On Taking Responsibility

Spring semester is waning. Projects are coming due. Procrastinators are not yet panicking; that will happen in about ten more days.  Last evening I made an impassioned appeal for my undergrads to PLEASE get their assignments turned in. (This is something you never have to do with graduate students.)  After class three students stayed after to ask how to do the assignments!  When I explained (for the umpteenth time) they accused me of never having told them before this.  I felt like I was in the Garden of Eden hearing Adam blaming God, followed by Eve blaming the serpent.  I would have been so much more sympathetic if they had said, “I never heard” instead of saying, “You didn’t.”  Perhaps that was asking too much.  That would have meant they were responsible.   (I’m sure they would have taken responsibility if something good had occurred.)

Taking responsibility when there is blame to be had (manning up) is a key factor in living a successful life.  It is THE key factor in being saved.  “If we confess our sins He is able to forgive.” Confession is manning up.  No going to therapy so we can blame our parents, no playing Flip Wilson by saying, “The devil made me do it.”  Life is choices.  Unfortunately not all of them work out so well.  The good news is God is eager to save, eager to forgive, eager to give us fresh starts, even if we need them on a daily basis.  When describing love in       I Corinthians 13 Paul wrote, “Love keeps no record of wrongs.”

My students will make my day when they turn in their assignments.  We can make God’s day by saying, “I did it.  I’m sorry.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 13, 2016

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“I Wanted to Hear Her Sing”

How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.  I love to hear you sing.  At least that was one of the reasons of a man who this weekend during a church choral number got out of his seat, walked to the front and moved the microphone so it was precisely in front of his wife!  Afterwards he told me, “I wanted to hear her sing.”  He did.  We did.

Love is an amazing thing.  Without it life would be so bland or maybe not at all.  It was with a heart full of love that God knelt in the grass of Eden and formed man with full intention of giving him Eve.  It was with a heart full of love that same God permitted what has to be for all eternity the most horrific act ever.  God did not resist as the great, great, great, great grandchildren of that first man ripped handfuls of beard from God’s face, spit on Him and smashed nails into His hands.  In 1955 Paul Webster wrote, “Love is a many splendid thing.”  In this particular case “splendid” is not the right adjective but I cannot think of a word graphic enough to fit that appalling scene.

And now with a heart full of love that same risen God is our high priest in the heavenly sanctuary creating a dossier on each of us detailing a case that justifies the salvation of each of us.  “Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.”  Hebrews 5:1

In a dream I asked God why He saved us and He replied, “I wanted to hear you sing.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 11, 2016

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Let the Son Do It

If it had been the beginning of November I would have cranked up the snow blower and cleared the driveway.  Five inches of snow packed down by the car would have made the driveway icy for three or four months.  But this is April with the forecast of 56 degrees in two days.  It didn’t matter if the car packed it down; it would all be gone in 48 to 72 hours.  So I allowed the sun to do it for me.

If I weren’t a morally weak human (we all are.), I would work hard to be saved and worry like crazy that I had missed some small little sin.  I am morally weak, but not totally stupid.  Wanting to be saved, I decided to let the Son do it for me.  This is not an issue of being lazy.  It is being a realist.  No matter how hard I would try I would fail.  Even Paul couldn’t do it so he wrote, “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Now I can relax and team up with the Holy Spirit to be more like Jesus every day.  Not to be saved, but because I am ecstatic with joy that the Son has done the saving.  The Son is my hero and I want to be like Him.  That is the quest.

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 8, 2016

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Unclaimed Millions

March 21 was the deadline for a one million dollar Powerball winner in Wisconsin to claim his prize.   The ticket owner most likely never knew he had such a prize.  It was probably washed in his shirt pocket or is in the box between the front seats of his car.  It doesn’t matter now.  The money has gone into the black hole of the state budget.  Actually 57 million dollars worth of lottery prizes have never been claimed just in Wisconsin.  Imagine what the number is nationwide.

