Author: Ian Bothwell

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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 27, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Today we are far removed from the contested battles over what letters should be included in the New Testament canon.  We open our Bibles and give little thought that the book of James was contested not just for centuries but for over a millennium.  It was not until Council of Trent in 1545 to 1563 that the issue was settled for the western church.  Martin Luther (1483 -1546) would have been very happy to exclude this “epistle of straw.”  Luther objected because he did not feel it was strong enough in presenting Jesus as our Savior.  James presents the law as a “law of freedom” in contrast to Paul calling it a “law of slavery, wrath and death.”  See James 1:25, 2:12 and Romans 4:15, 7:10.

It is fascinating to think of both James and Paul being correct.  If one is seeking God’s favor the law falls far short because we fall far short.  When Paul was Saul, he was a law keeper’s law keeper and found no joy only condemnation at his personal failures to measure up. When he became Paul, he discovered the gift of grace and the happiness of knowing eternal life was not to be earned but accepted.

However, for those of us who live in a nation of “freedom under the law” we understand an umbrella of law provides us with the freedom to live reasonably safely from those who do not have the law “written on their hearts.”  If everyone were like Paul filled with the Holy Spirit we would not need black and white cars with blue lights. Paul understood grace.  James understood that even with the Holy Spirit in us we often need the guidance of written law for our behavior.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 26, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Upon arriving home from their vacation, the family discovered that together they had taken over 600 pictures.  Digital cameras are grand.  One does not have to pay for all that processing only to discover 400 of the 600 pictures are not worth keeping.  Of course taking the pictures is only the first step toward having something worth victimizing relative and friends with by making them look at all our vacation pictures.  Pictures that are worth looking at need to be carefully brightened, darkened, dodged, cropped, color balanced and have the red eyes removed.  It takes 1/500 of a second to take the picture and fifteen minutes, if you are efficient, to get it looking good.

Salvation is like that.  We are saved in a fraction of a second, but it takes a lifetime of enhancement to get us looking good.  There is so much brightening, cropping, color balancing that needs to be done.

Job 1:8 where God asks Satan if he has looked at Job is rather like asking people to look at your vacation pictures.  God was happy with Job and wanted to show him off.  Satan of course was not so happy and we all know what happened next.

Sometimes in our “snapshots” we look rather pathetic; however, I am so glad God is willing to brighten, crop, and color balance us so that we don’t have to continue to look like that 1/500 of a second snapshot.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 25, 2004

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

Rogerbothwell.org

The resident housedog was fishing about in the trash container in the kitchen.  Finding a treasure she headed for the living room to tear it into tiny little pieces.  Instead of taking it from her, her master decided he would be a good guy and trade her the trash for a dog goodie.  She was very happy with the trade.  Actually she was so happy with the trade she immediately went to the kitchen trash container to find another item to trade for a goodie.  Dropping the trash at her master’s feet she waited for her goodie.  Thinking this was most clever he rewarded her.  That was a huge mistake.  Back she went to the kitchen trash container.  If only we could learn that quickly!

Behavioral psychologists maintain that humans are not much different than house pets.  If we are rewarded with a pleasant sensation or experience for particular behavior we will keep repeating the act as long as the pleasure continues.  The problem is we soon tire of the reward and want a bigger or more intense one.

Fortunately for most of us there is more to being a human than behavior followed by rewards.  We are also capable of intelligent thought that enables us to choose positive life-building behaviors.  However, sometimes we need help.  How grand that it is available.  Whenever we  ask, God hears and is eager to help.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 24, 2004

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Wanting to do something exciting for her twin nine-year-old grandsons, grandma took them to the circus.  They did not stay to the end.  The boys were bored.  The world has changed.  There was a time when going to the circus was the biggest entertainment event to happen in a child’s life.  Now by the time a child is nine they have seen so much media that elephants, lions, and clowns are “ho-hum.”

When one thinks about eternal life you cannot help but wonder about the saturation factor.  If one has an infinite amount of time one can see and process an infinite amount of experiences. How will we keep from becoming jaded? It seems to have everything to do with intellectual curiosity.  Knowing there is always something new will keep life interesting.

