Author: Ian Bothwell

There is a song in the musical Camelot entitled “I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight.”   After watching a 60 Minutes feature on Bill Gates, whose net worth is over 67 billion dollars, I find myself wondering what he is thinking tonight.  Perhaps tonight he is concentrating on one of his many goals.  One of his goals is to eradicate polio from our planet in the next five years.  It would only be the second time in history that we have eradicated an infectious disease.  Smallpox is the first.  Following polio his dream is to eradicate malaria.   Some men use their power merely for self-indulgence and to rule over others.  How grand to have someone who will leave this world a better place.

I wonder what our God is doing tonight.  (Tonight – a relative condition for half our planet.  The sun is always rising and always setting on our little world.)  God’s universe is infected with something so much more horrible than the physical diseases that ravage our bodies.  Our souls are ravaged by the malignancy of selfishness.  The eradication of sin has been, since Eden, God’s primary focus.  This is the purpose of the cross.  This is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

It is very difficult for us to understand why it is taking so long.  What possible issues have yet to be resolved?  Earth has been a disgusting display to the universe for thousands of years.  An endless stream of famines, genocides and vicious cruelty fill the pages of our history books.  Surely He cannot be waiting for things to get worse.  They have been worse – over and over.  Whatever it is I know this.  He will not wait one second longer than necessary.  He too is sickened by this.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 13, 2013

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

The expression “You get what you pay for” very much applies to wild bird seed.  If you buy the cheap (cheep – cheep) seed you will attract just a few species. If you spring for the good seed you get a much larger array of birds at your feeder.  My problem is we have a pair of chipmunks who are carrying it away.  I wouldn’t mind if they were merely getting breakfast but Chip and Dale are storing up for next winter.  Somewhere underground is a treasure of really good seed.  I wish they were more like the grasshopper than the ants.  These guys arrive with hollow cheeks and leave looking like they have melons in their mouths.

It is difficult to fault them for their instinctive preparation.  Preparation is a virtue.  Learning to read is a preparation for an informed life.  Going to school is a preparation for being able to care for a family.  Daily time spent with God’s Word is a preparation for being a great human being.  After Jesus’ baptism He went into the wilderness to prepare for the beginning of His public ministry.  After Saul was knocked off his horse he spent extensive time preparing to be Paul.   Jesus’ parable about the ten virgins was about preparation.

Often we hear preachers advocating that we prepare for the second coming of Jesus.  Interestingly the answer isn’t storing boxes of dried fruit, etc. in a bunker.  Beneficial preparation is accepting the free gift of eternal life and spending time with Jesus each day.  As we do so our characters transform into something so fine we will be like Enoch who walked with God and became so much like Him, God took Him home.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 10, 2013

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

This afternoon one of my sister’s neighbors was walking his dog past her home when he noticed a dangerous electric line connection to her home.  He works for the electric company and made arrangements for an immediate repair.   We are our neighbor’s keeper.  And who is our neighbor?  Sound like a familiar question?  It should.  It’s right out of Jesus’ parable about The Good Samaritan.   It’s most likely one of the most important stories ever told.  We need each other.  There is no such thing as a self-made man or woman.  We all benefit from the care of others.

You might think that I am about to advocate for you to reach out and help others.  And while that is important, one of life’s great lessons is to allow others to help you.   Sometimes when things aren’t going so well others want to help but often our self-pride and self-resilient resists that help.  A wonderful avenue for ministry is to allow others to give and care.  On the way to the cross some women offered Jesus a painkiller.  He refused because He needed to stay as clear headed as possible.  But after being hours upon the cross and about the die He cried out, “I thirst.”  Scripture tells us that a Roman soldier ran to offer him a drink of soldier’s wine and Jesus drank.   He died almost immediately after that.   Why did He take it?   It was His act of love and ministry to the soldier.   Even at the end Jesus was always considering the feelings of others.

