The Roger Bothwell Feed

Identity

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-18T18:10:54-04:00

Thursday evening my wife was standing in a line of faculty waiting to enter an auditorium for a summer graduation, when the lady behind her said with an air of superiority, “I got my doctorate at U.C. Berkeley. Where did you get yours?” “U.C. Berkeley,” said my wife. You could almost hear the hiss as the air went out of the woman’s balloon. So much for being special. You just have to love people.

Last week while at my infusion clinic I stopped to give a word of encouragement to a newly diagnosed leukemia patient. As I told her I had been diagnosed 5 years ago and she could look forward to many more years of life, she had to tell me she was a doctor, academic not medical. I merely smiled. Was that really important for her to share? I guess so or she wouldn’t have done so. How about I’m a mother or a grandmother? Those are so much more important. But maybe that was all she had. If so I am very sorry because we are a dime a dozen. All it really means is we have spent more time and more money in school than others. It doesn’t make us smarter, just more focused on one thing.

Since I have never met a prince I wonder if they have to make sure we know? Since I am prince of the King of the Universe, maybe I ought to begin making sure people know that when I’m introduced. But that is so “In your face.” Jesus said, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” If I have to tell you I’m a Christian I must not be much of a Christian.

Of Awards and Crowns

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-17T21:15:46-04:00

On May 16, 2012 Leslie H. Sabo Jr. was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery and courage in action in Cambodia in 1970. The passage of time never diminishes gallantry and honor. Receiving an award and recognition is a heady experience. Watch the expressions on the faces of Oscar winners. How much more so it must be to be honored for bravery in the face of extreme danger.

Paul looked forward to receiving his reward. He wrote to Timothy, “There is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” One thing Paul knew for sure was his crown was a gift. In Romans he clearly speaks of his continual struggle with sin. His crown, our crown, is not something he or we have earned.

Have you ever received an award that you knew you did not deserve? In 1963 in college I won an oratorical contest. I was delighted because I very much needed the one hundred dollar prize. However, it was tainted. Another contestant was better than I was. I knew it and he knew it. This brings me to the crown of which Paul speaks. We don’t deserve it. Yet, it will not be tainted because we all know the worthy One wants us to have it. We all know that Jesus is the one worthy. We are the recipients of His love. When a gift comes from and with love it is forever special. His gracious gift to us does not take from Him but only adds to the illustriousness of His person.

Stereotypes and PC

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-16T20:00:34-04:00

We live in the age of being politically correct - PC for short. One of the understood rules of being PC is not to stereotype people. Each person is an individual with a unique character. The worn out axiom “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a good rule to guide our social behavior. However, there is another side to the issue. Stereotypes develop because the people in certain groups do copy each other. We learn our speech patterns, manners and behaviors from the people around us. Native Bostonians have a particular sound as do Mainers, Canadians, and people from the Great Lakes Region.

Marketers are successful if they pay attention to demographics. If you watch the 6:30 evening news on any one of the major networks, you have to notice that most of the commercials are aimed at older people. One medicine after another is hawked for its potency. These ads are mixed with a few spots by investment companies telling us how to prepare for retirement. I doubt if these are the ads that run on the Disney Channel.

It’s true that each of us comes with cultural luggage and we should celebrate it. It is important to belong and not be alone. We live in a land that celebrates individuality. That’s great. However, no one exists in a vacuum. We can only be successful if we acknowledge that we build on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. There is no such thing as a self-made person. That is a myth that plays to our pride. Now that I have said this I have to admit that I grew up singing the song Dare to Be a Daniel. Some of the words of which are “Dare to stand alone.”

Stale Bread

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-16T19:10:29-04:00

When we go grocery shopping my wife and I always buy a loaf of bread. I am not sure when we got a loaf ahead. But the new loaf cannot be used until the old loaf is gone. That means this week we will eat last week’s bread while this week’s bread will wait until next week to be consumed. The end result is we are always eating semi-stale bread, while the fresh bread ages in the cupboard. Couldn’t we, instead of eating the semi-stale bread, put it out for the birds? We must have inherited this compulsion to be frugal from our parents who lived through the Great Depression.

One of the many remarkable things about Scripture is there is never a need to read stale stuff. Because God’s Word is imbued with His Spirit, who knows us better than we know ourselves, God is able to continually feed us fresh ideas. One could spend their entire life just feeding off the Gospels and still be overwhelmed by the story of God’s love for us. However, in addition to that we have the wonders of the Psalms and the wisdom and humor of the Proverbs. Romans, Galatians, Colossians and Ephesus can challenge the greatest of scholars no matter how many doctorates they have accumulated. It is like a spring of fresh water, each time you come there is new water.

What would grow stale is rereading these devotionals. I am delighted to know that people read them once. My point is not to denigrate myself but to point out if all we do is listen to another person’s sermons or read their books we are reading second hand material. The really fresh bread is in Scripture.

Gracious Words

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-15T22:14:40-04:00

Luke 4:22 reads regarding Jesus, “(They) were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.” The Jews were so sure they were the chosen people there was no room for others in God’s Kingdom. It was often said the gentiles were born to be fuel for the fires of hell. It was Sabbath and Jesus was in the synagogue in his hometown. The gracious words Jesus spoke were words of grace for the surrounding nations. He spoke of Elijah with the widow in Sidon and Elisha healing Nathan, a Syrian. It was a radical idea that God’s grace might be extended beyond their closed world. It was so foreign they became so angry they tried to hurl Him off a cliff. How could God love anyone but them?

Paul became the apostle to the gentiles. In order for that to happen not only did God have to knock him off his horse but also had to reeducate him at the expense of three years of study in Arabia. It is most difficult to unlearn the myths of our childhood.

It seems that for us to be like Jesus we also need to amaze people with our gracious words. It is easy to be gracious when others around us are also being nice. The challenge is to be gracious when we are not being treated so kindly. To be gracious when others are taking advantage of us is beyond a challenge. At least it is for me. But when we are gracious it is amazing, both to others and probably to us. When Herod was mocking Jesus, dressing Him in an old royal robe and crowning Him with thorns, Jesus never said a word. Amazing.

Fly at My Window

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-14T18:59:20-04:00

There is a fly at my window. He can’t get out. He must be puzzled. He can see the outside. There are trees, azaleas, blue sky and squirrels right in front of him, but try as he might he can’t get to them. There is this invisible barrier that keeps him from buzzing off to freedom. He is so much like us. In First Corinthians 13 Paul tells us we see through a glass darkly. So the fly is better off than we. His glass is transparent. God has shared so much of Himself to us. Yet there are still so many questions, so many mysteries. Sometimes we think we almost grasp some eternal truth only to have it fade back into our pool of unanswered questions.

Jesus once said to His disciples, “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now.” John 16:12. It was their last night together. He would be dead the next brutal day. They were struggling with their dream of a physical kingdom. He wanted them to understand the bigger picture. I am not so sure we are much different than they. When we speak of heaven we speak in such physical terms. But there is much beyond the physical. The physical is only a part of our being. We are also spiritual beings. It is there so many of the unanswered questions reside. What does it mean to be the temple of the Holy Spirit? Why the necessity for so much suffering? What is eternity and what does it mean to never stop growing? How far away is heaven? Is it light years from here or already here in another dimension? How can I live according to the Sermon on the Mount?

We are flies desperately trying to be free. See Galatians 5.

Our Neighborhood Thief

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-11T19:17:51-04:00

We have a thief in our neighborhood. While I have not seen him, each morning I see what he has taken and I think he wears a Lone Ranger mask. Each night he carefully opens our bird suet basket and carries off the suet and seed cake. I hope he is storing this and not eating it. If he is eating it surely his arteries will plug up sometime this coming weekend and Mrs. Coon will have to call 911. I think I will leave my cell phone out for them. They are going to need it.

Which brings me to the issue of how well we take care of ourselves. Last week I commented to my oncologist that I never smoked, never drank alcohol and have been a veggie most of my life and yet I have Leukemia. I loved his response which was, “And that is why you are still alive.”
In the Old Testament God gave the children of Israel some very specific dietary laws. Don’t eat this and that. God gave them these instructions because He is the Creator. He knows what is good fuel and what is not, just as the manufacturer of our cars tell us what octane fuel works best for our specific car. Unfortunately the children of Israel turned them into taboos instead of what God wanted them to be. They turned them into tickets to heaven. Do and live abundantly.

Paul also reminds us in I Corinthians that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and just as we would not defile and destroy our house of worship so we have an even greater responsibility to care for our bodies the best we can.

Me First

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-10T20:41:09-04:00

There were a few people waiting for the elevator to arrive when a small group of young people suddenly appeared and pushed their way to the front and rushed in as soon as the doors opened. I had to smugly smile to myself as I got on last. They were now trapped in the rear while I was first to get off. “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.”

For many it always is “Me first.” I get the same smug feeling when someone cuts me off in his car as he rushes ahead only to be stopped by a traffic light. As I pull up alongside and once again he leaps forward only to have me slowly pull up alongside at the next light, I want to look and laugh. So the question is “Who has the problem?” Is it he or me or both of us? Do I have the same “Me first” complex? Is it just that I have learned to play the game a bit more wisely? Perhaps the issue is my smugness. The human heart is a deceitful thing. Perhaps we never get better just more subtle. We just learn to play the game.

Paul’s words in Romans 7 bounce about in my mind, “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” I am so thankful he answers his question in Romans 8.

We Humans are Strange

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-09T20:12:36-04:00

It’s a funny thing about human beings. If we hear one hundred positive compliments and just one negative comment, we will obsess over the one. Tell someone you love them many times but just once say you don’t, it will be almost impossible to convince them that you do. Tell a child they are stupid and it will mold their self-image and they will most often not try challenging tasks. They will concede to the negative. Perhaps it is easier to take that course than trying hard. I am talking about most of us. There is the reverse response in some who will say, “I’ll show them.” But they are far outnumbered by the first group.

Perhaps we are our own worst enemy because we know our own dirt. No other human can more accurately accuse us than us. Sometimes we try to honey coat our faults and make excuses but deep down inside we know the truth. We choose.

This is why it is so difficult to get people to accept the Good News. Jesus loves us. He will forgive us. He will help us improve and overcome. That’s a message for others but not for “me.” But it is for each of us. Despite the fact that God knows the truth about you and me He cares for us as a father loves his errant child. I believe the prodigal son’s father always knew the whereabouts of his son. He was rich. He could pay people to report. How thrilled he was when he heard his son had started home. And when his son tried to tell him all his wrongs the father would not listen. All that mattered was his son was home.

Banners

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-08T20:59:07-04:00

The hospital I was in is on a hill. I was on the fifth floor looking out over a still darkened city. Dawn approached and little by little the shapes of church steeples, domed buildings and electronic towers crept out of the night. Suddenly a beam of morning sun caught a star spangled banner flying high in the midst of the soon to be busy city. It was magic. That cloth flag illuminated as if it were neon. There against the dark backdrop was this brilliant symbol of the ideals of a land for everyone to speak and think and worship as they may. That magical moment was the highlight of my day.

How could I not think of Song of Solomon 2:4 which wonderfully proclaims His banner over me is love. For thousands of years peoples, armies, churches, and nations have used banners to proclaim their identity. During the Civil War each side bravely carried their flag into battle. During one of the battles in Virginia the Union flag was held high by five different men. As each man fell another brave soul raced to retrieve the banner to hold high.

Is it possible to think of any banner for God’s government than love? His banner over us is love. Love displays itself by its behavior. John 3:16-17 says it all in regards to God’s behavior. He withheld nothing in order to redeem us. Jesus was the most valuable gift ever conceived. He was the Creator. The idea that such a being who is responsible for unnumbered galaxies should voluntarily experience the Cross has to be true for who could invent an idea so outrageous. His flag over us is love.

The Feeder

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-05-07T21:09:50-04:00

One of the heroes of the past weeks for me was a wonderful Greek lady who was determined to find something I would eat. Swallowing was very painful, so days went by without my eating. Three times a day she came to talk about food, any food that sounding tempting. Meal after meal she got me what I wanted only to see it go untouched. She would not give up. Finally she found something soothing that I could drink. She was amazingly patient and persistent.

The analogy here jumps off the page. Of all the miracles Jesus performed the feeding of the 5000 is the only one mentioned in all four Gospels. The Messiah was to feed His people. I am amazed that the resurrection of Lazarus, a man dead for over three days, is only mentioned in the Gospel of John.

Jesus has a nourishing message of hope and life and His challenge is to find ways to make that message palatable for each of us. Just as we have different physical tastes so we have different spiritual tastes. As each of us is unique so is the necessity of making the appeal unique. What touches the heart of one means little to another. So it is that we have an all knowing God who alters the appeal to fit the person. The miracle of Pentecost and languages was not so much the disciples speaking French and German as much as the miracle of ears. People heard, were fed, what appealed to them.

Impressive

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-17T20:43:14-04:00

Maybe I am being less sophisticated as I near my three score and ten but events of these last few days have really impressed me. I was duly impressed that there were 135 tornados in less than 24 hours in the Midwest. Eighteen elite runners in the Boston Marathon were briefly hospitalized because of the day’s record heat. Over 1200 people were rescued. In the midst of that heat local military cadets in full battle dress with 35 pound packs marched the 26 miles in that heat to finish in 3 hours. When their commander was asked if he was impressed he responded, “Somewhat.”   Last fall my wife put her outdoor goldfish in a closed container in a corner of the garage. This morning she opened it to find a batch of very healthy fish ready to go outside.

I could add to my day’s list by setting up a telescope this evening and peer out from earth to the wonders of our Father’s house and plunge my mind into the heart of Andromeda.   I could remind myself that my wife has kept me for 50 years. All of these things really impress me.

I am impressed by Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, . . .”   Really?   Now that is more impressive than the entire list above. It is more impressive than any list any of us could write because the power of God’s love and grace totally overpowers everything. In Ephesians 3 Paul wrote, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, . . .” Impressive. Very impressive.

Marathon Day

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-16T20:02:46-04:00

It is Boston Marathon Day. World Class, elite runners are gathering from all over the planet. However, because the temperature will be near 90 degrees and for the first time in 116 years officials are advising many not to run and to defer their applications fees until next year. Over 1,000 people have been trained in the art of CPR and will be stationed along the route from Hopkinton to the finish line in the city.   In 2007 in Chicago when the temperature hit the mid-eighties the race was stopped at 3.5 hours. It was just too dangerous.   However, the winners will cross the finish line in just over 2 hours.

Racing is as old as people. Who is the fastest is something we want to know. It drives us. In New Testament times reference is made to crowns that fade. For a short time it sits on top of the winner’s head but is very short lived.   In Boston in 2011 there was $806,000 prize money to be awarded so the motivation is a bit more than just olive leaves.

Lest we feel left out because our physical prowess does not rank us in the money winners there is another crown waiting for us. Paul wrote, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” I Corinthians 9:25 and Peter wrote, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” I Peter 5:4.   In Christ we are more than conquerors. What great verses!

No Plug Needed

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-12T21:46:00-04:00

I know I am going to regret sharing this story with you but what would life be without suspense. I received an email from my sister telling me she couldn’t call me because her phone wasn’t working. Today I heard the rest of the story from my other sister. It seems because her phone wasn’t working her daughter purchased her another only to discover when exchanging the phones that the old one was just fine. It just wasn’t plugged in! As a dutiful, caring brother I have no comment whatsoever.

At first I was going to use this as an analogy that for us to be able to contact God we have to stay plugged in. However, on second thought I can’t do that. God is always there. No prior contact needed. No plug ins necessary because whether we are aware or not, He is listening. There is no 3 G, no 4 G or cloud needed. Jonah was well out of service range when in that giant fish, but God was in there with him. If you ever feel that your prayers bounce off the ceiling that’s okay because He’s already in the same room with you.

“While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: “This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” Jeremiah 33

Don’t you love that promise? Once you start talking to Him He will tell you great and unsearchable things. I can’t wait.

Oops!

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-11T20:13:31-04:00

My wife just asked me if today she told me she loved me. Let’s see. I had clean clothes to put on this morning. Breakfast was ready for me when I came downstairs. She drove me to a doctor’s appointment and sat with me for an hour. She filled the bird feeders so I could enjoy the Goldfinches already in all of their summer splendor. I just finished a great supper she prepared. I don’t actually recall hearing the words but she told me over and over and over. There is a song in our church hymnal that ends with “How much do I love thee my actions do show.”

One of Jesus’ stories was about a father who asked his sons for help. One said, “Sure, Dad.” But he never did anything. His other son said, “Sorry, Dad. No way.” But after leaving he had second thoughts and went and did what his father wanted. Matthew 21. This is so plain there is no need for an explanation. Love shows. Love grows.

Jesus also said, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me.”

Now that I have said all this, I have to confess while fruit is nice, words are so sweet to hear. Oops – she just reminded me that she had on the way to the doctor. Uh-oh.

Walking

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-10T18:18:27-04:00

This past weekend my granddaughter was off from college and spent the weekend with her two old grateful grandparents. Saturday evening we went for a walk. The weather was truly delightful. My granddaughter commented on how strong the dog looked and how hard could she pull. So I handed her the leash thinking she would get quite a workout. I cautioned her as I remember many years ago I handed my sister a leash connected to a much smaller lab. That experience ended with my sister’s face on the ground. But this time it was completely different. My present lab just stopped walking. She gave me a very pitiful look as if to say, “What did I do wrong? Don’t you love me?” The walk would not continue until I took back the leash.

In John 1 Andrew first found Jesus and immediately began to follow Jesus. On that fateful day he couldn’t even begin to imagine what he would see and hear in the coming months and years. He went from the ecstasy of seeing Jesus and his very own brother walking on water to the raising Lazarus from the dead. He went from the confusion of seeing Jesus’ relatives trying to throw Jesus over a cliff to the hatred of the establishment. He went from Jesus’ cross to his very own death on a cross. One should pause before quickly choosing to follow someone. The consequences are most often eternal.

My loving lab would only walk if connected to who she thought was the right person. In her case it was a matter of loyalty and I imagine that should also be our reason for walking with Jesus. However, I was thinking the reason should be, it’s the smart thing to do.

The Fight

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-09T20:58:11-04:00

Student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt. Student loans have filled me with mixed feelings through the years. While it has opened the education door for many who otherwise couldn’t attend college, it has also burdened graduates with mortgage size debts before they ever have their first jobs. Something else that bothered me through the years is too many students flippantly borrowed as if there never was going to be a day of reckoning. That flippant attitude then spilled over into a lack appreciation for the education itself. Often times we only value things for which we have worked. I have seen parents give cars to their children only to see nice cars quickly trashed. I have often advocated that loan moneys must be matched with wages from work study programs.

So why am I speaking of this? Occasionally I hear people speak of cheap grace. Jesus saves. Eternal life is a gift. Is there a problem that humans do not appreciate that for which they have not worked? Maybe this is why so many churches have developed works theologies? Paul wrote to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight. I finished the race. I have kept the faith.” So there is some kind of battle. It isn’t accepting the gift and going on with life as usual. There is something else involved. One issue is character development. The obligation of love draws us to be like our Savior. Another issue is to continue to abide in grace. If one has come from a works environment such as Paul there is this constant lure, a pull back to the theology of the past because the story of grace seems way too good to be true. Keeping the faith for Paul was just that. Hang on. Don’t get sucked back in.

Margaret

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-05T09:26:44-04:00

I have no idea why I thought of Margaret just now. I haven’t seen Margaret since fourth grade. She was taller than the rest of us and sat in the back left hand corner. Every day Margaret wore the same faded simple cotton dress. Perhaps that’s why she sat where she did for the room steam radiator was there. Winters can be cold in Pennsylvania especially when she had no socks, just a bad looking pair of boy’s shoes on ends of her pencil legs. Today Social Services would intervene but this was sixty years ago. Her long unkept hair was extremely unattractive. Some of the kids called her “Cooties.” I don’t think I ever did. But neither did I tell the others to stop. We can be most cruel.

When Christmas came we drew names out of a hat for a present exchange. I think the teacher brought a present for Margaret to exchange. We were all high as kites the afternoon before Christmas break. Most likely it was a sugar high from all the sand tarts. The room was electric when two little girls started passing out the presents. Then our eyes grew large as something wonderful started happening in the back left hand corner. Margaret got one present and then another and then another and then another. They just kept piling up. As my fading memory can recall there were thirty children in the room and Margaret received over twenty-five presents. The teacher took her home so she didn’t have to try to ride the bus.

I also remember that for the rest of the school year no one ever again called her “Cooties.” Every once in a while something happens to tell us that humans aren’t all bad. How I would love to know where she is today.

Give Up

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-04T21:08:03-04:00

Dagwood Bumstead and I have a common interest in life. We love naps. Also like his dog Daisy who comes and awakens him, I can be completely unconscious on the couch when I feel hot breath enveloping my space. I have learned not to open an eye, not even to peek. From six inches away she stares waiting for the slightest flicker of an eyelid. To flicker is to get a gigantic red tongue swash over my nose and mouth. Yuk. This is followed by 100 pounds of nuzzling and cuddling and pushing. The nap is over.

In 1893 Francis Thompson first published his poem “The Hound of Heaven.” God is the relentless hound that once on our trail with His gift of grace, continues the pursuit. From inches away He watches us, waiting for the faintest flicker of an eye or raising of our brows. Any signal that the time is right will be capitalized upon. We can’t run away. Jonah tried. Psalm 139 reads, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

If you have felt the nearness of His pursuit, give up. I promise you He will not. He is extremely patient.

By the way if you ever have the opportunity to hold a lab’s ear lightly crunched in your hand, do it. It is one of the softest things you will ever hold.

For a Limited Time Only

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-03T20:59:40-04:00

Don’t you just love it when television commercials, for whatever product, inform us their offer is for a limited time only? Just how dull do they think we are? Of course it is for a limited time only. Everything is for a limited time only. When we are born “for a limited time only” should be printed on our birth certificates. Even the rock of Gibraltar is there for a limited time. One would have to be very unobservant if one looked at a map of the Atlantic Ocean and didn’t notice South America and Africa used to fit together.

Of course I understand they are trying to motivate us to hurry in and open our wallets. They want us to think their March Madness Sale will never be repeated. However, it will. It will become the April Shower Sale which actually might be better because not enough people showed up for the March event.

Preachers do this. The offer to come to Jesus is available for a limited time only. They are right. When we stop breathing the offer goes away. Now that I have said that I do want to point out that Revelation 22 indicates there will be a time when the offer is no more. Just as the door of Noah’s ark was ultimately closed Scripture indicates this existence that we now know is for a limited time only. Some might be tempted to think, “Okay, I can wait.” True, but why? Why live a substandard life when Jesus offers the best to begin now. The benefits of citizenship in God’s Kingdom are not just a future thing. They begin now. And best of all they are for an unlimited time.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-04-02T20:50:05-04:00

When I was very small my father was a high school principal. On Saturday nights he brought home a 16 mm Bell and Howell projector and films that had been ordered for his school. This was before television so I was wowed and very excited. He hung a bed sheet on the wall and we were living on easy street. One night we saw Walt Disney’s Fantasia. One of the segments was The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” A little Mickey Mouse was totally overwhelmed by a magic process he began and then could not control as brooms continue to bring in buckets of water.

Being so little I did not comprehend what it meant other than to entertain. Now I understand. Great power in the hands of the uninformed can bring great disaster. The huge lottery this past week reminded me that money is power. Suddenly, someone, most likely with little understanding of what that much money can do, will hold in their hands the power to do great good or do great harm.

When I was a young pastor I earnestly prayed for power to heal. I would leave hospitals and cry in the parking lot because I could not save some small child’s mother from breast cancer. What kind of useless servant was I? Now it is slowly dawning on me as to the havoc that would have wrought. In Ephesians 3 Paul wrote, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, . . .” The power is there but in finely measured amounts. A power surge can destroy our computers. A divine power surge could destroy souls.

The Pearl Earring

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-30T11:14:26-04:00

It was quite blustery yesterday as we walked through Boston Common with friends from Sweden. Stopping to retie my shoe we noticed a lovely pearl and silver earring on the path. Not being Vincent Van Gogh one earring would not be sufficient for me. We left it perhaps with the hope the owner would retrace her? steps and recover the treasure. As we walked on I wondered was it a pearl of great price?

“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13. Just about everything I have ever read about this story tells us Jesus was teaching us that eternal life is so valuable we must not hesitate to sacrifice all to be sure it is ours. I have never been totally comfortable with that. There is way too much focus on us and our labor. Therefore, I find another meaning that seems so much more in harmony with the Gospel. We are the lost ones. And God, the great lover and pursuer of sinners, sees us as the pearl. He was the one who made the great sacrifice. He is the one who will not let us go. He is the one constantly moving silently among people in search of ones who will respond to His wooing.

I look in the mirror and ask “How can it be?” Everything I see is withering away. Where is this value He sees? Those are questions I need not answer. All we need to do is be thankful and accept. Go and look in a mirror and repeat after me. “I am a pearl of great price.” Oh what jewels He has!

Gifts

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-29T21:43:47-04:00

My wife has a much better sense of smell than I do. When we go to the market she literally sniffs her way through the fruits and vegetables. Her nose scans the melons and boxes of tangerines. She makes sure we get good produce. Yet, at home I can open the pantry and pick up the faintest sweet scent of an onion going bad and she does not detect it. I shouldn’t be puzzled regarding this because I know that each person has unique qualities. The world would be a very uninteresting place if each of us had the same talents and gifts. Can you imagine how dull conversations would be?

A football team would be a pretty sorry organization if everyone was a quarterback. It needs those guys who look like refrigerators just as much as it needs runners who can make a hundred yards seem like a stroll in the park. Churches need an endless array of gifts from hospitality to scholars, pastors and evangelists. Churches even need administrators because roofs will leak and furnaces will get old. That is where we come in. Each of us has something to contribute. No one is giftless. I have a friend who cannot see. You should read some of the wonderful poetry that flows from her pen. She is really good.

One thing that breaks our hearts is when we see gifted youth wasting for whatever reason. Sometimes it is because they have yet to recognize their value. That’s where older people need to step in. Remember Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Too often we only apply this verse to moral issues. It has a much vaster application.

Hostas

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-28T20:06:15-04:00

A few years ago we brought home a few hostas from our son’s yard. Being a botanical ignoramus I had no idea what was going to happen in our yard. Two years ago we dug up half of them and put them in the side yard. Last year we dug up half of them and put them in the back yard. This year we will dig up half of them and give them to a local greenhouse; if the owner will take them. I knew about squash but had no idea these things could be so prolific. Hostas must be the rabbits of the plant world.

There are two ways I can go with this. I can speak about one really little lie multiplying to keep up the cover story. Little sins grow into big sins. But that is so negative and while true it’s not what I want to write. I would rather focus on good deeds multiplying. There is a bank currently running a commercial where a lady uses the cover from her coffee to stop a table from teetering. Next she helps a dog get untangled from a tree by giving him a treat. Next she puts tin foil on a man’s radio antenna increasing his reception. Goodness can be just as infectious as evil.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:20. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." We can do this on an individual basis. We can do it in our communities. We can do it internationally. The challenge is there and the results could be more stunning than the reproduction of hostas.

Gelert

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-27T20:18:05-04:00

There was a very popular story in the Middle Ages about a dog named Gelert. One night his master returned home to find his child’s cradle overturned and Gelert was covered with blood. Immediately his master killed him only to turn around and see the body of a dead wolf that had attacked his child and had thusly been killed by Gelert. It was then that he found the baby still alive under the cradle. There are several variations to the story but the message in all of them is the same. Wise people do not act without gathering as much information as possible. How fortunate we are that our heavenly Father knows everything about us.

In a time of edited media clips and sound bites it is relatively easy to make one’s opponent say anything we want them to say and then watch the masses rise up with so little real information. We do it in the arena of politics, in the world of religion with one group pitting itself against another, and we do it in our personal relationships at work and at home. Have we ever been riled because someone told us a certain someone said something we didn’t like to hear? We were not there. We did not know the context. And we did not hear the tone of the voice which can actually reverse the meaning of a sentence.

Revelation 12:7 speaks of war in heaven; an almost impossible thing to imagine. Lucifer, the master of sound bites, the subtle raising of an eyebrow, tonal inflection, and outright lies had attacked the throne.

The Gelert legend continued that the master buried Gelert with great fanfare and honor. But he never smiled again.

Trash-Talking Nerds

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-26T20:19:03-04:00

The local chess club meets in a classroom near my classroom at our local university. I had to smile at some of the “trash-talking” going on in the hallway. These were nerds. Their “trash-talk” wouldn’t hold a candle to that of NBA players. One of them said, “Come on and play with the Big Guys. We’ll teach you.” See what I mean?

What I thought was amusing was that I never thought of Jeremiah “trash-talking” but 12:5 raced through my mind. He wrote, “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses?” If we can’t be honest with the little things how can we expect to be honest when it’s big money? It is the little things that reveal the depth of our character. It’s tax time. I don’t need to say more about that.

When we are born God has plan A for our lives. It is to run with the big guys. But our failures, while forgiven, causes Him to change to plan B and then to plan C etc. For some of us He must be working on plan triple Z. He can’t trust us to run with the horses. Lest this sound way too discouraging and dismal please let me add that accomplishing any plan for our heavenly Father is a privilege and He loves us so very much He will never let us know about plan A. After all He loves us and never wants us to be disheartened or discouraged. And the greatest reward of all, eternal life, isn’t the fruit of some great accomplishment. It is a gift of His love. Please read the Ephesians 2 where Paul speaks of God’s plans for us.

God is -

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-23T20:20:31-04:00

It was Samuel Coleridge who wrote, “Water, water every where; nor any drop to drink.” This morning I felt like his ancient mariner as I surfed through 900 television channels. In desperation I stopped at an old Perry Mason drama. There was Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale in all their prime. It was the late 50’s. I think we had three channels and Perry dominated his time slot. Have we really changed so much? I think the dialogues must have been written by eighth graders during recess. (I say that with reservation because I am aware that some might think the same of my devotionals. Alas.) After the guilty party broke down in tears under his clever? interrogation, I decided to try out an old western on the Xfinity On Demand. I found one filmed in 1949. During this one I think I had to award the writers of Perry Mason an Oscar.

We do change. Languages change. Styles change. Even “truth” changes; at least what we thought was truth. The scientific theory of a geocentric universe held sway for thousands of years until Galileo. However, there are some truths that are so eternal they will never change. The morality of the Ten Commandments is timeless because they are based on just two principles; love God and love others. And just how do we love God? Jesus said, “If you have done it to the least of these you have done it unto me.” So there it is. There is only one truth. Love. I John 4:8. God is love. Don’t ever let people tell you all religions are basically the same. Every time members of a particular religion call out, “God is great.” We should call out “God is love.”

Theological OCD

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-22T21:16:59-04:00

Usually we associate Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with people who repeatedly wash their hands or check door locks. However, there is a category of OCD that just might be the fruit of one’s theology. These people are doubters and are afraid that if everything isn’t perfect or done just right they will be punished or worse lost for all eternity. It has been my lot to have known many such people through the years. Perhaps it was birds of a feather.

One has to tread lightly here because it would be so easy to leave the impression it doesn’t matter and we can be saved in our sins. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We are saved from our sins and the legal consequences. With that as a preface I want to assure each of you that Jesus telling us to call God, Our Father, has enormous implications. Parents are so delighted to see their children grow. (I always wished it would have taken twice as long. They left way too soon for me.) There was never an expectation that once they started to walk they would never teeter and fall. Getting up and falling down is just part of the process. Our heavenly Father is so pleased that we want to walk. And just as we did not disown our children when they fell, neither does God disown us. He knows our capabilities. He knows our weaknesses.

We are saved by grace from our past and our future. Ephesians 2 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega of our salvation. Dump the OCD.

A Slap on the Back of the Head

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-21T20:36:50-04:00

There are some people that really need a slap on the back of the head. This evening I saw three adults who really should be at the head of the line with all of us lined up to do the deed. First of all it was dark. Second, it was a really very busy intersection with rapidly moving cars. Third, they were crossing the street against the light. Fourth, they were pushing two baby strollers. Fifth, they were just strolling.

As I drove away literally seething at what I had seen I unfortunately remembered a few really dumb things I have done. Perhaps I should get a slap on the back of the head before those folk. I doubt if I am really out of place here to think that perhaps you too can remember deserving a good slap. Even if it is just a matter of taking all our blessings for granted and not remembering to be thankful.

A lifetime ago I was a pastor in Calhoun, Ga. One morning the word got out that I was ill. Before the day was out I had three separate house visits from three separate physicians. We had called none of them. Today my primary care physician told my wife he prays everyday that I will be well. Last week my specialist told me he loved Ian and me. If ever once you hear me complain about my lot in life I want you to come to my house and slap me on the back of the head.

I think of people who don’t positively respond to the wondrous gift of eternal life; especially those who have heard it over and over. I wish the only result of that would be a slap on the back of the head.

Stage Fright

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-20T21:32:05-04:00

If you have ever been asked to make a public presentation you most assuredly suffered prior to the presentation; cold hands, weak knees, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat accompanied by a pain in the pit of your stomach. I once had a friend who when pastor of a very large church said he often threw up the mornings he was to speak. Psychologists tell us stage fright is the number one fear ranking above snakes, heights and spiders. So you can imagine my delight when I read I Corinthians 3 where Paul says, “I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” Ah, ha. Paul was one of us. How could it be?

Actually, I am being very generous to place us in any category with him. None of us have been, “Five times I received the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea.” II Corinthians 11. I have heard people mock John Mark because he quit during Paul’s first missionary journey and went home. I wonder how many of us would have stayed. It was dangerous to be near Paul. But let’s get back to his stage fright. Jesus had promised, “Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” We really have it so easy.

Of Hypocrites and Oscars

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-19T08:17:23-04:00

Our local public library is presently featuring To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This Sunday afternoon the National Endowment for the Arts sponsored an actor to portray Atticus Finch. It was splendid and much to my pleasure during the hour he morphed into Scout, Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Ewell merely with voice and facial expressions. Skilled actors can move us and manipulate our feelings with their talents. As I watched I pondered how easily we can be affected by other’s manners and demeanors.

When Jesus called the religious leadership hypocrites, He was using the Greek word for actor. They pretended to be something they were not. In Matthew 23 He accused them of being white-washed tombs; pretty on the outside but rotten inside. However, I’m not so sure it’s so bad to be a hypocrite in the Greek sense. In the morning I determine today I will be as much like Jesus as possible. That takes some acting. It isn’t my natural reaction to the day’s irritations. I believe Jesus’ problem wasn’t the acting on the part of the establishment as much as inwardly they weren’t trying to change. As soon as the crowds were gone it was business as usual.

In Jeremiah 13:23 we find the old question, “Can a leopard change its spots?” Many people contend that what we are we are and we will ultimately revert back to that. I do hope they are wrong. If so there is no hope in trying. We might as well adopt Popeye’s philosophy “I yam what I yam” and be done with it. Paul certainly thought we could change. He devoted a good share of the book of Romans to the task. Today I’m going for an Oscar.

He Waits and Watches

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-16T19:32:01-04:00

Because I was not at the top of my game I stayed in the car while my wife got groceries. My eye caught a couple very engaged in conversation; so much so they pushed their cart of groceries into the parking lot shopping cart bin leaving all their food behind. As they drove away I tooted my horn; but, to no avail. They were gone. I was sure they would be back so I would be a really good guy and guard their things until they returned. Not five minutes passed and they were back. It’s a standard human response to laugh when one is embarrassed. They laughed.

Not wanting to paint myself as wonderful because I really didn’t do anything but toot and that was too late, I did think about having someone to watch over us. There are times we too become very engaged in something; so much so we also forget important things. Life can be most engrossing and full of things; so much so that we neglect the important thing of remembering to maintain our relationship with God. I don’t want to say that’s okay. However, He is very understanding and He doesn’t go away. He waits and watches and knows when we regain reality we will be back. What I love about this is He doesn’t toss us out when this occurs. He’s a good Father and though we don’t always act like it we are still in the family.

In the meantime He “sends His angels to keep us in all our ways.” Psalm 91:11. I wish that meant nothing bad would ever happen to us. Alas, we live in a world where bad things do happen to good people. But it does mean He will always make it right.

Inspiration not Exhortation

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-15T21:12:50-04:00

On our way into a Friendly’s I held the door for a family on their way out. As a little guy passed me I heard him say to his dad, “I want to come back here again.” Too bad Friendly’s didn’t have that on camera. It would be a great ad. I found myself wishing we could figure out how to get the same reaction from our youth regarding coming to church. During church we have a children’s story and a mob of little kids flood the front pews. But where are the teens? Something happens during adolescence and we rarely hear, “I want to come back here again.”

I realize it does have something to do with being a teen. After all 4000 teens start smoking each day. That says a lot about their cognition. The truth is we are competing with media productions that spend hundreds of millions of dollars to capture their attention. It’s pretty hard to preach an eye and ear catching sermon without the visual fade ins and outs, the finely tuned music and the built-in laugh track. Lest I sound totally pessimistic I do want to point out we do have something on our side the other side doesn’t have. God promises to send His spirit to attend us. Should we be wise enough to seek that help we will have something on our side no amount of clever, eye-catching media production can ever match.

One of the things every one of us needs to understand is “preaching” at them and “exhorting” just doesn’t work. They react to it like it was smallpox. Telling people not to do something usually elicits just the opposite response. Inspiration is the key. We must inspire them. We must make them want to do what is best for them and love is the magic potent.

Swayed by the Wind

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-14T20:13:56-04:00

While waiting for my wife to come and get me I sat on a rock at the side of a parking area watching the world go by. It was warm and breezy – perfect. Just then a woman came across the parking area toward her car. She was carrying a good sized framed picture. What followed should have been part of an old-time Abbott and Costello movie. The breeze was just enough to turn the picture into a sail. I kid you not. She was blown from one side of the lot to the other twirling in the breeze. At one point she needed to pull her dress down but that would require letting go of the painting which she would not do. I should have rushed to her defense but I do have to admit, insensitive as I am, I was having way too much fun watching. Only when she finally got to her car did I think that I should have videoed her with my cell phone.

Surely Paul would have enjoyed it with me and included it in Ephesians 4. “Henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, . . .” Almost every day I get emails filled with some ridiculous twisted thinking and they often end by demeaning either my loyalty to Jesus or my patriotism to my country if I don’t pass it on. I’m not concerned about that. I am concerned about my friends believing the incredible stuff anyone can so freely disseminate on the web.

A really good policy to follow is to believe that others are as trustworthy and reasonable as we, until they prove themselves otherwise. If ever, this is a great time to follow Jesus’ Golden Rule.

So Much More

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-13T19:07:48-04:00

I spent a lion’s share of the day connected to bottles and needles being filled with lots of interestingly expensive stuff. Because it was 72 degrees (that is fascinating prior to the ides of March) when I came home I sat outside enjoying the warmth. A mosquito landed on my arm and I watched her drink. (What’s one more needle?) As she tanked up it occurred to me that she was getting far more than she thought she was getting. Along with the blood she also tanked up on all the other stuff that was put in this morning. I wonder how she will respond to her exotic meal. Remember Peter Parker? He was altered because of a spider bite. Maybe this will be the reverse. The mosquito will be altered because she bit me.

In the midst of my ridiculous musings I remembered Eve. She bit and she got ever so much more than she thought she was getting. Satan did not lie when he told her she would learn much. She did. She learned about death, disease, hatred, etc. When a teen decides to start smoking they too will get much more than they think they are getting. They are getting bad breath, stained teeth, tarred up lungs, premature wrinkles and finally an early death. Sin is that way. It looks good. Often it starts out nice but once past the sweet part comes the payment.

If only we could trust God and understand He always has our best interest at heart. God has a reason for the don’ts. I have a grandson who once stood in front of our woodstove. Long he stared and then he did it. He touched it. He got so much more than he had imagined.

The Undiscovered Country

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-12T20:56:55-04:00

For most of my life I thought I Corinthians 2:9 was about heaven and what treasures and wonders await us. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." I believed this text was all about our eternal future. However, I have come to believe there is a dual meaning. Please note the verses that precede verse 9. “We speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.”

God has given us incredible minds and via the indwelling of His Spirit He seeks to share with us wisdom and mysteries not open to the intellectual rulers of this age. There are things to learn, know and understand that Nobel Laureates would pay anything to grasp. It is not for them. It is only to be shared with His children. There is so much more than what is found in doctrinal statements and commentaries. Often we fear going deeper. We fear we might learn something that would shake the foundations we learned as children. We seek comfort in the now and find change to be unsettling and frightening. Shakespeare said it so well in words he placed in Hamlet’s mouth.

“The undiscovered country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?”

It is time to venture forth into the undiscovered country of God’s wisdom. Open His Word. Pray, read and make the journey.

Where is Atlantic Union College?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-10T17:07:49-05:00

Where is Atlantic Union College? It is an address in South Lancaster, Massachusetts but I went there and all I found were empty buildings. Buildings are not a college. Buildings are buildings. A college is a hodgepodge of students, faculty and staff harmoniously blending into a vibrancy. A college is classrooms filled with some bored and some interested students. A college is faculty trying to comprehend just how to present the next lecture as to engage young minds. A college is dormitories filled with noise, lots of noise until the wee hours of the morning. A college is a café filled with co-eds hoping to catch the eyes of that certain young man. A college is people mowing the lawns and shoveling the snow. A college is musicians practicing their next recital with music floating out the windows and across the campus. A college is chapels, worships and weekend church services. A college is people figuring out life and what to do with it. A college is a gym full of basketball and volleyball games. It is couples sitting in the sun. A college is students trying to figure out how to make an essay look like ten pages by making bigger margins and bigger fonts. A college is caps, gowns and tassels accompanied by proud parents with video cameras. A college is proud faculty watching what once was a hopeless student become a young man venturing out into the world. A college is engaged couples. It is struggling single moms bettering their lives. A college is a place of mission, hopes and dreams.

Where is Atlantic Union College? It isn’t in South Lancaster. It is all over the world in the hearts of all who grew at that wonderful place.

Never Lost

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-08T15:13:42-05:00

Can you believe it? I was ten miles away from home and I threw away my car keys. I had not eaten since breakfast. No, it wasn’t 9:30 A.M. It was 3 P.M. I was driving past the Taco Bell where we usually ate lunch when teaching at Atlantic Union College, so I stopped. I put my car keys on my tray and unwrapped my burrito. Not thinking about the keys I unconsciously covered them with paper wrappings and napkins. The next time I thought about keys I was in the parking lot. While going through the ritual of checking every pocket I realized what had happened. I groaned as I thought about going back to the trash bin and sorting through half-eaten burritos, smashed tacos, yucky chicken bones (It is also a KFC.) and cups of soda that had been dumped. This wasn’t going to be pretty. Can you imagine the electronic key being saturated with diet Pepsi?

While digging deep into other people’s orts I thought about Jesus doing this on a daily basis. In the yuck of earth He and the Holy Spirit continually rummage about seeking lost souls. This is so much more important than me looking for lost keys. Actually they weren’t lost. I knew where they were. I just had to soil my hands to retrieve them. It’s the same way with Jesus. People aren’t really lost. He always knows where they are. He just has to convince them there is a better life waiting for them.

I like the idea that no one is ever lost. God isn’t careless. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks of His Father knowing about the death of a small bird. How much more does He know where we are. Always!!

The Allure of Science

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-07T20:54:03-05:00

There is something very tempting about completely adopting a completely logical frame of mind that only relates to that which can be proven scientifically. For several hundred years the scientific method has served us well; with it we have unsecreted knowledge and built modernity. Our cars, our planes, our homes, our medical care, our computers, our phones, our weather forecasts are a product of an ongoing quest to learn more and more about our world. Science serves us well; thus the allure to think it is the end all. But when all is said and done, there remains an emptiness in the human soul that science cannot satisfy. It is no accident that existentialism is the prevailing philosophy of the twentieth and so far the twenty-first centuries. Prior to WWI it was rare for people to ask “who am I” or “why am I here” or “where am I going.”

There is the temptation to assume that people have always thought as we; not so. The world had a blanket of comforting mythologies that soothed all such inquiries. However, modernity and science have stripped away much of what was, even though mistaken, reassuring. The problem for us is we can throw away the baby with the bathwater. Amidst what we no longer regard as relevant truth was relevant truth. Paul’s incredible letters to the Romans, Ephesians and Galatians are eternally true. We are the children of God. We are here to be redeemed and bear witness to His love. And we are going to grow more and more with Him forever becoming what Paul said, “something far more than we could ever think or dream.” Science has served us well but it is not, and I repeat, it is not the satisfier of the angst of the human soul.

Not Yet Like Jesus

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-06T20:08:59-05:00

There was an inscription on the inner wall of the temple forbidding any other than a Jew to pass inside on the pain of death. Jewish midwives were forbidden to aid any woman but a Jew lest they were responsible for bringing another gentile into the world. Once we begin to grasp the incredible depth of enmity between Jews and the surrounding nations we gain a much clearer picture of the revolutionary Jesus and one of the reasons He was so hated by the establishment. Not only did He feed 5000 Jews in Galilee, He also feed 4000 gentiles on the east side of the Jordan. He healed the child of a Canaanite woman. He asked a Samaritan woman for a drink. He healed a Roman’s servant. This was way beyond eating with publicans. At least publicans were Jews. I am often amused that conservative Christians seem to think they have a monopoly on Jesus’ values. It was the conservatives who killed Him. Jesus was a radical.

The Gospel of Matthew closes with a message so radical that it took years before the disciples began to heed to it. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: . . .” Peter had to have a special vision of the animals in the sheet before he would accept an invitation to a Roman’s home. (Acts 10) After Saul was knocked off his horse and became Paul he still needed years of prayer and visions before he was up to taking the Gospel to the gentiles.

Dare I say, can I be brave enough to venture, that until we see beyond our “kind” we are not yet like Jesus?

Different Values

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-05T16:08:59-05:00

There are three different values for your home. There is the market value; for how much can you sell it. This is based on the selling prices of the other homes in your neighborhood and the size and condition comparison with those homes. Then there is the tax value. This is set also in relationship to the market value but usually is lower. That gives the community room to raise your taxes if they are in dire straits. Finally there is the replacement value of your home based on square footage and how much per square foot it would cost to rebuild. That is usually much higher than the first two and for which we should insure.

The question arises how much are you and I worth? There is market value. Since we no longer sell each other at slave auctions we could say nil. There is our tax value. In America we do not have a head tax but in many countries that does exist. When we lived in Africa each year I had to pay a “poll tax” even though I did not qualify to vote. It was a head tax for breathing Ugandan air. I was worth seven dollars a year. Finally there is replacement value. What would it cost to replace you or me? This is a life insurance issue for a man who wants to be sure his family is cared for if something bad happens. How much money can we earn in a year and how many years do we have a wife and children to care for. That number can get very high.

But wait there is a fourth value. It is related to eternity. Satan says we are worthless. Human life is dirt cheap for him. However God says, “Wait a minute. My child (you or I) is worth everything. They are worth the cross.” Awesome!

Buckets of Mercy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-02T21:45:26-05:00

It is difficult to find a more powerful passage in Scripture than Ephesians 2. “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins. . .” Somewhere in our youth we lose our innocence. Does it happen at birth, or when we first disobeyed our parents or at puberty when passion rages through our almost every thought? I don’t know. That is a theological debate filled with theory and isms. For those of us who are adults it doesn’t matter when it occurred, what we know is we are not innocent. Just as God cares for us so he will care for children; with buckets of mercy. The point is we were dead in our sins. We earned death. We cannot compensate for our behaviors and attitudes. The only answer for us is grace; lots and lots of grace.

Grace removes our guilt. God looks at us as if we had never sinned. However, as wonderful as that is we still remember our sins. It is fascinating that we remember things God doesn’t remember. I haven’t yet figured that one out. But I rejoice in the fact. God declares us innocent but our brains are not yet erased. The feelings, the emotions, the memories are all still there. And they stay there until as Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15, “this corruptible shall have put on incorruption . . .”

One of my students told me he often deliberately sinned because he knew God was a God of mercy and would forgive him. Really? Well, that’s another discussion. My concern was that even if in God’s great love He did forgive him, the fruit, the scars, his lost innocence would mar the rest of his life on earth. He would not be the man he could have been.

"Wait. Don't Kill Yourself."

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-03-01T19:54:21-05:00

It finally snowed here in New England. We’ve had barely a flake from November first until now. It’s a heavy snow and the city snowplow built quite a barrier across the end of our driveway. Grabbing the snow shovel I headed out to the barrier to do battle. As I was digging in for that first heavy load a man with a pickup outfitted with a plow saw my task. “Wait,” he called. “Don’t kill yourself. I’ll be right there.” In a few moments all was clear. Needless to say I was grateful and even more so when he adamantly refused any money.

I wanted to pass this along just for the sake of saying not all is bad with the world. The news is usually so gruesome. We hear all manner of horror from self-annihilating walking bombs to weapons powerful enough to destroy our planet. Murders, robberies and rapes fill our evening news broadcasts. It’s the bad stuff that makes the news while everyday millions of good people do millions of good things for others.

The Golden Rule has not been lost in the mire of humanity. The Silver Rule says, “Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.” That’s not bad at all but the Golden Rule is so much better. “Do to others what you want them to do for you.” In Romans 12:13 Paul tells us to be “inventive in hospitality.” We should not just wait for an opportunity to do something nice. We should be creative and make opportunities.

The world isn’t totally bad. Who knows maybe he did save me from killing myself. As we all know old guys shouldn’t be shoveling heavy snow.

Nyjer Seeds

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-29T12:22:33-05:00

We have a flock of gold finches that are just tanking on our thistle feeders. For days now they have devoured so many Nyjer seeds we have to refill them every day. While I am happy to provide sustenance to these lovely creatures I fear we might be doing more harm than good. If we were not feeding them they would be foraging and thus getting a variety in their diet. What we are doing is allowing them to stuff themselves on something that is good for them but it seduces them into a one item diet, which I am not so sure is healthy.

I once had a church member who would not read anything except his Bible. That is a pretty hard thing to condemn without looking like a pagan but I worried about his balance. He knew very little about current events. He was not conversant in things that were for most of us just common knowledge. Perhaps I am the one in error but I think we need to care for the whole person, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. God made us multi-faceted beings and each requires our attention if we are to be healthy. Every good parent wants their children to be healthy and God is a good parent.

I once heard a committed vegetarian say, “I would die before I would eat a piece of meat.” Obviously she was not a vegetarian for health reasons because the last time I looked it seemed that eating a piece of meat and staying alive was healthier than dying. Alas, it can be difficult to strike a right balance in life, but I do believe it is a quest God desires and expects from us.

Algorithms

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-28T19:59:18-05:00

This morning I watched a 7th grade math teacher instruct her students how to solve a ratio/proportion problem using an algorithm. At the end of the lesson, after the students were gone, I mentioned that there is a much easier way to solve the problem. She laughed and agreed. She explained that the algorithm was for students who didn’t know what they were doing. It is a menu. Do a logical step-by-step process and one will get the correct answer. However, she said, “Some of the students look at the problem and know how to solve it without the algorithm. I give them credit for that.” Good for her.

Through the years I have sat through some very complicated, complex presentations on righteousness by faith, sanctification and justification, predestination, free will, etc. My conclusion is these presentations are akin to algorithms. They are explanations for people who just don’t get it. Or perhaps it’s the presenter that doesn’t really get it. And just what is “it?” “It” is the simplicity of the Gospel. Jesus created us and took responsibility for us when we failed. His righteous life, death and resurrection makes it possible for us to be adopted into the family and receive eternal life. We are no longer under an obligation to the law but instead are obligated by love to be as much like our savior as we can. The only real mystery here is why He loves us so much to do this for us.

No algorithm needed. Perhaps there is another mystery and that is how come something so simple can sometimes sound so complicated? Perhaps the fault is in the old saying, “If something sounds too good to be true. It is.” But “it” is true!

"Who are you wearing?"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-27T19:29:36-05:00

On the way into the Kodak Theater for the Academy Awards people dressed in their finest walked the red carpet, being interviewed for their moment in the spotlight. Robin Roberts from ABC was one of the interviewers and when referring to their clothes she said to one of her interviewees, “I’m being paid to ask you, “Who are you wearing?’” Each person responded with the name of some famous or semi-famous designer. The question, “Who are you wearing” stuck in my head. Should there be a red carpet to walk before we someday enter the throne room of the King of the Universe there just might be an interviewer from some far off galaxy asking, “Who are you wearing?” The answer, the only answer, for all of us will be Jesus, for it is His and only His robe of righteousness that will be appropriate. All other answers just will not work.

“For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10 It is an expensive garment; much more than anything on the red carpet Sunday evening. This garment came at horrendous cost and we are the most blessed to be adopted into the family so we can wear it. “For we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Romans 8

It’s a wardrobe that will never be out of style.

Jealous vs. Zealous

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-24T19:54:12-05:00

The King James Version renders Exodus 20:5 as follows, “I the LORD thy God am a jealous God.” I remember sitting in church reading my Bible, often it was much more interesting than the sermon, I was puzzled by this verse. I thought, “Wow, that’s bad. Jealousy is not nice.” Little did I know that words tend to change meanings as the decades pass. Scores of words used in the KJV have since altered their intent. Take Matthew 19:14 for an example, “Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: . .” I doubt if many little children would understand the word “suffer” in that context. And so it was for me with “jealous.” “Jealous” and “zealous” come from the same roots. Since 1611 “jealous” has taken on great negativity. Most likely those same translators today would possibly render the verse, “For I the LORD thy God am a zealous God.” It certainly has a more positive feel.

I very much like the idea that God is zealous for us. That word means actively and unreservedly enthusiastic. I certainly like enthusiastic people. It’s awful when we are waited on in stores by unenthusiastic people. When they fail to smile and mumble I really don’t ever want to return. Oh, there was that word “awful” – talk about a word changing meaning. It used to mean wonderful, full of awe. My wife would hardly be happy if I told her she looked awful.

And so it is that we have a God who is an enthusiastic fan; so much so that He gave His only Son that we might have everlasting life. Now that is zealous.

Truth is -

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-23T19:50:02-05:00

It is an outrageous thing to be a teacher. It assumes that someone knows something others don’t know. That is not so difficult to conceive when someone knows how to read or do math, but once we advance past the fundamentals it isn’t so clear-cut. History especially is and should be regarded with care. Just because it is in a book or a newspaper doesn’t mean it really happened and if it did everything has nuances that appeal only to some. The writers of textbooks, just like the rest of us, have agendas colored by their personal experiences and opinions. I have to laugh at people who claim to “tell it like it is.” All they can really do is tell what they think they know and what they think they saw or heard. Everyone thinks they know the truth and yet few of us can stand in mental lockstep with another. In many ways truth is but an agreed upon set of assumptions.

When I say Jesus died and rose again I am speaking out of my hopes, aspirations and biases resulting from where I was born, who my parents are, where I went to school and what books I have read, which were written by others like me. I wasn’t there. I didn’t see it happen. Yet I believe from the depths of my heart that it is true because it makes good sense. It doesn’t seem like a cunningly devised tale. (See II Peter 1) All of the disciples but John suffered a horrible death. They would not have done so if it was a contrived tale. Jesus said, “Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” That’s us.

Debris

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-22T20:08:02-05:00

Millions of tons of debris from last year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan is making its way across the Pacific to our western shore. It will be yet another year before the bulk of it arrives. Needless to say, it will be unwelcome as it clutters our coast. It seems like a long time to wait but it will arrive. It is much like the fruit of bad decisions we often make. Because there is no immediate detection or results we think we got away with it. However, the debris will someday surface. A rotten diet, lack of exercise, burning the candle at both ends, smoking, alcohol, etc, erode away years at the end of life. The only advantage to that is you don’t have to make as many payments to the life insurance company before they have to pay your heirs. Too bad you won’t be there to see them enjoy it.

Our God is a very sensible God. He has good reasons for the lifestyle instructions He gives us in Scripture. There isn’t one thing He asks of us because He is arbitrary. He always has our best interests at heart. Recently I was challenged about this by a student who wanted to know just how it benefited us not to take His name in vain. Well, the answer is if we reduce His name to an exclamation point we lose the reality of who He is. If He is only a word to express surprise or glee or shock, He ceases to be a loving caring parent interested in our wellbeing and we will not access the blessings that come with a close personal relationship. It isn’t that He is offended. He is way too big for that. We are the losers. Actually, He also loses. He loses us.

Life - Good and Bad

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-21T22:36:24-05:00

This past weekend my wife and I had the splendid opportunity to visit one of our former students. She is teaching in a one room school in Vermont. What we observed was idyllic. Nestled in a rural environ surrounded by the glorious Green Mountains is a place every parent should desire for their child’s educational setting; a well-trained caring Christian teacher, modern media and a committed constituency provide an experience beyond what we had hoped to see. We are so very proud. Her parents must also share our feelings.

As we were returning to our home in Massachusetts I could not but reflect how our heavenly Father must feel about us when we excel. When we do good surely there is great joy in the courts of heaven. Alas, I also remember that Job was doing very well. God was very proud of him when Satan came and ventured that Job only did well because he was so blessed. I think we all know the rest of the story. We do live in a world that does not seem to relish good fortune and as the old saying goes, “No good deed goes unpunished.” It seems to be the nature of our existence.

But we should not forget the end of Job. After Satan has been proven wrong and was duly chastised Job spent his later years once again blessed. Even then he must have had moments when he missed his children. My sons are alive and well and make me proud on a daily basis and yet I do miss those little boys that chased each other around the house and squealed with delight when I came home. There is a sweet sadness even in good times. What must it be like to live for a thousand years?

Deappetizers

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-20T21:33:22-05:00

Have you ever gone to Olive Garden and totally stuffed yourself on the breadsticks so by the time your meal arrives you couldn’t eat another bite? Other restaurants bring you chips and salsa or chips with spinach and artichoke dip. They call them appetizers. Are they not more appropriately called deappetizers? Now some of you might respond to me with a lecture on self-control and that I should pace myself by just nibbling on those tempting morsels and of course you would be right. But I can’t just sit there and stare at them for the twenty minutes or so it takes for one’s meal to arrive.

And so it is with so many things on a mental menu. While I want to feed on God’s Word and other materials that will contribute toward a healthy spiritual walk, I become distracted by spiritual deappetizers. Life is filled with an endless array of books, films, television programs and video games. Just like the chips and salsa they are good. The problem for me is they sate my mind with so many interesting ideas and facts that I find I lose my appetite for Ephesians, Colossians and Luke. When I pick up what should be the main course I am just not hungry.

Three thousand years ago Solomon wrote, “. . . of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” What would he say if he could walk into a Barnes and Noble or pick up a Kindle? Paul told Timothy to study to show himself approved unto God. I doubt if that could have been done on a steady diet of Netflix.

Oh To Be Brave

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-17T22:30:45-05:00

The last words of the American Declaration of Independence are, “we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

Eighteen of the 54 signers had their homes burned and looted either by loyalists to the throne or British troops. Two of the signers lost sons in the ensuing battles. Rarely does one put his or her name to such a dangerous document.

One of my favorite of Jesus’ disciples is Thomas. He has gotten a bad rap in history with all that doubting business. Seldom do we note John 11 where Jesus announced He was going to Bethany because Lazarus had died and Thomas said to the others, “Let us go and die with him.” Apparently it was very dangerous for Jesus that close to Jerusalem. Thomas, brave Thomas, was willing to give all for His Lord.

If one does not have something in one’s life valuable enough for which to die one has not yet lived. We read stories of bravery and courage and we wonder how we would respond to danger. The older I get the easier it is to be brave for with each passing day I have less life to give. The richness and quality of one’s life is the commitment we make to something good and pure. How sad for those who have never discovered this secret.

And what happened to Thomas? He did survive crucifixion weekend in Jerusalem but according to tradition he did die for His precious Lord. As for the doubting? All the others had seen Jesus that Sunday. He had not. He loved Jesus so much he couldn’t understand why he had been left out. He wasn’t. Jesus told Him to come and touch. He does the same for us.

A Grape Jelly Stain - I Think

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-16T22:43:14-05:00

I am sitting here looking at a purple stain on my shirt sleeve. I have absolutely no idea where it came from. It looks like grape jelly but I haven’t been near grape jelly today. This is very much like character stains – flaws. Some of them we know of and there are others we don’t even know are there. We are so much in love with ourselves we are blind to them. If anyone should hint of their presence we are quick to rationalize and cover; not just from the people who spotted it, but mostly from ourselves. I am fearful if we should know the old Jack Webb thing, “just the facts and nothing but the facts,” we would despair and jump off a bridge.

Many years ago I was waiting for my car to be repaired when I heard someone say, “Call the stain man.” About twenty minutes later I saw a man arrive with a small case. I have always wondered what he had in there because a few minutes later he walked out with a big smile and some green pieces of paper folded in his hand. He must have been good. Oh, how many times in my life have I had to call my “stain man” and I have to tell you He is good – really good.

I have always loved Isaiah 1:18. “Says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” What is so grand about this is the promise isn’t only for the stains we know about, it is for the ones not yet known. Only Jesus knows them and what I love best is He will remove them and never tell us about them. We don’t need to know.

One Spiffy Guy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-15T20:23:58-05:00

While observing a student teacher in a third grade classroom this morning, I noticed one very spiffy young man wearing a dress shirt and tie. He had his hair slicked down and wasn’t wearing socks with his shoes – very preppy. I asked if he always dressed that way. The student teacher, a very good one, smiled and said, “No, it’s Valentine’s Day.” What a classy guy. I wonder if there was a specific lady he was trying to impress or was he just making a statement?

Many years ago I was invited to a Presidential Prayer Breakfast with Ronald Reagan. When I received the invitation the first thing I did was buy a new suit and new shoes. When I arrived I noticed there wasn’t one person in a t-shirt and jeans. Everyone was spiffed up. When we knelt for prayer I wanted to look at the bottom of people’s shoes to see how many were wearing new ones. However, I was a good boy and only peeked to see if the President had his eyes closed. He did. The secret service did not.

I realize what I am about to say is very old-fashioned but I wonder how people would dress when they come to church if they really believed they were having a meeting with the King of the Universe. Perhaps I should not be judgmental; perhaps that fellow with the t-shirt and jeans in church just might be wearing the best he has. Jesus told a story about a man who went to a wedding feast without the proper garb. He was tossed out. Of course the lesson of that story was about trying to get into heaven wearing our own righteousness. It will not work. Only Jesus’ righteousness is sufficient to save.

Our Yankee Treasure

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-14T20:22:43-05:00

In 1978 our older son played for the Yankees. I don’t recall ever missing a game. I was very proud. His uniform is part of our family treasure trove. When we moved to New England we proudly displayed it on the stairway wall. Often I stop and admire it and him. However, this afternoon as the sun was sinking behind our western mountain, I was standing out on the street and to my horror I saw the sun shining brightly through the window illuminating his Yankee shirt to all who drive by. There it was with its big white letters on that field of blue right there in the window. Folks, you have to understand this is Red Sox Country. People drive around New England with nasty bumper stickers reviling the Yankees. No wonder the neighbors rarely speak to me. All this time I thought it was modernity with its busy demands on people’s lives.

Have you ever discovered that you have been offending others by your unintentional behavior? As a teacher I used to respond to students’ questions with “Oh, that’s easy.” What I meant was I can answer that for you. My wife pointed out what I was saying was, “Its easy, stupid. Why did you have to ask?” Needless to say I stopped.

Sometimes I hear people tell of how they witnessed for the Lord. They proudly tell stories of rudely correcting people who they think are not being nice. They refuse gestures of kindness because what is offered doesn’t comply with their dietary restrictions. It is so important for us to see ourselves and our behaviors through other’s eyes. Often it smarts because as Jesus said a two by four is hanging out our eye when we are speaking of another’s speck of sawdust.

The Yellow Light

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-13T20:55:01-05:00

We’ve all been there. We are approaching a traffic signal when the light turns yellow. We have less than half a second to decide a. to press hard on the brake, b. press on the accelerator to get through the intersection before we see red, c. just maintain because we are okay to make it. The human mind is amazing. It processes distance, speed, coming traffic, presence of a patrolman, braking power and horsepower. It does it all in less time than it takes to say “one ten thousands.”

I wish I could make all my decisions so quickly and with such a good record of success. But, life is full of decisions that require serious ponder time. Who should we marry? Where should we go to school? How long should we stay in school? How many degrees are too many? What regimen of diet, rest and exercise will best serve me? What career should I seek? Should I take time for religion? If so, where should I go to church and what tenets should I accept as authority? None of these should be decided in less than a second.

At the close of Deuteronomy Moses exhorted, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, . . .” I do hope that one doesn’t take too long to decide. Finally, how grand it is that God chose us. He decided to send us His son. He once said to Jeremiah. “Before you were born I choose you.” What an awesome thought. Since He doesn’t play favorites that means you and I were chosen from the beginning of eternity itself.

Pigs

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-10T18:27:16-05:00

It just occurred to me that Jesus’ story of the wise man who built his house upon the rock is the same story as the three little pigs. Instead of the floods coming up it’s the big bad wolf blowing lots of hot air. It is very much the way life is. People, like two of the pigs, make lots of bad decisions and need to be rescued by those who made good decisions.

I sometimes hear people complaining about having to help people on welfare. We jump to the erroneous assumption that they all have chosen that path as a way of life. It is true some have. But most are in their predicament because of unwise decisions or just plain old misfortune that also happens to people who make good decisions.

I know you are expecting me to say we need to help them because it’s the Christian thing to do. It is. However, it is also the smart thing to do. When people get very hungry they grow desperate and desperate people can become very dangerous. We really don’t want to live in a city with hoards of hungry people. No matter how many wise decisions we have made in life, those who have, will become prey. That’s not a good thing!

Our assets, our talents, our education, and our good fortune are the fruit of good decisions and God’s blessings, which He bestows on us to see how well we handle them. Am I my brother’s keeper? Yes. If I recall the story correctly I believe the pig with the brick house gave shelter to the other two. It’s also good to remember they were all pigs.

Puzzled

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-09T19:51:32-05:00

I’m sitting here with a piece from a jigsaw puzzle I picked up off the street while walking my lab this afternoon. Somewhere in my neighborhood there is a puzzle that cannot be finished because I have the missing piece. There are so many theological and philosophical puzzles that are an enigma because we do not have all the pieces of the puzzles. The problem of pain, a loving God in a world of suffering, did dinosaurs and men live on earth at the same time, who wrote Hebrews, if Jesus is coming again why is He waiting; these are just a few. Paul says we are looking through a glass darkly. He’s right. We, with our finite minds, continue to try to understand the mind of an infinite God and we don’t have all the pieces.

Throughout the ages God, a self-revealing God, continues to share a few. In times past He spoke through the prophets but then He revealed Himself via the birth of Jesus. Jesus was and still is the finest vision of God’s true nature. Jesus said, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” Our continued problem is we see Jesus through the eyes of a tax collector, a fisherman, a physician and a homesick missionary. Each of them were limited in their ways to express what they saw and remembered. Therefore, we continue to see God through a foggy glass.

As we grow, as we seek, God is delighted to find opportunities to give us glimpses and insights. Hopefully, I understand more now than I did when I was forty or fifty. Note I didn’t say twenty because then I knew it all. Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given.” I’m asking.

A Book of Cultures

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-08T21:00:49-05:00

Like most American cities Leominster, Massachusetts is a rich blend of a variety of cultures and occasionally there are some misunderstandings as each group makes adjustments to accommodate the others. The more we understand each other the more we live in harmony. Nothing causes more difficulty than one group wanting everyone to be like them. I have noted similar problems when reading the Bible. We sometimes err by thinking the writers of the Bible were like us when nothing could be further from the truth. Not only do we have the cultural differences of various groups of people but horrendous differences in chronology. Just as our great grandparents would suffer culture shock if they could resurrect now, so we think far differently than people that lived two and three thousand years ago.

Often we err by looking at the Bible as one book written at one place in one time. There are over 1500 years between Moses and John. Also it is easy to project Christian values upon Old Testament characters. But to do that falsely colors the stories. Abraham and company were not Christians. They weren’t even Jews. The Jews were the descendants of Judah, the grandson of Abraham. There is the issue of the occidental mind and the eastern mind. Paul was an extremely unique individual educated in both arenas of thought. His letters are an amalgamation of two worlds, two cultures, two philosophies and one very special way to salvation.

How fascinating that God chose to reveal Himself to us via shepherds, politicians, fishermen, farmers, tax collectors, historians, warriors, a philosopher, a physician and a scholar. And the sum of it is an amazing story of God’s love for all cultures, all people and not just our little group.

The Creator

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-07T19:50:54-05:00

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: . .” “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” In my dictionary the definition of create is “to use imagination to invent things.” In His likeness God gave us the power to create. We are constantly producing new things and new art. We are continually creating knowledge and literature. It is the hallmark of the human race. Without the power to create we would have no freedom. We would be confined to the ancient paths set out for us with no power to really think or choose.

God is a creator. If He only made the things that He had made before, He would be a manufacturer. Life and planets would be nothing more than clones. God would be a prisoner in the universe bored by thinking the same old thoughts over and over. He would be reduced to a fabulously complicated computer program. He is so much more. He is a lover. He is a nurturer. He dazzles with His creations. It is we who have uglified His handiwork. Yet we also create beautiful new things. I live near an amazing art museum. When I first enter I think I want to stay all day but after an hour or so I need to leave. It is not because my feet hurt. There are plenty of places to sit down. It is my brain that hurts. It is over stimulated by the richness of ideas and beauty.

I am doubtful about God’s physical appearance being very much like us. But I have no doubt regarding the gift of creativity that He has shared.

Reservered Premium Seats

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-06T17:42:16-05:00

One of our friends invited us to his high school drama production. Each year he works diligently with his students preparing a really great production. We went a bit early to be sure to get good seats. We need not have hurried. When we walked in the door there were two premium seats with signs that said in big letters, “Reserved – Bothwell.” How grand. We felt important.

In Revelation 14:9 we understand that a third of the angels of heaven accompanied Lucifer when he left heaven. That certainly left a lot of empty seats in God’s throne room. And how will those seats be filled? I cannot but think they are now reserved for the redeemed. Just as Jesus said there is a place for us in His Father’s house (John 14) it makes good sense to follow that with an understanding we also have a seat in the throne room – a reserved seat with our names engraved for eternity.

I have a friend who for the past several years has served in the House of Representatives in Washington. He does not have to search for a seat each time he attends. His seat is well marked. It is his. Just so we need not fear there will not be a place for us. Our seat is well marked and we will use that seat each time we attend one of God’s events.

Unlike today where my reserved seat partially blocked the view of a little guy behind me there will be no blocked views in God’s throne room. Some years ago upon entering a large room I asked the attendant for an unobtrusive seat in the back. He stared at me and said, “We have no such seats.”

Discipline Wins

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-03T18:28:44-05:00

It’s Super Bowl weekend. I realize for some of you that means little of nothing. You don’t care. But please excuse me and bear with me. I do live in New England and this is the fifth time in eleven years that the Patriots have won the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. So there will be no surprise as to what I will be doing this coming Sunday evening.

You would expect me to raise a biased voice about the Patriots being the best team. However, the Patriots have a saying we in New England hear over and over. It is, “The team that wins will be the team that performs the best.” Victory is not necessarily the team with the best athletes. If we disregard the fact that misfortune could strike in the nature of an injury to a key player or the bad bounce of the football, which sometimes determines the outcome of a game, the real issue will be discipline. This is not something limited to football but to life itself. Disciplined people with a clear focus and a studied purpose are those most likely to succeed.

Discipline manifests itself by understanding no matter how good you are at something you can always improve. After last week’s division win, Tom Brady, the Patriot’s quarterback, spent a day with a passing coach. Success is not so much what is behind you but what is still ahead. In Luke 16:12 we read, “And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” The development of character is disciplined determination to continued growth. No resting on laurels allowed. Prepare for tomorrow.

"I 'yams whats I ams"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-02T22:57:10-05:00

Our brains are most amazing memory organs. From the moment we are born, daily it stores billions of bits of data. The challenge of those first years is for our brains to sort the enormous intake. Little by little as the years go by it gets very good at categorizing stimuli. Soon it begins to form the story of a life. That’s why there can never be another like you because even a twin with the same DNA will experience different stimuli thus forming a unique person all its own. Decades later when we try to remember our childhood experiences we will unconsciously select the memories that harmonize with the self we have become. That is why it is most interesting to listen carefully to the stories people tell of their youth and childhood. It tells us much about who they now think they are. Events that cannot be synchronized are not discarded they are just not remembered even though they are there.

Other than God’s miracle of mitosis over which we had no control we are self made. There is no one to blame other than the person we see in the mirror. No amount of resurrecting repressed memories can excuse who we are and what we do. When we come to God for grace, forgiveness and salvation there is no room for excuses. There is no blaming moms, dads or uncles. The joy is we don’t have to blame anyone. God isn’t looking for shared responsibility. He is looking for a contrite heart and an openness to begin anew. He is looking for a heart that cries out Romans 7:24, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

And the answer is (no drum roll needed) “Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Verse 25.

"Them"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-02-01T22:10:09-05:00

The English language abounds in four letter words. Some are not so nice but there are others that are wonderful like “glad,” “hope” and “love.” There is one that increasingly bothers me more and more. It is “them.” “Them” as in “those people.” I guess it is not so bad when we want to say something nice about “them” but it seems more times than not it is not that way.

“Them” are not “us.” “Them” are “those guys” who are not quite as good as we are. “Them” usually have sinister motives and are not quite as “human” as we are. “Them” are outsiders who can only be trusted if watched carefully.

Paul grew up in a “them/us” culture. He has much to say about this human disease. “. . . He (Jesus) came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household . . .” Ephesians 2:17-19 In Colossians 3:10-11 he wrote, “. . . (we) have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

Who are the “them” in our lives and what can we do to make them “us.” Could it be the change needed is not in “them” but in “us?” Jesus fed two crowds. The one was Jewish and the other was gentile. They both got the same meal.

Dog Treats

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-31T22:45:28-05:00

I bought my dog a bag of beef sticks for snacks. I had planned to keep them in a drawer in my desk but when I opened the bag a cloud of garlic aroma wafted from that bag with such intensity my eyes rolled back into my head. I gave her a couple and later decided to play Dagwood Bumstead by taking a nap on our couch. I wasn’t too long zoned out to the world when I was startled to consciousness by an overwhelming foul cloud. Opening my eyes I found myself staring into two dark eyes a few inches from my nose. She wanted more as she gave me that “cocked head, pathetic, adorable, poor me” look. When you love someone or something, people and pets take on a completely different perspective. I got her another one.

You know the old saying one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Well there is a corollary saying, “One man’s stench is another man’s perfume.” Just stop at a perfume sample counter at the mall. Some are great and some are, well, not so great. We are not very consistent about smells. If we are hungry almost anything food smells great. If we are nauseous the best smells in the world make us even sicker.

I am sure sometimes our behaviors and attitudes reek in the courts of heaven. Yet, His love for us enables Him to continually reach out to us. He does not offer perfume to mask our odor. Instead He offers a transformation of being. By His grace and with His power we are enabled to do sweet smelling acts of love as we become more and more like Him.

Cliffhangers

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-30T16:55:41-05:00

Sundays were wonderful when I was a boy. It was my day with my dad. When the weather was nice we headed for the mountains with our dog. When it was cold and messy we went to the movies. Those were the days when they screened cliffhangers. For quite a while I thought they were awesome. The hero would be left dangling in the most precarious situations possible with no way of escape and the film would end. We had to come back next week to see how he got away. As I got older I caught on that the beginning of next week’s episode was not nearly as frightening as had been portrayed.

