Category: devotional

Darkness is the absence of light.  Cold is the absence of heat.  Please note darkness and cold are nothing.  The logic here wants me to then say evil is the absence of good.  To a degree that is correct.  It is evil for good people to stand by and do nothing when they see horrible things being done to others.   But that is only a partial definition because evil is also the ignored acts being done.

Apparently the right kind of anger is not evil for Scripture makes record of Jesus being angry.  Mark 3 reads, “Then he spoke to the people: ‘What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?’ No one said a word.  He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ He held it out-it was as good as new! The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod’s followers and ruin him.”

I doubt any of us would classify ourselves as being evil.  We might admit to being naughty or at best bad, but never evil.   That descriptor belongs to the Hitlers of the world.  It is a difficult thing to admit but how often have we turned away from doing good because it was not convenient or particularly useful for us?   We rationalize our actions lest we feel guilty and so we excuse ourselves.    But James does say, “To him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin. Ouch.  At some point we have to be honest with ourselves and realize the only way we can be saved is by grace.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 16, 2009

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

 

It has been my observation that emails are much more hazardous to our welfare than snail-mail or face to face communication.   When we write a letter for the postman to deliver usually some time passes before we get it in the mailbox.  It lies on the kitchen counter waiting to be mailed.   We have time to reconsider what we have said and how we have said it and we can rethink whether or not to send it.   When we talk face to face with people we can see each other’s facial expressions and body language. Often we soften what we say in those personal encounters.  But email can be sent almost instantaneously.  In a fit of anger or displeasure we can spill out our venom and send it without much consideration and once sent it cannot be recalled.  We didn’t get to see a person’s face only a computer screen.

I have thought a lot about sending messages to God.  Having gone to church all my life I have heard a lot of prayers.  While I don’t think they are hazardous to our welfare I’m not sure how effective they are.  Most public prayer isn’t really talking to God it’s just another kind of preaching.  Often we seem more interested in impressing the humans who are listening than God.  Often we lie to God and tell Him we love Him when we are actually very upset with Him for allowing some tragedy in our lives. I think we are afraid to open up lest we get struck by lightning.  We won’t. Maybe praying would be easier if we could actually see God face to face.   We could talk to Him as a friend if we could see Him.

Communication is the heart of all relationships and most often the hardest, most difficult thing we have to do.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 16, 2009

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

 

 

One of my all time favorite cartoon strips is Calvin and Hobbes, the continuing saga of a little boy and his stuffed tiger.  One of my all time favorite episodes shows Calvin telling Hobbes that he, Calvin, wishes for some really stupendous things.  Hobbes responds that he wishes for a sandwich.  Calvin then chastises Hobbes for not having any imagination.  The last scene shows Hobbes eating a sandwich as he says, “Yeah, but I got my wish.”

The message is loud and clear.  Be practical. Don’t be ridiculous when you set goals. Have a genuine sense of reality.  Happiness comes with success and success can only happen if we are realistic.  I am not happy when I hear people tell youth, “If you can dream it.  You can do it.” That is just not so.  Now that I have said that I am sure someone once told Barack Obama he was foolish to think he could be President.  Yet I know I can dream of winning the Boston Marathon and that really is an  impossibility.

Then there is Ephesians 3:20.  “God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams. He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” *  People outside the house of Jarius laughed when Jesus said the little girl was only sleeping.  They knew when someone was dead. Yet a few minutes later she walked out to see and talk with them.  Somehow we need to put all of this into perspective and realize that our dreams will be fulfilled but have to be saved for resurrection morning.  See I Corinthians 15.

*The Message Paraphrase by E. Petersen

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 13, 2009

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

 

He looked like he was about seven years old.   He was a very nice looking little boy.  When I first saw him he was walking beside the wall in the hall of his elementary school with his white stick tapping the way.  I was amazed at his confidence and steadiness.  From all appearances he knew where he was going and needed no assistance.  I am sure this did not happen overnight.  Someone spent many hours orienting him to his school and making sure he could navigate by himself.  It was very impressive.

