WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:06.919 this marks the return of that glorious day christmas 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:11.220 day when the heart's kindly wishes find their 00:00:11.220 --> 00:00:16.940 way to the lips in words and i wishing you and 00:00:16.940 --> 00:00:23.339 yours a very merry christmas my prayerful thought 00:00:23.339 --> 00:00:27.679 for you is that the day may be one of truest 00:00:27.679 --> 00:01:17.549 joy God bless you. Jesus laid down his sweet 00:01:17.549 --> 00:01:25.469 head The stars in the sky looked down where he 00:01:25.469 --> 00:03:33.000 lay The little Lord Jesus asleep on the... I 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:37.139 heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar 00:03:37.139 --> 00:03:41.199 carols play, and wild and sweet the word repeat 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:48.099 of peace on earth, goodwill to men. I thought 00:03:48.099 --> 00:03:51.740 how the day had come. The bell phrase of all 00:03:51.740 --> 00:03:55.740 Christendom had rolled along the unbroken song 00:03:55.740 --> 00:04:01.740 of peace on earth, goodwill to men. till ringing 00:04:01.740 --> 00:04:05.159 singing on its way the world revolved from night 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:10.180 to day a voice a chime a chant sublime of peace 00:04:10.180 --> 00:04:15.139 on earth good -will to men and in despair i bowed 00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:20.879 my head there is no peace on earth i said for 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:25.139 hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on 00:04:25.139 --> 00:04:29.779 earth good -will to men Then peal the bells more 00:04:29.779 --> 00:04:35.220 loud and deep. God is not dead and doth not sleep. 00:04:36.339 --> 00:04:41.339 The wrong shall fail. The right prevail with 00:04:41.339 --> 00:05:00.839 peace on earth. Goodwill to men. Jesus boy, they 00:05:00.839 --> 00:05:13.540 made you be born in a manger. Sweet little holy 00:05:13.540 --> 00:05:23.879 child, didn't know who you were. Didn't know 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:29.339 you'd come to save us, Lord. To take our sins 00:05:29.339 --> 00:05:49.800 away Our eyes was blind We couldn't see And we 00:05:49.800 --> 00:07:22.680 didn't know Jesus born. The world. Master, you 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:40.240 done showed us how Even when you's dying Just 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:46.129 seems like we can't do Look how we treated you. 00:07:50.769 --> 00:08:06.170 But please, sir, forgive us, Lord. Because we 00:08:06.170 --> 00:08:34.480 did not. Jesus born, born long time ago. Sweet 00:08:34.480 --> 00:09:04.710 little holy child, and we didn't know. on the 00:09:04.710 --> 00:09:11.470 spirit of Christmas, his spirit. I entered the 00:09:11.470 --> 00:09:16.610 home of poverty, causing pale -faced children 00:09:16.610 --> 00:09:22.809 to open their eyes wide in pleased wonder. I 00:09:22.809 --> 00:09:28.470 caused the miner's clutched hands to relax and 00:09:28.470 --> 00:09:33.799 thus paint a bright spot on his soul. I cause 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:38.539 the aged to renew their youth to laugh in the 00:09:38.539 --> 00:09:44.820 glad old way they used to know. I cause eager 00:09:44.820 --> 00:09:48.480 feet to climb dark stairways filled with baskets, 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:53.580 leaving behind hearts that are amazed at the 00:09:53.580 --> 00:09:59.620 goodness of the world. I cause the prodigal to 00:09:59.620 --> 00:10:02.659 pause for just a moment on his wild waste foot 00:10:02.440 --> 00:10:08.600 away and to send anxious love, some little token 00:10:08.600 --> 00:10:14.360 that releases glad tears, tears which wash away 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:20.080 the hard lines of sorrow. I enter dark prison 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:27.340 cells, reminding scarred manhood of what might 00:10:27.340 --> 00:10:32.460 have been, and pointing forward, to glad days 00:10:32.460 --> 00:10:40.580 yet to be. I come softly into the steel white 00:10:40.580 --> 00:10:45.679 home of pain and lips that are too weak to speak 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:53.000 that just tremble in silent eloquent gratitude. 00:10:54.299 --> 00:10:58.480 In a thousand ways I cause the weary world to 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:05.990 look up into the face of God. Into the face of 00:11:05.990 --> 00:11:11.169 the Christ, the Son of God. And for just a little 00:11:11.169 --> 00:11:14.789 moment, forgetting the things that are small 00:11:14.789 --> 00:11:25.470 and wretched. I am the spirit of Christmas. Cheers. 