In the years that passed I have met innumerable people who are cliffhangers. They say they are Christians but refuse to accept the gift of salvation. They are still trying to earn it and are never sure if they are good enough or have done enough. If you ask them if they are saved they respond with “I hope so.” What a miserable way to live! They want Jesus to come but are scared they will be left behind. So where is the joy of salvation? Where is the peace that Jesus promises?
Life is one great cliffhanger.

Why is it so difficult just to trust Him and take Him at His word? He promised, “He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” It’s a promise the enemy doesn’t want us to think about. If we really do accept it, life ceases to be a cliffhanger. We don’t have to come back next week to know what is going to happen. We know and it’s great.

The Pretty White Pickup Truck

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-26T22:07:25-05:00

I have a neighbor with a really pretty white pickup. As my dog and I were on our daily walk we passed his house and a man was in the driveway. I assumed it was the owner so I stopped to comment on the pickup. “No,” the man said, “I’m a repairman. That’s not my truck.” Now the truck was unusually dirty. It was covered with salt and sand – winter road grime. So I said, “It’s a shame to have such a pretty truck be so dirty.” The repairman laughed and said, “If you think the truck is dirty you should see the inside of the house.” Oops. I guess it’s true we shouldn’t judge a book (house) by its cover.

One of Jesus’ more powerful metaphors is found in Matthew 23. He thundered, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

My temptation here is to do some thundering of my own about television evangelists who are constantly begging for money and promising outrageous things. Last night I heard one say if some poor soul out there would send him money their mortgage would be canceled. But I will resist the temptation to go there and instead focus more on us normal people. Society expects us to be polite. We really shouldn’t go around revealing all our inner nastiness. Instead we need to become inside the way we project ourselves outside. We can do that. Paul promises us that Christ will strengthen us and help us clean house. Let’s do it.

Saved From the Mailman

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-25T22:12:24-05:00

The only sound I hear this evening is my dog snoring. It’s not a harsh raspy snore. It’s a very soft gentle sound that says, “I like it here. I feel safe here.” She is curled up about a foot or so from my desk and her snore is music. It’s a totally different sound than when the mailman comes. I don’t know why she hates the mailman. She hears his truck two mailboxes away and starts to growl. By the time he arrives she is often in a frenzy that instantly dies the moment he pulls away. She looks at me as if to say, “There. I saved you one more time.”

I have heard those words before. I have heard them innumerable times from Jesus. “There.” He says to me, “I saved you.” (He doesn’t say “one more time.” He doesn’t rub it in.) The problem isn’t Him throwing me out of the Kingdom. It’s me drifting away and suddenly waking up to my need to come home again. Then it is that I hear, “There. I saved you.”

Will He ever stop? No. The issue is me making Him say it. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to leave you with the idea that He is capricious. He is so stable. I also don’t want to give the idea that heaven has a revolving door. Not at all. It’s a solid place. I don’t believe every time I disappointment Him He throws me out. He would be a horrible Savior if that happened. It isn’t a matter of individual acts. It is a condition of my not caring and my getting so focused on other things that I am the one who opened the door and left. The wonder is, like my dog, He is always there to save me from the mailman.

Really? Yeah. Really.

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-24T20:14:11-05:00

In his letter to the Philippians Paul wrote, “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Really? Really? What about the day he was stoned and left for dead? What about the night they secreted him out of a city by lowering him in a basket? There were shipwrecks and finally prison. Maybe the key to this statement is the word “learned.” Perhaps he wasn’t so content the day a snake bit him. What about the disagreements he had with Peter and some of the other brethren? This has to be something he learned and I am guessing it was later in life.

He also says two verses later, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” None of us are born this way, especially when he was Saul running about the country killing Christians. The truth is Jesus made an enormous change in his life. The change was so great we don’t even call him Saul any more. He is Paul, the man who grew in Jesus.

If Jesus can do that for someone so impassioned we need to take heart for ourselves. If we think life isn’t working for us Jesus can change our perspective and teach us contentment. Do we think we aren’t getting the recognition and appreciation for how great we do our job? Surely one of the most difficult arenas is getting along with stubborn people who continually irritate us. We wish we didn’t have to be near them and yet we do. Jesus can teach us contentment. And just how is this possible? Jesus will strengthen us for the challenge. We can do all things. Really? Really? Yeah. Really.

If I Were a Bell

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-23T20:32:59-05:00

When I was very little before we moved to the country I loved Sunday mornings. One of the local churches rang the bell in their steeple to call people to worship. It was so beautiful as it echoed through the neighborhood. I have loved church bells ever since. Sometimes while waiting for a traffic light in town church bells begin. I quickly open the car windows to get the full effect. Bells can be pealed for joyous occasions such as a wedding. Bells can be tolled for sad occasions. One of the famous lines in literature is by John Dunne, “Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” Or bells can be rung just to tell us it is noon.

If I were a bell I would peal instead of toll. On occasion I hear sermons filled with gloom and doom. Instead I would peal the love of our Jesus and the transforming power of His grace to make us better people. We have so much to peal. Why burden people with bad news? They get loads of that from CNN, NBC and FOX. Sometimes we wonder why attendance at church is low. Could it be that people come weary and leave even more so? The Gospels are the GOOD NEWS.

Recently I read an interesting article about ten ways the world can come to an end. It covered everything from volcanoes to nuclear war. However, the best way wasn’t mentioned. So let us peal it out loud and clear. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

The Hypocrite

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-20T22:17:49-05:00

I was sitting in a waiting room this morning that had one of the machines that makes almost instant hot coffee. You take a small container and insert it in the top, close the lid, press a button and almost instantly coffee flows out. A very tall old guy came over to use it and my wife said to him, “Pretty amazing machine.” To which he responded, “They are wasteful. They are not good for the environment and contribute to the destruction of our world. That is one expensive cup of coffee.” He then made himself a free cup of hazelnut flavored coffee. If I had been up for a confrontation I would have, should have, called him a hypocrite.

We shouldn’t be allowed to have it both ways. If we want to complain about something we should live accordingly. Jesus certainly had words for such people. Matthew 23 is full of Jesus’ indignation over such. Here’s a sample. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are liken unto whitewashed sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

One of Shakespeare’s most quoted lines comes from Hamlet. “The lady doth protest too much.” In psychology we call it a reaction formation. It is defined as when a person is guilty of something and yet strongly crusades against his or her problem. Preachers need to be careful about denouncing something over and over because it soon becomes apparent they have a related problem. While we should not fear to call out sinful behavior that is harming someone, we also need to understand ourselves and why we are saying what we are saying.

The Donut Store Hold-Up Guy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-19T22:15:17-05:00

The same man held up the same donut store in our town three times in two weeks. He was finally captured when the employee with the headset asked a drive-up customer to dial 911. Either this man needs to go to jail or to a learning facility. Then again perhaps he is smarter than we think! It is very cold here. Winter has arrived and jail is a warm room, a bed and three meals a day. His clothes are provided and he doesn’t have to get up in the morning and go to work. Humm? The more I think about it the more I think he wanted to get caught.

I wonder what the judge will do with him. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to judge righteously and fairly. It seems it would be difficult not to become calloused to all the nonsense and evil. Why would someone want such a job? It is something we need and thankfully there are some willing to do so. Then again I know many people who do a lot of judging when they really should mind their own business.

In I Corinthians 6 Paul speaks of us judging the world and angels. Considering the fact that Jesus will judge the world I have to conclude that Paul means we will have an opportunity to evaluate Jesus’ decisions regarding people we know. Should we discover someone we love is not with us in heaven Jesus gives us the opportunity to check the records and thus understand His judgment was righteous. Difficult as this would be, it hast to be lest we spend eternity thinking Jesus made a mistake. That would have awful consequences.

I hope the donut shop holdup man enjoys his warm accommodations.

A Governmental Issue

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-18T21:40:31-05:00

The esteemed historian Will Durant wrote, “Since men love freedom, and the freedom of individuals in society requires some regulation of conduct, the first condition of freedom is its limitation; make it absolute and it dies in chaos. So the prime task of government is to establish order; . . .” The statement echoes Paul in Galatians 5. In verse 1 Paul declares that we have been set free by the sacrifice of Jesus. As he continues on he warns us not to use our freedom foolishly or we will end up consuming ourselves. “For you, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another.” 13-15

Christ has set us free from the obligations of the law. Instead of the law being a standard of conduct to earn salvation, it has become an instructional tool for those of us who need to be taught how to behave in a loving manner. If I love you I will not steal from you. If I love you I will not tell bad stories about you. It is for us who are conduct challenged. In II Corinthians 5:14 Paul wrote that “the love of Christ compels us” to do the right thing.

Freedom is not license to feed out lower nature and harm others. As we can see from the above quote from Will Durant, this is not just a spiritual issue. It is a governmental issue both in kingdoms of man and also in God’s.

Safe to Save

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-17T22:22:48-05:00

She looked to be about ten years old and her maternal instincts were soaring as she came out of the pet store. Cradled in her arms was a plastic bag filled with water. I never did see the fish because she was doing her best to protect it from the single digit temperature in the parking lot. No mother hen was more attentive than she. How could I not but think of Luke 13:34? Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killed the prophets, and stoned them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!”

It was Jesus who led the children of Israel out of Egypt and across the Red Sea. It was Jesus who supplied them with water from the rock and manna each morning. For 1500 years He had cared for them and now when He came to them they would not have Him. He did not meet their expectations of what the Messiah was to be.

Often times our loving, caring God does not meet our expectations. When horrible things happen to good people we have to remind ourselves that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. He would love to save us from all pain and suffering but He is involved in a great war with evil. The ultimate victory will only come when we and the universe see where sin and selfishness take us. There are intellectual issues raised by Lucifer that must be resolved so sin will be ended forever. Only then will we be safe to save. We must never be allowed to carry our disease to the rest of God’s kingdom.

"That's All Folks"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-16T18:20:54-05:00

I’m going to guess when 99% of us hear “That’s all folks” we immediately think of the conclusion to a Loony Tunes cartoon. Usually it’s Porky signing off but occasionally Bugs has the honors. For a few moments the thought crossed my mind that we will never hear “That’s all folks” in heaven because there will be a never ending supply of life, health, learning, talent development, etc. No matter how skilled we get at a particular task there will be more time for more honing.

Then it occurred to me that we will indeed hear “That’s all folks.” When the topic of death arises we can safely say with no possibility of correction, “That’s all folks.” As for pain, “That’s all folks.” As for crime, “That’s all folks.” How about sickness and disease? “That’s all folks.”

When I was a little guy I loved cartoons (still do) and was always just a bit disappointed to hear “That’s all folks.” I wanted the cartoon to continue. I never got (get) tired of Bugs outwitting Elmer Fudd and hearing Elmer say, “You wascal wabbit.” There are certain things that are timeless and I have to disagree with Paul’s comment in I Corinthians 13. Now that I am a man I still have not put away all my childish things. Maybe it’s a male thing. My wife really couldn’t care less about cartoons. But I have occasionally seen her changing clothes on Samantha, her American Girl Doll. Often when I am visiting someone in a nursing home I see a little old lady holding a doll. Or is it a dolly?

I was going to close with “That’s all folks.” But I will write again tomorrow.

Winter Visitors

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-14T21:25:06-05:00

We have two visitors who seem to be comfortable in our woods despite our very threatened dog. They have been with us for almost two weeks. It’s hunting season. I think they feel secure close to a house. This morning upon seeing them and telling them this was her woods our black lab promptly squeezed in between me and the bathroom sink. Perhaps she should stay close to me. A few years ago when we lived in Northern California I looked out the window to see our cocker spaniel come tearing out of the woods with a large deer hot on her tail.

Tomorrow evening the temperature will drop into the single digits. I find myself wanting to invite them inside where it will be warm. However, I know they will be just fine. This afternoon I watched them experience a thirty mile per hour wind gust and they paid no more attention to it than they had the two gray squirrels that scurried between their legs earlier this morning. I’m still waiting to see a moose which my neighbors tell me they have seen.

God was very busy the sixth day of creation. Our world teems with a huge variety of life forms. It is no wonder He finished that day with the pronouncement, “That is very good.” Yes, it was. Now that astronomers are able to spot planets moving around suns thousands of light years away they have announced this week that there are more planets in the universe than suns. If only one ninth of them are as lovely as our earth we have many places to visit. As Robert Frost once said, “and miles to go before I sleep.”

Snowpeople

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-13T18:33:08-05:00

Winter has finally arrived. We awakened this morning to a lovely white blanket covering our brownish yard and the maple and birch branches were outlined in white against the backdrop of a gray sky. It is a heavy wet snow and perfect for snowballs. It packs nicely and has given birth to a new population. Here and there one will spot a portly fellow with a corncob pipe and long thin orange nose.

It’s a temporary population very susceptible to some promised 40 degree days. Like people going into a sauna they will rapidly lose weight, but unlike most people they will not regain it the next day. We also are a temporary population. Our 70 plus years are as fleeting as Mr. Snowman. We melt away and our molecules will most likely once again be used in another human or perhaps a snowman.

If all there is to life is this temporal experience one has to ask why. Of what use or value is this other than a few years of happiness if we are fortunate? I genuinely feel sorry for very bright people who have no hope beyond here. They learn many languages. They get many degrees. Then it all goes the same place Mr. Snowman went. Solomon speaks of its futility. I want so much for them to understand we have an incredible God who wants to build on what they have accomplished. There awaits a never-ending acquisition of knowledge and to speak a multitude of languages without Star Trek’s universal translator button. There is so much science to learn, so many poems to write, so many essays to study and so many places to visit.

Alas, without Jesus we are merely snowpeople.

Sometimes I Forget

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-12T21:40:23-05:00

Some years ago I was driving across the Indiana Turnpike and realized I was close to the university I had attended and if I tuned the radio to the university station I could hear the weekly church service. Much to my delight when the speaker was introduced I knew him. In the next few minutes my delight turned into keen interest for the sermon was one I had written. A year or so prior the speaker’s brother asked if I could help him out with a half dozen sermons. Apparently he had passed them on. As I listened I was sure somewhere in that sermon due credit would be given. It wasn’t.

Was I miffed? Yeah, I was. But the more I thought about it the more I understood how wrong it was for me to be miffed. Number one – I gave it away. Number two – I have never had an original idea in my whole life. Everything I have ever written or spoken has been taken from others. All I ever do is repackage the ideas with different words. And number three – the whole point is to bring glory to God for giving us Jesus and saving us. Why was I wanting the glory? I really needed to put things into perspective. It wasn’t about me. It was and always is about Jesus.

By the time I got halfway across Ohio I had it pretty much worked out. I remembered Revelation 5:12. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”

Many times since I have reminded myself that it isn’t about me. It’s all about Jesus. At least it’s supposed to be. Sometimes I forget.

Priorities

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-11T21:17:44-05:00

One of the enjoyable things in the Gospels are the miscellaneous details. An example would be the 153 large fish in the disciple’s nets in John 21. One of my favorites isn’t a number it’s an aside in Luke 8. Jesus had just raised Jairus’s little girl from death and He instructed her parents to get her something to eat. I realize it is no big deal, especially in comparison to her resurrection, but it tells me so much about Jesus’ care for people.

Real religion isn’t about taboos, food and ceremonies. Paul wrote in Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Real religion is what Jesus’ brother James wrote in 1:27. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” I once witnessed one of the “saints” (?), who would die before he touched a ham sandwich, tell his daughter she had to get out of their home. Talk about missing the point.

Some are going to be so surprised to meet people in heaven who never ascribed to any list of doctrinal points. They “merely” loved, cared for and fed people around them. “Merely?” I wonder if WE also have missed the point with our list about the Trinity, baptism, state of the dead, etc. Lest I receive emails regarding this I do think beliefs are important. My point is priorities. Paul does say scripture is profitable for doctrine. It’s just how much importance we place on such. Obviously the historic church has thought it to be important. They burned heretics.

Extremism

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-10T20:13:02-05:00

Once again the hate-filled Westboro Baptist Church plans to dishonor another fallen American soldier with their bile laden picket signs. Their mantra is “Thank God for IEDs” as they call our military dead “fallen fools.”

On December 26 in Israel a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews spat on a little girl and called her a prostitute because they deemed her shirtsleeves to be immodest.

Each week we hear news of suicide bombers in the Middle East killing people who are not their flavor of Islam.

How is it that the one thing in our lives that should make us better people instead fosters extremism, hatred and cruelty? Extremism is a vice that eats away at our humanity and turns us into subhuman creatures willing to do anything. Often times religious people frighten me. If a man thinks he is doing God’s will by killing me he will do it with a smile on his face. They are more frightening than “bad people” who merely want my wallet.

It does not matter if one calls oneself a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim, if one’s religious experience does not make one a more loving, more generous or more peaceful person they are deceived and are children of the disgraced one who was cast out of heaven. I am so happy I discovered who Jesus was when I was a child and was not yet aware of what is done in the name of religion. If I had not done so I am fearful I might never have been anything even closely associated with any group. How delightful it is to know that real religion is one’s personal walk with God and not dependent on human associations.

The Danger of Preaching

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-09T21:54:43-05:00

Preaching is something of which I have an acquaintance. This is a strange activity where a group of people assemble to listen to one person - hopefully speaking uninterrupted. I call it strange because in most of our life’s activities it can be difficult to get people to listen. Often when it appears we are listening we are really waiting for the person speaking to take a breath so we can jump in with our opinion or story. People go to counselors and pay a hundred dollars an hour so someone will listen to them. (Real counselors don’t tell people what do to. They listen and help people sort out their issues.) Yet once a week or so people gather to listen to one person for thirty minutes or so. Instead of paying someone to listen to them, the congregation pays to listen when the offering plate comes by.

In a college setting I meet many young people who aspire to the ministry and I wonder why. If I ask they will tell me God has called them. I believe He does call some. However, often I think some are not even aware of their personal need to be important and to have other people listen to their thoughts. Preaching feeds one’s ego and threatens one’s soul. Personal glorification slowly replaces one’s desire to glorify God. Preaching can be extremely dangerous as one believes the nice things people say to you. We forget that the unnice things are saved for when we are absence.

In 1 Corinthians 1:21 Paul speaks of the foolishness of preaching that people might be saved. Often I think the person who most needs saving is the preacher and not the congregation.

The Walking Sermon

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-05T22:33:07-05:00

Linus once said, “I love mankind; it’s people I can’t stand.” After we finish smiling the meaning sinks in and we realize the little guy was quite wise. When we are face to face with individuals we see their quirks and flaws and are annoyed by them. When we speak of people in general they are more than tolerable. I find myself wanting to give money to people far away but not to people downtown. I stood in line this past weekend behind a fellow who was covered with tattoos. I confess that I was not overwhelmed with feelings of warmth and care. It was then that I dropped my keys and before I could stoop down he had scooped them up for me. He was beaming a big smile as he handed them to me. It was then that I saw the tattoos covering his arms were Scripture. His right arm was the 23rd Psalm and his left arm was Romans 8:38 & 39. While I have never desired a heart tattoo with MOM written under it, I almost wanted to do what he had done. Alas, my arms would not have been as impressive as his large biceps. He was a walking macho sermon; so much for stereotyping and prejudging people.

I realize that while Jesus told us to love others He never told us to like others. Often I have used that as an excuse for my sometimes unlikeable behavior. While I don’t wish to discourage you from helping some small hungry child in Central America, I would like to encourage you to help a child nearby. Not only will it make Jesus happy, it will make you happy.

Uncle Charlie's Funeral

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-06T22:26:02-05:00

Just once I would like to attend a funeral where the pastor would say, “Even though Uncle Charlie spent most of his life as a lying, cheating, neglectful parent and someone who couldn’t always be trusted, he will be with us in heaven by the grace of Jesus.” The truth is all of us are Uncle Charlie in some fashion (just change the list of sins) and none of us will ever see heaven if it wasn’t for the grace of Jesus. How often we spout heresy at funerals by saying such things as, “Surely Uncle Charlie will be in heaven because he was such a good man.” Uncle Charlie’s goodness or lack of goodness is not the Gospel.

So often we believe Uncle Charlie was saved by grace but once that occurred he then had to “do all the right things” to stay saved. We are fearful that if we don’t take this stance then people will continue on in their rottenness and something seems wrong about that. Well, there is something wrong with that. Paul puts it so very well in II Corinthians 5:14. “For Christ's love compels us . . .”

There it is. After Uncle Charlie accepted Jesus, he ceased what he had been and what followed was a life filled with love for Jesus. When we love someone we don’t want to disappoint them. Continuing to be rotten would be very disappointing to Jesus. The point of being saved is for us to have a better life and that can’t happen if we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to begin to direct us toward better behavior.

We try to be faithful not to be saved but because the “love of Christ compels” us to be so.

Negative Campaigning

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-04T20:58:50-05:00

Literally tens of millions of dollars are being spent by politicians telling us true and untrue horrible things about their opponents. The politically harassed people in Iowa are getting up to ten telephone calls a day from political action committees. Lest we have the false idea that negative advertising is something new, let us remind ourselves it has been around a very long time. Before Adam and Eve lost their place in Eden Lucifer had been actively smearing God’s good name. Revelation 12:17 speaks of it beginning in heaven itself. Then it continued in Eden when Lucifer told Eve God didn’t want her to grow and become wise.

Lucifer then became a campaign of horror and destruction blaming God for the resulting death and despair. Hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. are now called “Acts of God.” He has been very effective in blaming God for things. There is a huge religion in the world that proclaims all things that occur are the will of Allah. After all they say if God didn’t will something to occur He would stop it. Nothing could be farther from the truth. A million things a day happen that are not God’s will.

Jesus tried to teach us the truth. He told us to call God, “Our Father.” He was hoping we might understand that real fathers while disciplining their children would never ever do anything to harm them. Unfortunately even that doesn’t always seem true because some fathers do unlovingly harm their very own children. The next time we are barraged by negative campaigning just remember who started it. What is sad is that we seem to be gullible enough to pay attention and sometimes actually believe it.

The Key to the Abundant Life

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-03T20:31:12-05:00

I opened an old book this evening and found pressed between the crisp yellow-edged pages two violets. The book is very old and had belonged to my mother. Immediately a torrent of questions poured out of my mind. Where did she get them? Who gave them to her? How long ago did she so carefully spread those precious purple petals to perpetually preserve them? Did she ever return to see them? Were they from my father? One of my sisters? Me? Had I come running in from the backyard to present them to the most beautiful person I knew? Had she kissed me and kept them safely in that old book? I would like to think it was that way but I have no memory of such. I just know that most little boys think their mothers are God’s angels. I was no exception.

Had Jesus ever brought flowers to Mary? Surely He must have done so. In the Sermon on the Mount He speaks of lilies. While He spoke of them did He smile as He remembered their fragrance mingling with the scent of fresh wood shavings on their carpenter’s floor? Life is mostly a conglomeration of memories. Since the events of life are both good and bad the quality of our lives depends upon what we choose to remember. One of my friends once came to me and spilled out a horror story of how her husband had abused her. When I asked her when this occurred she gave me a date that was twenty-three years gone by. Need I say more?

The memories are ours. The power is ours. Forgiving and forgetting is the key to the abundant life He promised. What is left is quality?

Jesus Knows Us

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2012-01-02T21:35:37-05:00

One of the more intriguing verses of Scripture is Luke 2:52 which speaks of Jesus, as a child, growing in wisdom. When He was thirteen He wowed the scholars in Jerusalem with His expansive understanding of Scripture. Yet He lived in a poor village that could not have afforded an entire Old Testament. The scrolls were passed one by one from village to village. Time with each scroll was very limited. He must have had a prodigious memory. When He realized He might not see a particular scroll again for a long time He must have diligently applied Himself to committing it to memory.

Adolescence is a time for figuring out who we are and what are our gifts. When Jesus attended Jerusalem after His Bar Mitzvah, He was faced with the task of understanding His true identity. Filled with stories from Joseph and Mary and His knowledge of Scripture He assembled the pieces. It was an amazing secret to carry about during His teen and early manhood years. He couldn’t speak of it because the ridicule from unbelieving peers and others would have been vicious. The religious experience around Him was encumbered with a layer of rules designed to keep believers from transgressing the core commandments. The conflict with parents, local rabbis, siblings and within Himself had to be monumental as He sorted out the manmade traditions from the principles of Scripture.

Hebrews 4 tells us He experienced all our temptations. Those formative years were crucial to who He was. There is not a child, adolescent or adult anywhere He does not understand. The Word became flesh and He experienced everything except old age. We didn’t let Him get there.

Animal Crackers

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-30T18:28:37-05:00

I sat in church watching a small child eat a box of Animal Crackers. I must confess I wish he had offered me one. I remember being his size and wishing I could have had Animal Crackers. I wasn’t allowed to eat in church. It would have been possible to have had them. They have been around that long. Actually, my parents could have had them when they were small. They have been around since 1902. I wonder how many billions of those little crackers (actually more like a cookie) have been consumed by grateful little kids. I remember trying to make a case for church consumption because they were made in the image of creatures God made on the sixth day of creation. My logic never prevailed. Maybe it was the circus pictured box.

I’m sure it never occurred to that little guy to offer me one. To him I must look like his vision of Methuselah. Surely old people couldn’t like Animal Crackers. They do. There are certain things for everyone. In I Corinthians 13 Paul speaks of putting away childish things. But he was speaking of ideas like being good enough to be saved and thinking we are His special children as opposed to everyone else. Those are childish ideas that need to be shed by mature minds that honestly look in the mirror and know they cannot be so, except for our dishonest conceit. Paul wasn’t speaking of some special childhood things. Dare I confess that I still have my teddy bear?

One evening I entered a hospital room to visit an old friend who wasn’t going to come home again. His wife was feeding him from a half-gallon container of Breyers vanilla ice cream. How grand!

The Game

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-29T22:57:32-05:00

My wife keeps a running Scrabble game with our older son. They do it electronically on their cell phones. It is a nice way to stay in close contact and it keeps him from forgetting he has parents who love him very much. The old adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder isn’t always true. Sometimes out of sight is out of mind.

It’s a good idea to keep one’s children aware of how much they are loved no matter how old they are. Being loved is essential to our health and vitality. Our heavenly Father is very aware of this and continually sends us gifts to remind us of how much He cares for us. Those gifts come in many ways. We only have to be aware of the things around us. When we are paying attention we receive all kinds of serendipities.

The onus is also on us to check in with Him. Even if it is a short “Good Morning, Lord” when we wake up or a “Good Night, Father” as we hit the pillow. Granted more contact than that would be most advantageous to the relationship but it’s something. It keeps us in contact and available for the bigger, longer experiences He wants to share with us. Reading His mail to us really helps – you know – those letters called Matthew, Luke, and John. They are filled with news straight from His heart to ours.

Maybe just as my wife keeps a game going with our son, we could keep a game going with our Father. It could be called, “Count the Serendipities.” See if we can find more than yesterday. I promise you, they are there.

The Needle

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-28T23:32:21-05:00

The burn is less than two seconds as the shiny slim steel needle skillfully stealthfully slips though my skin into a vein. A burst of red rushes into the clear tube then turns pink and then clear as the life-saving fluid flows into my hungry body. The bottle hangs over my head as its contents became part of me. Antibodies, battling antibodies will seek and destroy any foreign life they find. Only my cells will they ignore. Antibodies from over twenty thousand other people will course through my veins battling to keep me alive.

Tonight I am alive. Tomorrow night I will be alive. For the next thirty days I will be alive until once again that shiny slim steel needle will once again tear through my skin in search of a vein. For five years now this has been my ritual. For five years now I live because of the wonders of modern medicine. For five years now I am in debt to the thousands of people who share their antibodies that I can continue to celebrate life with my incredible wife, sons and grandchildren and write to you about the love of our Creator God who gives us knowledge of that wonderful thing He made that Friday in His very image.

Someday I will no longer need that shiny slim steel needle. In I Corinthians Paul promises that this corruption will put on incorruption, this mortal shall put on immortality and I along with you and millions others will exchange this form for an eternal tribute to His love. But until that day I shall write to you about the grandest God who ever could be – for He is the one who made Himself poor by giving us His only Son so shiny slim steel needles will only be a memory.

The Dark Time of the Year

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-27T17:48:31-05:00

Here in central Massachusetts the length of day between sunrise and sunset was 9 hours and 1 minute on the 19th through the 26th of this month. It wasn’t just the darkest day of the year it was the darkest week. It is grand to celebrate the birth of the Light of the World during this darkest of times. The European pagans celebrated Saturnalia during this same dark time recognizing the birthday of the unconquerable sun on the 25th.

Many of my friends grow just a tad uncomfortable when this topic comes up. Somehow it seems that we are participating in paganism because of these facts. But true meaning is what happens inside our minds. God gave us incredible minds with which to choose and create. The power is ours to make something mean what we choose for it to mean. We do not have to allow others to dictate to us what meaning we bring to something. It is part of the freedom of which Paul speaks so eloquently in Galatians 5.

Since we do not know when Jesus was born it is our prerogative to usurp this dark time of the year from the pagans and claim it for our Lord, who proclaimed Himself to be the Light of the World. He is the one who created the sun the pagans worshiped. The pagans lost this battle. Jesus won. The time is His. As the days now grow longer so we should also be more and more enlightened everyday with the light of Jesus’ presence in our walk. Solomon said, “The light shines more and more on our path.” That light is Jesus. He is the King of Kings. Just as He won the victory over death He wins the victory over all the meaningless pagan Gods of the past.

Seatbelt

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-23T21:26:47-05:00

My dog loves to go in the car. She is so happy when I tell her she can go along. Normally she rides in the back. But today my wife wasn’t with me so she happily moved up to the passenger front seat. The problem with that is I couldn’t get her to buckle up her seat belt. Not only is that a safety issue for her it is an amazing annoyance for me. She weighs 80 pounds and triggers the seatbelt reminder. Over and over and over the car goes ding, ding, ding and more dings. If I told her once I told her a dozen times to buckle up but she refused.

She is just like people who won’t listen to God. He tells us what lifestyle is good for us. We pay little attention. He tells us we will be richly blessed if we tithe. Most people don’t. He tells us not to lie. Most people do. He tells us to remember His Sabbath day. Few people do. The list can go on and on. We just don’t pay attention; just like the seatbelt is a safety issue for my dog so all His commands are safety issues. Each command has beneficial fruit. One big difference is we don’t hear a ding, ding, ding when we don’t listen to Him. Maybe that would help. Maybe we would do better if He dinged us. But that’s not His way. We do get dinged (more like the dings in the car door – or worse) but He doesn’t do it to us. They are the fruit of not paying attention to Him.

The Psalmist says it so well. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” 119:105

It's This Way

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-21T21:19:25-05:00

While I was waiting in the parking lot of a big box store a car pulled in near me. The driver wasn’t in the store very long before he came out and started looking for his car. Thinking to help him I called to him while pointing to his car. “No,” he responded, “it’s over here.” I understood his problem. He had referenced his parking spot to the entry door of the store. The exit door was farther away. So, again I called out. “It’s over here.” Again he rebuffed my effort to help so I just sat and watched. Finally he pressed the alarm button on his key and sure enough the car I was pointing to started beeping. As he came over and drove away he never looked my way. I guess it’s not manly to be wrong.

In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way.” For two thousand years now people have rebuffed His directions. “No,” they call back to Him, “I know a better way.” Again and again He calls out directions until finally they can’t hear Him anymore. He’s still calling but their ears have grown deaf to Him. Maybe that’s why Jesus said so many times, “Let Him who has ears, hear.”

Perhaps part of the problem is that those of us on “The Way” have not made “The Way” a very nice place. I hope not. The early Christian church referred to themselves as “The Way.” It is frustrating to really know something and to not be able to communicate it. I have often wondered about the frustration level of the Holy Spirit. He is continually wooing people and is continually ignored. That’s tough.

Christmas Letters

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-20T21:50:44-05:00

It is such a grand time for catching up on friends. Each day the postman leaves us a handful of Christmas letters and photos. Contrary to some people’s complaints about reading about people’s cruises and brilliant grandchildren, I enjoy it. Life is about people and it is a joy to read about people who had ordinary children produce extraordinary grandchildren. Isn’t it nice to know that once upon a time we had grandparents that thought we were terrific?

One of the challenges of the season is recognizing just who sent the Christmas letter. Even though there are pictures in the envelopes I still look at them and have NO idea who they are. Men have gone bald. Woman have gone blond. Where there were two nice trim people there are now – humm – I don’t know how to describe what I see. I don’t recognize the names of the grandchildren since they are new to this world. Most of the time the return address on the envelope helps but sometimes it’s missing. I have one here in my hand that has me totally stumped. Anybody out there know a couple named Alfonso and Rebecca with grandchildren named Jose and Isabella?

What a relief it is to know that God never has this problem. No matter how much we change or how long it has been since we have bothered to contact Him, He still knows everything about us and our grandchildren. He even thinks our grandchildren are extraordinary; maybe not brilliant but very loveable. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus assures us God notes every sparrow. Now that is amazing since they all look alike. He’s just that way. That’s why Jesus told us to call Him, Father.

We Have No Idea

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-19T16:07:32-05:00

While visiting a second grade classroom my wife was asked to read the Bible story of the children of Israel crossing the Jordan. Afterwards a little girl came over to her and said, “You’re becoming a very good reader.” Considering the fact that my wife’s doctorate from U C Berkeley is in reading I figured that was about the best compliment she has ever received. That was a very discerning and sweet seven-year-old.

I wonder if our praise and compliments to our Father God cause Him to smile. He knows all the secrets of biology and physics. Chemistry and mathematics are some of His specialties. The intricacies of psychology are as open to Him as are the ABC’s to us. When we pray we tell Him how great He is. We have no idea how great He really is! Our perspective is so narrow and limited. The day we walk into the throne room of the Almighty our mouths will drop open and we will gasp at the glories and intricacies before our eyes. We will be overwhelmed to think that Jesus left all that to share with us the reality and horror of this sinful world. The Gift in Bethlehem was God making Himself poor that we could become rich. The problem for us is we have no idea what rich really is. We think in terms of things and bank balances. I doubt if those things are even in the equation of heavenly wealth, which is love and relationships and eternal life without the rotten fruit of sin.

Now that I have said all this I think I will make God smile and ignorantly say, “Thank you Father for being so majestic.”

The World's Greatest Preacher

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-16T22:57:43-05:00

I recently heard someone referred to as the World’s Greatest Preacher. As crass as this may sound that is as relative as pronouncing a flavor of ice cream or a particular brand of pizza as the world’s greatest. Different people like different foods. I chose food for the analogy because preaching really is a matter of taste – mental taste. Preaching is a very stylized form of communication laden with theological and cultural biases. A few years ago I preached to a large group of mostly Caucasians. It was well received; therefore, a few weeks later when I was invited to speak to a large group of African-Americans, I decided to use the same sermon. It was an awesome mistake. I began looking for the backdoor as I came to realize very few were listening to me. If I ever had their attention I certainly had not kept it; thus the importance of the blessing of Pentecost and the gift of tongues.

The gift of tongues can be speaking in a foreign language, but most likely it happens more often then we think when we preach to a group filled with children, teens, young adults and seniors. Each has a different need and each is listening for something meaningful and relevant to them. One of the best compliments a preacher can have is when a small child meets you after church and says, “That was really good.” You can take that one to the bank. Older people will tell you it was good because they don’t know what else to say and be polite.

The most challenging command Jesus ever gave comes at the end of Matthew. It is the Gospel commission. It needs not one preacher but a host because there isn’t one world’s greatest preacher.

Carpe diem

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-15T20:27:51-05:00

I’m loving being a senior citizen. I checked a videotape out of our city library and was told it was due on Friday. However, I happen to know that senior citizens don’t have to pay library fines. They don’t think we can remember to bring stuff back. So I’ll take it back whenever. I get my drink free at Taco Bell. That’s a real bargain. Last night while stacking chairs our conference president came over and offered to help me pick up a chair. Hey, he’s no spring chicken either. Then yesterday when I entered a barber shop the barber said to me, “What can I do for you?” “What?” I thought, “This is a barbershop. Why would I come in here? Do I need a lobotomy?” Last week, a teen passed me on the sidewalk and said, “Hi, Pops.” Yeah, I like this stage of life. I think I will revert to my childhood and start stating my age in fractions. “I am 69 and three quarters.” I told someone today I was 70 just for the fun of seeing their expression. They were shocked because I really look 80.

Even though I totally believe heaven is waiting for me I am in no hurry to check out of here. There is too much fun going on. I don’t want to miss what’s coming next. Just look at all the electronic gadgets we get to play with. Next year I’m getting a robot to be my valet.

Jesus wants us to experience the abundant life. He told us that is why He came. He is interested in our future but He is also interested in our todays. See John 10:10

Accidental Phone Calls

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-14T22:16:28-05:00

I have this teacher friend who kept calling me today. When I answered he didn’t. Instead of hearing his “Hello” I heard him teaching algebra. I would hang up and a few minutes later he would call again. This happened several times. It seems he had his cell phone in his pocket and unconsciously he kept tapping it. I was the receiver. This must have been payback because a year or so ago when I was in with my doctor I unawares called him. He wasn’t home and his answering machine then recorded my conversation with my doctor. It gives us pause to think of the possible consequences of such an event. However, if we only say nice things about others there is nothing to be concerned about. Record away.

Recently I heard someone say we should pretend Jesus is in the room and then our conversation would always be nurturing and kind. But wait a moment. Jesus via the Holy Spirit is always with us. We don’t have to pretend. See John 14. I am uncomfortable with the idea that we always have to be monitoring ourselves. That gets to be old very fast and we just give up. Wouldn’t it be so much better if we were the kind of person who naturally said and did the kind thing? No pretending. No monitoring. Just be natural and know we will say the right thing because we really care about others. Actually that might be asking a bit much. Even Jesus got angry at times and said some very harsh things. See Matthew 23. Wouldn’t we love to have a recording of that! I guess Solomon was right when he said there is a time for everything.

The Nutcracker

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-13T21:09:12-05:00

When Peter Tchaikovsky died in 1893 he never could have imagined he would someday sell everything from expensive horseless carriages to inexpensive toiletries at Kmart. Perhaps it’s because the music of his Nutcracker Ballet has become so associated with Christmas, or because it receives no copyright royalties, or just because it is so beautiful that merchants use it so often as background in their commercials. If Tchaikovsky could have received a nickel for every product he has sold he would be wealthier than Bill Gates. Then again we must not forget whose birthday is being used to stimulate the economy by getting us to shop.

Believing that Jesus voluntarily surrendered his omniscience when He became a man, then neither could He have known how many toys, autos, clothes and computers He would someday sell via His made-up birthday. There is so much irony in all this thing we call Christmas. It is a delightful time. The music is great. (Pretty much. I’m not so sure of the Chipmunks singing “Jingle Bells.”) Most people are a bit nicer. (Worried about that “list.”) And perhaps, just maybe, some people give a bit more thought to the real reason. I am of the opinion that anything that draws people’s thoughts to the gift at Bethlehem has some merit.

Therefore, during the day as I drive about I will enjoy hearing about partridges in pear trees and drummer boys. But my real thoughts, my solemn thoughts will be about the vulnerability of Jesus as one of us and His victory over sin. As happy as pretty lights and decorated trees make me, the real joy that brings tears to my eyes will always be about what happened in a filthy animal stall in Bethlehem.

Winter Moon

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-12T21:24:19-05:00

There is a silence settling over our New England nights. There are no frogs, crickets or other night sounds. Winter is creeping in on us. The leaves have layered the forest floor giving a blanket’s warmth to the salamanders that will not appear again until spring when the sun will again warm our fertile earth. As we approach the longest night of the year owls patiently watch for mice that have not yet filled their pantries for the coming famine. Squirrel’s inner GPSs have logged a map of buried acorns as they await the howling winds of January.

Tonight’s December moon drifts slowly across the sky in its appointed path. Silhouetted birch and maple branches web across my sky like the work of a drunken spider. In the morning there will be a glassy pane of ice across puddles. Until then our neighborhood coyote will roam through our yards enabled by the glow of that winter moon.

My dog sits close beside me staring into the darkness of our woods. This morning she saw a pair of deer. I think she is looking to see if they will again sleep near our house. I hear her soft breathing. I feel the hardness of her body press against my leg as if to let me know as long as we are together we are safe. All is well as winter settles in. The woodpile is high and ready for those wonderful days when schools are closed and one can sit all day by the fire with a good book and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Winter is a good time. It heralds the coming of spring. Spring always follows winter. But for now I will enjoy the slowly drifting winter moon.

Eternal Friendships

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-09T22:17:45-05:00

We went to dinner this evening with two of the most wonderful people in the world. Honest, caring people. We have known them for eighteen years and the only thing wrong with the relationship is we don’t share enough time with them. They are the parents of four sons. One of those sons gave me the opportunity to solemnize his wedding. It was a grand occasion. Smart fellow - he married a teacher. What more can I say about that? One of the saddest days of my life was when I spoke at one of their son’s funeral. I still feel the pain as I write. There is nothing more meaningful than to have friends and be with them at the high moments of life and during the lowest. Friends are for laughing and crying; thankfully more laughing.

Isn’t it grand to have friends? However, there is a sweet sorrow as the years pass. We watch each other wrinkle and gray. We know if it wasn’t for Jesus those friends will be gone someday. But, we can be so thankful in knowing that in Jesus friendships will never end. We will have dinner again and again as the millenniums roll by and how sweet it will be. There will be no graying or wrinkling. If anything we will keep looking better and better.

Jesus is our Friend. He said so and He never lies. He wants to have dinner with us. In eternity there is time for everything and that means each of us can have Jesus Himself home for dinner. Oh the stories we will tell. He will get to fill in details of things we did; details we had no clue about. Eternal friendships – that is what eternity is all about.

The Now Gift

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-08T21:54:59-05:00

We received a Christmas box from some very special friends. Now I have a dilemma. Do I or do I not have the self-discipline to wait until Christmas before opening it? There it sits on the kitchen counter taunting me. Each time I pass by it whispers, “Hey, I’m here. I have goodies inside. Come on. You don’t have to tell your friends you opened it. They live in Florida. They won’t know.” My wife doesn’t help. She opines that there might be something perishable in that box and to delay wouldn’t be a good idea. However, there is something to be said for waiting. This could be an exercise in character development. But then again at my age do I really need to build any more character? Perhaps I could excuse myself by asserting at my age the end could come at any moment and if I wait I might never know the contents. Then there is the issue of thanks. If I open it now I can express my thanks to my friends prior to the time when they will be inundated with thanks from others. I don’t want my thanks to be lost in the volume.

One of the wonders Jesus wanted us to understand is that His gift to us does not have to wait until some future time. He wants us to experience the joy and benefits now. Note John 5:24. “He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Eternity begins the moment we accept His gracious offer made possible by His sacrifice. The gift is now. The fruit of the gift is forever.

Many Mansions

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-07T17:58:10-05:00

When I was small the people in my church used to ask each other, “How long have you been in the Truth.” It was understood that to be a member meant you knew what the Bible taught, what life was about, what God expected of us and what we had to do to please God. One day two young men knocked on our door and as I sat and listened to their fervency it was as if I was looking in a mirror. Members from another group knocked on my door and once again as I took their pamphlet I was looking in a mirror. While we were living in Uganda a pope visited for the purpose of solemnizing a place where both Anglican and Catholic Ugandans were burned alive in lieu of renouncing their faith. Each group, including mine, has a worldview they (we) believe is consistent with Scripture. And yet each group is distinctively unique.

There is a certain kind of spiritual and intellectual arrogance in thinking our worldview is “The Truth.” One of the great lessons of Balaam is that God has His people in many places. The Children of Israel did not have a monopoly on God’s concern and revelation. Jesus once said, “Herein will men know you are my disciples that you love one another.” Strange that not one hint of doctrine appears in that command. (Or was it an observation?) Perhaps the important issue is not one’s worldview as much as one’s loyalty, faithfulness and commitment to their worldview. Jesus also told us to put our hand to the plow and not look back. Is not His appeal to us to commit with all our hearts and all of our talents? Surely in His house there are many mansions. John 14.

"He's Not Mine."

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-06T18:58:37-05:00

Rowdy children are great fun when they belong to someone else. Such it was this weekend. We were walking behind a couple with a preadolescent boy who was giving them a bad time. I have to admit I was enjoying the show. Finally the man turned to us and said, “He’s not mine!” Maybe that was one of the reasons the boy was acting up. He wasn’t loved enough for the man to take responsibility for him.

That is one of the most wonderful parts of the Gospel. No matter how bad we are God never quits caring about us. When Adam and Eve shattered God’s plan for Earth it would have been so easy for God to just wash His hands of them and say, “They aren’t mine.” But they were His. Never once did He contemplate proclaiming them to be on their own.

This is no license for bad behavior on our part that is unless we are preadolescent. We can’t just walk around abusing His grace and care. In Galatians 5 Paul talks about walking in freedom and warns us not to use that freedom to abuse ourselves and others. So much of being a Christian is being a grownup. When we are no longer preadolescent we should understand responsibility and respect. We respect others and we respect ourselves. We don’t do harmful things. We want to be like our Jesus and since He does not harm neither will we. It’s not about obeying a set of laws. It’s all about understanding the principles of the laws and being a respectful grownup with the confidence that our heavenly Father will never turn to the universe and say, “They aren’t mine.”

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-05T17:50:13-05:00

As you begin to read this the thought will most likely cross your mind, “Is he asking for money again.” I know this seems impossible but a whole year has passed since the last time I asked. I promise you that I will only do this once a year. Even though it seems like yesterday I can’t slow down the passage of time. It just races along. It is that most wonderful time of the year when every ministry asks you for money. It’s my turn. My reason for doing it now is the same as for all other ministries. People are getting their financial affairs in order before the end of the year. They want to be sure their contributions are in before December 31 so they can get their receipts for tax purposes.

For over twenty years now we have written 6,527 devotionals. About 66% of them are available in the archives on the Internet at this website.

Many of you are aware that the small college my wife and I teach at here in New England did not open this fall because of financial reasons. People are working very hard so we can reopen again next fall. When we do our student body will surely be as always. Almost 50% of our students come from families below the United States poverty level. Therefore, my wife and I are continually watching for worthy students who need assistance. We purchase textbooks and sometimes clothes, and help students go on mission trips, which does so much for them. We also send children to summer camp and help with medical expenses. All in all we try to do what Jesus would do. So we ask for your help.

At first I was tempted to ask people to contribute an amount equal to what they feel the value of the devotions are worth. But that is frightening because someone might send me a penny. My ego couldn’t take that. So I will ask you to contribute what you hope they are worth to others.

Thanks so much. We really do appreciate your care. And if you can’t give I want you to know I am grateful that you read the devotionals. It makes the almost daily effort very worthwhile.

Our address is:
Spring of Life
151 Old Farm Rd.
Leominster, MA 01453

Letters of Recommendation

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-02T21:50:18-05:00

Part of being a teacher is writing many letters of recommendation for my students. There are letters for employment opportunities, letters to get into grad school and letters for practicums. Sometimes because of the details that need to be just right, I ask the student to write the letter and send it to me for my approval and signature.

This evening I wondered what it would be like if we needed a letter of recommendation to get into heaven. Who would we ask? Mark Twain once said we should have our enemies write our letters of recommendation because they are the only ones who would tell the truth about us. Our friends put icing on the cake.

There is no question that our greatest foe, Satan, would only have to tell the truth. It would be one occasion when he need not tell a lie. The truth is damming enough. I grew up singing the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” I cannot imagine that if Jesus would write a letter for us that He would ice the cake. He will tell the truth. We are not worthy. But then comes the good part. He is worthy to recommend us because He is worthy to give us eternal life. We get to live because He, our very best friend, who always tells the truth, vouches for us. The word “vouch” means to provide supporting evidence for the quality of somebody or something. He has kept careful record so He can show evidence that we trust Him. He has the data. He has the evidence. That’s what those books are for.

If we need a letter He will write it and He will sign it.

The New You

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-12-01T22:23:47-05:00

Over and over I hear people telling others to just be themselves. I’m not sure that is good advice. Maybe I am misinterpreting what that means but it seems like we are telling people to be content with who they are and not to strive to be someone better. Frankly I don’t want to be me. There is no challenge in being me. I’m already me. I want to be better. I want to be a better teacher, a better father, a better husband, a better grandfather. It is too easy to be me.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus challenges us to reach beyond what we are. He said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48. Talk about reaching for the stars! That verse used to discourage me because I confused it with a requirement for salvation. I wanted to give up right then and there. But I was confused. This text is not about salvation. Salvation is a gift. This challenge is all about personal growth. This is about goal setting and being all that we can be. This is Jesus saying, “I will save you. Now, with your hand on the plow, don’t look back. Set your eyes on being the best ever you.”

If you are a carpenter, be the best carpenter ever. If you are a mechanic, a farmer, a secretary or a sales clerk, whatever you are, be the best ever. If you are, I promise you there will be some people who will hate you for it. Some people want everyone to be mediocre. Ignore those people because the rest of the world and heaven will rejoice in the new you.

Pride of Ownership

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-30T21:14:59-05:00

I grew up just north of Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. As a boy we spent many Sundays driving through Amish country. I loved the farms and the Distelfink Hex signs on the barns. What I loved best were the horses. Since the Amish didn’t drive cars one could tell how much pride they took in their horses. I never saw an ill-cared-for horse. Those were the days when most of the cars we saw were made in Detroit and model years were very distinctive. As we drove we would call out the make and year of cars coming toward us to see who got it first. Just as we would shine the chrome on our 57 Chevy those horses were groomed to perfection. There was a pride of ownership.

I grew up in a religious culture that pretty much labeled pride as sin. Lucifer’s pride led to the first sin. “Pride goeth before destruction.” Proverbs 16:18. Yet I feel that someone needs to speak up for pride. A man needs to feel proud of his family and his wife and his children. I often tell my sons how very proud I am of them. A person without personal pride often neglects grooming and often fails to achieve all that they can be. A student who is proud of their grades will apply themselves and seek to do well to maintain that good GPA. A congregation that isn’t proud of their church allows the paint to peel and weeds to take over the lawn. I don’t think we want to live in a country that didn’t make us feel proud.

The word “pride” like all words needs a careful definition. It can mean having a proper sense of value and it can also mean being haughty and thinking we are better than others. Like most things balance and perspective are so important.

Witnessing??

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-29T20:18:20-05:00

The city put a wooden sawhorse-like barricade over an indentation in our street with a yellow light that flashes at night. The problem for the past three weeks is that the sawhorse-like barricade is lying on its side in the grass by the side of the street. The light flashes but you have to be almost standing over it to see it. It’s almost the light Jesus referred to in the Sermon on the Mount. That one you could stand over and not see.

The application here is overly obvious. We have heard it all our lives. “We have to get out there and witness.” The problem is “What do we mean by witnessing?” When I was small that meant standing on a street corner handling out pamphlets and then watching people toss them as they continued on their way. It meant being different by not eating certain foods when invited to someone’s home. That one always missed me as to how that made other people want to know our Jesus.

Some have told us witnessing is being the nicest, kindest, most honest person in our workplace, neighborhood or school. The fruit of that is people thinking you are the nicest, kindest, most honest person they have ever known. But does it make them want to know our Jesus? At some point it seems that we have to steer a conversation to a religious theme. But that is as dangerous as being a liberal in a group of conservatives. So how do we let our light shine? How do we witness? I have been to seminars trying to tell me how to do it but I have never been overly satisfied with the presentation. We all can’t be Billy Graham. So how?

Maturing Minds Want To Know

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-28T21:41:36-05:00

There are over 1.5 million geocaches and 5 million geocachers in the world. Just in case you might not be familiar with it, it is basically a game where people hide things for other people to find. Geographic coordinates are posted on a website and off you go for an adventure that can be as simple as finding a small container in a hole in a tree or as difficult as rappelling halfway down a cliff to find a plastic box in a crevice. It runs the gambit of being fun for families or challenging for thrill seekers.

Late this afternoon we found one that required three attempts. What was frustrating was the directions even told us it was beside a log and yet time and again we walked around and felt the very log with our hands to no avail. Finally my wife dragged a stick along the ground and suddenly heard a metallic clunk from under a bed of pine needles. There it was. Time and again my fingers had been a half inch away and I never perceived its presence.

There is a book that I continually read over and over. It is entitled The Desire of Ages, a biography of Jesus. The reason I keep reading it is because each time I discover something my mind previously missed. Suddenly something is there my brain failed to register in earlier readings. It has a lot to do with life and experience. Many things cannot be perceived if one isn’t yet ready. Our minds are like that. An artist can go to a museum and see a hundred things the rest of us don’t register. We aren’t ready. Reading Paul’s letters is like that. Treasure after treasure keeps appearing. There is no end to the maturing mind.

Being Rich

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-25T20:49:11-05:00

When we were little heaven was all about things. Mansions, streets of gold, tame lions and tigers were the big thing. As Paul says in I Corinthians 13 when I was a child I thought as a child. But now that I am a man all those things seem very unnecessary. Heaven is about family. Heaven is about having one’s loved ones safe and having eternity to grow, intellectually, spiritually and creatively. If I were given that I would be happy in a one room wooden shack with just one dog as my only animal. Actually I could do without the dog but it would be a nice touch.

Being rich is having enough. The cup running over really isn’t necessary. The widow’s barrel that never went empty was being rich. The little boy’s basket of bread and fish was being rich. The widow of Nain getting her son back was being rich. Even though Martha and Mary lived in the rich little town of Bethany I’m sure that didn’t matter when Lazarus died. Then Jesus came.

Recently there has been a plethora of articles questioning the value of a college education. If you are talking about the availability of job opportunities and the student loan debt, the value of a college education is questionable. If one talks about exposure to ideas, great literature, a greater understanding of history, a vaster comprehension of human development, a broader grasp of the sciences and more discernment of human behavior then the question really is mute.

For Christians being rich is being forgiven, having an assurance of being once again with loved ones who are waiting for the resurrection and knowing that our future has no end because we are loved by the One who made it all.

How Sweet It Is

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-23T22:39:49-05:00

As my dog and I were finishing our evening walk and approached our home I suddenly became aware that I could smell our house about three houses away. Lest I leave you with the wrong idea that we live in a pig sty allow me to explain. Yesterday after over a week of work, a crew of house painters finished painting all the outside wood on the house. Not only did the gallons of oil based paint beautifully cover the eaves, window frames and doors they also filled the atmosphere with their particular fragrance. I like the smell and hope my neighbors don’t mind until it dissipates.

This is a good week for smells. Lots of kitchens will be emanating wondrous aromas throughout homes as we get ready for Thursday’s feasts. Stores are anticipating Black Friday and making sure we are greeted at the door with vanilla or cinnamon or lilac scents. Smelling good things puts us in a good mood, and hopefully for the merchants, opens our wallets.

I have always imaged that Eden was filled with the fragrances of flowers and heaven will likewise be so scented. When I go to church I often smell lots of aftershave lotions and perfumes. That’s good because it compensates for the garlic lovers in our midst.

People have always loved to smell nice things. When the Magi came to visit Jesus in Bethlehem they brought some very nice smelling gifts. One of the best scents that God loves is described in II Corinthians 2:15. “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved . . .” As Jackie Gleason used to say, “How sweet it is!”

Duh

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-22T22:10:27-05:00

My sister, who lived with us for many years, moved to California to be close to her children. We have been forwarding her mail as we wait for others to get her new address. Last week we forwarded to her a letter from Dreyfus. When she received and opened it, the letter inside was an acknowledgment that they had her new address. After I got over the “duh” moment I realized the logic. They were checking to make sure someone had not, for fraudulent reasons, changed her address without her knowing.

So many times in life we jump to conclusions about the stupidity of what someone has done. Usually it is because we don’t know the logic behind the action. Because we have limited knowledge about what led up to a behavior we, thinking we are so intelligent, conclude the other person was stupid. Only when we learn all the factors involved do we understand what the person did was the right thing to do.

When Jesus found his disciples on shore after a night of fishless fishing and he told them to cast their net over the side of the boat, I’m sure some of them must have thought, “That’s stupid. We fished all night and got nothing.” Peter actually objected but finally did what he was told. The Bible says, “When they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them.”

Even when we don’t understand what God asks us to do, the smart thing would be to do it. He would never ask us to do something stupid. We just don’t understand all that is involved.

Blocking the Door

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-21T20:54:00-05:00

This evening as my son and family were leaving the baggage area at Logan airport they were blocked at the door by a man on his cell phone. Apparently he wasn’t coordinated enough to walk and talk at the same time. Neither did he seem to be aware that others needed to get by. Meanwhile we along with others waiting in cars were being urged along by some very intimating state patrolmen.

Unfortunately sometimes we have people blocking the door to our churches. I have seen well-meaning but poorly acting older people chase our teens away. They are made to feel unwelcome because of their dress or jewelry or makeup. Sometimes they are actually verbally assaulted that they are not representative of Christ by looking the way they look. But really now, when one stops to think about it, what real harm occurs to anyone because someone is experimenting and has purple hair? They will grow up and not look like that for the rest of their lives. Well, perhaps I should take that back. I have seen older ladies with purplish hair.

Our churches should be places where anyone is welcome. If a kid shows up with an arrow through his head and enough fake gold chains around his neck that he looks like Mr. T., who does that harm? Better that they are with us in church than home watching television or playing video games. Sometimes we excuse our behavior by saying we are holding up the standards. What standard? What about the standard of unconditional love. What about the real sins of us older people? I mean the vile ones we carry inside – the ones Jesus cares about.

Gouged

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-18T22:16:36-05:00

I bought a new pair of shoes yesterday and put them on this morning for the first time.   They were as perfect as only something new can be. As I started down the stairs my dog promptly stepped on one with her 80 pounds and one of her nails gouged into that fine finish. I think I had them on less than five minutes. Alas. It also seems that way when I buy a new car. That first ding seems to occur in the first few days and months go by before the second one appears.

Can we even begin to imagine God’s reaction to Adam and Eve’s disobedience? Eden was perfect. Genesis one finishes with God critiquing His own work. He said, “That’s very good.”   We have no idea how many millenniums of thought and planning went into this magnificent planet. It was here that He prepared a perfect home for a perfect couple made in His image. Angels must have been overwhelmed with the artistic design and scientific balance for life. Surely there were tears shed all over heaven when the news spread regarding the now flawed paradise. This was not a gouge mark. This was not a ding. This was destruction. Death had come to Earth.

God Himself would offer that first sacrifice as He explained to them what it represented. As graphic as that was I doubt if they really got it. No one really got it until that night in another garden.   Jesus clung to earth begging His Father for another way and if there was no other way to give Him the strength to do it.   He did it. Now we know. But do we? Surely we would be more motivated if we really understood.

Striking the Right Note

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-17T22:30:29-05:00

My exquisite art teacher reminded me this morning of something so true and very important. When you strike middle C or any other key on a piano all of the other strings on the piano harp vibrate with it. It literally sets the tone. It’s just like people. When we strike a tone others around us respond in kind. A few months ago someone entered my office to complain about the hostile environment. I had to admit my surprise. What hostile environment? I was surprised but not puzzled. All I had to do was look at the person’s face and demeanor to know they were telling the truth. As they moved about striking a tone others around responded in kind. Primarily we are responsible for what happens around us. I say primarily because never is something like this always true. There can be another strong person in the room who is spoiling it for all others. That’s why one of the most important questions to ask before hiring someone is “What was it like where you worked prior to this?”

Many years ago I had a similar conversation and that person said, “It’s like this everywhere I go. What’s the matter with people?” I do believe the key word there is “everywhere”. Who is the one person present everywhere she went?

Jesus certainly put out the right vibes. The crowds couldn’t stay away from Him. “The people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and out went them, and came together unto him.” Mark 6. We have within our power and even more so can have divine power to strike the right note, the positive note to make life better for all around us.

An Old Globe

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-16T21:40:31-05:00

One of the treasures I have from my father is an old globe he had in his classroom. It maps wonderfully exotic places like Siam, Rhodesia, Palestine, Gold Coast and Keijo. Holding a globe and turning it this way and that causes one to wonder about the way things are. I can untip the axis and do away with the seasons. There would be perpetual sunshine on the poles making it a very interesting place to live with the sun never rising high in the sky. I can turn the axis at a 90 degree angle and have the sun come up in the north and go down in the south or vice versa depending on which direction I spin it. Continents look very unfamiliar when oriented differently. North America becomes almost unrecognizable when turned on its side and has no state lines.

Perhaps the second most important text in Scripture is “In the beginning God.” We can be filled with a host of questions about rocks, continental drift and the ring of fire but as long as Genesis 1:1 is we have no fear for the future. Asteroids can go whizzing past us at 26,000 miles an hour and we know God is still there and all will ultimately be well.

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visits him?” Psalm 8. And the answer is we are the sons and daughters of this Most High God who but breathes and worlds come into existence. How grand for us. We are so blessed.

He Prayed for You

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-15T20:33:51-05:00

There are stone walls littered through the forests of Massachusetts. Decades ago people actually tried to farm in places that only grow rocks. Each spring before trying to plow they derocked and built these old fences just to put the rocks somewhere useful. There are still a few stone foundations now covered with vines and oak and maple trees growing where there was once a room. Sometimes I sit and listen. If I really concentrate my mind supplies the voices of family. It’s interesting what one can hear in the silence of the forest. Mixed in with the breeze one can hear the “teacher, teacher” of ovenbirds and the laughter and tears of those who struggled here.

We live in a noisy world. It is difficult not to hear an airplane or a chainsaw intruding on what should be our chance to hear silence. It is a treat to find a moment when we can hear the rush of blood through our ears. Even now as I write the computer is softly serenading me with Beethoven. Have we so filled our lives with sound that we have become addicted and find silence uncomfortable?

In Luke 6:12 we read the following about Jesus. “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” He had no iPhone to create a musical background. It was the silence of a Palestinian night that surrounded Him. How I have often wondered how He filled those hours. Did He pray out loud and break the silence or was it an internal meditation with the Father? Some night in the silence He prayed for you.

Human Trash?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-12T19:56:50-05:00

There is a story in today’s news about a man who after accidently throwing away his wife’s ring went to the city dump and crawled through tons of trash and filth to find it. He found it. My first inclination was to equate this with God sending Jesus to paw through the filth of sin on planet Earth looking for diamonds. Obviously my ego saw myself as one of the diamonds. Sorry about that. I cannot help the self-love. It is endemic to our species. However, on second thought I realized how wrong I was. This is not a good illustration because it assumes the masses of humanity are trash. Not so. Each child, each person is, flawed though we may be, a product of God’s creative love. There is no such thing as human trash. As much as Jerry Springer and Maury Povich seem to find the worst of humanity to display on television, those people are but victims of ignorance and of our voyeurism. We look at them and gloat that we are not so vulgar. See Luke 18:9.

Then there are those horrific moments when we are overwhelmed by our unworthiness and think we are the human trash. That is such a depressing experience. Lucifer delights in those moments. He thinks we will just give up and not take what Jesus’ offers. Do not despair. Even though your community makes you feel ostracized Jesus never does. Even though decades can pass and people still look at you as a pariah, Jesus never does. You are the object of His redemptive love because He formed you in His image. I know it is difficult for us to believe but Jesus still loves His old friend Lucifer.

Paul's Illustration in Romans 7

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-11T21:58:44-05:00

It must have been a real struggle for Paul to explain to people who loved and revered the law that the law could not save them. In Romans 7 he tries by using an illustration of marriage. He says when one is married they are bound for life to their spouse. But when the spouse dies they are free to marry anew. Via the body of Christ we died to the law. We are then free to remarry. Our new spouse is the one who was raised from the dead. We have been released from the law so we can bear fruit by the Spirit. No longer are we obligated to keep the law in an attempt to be saved but now in a new relationship of love we bear good works because we want to and not because we have to. It is a brilliant and beautiful illustration. Once understood our walk with God becomes a joy instead of a fearful march that we might have strayed and unknowingly become lost.

Often I hear people pray that God will reveal to them what they need to do so they do not ignorantly come up short on judgment day. Paul would have us be free from this tyranny. Now we can pray that God will reveal to us what we should be doing for the joy that comes from doing it. This is not some subtle esoteric difference. This is the difference between living with the joy of salvation as opposed to living with a sword dangling over our heads being held by a thread.

Is the law bad or evil? Horrors no. Paul tells us the law educates us as to the nature of sin. But as good as the law is, it is weak. It cannot save us. Only Jesus can do that.

Thirty-Five Teams of Two

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-10T23:21:41-05:00

Usually we have a mental picture of Jesus and twelve men moving about Palestine. Then we come to Luke 10 that speaks of Jesus sending out thirty-five teams of two. These seventy were disciples that moved with Him. Add to that the women that cooked for them, etc. and we have a very large group. These seventy were given power to do mighty things and when they returned they were filled with stories of healings and great miracles. I am jealous. Surely everyone who has ever been a pastor has been jealous to do such wonders for our God. Their work had been so successful Jesus declared that in their work He saw Satan being cast down. They must have been high and rightfully so.

Then Jesus said something that put it all in perspective, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”

For reasons that God understands we do not now go about touching the eyes of the blind and having them see. How I do wish we could. But as grand as we think that would be there is something more wonderful. There is something that should bring us to “Hallelujah” and “Thank you, Jesus.” Our names are written in the Book of Life.

Lucifer is a fallen angel. He could restore sight to the blind but his name is not in the Book of Life. I could only think of something grander and that would be if we sacrificed our place that others could have that privilege. The irony of that thought is the impossibility of it. For should we be so selfless to step aside for another, we would be so much like Jesus He would be sure our name was there.

Our Legacy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-09T21:23:01-05:00

A lifeless visitor from space just passed between our world and our moon. We can be thankful that it missed us by 210,000 miles. A direct hit would have been devastating. It would not have been the first time we have been hit. One of the more obvious hits was in New Mexico and the crater is very impressive. Years ago we stopped for a closer look and walked to the edge. While doing so my wife looked down and there was a very well formed arrowhead. We could hardly believe what we saw. How long had it been lying there? What ancient warrior or hunter had passed that way and left his treasure on the ground to be found hundreds (?) of years later.

I’m sure all of us have wondered what we will leave behind. What will be our legacy to our families, our communities, and our world? Some people leave books, some leave poetry, some leave children and grandchildren, some leave students, some leave family businesses. Whatever it may be I think we all want to be sure what we leave will be positive and make the world a better place. When I say “all” I am thinking of the mentally healthy among us, for there are those who for reasons unexplainable want to leave destruction and pain.

This past week the world’s population topped seven billion. It is difficult to conceive that God has seven billion different tasks that need to be accomplished. Yet that is but a small number for an infinite God who does have a positive task for everyone. See Ephesians 2. Most of us will not know until heaven exactly what it was, but that’s okay. Just so when we do find out we will have the joy of having been successful.

Reaping the Whirlwind

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-08T21:39:24-05:00

Hosea said it. “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” Hosea 8:7. I first heard that as a small boy but of course could not then comprehend the depth. Now I get. I should have connected it with Nahum 1:3, “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power: he will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.” How often we want to blame God for what has occurred but the real truth is we are but reaping. God’s punishment isn’t active. It is passive. Ever so painfully He sits back and let’s nature take its course.

He would like to intervene every time. His love is endless. But should He do so mankind would never learn. We would continue in our reckless ways believing there was always a bale out. The results would be sin continuing on forever. The only reason God hates sin is its results. He is not offended that we do not obey Him. He is hurt that we do not obey because all He ever asks is for us to stop harming ourselves and others. I cannot sit here in the evening drinking an arsenic laced drink and expect Him to negate its effects. He will forgive me but will allow the arsenic to do its work.

And so it is that the whirlwind blows its horrors upon us. Does this mean we are lost? Not if we genuinely repent. That door is open. But why should we desire to bring suffering upon ourselves thinking at some later date we will repent? Not only is that risky. It’s stupid. Hosea and Nahum were excellent meteorologists.

Our Bad Dog

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-07T22:02:05-05:00

She really is a good dog. She is very protective and jealous if anyone gives me too much attention. She is totally housebroken and very dependable. That’s what makes her action so despicable. We have house guests, who of course, are the source of much attention and conversation. This evening, after she had been outside to care for her needs, she obviously had enough of my talking to our company. She walked over and about two feet away from me she squatted on the rug. It was a despicable act of “Hey, look at me.” She was definitely tired of sharing. Getting attention for being a bad dog was better than not getting enough attention.

Children do similar things. Teachers see it all the time. Little kids often misbehave as to not be ignored. So I got to wondering if sometimes we adults act poorly because we want God’s attention. Actually, we always have it but sometimes we think He doesn’t care. I know we are often angry at Him because we don’t get all the things we pray for. When we have a very sick loved one we ask, we beg, we plead, we implore God to make them better and it doesn’t happen. Sometimes we actually lose them and our anger spills out with contempt that God would allow something so horrible. It is on such occasions we should be honest with Him and tell Him exactly how we feel. He appreciates our honesty much better than should we lie to Him and tell Him how great we think He is. As difficult as it is for us to understand, the truth is He always has our best interest at heart and does the best thing even though we just don’t get it. We have His attention. We really do.

Thaddaeus

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-02T23:07:09-04:00

His name was Judas. (In John) He was one of the twelve disciples. He was not the Judas who betrayed Jesus to the High Priest. He actually had three names. He also was Thaddaeus (In Mark) and also Lebbaeus. (In Matthew) He has one line in Scripture. It was during the last supper on Thursday night before the cross. Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

Here comes his one line. “Judas said unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself unto us, and not unto the world?”

And here is Jesus’ answer. “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

We know this Judas (Thaddaeus, Lebbaeus) was a member of a political action group dedicated to the overthrow of Roman rule in Palestine. He loved Jesus. He knew what Jesus could do and wanted to know why Jesus didn’t use all His power to go after the Romans. Jesus had bigger plans. Jesus was going after Satan’s rule in all the world. And this is Jesus’ formula for victory. Love Him. Keep His words and the Father and Son will abide in that person and that person will manifest the glory of God to the world. That’s us. This is our task. This is our time. This is God’s plan for us. Love Jesus and keep His words and be amazed at what God can and will do with us. Satan trembles before such a man or woman.

The Milk-Bone Cookie Jar

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-11-01T18:12:17-04:00

I have a Milk-Bone cookie jar on my desk. I keep it stocked with what must be the greatest tasting treats in the world because I will come into the room and find my lab sitting there staring at the jar. She is a good girl and has never violated the “No” command. I wish I could have said the same for me when I was small. One of the great things about being an adult is being able to raid the cookie jar anytime I want. As I settle in at my computer with her Milk-Bone jar within my reach I see a small stream of salvia starting to drip from the side of her beautiful face. I should so desire to spend time in God’s Word.

The psalmist puts me to shame and at the same time thrills me with such verses as “The entrance of thy words gives light; it gives understanding unto the simple. I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.” “O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.” And “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding.” Psalm 119

Should we want, desire, long for, crave, yearn for, pine for a deeper understanding of Scripture I wonder what our lives would become. Ephesians 2 speaks of God’s plans for us. Had we prepared more, studied more, learned more, what might He have been able to accomplish with us. Each time I give my dog a treat I should eat a verse.

LEDs

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-31T21:34:38-04:00

It was a bit strange to have a foot of heavy snow cover our trees before they lost their leaves for the year. The trees bent low and branches started snapping so it was not strange that we lost our power for over a day. We are so blessed because a million people are still powerless. But at 5:30 this morning we were awakened to our house coming alive. The refrigerator and the furnace came on and little red and yellow LED lights (phones, clocks, computer and wireless modem) decorated the room. I was surprised by how much those tiny lights changed the room. Without them it was pitch black and one had to cautiously feel one’s way from place to place. But with those tiny lights radiating their warm glow it became fairly easy to move about.

Sometimes most of us feel pretty insignificant. The more we understand about infinity and look at a photo of distant galaxies we don’t just feel insignificant, we are insignificant. Our tiny little light is so small surely it can’t make a difference. But, it didn’t take much light to transform my dark house. A tiny light does make a huge difference. When your little light joins with my tiny light and other tiny lights we make it possible for others to walk out of darkness and find their way.

So regarding that insignificant feeling – I don’t think we are as insignificant as we first thought. According to Galatians 4 we are sons and daughters of the Most High. Humm? That’s pretty significant. Surely everyone must know the song, “This Little Light of Mine, I’m Going to Let It Shine.” God is counting on us to light up His kingdom.

It's All About Family

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-28T21:24:35-04:00

My last several days have been filled with digitizing very old slides of visits to Disneyland, Sea World, Yellowstone and other memorable trips with two little boys. I noticed something. I couldn’t care less about the pictures of these places that do not contain one of my boys or my wife. I have some really pretty pictures of things and I don’t want to keep them. If I want to see pictures of those things I can find them on the web. What I want to keep are images of my most precious ever people. These are the pictures I want to Photoshop and turn into computer screen wallpaper.

My sons are grown men now with their own precious people. They have no idea how I feel as I look at these old photos. They will some day. I have come to think that God has some great photo gallery filled with perfect pictures of us at every stage of our lives. He has videos of our first steps and audio of our first words. I think He must really love the audios of our first memory verses.

With God it is all about family. That’s why Galatians 4 contains such meaningful verses. “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” This is what it has been about from the beginning. Adam and Eve were His children. He wants us to be His children and thus heirs; not tenets but owners of those mansions. Heaven is not a place to visit. It is HOME. There isn’t anything better than home.

Tom Sawyer

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-26T21:42:24-04:00

It was a scene out of Tom Sawyer and I loved it. I had two thirty-something guys stop by my house today. They knew about my log-splitter and of course I wanted to show it off and tell them how much fun it was. They spotted a couple huge rounds left over from an elm that came down in an ice storm. The rounds were way too big for me to muscle around and I had wondered what I would do with them, but they jumped at the chance. So I sat down and watched them have fun. It was great. At one point I actually had to stop them from spending their day splitting all my wood. I think I am going to start charging admission. How grand!

One of life’s great secrets is how to get other people to do your work. It is the secret of success. It’s all about motivation. God motivates us to do His work here on earth. His motivation is love. It’s the best kind. The joy of working for God is because we want to share His love and the Good News. Considering how simple this seems I am somewhat puzzled when I hear preachers exhorting us to do good works. I’m not sure about you but that never works with me. Instead of exhortation, inspire me. Make me want to do it and you will not have to exhort. As a matter of fact, too much exhortation gets the reverse reaction from me. I won’t do it just because you said I had to. I know that is really immature but it’s the way I react. Are you different from me on this?

Not as Smart as a Sixth Grader

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-25T21:05:42-04:00

Today I heard about igneous rock. I learned about granite, obsidian, amphibole and pyroxene. I also learned I am not as smart as a sixth-grader while I was observing a science teacher working to upgrade her credential. The sixth graders were jumping up and down wanting to answer the teacher’s questions while I sat in the back of the room reading the glossary in their science text. I learned about intrusive and extrusive rocks. I also learned not to give much credibility to the next politician I hear harping on the quality of education in Massachusetts; especially since our students rank first in the United States and third in the world in science and math.

Having confessed my ignorance of sedimentary rock I do want to proclaim my knowledge of and confidence in the Rock of Ages. Paul wrote, “For other foundation no one can lay, but that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus.” (I Corinthians 3:11) And again Paul wrote, “. . . they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ. (I Corinthians 10:4) Peter calls Jesus the Chief Corner Stone. (I Peter 2:4) Also over and over in the Psalms we find the metaphor of God being the Rock of our salvation.

So I might not be as smart as a sixth-grader and be like those whiz kids who are able to answer questions about magna, but I do know the importance of putting our trust in the One who loves us dearly and might respond to the nickname, “Rocky”; then again probably not. He is far too awesome for such commonality. He is the Rock of the Universe.

Number 6500

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-24T20:54:10-04:00

This is devotional number 6500. That’s a lot of evenings sitting here staring at the computer screen. One would think about now I would run out of things to write about but life is so very interesting there usually is something. Someone asked me if I have ever repeated myself. I’m sure I have. I just can’t remember what all 6500 of them are about. Once in a while people ask me why I don’t write a book. I have. It has 6500 pages and adding.

