Author: Ian Bothwell

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 needed 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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 23, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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 physicallyand 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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 22, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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 marveled; 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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 21, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 22, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 19, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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?

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 18, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 17, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 16, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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!

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 15, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 23, 2010

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

rogerbothwell.org