Author: Ian Bothwell

It was 1949.  I was in the second grade.  Obviously my teacher knew nothing about Freud’s theory of child development proposing that at the age of seven little boys find little girls to be detestable.  We had double desks and at each desk she seated a little boy and a little girl.  My seatmate had just discovered the supposed enhancement of feminine charm by wearing perfume. I hated it and expressed my displeasure by asking if she was wearing, “An Evening in the Sewers of Paris.”  Instantly I was stabbed in my left arm with a newly sharpened pencil.  The graphite tattoo is still visible seven decades later.  What a different world we live in.  Today she would have been charged with assault.  Then, the teacher blamed me for my smart mouth.

As I look at the mark I am overwhelmed with the permanent results of our behaviors.  Each action whether positive or negative has lasting impressions on who we are and who we are going to be.  Things done that have long ago faded from our memories manifest themselves in our decisions, small or large.  How often do we excuse ourselves with the comment, “It’s no big deal”? It is bigger than we know.

It is wonderfully true that God is merciful and will forgive anything.  He will look at us as if we had never sinned.  Our brains are not that gracious.  Each of us is the accumulated fruit basket of a lifetime of choices.  Character building is our challenge. If we today are generous, polite and kind, we will be a different person tomorrow.   Paul so wisely wrote, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Philippians 4:8

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 20, 2017

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Each of us is offended by something. When something is contrary to our values and personal standards we react with revulsion and sometimes anger. We love our country and are more than irked when we see someone degrading our flag.  We love our mothers and want to retaliate when someone casts dispersion on their virtue.  Foul language and blasphemy arouse us.  And so it was for the Jewish people when Paul preached Christ and God’s mercy being the foundation of salvation and not our flawed attempts to perfectly obey the law.  The law was the perfect standard of God’s character.  It was the benchmark for justice.  When one reads Psalm 119, a hymn of praise for the law, one catches a glimpse of Jewish love for the wisdom and holy content of the law.

In Galatians 5:11 Paul speaks of the cross being an offense. He was describing the normal reaction one would have to anything heralded as having more value than the law.  The law was God’s gift to mankind and now Paul comes along and proclaims the law has been superseded by a filthy instrument of death reserved for the garbage of humanity.  A cross was not some beautiful object to be replicated in gold and worn about one’s neck.  Crosses were symbols of humanity at its worst.

The law could not save but instead it condemned because of our failure to measure up.  So often we have heard, “We are saved by grace, but . . .” What follows Paul called “yeast”.  See verse 9.  The yeast is anything that pollutes the purity of God’s gift on the cross.  If we allow, it will slowly permeate the entire Gospel.  That is the real offense.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 19, 2017

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I woke up this morning totally disoriented.  I had no idea where I was or what day it was.  It was not the most pleasant experience of my life.  My body must have awakened but my brain was still partially asleep.

Ever since I was a little boy and learned the story of Lazarus and learned that Jesus called death a sleep, I have been fascinated with the idea of a resurrection.  Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15, “I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.”  Those first few moments for those who have been dead must be extraordinarily disorientating with the brain trying to find some context.  If we continue thinking what we were thinking when we died the questions of “where and when” will be amazing.  I live in New England in a modern world.  What about the pilgrims buried here?  This is not the same Massachusetts they called home. It might as well be Pluto for all the differences.

Whatever God did for Adam the moment He breathed into the breath of life so God will have to do for all of us.  There will have to be, not only the creation of a healthy body but the creation of a mental context, a present tense, a now.  One of the things angels in the Bible usually said to people was, “Do not be afraid.” Whatever it will be I do know this.  We don’t want to miss it and because of Jesus’ love and grace we will not.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 15, 2017

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It is a rare person or group of people who does not long to be exceptional. Nations build monuments to their own glory. Richard Nixon made sure his signature and title were engraved on plaques affixed to the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 spacecrafts. I have had colleagues who demanded their students address them as doctor.  Even religious groups (perhaps especially religious groups) want to bask in their specialness as God’s unique people. I am not convinced God is overly thrilled with our ego’s seeking ownership of His care and love.

One of the first songs I ever learned was, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.  Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight.”  In Deuteronomy 10:17 we read, “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.”

What a great verse that is.  God does not take bribes. One’s largess means little if anything to Him since He was the one responsible for your having some wealth.  It is like giving your children money enabling them to buy you a Christmas present. We want so badly to be special.  The bad news is we aren’t.  The good news is that doesn’t matter because each of us is a son or daughter of the King of the universe with all the rights and privileges that come with that.  I say this with much fake humility since down deep in my heart I know my heavenly home will be nicer than yours.  (I think that sentence just disqualified me from getting any home.)  But wait He is able to save to the guttermost.  I’m still in.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 14, 2017

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Last Friday morning about 3 AM my dog bumped my bed.  It was time to take her outside so down the stairs we went and out the side door.  It was magical.  The moon was full, there were no night sounds and gray shadows displayed intricate patterns across the hostas.  Normally I am in a hurry for her to finish and come back in, but this time I wanted to linger.  Fetching a bottle of cold lemonade I sat on the porch steps waiting for dawn.  Eventually my dog came and snuggled.  She was happy to wait with me.

Waiting for dawn isn’t new.  Adam and Eve sorrowfully had to leave their garden home. They waited 900 years for a dawn that is yet to be as the darkness of sin encompassed their beautiful world. But, the promise had been given. A Messiah would come and what an incredible dawn would come with Him.  In II Peter chapter 1 Peter speaks of the surety of the promises and the dawn will come just as promised.