I am excited that today’s devotional can be a celebration of something fun. Last week my wife and I were in a farm store. It is fun to look at all the things farmers use. On the way out my wife noted they were having a drawing so she filled out the slip and put it in the box. This afternoon they called. We won the grand prize. Now that is very awesome because this very week I was going to start splitting my pile of firewood for the winter. Guess what we won. A log-splitter. I couldn’t believe the timing and the blessing. This past week I put a new handle in my axe in preparation for a lot of swinging. That axe is going to feel neglected as I just push the button and watch. I hope we have a really cold winter because I am going to have a lot of wood to burn.

When I was very little I learned “my cup runneth over.” It does and with something so much more special than a log-splitter. I am surrounded by wonderful family and friends like you who once in a while read some of the 6500 devotionals.

The God of Opportunities

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-21T23:13:39-04:00

Do you ever feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football? Opportunities appear before you and you take a deep breath and go for it only to have Lucy yank it away at the last minute. So you pick yourself up, brush yourself off and keep on keeping on, waiting for, hoping for another opportunity. Maybe, just maybe, the next time Lucy will forget to yank the ball. Do you ever look at the news and see masses of people and wonder what opportunities they have or have not had? It is so easy to be critical of illegal immigrants but maybe this was their only chance.

Those of us who were born hearing the Gospel often smugly write off the billions who have never heard. Or if they did hear they heard it through us flawed messengers who failed to make it attractive. The Good News is so wonderful when rightly presented. However, our actions so outweigh our words, we nullify attempts to share with others. Instead of being the one trying to kick the football we become Lucy. We are the one who yank it away just when someone begins to consider.

During the time it took to read this far another thousand people died without hearing the Good News. Are they lost? Do they not have an opportunity to rejoice with us on resurrection morning? There is a text in Romans 1 that hints to us there might be many more opportunities in this universe than we know. God can’t be put in our small mental box. He is way too big and far more loving than we. I believe He is the God of opportunities. Lots of opportunities.

My Time Machie

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-20T22:41:39-04:00

I bought a time machine. It is a wonderful device by which I am digitizing 45 years of slides. Before me on my computer screen are these two very thin dark-haired people with two little boys. Who are they? They are very good looking and appear to be very happy. Oh! I know who they are. It’s us – my wife and boys. Wow. We looked good. So what happened?

Even though the slides have lost much of their original color and are often covered with dust spots there is the wonder of Photoshop. A few clicks of the auto color button and the pictures look like I took them yesterday. A few clicks of the replace button and the dust specks disappear. Oh, this is grand. I wanted to say this was as easy as getting the spots off my record in heaven. But this is much easier. This photo process cost a few dollars while the spots on my record required the cross of Jesus. That was the most expensive price ever paid for anything.

Hopefully, though we might not look as good on the outside as we did decades ago, we are much better looking on the inside. Hopefully our characters have been steadily improving and behavior-wise we are much nicer, much kinder, much more generous people than we were. Sometimes we shudder when we think of some of the things we did and said to others. Hopefully, should we be in similar situations we would react in a much more loving way. This growth is what life is all about. To be more today than we were yesterday and yet more tomorrow. Here’s looking forward to the day when we will never again need to be Photoshoped.

Colossians 2:3

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-19T20:02:17-04:00

One of my richest blessings in life is I have always been surrounded by very smart people. One of my aspirations has always been to be the least informed person in the room thus giving me the opportunity to learn something new and wonderful from each person around me. To be hungry to know is a great blessing. I have friends who are wonderful artists and some who are scientists and some who are theologians and some who understand psychology. It is a treat to be with them. There is so much to gain.

My father was a teacher and he would read to me. Perhaps that is what made me hungry to absorb all I could. We had a set of World Book Encyclopedia and I would take A or D or K, it didn’t matter which one, and turn each page looking at the pictures and wishing I could know all those things. You could imagine my excitement the day I first read Colossians 2:3. “In him are stored all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” To know God, to spend time with Him, is the secret to an ever-expanding understanding of life and the mysteries of being. He knows all that is known and because He is a creator He continues to think new thoughts and create new knowledge. Spending eternity with Him means we get to share not only His old ideas but also His new ideas.

Someone once tried to convince me that God knows all that can ever be known or thought and I could not accept that. It would mean He would be bored. But He can never be bored because forever He will be thinking of new ways to bless us and shower us with His mercies. See Ephesians 2.

"It ain't over 'til it's over"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-18T21:45:37-04:00

I had lunch today at McDonalds and ended up sitting in a booth behind two quite elderly silver-haired ladies who were very engaged in a rousing discussion. It was very easy to hear and I was amused at the exchange. I can’t print much of it here but I will quote to you this great line. “I know the old biddy is trying to get him. But I won’t allow it. He’s mine!”

Ah, hope springs eternal. As well it should. As Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” Never stop living for the future and I mean both here and then. Unfortunately, I do know some people who have stopped living for now and have all of their hopes and plans in the “Then.” Everybody needs something to look forward to “now” and “then.” I think we start to run out of steam and can’t do as much as we used to. Okay. We understand. But that is not an excuse to do nothing.

In Ephesians 2 Paul tells us that God has specific things for us to do. We don’t know if they were for us in our twenties, thirties or nineties. How distressing it would be if we gave up in our seventies and found out when we are in heaven that we missed the really big task that God had for us. “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” “It’s ain’t over ‘til it’s over” and as long as God gives us a mind with which to think and ponder we should be creatively planning things to do with our families and our communities.

The Foolishness of Preaching

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-15T22:11:25-04:00

Last weekend we sat through an 80 minute sermon on the state of the dead. He started preaching at 11:40. At 12:50 I leaned over to my wife and said, “He hasn’t even gotten to the resurrection yet. Let’s go.” “No,” she said, “I have to know how long he can go.” At one point he said, “This is a long subject.” A man sitting beside me said out loud, “It sure is.” He finally sat down at 1:00 without ever getting to the resurrection. I believe there is a text about the “patience of the saints.” Yes, it is Revelation 14:12. On the way out an elderly lady (someone older than me) took my hand and said, “Come back again. It isn’t always like this. He is a good young man.”

I was delighted with the “patience of the saints.” Only one family left and they had small children. Everyone else politely listened because they cared about the young man. Often times the best way we can show our love and appreciation for someone is to quietly endure their impositions and idiosyncrasies. While I did feel the need to stand up and stretch the truth is I didn’t have a very pressing schedule for the afternoon. The imposition was minor to say the least. I think it has a lot to do with what you are used to. I like 30 minute sermons. Recently someone told me if I didn’t speak for 45 minutes the saints would feel cheated. But I sat down at 25 because I was finished. To have lingered would have been redundant.

The entire process is very arrogant. Why would one person think others should sit and quietly listen to him? Paul called it the “foolishness of preaching” that somehow pleases God. I Corinthians 1:21.

Joy is Contagious

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-14T22:53:36-04:00

If we keep our eyes open we can find truly delightful moments as life passes by. Yesterday afternoon as my wife and I were driving on a residential street we saw two of the most precious little girls standing at the end of their sidewalk at the curb. They looked like they were 4 and 6 years of age. The mail truck was coming toward them and they were bouncing up and down with smiles so big you would have thought their faces would crack. They were clapping. I’m sure the mailman must have been happy to see such a welcome. Did he have a birthday card or a package from Sears or Amazon.com? Was the mailman their daddy? Whatever it was they couldn’t contain their joy. Their joy became my joy.

There are so many things in life that are contagious and I am not referring to germs and illnesses. A genuine smile is catchy. Yawning is infectious. A pleasant demeanor is transmittable. Generosity and sharing are communicable. It is amazing how we can and do have power over our environment. Nothing spoils a gathering like gloom and doom. But someone with hope and an energetic vision can overcome the downers and fill a space with so much happiness.

At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us a model for happiness. We call them the Beatitudes. The word “blessed” can just as well be translated “happy”. “Happy are the peacemakers.” “Happy are the poor in spirit.” Each one is our Creator’s secret to a contagious life of joy. Granted it is a bit more difficult for us as adults than two sweet little girls by the side of the curb, but none-the-less we can do it.

The Ultimate Reboot

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-13T22:21:56-04:00

After the mail came today I sat down in “my” chair to browse one of the just arrived magazines. I don’t recall much after settling into the comfort of one of my best friends. About forty minutes later I heard a door close as my wife came near. I had the strangest experience. Sometimes when we take a nap, it’s just a nap and when we awake the day goes on. But this nap was different. Just two hours before I had lunch with the conference president. When I awoke from this nap, it was if a whole day had passed. My day after the nap was starting all over as if someone had pressed a reboot button. I reboot my computer often. Rebooting is wonderful. All manner of computer snags can be resolved by just rebooting.

Beginning a relationship with Jesus is like rebooting one’s life and not just the day. We learn to forgive and negative feelings about past experiences go away. We learn to look for good things in others and old friendship are revitalized. We receive external power from the Holy Spirit and begin to experience victory over old temptations. We realize that instead of twenty or so more years of life we have an eternity of life ahead of us. It is the greatest reboot ever.

I often wonder why it is so difficult for some people to accept what Jesus offers. Perhaps it is because we have been taught that if something sounds too good to be true, it isn’t. This time it is true. One of the things I learned in statistics class is rare events occur that do not fit the pattern. Jesus is one of those rarities. He is the ultimate reboot.

If You Love Yourself

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-12T20:49:49-04:00

Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15.   If I may I would like to alter the text to say, “If you love yourself you will keep His commandments.”

It is very safe to assume that we love ourselves. There are a few people filled with self-loathing but it’s rare.   Most of us think we are the greatest. When things go wrong it usually is someone else who messed up. When we don’t get what we want it isn’t our fault; someone doesn’t like us. Therefore, I want to make a case for obeying God based totally on what is good for us.

In God’s great wisdom He shared with us the secrets to a good life. If we don’t kill we rarely have to fear someone wanting to kill us.   If we don’t steal we rarely have to worry about being arrested for shoplifting. Black and white cars don’t make us pause to see if they are coming for us. If we don’t tell bad stories about others people will rarely tell bad stories about us. If we keep the Sabbath we get one day each week when we don’t have to go to work. If we don’t curse we don’t have to worry about offending someone.

We are talking about the quality of life. Jesus was not in error when He spoke of coming that we might have the abundant life. John 10:10. Sometimes we err by thinking the abundant life is a big bank account; not so. The abundant life is a life that is as stress free as possible and obeying God is the surest way to accomplish that goal.

Lily of the Valley

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-11T20:55:25-04:00

Living in New England is a delightful experience of constant change. This coming week our maples will turn scarlet reds and yellows followed by the rust colors of the oaks. The birches are already yellow. Then November will be a beautiful worstered gray as we wait for December to turn us white. I relish knowing that under that layer of snow, life is getting ready to once again turn us green. Each spring we have a pleasing patch of Lily of the Valley. For years I have been picking small bunches for our breakfast table. They smell so good.

Well, you can imagine my horror just today to learn that Lily of the Valley is extremely poisonous. According to the Wikipedia website Lily of the Valley contains about thirty-eight cardio glycosides and we should wash our hands after handling it. How could it be that something so lovely, something that smells so good be so dangerous?

When we are first born our sense of right and wrong is completely based upon our feelings. If it feels good it’s right. If it hurts it’s bad. If it’s pretty and smells good it is right. It’s a very low standard of morality. Unfortunately occasionally we meet people whose morality has never advanced from that of a newborn. The closing words to the romantic song “You Light Up My Life” are “How can it be wrong when it feels so right?” It is difficult to grasp the truth that some seemingly beautiful relationships can be absolutely toxic. Paul exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 13 to stop thinking like a child and think like a grownup whose sense of right and wrong are based on God’s Word.

Ambulance Chasers

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-07T10:06:19-04:00

Don’t you just love “ambulance chasing” commercials; bloodthirsty law firms preying on other’s miseries and making it extraordinarily expensive for doctors to treat us? Yesterday, I think I heard the most amazing one yet. “If you or a loved one has taken “A….” and died, dial 1-800 … immediately.” Really! I replayed it three times to make sure I heard correctly. I think we better start putting cell phones in coffins.

What is it about human nature that wants to blame others for our misfortunes? It is true bad things do happen to good people. But can we, in this world of sin, really expect everything to go our way? I guess that’s why people buy lottery tickets or smoke when scientific evidence of its detrimental effect on our health is overwhelming. We are optimistic and can’t imagine something bad happened because we made a bad choice or random mayhem occurred.

We have been blaming others ever since Adam said, “The woman you gave me made me do it.” Freud capitalized on it when he developed psychotherapy; it must have been my mother’s fault or my father’s. It is true that sometimes people do bad things to us and it is their fault, but that is where forgiveness comes in. If I don’t forgive you and dwell on your bad deed then I enable you to keep on hurting me every time I run the video tape in my head. But if I am wise enough to forgive you then you only hurt me once and now it is erased. Jesus was so wise when He told us to forgive if we desire forgiveness for our bad deeds. But why should that surprise us? He made us. He knows how we tick.

Lessons from Daniel Shechtman

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-06T21:08:09-04:00

When Daniel Shechtman first discovered a new crystalline chemical structure that seemed to violate what we thought were the laws governing crystalline structures he was ridiculed by his colleagues and ultimately exiled from professional circles. This week he won the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

There are so many lessons we can draw from this. First is the crowd isn’t always right. Second is stand firm when you know you are correct. Third is truth will ultimately be known. Fourth is we don’t know all the laws of nature and the ones we think we know can be very different than what we think.

I am sure there were very depressing days when Dr. Shechtman’s friends rejected not only his work but his very presence. His discovery was in 1982. Almost thirty years is a long time to wait for this kind of vindication. I’m sure there is great happiness in his home tonight.

The history of the world is filled with stories like this. Graves are filled with people who never received recognition for their work. Then there are martyrs who perished for believing and holding strongly to their faith. Hebrews 11 is a very impressive list of such. Hebrews 12 begins with “Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The Zit

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-05T22:29:57-04:00

I have a zit on the tip of my nose. I am a combination of me, W.C. Fields, Jimmy Durante and Karl Malden. When I was thirteen and this happened I would be mortified thinking all of my classmates were staring at it. Now I don’t think it really matters that much except for trying not to keep touching it. If someone does notice, so what. I think most of us lose our sense of vanity after our chin doubles, dark bags grow under our eyes and age spots show up on top of the saggy cheeks. So what’s a zit but just another blotch?

When we were thirteen we were the center of the universe. Now I am just grateful to be part of the universe. I realize the center is far, far away and people have much to think about other than me. It’s a good place to be in life. It was so difficult being the protagonist. I now realize center stage belongs to the One who really is the protagonist. Jesus is the center of the universe. He made it and He keeps it operating. It is not a clock all wound up. It takes attention. Paul wrote in Colossians 1, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Please don’t fail to notice the last phrase. Things consist because He exists. We live and breathe because of His attentive care. After all do you really think Satan wants us around telling people how wonderful Jesus is?

God Never Gives Leftovers

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-04T21:45:49-04:00

I am eating an ice cream popsicle – vanilla dipped in chocolate. It would be a perfect gastronomic treat except my dog is sitting in front of me just staring with the most soulful eyes. Ever so carefully she watches every bite. There is a string of drool spilling out of the left side of her mouth. The tip of her red tongue barely protrudes from her black lab mouth. She is beautiful and pathetic. I am awash with guilt. How can I continue to do this? So I eat off the chocolate shell, since that is poison for her, and yield the vanilla ice cream. I must say she is a lady. Ever so delicately she cleans off the stick without once biting it. I feel good.

Whether it is my dog or a child or one of my students I have to say it feels so good to share. Since we were made in God’s image I believe we can safely assume He loves to share. Paul says in Ephesians 2 that God plans to shower gifts upon us throughout eternity. We will have no end of resources that we too can shower gifts on all we meet. One of my students once asked me why God made us. My answer was that it made Him feel good. When He pronounced at the end of creation week, “That is very good” it had to feel good.

One very big difference between God and us and me and my dog is my dog gets the remnants. God never gives us leftovers. Everything from His hand is first class, top of the line with all the bells and whistles. We don’t even have to stare with soulful eyes. No drool from the side of our mouths. How grand!

Itches

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-10-03T22:13:05-04:00

I got three spider bites last week. I have no idea where I was when I became lunch for the eight-legged creature. A spider bite is a mosquito bite multiplied by twenty. An ugly blister rose surrounded by a large blood red erratic pattern. It’s not a pretty sight. Then there is the itch. The worst itch I ever had occurred while I was preaching. There I was holding forth in front of my congregation when suddenly on the bottom of my foot in the middle of my arch screamed this incredible itch. I tried my best to ignore it. I was sure if I concentrated on my sermon it would fade away. It only got worse. How could I stop and say, “Excuse me folks while I take off my shoe and scratch?” I’m sure it was not my finest hour as I hid behind the pulpit and tried to pull my foot out of my shoe by holding the edge of the sole firmly to the floor with the other shoe.

One of the two times the word “itch” is in Scripture is referenced to “itching ears” - not quite the same context. However, maybe there is a lesson here. Often our itching ears delight us when they hear something very unkind and usually unchristian about someone we don’t agree with and so we pass it on. My email box fills with some very unkind things about politicians passed on by people I know are good Christians. I assume their itching ears have been scratched and they want to delight others. But they are things they would, I hope, never say to someone’s face. Oh, it is difficult to be a really good person, especially when we itch.

Everlasting Joy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-30T22:42:21-04:00

There is no joy in Mudville tonight. Or is that Boston? The mighty Red Sox who on September 1 had a 99.6 percent change of being in the playoffs have choked. It’s over – not even a wildcard. Remind me now what does I Corinthians 10:12 say. Wasn’t it something about something thinking he stands and then falling? New England eyes will henceforth this year be focused on the Patriots. At least there will be, for the next few weeks, glorious leaves to console broken-hearted fans who will watch their nemesis, the Yankees, soar into the playoffs.

I was chastised once by one of the saints (Not someone from New Orleans) for expressing some knowledge of sports. “Times,” according to my rebuker, “were too intense and too fraught with peril to be distracted from being ready for Jesus to come.”

Perhaps he had a point. Except he made it sound like getting ready for Jesus to come was a full time task that should occupy our every waking moment. I must confess I don’t quite understand that considering in John 5:24 Jesus promised us if we believe in Him we have already crossed over from death to life. I thought how strange it would have been for one on Noah’s sons to be constantly worried about having a place in the ark. Why should we worry about what we have? Yet, the caution is I Corinthians 10:12. Lest we think we stand. Perhaps the answer is why we stand. If we stand on our righteousness then we are fallen. If we stand on Jesus’ righteousness it really is a sure thing. Standing on, living on the promises is what brings lasting joy into our lives.

The Honking Driver

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-28T21:56:28-04:00

This afternoon I watched with a mixture of amusement and disgust a very impatient driver just laying on his horn at the truck in front of him. The light was green. Of course the truck should go. However the driver of the honking car could not see what was in the crosswalk in front of the truck. There was a lady with one small child in one hand as she was trying to push a baby carriage with the other hand.

I was a bit chagrined as I realized that I and many of my former colleagues at our little college that closed were just like the honking driver. We complained and we criticized and we had all kinds of advice for what should have been done when we could not see everything that was going on. It is easy to sit back and offer all kinds of critical advice when we speak in ignorance. How often we critique others behavior when we have no idea what kind of home they come from. It has taken me many years to learn what I am about to say. But I totally believe the following. “Most people are doing the best they can.” Just because they do not do something the way we would do it does not make what they do wrong. It merely means they do it differently.

I love Galatians 6 in The Message paraphrase. “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day is out.” I think I like this so much because I have so often been the one needing the forgiveness.

Sin is -

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-27T19:53:55-04:00

When most of us are asked to define sin we respond with 1 John 3:4. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” Which is correct, it is. But if we stop there we don’t really grasp the impact of what Paul means when in Ephesians 2:1 he said we were dead in our trespasses and sins. The Greek word Paul used for sin was “hamartia” which means missing the target. The target isn’t merely obeying the Ten Commandments. The target is the old army slogan, “Be all that you can be.” That is huge. Sin isn’t merely an act or lack of, it is a state of being.

I once had a church member who told me he had gone an entire week without sinning. He very carefully reviewed all of his waking activities, compared them with the Ten Commandments and decided he had a perfect week. But was he the best citizen he could be, was he the best husband and father that he could be, was he the best employee, was he the best _____ ? (You fill in the blank.) Of course he wasn’t. I didn’t shatter his pride, a gross sin, because I didn’t want to argue with him. How can one deal with such a narrow mind?

But you are thinking, if that’s what sin is then we are all lost. Not one of us is all we can be. And that is exactly Paul’s point in Ephesians 2. We are dead in our sin. All of us. But by God’s abundant grace we have been quickened, raised, to a new life. It was all God’s idea and all His doing. We have nothing of which to brag about. All we can do is praise God for His love.

Paul's Grammar in Ephesians 2

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-26T19:05:27-04:00

Greek purists (every language has them*) must have gone crazy when they initially read the first part of Ephesians 2. Paul pays little attention to the rules of grammar. He starts sentences and doesn’t finish them. Sentence fragments dangle. Translators have tried to clean it up. So what was going on? Paul was a highly educated man. He knew better. Understanding that makes the passage just so much more wonderful. Ephesians 2 is Scripture’s preeminent passage on grace. Paul is so overwhelmed by God’s incredible gift to us he just soared. He paid no attention to construction he just opened up his heart to the wonder of salvation being God’s gift from start to finish with nothing left for us to do except accept it.

The idea that we are saved so God can spend eternity showering us with gifts of grace was and is so amazingly overwhelming there wasn’t time to grammar check. This is a bird singing who cares not about music theory. This is a child bursting past speechlessness when she receives the most beautiful doll of her dreams. It is no wonder Paul says we best get busy doing the things God desires for us to do. There is a plan for each of our lives so let’s live it lest we disappoint God and ourselves.

Before you go to bed tonight, please read Ephesians 2 for yourself. If you are not moved we can help you with a heart transplant.

* While sitting in a college committee I was challenged by an English teacher who said, “That is not a word.” “Did you understand what I meant to say,” I asked. “Yes,” she said. To which I responded, “Then it’s a word.”

Old Books and Scripture

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-23T23:03:55-04:00

I discovered Stephen Meader when I was in fifth grade. My school library had several of his books which I quickly gobbled up. Decades later I began to collect them. It was an almost impossible task until the advent of eBay. Today was a rainy day. It was a perfect day to take one off the shelf and be eleven again. As my hands opened the book and the smell of aged paper and ink filled my nostrils, I was with an old friend. Sinking deep into my reading chair I traveled back to another time and relived the experience of a young boy in early America.

Old books are like old friends. They warm us with life. As I read the last page and once again closed the cover I wondered if reading the Gospels produced such wondrous nostalgia. I concluded that for me they do not. Instead of filling me with memories, John, Matthew and Paul fill me with incredible thoughts of a glorious future. Instead of reminiscing about times past I want to travel to what is yet to come. In John Jesus tells us that we can right now step over from death to life. In Matthew Jesus challenges us to grow into His likeness. Paul tells me that God wants us to be saved so forever He can shower us with grace and gifts of love.

I find reading books from my childhood fill me with memories; reading Scripture fills me with excited anticipation that the best is yet to come and once there, the best will still be yet to come. Scripture is about our future. Scripture is reading a travel brochure. Scripture is our ticket to endless adventures.

Our Photo-Lined Hallway

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-22T23:27:59-04:00

We have a long hallway on our second floor lined on both sides with family pictures. I love to move slowly from photo to photo relishing the memories each image produces. I see my sons when they were little guys and move along the progression of time that made them fine men. Today I found myself wondering if God has some great family album lining a hall in His house. Not only can He see us now but He can remember how we were. One of my friends told me that God can move through time like it was a circle and go back to whenever. I don’t think so. In my very limited intelligence I see time being linear and God sees us in the past like we see in the past, by using His memory.

One of the reasons I do not care for the idea of time being in a circle that God can easily go to at His will is that would make all things forever. Sin would be forever. Jesus would be on the cross forever. He would be dead in the tomb forever. In Hebrews we are told He died once for time. It is done. It is finished. I can only think that it is really over, never to be experienced again, but to have forever benefits.

So the question arises, “Can He see us as what we will be?” In His dreams as we do so in our dreams. I realize I am very limited when thinking about God. I am sure He is many times and many ways more expansive than what I can begin to imagine. I am speaking and thinking in ignorance. Yet I do believe time is linear. Someday we will know the truth. How grand.

Malleable

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-21T20:56:46-04:00

It is a bit embarrassing to learn that I have been mispronouncing a word all my life. I wish someone had told me. This morning I was observing a teacher in a middle school classroom and heard the teacher use the word “malleable.” “No,” I thought to myself, “it’s mallable.” So I got out my iPhone and checked the dictionary app. Well, so much for appearing educated all these years. Now I am wondering how many other words I have been either misusing or mispronouncing. This must be a case where someone has to be a really good friend to tell you that you have spinach between your two front teeth. People are embarrassed for you but don’t have the courage to say, “Hey.”

I think even Jesus is a bit hesitant to tell us all our faults; at least not all at once. We would be so discouraged we would just give up and say, “What’s the use.” Little by little as we are successful in some areas He very gently reveals new areas where growth is needed. Jesus created us. He is the great psychologist. He knows just how much we can handle and makes sure He doesn’t overwhelm us. However, sometimes church members are not so gentle and have driven a lot of people out because of harsh pushing to try to make others like them.

We seem particularly bad about this with our young people. We don’t stop to consider their world is not the same world we grew up in. And we forget how we felt about the older people telling us how to dress and comb our hair. We have to remember young people are “malleable” and with love will become what Jesus wants them to be and not necessarily what we want them to be.

New Clothes

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-20T23:09:20-04:00

I am sitting here looking at a coupon that will enable me to purchase thirty dollars worth of clothing at a consignment store for only fifteen dollars. Now that’s a bargain. Usually thirty dollars worth of clothing for thirty dollars is a bargain at a consignment store. But this is really over the top. How can I refuse to use it? Except there is one small detail. I have stopped buying clothes. I have enough clothes. I will die before I wear out the clothes in my closet. Except maybe I might need a new pair of church shoes. The pair I have now I bought in 1988. I have had them reheeled four times and resoled twice. Perhaps I can get that done one more time and then they will last me to the end. They are wingtips and if I polish them nicely they will look good in the coffin; except they won’t show.

If you don’t need something it isn’t a bargain no matter how inexpensive. So I will pass up on this coupon.

When it comes to getting new clothes there is one garment all of us need. It’s actually mentioned in the Old Testament. In Zachariah 3 is the story of the high priest getting new clothes. They were spotless. Again in Revelation 7 the redeemed are wearing white robes. They are made white by the blood of the Lamb. How grand that is! They were not purchased at a consignment store. Oh no. These were purchased at Calvary. Jesus paid for them with His life and we will have them in our wardrobes forever. They will never go out of style. They are the best.

Doors

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-16T22:35:21-04:00

This afternoon a gust of wind found an open door in our house. It would be difficult for me to describe how high I must have jumped when it slammed shut with the force of a small nuclear weapon. There is something very unnerving about a slammed door, especially when it cannot be reopened. Just try to imagine the sound of the closing door of Noah’s ark. Surely the finality of that sound must have reverberated in heaven itself.

In Revelation 22 at the close of Scripture there is a closing. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” As difficult as it is to imagine, there will come a time when God’s mercy is no longer available. People’s decisions not to accept the gift of grace will seal their eternal destiny. It is not a pretty picture. John speaks of God wiping away our tears. He will need to do so. This is not a time for the Redeemer and the redeemed to rejoice. There will be family members who are dear to us who will not be spending eternity with us. For Jesus all of them are precious. Can you imagine dying for someone only to have them spurn your act of love?

Life is a series of closed doors. One closes when we graduate from elementary school and another when we leave secondary school. But when one door closes another opens. When we step over the new threshold awesome opportunities may await us. What follows is what we decide to do with them. Right now the door of grace is still wide open.

God and OCD

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-14T22:32:44-04:00

I’m not sure what it is about the word “free” that I do not understand. I wanted to find out who called me so I googled the words “reverse phone number lookup.” Almost instantly I got a list of websites that promised me they would do it for free. Every single one of them told me they found it but then wanted me to pay to see what they found. I finally figured out that “free lookup” meant just that. The “lookup” was free. They just would not tell me for free. Alas.

I guess the old saying, “There is no free lunch” is still true. There is a price for everything. So when I say to you that salvation is free. I also have to explain there is an expectation that once one accepts God’s gift of grace, one will with God’s help embark upon a quest to be a better person. Being a better person is not a reverse payment for the gift. It’s a desire implanted in our hearts that comes with the gift. It’s all God’s work from start to finish. He doesn’t start it and we finish it. Oh no. It’s just that once we let Him in, He starts cleaning house. Maybe God has OCD and needs everything to be in order. In I Corinthians Paul speaks of God living in us. We are His temple. I guess He just can’t quite stand to live in a messy place.

I never thought about God having OCD prior to this. I do know that when I meet people who need everything to be perfect that is the usual diagnosis. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus did mention His Father’s perfection.

Our Greatest Task

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-09T20:42:39-04:00

Our President has spoken to our nation regarding jobs and the importance of labor and hard work. It’s a topic dear to our hearts. We know good things do not happen unless someone or some group pours toil and sacrifice into projects. I believe it because of this understanding that some of us grow uneasy when we hear people like me say that salvation and eternal life are free. We become fearful that we have cheapened salvation and have given people license to continue in their sinful ways. Therefore, it is important to say just because salvation is free it does not mean it was cheap. It was by far the most expensive purchase ever made. God gave His Son who bought salvation for us with the most expensive price tag ever written.

The next important thing to say is because it is a gift; we cannot sit back and fail to recognize the incredible obligation of grace. While we cannot purchase something already given, we must realize the task set before us, which is nothing less than never-ending character development. Our task is not to be saved. Our task is to become like the One who saves us. In a world saturated with selfishness, in a mind and body driven by appetites, this is an unbelievably difficult task. Anyone who says or thinks otherwise has yet to tackle the high standard to which we are called.

The Good News is this. We are not in this fight alone. We are called to battle and we have an ally. Jesus promised that He would not orphan us but send us the Holy Spirit, who upon our request, will pour out heaven in support of our quest. While victory is promised, the confrontation can be fierce.

Strawberries

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-08T23:16:51-04:00

My wife just walked in with a container of strawberries freshly picked in the rain. They are so fragrant. Immediately my brain splashed across the inside of my eyeballs pictures of a mile high strawberry pie, heaps of sliced strawberries on bowls of cereal or better yet vanilla ice cream, and jars of fresh strawberry jam. I wondered if Jesus ever had strawberries when He was a boy. The only berries mentioned in the Bible are olive berries mentioned by Isaiah and James, Jesus’ brother. There is no mention of blueberries, raspberries or huckleberries. If this lack of mention meant lack of berries I find myself feeling sorry for their depravation of nature’s bounty.

What is interesting is what James had to say about olive berries. He mentions them in chapter 3 where his illustration is that a fig tree cannot bear olive berries. His point is that if we call ourselves Christians we cannot praise God one moment and then use the same mouth to say vicious and cruel things about people. After all whether we like it or not those people we dislike were also made in God’s image. His point is quite legitimate. Consistency of character is the real fruit of a genuine walk with God.

When people know they are going to see us they should have a very good idea what they are going to encounter; basically unselfish kindness and concern for their well-being. I know this can be difficult, because let’s face it, it is delicious to say things that belittle others. It makes us feel clever, big and important. Guess what? Our feelings are lying to us for it is just the opposite. When we do so we aren’t belittling others. We are belittling ourselves.

Sawdust and Salt

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-07T21:11:32-04:00

One of the most fascinating places I ever visited occurred on a hot summer day when my father took me to a large red wooden building that was full of ice. Mounds of sawdust covered large blocks of ice that had been hewn from a local Pennsylvania lake during the winter months. I could not understand how on such a hot day the entire pile did not turn to water. I watched as they loaded a wagon to deliver it around the city for people’s iceboxes. Only rich people had electric refrigerators then so you can tell how long ago this was. My dad explained to me how the sawdust insulated the ice keeping it from melting. Years later I learned that salt had the opposite effect on ice.

That is all a distant memory but I still think about preserving things that are precious. I long to preserve my relationship with my family. I long to preserve my memories. I long to preserve my health. I long to preserve my relationship with Jesus. Each one of these requires attention. Family members must not be ignored but be nurtured. The same goes for memory and health and one’s spiritual life. Neglect of any of these will see them melt away in the heat of life. I wish it could be as simple as covering them with sawdust and keeping them away from ice. (Interesting that in many cases salt is a preservative. But in this case it is the opposite.)

Common sense living, paying attention to the needs of others, getting enough exercise, eating properly, eliminating stress and feeding one’s soul by feeding on God’s word. These are the sawdust that will enable us to keep what is precious to us.

On The Home Keys

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-06T21:33:07-04:00

I had this fairly lengthy passage to copy from a book into my computer. As my fingers typed away I knew I was on a roll. It was one of those days when everything was functioning in high gear. My typing teacher from high school would have been so proud of me. I was way over fifty words a minute. It felt so good. Then I paused and looked at the page I had just blazed into my document. I gasped. It was gibberish. It made no sense. Then I saw my error. The fingers of my right hand were not on the home keys. Even though the J key has a raised dash on the bottom edge I never felt for it.

One of the classes I used to teach at our little college is Intro to Philosophy. I loved the class. It was great fun to see the students light up to new ideas. One of the things I discovered while teaching that class was a person can develop some very tight logic and yet end up with a wild position because they did not start on the right foundation of truth. Jesus said it so well when He spoke of building a house upon the sand. Some very great minds developed some very strong positions by carefully going from one logical step to the next. But because they began on sand they ended up with positions that have grown dusty and musty.

Paul had it right. He wrote, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” When you start there you end up with life and there is nothing dusty or musty about that. Please see I Corinthians 3:11

The Perfect Job

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-05T17:20:12-04:00

Since our little college will not be opening this fall and I have been locked out of my office and classroom I am looking for a job. I think I found it. I looked on Craig’s list under Gigs/Writing. Oh this sounds way too good to be for real. Someone (I almost started that sentence with “they.” But who is “they?”) is looking for an ice cream evaluator. Now that is my kind of job. They even offer free ice cream. They don’t say much about any other compensation so just maybe it is not the perfect job. (But close)

Perhaps I should respond to the ad asking for writers who have seen UFOs. As a Christian I most likely could say I have seen UFOs sometime in my life but didn’t know it. The Bible is filled with texts regarding extra-terrestrials visiting us. One of my favorite verses regarding this is Psalm 91:11. “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” When I was a little guy I loved to hear angel stories. If you grew up as a Christian you most likely have your favorite one.

Some of the references I find most interesting are the ones regarding Jesus’ life on earth and the angel visits. The first one would be the angel talking with Mary about her pregnancy followed by the angel telling Joseph to marry her. I think the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem must have been one of the more spectacular visits. We must not forget to mention resurrection morning when the angel sat by the empty tomb to explain what had happened. Maybe writing about angel stories or anything to do with Jesus would be the perfect job. The compensation is out of this world.

Persistence

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-02T21:54:19-04:00

The sign in front of the barber shop beckoned with the message, “First Time $5.” I’m not sure how many hundred times I have driven by without responding. However, today I was very shaggy and decided to check it out. Sure enough they (two very talkative ladies) only charged me $5 and it is a good haircut. I will go back. My regular barbers (two not so talkative ladies) are going to miss me. I enjoyed the chatter.

Persistent advertising finally got me. When I was a little guy there was a map in our church where someone was keeping track of and marking countries that had been sent a missionary. The inspiration for this was the idea that when the Gospel had gone to the whole world then Jesus would come. What intrigued me was the idea that a single presence or a single event of witnessing meant we could check off an entire country. We were one step closer to the Kingdom. But does a one-time exposure really do the job? I once heard someone say they passed out pamphlets to a neighborhood; therefore, those people had their chance. Come on. Really?

We are talking about something so much more significant than a haircut and it took hundreds of times before I responded. When we are talking about totaling changing one’s life we have to realize, while some people will see it right away, it will take multiple years before another person gets it. So, don’t give up. If there is someone you have been praying for keep on praying. If there is a family member who needs to respond, keep on being the kindest, most caring, most self-sacrificing person in their life. Someday it will make a difference.

Salesmen

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-09-01T08:51:14-04:00

They seemed so sincere I don’t think they got it. They were convinced they were not salesmen. They were only knocking on doors to see if we needed new windows. They would help us determine so. Should they so decide they would then arrange to send a salesman. Therefore, they were not selling anything. I could not convince them they were selling.

They were like car sales people who rush out to snag you if you pause for a moment to look at a car. After they schmooze you, they bring in the big gun from the backroom to seal the deal. It is also like people who bring friends to church hoping the pastor can convince them to join. Everyone is part of the process. Even the people who brought casseroles to the potluck are part of the team. Convincing someone to buy or become a part of something is a team effort. The pastor will never succeed if the members do not create a welcoming atmosphere.

One would think it to be easy to give someone eternal life. Perhaps it is difficult because we complicate it. Often we make people think they have to join “our” church if they are to be saved. “We” are God’s exclusive little club and they need to dress like us, eat like us and pray like us. God must sometimes smile at our ridiculous behavior. At other times He must shake His head in exasperation. The point is we do have a marvelous product to share with the world. And the way we sell it or give it is to make it attractive and the way to make it attractive is for us to be as much like Jesus as we are capable.

His Eye is on the Chickadee

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-31T23:13:20-04:00

The storm really took its toll on the little fellow. Who knows where he was blown in from or perhaps he was a local who didn’t find good shelter. We spotted him this afternoon looking ragged and exhausted. Chickadees usually looked prim and proper but not this little guy. He sat on a railing looking like he had just finished a marathon. This evening he decided to spend the night by a large dish of water we keep on the ground for the birds. He had tucked his head under his wing and became the perfect meal for any nocturnal hunter looking for a snack. My wife went over and picked him up. As he awakened in her hand he put up a major fuss. How dare she interrupt his dreams! Ever so gently he was placed up on a safe branch.

His squawking reminded me of us when God sometimes has to move us to a safer place. Getting us to change isn’t always easy and sometimes we go kicking and screaming; yelling at Him for disturbing our perceived comfort. When we put ourselves in His hands we then need to trust what happens next. “In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?” Psalm 11 And where is our mountain? “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.” Psalm 48 Often from our point of view the change doesn’t look so good. But should we see our life from His vantage point we would never want it any other way than His way.

To Be Infectious

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-30T21:13:06-04:00

We had an interesting experience today at Denny’s. While waiting for our order we watched a server prepare a table for the next customer. First she cleared off the dishes and then she very carefully wiped the seats. Following that she then wiped off the table using the same cloth she had used to wipe off the seats. At least it looked clean. But wait. It gets better. The next customer to use that table had really nasty looking sores on his elbows and I’m sure you know what happened. He sat down and promptly put his elbows on the table. I am amazed we are as healthy as we are. The human body does a great job in fending off all manner of germs.

As I watched the man with the nasty looking elbows I found myself wishing that it would be as easy to spread the Gospel as it is to spread germs. That really is a horrible analogy. The Gospel is the best thing ever and I shouldn’t even put it in the same sentence with germs. One brings health and never-ending life while the other brings misery, suffering and death. But wouldn’t it be grand if we could sneeze and spread the Good News like we spray colds and the flu?

I have always wanted to be an infectious Christian. Yawning is infectious. A few good yawns in a classroom will produce more. A good smile usually produces more smiles. Kindness usually begets more kindness. Those, of course, are merely human behaviors. What I really desire is something much more substantive. I long for people to understand just how self-sacrificing and wonderful God is. That’s a much more difficult task.

Pruning Doesn't Come Easy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-29T20:27:21-04:00

Hurricane Irene has moved north from Massachusetts. Here in the center of the Commonwealth it was not too bad; a few hours of hard rain and some gusts that were very helpful for me. I had a few dead branches beyond the reach of my pole-saw. Irene got them down for me. She was a good pruner. It isn’t unusual to see the ground covered with leaves in New England but it is a bit different to have them all be green. There are even a few well used nests strewn here and there.

Storms come in many forms. Some of the ones most difficult to deal with are internal. They also can do some serious pruning. Often time things are taken away that we long to hang on to. The best pruning takes place in the hands of a master gardener and not by the capricious events of life. The last evening Jesus was with His disciples He paused in the moonlight to talk about pruning. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15.

While I indeed long for a much fruit experience the pruning worries me. I know I am in the hands of the one who loves me more than life itself. I know He would only do what is the very best for me. But my humanity is still ever present and there is this human need to be in control. The idea of total surrender and allowing God to take over isn’t completely natural. Pruning doesn’t come easy.

The Spider in the Wind

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-28T19:19:29-04:00

We had only driven about a mile when my wife noticed a tiny spider clinging to a strand of web that was connected to the passenger side mirror. There he was in a forty mile an hour wind holding on for dear life. Nothing would do except we had to pull over while my wife rolled down her window and helped the little guy back into the safety of the case that holds the mirror. Only then could we proceed. I was fascinated because my wife really dislikes spiders.

At first I wanted to compare this to God and us. Romans 5:10, “If, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” But then I realized it was not a good analogy. God loves us despite our sins. Our sins He definitely hates. But He does not see us and our sins as one in the same. In His Fatherly care He is able to separate us from our behavior. That in itself is amazing. It is the spider itself my wife dislikes even though she actually understands their presence makes our home a better place. They catch and eat all kinds of flying, biting, stinging things.

So why was she so concerned about the little guy clinging in the wind? Perhaps she admired its tenacity. It certainly wasn’t giving up. All it needed for survival was a break. It needed someone to intervene. And so we did. Often times it is that way with us. Times get tough and we hang on for dear life hoping for a break. When it comes to our eternal future we got the biggest break anyone could imagine. God intervened and we are saved. Amazing.

The Golfer

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-26T21:09:36-04:00

There was rumbling moving closer and closer. Black clouds were moving our way. There was that smell in the air as the barometric pressure lowers and nitrogen escapes from the ground. We were definitely going to get it. And what to my wondering eyes did appear but a man at a driving range. There he stood with his metal shaft pointed high in the air as he focused on that golf ball. The only thing I think he could have been thinking was he paid for that bucket of balls and he was going to get his money’s worth. I was transfixed as I watched. I have never seen anyone struck by lightning and I figured if he was going to get it, I was going to see it happen. Fortunately it did not. What made it really sad was he had a horrible swing.

As I was thinking how stupid he was, the thought occurred to me that I too am that stupid when I eat things I know will clog my arteries, when I fail to exercise, when I tolerate being overweight and when I neglect my devotional life. My IQ isn’t any higher than that guy with the golf club pointing to the sky. Alas, it is so much easier to see other’s mistakes and ignore our own. It is so grand that we have a Savior who was and is one of us. He knew about human stupidity and hypocrisy. He talks about it in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, “How wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?” Alas, we, at least I, do it all the time.

My Old-People Glasses

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-25T21:04:26-04:00

I got a new pair of glasses. They are old-people glasses. Old-people glasses used to be bi or trifocals with the lines but now we get progressive lenses. No lines. The only people who now get glasses with lines are the trendy people. My old-people glasses are ones with some anti-glare treatment. When cars come at me after dark their headlights don’t flare all over the place.

Little by little I am making the transition to being old. I now take Centrum Silver so I can ride my bicycle with the wind blowing through my hair (oops – no hair left) as I laugh at whoever knows what. (oops – can’t hear) I love getting my senior citizen discount. I ask for it everywhere I go. I wonder if God will give me a discount on tithe and I only need return nine percent. I need to start putting my stuff up on ebay.com. Now that our little college, Atlantic Union College, will not be opening this fall, I can spend snowbound winter days selling things on line. However, I’m not sure who would want an old clock with an inscription “A+ Professor.” I got it from a student. (Sorry about that. Had to brag.)

Life is such an adventure. The trouble with selling stuff is each item has a story. It’s like selling one’s life to strangers. Three score and ten isn’t very long. But I have a feeling that if we had thirty score and ten it would still not be enough. What a thrill it is to read John 3:16. If we believe we will never perish but have everlasting life. What a thrill it is to know Jesus and know this is just a prelude.

Gardeners

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-24T23:30:03-04:00

The Lord made some people gardeners. The Bothwells were not some of them. We do not grow food. We eat it. For a short time when our boys were very little in Africa we had a small garden cut out in the midst of a patch of elephant grass. At no time in our lives in America have we grown eatables. We have gathered wild blueberries and asparagus where God planted them. So this year when my wife decided to grow a tomato plant in a tub we were pretty much garden virgins. You can imagine our dismay when a ground hog started munching on it. But my wife fortified the plant with chicken wire and we now have tomatoes. It was a rare day this afternoon when I walked by it, plucked a nice round red juicy fruit (or is it a vegetable?) and ate it right there on the spot.

They certainly do taste better than the ones from the supermarket. It brings new meaning to Genesis 1:11- 12. It was the third day of creation. “The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”

Now I am wondering if brussel sprouts and okra taste good if they come fresh from the garden. But alas, I think it is too late for us to become gardeners. We do live in New England and the growing season really isn’t very long. Maybe in heaven God will put a garden area in my back yard with no weeds. I hope I don’t disappoint Him if I fail to use it and instead buy my veggies from a neighbor with a squash plant.

"Evil"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-23T20:10:51-04:00

These past few days thousands of workers for one of the communication giants have been on strike. You most likely saw some of them with their red shirts and picket signs standing in front of one of their work places. I certainly can understand the need for unity and solidarity when negotiating with a giant organization. What I don’t understand is one of the strikers was wearing a button with the company logo above the word “Evil.” “Evil” is a very harsh word and I wondered now that the strike is over, how can that person continue to work for an organization that is evil? Would that not mean that he too is evil by using his talents to foster the health of that evil organization? Should he not use his gifts to totally stamp out evil or does something cease to be evil once we get from it what WE want? Then who is the evil one?

All of my life I have been educated to think that Satan is evil. I certainly don’t want to be on his team. Therefore, when I tell a lie, it really isn’t evil, it’s just a little white lie. I haven’t really participated in his campaign to overthrow God’s Kingdom or have I? When I feed my lower nature am I not at least a private in his army? At least I’m not a captain or a general. Those positions are for others I know but will not identify here.

It seems so easy to disparage others and excuse ourselves. I usually come up with some very good excuses for my misdeeds but rarely want to give others the benefit of the doubt. They are just plainly evil! Alas, I need a heart transplant.

Heaven Starts Now

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-22T21:03:53-04:00

There are certain things so good they are beyond adjectives. On this very warm August evening I have just consumed an Orange Creamsicle. Our family used to call them Dreamsicles. Not only was it delicious on my tongue it was even more so in my mind. I was five-years-old again sitting with my father on the front steps of our house. I remember slowly licking away the orange outer layer trying to make it last as long as I could. My dad was eating a Fudgsicle. We were in heaven.

Heaven is not so much a place as it is a state of mind. We drove past a church today that had a sign over its front door that said, “Gateway to heaven.” My first thought was there must be a lot of really nice people who worship there. Making a place heaven doesn’t really have to be very difficult. It is merely treating people the way you want to be treated.

This afternoon at a church picnic I saw one of our smaller members wearing a Minnesota Vikings t-shirt. “Hey,” I said, “You are in Patriot’s country.” Even though he is a little guy I know him well enough to know he would not be intimidated by me. “My mom likes the Vikings,” he said. So I responded. “The next time I see you I am going to give you a Patriot’s shirt.” “Really,” he beamed as he hurried over for me to check his shirt size. You can be sure I have a big note on my desk. That is a promise I will make sure to keep.

Heaven isn’t about winning the lottery. Heaven is about being with people who care about you. Heaven starts now not sometime in the future.

Life Isn't Fair

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-19T20:05:51-04:00

It has been a few years now since my mother passed away, so I figured it was time to shred her business papers. There was a box of old check registers, annuity papers, receipts for things long gone. There were documents scribed with my father’s name and the names of her other two husbands. She buried three. She would be upset with me telling you this. Actually I thought it was kind of grand that she got three. One of our friends who never married always complained how unfair it was that my mom got three and she never got one. I might add the three she did get were all really fine men.

Life isn’t fair. That’s a difficult lesson for most people. I think we are born with a sense of rightness and when it doesn’t pan out we think we got cheated. Whenever I am tempted to complain about some injustice I remind myself of the millions of people in the world who haven’t had it nearly as splendid as I.

Some people think fair means we all get treated equally. However, if that were the situation, in most cases it would be very unfair. Each of us has different needs. Fairness is receiving what we need, not what someone else got that we do not need. School teachers see this all the time. They have some children who need more time and attention than others who are quick to learn. Giving each child the same amount of time and attention would be most unfair. Each should receive according to their need.

God gives according to our need. We all need grace and grace is what all of us receive; if we accept His offer. This is a case of equality. He doesn’t play favorites. No teacher’s pet.

Wisdom

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-18T19:13:01-04:00

Sometimes it is so dark when I walk my black lab I cannot see her even though we are on opposite ends of her leash. I walk carefully as to not trip on anything as she tugs me down the hill. She loves to walk no matter how dark it is. But a few evenings ago we had just begun when she turned and wanted to go home. I paused so I could listen carefully but I could not hear anything let alone see anything. Being that our bear is still roaming the neighborhood I decided to take her cue and let her pull me back up the hill. I know she can see better in the dark than I and she can smell many more things than I.

One of the things I have learned in life is to follow the lead of those with superior abilities. When I was a teen I was so arrogant I didn’t think there was anyone else who knew more than I. Wow, was that ever stupid. With years hopefully comes wisdom. It is that way now with God’s instructions and commands. There are times when I cannot possibly see any possible harm from certain behaviors, but I know that God, who has lived much longer than I, (How about forever?) and has more information than I, (How about His being all knowing?) will only lead me to safe places. It is me that gets me into trouble.

The Shepherd’s Psalm says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil.” That’s not just some childhood memory verse. That is good counsel no matter how old we are. I let my dog take me home that dark dark night.

A Nice Kind of Weird

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-16T21:30:46-04:00

Long I stood in the pet store trying to find the chameleon. I felt pretty stupid considering it was in a glass enclosure that wasn’t overly large. Finally I saw it, but only after it moved. As I examined how well it blended in I remembered the first time I ever saw one. When I was a little boy someone brought one to church. I remember being told how evil it would be if we blended into our culture and people couldn’t tell we were Christians. They quoted Romans 12:2 and made a real impression on me.

Years later when I was a teen all I wanted to do was to blend in. It is a common characteristic of early teens. They have so many changes happening to them physically and mentally they don’t want to look or act weird. Even as we age, to be reasonably fashionable is not something to shun. To be modestly dressed in the manner of the day is not wrong. One of the best advertisements for a product is to be appealing and we would not make Christianity very appealing if we were a gazing stock noted for our bizarre clothing. The Amish people are a wonderful people noted for their honesty, but we certainly don’t see people flocking to join them.

The best way to not blend in and to be different from others is to be the kindest, most caring, and most unselfish person in our circle. How grand it would be if we were noted for never being a gossip and being the one person in the crowd who always had something nice to say about others. That is a nice kind of weird.

Walking Targets

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-15T19:52:27-04:00

I have through the years developed a target on my back. Actually it’s on the back of my head. When I walk through the forest, mosquitoes and other heinous flying creatures see this large hairless circle and seem to think it’s some kind of supermarket. While I myself have never seen it, it must be very appetizing because it never fails to attract hungry bloodsucking flying vampires. I have tried bug repellent to no avail. I think I shall have to break down and start wearing a cap when venturing onto the mountain.

Protecting ourselves from attackers is quite prudent. It seems stupid not to protect ourselves from any manner of anything that lessens us. Yet, it appears that unless we are able to see the consequences of something or some behavior, we are not very good at caring for ourselves. We overeat. We know better but because we don’t immediately see the bulge swell up around our middle we just keep on eating. We fill our minds with degrading content and because we don’t immediately become felons we keep on watching, reading and listening. We know we should spend time each day feeding on God’s word and yet because we don’t immediately sense our level of care and concern for others erode, we neglect the very thing that will make us better people.

It’s not just the bald spot on the back of my head that’s a target. We are walking targets for attacks from one who has thousands of years of experience debasing humans. Peter puts it this way, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

The Road Most Traveled

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-13T15:55:27-04:00

One of the assignments in my Philosophy 101 course is for each student to write a reflective personal philosophy. One of the things I have learned from these essays is how well known is Robert Frost’s poem about two roads dividing in a wood.   Often it is quoted, especially the last lines, “and I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference.” If all the people, who think they have taken the road less traveled, have really taken the road less traveled, then it is not the one less traveled.

While it is true each of us is unique and there is not, nor has there ever been another like us, it is also true that we are very much like most people.   A simple freshman course psychology textbook pretty much sums up the makeup of a normal person. It’s the persons described in the DSM-IV that are on the road less traveled. The variations between an Englishman and a Frenchman are cosmetic. The variations between an African and a member of the KKK are not nearly as vast as both groups might wish.

There seems to exist in most of us an egocentrism that tells us we are not like others. We are special. We belong to a superior race. We are part of the best culture. We are members of God’s church. We are more sincere than those who fill the pews around us. We. We. We.   How deflating it can be to wake up one morning realizing that none of the above is true. God loves the common man. Just look at how many of us He has made. Enjoy your trip down the road most traveled.

A Fairer World

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-11T22:28:19-04:00

In a world of instant communication and worldwide coverage of almost everything it amazes me to realize there is starvation occurring in Somalia and Northern Kenya while we have an obesity problem. When one sees the pictures of these families coming out of such a barren land one wonders if Romans 1:20 is applicable for these people. Paul says we are without excuse because we can see the wonders of God’s power and grace by the things he has created. Living in New England – yes – no question about it. Living in southern Somalia – surely not. I believe God treats each person uniquely as each situation is unique. These people are already in hell. For them there isn’t much wonder at the beauty of His creation.

I am amused when I hear people in this land of plenty speaking about how unfair things are when they don’t get everything they think they deserve. I recently heard someone complaining that the school bus stopped two houses down the street causing their poor child to walk 100 feet. Shall I mention the Somalian mother who had to leave her starving baby by the side of the trail to perish because she needed to make sure her other children made it to the refugee camp?

Only in some fantasyland does fairness exist. The challenge of being like Jesus is for us to recognize where and when we can intervene to make life fairer for those who need help. Jesus’ very own brother, James, wrote, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Night Sounds

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-09T22:31:54-04:00

Last night while walking my dog I was serenaded by tree frogs, katydids, crickets, the buzzing of mosquitoes and the barking of a dog far off in our little city. I like night sounds. About two A.M. I awoke for a while and listened to a freight train rumbling its way across Leominster. Its distant horn sounded as it crossed roads outside the city and sang me back to sleep. Who knows what dreams of mine were filled with faraway places or better yet places nearby packed with people I love. Those are the best kind.

I have never had a Nebuchadnezzer dream so important I wanted to know what it meant. Freud would find my dreams too simple for analysis. I never had a voice calling me like Samuel. I am intrigued by people who speak of God telling them things. This past week in church someone told of God telling her to play her guitar. God does silently guide my thoughts as I read in John or Paul. He feeds me until my brain is full. But never has He told me to take a call to a church or to teach at a specific school. He didn’t tell me who to marry. Well, maybe He did by placing her in front of my admiring eyes.

I like night sounds. They are the common sounds of life after a city has fallen asleep, except for that guy on a motorcycle without a muffler who moves from traffic signal to traffic signal at 1:45 A.M. There isn’t anything much more hauntingly beautiful than talking to an owl after dark. Perhaps that owl is God’s voice telling me He loves me.

The Key to Being Ready

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-08T20:46:25-04:00

Recently I sat through a thirty minute sermon admonishing us to be ready for Jesus to come. I kept waiting for the speaker to tell us what we had to do to be ready. If I am going to be told to do something I want to be told how to do it. However, he never did. He inferred it had something to do with our diets, both physical and mental. While I do not want to put down on the importance of both of those arenas, they are extremely important for physical and mental health, which are of essential importance for living the abundant life, they are not the key ingredient to being ready for Jesus to come.

The key to being ready is to recognize our total need for grace and to accept His gift. Paul is very clear about this in Ephesians 2. He wrote, God “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Paul presses the issue even harder in Galatians 5. There he says we actually fall from grace the moment we alter God’s plan by adding any other requirement other than grace. It is difficult for us. Our pride wants so badly to contribute something other than a receptive heart. However, that is all we can do. It is the key to being ready. The speaker was correct. We do need to be ready. Just tell us the simple truth regarding how wonderful is His grace.

The Dumpster

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-05T10:58:49-04:00

Having to vacate one’s office after 18 years of accumulating grade books, old term papers, syllabi from courses long forgotten, old tests, cards filled with signatures of students you don’t remember and out of date textbooks can be a daunting task. Today will be day number five of taking hundreds of pounds of paper to the college dumpster. I am so thankful for a hand-truck. The person who invented that marvelous two-wheeled transporter should be awarded a Nobel Prize.

I feel a bit strange tossing away boxes of term papers. If they were done correctly each one represents an enormous amount of work. Truthfully, most of them were banged out as rapidly as the student could type. Very little information that could change the world is being sent to the world of paper recycling. All that will remain from those hours in the classroom and sleepless nights cramming for an exam will be a single grade in the registrar’s office.

But wait. It wasn’t really about assignments and grades. It was about education. It was about changing lives and preparing people for service. The most important thing wasn’t a grade, it was ideas. It was about understanding one’s self, others and how the world works. It was finding Jesus and making Him the Lord of one’s life. It was about eternity and class reunions and alumni meetings thousands of years from now. It was about character building and helping high school graduates transition into adults who will raise families and become meaningful contributors to their local communities. If all those lectures, all those hours grading boring papers (most of them really weren’t very interesting) can be translated into outstanding human beings than many trips to the college dumpster is worth it all.

The Fragrance

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-04T22:58:28-04:00

I wish you could be sitting with me at my desk. There is the most alluring, the most intoxicating, the most enthralling, and the most exhilarating fragrance drifting from the kitchen to my nose. I am struggling to stay in my chair. I want so badly to invade the kitchen and pull open the oven door. Whatever is in there is no longer a desire it has transformed itself into a need. By sheer force of will and discipline I continue to write to you instead of pulling up a chair in front of the oven, turning on the oven light and just watching whatever it is. I am waiting for the oven buzzer to sound out, “It is ready. Come and get it.” If my wife wants to punish me for some errant behavior (of course, there never is such a thing) all she need do is say, “It’s not for now. It is for the church potluck.” I cannot bear the thought. The next errant behavior would be sneaking to the kitchen at 3 AM like Dagwood Bumstead.

2 Corinthians 2:15 says, “We are a sweet perfume of Christ to God in those who are getting salvation . . .”

God is so very anxious to have us with Him. He longs to have us pull up a chair and stay awhile. (Forever) Often we speak of our longing for the second coming of Jesus that will end this pall of pain and restore things to the way it was supposed to be. If we think we are waiting we need but realize we only wait a few decades. He has waited now for 2000 years. For 2000 years the sweet aroma of the redeemed has filled His nostrils and He wants us.

Hugs

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-03T09:01:00-04:00

After 130 history filled years our little college, Atlantic Union College, will not open this fall. If all goes as planned we will become the north campus of Washington Adventist University and open for classes next summer. We were planning on beginning classes this fall but the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has yet to grant WAU the right to do business in Mass. My wife and I will have a fairly relaxed winter. We will not worry about getting to school on blizzard mornings.

Because all of us were pink-slipped at the end of July we were instructed to vacate our offices. What a task that has become - lots and lots of trips to the college dumpster. Our local public library allows us to check out paintings and I have had a spectacular picture of a flower garden in my office. Last Friday I returned it. Hopefully I can check it out again next year. When I entered the public library I was very warmly received by the staff. I was hugged (I don’t know these people.) and wished well as they consoled me regarding our school. I must be one of the very few people who have ever checked out hugs from the library. I must admit it was better than most of the other things I have checked out through the years.

What impressed me was the genuine care and expressions of kindness. Our world is such a nurturing place when we express care and concern for each other. While I am not advocating going about hugging strangers, actually we even have to be careful hugging people we do know, I think we can make someone’s day by expressing or sending verbal or virtual hugs their way. It really does feel good.

The Reset Button

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-02T08:40:15-04:00

Recently someone dear to us wrote, “I wish life was like a video game, where you can click a restore button and go back and start over at a favorite time.”    That’s a pretty good idea but considering that would involve each life of the billions who live on earth, God has come up with a variation of that wish.

While we can’t turn back the clock we can continue as long as we need to click a restore button. In His mind we start fresh.   I wish it could be that way with the people around us. Some of them have very long memories and seem to relish in reminding us of our flawed past. God is so very much better than people. And yet, what amazes me, so many of those remembering people think they are Christians. Jesus was so very clear about this in the Lord’s Prayer. If we expect forgiveness we have to give forgiveness.

One of the advantages to God’s restore system is while we get to start over we can retain the lessons learned. We don’t have to start today or tomorrow minus the wisdom obtained from past mistakes. We get a fresh start with the advantage of knowing what not to do. It gives us a head-start on future success. When similar situations arise we can remind ourselves not to go there. “Been down that road. Not going again.”   Sometimes we are foolish and think just because it didn’t turn out good the last time, maybe this time it will be different. Well how dumb can that be? That borders on insanity or at least stupidity. Should we be so retarded – guess what? You guessed it.   God has a reset button ready to go.   Hooray for our Heavenly Father.   Boo for us.

Surprised by a Coupon

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-08-01T21:53:19-04:00

While shopping this evening I reached for an item and discovered some kind soul had been there before me and had tucked in place a two dollar coupon.   It hadn’t been put there by the store. It had been torn out from a newspaper. It was a super nice thing to do for a stranger. It was one of those random acts of kindness. I was very happy to use it at the checkout counter.

Doing nice things for others really does bring joy into our lives. Maybe the person was watching from down the aisle to see who got it. If so, I hope he or she wasn’t disappointed some old guy got it. It probably would have been even more appreciated by a young couple with small children.

I enjoy the paraphrase in the Message of Romans 12:13, “be inventive in hospitality.” What a difference we can generate in our environment if each day we did some really unique deed of kindness.   We could cut coupons and take them to the store next time we go shopping. As a teacher I could fill my syllabus with lots of assignments and then surprise my students by telling them they only had to do half of them. But that is kind of contrived.   That is akin to robbing someone and then giving them back their credit cards. Did I just associate my class assignments with robbing someone?   That was stupid. Well designed assignments contribute to the wealth of knowledge a student receives by taking the course. If I did not give assignments I would be robbing my students of their tuition.

Let’s be kind today and not worry about what we get but be concerned with what we can give.

The Way It Is Supposed to Be

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-29T23:01:35-04:00

When one rides through the Green Mountains of Vermont on a mid-summer day the overwhelming thought runs through your mind that it should be illegal for people to be allowed to live here. Gorgeous, well-kept farms and lawns sit atop rolling hills back-dropped with breathtaking mountains deep green from the winter snows. The roadsides are littered with Black-Eyed Susans, Queen Anne’s Lace, Day Lilies and Purple Asters.   The ponds are layered with Water Lilies and ringed with Purple Loose Strife. The deep blue sky is decorated with cumulous clouds billowing over a scene Monet could never reproduce. The thought run through your mind, “Let’s quit our jobs and move here.”   It is far away from the Disney Lands, Wall Drugs and Williamsburgs of our land. It is the world the way it is supposed to be.

Perhaps children belted into the back seats of the family SUV would say, “When are we going to get where we’re going?” Or “I’m bored.”   It’s that way when we are small. Paul said, “When I was a child I thought as a child. But now that I am a man I think as a man.”   There are so many things in life that change for us as we develop from one stage of life to another. Each stage has its wonders and things to appreciate. No longer am I fascinated by toy trucks. Now I am overwhelmed by big trucks and the complexity of a Vermont eco-zone. The miracle of life fills me with awe and whets my appetite for an eternity of study.

Some people say the Garden of Eden was somewhere in the Middle East. I think it was somewhere in New England. Surely it was here where God said on Friday evening, “It’s very good.”

Inspected

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-28T23:17:42-04:00

In Massachusetts we have inspection stickers on the lower right hand side of our windshields. Every year we have to pay someone twenty-nine dollars to tell us if our car is street-worthy. I don’t understand why it is that even though I know all the lights and stuff are working properly, I still feel intimidated. I feel like a little boy going to the principal’s office. Will I get spanked because a windshield wiper looks a bit tired? There is this moment of relief when the man starts to scrap off the old sticker so he can put on the new.

It reminds me of my favorite Old Testament story. It’s not Samson or Elijah. It’s found in Zachariah 3. Joshua, the high priest, has appeared before the angel of the Lord wearing a filthy garment. Satan is there to proclaim him unfit. Then the most wonderful thing occurs. The Lord exchanges Joshua’s garment with one that is spotless. Awesome. What is this story doing in the Old Testament? One would think it belonged in the middle of Romans. Joshua passes inspection with flying colors. He is heaven-worthy.

If I am intimated when my car is inspected, I can only imagine my horror when I am to be inspected by God. But wait, I read a promise somewhere in John. Ah, yes, it is 5:24. I have made Jesus my savior and according to Him I have already passed inspection. I have crossed over from death to life and don’t even have to show up for judgment. Now I ask you. Does it get any better than this? There is no standing in the spotlight waiting for the emcee to announce my fate. There are no rolling drums to raise my anxiety level to a fever pitch. We, You and I, We Win.

The Dead Rabbit

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-27T22:35:43-04:00

Don’t get me wrong. I love my dog. She is the sweetest, most caring, most devoted creature one could ever long to have. But this afternoon she found a dead rabbit in our yard. When I say dead I mean really dead, like seriously decomposed. It was hundred degrees last Friday. Can someone tell me why dogs have to roll on those things? Then she came and wanted in the house. I don’t think so! By the time I had her cleaned up I was in need of being cleaned. I had to teach this evening and was fearful that my students could detect my encounter with what was once a rabbit. One can well understand why Lazarus’ family objected to the opening of the tomb after he had been dead for three days.

I have already smelled the decomposition of flesh on a leper and I have to say, Jesus is amazing. In Mark 1 there is a marvelous story of a leper who came to Jesus for help. Jesus did the unthinkable. In front of a crowd He touched the man. Only after that did He heal him. Jesus touched a leper. The stench must have been horrific. I am tempted to think it would be easier for Jesus to approach me. After all I shower and shave every day. I use Dial soap. I brush my teeth and comb what little hair I have left. I’m not like that leper. There – don’t I sound like the Pharisee who said, “I’m not like that fellow.” See Luke 18:11.

How sad to think that we often think ourselves better than others when the truth is the stench of death is on all of us; that is until we meet Jesus.

Friends Moving Away

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-26T22:09:50-04:00

What do you do or say when some of your best friends are moving far away? If you have millions in the bank and have no friends, you are a very poor person. Friends make life rich. If you are mentally ill you can talk to your bank account and if you are seriously mentally ill you will hear it talk back. But if you are a balanced rational being all you can get from your bank account is silence. It can’t laugh at your jokes nor tell you it loves you as you exit the bank. Friends can.

John 15:14-15 is one of the most encouraging statements Jesus ever made to His disciples. He called them His friends. Peter tells us in the Book of Acts that Jesus doesn’t play favorites. That means we also are included in that group of friends. In verse 14 He tells us we need to do what He commanded. And what did He command? Just two verses before this in verse 12, Jesus commands us to love one another. It is the sum and substance of His law. The first four commands are about our relationship to God and the last six about our relationship with each other. In Matthew 25 Jesus tells us if we have done it unto the least of them we have done it onto Him. If logic prevails, which it does, then we are down to one commandment; love each other.

This isn’t complicated. It is the simple heart of Christianity. Jesus created us to share our lives with others. He is one of the others. He wants to be our very best friend. That happens when we love each other as He loved and loves and will keep on loving us.

The Bright Red Truck

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-25T16:50:10-04:00

If I thought he was crotchety you should have seen her; gray, hunched over and making those shuffle steps unique with the aged. What happened next was wonderful. He opened the truck door for her as she crawled into the passenger’s seat. Using the truck for balance and support he went around to the driver’s side and mounted himself behind the steering wheel of a bright red Dodge Ram 1500 with a Hemi. The hood was scooped and ready to suck air. The special mufflers rumbled as he pulled away leaving me a view of his chrome pipes. It was magnificent!

Life only stops when we decide it is over. I have known people in their fifties who pretty much stopped. Obviously it wasn’t this elderly, I will not call them old, couple. I wondered if they were heading home for an evening of romance. I wouldn’t doubt it. Maybe it was a first date or perhaps a 5000th!

Life is a wonderful mystery that takes place in our minds. As our senses pour data into its library we classify, sort and decide just what we are going to do with the data. Some use it to reinforce bad memories and others use it to springboard ahead for the next adventure. In John 10:10 Jesus told us He came to give us the abundant life. That’s for now and the future. He shares the secret of that abundance. It is service and being inventive in hospitality. The more ways we conceive for helping others are more ways for blessings to come our way. Blessings are like tide. They go out and shortly thereafter they come flooding back. It’s a great system designed by the One who is Himself the source of all blessings.

"Epic"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-22T22:56:01-04:00

My graduate class of middle school teachers told me this evening the “in” word for this batch of adolescents is “Epic.” It’s the “Cool” for now. It can be used positively or negatively. Someone can do something so good it’s “Epic” or something so bad it’s “Epic.” On my way home from class I thought that surely the most “Epic” thing was when God said, “Let there be light.” That was soon followed by the worst “Epic” event. That was when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Paul describes it in Romans 5:19, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, . . .” I am not one to disagree with Paul but he should have said, “all were made sinners.” It was extremely “Epic.” But then Paul continued on with, “so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” The greatest “Epic” ever had to be the Creator of the Universe being nailed to the cross by those sinners.

Each of us can make a personal list of “Epic” events and of course each would be as unique as we are unique. My best one would be the first time I saw the girl that ultimately said, “Yes” to my proposal. Wait a minute that was so long ago maybe I was the one who said, “Yes.” No, I better leave it the way I first stated it. Then of course my list includes the birth of my two incredible sons. I know you can make a great list.

Now we await the next “Epic” event. “Then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13:36

Bubbles

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-21T21:22:28-04:00

The restaurant supplied the jar of bubbles and the father provided the wind. In a gentle stream soapy bubbles floated across the table toward the sweetest little girl. As she reached for them a giant one settled safely on the back of her hand. The rays of sunlight coming through the window polished its swirled reds and greens. Expressing pure glee she reached out with her other hand to stroke it and bam it was gone. It was so pretty and so ephemeral.

Jesus touched on this theme in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, “See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:28-30

When we are 10 years old a year is a lifetime. When we are 30 a year is a year. When we are 50 a year is a month. It does not take a Philadelphia lawyer to realize life is as ephemeral as a bubble sitting on the back of a little girl’s hand. Bam it is gone! And how did we live it? Did we make provision for the main event? At first I almost wrote “encore” but that was foolish. An encore comes after the main event and for us the main event is yet to come. Actually there never will be an encore because the curtain will never come down on the main event.

Feed Me

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-20T23:11:15-04:00

This evening one of my students told us about his five-month-old son with a voracious appetite. Once he starts eating they cannot feed him fast enough. As soon as the spoon nears his mouth he leans into it, sucks it down and immediately makes noises wanting more and more. As he was telling us about his son I kept thinking about the lyrics “bread of heaven feed me till I want no more.”

Can we actually get enough so we would want no more? As delicious as it is to feed at the feet of Jesus and soak in the promises and His word, I think the answer is yes. We have limited capacity to absorb so much in a specified amount of time. When I hear or read a marvelous new idea about Jesus, I need time to contemplate. I need to stow it away in my mind and roll it around in the lobes inside my head. Sometimes I stop at the perfume counter in a department store and spray a sample on my arm and then another on the other arm and another on the back of my hand and another on the back of the other hand. At some point my nose says, “That’s enough. Stop it.”

But back to ideas, I do want another. It is an endless process because our minds can never be full. Just as we will live forever, our minds will forever soak up and retain great ideas. The feeding at Jesus’ feet will be so much better than the bread and fish He fed the 5000. That was physical. What we are talking about is mental and spiritual.

Sixty-Five Years of Change

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-19T22:09:21-04:00

This evening Brian Williams closed the NBC evening news by reminding us how much our world has changed in the past sixty-five years. This past week the United States women’s soccer team played Japan in Germany. I could not but wonder what how our world will change in the next sixty-five years. Christians long for Jesus to return, but should He not, what will be? If we have not foolishly blown ourselves into the horror of a nuclear winter will Iran and a united Korea be our closest allies? One thing we do know for sure. There will be massive change.

Most all who read this will have closed their eyes to await that glorious moment Paul speaks of in I Thessalonians 4 and I Corinthians 15 when a trumpet will blast and the dead in Christ will be raised and gloriously changed into immortal beings. But until we do close our eyes that last time our present goal is to change. Personal change, personal growth is the substance of our journey. Only people with closed, self-deceptive minds do not recognize the need. If we read the promises we know anything is possible if we will only reach out in self-discipline to use the power made available to us. In II Peter 1 we read about that amazing and precious promise that we, right now, can participate in the divine nature of our God. Should we do so, the changes in our lives might be subtle to us, but not to those about us as we become rivers of blessings.

It is long overdue for us to stop excusing our failures with, “Well, I’m only human.” According to the promise we need not be “only” human. We become literal temples for the Holy Spirit. How grand.

The Silent Petunia

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-18T20:53:32-04:00

We have all seen grass growing in the cracks in sidewalks. But this morning I saw a full blown petunia smiling at the sun and all who passed over it. What amazed me was hundreds of people were stepping over it leaving it unharmed. How grand. Lest I leave the impression all these people were consciously aware and being kind and ecologically responsible, I have to point out the petunia was strategically located in a crack between the sidewalk and the first concrete step going into a building on our campus. But it was right in the middle of our summer graduation crowd and I must add it made it so much better for its presence.

Being egotistical I wondered if my presence in the crowd added as much pleasure as did the petunia. Honestly speaking, I seriously doubt it. Being that crowds are not my favorite place I went to my office as soon as I could. Families were busy celebrating and taking pictures. A handful of loose balloons sailed high and out of sight. These used to be great days for Kodak but digital cameras have changed all that.

Have you ever departed from a gathering being sorry that you had talked too much? Sometimes we become infatuated with our own wit and think everyone in the room needs us to carry the event. Yuk! We get in the car and chastise ourselves for thinking we added pleasure to the crowd. In Romans 12:10 Paul wrote, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” Today a single silent petunia added to the day. I should learn that silently listening to another is a sure way to bring pleasure to another.

Brothers

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-14T20:44:44-04:00

One evening when my boys were teens, three of us were watching one of them play floor hockey in our college gym. I never did see what precipitated the fight but the one playing hockey was into it with another player. I could not believe my eyes as I watched his brother leap from our side and hurl himself into the fray to be by his embattled brother’s side. I never had a brother, just sisters. I guess that’s what brothers do.

Remember when Jack Kennedy appointed his brother to be his attorney general? The press was filled with editorials about nepotism. But there are times when one needs someone beside them they can implicitly trust. We were all riveted to the news as we watched those two brothers agonize us through the Cuban missile crisis. The editorials about nepotism slowed down, way down.

We think the little book of James toward the end of our New Testament was written by James, Jesus’ brother. I can only imagine the struggle he went through to finally realize his brother was Emmanuel, God with us. What kind of relationship must that have been! I am amazed in his letter he doesn’t do a lot of bragging about who he was.

