Author: Ian Bothwell

While waiting for my wife to select the perfect potatoes from the mound of potatoes in the grocery store my eye caught a beautiful sliced in half watermelon. There it was lusciously red and juicily smiling at me from under its clear plastic wrap.  I was tempted until I saw the $7.99 price.  Obviously the grocer also thought it was tempting.  But really now sixteen dollars for a watermelon!

I tried once to tell one of my grad classes about being a boy and going to the Giant Supermarket where there were a hundred or so watermelons stacked inside the door.  There was a large knife on the pile and before you purchased one you could plug it and taste it.  If it didn’t suit your palate it was tossed aside.  They were ninety-eight cents apiece.  I could tell from their expressions they did not believe me.  How could anything so outrageous really have been?

The Gospel is like that.  It is an outrageous story.  The universe is filled with a billion galaxies.  Why would a Creator of such wonder come here to save us?  It sounds so provincial.  Surely it is the product of our ego-centricity.  We begin the story with our being made in the Creator’s image.  Really?  The story begins focused on our conceit and it gets far more worse when we get to the cross.  Just who in the universe do we think we are?  In Romans and Galatians Paul tries to tell us we are the adopted sons of that Creator, princes and princesses destined to, according to John, sit with Him in His very own throne.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 23, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

It is often said that the journey is the destination.  Probably like most catchy sayings it is sometimes true and sometimes not.   Taking a road trip with the family can indeed be the destination.   The journey coming home to loved ones after a long absence is not the destination.  The destination is the envelopment of loved ones in your arms.

Life is a journey.  However, some folks are so heavenly oriented they have lost sight of now and they only live for the future.  I can indeed understand that for people who have lost loved ones.  It is natural that they are living for resurrection morning and reunion.  However, there are those with no such motivation.  They live in a fantasy world; imagining all kinds of science fiction type experiences they think will occur in heaven.  They almost stop living now.

Life is for living.  Life is for growing and sharing and cultivating relationships.  The wider our social circle the richer we become. The more people we reach out to the wiser we become as we watch their reactions to our unselfishness. One of many reasons for going to church is to meet like-minded people and enjoy their friendship.  Forgive me for likening it to the old television program Cheers.  But we want to go (need to go) where everybody knows our name.  When we are absent we are missed.

While I certainly do not want to discourage people from looking forward to the second coming of Jesus, I do want to encourage us to look around at the now.  Reach out to others.  Last evening while walking my dog a teen passed me with his head buried in texting.  When I said hi he was so startled he almost dropped his phone.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 12, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

What witchdoctor decided it was advantageous to stick one’s head into a small dark box and beat on it with sledgehammers?  I refer of course to an MRI or magnetic resonance imaging.  A few weeks ago this happened to me for thirty minutes. The top of the box was about an inch from my nose.  There was no music, just the sadistic voice of the operator who would occasionally stop the pounding to announce to me three more minutes.  After which he announced eight more minutes and then five, etc.  He gave me a panic button which he promised if I pressed it he would immediately extract me.   But my manhood was at stake.  How could I press the button and declare that I was a wimp?  For thirty minutes I kept my eyes closed and took journeys to the beaches of Mombasa, I climbed Mt. Shasta and spent an evening enjoying The Nutcracker in Atlanta, Ga.

What a marvelous mind we have. With enough determination and concentration we can bear almost anything.  In no way do I even begin to hint that having an MRI is anything like what Jesus endured.  But in that box I did think of Hebrews 12:2. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross. . .”  There it is.  This was why Jesus did not press the panic button.  He could have. He said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”  Matthew 26:52.  And what was that joy?  It was having you and me with Him for eternity.  Awesome!

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 25, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Our black lab is a marvelous guard dog. Each morning she sits by the breakfast window calmly watching chipmunks and squirrels come and go.  There is no reason to be upset because she knows they are harmless.  But when the monster comes she reacts with all the fury a one hundred pound dog can muster.  Growling begins like lava from a volcano.  Hairs from the back of her neck to the tip of her tail stand erect. Lips curl and sterling white fangs appear.  She will at all cost defend those she loves from this formidable creature that dares hop from under the rhododendron unto the flat stone patio.  Her Leviathan has tall big ears and a fluffy white tail boding terrors and destruction unheard of.  That wiggling nose and those long whiskers can mean nothing other than yes you guessed it – a bunny.

