Brewed in the Love of the Lord

I enjoy drinking coffee, specially with friends.  'Having coffee' becomes a venue to catch up with each other's lives or discuss an interesting topic.

Surely, many would agree that brewed coffee is far better than the instant ones. The process of making a cup of coffee involves roasting of coffee beans, grinding of the beans, mixing the ground beans with hot water (brewing), and separating the liquid for a cup of freshly brewed coffee.  This process has some similarities to our Christian lives.

We are like the coffee beans, we inevitably experience  heat or challenges in our lives. Sometimes we feel like being roasted and even ground with our concerns. "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair (2 Cor. 4:8)." But it is when we go through the roasting and grinding that we are brewed in the love of the Lord.  Even if the process is difficult and long, it is the way we can share to others the flavor of Christ in our lives. "For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh (2 Cor. 4:11)"

Recall the "roasting and grinding" experiences of your life.  Share your Christ experience in these times.  Have these experiences made you bitter or sweet?

What is God's Mission for you Today?

October 28 (friday)
The Lord chose His apostles for a purpose. Jesus wills that through them, His love and power will be known. He has set for us a mission. Let us ask ourselves, "What is God's mission for me today?."
Let us reflect on these three things that will help us in our mission today.
1. Do not forget that you are Chosen for mission.
Remember that the Lord calls each of us by name. Just like the apostles, they were called and they followed. "Remember I chose you..." The Lord anoints and equips the vessel He has chosen.
2. When Challenged, Be Faithful.
When we do things for the Lord, it will not be easy. There are challenges we have to face. Your mission might challenge you to ask for forgiveness or forgive somebody. You may be lead to be humiliated because of your mission. In some instances, you might just find the mission as impossible or beyond your capabilities. Jesus carried the challenge of the cross and was faithful until death. Our challenges will strengthen us because we will endure by faith.
3. Have Christ always in your heart.
Without the presence of Christ inside us, we will not bear fruit. We might have all the skills for mission but do not have the reason for the mission. Christ is the reason for mission. With Him in our hearts, love will overflow to the people we meet. Love is at the heart of every mission. Without love, our work is bound to fail. Only Christ brings us the true victory in our mission.

Daily, let us ask the Lord to reveal His mission. Keeping in mind that we are chosen by God to do His mission. Through our faithfulness we will overcome life's challenges and claim the victory with Christ in our hearts.

God Prepares Us For Our Life's Challenges

Finally had time to catch on with some sports activities. Thanks to my household. It's just that since I haven't really had a "real" exercise in the past months, i woke up with a sore body, hardly being able to move. I had muscle pains in places I never knew would ache. It would even hurt when I laugh.

Remembering the passion of Christ, I could just imagine the pain our Lord went through. What was even more difficult was that He knew exactly what He will be going through.  The prayer at Gethsemane must have been excruciating for Him.  Yet, despite of the knowledge of what He will suffer, He still went on with it, telling His angels not to help Him and telling God, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34)."

When I reflect on the pains that I have gone through in my life, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, I think nothing can compare with the sufferings of our Lord.  We are even spared of the knowledge of our future sufferings and sacrifices.  God prepares us for our life's challenges and won't give us what we can't bear to overcome.  He helps us to go from strength to strength by enduring every problem that comes our way.

Lord, may we not forget Your great love for us, made evident by every wound and every drop of blood you gave for our sake.  We love you so and we pray that our life's sufferings and sacrifices may lead us closer to You. Amen.