Lest we become envious of him, let’s remind ourselves of the promises in Romans and Galatians. We are promised we can be adopted into God’s family and become members of the family. What an awesome thought it is to come to the same realization that James did. Jesus, the Creator of all things according to Hebrews, is our brother. I like that because I know when I am in trouble He will leap to my embattled side. It’s what brothers do.

Incongruities

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-13T22:12:45-04:00

People-watching far exceeds bird-watching as a source of fascination. Don’t get me wrong. Bird-watching is great fun; it’s just that it is far exceeded by the fun of people-watching. My favorite sighting for the day was at Taco Bell. There was this old guy (That means he is older than I.) with diamond studs in his ear lobes. He was well groomed with a nicely trimmed beard. But it was those studs that grabbed my attention. They just didn’t belong. They seemed so out of place. I was instantly reminded of Proverbs 11:22, “Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.”

There are some things that just do not go together. James 3:9-12 puts it this way. “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

There are certain behaviors, words and attitudes that just do not belong in a real Christian’s walk. But by the same token some of us are so lacking in a sense of humor we think everyone should always be solemn and straitlaced. When I look at some Christians I definitely don’t want to be like them. But I think we all can agree that there is no room for judgmental, derogatory speech and downright nastiness in our lives. We must not use honesty as weapon to cut into other’s hearts.

Eden in New England

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-12T21:35:43-04:00

We are coming up on mid-July and New England roadsides are lush with Daylilies and Black-eyed Susans. Stonewalls that line fields and yards are accented with these yellow and orange exhibitionists showing off their splendor to all who pass by. One would have to be visually or mentally challenged not to appreciate their glory. If they could sing they would surely change the words to “You Are So Beautiful” to “I Am So Beautiful” and serenade us on our way. Shamelessly they beg us to take their picture so we can enjoy them six months from now when the days are short and the stonewalls are smothered with snow.

If I had been Moses and quested to write an account of creation I would write something like this. “The Lord God planted a garden in the east and called it New England; and there He put the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight.”

Living the abundant life is living with our minds wide open to ingest each day’s gifts. Far too soon the greens of the oaks and maples will darken indicating the summer is waning and once again God will take out His palette and paint the hills and lanes with maple reds and birch yellows. Those are good days. But I am not yet hungry for them. Today the table is set with the feast of summer. It is more than enough to satisfy anyone’s taste. Today is the day to sing Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Amazing Cookies

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-11T22:09:35-04:00

There are Oreo cookies, peanut butter cookies and sugar cookies, but yesterday we had amazing cookies. Chocolate chips held together by the best cookie dough in the world. They were Goldilocks cookies; baked not too little and not too long. They were baked JUST right. They were placed on the table beside a fresh fruit salad and a marvelous plate of fresh veggies. It was the perfect summer evening fare.

As good as the blueberries were I keep thinking about those amazing Goldilocks cookies. They were like Scripture; hundreds of promises held together by the best stories. There is the story of Jonah with the promise that wherever we go God is there, even if we don’t want Him to be there; He is watching and waiting for us to cry for help and help is immediately on its way. There is the story of Zaccheaus. Jesus wants to come to our house. Then there is the hungry crowd that Jesus fed from a little boy’s basket. God is able to supply all our needs. I could go on and on.

The message is powerful. If we will read the stories we will taste the goodness of the Lord. Reading the Gospel of John is a feast all on its own. Chapter after chapter reveals a new picture of Jesus. In chapter one He is the Creator of all. In chapter nine He is the Light of the World. In chapter ten He is the Good Shepherd. In chapter eleven He is the Resurrection and the Life. The really good part about this kind of feast is that it is calorie free. Those Goldilocks cookies were great but they were rich in calories. Alas. Only Jesus is perfect.

You Complete Me

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-08T21:31:32-04:00

I wonder how many guys have used the line “You complete me”?   It really grabs a lady’s attention even if she knows it’s a quote from the film Jerry McGuire. I’ve tried it on my wife with stunning results. What is interesting is the line is not original in the movie. I believe Paul was the first to use it when talking about Jesus. Colossians 2:10, “You are complete in Him.”

In our quest for development we are so aware of our deficiencies. If we were on our own in this pursuit we would be doomed to failure. It is just part of being human that the better we know ourselves the more aware we become of our needs. Surely discouragement would eventually overwhelm us when we realize there is a certain point in the aging process that our cognitive skills and our physical skills aren’t what they used to be. When my family says to me, “Are you alright?” I realize I am sending subtle signals I thought I was covering up.

Fortunately for all of us the completeness encompasses the entirety of our being and with Jesus as our righteousness we stand before God not as a forgiven sinner but as an individual who has never sinned. I have a friend who tells me he wants to check my record when he gets to heaven. I just smile because I know the only thing there is the good stuff. The bad stuff isn’t just a secret between Jesus and me. It’s gone! I love it! He will be so frustrated because he is suspicious I have a pretty raunchy record. He will never know because I’m not talking and neither is Jesus.   Jesus completes us!

God Gets It The First Time

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-07T22:40:39-04:00

It’s not my age. I have always had difficulty handling strings of numbers that are spoken too rapidly. My definition of “too rapid” are numbers spoken faster than I can write them down. When I was a pilot and needed to talk to air traffic control or the control tower I always spoke very slowly. They would respond with headings, altitudes and clearances at the same pace. If I forgot and rattled off the plane’s number the numbers I got back were way too fast for me to comprehend. It is the same way with my phone’s voice mail. People leave a message saying, “Call me” and then rattle off their phone number with such speed I never can get it. If they wonder why I do not call them it’s because I have a policy. If I cannot get their number written down after listening to their message four times, I give up.

Obviously I am not like God. Number one – He never gives up. Number two – He gets it the first time. He doesn’t need to listen four times. Number three – He actually gets it before we even call. He’s been watching and He knows our need and knows what to do. Sometimes when we pray we tell God our problem and then we tell Him how to solve our problem. When we think about that it is rather insulting. He is God. He knows. He doesn’t need us to explain. Recently I was at a large gathering and the person who prayed told God who we were and where we were and why we were gathered and what we needed from Him. Instead of talking to Him as an intelligent being we treat Him as if He was some vending machine in the sky.

Do Not Turn Off Your Computer

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-06T19:55:53-04:00

The message on my computer screen said, “Configuration Update #496.” In a moment the screen changed with the following message, “Configuration Update. Do Not Turn Off Your Computer.” This happens with some regularity. Somewhere out there in computer land someone, with no name that I know, is keeping the bad guys out of my computer. When they detect a weakness or an attack they surge into action and send me a shield. I like these nameless guys. It’s like they are living in my machine.

Psalm 68:19 says, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.” What a great verse. Someone out there, with a name, is watching us but is loading us with benefits. In Ephesians 2 Paul tells us He saves us so He can shower us with grace. Then there is the shield thing. Psalm 28:7 says, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped.” I also might add it seems like He is living in me. He is. Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me.”

This is a fabulous metaphor. When Jesus told parables He used everyday things so the people would be reminded of the lesson each time they saw the object in their daily lives. Our computers and our contact with these nameless guys from Windows that send us updates is about as ubiquitous in our lives as anything else. So the next time you receive a message saying, “Do not turn off your computer” remind yourself “Do not turn off your contact with Jesus.”

My Going Nowhere Spider

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-05T22:55:12-04:00

The first time he walked past me I barely noticed. I was deep into a biography of Teddy Roosevelt but my peripheral vision picked him up. The second time grabbed my attention from Roosevelt to this medium sized spider. I was sitting on our patio by a glass table with a four foot diameter. It is ringed by a white metal band so his small black body struck a good contrast. Five times he went round and round. He must have thought he was going somewhere but soon he was back where he started. He was like planet earth. Round and round our sun we go racing along at over 67,000 miles an hour and yet ending up at the same place a year later.

Without Jesus it would all be quite futile. Without Jesus it would be about 70 to 80 trips with as much meaning as my spider’s five trips. Perhaps we would think we were making a difference but really what would it be other than reproducing the human species to make more trips? A small percentage of us might be fortunate enough to live abundant lives and see our children and grandchildren do well but most of mankind has not done so well. Over 56 million of us died during WWII. Over 300 million died from Small Pox in the twentieth century. In 1919 Spanish Flu killed over 50 million. To this day malaria kills 2 million a year.

If we read Ecclesiastes we learn of Solomon’s despair about life and he had every material thing a man could desire. Lest I sound like Solomon let me lift your soul and let it soar to the truth that we are, according to Paul, sons and daughters of the Most High God and we are destined to forever grow more and more like our God. Now that is purpose.

Bald is Stylish

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-07-01T20:46:33-04:00

We are surrounded by bald heads. Both men and woman are shaving their domes each morning so they are shiny and reflective. So why did I just see a television commercial pushing a hair growing product that finished by telling me I would have more confidence if I had more hair? Where did this Samsonish idea come from other than the product pusher? Are we supposed to be better looking if we have more hair and better looking people are more successful? Actually the last part of that sentence is true. If two people are interviewing for a job and have similar qualifications, according to statisticians, the better looking one will get the job.

My wife tells me I am bald on the back of my head. I have to take her word for it because I have never seen it. Since I have never seen it I’m not bothered by it and smearing the back of my head with hair growth tonic will have nothing to do with my confidence. During the recent British royal wedding I noticed that Prince William doesn’t have all the hair he had when he was fifteen. Yet he is very confident and rightfully so. He is a prince. He is the future king.

Well so are we. According to Romans and Galatians we are adopted into the royal family of the universe when we make Jesus our savior. We become the sons and daughters of God. We are even promised in Revelation that we will sit with God on His throne. I am feeling really confident and it has nothing to do with the number of hairs. Actually the fewer there are the quicker God can count them!

Let's Pay Attention

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-30T20:56:05-04:00

A mosquito is flying about my computer screen. Right this moment it is sitting on the word “mosquito” in my first sentence. Too bad it can’t read. I think it would be amused if it could. Its head is so tiny yet it obviously contains a brain. When I put my finger close to it, it fleas. (Very poor pun intended. I was better at puns when I was in the third grade.) It most likely thinks it is about to find a warm juicy meal. The truth is I am about to smack it and crush its life. But wait, do I have that right? Is that mosquito part of the circle of life and part of the food chain? While I don’t think I need it by my computer should I not try to catch it and release it outside? However, as I look at it I remember suffering from a horrible case of malaria caused by one of its African cousins. Should I after so many years get revenge on its family? But isn’t that same stupid kind of thinking the cause of so many human conflicts? A hundred years ago your grandfather killed my second cousin so now I have to even the score. However, we never really want to even the score. We want to return the deed with interest. The higher the interest rate the better.

If all Jesus was to this world was to be a philosopher, (He was so much more.) and the world realized the value of “turn the other cheek” and “forgive us as we forgive,” our history books would not be filled with tales from umpteen wars. Jesus was the prince of peace. We just don’t pay attention.

Hubbub

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-29T19:59:03-04:00

So I ask you. How can a man concentrate on his classroom lecture when a pretty lady comes by the door tossing in kisses? This is not the first time this has happened. We teach in the same department and her office is next to mine but she waits until I am really holding forth with some important topic and then she strikes. I have to tell you even though we are coming up on our 50th anniversary, it is still very distracting.

Life is full of distractions. When I am in the midst of a task needing concentration a student will stick his head in the door to ask a “quickquestion.” I hear this so often it really needs to be one word instead of two. Though it might only take thirty seconds to respond it takes much longer to mentally return to the task at hand. Our cell phones, iPads and pop ups on computer screens all distract us.

We make a conscious effort to grow spiritually only to be distracted by our children’s needs. There is soccer practice, or whatever, where they need to be delivered. As if there is something innately wrong with quiet, our environment so often is filled with background music; usually music we don’t especially like. The pressures of modern life are one of the biggest distractive foes to personal growth. One of Satan’s most effective tools is hubbub. When we are making really good spiritual progress a committee of Satan’s angels meets to discuss our case. First of their suggestions as to how to thwart us comes, “Just, fill his/her life with lots of responsibilities. They can be good things. It doesn’t matter. Just make it a good distraction.”

No Man Can Take Two Classes

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-28T19:51:26-04:00

I continue to be amazed by students. Just when I think I have seen it all, something new occurs. We started our summer graduate program this morning for teachers working on their masters’ degrees. One young lady tried to register for two classes that were running simultaneously. Her rationale was that since the courses were in classrooms across the hall from each other she could during the day keep moving back and forth from lecture to lecture. After all she was a smart lady. This is somewhat like chess masters who play several opponents at the same time. I will not mention the personal slight to the professors. It is like a student, who had been absent, coming and saying, “Did I miss anything.” I always want to respond with, “No, we napped while you were gone.”

She reminded me of Christians who think they are smart enough to follow Christ and yet take mini-vacations into places they know they should not be. They can go to church on the weekends and still spend time in relationships that should not be. Jesus said it so well in the Sermon on the Mount. “No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

While it is true that salvation is a gift, it is also true that one really can’t keep giving it back on Monday only to take it again on Friday evening. It isn’t that God isn’t patient with us. It is all about our ability or should I say lack of ability to tap into heaven’s resources with such a divided mind.

$80.00

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-27T17:03:38-04:00

While getting back into the driver’s seat I was muttering about paying $80.00 for the gas I just put in my very thirsty car. I don’t know if my wife was trying to make me feel better or worse as she reminded me of an afternoon almost fifty years ago when our ‘57 Ford was very empty. The needle was riding on the “E” and we were still a few miles from home. We had to do something.   I had two dimes in my pocket and we found a nickel in the ashtray. Pulling into a gas station we put twenty-five cents worth, a gallon, into the tank.   We told the attendant (no self-service then) to be very careful because if he put in twenty-six cents we didn’t have the extra penny. (No credit cards then.)

So when did I pay the most? On one occasion I had something left and on the other I had not a cent left. Or does it really matter?   The real richness of life was the person in the car with me on both occasions. True wealth isn’t about dimes and dollars.   It is the people we love and the people who love us. True wealth is a lifetime of good memories and shared experiences. True wealth is being cared about and having someone to cherish.

When Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you always”, He made us the richest people in history.   In John 14 He promised to send us the Comforter.   His Spirit, upon our request, will actually dwell within us. “I in Christ and Christ in me” is an amazing concept. If we can but grasp the immensity of this reality we will tap into the resources of heaven itself. See II Peter 1.

To Be Touched

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-24T20:41:44-04:00

One of my favorite things about Jesus was the way He touched people prior to healing them. In Mark 1 He touched a leper and then said, “I will. Be clean.” If it had been me it would have been the other way around. We are very tactile beings and apparently we are not the only creatures God made to be such. In a recent study at the University of California rats were induced to have a stroke. The researchers then tickled the rats’ whiskers and discovered something wonderfully amazing. Neurons that should have died did not. There was no paralysis where there should have been. There still needs to be much follow-up research; however, the implications are extremely hopeful. While it is true, we are not rats and do not respond to things the way they respond, researchers often find correlations. The message is we might have an opportunity to benefit stroke victims by stroking them until we can get them emergency aid.

In Mark 8 Jesus touched the eyes of a blind man. In Matthew 8 He touched Peter’s mother-in-law on her hand and immediately her fever vanished. In Matthew 9 He took a little girl, thought to be dead, by the hand and she got up. Continuing on in the same chapter two blind men were given sight after He touched their eyes. In Revelation 7 John speaks of the redeemed as being a huge uncountable multitude. That is so wonderful. The exclusionists among us are so very wrong. It isn’t going to be just their special little group. It is HUGE and Jesus will touch each person one by one. It will take a while. Perhaps a century or so but I can wait.

Brain Backup

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-23T20:40:19-04:00

A few years ago one of our church members lost his memory after a horrific motorcycle accident. We were very hopeful it would return even if it was in small bits and pieces. It did not. I could not understand how he remembered language. He could still read and do math but did not know any of his family let alone those of us outside his immediate circle. The selectiveness of what he knew puzzled me.

I remembered him this week while doing a backup of my computer’s hard drive. Supposedly I will be able to restore my system and files if I have a crash. I found myself wishing we could plug our brains into a little box that would store our personalities and our past for restoration in case of a crash.

Basically that is what God does for us. In I Corinthians 15 Paul speaks of a resurrection and this mortal putting on immortality. I really don’t think we much want our old bodies back. Paul speaks of brand new eternal bodies with all our personalities and memories installed in a never dying brain. That sounds pretty terrific. I recently had an elementary student ask me if his head were traded with the head of the child sitting at the next desk, would he think the other child’s thoughts. I assured him he would still only think his own thoughts. Instead he would have a different body.

Our amazing God, who knows all, knows all our memories and as we age and forget He keeps them safe and secure for us. So the next time you can’t remember a friend’s name, just relax, this too shall pass. Old age and forgetfulness is a temporary condition. How grand!

Our Morning Visitor

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-22T17:16:03-04:00

I relearned an old lesson at 6:30 this morning. Our dog woke us with her most ferocious bark. We assumed it was the new ground hog that has moved into the backyard. Much to our surprise we looked out to see our suet feeder being ripped from the tree by our morning guest. Grabbing my camera I made my way down to the back door. At first I took some really bad pictures through the window. The rising sun set up a terrible glare. But I wanted documenting shots. Next I opened the door to get some unobstructed pictures. I took about twenty pictures, some which should have been great, except for my haste. I was just pointing and shooting. In my excitement I failed to pause for that half second required for the camera to focus. I just shot away. The result was about three pictures worth saving. The rest were garbage shots. Haste does make waste.

I really should know better. Quality takes time. Quality takes thought. Quality takes effort. It is not only that way when taking pictures; it is that way with 98% of life. I see it all the time in the classroom. I can tell when a student has hastily banged out a paper as opposed to a paper that actually contained some thought. If we really want to get to know someone we have to take some time to do so. If we want a relationship with God we have to pause to hear His quiet voice and we have to spend time reading His letter to us. It is the way life works.

Our Real Need

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-21T19:58:30-04:00

It was a cold Iowa night when I received a phone call from a downtown hotel desk clerk telling me one of my church members was sitting on a ledge outside his tenth floor window. On my way I was trying to remember something, anything, that I had learned in the seminary to help me with this. After all that tedious theology and boring church history I came up with nothing. In a few minutes I was halfway out the window talking. I was doing lots of talking and getting nowhere. Finally in desperation I said, “But, Sid, I love you.” He turned and stared into my eyes and reached out his hand. Inside the warmth of the room he emptied a liquor bottle in the bathroom sink and said, “Thank you. I have not heard those words in years.” And there it was, the hunger of the human heart. The essence of life is learning to love and learning to receive love.

Years later I went back to school wanting to learn more about human nature and need. I wanted to know what to say to the heartbroken, frustrated, fearful people who came seeking guidance. I learned about Freudian, Adlerian and Rogerian psychology. After listening to countless lectures and sitting through endless groups, I never did hear anything more meaningful that what Jesus said to the woman whom the authorities wanted to stone. “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin."

I realize it sounds too simple. Life is complex and the situations into which we find ourselves enmeshed seem so entangling one would think the only answer would be years of therapy. But once we cut through all the garbage and all the trauma and drama the answer is always the same. We need to be loved.

3 AM in Bronxville

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-20T20:31:26-04:00

In a successful way to keep their graduating high school seniors safe after a Saturday evening graduation service, the parents of Bronxville, NY provide an all night party. The highlight of the celebration happens at 3 AM. A bagpiper leads everyone on a parent and police escorted walk through their beautiful residential streets. At 2:30 AM we were awakened and invited to join the procession. My midnight oil, my flashlight, was ready. As we walked along I thought if my batteries had been dead there was no place at that time of morning to purchase fresh ones. I might possibly have missed the fun. (Actually there was a half moon and my light was not needed. But I did think of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins. See Matthew 25)

When we were awakened at 2:30 with the words, “It’s time to go” I could not but think of God’s church being wakened at the end with the cry, “The bridegroom cometh. It’s time to go.” What a glorious moment that will be. Paul describes it so eloquently in I Thessalonians 4 and I Corinthians 15. One of the fascinating details he includes is the phrase, “in the twinkling of an eye.” Suddenly, in a moment, it happens. It is done. The resurrection of the redeemed occurs and we are united with loved ones never to be parted again. Words cannot be arranged into any sentence that would come close to describing the joy.

I was tempted to say something like, “this is what Christianity is all about.” And I certainly want to say it is a major part of our walk with Jesus. But it is not the entirety of the Gospel. We must never forget the joy of salvation does not begin then, but begins now, the moment we accept His gift.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-17T09:15:26-04:00

There is an abandoned railroad tunnel not far from our college. One’s eyes adjust to the dimming light as one treks into its heart of darkness but soon even the keenest of eyes find it difficult to make out what might be painted on the old rock walls. Eventually there is not enough light to even see one’s own hand held before one’s face. But then as one nears the opposite end, the light increases, the shadows decrease and how glorious it is to step out into the light.

Tunnels are like human’s experience with God. Adam and Eve started in the light of Eden. God came and walked and talked with them. They knew who He was and what He was like. But after sin they lost that privilege and following generations walked deeper into the darkness of forgetting His loving nature. Men fashioned God into their twisted image and He became, in human minds, a vengeful being filled with human traits. People did terrible things to each other and perceived it to be God’s will. Lucifer lied to people about God, smeared God’s good name. Lucifer did evil things and blamed it on God. For thousands of years the truth about God was lost in the shadows of human sin, greed, selfishness and aggression.

Then something absolutely amazing happened. Angels appeared in the sky outside a small village and sang gloriously about a birth. It was time to tell the truth about God. It was time to flood the world with the light of His true nature and to stop blaming the corruption of the world on Him. Jesus came. He and He alone was and is a photograph of the Father. Emmanuel, God with us. If we have seen Jesus we have seen the Father. Please see Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Goalie We Need

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-16T08:53:25-04:00

It has been 39 years since the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Last night the drought came to an end. It was a phenomenal series for Boston’s goalie. He stopped 37 attempts on goal. Vancouver just couldn’t get that puck past him.

I need a goalie like that. Satan is out there taking his best shots at me and way too often he scores. He dekes me time after time. Every day he scores a hat trick. The problem being that I try to be my own goalie. My personal pride tells me, “Oh yeah, I can do this.” Ah, pride does indeed go before a fall. Just when I think it’s coming straight in he wraps it around into the net from behind. I need help. I should get smart. Even though I have almost logged my three score and ten I am a rookie compared to Satan who has thousands of years of experience deking people.

According to the end of Jude, God is able to keep us from falling. It’s a matter of teamwork. We need to allow God to do for us what He is really good at doing. He is good at fending off temptations. In John 14 Jesus promised that He would send us help. He would not leave us orphaned but would send a Comforter to supply all that we need. Psalm after Psalm promises if we call upon God when things get tough He will be instantly at our side. He is never begrudging about our requests. He loves it when we acknowledge our need. That gives Him permission to come to our aid. Satan can’t get anything past Him.
Yeah, that’s who I need for a goalie!

Use It or Lose It

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-15T08:33:32-04:00

I have a friend with a small black convertible. It’s not much use in New England from Thanksgiving through May, so it’s put in storage for the winter. One would think nothing could go wrong with it sitting safely through the snowy months. However, this week it started leaking hydraulic fluid from one of the rear shocks. It appears that one of the seals dried up during the winter because it wasn’t being used. And so goes the old saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Next winter my friend will bounce on the corners of the car every once in a while.

That adage is true for more than machinery. It is also true for our bodies. If we don’t exercise we lose strength, endurance and muscle tone. If we don’t challenge our minds we lose mental agility. If we don’t feed our souls with good nutritious inspiring material we cease being attuned to such and thus miss much. The more we miss the more we spiral down and become like the average Joe Blow, who is so spiritually blind he sees nothing uplifting.

Balanced usage, well thought out, well planned usage builds strength and agility. When we are tuned in we see God’s power everywhere. God actually expects us to do so. In Romans 1:20 says, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Please note that last phrase. There is no excuse for not seeing. We are expected to be aware. Seeing should be believing. The more we do it the easier it becomes.

The Street Sweeper

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-14T09:36:10-04:00

While sitting on the porch of a home in a small town in the Napa Valley I looked up to see a street sweeping machine work its way along the curb.   “Humm,” I thought, “the street isn’t dirty.” It had been nine months since the leaves had fallen and the locals seem to take pride in their community and pick up any fallen piece of paper.   About thirty minutes later I watched the same machine with the same driver do it again. To my amazement about thirty minutes later he came by for the third time. I thought, “Either this guy has a clean fetish or not enough to do and wants to collect a paycheck for working all day.”

I used to know a guy very much like that street sweeper. He just couldn’t bring himself to believe that Jesus really did forgive his sins.   He would claim the promise in 1 John 1 that tells us, if we confess, God will forgive and cleanse us. He would pray, ask for forgiveness and be fine for a short while. But Satan taunted him into thinking he was being presumptuous to think he could be saved. His sins were so bad he was unforgivable. His very short lived freedom from guilt was soon overwhelmed with the depressive body and soul destruction of guilt. Soon he was praying again for God to forgive him of those very same sins of which he had already been cleansed. The joy of salvation continually eluded him. He kept sweeping the same street over and over and over.

We must not allow our feelings to negate the truth that God means what He says and is a promise keeper.   When He says He forgives He means it. He is faithful and just. Put the street sweeper in the garage.

Terror Alert

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-13T20:29:42-04:00

Our brains are wonderful computers instantly analyzing billions of bits of data as they unfold before us. Our brains constantly work in the background calculating speed, distance and space as we drive. While on my way to our college Thursday morning my brain issued an instant terror alert. As I started up a hill I noted a mail delivery truck coming down the hill. I watched as he pulled halfway off the road to open a mailbox. The terror occurred when I saw a 100,000 pound 18 wheeler coming 50 plus mph down the hill behind the mail truck. There was no possible way he could slow down. Those two trucks and my car were going to get to the same small piece of road at the very same instant. If he was not going to flatten the mail truck he had to come into center of the road. I would have to go for the ditch if I was ever to make another brain calculation. I’m not sure how many heart beats I missed as he chose the middle of the two lane road. I still cannot understand how I still have a driver’s side mirror. It was over in an instant. All I could see were his tail lights receding in that mirror I still had.

These brains we have can do some marvelous things. Each day they quietly make thousands of decisions as to how we are to nourish ourselves, physically, mentally and spiritually. They safely guide us through a maze of activities, many of which have great potential for harm. Not only do they house who we are they hold the potential for who we can be. The real terror alert should be an awareness that we might miss our full potential. And what might that be? To grow into the very likeness of God Himself. See Philippians 2.

Half-truths

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-02T22:24:53-04:00

I am sitting here looking at a photo of a spokesperson for a hair-care company giving one million dollars worth of PRODUCT to a mission for the homeless in LA. I am trying not to be cynical about the value of this gift as I think of LA’s homeless being the best groomed people in town. Perhaps the mission can sell it on Ebay. Most likely if I knew more details it wouldn’t seem so ludicrous, which is the case with most of the stories we hear. Often we make snap judgments with very little solid information. My email fills each day with critical stories about politicians and the like and you know they are prepared by special interest groups preying on the gullible. Facts are often deliberately distorted and half-truths are told to play on our insecurities and fears.

One of the classes I teach each summer is called Research Methods and one of the very first lessons is to ask who paid for the research. One can find research that will support almost any position. It all depends who put the numbers together and what is their bias. Most of us with grey hair can remember when the tobacco industry filled evening television with actors pretending to be doctors as they told us how soothing, relaxing and stress-reducing cigarettes were. They had all kind of research data to back up their health claims. One thing we do know is often people do not want the truth. What they really want is a research study to support what they already believe.

It is the same way with Bible study. Often instead of looking for truth we instead look for a text to support what we already believe.
__________________

Things We Shouldn't Know

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-06-01T21:42:29-04:00

There are things we see and learn that we really don’t want to know. Many years ago when I was a pastor I pulled up alongside a car being driven by one of my church elders. He was thoroughly enjoying a huge cigar; something on our no-no list. Before he saw me see him I turned my head to the left as if concentrating on oncoming traffic. I didn’t want him to know I saw. (There were times I would not have wanted him to see me.) Recently my wife was reading the local police blotter in the newspaper and spotted the name of one of our students. Ouch. I wish she didn’t read that thing. Now I know something I didn’t want to know and I don’t want him to know I know. Or should I quietly and gently take him aside for a concerned man to man talk? What is my responsibility to the school administration? Do I need to tell them? It could further complicate his life and jeopardize his education. We have often heard that ignorance is bliss. Often times it is. Does knowledge obligate us to respond?

Adam and Eve were carefully and thoroughly instructed regarding the forbidden tree. Lucifer via the serpent told them the truth when he told them if they ate the fruit they would learn things God didn’t want them to know. They ate. They learned all about death, loss, suffering, betrayal, selfishness and jealousy. While it is true that inquiring minds want to know there are many occasions when we should choose not to know. I have on occasion felt sorry for God. He knows all our dirt. How fortunate we are that He is willing and able to forget it should we only ask

Life is About Loving

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-31T22:35:19-04:00

It was one of those days. I was standing still and was sweating. I could have turned on the air conditioner in the house but my wife says I’m cheap. I prefer to call it frugal. So we did the next best thing. We got into the air-conditioned car and drove to the air-conditioned mall for a slice of pizza.

After the pizza and an hour of roaming two levels of stores I realized there was not one thing in Macy’s, Sears, Penny’s and all the other stores that I wanted or needed. You could turn me loose with a hundred dollar bill and it would be safely returned to you an hour later. This is a bit disturbing. How can it be? Is it because I already have everything a human could possibly need? Could it be that I have grown old and products are designed for younger people’s tastes? Could it be I think just about everything I saw was overpriced? Could it be I am more than a bit put off by a super-consumptive culture? Could it be that I think 90% of what is in that mall is not needed by anyone? Probably the answer is a combination of all of the above.

When I was little heaven was described to me as a place full of things that would make me happy. I loved Christmas because I would get things. I used to watch The Price is Right because of all the things people won. When we watch the people in Joplin being so grateful just to be alive and have their loved ones and watch those who no longer have their loved ones, we understand life isn’t at all about things. Life is about loving people and being loved.

Memorial Day

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-30T17:44:45-04:00

On a corner property connected to our college is a hillside, once the home for settlers who braved moving westward from the safety of Boston. They paid a harsh price for their adventure. In 1675/6 a war party of natives came burning, killing, scalping and capturing. Only ashes were left behind. I got to thinking about them this Memorial Day because of an engraved stone that memorializes that hillside. The stone is small considering the magnitude of what happened to those people.

Memorials are interesting. We try to build something that will keep us from forgetting. Yet, as hard as we try, our carved stones always seem inadequate, no matter how well designed. Stones with names can never compensate for the loss of flesh and blood. Memorials in time seem more meaningful than stones because time cycles round and round. Each time the day returns we remember. This is so much better than a stone that will fade away in the wind and rain.

God wanted us not to forget where we came from. We are not the product of an impossible chain of favorable mutations. We are the fruit of His loving design. When Moses descended Mt. Sinai with the tablets of stone, there tucked in the middle was the fourth commandment. It started with the word “Remember”. God had established a memorial in time. Every Sabbath day we are to stop our commerce and remember Eden. It became even more meaningful at the Cross. That wasn’t just a god from heaven who died for us. It was THE GOD who made us and paid the price for our failures by becoming one of us. John 1.

It is Memorial Day. Memorials are, without a doubt, very important.

Heaven University

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-27T22:38:29-04:00

While taking our lab for a snuff tonight, (our old dog went for a sniff, this dog snuffs – really, you should hear her) we were looking at Arcturus and wondered what the beings on its planets call it. We call our giant ball of burning gas Sun. I gather that is its name even though we do not capitalize sun. Since we can see Arcturus it would make sense to believe its planet’s population can see our sun and I wonder what name they have for it. Perhaps because of Adam and Eve’s transgression they call it “sin” instead of “sun”.

There is so much to learn. When I was a teen I thought the idea of eternal life was a nice idea. Now it is an essential idea. Part of the problem was when I was eighteen I knew everything. All you had to do was ask me. Now I know so little and my curiosity continues to grow. What Jesus offers isn’t just living forever. Under certain circumstances that could be awful. But what He offers is eternal matriculation into Heaven University. I need a sweatshirt with a big HU embroidered on the front. I know it might seem like I’m jumping the gun a bit but I already have my acceptance. Check out John 5:24. Usually when someone is accepted into a college or university they get the fat envelope with all the forms that need to be filled in. There are no forms needed for HU. The Registrar already knows everything about us and when it comes to financial aid, well there is a scholarship that beats all scholarships. This one comes with housing and all books are included; probably an e-tablet. (See John 14)

This Land is Mine

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-26T22:37:14-04:00

In 1940 Woody Guthrie was tired of hearing Kate Smith sing “God Bless America”, so he wrote “This Land is Your Land.” He recorded it four years later. It has become one of our more famous folk songs. But, other than Mr. Guthrie, who said this land is our land? Was it really Manifest Destiny or “might makes right”? What about the few million people who lived here before Columbus? The history of the world has always been that of the conquer and the conquered. How would we feel if at a Fourth of July concert a citizen of the Mohawk nation walked to the microphone and sang “This Land is my Land”?

We like the word conquer. Somehow it isn’t as harsh as “took.” The children of Israel conquered Canaan. My very first issue with this came to me in Sabbath School when I was about 12. How was it that only 40 years prior God told the Israelites killing and stealing was wrong? Did that only apply among the 12 tribes or was that universal? How was it that the materials used for the building of the temple were offerings and plunder?

I understand they believed God told them to take the “Promised Land” but most every war is fought by two sides who believe God is on their side. Just read the history of our own Civil War.

I am not trying to stir up controversy and don’t seek responses. I am just thinking about our history as a nation and as a human. It has been a bloody road to where we are. I am so pleased that Jesus was not the leader of any armed group. He really was the Prince of Peace.

When God Doesn't Like Me

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-25T21:24:46-04:00

I am fairly sure there are days God doesn’t like me. I know He loves me but loving and liking are two very different things. I officiated at a marriage several years ago where it was evident the couple didn’t like each other. So why would they want to get married and why would I participate? It was complicated as are most relationships but it was evident they loved each other. I was hoping they would grow to like each other. It didn’t work out. I should not have been so hopeful. Without the liking the love eroded away.

I don’t think Jesus much liked the religious establishment that governed Israel. His comments in Matthew 23 are extremely harsh and certainly are not used for persons we like. Yet He sat outside the city on the Mount of Olives and wept over them. I think He liked the woman who bathed his feet with her tears. He certainly came to her defense when she was criticized. There must have been something special about Zaccheaus other than his height. It was obvious that Jesus liked him. Jesus invited Himself home for dinner. Liking someone is wanting to spend time with them and desiring to get to know them better.

Have you ever met someone for the very first time and didn’t like them? Sure you have. We all have. Usually it is because they remind us of someone else that we don’t like and the new person is cashing in our dislike of the other. The days God doesn’t like me are the days when I am very much unlike what He wants me to be. Hopefully those days are not coming as frequently as in the past. That’s what it is all about. It’s about growing.

Singing in the Rain

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-24T22:16:26-04:00

It’s been raining here in New England for most of two weeks. Needless to say we have a few puddles decorating our landscape. Thankfully we are not like the folks along the Mississippi River or in tornado alley. Our prayers are for them. This has been a horrible spring they will never forget.

On a much lighter note I watched a robin this afternoon who has to be the Gene Kelly of the bird world. He was bathing in a puddle and singing his heart out. He was singing in the rain. It looked like he was having a glorious feeling. I found myself wanting to go and join him. There is something infectious about joy. When we hear a child laugh it is difficult to not at least smile. Happiness breeds happiness. And of course the opposite is also true. Maybe I enjoyed the robin so very much because I could not stop thinking about all the loss in the Midwest and the South.

So many prayers will ascend containing the word “Why.” And the answer is because we live in a world where awful things happen to really good people. As much as we want to believe it, the truth is being a Christian does not inoculate us from horror. If it did we could win the world for Jesus in 24 hours, but it would be for the wrong reason. It wouldn’t change hearts; only church membership.

So today I tried to divert my thoughts by watching a robin sing and dance in the rain. If we try we can find some delightful things to brighten our days. But since God is all-knowing I wonder if He ever has a good day. Does the robin help even Him?

Our Moral Responsibility

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-23T18:01:02-04:00

It is amazing to Google a satellite nighttime picture of Korea and look at the electric light difference between the North and South. North Korea is a nuclear power that doesn’t even supply its people with lights. Then there is the issue of food. Once again because of government mismanagement and/or deliberate action masses of people in North Korea are facing starvation. We have food, lots of it. Too much if you look at the size of our children.

Our moral dilemma is should we send North Korea food only to have it put in storage for their military. It is difficult for us to imagine a government allowing its own people to starve and yet we saw such behavior during the years we lived in East Africa. Tons of food rotted on shipping docks while fifty miles away people were dying for lack of nourishment.

Have we done our human duty to give and then not have control over the use of what we give? This is a question akin to giving our offerings only to see church officials with large travel budgets using the money to fly all over the world when they could have used Skype for free. Is the issue not our concern because we did the right thing by giving; thus transferring the responsibility to others?

Living in a modern world with new technologies continually changes the moral landscape. Does God wish for us to carefully ponder our giving and not merely blindly trust others to do the right thing? Service and sharing is the noble part of our humanity. It is the substance of our happiness and of our moral values.

Cockamamie Stories

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-20T20:59:20-04:00

My wife and I went to a boarding high school. It is where we met. Last week I suddenly realized I had become the principal of that school. Well, not the principal, but like him. Let me explain. We all thought he was a pushover. Whenever we got into trouble he would believe any story we made up to explain our behavior. He was such a nice guy with such a big heart. We thought he was naïve.

Now back to me. Last week was finals week at our college with lots of papers due. You should have heard all the lame excuses I received for why assignments were not ready. I won’t mention the assignments were given fifteen weeks before. I even had a set of roommates who turned in the same assignment each with their own name on the top. I know I must be getting old and don’t need the hassle. Honestly sometimes it is just easier to say, “Okay, get it under my office door by tomorrow night.” It doesn’t do much for their characters but it sure makes it easier for me. It was then that I realized I had become our old principal. I understood that he most likely never believed our cockamamie stories. It was just easier. He was not as naïve as we thought.

I am so thankful we don’t have to make up stories when we talk to God about our behavior. Since He saw it, it would be quite stupid to try. He knows the truth and He knows our reasons and motives better than we do. So the best way is to own it, confess it and take the natural consequences. He will forgive the eternal consequences but we will still have to reap the earthly fruit.

Nothing Comes From Nothing

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-19T19:58:13-04:00

“Science predicts that many different kinds of universe will be spontaneously created out of nothing.”*

If you said it or if I said it, we would be laughed at as being uneducated, ignorant and out of touch with reality. But when someone with Stephen Hawking’s stature says it some say, “Oh, yes, isn’t that marvelous?” If one browses the science section at a bookstore it doesn’t take long to ascertain there is a small cadre of atheists and evolutionists who dominate the pop science market. Some of them refer to those of us who are creationists as being “intellectually inferior.” We are, according to them, believers in fairy stories.

But really now, even people who would not consider themselves scientifically literate accurately write such lyrics in The Sound of Music, “nothing comes from nothing.”

I will try to be nice about this and just ask how long would we have to wait before something spontaneously created itself out of nothing?   Yes, I know the answer I would receive would be trillions of years. And they say we are people of faith and they are people of science.

We must never be ashamed to defend our reasonable, logical, scientific stance when we said, “In the beginning God created the heaven and earth.” Intelligence comes from intelligence and life comes from life. Design comes from mind and order comes from plan.   “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.” Psalm 33

*Stephen Hawking: 'There is no heaven; it's a fairy story' In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, the cosmologist shares his thoughts on death, M-theory, human purpose and our chance existence” Ian Sample, science correspondent - guardian.co.uk, Sunday 15 May 2011
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I Am A Mean Man

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-18T21:11:10-04:00

I am a mean man. What I mean is I am quite average. There is nothing special about me. I once knew a mean man. He was downright nasty. He was my next door neighbor when I was a child. I mean he wasn’t nice at all. I have a friend with limited means. It is difficult for him to pay his bills. What I mean is I am mean and my neighbor was mean but we are very different. He wasn’t mean because he was more than one standard deviation below the mean because of his meanness. My friend without enough means is actually quite nice.

English was not the mother tongue for almost a third of my students this past semester. It is no wonder they often did not understand my instructions. English is not the easiest language in the world. We laughed a lot as we tried to be patient with each other for often I did not understand them.

Right this moment God is listening to a million prayers in thousands of languages and He understands perfectly what each of us needs. Unlike the world’s air traffic controllers who all need to speak English so a Russian pilot can land in France, heaven doesn’t need us to learn a special language. God is so delighted to hear us any language will do. One really grand thing about God is He listens to our hearts. We don’t actually have to put our needs into the words of any language. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26

The Absence of Empathy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-17T22:42:09-04:00

We think some people are not nice. Others we think of as being bad. Then there are those we think are evil. I’m not sure I have ever met someone I would classify as evil. However, I realized I had never really defined evil. Just what is it that makes someone evil? Being rude is being not nice. Telling lies about others is bad. Somehow I think of evil as actually inflicting physical harm on another. But that isn’t what the dictionary says. My dictionary defines evil as being immoral. That certainly broadens the scope. I finally came up with my own definition. I think evil is the absence of empathy. One becomes so self-absorbed there is no time to consider how another feels. We just don’t care about anyone but the person we see in the mirror. When we say “How are you?” we really don’t care. It is a prelude to give us an opportunity to tell others how we are. Hurry and say “Fine” so I can tell you about me.

It is very difficult to think of ourselves as evil. We define ourselves with softer adjectives. When we are children we are imps or rascals. It seems harsh to describe a five-year-old as evil. Yet the seeds of self, if left to grow, will produce self-absorbed adolescents and it will continue to worsen without intervention. Thankfully evil does not place us beyond God’s desire to change our hearts and help us care about others. “He is able to keep us from falling and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.” Jude 24 It fills Him and us with “exceeding joy” to do so.

My Birch Tree

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-16T21:25:35-04:00

We have a wonderful birch tree in full leaf right beside our bedroom window. Biologists tell me it will, from now until October, provide all the oxygen my wife and I will need this year. I like that tree. During summer storms its leaves brush against the glass as if asking to come in out of the rain. Sometimes it creaks and groans like an old man with arthritis. Ice on a January night bend it over and it will rattle against the sash reminding me how blessed I am to be inside. Through the years it has become my friend and I worry about it and I hope it can endure all the weather that comes its way.

I also have human friends who nourish me. Their care provides for my inner weather. When I am sunny they smile with me. When I am troubled by some storm they listen and rarely argue. They just allow me to talk. Good friends are like that. They know that often the best cheering up is to say nothing. They just listen until my storm subsides.

Life would be unbearable without friends. To sit home alone and think only of one’s self creates a horrible downward spiral. Psychologists say solitary confinement in a windowless prison cell is one of the worst punishments. We are above all things social creatures, not made to be alone. We need contact. Of course the One who created us knows that. That is why He promises to be available 24/7. Just call. He’s a great listener. He is the best of friends and like my birch tree; He provides constant company and lots of oxygen.

Who Would Know?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-13T22:21:42-04:00

So my colleague with the barren lilac bush is pondering getting plastic lilac blossoms and decorating her blossomless shrub. I suggested that she visit a five and dime (do they still exist?) and get a bottle of cheap lilac-scented cologne. Each morning she could go out and spray the plastic flowers. Who would know? Only those extremely few who would ever get close enough could tell the difference; that is unless she leaves them on into July. Then anyone would know.

So I think you can guess what I was thinking about this afternoon. Could I, could you, could anyone fake being a Christian? Could we decorate our lives with phony deeds of charity and love? Well, the deeds would be real but the motive would be the fake part. We could make sure, like the Pharisee in Matthew 6, that we have lots of cameras around when we make our donations. We could get our picture in the paper handing a giant check to our school or church or community center. We could make sure our picture is taken when nailing up a stud during a Habitat for Humanity Project; or get our picture taken while being surrounded by lots of little African children while we play the big rich American passing out used clothes.

Who would know? Let me tell you who would know. We would. God would and Jesus could say to us, “I never knew you.” How horrible it would be to hear those words. It has been my privilege for several years now to have people send Spring of Life funds to give to needy students with the donor requesting total anonymity. I tell the students I am only a conduit. The real giver just wants to share. How grand.

The Barren Lilac Bush

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-12T22:28:59-04:00

When I went into school this morning one of my colleagues said, “I have a lilac bush that hasn’t blossomed for two years.” I didn’t know how to respond since yesterday we talked about an amazingly lush lilac bush. Immediately I thought about Jesus and the fig tree. It was Monday of Passion Week when Jesus and His disciples came upon a fig tree in full-leaf. It should have had fruit amidst those leaves but had none. The whole story seems so out of character for Jesus except for the fact it was a great teaching opportunity. He cursed it. Too curse something is not that He did something bad to the tree other than to remove His own life-sustaining power. Nothing on earth lives of itself. Moment by moment, breath by breath, heartbeat by heartbeat we do so because of His life flow to us. Cut off that connection and we, animals, trees, flowers, everything dies.

The lesson of the day, the lesson for history was that each of us is here for a reason. In Ephesians 2 Paul tells us we have a work to do, a special work prepared just for us. We might never know what it is. God knows what it is. If we allow He will guide our lives and place us in the right place at the right moment that we might do what will advance His kingdom. How grand it is going to be, to someday be told by God Himself, “Well done.” We will be amazed because not only might we not remember the moment but if we do we might have thought it was nothing much. There will be the surprise. The smallest act can have huge implications in history. We are here to blossom, to bear our fruit.

Lilacs in Lancaster

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-11T20:58:50-04:00

There is a lilac bush in Lancaster, Massachusetts that doesn’t appear to belong to anyone. There is a bank on one side and a donut shop on the other with an uncared for strip of land in between. In the midst of the seemingly neglected land is a lush spot of beauty and fragrance.   I wonder how many of the thousands of people who pass by notice its contribution.

I know some beautiful people who are very much like that lilac bush.   They bloom. They add fragrance to their space. Yet I think most people just pass them by without noticing their contribution. They rarely, if ever, get any accolades. They live quiet lives watching others get the awards and the praise. They must wonder what they would have to do to be noticed or maybe they enjoy the quiet life and would be embarrassed if the spotlight suddenly shone on them.

If you are one of those quiet beautiful persons allow me to say, “Thank you for making the world a better place.” There is an interesting line in a Gilbert and Sullivan musical that goes like this. “When everyone is somebody, then no-one's anybody.” So I guess the somebody’s need the no-one’s so the somebody’s can be somebody.   But let’s never forget those people getting the awards couldn’t get them without the beautiful support people that actually make life work.

The writer of Psalm 84 talks about being a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. It leaves one with the concept of someone being so happy to be in God’s house they don’t care if they are hidden on the back row. I don’t think that can happen. I think God notices, loves and smells every lilac bush no matter where it is.
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Balancing My Checkbook

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-10T21:25:41-04:00

I am the worst at balancing and reconciling my checkbook with the bank statement. My addition mistakes, subtraction mistakes, transpositions of numbers and just forgetting to make entries have created an accounting nightmare. My wife who is very meticulous gives me that sly smile and without her saying a word I know what she is thinking. I am getting what I deserve.

Isn’t there a Bible text somewhere about blotting out? If this were 1850 I could just spill my bottle of ink on my check registry and say, “Oops.” Yes, there is such a text. It is Psalms 51. David has committed a horrible crime resulting in the death of one of his very own men. After being confronted by Nathan, David prayed, “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

I love that prayer. How many times have I prayed it with the assurance found in I John 1 that God says, “Absolutely, yes?” The great part is God is delighted to do so. There is no reluctance on His part. There is no, “I will give him one more chance.” Because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary God was able to enter the blotting business. It’s a great business. I would not be surprised to find out there is a sign above God’s throne that says, “Official Blotter – Just Ask.”

Recently someone said to me, “You do realize, don’t you, that basically you write the same thing each night.” Yeah, I do. The reason being I don’t know of anything better to write about. Jesus loves, forgives us and saves us. What else is there?

Free Throws

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-09T20:17:17-04:00

I just watched a professional basketball player, who makes millions of dollars a year for his skills, consecutively miss two free throws. I don’t understand that. But then again I don’t understand the pressure he was under to make those relatively simple tosses. Psychological pressure can make the best of us do stupid and foolish things.

Free throws are well named. That is exactly what they are. The player can shoot the ball without having a combatant stand in front of him doing his best to block the shot by waving ten foot long arms in his face. All this caused me to reflect on the game of life and I wondered if we ever get any free throws toward victory over sin and temptation or do we always have a combatant in our face doing his best to make us miss?

When Jesus was in the wilderness following his baptism we have record of the master tempter doing all he could to keep Jesus from pursuing His ministry. I seriously doubt if any of us are important enough to have Lucifer himself go after us, but scripture does tell us a third of the angels are fallen, so I think there are plenty to go around. However, by the same token, while we might not get any free throws we might, like in a basketball game have others to guard us or screen so we have a best chance for a victory.

The point is we do not have to do it alone. In John 14 Jesus promises to send us divine help. At the close of Matthew we are promised that He is always with us. Being who we want to be is a team experience. We never need to be on our own.

Normal People

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-06T21:23:43-04:00

Today someone within my hearing jokingly asked, “What’s normal?” I interjected, “One standard deviation on either side of the mean and two if we want to be generous.” If one can still remember the bell curve and the means of central tendency one can have quite an interesting discussion realizing “normal” is anything that comfortably fits within 68% or 95% of the population.

When in our teens we want more than anything to be “normal” in a population of teens. While we say we want to be an individual at the same time we do all we can to be like our peers. If we don’t then we aren’t “normal.” Then we are what is called an “outlier.” Do you remember the old Marine recruiting posters that said, “We are looking for a few good men”? God is looking for a few good outliers. He wants a few courageous people who will not conform without first giving thought. Giving thought is the key. We can conform if the conforming does not require the loss of integrity and personal ethics. Thoughtful conforming will not sacrifice character just to be part of the norm.

In 1 Peter 2:9 we are called to be a peculiar people. That doesn’t mean God wants us to look weird by our clothing or hair styles. The peculiarity is a call to be loving, honest and selfless. Wouldn’t it be grand if that were the norm? What an interesting world it would be if just 68% of the world would be completely trustworthy. Out national debt would be gone by next April if that happened.

Fortunately for all of us “normal” people, grace does abound and should we allow Jesus to forgive us heaven will be filled with normal people.

Who's the Ignorant One?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-05T21:52:50-04:00

One of my students brought me a dandelion expressing how beautiful it was. She was right. It was glorious with its bright yellow petals splaying out in a perfect circle. What surprised me was she did not know what it was. She did not know its name and she did not know that it was the same thing as those round balls of white seeds one can puff into the wind. She was an inner city girl.

At first I was incredulous that she would not know but I took a deep breath and thought of all the things I do not know. Surely God must shake His head at my ignorance of things I should know having lived so long. At this point I could start listing my sins and point out that I should know better. But not wanting to embarrass myself or my family I will just say the list isn’t short. God must think, “How can he not know after all this time.

Many of my students who I so arrogantly think don’t know much are multilingual. I am not. I have students who speak fluent English, French and Spanish. Yet I have the unmitigated gall to think I know more than they just because I happen to be lecturing in my field of study. It isn’t that I know more; I just happen to have a skill set in a narrow area that is required of them for graduation. In real life they know so much of which I am totally ignorant. Just Monday afternoon I mentioned a country music song to one of my Mexican students who immediately looked at me and told me the name of the artist and what year it was recorded. So much for thinking I knew something!

He Will Do It

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-04T20:55:19-04:00

I began one of my classes this morning by reading the close of I Thessalonians 5. Verse 24 is wonderful. It says, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” The mind is a strange thing. Memories that have been tucked away for decades are suddenly released as if someone turned a key and opened a door. As I finished voicing the text my mind immediately remembered something that happened to me sixty years ago. On Sundays my Dad and I would take our dog and head for the mountains in central Pennsylvania. He knew where there were saw mills and they were great fun because of the giant piles of sawdust generated from the saws. We loved to climb to the top and then roll end over end to the bottom.

One would think I would never forget about one particular day but I had until I read the above verse. We tumbled down an especially huge pile of sawdust and arrived at the bottom surrounded by rattlesnakes that were not overly pleased by our sudden appearance. We had disturbed their sunbaths. Instantly my father said to me, “Freeze. Don’t move at all. I’ll take care of them.” Was I afraid? Most likely I should have been. But my Dad said, “I’ll take care of them.” And so I sat frozen in place as one by one he took care of them just as he said he would.

And so this morning a door opened in my mind as I remembered Jesus saying, “If we as humans know how to give good gifts unto our children, how much more will our Father in heaven.” Thank you Paul for I Thess. 5:24. “The one who calls is faithful. He will do it.”

My Teeming Yard

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-03T21:03:17-04:00

Within a few feet of each other we have a nest of baby cardinals, a nest of baby robins and a nest full of phoebes. It is a wonderful time. The goldfinches are wearing their summer plumage and showing off to our yard wren, catbird and hummingbirds. Teeming is a word that comes to the front of my mind. Our yard is teeming. Just a few weeks ago there was thirty inches of snow where there are now eight inch high hostas. People-high azaleas and forsythia overwhelm with their presence.

I am so thankful to be able to see. I have two friends who cannot and I cannot find words to describe my sorrow that they cannot revel with me. I want to tell them the cardinals are red, but if one has never seen red how can it be described? So foolishly many years ago I tried to describe heaven in the midst of a sermon. It was a miserable failure because I was trying to tell about something I myself had never seen. Someday I should get smart.

It is that way with so much. One cannot truly speak of love until one has deeply loved. One cannot describe evil until one has witnessed a holocaust or a genocide or the cross of Calvary. Or in some cases the opposite is true. Emily Dickinson wrote, “Success is counted sweetest by those who ne’er succeed. To comprehend a nectar requires sorest need.” Jesus understood. In the Sermon on the Mount He said, “Blessed are those who are hungry for righteousness. They shall be filled.” In the midst of teeming there is yet so much more to be tasted, by me and my unsighted friends.

Accusations

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-05-02T20:44:04-04:00

Is it just me or do you also develop a slight fear when exiting a store that you will set off the alarm and people will rush upon you to see what you have taken, even when you know you haven’t taken anything? Just the mere idea that I could be mistakenly accused by a malfunctioning machine makes my blood pressure go up as I slip between the magnetic devices. It even happens to me at our college library, a place where I should feel secure.

For thousands of years preachers have used the fear of judgment to keep their flocks in line. There are some harsh pictures of judgment in Scripture waiting for the guilty. The power of such judgment is there will be no need for any false accusations. God knows all. All that needs to be done is for the truth about us to be revealed. There is ample evidence to justify our banishment and death. Paul says it so well, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

However, (I do love that word “however”) love drives out fear. We are loved by the one who knows all things and He gives us an amazing option. John 5:24 says, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” Please do not miss the words “will not be judged.” This is so much better than a “get out of jail free” card. Not only do we not have to show up for judgment we have crossed over from death to eternal life. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. The Gospel is the sweetest message ever spoken.

Of Weddings and Feasts

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-29T21:10:16-04:00

Jesus was a very social person who apparently enjoyed gala events and weddings. Many of His parables are built around weddings and feasts. As a matter of fact the only real accusation his enemies could mount against Him was His attendance at feasts with questionable people. This is one situation when the old adage about birds of a feather just didn’t hold true. He likes the metaphor of a marriage when He speaks of our relationship to Him. In Revelation there is a brief description of the wedding feast of the Lamb with Him being the lamb and the bridegroom.

One of my favorite feast stories took place at Simon’s house when a woman of a most questionable reputation bathed Jesus’ feet with precious anointment. It really was scandalous. It would be surprising if there were not men in the room who had tasted her favors. I wonder how many of them were silent and if any were critical. How often do we play Mr. Holy when the real truth about us would be shocking and devastating? I just love it when Jesus told the critics in the room to leave her alone. She had honored Him above even the host of the feast.

My next favorite is when there was room at a feast for more and the servants went out and rounded up anyone and everyone. Whosoever will come. Awesome. Street people, bag ladies, people who hadn’t had a bath in who knows how long. There is room – bring them in. Fill the banquet hall because there is provision for all. To me this story is the essence of the Gospel. One thing for sure, it strikes right at the heart of any exclusiveness we might want for ourselves. God is an equal opportunity saver.

The Invitation

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-28T21:56:42-04:00

Do you have your invitation in hand?   Do you have your plane tickets to London all booked? Did you buy a new suit? Well, just in case you are one of the rest of us peons who did not receive an invitation to the royal wedding, I have something even better for you. It’s found in II Peter 1. I am going to use The Message paraphrase. Just enjoy. “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.”

Jesus personally invites us to God. He gives us the wedding garment. Check out Matthew 22. We don’t have to rush out and purchase a new suit. It comes with the invitation and it is very well tailored. It fits us to perfection. Literally. What is really good about this is we are not just invited to watch. We are invited to participate. We now participate in a divine experience. Literally. This is not a wordy empty promise. This is an absolutely terrific promise that says we can actually begin right now living a divine life. When God adopts us into the family we begin to develop family traits.

I have a young man in one of my classes this semester whose father I have known for years. One would not have to tell me which student in the room was his son. He is his father all over. Rubber stamp!   This is our invitation.

The Right Kind of Love

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-27T20:23:09-04:00

Today I watched love being used as a brutal tool. There is no question in my mind but that the father loves his son. There is no question that the father wants the best for his son. There is no question the father believes his son’s happiness will only come from the father’s definition of success and the pressure to achieve. The problem is the boy is exhausted. He has a life-time of successes to this point. It is time for him to graduate but he is only twenty. Course overloads, clepped exams, summer schools have all gotten this young man to this stage. But now he wants, he needs, he has to have a break before he breaks. But, how can he disappoint a dad who’s living out his fantasy through his son? The pressure continues on to med school. When does it stop?

Love is one of the most powerful if not the most powerful human emotion. The last thing we want to do is disappoint one who takes so much pride in us. We don’t want them to think we are ungrateful for past guidance and encouragement. We want them to be able to say to their friends, “My son – the doctor.”

One of the wonders of our heavenly Father is His understanding of who we are as an individual and while He makes available to us all we need for happiness and success, He never forces it on us. In II Peter 1 we read, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life. . .” If we continue reading we discover He actually allows us to participate in His divine nature - right now. It’s the right kind of love.

Eons Ago

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-26T20:02:02-04:00

Eons ago I belonged to a paramilitary organization called the Medical Cadet Corps. In the summers we met at Grand Rapids, Michigan to play soldier for a few weeks. Don’t ask why. Having the esteemed rank of captain made me responsible for several platoons and needless to say I was jealous for their excellent performance and decorum. One hot July afternoon we scheduled a full dress five mile march through the downtown streets of Grand Rapids. Everyone looked magnificent until we were about a mile into the march and then it happened. Several young men had filled their canteens with A&W root beer instead of water. It does not take much imagination to know what their uniforms looked like while marching with a shaking canteen. Someone the night before had made an unauthorized visit out of camp.

Sometimes it is difficult to ferret out disobedience and sometimes it stares you in the face. Actually it is never difficult for God because He does see everything. But for humans it can be much more challenging and usually is none of our business. On occasion we find ourselves in the midst of a witch-hunt; the results of which rarely ever have a positive result. If the sin is blatant and brings harm and disgrace to a community occasionally it must be dealt with. However, most of the time when we think we must act we end up causing yet another layer of harm, often worse than the original offense.

Sin has its own rewards. Actually that is why it is sin. If it doesn’t then God is not displeased and neither should we be. So often what upsets us isn’t sin at all but merely a violation of some exacerbated social norm.

Triple Stuff

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-25T19:28:47-04:00

I am sitting here with a double stuff cookie in my hand. Is it me or is double stuff now 1.5 stuff? Single stuff seems to be ¾ stuff. In order to get a double stuff do we need to purchase triple stuff? Maybe it is merely the impression of a mind that remembers things bigger and better than they really were. Rarely are things bigger than they were when we were small and so very wowable.

It becomes more and more difficult to be wowed as we mature. I don’t want to lose my wowability. I still want reverentness to overwhelm me and to be filled with awe at things beautiful and lovely. Our egalitarian culture encourages us to call everyone by their first name but there is something special in calling someone Sir or Mrs. or Mr. President. I do not want all things reduced to me. How sorry I feel for a person who doesn’t believe in God. The highest power he or she ever encounters is in the mirror each morning. What an impoverished intellectual life that must be.

Unlike the size of things growing smaller as we age there are many things that grow in depth. Frost, Shakespeare, Paul, Luther, and David are but a sample of the richness of understanding that comes with years. Only in recent years have I understood that John 14, “In my house are many rooms . . .” has little to do with fancy buildings.

Surely eternity will always be about bigger and better and never smaller. However, the real joy will always be about depth, profoundity and love. Now that will be quite grand.

The Simplicity of Morality

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-14T21:49:18-04:00

So many things in life become more and more complicated as one immerses oneself in the complexity of design and function. But in the development of morality it is quite the opposite. We start off life as a child. (That was profound.) For a child the world is full of dos and don’ts. There are hundreds of them for the child to learn if they are to stay safe and please the giants in their lives. But something wonderful happens as we mature. Most of those rules and regulations cease to have any meaning because we have come to understand our world. No longer does the rule not to touch the hot stove exist. We know better. We need no rule. We become freer and independent. We are governed by intellect and knowledge.

Soon we understand there are really only Ten Commandments and once understood they encompass everything else. Then Jesus tells us there are only two and finally we come to grasp the marvelous truth that the way we love God is by loving other people and we are then down to one. Jesus tells us when we do it to the least of them we have done it to Him.

Thus we come to Galatians 5. Freedom in Christ is Paul’s great theme. How difficult it must have been for one who described himself to be a Pharisee of Pharisees to free himself and step into a whole new morality. How grand to grasp the truth that all laws were nailed to the cross of Jesus and God doesn’t have a Santa Claus list that He is checking twice to see if we are naughty or nice. Instead we become temples of the Holy Spirit that lovingly lives out its life within us and by thus we automatically keep the rules without thought. Oh, the glory of such freedom.

On Faultfinding

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-13T20:49:28-04:00

I enjoy the letters to the editors of news magazines. First come the pro letters followed by the cons. It doesn’t take a genius to soon realize that it is not only possible but plausible to believe nothing anyone ever does is criticism proof. One man’s dish of ice cream is another man’s poison and people aren’t reluctant to tell you about it. If one is a public figure one inherits an instant hate club. It doesn’t matter what one does; there is a way to negatively spin it. This, of course, is not new. Have you ever read the stuff our founding fathers wrote about each other? It’s downright modern trash and teaches us there is, as Solomon said, “Nothing new under the sun.”

If people had been watching God create the earth some would have applauded while others complained that it took too long. Seven days! Really now. What a waste of time. He should have done it in a day. Can you imagine God allowing Jesus to be born in a stable? Come on – that is so degrading. And why did Jesus allow Mary and Martha to suffer the death of Lazarus? He really should have hurried to Bethany and spared them the pain. Obviously we could go on and on.

I think some people just love to find fault. As a psychology teacher I wonder if it compensates for their lack of self-esteem by keeping them focused on other people’s supposed faults. But what do I know? I can imagine my students have a huge litany of my shortcomings. What is more than a little bit scary about all this is I hear this stuff from Christians and I wonder if they really are. But there I go becoming one of them.

Can Salt Lose Its Saltiness?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-12T21:14:04-04:00

After beginning a class today by reading from Luke 14, one of my astute students asked, “How can salt lose its saltiness?” That’s a good question in the twenty-first century when the salt we think of comes in a Morton’s Box. That stuff could sit forever and never change its molecular structure. Salt is salt. We are so spoiled. The salt Jesus grew up with in Nazareth most likely came from the Dead Sea area and was probably a poor quality of rock salt. It didn’t take much moisture to wash away the real salt and leave behind a bag of useless tiny stones. Dilution was not uncommon.

And so we come to Jesus’ real point. Should we allow work, relationships, responsibilities, life itself to dilute our experience with Jesus, we lose the abundant life. No, we don’t completely lose it. We only lose it in proportion to the loss of our walk with Jesus. I realize there are some who believe you are either in or you’re out. Either you are walking with Jesus or you are walking with the devil. I don’t think so. I have come to believe God loves us so much that He is willing to stick with us through the good and bad times. If we want to walk afar from Him He follows along. He is very persistent and just plainly doesn’t give up on us. He isn’t a “my way or the highway” kind of Father. He is so much better than that.

I realize this could encourage someone to say, “Hum? I think I will walk a 70% walk with God. I can get some of the blessings and get by without all of them.” I guess someone could think that. But frankly, that doesn’t make much sense.

Conscience Alert

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-11T20:11:24-04:00

Occasionally a small rectangular box appears in the lower right hand corner of my computer screen with the following message, “Security Essentials has detected and isolated a threat to your computer.” It then gives me an opportunity to “clean” my computer of the offending bug. Needless to say I appreciate this feature. It keeps my computer healthy. Wouldn’t it be grand if we had such a feature built into our brains to defend our characters? Each time we were confronted with something that would diminish us we would hear a small voice warning us. But wait, I think we do. It’s called our conscience.

However, our conscience is educated and honed by its environment. Social norms and cultural expectations become the standard of behavior. What I need is a voice that speaks to me the social and cultural norms of heaven. But I can quickly see that would eliminate a huge amount of my intellectual input. Most television programs would be red-flagged. The local evening news would definitely have to be turned off. Most popular music would set off a warning once I listened to the lyrics.
Philippians 4:8 is the gold standard. It says, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” I must admit I would have difficulty with the Old Testament book of Judges. There are a lot of stories there that do not meet Paul’s criteria.

I find the way to being a better person is a tricky path. I need help. Fortunately that help is available to us. The Holy Spirit is able and anxious to be our guide. We merely need but ask for help.

Is My Car Invisible?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-08T21:49:42-04:00

Have you ever wondered if you had been zapped by some atomic ray that made your car invisible? I just had one of those evenings. Three times on the way home cars pulled right out in front of me forcing me to come to a full stop lest I strike them in the driver’s door.

While I really don’t believe my car was invisible I do realize there are all kinds of things around us that we cannot see or hear or smell. My dog hears and smells things I cannot hear and smell. There are light waves above and below what I can detect. We do not have to stretch our imaginations beyond intellectual reason to read and believe Bible stories that talk about angels. People who think the only things that exist are tangible haven’t considered radio, television, Internet and radar waves that literally fill our environment. Recently while taking a nap my cell phone rang. What I noted was it was in my pocket between me and the couch. The fact that my body was smothering it didn’t seem to matter.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Here’s where it can get a bit tricky. This verse is not carte blanche for us to believe all manner of crazy stuff. Just because we can imagine something doesn’t mean it is so. Real faith requires real intellect and real intellect requires some manner of evidence. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, the invisible wind blows and we can see the leaves move. The world contains much that we cannot see and God requires that we use the brains He gave us.

The Skinny Envelope

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-07T22:00:10-04:00

All over the nation 18-year-olds hold their breath as they anxiously open mailboxes. Is there a skinny envelope or a fat one from the university of their choice? Skinny means you’re out. Don’t bother opening the envelope. Fat means you’re in and there are lots of forms enclosed for you to fill out. Getting in or not creates a lot of sleepless nights.

I know some people who toss and turn at night who are not 18. They are tossing as they fret about a more important destination. They are concerned that as hard as they try they just can’t feel like Jesus has saved them. They try to keep all the rules and laws they know of. Somehow that doesn’t take away their stress. Maybe they are missing one and will be lost because they only kept 631 out of 632. They heard a sermon last weekend telling them that isn’t the way. Jesus is the Way. That seems far too simple. Despite saying the words, “I am saved by grace” they just don’t feel safe. What if the preacher was wrong? They certainly don’t want to accompany him where he’s going if he misled all those people in church.

Hopefully, I have some good news for these folk. And yet why should they believe me if they aren’t overly sure of their pastor? So forget me and believe Paul. He can’t be wrong and even if they don’t feel saved, the truth is we are not saved by feeling, nor by intellect, nor by any other thing except what is expressed in the promise in Ephesians 2. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Best of all there aren’t any forms to fill out. The skinny envelope works.

"Say Again, Please"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-06T21:32:24-04:00

Decades ago when I took flight training I learned that flight traffic controllers respond back to pilots at the same speech pace the pilot used upon initiating contact. If I called in with the N number of my plane and spoke rapidly they would rapidly send me altitude and directional heading. If I spoke slowly I got my directions slowly. I made sure I spoke slowly so I did not have to say, “Say again, please.” I seem to process numbers only at a pace that I can visualize them. Thus I have immense difficulty with my answering machine. Often people give me a callback number at such a pace I have to listen again and again just to be able to write it down. So, I have a policy. If I cannot get it on the third attempt they don’t get a call back. Sorry. Slow brain here.

What I have discovered through the years is God is a patient communicator. He consistently feeds at a pace He knows I can grasp. He should understand my intellectual pace because He made me. Even then I have discovered I do have to say to Him, “Say again, please.” It isn’t because He was speaking so fast. It is because what He is saying is so phenomenal. He has said things like just “confess your sins and I will cleanse you.” Wow. Say again, please. Or how about “believe in me and you will cross over from death to life.” Awesome! Say again, please. And I love it when He says, “While we were yet enemies He died for us.”

I have gotten to the place where I think I understand but I still say, “Say again, please” just because I love hearing it.

What I Really Want

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-05T20:55:27-04:00

In John 14 Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in my name it will be given to you.” If this were so all of us would be riding around in luxury cars, living in luxury homes, eating killer diets and not needing health care insurance. But wait, if we all were doing so, who would go to work to make the cars, build the houses and raise the food? Everyone would be a Christian for the wrong reason. Our characters would be corrupted and everything Jesus taught would be nullified. Jesus’ name would become “hocus pocus.” Furthermore, giving a child all they ask for is terrible parenting and God is not a terrible parent.

The key of understanding is the expression “in my name.” In His name is an expression of trust that when we ask He will respond in the utmost best way for us. He knows what we really desire is happiness, growth and eternal life. Each prayer is uniquely answered with these root desires in mind. This week I stopped to look at a row of luxury cars. They were pretty – inside and out. However, what was more appalling than the sticker price was the posted estimated gas mileage. It was horrible and I might add sinful. For the sake of personal comfort and more than a little vanity they expect us to add to the ruination of our small planet by driving their product and using twice the gasoline we need so we can get from pillar to post in STYLE.

If I asked God for one of those cars and if He gave it to me, together, God and I would be violating what we both really want. I want a better world and God knows that. Asking in His name means trusting Him to give me what I REALLY want.

Mere Tokens

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-04T22:02:24-04:00

Prince William of England and Catherine Middleton are to be wed Friday, April 29th at Westminster Cathedral. The engagement ring is an oval blue sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds set in 18ct white gold. It was Lady Diana’s engagement ring. According to authorities (whoever they are) the ring is one of the most desired pieces of jewelry in the world. Being that I love to be the bearer of good tidings I am most happy to pass on to you the very good news that you also may own such a ring. It seems preposterous but I saw it myself on television. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity you may own a limited edition copy of this coveted item for $19.95. According to those offering this fine opportunity, if you purchase one, you will be the envy of your social set. You will be part of history. Don’t let me forget to tell you that it comes in a hinged velveteen covered box.

If I cannot tempt you with that let me try with this, “Behold, I stand at the door, door and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Revelation 3

God’s throne with you and God together, and yet as splendid as that sounds the real prize is something far better. The real prize is victory over self, sin and death. All the rest are but tokens.

Infinite Love

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-04-01T22:14:21-04:00

With the world’s population growing and our awareness that resources are finite, we think about how much we consume; at least we should think about it if we don’t. Today I asked my students how much actual space each one occupies. One of the students volunteered that that would be a very difficult math problem considering all the roundness of our head, limbs and body. However, there is an easier way than trying to measure all those parts. The baptistery in the college church is a rectangle with a Plexiglas front. If we marked the water level without someone in it and then put a new mark when someone got in, it becomes a very easy problem of height times width times length. I think they want to do it. At least they said so.

So, how much space do we occupy in God’s mind? He’s a busy guy. He doesn’t just have the whole world in His hands, how about the whole universe, of which, no matter how large our telescopes get, we can’t see the end. Love, real love, His love, has no bounds. Just listen to Paul in Ephesians 3, “. . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, . . .”

Now that is totally awesome. His love for us passes knowledge. How much space does that much love require? How big are you in His heart? How much space do you require in His love? I don’t think we will ever know. We just wouldn’t get it. It’s that big.

"I Wasted It"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-30T21:45:26-04:00

A little girl standing in line behind us at Staples this evening went over to a display and picked up a bottle of hand sanitizer. Looking at her mom she said, “I need a new one of these because I wasted the last one.” I wondered how she had wasted it. Had she sanitized the dog or the cat? I loved her honesty. I immediately thought of us being honest enough with God to say, “I need a new life. I wasted the old one.” The little girl’s mom said, “Yes, you can have it.”   And how happy I am to report that God says the very same thing to us, “Yes, you can have it.”   What is even better about God’s replacement is it lasts forever. The bottle of sanitizer will someday be gone.

God is a great parent. It is perfect that Jesus told us to call Him “Father.” Nothing could be better.   Today one of my students told about her mother totally shocking her. According to my student her mother had always been a model of decorum and gentleness, until the day my student saw another child bullying my student’s little brother. Her mom went ballistic. Parents are that way. I can only imagine the fate of those who have harmed God’s children. There is an old expression about “hell to pay.”   I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.

Going back to the wasted lives, I love Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.”   The word “uttermost” means just that.   A totally wasted life is totally replaced. Now I am hoping that each of us didn’t totally waste our lives. I sure each of us had some good days, weeks or years.

Fear Day

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-29T21:58:09-04:00

Today was “Fear Day” in my human development course. Having been given the weekend assignment of looking up various fear or phobia lists on the Internet my students were to come prepared to confess to their particular fears. You can imagine the liveliness of the discussion as we did the usual snakes, spiders, mice, high places and claustrophobia. One girl even said she was afraid to tell us what she was afraid of. There was a lot of joshing and laughing at each other but at some point the mood changed when people started to say, “I’m afraid of failure.” “I’m afraid to have my heart broken.” “I’m afraid one of my parents will die.”

Fear is a very real part of our daily existence; and rightly so because the world can be a very dangerous place. Our beautiful black lab is eighty pounds of tight muscle behind a set of the whitest of teeth. One would think with all that power and equipment she would not need to be afraid of anything. The truth is she startles very easily. The strangest noise that is new to her will create an explosion of protective ferocity. She can go from sleep to full bristled guard with the harshest and nastiest of growls in less than a second. No one in their right mind would try to get by her.   If you only heard her you would think we had a guard lion.

One of the commonest commands found in the Bible is God telling us to fear not. The Psalms contain such wonders as “Yeah, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil.”   Right now – open your Bible and read Psalm 27. You will not be sorry. It will be time well spent.

Our Side

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-28T21:24:17-04:00

Could switching to God’s side really save your soul?   Do dogs chase cats? Did the little piggy cry, “wee wee wee” all the way home?   Was Abe Lincoln honest?

Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

I guess it really boils down to whom you want to believe. Do you want to believe some television preacher who is clearly lining his pocket?   Do you want to believe some scientist who clearly does not have all the data? Do you want to believe that something as complex as you exists because there were over a twenty trillion favorable mutations all in a row? Do you want to believe some preacher who uses God’s Word to promote hate?

I have a really good scientist friend who was let go from a major university because his colleagues discovered he was a creationist.   Really now, if they are so sure of their position why did they feel threatened to keep him around? He would have made a great intellectual sparring partner. They could have scored points off him with their students if they were so sure.