There are many real horrors in the world.  But often we seem preoccupied with bunnies. We allow small fears to grow into Leviathans and we lose the quality of life.  Jesus promised to bring us the abundant life. He has promised to care for us and should bad things come our way He has promised to someday compensate us a million times over for our loss and pain.  Fear is a healthy reaction.  It warns us of impending harm.  People who have no fear of anything are foolish.  But like most things in life fear should be balanced by reason and knowledge of the past.  Sometimes I hear people speaking of current events as if they were the worst things that have ever happened.  They must have slept through history class.  A good life is one that is aware of the difference between lions and bunnies.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 11 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I have this friend who doesn’t like to ride with me.  He thinks I drive too fast and it scares him.  (That’s not a nice feeling.  We rode with a man in Russia one afternoon who terrified me as he passed buses and cars while climbing hills.)  So we now ride with my friend.  This is interesting.  I watch very carefully to see how fast he drives and it is exactly the same as I.  Yet I think he drives too fast and he scares me.  One afternoon it dawned on me what was going on.  Perspective.  When one is on the passenger side the trees, bushes and mailboxes are much closer than when you are driving.  When we are on the passenger side things whiz by filling our peripheral vision with a greater sense of speed than when we are sitting in the driver’s seat.

I should have figured this out sooner.  Perspective is important in almost every aspect of our lives.  Have you ever seen a mother interviewed on the Today Show who says, “Yes, my son is a monster serial killer and should be executed.”  Rather it is usually, “He is such a kind sweet boy and would never do such a thing.  And I believe him when he tells me he didn’t do it.”  Perspective.  Our side is the good side.  Those guys are the bad guys.  We have the truth.  God loves US. How can those other people believe such craziness?  Don’t they read the Bible?

I am so happy we have a God who is able to understand where we came from and what experiences we have had.  There isn’t a perspective he can’t understand because He is the God of all.  How grand!

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 10, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

It was the end of a full day.  The dog was tucked in for the night.  My wife was done reading. The window was open and the only sounds of the night were a few romantic tree frogs. The room was dark except for the red lit time projected on the bedroom ceiling. Closing my eyes I slowly allowed my head to sink into my pillow.  This was good.  And then I heard him.  I’m not sure where he had been hiding or why he had to appear now.  He came down the hall and into the room with his buzzing whirling wings that built a crescendo like an approaching B-52.  This was so wrong as he swished in over the bed.  And then all was silent as I felt him land in my hair.  Few they may be but somehow he used them as a landing strip. Horrible beast. Were there flies in Eden or were they a mutated form of something much nicer?  As I swung at him all I managed to do was slap myself on the head.  That was really stupid.  I’m not sure what happened next because the next thing I knew it was morning.

In John 3 Jesus compared the appoachment of the Holy Spirit like the wind in a tree.  But sometimes He comes like a fly in the night.  He pesters.  He annoys.  He keeps us from sleeping.  He avoids our slaps and continues to woo us with promises of freedom from guilt and the luxury of eternal life with eternal health.  If we manage to fall asleep He will be back tomorrow night.  God is that way.  We are way too precious to ignore.  So if you want a good night’s sleep just surrender

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 9, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

In Romans 1 Paul speaks of knowing God by seeing the things He has made.  In Hebrews 1 he speaks of knowing God through the ultimate revelation – Jesus.  In Ezekiel 36 we read, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes.”  God in nature – the Father, God in history – Jesus, God within us – the Holy Spirit.

The concept of a Trinity taunts our finite intellects and reminds us of our limitations.  Our feeble attempts at a cogent explanation fall so short we have invited unbelievers to accuse us of polytheism, of which we are not.  The problem is our inability to see through Paul’s dark glass.  God is a reveal-er of Himself and in His good wisdom He has chosen to remain a mystery.  While He could He has not removed grounds for doubt.  There must be something to be gained by intellectually grabbling with His existence, the nature of His being, and His purposes to be a good God and yet tolerate acts of despicable horror on earth. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  Hebrew 11:6

