Month: March 2023

In many cities people regularly put cans, bottles  and newspapers out on the curb for the recycle man.  Recycling makes many of us feel good.  Living in one of the most consumptive cultures the world has ever seen can be bothersome.  Knowing our newspapers and stuff are going to be used again helps assuage our concern.

When you think about it, God is a great recycler.  But He is not so much into cans and paper as He is a recycler of people.  Moses was a murderer and God recycled him into the great Old Testament lawgiver.  Paul was a murderer and God recycled him into the great New Testament evangelist and theologian.  David was a murderer and God recycled him into the great psalmist.  Matthew was an outcast Roman tax collector consigned to hell by the religious authorities and God recycled him into Jesus’ biographer.

These are good stories.  God takes the fallen and recycles them into blessings to others.  God is truly the great Recycler so there is indeed hope for each of us.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 2, 2001

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

rogerbothwell.org

My beautiful black lab stood in the snow staring off into the forest.  The moon was casting magnificent gray shadows across the reflective white floor.  She was trembling.  It was not fear.  Her hackles were not raised.  This was different.  The coyotes were calling from the treed mountain.  She looked at me and then looking into the night she moved a step forward.  Again she looked at me with a longing.  She wanted to go to them.  There was something primal moving her memory of being free to run and explore with her far removed cousins.  Taking yet another step forward she paused and when I said her name she turned back to me.  As we reentered the house she looked back to the trees.  She wanted to go.  It was only her love for me that restrained her.

She is not unlike us, who have primal memories of Eden.  We visit beautiful gardens laden with flowers and all manner of flora and there is an inner pull, an unsettled urge to want to live forever in such beauty.   Was it really so long ago that Eve and Adam tended God’s artistry? There are many layers of consciousness in our magnificent minds and deep inside there is a draw to go home.  How often must Adam have taken Abel, Seth and Cain to the gate of Eden and spoke to them of the beauty inside.

How grand that we have a way to satisfy this longing for eternal life in a paradise of God’s making.  Unlike my lab that resisted the call for her love for me we can respond with a yes to our call.  Our love for the One who formed us has made our entrance available. All we need is to say yes.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 20, 2015

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I love teaching except for two things.  Number one is grading papers and number two is disciplining a student.  Fortunately I am teaching grad classes and I never have to do the discipline thing.  But I still need to grade papers and grading grad work is primarily subjectively grading essays and other written papers.  That’s the part I don’t like.  I actually enjoy reading the papers but then to put a grade on them isn’t pleasant.  I use a rubric, which helps, but it is still subjective.  Just how is one paper an A and another an A-?

I used to wonder about God giving us grades for behavior and good deeds.  Will there be different rewards in heaven?  Will some people get bigger mansions than others because they were super good?   I used to worry about my living in an outhouse for eternity.  What would be the criteria for a twenty room home as opposed to a twenty-two room home?  Does God have favorites?  Will some people live in the fancy part of the New Jerusalem while some of us live across the tracks?  Oops – I guess there will not be trains.

Clearly the above paragraph is nonsense.  We are all sinners and all saved by grace.  No one earned anything.   God is our Father and all good fathers give to each of their children what fits their interests and needs.  Each of us will be rewarded as His child, not a favored child, there is no such thing.  Peter says in Acts 10:34, “God is not a respecter of people.”  That was a tough lesson for Peter to learn.  Originally Peter thought Gentiles were a lower form of human life.  But he learned better.   Your goodness and my goodness are just the same.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 19, 2015

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

rogerbothwell.org

 

Watching a baseball game on television isn’t totally satisfying because we don’t get to see all of the game.  Mostly we get to watch the pitcher and the batter.  There is so much more going on.  The fielders are changing positions depending on who is batting.  The base runners are leading off.  The coaches are rubbing their noses and tipping their caps.  Watching the game on TV is like watching the game with tunnel vision.

This is pretty much how we live our lives.  We only see what is going on in front of our noses.  But there is so much more going on around us.  Rarely do we get to see the personal affect we have on others.  We are discussed in committees and in people’s homes and we are not privy.  Our actions create reactions and we rarely get to see what happens.  We don’t see the angels that come and go because of our activities.  Psalm 91 promises “No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.”

Just like watching the baseball game with tunnel vision so we live our lives seeing just a small portion of the pain and pleasure, happiness and disappointments we leave in our wake.  Some of us think we are independent and pride ourselves on our self-initiative.  If we could see the whole picture we would most likely fear to do or say anything.  It is so important for us to ask God to guide our paths and speech so we can make the world a better place.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 18, 2015

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

rogerbothwell.org

 

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