No matter what our special needs happen to be each of us needs help navigating. The GPS in my car has paid for itself many times over in saved gasoline.  It is so nice to go directly to my destination without looking like a directionally challenged person.   As a teacher I am continually frustrated by students that fail to follow instructions.  You can put something in the course syllabus, point it out, have them underline it and still they fail to do it.  God must feel that way with us.  Remember Isaiah 30:21?  “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.'”   God wrote it down for us and He whispers directions to us and we still get lost.  Ouch!

I do admire people who set a path and keep to it.  I, like my mind, wander all over the place.  It’s getting worse.  Staying on course is not easy because there are so many interesting things to see and to think about.  I rarely hear an entire sermon because the preacher says something that makes me think of something which makes me think of something which makes me think of something. Right now I am thinking I am so glad Jesus said, “I am the way.”   Don’t get lost!

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 10, 2009

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

At a busy intersection in a small city north of us is a billboard that reads, “Are you losing your home?  Nothing is worse than doing nothing.” There is also a phone number for people to call.  It is a stark reminder of the hard times so many are experiencing.

As I drove away I kept thinking about the message, “Nothing is worse than doing nothing.”  Nothing could be more true about almost everything.  If you have a job you don’t like, do something about it.  If your marriage is not happy, do something about it.  If your children aren’t talking to you, do something about it. If you feel undereducated, do something about it.  If you are overweight and feeling unattractive, do something about it.  So often we are paralyzed by negative forces and each day that we do nothing we let them win.  We let them eat up our lives.

The same is true spiritually.  If you feel like God is a long way off or that He only talks to other people, do something about.  Start talking to Him.  I promise you He will not snub you.  It might take you a while to recognize His voice but I promise you it will be there.   Start a dialogue with Him.  Take His Word along with one of those nothing books with all the blank pages and first read and then respond.  Fill those pages with your reactions to John or Matthew.  If you feel like you want an intellectual challenge read Hebrews.  One thing that always happens when we write is we surprise ourselves with what we know.  Often when I am finished writing I say, “I didn’t know I knew that!”

The issue is this, “Nothing is worse than doing nothing.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 25, 2009

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

My wife and I are using the Wii fitness program.   It really is an amazing technological tool.  One stands on what amounts to a very sensitive scale that not only records one’s weight but continually monitors one’s center of balance.   Most of the exercises are done while standing on the scale.  It likes my wife but ridicules me.   It says nice things to her but not only does it tell me I am overweight it tells me I am obese.  The on-screen character representing my wife looks great.   Mine looks like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.  It has gone so far as to call me a novice, an amateur and a couch potato.  It tells me I am as fit as a 76 year old and goes “Ou” when I step on.  Life is tough when even a computer disrespects me.  I feel like Rodney Dangerfield.

At least I know one place where I will always be respected.  Matthew 10:32 says, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”  It doesn’t get any better than that.  That is the highest level of respect one could ever desire.  Jesus will stand before the Almighty God of the Universe and hold up our names.   Again in Revelation 3:5 Scripture adds angels to the list of those whom Jesus will so honor.

I don’t know anyone who relishes being disrespected.  It’s something I try to remember every time I go into a classroom.  When we respect students they will return it.  Everyone is unique.  There never has been and never will be another like you and you will be honored and respected in heaven.  How grand!

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 24, 2009.

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

 

As a result of last December’s horrific ice storm there are gigantic piles of tree parts by the curb of most every other home.   This past weekend the city put up the following signs.  “Storm Debris Clean Up Starts Tomorrow.” We are looking forward to the debris being carted away but apparently they are never going to come for it.  On my way to school this morning the signs still said, “Starts tomorrow.”  If I see the same sign tomorrow I have to assume they aren’t coming.

I am reminded of a student who told me she just couldn’t become a Christian today but most likely some time in the future.  At the close of the semester as she turned in her final I asked her if the time had arrived.  She gave me a smug smile and said, “Maybe tomorrow.”  I have to assume the fault is mine and other Christians around me. Apparently we have not made it attractive.  She is fearful she will have to give up good times.  Have we made being a Christian so vanilla it isn’t appealing until one is too old to party?  Do people see following Jesus as an experience for those whose juices have dried up?  What about Jesus telling us He came so we might have life more abundantly?  Isn’t the abundant life for now and not for tomorrow?