Actually, to find new things to explore one need go no farther afield than one’s back yard.  Select your interest and spend a lifetime studying birds or spiders or plants.  In fact, this spring we looked out the window and saw a hummingbird hovering in the very place we had a feeder last year.  We had not yet put it up this year.  That bird had migrated thousands of miles south and had returned six months later looking for its feeder.  There is so much to learn about that bird.

Eternity is about the adventures of the mind.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 23, 2004

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

Rogerbothwell.org

I smiled to myself as she said, “I’m having my tubes tied because I do not believe in birth control.”  Really?  And just why are you having your tubes tied and what would you call it?  Consistency is perhaps one of the most illusive of all moral goals.  For one thing we speak and act without having thought things through to their ultimate end.  And even when we have, we have to contend with our ever-changing attitudes and hormone levels.  It is so easy to say, “I am going to become a vegetarian” when one is not hungry.  It is so easy to say, “I will never again tell a lie” until we find ourselves in a situation where the truth will cost us.  It so easy to say, “I will control my passions” until a pretty woman walks into the room.

Appetites are a blessing.  Just imagine how bland life would be if we did not desire anything.  Appetites push our sense of worth and the challenge to be consistent.  The woman who wants to tie her tubes is not consistent because she hasn’t thought it through.  But most of us have thought it through and still want to violate the promise we made to ourselves yesterday.  Our promises are like ropes of sand.

No wonder Paul cries out, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”  Romans 7.  “For the things I would not do I do.”  Thankfully there is an answer in Romans 8.  There is forgiveness and help.  Jesus is looking for growth and for progress.  With His help we can keep doing better.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 22, 2008

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

Rogerbothwell.org

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 than 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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 21, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

In a successful way to keep their graduating high school seniors safe after a 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 moonlight and my  flashlight 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.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 20, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Suddenly I discovered a brad embedded between the outer corner of my thumb and my thumbnail.  The pain was exquisite.  Our hands are so finely crafted with protective growing coverings.  But there is a very fine vulnerable line and the piece of metal was deeply in.  For a moment I had visions of prison camps.  That was three days ago and I never thought much about how often I use the corner of my thumb for a multitude of tasks. Some are as simple as opening a letter or hitting the spacebar on my computer keyboard.  Ouch.

Pain is an amazing gift without which we would do immense harm to ourselves.  It reminds us to take our hand off the stove as quickly as possible and to wear shoes.   But, it is a mixed sensation of blessing and curse.  As it increases in intensity we begin to describe it with words like agony, misery, torture and anguish.  It is not limited to our physical nature but is experienced mentally and emotionally.  Often the only way not to feel it is to have it be overwhelmed by a worse pain elsewhere.

Jesus’ experience on the cross was such.  When He cried, “Why have you forsaken me” to His Father, the horror of the spikes in His hands, His raw skinless back resulting from the beatings and the crown of thorns became irrelevant when compared to the mental anguish of paying the price for our sins.  The innocent one took upon Himself the disgusting horror of our rebellion and was dying separated from the holiness of His Father.  While He could never be responsible for sin, He could and did pay the consequences.  His pain was far beyond the physical.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 19, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

We saw a lovely wall of roses this afternoon.   Yet as we drew near enough to see individual roses it became apparent that each rose by itself wasn’t that good looking.  Each had been beaten by the weather and chewed on by whatever eats roses.  They looked better from afar when they were part of an array of thousands of roses.   How like people.  Most of us look better from afar.  When we get well acquainted with people we soon see their physical, personality and characterflaws. Alas, familiarity often does breed contempt.  The lesson is if you want to keep admiring someone, keep them at arm’s length.  Don’t get too close.  Televisions are like that.  If you get too close you see the pixels instead of a smooth picture. I just got up and went and checked to see if that is also the case with high definition television and it is still true.

There is only one person in history we can thoroughly check and not find flaws, that is Jesus.  The worse thing his enemies could say was “This man eats with sinners.”  He touched lepers.  He befriended Roman soldiers and harlots.  If “birds of a feather” was always true we could write Him off.   But wait just a minute Jesus wants also to be friends with you and me.  Forget the soldiers and harlots.  Being with us would be bad enough.  Somehow He doesn’t mind.  He loves us as we are.

How grand!

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 18, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org