Together we basked in the moving moon and ever changing maple and oak shadows. Both of us were nodding when we saw the morning paper being delivered and we both knew it was time to retreat inside. Falling back to sleep was easy because I knew the dawn was coming. But before I was deep in slumber I heard the soft breathing of my beautiful lab rising from her place beside my bed.  She too seemed assured that dawn was not far away.  Indeed there is a new day dawning.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 12, 2017

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While identity theft is rampant it is not new.  In Isaiah 14 we read about Lucifer, who sometime in the ancient past said, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

Perhaps Lucifer didn’t want to take over God’s persona as much as he just wanted to usurp God’s power and place.  Actually God would not have minded Lucifer taking over God’s persona.  Then Lucifer would become the kindest, most unselfish being ever created.  God wants us to so absorb His presence in our minds we could easily be mistaken for Him.  Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: . .”

Wouldn’t it be grand if people mistook us for Jesus?  I guess I am not talking about identity theft.  You can’t steal something someone gives you.  When we awaken in the morning surely God says, “Roger’s awake.  Now what can we arrange today that will build his character?  It might be painful and trying but the results will be marvelous. If he understood what was happening he wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 8, 2017

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A sandwich is a wonderful thing.  You start with two pieces of bread and the rest is all creativity. The possible combinations are infinite.  The end product is a work of art spanning the culinary range of a PB&J to a Dagwood.  I inherited my love for sandwiches from my father; though, I do hope my sandwiches are a bit healthier than his.  His idea of paradise was two slices of white Wonder bread laden with mustard and Lebanon Baloney washed down with an ice cold Pepsi.  It is no wonder he barely made it into his seventies.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  Depending upon one’s choices a sandwich can be extremely healthy.

Sandwiches are like people. We start with a baby and the possibilities are limitless depending upon what ingredients we use.  Our choices range not only from the physical diet to surely the more important mental diet. We can fill the baby’s mind with wholesome, character building ideas or pour in useless drivel.  As we age the choices become ours.  We can watch endless hours of useless television or we can fill our minds with God’s Word thus preparing ourselves for a never ending life of infinite possibilities.

Psalm 119 is filled with promises of outstanding mental growth resulting from what we mentally ingest.  “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”  Verse 11.  “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.” Verse 99.  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  Verse 105.  “I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.” Verse 113.

A sandwich can grow stale.  May that never happen to you and me.  Stay fresh my friend.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 7, 2017

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Some days ago I mentioned I had been ill.   I am now feeling a bit better.  I have watched some of the Price Is Right.  I could not help but notice as each person came to spin the big wheel Drew would wish each one good luck.  On other shows I heard the emcee say such things as, “Good luck to both (or all) of you” when there were two or more contestants.  What does that mean?  There is only going to be one winner.  Therefore, saying “Good Luck” to both or all contestants is meaningless.

If we are in a situation where there can be multiple winners, it makes great sense. I could say to a congregation in church, “Good luck to all of you.”  That almost makes sense except for the fact that salvation has nothing to do with luck.  Luck is about chance.  We are neither saved nor lost by chance.  We are saved by God’s unlimited grace and there is enough for everyone.  Or we are lost because we foolishly say “no” to the offered gift.  There is no luck involved.  No one is lost because he or she is unlucky.

In I Corinthians 9:22 Paul speaks of saving some.  Our heavenly Father wants to save all.   He will actually save to the “uttermost.”   See Hebrews 7:25.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 5, 2017

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President Jimmy Carter, probably the only president never to have lied to us, tells a wonderful story about his childhood in Plains, Georgia.  His family regularly attended a black church with its traditionally long services.  At one point each Sunday morning when the saints were stirred they lined up to bring their offerings to the front where the church steward loudly called out the amount being given by each donor.

It seems like a highly motivating method for boosting the weekly intake.  However, I must add it does seem to fly in the face of Jesus’ counsel about giving secretly and not allowing the left hand to know what the right hand gives.  See Matthew 6:3.  I am often put off by photographs of individuals giving giant checks to some worthy cause. It smacks of “Look at me. See how wonderful I am.”  And yet I am told by fundraisers such photos inspire others to give.  Since I am not very wise I don’t know the answer to the dilemma.

What I do know is Jesus did not give Himself for us in a secret manner.  Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  John 12:32.  The cross was so public it became the dividing point in history.  Two thousand years later we still shudder when we think of the horror of humans torturing to death the Creator of all things.

Our task is to continue to uplift Christ before the world.  We do so by being the kindest, most unselfish, gentlest people others will ever meet.  What a contrast this is to those who want to kill and maim as many people as possible all in the name of their god.  Note I did not capitalize god in that last sentence because such a being is not God.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 6, 2017

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I thought it must be boring for my dog to eat the same thing every day so this afternoon I bought her a new kind of dog food.  It is 50 pounds of Pedigree for adult dogs with roasted chicken, rice and vegetables flavorings.  It must smell pretty good because I found her sitting in front of the bag staring and salivating.  I broke down and gave her a sample.  I’m not sure that was a good idea because now she keeps following me around bumping me with her nose and chomping her jaws.

Eating something new and fresh can be a pleasure not just for dogs but for us bipeds.  Reading a new or different translation of Scripture can be just as exciting and pleasurable.  Like so many of us I grew up struggling to understand the King James Version.  Then I discovered the RSV and then the NIV and then J. B. Phillips paraphrase and the Message paraphrase.  It is like eating new food and yet it is the same message.  The different vocabulary, the different phrasing gives the old favorite verses new flavor.  And I might add they often make some verses easier to understand.

We are so blessed to live in a time when we have not only our own Bible, we can have Bibles.  There was a time when Bibles were so rare and so expensive to produce they were chained to the walls of churches for security.  They really are the Bread of Life nourishing our souls and enhancing our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  When I get a new version I am like my dog.  Well, not exactly.  Fortunately I don’t salivate on it, but I get very anxious to start feasting on the Word.

Written by Roger Bothwell on January 27, 2017

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