Bible truths

I confess I have often prayed and used Jesus Salvation for me as a means for “life” not to be hard…

/ jill autrey dorman / 2 Comments
bible book business christian

Photo by John-Mark Smith

 

The crowds were waiting. The sick, the lame, the blind, the demon possessed were all waiting for Him. The One who they had glimpsed in other crowds on other days healing everyone he touched. Where was He? Those other men were his followers so He must be close by.

Jesus was away at a distance. He could see the crowds below growing larger. Jesus was praying.  Jesus was here for a reason but today it was not to go down to that crowd and heal them physically. Jesus was going on to “to other towns” to preach the Gospel.  It is not that he did not love and care for the infirm and helpless ones at the bottom of that hill. He did and does care but His primary healing is/was to be done to the souls of the human race. His Gospel is this, Sin kills, Hell is real but God is Merciful and He, Jesus is the Way to Life. Jesus is the passport we need to The Kingdom.

I confess I have often prayed and used Jesus Salvation for me as a means for “life” not to be hard or uncomfortable here on earth. I have prayed for healing for myself and others. I pray every day for a “not hard life” for my children and grandchildren” but that is NOT why Jesus came. Oh do not doubt, Jesus cares for our trials on earth but He cares more that we receive Salvation from our sin and spend eternity in His presence.

Jesus promises those that receive Him will have eternal life and that He will never leave us nor forsake us and as one of my favorite quotes says, “you cannot find the Cross of Jesus on your own. It is Jesus who must lead you there, as if you were a blind person.”

So, I confess I tried to manipulate my relationship with Jesus by asking Him to not let me or those I love suffer but in His Gracious infinite Love and Wisdom He forgives me and says, “now walk with me and tell everyone that Jesus Christ is Risen and the souls of man can be saved forever.”

Mark 1:39

It Is A Civil War

/ jill autrey dorman / 4 Comments

crashing waves

Photo by Ray Bilcliff 

As I sit by the ocean and hear it’s deeply powerful roar.

The waves seem so angry and crash on the shore.

Brother against brother like I have not seen before.

My heart cries at the hatred, it is a Civil War.

Everyone is talking but it is just a screaming noise.

Oh God show us mercy for all we’ve destroyed.

 

 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1John4:8

John 3:16.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 

 

 

Exposed and Authentic

/ jill autrey dorman / 3 Comments
brown sand

Photo by Miri on Pexels.com

 

The salty air lay thick upon my skin.

Laughter in the village sings so sweetly.

Never does a hard day meet me here,

when I walk by the sea in God’s keeping.

 

This beach helps me see outside of my self,

and find The One who is the Hope of all things.

Exposed and authentic the waves hit my feet,

with no fear of the dance tomorrow will surely bring.

 

I will sing in this His cathedral

of sky and sand and sea.

I praise The Holy One who cannot be undone

and give thanks as He walks here with me.

I fill my pages with rhyme and verse

/ jill autrey dorman
white book page with black pen

Photo by MESSALA CIULLA

I remember the good and leave the worst

I fill all my pages with rhyme and verse

Not much of it will matter to most

But some will understand the cost

 

I see a good day and leave the night

I paint a picture of the Hope in God’s light

May it never be said that I didn’t try

to speak the truth and expose the lie

 

This is the message we have heard from Christ and declare to you:God is light, pure light,  and in Him there is no darkness AT ALL!  1 John 1:5

 

 

 

 

 

The Shell Seeker

/ jill autrey dorman

 

 

brown sand

Photo by Miri

Standing on the highest sand dune people moved back and forth on the ground below.  She no longer has their youthfulness of an unlined face but she knew she finally possessed the joy of ageless Grace. The pilgrimage called her to this beautiful place. The wind and the sun an old friend on her face.

Now she is the shell seeker in the wide brimmed hat, as a child playing in the sun she’d laughed at people like that. She remembers younger  days when she grew weary but now the days of peace are what linger here.  Emotions don’t obey the rules they are the heartbeat in being human.  Like waves reaching the shore emotions can be kept for a moment but are better when given away.