00:15:08.779 --> 00:15:12.120 manifold meanings of Christmas, have inspired 00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:17.320 poets, have challenged the geniuses to paint 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:22.480 masterpieces. He's composed of countless sights 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:27.139 and sounds and emotions, a thousand emotions. 00:15:28.340 --> 00:15:35.779 Oh, I know, that glorious air of festivity and 00:15:35.779 --> 00:15:41.730 gladness. Around your dinner table, the laughter, 00:15:41.889 --> 00:15:45.649 the homes glittering with tinsel, the smell of 00:15:45.649 --> 00:15:50.190 fresh holly, and the wonderful smell of turkey. 00:15:53.029 --> 00:15:57.809 That's a part of Christmas. The moonlight casting 00:15:57.809 --> 00:16:00.210 its shimmering reflections against the snow. 00:16:00.409 --> 00:16:05.129 The soft symphony of spiritual meditation. That's 00:16:05.129 --> 00:16:09.360 a part of Christmas. The feeling of deep comfort 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:14.279 within the families. That emotion that transforms 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:20.159 a nation into one huge family. When we can forget 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:24.720 color and race and creed and doctrine for just 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:29.559 a little while. The mightiest triumph of Christmas 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:35.639 is the way its gentle mood captures people. Not 00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:39.059 just a family. Not just a neighborhood, not just 00:16:39.059 --> 00:16:46.039 a city, but an entire nation. People. Somehow, 00:16:46.200 --> 00:16:51.259 I've come to believe that it's a mysterious communication 00:16:51.259 --> 00:16:56.879 system that transmits happy messages to every 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:01.340 spirit. Not a word needs to be spoken, just a 00:17:01.340 --> 00:17:06.859 look, just a smile, or even the blink. of an 00:17:06.859 --> 00:17:14.279 eyelid and for just one short blessed spell strangers 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:22.039 are friends and the heart of a nation beats as 00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:27.680 one great heart it's christmas day and it's a 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:32.059 good thing to observe christmas day it reminds 00:17:32.059 --> 00:17:36.210 a man to set his own little watch by the great 00:17:36.210 --> 00:17:42.349 clock of humanity, which runs on suntime. But 00:17:42.349 --> 00:17:45.109 do you want to know something? There's a better 00:17:45.109 --> 00:17:51.789 thing than the observance of just one day. The 00:17:51.789 --> 00:17:56.829 observance of just Christmas Day. And that is 00:17:56.829 --> 00:18:01.789 of keeping Christmas. And this Christmas Day, 00:18:01.990 --> 00:18:04.970 no matter what your circumstances, no matter 00:18:04.970 --> 00:18:09.150 how financially poor you may be, you can give 00:18:09.150 --> 00:18:16.710 a priceless gift. Simply forgive somebody. Nearly 00:18:16.710 --> 00:18:20.650 everyone in his innermost being, in the deep 00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:24.230 recesses of his heart, harbors an old grudge, 00:18:24.450 --> 00:18:29.789 ill feelings towards someone, a son who felt, 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:34.579 He'd been wronged, or badly mistreated, or misused. 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:38.839 A daughter -in -law who for years has harbored 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:43.180 ill feelings. A mother who could never quite 00:18:43.180 --> 00:18:52.339 forget. Or even deeper than that, somebody somewhere 00:18:52.339 --> 00:18:58.500 who has never quite forgiven God for having taken 00:18:58.500 --> 00:19:03.369 a loved one. I do not know of a better time than 00:19:03.369 --> 00:19:08.430 right now. This day of all days, Christmas Day, 00:19:08.630 --> 00:19:12.950 go apart. Look up in the face of the Heavenly 00:19:12.950 --> 00:19:18.450 Father. Look up through blinding tears, in spite 00:19:18.450 --> 00:19:22.049 of the laughter on the outside, through blinding 00:19:22.049 --> 00:19:30.609 tears of forgiveness. Ask... god to forgive you 00:19:30.609 --> 00:19:34.130 for any bitterness you may have had in your heart 00:19:34.130 --> 00:19:40.009 toward him lo these many years are you willing 00:19:40.009 --> 00:19:42.569 to believe that love is the strongest thing in 