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.