The shell seeker’ s eye remains clear and adept while watching the children play. She knows that life is not going back but more of giving it away. The Truth is, life consists in learning and loving well with Grace underneath God’s sun.  To remain whole in the midst of life’s ups and downs, to surrender all secrets and lies is anointing oil to the soul. To shed insincerity and live in the present, the waves echo behind her now compelling her to go on.

Home

/ jill autrey dorman
people sitting on the edge of a cliff

Photo by Angelo Duranti

Her passion is tender.

Her pain is massive.

Her mind is lithe and quick.

Her body is no longer as swift.

 

Her temple once was a house of cards,

built by her birth, her fear, and her works.

Now she stands on the rock called Jesus

careful to follow him with her cross.

 

A new temple foundation built,

she is sure of this The Holy One.

He makes all things new with his Holy breath,

and will lead her in both life and death…

Home.

A Pure Knowing…

/ jill autrey dorman
bald eagle on flight near rock formation

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger 

 

A pure (unmixed, unadulterated, not touched by any other substance) knowing lay within me because you are Holy…

A finished and utter humility drives me face down to the secret place…

I am undone without the High Priest of whom my lips are unworthy to utter his name…

I enter in because of Jesus and call out to The Holy One…

for I am hidden by the shadow of His wings and allowed to soar into the Presence of my God and King…

Empathy…to stand for everything or nothing…

/ jill autrey dorman

 

high angle photo of woman on ladder

Photo by Samantha Garrote

Empathy without a clear identity in Christ puts one in a position to stand for everything or for nothing. To understand empathy and to nurture that gift the Empath must always be aware of matching their empathy side by side with who we  who are “in” Christ Jesus. (As one who believes and follows Jesus as Lord or as one who is not a Believer.) It is paramount that we build our Christian lives upon our Identity in Christ Jesus, Truth of who we are in Him.

Empathy as well as all spiritual gifts must  be held close to and in direct correlation to God’s Word or we will get it wrong. Empathy is a wonderful  gift as long as we check and balance it or any gift with Truth.

The River of Mercy (the infinite flow of God’s Grace)

/ jill autrey dorman / 2 Comments
woman on body of water

Photo by Daria Sannikova

We lost all of the image of God when we were found  outside of His Holiness. We are born rationalizers, barterers and liars.   Yes we are all created in His image just as he says but Sin’s first act shattered that mirror image inside of us, at least until such a time as we receive the Power of the Cross of Jesus to regenerate us, to rebirth us from our darkness into His perfect light!

It doesn’t take much to look around us and see these powerful tools of the deception of Sin.

  • Rationalizing our need for redemption and need for God By using our intellectual achievement or even our good morals or religion.
  • Bartering  with The Holy as if He could be bought with our arrogant rhetoric of being self-sufficient, mantras of our feeble idolatry of self love, celebrity, money, or even good deeds.
  • Liars- we are all in darkness and deceived by our own Sin some even professing a form of godliness but do not Honor God as our Lord, not do we give Him thanks.

 

Sounds bleak doesn’t it? However, we have been given The Good News. We have been given infinite Grace flowing in the River of Mercy so that we might repent and obey to be Reborn into the Image of God in all His Goodness and power!

I am learning that the River gets deeper not shallow the further down stream I go. I am depending and counting on the fact I have been born again by the Blood of Jesus Christ and I have nothing to offer Him and  never did but here is the beauty of the Truth of God’s plan to bring us back to Him in every way… The beauty of The Gospel is this: His love and Grace and all that implies is freely given to all who will receive it.

 

I have seen the River of Life and Mercy

A crystal clear river flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb

All who come to this river will be clean and whole

All burdens washed away, no more sorrows, tears, or death…

Revelation 22

Lose It

/ jill autrey dorman

 

man and woman boat rowing in sea during golden hour

Photo by Sebastian Voortman

They were each alone and tired of talking.

She remembered when she thought she told the Truth.

Then she grew up and knew it an impossibility for the corruptible man.

Yet their longing made them bolder and  knit them together.

It is a risk you choose, even if it means you lose everything else.

Like The Master said, “you must lose your life to save it.”