Category: devotional

I allowed my password for my university email account to lapse.  I have been teaching there for about seventeen years.  When I tried to get the information tech department to reset it today I discovered, according to them, I don’t exist.  I’m not in the system and never have been.   At least they still pay me every other week which is fairly interesting for someone who doesn’t exist.  I’m pondering not trying to correct their error and keeping the status quo.  If I don’t exist then they can’t send me email.  That has a certain attractive quality to it.

I am so thankful God never loses me out of His system.  According to Revelation 21 Jesus has a Book of Life that contains the names of the redeemed.  It’s a book in which all should want their names recorded.  This is so much different than wanting your name in a Who’s Who book here on earth.  Those books are quite useless other than to show and impress your grandma.  The Lamb’s Book of Life is a record of our rebirthdays.

We will never be lost in God’s system.  Even if we don’t take advantage of His merciful gift of eternal life, He will still know us.  If we are lost for eternity He will still never stop loving us.  We just will not be; except in His memory.  If lost we will forever be missed because there is and never has been someone exactly like you and me.  Each of us is so special.   I wish we could inspire everyone to come along with us.  It is something not to be missed so that we will not be missed.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 17, 2015

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

rogerbothwell.org

 

The stereo was on, the vacuum was running, the dog was barking at the vacuum and the phone was ringing.  It was mayhem.  As he reached for the phone he dropped the vacuum hose and yelled at the dog to be quiet.  Just then a strange high-pitched electronic sounding hum began.  It kept getting louder and louder.  Had something gone wrong with the stereo?  Fortunately, the phone call was short.  It was just another telemarketer.  But by now the hum had increased to a high-pitched whistle.  Turning off the stereo did not help.  Turning off the vacuum did not help.  The dog left the room.  The sound was coming from behind him.  Whirling about he saw the telltale steam coming out of the whistling teapot on the woodstove.

Do you ever think there is so much noise in the world you can barely think?  Sometimes life gets so loud we have an awful time hearing God’s voice.  He speaks in a still small voice (I Kings 19:12) and He is crowded out by the cacophony of life.  In Psalms 46:10 He asks us to be still.  But when?  When David wrote that verse life was a whole lot quieter.  Most likely the noisiest thing around was the neighbor’s dog.  However, God does make a recommendation that works.  In Psalms 4:4 we read, “When you are on your beds, search your heart and be silent.

Turn off the news and listen. You will be amazed at what you hear.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 18, 2003

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

rogerbothwell.org

 

 

In Matthew 9 we find the story of an afflicted woman touching the edge of Jesus’ cloak and being instantly healed.  The end of Matthew 14 adds, “People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick but touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.”  I have a granddaughter who ran an amazing distance merely to meet Bruce Springsteen.  He had nothing to offer other than her being able to say she met him.  I am trying to imagine the reaction of people who didn’t even have to meet Jesus.  All they had to do was touch His garment and a life time of illnesses vanished.  I wonder to what lengths I would go to but touch His garment.

After His resurrection He said to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  That’s us.  We have not with our eyes seen yet we believe.  We are blessed.  In Matthew 5 He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”   He promised, “Ask and you will receive.”  So let’s ask for the forgiveness and bask in the surety that we will see Him. I want to see Him.

The Gospel keeps getting better.  No longer will we just get to see Him and touch Him.  In John 15:15 Jesus calls us His friends.  Have you ever known or met someone famous?  Did you name drop after that?  Did you ever invent conversation so you could let others know you know someone?   The best name dropping ever is letting people know Jesus is your friend.  Try it today and see what happens.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 16, 2015

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

Rogerbothwell org

 

Every Thursday my grandson hosts a radio program on the Elon University radio station in North Carolina.   Today while on the air his sister called him from New York to discuss music.  I then texted him to ask her to say Hi to me.  She did.  So there we were.  I was in Massachusetts getting a hello from my granddaughter in New York via a radio program in North Carolina by using texting and who knows how many satellites.  Can anyone even begin to think that God doesn’t have the technology to hear our prayers on earth while He is in heaven?

Actually He doesn’t need technology.  While He is in heaven He is also here.  His characteristic of being everywhere at once makes it possible for Him to always hear us no matter where we are.  One of my favorite passages is Psalm 139, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”  Poor old Jonah discovered there is nowhere God isn’t.

Reality is we do not even have to vocalize our prayers.  He hears our thoughts. “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”  Romans 8

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 13, 2015

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

rogerbothwell.org

According to the dictionary the word “compassion” means having a deep understanding of another’s suffering coupled with a desire to alleviate the suffering.  On seven different occasions Matthew and Mark describe Jesus as having compassion.

In Matthew 9:35-36 we read, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

In other New Testament passages Jesus showed compassion to particular persons.  But in Matthew 9 His compassion was expressed in general terms.  It is fairly easy to have compassion for a specific person.  When we see someone face to face and are confronted with his or her need it is normal to want to help.  But it is not normal to have compassion for the faceless crowd.  If you were told there were ten thousand hungry children in Uganda you would most likely reply, “That’s too bad” yet do nothing.  But if you were introduced to a real, starving child you would reach deep into your pocket to help.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 7, 2001

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

rogerbothwell.org

 

Many years ago I along with some friends decided to climb to the top of the Mountains of the Moon.  (The Ruwenzori Mountains in Uganda)  Not being foolish by finding a trailhead and heading up on our own, we hired a guide.  When we started out the guide pointed up the trail and told us he would be along in a while.  “But wait,” I said to him, “shouldn’t you go first.”  Looking at me he said, “My job is to get all of you safely to the top.  If I am in front I don’t know what has happened behind me.  I will be the last one into camp each night.”  And so he was.  Three days later we all were safely on top standing on the equator at noon on July 4 in a howling snow storm. This ranks near the very top of one of my best learned and most important lessons in life.