One cannot help but think of Jeremiah 8:20, “”The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.”  The horrible truth is even though God is immense in mercy millions will be lost.  This is not God’s fault.  He is innocent.  Provision has been made for everyone.  That is difficult for us to understand considering the places and circumstances under which some people live or have lived.  The glorious truth here is we don’t have to understand because an amazing all loving God has worked that out for each person born.  Finding out how will be one of the joys we will experience in heaven.  Paul wrote in Romans  11, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  Unsearchable are his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord?”

Not only has God made provision He pursues people with the gift in hand.  That is the task of the Holy Spirit.  Do you remember Michael Anthony, John Beresfoot Tipton’s man, in the 1950 TV series The Millionaire?  His job was to deliver the money.  All total there was $206,000,000 given away.  Our heavenly Father has an infinite amount to give.

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 6, 2016

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Spiritual Snobs

This morning I watched a little red squirrel crawl up a tree and out onto our suet feeder.  Much to his delight it popped open and the suet cake fell out onto the ground.  I’m sure I heard him say, “Yippee.”   Down the tree he scampered and proceeded to drag it away.  It was larger than he but that didn’t matter – all the more for him!

He reminded me of groups of people who try to hog up heaven just for themselves.  The rest of us are excluded because we are different.  We don’t dress the same as they.  We don’t eat the same foods as they.  We have a different theological idea than they.  Somehow a form of reasoning took over that said salvation is the fruit of conformity and mental lockstep instead of abundant grace.  It became salvation by knowledge.  It is forgotten that Revelation 7:9 says when describing the redeemed, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”

So I went outside and changed the scenario.  I put the suet cake back in its holder.  Once again it was for everyone.  Graciously I did not exclude the little red squirrel because of his behavior.  He still has access.  It felt good to do so.  It was the one Jesus-like thing I was able to do today.  As I walked back into the house through the snow (Yes, snow in April.)  I thought, “How grand that God’s love isn’t just for my group.  If it was, instead of being Christ-like, we would be spiritual snobs.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 5,2016

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Never Being Put On Hold

News and World Report has proclaimed Massachusetts to be the best state in which to live because of health care, infrastructure, etc.  Apparently the people at U. S. News and World Report have never tried to contact the Massachusetts Registration of Motor Vehicles.  I was put on hold an hour ago and this very moment while I am writing I am listening over and over again to the same insipid music.  In fairness I have to say when I called the machine warned me my wait time would be over an hour.  If we are such a great state can’t we hire a few more employees?  Or, at least, how about getting a bigger musical play list when put on hold?

We are so blessed not to be put on hold when we need to talk to God.  If His system was comparable to the RMV and calls were coming in from all over the universe we could have a century or so wait time!  At least the music would be heavenly.

There are several promises in the Psalms regarding God’s listening ear and His response.  Psalm 91:15 is an example. “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.”   Psalm 139 is fabulous.  Please savor these words.  “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”  We get instant response time because He is always with us.  How grand!    (The final wait time with the RMV was 2 hours and 24 minutes.)

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 23, 2017

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Why Samson Is Listed in Hebrews 11

Have you ever wondered why Samson’s name shows up in Hebrews 11?  Hebrews 11 is a list of moral and military giants and right there he is between Barak and Jephthah.  He is like the Hebrew equivalent of a Marvel Comic Book character who should be listed with Superman and Batman because of his super powers. He is an existential mess in need of therapy and is definitely not a moral hero.  He is anything but that.  Yet God puts up with him.  That is probably why he is listed in Hebrews 11.  He is not there because he was great, he is there because God is great.  Samson’s story tells us more about God than about Samson.

Samson was to be raised with a Nazarite vow.   It had three conditions.  Condition one was not to touch a dead body.  Well he touched plenty.  Just check out what he did with a donkey’s jawbone.  Next he was not to drink anything from grapes nor eat grapes.  He drank plenty.  God still blessed him.  Finally Delilah cuts off his hair and all three conditions have been broken.  God backs off and allows Samson to become normal.  But when Samson confesses his errors God is right back there with him.

