Do Your Actions Portray Jesus or Betray Him? WATCH and PRAY

The sweetest kiss

Greet one another with a holy kiss. 2 Corinthians 13:12

I surprised a friend of mine with the gift of her favorite cookies, and delighted, she responded by kissing my cheek. My daughter, sent me a video of her sixteen-month-old kissing baby dolls. Her toddler gives kisses to those she loves, even dolls, and anyone else who pleases her. About that same time, another one of my daughters sent me a picture of her little girl giving her daddy a precious kiss. These tokens of affection touch my heart. And then, I read the Apostle Paul’s words, Greet one another with a holy kiss (2 Corinthians 13:12).

All this about kissing, made me think of Judas’ kiss, and I looked at the picture I took at Chartres Cathedral memorializing this event.

Picture taken at Chartres, France – front portal of the Chartres Cathedral

http://chartrescathedral.net/chartres-cathedral-sculpture/

When I went to France in 1999, I visited this marvel of 13^th century architecture. I was awed by its grandeur and the multitude of sculptures, inside and out of the structure, seemingly on a mission to teach the Word of God and tell the story of Jesus.

Every time I look at this picture, portraying Judas’ kiss, I am saddened. What a hateful act of betrayal. Again, I thought, Oh, how could he have done that? I could never. And then I realized, oh yes, I could, and I do. When I disregard our Lord’s counsel, I betray Him. When I lose confidence in the integrity of His word, and when I fail to walk in faith, I betray Him.

Our actions either portray or betray Jesus.

Jesus told us to shine. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Paul echoed that sentiment when he said, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8). 

Are we doing that? When we compromise with the world, we become traitors. We don’t shine as children of light. We can’t. We’ve let darkness overshadow His truth. 

Jesus said to his disciples in the midst of His own agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). And we know what happened there: Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, and most of the other disciples deserted Him. Watch and pray. 

Are we watching and praying? 

I know today August 21, 2017 almost everyone in this country, especially those in the path of the total eclipse of the sun will be  watching. 

Wouldn’t it be a powerful thing, if all those who look up at the sun today, look up to Him and pray for the world. Oh, that we would watch and pray as He intended; then our actions would portray His love and light.

Blessed is he that watcheth. Revelations 16:15

Sunrise at Seabrook Island ~ Beautiful Photograph courtesy of Eileen DeCamp

Thanks to everyone who takes a moment out of this momentous  day to visit Write Moments with God. I appreciate you and pray God blesses your day in a special way. Feel free to leave comments below and to share this blog post with your friends.

Beware the Little Foxes and other little things

This adorable nibbler is a bunny ~ courtesy of the gifted Eileen DeCamp

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Song of Solomon 2:15


I walk two miles every morning, heeding my doctor’s advice to maintain a brisk pace. So, I try not to stop, unless it’s to chat with a neighbor. I pray, look at the sky, listen to the birds, feel the fresh air on my face. But the other day, I got a pebble in my shoe. My attention was drawn again and again from the things I enjoy to that niggling pain in my foot.


I kept walking a few blocks, ignoring the pebble as best I could, hoping it would relocate and cease to be a bother. I endured it for as long as I could, then I took off my shoe and shook out the stone, no bigger than a pea. How could something so small cause so much discomfort and destroy my concentration?


I realized that, in a similar way, little things have enormous power to distract our attention from God. I am reminded of the Scripture to “beware the little foxes.”


Is anything competing for your attention in your devotion to God?


Sometimes, aren’t we liable to pay more attention to the media or our twitter feed than to the Word of God? It doesn’t have to be the devil or overwhelming circumstances that distract us and disturb our thoughts. It may only be the “little foxes, that spoil the vines”—the little annoyances, the little actual things in our daily lives that compete for our focus and strength and get in between our hearts and God. We forget to call to mind God’s word; we forget to pray without ceasing. We become troubled and lose our peace because of insignificant worldly things.

Remember Jesus’s words of warning regarding worldly things.

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. Mark 4:19


Be careful of anything that deflects your attention from God. Whether it be a pebble in your shoe, a thorn in your flesh, or a shew of other things.


Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4

Beautiful picture courtesy of the lovely Eileen DeCamp

Thank you so much for visiting Write Moments with God. I appreciate you. As always, I pray that no matter where you are in this world or on your Christian journey, you will be blessed and encouraged by the words, pictures, and comments you find here. Feel free to comment, as well as share this post. In His care.

You Never Have To Walk Alone

My grandson Charlie with his Dad my son in law James Viebrock

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2

The promises of God have empowered many a believer to walk through adversity, disappointment, and grief, yet no promise is as comforting as the promise of God’s abiding presence in the life of the believer.

The Lord does not promise that our lives will be care-free if we choose to follow Him. The supreme case in point is the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. The Scriptures bear witness to Jesus’ humanity and courage; and above all, to His love of the Father – even when He was subjected to hatred, torture, and death. Jesus’ life was devoted to doing the will of the Father, and He followed God’s will to His death on the Cross.

Those of us who belong to the Lord need not fear or despair, because He is with us and will walk with us every day through every circumstance. The psalmist has said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” (Psalm 23:4a)

It just so happened that I wrote the above devotional one morning expecting what I thought would be an average day. It was anything but—that evening our family experienced a shocking unexpected death of a loved one.  I look back at these words days later and marvel at the message God graciously put on my heart. It’s a message we all need to receive.

Knowing that I don’t walk alone is a comfort. Knowing that the Lord is with me gives me the grace to trust in His promises and the courage to face every day.

My grandsons, Nathan and Jonah.

Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God. I appreciate you. I pray that all who read these words will be blessed.  May you find encouragement here.   

The Providence of Almighty God

Sunset on Lavender Field courtesy of Eileen DeCamp

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 RSV

These are the words of our Savior, Jesus Christ. What a beautiful promise to cling to in the midst of troubling times.  I need to read this often.  And what led me to meditate on this?

I admit I am one of the vast majority of Americans who harbor serious reservations about our presidential prospects.  In fact, I’ve fretted over it for months and frankly fear disaster in November.  I’ve read insightful political commentaries about those who are “looking for a savior.”  But, we must remember ,that indeed, there is only one.

The powers of worldly dominion are unconscious of God, are they not?  Or, they are blatantly defiant of God.  Do they care a whit about what God thinks about most matters?  And yet, we look to them.  So much of our security and peace of mind is based on the civilized life we live, apart from our faith in God.  Should it not be the other way around?

God is Almighty. He is working out His plans.  Do we trust Him?

Christ trusted in the will of His Father and submitted to the providential order of God.

Consider when He stood face to face with Pilate.

Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above…” John 19:10-11a

When I read those words of Scripture the other day, I had to meditate on Jesus’ words. His words are TRUTH.  I thought of the providential order of God behind everything.  I wondered if I have come face to face with that reality.  The rest might be little more than a farce on the world’s stage that creates chaos in our lives.  We must go on with God, rooted and grounded in Him in spite of the chaos.  God’s kingdom is not of this world.

But we need to also continue in prayer, remembering Timothy’s words concerning intercessory prayer for ecclesiastical and government leaders (See Timothy 2:1-7).

And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. Psalm 39:7 KJV

Photo Courtesy of Eileen DeCamp

Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God.  I hope you have found a bit of encouragement to strengthen your heart.  Feel free to share your thoughts. Take His peace.