It becomes fairly obvious that there are many reasons to become disenchanted with both sides. So how about starting a new side? Our side – one based upon our own common sense of logic, decency and honesty. Why not turn off the strident voices on either side and instead sit down quietly with God’s Word, read carefully and listen to what He has to say? Why not look at nature and see the incredible complexity of life?   Why not believe because we believe and not because someone told us to believe?

Last Year's Buds - This Year's Blossoms

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-25T20:16:22-04:00

Last summer the rhododendron plants set this year’s blossoms. The buds were formed and all winter they have slept and waited for this coming June. We have hundreds of blossoms waiting to overwhelm us with beauty. This afternoon I stood holding one in my hand and I understood much more about Jesus’ kingdom.

In Mark 1 we read, “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.’” If we were expecting an immediate change in government it didn’t happen and Jesus would have been a false prophet. But Jesus never sought to overtly overthrow any political establishment. Instead He was far more subtle and far more effective. Had He demanded the fruit of Christianity to immediately be established, anarchy would have ensued. But ever so slowly the internal principles, the fruit of the Spirit, matured in the minds of people. Civil rights, equality of women, religious liberty, the value of a single human life and the emancipation of slavery are a few of the revolutionary and radical changes that have blossomed in nations populated by large Christian populations. Our world is not the same world in which He said, “The Kingdom of God is within you.”

Most of us are impatient for moral change. We want to reform the world in our time. We want to see the fruit of our teaching manifest itself in our children. For Jesus it was setting the blossoms and knowing in due season the hearts of men would be aroused to do the morally right thing. We have a tendency to want to believe the world is getting worse and worse but a careful examination of history reveals that so much good has come to us and we can trace it back to the teachings of a Galilean carpenter.

Light the Candles

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-24T22:06:24-04:00

It was May 19, 1780 America was brand new and state houses of legislature were busy forming government. But this day things were different. This day became known as the Great Dark Day. At noon the perfect combination of smoke from Canadian forest fires, heavy cloud cover and fog brought on night at noon. In the state house in Stamford, Connecticut some of the Puritan members cried out, “It is the Day of Judgment.” Andrew Davenport’s voice rang out in the darkness, “This well may be the Day of Judgment which the world awaits; but be it so or not, I only know my present duty, and my Lord's command to occupy till He come. So at the post where He hast set me in His providence, I choose, for one, to meet Him face to face, No faithless servant frightened from my task, but ready when the Lord of the harvest calls; and therefore, with all reverence, I would say, Let God do His work, we will see to ours. Bring in the candles."

This week’s issue of Newsweek magazine has the cover message, “Apocalypse Now – Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Nuclear Meltdowns. Revolutions, Economies on the Brink.” There is no doubt, it’s rough out there and it is not a time for the faint of heart. I do think the Puritan members might watch thirty minutes of the evening news and once again cry out. But it is Andrew Davenport’s message that needs to be repeated. Let’s be focused on the task the Lord has given us. God will do His work; we must see to ours. “Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the Gospel.” The Gospel is the Good News not all the bad news. Therefore, bring in the candles and let our light shine.
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Stunning on the Inside

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-23T21:05:24-04:00

Every once in a while one of my undergrads delivers a great line. This morning we were discussing the value of personal appearance and the topic roamed to very plain people marrying spectacular looking people. One of the jocks on the back row spoke up and said, “The outside is a perk.” There it was – the perfect description for what really matters.

David was one of the beautiful people set. The Bible even says, “He was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.” David also had an eye for beautiful women. Remember Abigail, “A woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance.” All this has a bit of irony in it considering the context of Samuel selecting David after the Lord said to Samuel, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him (Eliab): for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

However, even as good looking as he was David knew the truth about what really counts. After his almost unforgiveable sin against Uriah, David wrote, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Realizing that very few of us have ever seen ourselves in 3-D, (photos and the mirror being 2-D) let me help you to feel better about yourself if you are as common as the rest of us. You look much better in 3-D than in 2-D. That’s very good news. You are better looking than you think you are and hopefully absolutely stunning on the inside.

Our Grandfather Clock

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-22T08:39:39-04:00

Our grandfather clock has boldly reminded me that another hour of life is gone. I have silenced the quarter hour reminders and will most likely soon silence the hourly herald of the coming of the grim reaper. But wait, that’s really morose. There is a completely different way to understand this. When we were children we wanted time to rush by. When asked how old we were we proudly said, “I am three and a half.” I wanted to be six so I could go to school. (Only rich children went to kindergarten.) I wanted to be sixteen so I could get a driver’s license. I wanted life to rush onward.

Something strange happened when I became a father. I no longer wanted time to rush to my boy’s first birthday. I wanted to savor every hour. My wife and I never accepted invitations to dinner or go to anywhere the boys were not invited. Why should we spend precious hours with others who didn’t mean nearly as much to us as our boys?

Now I sit in a very quiet house. The dog occasionally stirs. Other than that there is no sound. The sounds have all moved to other homes. I need to reorient myself to the realty of Jesus’ promises? In John 5 He promised that when we accept Him we have already crossed over from death to life. Is not our grandfather clock ticking off the hours until we will move beyond this pale of sorrow and pain? Should I not be excited about the coming of a whole new experience when the only use for time will be to make sure we meet together somewhere?

I think I shall reset the grandfather clock to announce the passing of the quarter hours.

God Loves New Things

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-21T20:57:04-04:00

After every winter comes a spring. It is the natural order of eternity. Crocuses have braved to pierce the brown lawn still decorated with patches of white in places the sun cannot quite reach. Beautiful heralds of daffodils promise green grass will timidly follow. It’s a fine time. It’s a time to know our heavenly Father loves new things. Thousands of years ago He spoke and by the breath of His mouth the heavens became. Earth with all its abundance and verdancy was made ready for something new - us.

“There went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

We have not been the best caretakers of either our souls or our earth. I do not want to say that has been all right because the redemption cost was horrific. Yet on this side of the cross there is so much hope, so much assurance, so many promises that this will pass away as last year’s fall -- and spring will come anew.

“He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

The really good news is we get to taste it now. It is not all future tense. This very moment we can experience the newness that God loves so much.

“We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Caring

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-18T21:55:09-04:00

In the emergency room after President Reagan had been stabilized from his gunshot wound, humorously he asked if the doctors were all Republicans. Dr. Stat wonderfully replied, “Today, Mr. President, we are all Republicans.” This week and for weeks to come we are all Japanese. We have come so far since the 1940’s.

On one of the “all news all the time channels” this afternoon one of the commentators remarked that we should care about what happened because it could happen to us. Really? Really, is that the reason? Does it always have to be about us? Couldn’t we care about others and others’ pain even if we lived in an earthquake free zone? (There is no such place.) Can’t we look at another human no matter what color or whatever and just care?

When I see a kid come into one of my classes with his ball cap sitting cockeyed on his head, his boxer shorts showing six inches above his belt, his shades and a pair of ear plugs pumping rap into his brain, should I not care? I do. He doesn’t know it. He looks at me as an old white man who doesn’t know the time of day. Guess what? I do know the time of day. I do know that if I can keep this kid in college for four years he will walk across the platform accomplished and proud because he is most likely the first person in his family ever to go to college.

It’s about care. It’s not about you or me. It’s about them. It’s knowing they are dearly loved by the same Jesus who dearly loves us. It’s being a Christian.
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The One Who is Worthy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-17T19:28:20-04:00

A son of the dictator of Equatorial Guinea has a $35 million dollar home in Malibu to which he commutes in his $35 million Gulfstream. Recently he has authorized the construction of a $380 million dollar yacht. The average income of the 700,000 citizens of Equatorial Guinea is less than $2 a day and most have no clean water. Equatorial Guinea is an oil rich nation. Could we possibly feel more disgust?

Now let’s talk about Jesus. The following is from Philippians 2 paraphrased in The Message. Jesus “had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” Could we possibly feel more pride?

There are some individuals who deserve to be the king. They have earned the right to receive our respect and adoration. The Book of Revelation describes a heaven filled with various forms of intelligent life. They gather around the throne and give worship to the One who not only created all life but astonished the universe by sacrificing Himself to bring back those who deliberately turned away. Jesus came as a poor man. Jesus lived as a poor man. Jesus died a poor man. Jesus resurrected as the richest man ever who now reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. How grand!
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Valor and Courage

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-16T20:23:37-04:00

We would be remiss we if failed to recognize the valor of the Japanese nuclear plant workers that are this very moment striving to contain the radiation they know has already made them dead men. For the sake of their nation, for the sake of their neighbors, for the sake of their children they are giving the last amount of life they have before radiation will steal away their strength and cause them to die a most unpleasant death. They could have fled but instead they have chosen to make their lives count by giving all they have for others.

Courage comes in many forms. One does not need to look like a John Wayne film star to be a hero. We have so overused the word “hero” since 9/11. I have heard it used for individuals who used their cell phone to report an emergency. Somehow that pales in the light of individuals who knowingly place their lives in real jeopardy to help another. Jesus summed it up in John 15:13 when He said, “There is no greater love than giving your life for another.”

Sometimes I despair over those who somehow think they have God all figured out and know exactly who is going to be saved and who is going to be lost. Most often their criteria for salvation are not so much salvation by grace but salvation by ascribing to a certain ism. Rarely, actually never, have I seen a direct correlation between doctrine and love or dogma and character. God is not looking to fill heaven with theologians or doctrinarians. He is looking for people like Himself. He is looking for givers and lovers and people who don’t need to be “right.”

Sweet Rolls

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-15T20:38:44-04:00

Fifty years ago my mother-in-law made the world’s most amazingly scrumptious sweet rolls every Friday afternoon. The weekend house was olfactory heaven. I think my wife thought I was coming to visit her. I will never admit that I didn’t want to miss Friday evenings for another reason. Recently my wife has been trying to replicate those rolls. She can almost get them that good, but not quite. I think if she does get it I will not let her know. The longer she tries the more sweet rolls I get.

I wonder if she already has reproduced them but is it our older taste buds that are the problem? Could it be that things were just not as sweet as we remember? When we visit wonderful places we remember from childhood those places are rarely as big or grand as what we recall.

However, there is something that does grow better. Our walk with the Lord can actually be sweeter as we age. Because I teach human development, I think I know the reason why. As we mature so does the complexity of our mental gifts. There are some ideas that young minds cannot fully grasp. Some ideas need the experience of years in order to move to a higher level - thus the reason one cannot be President of the United States until one is thirty-five or older. According to cognitive experts that is being generous.

The story of our redemption and the nuances of God’s plan to rescue us will fascinate us forever. As we grow so will our grasp of God’s love. We will never tire of this study. It is a story that will grow sweeter as millennia roll by.

Eight Feet

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-14T19:29:58-04:00

In just a few seconds the entire nation of Japan moved eight feet from its former location. It is almost incomprehensible to realize the amount of energy expended in such an event. It doesn’t take a 140 IQ to see the shape of South America and Africa to see that long ago they were not separated by the Atlantic. Our little planet is a dynamic place that can alter itself in very short periods of time. Geologic time tables are guesswork at best. Sometimes continents don’t just creep. While Genesis 7 is not a scientific account of what happened to our little world, it is the sure Word of God that something extremely violent rearranged almost, if not, everything in a very short period of incredible upheaval.

Good science is based upon very careful observation and data collection. Our difficulty is our ability to only see and record in very limited segments. One could learn how to play the game of chess by careful observation and never see a castling move if one did not occur in the games observed. One could then assume that it was impossible for a king to ever move more than one space at a time. One would be very wrong.

We are intellectual ants in a giant cosmos feeding on a miniscule amount of data. For one to arrogantly think we know much and thus cast away one’s faith that there is an all knowing, all powerful, all present, Father God would be foolish indeed. Faith continues to be a vital ingredient to our health and well-being. Wise is the person who takes Moses at his word when he says, “In the beginning God.”

Tased

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-11T21:16:31-05:00

While dumping a can of coins into a coin machine at my bank I struck up a conversation with a policeman. Just then the coin machine broke. Laughingly he said, “Hang on for a moment I’ll tase it for you.” This prompted me to ask him if he had ever tased anyone. “Yeah,” he said, “me.” He went on to tell me about tussling with someone and while trying to taser the bad guy, the policeman ended up tasering himself. Then because the taser immobilized his muscles he couldn’t move it off of himself. Ouch! So much for being our own worst enemy.

So often in life we do it to ourselves. We overeat. We don’t exercise. We speed. We tell tales about others. We don’t get enough sleep. The list can go on and on. In the course of a life most of the damage we have occurred has been self-induced. True, on occasion we are genuine victims, but those events are not as common as we would like people to think. It is so much easier to find someone else or something else to blame than to be brutally honest with ourselves. Being a teacher I hear endless excuses for why work is not on time. No one uses “the dog ate it anymore.” Now it’s the computer’s fault. If computers were as culpable as we tell it none of us would dare use one.

If we really want God’s grace, if we really want forgiveness, if we really want real inner growth, we have to own-up. That doesn’t mean running around telling everyone how bad you are. What it means is quietly telling God how bad you are. The two of you can work it out.

It's About Character

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-10T22:17:02-05:00

About a month ago I replaced a wall switch. Last night a circuit breaker kicked off and would not reset. We hired “Sherlock Holmes Electrical Services.” Well, not really by that name. But the solution did require an hour of sleuthing on the part of the old guy who came to help. It is so nice to have experts around. The fault was my wiring job a month ago. It just did not reveal itself until we flipped another switch on the opposite side of the room. As the electrician pulled out of sight I realized that so often in life we think we have fixed something or gotten away with something only to have it pop back up at a later time. It is merely a matter of circumstances.

I remembered a childhood story about a little guy who, instead of putting his father’s seeds in the garden row, put them all in one hole at the end of the row. He got away with it, that is, until the seeds sprouted.

How much easier life is when we do things right the first time. Paul understood. That’s why he wrote in Galatians 6, “Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you'll harvest.” Sometimes we think this means it will become public. Not so. There are many secrets that go to the grave. The issue is not public revelation. The issue is character growth, which is far more serious. Character is all we really have in life. Material goods and reputation can be taken. It is character that counts. It’s permanent. It’s the person we have to live with when everyone else has gone away.

Pruning

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-09T06:50:51-05:00

Jesus was with His disciples for the last time prior to the cross. They had left the upper room, left the east gate of Jerusalem, crossed the Kidron and were nearing the garden when He saw a vine growing along a stone wall.   Gathering His men near Him in the light of the Passover moon He lifted the vine and said, “I am the vine. My Father is the Farmer and He will prune the branches that do not bear grapes.”

My closest neighbor in Uganda grew coffee for his livelihood. One evening when I came home from classes I saw him cutting down his trees. Running to him I asked what was wrong. “Nothing,” he said. “I’m pruning.”   “No Bwana,” I said. “You are destroying them.”   He just laughed at me and told me to be patient.   Months later I watched him put props under his newly grown branches to hold up the heavy load of coffee berries.   I never saw such a crop. He knew.

Sometimes God needs to prune us. It might be painful. We might think it is way too much and it is killing us. But if we are patient as time passes we will soon come to realize the fruit in our lives is so rich and so abundant and it never could have happened with the old branches. Jesus was right. His Father is the farmer. He knows just how much to take. It is a matter of our trusting Him. And why should we not? No one ever anywhere has ever loved us as much as He loves us.   Be careful how you pray. If you ask He will do it.

Such a Nice Bone

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-08T20:09:10-05:00

Prosperity isn’t everything it is cracked up to be. I just gave my beautiful black lab the biggest, most lush bone. It is great and should provide her with endless hours of pure pleasure. Instead she is walking around the house, clutching it between her bright white teeth, crying. Instead of lying down to enjoy it she wants to hide it somewhere and cannot find a secure place. She is fretting like a rich man wondering where to safely stow his riches. I am reminded of the song “I’ve got plenty of nothing and nothing’s plenty for me.” “Folks with plenty of plenty, they got a lock on the door afraid somebody’s gonna rob them while they’re out making more. What for? I got no lock on the door that no way to be. They can steal the rug from the floor, that’s OK with me cause the things that I prize like the stars in the sky are all free.” I thought I might mention this just in case you filled your car with gas today and are feeling a bit panicked about the future.

This is a very good time to remind ourselves of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they?” “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Sometimes Jesus’ words are challenging to our common sense. But let’s trust Him. He means what He says. First things first and the rest will be cared for. He knows. He is our Creator.

The Key to Happiness

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-07T20:59:28-05:00

One of my favorite authors speaks of the purpose of education as preparation for service in this world and for wider service in the world to come. Long have I considered the concept of service in the world to come. To me an act of service is something we can do to supply a need for another. I can understand that here. There is so much need here. But what need could exist in a universe without pain, heartache, starvation and sin? There is so much yet I do not grasp.

What I do know is service is the key to growth and happiness. When we live only to ourselves and see others only as a means to satisfy us, not only does our character shrivel but does also our joy in living. The fullness of life comes from finding someone who needs us. It is basic. We need to be needed. The one who needs us is providing service to us.

Recently I spoke with an older person who lost most of what he had labored for all his life. When wondering how this could have any meaning at his stage of life we pondered together the concept that it was a preparation for his wider service yet to come. We must not limit our scope to now and here. If we truly believe what Jesus promised in John 5 that when we accept His gift we step into eternity, then there is so much more for us, so many things to do, so many tasks to accomplish, so much service that needs us. If we ever wanted to feel needed all we must do is to become a citizen of God’s Kingdom.

Communication Challenges

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-04T22:42:36-05:00

Communication is without a doubt one of the most challenging tasks of humanity. Wars are started because of miscommunication. Marriages are shattered because of miscommunication. Parents and children stop talking because of miscommunication. Today in the twenty-first century we have so many tools for communicating. We can talk face to face. We can send snail-mail or email. We can Twitter or just plain scream at each other.   This day at an institution that shall go unnamed there was a communication problem. The voice mail went down. Thus we were notified that it was not working.   We were notified by VOICE MAIL.

Surely God must be frustrated on so many occasions while trying to send us a message. While it is true He could send an angel that’s pretty scary.   I’m sure you have noticed in the Bible stories when an angel appears he (she) usually begins with “Fear not.”   Hebrews one begins with “in past times God spoke to us via various prophets but in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son.” Nothing ever has surpassed the life and ministry of Jesus for revealing to us the true nature of the Father. Recently, someone expressed to me that Jesus and another prophet of a very large religion were really the same. Apparently they never noticed that one began his movement with acts of extreme violence while the only time Jesus ever became the least bit violent was when He drove the money changers from the temple because they were abusing the poor.

If we want to hear from God, if we want to hear what He has to say to us, if we want to know how to live our lives, we need to look to Jesus.   He is the ultimate communicator of what God wants us to know.

First Graders

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-03T21:40:51-05:00

I feel like I’m adding to Art Linkletter’s “Kids Say the Darndest Things” when I tell you what happened to me in a first grade classroom today. While supervising a student teacher a little girl approached me and asked, “How old are you?”   I told her and she seemed satisfied for about five minutes.   Upon returning she said, “You look like my mother’s boyfriend.”   “Hum,” I thought. Either her mother is dating a very old man or I’m looking “good.”   I prefer the latter explanation.   On the way out I laughingly mentioned it to the room teacher and she told me that yesterday a little girl came up to her and put her hand on the teacher’s tummy and said, “When are you going to start birthing children?”

You just have to love little children. It is no wonder Jesus’ loved to have them come to Him. I’m sure He must have a litany of wonderful things children have said to Him through the centuries.   It will make a great afternoon of listening and laughing while Jesus tells us about them.   I don’t want to miss the matinee program. Since He knows everything He can fill in great details.

Years ago someone tried to convince me that Jesus never laughed because His mission on earth was just too serious to have time for levity. To which I have to respond, “Nonsense.” It was Jesus Himself who created us to laugh. He knows how healing it is. “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” And a good laugh relieves so much stress and tension that is so destructive to us mentally and physically.   It is true that life is serious but really “recess” is good for everyone. Balance in life is a tremendous quality.

Recalibration

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-02T22:28:42-05:00

In order to put a new timing belt in my car the mechanic had to remove the front bumper assembly. Upon putting it back in place it is now necessary to drive it sixty or so miles before the onboard computers can calibrate distances required for the proper operation of the front radar sensors. Since I only live ten miles from our little college it will be two or three days for things to work as designed.

I had to remind myself of a time in my experience when I allowed my daily devotions to lapse. Life just seemed to unconsciously take over before I realized what had occurred. It was not a deliberate act. It was so easy to lapse. What fascinated me was when I realized what had happened and I began anew I had to bring myself back up to speed. I had to recalibrate my orientation to my walk with God. How fascinating it was that I could not just pick up where I left off. If you don’t use it you lose it.

Paul must have understood this because he wrote to the Romans (12:2), “Be not conformed to the world.” It was paraphrased by J. B. Phillips, “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.” It is so easy to lose precious ground by the distractions around us. When I think about having to recalibrate it is like most everything in life. If we stop practicing the piano we have to recover. If I am out of the classroom for a week, I have to spend a bit of time getting back into a rhythm. Maybe it’s just me but I am suspicious it is the same for all of us.

God's A-List

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-03-01T20:55:41-05:00

It was a classic scene that could have been turned into a cartoon with a caption “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. My mother told me to pick the very best one and that is Y-O-U.” It was the side of a city building with tiered ledges. On the top ledge sat a beautiful peregrine falcon and on the second ledge below sat a row of a couple dozen pigeons. It was breakfast time for the hawk. I can’t imagine the pigeons didn’t know it was there. I think they were playing the “Don’t Move” game. “If I don’t move it won’t pick me. The first one that flinches gets it.” It’s a game my students often play when I ask a question and no one will make eye-contact with me.

This is so different from playing “Pick Up” before a baseball game where each child is jumping up and down saying, “Pick me. Pick me.” Some people think of salvation and eternal life in such terms. They are frozen stiff trying to hide from Satan and they are jumping up and down begging God to pick them. The good news is God is so much more powerful than Satan, so it doesn’t matter if Satan picks you. Well, actually he has. You have been on his menu for a long time. But you have also been on God’s A-List for a long, long time. Listen to this great text from Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee . . .” Now I know you are tempted to say that was a private message just for Jeremiah. So let’s read Acts10:34, it says, “God is no respecter of persons” which means all of us are treated just the same by God. You and I are chosen! Yeah! Double Yeah! Triple Yeah!

The Elephant & Oxygen

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-28T18:09:47-05:00

We got another four inches of snow last night. I saw one of my neighbors shoveling his driveway. I was concerned for him. He looks to be about my age and we all know that old men should not shovel snow. I don’t. It costs me about 30 dollars each time and we have had a lot of each times. It might have cost me 300 dollars this winter. It seems like a lot of money but when one puts it into perspective who wouldn’t spend 300 dollars not to have a heart attack. I am told your heart starts to hurt for lack of oxygen. Something has blocked its flow.

Jesus is the oxygen for mankind. Our hearts hurt for lack of Jesus. It is subtle at first but each time the pressure gets worse until the elephant steps on your chest. The elephant has certainly stepped on the chest of mankind. The news is filled with so much devastating pain. It ranges from individual murders to mass murders by governments trying not only to attack their neighbors but sometimes as we see their own people. Jesus really is the breath of life. He started in Genesis when He knelt in the grass over Adam and breathed into Him life. It happened again for Jarius’s daughter and on the highway for the son of the widow of Nain. He is life itself. In John 11 Lazarus’ sisters said, “If you had been here our brother would not have died.” You know – they were right. But the important thing He came. And when Jesus comes life comes. Oxygen comes. The pain goes away because He is everything He said He is. He is the resurrection and the life.

Frogs

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-25T19:41:56-05:00

Frogs are fascinating creatures. They come equipped with an amazingly accurate tongue that can snag all manner of flying food. However, there is a problem. If there is no flying food they will starve to death. We can put all kinds of nutritious morsels in front of them but if it isn’t moving they will not eat it. In an age of constant media saturation with flashing lights, stirring sounds, blazing pictures and the best media producers in the world filling our senses, I wonder if a Bible sitting quietly on our bedside table can catch our attention. I wonder if we have become frogs when it comes to our spiritual diet.

It is difficult for John, a Galilean fisherman, with little education to compete with 21st century media. Mark Zuckerberg, the developer of Facebook, is the world’s youngest billionaire because corporations pay him very large amounts of money to advertise on Facebook.   Corporate executives know where our eyes are and pay a lot to catch our attention. So just how would Matthew, a first century tax collector, get us to notice what he wrote? If it were not for one very important advantage that Matthew and John have, it would be a lost cause. Their writing would fade into the abyss of historical writing. However, their advantage is something no media expert could ever seek to match. It is called the Holy Spirit.

The very same Spirit that moved Matthew and John to write their incredible accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry moves upon our hearts twenty centuries later. When we see our Bibles and feel a tug to open and read, that isn’t just idle curiosity or guilt, it is the Holy Spirit Himself wooing us.   We must not ignore it.
                                __________________

My Filthy Car

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-24T22:15:50-05:00

You should not see my car right now. It is supposed to be shiny maroon but instead it is a dull gray. There are no shiny spots because all is crusted with winter salt. When I sit in it I think I can actually hear the salt eating away at the chassis and body. It’s ten years old and still does not show any rust. I wonder how much longer I will be so fortunate. Perhaps I am the recipient of a two and a half thousand year old promise. “I will prevent pests (rust) from devouring your crops (car), and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.” Malachi 3:11

I would like to think so. In Malachi 3 God promises to pour blessings out of the windows of heaven on us if we are faithful. Someone might easily say it has nothing to do with that. The reason is it is a well-made car. There seems to always be a way to take credit away from God. Perhaps God wants it that way. It would be so easy for Him to do things that would be positively beyond doubt. But He seems to want us to demonstrate faith. Faith seems to be essential to our spiritual growth. When a woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment she was instantly healed and He said, “Your faith has made you well.” Again He said to a man whose sight was restored, “You faith has enabled you to see.” And in Mark 9 He told a father that only faith could help his son, to which the man said, “I believe, help my unbelief.”

Could it be in our scientific age of inductive reasoning that we too often explain things away and cheat God of His glory and ourselves of wondrous blessings that would come if we only believed?

"What?"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-23T20:48:02-05:00

Remember the girl with the lunch; the one that left class and came back with her dinner from the cafeteria? She struck again today. In the midst of one my engrossing lectures (so I think) she got up and left. I thought, “Aha, here we go again.” But no. In a few minutes she was back without her lunch and very slowly sauntered with great grace between me and the rest of the class. I paused and waited for her to take her seat. “What?” she said.

Whatever happened to respect? In the same class I had a young man who could not afford his textbook. We (contributors to Spring of Life) got him one. When I handed it to him he turned and went back to his desk. Silence. So I said, “You’re welcome.” To which he responded, “What?” Not all is lost. About six girls really gave him the riot act.

The third commandment is all about respect. “Thou shall not take the Lord’s name in vain.” God is not an egotist who is easily offended. Respect is a necessary concept for all of us. Respect for God and for others enables society to function and helps us remember our proper place in the universe. Can you imagine entering the Oval Office and not understanding where you are and that there are expectations of behavior? The human psychic is so designed that for optimum mental health we need a sense of personal control and a sense of our place. Children, no matter what age, want to know there are boundaries. Boundaries tell them we care about their well-being. It is the same with our heavenly parent. Boundaries and respect keep us grounded. They keep us mentally well.

The Quiet Life

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-22T20:40:56-05:00

While driving to work this morning I heard a wonderful quote from George Washington penned to Parke Custis. He wrote, “I had rather be on my farm than be the emperor of the world.” There is much to be said for a quiet life. Perhaps all of us have temporarily been struck with a desire to be famous or very important. Hopefully the disease passes quickly. However, in some I see it is a permanent affliction. James and John were infected. They even got their mother to try to influence Jesus to save power positions for them in the new kingdom. I watch administrators battle with budgets, disgruntled board members and even with each other and I am so happy to be a teacher. It is the greatest job in the world. Other people have to worry about how to pay me and being with the students is a daily treat.

Just today one of my students told me she wanted to transfer to another college because our college is too quiet. Our college town is very small and surrounded by fields and forests. She told me at night she can hear strange sounds that sound like animals. I reminded her that those animals were far less dangerous than the sounds of the urban animals where she said she wanted to go.

Emily Dickenson wrote, “Success is sweetest to those who ne’er succeeded.” I’m sure she was right. The issue is to define success. Surely it is defined as differently as there are people. However, I am reminded that when God first made Adam and Eve, He put them is a garden.

"Code I"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-21T21:07:18-05:00

I had never seen a “Code I” before last week. I was in a first grade observing a student teacher when suddenly over the intercom came the words, “Code I.” Instantly the teacher hurried to lock the classroom door and turn off the light. As she hastened to pull down all the window shades the children scurried to a pre-assigned place where huddled together on the floor they could not be seen from the window in the door. For over five minutes they made not a sound, even when someone came and rattled the door. I soon figured out the “I” stood for intruder. When the all clear was given one little guy came up to me and said, “Did you hide?” I assured him that I had.

This was a 21st century equivalent to the “H-Bomb Drill” we did when I was a little guy. I remember thinking how stupid it was to be under my desk for surely such a weapon would just vaporize me. But then I realized it depended how far one was from the center of the blast and hiding under the desk could protect us from flying glass.

Alas, the human condition is indeed one of fear and insecurity. It has been this way since Cain struck Abel. The world is and always has been filled with danger and death. Recently someone lamented to me how bad the world has become. “Become,” I asked. If we think it is worse now than ever it is only because we were asleep in history class. Those of us who are blessed to look in the mirror and see wrinkles and gray hair are blessed. We are survivors. The only way it will ever get better is for Jesus to keep His promise and come again.

My Wife's Birthday

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-19T22:02:49-05:00

Today was my wife’s birthday. Wanting it to be special I started it off by taking her to Denny’s. You get a Grand Slam breakfast free on your birthday. For lunch I took her to Taco Bell. Our local Taco Bell gives senior citizens free drinks. Her two bean burritos cost me $1.98. I finished off the day with a trip to Burger King. They have great vegeburgers and best of all she got a crown since she is my queen. Don’t tell me I don’t know how to treat a woman. I thought about taking her to Boston to see a Disney stage production of Mary Poppins. But then I realized we have the video tape with Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. Those people in Boston can’t beat that. So tomorrow night I’ll get out the tape and we get to watch it without making an expensive trip to Boston. Parking there is brutal.

After receiving such royal treatment my wife said to me, “Millions of people would have loved to have had the food I had today.” You know. She’s right. We are so blessed with such an abundance. During our years in Uganda I would be smitten with horrendous pain to watch children come to the garbage containers behind our school cafeteria. And while I am sorry some people have so little I certainly do not want to trade places with them. And that thought fills me with pain when I think that Jesus left heaven to become one of the poorest of us. His life was rich but not in things and most likely not with food. The abundance of the feeding of the 5000 was for others and not for Himself.

Sirius

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-18T21:07:17-05:00

Unlike our 50.6 degree evening right now, on one 15.2 degree evening this last weekend my lab and I were out enjoying the crispest and clearest of winter nights. The sky was so deeply black I am sure one could have seen a 7th magnitude star though we are only supposed to see 6th magnitude stars with our unaided eye. But this night we were stunned by Sirius. Even having once lived on the equator in a land with no light pollution, I have never seen it brighter. Normally Sirius is -1.46 magnitude but this night it must have been brighter. It is our 6th closest neighboring sun at 8.6 light-years distance. If the moon had not been at half, I think Sirius would have cast a perceptible shadow. The light that filled our eyes left Sirius in September, 2002. It might have exploded last year and no longer be there but we will not know that until 2019.

I find myself thinking if God turns on the light and the heat it must be for some creature’s benefit other than us. To think God made the stars for us is about the most egocentric thing we could think in our self-conceit. My do we ever think WE are important! Yet, I have actually heard that from a pulpit.

Hebrews 1:2 is one of my favorite verses about Jesus. It says, “In these last days (God has) spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; . . .” Our Jesus, our creator, the one who took responsibility for us after we disappointed all heaven, made Sirius. If that was all He made He would be worthy of our worship. But He also made the other 100 trillion suns in our medium size galaxy.

Our Sensible God

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-16T21:47:31-05:00

It’s amazing what a dog will do for a treat. When I ask our lab to shake, as she picks up her paw she cocks her head and gives me a crazy look as if to say, “Look, this is really stupid. It serves no real function other than to make you happy, so here. Now where’s my treat?” Actually it has gotten even worse. When she wants a treat she taps me with her nose, sits down and picks up her paw. I think the psychologist Skinner would say I am the one who has been conditioned.

I am so thankful God does not ask me to do mindless things that I might receive blessings. There is no eleventh commandment that says, “Shake.” God is so practical. Each commandment comes with a blessing not as a care package from heaven but as a result of doing something very useful. For example the first command says not to worship idols. Of course that would be stupid because a piece of stone or wood can’t interact with us. The fourth commandment tells us to rest every seventh-day. If God didn’t command that most of us would work seven days a week and burn out at 35 or 40. If I honor my parents, my children will see me do this and they will then treat me the way I treated grandma and grandpa.

Everything God asks of us is sensible, practical and leads to the abundant life Jesus promises to us. Even the Old Testament food requirements in Leviticus were there to keep the children of Israel healthy and well. What a wonderful God. He doesn’t need His ego to be massaged by our behavior. He just wants us to be happy, safe and well.

Individuals Count

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-15T21:51:00-05:00

In 1945 the Japanese had been fighting American soldiers for over three years. They were convinced that they could not lose the war because their gods had made them superior. They were a chosen people. Americans were a mongrel people who were not racially pure. It was unbelievable that their warriors were losing island after island. When Americans reached Okinawa it became evident that heaven had deserted them. In despair thirty thousand military and civilian personal hurled themselves to their deaths from the top of an Okinawaian cliff. They could not endure the shame.

There is something deep inside the human psyche that makes us want to believe we are God’s favorites. Young people knock on my door and tell me they are God’s elect and my baptism is of no value unless I am rebaptised by one of them. Group after group, denomination after denomination, nation after nation believe they are the chosen ones. It is not an idea foreign to my childhood. I even learned memory verses from Scripture to support this deep basic human hunger.

Could it be that God is not and has never been impressed by groups and organizations? Could it be that God is instead searching for humble individuals who deem themselves unworthy and come to Him as one willing to be used in any way God needs to further His kingdom? There is a very interesting verse in Revelation 7. John wrote, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, . . .” It seems to be about people and not about groups.

Stale Stuff

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-14T21:12:20-05:00

Who can resist a good sale, especially when it is something we use? There it was a forty-pound bag of birdseed chock-full of sunflower seeds and other goodies. Best of all it was half what I usually pay. I was one happy camper until our birds deserted us. They don’t like it. I wonder if the seed was very old and stale and thus on sale. My bargain didn’t turn out to be such a good deal. I went and got the good stuff and am trying to woo them back. The squirrels will enjoy the stale stuff.

This brings me to church attendance. If one never hears a fresh idea, if Sabbath School or Sunday School lessons are just a repeat of things we have heard all our lives, if sermons seem to be a rehash of last year’s fare, it is difficult to shovel the driveway and slip down the hill on a cold winter morning. Now that I have said that, allow me to say that despite our appetite for fresh mental stimulation, the tried and true story of the cross still refreshes no matter how often it is told. I need, we need the constant reassurance that God loves us despite our ridiculous failures. “Tell Me The Old Old Story” is a pretty good hymn with a great message.

However, let’s go back to our need for something new. At the close of Hebrews 5 Paul speaks of learning on the milk of the Word but eventually needing meat. People like birds will go where they are being fed that which is nourishing and palatable. Sometimes we even need to hear things we don’t particularly like but “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”

Whose Fault is It?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-11T21:30:43-05:00

Many years ago one of my African students failed to turn in an assignment. When I asked him about it, he said, “It was God’s will.” “How is that?” I asked. He responded, “If God wanted me to do it He would have gotten me out of bed and made me write it.” Today I heard the opposite side of that story. Today a student did not turn in a book report and said, “Sorry sir, but, the devil kept me from writing it by keeping me busy.”

I do not want to disregard God’s or Satan’s influence in our lives, but personal responsibility is a part of character development. It seems to be our nature to look for someone to blame for our failures. If we can’t find another human, then we start looking at God or Satan. If that doesn’t fit our theology we convince ourselves we are ill, therefore, excusing ourselves. My point is we search to blame someone or something other than ourselves. Adam started it. “The woman you gave me. She made me do it.” Eve followed by blaming it on the serpent. Had God inquired of the serpent I am sure it would have said, “Satan made me do it.” And Satan would have responded, “God, you made me do it.”

One of my heroes was Harry Truman. “The buck stops here!” It is so refreshing to hear someone accept blame for something that went wrong. Not so long ago I heard an administrator apologize for something one of his team member’s failure. My respect for that administrator soared.

If we are to receive God’s grace in the Day of Judgment, we have to be bold and say, “Lord, I failed you. I am sorry.” And He will say, “Welcome home.”

Helping Without Harming

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-10T21:18:40-05:00

So many organizations rushed to Haiti to supply free medical help to victims of the earthquake that already established hospitals and clinics have gone bankrupt for lack of paying patients. In Africa free American food is rushed to famine stricken nations only to have farmers, who have labored all year to produce their crops, have the price fall out from under them because of our help. Helping people can be a serious challenge. How do you help someone without harming another or harming the very person you are helping? There are times I see opportunities to help a student pass a class only to realize I have enabled their indolence and have reinforced bad habits. While supplying grace to one situation I have contributed to an attitude that one need not really work hard and learn.

And so it is with grace. How can I steel myself against sin when I know that God will always forgive? I can guess what you are thinking. God knows our hearts and knows we are working the system; therefore, we will not get the grace we need. But there is forgiveness for willful sin. We can deliberately do wrong only to discover the consequences were much worse than we had anticipated and thus enter into a genuine repentant state. Yeah. We can.

The quest to be genuinely Christ-like and to always do the right thing for the right motive is an immense challenge I have been questing for all my life. When I am totally honest with myself I know I need grace, lots of grace. So how can God help us without harming us? In His wisdom He does it very carefully because He understands our hearts are amazingly deceitful – deceiving ourselves.

The Joy of Service

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-09T19:14:26-05:00

Life is full of wonders. Today I had a new one. I love teaching. Students never cease to do something new. Today in my human development class, which spans the twelve o’clock hour, a young lady got up and left the room. That happens all the time. What followed does not. About ten minutes later she returned with her dinner. She had gone to the cafeteria and now sat down in class to eat her meal. I was so taken back I didn’t know what to say. My wife, an experienced elementary teacher, had the right comment. But having never taught third grade I didn’t know I was to say, “Did you bring enough for everyone?”

Now Jesus would have had an even better comment. He would have said, “Bring it to me.” After blessing it He would have passed it out to everyone and then collected the leftovers for them to take back to the dorms. The feeding of the crowd must have been very satisfying to Jesus; so much so He did it twice, once in Galilee and again east of the Jordan. It brings joy to be able to meet genuine needs.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” To do good works is the purpose for our being. There is no real joy in those who constantly feed their own selfish nature. Real joy permeates us when we discover a meaningful task, have the means to meet it and then do it. When we do, the miracle of the feeding happens anew. Resources are multiplied and we achieve our fullest potential. That’s a grand experience.

Golden Years

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-08T19:58:25-05:00

Coming out into a busy college parking lot this afternoon I couldn’t find my car. I really looked carefully up and down the rows. No car. Could someone have taken it? Holding the key in my hand I decided to press the alarm button to see if I could hear it or see its flashing lights. The beeping horn almost rattled my teeth. I was standing right beside my car – right beside it! Early this morning my wife and I had swapped cars. Even though I had driven the beeping car to the parking lot when I came out I proceeded to search for the wrong car. Ouch. I’m seriously beginning to doubt the hype about “golden years.”

I think the real golden years are when the house is full of little kids, when you are barely paying the bills yet hear “Daddy’s home” and hear the thunder of little feet coming to mob you. My dog does that now but it’s not quite the same. It’s a dog. I wish the four legs were divided between two little boys. The problem with most of us is we don’t recognize the real golden years until the wall fills with graduation pictures and then they are over.

I wonder what I will forget tomorrow. In my human development class I talk about long and short term memory. As we age we hang on to the things we learned decades ago. Memory verses I learned as a child still fill my mind as inspiration for these devotionals. One of the best things we can do for our children is to have them memorize a Bible text each week. Decades later they will thank us for it.

Top Billing

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-07T17:46:26-05:00

We were having breakfast at Denny’s this morning with friends when I recognized a semi-famous film star eating in the booth next to us. It took my brain just a few seconds of running through its Rolodex files to identify him. Later when I looked up his bio on the Internet I discovered we are just weeks apart in age. It’s amazing what a really good face job and well dyed hair can do. I definitely show more wear and tear than he.

I wonder what it is like to be semi-famous; always the co-star and never the protagonist. Surely it has its advantages. The pay should be very good and yet he can eat a quiet breakfast at Denny’s without having people pester him for an autograph. But does he ever wish that just once he could have top billing?

There is a wonderful verse in Revelation 3 that says, “He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Just imagine the Creator of the universe personally presenting your name before His heavenly Father. This is top billing. This is being famous where it counts. This is so much better than having a Wikipedia page, an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy or whatever fleeting human award one could receive. It’s truly grand to have friends in high places and this is as high as it gets. Never forget John 15:14. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” And what has He commanded? “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you . . .” John 13:34

Standing and Falling

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-04T08:40:04-05:00

I realize that some of the people who audition for American Idol are just trying to get their fifteen minutes of fame, meet the judges and have some interesting video to someday show their great grandchildren, but one gets the impression that some of them really live in a delusional world of self-adoration. The tears that flow from the deserved rejection seem to be deeply felt. I am sometimes reminded of a man who once told me he had gone over a week without sinning. When I asked for him to explain he told me that since it was Wednesday he couldn’t break the Sabbath today. He had not murdered anyone today, stole anything, cursed or disrespected his parents. His definition of sin, or should I say victory over sin, was adherence to a code of commandments.

At first I am tempted to quote, “Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” I Corinthians 10:12. However, I’m not sure someone living under such a narrow concept would ever be aware when he falls. He is not aware that he has yet to stand. While it is true that sin is the transgression of the law (I John 3:4) it is so much broader and deeper. Sin is selfishness that is deeply embedded into the fabric of our being. It is living for satisfaction of self at the expense of others. It is anything that harms self or others. Sin is something as simple as spitting out chewing gum on the street where others will step on it. Sin is tossing trash out the window of your car after going through a fast food drive up window.

Considering the truth about our human condition there is only one way for any of us to stand. It is not complicated. It is understanding the only goodness, the only righteousness we will ever have is a gift from the mercy of a loving God.

My Good? Deeds

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-03T19:35:48-05:00

Sometimes I am haunted by my “good” deeds. It’s because I feel really good about them and realize that often I am doing them because I enjoy the warm feeling I get that tells me God must be very happy with me and probably added another room on my mansion mentioned in John 14. My unease grows when I read Paul’s book of Romans and am confronted with his premise that all deeds done for the wrong reason are works of the flesh. My offerings, my Sabbath keeping, my helping little old ladies across the street are in the same category as stealing, murdering and lying. Paul reinforces the idea in I Corinthians 13 when he tells us even if we give our bodies to be burned it is worthless when done for the wrong reason.

My problem is I am so tainted with self I never do anything for selfless reasons. Paul understood. He didn’t want to be that way but was honest enough to recognize the truth about himself. That’s why he cries out at the end of Romans 7, “Who will deliver me from this body of death.” If he had concluded his letter at that point I would just give up and join him in despair. But, he didn’t stop. It wasn’t Paul who put in the chapter break at this point. That was done over a thousand years later. Chapter eight verse one rescues us from the pit of self. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

My hope, your hope, my assurance, your assurance is found in Jesus. He started our saving and He finishes our saving. Ephesians 2. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

One Brave Little Guy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-02T19:07:31-05:00

With over two feet of snow on the ground and another foot coming tomorrow the birds are not straying far from the feeder. However, this noon I noted not a bird in sight. Five minutes or more passed and still not a bird. It meant only one thing. They had spotted the neighborhood Sharp-shinned Hawk. He too considers our bird feeder his “bird” feeder. After he went down the street to checkout one of our neighbor’s dining area one small chickadee braved coming back to feed. Seconds later there were five and then ten and then the whole gang showed up. I’m not sure where they all had been hiding but all it took was for one brave little guy to lead the way.

And such is life among people. We too are often shy or afraid to do the right thing until someone leads the way. When we realize we don’t have to stand alone we rise to our convictions. How often as a pastor I realized if something was to be done, if something was to happen, someone needed to lead. Should we need to raise money I always was the first to contribute and also had another prepared to give. It’s called doing your homework.

But what about occasions when there is no such time for such preparation? What of moral situations that call for bravery and courage? In the classic book To Kill a Mockingbird an angry crowd sought to lynch a man until a small girl stepped out and confronted the crowd. Should we ever be in a situation that demands real courage I pray that each of us will be the first to rise to do the right thing.

Let's Do It

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-02-01T22:10:15-05:00

If we could concoct a pill that could raise people’s I.Q.s by ten to twenty points we could soon be fabulously wealthy. Lines to get our pills would be longer than the lines to get a new iPhone. We used to think the intelligence we are born with we would have for the rest of our lives. Well, we did know we could do things to reduce our I.Q. There is all manner of mental abuse at our disposal. But the good news is we can increase our mental capacities. The secret has been with us all along. It’s found in the longest Psalm.

“O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditations. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.” Psalm 119.

There it is. The secret is time spent with God and His word. My Dad used to tell me to always pick friends who were smarter than I. By association I would gain new understanding of things. If that’s the case then who better to associate with than the One who knows everything. In Ephesians 1 Paul prays, I “make mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; . . .”

The first month of 2011 is already history but we have eleven months yet to finish the year smarter than when it started. Let’s do it.

Tummy Rubs

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-31T21:45:46-05:00

Our black lab has established a ritual. If she spots one of us going upstairs she hastens to get on the stairs right in front of us and then stops. It’s time for a tummy rub. I’m not sure how long she would stay there. She outlasts me and I ultimately have to nudge her out of the way. As we rub her tummy she gets this far off look of ecstasy. All is right with the world.

She reminds me of my relationship with my heavenly Father. Every time I see an opportunity for a blessing I rush to the occasion. Like our dog I would linger forever. I wonder if God ever has to nudge me out of the way and say, “Hey, you’ve had enough for now.”

Do you remember the last words of the hymn, “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”? They ring in my ears, “Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.” I am not aware of ever getting enough. I am being greedy? Should I not voluntarily step aside without the nudge, if there is a nudge? Perhaps I would if I thought I was taking from another. But the joy of having an omnipresent Father is that His attention to me does not take away from you. We can both enjoy all the attention He has to share. I think the only thing that bothers me is the question of greed. Could my desire for more of Him indicate a deep selfishness? In John 6:35 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger. . . ” Someday?

Irony. The quest for godlikeness is, at least for me, filled with many ironies.

Our Seats

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-28T19:26:37-05:00

We are creatures of habit and love the familiar. I do not assign seats in my college classes but 90% of the time students will sit in the same chair they got the first day. When I take attendance I automatically look at the chair I associate with a particular student and am slowed down in attendance taking if someone sits on the opposite side of the room. So it was not surprising today when at Taco Bell a father and little girl entered and the little girl said, “Oh, look they are at our table.” All of the other tables were empty. There was no space problem. The problem was we were at “her” table.

It also happens at church. When we enter we go to the same seat and are just a bit put off if someone new got our seat before we did. Actually I once had a church member ask a guest to move. How’s that for being friendly and welcoming?

There is a seat mentioned in Revelation 3:21, “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Now there’s a seat we all should covet. The promise says it’s ours if we overcome. All right then, how do we overcome? Let’s go to John 5. Jesus said, “He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Don’t you just love it? Now let’s be perfectly clear about this. When we are talking about believing we are talking about allowing the Holy Spirit in to reorganize our lives after the pattern of Jesus Himself.

The Mousesicle

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-27T22:18:33-05:00

We have a lot of snow on the ground right now and last weekend was a bit chilly. When we arrived at our college parking lot it was 13 below zero. But even so I was taken back by what I found at our bird feeder – a frozen solid mouse. All I can figure is he was very hungry. He found all that seed and stayed too long at the banquet table. You just can’t make up stuff like this.

It is such a unique story there has to be a spiritual lesson. At first I thought of Lot’s wife who turned into a pillar of salt. I have always thought she got a bad rap; after all some of her children were back in that city. But somehow it doesn’t quite fit. There was Jeroboam whose arm was frozen stiff when he was trying to offer a sacrifice on Mt. Gerizim. But that isn’t really very good. There is Psalm 1:1 that talks about walking, standing and sitting in sin. I guess the mouse should have kept walking. But that isn’t so good either.

The point seems to be that he stayed too long. A house guest – maybe? No.

I would like to ask for your help with this one. If you can think of a really good spiritual lesson to go with my frozen mouse, please write back to me. I would be delighted to hear your ideas.
In the meantime I don’t want to waste this opportunity to tell you how much Jesus loves you. You are very special. There is a place just for you in God’s Kingdom and if you are not there He will miss you forever. Your memory will be frozen in time.

The Antique Door

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-26T20:41:39-05:00

Antique stores fascinate me because they are filled with priceless junk from my childhood. I walk around and say, “Oh, look. I had one of those. I wonder what happened to IT.” I most likely was looking at IT. Recently I was in one that had a door. I know – they all have a door. I mean this one had a door and frame displayed for sale. It was quite ornate and actually very lovely. It would have been nice in the right place. I wondered about that door. Where had it been? What or who did it keep in or out? Did anyone famous ever pass through it? Did its presence assure a child of safety?

Doors are important. They often lead us into new experiences. Yesterday our second semester began and I along with my students walked through the classroom door to a brand new experience. Will that door lead my students to new realms of thought and preparation for a wonderful life of service?

I like John 10:9 where Jesus calls Himself “The Door.” Step across that threshold and eternity beckons. Entering God’s Kingdom changes everything from our limited range of thought to endless expanses of new ideas. When we go in we leave behind guilt and are filled with new desires for growth and Godlikeness. Some doors need to be shut. Hopefully we will close the door to the old ways and not return. Alas, sometimes we do return. But thankfully we can reenter. Jesus gives us one of those stamps on our hand that allows us reentry. Well, no. We don’t need a stamp, because we didn’t pay the first time. It was free and remains free each time we are wise enough to return and hopefully stay.

Happy Sounds

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-21T21:51:38-05:00

We ate this evening beside three of the happiest children. All through our meal we were serenaded with happy sounds. It was better than any concert no matter how skilled the musicians. There is something magical about the sounds of happy children that cannot be surpassed by any other earthly sound. No matter how rotten our day has been and how many grousing adults we had to listen to, it all ebbs away by laughter and sounds of love. Awesome.

There are other happy sounds. I can think of baby birds chirping for the next worm, squealing puppies, off key people singing Happy Birthday, people on Let’s Make a Deal winning the Big Deal of the Day, the softness of my wife’s breath sleeping beside me. There are so many wonderful things to listen to. Right now the wind is wrapping itself around the corner of my house whispering to me, beckoning me to come and let it redden my cheeks. What happy sounds can you think of?

Of course the best sound of all will be the voice of Jesus soon saying to us, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” Matthew 25:34. Now that is a HAPPY SOUND in capital letters. After we hear that we will then get to hear the sound of the redeemed, “And (they) cried with a loud voice, say, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” Revelation 7:11.

There are so many good things for us to hear but until then I still think the happy sounds of happy children are the best.

We Live in a Dangerous Place

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-20T21:22:37-05:00

So often we misuse Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” I can understand why we do it. When tragedy strikes we desperately try to make sense out of it. We don’t want some terrible loss to just happen without some meaning. It is our nature to order our lives and random horror is contrary to our sanity. When nothing seems to have a reason often we say, “Well, surely God must have had a purpose.” When I was a pastor I used to respond with, “Someday we will know.”

We live in a world filled with random events that ruin lives. We run over a road hazard and damage a tire. Fifty miles later it explodes and our car careens into a tree or worse across the center lane destroying even more lives. Let me be very plain. God did not do this. If anyone did it, it was Satan. However, most likely, it was a random bad thing that happened to good people.

So what about Romans 8:28? It is a wonderful promise that means when horror happens God can help. Something good can be worked out. It was not His will. But because He loves us so much He will bring about something positive. Now you are thinking but why didn’t He intervene before it occurred? That is a question no one on earth can answer. We don’t know. What we do know is someday we can talk to Him about it. But please do not blame God for the bad things that occur. We live in a dangerous place. It’s called Earth.

Prime?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-19T21:28:02-05:00

Today we received a yearly newsy updating letter from some of our friends. I was shocked when the writer said her husband is now 82. But, that cannot be! In my mind I still see him decades younger. While I am delighted to know what is happening in my friends’ lives, I do not want to update their ages. I want them to be as I think they are. I know I am aging. The mirror reminds me of that every morning but since I do not see my friends on a day to day basis I have them cataloged and frozen in time.

What does it mean to be in one’s prime? In our teens most of us are thin and fighting with our skin. In our twenties we gain a few pounds and most are at the peak of physical strength. In our thirties we gain a few more pounds and start to gray at the edges, which usually looks pretty good. People pay a lot of money to have highlighted hair. In our forties we gain a few more pounds and note lines forming on our faces. In our fifties we see that we have gained too many pounds and have to decide whether to go gray or fight white roots. In our sixties we might look good on the outside but we can tell we just can’t walk as fast or as long and stairs are a wee bit more formidable. In our seventies we start to look foolish if we are still making our hair a solid twenty-year old color.

So my question is, when we are in heaven and in eternal prime what will we look like? Will we look twenty, thirty, forty? Or heavens no, not 40,000!

Winter Has Settled In

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-18T20:50:01-05:00

An almost full moon hovers over our six degree evening. Winter has made herself at home in New England. Long gray shadows artistically lace across the snow creating eerie art that changes moment by moment. An owl fluffs his feathers while silently watching for a stray creature to satisfy his evening appetite. One would not know a storm approaches for it is still and sounds are swallowed by snow cushions hanging on the pine boughs. Our dog sits by a window on the second floor of the house ever so softly growling at any sign of life. I wonder what she thinks. Are there primal memories from ancestors past reminding her of hunting with a pack on nights such as these? As I enter the room she looks at me as if to say, “Could I please go out? I need to push the snow with my nose and feel it on my tummy as I wade. I have business out there.”

If one listens carefully one can hear my trees creak and groan in the stillness of the coming night. One can stand outside and be fascinated as one’s breath slowly ascends past one’s eyes. The flush of red cheeks is its own elixir. I am reminded of Proverbs 25:13, “As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refreshes the soul of his masters.” Solomon reminds us of cold refreshment on a hot day but let us not miss the delicious joy of it on a cold winter night. What a joy to be a faithful messenger that brings joy to our Master. How wonderful if we were always so.

Whistles and Dog Treats

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-17T20:49:08-05:00

We went through a bag of dog treats this afternoon watching the Patriots lose their playoff game. My wife has trained our dog to instantly come when she blows a whistle. It was a fairly easy process. Each time she blows the whistle the dog gets a treat. It seemed wonderful and foolproof until this afternoon. Every time an official at the football game blew his whistle the dog came running for a treat. I couldn’t not give her something lest her training go to waste. I just love double negatives.

She couldn’t tell the difference from our whistle and the whistle on television. She has limited intelligence. She reminded me of a church member I once had who told me God told him to divorce his wife and marry another. Of course “the other” was fifteen years younger and also prettier than the original. When I asked him how he knew that’s what God wanted him to do he answered, “When I pray with ‘the other’ I feel so close to God.” Talk about limited intelligence. I’m wondering if my dog would outscore him on a Stanford-Binet.

I sometimes think it wouldn’t matter if there was no Satan to tempt us. I think we do a pretty good job on ourselves. It is so obvious that we hear and see what we want to hear and see. We rationalize to get what we want. It is so difficult to be honest with ourselves. If we could only steel ourselves to do what God directs us to do in Scripture, we would not go wrong. We would hear the right whistle and ultimately get the right reward – eternal life.

"You Had Me at Woof"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-14T21:49:26-05:00

There is a new dog book on the best seller list entitled, “You Had Me at Woof” by Julie Klam. Obviously the title is a takeoff on a movie line, “You had me at hello.” I think I could go one better since I was smitten with my wife before I had a chance to say “Hello.” She was fourteen and was on the platform in church. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Being that I cannot remember not going to church Jesus was always a part of my life. I have often wondered what it is like for someone to fall in love with Jesus. When would they say Jesus had them? Was it the first time they heard about the cross and the resurrection? Or would they say, “You had me at John 3:16?”

What is it that attracts people to the story of someone who lived here two thousand years ago? Could it be a soul hunger that haunts us with the truth that there has to be something more than this seventy years? I have a friend who upon passing away filled me with a sense of waste. He was brilliant. He was a theologian. He knew the Biblical languages like we know English. He was kind and thoughtful. To just bury all that in a box is so wrong. There has to be more.

The story of Jesus answers that need for more. His personal righteousness, His promises, His own death and resurrection, His emphasis on a personal Father God all speak to our spiritual and psychological needs. Perhaps if I had first heard of Jesus when I was an adult I would have said, “You had me when you washed Judas’ feet.”

My Unbelievable Christmas Gift

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-13T20:41:28-05:00

One of my very best friends gave me an unbelievable Christmas gift. When he handed me the package I laughingly said, “Oh, you got me a new gun.” As I tore off the paper expecting something else, what to my wondering eyes did appear but a gun! He gave me a brand new still in the plastic seal Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. I was overwhelmed with a rush of childhood. I had one. I would jump off the school bus, be greeted by my dog and would grab my Red Ryder and head for the woods. As I held it in my hands I realized what a different world we live in now in the 21st century. If we saw a child wandering along fencerows with a gun, even a BB gun, someone would most likely call the police. Sixty years ago it was just a boy thing. I have no idea what happened to that childhood gun. It probably stopped working and got rusty and my mom probably threw it away.

Now I have a problem. The packaging around this new one is really nice. I don’t want to spoil it by cutting it open. So for now I have it by my desk just to look at. I know come spring I am going to want to shoot it. I hope my neighbors don’t see me and call the police. I have a few months to figure out how to get it out of the plastic seal without destroying it.

I am going to guess that you can guess what my friend said to me as I ripped off the paper. You’re right. He said, “Don’t shoot your eye out!” Ah, the words of every mother whose boy had one. I have often wondered if when God gives us new and wonderful gifts if He says, “Don’t shoot your eye out.” Alas, sometimes we do.

Social Lubricants

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-12T20:51:04-05:00

Everywhere I went today the question on people’s lips was “Are you ready for the snowstorm?” What followed was some inane chatter about the weather. This kind of small talk is “Social Lubricant.” Polite society prefers that we acknowledge the presence of others by expressing some interest in them. We ask, “How are you?” Most of us really don’t want to know. We prefer the answer to be, “Just fine. Thank you for asking. How are you?” The other person also doesn’t want to know what meds we are on. These are things we say to smooth encounters. That’s why they are called, “Social Lubricants.”

While watching such an exchange today I got to wondering about “Social Lubricants” in heaven. Surely we will not ask, “How are you?” Everybody will always be fine. There will be no danger of being trapped into hearing about a recent surgery. My wife suggested that instead we will ask, “Where have you been the last millennium?” or “Where are you going?” That “Social Lubricant” could stimulate some very interesting answers. There would be answers we really would like to hear about. It would take billions of years to merely visit all the places in our galaxy. After that we could start on the 100 trillion other galaxies.

This God who invites us to call Him Father is so vast and so amazing and so powerful and so knowledgeable and so aware of everything He staggers our minds. I recently heard a college student begin a prayer with “Dear Daddy.” I’m sure that’s okay. But it did jar me. He just seems to be too EVERYTHING to be “Daddy.” Perhaps I have a lot to learn.

The Fence Is a Comittment

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-11T19:17:08-05:00

Our eighty-pound lab can really turn on the speed. When we go outside it is like someone strapped a rocket on her back. Her hind legs dig in and off she goes tearing around the yard at top velocity. It’s fun to watch until she makes the far turn and heads back right at me with absolutely no effort to slow down. I can only imagine the devastation to me if she hits me at that speed. I doubt if 911 could help. So I freeze. She is excellent at brushing by, but I have no idea on which side she will pass. If I move at all I am in jeopardy.

As she zoomed by this afternoon I realized how important it is not to be too far to the right or too far to the left. One of my favorite authors made a point about our living balanced lives. Now I know some will say we have to make a commitment in life and we can’t just ride the fence. I would like to take the position that riding the fence IS a commitment. It is difficult to keep one’s balance. It is easy to fall off on either side and it’s not being lukewarm. It is like Goldilocks when she discovered she couldn’t eat the porridge that was too hot or too cold. The middle was just right.

People that are far left often lead us to think that anything goes while people on the far right are often judgmental and make us think their way is the only way. God loves principled thinking. That’s why He gave us the marvelous capacity of thought and freewill. When He made us in His image He set us free to think.

Perfect Perfect

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-10T22:25:12-05:00

We are in the second week of 2011. So how are you coming on your New Year’s Resolutions? I only made one and frankly I’m not doing so well. Mine was to make fewer mistakes this year than I made last year. Instead of making fewer I think I am on a record-setting pace. Alas. I am so thankful mistakes aren’t sins. Well, some are. Sins are mistakes but not all mistakes are sins. Sometimes I think young people think we old guys just don’t know we are messing up. That’s not so. We know.

Someone told me once that Jesus never made a mistake because He was perfect. I really don’t think so. He was a carpenter. There had to be days when He cut a board too short or hit His finger with a hammer. Those things are not moral issues. He was morally perfect – not perfect perfect. In terms of morality Paul assures us Jesus had His share of temptations. If He didn’t He just doesn’t understand the human condition. But He does understand. Paul wrote, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15. It’s one of the best verses in the Bible. I get so much courage from it especially from the verse that follows. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

I really like the word “boldly.” We don’t have to crawl or beg. We are sons and daughters. We can come asking for grace and know from Ephesians 2 that we will receive lavish amounts. Hooray!

Logan's Lab

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-06T20:11:05-05:00

There is a wonderful family-oriented sport called Geocaching. There are over 1, 250,000 treasures hidden around the world that can be located by getting the coordinates for a cache from the Geocaching website and then with the use of a handheld GPS device be led to within a few feet of the cache. It is great fun for there are very easy ones and very challenging ones. Associated with these caches are something called “Travel Bugs.” They are objects with a registered tag number also on the Geocaching website. “Travel Bugs” move all around the world as people carry them from cache to cache. Why? Just for fun.

Four and a half years ago our California son put a small plastic black dog in a cache in California with the object of people taking it from cache to cache until it ended up at the gravesite of his son in Ohio. Yesterday it arrived. The person who took it to the cemetery took a photo of it by the gravestone. For four and a half years it was moved all over the country by gracious people trying to get it to Ohio. I am not sure how many people helped but it was a lot.

I mention this because sometimes we are so overwhelmed by the news of bad people and the bad things they do that we despair that there are any good people left in the world. There are. Many people who we do not know and never will know became involved in the project. Why did they do it? Because it was a loving thing to do. We are surrounded each day by people who care. How grand!

Parents are Wonderful

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-05T20:38:15-05:00

I was wishing you could have been with me this afternoon during a phone call with a college student’s parent. According to law I cannot reveal to a parent their child’s grades. So there I sat with his semester grades on my computer screen; I’m his advisor. Since I will not tell you who he is I can tell you his grade point average was near 0.5 on a 4.0 scale. His mom poured out her heart to me about how bad the school was. She had quite a litany of our errors. Passionately she told me how bright he was and how dull we were. The irony of this was one of his “F”s was from me. There was so much she didn’t know. First of all, she was right. He is bright. He rarely missed class. He was always on time. He engaged in class discussions. However, he never turned in one assignment nor showed up for the final exam. I kept saying, “Yes, Ma’am.”

Does any parent really know their child? We think we do. However, most parents would be horrified if they knew it all. Probably it is best the way it is. Do teachers know their students? We think we do. However, most of us would be wonderfully surprised if we knew more. Don’t you just love the idea that our heavenly Father really knows our kids and yet He is amazingly fond of them? They have no secrets from Him and yet they are the apple of His eye. That is so awesome. We are loved!

Oh, by the way. This kid is coming to see me next week. Is he ever in for a lot of “tough love.

What's Wrong with Regular Blessings

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-04T22:21:36-05:00

At the risk of appearing to be a complainer I am going to go ahead and air one of my pet peeves. If you are not up for any negativity at this particular moment you should stop reading now and come back later when you are feeling grumpy. Then you can grump with me.

Here goes. I am weary of hearing people pray for “special blessings.” What’s wrong with “regular blessings”? As a matter-of-fact I am immensely thrilled each day to receive a plethora of “regular blessings.” God is so good to us. He opens the windows of heaven and rains goodness upon us. Isn’t that good enough?

If one of my sons asked me for a “special blessing” I would ask just exactly what he was talking about. Isn’t my bottomless love enough? I try. I really do try to watch for opportunities to do nice things for them. I think our heavenly Father does the same for us. “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Those are pretty good things.

I am going to make a guess that when most people pray and ask for “special blessings” they aren’t really thinking about what they are saying. Our public prayers are filled with platitudes and often we slip into an automatic flow of clichés to start a meeting. But that brings me to another annoyance – people praying without thinking about what they are praying. I’m sorry that’s a bit harsh and very judgmental. But maybe once in a while we could hear someone pray something “original.”

There now I have said it. I promise tomorrow to be more positive.

"He's Still Alive."

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2011-01-03T18:46:40-05:00

Just a few days after our blizzard, the temperature shot up to 50 plus degrees. You can imagine what that did to the children’s snowman in the front yard. As we left for the airport this morning to get our California children back to California our seven-year-old grandson looked out the window at the very small pile of remaining snow and said, “Look, he’s still alive!” Surrounding a little bit of snow was a withered carrot nose and some acorn caps that had been eyes and tummy buttons.

Through the years I have watched some of my very alive and large friends literally melt away until they barely filled their wheelchair. Little old ladies and little old men weren’t always so little. It’s too bad that our grandchildren can’t see us when we were as strong and vital as their parents. My students laugh when I tell them to be careful in heaven. That pretty lady you eye on the streets of gold might say, “Watch it young man. I’m your great grandmother.”

Luke 20:38 is a wonderful verse. It says, “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." Though the Bible clearly speaks of a coming resurrection of the dead (I Corinthian 15 and I Thess. 4.) Jesus wants us to understand (John 5) that once we accept Him we pass over from death to life. Though our humanity melt away we will always be alive in His memory and via His resurrecting power we shall once again breathe and move and love and do all the wonders that God longs for us. Jesus is who He says He is – The Resurrection and the Life.

Jesus' Love Problem

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-30T19:04:48-05:00

Late yesterday afternoon we took our California family to Logan airport for their trip home. At ten, four hours after they had been scheduled to takeoff, they called. Their flight was not just delayed, it was cancelled! So back to Logan we went to bring them home because JetBlue did not and was not going to reschedule them. Basically the message was “Tough.” Some young girls traveling by themselves stood and cried not knowing what to do.

All of my life I have been told that Jesus is coming again and soon. His return and our trip to be with Him seems to be delayed. However, one thing we can be sure of is the trip will never be cancelled. We will not be left holding a useless ticket. In John 14 Jesus promised to come again and take us to His Father’s house. That promise is still good. And while we might think He has delayed, His disciple Peter addressed the issue for us in his second letter. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Unlike JetBlue which didn’t fly last night because it couldn’t put together a crew, Jesus has His crew. He longs to come. But He continues to wait because of His longsuffering. It is just that He doesn’t want to leave someone on the outside.

Frankly, I don’t know how He will ever resolve the problem of His love. But He will. Peter goes on to say, “The day of the Lord will come.” Of this we can be sure because He never ever breaks a promise.

An Old Wooden Bear & Birds

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-29T10:20:49-05:00

We have this old wooden bear standing near our bird feeder. It stands on its hind legs. Knowing that our grandchildren would be here during the holidays, my wife put an old hooded coat on the bear. Sure enough the birds quickly became used to the coat and continued to feed from the bear’s wooden paws. Now comes the neat part. One by one our grandchildren put on the old hooded coat and stood in front of the wooden bear. The birds seemed a bit cautious, something was different; never-the-less juncos, titmice and chickadees came and fed from the children’s hands. It was an exciting moment.

Birds are not the only creatures that can be conditioned. Humans are especially prone to conditioning. It doesn’t take us long to change our behaviors, our sense of fashion, style and speech. If we are told, enough times, that something is beautiful, we actually begin to think it is beautiful. Many of us pride ourselves on being independent thinkers, but the truth is we are not as independent as we suppose. Paul certainly understood this and thus warned us in Romans 12 not to be conformed to the world. Ever so slowly our sense of right and wrong, our sense of decency, our moral code is modified. Psalm 1:1 encourages us not to walk by, stand by and ultimately sit down in sinful places and ways.

The way to guard against such change is to continually focus on our benchmark - Scripture. If we daily feed our minds on the purity of God’s Word we can perceive the lower standards about us. However, should we fail to keep our eye on the benchmark, we will change. It is our nature to do so.

We Need a Master

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-27T20:44:14-05:00

We are in the midst of what the weather people are calling a blizzard. The wind has for over three hours been blowing over thirty-five miles an hour and has been pelting the sides of our house with tiny ice crystals. At some point our eighty pound black lab has to go outside. When I open the door she puts her head outside and checks out the birds flocking to the feeder for food, but she is reluctant to venture forth. No amount of telling her to go has worked. But when I attach her leash she pushes past me to lead the way. If I am going with her than it must be okay and out we go.

She reminds me of me. I depend on the last words of Matthew 28 where Jesus promises to always be with us. I really don’t want to go anywhere without my Master. When I was small I learned to sing “Anywhere He leads me I can safely go.” “Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade.” When we are small we have our parents but as the years go by in the due course of time we lose them. We become the big people. We become the security for our little ones.

Even though my dad has been gone for twenty-six years I still find myself impulsively wanting to call him and tell him about something that has happened in my life. Then I remember that I can’t. It is wonderful to know there is someone to call who is older, bigger, stronger and very interested in me. Jesus is there. So I call Him. Just as my dog seems to need a master so do I. So do we.

A Box of Godiva Chocolates

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-28T20:40:04-05:00

We received a box of Godiva chocolates for Christmas. They are an indulgent luxury one should never buy for oneself. That being one of my core beliefs means I can only have a Godiva chocolate when given one. This is the second time in my life. At that rate I shall never have another. Forest Gump’s mother must have never had a Godiva chocolate because they come with a map. She would have discovered life is not like a Godiva chocolate because if you read the map you do know what you are going to get. She ate the cheap kind. She didn’t know what life was going to bring.

As I sit here looking at the gold colored paper box it suddenly occurred to me that a life without Jesus is like the cheap stuff. You don’t know what’s coming. It’s a life without a map. A life with Jesus is a life with a map. While the map doesn’t show us all the bumps in the road it definitely reveals our destination. When I bite into a Godiva chocolate I know what to expect, except the reality is better than the anticipation. Once again this is like a life in Christ. We know what we will receive - eternal life. The reality will be so much better than the anticipation. I wonder if Godiva ever considered I Corinthians 2:9 as a motto. “Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard.” Well, that really is an overstatement regarding candy. But it definitely is no overstatement for the wonders and glory awaiting those who accept the gift of God’s grace.

While I cannot promise you a bumpless journey I can with all assurance promise you a safe and successful destination if you are trusting Jesus.

On Regifting

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-24T22:00:19-05:00

I’m sitting here this evening thinking about gifts. It is difficult not to do so on Christmas Eve. Did I remember everyone? Did I get the right thing? Will they like it or will they regift it? That would be better than having it reside in the bottom of a drawer for the next twenty years. Would they give it back? Nobody does that; especially if it is extraordinarily valuable.

But that is not always true. People do give back the most precious Gift they ever received. Usually it is young people with little if any developed concept of time. When we are children the seventy or eighty years we have ahead of us is an eternity. When they accept the Gift of eternal life from Jesus there is little difference between that Gift and what they already have. Somewhere along the journey, perhaps in their twenties they give back the gift without a thought. It just happens as they get busy with life and careers and families. Life becomes too full for their relationship with Jesus. Absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder. It makes the heart forget. Hopefully in a few decades when mortality becomes real they will reaccept the Gift. How grand that it is always there. God never goes away. It’s us that go away.

I have always wanted to regift salvation. Of course I wanted to give it away and yet still keep it. I wondered if there was anyone I would regift it to and NOT retain it. Jesus asked, “What would a man give in exchange for His soul?” For me the answer is simple. My wife – my children – my grandchildren. How amazing that Jesus gave it away for His enemies!!

Evidence

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-23T22:31:34-05:00

Our California children arrived late last night. Hooray. This afternoon in the midst of a real New England snowstorm we cut down our Christmas tree. It was perfect. The weather was perfect. The tree was perfect and the company was perfect. We put the tree in the garage to let the snow melt off before bringing it into the house. On the way out the door to go to the grocery store my wife asked me to make a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree. Now I must admit I was puzzled by this because we had just cut down the tree. I made a feeble objection but I knew better. While she was gone I made another fresh cut. My son started to clean up the sawdust. “No,” I explained. “Leave the evidence.” I was feeling smug.

When she came home she pulled the car into the garage over top of the sawdust. Can you believe it? There was now no visible evidence to prove my compliance. So much for being a good guy.

Sometimes I obey God because I want His approval. That is really silly. If we have made Jesus our Lord we already have His approval. God doesn’t want our obedience so He can declare us “Good Guys.” He wants our obedience because obedience leads to the abundant life He desires for us. Being good brings its own rewards just as being bad ultimately brings grief. We actually leave evidence all over the place. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” It’s very hard to hide the evidence when there are piles of it all around.

Don't Do Something Stupid

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-22T19:44:23-05:00

In 1971 William Hall of Shrewsbury, England killed himself by drilling eight holes in his head with a power drill. I know that’s a pretty gruesome way to begin this devotional. However, the significant fact to note is that he drilled seven holes in his head and was still alive. I could not help but think of a conversation I had with a college student. He was convinced that some of God’s commands were really quite unreasonable. He boasted that he had broken nine of them and was doing fine. He hadn’t killed anyone. He totally rejected my argument that God’s laws were made to protect us from ourselves and others. I wish I had known about William Hall when I talked with my student. Mr. Hall is a great illustration of the truth that you cannot continue to do something really stupid before it kills you. One might get lucky for a few times but not for always.

The truth is God’s commands do make good sense. God isn’t trying to deprive us of anything good. Notice I said “good.” God is trying to deprive us of heartbreak, pain, jail, ruined relationships, etc. If it’s good for us God wants us to enjoy it in moderation. No going off the deep end on good things. Too much of anything is ultimately bad. You can even go to church too much.

I figure this is a good time of the year to talk about Mr. Hall considering the fact that many of you have eggnog in your refrigerator, sugar cookies on the table, and boxes of See’s Candy given to you as presents. Just because you overate last year and got away with it doesn’t mean you can do it this year!

No Problem

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-21T20:50:11-05:00

The battery died in my handheld garage door opener. No problem. Sears is just ten minutes away where the helpful salesman sold me the wrong battery even though I had the handheld device with me. He must have been a holiday temp. Another trip to Sears where I swapped the battery for the right one. Back home only to discover because the battery had been dead the opener needed reprogramming to learn the right code. No problem. I drug in the stepladder and climbed up with the instruction manual. Press the green button and a green light will come on for thirty seconds, press the button on the handheld device until the green light blinks. The green light didn’t blink. It just went off meaning that I had just erased the codes for the cars. Now nothing worked. No problem I could call the Sears hotline for help. After pressing six keys on the phone after Sears answered, I finally got to a real human. It wasn’t the right human. No problem. She could connect me with the right human. He wasn’t the right one. No problem. He could connect me to the right lady. She told me to climb the ladder, press the green button until the green light came on and then press the button on the handheld device. I told her I did that all ready. No problem. Do it again. It still didn’t work. “Sorry Mr. Bothwell. That’s all I know to tell you. Have a great day.” Really?