This is the great part of the story.  Every time we mess up and confess, God is there.  That is the moral of the story.  Just like God was in the belly of a giant fish with Jonah, God is in prison with Samson.  Samson is a great story because God is great.  So the next time you mess up and feel abandoned remember Samson.  Surely you cannot be as bad as he was.  God doesn’t play favorites.  The message is God will always be there for you.  Always!

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 4, 2016

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Heartburn

Prilosec advertises that you can’t beat zero heartburn.  Well, maybe they are wrong.  There is heartburn and then there is heartburn.   It’s true you don’t want the heartburn they are talking about but don’t forget Luke 24:32.  “They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’”  This was Cleopas speaking about their journey with Jesus on resurrection Sunday afternoon.  He and his companion (wife perhaps) were two of the most blessed people ever.  They spent hours with Jesus on that incredible day.  The best way they could describe their feelings were the words “our heart burning within us.”

Prilosec tells us we need one pill each morning for 24 hour relief from the bad kind of heartburn.  So I am thinking we need one experience with Jesus (via devotions) each morning to promote and further the abundant life He promised to us.  If we do this, sometimes we will read something so wonderful or be drawn close by the presence of the Holy Spirit that we will have good heartburn that will last all day.

We can beat zero heartburn by having a good case of good heartburn.  It is a grand experience.  Surely knowing Jesus and having the assurance of salvation will more than warm the stoniest of hearts.  Reading the promises and knowing they are for real is very exciting.  Recently someone told me we need to be excited for Jesus.  I don’t think we can turn on excitement by deciding to be excited.  Excitement is the fruit of realizing something wonderful has occurred.   Heartburn is the same.  The bad kind is the fruit of things gone wrong.  The good kind is the fruit of things gone very right.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 31. 2016

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John the Baptist/Doubter

In Luke 7 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

At Jesus’ baptism recorded in Luke 3 John saw the dove.  He heard the voice from heaven proclaiming Jesus’ sonship.  Then in Luke 7 we read, “When the men came to Jesus, they said, ‘John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”'”  John was in prison and Jesus wasn’t advancing Jesus’ political posture.  Things seemed to be getting worse.  And so John doubted.  He had seen the dove.  He had heard the voice.  And yet he doubted.  And still Jesus called him the greatest ever born.  I think I want to say “Wow.”

Therefore, if by any chance we find ourselves in a bad place, if we find life going down the drain, if we think we have lost all our friends, if our loved ones have turned on us, all of which leaves us to doubt God and His love, if we doubt that Jesus really cares, if we think our faith is based on thin air and there is no God, remember John the Baptist.  It should clue us in to a fabulous truth.  God knows our humanity.  God knows how discouraged we can become.   God knows Satan is determined to have us abandon our relationship with God.   Despite all this God still loves us.  We are still part of His family.  Our doubt will not cause us to be disinherited from our legacy.  Even when we doubt God still thinks we are the greatest!  I think I want to again say, “Wow.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 30, 2016

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He Is Risen

They stabbed Him in the heart just to make sure.  Blood and water came out indicating the pericardium had been pierced.  There was no question.  He was dead.  Sunday He was alive.  It was Him.  “Thomas put your finger here.”   This was no hoax, no charade, no con.  As Peter wrote, “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

Years later Peter was crucified, upside down per his request.  He was no fool.  He wasn’t about to suffer this horror for some made-up story.  Andrew was crucified on an X shaped cross.  Bartholomew was skinned alive.  No.  No.  This was not a hoax.  No one allows such for a fable no matter how clever.  Jesus was dead and then He was alive.

He said it.  Jesus said it in front of Lazarus’ tomb. “I am the resurrection and the life.”  Was He ever!  Is He ever!  So what about you?  Would you like to live forever?  I know that some of you don’t even want to live even for another day.  But that is because you are here.  This place can be a mess and if it isn’t now it will be.  Everyone you love will die.   So we are not talking about here.  We are talking about a place where death and deterioration will be artifacts of a time past.  So claim the promise.  Accept the gift.  We are not joking.  It is not a hoax.  It is the real deal.  Jesus said, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 28, 2016

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