Author: Ian Bothwell

In central Massachusetts the length of day between sunrise and sunset was 9 hours and 1 minute on the 19th through the 26th of December.  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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on Decembe 27, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

By now most of the presents for Christmas 2012 have been opened.  The wrapping paper has been discarded and trash cans are filled to overflowing.  Some of you might have new books to read or DVDs to watch.  Some children will be a bit disappointed to have discovered that some of those packages contained socks and underwear.  I have one for you.  It will take a while to unwrap.  It is one of those gifts that have layers of wrapping and the deeper you wade into it the more wonderful the treasure it holds.  It is found in Colossians chapter 1.  “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”

Note that it is only one sentence.  If Paul had had my high school English teacher he would have been thoroughly chastised for creating a “run-on” sentence.  Didn’t Paul know about periods?  Actually he didn’t.

It is a glorious sentence filled with weeks of thought.  So please don’t just glance at it saying, “Okay now I read it.”  That would be like walking through your town library and saying, “Okay, I’ve been there.”  No, no.  This sentence is like a miracle box that once you get to the box inside, you discover it is bigger than the one it came out of.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 26, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org

The sign on the door of the sandwich store said Santa would be there at five.   It was four.   Inside was a five-year-old little boy and he was hyped.  Considering there was yet an hour to go we could only imagine that he would be climbing the walls by five.   It was great fun watching him as I remembered being five.   The thought crossed my mind, “Wouldn’t it be grand if we were that excited about the second coming of Jesus.”   Then I got realistic and thought, “No.  We would be nervous wrecks from the continual adrenaline flow.”

God isn’t looking for an overly excited group of children.  Instead He needs mature, responsible adults living socially productive lives.  He needs us to be good neighbors, good employees, good parents and people that make the world a better place because we are here.  In Luke 19 Jesus told about a man about to leave on a long journey, “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come.’”  As laudable as it might seem selling one’s possessions or leaving one’s crop unharvested isn’t the wisest course of action.

The finest evangelistic endeavor isn’t the occasional big thrust but is instead being every day honest, caring, responsible citizens every community needs.  Instead of getting exciting about every tragedy that happens somewhere in the world let’s rejoice that God wants to make us as much like Himself now, here, where we live.  Now that is exciting.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 23, 2013

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I’m exhausted from watching my wife work.  We are incredibly blessed to have a house filled with my sons and their families.   I am loving every noisy moment.  There are the sounds of video games, table games, older children on their iPhones, dogs barking when someone comes to the door (yes, they brought their dog) and 14 hours of nonstop cooking sounds coming from the kitchen.  There are the smells of pumpkin and apple pies mixed with the scents of veggies and baking macaroni.  That is the exhausting part because somehow my wife does it all.  This very moment she is repairing a broken table.

Proverbs 31 comes to mind.  Blessed is the man who gets a Proverbs 31 wife.  Of course when I read Proverbs 31 I wonder what the man is supposed to do.  She does it all.  So I guess men are supposed to watch football while listening to and smelling the activities of the house.  Please don’t chastise me for this.  I know better!  Maybe?  Most of the time.  Well, some of the time.  I keep the woodstove going and keep the trash emptied.

Eventually the house grows silent as one by one people cave in for the day. The sun will rise and it all starts again.  How grand!  But soon it will really be over as we watch red lights on the back of cars disappear.  Then it will really be quiet as Grandma and I (Grandpa) head back inside with just one dog who must wonder what that was all about.  Now she can once again sleep her twenty hours a day.  And maybe Grandma will also catch up on some well deserved sleep.  As for me I will get more non-deserved sleep.

Merry Christmas.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 24, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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 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

 

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 23, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I was asked if I was ready for the world to end tonight.  It is the 21st of December 2012 and the end of the Mayan Calendar.  I asked just when this would occur.  “At midnight” was the answer.  So I asked, “Will that be Eastern Standard Time or Pacific Standard Time?  Or perhaps it will be Greenwich Mean Time?”   He looked a bit puzzled and said, “Whenever.”   Ah, that was the right answer.  Whenever God decides, it will not be a moment before or after.  It has nothing to do with calendars, eclipses of the sun or moon or earthquakes or global warming.  It has everything to do with His will governed by His wisdom and His love for us.  Whenever it will be, it will be designed to save the maximum number of people possible. God is not to be trifled with.  He will make sure the sacrifice of Jesus will save as many as He can possibly squeeze into the Kingdom.  Satan be dammed.  Satan will not have one extra soul that God knows shall be His. God has put up with Satan’s wars, genocides, diseases and other horrors perpetrated upon mankind.  He will not tolerate the loss of one soul that His wisdom, logic and grace knows belongs with Him.

Zechariah 3 is one of the most exciting chapters in Scripture.  “He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

That is us.  We are brands plucked from the fire.  Saved for eternity.  How grand!

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 21, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 21, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 20, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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.”

 Written by Roger Bothwell on December 19, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

What I ate for breakfast this morning traveled much more than I ever have.  My orange juice came from Brazil.  My banana came from Central America.  My shredded wheat came from Canada.  The sugar I put on my shredded wheat came from the Dominican Republic and my mandarin oranges came from China.  I think my milk was local and came from here in Massachusetts. As each week passes, our little planet gets even smaller.  Our technology and transportation have made people in India our neighbors.

Not that long (a few decades) ago when my wife and I were teaching in Uganda we relied on flimsy blue air mail letters to communicate with our family in the States.  Once each eighteen months we made an appointment to go to Kampala to have an operator place a three minute telephone call for us to our families.  Today teachers in Uganda daily use Skype or Facetime, not to just talk, but to see their loved ones in the States.

When Jesus gave His disciples the Great Gospel Commission to take the Gospel to the world they had no idea how far they had to go.  When I was a little boy there was a world map in our church with countries marked that had a Christian population.  I remember a large number of countries that were not marked.  I doubt if there are any nations left without Christians.  So what is Jesus waiting for?   Why does He not return?   We don’t know.   He will come in His time.  He will come when His infinite wisdom says it is time.  In the meantime our task is to allow Him to work out His life in us that we are ready to be with Him whenever.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 14, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org