Don’t confuse the “canal” with the “water”!

I was a head cook at a Mexican restaurant in Hawaii. The food…because of the recipes…was incredible. When people desired to share a compliment the manager would bring them to the kitchen and they would tell the grill & hot oil how delicious the food was and thank them. WHAT?!! If anyone had ever done that, I would have shown them out of the restaurant via the window! :)

Christmas is not about our presents to each other, though I enjoy that tradition. It is about a Person and a work accomplished. 

Ephesians 2:8–9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.    

For all of us that have experienced “Salvation”, “Trusting in Christ”, being “Born Again”, or “Regeneration” we understand that the reason “faith” is stressed is to counter the lie the enemy and our flesh try to produce in us, that OUR works win us eternal life with God. 

However, in doing so we can magnify “our” faith and miss the REAL focus of Salvation. It is based on works…not ours! Jesus Christ performed all the work needed to pay the debt of sin, which is called “Grace”! 

Faith is the “channel”, which is used to receive that GRACE “water” of God. Jesus Christ accomplished that through His death, burial, and resurrection! 

What is interesting to me is that we celebrate Christmas as a new year begins. Most individuals take seriously what they desire their life to mean and spend some time reevaluating and pondering where they are on that path. What matters to them; have they accomplished any of their goals; are they content; and do they see the future with hope? 

Consider these issues as you approach those questions: Do you still exist after your body stops working? What happens to you? How much time have you spent knowing what you believe? Are you endeavoring to plan your life, or just letting it happen? What do you hope will happen after your heart quits beating? What have you done to prepare for that? 

The God of the Scriptures has a plan:

1 John 5:11–13 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 

You do not have to hope for a future! You can KNOW your future! 

The So What: Why not take some time right now and contemplate – What is my future after my body dies? Do I have a plan? Why would I not Trust God’s plan? If you have questions, email me – nategwm@gmail.com