00:19:42.569 --> 00:19:45.670 the world stronger than hate stronger than evil 00:19:45.670 --> 00:19:49.990 stronger than death and that the blessed life 00:19:49.990 --> 00:19:53.750 which began in Bethlehem 1 ,900 years ago is 00:19:53.750 --> 00:19:56.430 the image and brightness of the eternal love, 00:19:56.569 --> 00:20:00.630 do you believe his word when he said, For if 00:20:00.630 --> 00:20:04.930 ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly 00:20:04.930 --> 00:20:10.349 Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive 00:20:10.349 --> 00:20:14.230 not men their trespasses, neither will your Father 00:20:14.230 --> 00:20:20.430 in heaven forgive your trespasses. If you believe 00:20:20.430 --> 00:20:27.730 that, and if you will forgive, then, my friend, 00:20:27.829 --> 00:20:34.109 you can keep Christmas Day and know the real 00:20:34.109 --> 00:20:40.670 meaning of Christmas. Are you willing to forget 00:20:40.670 --> 00:20:43.569 what you've done for other people and to remember 00:20:43.569 --> 00:20:47.759 what other people have done for you? To ignore 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:52.619 what the world owes you and to think what you 00:20:52.619 --> 00:20:57.960 owe the world. You pass this way but once. You 00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:02.240 have but one life to live. Are you willing to 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:07.019 put your rights in the background and your duties 00:21:07.019 --> 00:21:10.359 in the middle distance and your chances to do 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:15.519 a little more than just your duty in the foreground? 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:20.779 To see that your fellow men are just as real 00:21:20.779 --> 00:21:25.640 as you are. And then try to look behind their 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:28.720 faces to see their hearts. Hearts that are hungry 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:32.559 for love. Hearts that are hungry for joy. Hearts 00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:38.579 that are hungry to be understood. To own that 00:21:38.579 --> 00:21:42.579 probably the only good reason for your own existence 00:21:42.579 --> 00:21:46.160 is not what you're going to get out of life. 00:21:46.829 --> 00:21:53.210 but what you're going to give to life. And then 00:21:53.210 --> 00:21:55.589 close your book of complaints against the management 00:21:55.589 --> 00:21:58.769 of the universe and look around you for a place 00:21:58.769 --> 00:22:02.430 where you can sow a few seeds of happiness. Are 00:22:02.430 --> 00:22:07.309 you willing to do these things today, this Christmas 00:22:07.309 --> 00:22:16.849 day? Then, my friend, you know the real. Meaning 00:22:16.849 --> 00:24:42.210 of Christmas. Quite sure just what you are doing 00:24:42.210 --> 00:24:48.930 at your house this moment. Whatever it is, I 00:24:48.930 --> 00:24:52.950 should like to be a part of it. Perhaps someone 00:24:52.950 --> 00:24:58.730 is sitting around their dinner table. Oh, the 00:24:58.730 --> 00:25:02.690 children have come home. You're so satisfied. 00:25:03.630 --> 00:25:09.740 You're so happy. Sure. For some, there's a vacant 00:25:09.740 --> 00:25:17.400 chair. Perhaps Mary didn't get home. Or maybe 00:25:17.400 --> 00:25:25.619 it's just a vacant chair. Because that loved 00:25:25.619 --> 00:25:39.339 one wasn't there this year. May I just come in 00:25:39.339 --> 00:25:44.019 for a moment? I've been at your house day in 00:25:44.019 --> 00:25:48.339 and day out all the year through. And I know 00:25:48.339 --> 00:25:53.759 that I'm a welcome guest. And together you and 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:57.180 I are going to come before the Father's throne 00:25:57.180 --> 00:26:04.420 in prayer. I want to pray. A Christmas prayer 00:26:04.420 --> 00:26:10.730 just for you. Father God, bless that little family. 00:26:12.529 --> 00:26:15.650 I pray the greatest prayer that I could pray 00:26:15.650 --> 00:26:21.049 for them. Keep the children well. Keep the children 00:26:21.049 --> 00:26:27.390 strong. But above everything else, overshadow 00:26:27.390 --> 00:26:32.609 that little family with your love. Fold them 00:26:32.609 --> 00:26:39.339 close to your great heart. Keep them unto yourself 00:26:39.339 --> 00:26:44.059 and above everything else. That day when the 00:26:44.059 --> 00:26:49.460 last Christmas has been lived, may they stand 00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:55.799 as one before the Father's throne, I pray. A 00:26:55.799 --> 00:27:01.579 perfect and complete family. For Jesus' sake 00:27:01.579 --> 00:27:02.299 we ask it.