Does growth only come at the expense of careful exploration of ideas so near to understanding that we are motivated to stretch just a bit more and thus receive the rewards promised above?  Is one of life’s great joys the discovery process?  If God answered all our questions, would that turn us into nothing other than intellectual rubber stamps.  Jesus promised us in the Sermon on the Mount that we will see God, but somehow I think there will always be something just beyond the horizon of our thoughts.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 28, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

We had a great problem this evening.  While talking with one of our sons in New York on our land line our other son in California called on our mobile phone. It’s a good thing God gave us two ears.  Actually it was an amazingly easy problem to solve. But it did get me thinking about God receiving our calls.  Just what does He do when not two, but two hundred million of His sons and daughters call at the same time. Does He have to put us in line according to the priority of our needs? When I just want to talk and He gets a call from someone in a dire emergency does He have to put me on hold?  Of course I know better.

Psalm 91:15 promises, “He will call upon me and I will answer.” There is no hold with angels providing the elevator music so we know we haven’t been disconnected. There is no “if you speak Spanish press one.” There is no menu. “If you are calling for forgiveness, press 3. If you are calling because you are ill, press 4. If you are calling on behalf of someone other than yourself, press 9.”

Something more amazing than getting instant answers is the promise of Isaiah 65:24, “Before you call I will answer.” That’s great, but does raise the question, “Why bother to call?  He knows. He loves. He answers.” We don’t call to inform Him. We call because we need the personal interaction. It feeds our souls and reinforces our human need for fellowship. The next time you call comprehend the miracle of it all.  He is interacting with you, one on one, at the very same time He is doing the same with five hundred million others not even from our planet.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 30, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I am sitting here drooling over a picture of a 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby CT 500.  It has 650-horsepower, will top 200 mph and will do zero to 60 in 4 seconds.  It is deep red with black stripes.  It is gorgeous.  It is a long way from the 1964 1/2 mustang we had in 1964.   Now some of you are asking, “Why would you want something like that?”  And the answer is “you are obviously not a guy.”  This is a heart-pounder for anyone who shaves or will someday shave his chin.

But how would I use it?  Where can one drive 200 mph other than in Wyoming and that’s a long way from Massachusetts.  One could have great fun at traffic lights embarrassing every teenager in his wannabe.  It’s an ego thing for an old guy.

Often I have prayed for great spiritual power. But how would I use it?  The correct answer should be to win hundreds of thousands for Jesus.  The real answer would most likely be to feed my ego that “I was God’s man of the hour.”  I could pretend to be humble and do the talk show circuit, but would most likely come to ruin and eternal loss loving all the attention and the limelight of the networks.

With great privilege (power) comes great responsibility.  Great responsibility needs great character.  Jesus always used His power for others.  While He said He could have called thousands of angels to come to His side, instead He touched lepers and blind people.  He would never have done what I would do and figure out how to get a 650-horsepower chariot.  He walked.  He went into solitary places where He could spend time with His Father.  He had (has) character.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 31, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

Long I stood in the bread aisle of our supermarket.  There was multigrain bread, oat bread, flax bread, whole wheat bread, white bread, rye bread, pumpernickel bread, raisin bread and cinnamon bread.  But what I wanted was Wonder Bread.  Enough with the healthy bread, I wanted bread you could squeeze into a ball and bounce off the wall.  When I was a kid watching the Howdy Doody Show, Buffalo Bob told us Wonder Bread advertised that it built strong bodies in eight ways.  Later it became twelve ways. It has been decades since I have had a piece of Wonder Bread.  It now sits in my pantry awaiting the right moment.  I am trying to decide if it will be with PB&J or lettuce, tomato and fake bacon.

Jesus made several references to bread.  He actually called Himself “The Bread of Life.”  Jesus is “The Real Wonder Bread” He builds healthy bodies in 10,000 ways.  He also talked about yeast and how pervasive it can be. He warned His disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees.  Often I have seen congregations infected with the yeast of works.  They are fed a diet of grace and along comes a smooth talking preacher who so subtly and probably ignorantly talks about grace and then adds the poisonous word “but”.  Beware of the word “but.”  It comes like this, “We are saved by grace, but …” It works its destructive force so subtly we barely notice it.   A dear friend of mine recently said, “I am so afraid I will be lost for one little sin I don’t know about.”  Ouch!  I wanted to cry.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 1, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwe.org