Linda G. Hill’s One Liner Wednesday.
Six Sentence Story: Pop
“After all these years of searching I’ve found nothing – nada – zip – that would explain how there could be life of any sort in any universe,” Brian told his grandchildren, “which makes me wonder what lit the fuse that got us here.”
But didn’t it all just pop out of nothing?
By itself!?
Yeah, we heard it went pippity-pop like pop corn, grandpops.
What in the world do they teach you kids in school these days? Nothing like that could ever happen.
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Denise offers the prompt word “fuse” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
Cosmic Photo Challenge: Art For Art’s Sake
Dale offers the prompt “art for art’s sake” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
It occurred to me that most art on display has an ulterior motive even as it pretends to be minding its own business.
These are all up-close photos of large palm branches that fell to the ground.
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Diotrephes and Demetrius
The short epistle of 3 John contrasts two leaders in the early church: Diotrephes and Demetrius.
Diotrephes
3 John 1:9-10 KJV – 9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
Demetrius
3 John 1:11-12 KJV – 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.
Leadership in Church History
When Paul described the qualities that a bishop must have, he indirectly warned about the kind of men who should not be followed if given leadership positions in the church.
1 Timothy 3:2-7 KJV – 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Before the church gained political power, it was persecuted. After it gained political power, it began persecuting others itself. This was the result of people who should have never received leadership roles.
Justo L. Gonzalez1 commented on the persecution of the Anabaptists (and I have read far enough into that book to highly suspect that it applies to any Christian group that suffered persecution at the hands of other Christians):
The martyrs were many—probably more than those who died during the three centuries of persecution before the time of Constantine.
Paul tells us what could have happened from the very beginning of church history if people chose to follow the lead of the Spirit of God rather than their own lusts.
What could have happened is almost beyond imagining:
Romans 8:14 KJV – For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The Point
None of the faulty leadership in the church had to happen. It could have all been avoided.
God did not will it. Don’t blame Him.
It was not caused by Augustinian total depravity nor was it caused by materialistic determinism, the atheistic rehashing of that Augustinian teaching.
Those responsible cannot hide behind any of these lame excuses for their own choices, their own defiant refusals to become the sons of God.
- Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day, page 56. ↩︎
Still More Rambling Limericks
Below are four limericks I posted in the comment sections of Esther Chilton’s Laughing Along With a Limerick.
I limit them to four for mental health reasons. However, if you really want more, here’s the first set and here’s the second. And there are many more by many other people on Esther’s site.
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There once was a shiny, bright lad
and a damsel his mom said was bad
and a dragon, much worse . . .
I forget the next verse . . .
but whatever it was, he’s the dad.
Prompt word: “dad” May 12, 2025
May I rent a small tent in your head?
I will lead you and feed you, I said.
I will say what I will
and you will get a fill,
but alive you won’t be till I’m dead.
Prompt word: “rent” May 19, 2025
There’s a tickety-toc to old clocks.
There’s a warmth when one wears woolen socks.
Every that has a this.
Every love wants a kiss.
Every love that’s untrue merely mocks.
Prompt word: “socks” February 24, 2025
“When you talk you don’t listen,” they said.
So I listened and they talked instead.
Then I listened some more,
though I don’t know what for,
since the words that I heard missed my head.
Prompt word: “talk” May 26, 2025
Romans 13:14
Hebrews 4:9
Linda G. Hill’s One Liner Wednesday.
Six Sentence Story: God Wills That All Be Saved
After listening to the song, Saint Augustine in Hell, Gregory asked John, his father confessor, how anyone could imagine that Saint Augustine might be in hell.
Well, Father John explained, Saint Augustine was a saint and God wills all to be saved, so there’s a very good chance that he’s in heaven. But he did teach that only some, not all, of us were predestined to go to heaven – predestined before we were even born so we could not boast that we had anything to do with it, so – if he’s right – he might be one of those unfortunate ones the Lord never knew.
Unable to lace his doubts into a secure knot of preservation with these vague words, Gregory cried, Please, Father John, I’ve got to know!
You, my son, I trust will be in heaven, Father John assured him, because you love God with your whole heart, because you follow where He leads and because God wills that all be saved just as you do, so when you get there ask for Saint Augustine and rejoice when he greets you. If it turns out that you can’t remember his name, then rejoice nonetheless in the Lord.
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Denise offers the prompt word “lace” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 KJV – 1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2 Peter 3:9 KJV – 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Romans 10:9-13 KJV – 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Saint Augustine, On the Predestination of the Saints, Chapter 16: Faith, then, as well in its beginning as in its completion, is God’s gift; and let no one have any doubt whatever, unless he desires to resist the plainest sacred writings, that this gift is given to some, while to some it is not given. But why it is not given to all ought not to disturb the believer, who believes that from one all have gone into a condemnation, which undoubtedly is most righteous; so that even if none were delivered therefrom, there would be no just cause for finding fault with God. Whence it is plain that it is a great grace for many to be delivered, and to acknowledge in those that are not delivered what would be due to themselves; so that he that glories may glory not in his own merits, which he sees to be equalled in those that are condemned, but in the Lord. But why He delivers one rather than another —His judgments are unsearchable, and His ways past finding out.
Romans 11:33 For it is better in this case for us to hear or to say, O man, who are you that repliest against God?
Romans 9:20 than to dare to speak as if we could know what He has chosen to be kept secret. Since, moreover, He could not will anything unrighteous.
Cosmic Photo Challenge: Wild Flowers
Dale offers the prompt “wild flowers” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
I went across the street into the park to look for wild flowers, but I couldn’t find any. So I went deep, deep into the woods, that is, I went on a trail I normally wouldn’t take, and found three examples.
Here they are.
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Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 