So there I sat with my handheld device in hand and nothing worked. Then my feeble mind said, “Reverse the battery.” I did and all went well after I climbed the ladder and pressed the green button. No problem.

The next time you have to call Heaven for help, I promise you will not have to go through several angels to get to the right department. The very first one will say, “No problem.”

To Be Known

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-20T23:44:12-05:00

We have a new neighbor. Recently he purchased a home close by that had been on the market for several years. I was working in the front yard this afternoon and he stopped and introduced himself. When I went to tell him my name he said, “Oh, you’re Roger and I know lots about you.” He went on to say he had as a boy been best of friends with the boy who grew up in our house before we moved here. He said, “I have probably been in your house as much as you have. I know everything about it.” Then he went on to describe things in the house that were not here when he was a boy. He described things on the walls and furniture. That was super strange. He explained. His now best friend is a man who replaced our windows. That man spent a lot of time inside.

As he drove down the hill I thought about God knowing all the trivia of our being. He knows the secret parts of our hearts. He knows stuff we don’t want Him to know. He knows stuff that’s in there that we don’t know is in there. It is amazing to think about God knowing everything. Does that mean He is never surprised? Is His foreknowledge based on knowing actual events or is it wisdom based on an eternity of experience? After one has been around the barn a few times one knows what’s on the other side of the barn. Could that be how He knows and our free choice could surprise Him by our doing the unexpected? There is so much we don’t know and the only way to find the answers is to meet with Him face to face, which might not be as far away as we imagine!

Morning in Massachusetts

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-17T09:30:43-05:00

Dawn was magical this morning. There was not a cloud in the sky. With majesty a gigantic red-yellow globe rose from the edge of the crisp, fifteen degree cold, landscape. Steam ascended from a few factories in the valley below decorating the morning with ever-changing white fluffy plumes against a deep blue backdrop. The ground crunched underfoot as we left footprints across the lawn. A few nuthatches, chickadees and juncos were already having breakfast at the feeder.

But something had spoiled this winter Eden. My dog was super alert with hair rising from her back and tail straight out. The next forty-five minutes were filled with sniffing the air, alertly responding to every sound, and checking behind all bushes. It was been ten years since we have seen a bear in the yard and neighbors say it has been twice that long since a moose has wandered up Old Farm Road. However, I often see our resident coyote and last week a deer spent the day sleeping in the backyard. I checked the trees for porcupines, sometime visitors. For all my peering I could not find anything. My nose wasn’t telling me what the dog’s nose told her. Something had been with us overnight.

Fear is a very healthy thing. It keeps us from being hurt; but it can also spoil a perfectly fine morning or an entire life. One of the Bible’s strongest messages is for us to fear not. The psalmist wrote, “He shall give His angels charge over us.” And in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus assures us we are so much more valuable than a small bird and yet His Father cares for them.

Our Only Hope

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-16T21:12:09-05:00

I’m in the doghouse along with our dog. She decided to unwrap a just wrapped present. No. I was just informed it had been extra nicely wrapped at a department store. The dog did it about two feet from me but I was totally oblivious. I was sitting here staring at the computer screen trying to decide what to write about this evening. The sounds of paper shredding never registered on my feeble mind. When the caretaker of the presents came back into the room and discovered the deed, well, it would be better if I did not mention this again. The present is presently being rewrapped.

Was this a sin of omission? I claim it was for me. However, concerning the dog, that was definitely a sin of commission. She can’t claim insanity, but she could claim ignorance. However ignorance is not a legal excuse. She could deny doing it but unfortunately for her there was ribbon hanging out her mouth and she has present breath. CSI would definitely get her convicted.

Her trying to claim not being guilty would be as ludicrous as our trying to tell God we are innocent. He most likely has video tape of our whole lives and would merely say to the recording angel, “Roll the tape.” We have been had. There is no place to run to. There is no place to hide. If we wait to say we are sorry until we are confronted with the evidence, our begging for forgiveness will be too late. It would be obvious we were not sorry we did the deeds but were only trying to get off the hook.

It’s always best to follow John’s counsel in 1 John 1:9 and confess now. If we do He will freely forgive us of all unrighteousness. It’s the only hope we have.

Our Light Blub Snowman

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-15T22:38:54-05:00

In our town square (actually a triangle) there is a light bulb snowman. If you tune your FM dial to 107.1 static-filled Christmas music fills your car. When you drive about 500 feet you are out of range. While passing by this evening I thought about the coverage of our personal influence and how wide or how narrow it might be. Some people are like giant broadcasting towers with gigantic coverage like WLS from Chicago that transmits with 50,000 watts of power. Late at night you can hear it all over the country. Then there are those like our light bulb snowman with very limited range.

Some people are bothered because they think they are like the light bulb snowman. However, the truth of one’s influence is rarely known by the influencer. We might think we never made an impact on anyone but we might have been that tiny pebble thrown in a pond that sends a ripple over the water’s entire surface. One of the great rewards of heaven will be an opportunity to read the records of our influence. It will not be for any personal glory but for the satisfaction of knowing we did make a difference.

Everyone one wants to make a difference. I just wish everyone wanted to make a positive difference. We can. In Ephesians 2 Paul refers to the work God has for each of us. There is something special for each of us. If we allow, He will work it out in and through us. It will make a difference for all eternity. How exciting it will be to discover just what it was. The important thing to remember is our influence is very wide and very important.

The Grinch Lives in Leominster

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-14T21:44:26-05:00

I have discovered where the Grinch (or Grinches) live. He lives in my little city. My neighbor at the bottom of my hill has for years been putting up a beautiful display of artistic elves carrying presents. He must have been working on it most of the year because this year it was splendid and bigger than ever. This year he must have had over twenty elves and the labor involved had to be huge. Notice I wrote in the past tense. They are no more. Last night some ignorant oaf, most likely inebriated, trashed them. We were anxious for our grandchildren to arrive to enjoy them. Now they are gone for no one to enjoy. It is difficult for me to imagine the feeling of my neighbor artist when he went outside this morning.

Why is it that some people want to destroy things? Could it be that they don’t know how to make anything so instead they destroy out of jealousy? Can you imagine what the world would be like if it were populated with mostly that kind of people? There do seem to be groups of people in the world bent on destruction instead building something positive. How very sad.

Fortunately there are more good people than bad, more builders than destroyers, more lovers than haters. It just seems like there are more bad because what they do is so blatantly in our faces. Unfortunately Time and other news magazines put pictures of the really bad guys on their covers. How disgusting is that?! It only inspires other bad guys to follow suit. Billy the Kid was a jerk. Why does our folklore include him and others like him? Maybe we are the sick ones.

The Bible tells us to think on good things. Ouch, I just didn’t do that!

Texting from the Himalayas

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-13T22:29:02-05:00

Like a very small child I continue to be amazed at our world. My older son is at this very moment in the Himalayas in Northern India. We are texting back and forth with little if any delay. I can follow his journey on Google Earth along with his texts of where he is and what he is seeing. Several decades ago when my wife and I taught in Uganda in East Africa we were able to call our parents on the phone only by going to the capital city of Kampala and reserving three minutes of phone time on phone cables that ran under the oceans. We had to make the reservation over a month in advance. It was so expensive we could only afford to do it once every eighteen months. Now we get instantaneous messages from the other side of the world included in our regular cell phone plan.

If we are now able to do this how easy it must be for our prayers to instantly ascend to the throne room of God. Some say it is at the center of the universe. Some say that it is beyond the nebulosity in Orion. Someday we will know just exactly where it is. However, being that God is omnipresent we don’t have to be overly concerned about such because our prayers need not leave the room we are in. He is in that room. Actually, we need not even speak them because our bodies are the temple in which He lives should we allow. (He doesn’t force Himself in where He is not invited.) He hears not as we speak. He hears as we think. That is way so much beyond text messages from the Himalayas.

The End of the Semester

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-10T21:14:42-05:00

On a fairly regular basis I hear the questions, “Why doesn’t Jesus return? What is He waiting for?” If they were teachers at the end of a semester they would know the answer. II Peter 3:9 says, “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.”

It’s that most unwonderful time of the year when my desk piles high with term papers, essays, book reports, quizzes and finals. Yuck! First of all, it is amazingly boring to read thirty-five papers on ADHD. Secondly, the writing is usually bad. If it is good one grows suspicious and puts a few words from the paper into the Google search bar. It is very disheartening to get a positive strike.

If it is so difficult for evil men such as I to give bad grades to my students, how much more so must it be difficult for our heavenly Father to close the door of eternity on His children? I want all my students to get A’s. I am not one of those demented teachers who think they are tough (Why is that admirable?) if they don’t give many, if any, A’s. I think that can be translated into, “They did not teach the assigned material very well.” It is a matter of understanding that the students need this material that they might successfully meet life’s challenges.

Some teachers say they don’t give grades; students earn them. Actually, I do hope it is a combination of both ideas. While we are not talking about salvation which is a gift there is also the idea that those who have received much grace know how to be graceful.

Eating Worms

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-09T22:12:20-05:00

Our dog is having a bad time tonight. We have glass covered bookcases and she keeps seeing another dog inside the bookcase. When I open the case that other dog goes away. When the glass comes down the dog comes back. It is very troubling and cause for concerned growling. It’s hard to rest with that other dog invading her space.

This is an easy analogy. When we spend time looking at ourselves, unless we are quite taken with ourselves, life becomes troubled. One or more of several things can happen. Number one - we can begin to concentrate on our imperfections and become discouraged with our lack of progress in overcoming. Or number two – we can start feeling sorry for ourselves thinking we are not getting all the good things we deserve. Or number three – we can think others are expecting too much from us. Or number four – we can start thinking people are out to get us. The list could go on depending on our personalities. The point is looking at ourselves is rarely productive. Life works best when instead we spend our productive hours looking for opportunities to do our job better or to find inventive ways to make others lives happier.

I’m reminded of the old nursery rhyme that goes like this. “Nobody loves me. Everybody hates me. Guess I’ll go eat worms. Long, thin, slimy ones; short, fat, juicy ones, itsy, bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms.” Just in case you ever get to feeling like that allow me to remind you that “Nobody loves me” just isn’t true. We are very loved. And we can always count on that love. It endures despite our sometimes unloveableness.

Enjoy the Joy - A Good Place to Be

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-08T22:12:18-05:00

I have a friend who is almost terrified that in the Day of Judgment God will produce a record or evidence of some unknown sin and the result will be the loss of his eternal life. He tells me he regularly searches his past trying to remember some misdeed he has not yet confessed. He breaks my heart. There is little if any of the joy of salvation in his life. I hope he never hears my concept of sin or he will go over the edge. I believe all of us are filled with unknown sins. It is part of our selfish nature. I see it often regarding the gossipy things I both say and hear about others. Recently I heard someone who is very perfectionistic in his theology speak unlovingly of someone who did not share his theology. Sin permeates us.

I wish I could convince my friend that all of us will be lost if God is in the business of proving us unworthy. There is only one who is worthy. In Revelation 5 John weeps because there is no one worthy to open a book. Then came the good news there was someone. Verse 12 says, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”

God isn’t keeping records to prove us to be sinners. That is very evident. He is storing evidence to prove we accepted the gift of salvation. None of the redeemed are worthy except in Jesus. That includes the nicest, kindest, gentlest person you have ever known. My friend must stop worrying, relax and enjoy the joy of being held SAFELY in Jesus’ hand. It’s a good place to be.

Sorry Pam

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-07T16:50:14-05:00

It’s that most wonderful time of the year when every ministry you know of asks you for money. It’s my turn. I apologize to Pam who just this very day requested I put her on the devotional mailing list. This will be her first email from me and would you believe it is a request for money. Sorry Pam. I really am. I promise you that I only do this once a year and it is your misfortune to start on the very day. My reason for doing it now is the same for all other ministries. People are getting their financial affairs in order before the end of the year. They want to be sure their contributions are in before December 31 so they can get their receipts for tax purposes.

Most of you know what Spring of Life is all about. But Pam probably doesn’t know. Primarily we are a radio ministry that broadcasts the short devotionals each day. We have been doing this for over twenty years and in those decades we have written 6,295 devotionals. About 50% of them are available in the archives on the Internet at rogerbothwell.org.

In addition to the radio emphasis my wife and I teach at a small college in New England. Almost 50% of our students come from families below the United States poverty level. Therefore, we are continually watching for worthy students who need assistance. We purchase text books, sometimes clothes, and help students go on mission trips, which does so much for them. We also send children to summer camp and help with medical expenses. All in all we try to do what Jesus would do. So we ask for your help.

At first I was tempted to ask people to contribute an amount equal to what they feel the value of the devotions are worth. But that is frightening because someone might send me a penny. So I will ask you to contribute what you hope they are worth to others.
Thanks so much. We really do appreciate your care. And if you can’t give I want you to know I am grateful that you would read the devotionals. It makes the almost daily effort very worthwhile.

Heaven's Christmas Catalog

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-06T21:22:20-05:00

‘Tis that wonderful time of the year when each day’s mailbox overflows with catalogs. Some of the catalogs feature junk that one would be lucky if they didn’t arrive broken. Then there are others with some lovely very expensive items one would be fearful to use lest they break. I’m looking at one featuring silver coins from the time of Jesus’ birth. To guarantee their authenticity they tell us they will send a certificate of authenticity with the coins. But who is going to certify the certificate of authenticity is authentic? If someone can make fake coins why not also make fake certificates?

I was wondering if heaven sent out a catalog at this time of the year, what would it feature? On page one we might find an ad for peace of mind. That should be a popular item. Throughout the years I was a pastor I saw hundreds of people who needed this. Page two could feature patience. That should be a popular article. I saw a couple of guys on the freeway this afternoon that really needed this one. Honesty should be on page three. That would be a good one for all those people trying to steal our identity and charge Christmas gifts to our credit cards. Heaven could put the gift of hospitality on page four. There’s a delightful quality that would enable us to make people comfortable and feel cared for. That’s a gift that could change the world.

Then of course the feature item of the catalog would be eternal life. The price would be paradoxical. It is the most valuable item listed. But it would be listed already paid for and with free shipping. All of the items would include free shipping.

Mismatches

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-04T22:24:59-05:00

At first I was a bit taken back and then amused. There was an elderly lady (someone older than me) in the supermarket with a lip ring and a diamond stud in the side of her nose. I have gotten used to seeing that in young people but really now - Granny? I probably should not tell you what text jumped to my mind. It reveals that I am not such a nice person. It was Proverbs 11:22, “As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.”

There are some things that just don’t go together. Ferrari pickup trucks, breeding a Chihuahua with a Great Dane, marrying a Jihadist to a Jew are just a few things that pop into my mind. According to Paul there are a few things that do not go with being a Christian. He lists them in Galatians 5. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

That is a very depressing list. So let’s feed our souls with Paul’s list of things that do go along with being a Christian. It is also in Galatians 5. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Now that’s much better. If things are good let’s think about them.

300000000000000000000000000

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-03T21:37:11-05:00

There is a fascinating clause in Ephesians 3:10. Paul makes reference to “. . . the principalities and powers in heavenly places. . .” This evening’s network news reported that astronomers have upped the number of stars accessible to our instruments. The number is now a three followed by twenty-six zeros. That looks like this 300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Are we impressed yet? Or is it so incomprehensible that it is just a string of zeros?

I have no desire to take advantage of your time by filling this message with my fantasies, but it is so difficult not to wonder just what Paul meant. Is there some form of government and leadership on each of the worlds God has made? “. . . his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. . .” Hebrews 1:2. It is obvious that Paul certainly did not think we were alone.

Diplomacy in our State Department is the fine art of representing our nation to other nations. Might this be our eternal task? To glorify God by being diplomats that bear physical witness to our redemption. We, like no other beings, can personally speak of grace. With us it is not an academic topic. Salvation is not a subject for sermons or lectures in a classroom. With us it is personal. Those who have personally been rescued from some horror can speak with moving power that cannot be replicated by the greatest of actors.

One of my students mentioned the possibility of finally visiting everywhere and becoming bored at some point in eternity. I am most anxious to find him tomorrow and give him an opportunity to pronounce the number three followed by twenty-six zeros.

Printer Envy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-02T22:51:00-05:00

I have just developed a serious case of printer envy. I along with one of my colleagues took pictures of our students. We want the pictures for a display in our department. Her pictures are about twice as good as mine. Hers look professional and mine look like a grade school project. Both of us are using Canon cameras, Canon paper and Canon printers. But her printer has five different ink cartridges and mine only has four. The difference in the picture quality is dramatic.

My question is. Is it okay for me to want a printer like hers as long as I don’t long for her printer? Am I or am I not violating the “Thou shall not covet”? I don’t think I am. I believe the commandment was designed to keep me from scheming how to get something from another person. I am not to want someone’s job or someone’s wife, something that can’t be replicated.

The entire issue of commandment keeping is all about love for someone other than myself. It’s the heart of God’s law. God is not interested in giving us commandments to see if we are obedient. He is interested in protecting us from harming ourselves and others. This is why obedience becomes the fruit of our experience with Jesus. With Jesus living in us we lose the desire to do anything that would bring harm. We can go through the day and do anything we want to do because we only want to do what is beneficial. This is what Paul is talking about in Galatians 5 and 6. We have tremendous freedom in Christ and can prosper and do well as long as we allow Him to influence our wants and needs.

No Retractions

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-12-01T21:45:33-05:00

Do you ever see or hear something so unbelievable you question its veracity? Me, too. Try this one. In the November 29 issue of Time magazine you will find this number. Ninety percent of all children in the United States will eat at a McDonalds at least once a month. I mentioned this to one of my classes today and they couldn’t believe it. But as astounding as it is I would assume the publishers of Time magazine would have verified this before printing it. So I am going to believe it.

Now if I should believe the publishers of Time should I not also believe the Creator of the world when He says some pretty unbelievable things such as He forgives all our sins if we will only ask? Or how about believing that He is coming again in the clouds of heaven to redeem us and at the same time resurrect those who have died believing in Him? How about believing that we are saved by grace and not by our labors? I could go on with some more pretty amazing promises from Scripture but, my point is obvious. The editors of Time are fallible people like you and me and yet I choose to believe them. I do this knowing that next week’s edition might possibly print a retraction acknowledging that they overstated the McDonalds thing.

One thing I can be absolutely sure of there will NEVER be a published retraction of John 3:16-17. Nor will there be one from I Thessalonians 4 or I John 1:9 or John 14. There are some things that are so sure, so real, so positive that choosing to believe them is a very smart thing to do.

Complete in Him

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-30T22:11:48-05:00

There are some verses of Scripture that are so outstanding they jump off the page yelling, “Look at me. Memorize me.” Colossians 2:9 & 10 are two of them. Paul wrote, “For in him (Christ) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in him . . .” Jesus is fully God. Hebrews 1 tells us Jesus is the exact representation of God and all the worlds (plural) were created by Jesus. Then Paul adds we are complete in Him.

There is no character defect that He cannot repair. There is no deficiency of character that He cannot supply. There is no sin He cannot forgive. There is no lack of personality that He cannot add to us. There is no skill needed that He cannot provide for us when we need it. Every excellence can be developed in us by the indwelling of His Spirit. We are COMPLETE in Him. It really doesn’t get any better than this.

What is so exciting about this is we need never to be ashamed of what we are. We can come boldly before His throne and request what we need and then not worry about it. When we need it, it will be there. We don’t have to beg. We don’t have to nag Him. We don’t have to remind Him of our need. He knows everything. He knows we asked. We don’t have to exhibit all the gifts all the time because we don’t need them all the time. But they are there and He knows the precise moment when we need them. This is trusting in Him. This is knowing that with Him in us life is and will continue to be a growing experience.

Crusty People

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-29T17:42:24-05:00

I never thought I would ever meet an apple pie I did not like. However, this weekend I did just that. First of all, let me say my wife did not make it. If she had I would have eaten it with relish and never ever speak of this. I have learned a few things in 48 years of marriage. So I am safe to say this was a BAD apple pie. The apples were those sugary things that come out of a can. The crust was (How can I put this?) cardboard that had been used as a shipping container for cheap goods from China. One of the things I was thankful for this past Thursday was I did not have to eat it. That’s one of the advantages of being a big person and not having to clean off your plate because children are starving in Africa. (I never did figure out why I had to overeat because children somewhere on earth were undereating.)

Will Rogers once said, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” I’d like to introduce him to someone I know. I cannot imagine that Jesus liked everyone He met. I do believe He loved everyone but liking and loving are two very different things. It is safe to say He did not like the religious establishment in Jerusalem. If He did He had a strange way of showing it. Please read Matthew 23. I don’t think we have to like everyone along life’s way. However, we should indeed care about their well being and help them when they are in need.

Some people are crusty on the outside. But I am sure Jesus sees something wonderful on their inside. That’s the way He is.

"Yanks are Boring"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-27T17:43:15-05:00

I first saw him literally shuffling into our local market. He was hard to miss; cashmere sport jacket, wool scarf, Stetson hat, white mustache, white hair flowing out from under the hat, bushy eyebrows, glasses on the tip of his nose and a twinkle in his blue eyes. I asked him how he was and I never said another word for the next twenty-five minutes while my wife shopped and then came and pulled me away from him. He was as British as one can be; eighty-eight years old, lonely, a widower for the past two years. I heard all about WWII in London; bomb shelters, Yanks, airmen, uniforms and officers.

I have met others like him. As he spoke of the war there was vibrancy in his eyes. Some men love war. I think they are the ones who never hit the beaches. They are the ones whose lives were full of the adventure of new places, meeting new people, learning new skills and not having to go to a 9 to 5 job. Theodore Roosevelt glamorized war and was continually enamored with it until his son died in combat. Suddenly it wasn’t so wonderful anymore. There is a dear price to pay for the handsome uniforms and the adrenaline rush.

As I left him he said, “You Yanks are really quite boring.” I guess I was. I never said one interesting thing. All I said was “How are you?” and “I have to go.” Truthfully I would like to have listened to more of his stories. People really are the most interesting animal on earth. God must be interesting; after all we are made in His image. He must have some great stories to tell. He knows them all.

Get to Class

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-26T21:52:53-05:00

I am very proud of my wife. On Tuesday morning one of her students failed to show up for class. It was not just an ordinary class but one in which students had to cooperatively present a project. We are very close now to the end of the semester and every class counts. So she gave the students that were present a reading assignment and she took off for the dormitory. Finding out at the desk which room belonged to her errant student she promptly went down the hall and knocked on the door, hard. Inside she heard a sleepy voice say, “Come in.” Need I even talk about the shock of that student. God could not have startled her more. The student actually got to the classroom before Ian got back.

Jesus said, “If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goes into the mountains, and seeks that which is gone astray?” It’s all about care. It’s saying to that student and the others, “You paid for your education and I am not going to let you throw it away.” With Jesus it’s quite a bit more important. Jesus says, “I paid for your salvation and I am not going to let you throw it away.”

God chases us. Jonah tried to hide and that didn’t work and neither can we hide. God just keeps after us. Sometimes we do need a wake-up call. We allow life to stupefy us into almost not hearing Him wooing us. But if we will pause and listen His voice is there. He might even be saying to us, “Get to class!”

Coughing on Each Other

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-25T18:26:11-05:00

This afternoon I watched a clerk in a drugstore cough on her customers. I wonder how many people will become ill because they went to the drugstore to purchase something to make themselves healthier. She reminded me of me and all my colleagues who sometime stand behind a pulpit. There we are advocating a Christ-like life without ourselves measuring up to the standard we promote. To stand before others proclaiming the need to live by high standards requires one of three things. A. Ignorance of one’s own faults. B. Hypocrisy. C. Confidence in the grace of God that covers our lack of personal righteousness.

I was informed yesterday that someone told someone (Don’t you just love the grapevine?) that I was a heretic. I thought that interesting because we are all heretics in the eyes of those who don’t agree with us. So that was nothing new. There are thousands of opinions in the world and thus all of us are heretics in the eyes of thousands. It’s a good thing we no longer burn heretics at the stake because the air would constantly be full of smoke. But I was curious and asked, “How so?”

“He doesn’t believe in obedience. He believes we can be saved without obeying God’s law.” Actually there is a bit of truth in that. But it is not really accurate. Here’s what I believe. Obedience has little or nothing to do with our salvation. Salvation is a gift from start to finish. However those who are saved will obey for three reasons. A. They are extremely grateful for their salvation. B. Once saved Jesus’ lives in us and motivates and enables us to obey because God’s law is written on our hearts. And C. it’s the smart thing to do.

I’m truly sorry for coughing on you.

Surprised by Love

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-24T19:10:37-05:00

We have had an African Grey parrot in our family for over ten years. They live to be in their forties so we expect to have it for a long time. It chatters away all day long and provides quite an interesting presence. His name was Max. I said was because last week we got the shock of our lives. We came down in the morning and discovered an egg in her water dish. Max is Maxine. I am still trying to adjust to what I thought was this very manly fellow being a hen. Since last week she has laid yet another egg.

Life is full of surprises. Some are not as pleasant as our parrot. There are times we are horribly surprised by the report of an accident or a diagnosis. These are the kinds of surprises we can readily do without. Satan received a horrible surprise at Calvary. He never intended for Jesus to die on that cross. When he swooped in upon Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane he was certain if he made the next few hours atrocious enough Jesus would give up. When I was young I wondered why Satan drove the national leadership to kill Jesus. Surely Satan understood the meaning of the sacrificial system. If he could get the leadership to ignore Jesus then Satan would win. But there are two reasons why that would not work. Jesus cannot be ignored and secondarily Satan’s personal hatred for Jesus drove his sadism.

Wonder of wonders when Jesus cried out, “Father into thy hands I commend my spirit. It is finished.” Jesus died. It was more than Satan could comprehend. Love won over hate. Such love was the greatest surprise of all.

No Coupon

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-23T21:50:38-05:00

We got a coupon book in the mail today boasting on the cover that we were receiving over $2,505 in savings. In order for me to garner the entire value of the book I would need to purchase four computer screens, four laptop computers, two pc computers, two printers, six cameras and a host of other products that all totaled would run somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000. I did actually find a two dollar coupon for the toothpaste I use and I only need to buy a year’s supply, so all was not in vain. We live in a world of overvalued products and we are supposed to feel fortunate to find a coupon that discounts it down to its real value.

The ultimate value on earth is of course the gift of eternal life. Its cost was not overvalued. It was something of such extraordinary worth it was impossible to discount. The price required the death of someone who was totally sinless. If there was but the tiniest of stains it was nullified. The Father knew it. Jesus knew it. Satan knew it. The pressure on all three was so intense we cannot begin to comprehend. This was not a game. This was the continued existence of God’s government. If Jesus failed all was lost. Satan’s claim that God’s dream of perfection with free choice wasn’t realistic would have prevailed.

What happened in the Garden of Gethsemane and all the way to the cross terrified the universe. Would He, could He do what had to be done? There could be no compromise. There could be nothing less. No coupon - - this was the real deal. The bottom line was everything that God valued. When God gave us Jesus He made Himself poor.

Mistakes are so Human

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-22T20:48:19-05:00

Yesterday my wife and I took some friends to the top of a small mountain that overlooks our little city. The oak leaves are freshly fallen on the rocks and are quite slippery. Wanting to make sure our guests would make it safely to the top and back to the car without slipping and falling we equipped each one with a walking stick or ski pole so they could plant the point and have the advantage of a third point of contact with the mountain. As we neared the bottom of the mountain and were almost at the cars guess who slipped and fell. If you guessed me you are absolutely correct. Stepping not on an oak leaf but just plain mud I was down in an instant. The last twenty-four hours have seen me babying my left hand that got crunched under me. Ouch physically and ouch psychologically. I was the one telling the others how to stay safe.

I am going to guess that most of you now know my Bible text for today. “Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” I Corinthians 10:12. The truth is we are all vulnerable in almost every aspect of life. I have seen an English teacher misspell a word. Much to my delight I might add. I was with a very pious man when he hit himself with a hammer. Oh dear. I will NOT repeat what he said. One of my flight instructors was killed in a horrible crash. He really was an excellent pilot. Making mistakes is just part of being human.

Paul wrote, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Everyone needs a Savior. Only Jesus was perfect.

He Never Changes

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-19T20:14:03-05:00

One of the great texts of all Scripture soon follows Hebrews 11, the list of the spiritual and the not so spiritual (Samson) giants of the past. One thing is evident that despite their significance, and all they had done, all of them were dead. Now comes the really good part. Chapter 13:8. “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” In Chapter 1 Paul told us that Jesus was the exact representation of the Father. Now he assures us that others die but our Jesus lives and not just for today but forever. We have an advocate with the Father and He never changes.

We never have to worry about Him being moody. When a volcano erupts it isn’t because He is angry with us. That’s pagan stuff. We can count on the consistency of His love, care and mercy. He is so concerned with saving people He keeps careful records of lives; by doing so He can then vouch for us by finding some one moment in our lives when we gave Him an opportunity to shower us with grace. He can shut down Satan’s accusations against us by actually producing evidence. Satan can produce a mountain of evidence to verify his claims against us. All Jesus needs for grace to abound is a moment. He will squeeze as many into the Kingdom as possible.

And why is He so jealous for us? It’s because He is exactly like His Father who spared not His son that we might be saved. Don’t you just love Romans 8 where Paul says if He did that, who can be against us. So fear not. He is in the saving business and He never changes.

Venti

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-18T20:58:47-05:00

I wish my father was still alive so I could call him tonight and tell him we are no longer short. We are tall! It’s a grand feeling to be tall. I have never experienced it before but I know it’s true. This evening I stopped for a cup of hot chocolate (winter is coming) and my choices were tall, grande and venti. My dad would have loved it. His vocabulary was a bit spicier than mine so I can only imagine some of the expletives I would have heard after he took his cigar out of his mouth.

Life is fun. In the field of education we continually need to be alert to the latest jargon lest we offend someone by describing them with a 90’s word. Now I have to get a new dictionary because “venti” isn’t in mine. Hooray, I have a new way to play the letter “v” in Scrabble. Words are not only interesting they are powerful. With words we can sooth or rile. With words we can heal or wound. With words we can invite someone to join us in the new kingdom or make them not want to be in heaven because we are there. That’s a frightening thought. As a teacher I really need to remember that when I become frustrated with a student. I remind myself that Jesus has every legitimate reason to be frustrated with me.

Jesus’ brother James had some classic things to say about words and our production of them. Once uttered they cannot be taken back. We can be forgiven but the hurt is still there. One of the most fascinating and wonderful combination of words ever written makes the sentence “For God so loved the world He gave His only son.” How venti is that?

Geoengineering

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-17T23:13:52-05:00

I just finished reading an article about geoengineering. Some scientists are proposing regularly releasing tons of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere creating the same effect we get from an active volcano. By doing so we can offset global warming by a degree or two thus prolonging our use of fossil fuels. It reminds me of old movies about pilots seeding clouds to make it rain. Actually altering the atmosphere is really not a bad idea. It’s an idea as old as the day Eve saw Adam for the first time. She smiled and Eden became paradise.

It’s amazing how quickly a small act can alter the feeling in a room. During one of my class discussions a student took exception to a comment made by another student. Instantly the room went cold. People were on edge as the hostility grew. I realized I needed to do something quickly. I took a deep breath and pointed at one of the contenders and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen. In this corner weighing 135 pounds the world’s lightweight champion.” I didn’t need to point to the other. Both started to laugh and the room instantly warmed.

With a smile, with love, with care, with humor we can change where we are. If the people around you aren’t being nice to each other make a concerted effort to be super nice. Psychologists tell us it only takes one person to make or ruin a gathering. I can only imagine the changes we can make when we carry a spirit of Jesus with us. When I was in college I worked one summer on a construction crew. One day one of the guys said, “I like it when you are here. The others don’t swear so much.”

Taking Responsibility

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-16T21:04:02-05:00

One of the greatest gifts God has given to us is the power of choice. One of the greatest curses is the power of choice. It is a gift because we get to choose who we become. It is a curse because in the end we can blame no one but ourselves for who we have become. It was not our DNA. It was not our environment. They were the tools we were given to build a person. With a hammer and saw we can build a palace. With a hammer and saw we can build an outhouse. The end product is the fruit of discipline or lack of.

Truthfully, I would like to blame someone. But the old line “The devil made me do it” is nothing more than the excuse of cowards looking for an easy way out of taking responsibility for themselves. In I Timothy 1 Paul calls himself the chief of sinners. At first we are tempted to think he is merely playing the humble bit, but after getting to know Paul from reading all of his work that we have, we realize he meant it from the depths of his heart. It wasn’t because he had persecuted the church as Saul. It was because he got a glimpse of the depravity of the human heart. He knew all the stoning, shipwrecks, snakebites, etc. were nothing compared to what it really took to earn a place in the kingdom. What it required was the righteous death of God Himself.

Paul chose to use the education, the talent, the brilliance to build a palace where God could dwell. It is what God wants from us. Some people are afraid of the message of grace lest salvation be too easy. If they think it is easy it is only because they have not yet grasped just how difficult it is to accept real grace. It’s called accepting responsibility.

Prospecting

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-15T16:09:49-05:00

When we hear the word “prospector” we usually think of the stereotypic grizzled old codger walking rope in hand pulling along his donkey loaded with bags and pans. I just happen to have a very good friend who is a prospector. He doesn’t own a donkey but on occasion he looks a bit grizzled after a summer in Alaska. We all keep hoping his next adventure will be the bonanza.

For those of us who are considerably less adventuresome I would like to draw our attention to a spectacular bonanza that is a sure thing. It is the biggest bonanza ever. Mention of it is found in Ephesians 3:8. Paul wrote “. . . that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; . . .” A few verses later he speaks of the height and depth of Christ’s love. Just when we think we are beginning to understand a new door opens with a brand new vision. Each new vision is yet deeper and more wonderful than the last. One of my favorite books is The Desire of Ages by Ellen White. In the past forty years I have read it over twenty times. One would think I would be bored with it by now. But quite to the contrary, each time through brings something new and I would testify that it was not there prior to the current reading.

And just what will we be doing for eternity? Lots and lots of things but mostly we will be focusing on those unspeakable riches of Christ. As we do so our intelligence will continue to grow. Each new vision will add another ten points to our IQ’s. How grand!

Memories

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-12T20:07:07-05:00

While thinking of my father today I remembered a confrontation. I wish that would not happen. There were so many happy times. There were walks in the forest with our boxer dog. I remember sitting snuggled up to him in church and good times just sitting on the porch with a soft afternoon wind wafting away our good conversation. So why did I have to remember something unpleasant? I am angry with myself for allowing that to happen. I wish there was a place we could put all unpleasant memories and just lock them away. How is it that I forget appointments where I need to be yet remember things I do not want to remember?

Our minds are incredible. There are times when I struggle to remember a name only to have it pop up once I stop trying to remember. Where do these things hide and how are they organized? I was a very fortunate child. From the earliest I learned my weekly memory verses. Then they were easy to learn and now come flying to my conscious just when I need them. How grand. But then there are those other things I don’t want to pop up like today’s remembrance of a not so good moment.

I value the promises that Christ will live within us, that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. To surrender one’s mind to the influence of God is a great thing. At first I wanted to write “control” but I erased it. God never wants to control us. He gave us free will for a reason. He wants to share with us good times and good memories – the abundant life.

Our Jealous God

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-11T21:30:17-05:00

When I was a little kid I memorized the Ten Commandments. The “jealous” word describing God was a bit disconcerting. I thought of that characteristic in negative terms and I did not want my God to be negative. I was told if I wanted to know what God was like I was to look at Jesus since Hebrews 1 tells us Jesus is an exact representation of the Father. I couldn’t see Jesus having a bad attribute. Then it was that I learned that the word “jealous” can have positive characteristics. The dictionary uses the example, “The American people are jealous of their freedom.” It goes on to explain that it means they are vigilant and protective.

I like that idea. Our God is vigilant and protective of His children. It goes along with Paul’s idea in Romans 8. “If God be for us who can be against us? . . . For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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.”

But there was still an idea in Exodus 20 that bothered me. It is about God visiting the iniquities of fathers unto their children. Thankfully I came to understand that inheritance is not only eye color, etc., but the mental dispositions of our ancestors. This is not only a Biblical concept but an idea shared with the likes of Freud, Jung and the sociobiologist Edward Wilson. Our God isn’t kicking around children because their fathers were wicked. It’s talking about natural inheritance.

I have come to like the idea of my God jealousy taking care of us.

Needing Self-Esteem

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-10T21:37:37-05:00

It was time for a new tube of toothpaste. Being a skinflint I had squeezed every possible bit of white stuff out of the old tube. After taking the cap off the new tube there was yet a foil seal to be removed. I pulled up on the tab and puff, the tube belched and promptly flattened. It had been 90% filled with air. It is needless to say anything about my disappointment.

At first I was tempted to write about the bags of hot air I have known. I even worked for a few, but that would not be very Christian of me. Instead I have elected to be reminded of other disappointments I have had. Again I am tempted to personalize that topic, but I shall resist and think of the times I have disappointed myself. That is the hardest topic. One of life’s most important needs is self-esteem. I wonder how, without God’s forgiveness, any of us can have much after decades of life. I sometimes talk about the great human tragedies of a life well spent and then having one disappointing event. When the person’s name is mentioned instead of remembering decades of good we instantly remember that one day when things didn’t go well. Not only do we do it about others we do it for ourselves.

We try to be good parents and put eighteen years of dedicated effort into trying our best but we remember the few times we were lousy parents. I have come to believe it is much easier to forgive others than it is the person we see in the mirror. It is on such thoughtful moments that we need to remind ourselves that our heavenly Father not only forgives the times we disappointed Him but He actually chooses to forget them. That is amazing.

Personality

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-08T21:59:56-05:00

I had the wonderful privilege of being the recipient of a major trove of marvelous old books from a pastor’s library. His widow saw to it that I received the gems. I am most grateful. The few I already had have gone to the eager young theology students on our campus. They cannot believe their good fortune and rightly so. Many of them are long out of print and will enhance their future ministries. Right now I am sitting here with one published in 1915. My parents were both four years old when this book was printed. It’s called Personality – How to Build it. It’s a really good read. While culturally dated the basic ideas have not changed.

Some people seem to think the personality we have is basically who we are and nothing much can be done about that. Nothing could be more wrong. Cranky people don’t have to be cranky. It’s a choice. Oh, I understand that the older we get the more aches and pains we have and that makes us want to be cranky. But crankiness is still a choice. Sometimes because we are old we think we can be rude and get away with it because what can people do about our rudeness. They can’t fire us if we are retired. In my case I have tenure. That makes it very tough to get rid of me. In order to do that they would have to push me in front of a moving truck.

However, personality is not something we are born with. Personality is the face that we wear for loved ones, not so loved ones and strangers. If we want to really be Christians and really want to be like our hero Jesus, rudeness and crankiness should be left in the outhouse.

Getting Old is Great

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-05T20:09:00-04:00

If you are looking a bit haggard in the morning, if the bags under your eyes seem just a bit droopier and darker, if those once wonderful smile lines have become deep crevices, I have a verse for you. It is 2 Corinthians 4:16. “. . . though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” We ought to put that on our mirrors. It gives us reason for thanksgiving. Hooray for the inner man. Hooray for the God who renews that inner guy. It’s hard to read that and not smile and behold when we smile that old haggard face in the mirror doesn’t look half bad.

This passage in 2 Corinthians is really good. Look at what comes next. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; . .” Sunrises and sunsets have glory. Morning Glories have glory. But nothing is going to top the “far more exceeding” glory waiting for us. I tell you. I promise you. You are going to be looking good. God is going to lavish you with a glory that has “eternal weight.” It will never fade. It will never go away. You got it. You get to keep it.

So there, you old haggard face filled with scars, cracks and crevices. You are having your day now but the best is yet to come. In 1 Corinthians 15 God promises us a spectacular resurrection body. I put this “old acorn” in the ground and up comes a “magnificent oak.” I told my students today I feel sorry for them because I am just a few years away from consciously realizing this glory and they have to wait decades. Don’t tell me getting old isn’t great.

The Avenue to Happiness

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-04T21:57:00-04:00

I have a friend who recently took a standardized test and received a perfect score in the math section. That’s not supposed to happen. If one receives a perfect score that means the person was not tested to his limits. We don’t know how much more he knows. Maybe he only knows a little bit more or perhaps he knows a whole lot more. There are many human developmentalists who believe the only way we learn is by actively confronting things we don’t know. Things we don’t know challenge us to learn and the more we learn the more we grow. The more we grow the more capable we are of service. The more service we can provide the more complete and happy will be our lives.

Failure to know something is an avenue to an expanded and more fruitful life; that is if we travel “up” that avenue and learn. Please note I said travel “up” because there are certain things we are much better off not knowing. Eve did not know the sorrow of death and suffering until she ate the fruit and learned. She went “down” that avenue. Not all things are good to know.

Psalm 1:1 is a great text for all of us to memorize. It describes the progression of sin. “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” As we move through life we cannot avoid walking past things that are harmful. The secret to happiness and growth is to keep on walking and not stop and look at it. Confronting that which we don’t know can be a growth experience or a disaster. It’s our choice.

A Two Layered Oreo

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-03T20:47:22-04:00

In preparation for a coming weekend retreat for our administrators I am reading a very fine book on leadership. The book is designed to instill in corporate leaders the importance of such vital concepts of gifts of love, power, significance and authorship. The author’s goal is to impress leaders to lead with soul and heart. It’s a very fine book. Now comes my negativity. Because the book was written for people of all faiths it is very generic. It has to be so. The authors had no choice if they wanted the book to have a broad appeal. But it is missing the richness of Christ. As fine as other faiths are there is nothing that compares with the love, mercy and grace of Jesus. Take the best of every other faith and you will find excellent ideas but they pale when compared to the extravagant richness of Christ described in Ephesians 1 and 2.

Reading this excellent book is like eating an Oreo cookie without the middle layer. The cookie all by itself is excellent but doesn’t come near being as spectacular as when we savor that middle layer. The authors have a fine idea but they are looking for the best of humanity inside humanity. We are only at our best when our humanity, our personhood is filled with the divinity offered to us by Christ. Peter says it so well in his second letter, “. . . given unto us are exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, . . .” We are at our best when we open ourselves to being God’s temple.

Minding My Own Business

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-02T20:16:15-04:00

I’m sitting here with an old book in my hand whose author has long been dead. He has letters after his name so I am inclined to give reverence to what he has to say. When I think about that I realize how silly that is. I know tons (literally) of people with letters behind their names and little that they say should be revered. And just because the author is gone doesn’t mean what he had to say was meaningful. Ah, there I go again. Negativity is such a problem. My dark side wants to criticize and complain about things that really are none of my business. I want to complain about our school administrators. But really now, I don’t get paid to deal with what they deal with. I don’t know the pressures they have. I don’t know the nuances of the issues. It just seems a bit delicious to complain about them as if I could do a better job. That is narcissistic madness. Should I have their position I would most likely do very poorly.

I have come to realize in many cases administrators have to make decisions not between better and bad but between bad and badder. The decision is what will do the least harm because there is no good decision possible. However, it is so satisfying to belittle others. Little do I realize when I do I am actually belittling myself, in my own eyes and most usually in the eyes of those who heard my ranting. My dad passed on to me one of life’s great lessons and I need to remind myself of it on a daily basis. It is quite simple. I need to mind my own business.

Balance Can Be Difficult

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-11-01T20:41:43-04:00

We have some dear friends we like to diner with each Sunday morning. This morning while sipping on a hot drink I watched our waitress top off one of my friend’s hot drink. Immediately she had to try to conjure up the right balance of drink, cream and sugar. The added top off upset her prior perfect mix. As I watched I realized how much this was like our lives. We can have the perfect balance. We enjoy our jobs, our health is good, our children and grandchildren are doing well, the weather is great and the bills paid. Then something happens. The mix is changed and the balance is gone. Life’s challenge then is to seek to regain the prior perfect mix. It’s not easy. Often there are just too many variables and one of them might be gigantic.

It’s on these occasions we would be wise to seek divine help. God is only a prayer away and though it might not often seem so He is eager to help. When Jesus told us to pray “Our Father” Jesus was not using a metaphor. God is most anxious to have us consider Him to be the best Father we could desire. He has unlimited resources but wisely doesn’t just dump upon us our requests. He’s much smarter than we are and knows exactly what we need to restore the balance.

Balance is not easy. I am always impressed to see a trapeze artist walk a wire without a balance pole. That’s a tough act. The bigger the pole the easier the walk. So it is with us. God provides a pole that is just the right length. Too long would make it too easy and we wouldn’t grow. Too short and we would fall. He knows exactly what we need.

Just Say Something Nice

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-29T21:56:41-04:00

Do you ever watch a television show where all the characters are smart, witty and always have the perfect comeback? Discouraging, isn't it? If you are like me, you think of some really great thing to say about thirty minutes after it’s too late. It’s encouraging is to see those smart witty actors interviewed on a talk show. It is then we discover they are not the quick-witted, literate models of linguistic talent portrayed in the show. Instead we find out they are like the rest of us. They just have good writers.

That's what I need. I need a good writer to prepare clever lines for me so I too can look brilliant in every situation. But life doesn't work that way. I think Jesus' disciples must have worried about how they were going to manage when He was gone. That must be why He said to them in Luke 12:11-12 not to worry about it. He promised, "When they bring you into the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take no thought how or what thing you shall answer, or what you shall say: for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what we ought to say."

That's encouraging. But it doesn't help with the day-to-day interactions. Perhaps my problem is I want to look witty so I can outshine everyone else. Maybe if I were willing to let others look good I wouldn't need to find that perfect remark. Romans 12:10 says, "Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle." Instead of waiting for the other person to take a breath so I can interrupt, I need to just smile and say something nice instead of something witty.

A First Class Life

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-28T20:20:48-04:00

While passing by the recreation room in a nursing home I was about knocked over by the volume of the recreation director literally yelling, "N-17." Looking in I saw a collection of old ladies playing Bingo. There weren't any old men. This wasn’t because old men are not interested in Bingo. There aren't any old men. We, men, just don't last long enough, at least most of us. There are a few stalwarts but for the most part we check out sooner than our wives. Just then I was assaulted once again with a very loud "C-19."

It's a good thing God communicates to us in a still small voice that is heard internally or very few people over 75 would ever hear Him. I think God likes old people. He didn't call Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt until he was 80. In addition, Moses' brother Aaron, the high priest, wasn't any spring chicken. However, we must mention that John the disciple was a teenager when he started following Jesus. God obviously has no real age preferences. He will take us when He can get us.

Lest this information be a cause of putting off committing your life to Christ please don't delay thinking you can enjoy the world now and become a Christian later. Being a Christian is the abundant life. Why wallow about in a second-class life when you can start a first-class life right now?

Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10 That’s because the moment we make Jesus the Lord of our lives we cross over from death to life. We have been handed a brand new passport with a new birth date.

$5.98

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-27T22:20:26-04:00

An interesting thing happened to me this evening as I entered a bookstore that shall remain unnamed. It does begin with a B. In the space between the two front doors they had a display of books they were trying to quickly get out of their inventory. One of them caught my eye. It had been an expensive book of Tony Bennett’s art work. It was now only $5.98. I couldn’t resist. A bit later when I went to pay for it the lady at the checkout said, “This can’t be right.” She picked up a phone and said to some unseen person, “Someone has drawn a marker through the bar code and written a very cheap price.” All the time she was talking I was getting the evil eye. She seemed to be looking for a marker in my pocket. Soon the unseen person arrived and he too said, “This can’t be so.” He also gave me the “What are you trying to pull here” look. Finally I spoke up and said, “Folks, there is a pile of them in the entry. They are all marked the same. Go see.” They did. I was most disappointed for I never got an apology. But what I did get was my book for $5.98.

Why can’t people say they are sorry? Is it so painful to acknowledge that we have been wrong about something or someone? Does it diminish us to regret misjudging someone? Does it always have to be someone else’s fault? I have this gut feeling that until we can learn to do this very simple thing we can’t expect much forgiveness for ourselves. Pride is a dastardly thing that eats away at character development. May God help us.

We Win!

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-26T21:30:45-04:00

The New England Patriots did not really win their football game Sunday afternoon as much as the Chargers lost the game. Sometimes you are given a gift. I was amused by a student this morning who came up to me with a big smile as he said, “We won.” We? Strange I had not noticed him on the field during the game. I wondered which pass he caught or which field goal he kicked. But I didn’t say anything like that to him. His smile was too big. He was so very happy. I could not say anything to take away his joy.

As he walked down the hall I thought about heaven and eternal life. We win. We? If I take a good look at my life I would have to say that I certainly haven’t contributed anything to this victory. I was not in Gethsemane. I wasn’t nailed to a cross. And yet when I think of it I smile. That is unless I actually think about the gruesome nature of the cross. It is the fruit that makes me smile. I hope it is as big as my student’s smile. I should be so happy. I should be way more happy. I am not talking about a game. I am talking about eternity, an eternity of endless growth and development.

How interesting it is that Paul says in Romans that we are more than conquerors in Christ. It’s all vicarious. Vicariously my student won Sunday afternoon. Vicariously we win an infinite amount of Sunday afternoons. Sunday afternoons without end. I like the sound of that. Because for us to have an infinite number of Sundays we need an infinite amount of Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sabbaths. How grand!

Where's Daniel

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-25T19:31:52-04:00

In preparation for an accrediting visit for our college we have to locate and report on the whereabouts and successes of our graduates. No one in our department knew the whereabouts of one of last year’s psychology graduates. We started pulling out all the stops to find him. We asked in classes from other students. We did computer searches. We finally found him. He is working in our college library. Our psychology department is in the library basement. His desk is immediately above mine on the first floor. During the day he sits about five feet above me. He was lost! We didn’t know where he was!

His proximity to me reminds me of students who tell me they have no or little contact with God. They go about their daily routines sealed in their own little cocoons not aware that God is so very near. And unlike our student who was not trying to get our attention, God, who is self-revealing, has been trying to get those students attention. This week He has painted the sugar maples on campus with luscious reds and yellows. He has wafted 70 degree zephyrs through their hair. He has whispered to them via lectures from Christian professors and yet they don’t perceive His wooing.

In Romans 1 Paul mentions that we are without excuse because the invisible characteristics of God are evident in the visible things He has provided us. In the Psalms there is a wonderful verse that says, “Though I ascend to the heavens thou are there. Though I make my bed in Hell thou art there.” Psalm 139. How is it that someone can be so close and yet so far away? It’s amazing!

Psalm 103

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-22T22:36:00-04:00

If it has been a while since you have read Psalm 103 I would like to recommend it for your devotion today. Read it slowly. This has to be one of the richest lists of blessings we can find anywhere. Allow me to list some of them.

Verse 2 – Forget not His benefits. In order to not forget, one has to know them. We receive so many benefits every day that we don’t even know about. How often does our angel intervene to protect us?

Verse 3 – He heals our diseases. Ah, I wish that were always true. How often have we had loved ones die an early death. This must be referring to our resurrected bodies spoken of in I Corinthians 15.

Verse 4 – He redeems us from eternal destruction. He crowns us with mercy and loving kindness.

Verse 5 – He fills our mouths with good things. He renews our youth like eagles. I’m not sure what that means. But it’s a nice sounding metaphor.

Verse 6 – He executes judgment for the oppressed. Obviously this happens in heaven because a lot of good people get bad deals.

Verses 7 through 10 – He is merciful and slow to anger and doesn’t pay us what our sins have earned.

Verse 11 – His mercy is as high as heaven is above earth. Wow.

Verse 12 - He puts our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Glad it doesn’t say north from south since they meet at the poles.

It is obvious the psalmist didn’t write this as a theological treatise but as a song for us to enjoy and to fill our days with happiness as we contemplate how fortunate we are to have such a loving God.

The Way to Texas

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-21T21:31:36-04:00

When I was little Sunday afternoons were my “Dad time.” If it wasn’t raining we took our dog and headed for the forests and mountains of central Pennsylvania. If it was raining we headed for the movies. I loved it when we went to see westerns. The heroes never lost their hats during a brawl and could always get up, shake their head, and be okay after getting hit on the head with the handle of a six-shooter. I loved how they could jump out of the second story of a hotel and land on the saddle of their horses that came just to the right spot after hearing the heroes whistle. I was certain I could never be as wonderful as they were but I wanted to meet them. So after one such adventure I asked my Dad if he could show me the way to Texas. With a big smile he told me that just as soon as I could drive a car he would tell me how to get there. That was good enough for me. I was as good as there. If my Dad told me he would tell me the way I was totally confident I would get there someday.

It was no accident that the early church was called The Way. Jesus told them, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes to the Father except by me.” John 14:6. Just as surely as I believed my father would show me the way to Texas I believe Jesus IS the way to His Father’s house, a house filled with many rooms; a room for you and a room for me. With great confidence we can count on not only being there but according to the promise in Revelation 3 we will sit with Him on His throne. Awesome!

Heaven's Password

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-20T19:39:17-04:00

One of my students from Jamaica cannot pronounce my name. As hard as she tries she can’t get her tongue between her teeth at the necessary instant. When we are born we can learn any language and any sound but as the years wane so does our ability to form sounds. In Judges 12 there is a fascinating story where Jephthath required people to say the word Shibboleth in order to cross the Jordan. The men who could not make the sh sound were slaughtered, a gruesome story. I promise not to slay my student because she cannot get my name right.

Obviously passwords are not something new. Yet in this twenty-first century we live in an age of passwords. I have so many different passwords for so many different computer accounts I have to keep a file of them that requires a password to open. I was wondering today, if there were a password, what password God might require to enter heaven’s gates. I don’t think there is one but if there was I think I have come up with the perfect password. “Thank you.”

“Thank you” is what we say when we receive a gift. Since eternal life is a gift what could be more appropriate? Our entire life is a stream of gifts. We began with the gift of birth. We certainly didn’t have anything to do with that. It continues on and on. Each day right now I am so thankful I live in New England. It is mid-October and everywhere I look I have to say, “Thank you” for the stunning beauty. Each time I eat I say, “Thank you.” My list could go on and on. Yes, I think “Thank you” is the perfect password for heaven.

Who's to Blame?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-19T19:47:14-04:00

In one of my psych classes today we confronted the issue of our human tendency not to accept blame even in the face of our failures. Noble Adam was quick to blame both God and Eve for his failure. “The woman, you gave me, she made me do it.” Last evening our phone rang at 11:30 pm. It was someone from our college who had dialed our number instead of the number he wanted. The number he wanted was one line below our number on his card. Upon realizing he had the wrong person he immediately blamed the person who printed the card by saying they had the numbers inverted. They did not. The error was his but being human he immediately blamed someone else. He never did apologize for calling at that hour. Aren’t people wonderful? Aren’t you happy to be one?

Actually I am happy to be a human. Not only are we the top of the food chain but we are amazing creatures, who for no cause of our own, are loved by our Creator. When He finished making us He said, “That’s very good.” What is astonishing about Him is not only doesn’t He blame others for His mistakes (He doesn’t make any.) He accepts responsibilities for ours. Notice I didn’t say He accepted the blame for our sins. What I did say is He accepted the responsibility for our sins. There is a huge difference. He can’t be blamed other than that He gave us free choice. It is how we use that free choice that was and is the problem.

But He did accept responsibility. He did it on the cross. He paid for our sins and by grace we get a brand new start every day until we no longer need one.

The Scruffy Old Man

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-18T21:39:50-04:00

Last Thursday evening my wife and I went for supper at a place that features local musicians. When we entered there was a small group performing that included a female singer. She had a terrific voice but was a bit difficult to watch. Her facial expressions looked like she was in pain but what came out of her mouth was anything but painful. I noticed an old guy sitting in a back corner by himself. I wondered if he came in just to be somewhere. He looked scruffy and I completely misjudged him. When it was time for the next group of musicians to take front and center the scruffy old guy worked his way to the piano. Oh, my. It was beyond amazing. With not a single piece of written music, for the next thirty minutes he dazzled us with music that came from deep inside. It just flowed out. So much for thinking he was just some old guy in the corner. I kid you not. I would have remortgaged my house to pay someone to teach me to do what he was doing.

It is no wonder that Jesus told us not to judge other people. We really don’t have the abilities to make good judgments about others. So often we make assessments using the wrong indicators. I know the Bible says by their fruits we will know them. But, rarely do we spend the necessary time needed to be good fruit inspectors. We make snap judgments based on the flimsiest of details.

I didn’t shave today and have gray stubble that makes me look like a cheap version of Freddy the Freeloader. I really wouldn’t want someone evaluating me on such scratchy evidence.

My Great Sweater

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-15T22:16:27-04:00

A few Christmases ago my sister gave me a really nice comfortable sweater. I truly like it and wear it on these cool autumn days. Yesterday in one of my morning undergrad classes one of my students made reference to my ugly sweater. I really didn’t take umbrage to his uncouth remark. I like the sweater and that is all that counts. I wouldn’t even mention it now except for what happened last evening at a graduate class. One of the men in the class said, “Wow, nice sweater. Where can I get one? It looks extremely comfortable.” So, if anyone ever wondered about the taste of undergrads now we know. They have none!

Beauty indeed is in the eye of the beholder. If we ever doubt that just get out one of our high school yearbooks and look at our hairstyles. We thought we were looking good. Oh, dear.

But, it’s true. Fashion, culture, love or hate very much dictates to us our definition of beauty. Not one of us has the exact same taste. That’s good. If we all had the same taste in spouses only two people could be happily married. The rest of us would have to settle. No one wants to settle. Each of us wants the best. And so wonder of wonder someone out there actually thinks we are looking fine.

God thinks we look fine. First of all, we are made in His image. Secondly, He loves us and tells us to call Him Father. Fathers think their kids are terrific. There is no question that we are the apple of His eye. It’s because He has an amazing ability to see what we will become and that will really be beautiful.

Our Self-Revealing God

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-14T22:03:45-04:00

Zophar the Naamathite had grown tired of Job’s complaints and broke his silence by saying, “Can thou by searching find out God?” Since the beginning of time man has been in search of God and all we came up with is pitiful reflections of ourselves. We came up with gods filled with petty jealousies, short tempers and hunger for appeasement. None of which were what God is really like. All the truth we knew about God was what He chose to tell us about Himself. He is a self-revealing being, who in His own time chooses to give us glimpses. Until Jesus came glimpses were all we had. We were looking through a glass darkly. Then Bethlehem happened. It was so revolutionary angels sang to announce the wonder. God came to us. He walked with us, ate with us, slept with us and told us the truth about Himself. He is a loving Father who is anxious to give us good gifts.

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, ... Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person …” Hebrews 1. “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” John 14.

This is totally awesome. If you want to know what God is like study the life of Jesus. Does God get angry? Apparently so. More than once Jesus grew angry, but only when He saw the powerful taking advantage of the weak. Power is given to us for service. Never is it to be used to harm someone. We will never find God by searching for Him. But we will see Him if we only ask.

Crazy in Love

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-13T20:53:18-04:00

I’m sitting here looking at the current issue of Popular Mechanics. The cover “grab your attention headline” is 20 Bold Ideas that will change the world; quake-proof buildings, cheap solar power, finding water on the moon, curing cancer with laser, cars that drive themselves. Technology is changing our world so rapidly I’m afraid to buy anything lest it be antiqued before I get it home. There is no doubt this is the most interesting ever time to be alive. I don’t want to get any older not because I’m afraid of dying. Jesus has taken that fear away. I don’t want to die because I don’t want to miss what’s coming next.

If the afternoon judge programs on TV are a valid sample of our general population, I hope not but fear they are, then something becomes extremely clear. All the wonders of technology aren’t doing a thing to change human nature. We are still as bright and stupid, noble and selfish, nice and vicious as we have ever been. We can read Bible stories and understand them because the people then were the same as people now. It doesn’t matter if a man rides one horse or drives in a car powered by 400 horses it is still the same man. It’s exciting to be human but there are times it is very discouraging. While the trapped Chilean miners are nobly arguing about who gets to be the last man up the tube their relatives on the surface are fighting about who gets the financial benefits that are being offered to the families.

Isn’t it absolutely amazing that God became one of us? Sometimes I think God is a bit crazy. Crazy with love for us.

The Check Was Cashed

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-12T21:57:52-04:00

I received a telephone call today from an office that said I owed them money. When I told the lady I had sent the check I sounded like the old “the check is in the mail” story. But I had and I could tell her the date and the check number. “Oh,” she said, “I’ll keep looking.” Upon disconnecting I thought this is an old routine that Satan loves to use on us. The price for our salvation was paid, but he tries to discourage us by telling us it wasn’t and if it was it isn’t valid for us. We are just too bad. Or because we grew up knowing the Gospel our indiscretions are worse than other people’s because we knew better. We need to claim the promises and inform him that the price for our sins was indeed paid. The check is not in the mail. It has been cashed.

When we get to thinking we are just too bad we need to remember Hebrews 7:25. “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.” I enjoy rewording that to say “to the guttermost.” The meaning is the same. As uncomfortable as it might make us we have to adjust to the idea that Hitler could be our next door neighbor in heaven. I agree that it is most improbable, but we don’t know what his frame of mind was when he died. That is totally between him and God and God is full of grace and is in the business of saving people. It even seems distasteful to me to even think it. But perhaps there are people who think it distasteful that I should be saved.

Bedtime Stories

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-11T23:02:42-04:00

One of the very first sets of books I ever read was Bedtime Stories by Uncle Arthur Maxwell; five books filled with character building stories for little people. When I was learning to read my father sold those books door to door. Well, that was what he was supposed to do but he was the principal of an elementary school and instead of going door to door he got his colleagues to put them in their school libraries. Never did I dream in a thousand years that as an adult one of our best friends would be Arthur Maxwell’s son. Today the stories are very outdated but the moral lessons are eternal. Good morals never go out of date; only the cultural details change with time.

This afternoon my sister went to a u-pick apple orchard and was laughing at people trying to get just one or two more apples to balance on top of the baskets they purchased to fill. Inevitably the balanced apples tumbled to the ground before they got to their cars. When she told me about it I immediately remembered one of Uncle Arthur Maxwell’s stories about their family sitting around the table and one of the boys always made sure he got the biggest pie or apple or whatever, just so it was the biggest. Then one day the biggest pie was hollow and the biggest apple had a bad center.

It is part of our nature to want to get the biggest and the most but so often in life the biggest isn’t the best. True happiness in life comes from service to others. Real happiness comes from helping others get the best. Life’s greatest rewards are the fruit of unselfishness and from putting apples in another’s basket.
______________

Dust Collectors

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-08T20:21:37-04:00

I witnessed a tiny piece of history today. I heard a lot of banging in my workspace which is in the basement of our college library. I found students carrying microfiche machines to the dumpster. It is the end of an era. For decades we have used microfiche machines to retrieve data from old newspapers and other documents. Now that everything is digitized and on computers microfiche machines are merely dust collectors. They have gone the way of typewriters, of which some of my college students have never used!

Recently I had a student try to convince me that God’s law had become a dust collector and only had historical value. His logic went something like this. Because Jesus died on the cross and we are now saved by grace the law lost its purpose. He was partially correct. Jesus did die for us and we are saved by grace. And while the purpose of the law was often misconstrued by some as a means of salvation, the real purpose of the law has been eternal. It is a fence. It protects us from the fruit of stupid behavior. If I lie about someone I am setting myself up for lies to be told about me or a libel suit. Each of the commandments protects us from disastrous reprisals by others plus the deterioration of our own characters.

The very idea that God’s law is a dust collector and a relic from the past displays a tremendous lack of understanding. God’s law is based on the two principles that are the ultimate standard for daily living. A prescription for happiness is to enjoy the gift of salvation while keeping God’s law. If you do you will never be sorry.

A Sleepy Day

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-07T21:52:21-04:00

Today was a sleepy day in New England. It rained most of the day and the temp never went above the mid fifties. As hard as I tried I couldn’t keep my students awake. They settled into their chairs and within a few minutes their eyelids were settled. I tried almost everything. To begin class I read a fabulous passage from Romans. Only half of them seemed aware of my presence. I walked over and called some by name. They roused for a few minutes but soon were back in dreamland. There was a temptation to be miffed except for the fact that just yesterday I was in a faculty meeting and was in the same stupored condition.

Jesus had a similar problem with His disciples that horrible night in the garden. But He did acknowledge their human nature. Sometimes we just can’t stay awake. He understands His sleeping church. We can take comfort that He never condemned the ten young women for sleeping while waiting for the groom to come to the wedding. It is not natural to stay in a state of excitement constantly waiting for anything, let alone something we have been told for decades is at the door.

Perhaps the best thing is not to hype ourselves up every time there is an earthquake or some other horror. The best thing is not to be event watching or studying someone’s fabricated time chart but instead establish a living, breathing, eating, walking, talking, and sleeping relationship with Jesus that is so real it doesn’t matter when He returns. Our goal should be to be so involved with Jesus that going to heaven will merely be a change of address.

Our Brain's Private Secretary

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-06T21:45:30-04:00

It has been said that habits are the brain’s private secretary. Habits enable us to accomplish a lot of work with very little mental effort. Habits drive the car for us. They play the piano for us. They do all kinds of things once they are a part of our mental makeup. What is interesting about learned behaviors is we do them very smoothly when we are not thinking about them. However, if one should ask us to talk our way through a familiar task we often falter. Thinking about it and verbalizing moves the task to a higher level of thought that isn’t use to doing the task. A lower state of consciousness is the tasker.

What kind of people would we be if kindness, courtesy, generosity and genuine concern for other’s feelings became habits? While we would most likely not win any Miss Congeniality Award we certainly would have a fairly stress free life because most people respond in kind. Philippians 2:5 comes to mind, “Let this mind be in you that was in Jesus.” I believe Jesus had a lot of good habits. It was natural for Him to have compassion on the crowds and on individuals. Wouldn’t it be grand if our first impulse in stressful situations was something habitually good?

Of course we can also develop bad habits. They too come easy upon impulse. I’m not sure we have to learn these. They seem to be part of our nature, at least mine. I shouldn’t make assumptions about your nature. It just seems like being selfish comes easy and I have to work at being unselfish. Perhaps this is what Paul was talking about in Romans when he said he did the things he didn’t want to do.

The Best of the Best

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-05T21:33:47-04:00

In one of the texts I use in my Philosophy of Education class is the following sentence. “As a means of intellectual training, the Bible is more effective than any other book, or all other books combined.” Last week I mentioned Will Durant’s list of 100 books we need to read and how ignorant I felt having only read eight of them. So I must say this sentence jumped off the page at me. How could it be? Durant’s list contained the works of Aristotle, Shakespeare, Whitman, Thoreau and Emerson. How could it possibly be that the Bible is not only better than any one of them but all of them combined?

Granted Moses was a brilliantly educated man. Solomon was given the gift of wisdom. Paul was extremely well learned. But Peter and John had minimal schooling. Most of the Old Testament prophets were simple men. Then of course the answer came. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” II Peter 1:21. While God did not whisper words in their ears He did inspire them with ideas. Each wrote out of the culture and background that made them who they were, yet, they were filled with insights that God wanted so much to share with us.

When we spend time studying Scripture we are not reading the masterful sentences of Shakespeare or the philosophies of the ancient Greeks. We are instead feeding our minds from the fountainhead of all truth. The very same Spirit that attended the writers of Scripture attends us. When we struggle with a passage He is there to infuse our minds with knowledge far beyond that of mortal men, no matter how brilliant they were.

Firewood Time in New England

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-04T17:37:57-04:00

It’s October and it’s time to get the firewood in the garage. Today has been a beautiful day of sawing, splitting and stacking. I really enjoy it. There is something primal about putting up wood for winter. While it is not nearly as efficient as getting the basement fuel oil tanks filled it is so much more satisfying. It makes me feel tied to my ancestors. I guess now I need to go out and shoot a turkey for Thanksgiving. Yuk!

I have gotten to a part of my woodpile that has been there for three years. I would have used it sooner but two winters ago we had a terrific ice storm that brought down so much wood I left the woodpile for another year. Some of the wood has rusted and gotten soft. It will not last long in the woodstove. As I was looking at the deterioration I thought of I Peter 1. It’s an absolutely fabulous passage. Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, . .” There is no rust and no rot.

In the paraphrase The Message it reads, “What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, . .” Peter knew what he was talking about. He knew Jesus so very well and he knew that since he had seen Jesus he had seen the Father. Jesus told him so and Peter had no doubts. Regarding this he wrote, “This is no cunningly devised fable. We saw it with our own eyes.”

Durant's 100 Books

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-10-01T22:16:44-04:00

I am very depressed tonight. I am looking at a list compiled by the great historian and philosopher Will Durant. It is a list of the one hundred books we should read to be well educated. I have only read eight of them. I have ninety-two to go. He maintains if we read them at the rate of just an hour a day in four years we will have an education equal to that of any doctor in the land. Four years? I don’t think so. He apparently read faster than I do. Some of the books on his list would take me an hour a page. So I am only eight percent educated.

Fortunately the Bible is on his list. That is really sixty-six books. So I can make my percentage look better by saying I have read those sixty-six plus eight which equals seventy-four books out of one hundred and sixty-five. That makes me almost 45% educated. While that might make me feel better it really is fudging.

I am intrigued that J. H. Kellogg’s The New Dietetics is on his list. So the old man did something more than make cornflakes. Kellogg’s book is not one of my eight. There is so much to learn. I am amused by a few of my students who seem to think they know everything and ever so arrogantly they act like we have nothing to teach them. I have to say I feel more and more ignorant every day.

I used to think eternal life was a really great idea and it was terrific for God to give it to us. Now I realize it is so much more than that. It is a necessity. These eighty years just aren’t enough; especially when it will take me four hundred years to read Durant’s one hundred books.

Paul - Theologian and Psychologist

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-30T22:01:53-04:00

I have friends who are completely enamored with Romans 1 through 8. And I have to agree with them that it is the finest theological treatise ever written. Perhaps it’s because I teach some of the psychology classes at our little college that I think Romans 12 through 15 cannot be excelled by anyone. Paul is so very practical. If we applied his counsel to our daily lives we would surely be the most psychologically healthy people in the world. I am amazed at the expanse of Paul’s knowledge regarding personal relationships and how to mind our own business and grow in the Lord.

But then again I should not be amazed. Not only did Paul have the best education of his time both in Hebrew topics but also in occidental topics. Paul was no slouch when it came to Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. The best part of all was his daily connection with Jesus. His works are not the mere product of a human mind. They are the product of a great human mind united to divinity. His works are inspired by the One who knows all things.

How about chapter 12:19 and on? “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath.” Has someone harmed you? Do you want to harm them back? If you are a normal human the answer is yes. But the wise person who wants genuine peace will forgive and know that we have a heavenly father who knows how to give good gifts to us. If there is something to be revenged He will do it ever so much more skillfully than any of us ever could. Trust Him. It’s a sure prescription for a great life.

Rarely Does Being Pushy Pay

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-29T21:46:12-04:00

We were waiting for a green light in two lanes that merged into one on the other side of the intersection. Since it is on my way to school often I am stopped there. After the light turns green people usually perform as taught in kindergarten, they take turns merging. However, this morning the driver beside me decided to hug the bumper of the car in front of her not allowing anyone to merge between her and the car ahead of her. In the line of cars she had gained one car length. Once we had gained speed I did a brief calculation and guessed she had gained one tenth of a second by her rudeness.

One tenth of a second is gone before we can say it. I realize that is a very important amount of time at the Olympic Games. Actually one hundredth of a second often determines the difference between winning the gold or the silver medal. But, this was not the Olympic Games. This was people going to work. Surely a tenth of a second did not matter even if she did have to punch a time clock.

How often in life do we push our way to the front? How often are we rude? And for what? Perhaps it might matter if we were starving and there were just so much food to be passed out, but what would happen to us if we took Jesus’ counsel seriously about the first being last and the last first, or Paul’s counsel to prefer others above ourselves? Matthew 19:30 and Romans 12:10 Knowing that Jesus and Paul were great psychologists I am convinced we would discover life is richer and more fulfilling than had we acted otherwise.

I Have a Problem

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-28T19:35:05-04:00

I have a problem. We stopped at a Friendly’s this evening and I got a Fribble, a large chocolate milkshake. Even before I got halfway to the bottom I filled up; can’t eat as much as I used to. The server gave me a cup to use so I could bring it home. Now I have the problem. If I put it in the freezer it will get solid. If I put it in the fridge it will turn to milk. So where, other than my stomach, should I put it? Please do not be concerned for my health and say down the kitchen drain.

I wonder if God ever wonders what to do with us; too good for earth but not good enough for heaven. Obviously there was no problem with Enoch. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Hebrews 11:5. And there was Elijah, “There appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” II Kings 2:11. Apparently both of these men really really pleased God.

So what about you and me? I’m never going to be that good. And I have my doubts about you. The Good News is it isn’t goodness that gets us there. It’s grace. Eternal life is a gift of God. So neither Enoch nor Elijah really was good enough. Even for them it was a gift. For us, as it was for them, it is not a matter of being good enough but a matter of pleasing God by thanking Him for the gift and wanting to grow more and more like Him every day.

Going Where I Don't Want To Go

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-27T21:09:51-04:00

Friday night on my almost daily walk I was heading down our hill not watching where I was going. I was absorbed in reading my email on my iPhone. Hearing the sound of another’s footfall I looked up into the face of my neighbor walking up the hill absorbed with his iPhone. We were face to face a step apart. Phew! No collision. Both of us were so attentive to something other than what was important; where we were going.

I fear this to be the case for a fair amount of my students. They too are absorbed, with almost everything except where they are going. But, perhaps it’s not just my students. Could it be most of us? It is so easy to fill our lives with paying the bills, raising the kids, transporting the kids to school, play dates and soccer and hockey that we have little time to think about where we are going.

I experience this so often when beginning a book. I get caught sometimes going somewhere I don’t want to go. Movies also do that. The reviews are good and yet I soon realize this isn’t where I want to go. Fortunately, God gave us choice and free will and just because we have started a book or a movie definitely does not mean we have to finish it. We are in charge of our destinations. My problem is that often I want to go where I don’t want to go. On such occasions I remind myself of Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”

Our Compensating Brains

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-24T20:38:27-04:00

We have amazing brains that compensate for our lack of physical perfection. As we age and begin to lose hearing often we miss the first sounds of words so our brains instantly search our vocabulary and fill in what our brains thinks should be there. They don’t always select the right word. This is one reason older couples often get a bit cranky or short with each other. They think the other has said something the other did not say. Ouch.

Our brains do the same with our eyes. We have a blind spot in each eye where the optic nerve connects to the eyeball. We don’t notice because the blind spot in each eye is just a bit off from the other and each eye covers the other eye’s blind spot. If you desire to see if this is so Google “eye blind spot”. It will take you to sites where you can test this by closing one eye and focusing on a + sign. Nearby is a dark spot. As you move your head toward the screen the black spot will disappear. It is in your blind spot. Now comes the interesting part. You will not see nothing. Instead your brain will fill in the spot with white just as it had compensated for your hearing loss.

We also have mental blind spots. These are related to our relationships and at times we are blind to, let’s say our children’s faults. Our brains will because of love choose the best possible interpretation for their failures. If our brain is full of God’s Word or something of much lesser value our brain can only draw upon what is there. Garbage in – garbage out. God’s word in – God’s word out.

“Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11.

The Best for Last

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-23T21:53:55-04:00

I have come to a new meaning for Jesus’ first major miracle – the water into wine. This is major because prior to this Jesus told Nathaniel that He saw him under a fig tree praying. That was a minor miracle. But back to the water into wine. I couldn’t have understood what I am referring to when I was young. This only can come with age. Remember in the story how they questioned the host regarding saving the best wine until last. That is what is happening to me and I hope for you. The older we get. The longer we have been with Jesus. The better the wine gets.

