, the more I understand the reason for the season.  The more the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke become a realization in my heart.  The more my soul just wants to say “WOW!” this is just amazing.
Sure I understand that this is a time of year when some become depressed, some mourn the loss of family or friends no longer there.  My Mom has been gone for a few years now, but I don’t get down-and-out at Christmas because she is not here, I remember with a smile how much she enjoyed Christmas.  Those that do get depressed have lost the hope of Christmas and taken their eyes off the Light that was given to the earth on that day.
Guess if they want to get in the mullygrubs and say that Christmas just isn’t that much fun anymore that’s their business.  Me, well, I’ve been given another year-and-a-half and all of the family should be home for Christmas.

“God, who gave our forefathers many different glimpses of the truth in the words of the prophets, has now, at the end of the present age, given us the truth in the Son. Through the Son God made the whole universe, and to the Son he has ordained that all creation shall ultimately belong. This Son, radiance of the glory of God, flawless expression of the nature of God, himself the upholding principle of all that is, effected in person the reconciliation between God and man and then took his seat at the right hand of the majesty on high—thus proving himself, by the more glorious name that he has won, far greater than all the angels of God.”
–Hebrews 1:1-2 (Phillips)