Being a good neighbor works both ways – giving and receiving.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 9, 2013

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

Rogerbothwell.org

We all know the expression “Let sleeping dogs lie.”  This evening it took on added meaning for me in a literal sense.  Our dog was (I thought) sound asleep when I said to my wife, “At 8 let’s go for a walk.”  An electric prod could not have gotten that dog to her feet any faster.  Instantly up, ears perked, eyes wide, dancing feet were just part of a demonstration that would have had added, “Well, let’s go. Get out of that chair.” if she could talk.

She heard what she understood and added her own interpretation.  Ah, behold the principle of human Biblical interpretation.  With our limited base of knowledge, with our biases and desires, with our conceit that we are smart, with our sinned dulled senses we read a text here and there and concoct all manner of strange ideas about what God has said.  We do it in all honesty.  We are just not as smart as we think we are.  However, there are those who deliberately pervert God’s word to their own financial gain.  Just watch some television preachers and you will know what I mean as we watch them fleece the gullible.

Jesus’ disciples were so sure Jesus was going to establish His earthly kingdom right then and there.  James’ and John’s mother came and boldly asked Jesus for the ranking positions in the new kingdom.  There was so much Jesus wanted to explain but He knew better.   Once He said, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.”   They were like my dog.  They heard words and phrases they thought they understood and they added to that their intense desires.  Judas went so far as to try to make some money on the side so he could laugh at the authorities when Jesus established His kingdom.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 8, 2013

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

In I Corinthians 2:8 Paul calls Jesus the Lord of Glory.   The dictionary defines the word “glory” as awesome splendor and astounding beauty.  When something is glorious it is supreme.  The physical glory of the North American continent has to be Yosemite Valley.  The glory of political philosophy is without a doubt the American Constitution which has become a model for so many other nations.  The glory of the English language is the King James Version of the Bible and the works of Shakespeare.  Each arena has its best, its glory.  Jesus is the Lord of Glory.  Garner together all the items of glory one can imagine and then Jesus is the Lord of all that.  He is the glory of the Father.  He is the glory of the universe.

Angels sang the night He was born in Bethlehem.  They marveled that the creator of the universe would become one of His created.  The idea is gloriously staggering to the mind.  After Adam and Eve fell the plan of redemption was announced to heaven.  Angels objected and volunteered themselves. But that was not to be.  Jesus created us and Jesus would personally take responsibility for us.  When He breathed His last breath upon the cross the universe was stunned into silence. How could it be? How could such glory be so debased by humans?

Our imaginations cannot plumb the intellectual depths or ascend to the emotional heights of the glorious chorale anthems sung with passion and counterpoint when Jesus rose from the grave.

“Lift up your heads, you gates;

lift them up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is he, this King of glory?

The LORD Almighty—

he is the King of glory.”    Psalm 24

 

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 6, 2013

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

Rogerbothwell.org

If one is open for a good dose of humility watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee on ESPN is the perfect cure.  “Minauderies” is so obscure my spellchecker flagged it, yet an eleven-year-old correctly spelled it with the ease that we spell our names.   Nothing less than perfection is required.  There are no second tries.  There is no grace.  Replace an “a” with an “o” or an “i” with an “e” and you hear the dreaded bell.  You are history.

Perfection is a goal Jesus holds up for us in the Sermon on the Mount.  However, Jesus spent so much time with sinners, hookers and His disciples.  He knows we can’t do it. He moved with a rough crowd.  He was no stranger to drunks, thieves and riffraff.  He could have moved with the even rougher crowd of priests and religious leaders but He knew where His limited time would be better spent.  He knows us. “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.  Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”  Hebrews 2.

