I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I celebrate my Savior's birth. I am not going to argue with those who refuse to acknowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior for humanity. One day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

This day is not about gifts and really not about family. It is about Jesus. I fear at times that some of God's people have been caught up with the commercialism of this season. My wife and I have been very intentional about teaching our small children the true meaning of Christmas. We feel a sense of responsibility in instructing our children from a biblical point of view. The Christmas story is a miracle! The virgin birth of Christ was prophesied centuries before it took place. God, the Sovereign King of the universe, orchestrated every minute detail leading up to the birth of His Son. Many babies have been born, but none have grabbed the world's attention like our Savior's birth.

Rejoice! Christ the Savior is born! Merry Christmas!

A year ago several of the older members from my church put on a little production reminiscing of what Christmas was like when they were children. As I sat and listened to these dear folks, they all seemed to share a similar tale: life was much simpler. There was no such thing as Wii, X Box or PS3. No one had an iPod, iPhone or a Blackberry. They did not sit in front of a computer on Facebook or You Tube. Things were much different back then but I believe that that even though times were difficult, that many of these older folks would never trade their childhood experience for the anything.

Some of these seniors talked about how excited they were when the got a candy bar, an orange and a new outfit which their mother sewed from used burlap sacks. Enjoyment in the simple things is lacking today. In the next 20 years this older generation will be gone and these simpler days will only be tales from the past. I sometimes feel that many of today's young people are so out of touch with the simple things and there seems to be little to no interest in learning about what life was like for these older folks.

I believe that many of the advancements and technologies that we enjoy today, when used with restraint, can be very positive. Yet there is no way you can put a price tag on the rich memories and experiences of the simpler life these saints cherish. In some ways I feel that they were better off than we are today.

This morning the Lord spoke to me from Psalm 9:10, "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You. For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You." (NKJV). God's Word is alive and its truths are just as relevant today as they were when they were first penned thousands of years ago. I would like to leave you with four thoughts today from this Scripture.

Knowing God's name.

Several years ago I read a book entitled The Names of God by Ken Hemphil. The author systematically works his way through the Old Testament pointing out the different name of God, the significance each name had to an ancient Hebrew and the its significance for today's believer. At every instance, the Lord lived up to His name as He encountered His people. I believe that any follower of Christ would benefit from such a study because they will see that God continues to live up to His name to this very day. Those of us who truly know the Lord understand this. God is faithful and is active in the lives of His people. It is imperative that we recognize God's activity and respond to Him as He speaks to us. Our obedient response will help us know Him more intimately.

The more we begin to trust the Lord the more He will reveal of Himself us. We must embrace and believe that the Lord is all that He says He is because He is the God who keeps His Word. The Lord has never failed or dropped the ball when fulfilling His promises. He does not always answer the way we wish He would. Nevertheless, the Lord is always right in how He deals with us. With this in mind, it is critical that we trust Him completely. There is no one who has our best interest in mind like Jesus does. Be assured by this eternal truth and relinquish control of the concern that you have in your life.

It is interesting how easily distracted we can become from what really matters most. Our society and culture spews materialism and self gratification. While there is nothing wrong with having nice things, there is something wrong when that is all you think about and when you are not satisfied until you have "it". We are taught in Scripture to 'Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness'. Do we practice biblical contentment? Are we content with the basics of food and clothing as the Bible teaches?

I am personally thankful that God has never forsaken me in spite of my many short comings. There is nothing that will ever separate me from the love of God! God's unconditional love should motivate us to know Him more intimately, to trust Him more freely and to seek Him more passionately.

One day my family and I finished shopping at Wal-Mart and decided to stop at a McDonald's drive through to grab a quick bite to eat. As we made our way down the road, we came to a traffic light and I saw a homeless man with a sign asking for money for food. I rolled down my window, gave the man my meal, and told him that Jesus loved him. With a smile on his face, he thanked me and found a shady place to eat.

After several weeks we were home one evening and I ran upstairs to my bedroom to get something when I came across a folded piece of paper on the floor. I bent down to see what it was and I discovered a touching letter written by one of my children about me giving my meal to the homeless man. The event had left my mind, yet it was still fresh on theirs. God used this letter as a reminder that I have little ones watching my life. I wish I could say that I have always been a great role model for my kids but I can not. Sometimes we all need a reality check like this to remind us that we as Christian parents have a huge responsibility of being godly examples for our children.

In the summer of 2003 I was introduced to the ministry of John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. The Lord has tremendously used Piper and has given him incredible insights into the Word of God. His writing is rich, scholarly and extremely thought provoking. Piper's passion and desire is to declare the supremacy of God in all things. One of my favorite quotes from Piper is that, "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.".