There is a sweetness I never could have grasped when I first finished the seminary. Then I understood the doctrines of the church. Now I appreciate so much the abiding presence of Jesus and somehow the doctrines don’t seem to be as important. I am referring to such things as the end of Romans 8, “Who can be against us?” And motives are more important than deeds, “If I give my body to be burned, if I don’t do it for love it is a worthless sacrifice.” And after attending so many funerals I so value I Corinthians 15, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” Perhaps the best is the parable of the unjust judge who only gave the woman her request because he was sick of her begging. God is not like that judge. We don’t have to beg. We can come boldly and ask and if it is good for us, we get it. God is a loving generous Father.

Every day it just seems clearer. The wine just keeps getting better.

Summer is Gone

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-22T21:32:55-04:00

It’s the last day of summer 2010. Autumn is knocking at the door. The hummingbirds are gone south. The males left about two weeks ago and the females just two days ago. It’s time for me to get the firewood in the garage. It’s also time to set mouse traps. They sense the coming of winter and are looking for warm accommodations. We were surprised this year to find a couple decided to live in my sister’s car. We keep it parked by the woodpile so we shouldn’t be surprised they decided to move in. I wonder what they think when they look out into the K-mart parking lot. Apparently they are smart enough not to get out because they keep coming home.

Getting ready for winter can be challenging. When I sit in church and listen to some very important offering appeal I am often tempted to empty out our savings. But if we all did that retirement might be pretty harsh. When one sees the snow on top one needs to be judicious. Jesus’ direction to the rich young ruler to sell all and give it all away wasn’t a universal command but a very specific remedy for a very specific problem. Our problem is deciding whether or not that’s an excuse for our not giving more.

Balance is a very important word. It’s not so easy. One needs to sleep but not too much. We need to eat but not too much. And so it is with giving. We need to give but not too much. I once heard a preacher tell his congregation they needed to give twenty percent because that’s what the children of Israel did. He failed to mention they had no other taxes.

Oh To Be Happy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-21T19:21:07-04:00

There’s a funny thing about humans. The kind of world we think is out there is the kind of world we see out there. One would think the latter would come first but quite to the contrary. We are the designers of our world. We don’t see the world that is. We see the world we think is. Once upon a time I knew a woman whose life was most miserable. It is true she only had one leg but the last time I checked our limbs were not connected to our brain, the source of our attitudes. I was her pastor and I have to admit (I shouldn’t say this) that I was happy for her when she passed away. She sat home alone and had a rebuttal for every positive comment any of us could make. Nothing we could say could get a smile. I do so hope the Lord can make her happy. None of us could bring even a tiny ray of sunshine into her dismal world. I hate to sound like someone from the Sound of Music but think of your favorite things and life wouldn’t be so sad.

The law of God’s Kingdom, the rule for happiness, is service. When we set out to improve another’s life we are the ones whose lives improve. It almost seems counterintuitive but God’s Kingdom is like that. The first shall be last and the last first. Matthew 19:30. So how much sense does that make? Very little in our way of thinking but it is brilliant when Jesus says it. The reason being is He is the Master Psychologist. He created us. He designed our minds and knows exactly what we need for happiness.

Our Sixth Sense

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-20T19:01:16-04:00

We often hear people speak about having a sixth sense. There are things we know even though they are beyond our five sense’s capabilities. They are not empirical. We cannot weigh them or measure them in any manner. Yet they are real. No one would say love isn’t real. However, only lovers playing an up-man-ship game try to quantify love by claiming they love the other more than they are loved. Justice is real but cannot be put in the balance held by the blind statue of justice. Perhaps it is because justice cannot be measured that we often times want to retaliate just a hair more than our cause demands.

I have come to believe faith is our sixth sense. It is something Jesus certainly thought we should have. He actually expected us to have it. Just in Luke we fine the following. Concerning those who lowered the paralytic through the roof, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 5:20. He spoke of the great faith of the Centurion. 7:9. To the woman who washed His feet He said, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” To the woman who touched his garment, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.” 8:48. To the cleansed leper, “Rise and go: your faith has made you well.” 17:19. The list goes on and on. It is a great study if you are wanting to have a refreshing time.

In Luke 17:5 the disciples figured this out and asked for more faith. Perhaps it is the greatest want of modern man. We are so educated in inductive and deductive logic and in the scientific method of research it is difficult for us to reach beyond our rational minds. Philosophers call it the “leap of faith.” It does appear it is something we need.

The Way It Works

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-17T21:27:23-04:00

I think I was about five years old the first time I heard Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” It made a great impression on me. I recall associating it with a picture of Peter drowning in the stormy sea because he had taken his eyes off Jesus. He called and Jesus grabbed his hand and together they walked over to the boat. I am awed by this now, let alone the impression it made on me at five. I determined right there that I would always be ready to call to Jesus. It wasn’t until I went to an academy (high school) in Bible classes that I unlearned Romans 10:13. What I mean by unlearning is my Bible teacher added a lot of “buts” to the promise. According to him, while it was true I was saved by calling out to Jesus I then had a list of do’s and don’ts if I was going to stay saved. It was most depressing. I almost gave up on the whole thing. Sadly to say many of my classmates did give up.

Fortunately, I went on to college and I am so grateful that once again I relearned Romans 10:13 along with some accompanying verses like verse 9. “If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved.” I also learned that Paul wrote in Galatians that the moment anyone adds a ‘but’ he has negated the cross. I think some people fear this will lead people to live a self-centered life of sin. But it is just the opposite. Because I have been given such a gift I don’t want to sin. I want to be like my hero – Jesus. That’s the way it works.

Oh So Blind

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-15T20:50:34-04:00

I spent considerable time this evening looking for my glasses. I scanned my desk where they were supposed to be. I went to my bedside table. I checked the bathroom and the kitchen. I tried retracing my steps from the time I came home from school. All the searching was to no avail. Knowing they had to be here somewhere. I figured they would show up sometime so I gave up and sat down to write to you. And what to my wondering eyes did appear but my glasses. They were right where they were supposed to be. On my desk – the very desk I had so carefully scanned.

How can it be that I looked right at them? They were not hidden under a book or a magazine. They were in plain sight. But I did not see them. My eyes saw them. My eyes sent the necessary bits of data to my optic nerves which carried the signal to the back of my brain and yet my brain never processed the data. I was blind to them while they were right in front of me. Need I say more regarding the spiritual blindness that cripples so many of us? God’s love, the intricate design of creation, the miracle of life, the simple complexity of the Gospel is all there all the time and yet so often we just don’t see.

I am reminded of John 1:4-5. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” Jesus came and walked, talked, healed, resurrected and yet the darkness that blinded His own people prevailed and does so to this day. We can look and not see. It must not be that way for us.

The Only Story Needed

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-14T20:54:58-04:00

Some people call them résumés and some call them vitas. They are similar. Basically they are a brief account of somebody’s life. Usually they are put together in an effort to impress us into giving the author a job. Often they are amusing to read, especially if they contain dates. Often we can see that someone has lots of experience but we wonder why they changed jobs every year. The list can be impressive except it might reveal they don’t wear well. Actually I like just the reverse. Lots of experience in a few places tells me a lot. I saw one today that made me smile. He put down, “International speaker.” Since he didn’t put public speaker or mention how many countries I figured he and his wife drove to Toronto and he talked with her in the car. Yes, I know. That’s harsh. Forgive me.

It all set me to wondering what we need on our résumés for entrance to heaven. I’m sure many people would list all the money they have given to charities. They might list the clothes they put in the Good Will box or calculate the number of hours they volunteered at the local hospital. If they were brave they might list the temptations and opportunities for sin that they resisted. How about mentioning they haven’t eaten meat or mustard in twenty years? Or better yet if they were a pastor they could list all their baptisms – stars for their crown.

I think I have figured out the ultimate résumé for heaven. “Sinner – Forgiven.” You must admit it’s not very long. But, it has a certain elegance about it. Its simplicity tells the whole story. The only story needed.

Heads Up

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-13T17:11:46-04:00

While waiting for a waitress I watched a young man service one of those big glass boxes with a large claw that sells you a chance to snag a stuffed toy. I was intrigued that he did not just randomly toss in a new supply of Bert and Ernies. Ever so carefully he put in each new toy so it was positioned upright. Layer after layer of cute teddy bears and such were all poised so the claw could easy grasp it by the head. The advantage was for the child operator and not for the owner of the restaurant. He was smiling as he locked it up and carefully cleaned the glass.

I liked that guy. He reminded me of Jesus who also positions everything to our advantage. Jesus has tried to give everyone the best chance possible. However, I must admit life’s circumstances do indeed impede millions of people. If one is born into the home of an abusive father, calling God “Father” can create a gigantic barrier to the Gospel. If one is raised in an underprivileged neighborhood the disadvantages can distort one’s view of God and can very much get in the way of realizing what is available.

I am a great supporter of Head Start programs. They aid underprivileged children to have a running chance at a good education. I’m wondering if unbeknownst to us God has a “Head Start” program for those who need it. What I do know is God is in the business of saving people and positions “heads-up” all that’s needed for our salvation. What is great about it is we don’t have to put two quarters in the slot to have a chance.

Spoiled

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-11T19:59:53-04:00

We have some friends away, a long way, from home to be with a dying father. It’s a difficult time and such things as tomato plants and flowers around the house fade in importance. But that’s what friends are for. We have been watering and making sure their homecoming will not be tomatoless. We have been feasting on some of the over abundance of cherry tomatos. We feel like the lazy dog and the sleepy cat in the story of the Little Red Hen. She did all the work and the others wanted to eat all she made. Alas we didn’t plant or care for the tomatos all summer and here we are enjoying the fruit of our friend’s labor.

That’s the story of my life. I have continually from birth been blessed by others. Need I mention my father who always worked two jobs. My mom worked in a shoe factory so I could attend church school. My church members always made sure the pastor was well cared for. I actually had to ask from the pulpit that they slow down in their gifts of squash, homemade bread, and canned fruit because we didn’t have any more room. I have a wife and children who are continually giving me things.

Then there is salvation and eternal life. My eternity is not the fruit of my labor but the gift from my Creator who paid the ultimate price so He can give me the ultimate gift. I have to look in the mirror and say, “Thanks for everything.” I have been and will continue to be the recipient of the love, care and labor of others. The truth is I’m spoiled.

Ready for Some Football

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-10T21:11:23-04:00

The fall 2010 Football season began this evening with a battle between the reigning Super Bowl champions verses the oldest quarterback in the league. You will have to forgive me for what I am about to write because I am a psychology teacher at our college and I cannot resist a bit of Freudian philosophy regarding the value of football to the male community. One of Freud’s famous ego-defense mechanisms is identification. The success on the football field of a few provides a feeling of success for those who have chosen to be fans. If life hasn’t provided very many exhilarating moments we (usually guys) can get pretty excited when the ones we are rooting for perform with excellence. A long pass for a touchdown, a fifty-yard field goal can raise our blood pressure and fill us with almost as much joy as if we were the one who kicked the ball. We identify with winners and quickly become disinterested when our team doesn’t do well. Being a fan is of undisputed value for youth and old guys who never felt the joy of hearing applause directed their way.

Somewhere along life’s journey I discovered the unutterable joy of being a fan of Jesus. What happened on Sunday morning means we are identifying with the ultimate winner. Don’t you love Revelation’s promise that overcomers will sit with Him in His throne? What a joy to hear Him invite us up. What a wonder to participate in the divine nature. What a thrill to put this aging body aside and awaken every morning to renewed strength and a new opportunity to learn and grow more talented. I enjoy football but I thrill to identify with Jesus.

My Personal Confusion

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-08T20:03:20-04:00

This morning I read 1 Thessalonians 4 to a class of thirty-six supposed Christian youth average age of about twenty-one. I don’t know what I expected. I know I didn’t expect Hallelujahs and Amens but what I did get startled and bewildered me. Basically what I got was nothing. No changes in facial expressions. They looked bored when I started and they looked bored when I finished. I had to jar myself to remember that I teach in a “Christian” school. Have we become so jaded by pop culture that unless text is accompanied by a carefully scripted soundtrack of music it makes no impact? Or worse, have we become so used to the spectacular promises of God’s Word that they have become ho-hum? Does the joy of the Word regarding resurrection and eternal life only mean something to those of us who are running out of years? When one is twenty-something with decades of career and family ahead perhaps they are overwhelmed with thoughts of “that’s not important for me now”? I will not even suggest that perhaps they just don’t care or believe.

Once again let me say I don’t actually know what I was looking for, but what I got left me with a feeling of desperation. When we open the Word we are handling the Bread of Life. We are reminding ourselves of the greatest promises in the universe. Surely angels must long to have the opportunity I have each day to share the finest and the best of God with young people. Maybe my wife got it right. She said, “It is the beginning of the semester. Those students don’t really know you. Perhaps it’s them that don’t know what to expect.” I do hope she is right.

The Bridge

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-07T21:51:57-04:00

This afternoon we stood 140 feet above the Connecticut River in the middle of the King French Bridge. Since 1932 it has safely aided millions of trucks and cars across its 460 foot span. It is a thing of beauty. While we were watching speed boats below us two semis, one going west and one going east, rumbled past. Ever so gently the bridge trembled under our feet. It was a tremendous amount of weight but the bridge was more than up to the task.

It was a beautiful day and I couldn’t help but think of Jesus who spanned the abyss of sin and death. Without Him it would have been impossible for us to have safe passage across the hell that hungrily devours the lost. Millions without Jesus fall into the depths of despair and death. Every day we see miserable lives and we long to have them understand there is a way to happiness and life. In John 14 Jesus declared He was the way. Our trying to scale our way to heaven by our own righteousness is like the ancients trying to build a tower to heaven. It is so futile it mocks our feeble efforts.

In Genesis in a dream Jacob saw a ladder from earth to heaven. The ladder was Jesus. He is the Way. His righteousness is so perfect we need nothing else. If any righteousness was required of us we would most likely brag that we had done the whole thing. It is Jesus from beginning to end. He is the Alpha and the Omega. As Isaiah so descriptively put it, “Our righteousness is like filthy rags.” We have a bridge and the name is not King French. It is King Jesus.

Something Wonderfully New

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-06T17:49:19-04:00

It is difficult for us who have been born and raised in a Christian culture to understand just how revolutionary was Jesus. We take for granted the promises of grace and adoption into God’s family. We grow up calling God, “Our Father.” Early on we learn to “come boldly” before His throne with our requests. We never had to depend on a human priesthood to make intercession for us because we have Jesus who opened the way into the throne. Because Paul wrote in Romans 10:4, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” we did not think we could by our own works obtain righteousness. We knew from Ephesians 2 that we are saved by grace.

Jesus changed everything. Solomon once wrote there was nothing new under the sun. Obviously he didn’t know the Good News that was coming. Over and over in Galatians Paul speaks of the bondage of law keeping and the wonders of freedom in Christ. Because of Jesus the keeping of the law became a joyful process of wanting to be like our Savior by being as much like Him as possible. The law was not a list of don’ts but a model of love for God and love for each other.

Paul couldn’t have said it more clearly than he does in II Corinthians 5:17. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” It’s a new day. It’s a new message. It’s a new way of life. It is why the first four books of the New Testament are called Gospels. It is why the early church referred to itself as “The Way.

A Restore Button

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-03T21:26:48-04:00

Most of us have restore dates on our computers. It is a marvelous feature. Should we be invaded by some horrible virus that corrupts your system we can restore our system to a previous date when all was well. More than once this has saved me headache and heartache. Now all I need is a restore date for my human behavior. Wouldn’t it be grand if we could back up and start over on a previous date? When I say something stupid or hurt someone or violate my sense of right and wrong it would be terrific to back up and start over.

In one sense we do have that. God is quick to forgive and forget. Restoration is but a prayer away. However God isn’t the only one with whom we have to cope. He’s not the problem. It is humans that are the problem. Hurtful words, calloused attitudes, slights, and deliberate meanness leave indelible impressions on the minds of others. Even though they might be smart enough to forgive us (It’s always smart to forgive. It lessens the pain.) they will have trouble forgetting what we did.

It is a rare person indeed who can forgive without the transgression forever affecting the relationship. Once a trust has been broken it can never have the luster and shine when it was perfect. Let’s face it. There are no restore buttons available. Forgiveness - yes. Having it exactly like it was prior to the event – sorry. Life on earth just doesn’t work that way. It does work that way in heaven. Isn’t God grand? When forgiven He treats us as if we had never sinned at all. That’s the best restore button ever.

To Be Famous

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-02T22:52:34-04:00

When we moved into our home in Massachusetts we discovered the former owner left behind a wonderful old leather-bound set of Encyclopedia Britannica published in 1910. I learned it was a classic edition. While doing some research this evening I wondered what scholars thought about my topic exactly one hundred years ago. So I pulled down volume XIII – Harmony to Hurstmonceaux. While doing so I remembered as a child we had a set of World Book Encyclopedia, not quite in the same league as Britannica, but respectable for a child. I used to wonder what it was like to be so famous one got an article about oneself in such books. This evening I turned page after page of such names without recognizing one name. I realize my education is limited but really I should know some names.

Who or what was Hurstmonceaux? Why should I care? Does anyone in the 21st century care? Probably the people who live there care. It is a village in England. In 1818 Percy Shelley wrote the famous poem, Ozymandias about an old statue in the desert.

“And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Greatness and fame are a fleeting thing in this world. So tonight I think of my childhood curiosity about fame and realize the only place I want my name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life mentioned in the book of Revelation. There is Someone in charge of that book who will never forget us. Let the ages pass and we will not only live in His memory but be alive forever in His kingdom. How grand!

Let It Go

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-09-01T20:41:55-04:00

Jesus had come home. Sabbath morning the little place of worship was packed with relatives and friends. Nazareth was a little town. Most everyone was somehow related and everyone knew everything about everyone. Rumors about Jesus had set their imaginations on fire. The room was hushed when He rose to speak. Isaiah flowed from His lips. “He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.”

The crowd was electrified with horror at the blasphemy. Uncles, nephews, granduncles, and grandnephews grabbed Jesus and dragged Him out of town to a cliff. But before they could throw Him over, their own flesh and blood, He walked right through them. It is the last time He would go home to Nazareth. A few years later He went to His real home.

His message is just as appropriate today. The good news is salvation is a gift no matter how bad we have been. The freedom is from our guilt and slavery to our nature. Sight is to enlighten our understanding that we need not fear the future. Our place in eternity is secure. The release is from the oppression of memories of a not so perfect past. We are given power to forgive others as well as ourselves. Is there someone who harmed you? Let it go. Is there someone you harmed? Fix it if you can. If you can’t, let it go. God will fix it for you. Take Him at His word. Believe Him. If we don’t we are just like the folk at Nazareth. When we do believe, joy and inner peace are the natural fruit.

Content of Their Character

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-31T22:10:42-04:00

I rarely give my students passages to memorize. Instead we read and talk about the significant ideas contained in important passages. Sometimes I wonder if I am doing them a disservice not to require that they put them to heart. I remember hating to have to memorize. Yet decades later I find it to be rewarding when I can recall a passage and once again ponder the beauty and import of certain works. Memorized verses of Scripture, poetry and other works seem to be mental anchors around which I can tie new and challenging ideas. Today’s students have laptops and other electronic devices that instantly find and reproduce almost any literary content. Has memorization become a non-essential? With a small handheld device my wife can within a few seconds find factual answers to most anything that strikes our curiosity.

Yet I am uneasy about the mere reproduction of facts as opposed to thinking about things. A set of encyclopedias whether on paper or on an electronic screen is only information. Information is the stuff of thought. It is fodder for ideas. It is the inspiration for the creation of new concepts and new understandings. I must teach my students to love. Love is the foundation of all true education. It is that which builds character and prepares people for unselfish service, the only avenue to lasting happiness. Will it not enhance their journey to put 1 Corinthians 13 into their mental library? The Psalmist wrote, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.” When temptation comes they will not check their laptops. But they will certainly check the content of their characters. Something needs to be there.

Jesus' Criterion

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-30T22:14:01-04:00

I am sitting here looking at a list of doctrinal beliefs. It defines a certain kind of Christian. It sets him or her apart from other Christians who do not subscribe to this particular list. I’m not so sure Jesus ever intended there to be different kinds of Christians. Either you are or you are not. He had a criterion. In John 13:35 He clearly said, “People will know you are my disciples if you love one another.”

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus lists some characteristics Christians should exhibit - things like purity, humility, and hunger for righteousness. What I can’t find is Jesus’ list of theological tenets. I do realize if you are going to have an organization one needs parameters of membership. This is a fact of life one finds difficult to contend with. The problem is once you draw a circle to determine who is in you have automatically created those who are out. Isms create schisms. Perhaps this would not be so bad if it were not for human nature that then creates “them” and “us.” Of course “us” is the best group and “them” have deficits and are not quite as good as “us.” This is when love begins to suffer.

We need organization. Collectively we can accomplish so much more than we can if each of us is running our own little program. And so grows the problem out of our desire to accomplish much good. We can become so mentally attuned to tenets and theological purity that we then let slide Jesus’ criterion of loving. Some of the harshest people I have known are theological purists. To be a real Christian isn’t so much agreeing with each other as much as it is loving each other.

God's Selective Memory

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-27T20:21:54-04:00

This is a very sad story. It’s a tale of a deteriorating mind. Mine. As I move about during the day interacting with students and others I see things that I can write about and perhaps turn into a devotional. Ten years ago I could remember them in the evening when I sat down to write to you. About five years ago I stopped remembering so I now carry a pen and small piece of paper and make a note. Tonight I have moved to a new low. I hold in my hand the note I made today and I have no clue what it means!

This afternoon a student reminded me that she had been in one of my classes this past summer. She’s Polish. So I greeted her in Polish. Forty-five years ago I was the pastor of a small church in Iowa with some Polish farmers as members. They taught me how to greet them. So how is it that I couldn’t remember the student’s presence in my class two months ago but I could remember how to greet her after forty-five years?

I am so thankful I have a heavenly Father who always remembers me. He is the Ancient of Days and has yet to forget anything. But wait. That might not be true. If He answered David’s prayer in Psalm 25:7, “Remember not the sins of my youth nor the transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake.” I do believe God loves to answer that prayer. God has a selective memory. He chooses to remember the few good things we have done and to forget the multitude of bad things. Why? Because according to Romans 8 we are His children and good Fathers are like that!

Stranded in the Rain

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-26T22:37:56-04:00

There I stood in the rain more than a half an hour from home trying unsuccessfully to open my locked car. It was then that I remembered one of the car keys, the one I had, only worked in the ignition and I had locked the car. Since I didn’t have my wallet with me, it was one of those days we all dread. I had no money to pay for help. So I did what any healthy, normal, red-blooded man would do. I called my wife. “Help,” I pleaded, “I’m stranded in the rain.”

“Put the key in the passenger’s side. It will work there. Twist it with some conviction.”

Totally drenched from the rain I went around to the other side and “Bingo” she was right. (She always is!) It was one of the best phone calls I ever made.

While driving home without my glasses which were useless they were so wet, I remembered a great text. “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee.” Psalm 50:15

How fortunate I was to have such a knowledgeable resource. How blessed we are to claim Psalm 50 when thinking of our heavenly Father. Talk about knowledgeable resources. He’s the best. He knows everything and is anxious to hear our requests. In Acts 2 in a stirring sermon Peter said, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Please note it doesn’t say some will be saved. It says everyone. Does that mean that Joe Blow, my drunken neighbor, could end up being my neighbor in heaven? Well, yes it does. The good part about that is he will no longer be my “drunken” neighbor. The best part is both of us sinners will be there.

Hangman

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-25T20:18:16-04:00

This past weekend I watched my wife play the old word game Hangman with one of our granddaughters. I noticed the rules were a bit modified. Instead of having to guess all the letters before there was a head, body, two arms and two legs, one had to get fingers and toes. Now if I add up all the chances one could miss, I think that comes to twenty-six. Aren’t there twenty-six letters in the alphabet? Hello! This is a game you cannot lose. Humm? I think the modified rules were made up by a very biased grandma.

This brings me to my heavenly Father. He also has created a no-lose situation for us. We not only get twenty-six opportunities to win eternal life, we get endless opportunities which stay in play as long as we are mentally aware. Yes, God does accept deathbed confessions. But how foolish it is to wait that long when one could be enjoying the blessings of being in the Kingdom now. Why wait? The only reason I could think of is people haven’t figured out that a life in Christ is the richest life of all. I have come to the conclusion that He is as biased, or even more so, than a grandmother.

Heaven is rigged. Heaven is stacked in our favor. Upon request we can be adopted into the family. See Galatians 4 and Romans 8. That makes Jesus, our brother, be our mediator before our Father. Any court in this country would laugh at such preposterous advantage to the defendant. There really is only one conclusion one can derive from all this. God is extremely interested in and desirous of our company just as we were reluctant to see our granddaughter go home Sunday evening.

I'm Fading

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-24T22:39:02-04:00

We have a family picture on the fridge. It’s been there about six years now and the computer ink has badly faded. Each of us is disappearing as the color slowly goes away. It’s very much like the two oldest people in the picture. Ever so slowly we are losing our color. Our hair is turning white; our skin is losing its vibrant elasticity. Fortunately it’s not that way with the children. It’s just the opposite. They are growing more and more colorful as each month passes. Their personalities are blooming. They are becoming ever so more vibrant. One of these days the two oldest people on the picture will completely fade away. But, not forever. Oh, no.

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul is so very clear about our future. Verse 22 says, “Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” He goes on to proclaim we will be so vibrant and so colorful and so alive and so growing that we will be as different in our new life as a tree is different from its seed. In the spring Maple seeds come helicoptering down to the grass. Those seeds certainly don’t look like the rich green tree that dropped them. Acorns are covering my lawn. I pick them up and fill my pocket with a dozen potential oaks. Just imagine trying to pick up just one oak tree.

As those seeds hold the potential for massive change so do we. I am fading from the picture on the fridge. I am fading from earth. Am I concerned? Not at all. It is exciting to know there is so much more waiting for us. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2 that God is going to shower us with kindness and blessing forever.

Sometimes I'm an Idiot

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-20T20:15:07-04:00

I have a good friend who is being baptized this weekend. It's an exciting
event when a person makes a conscious decision to make Jesus the Lord of
their life. To celebrate one of the pastors at the church invited us all to
her home for dinner. We gladly accepted. Then we found out my friend's
family also wanted to celebrate so he couldn't be at the pastor's home. So
I called and uninvited myself by saying, "The only reason we were coming was
to be with my friend."

Now just how stupid was that! As the words flowed from my mouth I realized
I was an idiot. "The only reason was ." That was amazingly insensitive.
It wasn't even true. I really enjoy the pastor's company. She is bright,
quick, witty and a joy to be around. But no, I had to say the "only" reason
I was coming was for my other friend. She was so kind. She should have
said, "You jerk. I'll never have you over again." She didn't. Graciously
she spoke about another time.

So how often does our mouth work without having our brain in gear? At
least on this occasion I heard myself. What I am guessing is I most likely
do it every day without realizing it. It is a lesson to me not to be so
quick to think other people are jerks when they say something stupid.
Looking in the mirror is a very good reason not to be harsh with others and
to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I haven't apologized yet but I am going to do so just as soon as I finish
writing this confession of my stupidity.

Regifting

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-19T19:09:51-04:00

Have you ever had someone give you something you really didn't want or like?
You say "thank you" and then try to figure out what to do with it. You
can't take it to the church welfare center lest they see it there. Usually
it ends up on a shelf or in a drawer and if you are lucky you can regift it.
I've never been much of a regifter. Somehow it seems cheesy to give someone
something you don't like just to get rid of it. We have a table in our
department where we put things for our students to take if they want them.
I like that. The person who gets it wants it.

There is the gift of salvation. I have spent my life trying to regift it.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I don't like it or want it. Wow - quite
to the contrary! I love it. I want it. That's the point. I think it is
so great I want everyone to have it. Salvation is one of those wondrous
things you can regift and yet still have it. Better yet you can keep on
regifting because there is always more. There is an abundance for everyone.
It is like Bartholomew Cubbins many hats. As fast as he could take them off
another hat appeared.

Giving away salvation is not as easy as it sounds. There is a natural human
tendency to want to do things for ourselves. Part of "Pride of Ownership"
is having earned it. Sorry, this is one area where it is all gift. We
receive it because God loves us. It is a great thing to keep. It gets even
better if we regift it. Please see the end of Ephesians 2.

Three Times a Charm

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-18T20:55:30-04:00

It was very quiet this morning when I went to the street for the morning
paper. It was quiet except for a family of cardinals. Mom and dad and
three adult-sized young ones were all over the yard while having a full
blown conversation. They were celebrating. This was not the first attempt
for this mom and dad. Earlier in the summer we were watching them raise
three only to have them taken by who knows what. The couple tried again.
Again they lost their babies. The third time was a charm. In the words of
Dora the Explorer, "They did it." What a happy lot they were this morning.

Loss is a part of life. We never really own anything. We just get to use
things for a while. It is the same with people. For a while we get to be
with them, we get to love them, but they will ultimately go away. Or if we
are fortunate we will be the first to go away. Emily Dickenson once wrote,
"Parting is all we know of heaven and all we need of hell."

However, I do not wish to dwell upon loss. I want to join my cardinal
family and rejoice at their persistence and ultimate success. Oh, that we
all should have such fortitude. I do not know if they suffered grief over
the loss of two families. What I do know is they kept trying and to great
success. This morning there were streaks of red throughout the yard as they
experienced life to its fullest. As we age some of us realize our strongest
times are history but ultimate strength is yet to come. It is so grand to
know Jesus. He makes all the difference.

Jesus - The Rosetta Stone

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-17T20:46:06-04:00

Until 1800 ancient Egyptian writings were mostly untranslatable. Then the
Rosetta Stone was found. It held the carved inscription of a decree by
Ptolemy V in three languages. It was a light on the ancient world that
ultimately opened up the translation of ancient Egyptian texts.

Jesus was the Rosetta Stone that flooded the world with light about the true
nature of His Father. Prior to Jesus Satan was able to blame all manner of
evil on God. Through the centuries God's character was besmirched by man's
ignorance of who God really was. Men did horrible things to each other and
then claimed they were but following God's commands. God is portrayed as
vengeful, petty and easily offended. It was true that He was better than
the portrayal of the pagan gods around Israel, but the truth about Him was
shrouded by men's continual creating Him in their image.

When Jesus came that all changed. Jesus said, "When you saw me you saw the
Father. He and I are one." God's character was revealed to be that of a
merciful Father who longed to forgive and restore. He was a giving God who
sent rain upon the just and the unjust. He was a Father so committed to
returning us to Eden that He gave us Jesus as an atonement for our sins. No
longer did we have to fear speaking to Him. He bade us to come boldly
before His throne. We were adopted into the family and became sons and
daughters, princes and princesses of the King of the universe. We became
heirs of the Kingdom with Jesus Himself.

Just think of Revelation 3:21, "Blessed is he who overcomes for he shall
sit with me in my throne someday."

The Hawk Stick

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-16T20:04:09-04:00

We spent the weekend at the home of friends in the Finger Lakes Region of
New York. They have a veranda with a million dollar view of one of the
lakes surrounded by lush verdant forest. Perhaps I have a touch of
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder because I was persistently annoyed by the top
of one dead tree that stuck up above a perfect layer of green. I wanted to
take a chain saw and go down the hillside and eliminate it. When I finally
mentioned it my host was horrified. "You can't," he exclaimed. "It's my
hawk stick!" He's an avid birdwatcher and apparently raptors love to sit
atop that one dead treetop giving both the hawk and my host great views.

It was amazing. Once I realized the dead tree had a valuable purpose I no
longer wanted to cut it down. It was useful. It provided something the
living trees did not. Solomon was right again. There is a purpose for
everything. Actually, it's a lesson I have discovered about people. Have
you ever met someone whom you deemed to be useless? I'm ashamed to mention
this because that is so wrong. But I have been guilty. It was only after I
knew more about the person that I realized they had a gift, they had
purpose, they had someone they loved and it was none of my business to make
such a judgment. There is no such thing as a useless person. Just because
I wasn't perceptive enough to discern their value was a judgment about me
and not them. I need to remind myself that I have come across individuals
who most likely thought I was useless.

Push Me Higher

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-13T08:16:41-04:00

In my side yard hangs a blue plastic swing with yellow ropes. It has been
there for fifteen years and is still in excellent condition. The only thing
it lacks is a child. It has served all our grands when they have come to
visit (which is never long enough). The first one to use it now has a
driver's license. If the swing had a memory I wonder if it misses her. I
do.

How grand to be a swing and carry children heavenward. When a child is tiny
they get very short rides upward. But as the months pass by we hear,
"Higher, Grandpa, higher." I'm not sure if I recall any of them ever asking
for me to stop. It is I that grew weary. I should not have. Why is it
that we rarely treasure moments until they are gone and irretrievable?

One of the joys of being a teacher is to take students higher and higher. I
want them to catch a vision of a better life. I want them to see that a
life of service is the richest life possible. It isn't as easy as it
sounds. The world is bombarding them with a message of materialism and
self-gratification. Fortunately, I have them as a captive audience for
thirty-six hours throughout the semester. That is a rare privilege with
golden opportunities to effect change. I seem to hear God say, "Higher,
take them higher." Not a class must go by without a passage from His word
and prayer.

I like our blue and yellow swing. Someday it will hear a delighted little
voice say, "Higher, push me higher.

Extremism

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-12T09:38:28-04:00

In 1964 Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater said, ". extremism
in the defense of liberty is no vice!" It sparked a national debate among
both academics and the common man on the street. History has been filled
with the horrifying records of the fruit of extremism. Could it be that
there is a righteous time for extremism? Didn't Solomon say there was a
time for everything?

Since 9/11 the world has had an epiphany regarding the fruit of extremism.
The cover of a recent issue of Time magazine featured an Afghanistan woman
who had had her nose and ears cut off because she had fled from her abusive
in-laws. The extremism of a faith that condones such an atrocity jars us to
introspection. What kind of religion could sanction such inhumanity? How
is it that women, the last and crowning act of creation, can be so
brutalized? Surely only the ignorant could say all religions are the same.
This is darkness compared to Jesus the Light of the World who tells us our
identifying mark is our love for each other.

In that same 1964 speech Goldwater also wisely said, "Those who seek
absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are
simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth.
And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most
hellish tyrannies." This is especially true when used by those with
religious motivations.

I can think of one occasion when extremism is most desirable. In Psalm
119:11 we read, "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin
against thee." To do no harm, to be no harm, to always act in love is our
goal.

How Ignorant I Am

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-11T09:25:27-04:00

For over fifteen years now we have lived less than twenty minutes away from
Walden Pond. Surely every American high school graduate knows (at least a
smidgeon) about Walden Pond, Thoreau and Concord. Thinking that it was time
to round out my education a bit I embarked upon reading Walden. Not bad.
Pretty good read. Now comes the embarrassing part. On page 177 Thoreau
wrote, "White Pond and Walden are great crystals on the surface of the
earth, Lakes of Light." The paragraph that continues is lovely. The
embarrassment is I cannot recall ever hearing of White Pond, let alone
knowing where it is; so much for being informed.

This brings me to my incredible ignorance of life about me. While I will
not make judgments about you, I am suspicious I am not that unusual. Most
of us think we are knowledgeable. We think we are fairly aware
and yet there are worlds of things right on our doorstep that warrant our
attention. I know my wife will not like me mentioning that there is another
complete world for creatures just in the walls of our home. While we sleep
they scurry about making sure to stay out of our way. Our yard has a host
of wild flowers that I never see. They come and go in the lower woods that
have become almost impassable because of an old ice storm.

In our own mind there are levels of consciousness that rarely rise to the
surface and yet billions of bits of data are constantly being processed. We
rarely think about driving while driving, yet we arrive safely home. And so
it is that all around us is a world of God and angels. They are there just
as White Pond is only twenty minutes from my house

Heaven Incomplete Without You

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-10T20:28:15-04:00

In the midst of a grocery store transaction the checkout lady came out from
her position at the cash register and went to the pile of hand baskets that
had erratically piled up where you put your items on the belt. Ever so
carefully she fit each in another til she had them all nicely stacked and
perfectly positioned on the floor. Only then could she return to checking
out the customer in front of me. It was some variation of Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder.

Humans are wonderfully strange. Each of us is so distinctively unique. We
come in so many different sizes. I have a few very good friends who are
birdwatchers. One of them has means and will fly anywhere in the world to
add new sightings to his life list. Others are of more normal means and
enjoy new sightings for their personal yard list. Jesus tells us in Matthew
6 that His Father is a birdwatcher. Each species is so carefully designed
and equipped with survival skills. He must be pleased when we notice and
appreciate His craftsmanship.

He is also a people watcher. He knows that checkout lady well. He knows
what makes her need to have the baskets sitting just right and of course He
knows each of our idiosyncrasies. We all have them. They are the spice
that flavors us into such distinct packages. They give us personality and
make us beings of interest. It is no wonder God wants to save everyone.
Each is special. If you are forever lost there will never be another like
you to fill God's Kingdom. Your presence in heaven will enhance the
experience for everyone. You will make heaven whole.

God Wants to Talk With You

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-09T20:13:32-04:00

I almost felt like I had to say, "Excuse me" as we drove between them. On a
very busy street with cars streaming both ways two people were holding an
animated conversation across the street from each other. I felt like it
was a typical conversation I have with God. Life is streaming between us.
I realize He is supposed to be inside and speak to me in a still small
voice, but reality is that life is full and loud and takes up our days. I
call to Him and I know He calls back but there is so much going on I fear
some days I don't hear. I know He hasn't gone anywhere. It's me.

Remember the night God spoke to a little boy named Samuel? "And the LORD
called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said,
"Here I am, for you did call me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD had
called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall
be, if He calls you, that you must say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant
hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the LORD came and
stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered,
"Speak, for your servant hears."

I love that story. Knowing that God doesn't play favorites means He calls
to us. We might not hear our name called in the middle of the night because
He is as diverse as we are diverse. He speaks to us via Scripture, sermons,
devotionals such as this, friends and sometimes those who are not are
friends. The important thing to remember is He wants to dialogue with you.

We Need to Remember

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-06T21:36:45-04:00

If the wind blows just right four times a day we can hear a deep throated
whistle blast from our downtown fire station. It has been this way for
decades back into the past century. Eight A.M. signals the beginning of the
workday. Noon signals lunch. Six P.M. signals the end of the workday and 9
P.M. reminds people to tend to stoves and lanterns before going to bed.
It's nice. It's a tie to a past that seems to be rushing away from us. The
sound of the blast from the firehouse almost makes one think if one went
down to the firehouse one would see firemen busy putting big fire horses up
for the night under the watchful eye of a Dalmatian.

People need to remember. We need to be reminded of our roots. It's a value
system grounded in hard work and simplicity. Our traditions tell us who we
are. We are not refugees in a sea of angst. We are travelers with purpose
and goals. We care about community and neighbors. The neighborhood school
isn't there merely for our children but for all children with dreams and
ambitions. The local little league baseball teams or the football or soccer
leagues get us out of our electronically sequestered lives and we see and
talk to real people just like ourselves.

Families need traditions and customs that tie each to each. Modernity fills
us with so many weekday responsibilities we must make efforts to make Friday
nights, Saturdays and Sundays special. Sitting around the table actually
looking at each other as we talk and eat, going to church, taking a weekend
jaunt together, these are the things our children will remember and cherish
after we are gone. These give us identity.

Being All You Can Be

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-05T20:55:18-04:00

I, along with hundreds of millions of us, am cautiously breathing with more
ease now that the blown out well in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be plugged
abating a potential Revelationish plague. We are being reminded that now
that the flow has ceased there are still major remaining after effects. It's
just like stopping a sinful behavior. We stop. God forgives. But the
aftermath, the natural fruit, continues on. We can stop mistreating people
but instant harmonious relationships don't begin the next day. We can stop
smoking but healthy lungs don't miraculous fill our chests.

A teen once told me he was thrilled with the Gospel. Since he was young and
it took several years to destroy his young healthy body he was going to try
everything. When he was in his thirties he would give his life to Jesus, be
forgiven and thus will have had the best of both lifestyles. Really?
Should he live to his chosen reformation year he will have to deal with the
aftermath of broken relationships, addictions not so easily set aside, and
impaired abilities. Actually there is a larger issue. Who says an
unhealthy lifestyle that focuses on self-gratification at the expense of
others is something to be desired? Is there really a best to that?

The U. S. Army used to have a great slogan. "Be all that you can be."
Should he have attempted his divided life he could never be all that he
could have been. If you begin a journey with a cup half full you would
never be what or where you would have been had you begun the journey with a
full cup. The aftermath will always be there.

We Are The Product Of Everything

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-04T22:58:33-04:00

While it is true that birds of a feather do flock together it is also true
that flocking together alters our feathers. Our norms, our standards of
what is acceptable, our eating habits, our standards of beauty, our
vocabulary and our attitudes toward right and wrong merge into a social
network that in turn forms who we are. So much of what we are, who we are,
what we are becoming and who we are becoming are the fruit of our choices.
If we are an adult we can choose how to spend not only our spare time but
how we spend our work time by the choice of a career or work place.

It is so very important for us to understand the importance of our total
environment's impact on who we are. There is no such thing as watching a
movie, reading a book or being friends with someone without it altering our
personality and character. Things, events and people affect us even though
they might be removed from us by several degrees of separation. What
happens to your boss's wife affects him. He affects you and you affect your
children. Your children will most likely never meet your boss's wife but
she has changed their lives. The things we watch on the network evening
news change our lives.

We cannot over emphasize the importance of personal choice in each day's
activities. While there are so many things over which we have no control
there are hundreds of things that are up to us. This is where the influence
and the power of the Holy Spirit mean so much. We must claim the promise of
Jesus in John that He will always be with us via His Spirit.

Big People's Heaven

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-03T20:26:47-04:00

Last semester I overhead two theology majors discussing the physical
features of the cross of Jesus. One had taken the position that Jesus'
nailed feet were only a foot above the ground while the other took the more
traditional view that His nailed feet were about eye level. Both of them
were quite passionate regarding their position. After one reads Ephesians 1
one can easily come to the conclusion that it does not matter. What matters
is "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and
every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is
to come: and hath put all things under his feet, . . ."

Using ancient Middle Eastern imagery Paul envisions Jesus' absolute dominion
over the entire universe by placing everything that is under His feet. Jesus
rules. Please note this is not a future tense but a present tense reign.
Best of all it is eternal. It will never be usurped. That is good news for
us. His lavish beneficence toward us means there will never be a time when
all our needs will not be fully provided.

When I use the word "needs" I am not speaking of the basic needs of
survival. I am referring to the entire needs pyramid. We will have all the
basics, all the security, all the love, all the self-esteem and all the
actualization possible for that specific moment in eternity. The next day
it will be increased as we increase in the likeness of Him. Please notice
verse 18 speaks of our increased understanding and the riches of His glory
being ours. This is heaven far beyond petting lions and playing with tigers.
This is big people's heaven.

The Fruit of Our Love

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-08-02T21:13:12-04:00

There is no question about whether or not Paul believed in predestination.
Just read the first few verses of Ephesians 1. There you will read the
"Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in
him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his
will,." Please notice the tense. It is past.

If that was all we had of Scripture we would conclude our salvation is a
done deal. But there is more. There is also free will. God, in His
magnificent love for us, will not force His will upon us. It is His will to
save us. It is our choice to accept. It is His pleasure to see us
consent. And should we consent the blessings begin flowing our way. Please
note "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places" are ours. Once we consent
changes begin to occur. Our likes and dislikes are altered. Our passions
are diverted toward righteousness, right thinking and right doing.
Opportunities are opened for growth. We grow in understanding the mystery
of His wisdom.

Many of the so called "smart" people of this world just do not understand
what God's children understand. When they rely upon their own intellect, no
matter how vast, it is not enough to grasp what a small child with Jesus can
understand. This incredible world, though soiled with sin, is and can never
be the product of random chance. We are the fruit of His love. We are the
product of His design. Our task is not merely to reproduce and die. It is
instead to reproduce and live forever with the fruit of our love.

Respect Please

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-29T22:15:30-04:00

Shocked again. Sunday I saw a man and woman with a small boy walk out of a
Denny's without paying. What I saw today put spoiled icing on the rotten
cake. Coming to a red light at a busy intersection I was watching young
people with containers going from car to car collecting money for the Jimmy
Fund - Cancer Research. People were putting their hands out the window with
cash as the collectors walked to their cars. Catty-cornered across the
intersection from me a window came down, a hand came out which then flicked
cigarette ashes into the container as it neared. After the light turned
and I could proceed I took special note to see the scumbag. It was a
teenage girl. I feel very sorry for the man that marries her. Without a
conversion experience this will without a doubt be someone her high school
senior class should vote to be the one destined for a life of misery. Sorry
about the derogatory term. I thought about replacing it with something less
offensive. I asked myself what Jesus would have said. Then I remembered
Matthew 23 and decided it was right to retain the word.

Is a little respect too much to ask? In Romans 12:10 Paul exhorts us to
honor others. He even goes so far as to tell us to prefer others over
ourselves. In Philippians Paul encourages us to adopt an attitude of
humility and to labor to do all we can to advance others. One of my favor
pictures of Jesus is found in Mark 1 where Jesus reaches out and touches a
leper while the man was still a leper. True respect for self can only be
real when it is a reflection of our treatment of those about us.

Fruit Inspecting

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-28T07:39:41-04:00

After years of watching I am still amazed at how long it takes my wife to
get through the fresh fruit and vegetable section of our supermarket. If
she sends me with a list I can quickly pick up the melon, the tomatoes, the
potatoes and the lettuce. It is so different with her. Each melon is
carefully fondled as she sniffs where it had been attached to the vine. The
tomatoes have to be just the right mixture of shades of red and green. Each
potato is sniffed and lettuce is, well actually I don't know what she does
with the lettuce. I just know it is done with the care of a scientist.

If God checked us out with such precision there is no way we could be saved.
Thankfully we have an advocate with the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the
righteous. I John 1. He and He alone is so utterly spotless, so pure, so
untainted, so perfect He can stand before the Father and say, "See me. I
represent the redeemed. I give them the gift of my righteousness." Don't
misunderstand. He is not a cloak that covers evil. He throws away our
filthiness and fits us with His robe of righteousness. It is all Him from
start to finish. He is the alpha and the omega of salvation.

The end result of my wife's diligence is spectacular eating. The end
result of Jesus' diligence is a wedding banquet mentioned at the close of
Revelation. Just as there is nothing spoiled on my table there will be
nothing spoiled on or at Jesus' table. He is a great fruit inspector. When
our records are examined there will be nothing there except fruits of
righteousness. The other things have been blotted out.

Being Good

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-27T21:07:22-04:00

She was a contradiction, a walking irony. As she waited on me at the
checkout counter I could not help but notice her lack of grooming which was
accentuated by the title under her name: Beauty Consultant. She almost
hurt my eyes. I looked around to see if I was on Candid Camera and maybe I
was. There are so many security cameras these days one cannot tell for
sure.

While driving away I couldn't help but think about my calling myself a
Christian. The irony of encouraging and exhorting while failing to be that
which we proclaim is often excruciatingly painful. Almost the entire
chapter of Matthew 23 is a record of Jesus attacking the religious
establishment for their hypocrisy. I chose the word "attack" because that
is exactly what it is. There is no gentle Jesus meek and mild in Matthew
23. He pronounces seven woes upon the religious leadership for "traveling
all over the world to make a convert and then making that person twice the
son of hell as you are." Ouch. He tells them they are like white-washed
tombs, lovely on the outside and stinking rotten on the inside.

I am so thankful for Matthew 5:6 which says, "Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled." Often the desire
to be a good person is as powerful as any hunger for food. Without Romans
1:17 I would be overwhelmed with despair but Scripture is very sure on this.
"The just shall live by faith." Righteousness is not a matter of doing. It
is a matter of being. And the being is a gift. Paul assures us in Romans
5:17 that righteousness is a gift. It is a gift God is so pleased to give.

Our Legacy

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-26T18:09:58-04:00

My wife and I decided to go to Denny's for breakfast this noon and play the
"Who Went to Church Game." Fifty years ago this game was much easier
because most of the men would be wearing a necktie, but that custom has
waned making the game more difficult. There was one elderly gentleman,
anyone older than me, who was sporting a nice suit and tie. He and his
wife were easy. There was another young couple with two girls wearing nice
dresses. Surely they had to be.

Then there was another couple with a boy. I hope they had not just come
from church because much to my amazement they walked out without paying. I
could barely believe what I watched. Now I am going to make an educated
guess that twenty years from now one family will have two wonderful brides
and another family will be lucky not to have a jailbird.

I realize there have been many debates through the decades regarding nature
versus nurture. Just how valuable is role modeling versus inheritance?
Most of us have come to the conclusion both are extremely valuable. Not
only do our children arrive in this world with our predispositions but they
also watch us. Speech and behavior patterns are copied and become a
blessing or a curse to the next generation.

I have talked with many people through the years who have longed to write a
book so they could leave a legacy to the world after they are gone. A book
can become a musty old object that fills our basements with unsold copies or
sits on a freebie table at a yard sale. But a child grown to adulthood, now
there's a legacy!

Be a Good Receiver

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-23T22:45:33-04:00

One of my favorite books when I was a boy was Secret of the Cave by Uncle
Arthur Maxwell. It was about some boys who used a cave as a base from which
they secretly did good deeds for their community. I used to fantasize how
very neat that would be. Now the story has been reversed on me. My
electric lawn mower ceased to do its job. The electric motor would whir but
the blade did not go around.

Unbeknownst to me my very observant engineer neighbor absconded with,
repaired, cleaned, sharpened the blade and then returned my mower. It
appears to be brand new. Now how's that for living in a great neighborhood?

While I would like very much to do something for him as repayment, I have
come to realize that would devalue his gift. Sometimes the finest thing we
can do is to allow another to help us. We do not have to respond in kind
when a "Thank You" will be just fine.

And then there is the following problem. There is a memorable line from
the musical "Annie, Get Your Gun." It says, "Anything you can do I can do
better; I can do anything better than you." In my situation the words
would be "Anything I can do; he can do better. He can do anything better
than I." I'm not trying to be modest. He really can. He is a gifted
engineer.

Sometimes it is difficult for us to sit back and allow another to give. But
that is an important part of life. If we were not gracious receivers when
would the gracious givers have an opportunity to shine? See Luke 10.

The God of Enough

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-22T20:36:56-04:00

It was one of those hot summer days when I had no control over the car. As
we drove past the Dairy Queen the lovely female voice of my GPS said,
"Turning right and stopping." Well, there we were parked in front of a
dazzling display of tempting posters. Who was I to argue? I fell prey to
the one flaunting a Peanut Buster Blizzard. One of D.Q.'s marketing tactics
is to give you a half an inch higher than the edge of the cup. That works
fine on normal days. Today was just plain hot and the instant the fans in
the car blew over that half inch bonanza, I was in trouble. Before I could
even stick out my tongue to catch the now melting ice cream I had a spray of
it all over my hands, my shirt, my pants and there was no way the napkin
could catch it. What a glorious mess and it just wouldn't stop. It kept
getting worse and worse.

I now bring new meaning to "my cup runneth over." Abundance which comes
quickly without proper preparation can often turn disastrous. Our lore is
filled with stories of lottery winners who quickly go from poverty to wealth
to poverty in a very short time. How often have we prayed for wealth? How
often have we promised God we would give huge amounts to His cause if He
would only rig circumstances in our favor? God is not a rigger. He is a
wise father who will supply our needs and sometimes add a little extra.

The Old Testament finishes with a very serious promise. Jesus tells us if
we are faithful, He will be faithful. If we show ourselves wise stewards of
a little, enough will come our way. One thing we must always remember. He
is the God of Enough.

An Ultimate Day

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-21T22:56:40-04:00

I'm sitting here watching a mosquito buzz about my computer screen. It is
only a matter of seconds now until he discovers me sitting so very close.
I'm a nice 98.6 degree warm juicy meal. I have been known to let them eat
while I watch but I'm not in the mood tonight. Should she dare to rest on
me I am going to squash her flat. Fortunately I'm not in Uganda this
evening where a bite from her might send me to bed with fever and chills.
Tonight I'm in Massachusetts and I just do not want an itchy red spot for a
day or so. The consequences for being her supper are quite relative ranging
from annoyance to possible death.

Her bite isn't like sin. The ultimate consequence of all sin is always the
same - death. Contrary to popular opinion there is no such thing as big
sins and little sins; at least in ultimate consequences. Some sins often
seem to be little because the immediate consequences seem to be minimal or
unseen. However, something like an attitude toward others may remain
hidden and unexpressed and may seem inconsequential but we are diminished by
it. Our harboring it and thinking it reduces our capacity for having an
ultimate day. An ultimate day is a day with unhampered growth. An
ultimate day is like one of the days of creation in Genesis 1 where God came
to the close of the day and said, "That's good."

I am hungry for one of those days. Wouldn't it be so grand if at the end
of a Wednesday God could look at us and say, "That's good"? If we can get a
Wednesday then we can start praying for a Thursday.

A Caring Community

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-20T21:40:31-04:00

It's fantastic to live in a community with people who care. This evening we
were unaware that the thunderstorm heading our way housed a tornado. That
is we were unaware until friends south of us who were watching television
saw the threat to us. Our phone rang and Paul Ravina's caring voice said,
"Turn on your television you are in a tornado warning zone." Thank you,
Paul.

The next few minutes were filled with getting birds into the basement and in
general preparing for the worst. Thankfully after much thunderous noise and
lots of water the storm moved east. Hopefully those people also have
someone to call them.

In I Peter 5:7 we read that God cares for us. If we are to be imitators of
Christ, as we are urged to do in Philippians, we must indeed be watchful to
see need and to be quick to offer and supply what is needed. Thankfully, I
not only have people who call me I also have people who enable us to quickly
reach out when we perceive problems. Just last week I overheard one of my
grad students say quietly to another student, "I don't know how I am going
to feed my four children lunch. I don't have any food or money." Needless
to say because so many of you on occasion send offerings to our Spring of
Life ministry her problem was cared for immediately. It is very rewarding
to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves. God gives to us that
we might be streams of blessings. And when we are a stream we are the ones
with the biggest smile.

Compensated Endorser

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-19T18:53:48-04:00

By now I'm sure many of you have seen Alex Trebek selling Colonial Penn Life
Insurance. In small print at the bottom of the screen are the words
"Compensated Endorser."

"That's me," I thought. "Compensated Endorser." For over twenty years I
have been attempting to write at least five devotionals each week endorsing
Jesus. Some weeks, like last week, I don't make it. (Shingles again. -
Getting better. - I think.) What an amazing privilege it is to be an
endorser for Jesus and I must say the compensation is amazing. It has to
be far better than anything Alex Trebek gets from Colonial Penn. All they
can give him is money. Jesus gives me forgiveness of sins, cleansing of
guilt, peace of mind and best of all eternal citizenship in God's
magnificent kingdom. I am most assuredly the best compensated endorser in
the history of promotion.

Paul certainly caught on to this. He started out as a persecutor of those
who followed Jesus and when the light came on Paul became the world's most
famous traveling salesman for the very product he had hated. He wrote, "I
know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I have committed unto him against that day." 2 Timothy 1. He even
speaks of never being ashamed of his product. It was the finest anyone ever
had to present to any customer.

I want to recruit you to join Paul and me and the host of others who have
come to know that Jesus offers something literally out of this world.
"Compensated Endorser" I like the sound of that. I especially like what it
means.

To Be Heard

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-14T23:05:25-04:00

For the past couple of months we've been parrot-sitting for our son. He is
very quickly learning our voices. Using my wife's voice he now calls the
dog. "Annie, Annie" echoes through the house. The problem is Annie has now
started to come when he calls. What's interesting is Annie doesn't go to
him she comes to my wife. It is my wife's voice so my wife gets the
response.

I found myself wishing I could call people to Jesus using His voice. I have
no desire to have people come to me. I really have very little to offer but
Jesus has everything to offer from short-term forgiveness and stress-relief
to long, long term care - eternal care. I want them to come to Him. I have
found this to be more difficult than it sounds. There are so many voices
calling to people. If people watch any television at all about one third of
broadcast time is fillied with voices calling to people. Come and buy our
car. Come and use our toothpaste. Come and drink our cola. It goes on
and on. Our invitation is often lost in the cacophony of calls.

Advertisers tell us the best possible invitation comes from a satisfied
customer. If we are to be heard, if we are distinct from the worldly
competition we need above all things to be satisfied followers of Jesus.
Our lives need to shine with happiness, health and joy. If we are continual
complainers our call will fall flat if heard at all. The world is looking
for something to satisfy their longing for something truly valuable. We
have it. With the accompanying power of God's Spirit we will be heard.

Strength

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-13T20:48:24-04:00

For about two or three weeks we had workmen doing home repairs and some
remodeling in the kitchen. We have been in this home now for sixteen years
and it was time to give it some tender loving care. Three of the workmen
were a father, the boss, and his two grown sons. Those two young men were
amazing. If my wife or sister arrived home and started to take things from
the car they dropped everything and rushed to help. They even had a fit
when they saw me carrying something fairly heavy. I received a lecture
about my age! These fellows remind me of Romans 15:1 in the Message
paraphrase, "Strength is for service, not status." While it is true Paul
is talking about our strength in the Lord, the idea does transfer over to
physical strength.

God gives us blessings so we can be a blessing. We are to be conduits
through which God can funnel His strength, His riches, His health and His
happiness to the world. While it is true He could send angels to distribute
good things He knows how much joy can come to us if we allow Him to use us.

This is one of the really nice things about being a citizen of God's
Kingdom. We don't have to wait to be recipients of the privileges that
accompany citizenship. The more we share the more He will give to us, so
the sharing can continue and spread. It's hoarders who don't receive much.
They get just enough to get by. Why should they receive much if all they
are going to do is to see if they need to build bigger barns?

Psalm 23:5

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-12T21:29:32-04:00

It seemed like such a long journey. A strong headwind added another hour to
our trip from Boston to San Francisco. As we all know food on airlines has
become an endangered commodity and my complimentary bag of peanuts just
didn't do it for me. It was about four hours into the flight when I heard
the rustle of cellophane. Glancing left I watched a lady remove a bag of
licorice twists from her carryon. The fragrance of licorice wafted across
the narrow isle. Longingly I watched as she grasped the end of a twist and
slowly pulled it from the cellophane bag. She didn't just bite it, she
savored it. She slowly pushed it past her lips as my stomach began to groan
with desire. I felt like the ancient mariner who said, "Licorice, licorice
everywhere and not a twist to eat." I think that's what he said.

I want to tell you I gained a whole new appreciation for Psalm 23:5, "Thou
preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies." This time I was
the enemy. The food was on someone else's table.

Even as a boy I was concerned over what I perceived to be smugness on my
part with God caring for me and not for another. Yet I understood the
blessings for those who make God our shepherd. What a difference Jesus
made. He changed everything. Jesus helped us understand our role is never
to be smug but instead to be caring for everyone. "If your enemy is hungry,
feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing you will
heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome
evil with good." Romans 12.

So Still

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-09T20:35:15-04:00

It's eight o'clock in the evening here in Massachusetts. It's the eighth of
July and it is eighty degrees. There is no breeze. Leaves are hanging
still. Sunflowers are starting to lose their vibrancy because it has been
many days since we had any serious rain that would concern someone with a
convertible. I was thinking about John 3 this afternoon. Jesus told
Nicodemus that God's Spirit moved like the wind among the trees. What of an
evening like this when there is no breeze? What of an era like this when
there seems to be so little of God's Spirit among the church? Hum? Perhaps
I am being too harsh and overly critical. Usually that is our problem. We
are parochial. If we don't personally see something then it isn't happening
anywhere.

This might have something to do with our desire to be at the center of
anything worthwhile. When someone tells me they were deeply moved last week
in church my response is, "Oh, that's nice." Rarely do I stop and ask,
"What was it? What was said? What was the point?" Instead it's just a
"that's nice." Since I didn't hear it or even worse because I didn't say
it, it really didn't matter much. Horrors.

But honestly I must say from my very narrow and limited view I don't see
much happening among God's people. Paul wrote in Colossians, "(I) do not
cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;" I like
that prayer. This night I pray this for you and I do so desire that you do
so for me.

Perhaps there is a mighty breeze all around me. Perhaps the dearth of fresh
air is only located where I am sitting.

Please Fasten Your Seatbelts

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-08T19:47:47-04:00

On occasion it is good to reflect upon the good things God gives us. It is
even good to repeat something if it was very special. About fifteen years
ago I told the following story which occurred about thirty years ago. It is
time for a repeat.

I was the pastor in Des Moines. My wife and sons had gone to her parents'
farm in central Wisconsin. I remained behind to conduct Wednesday night
prayer meeting and I was to meet them the next day. As I was locking the
church one of my elders who knew I was going to drive that night caught me
at the door and prayed for me to have a safe journey. Thanks Dennis.
Several hours later I was driving east across Minnesota and had not seen
another car for a long time. As my eyes started to droop, my brain, which
must have already been asleep, started to connive.

I told myself I could safely take a nap if I would center the car over the
white line that divided the two lanes heading east. That would give me
plenty of zig zag space. I could drift back and forth and when I arrived at
a bridge about a mile ahead I could wake up and recenter the car. Ever so
carefully I lined up the car and then put my head back on the seat as I
began my insane plan. But wait a minute. A red light on the dash started
to flash at me. I was irritated as I reached up and pounded on the dash so
it would go out. It did. I leaned back again. The light flashed again.
"Seat belt." "Seat belt." As I reached up to once again pound on the dash,
reality dawned on me and the light went out. I stopped the car and got out
and walked awhile.

The seat belt light never again randomly came on. Never.

Surprise Visit

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-06T21:49:53-04:00

This evening I heard a very interesting advertisement for an upcoming show.
Tune in next Monday night for a surprise visit from (blank). They mentioned
the name of someone famous. You can fill in the blank with any name you
want. The name wasn't important. It was the concept that next week we will
be surprised to see this person. Really? Didn't they just tell us who it
is? They must have figured the only people who will be watching will be us
old guys who will have forgotten who it is but tune in because we want to be
surprised.

It reminded me of people who will be surprised by the sudden second coming
of Jesus. While we have not been told when He is coming, like the TV
announcement, we are assured by so many people He is returning. It should
not be a surprise. He tells in Matthew 24 He is coming again. He tells us
in John 14 He is coming to take us home to be with Him. In Revelation He
tells us that He comes quickly. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15 and I
Thessalonians 4 that He is coming again. It is not a secret nor is it a
surprise. We are encouraged, like in the TV ad, to watch. Jesus tells us
in the parable of the ten young ladies to be ready. For the young ladies in
the parable being ready meant having enough oil and for us being ready means
being filled with the Holy Spirit after accepting His gift of eternal life.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is not that He is coming but that He hasn't yet
come. And yet we shouldn't be surprised because He does tell us why He is
waiting. Please see II Peter 3 for the answer.

Smart People

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-05T20:44:19-04:00

One of the smartest things I ever did was to marry someone who is much
smarter than I. That pretty much guaranteed my children would be smarter
than I. I truly do not mind being the dumbest person in the room. I can
come to the close of each day and say, "There I learned something new
today." When I go to church I want to learn something new from my pastor.
Give me something to mentally chew on. I am so blessed to be a teacher.
Everyday I learn new things from my students.

I am disgusted when I am with people who don't seem to know how to express
themselves with anything other than gutter language. Don't they realize how
stupid they sound using the same imagineless terms over and over? It's as
if they aren't bright enough to buy a thesaurus and add new words to their
vocabulary. Recently I sat down and browsed through HBO's comedy specials.
How very disappointing. I was disappointed with the content of the supposed
humor and disappointed with the audience's laughter when foul language is
used. The only thing I can figure is the audience is very dull or drunk or
feels social pressure to laugh at stuff that isn't really funny.

This morning we went for breakfast with two very smart people. There was a
piano and a guitar present. Before long my friends were filling the diner
with wonderful music. How grand. The other people in the diner seemed as
pleased as I. One last thought on this. If you want to be in company with
someone very smart, spend your time with Jesus. I guarantee you will get a
daily IQ boost.

Watching Those We Love

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-02T19:36:44-04:00

With very little speech occurring I sat at the kitchen counter this evening
and watched my wife prepare our light supper. One of life's great pleasures
is watching someone you love. If being apart from a loved one and not being
able to see them is one of life's trials then being with a loved one and
seeing them is one of life's greatest blessings.

I do so enjoy being with my grandchildren. While the noise they make could
be cacophony to someone else, it is to me finer than the fruit of any
composer. Some of the best weekends I have ever experienced are not ones
filled with activity, but instead ones filled with loved ones presence.

Matthew 9:36 is an enjoyable verse, "When he saw the multitudes, he was
moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered
abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." Jesus enjoyed watching people. In
Matthew 25 we read, "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand,
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world." Verse after verse we hear Jesus say, "Come."
When we do that not only can He watch us but we can watch him.

Robert Frost once wrote, "

I'm going out to clean the pasture spring; I'll only stop to rake the leaves
away (And wait to watch the water clear, I may): I sha'n't be gone long.-You come
too.

I'm going out to fetch the little calf that's standing by the mother. It's
so young, it totters when she licks it with her tongue. I sha'n't be gone
long.-You come too."

It is quite grand to watch people we love

Who Gets Hurt

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-07-01T20:59:26-04:00

If we have been hurt, but don't know we were hurt, have we really been hurt?
Many years ago I was the pastor in a small southern town. Pastors were paid
according to some sophisticated cost of living scale that pertained to where
the pastor lived. While I was there the conference office with all its
officialdom left the big city and came to my small town. To help the
officials absorb moving costs the living scale for my small town was raised.
When asked if the higher pay rate would pertain to the Bothwells who already
lived there, the decision was made that while those who were moving would be
on the higher scale the Bothwells would "stay on the lower scale because
they wouldn't know about it." (Did they really think we wouldn't find out?)

If you asked me if I was hurt I would most likely say, "No. It was no big
deal." However, it certainly did not make a favorable impression because
decades later I can still remember the event. Does that mean because I
remember I haven't forgiven? I hope not. A lack of forgiveness on my part
will never harm anyone except me. Perhaps that is one of life's more
difficult lessons. When we withhold forgiveness from someone we rarely hurt
that someone. It is we who are poisoned by feelings that "we" were not
treated right. We are the ones whose sleep is made restless.

When Jesus told us to forgive as we seek forgiveness for our transgressions
He struck upon a fundamental psychological law. The quality of our lives is
the fruit of decisions we make regarding what has happened to us. Over the
span of our lives we most likely have received the same amount of good and
bad. The difference at the end that determines whether life has been good
or bad is what we choose to forget.

WD-40

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-30T20:28:39-04:00

There are few things more annoying in life than a shopping basket with a bum
wheel. I got one this week that must have sat out the winter under a snow
bank and all of the wheels grabbed and rubbed and wanted to direct the
basket every direction except where I wanted to go. As I came around a
corner I spotting a wonderful blue and yellow can. It was WD-40. Popping
off the lid I sent a miraculous spray of lubricant on the worst offender.
It was a miracle. The wheel loosened and now wanted to go where I wanted it
to go. I put the cap back on the can, replaced it on the shelf and reached
for can number 2. I sprayed another wheel. Once again I replaced the can
and got down a third and a fourth. My logic might have been flawed but I
figured it was the supermarket's basket and the supermarket's WD-40. It was
also important to not make one buyer pay for the repair that would have
ensued had I lubricated all four wheels from just one can.

How grand it was to then have a cart that almost floated down the aisle.
There are very specific places where God would enjoy having us go. He
would enjoy it because He has marvelous plans for us and like every parent
He is most happy to have His children do well. But sometimes we drag our
wheels and go a place we think will bring happiness but to a place He knows
will bring us unhappiness and grief. I have often wondered what He uses for
lubricant. Sometimes I think the lubricants are trials and tribulations.
They catch our attention. See Romans 5:3.

Tuesday

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-29T19:37:18-04:00

Let us now praise summer flowers. From my upstairs window I look down into
my ice-storm devastated woods to discover an array of foxgloves, tall and
beautiful in their mysterious origin. From an upstairs window on the front
of the house I gaze deeply into a lush display of hostas blanketing the
shaded areas under the sugar maples. From the front window of my car
parades an almost non-breaking stream of summer day-lilies. Finally along
the garden wall standing almost-tall is something so unlovely it is lovely.
It beckons humming birds and appears to have been made Tuesday afternoon
just prior to sundown when God was running out of flower parts and dumped
them all into one gene package and labeled them hollyhocks.

If it were not for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday--Tuesday must have been
God's favorite day of Creation. Flowers were creative creation day. It
was as if He tripped and smeared His palette across the fields and
roadsides. Everything was there from deep passionate reds to dazzling
brown-eyed susans ready to lure the bees that were yet forty-eight hours
away. Could we accuse God of deliberately making nectar to inebriate
butterflies that we might laugh at their reelings about our feet?

As that part of earth called Eden turned away from the sun into evening
there was silence. It would be yet two more days before toads and frogs
would fill the night with their courting serenades. That evening when God
said, "That is good" He must have thought, "Oh, yes. But it is going to get
better." The tenors and the bassos, the sopranos and the altos were yet to
do their thing.

Paul and Willy Wonka

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-28T18:21:39-04:00

AT&T is currently running one of their best ever commercials. City streets
are filled with children's art. The background music is Pure Imagination
sung by Gene Wilder from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The words
designed to spur creative thought are:

"Come with me and you'll be
In a world of pure imagination.
Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination.

We'll begin with a spin
Traveling in the world of my creation.
What we'll see will defy
Explanation.

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it.
Anything you want to, do it.
Want to change the world, there's nothing to it

There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination.
Living there, you'll be free
If you truly wish to be.

Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, . .
." I have a feeling Paul and Willy Wonka would so agree with each other.
Unfortunately the older we get the more practical we usually become ending
with limited concepts of what God can do with us. Ephesians 2 speaks of
God's plans for our working with Him. I wonder if anyone other than Jesus
ever fulfilled God's Plan "A". Most of us can only see Plans "B" and "C" in
our rearview mirror. I can only imagine that I am working on Plan "Triple
Z." Fortunately for us God never runs out of letters. God wants little
children to come to Him because they can still dream great dreams. They can
still imagine.

Where is it?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-23T22:36:16-04:00

Having very few items of much value my wife and I rarely think about
something being taken. However in the past few weeks our home has had a
steady stream of workers doing remodeling tasks. Not believing anyone would
actually take something, we did decide not to create a temptation.
Therefore we decided to hide one item that has sentimental value and is
small enough to "walk away." Now comes the really interesting part. We
cannot remember where we hid it! Doesn't that take the cake? Two old
people rummaging about in their own home looking for something they hid just
a couple weeks ago. I think we have reached the stage of life when we can
hide our own Easter eggs on Good Friday and be genuinely surprised on Sunday
Morning when we find them.

Ever since I was a very little boy I have systematically learned memory
verses from Scripture. The text "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I
might not sin against thee" was one of the very first verses I learned. I
still know it is Psalm 119:11. Understanding that it should be a long time
until my wife or I suffer long-term memory loss, as opposed to short-term
memory loss, it should be quite a while before I forget that verse. I
cannot think of anything more valuable to retain than God's Word. However,
to retain one first has to learn. There are so many situations in life that
stimulate the memory of God's Word. Just this very morning one of my
students commented about something he owned that instantly brought to mind,
"Thou shall not covet." I won't mention what wonder he owned that almost
made me break Exodus 20:17.

Hebrews Elevens are Among Us

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-22T21:57:37-04:00

There is a wonderful thought at the close of Hebrews 11. Paul wrote that
his great list of heroes had not yet received the perfection promised.
Their perfection did not come from the list of their great accomplishments.
It is only together with us would they find perfection. Perfection comes as
a gift only from Jesus. As great as Abram was, as great as Gideon, Barak,
Jephthah, Samuel and Rahab were, the only way for them to be perfect was
exactly the same way you and I become perfect. When Jesus was nailed to the
cross one arm pointed backward in history and one arm pointed forward. He
and He alone can provide salvation to anyone who ever lived on this aged
planet. The New Covenant was older than the Old Covenant. The only reason
the Old Covenant ever existed was because of the ignorance of people who
thought they could somehow appease an angry God. The truth is there was
always a loving Father wooing and courting His people. A few caught
glimpses. Habakkuk 2:4, "The just shall live by faith. " And Romans 1:17,
"The just shall live by faith." There is and always has been only one way
to be redeemable. We must allow Jesus to do it for us.

Hebrews 11:34 promises "our weaknesses will be turned to strength." Paul
inserts this for those of us who so often feel inadequate or incapable of
belonging to such an illustrious group. God has His Hebrews 11 people in
every age. They are walking among us. Perhaps you work with one, live with
one, pray or play with one. Their goodness - not their perfection -
permeates their lives and makes our lives richer and more meaningful.

Look-alikes

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-21T21:26:15-04:00

While filling up my car a driver on the other side of the pump was also
filling his car. When he turned and looked at me I literally gasped. If I
had not known Ted Kennedy is dead I would have been sure he was out touring
central Massachusetts. If Senator Kennedy had become president they really
could have used this man as a double. He even had that very pronounced
Bostonian accent. It always takes my breath away for a moment when I see a
very close look-alike.

Many years ago I thought I saw my uncle at a Pennsylvania Turnpike rest
stop. When I mentioned it my Dad, his brother, my Dad asked, "Why didn't
you talk to him?" Well, I explained, the woman with him wasn't my aunt, so
I knew it wasn't him. My Dad's response was, "All the more reason to think
it was him."

I have always thought how incredibly marvelous it would be if I would be
taken as a double for Jesus. Since my Arian features would most likely not
be close to Jesus' Semitic features, it would have to be related to
mannerisms and behaviors. Acts 4:13 says, "When they saw the boldness of
Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men,
they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with
Jesus." One cannot spend time with Jesus without being changed. It's a
basic fact of life. Paul referred to it as having the mind of Jesus in us.
What an amazing goal, to think His thoughts and to have His ideas.

A Triple-Double

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-11T20:36:20-04:00

Being that the Boston Celtics are in the finals against their historic rival
the Lakers I am semi-engaged in what is happening. I say semi because I
have never been enamored with ten very tall guys throwing a ball through a
hoop. I have a theory about basketball. We should give each team 100
points and then play for five minutes. This week while watching one of the
games I heard a new term. By telling you this I am revealing how ignorant I
am, but oh well. I heard the commentators talking about one of the players
getting a triple-double. I didn't have a clue. But I do know how to use
Goggle. A triple-double is when one player tallies double digits in three
areas. For example, 26 points, 12 assists and 16 rebounds. Magic Johnson
holds the record for 30 triple-doubles during playoff series.

Obviously one has to be very good to achieve such status. Hebrews 11 has
always fascinated me. Paul records a list of God's greats. These are the
triple-double quality people. It is exciting to note the list is not
closed. Hebrews 12:1 says, "Seeing we also are compassed about with so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which
doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, . . ." When it's foggy I think of God's cloud of witnesses.
There are so many millions of droplets of water. Heaven's list is huge and
you and I have the opportunity to be included. Someone is probably saying,
"Not me." Yes, you. All you need is perfection and that is a gift from
Jesus.

A Difficult Decision

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-10T21:43:15-04:00

In the latter part of last year a mother of four was admitted to a hospital
in Phoenix. She was in the first trimester of a pregnancy and the right
side of her heart had ceased to function. After careful and prayerful
consideration Sister Margaret McBride, the hospital administrator, granted
permission for the baby to be aborted. It was the only way to save the
mother who had four children at home who needed her. Sister McBride is a
highly respected member of the Sisters of Mercy and had an unblemished
record but she had broken church law. The Bishop of the Phoenix diocese
forthwith excommunicated her taking away her rights to communion and any
other sacrament.