It is true that salvation requires perfection but this amazing Jesus was perfect in the midst of all that garbage and because He loves us and understands us He offers His perfection to substitute for us.  It is a gift.  Please see Ephesians 2.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 31, 2013

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Yesterday afternoon my son had a successful skin graft on his right hand.  But, let me back up to explain why.  Three weeks ago he was driving in a 1200 mile race down the Baja in Mexico when suddenly a fuel line burst, filled the driver’s compartment with fuel and ignited.  The good news is he was wearing a fire suit, fire helmet and fire shoes.  The bad news was he had taken his fire gloves off because it was 105 degrees outside.  His left hand would have been spared except the safety harness release was on his right side.  Being that his right hand was instantly damaged it became necessary to put his left hand into the flames to press the release button.

Needless to say we are all grateful for the effectiveness of the protective suit, shoes and helmet.  And we are grateful for an effective burn unit in a hospital in Southern California.  One thing that does haunt me is taking a perfectly healthy hand and sticking it in the flames.  But, of course, the alternative would have been much much worse.

I have often thought of God’s decision to make John 3:16 a reality.  Paul wrote that Jesus came in the fullness of time. When the moment was right, when the world was psychologically ready preparations became actions.  Mary was notified.  Joseph was notified. The Roman emperor called for a census that would take Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem.  And then it happened.  Jesus’ place in heaven was empty.  It was unthinkable.  The Creator became one of His created.  Jesus came to be part of a financially poor family but one rich with love.  The trip into the flames began.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 15, 2013

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

rogerbothwell.org

There are some days when the needles don’t hurt.  Today wasn’t one of them.  Today my blood-taker literally pinpointed a nerve.  It also happened to my dog today.  I discovered an attached tick on her side.  Usually she is very patient and stoic when I find one.  Today she cried when I removed it.  It had to be right on a nerve.  Pain, a curse and a blessing, can be horrific but it also warns us that harm is happening.

Jesus was very direct in teaching us to call God our Father.  If He is our Father and I am sure Jesus told us the truth, then God experiences an extraordinary amount of pain.  We are told that God hates sin.  When I was little I thought He hated sin because He was offended by our disobedience.  Now I know that is not His reason for hating sin.  Sin harms.  Note the difference between harm and hurt.  While I hurt my dog this afternoon I did not harm her – quite to the contrary.

Parents will do anything to shield their children from harm and when they witness their children making bad life choices they experience pain because they know what is coming.  While our heavenly Father does not experience physical pain His psychological pain must be excruciating.  By obeying Him we are not gratifying some egotistical trait in Him.  Instead we are trusting His wisdom, that if followed, will reduce our harm.  The cross had to be the ultimate moment of God’s pain. To watch creatures originally made in His image mangle Jesus and for Him not to interfere had to require of Him all the love possible.  “For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” (Hebrews 12:2)  They both did.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 14. 2013

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

While dedandelioning my yard I was smitten with how beautiful they are.  Not only do they have that lovely yellow blossom, the white orb of seeds is great fun to blow into the wind.   If it were not for those not so beautiful leaves and the plant’s veracious hunger to consume our lawns we would most likely purchase packs of seeds each spring.  They remind me of the alcohol commercials I see during football games.  Beautiful horses pull spectacular looking wagons down gorgeous country roads.   Handsome young men are shown singing and laughing as they mingle with incredible looking women.  It looks so good and so inviting.  We are enticed to believe we too can be like those happy people if we would only drink their product. They, of course, never show the destroyed lives and livers, the broken homes, the abused children, the smashed cars and the lost careers.

Solomon nailed it when he wrote, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”   Sin is anything that ultimately harms us or others.  Many activities start off looking so very good.  If they didn’t they wouldn’t be an issue.  However, they do look good.  Especially when we are young and adventurous we don’t understand why we cannot experience all that life seems to offer.  In defense of teens I must point out that the frontal lobes of our brains, where we do our best logical thinking in regard to right and wrong, don’t actually fully mature until their early twenties.  Often by then our behaviors are already in place and most difficult to change.

But we must not despair.  There is nothing too difficult for God.  He will, upon our request, struggle with us to dedandelion us.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 7, 2013

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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!

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 5, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org