Romans 8 – Poetry, Short Prose and Walking

Six Sentence Story: Adam and Evie, First Date, Second Try

Since the alternatives weren’t working, Evie decided to yield to grace rather than self-justification as she apologized to Adam when she and Lilith ran into him again.

Lilith quickly clarified that what Evie meant was they were not going to tolerate Adam’s abuse any longer and there would be severe consequences if he refused to cooperate with their demands which she took from her bag and began to read.

While Lilith was running her mouth Adam wondered if Evie’s sudden change of heart meant she didn’t know as much about what was going on as he thought. Deciding to gamble on Evie being deceived, Adam shifted his attention to Lilith abruptly interrupting her “demands” and telling her to “get the hell out of here”.

Offended by such rude behavior Lilith made a mistake – common among humans and common among her own kind – thinking she could take brief detours from her assignments to get even with someone who deliberately ticked her off and thereby expose her more authentic voice as a hiss and her more authentic body as that of a serpent now rising slowly above Adam’s head.

Standing his ground Adam baited the snake (or demon, or whatever it might turn into next) to increase its arrogance – bolder, louder, meaner – for all to see until it realized that it had to obey and the fastest way that this particular whatever-it-was knew how to obey was poof.

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Denise offers the prompt word “yield” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

One of my poems, Perfect Peace, appeared this morning in Whispers and Echoes. I am grateful to the editor for selecting it.

Six Sentence Story: How Do You Know?

Word reached Emperor Dunklematerie that Evie, a budding graduate student, had vanished many professors, including his nemesis, Professor Weissalles – who routinely humiliated him – along with some of the more obnoxious students at the University of Noital – who weren’t any friendlier – after eating Apple Poof Delight.

Why are they eating the stuff if they know what’s going to happen to them? the emperor asked his chief advisor.

“Ah, your Highness, the vanishing doesn’t happen right away and no one knows for sure if it will ever happen, since if you decide – before it’s too late – to never eat the wicked delicacy again and persist in your righteous resolve for three whole weeks, you won’t vanish because you wouldn’t be foolish enough to ever try it again, but it is so, so very – VEEEERY – tasty.”

How do you know?

With a gesture of sympathy toward the ignorance of those around him, the chief advisor explained to the emperor how it was possible for him to know what he would never, ever – no, not in a million years ever – have even considered trying. After a logically impeccable and scientifically irrefutable explanation, the chief advisor vanished.

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Denise offers the prompt word “gesture” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Romans 8:31

Linda G. Hill’s One Liner Wednesday.

*Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com*

Six Sentence Story: Blue Sky, Green Grass

Jeffrey lay on a sofa in the student lounge of the University of Noital with his mind full of sleepy sky-is-blue-grass-is-green dreams. He knew he had an assignment, due that afternoon, to write a six sentence story using the word “minute”, but, as usual, he preferred dreaming about the assignment being done rather than getting up and doing it.

Eventually he got so tired of being tired that he chased his dreams away, sat upright on the sofa, opened his laptop and typed: “The sky is blue.” He added, because he needed more than one sentence: “The grass is green.” Hoping it might encourage some stray muse to have pity on him, he wrote the last sentence next: “The End.”

Then Jeffrey closed his laptop and lay back down on the sofa as his sleepy dreams returned to remind him like a nagging conscience annoyed with having been pushed away earlier, “Don’t forget to use that word minute in your story”.

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Denise offers the prompt word “minute” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

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. ↩︎

Romans 8:1

Linda G. Hill’s One Liner Wednesday.

Ovi Poetry Challenge: Forgive

Forgive? Because? Because. Because!
His love will be and always was
and even now in all He does
His love has overcome.

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Ronovan Hestor offers the inspiration “survive” for this week’s Ovi Poetry Challenge. To survive in style you have to forgive. Or, put it this way, if you should happen to survive without His love, what good is it?

Also posted on Poet’s Corner.

Romans 8:38-39 KJV – 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.