I mention this because it is a classic example of following the letter of
the law and forgetting the spirit of the law. In Mark 2 Jesus commends
David for feeding his men the shewbread from the temple because his men were
in need of food. It was a clear violation of temple law. Only the priests
were to eat the shewbread. David's men with all the notches on their spear
shafts could hardly be considered priests. Over and over Jesus sought to
have us understand that people are more important than laws. Laws are made
to protect people and when they do the opposite principles come into
operation. In Galatians Paul says the entire law is summed up in how we
treat others.

Solomon once said there is a time to kill. Sister McBride's dilemma was
which one was to die, the mother or the developing baby. If we think this
was an easy decision it is only because we have never had to do so.

"Allee, allee, in free"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-09T22:39:34-04:00

I saw some children playing outside this dusk. How is it that such a
normal activity has become rare? How wonderful it used to be to play until
dark or until someone's mother stood on the porch and called for her
children to come inside. Hide and Seek was my favorite. One had the option
of hiding so one could not be found or hiding close to home base so you
could race to the base before the person who was "it." If you hid really
well the only way to get you to come out was the call, "Allee, allee, in
free."

"Allee, allee, in free." This is the message of Jesus. People try to hide
from Him and He calls out, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely."

"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die."

"Whosever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

Please note the continued use of "whosoever." The New Testament is filled
with the use of this word. Please note there are no gender, no racial, no
educational, no age and no national restrictions. Jesus is calling out
"Allee, allee, in free." This is one of those cases when free wasn't free.
Jesus paid a huge price to be able to make this offer. He is "it." He is
the one who hunts the hiders. He wants to catch us and make us "it" so we
can also become hunters of the hiders. Before He left He gave the great
Gospel Commission for us to go and hunt hiders. It is our privilege to join
Him in the greatest quest of all time; find the hiders.

Great Worship

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-08T22:06:57-04:00

I was sitting in a beautiful church. I could not imagine what it cost.
The pipe organ alone cost more than most church buildings. The stained
glass windows were awesome. Each window told a Bible story. And yet as I
left I was uninspired. The sparse congregation barely sang the hymns and
the sermon was mediocre at best. While walking to my car I remembered a
church on the slopes of Mount Kenya where we attended a Campmeeting. The
roof was rusted, corrugated metal and the sides were vertical wooden slates
filled with knot holes. There was no pulpit and the people sat on planks on
blocks. When it rained, and it did every day, I had to stop preaching
because the sound on the roof was mesmerizingly deafening. The best part
was the music. The music leader would hold up an empty orange Fanta bottle
by the lip on the top of the bottle and beat out rhythms by striking it with
the side of a coin. Oh how the people would sing. It was a foretaste of
heaven.

Obviously great worship experiences don't have to occur in great cathedrals.
Emily Dickenson once wrote,

"Some keep the Sabbath going to Church --
I keep it, staying at Home --
With a Bobolink for a Chorister --
And an Orchard, for a Dome -

Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice --
I just wear my Wings --
And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church,
Our little Sexton -- sings.

God preaches, a noted Clergyman --
And the sermon is never long,
So instead of getting to Heaven, at last --
I'm going, all along."

How absolutely grand!!

Life Is Full Of Surprises

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-07T17:43:01-04:00

Life is full of surprises. We don't always get what we expected. A couple
of months ago we went to the local shelter and brought home a pretty black
lab puppy or so we thought. As she has matured we noticed her behavior is
not that of a lab. She is a border collie in black lab clothes. I had a
border collie when I was a boy and while I loved her dearly I had vowed not
to get another one. They have this very inbred behavior of wanting to herd
everything. She wants to round up people and keep them in a group. This is
accomplished by gentle nips on the back of legs. Fortunately we don't have
small children in the house. Well, it's too late now. We have fallen in
love and will live with this very sweet dog that wants all her people in one
place where she can see us.

Her latest adventure happened just an hour or so ago. She met our
neighborhood fox. Ouch! We are very glad she is up to date on her rabies
shot. It was a very scary encounter for both of them and her not so bad
wounds will quickly heal. She seems very happy to be inside right now.

I have seen both brides and grooms surprised after a few months of marriage.
They didn't quite get what they were expecting. Sometimes it is much better
than what they wanted and of course the opposite also happens. There are
very few sure things in life. Now comes the good part. There is one sure
thing. God loves you dearly. Jesus died to save you. Salvation is a gift.
Perhaps that's the greatest surprise of all.

The Heart of Amos

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-04T19:53:23-04:00

Amos is called a minor prophet. He is called that because his book is
small. However, his message is huge and just as appropriate today as it
was hundreds of years before Jesus was born. The heart of his message comes
in chapter five. Speaking for God he wrote, "I hate, I despise your feast
days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt
offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I
regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your
songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let
justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Let us not deceive ourselves because of tradition, or habits of behavior, to
think that our present way of conducting business is any less offensive to
God than it was in Amos' day. Society, despite civil rights legislation
which should shame Christianity to think we needed secular powers to force
us to do the right thing, is still far from perfect. Our churches still
practice discrimination in more than one form. We should be the leaders and
not the tail when it comes to matters of justice and righteousness.

I refrain from mentioning a specific because that would narrow the message
to a particular issue. The call is broader than one issue. It is about the
ability and willingness of God's people to examine whatever civic or
religious group we support and be sure we are not benignly and without
thought supporting policies or doctrines that deny a group or a person the
right to full participation. Let justice run down like water and
righteousness like a mighty river.

The Bottle Cap

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-03T22:02:55-04:00

It was one of those moments every guy fears. I tried my best to twist off
the cap on a bottle of limeade. I tried drying my hand. I tried using my
shirt. It was all to no avail. Just before heading for the garage to get a
pair of wide-mouthed pliers my sister, my almost ten years older sister,
picked up the bottle and took off the cap. My manhood was crushed. I'm sure
she is still laughing.

So what is it that defines manhood? Might I rescue my ego by describing
manhood as something much greater than a physical act of strength? Many
self-help books regarding this topic fill library shelves, but the most
interesting is found in Ephesians 5. In verse 25 Paul challenges us.
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself for her." I cannot imagine raising the bar any higher than that.
Real men know their highest calling is to provide a safe, nurturing
environment for their families.

The actual details of gender roles and family relations differ from culture
to culture and family to family. It really isn't nearly as important who
vacuums and who mows the lawn as is the atmosphere of mutual trust and
teamwork. The important thing is that each person knows they are loved and
respected for what talent they bring to the home. Modern families are
challenged to find adequate time to foster interpersonal growth. We are so
very busy in this twenty-first century and I sometimes hear people try to
justify their busyness by saying while they can't have large quantities of
time they at least have quality time. My only response is absence does not
make the heart grow fonder. That is an old wives' tale.

Only One White Hat

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-02T18:35:33-04:00

I sometimes wish life was as easy to sort out as it is in the old-time
westerns when the good guys wore white hats. I very much doubt there is
much of a market for white hats. Good historians, those dedicated to seeing
through our self-created myths, seek to reveal as much actuality as
possible. The more we study the more we come to realize our heroes of the
past were just people with good publicists. One of my heroes, Thomas
Jefferson, was a spendthrift and a slave holder. Yet I realize how wrong it
is to judge a historical character by today's ethics. Unless we know all
the details we would be wise to withhold judgment. Every time and every
culture cast their own shade of gray upon human behavior.

It is best to keep our heroes at arms length and not seek too much detail.
Many years ago we had a family to our home for Sabbath dinner. Upon leaving
the husband reported to others that I, the pastor, was not the man they
thought I was. I don't think that was to be understood that I was better
than he had thought. His big mistake was coming to dinner. Some might say,
"You should have been better." Sorry about that, but, I think I lost my
white hat after about one week in the ministry.

Rarely am I surprised or crushed when I hear something negative about a
sterling person. My concept of him is not lowered because I know all of us
are very flawed. But I might think less of the person who bore the bad
tidings. There has only been one among us worthy of the white hat. See
Hebrew 4:15 for the answer.

Waiting For My Father

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-06-01T15:00:28-04:00

When I was a very little boy, before we moved to the country, we lived in a
city row house with just enough room between the house beside us to
accommodate a walkway and a small patch of ground. The patch had no grass.
It was perfect for playing marbles. I don't really remember the rules of
the game but there were three small holes I had dug and it had something to
do with using a shooter to knock other marbles into the holes. The very
best part of my day was when my father would come home from school. He would
get down on his hands and knees and play marbles with me. I would smooth
the dirt, rub the marbles clean on my pants, sit on the steps of the porch
and wait for his car, our car, an old black prewar something. I don't know
what it was.

How strange it is that so many decades later I am still waiting for my
Father. I have grown up in a church that is waiting. The entire concept of
waiting is embedded in its name. I have watched my friends and family
engaged in this waiting process. We speak of it almost weekly. It is based
upon the promises of Jesus. I wonder if in some undesigned way the waiting
has kept us from truly appreciating the now. We almost want the world to
get worse and worse so Jesus will return and take us to our Father.
Catastrophes are almost welcomed.

If I read carefully what Jesus said, I wonder if we have missed the promises
that once we make Him the Lord of our lives, the blessings and benefits of
citizenship in the Kingdom of the Father are not merely the future but are
the now. See John 5.

Memorials

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-31T21:48:49-04:00

It's Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial beginning of summer when Emily
Post gave women permission to once again wear white clothing. (I think. I
really don't know this for a fact.) Fortunately our small city is amply
decorated with flags reminding us of what Memorial Day is really about. It
is a day to remind us of the tremendous price paid through the decades that
we might live in a land of liberty.

Memorials are important. Without them we have a tendency to become absorbed
in the now and forget very important things. Christianity has many
memorials. Jesus established many of them for us. The last night He was
with His disciples He explained to His disciples the real significance of
the Passover bread and wine. They are memorials of His sacrifice for us that
we might live forever.

There is baptism, a memorial of the death of our old, sinful self and the
rebirth of someone filled with the Holy Spirit and dedicated to continued
spiritual growth.

There is the Sabbath, a memorial of creation. Each week this memorial
reminds us that the God who died for us is the very God who created us. He
has taken responsibility for His wondrous creation. See Exodus 20.

Easter Sunday is a memorial of His resurrection. He conquered death and
promises if we will have faith in Him we too shall conquer death. How
grand.

Christmas is a memorial of His advent. It does not matter that we do not
know the real date. What matters is that we establish a memorial lest we
forget.

Memorials are important for us. We must stop our regular life activities
and remind ourselves where we have come from and where we are going.

He Knows Our Intentions

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-28T22:29:10-04:00

If you are like me most of the disputes in which we are involved occur
because of misunderstandings. Sometimes we mistakenly misspeak and before
we have an opportunity to rectify it, it has been taken negatively by
another and we are off to the races. I can think of some really big
disappointments that began with great intentions. However, because we
cannot read minds we allow our feelings to be hurt and our response isn't
very positive. We think we have been slighted when it was the last thing the
other person wanted. Failed attempts at humor are a major source of hurt.
As a teacher I am most guilty of this. I joke with students only to see
tears well up in their eyes. Then I am crushed.

I have always loved Hebrews 4:12. God "is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart." There is no chance for misunderstandings with God.
He knows. Just as it is impossible for us not to be understood, it is also
impossible for us to lie to Him. We shouldn't tell Him we love Him when we
are genuinely angry at Him. Well, maybe we should. Allow me to take that
back. We can love someone and simultaneously be angry at them. Parents and
children experience this multiple times and He did instruct us to call him
"Father."

Most of the time I am comforted by the idea that He totally understands me.
Often we have feelings that are very difficult to articulate and while it
might be useful to do so, we don't have to. He knows. He knows the
intents of our hearts. That's a very sweet thought. It is like honey.

The World We Want To See

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-27T19:44:46-04:00

One of the great wonders of the human mind is the ability to create the
world it wants. We see the things that support our worldview and are blind
to the things that do not. If we see the world as a hostile place our mind
will focus on slights and will spin things into a negative. Paranoia comes
on a sliding scale from one to ten. Some of us are so anxious for this age
to come to an end and for the second coming of Jesus to occur we see "Signs
of the Times" everywhere. They are usually negative because that fits an
end time worldview. See Matthew 24.

Then there are those who do not believe the world is any worse off now than
it has ever been. The wars and earthquakes and threats of violence fit into
a pattern of history that has been with us for thousands of years.
Increased numbers are merely the product of better reporting in an age of
instant worldwide news coverage. For these people the world has always been
a dangerous place, so live with it.

There is a third kind of person who, while not being a total Pollyanna, sees
the blessings they have and are grateful. While they recognize bad things
do happen, those bad things are far outnumbered by good things. They
minimalize bad things and refuse to let them set the tone for their life.
They long for the second coming but are happy to make the best of what is.

There is such a wealth of incidents, good and bad, our minds are
intriguingly capable of defining, with an overwhelming amount of evidence,
the history and present we desire. The most difficult educational framework
to design for schools is social studies. Just whose viewpoint will be
emphasized in the limited number of pages a history book can contain?

Couth

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-26T19:01:26-04:00

Yesterday I admitted that for all these years I did not know one is not
supposed to congratulate a bride for getting married. Today someone who
read my confession accused me of being uncouth. Wow. I don't want to be
uncouth. I want to be couth. Merely thinking that made me aware that in
all my years I have never been called couth. Actually, I have never called
anyone couth. It's a nice thing to be but somehow doesn't sound that nice.
I'm going to try it out. Next time I see someone being sophisticated I am
going to say, "How couth of you." I hope I don't get punched in the mouth.

Actually Jesus was accused of being uncouth. They said, "This man eats
with publicans and sinners." Now that is very uncouth. How about Matthew
23 where He calls the religious establishment a bunch of snakes who are
really like nicely polished tombs that are filled on the inside with rotten
body parts? Ouch! Now that is uncouth. It really is no wonder why they
wanted to get rid of Him. He embarrassed them in front of their
congregation.

Then there was a time when He told Peter that Peter was playing the part of
the Devil by trying to discourage Him from going to the cross. Once when
the woman who was anointing His feet with very expensive ointment was
ridiculed, Jesus defended her by telling His host to leave her alone because
he, His host, had not done so much for Him.

While I really don't think Jesus went around deliberately being uncouth, He
did have His moments. Most of the time He was filled with sympathy and
care. See Matthew 14:14.

Congratulations

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-25T19:35:22-04:00

While I cannot remember a specific occasion I most likely have committed a social indiscretion through the years. Only today did I learn that one is never to congratulate a bride. Only the groom is to be congratulated. To congratulate is to express joy over one's accomplishment. To congratulate a groom is to be joyful that he has won the heart of his intended. To congratulate a bride would mean she finally got her man and is saved from spinsterhood. Humm?!

The above logic presents an interesting idea regarding Revelation 19. John portrays Jesus as the Bridegroom and we are His bride. We are not to be congratulated upon receiving our salvation. It is Jesus who is to be congratulated for winning us. We are the object of His wooing. He is the one who paid the horrendous price that we might be His. He is the one who chases us and will not let us go. He is the victor and the glory belongs to Him. We are the ones taken to His house. We are the ones bound into the family of God.

The one thing that makes Christianity different from all other religions is not our moral code. Other religions have high moral standards. What makes Christianity different is it is the only religion that proclaims the truth that from the foundation of the world God has been pursuing us. Other religions proclaim the mistaken notion that God can be found by us if we sacrifice enough and perform penance for our sins. Jesus said, "I stand at the door and knock." We do not need to go on pilgrimages to find that door. It is in our minds all the time.

My Tiger Swallowtail

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-24T18:50:30-04:00

For an entire week we have had a tiger swallowtail butterfly filling our yard with glorious beauty. He reels among the blooming rhododendrons and azaleas. We have been granted the pleasure of most of its life for it only takes a month from egg to aged adult. That doesn't leave it much time to brighten the corner where it is. It reminds me of the poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, "My candle burns at both ends. It will not last the night; but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends it gives a lovely light."

One of the smartest men I have ever known passed away recently. As I pondered his death I could not but think of the tragic waste that lay in that coffin. He was a scholar, an administrator and a great preacher. He used to sit on the platform with me at church and follow the scripture reading in his Hebrew or Greek Bible. He was an awesome, friendly, caring man. His candle burned brightly. He decorated life with his presence. If it were not for the promises of Jesus I would be the most depressed of all men. However, Jesus leaves us no room for despair. All of that talent and all of that study was not in vain nor was all that learning for a brief moment in time. It is forever. It is not to lay fallow but to live again and breathe again and shine again. All that we attain now is a stepping stone for a bigger and better tomorrow. God is into growth.

My tiger swallowtail will soon be dashed to the ground in a summer storm or suffer some similar fate. I wish it could know how much it was appreciated.

Nowhere to Run

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-21T21:30:47-04:00

One of the stages of human development is object permanence. If the baby can't see you, you do not exist. That's why peek-a-boo is so much fun. We keep popping in and out of their life. I could very well be wrong but I think I saw a version of this last night with our five month old lab, Annie. She was being naughty and I called to her to get down. Instead of getting down she hid her face so she could not see me. Was she thinking if she could not see me, I could not see her? This is not the first time she has done this.

I think some people are like this with God. If they can't see Him then He doesn't exist. Or if He does exist perhaps He won't see them if they don't see or look for Him. However, like Annie and me, I could still see her whether she thought so or not and God can still see us whether we think so or not, or whether we like it or not. We are quite visible to Him.

Jonah discovered there wasn't any place to hide. And the Psalmist said, "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." 139:8 The point is very simple. We are watched. God is hoping He will catch us doing something good so He can enjoy watching us reap the good results. As for being punished for doing something bad, He doesn't have to do that. He can merely allow us to reap the negative results for our bad decisions.

(Is there anyone out there who remembers "Nowhere To Run" by Martha and the Vandellas sung in 1965?)

Too Many Papas?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-20T22:47:09-04:00

We've all ordered pizza over the phone. It wasn't something new or unique when I called Papa John's this evening. Twenty minutes later I was walking in the door ready to do battle. The price they quoted me on the phone was quite a bit more than the sign on the door that said, "Any Large Pizza - $10." But wait; they didn't have my order. It was then that I realized I hadn't called Papa John's. I had called Papa Gino's. How I wish I had called Papa John's. Their pizza was so much cheaper.

Now back into the truck and on my way to Papa Gino's, Frank Sinatra started to sing, "My Embraceable You", which of course contained the line, "Come to papa, come to papa do." My grandchildren call me "papa" as they also call their other grandfather "papa." I even heard a sermon where the preacher said Jesus referred to His father as "papa." There are just too many papas around.

Or are there? Is that even possible? If God loves me as much as I love my sons and their children then I'm okay. I'm in a very safe place. I couldn't help not thinking of Romans 8 where Paul says, we "received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." The word "Abba" is well translated as "papa." This personal fatherhood of God is a very New Testament idea. Jesus wanted us to know what God is really like. There really can't be too many papas.

Trust, but Verify

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-19T21:54:48-04:00

More than once Ronald Reagan said in relationship to our relationship with the USSR, "Trust, but verify." After repeating it at the signing INF Treaty Mikhail Gorbachev responded, "You repeat that at every meeting." President Reagan said, "I like it."   Me too.

I especially like it in our relationship with God. Over and over God expects us to trust Him but He does not expect us to do so without some personal verification. Hebrews 11 says, "Faith is the substance of things unseen."   Please note even though unseen there is substance. When Jesus called Peter, James, John and Andrew to follow Him, He had just filled their nets with fish. He was saying I know you have family responsibilities. Follow me and those obligations will be met.   Earlier He said to them, "Come and see."

God does not expect blind faith. God gave us minds to use and He expects us to verify. He does not want us to follow just anyone or anything because we have some unverified trust. God backs up His word with evidence. However, He always leaves that last little bit that is sometimes called "a leap of faith." While I love the song Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so, I also realize that is for children. Paul says, "Now that I am a man I think like a man."   Men, big people, are tasked to give a reason for our faith. Peter wrote, "Always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you." We are not the blind following the blind. We trust, but being the big people that we are, we verify.

Partakers of Christ

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-18T22:10:03-04:00

There is a wonderful concept found in Hebrews 3:14. It reads, "For we have become partakers of Christ. . ." John 1 tells us that God, The Word, became flesh and dwelt among us." This is an intriguing exchange. God takes on humanity and humanity takes on divinity. Note the tense used in Hebrews 3:14. "We have become." This is not a future thing that occurs when this mortal puts on immortality. See I Corinthians. 15. This is something for us to experience now.

So what are the implications of such an experience? First of all, divinity is righteous. Since we are not righteous in actual experience at least we are forensically. God declares us righteous with room to grow. The entire Christian walk is about becoming. Second, divinity is eternal. We are still mortal but the promise is so sure we can claim to have started living forever. See John 5:24 where we are promised we have already crossed over from death to life. Third, divinity participates in all manner of blessings. If we are partakers of Christ a whole cornucopia of blessings becomes available to us right now. We could start with stress reduction. Our future is secure. He holds us safely in His hand. We can eliminate guilt and its accompanying anxiety. The elimination of stress will result in a host of physical benefits. Stress is extremely devastating to most, if not all, of our systems. We should be happier making us nicer people and thus we can enjoy a wider circle of friends. The list can go on and on.

"Partakers of Christ." It's a marvelous reality. Let's not only look forward to what God has for us but let's not neglect the joys of the present.

Tidbits of Truth

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-17T08:49:48-04:00

My dog Annie and I were thoroughly enjoying some freshly baked sugar cookies
when I noticed an ant crossing the patio. Not being able to resist I made
sure a tidbit fell on the ant's path. He or she, I don't know how to tell
the difference, stopped dead still and then ever so slowly approached the
morsel. If my ears had been sensitive enough I am sure a lot of sniffing
was going on. Hefting the delight high overhead the ant scurried along her
way. She must have been thinking, "Just wait until they see this. This has
to be the best discovery ever."

Every once in a while God drops a tidbit of intellectual or spiritual truth
and the finder usually thinks he has unveiled the greatest truth of all
time. God watches as he scurries off to tell the world and of course to
take credit. Ideas are the world's most precious commodity. Ideas advance
civilization. The progress of theology, philosophy and science depend upon
minds building on the shoulders of the great thinkers of the past.
Knowledge is a progressive product. Each new generation is not more
intelligent than those who came before but each new generation can think
more complexly as they advance older ideas and modify them for clearer
understanding.

Proverbs 4:18 says our paths shine more as we move ahead. God, the source
of knowledge and truth, shares tidbits with us allowing us to grow. Out of
the infinite reservoir of His mind comes enlightenment. He hopes we will use
the new ideas to become better people and to improve the quality of life and
understanding of all humanity. Sometimes we think we are so smart; however,
the truth is God is sharing.

Our Listening Father

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-14T09:37:07-04:00

On occasion we have moments of cacophony in our home. We have a bonging grandfather clock, a clanging antique clock from my wife's grandparents and a chiming clock from my father's mantel. There are times when they all are wound and set to the same time. By the time ten or so comes around there is a lot of noise. We really should set one a minute early, one on time and another a minute late. That way we could appreciate each one's unique quality.

They remind me of people, each eager to proclaim their point of view and none being patient to allow the others time to express their ideas. Perhaps it is my inability to simultaneously listen to two or three threads of logic, but I have little tolerance for people speaking over the top of another. Occasionally, in class I have to referee some impassioned students and fortunately being the teacher I have the clout to make them take turns.

I am so glad God is so omni. If only one percent of the world's population prays that still means God has to listen to 68,000,000 prayers a day. That works out to a few more than 47,000 a minute. I do not believe God has teams of angels handling this enormous task. I do believe each of us get personalized attention from God Himself, our Father. And just how does He do this? I don't have the slightest clue because my finite mind cannot grasp the power, the wisdom, the intellect and the creativity of such an infinite being.

Psalm 91:15 is a grand promise, "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him:"

Special People

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-13T22:22:30-04:00

When I was a boy my parents bought a new couch. It was a big deal. It looked very nice in our living room. That was part of the problem. It looked so nice my mother was determined to keep it that way. To do so she put clear plastic covers over it. They were cold and crinkly when you sat on them and after sitting for a while they became hot and sticky. To top it off they were reflective and really uglified the couch. She always said she was saving the couch for special occasions and should one arrive she would remove the plastic covers. To my memory we never had a special occasion.

I remembered this when a few days ago I got into a friend's car and noticed they had floor mats on the floor mats. I figured they were saving the original floor mats which were saving the car's carpet for an occasion when someone special would ride in their car. Obviously I wasn't that someone special.

I would like to make a case that the most special people in our lives are the people we see everyday. They are our children, our spouse and other members of the family. The special people in our lives are the ones who love us enough to put up with our idiosyncrasies on a daily basis. They are the ones who bear with us when we become intolerable and they are the ones who can laugh not only with us but better yet at us. If you are saving something special for some stranger to visit you, please stop it. Get out those dishes and take the floor mats off the floor mats. See Romans 12:10-13

Universe Sale

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-12T19:58:30-04:00

While waiting for a traffic light to turn green I noticed a sign with the big letters, "FREE." Strewn around it was some of the most despicable junk I had ever seen. I was hoping others had already taken the things of substance, if there ever was any. The scene set my mind to thinking about yard sales and what a great story someone could write about God having a universe sale. There could be an array of used angel robes, antique crowns, old record books that have since been replaced with a computerized record keeping system and a planet or two. If earth was for sale it would seem to deserve a big "Free" sign. There could be an explanation paragraph. "Well used, extremely polluted, rebellious population prone to warring, shaking a lot and running out of resources." However, no such sign would exist because God already purchased Earth. It seems strange that He would have to purchase that which He made. He paid dearly.

And why would God pay the price of the cross? John 3:16 answers, "For God so loved the world." Isn't that amazing? God must be like the man at a flea market who purchased an old painting because he saw the great value of the frame. God must see something here we don't see. God sees potential. He sees souls, while not yet great, but indeed on the way to becoming great. God loves great souls.

And what is a great soul? Is it someone with tons of talent? Not really. The talent can be added later. A truly great soul is one who is willing to allow God to do scads of interior decorating. The end product will be out of this world.

Trimmed

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-11T22:20:16-04:00

I watched a carpenter finish off a project by putting trim around the base of the floor. He was adding something. But I thought getting a trim, as in a haircut, was taking something away. Upon reflection I remembered each December we trim a tree. There we go adding something. I used to sail with a friend who trimmed his sails. He neither added nor subtracted but adjusted. When I fly an airplane I trim the moveable surfaces to take pressure off the yoke and fly level without help from me. I then remember getting thoroughly trounced at tennis and my opponent told me he trimmed me. A negotiator trims, finds a neutral position between two opposing parties. My wife has recently lost twenty pounds and is looking very trim. I need to keep this devotional limited to three hundred words and so I trimmed it down from three hundred and eighteen words.

It is a wonder anyone ever learns English. God trims me. He trims away my sins. He trims me with good works. I hope. He never trounces me. He just watches me trim myself, self-destruct. He trims, fine tunes, me to ease me through life's journey with as little pressure as possible. God never trims by taking a neutral position about me with Satan. God is very much on my side.

Because I want the very best for you but do not know your specific need; therefore, I am going to pray a prefect prayer and ask that God will trim you today. He will take away or add or adjust anything you need. May He trim away your sins and trim you with glorious character growth.

God's Stars

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-10T08:14:55-04:00

Philippians two is a wonderful chapter. In it Paul challenges us to have the mind of Jesus by being humble and obedient. When he comes to verse fifteen he urges, "become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." The NIV translates the last part "shine like the stars in the universe."

Hollywood stars are people who shine by pretending to be someone they are not. If they are really good at it they receive a small gold plated statue. God's stars shine not by pretending but by becoming. Each day we grow into the likeness of our Jesus, who according to Hebrews one, made the entire universe. Instead of winning a small gold statue we win the ultimate prize, we win a crown of eternal life.

Notice the goal God has for us is to become harmless while living in a perverse world. Because of the way we are that is almost impossible. So often we ignorantly harm others. We don't know the backgrounds of those whom we contact and we thoughtlessly say things that pierce hearts. Ignorantly we belittle someone and not only make them feel small but useless. As a teacher with a captive audience I have to be so careful and yet despite my care I still on occasion cause tears.

It is not easy to be harmless. To be so we, first of all, need wisdom. We need to understand others' sensitivities. Secondly, we need a desire to be a nurturer. Thirdly, we need to learn to express ourselves in non-judgmental caring language. All this I have found is quite impossible without the indwelling Spirit of God's love.

My Lost Key

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-07T20:45:01-04:00

I am such a loser. I lose my glasses, my wallet, my memory and the latest was the key to my office. Yesterday I exhausted every reasonable possibility for where I might have left it. I even dreamed last night that it was on the floor of my car. Guess what. Dreams don't always come true. It wasn't there this morning.

We use keys for almost everything - doors, cars, computer access. The list can go on and on. Often times the most difficult key to find is one that will open our understanding to human relationships. Counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists make a very good living trying to help us in this area. When we were young we looked for the key to the heart of that someone special.

I sometimes hear preachers tell me they have the key to Daniel 11. I even believe I have the key to salvation and living forever. His name is Jesus. It is very simple and yet ironically it is also complicated. Seventeen times Paul uses the word "mystery" in connection with the Gospel, righteousness, faith, godliness and iniquity. It really is mysterious how the death of one righteous man can satisfy justice for the sins of billions. See Romans 5:17. While I certainly will not be foolish enough to challenge God over what appears to be a disparity of right and wrong, I will accept. I think I will spend much of eternity trying to understand God's concept of justice. It seems so biased in our favor. I want the key to all these mysteries.

And, oh yes. I now have the key to my office. This morning my wife found it in the dog's water dish. Aren't puppies fun?

The Unnatural Standard

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-05T22:33:52-04:00

There are those who by not understanding think non-violence is weakness. They could not be more wrong. It is natural to hit back. It is instinctive. To turn the other cheek takes enormous strength. First, one must combat nature. Second, one must be brave enough to be hit again. Third, one must have the mental discipline to understand the immediate result could be very damaging but the long term result will be victory. The great civil rights struggle in this country would have written a far different story had Dr. King taken to the streets with arms.

The Sermon on the Mount challenges us with the highest of ideals. It is a recipe for constructing God's ideal human. Should we rise to such standards it might possibly stir God to do the same for us that He did for Enoch. Genesis 5:24 says, "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." Apparently one day God must have said, "This man Enoch has become so much like us, we cannot allow him to die. Let's bring him home." In I Thessalonians Paul speaks of people being taken to heaven without seeing death. He says, "We which are alive and remain will be caught up in the clouds to be with the Lord."

Something that has puzzled me through the years is the large number of "Christians" who are so militant. What would happen if we really did take Jesus at His word and feed our enemies and give them what they need? Who would ultimately win? I cannot believe that Jesus is wrong and yet I have people tell me I am naïve. We are called to an unnatural standard. Hit me and I'll hit you back. Sorry about that.

Dents

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-04T22:28:38-04:00

My wife was first to spot it. There in the parking lot was a panel truck with the following message on the side, "Dent Redemption - We make it whole." Then in smaller font it said, "Paintless Dent Removal." Jesus touched the eyes of a blind man and he saw. He didn't use paint but He did use mud and spit. Interesting. See Mark 7 and 8. A leper came to Him missing body parts. Jesus made him whole. The litany can go on and on. The point is Jesus makes people whole. He takes out our dents and He doesn't paint over our sins. He actually removes them. See I John 1:9.

I understand if I am cremated my wife will not only get my ashes but she will also receive my metal knee and metal hip. That should make an interesting urn. I certainly will never need any of those things ever again, because according to Paul in I Corinthians 15 my resurrected body will be whole and as different from this imperfect one as a seed is from what grows from the seed.

The fact is we do get dents as life moves along. Some of them are from our own stupidity and other dents happen because others run into us. Our souls take on experience and become very unique because of the dents. While God never dents us He does take advantage of our self and other imposed dents to make us better people. In Romans 8 Paul wrote that all things work together for good to those that love God. Sometimes that is very difficult to understand but by faith we believe it is true. Jesus is the ultimate dent redeemer.

Patches

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-02T16:16:59-04:00

I'm not sure if there was any of the original road surface left and yet it was paved. For over a half a mile we drove over patch upon patch upon patch. Actually I should reword that sentence and exchange the word "drove" with the word "bounced." I wondered how many years and how many road crews it took to create such a wonder. Since there didn't seem to be any habitation along that stretch I figured it would be a long time before the State of New Hampshire would give up and repave.

I was reminded of socks and blue jeans when I was a boy. My mom was a great patcher. And indeed I do recall patches on patches. Today my students come to class with holes in their jeans and they maintain the jeans are brand new. Humm? What company is going to the Salvation Army and repackaging old pants? They must be laughing all the way to the bank at our gullibility.

Obviously Jesus knew about patching. In Matthew 9:16 He said, "No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse." He was referring to the need to replace the old system with a new one. Putting patches on the old way of earning heaven wasn't going to work. Grace was about to take the place of obedience. This is not to say obedience isn't important. Obedience is the key to an abundant life because His laws are based on His wisdom. To disobey is to ask for trouble. But all of us have sinned and come short. The only way salvation will ever work is if it is totally replaced with grace. The road to heaven was repaved.

The Ice Cream Truck

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-05-01T18:39:49-04:00

It was 82 degrees and the neighborhood was amazingly quiet. There were no chainsaws off in the distance and Logan Airport must have been routing incoming planes from some other direction. It was then that I heard it coming. It was the most wonderful sound ever on a really warm evening; "Turkey in the Straw" played by an ice cream truck. Ever so slowly it neared, pausing occasionally for some eager little boy or girl. Like a Pavlovian dog I began to salivate. As it rounded the corner at the bottom of my hill I began to fantasize about all the choices. I knew the side of the truck would be covered with pictures of ice pops, fudgecicles, frozen malts, good humor bars and ice cream sandwiches.

My wallet! Where was my wallet? Oh, good. He paused down the hill. One of those great kids on my street must have stopped him. But where was my wallet? Now he was coming again. Closer and closer, louder and louder was "Turkey in the Straw." Ah, there it was. There was my wallet. Scooping it up on the run I made for the front door. It was locked! As I fumbled with the latch I heard him pass. Running out onto the lawn I realized to my horror I was too late. He never saw me in his rearview mirror. I was one of the five foolish virgins. I had waited too long. There I stood with my wallet in hand but the ice cream man had come and gone. The afternoon grew quiet again as the sounds of "Turkey in the Straw" faded into the silence of a quiet New England neighborhood. Please see Matthew 25:1-13.

Living by Principles

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-30T22:47:45-04:00

I saw the strangest thing this evening. I was standing at the condiment counter at a McDonalds beside a fairly nicely dressed elderly man who was stuffing his pockets full of those little packets of ketchup, mustard and relish. Looking right at him I said, "Hey, how you doing?" Without the slightest embarrassment he responded, "Fine" and kept right on cleaning out the bins. Unlike the day I observed an old man steal a fish from our supermarket, I wasn't sure if this man was stealing. I mean, those packets are there for people to take.

Have you ever done something that wasn't illegal but somehow just didn't feel quite right? It's one of those fine line issues that isn't covered by a rule or law and yet isn't really right. It's the difference between living by laws or living by principles. It was what Paul was talking about in Galatians. When we begin to live by the principle of love, laws cease to matter. We don't need a law telling us not to steal because love motivates us not to harm someone by taking from them. The same goes for telling bad stories about someone. When we love we will not do that because we don't want to.

Have you ever heard someone say he did not want to be a Christian because there were too many don'ts? They just don't get it. When one is a Christian there are only two principles to guide us, love for God and love for man. It's the non-Christian who has to worry about not doing a host of things he might want to do. Living by principles is what Paul is referencing in Galatians 5 when he speaks of our freedom in Christ.

On James 3

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-29T22:33:52-04:00

Humor brings laughter, lightness and joy into our daily lives. Often times it relieves a tense situation and puts people at ease. Whenever a new semester begins students who do not know me are often a bit defensive and fearful. A big smile and a lighthearted remark made about something other than them often put them at ease.

However I have discovered humor does not always successfully cross cultures. Three weeks ago a crew of Vietnamese men stopped and asked if they could dewinterize my yard. There was a mountain of last fall's now sodden leaves blanketing everything. I jumped at the opportunity not to have to do it myself. They did a great job. When we walked about afterwards I was so pleased. It was then that I made an errant attempt at humor. There was one leaf. I mean one leaf left in a corner. I pointed at it and said, "Oh, no. A leaf! There is a leaf!" The poor man was crushed. I was joking. He was humiliated that he had not gotten every last one. You would have thought I had pierced his heart with a sword. He rushed to pick it up and a flood of apologies flowed from him. So much for being lighthearted. It was then my turn at apologizing.

I found myself wondering how many conflicts have begun because of misunderstandings. How many heartfelt attempts at goodness have been misjudged? More than once I have had to apologize to a student because of some thoughtless remark. And often it just pops out without forethought. The key is to be quick to apologize. James 3 is a great chapter to read at least once a year.

Bedraggled

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-28T21:58:11-04:00

In the midst of a torrential downpour I looked out the window and saw the most bedraggled looking bird at our feeder. It took me a moment to recognize that it was a male cardinal. He was so soaked you could barely identify what is usually the most beautiful bird in the neighborhood. What was he doing? Why had he not taken shelter like the other birds? He filled his beak and was off through an incredible storm. Having a hunch I raced to the other side of the house where we can view a very active cardinal nest. Sure enough mom was covering the chicks as he swooped in with food. His family needed him.

When I was small my father was a school teacher. He would come home from the classroom and sleep until 10:00 pm and then go to work in the steel mills of Pennsylvania from 11 to 7. He would come home in the morning, change clothes and go to his classroom. He did that for years. My mom, my sisters and I were well cared for.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:11, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" That soaked male cardinal reminded me of my dad. My dad reminded me of Matthew 7:11. Jesus was so right. Why should we fret and worry? We are loved. We are cared for. And should things get difficult there is always a better tomorrow. He cares for the birds that usually take shelter in a storm. He will always care for you and me.

Bragging Rights

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-27T22:02:39-04:00

And we thought the Hubble Telescope in orbit around the earth was the best. Think again. Ready for viewing deep space objects ten times sharper than what Hubble can do will be the Magellan Telescope, which will use seven 8.4-meter mirrors arranged into a pattern of six around one with an effective aperture of 24.5 meters. We are just six years away from completion. Astronomers tell us we will actually see planets in other solar systems. We will see the end of the universe. But how can that be? The universe has no end. I think it is time to brag. My Father and your Father owns it all. No, not the 600 million dollar telescope, the universe!

Since humility is part of a Christian character and it is not becoming to brag about ourselves, even though we are princes and princesses of the universe, let's brag about our Father. Our Father knows everything. Our Father has been everywhere, well, actually He is everywhere. Our Father can do anything. Wait a moment. No He can't. There are things God cannot do. He cannot tell a lie. He cannot cause harm. He cannot violate the righteousness of His character. Some of you are probably thinking, "No, He can, but He will not." No, He can't. Having the power does not mean He can. He is governed by His own integrity. He is integrity personified. And it is integrity that He wants to infuse into us. Once that happens we then will be safe to roam the vastness of His universe because we will do so without taking harm with us. The way we are now, we are so harmful. That has to go.

It will go. I Corinthians 15 promises, "This corruption will put on incorruption." How grand that will be.

Extraterrestrial Beings

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-26T09:02:13-04:00

According to the Associated Press, "British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking says aliens are out there, but it could be too dangerous for humans to interact with extraterrestrial life." When we contemplate the vastness of the universe and its billions of galaxies, each of which contain billions of suns, it would be foolish and egocentric to conclude we are alone. In Hebrews 1 we read that Jesus is the creator of worlds. Please note the plural. If we could it would be amazingly dangerous to physically interact with them. There are several issues, the largest of which is our human tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. We would be a great source of harm to them. We can also add to the danger that their bodies and our bodies would have no immunity to each other's bacteria. Note what happened to North American natives who came into contact with Europeans. The result of mere contact was devastating to them.

While we have never had contact with beings from other worlds we are in continual contact with beings from heaven. The Bible speaks over and over of our contact with angels. Actually there are over one thousand Biblical references to angels. Angels are extraterrestrial life and come to us all the time. Apparently we are no physical danger to them. They are ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14) sent to announce heaven's intentions (Luke 1) and to sometimes protect us from harm. Psalm 91:11, "He shall give His angels charge over thee." One of my favorite stories is about the morning Elisha's home was surrounded by angels.

Dr. Hawking is correct. Yes, they are there. But I am sure angels are not the kind of extraterrestrial life to which he was referring.

Collateral Benefits

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-23T09:04:49-04:00

With great regularity my wife comes up with terrific ideas. It's nice to live with her because I often take the credit for the good things that result from her brilliance. Here's one of MY latest really bright ideas. Our new puppy Annie walks about the house looking for things to chew. We supplied her with lots of chewy stuff but noticed the novelty of each new item soon wanes and she is off looking for something else. MY new idea is to put the chewy items in the bag with her food. They soak up the flavor and are then received with great unwaning interest.

Very early on in life I learned the value of surrounding one's self with people who are smarter than I am. My wife is smarter than I. Thus we had children who are smarter than I. I really don't mind being the dumbest person in the family because of the collateral benefits I then receive. It also works with friends. I must say I have many really brilliant friends. They are fun to be around because they are witty and kind enough to laugh at my often poor attempts at humor. Once again I benefit.

This idea also works in my spiritual life. Some people are easily influenced by those about them. I think I am one of those easily influenced because I note how quickly my conversation degrades or elevates depending upon the moral tone of those about me. I'm a better person when I am with good people. I can be pretty seedy when with those whose conversation focuses on base things. If you are like me and have a malleable character, make it better by spending time with good people, smart people and best of all, spend time each day with Jesus and His word. You will be so pleased with the result.

What's the Matter with Us?

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-22T09:14:51-04:00

It's spring time on the east coast and one of the most wonderfully obnoxious of all plants has once again sprouted fresh new leaves. I speak of POISON IVY.   As I am writing to you I am looking at my right hand all puffy and itchy. My hand looks like I am wearing an inflated rubber glove. One of my nursing students asked if I was retaining fluid and my answer was, "Only in spots."

In II Timothy 4:3 Paul speaks of "itching ears."   While he was not speaking of the fruit of exposure to poison ivy, he was speaking of something far worse. He was talking about our seeming hunger to listen to pass on poisonous stories.   We seem to crave hearing the worst about someone or something. If there is a bad story we seem quick to listen and pass it on as truth without any verification. In Paul's time gossip was passed on by whispering in someone's ear.   Today via electronics we can prodigiously spread vicious tales. We are literally capable of inflicting pain, chaos and untruths in gigantic proportions.

Very few of us seem to be immune. I know I am guilty. As soon as I hear something juicy, I rush down the hall to pass it on to my colleagues.   What is the matter with us? We almost seem to delight in hearing bad news, even when it is so preposterous it can't be true. Paul also wrote in Philippians 4:8 that we should think about things of "good report."   I'm sure all of us would agree that is what we should do, but good stories rarely tantalize and satisfy our itchy ears as much as something sensationally scandalous.   What is the matter with us?

Annie's Tough Love Lesson

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-20T22:11:16-04:00

It was time for some tough love. For some unknown reason Annie, our new lab puppy, decided the road was a place to explore. Just as soon as I would carry her back and put her down she scurried back to the street. It was time to put on the little red collar and turn on the electric fence. Because we knew what was coming, we almost cried as she headed for the street toward the little white flags. She never knew what hit her. I don't think she will be very interested in the street anymore. The little white flags have taken on new meaning.

God tells us not to do certain things. We are curious beings and find delight in exploring forbidden things. The forbiddenness actually increases the lure. If we could only understand, God only wants to keep us from harm. He withholds nothing from us that is good. If it's good He encourages us to go for it. Just as we are many times smarter than a puppy so God is many times than us. We know Annie cannot safely play in the street. God's commandments are His telling us not to play in the street.

Sometimes He has to decide it's time for some tough love. At Thanksgiving we often sing, We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing. There is a very meaningful line that often rings in my head. It goes like this, "He chastens and hastens His will to make known." I was a father before I finally understood that line. I think He must cry when He sees what is coming but He lets it happen because He knows it will save us from something far worse. We are loved.

"Whole Lotta Shaken Going On"

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-20T07:55:20-04:00

Almost everywhere I go these days there are containers dispensing hand sanitizer. I see them in schools and offices and this weekend I noticed one in the lobby of my church. It's a good idea considering how often we shake hands with others. It really is surprising how healthy most of us are considering that people cough and sneeze into their hands and then shake our hands.

Shaking hands is a very old custom crossings many cultures. Last evening I noticed the following in Galatians 2:9, "James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship." Martin Luther once refused to shake hands with Zwingli because Zwingli believed the Lord's Supper was only a memorial. And John Wesley refused to shake hands with George Whitefield because they disagreed over the doctrine of election. It is interesting how passionate we can be over our beliefs. I won't mention politics other than to say I know a Republican who won't shake hands with a Democrat. Ouch.

If you want an interesting topic to occupy your time look up variations of the word "shake" in a concordance. You will find hands shaking, heads being shaken, the heavens and the earth shaking, fruit trees shaken, knees shaking, minds shaken and of course the whole room was shaken when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost. Jesus even told His disciples to shake the dust off their feet if they were not welcomed where and when they tried to share the Good News. I have often thought about shaking Jesus' nail scared hands. I do think He will extend them to us, but I think the sight will be too overwhelming for me to reach out and touch them.

Annie's Dilemma

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-18T17:56:06-04:00

Our ball of fire lab puppy, Annie, has adapted to us very well. From the very first night she slept quietly, well almost quietly. She snores. She has us trained to run for the door when she starts sniffing about the house. She gets a treat when she waters the lawn. The problem is she now fakes it. She squats and then comes running for her treat. We had a dilemma today. It was over a stick. It was the perfect stick. It was much too good to put down. However, how does one eat one's treat when one's mouth is already full?   This produced a lot of whining.

She is so much like some humans I have known. God offers some incredible blessings. However, often they are conditional on our actions.   Sometimes we have to give up something to make ourselves able to prosper from what He offers. If we want the blessing of health we have to give up some bad eating habits. We have to get off the couch and walk around the block each day.

God wants to forgive us of our sins but we make ourselves ineligible because we continue to harbor grudges against others. It isn't that God doesn't want to forgive us. Our unforgiving spirit interferes with God's work in our hearts.   Often just like Annie we whine about life's misfortunes when the irony is we are the author of our misfortunes. It is easier to blame them on someone else.   My students who do not study don't do well on exams and it is my fault when they receive a poor grade.    If we truly want all the goodness God offers there are some things we must let go.

Life's Great Irony

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-16T10:10:48-04:00

One of life's great truisms is if we are selfish we will never reach our fullest potential. And one of life's great ironies is if we are unselfish we will never reach our fullest potential. If we are selfish we will become stagnant and cease to grow. And if we are givers God will launch us upon a journey to infinity, for God is a giver and we were created in His image. Should we seek to be like Him the possibilities before us are amazing. Paul says our possibilities are beyond our wildest imaginations. Peter says we have been given exceedingly great and precious promises. Jesus says ask and we will receive.

So what is wrong when we ask and don't receive? It is all about motive. If our asking is selfish it is futile. When we cease to be givers we cease to be like Him and thus we have lost our original purpose for being. Why should God pour out blessings for us if we are like the Dead Sea that only takes? The more God can trust us to be a conduit of blessings to others, the more blessings He will channel through us. Heaven is full of blessings and God needs ways to dispense them. The more we give the more we become. The more we become the greater the possibilities for us to become even more. It is a never-ending pattern of growth.

Here is the fascination of this. If we don't give we die and will never be all that we can be. If we give we will live and never be all that we can be, because there is always tomorrow with bigger and better blessings. The possibilities are infinite. How grand.

Burger King

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-14T22:30:16-04:00

I was sitting in a Burger King this evening when an employee started yelling, "No, no. Please no." My imagination immediately created the worst possible scenario. I was ready to run for an exit or hide under a table as I imagined someone had entered with a gun. What a relief to know it wasn't what I thought. A bus had pulled up to the door and offloaded forty-six teenage girls who then lined up at the order counter. The financial boon for Burger King meant a whole lot of work for the three employees behind the counter who were contending with a never-ending line of cars at the drive-up window.

So I wondered why it was that my mind had first gone to something bad. Could it be that we have developed a culture of fear because of all the bad news we continually hear on our radios and televisions? Twenty-four hour news channels have a voracious appetite for content. In order to stay fresh they garner all the bad stories that occur all over the world and frighten us into thinking our neighborhoods are filled with all the gruesomeness they can dish up. Organizations with a need for government or charitable funding hype their cause and exaggerate so they can maintain their existence. The end result is we have come to believe the worst.

I would like to state that while it is true some places in the world are racked by war, famine and genocide, that is not the norm. The norm is so much better. I don't want to be a Pollyanna but if we really believe we are under the shadow of the Almighty we can truly say to each other, "Fear not."

Sunshine Bands

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-13T21:59:35-04:00

I am sometimes amazed at the longevity of things that are just not so. Decades ago we were told we only use ten percent of our brains and if we used all of them we would be incredibly intelligent. Despite the fact we have known for a long time that we use all our brains, one can still hear the old wives' tale.

Our brains are amazingly complex organs with different parts designated for different tasks. Fact retention and mood retention are executed in specific and separate locations, and so it is that researchers have discovered something most interesting. People with Alzheimer's disease have difficultly retaining memory of recent events. We can visit grandpa only to have him in just a few minutes forget we were there. However, the mood we set for grandpa will stay with him all day. If our visit makes him happy, even though he forgets we were there, he stays happy for the rest of the day. Our visit made a huge difference in the quality of his life. He cannot tell someone what it was that made him happy. He just knows life is good.

When I was young our church would visit "The Old Folks Home" on Sabbath afternoons. We called what we did, "Sunshine Bands." We would sing and visit people who couldn't get out of bed. I must confess I used to be a bit cynical about the value of this. I thought it did more good for us than it did the old folks. Now I am not so sure. I know it is good for us. But research now tells us it makes grandpa's day. Matthew 25 has become more meaningful. "When I was old you came and visited me. You made my day."

Pick Me

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-12T21:47:28-04:00

If you are thinking about getting a dog but you're not sure, don't (I repeat. Do not.) visit an animal shelter just to see what's there. We did. We now have a new dog. A shelter is totally pathetic. As you walk down the aisle past all the cages it seems like some form of a penitentiary. Some of the prisoners rush to the door of their cells barking "Pick me, pick me. Please pick me. I need to get out of here."   Others sit and look up with the most pleading eyes you have ever seen.   One fine fellow put his paw out as if to say, "If you touch me, we will be friends forever." One very muscular bulldog gave me the eye as if to say, "Hey Buddy, you looking for some protection? I'm your man."

I, along with many of you, grew up hearing Joshua 24:15, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve."   So we chose thinking we were initiating a relationship with God. We couldn't have been more wrong. In Matthew 25 the king said to those on His right hand, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." God said to Jeremiah, "Before you were born I chose you.

Unlike the dogs at the shelter, we do not have to jump up and down or beg for God to pick us. He already did before we were born. Actually, He already did before the day He said, "Let there be light."   He knew us. He knew we would be here and He longs to have us with Him. That's why Jesus told us to call His father our Father.

Walking with Annie

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-11T21:29:52-04:00

Annie and I took our first late night walk together last Thursday evening. We didn't get very far because the neighbor left his yard light on. Annie soon discovered something was following her. It was dark and no matter how fast or slow she went it stayed with her. She pulled the leash to go home so I released her. She ran as fast as she could go, but that thing chased her right into the alcove to the door.

Shadows can be frightening and also comforting. Consider Psalm 17:8, "Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings." That's one very comforting shadow. Too bad they are all not that way because we must also consider Psalm 23:4, "I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . ." Just as shadows grow longer toward the evening of day so that shadow grows longer in the evening of life.

I cannot imagine what that must be like without having Jesus in one's life. Though the shadow looms for me, it isn't terrifying. Yes, we will miss our families. Perhaps we will miss seeing our grandchildren graduate from college or see our great grand children graduate from eighth grade, but we know it is not the end. Paul so eloquently put it in II Timothy 1:12, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

There are no shadows dark enough or deep enough to swallow up the light of Jesus. He is the light of the world. He is the resurrection. The only shadows He creates are good ones.

Annie

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-08T21:23:44-04:00

Six weeks ago one of my very best friends gently went to sleep in my arms. Mandy, our black lab, had been with us for over thirteen years. Needless to say, it was a very emotional moment, so much so that I have not been able to write about it til now. I still am not able to say much because she was to me the perfect dog. Her devotion and love were beyond description. We spent so much time together roaming the mountains of Massachusetts. But the years took their toll and finally she just ran out of gas. The last few days she needed assistance just to stand up. The vet came to our house and Mandy closed her eyes in the comfort of home.

The reason I can now speak of it is that this afternoon Annie has come to live with us. She too is a black lab. So here we go again. The next few weeks we will be soaking up puddles and trying to keep the house from being chewed to pieces. For the past few hours she has bounded about the house sniffing everything. She climbed the stairs to the second floor but getting back down was very scary. It's much easier going up. We are wondering if we will get much sleep tonight.

While I do not believe Jesus died to save dogs I do believe Jesus will do everything possible to make heaven great for us. Therefore, I anticipate opening the door of my heavenly home to see Mandy waiting for me. Some of my friends tell me I should anticipate about a dozen other dogs I have loved through the years. If I add thirteen or fourteen years to my present age this will be my last dog. Surely God smiled the day He made dogs and even though Genesis doesn't mention it, I am sure He said, "That is very, very good."

The Potato Bug

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-07T23:08:12-04:00

It was creepy looking. All winter it appeared in various places around the house. We often found it crawling up and down the drapes in the family room. Today was spectacularly warm for April and so tonight it used up its welcome. Knowing that it would not have to fend against ice, snow and below zero weather I cupped it in my hand and took it outside. I was not expecting that my hand would smell so good. Really. I'm not being facetious. It was a very sweet smell quite unlike the pungent odor left behind by lightening bugs. I cannot imagine it was a defense smell so I am going to anthropomorphize this potato bug that spent the winter with us and fantasize that it was saying, "Thanks for the winter accommodations."

We anthropomorphize so many things. We give human characteristics to our pets and other forms of life. We even anthropomorphize our heavenly Father. I think He wants us to. He knows it helps us approach Him and understand that we are loved. Jesus told us to call Him Father. However we make a huge mistake if we limit Him to some grandpa in the sky. He is so much more than the figure on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel touching fingers with Adam. His Fatherhood is only one aspect of a creator who not only knows how to convert energy into mass but established the laws that govern our vast universe. The laws of gravity, magnetic fields, and light rays filled with color all originated from His massive intelligence. How grand that someday we will see Him face to face. Jesus promised, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Matthew 5.

A Beautiful Moment

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-06T19:40:32-04:00

It was a beautiful moment. This morning I was walking down the hallway of a large elementary school when the principal announced over the loudspeaker that it was time to pledge allegiance to the flag. I was where I could see into four classrooms as everything came to a halt and the children in all four rooms rose to simultaneously pledge to our flag. But that was not the really great moment. I had been following two little boys down the hall. This was the great moment. They stopped, stood at attention and facing a flag that we could see in one of the rooms they put their hands over their hearts and loudly said, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." As they turned to continue on their way I noted one of them was wearing a yarmulke.

It was a proud and revealing moment for me. When I was a little boy we always recited the Lord's Prayer after the Pledge. Sometimes I get all sweaty because we no longer have prayer in school. But I have to tell you. This morning I was glad we did not. I was glad we did not shove Christianity in the face of a proud little Jewish American, who most obviously loves his country as much as the rest of us. If both or either boy wanted to pray there was no one stopping them from each having his own moment. Sometimes we get overly egocentric and think this world and especially our country is all about us. It is about "us" as long as "us" includes everyone else who is here with us.

Not Ashamed

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-05T20:36:54-04:00

This evening I saw Romans 1:16 on a church sign. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." In modernity we could wonder why Paul would say such a thing. There are hundreds of millions of Christians in the world. Why would anyone be ashamed? However, it hasn't always been this way. When Paul wrote there were but handfuls of Christians in the Roman world. It sounded bizarre to speak of a God who died on a cross. The cross in the Roman world was used for the vilest of criminals. The scum of society were crucified. Today we have sentimentalized the cross by singing such songs as "On a Hill Far Away." For Paul's listeners the cross was far from beautiful. It was an instrument of torture designed to humiliate and break the will and composure of the strongest of men. The cross turned most men into crying, groaning, screaming pieces of human refuse. To have a son crucified would be a family scandal never spoken of at family reunions.

Try to imagine Paul beginning an evangelistic sermon to people of his day as he said, "Let me tell you about my crucified savior." Sounds of disgust would have erupted from his hearers as they turned away. His preaching of such a Jesus got Paul beaten, stoned, arrested, and finally executed. Such experiences would have shut up a common man. Most of us would have fled and never said another word about Jesus. Not Paul. He was not ashamed of Jesus. He knew who Jesus really was. Read Colossians one and Ephesians one. His description of Jesus is shear poetry. He wrote, "I know in whom I have believed. He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him." II Timothy 1:12

Airplane Seats

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-04T22:03:54-04:00

When my wife and I fly somewhere she always gets me a window seat and herself the aisle seat, which means there is a stranger sitting between us. I think I remember the pastor who married us saying something about let no man come between. Anyway it is quite fun to note when the person in the middle discovers we are together. That person always, I mean always, lights up and ever so generously offers to trade places with one of us so we can sit together. At that point the light goes out of their eyes as they realize they are doomed to the center seat with no place to put their drowsing head.

There is no question but that it is easy to be generous when we get something good out of it. I once had a guy pay me twenty dollars to trade seats so he could sit because a young lady he was wooing. I was happy to accommodate. Now you are wondering why I took the money and didn't just trade seats out the goodness of my heart. I figured he would get lots of mileage with her when she saw how much it was worth to him to sit beside her. Isn't it great how we can spin things?

Life works best when winning or gain is reciprocal. When both people walk away feeling satisfied because they have gotten something good makes for happiness all around. When Jesus died on the cross He gave so much it is difficult for us to understand what He got out of it. However, according to Scripture He gained the right to give you and me eternal life. I find it difficult to understand why He thinks that is a good trade. But I am not going to argue. I love what we got. And He loves what He got.

No Words

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-04-01T22:42:01-04:00

There are no words adequate to describe Easter weekend. We go from the agonizing horror of Gethsemane to the ecstatic elation of Sunday morning. The events in between are staggering to ponder. Created beings not only reject their Creator they mangle His humanity in some of the most barbaric techniques of torture ever conceived. By the time He arrives at the actual nailing to the cross, His body is a quivering mass of flesh kept from bleeding to death by handfuls of salt rubbed into the meat of His back.

All heaven must have been in deepest sorrow and mourning the Sabbath He was in the tomb. Ever so anxiously they must have watched the earth turn into the sun as it rose over China and then India getting closer and closer to Judea. The earth quaked when the word was given and the resurrecting angel rushed to his task. The hordes of evil under the enemy's direction were determined to keep Him in His tomb. They scattered like leaves before wind in the presence of that one righteous angel. Goodness, righteousness always wins. The horror of the last two days was eclipsed by the power of life, light and purity.

Choirs in Andromeda and galaxies at the edge of the universe broke into anthems of victory as their Creator rose to forever be the victor over evil and death itself. Months before this He had proclaimed in front of Lazarus' tomb that He was the resurrection and the life. Never again would it be doubted. It was. He lives and we live in Him. "For whosever believes will have everlasting life." Believe with me. Believe. Live not just now, but into infinity.

She Makes a Mean Sub!

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-31T23:18:17-04:00

If you are looking for a really great sub, there is a wonderful old store in our town that cannot be beat by any franchised chain. The store sits on a side street surrounded by homes and is a relic of past decades. I think the lady who runs it lives in the attached house. She is, well let's say, experienced with years. She is very well groomed and looks great. Her shelves are stocked with a couple of cans of this and that. The newspapers are fresh as well as the ice cream bars you get by sliding away the glass top and reaching deep into the cold. There are boxes of candy spread around and to my surprise candy cigarettes. I really didn't think they made those anymore. Who would buy them? To step inside is to be back in 1948 just after the war. I love to stop there and not just for the blast from the past for the truth is she makes a mean sub!

We have lots of places to take those who visit us. We make sure we stop at the Concord Bridge where the first shots were fired during the Revolutionary War. Close by is the home of Louisa May Alcott and Nathaniel Hawthorne. There is a wonderful old abandoned railroad tunnel. I am going to add this old store to our tour. It has to be savored as long as it lasts. If you come to visit we will take you there.

Isn't it interesting what we value and want to show visitors? In 2 Kings we read the story of Hezekiah who showed to Babylonian visitors all his material wealth. The story doesn't end well. I need to learn from this and make sure I also show all my visitors the love of Jesus. Now that will end well.

Hate Crimes Begin with Hate Speech

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-30T19:51:33-04:00

Somewhere in the world tonight someone is planning to kill as many human beings as possible. In doing so, they will most assuredly die with their victims. They are not afraid because someone has convinced them that God will be pleased and they are guaranteed a ticket to heaven. Thus it is that religious people can be very frightening. A common criminal can possibly be talked out of pulling the trigger, but if someone is doing it for God only a miracle will deter them.

Recent years have seen an uptick in religiously inspired violence. We have always seen patriotically inspired violence but with the addition of religion we face a new human crisis. Into the mix goes hate speech and the flames are fanned. People who hold different views than we become not just traitors but heretics who must be silenced at all costs. Somewhere along the way the ideals of faith that inspire us to be better people vanish without our being aware. Unwittingly, we become zealots who so often are but puppets for unsavory types who use our passion for their gains and to the destruction of the good we used to possess.

Our email boxes become repositories of hate materials disguised as religious or patriotic materials and we are duped into forwarding them on to our friends and relatives not even asking ourselves the question, "Would Jesus forward this?" "Does this represent the best that I want to be?" Hate crimes begin with hate speech, and hate speech is hate speech even if it is just a "funny" cartoon or an editorial that encouraged an inflamed soul to kill for Jesus. If we are part of the chain we share the guilt.

God has given the 21st century citizen marvelous electronic tools with which to spread the gospel. Let us use them to proliferate the joy of salvation.

The Quest

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-28T11:49:30-04:00

When I was in college I had to take P.E. as a part of my theology curriculum. If it really had been Physical Education I would not have minded. I wanted to know more about myself and how to get stronger. However, the curriculum was far from education. It was hell. At the first class the teacher gave us a list of things we had to do to get a certain grade. The A list was obviously longer and more difficult than the B list and the B list was harder than the C list. Wanting a good grade, I tackled the A list. It was such things as run a mile in a designated time, do 100 push-ups, etc. I had English composition class right after this farce disguised as education. It was difficult to concentrate in English because of the extreme nausea I experienced following each P.E. class. I did not get my A. I was too busy cleaning myself up after each class. Neither did I get an A in English.

I remembered this unfortunate educational experience when reading that world class athletics that run the 400 meter race often vomit during training. I had a preacher friend who told me he used to vomit each Sabbath morning before going into the pulpit. The stress to be excellent was that horrendous.

In Hebrews 1 we read that we are in a race. We are racing toward character building. We are racing toward Christ-likeness. We are racing to improve our morality and our understanding of true goodness. What we are not racing for is salvation. The reason being is salvation is a gift. Romans 6:23. The quest is to excel in righteousness.

Don’t Quit or Do Quit

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-25T11:06:42-04:00

It had been a long dusty trip over some of the world’s worst roads after we left the only paved road in central Uganda. Four of us were packed into a small English Ford as we tried to breathe through the clouds of dust generated by the buses in front of us. We only had another hour to go until we arrived at Bukoba, where we were going to hold a series of evangelistic meetings. Only one more hour and one more ferry trip across a river and we would arrive.

Alas, life does not always work the way we plan. Arriving at the ferry we discovered it was broken and would not be repaired for days. The closest ferry was 95 miles north. We were so close and now we added 190 miles of bumps and ruts. (No potholes. No pavement.) We had eight more hours of dirt to go, if we were lucky. It’s amazing what we can do when we are young. Today I would have turned around and gone home. Even then we most likely would have, had we known what was ahead; a broken transmission, a night in a refugee camp, a tow by a bus into a town to awaken a drunken Chinaman to repair the car. Oh, did I mention the cobra?

Life is an adventure filled with wonders. How grand it is to re-experience all this only in memory. But how often in life do we almost complete a goal only to find more challenges ahead. The important thing is not to quit. “Quit” is another English word that can sometimes mean the opposite. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” “Quit” meaning to be resolved. I Corinthians 16:13.

Well Done

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-26T11:05:27-04:00

In Paradise Lost John Milton wrote, “Servant of God, well done; well hast thou fought the better fight, who single hast maintained against revolted multitudes the cause of truth, in word mightier than they in arms, and for the testimony of truth hast born universal reproach, far worse to bear than violence; for this was all thy care to stand approved in sight of God, though worlds judged thee perverse.”

Of a few such men we know, Martin Luther, Thomas More, Wycliffe and others. I am tempted to say the world has only seen these few but Hebrews 12:1 tells us God has a cloud of greats. When I drive up my hill into fog, a low cloud, I see tens of millions droplets of water. What joy will come to those who chose integrity over position, power or reputation. To tell the truth, to cheat no one, to harm no one but perhaps self by taking such a stand has to be in the face of threats, loss of loves, loss of honor, loss of life itself has to be monumental in the course of one’s life. What more could compensate than the words written above by Milton.

Milton’s words reflect Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 when the master commended his servant for faithful service. Wouldn’t it be grand to hear “Well done”? Paul expected it for each of us. In Romans 8:37 Paul assures us we are more than conquerors in Christ. With Jesus’ help we can and shall join the cloud in Hebrews 12. What could be more meaningful in life than to stand approved before God? The judgment of worlds means nothing when we have that privilege.

You’re Nobody ‘til Somebody

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-27T10:56:33-04:00

If you are over 30 you can most likely close your eyes and hear Dean Martin singing –

You're nobody 'til somebody loves you. You’re nobody 'til somebody cares. You may be king, you may possess the world and it's gold. But gold won't bring you happiness when you're growing old. The world still is the same, you never change it, As sure as the stars shine above; You're nobody 'til somebody loves you, so find yourself somebody to love.

The world still is the same, you never change it, As sure as the stars shine above; You're nobody 'til somebody loves you, So find yourself somebody, find yourself somebody, Find yourself somebody to love.

A psychologist must have written this song. If you are interested who actually did write it put the name Larry Stock in Google.

Human beings need to be loved. It’s why we keep dogs. They love us with unconditional love. God made us in His image. Man was not made to live alone. God is a lover. He cares. He blesses. He wants us to prosper. That’s the reason He gave us the Ten Commandments. He wants us to stop doing things that will make us unlovable to ourselves and others. In Ephesians 3 Paul tells us God’s love is beyond understanding. It might be joyous to try and measure its width and depth but we will never totally get it.

I really like the last two lines of the song. Find yourself somebody to love. Fill your life with friendship and rejoice in making God happy because He sees you happy. Parents love it when their children are doing well. God is the ultimate parent.

Joy and Success

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-18T15:02:32-04:00

This afternoon I watched a little girl get a stream of dollars from her dad as she was trying to snag a pretty stuffed bear from a machine with one of those descending hooks. After at least ten dollars she victoriously captured her bear most likely valued at a dollar or so. In response to her continued pleas for another dollar her dad kept saying, “Okay, one more.” He was joyed when she succeeded. So was I and I didn’t even know them.

My computer does not like the word “joyed.” It thinks it is not a word. However, it likes “overjoyed.” But not “underjoyed.” If we can have one form, why can we not have all three? I want to say heaven is joyed when we succeed at small victories in life. Overjoyed is saved for the big ones. If we are overjoyed all the time the relativity of it vanishes.

I was intrigued by the relationship between the little girl and her father. There was no hesitation on her part to keep asking and there was no hesitation on his part to keep supplying her with dollars. Sometimes when I fail I am hesitant to ask God for another chance. I need to remember this little girl. Jesus said, “If we as humans know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more does our heavenly Father know how to supply us with good things.” Matthew 7:11. God is so pleased when we succeed. He is not nearly as disheartened by our failures as He is by our giving up. During the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona Derek Redmond fell to the ground with a torn hamstring. Without hesitation his father rushed down from the stands and helped him across the finish line.

I Was Wrong

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-19T15:01:50-04:00

Just in case you thought you could believe everything you research on the Internet, think again. Even my devotionals have now fallen into doubt. Last night I reported that the Derek Redmond event that included his father occurred in 1988 in Seoul. Wrong! It was in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympic Games. I looked it up and the first reference I got on Bing told me it was in Seoul. I did not double check my facts and passed on the error. Sorry about that!

It is easy to pass error about with our electronic tools. It happens with regularity and even checking with Snopes does not always guarantee accuracy. Eyewitness accounts do not necessarily make things true because each of us, despite our complete confidence in our own intelligence, sees things through our biases and prejudices. Whether we like it or not, or are willing to admit it, each of us sees what we want to see and are blind to concepts, events and facts that do not fit what we want to be true. Just talk to teachers about parental reactions to negative information about their children. Too often Jimmy can do no wrong.

Unfortunately, this is also true regarding our religious experiences. When we read Scriptures we are inclined not to notice passages that conflict with our “truth.” And when they are brought to our attention we spin them so there is no conflict. We spin before we change. God certainly has His work cut out for Him when it comes to teaching us something new. Yet there are new things for us to learn. Pray that God would open our minds to what He wants us to know. His light shines more and more as we grow. Let’s let it happen. See Proverbs 4:18.

Grasshopper The Ants

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-20T14:57:56-04:00

One of the very first stories I ever read was the tale of the lazy grasshopper and the industrious ants. He played all summer and they worked all summer. Eventually winter came and the winds howled and the ants were snug in their home with lots to eat. Poor lazy grasshopper shivered at their door and they generously took him in. As a child I wondered about the lesson from this story. It seemed to me I could be like the grasshopper and play instead of working because someone would help me when I needed it. My school teacher father assured me that was not the point. We were to be like the ants so we could not only care for ourselves but be heroes and rescue stupid Mr. Grasshopper. While I loved and trusted my dad I was never so sure. It seemed to me the grasshopper won.

What I did not understand as a child was one’s needed sense of worth and esteem. One of life’s very important needs is to be able to look in a mirror and have respect for the person we see. If one has never really worked and has consistently lived off the labor of others one cannot, in all honesty, feel the same about themselves as can the person who has toiled and been productive.

God made us in His image. He is extremely productive. He is a creator. He desires for us to be fruitful and to multiply the labor of our hands and minds. Paul certainly understood this when he wrote in Ephesians 2:10, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” As His sons and daughters we will be most happy when we are like Him.

My Freebie

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-23T14:57:06-04:00

With the promise of many sunny 60 degree days ahead I decided it was time to wash the salt and crude off my car. I pulled onto the track that would drag my car through a myriad of sprays and brushes. Opening my window to pay the man I held out my arm with the money and he promptly hit me full in the face with a blast from his handheld sprayer. Ouch – that stung! So much for the friendly welcoming service promised on the sign out front. I found my glasses on the passenger seat. At least I was as clean as I wanted my car.

What amazed me is he still took my money. At least I could have gotten a “freebie.” However I think there is a limit to life’s freebies and I already got the one I wanted and needed. I got John 3:16 because I believe. Now that I have said that I do have to explain that just because it was free to me it was certainly not free to God and to the universe. They watched the horrible ordeal as it moved from Gethsemane to the courts and finally to Golgotha. At some point most of them stopped watching. Who could watch such a scene? I had a tough enough time watching Mel Gibson’s movie and I knew it was pretend. What must it have been like when it was real? No, it wasn’t free.

Yet for me it is free. I have never been asked to sacrifice anything that was not in my best interest to shed. God is like that. If it’s good for us He wants us to keep it. This is definitely good for us.

Deceptively Tranquil

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-21T14:54:24-04:00

It’s a pretty hill with horse paddocks and spring flowers blossoming from the fertile Massachusetts soil. One would not think too much about it if it were not for a small stone memorial by the road. One horrible night in 1675 it wasn’t so tranquil. Native Americans swept over the hill destroying the small homes of the settlers. While standing by the marker I tried to imagine the carnage, the gunfire, the roar of flames, the scalping, and the screams of terror of the children and others who perished midst the war cries of the slayers. I know this place well because it is adjacent to our little New England college.

Walking back to my classroom I looked over the faces of thirty-four students waiting for me to interrupt their tunes and texting as I asked them to turn off all their electronic gear. Their faces are as deceptive as that tranquil hillside. Without the marker no one would ever know about the hill’s violent night. Unless my students tell me, I have no idea what their lives are all about. They range in ages from 18 to 40. Each has a story. Some are stories of a happy home and others could most likely tell tales that would raise the hair on our necks. Sometimes they fill me with exasperation but I try to not say what my impulses want to say. I have already made the mistake of saying things in jest only to have them break into tears. That is crushing to me and to them.

I am not surprised that Jesus told us not to judge others. We cannot make accurate assessments because we have not been where they have been nor have we shared their joys and their pains.

It is No Secret

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-22T14:53:38-04:00

I love musty old bookstores. There is something mystical about browsing about shelves of books that have not seen the light of day for who knows how long. There used to be, maybe it is still there, one near Columbia University where room led onto room. Each room seemed a bit darker than the former and the smell deepened. There I imagined I would find some ancient tome filled with the secrets of the ages. That is so strange because I know better. I know the book filled with the secrets of life is not lost in some New York City bookstore. I have owned one since I was five-years-old.

I am, of course, talking about our Bible. It is the story of redemption. It is the story of God reaching out to man. It is the story of God becoming a man so we would know the truth. God is not a capricious, temperamental being who acts on whims. He is consistently steady in His resolve to redeem us. Never a day goes by when He is disinterested in our progress toward infinity. We are the apple of His eye. We are His children. We are princes and princesses of the universe.

Ever since Eden, Lucifer has tried his worst to discredit God. Lucifer inspired people to do horrible things and convinced them it was God who was the source of their inspiration. Ignorant people then claimed they did it because God wanted them to do it. Finally God came here to set the record straight. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The Word said, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” The secret was no secret.

Birds of a Feather

roger.bothwell@comcast.net — 2010-03-24T11:59:03-04:00

I passed a very specific group of people this weekend and found myself grateful that I did not have to associate with them. My sons would accuse me of being an elitist but I would argue that was not the case. It was not that I felt that I was better than those in that group. Not at all. It is just that talking with them would be uncomfortable because we have so little in common. Conversation would be strained and artificial. I cared little about what seemed important to them. I could have asked them lots of questions. I don’t mind appearing ignorant; I am in many areas. And while I could have informed myself, I really didn’t care to. It’s true that birds of a feather flock together and for very good reason. It is comfortable.

Jesus tells us we must love each other. He does not expect us to like each other. I doubt if Jesus liked Herod the night Herod had Jesus beaten. Sometimes we err in confusing liking and loving. Loving is wanting the best for you and wanting the best for your family. Liking is wanting to spend time with you. I have never understood Will Rogers’s famous line that he never met a man he didn’t like. He was so much more eclectic than I. I wish I were like him. (That’s a different use of the word “like.” No wonder English is difficult.)

Jesus’ comfort level with everyone has always intrigued me. He was comfortable with the lowest of the low and seemed equally comfortable with the wealthy. He was a common man. He was a man who labored with His hands. He was royalty. I really wish I were like Him!