He Came for Failures

Lynn Mosher's writing consistently motivates reflection. She encourages people to make changes so their lives glorify God - and isn't that what Upgrade is all about?

"I grieve when I fail the Lord," she says, "when my obedience lacks its first response."

Oh, how I get that. We all fail God. But I'm so glad Lynn doesn't leave us to linger in our sorrow over sin and failure.

She continues ...

But then I remember it was for failures that Christ graced a rough-hewn manger. It was for failures that He breathed His last earthly breath as He hung in disgrace for the failings of the world.

It was to a failure, one who penned the precious psalms that touch our hearts in time of need and, yet, as a man after God’s own heart, sinned and ripped apart his fellowship with the Lord, then repented and repaired it.

It was to a failure, one who had denied Christ three times, that the command of “feed My sheep” was given.

It was to a failure that Jesus gave His first greeting in the Garden of Gethsemane on that initial Easter morn.

It was to a failure who had been the foremost despiser of believers, yet became one of the greatest servants of the Gospel, the Lord blessing his ministry and his writings for all time.

I think, no, I know my greatest failure is to not give the Christ-child a place to live in my heart, in my circumstances, in all my life.

He came…

As Mary lovingly swaddled the future Sacrifice of the world, she placed Him in a trough, and there, the miracle of the manger took place: the empty manger, the vessel cradling the tiny body of mankind’s salvation, became full - full of love, full of expectation, full of holiness, and full of humanity.

With only the joyous display of heavenly praises from angels, He came, confined by the boundaries of time and limitations of a physical body.

…for failures, He came.

For me, He came. For you, He came.

But where does He go to be born and live today? In the hearts of believers.

“How silently, how silently the wondrous Gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.

No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.” *

Have you offered the manger of your heart to cradle the birth of the Babe of salvation? Or are you as the innkeeper, turning away the Saviour of the world, telling Him that you have no room for Him, that your “inn” is full? Do you then miss the miracle of the manger?

God still seeks His mangers … hearts willing to hold Him.

For you ...

He came!

Does your heart have room for Jesus?

Lynn Mosher lives with her hubby (since 1966) in their Kentucky nest, emptied of three chicklets and embraced three giggly grand-chicklets and an inherited dog. Lynn’s passion is to encourage others and glorify the Lord with her writing. Stop by for a refill at her website, Heading Home, lynnmosher.com.

* Christmas song quoted: Third verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”

Worship Service

Lynn Mosher blogs about how we should live as we are “heading home” to be with Jesus. I invited her to write about one way to UPGRADE our Worship.

“‘Worship service’ is more than a phrase given to our church assemblies,” Mosher said. “Worship is service to God, as the priests of old worshipped God by their tabernacle or temple service.”

She continues . . .

“The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth;for the Father is seeking such to worship Him . . . For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, Him only you shall serve.’” (John 4:23b; Matthew 4:10 NKJV)

In Greek, one word for “worshipper” means a temple servant, or one having charge of a temple to keep it clean and adorn it. Our word “worship” is derived from the old English word meaning “worthship.”

We are all temple servants of God, doing our duty by taking care not only of the temple of the church building but also of the temple of our hearts.

Paul tells us of the highest form of worship-service we can offer God: “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you…to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.” (Rom. 12:1 AMP)

Our godly service then is keeping our temples clean and unspotted by the world, adorning them with acts of service, and having a lifestyle of holy living that honors the worthship of God.

In all we do, we should “Worship and serve Him with (our) whole heart and with a willing mind” (1 Chron. 28:9 NLT).

To worship the God of creation is:

• to bow down in reverence to Him because He is worthy, acknowledging His divinity;
• to bow in humility and obedience;
• to bow to His will, His plan, and His purpose by relinquishing one’s own agenda;  
• and to bow in service to Him with one’s life, honoring Him as the One True God.

Do we seek the Lord’s Presence or His presents? Do we seek His handout or His hand? Do we always seek something from Him as the multitudes did, or do we lean upon His breast as John the beloved did, just to be with Him; to sit at His feet as Mary did, just to serve Him in worship by pouring out our thanks and tears as fragrant oil upon His body?

     How lavish is your worship of the Creator’s worthship?

Lynn Mosher lives with her hubby (since 1966) in their Kentucky nest, emptied of three chicklets and embracing three giggly grand-chicklets and an inherited dog. Lynn’s greatest passion is to fulfill God’s call on her life to encourage others and glorify the Lord with her writing.

Note: Praying woman Photo Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

What Do You See in the Mirror?

Meet Lynn Mosher: Lynn writes about many topics, but I was struck by one she wrote about women's appearance.

"In the morning," she said, "when you get up and look into the bathroom mirror, scratching here and there, what stares back at you? Do you like that image? When you’re all gussied up, do you like that image better?"

Lynn shares some simple tips to help women consider their appearance from a biblical perspective.

Body image. We all have one of ourselves, whether positive or negative. Unfortunately, having a negative body image affects many women (and men). The media pressures us with the ideas of being young, slim, and wrinkle free.

However, our true image comes from God, as the Bible tells us in Genesis 1:27. When God looks at you, what does He see? He sees His beautiful child - the physical temple for the presence of His Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19 NLT).

So, how do we view His temple? Naturally, we all want to look our best, but a good appearance does not always indicate a healthy body. If you want to change the image you have of your body by dieting, surgery, or injections, what is the real reason behind it? Is your focus an outward appearance or a healthier body?

Does our body image attitude spurn the image God gave us? How do we treat our body? Most of us would do well to respect the earthly body God gave us by having better eating habits, drinking more water, getting more exercise, sleeping more, etc.

Jesus said, “There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.” (Luke 12:23 Msg)

We each have our own external presence, but it makes no difference to the Lord. Samuel said, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7b NIV) He knows all about us, even the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30 NIV). He knew us before He created us:  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV)

The next morning you look in the mirror and are tempted to grumble at what you see, say this to God as David did, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it.” (Psalm 139:13-14 TLB)

The mirror merely reflects the physical; the true mirror is Christ.

Do you reflect God's image?
“Glorify God by making your bodies the shrines of His presence.” (1 Corinthians 6:20 Knox)

Lynn Mosher lives with her hubby (since 1966) in their Kentucky nest, emptied of three chicklets and embraced three giggly grand-chicklets and an inherited dog. Lynn’s passion is to encourage others and glorify the Lord with her writing.

Stop by for a refill at her website, Heading Home, lynnmosher.com.

Note: Lynn recommends the book Body Image Lies Women Believe by Shelley Hitz.

          LINKED TO:  Raising Homemakers.