Author: Ian Bothwell

It was cacophony.  The sounds of rap music, if you can call it music, (Wow, am I ever old!) were coming from the speakers in the ceiling and some fast talking adman was hawking Golden Oldies CDs from Time/Life on a television in the corner.  Since I was in a doctor’s office I was guessing someone was conducting research on patients, because no civilized doctor would or could have tolerated the noise.  I tried my best to focus on just one but the other continued to be extremely annoying.

I should be used to this by now.  All my life I have had two voices in my head competing for attention and loyalty.  There are two small voices and they are not always so small for they sometimes roar for compliance.  One promises immediate satisfaction not worrying about tomorrow and the other promises delaying gratification for a quieter but quality life.  Sometimes temptation for the immediate looks so delicious.

When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness did He hear two voices or three?  (His own, Satan and the Holy Spirit.)   Did Jesus need the Holy Spirit or because He was 100 percent God was He strong enough on His own?   I am going to assert because he was also 100 percent human He, like us, needed the Holy Spirit.  (See Hebrews 4.  Tempted such as we.)

If you also have a cacophony in your head claim the promise in James 1, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”   That way you will be strong enough to make the right decision.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 12, 2015

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

For six weeks we had a very sick dog.  She was miserable.  Our problem was her nose was wet and cold.  Her mouth was nice and pink. Blood tests revealed strong normal organ functions.  And yet she walked ever so slowly with her tail and head competing to see which could droop lower.  She would cry in anticipation of being bumped.  Finally on the vet’s third visit (our vet makes house calls) she tested her for a disease that should have revealed itself with a fever and chills.  We were getting desperate.  Bingo.  There it was anaplasmosis.  She’s better now.

I have known people with “cold wet noses.” By all outward appearances they should have been having a great life.  They were physically healthy, financially stable, had a great career, had great personal relationships and yet they were miserable. They didn’t know what was wrong. Finally we found it.  They were so happy they were miserable.  I know it sounds impossible.  It is the ultimate oxymoron.  They were miserable because they had Solomon’s disease.  They had no meaning in their lives.  They were afraid it was all going to come to an end.

The truth is it was going to end because they had never met Jesus.  No matter how successful and how well managed our lives can be, they will end.  All the IRA’s, all the education, all the endowments given, all mean nothing in the grand scheme of things unless we can be assured of always being in the Grand Scheme of Things.  In John 5 Jesus promises us we can cross over from death to life.  Eternity is ours.  It is then and only then that everything has real meaning.  It is then that we experience true happiness.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 12, 2014

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, Ca 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

This weekend after waiting for my turn at a four-way stop it was finally my turn to go when on the edge of my peripheral vision I caught movement. As I quickly retreated my foot from the accelerator, a young man on a bicycle hurled past the front of my hood and was gone on down the road never knowing how close he came to not becoming an older man.  Why when coming to a busy intersection would he even begin to think the stop signs were not for him?

Why would people even think God’s commandments are not pertinent after the cross?  What did we think was God’s purpose for giving us His law?  His law is the loving concern of a parent for young children who are not experienced enough with life to know the consequences of murder, theft, etc. God’s laws are there to keep us from harm and from harming others.   Those consequences did not change because God made provision for our foolishness.   Just as that bicyclist was foolish and stupid so are we when we think His laws don’t matter anymore.

When Paul speaks of them being nailed to the cross he was referring to them as a means of salvation.  Salvation only comes from Jesus and His sacrifice.  There is no other way.  Jesus even said, “I am the way.”   Paul was not saying we don’t have to obey.  What he was saying is keeping or trying to keep them will never save us.  Actually, we can disobey if we want the consequences of disobedience to rain upon us.  The consequences didn’t change.  God does forgive us for our foolishness but He also lets us reap the now consequences of our disregard for his wisdom.  The law is a teacher, a professor, an expert on survival in a dangerous world.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 11, 2014

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

His name is Jonathan Goldsmith and he has been called, “The most interesting man in the world.”  He is a pitchman for a product I best not mention.  But I call attention to him because of how he closes his commercials.  His ruggedly handsome bearded face looks into the camera and he says to us, “Stay thirsty, my friends.”