Every time we take up an offering for evangelism my heart aches.  Why should we have to spend a fortune each year trying to convince people to follow Jesus?  Shouldn’t our lives be a walking advertisement?  If people found out they would be loved and cared for inside the walls of our church we couldn’t keep them out.

Written by Roger Bothwell on May 5, 2009

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

 

I learned a new word today.  It is “contronym.”  It is a word that has two meanings each the opposite of the other.   The word “awful” used to mean something wonderful but now it means something terrible.  When you dust your house you remove fine particles but when you dust a cookie you sprinkle something on it.  I know some people who are contronyms.  Sometimes they are the nicest people in the world and other times you better get out of the way.  I’m sure you remember this by Longfellow.  “There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good she was very good indeed but when she was bad she was horrid.”

This is a really good reason for not marrying someone until you have seen them angry at least once.   Horrid can be horrid.   We really need to know just how long the horrid stays around.  Anger is okay as long as it is justified and well directed.  Jesus got angry on more than one occasion. See Mark 3:1-6.

Literature is filled with contronyms.  Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is just one example.  I think there is a bit of contronym in all of us.  We have a social face and a private face for home.  I do hope your home face is your nicer face.  So often we are nice to strangers and horrid to the ones who love us.  We must think we can get away with that.   I would like to propose that we save our really nice face for the ones we love.   If we have to be mean, be mean to a stranger who you will never see again.

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 2, 2009

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

I’m sitting here eating a peanut butter and blackberry jelly sandwich.  I have to tell you it is wonderful.  I have a friend who can easily overindulge with peanut butter and banana sandwiches.  One of my favorites is peanut butter with bread and butter pickle chips.  As I listen to the news I find it distressing to think so many people have recently become ill and a few have actually died from eating contaminated peanut butter.  How can something so good become so deadly when it contains something one cannot see?

Do you remember Jesus telling His disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees?  See Matthew 16.  There was something in the good teachings of the religious establishment that was dangerous.  And so it is in today’s world.  Jesus warns us to beware of false prophets.  See Matthew 24.  People come with wonderful sounding ideas claiming to be speaking for God.  They often tell us they have new truth for new times.  Usually 99% of what they have to say is more than okay.  The contamination of heresy doesn’t have to be much.  But it can destroy.

The one idea that makes Christianity different from all other religions is that salvation is free.  It is a gift of grace.  The Good News is that Jesus paid it all.  But how many times do we hear people say such and then follow up with a “but.”  What most often follows the “but” is the contamination. It is the yeast.

When a person truly understands the wonder of what God has done, the good works and the Godlike life that follows is the fruit of being redeemed.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 9, 2009

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

I woke up in the night with cold feet.  I found myself longing for an old electric blanket we used to have that had a feet zone.  That part of the blanket was warmer than the rest of the blanket.  When I got up this morning I could not help but note the socks I put on during the night were two different colors.  I guess the moral of the story is if one wants to be fashionable one must not get dressed in the dark.   Actually there are very few things one does well in the dark.  Star gazing is one of them and yet the whole point of that is to seek lights in the sky.

The history of the world is man’s quest for light. The age of discovery, scientific methodology, billions spent for research all is to know more. The more we know the more life improves.  Most all of us have at sometime in our lives benefited from some form of medicine developed by researchers. Yet I wonder if we were not better off prior to our knowledge of splitting the atom.  The specter of a gigantic mushroom cloud haunts modernity.

It was no accident that Jesus called Himself the Light of the World.   John 9:5.  Jesus illuminates our minds.  He answers the great existential problems of where did we come from, where are we going, why are we here. When one allows Jesus to flood one’s mind with truth the darkness is overwhelmed by light.  Philosophers who speak of the angst of being can resolve their issues as quickly as aspirin cures a headache. The light is there. The abundance is waiting for all who will receive.   There is no need to walk around with mismatched socks.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 24, 2009

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