It is clear that being most satisfied in God does not come natural for some believers. Each of us, if we are honest, wrestle with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life on a daily basis. The alluring things that this world offers is an illusion and can only bring temporary gratification.

How do I become most satisfied in God?

We must joyfully offer our lives as a living sacrifice to God and forsake our selfish ambitions and desires. As Christ changes our hearts, our satisfaction will come not by gaining more alluring things, but by giving more of ourselves to Him.

When I was growing up I used to watch Kung-Fu movies just about every weekend. I never bought into the ridiculous feats that many of the actors "performed", but I always found it to be quite comical and entertaining.

I have had conversations with friends of mine who take karate and each of them have shared that everyone has common pressure points. When utilized properly, even the largest person can be brought to submission.

God sometimes uses different kinds of pressure points to get people's attention. God is consistent when He elects to use pressure points. He uses it to address areas in our lives that are inconsistent with His Word.

As I look back at my own personal life I recognize this to be true. It was during the times that I wandered and strayed that God used pressure points to bring me to submission and back to Him. God has been working on me in recent days and it has been at times very challenging. He has brought to light some things that I needed to get right. It has been painful but with pain comes great gain. Even though the process has been hard, I know that the Lord loves me.

Hebrews 12:7-11 is assuring and real. Let God have His way with you and let Him create a clean heart within you. Restoration and a harvest of fruit awaits.

God is quite capable of doing the impossible. No task is too big for Him. He never comes across a "problem". He is Sovereign and is in complete control. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all present.

He is Creator. He created everything; from the vast universe to the single celled microscopic organism, yet mankind is the apple of His eye. He loves us. Nothing can separate us from His love. God even demonstrated His love for us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That is amazing love. Unconditional love. Love that we do not deserve.

"All the heavens can not hold you Lord. How much less to dwell in me?" - Mac Powell, Third Day

Back in 2001 I spent the entire month of June in Mexico with a group of young people from our church in Texas. At the end of the month we spent about four or five days in Mexico City visiting the sights and sounds of the area. Mexico City is a city rich with culture and history. One of the places we visited was Teotihuacan, an ancient pyramid used to perform human and animal sacrifices.

As I stood at the top of this pyramid, my heart began to sink as I thought about the myriad of sacrifices made at the very place I was standing.

As I made my way back down to the base of the pyramid, I reflected on Psalm 51:16, 17 . . . "For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise." (NKJV)

The only sacrifice that our God desires is a heart that broken for Him. God wants us to repent of our sins and offer our lives as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1). Maybe we have found ourselves trying to please God by refraining from things that are not necessarily bad. We may have a conviction or a standard that we hold in order to "honor God". While your motive may be pure, God is really only interested in your heart. Please understand that I am not insinuating that you should lower the bar on an issue that you have laid down some personal standards that you will abide by. What I am saying is the greatest gift you can give the Lord is a broken and contrite heart.

If God has revealed in your heart an area in your life that is not holy and acceptable to Him, simply confess and repent of it right now.

I recently began a study entitled The Man God Uses by Henry Blackaby. The timing of this study has been quite remarkable as the Lord reveals more and more of Himself through the Scriptures and through the insights of the author. I have participated in Bible studies in the past with mixed groups and studies exclusively for men, but this study seems to be the best one that I have been a part of.

It's hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the world was bracing itself for Y2K. One of the most troubling things I remember about the whole ordeal was how many people were in the state of panic, Christians included. Some time in December of 1999, my wife and I went to Sam's Club to pick up a just a few items we needed. When we walked into the store we noticed that every single check out line was backed up about 20 customers deep! People's carts were staked with cases of water, canned foods and other non perishables. You would have thought the world was coming to the end.

This first decade has been a challenging one for our nation. September 11, the ongoing war on terrorism, Hurricane Katrina and the global economic meltdown are just a few sobering memories that will standout in the history books.

On a positive note, we have seen a great advancements in technology and communication unlike ever before. Our nation witnessed the election of the first African American for the presidency of the United States of America. While I do not ideologically agree with this president on most issues, it is encouraging to see that our nation has progressed from its past of racial prejudice.

Many unknowns await us as we enter the 2010's but one thing we do know is that Christ's teachings have never changed. Three points to remember: We are to continue to reach out to those who do not know Christ, to lift up our Christian brothers and sisters, to abide in Jesus and His Word.

Remain faithful brethren. Blessings . . .