Jesus said in John 4, “”Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”   And in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

And in Revelation 7 we read about the redeemed standing before God being described as follows, “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

There is an irony here.  In order for us to be led to the living fountains, in order for us to drink the water springing up to eternal life requires us to be thirsty.  We must want it.  We must never be satisfied until we drink it.  Each day we must drink.  And so in the words of Jonathan Goldsmith, “Stay thirsty, my friends” and Jesus will satisfy.

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 23, 2015

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Today we drove north from New York City to the west of Boston.  It was one of the top ten most beautiful trips I have ever made. Someone had splashed the landscape with a trillion cans of orange, red, yellow and bronze paint.  When the sun shone on walls of color the atmosphere itself glowed.  At one point as we neared a tunnel we were swallowed by color not only on both sides but also on the mountain in front of us.

As our leaves are rapidly coming to their end I wondered why is it as we near our end that we could not go out in a blaze of glory.  Instead we grow pale.  Our hair, if we have any left, goes mousey gray.   I know only two people with really white hair.  Our skin wrinkles.  It is difficult to stand up straight.  We shuffle.  Do you remember the song, “Old soldiers never die. They just fade away.”?  I’m fading.  I find myself wishing I were a leaf.

I found myself smiling this morning at a lady who must have spent a fortune on a complete reconstruction of her face but she forgot to do her hands.  It looked strange to see a sixty face with twenty hair sporting a pair of eighty-five hands.

Fortunately, unlike the leaves which end in glory, we will begin again in glory and retain it.  When we are a thousand with a thirty face and thirty hands (I’m guessing thirty is prime.) we have no need of the plastic man.  We will never need the plastic man because we will always have Jesus, the resurrection and the life and the sustainer of life evermore.  John 3:16  promises, “shall have everlasting life.”  How grand!

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 25, 2015

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I’m sure you are as happy as I that the current political campaign is over. “Oh, what a relief it is.”  This afternoon our present Massachusetts governor and our governor elect had a joint press conference.  Being that they are of different parties some members of the press pressed them with questions like, “During the campaign some harsh words were spoken.  What…”  Our present governor immediately and continually cut them off with the following response.  “The campaign is over.”  He must have repeated it a half dozen times until the press got the message.  “The campaign is over.”

That is a class act that should be emulated by all of us.  We have all had conflicts with others.  But there comes a time to stop.  There comes a time to say, “It’s over” and get on with a productive relationship.  Why do we so often hang on to slights or worse and let those things make us miserable for years that follow?  When we stop and think about it, if we really think about it, it is stupid because we are then making our own lives miserable. It isn’t the other.  It is us.  We are doing it to ourselves.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.…”  Your life will be better.  The other’s life will be better.  Everyone wins.  Jesus knows us so well.  Christianity is about the quality of life, now and forever.  Don’t forget the now part.  “The campaign is over.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 6, 2014

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

Rogerbothwwell.org

By far the winner of the most popular costume for the little girls that came to our home trick-or-treating was Elsa, the fantasy female protagonist in Disney’s Frozen.  I should have counted but I am sure it was near 50%.   Two little girls even sang for me “Let It Go”, the award-winning theme song from the film.

As they went back up the sidewalk to the street I thought of Romans 13:14 where Paul admonishes us to “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, . . .” Just as those little girls were being changed by dressing like Elsa and singing her song, so we are transformed by mentally clothing ourselves like Jesus.   It really isn’t just role-playing.   It is a role that little by little becomes reality.  We become unselfish by doing unselfish things.  We become kind by doing the thoughtful deed.  We become generous by giving more than is expected.  We become nice by not saying the nasty thing and instead figuring out a way to be positive.  Granted it might be difficult at first but like most things the more we do something the more our body and mind adapt.  And then one day something marvelous happens.   It becomes automatic.  It becomes our first response.  We are changed.  I’m not saying it is easy.  Quite to the contrary just like learning to play the piano like a concert performer takes years of daily practice so it is a lifelong task to become like Jesus.