While Jesus says, “I am the Way” and “follow me”, he has an advantage our mountain guide did not have.  Jesus knows where we are all the time.  He can both lead and follow at the same time.  Jesus is the Super Guide.

One of the things I noted when we were on the top of the mountain was there were dangerous snow curls hanging over the edges of cliffs and it would have been very easy to inadvertently walk out onto one and thus plunge to one’s death.  Life is full of such deathtraps.  Once again our Super Guide knows exactly where they are and if we follow Him we can be sure to safely miss each one.  “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 12, 2015

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

rogerbothwell.org

 

 

While sitting at my desk I can hear winter retreating before the advancement of spring.  There are drips of water falling from the foot of snow from our roof unto the copper covering of the window behind me.   The dripping sound reinforces the clichéd name Old Man Winter.   Little by little winter is losing its grip.  While it is true we could possibly get yet another snow storm it would be like a delusional old man pretending he is still attractive to young ladies.  Winter is doomed to become history.

I just paid a Massachusetts excise tax on my car.  It is true.  Taxes and death are a surety.  Just as the taxman cometh so does our local mortician.  Old Man Winter and I have much in common.  His strength is ebbing and so is mine.  Lest I sound overly morbid I need to say I have an advantage over Old Man Winter.  He is doomed.  Quite to the contrary I am not for I know something he does not know.  I know about Jesus.  Oh to joy.

This ebbing of strength, this graying of hair (what is left), is only a temporary condition.  Soon my man-made knees will be replaced and I will leap and fly like an eagle. “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  Isaiah 40:31.   The really good part is that will be an eternal condition.  Last week I sat behind a man my age and looked at his full head of hair and I thought, “You just wait.  I too will be like that again.”   Following Jesus is loaded with benefits.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 11, 2015

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

rogerbothwell.org

 

This past weekend I commented to someone about how very kind and generous another person was.  The response I received was, “Yes, but did you know he doesn’t believe exactly the way we do.”

That response set off a flurry of thoughts. I don’t know where to begin.  But I’ll try.  #1. I wasn’t talking about the person’s theology.  I was commenting on his character.  #2. The negativity sought to cancel the positive. #3. Should the nice person’s theology matter at all?   #4. The heresy police are still with us.  #5.  Is orthodoxy more important than character?  #6.  I doubt if any of us believe “exactly” like another.  Does that make us all heretics to each other?

It is not that I think truth is unimportant.  It is indeed.  Without truth we would be at sea without a rudder.  What I do want to emphasize is priorities?   Character ranks above all else.   A person with character is safe to be near even if he is not orthodox.  A person steeped in truth can be dangerous if he does not have a Christ-like character.

Jesus never said, “Hereby shall men know you are my disciples if you have all truth.”  What He did say was, “Hereby shall men know you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”

And finally, which one of us knows all things exactly right?  When we get to heaven we are going to get a lesson in what is really right from the One who knows all things. The irony in this is I am espousing a truth that people are more important that dogma which makes it part of my dogma.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 10, 2015

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I have heard that we can add 11 minutes to our lives by petting a dog.   If so I need only to pet my dog 131 times each day to live forever.  I’m all set.  It’s a wonder she isn’t bald from all the rubbing.  Now I just have to get my wife to do the same and in 48 more years we will celebrate our centennial wedding anniversary.

Fifty years ago people used to say every aspirin one took subtracted 11 minutes from their life.  My response used to be, “Who would want to live for 11 more minutes with a raging headache?”

On my mother’s 90th birthday she made a secret wish.  She wouldn’t tell but I always knew what it was.  She wanted to live to be 100.   She made it to 97.

My wish is much more ambitious.  I never want to die.  Therefore I choose to take Jesus up on His promise to Mary and Martha.  “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.’”  Sounds good to me.   The French philosopher Blaise Pascal used to say if we trust Jesus on this we have everything to gain.  And if Jesus wasn’t telling the truth we have nothing to lose by believing Him.

So as I sit here with my dog pressed close to my legs, taking an aspirin for a slight headache, I choose to, and I urge you to also choose with me, to take Jesus up on His promise.   What a wonderful way to live.   Being a Christian is the best.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 9, 2015

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

Rogerbothwell.org

Do you every wonder how it is that evil people and good people are members of the same species?  The human mind is by far the most mysterious thing on earth.  It sits behind the eyes and holds within its folds the universe.  It receives a continuous stream of data and processes it into consciousness and self-awareness.  That consciousness transforms into an “I.”  “I” then make highly selective choices as to how “I” will respond to all that sensory stimuli.

There are some who believe that what we do with self is already determined and we have no real freedom.  There are others who have concluded that we have absolute freedom and power to choose what we will be.  Perhaps reality is somewhere in the middle.  A Volkswagen brain cannot will itself to become a Mercedes.  But it can will itself to be the very best Volkswagen brain ever.  We are limited by our physical inheritance.  But we can train, we can alter, we can discipline, we can hone our minds as a body builder strengthens and defines his biceps.  We can feed our brain quality thoughts and exercise it by contemplating character-building ideas.

Paul says, “Let this mind be in you that was in Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 2:5.  Paul also says, “I in Christ and Christ in me.”  Jesus wants to be our personal trainer.  He wants to guide us into a more excellent state of thought and consciousness. He wants us to think heavenly ideas and intellectually soar above the crowd.  The freedom to be such is ours to choose.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 8, 2001

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

rogerbothwell.org