Playacting isn’t just playacting.  Playacting is serious character transformation.  It is the noblest challenge upon which one can embark.  And the best part of all as Peter says in his second letter we can participate, now, in the divinity of Jesus.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 5, 2014

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

The pumpkins that last week were selling for seven to ten dollars apiece are now on sale for one dollar.  If I wait another week maybe they will pay me to take them away. Of course I have to consider the fact that I don’t want one because their use is over.  Who wants to carve a face in a pumpkin in November?  I could get my wife to make a pie but we can only eat a limited number of pumpkin pies.

I never wanted to write a book because I could never bear the indignity of seeing one on a “Take a Book for a Dollar” table or worse a pile of them.

I have met people with such little self-esteem they feel totally worthless to anyone.  One of my students who is 22 years old spent 20 of those years in a Nepalese refugee camp.  He told me he never felt he had any value until he came to America.  Now he is in college and dreams are forming.  Suddenly he has a future.  He comes to class totally prepared and sits on the front row.  He asks me to repeat things because he doesn’t want to miss anything.  It is exciting for me to see him start believing in himself.

If by any chance you might be tempted to think you have minimal value allow me to remind you that the Creator of the universe knows every hair upon your head.  He has a place for you in His kingdom.  He died to guarantee that place for you and according to Romans 8 and Galatians 4 you are an adopted daughter or son with equal shares in Jesus’ inheritance.   That’s value.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 4, 2014

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

It’s debate time in America.  Political parties are verbally battling for control of our lives.  We the people have to listen and decide who we can trust to tell us the truth.  Who is really doing this for us and not for their own ego satisfaction?

There is an interesting passage in Revelation 12:7 and 8.  It says, “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.”  Obviously this was a war of words and not physical combat.   Who could war against omnipotence?

This was a war for the hearts and minds of the universe. God, the omnipotent one, tolerated dissent because He knows His dream government is one where love and free will are the fundamentals.  If at any time before all the issues (accusations against Him) were openly understood by all His created beings His dream could never be.  Lucifer was allowed access to Earth and unfortunately we failed.  But God in His great love and for the sake of all the universe sent Jesus into the fray in the weakened form of humanity.

Satan had accused God of being a tyrant who demanded obedience and death.  God needed to show that the only thing He wants for His children is the abundant life.  Death is the ultimate NATURAL fruit of disobedience.  For thousands of years Lucifer toted his lies about what God wanted.  The universe listened to the debate.  God was not winning until Calvary.  On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross and Lucifer lost.  His lies were exposed.  His character was exposed.  Our heavenly Father won and with that win comes our victory over death.

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 29, 2015

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

The gas station was only a football field away as two slightly built girls were pushing their car toward a fill-up.  The problem was it was uphill and they were straining with all their might and not getting anywhere. It was hopeless.  They were so close and yet so far. Finally I watched two other cars pull over and two muscular young men got out, waved the girls aside and pushed the car to the pumps.

In Hebrews 10 we read about the priests sacrificing animals day in and day out and never making any progress with Israel’s sin problem.  It was hopeless.  Then Jesus came.  He was the ultimate sacrifice that opened the way for all of us to not only enter the court yard and the Holy Place but He gave us direct access into the Most Holy Place.  Without Jesus’ help we are never going to make it.

Now according to Hebrews 10 we can celebrate success in arriving to be with our Father.  He is not only approachable, He is inviting.  He wants us to come with all the eagerness of parents wanting their children and grandchildren to come home for the holidays. If our grandchildren come this Thanksgiving or Christmas you can only imagine the preparation that will take place.  Leaves will be raked.  Windows will be washed.  Carpets will be scrubbed.  The tasks will be endless until the glorious day they arrive.  It is the same in heaven.

We can push and strain until our blood vessels pop and we will make no more progress toward being with our heavenly Father than those two young girls made toward the filling station.  It was only with help they made it.  It is only with the help of Jesus that we can make it.  He is the best – count on it.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 3, 2014

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

Rogerbothwell.org