Author: Ian Bothwell

This evening I saw Romans 1:16 on a church sign.  “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.”  In modernity we could wonder why Paul would say such a thing.  There are hundreds of millions of Christians in the world.  Why would anyone be ashamed?   However, it hasn’t always been this way.  When Paul wrote there were but handfuls of Christians in the Roman world.  It sounded bizarre to speak of a God who died on a cross.  The cross in the Roman world was used for the vilest of criminals.  The scum of society were crucified.  Today we have sentimentalized the cross by singing such songs as “On a Hill Far Away.”   For Paul’s listeners the cross was far from beautiful.  It was an instrument of torture designed to humiliate and break the will and composure of the strongest of men.  The cross turned most men into crying, groaning, screaming pieces of human refuse.  To have a son crucified would be a family scandal never spoken of at family reunions.

Try to imagine Paul beginning an evangelistic sermon to people of his day as he said, “Let me tell you about my crucified savior.”  Sounds of disgust would have erupted from his hearers as they turned away.   His preaching of such a Jesus got Paul beaten, stoned, arrested, and finally executed.  Such experiences would have shut up a common man.  Most of us would have fled and never said another word about Jesus.  Not Paul.  He was not ashamed of Jesus.  He knew who Jesus really was.  Read Colossians one and Ephesians one.

His description of Jesus is shear poetry. He wrote, “I know in whom I have believed. He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him.” II Timothy 1:12

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 6, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

When my wife and I fly somewhere she always gets me a window seat and herself the aisle seat, which means there is a stranger sitting between us. I think I remember the pastor who married us saying something about let no man come between.  Anyway it is quite fun to note when the person in the middle discovers we are together.  That person always, I mean always, lights up and ever so generously offers to trade places with one of us so we can sit together.   At that point the light goes out of their eyes as they realize they are doomed to the center seat with no place to put their drowsing head.

There is no question but that it is easy to be generous when we get something good out of it.  I once had a guy pay me twenty dollars to trade seats so he could sit beside a young lady he was wooing.  I was happy to accommodate.  Now you are wondering why I took the money and didn’t just trade seats out the goodness of my heart.  I figured he would get lots of mileage with her when she saw how much it was worth to him to sit beside her.  Isn’t it great how we can spin things?

Life works best when winning or gain is reciprocal. When both people walk away feeling satisfied because they have gotten something good makes for happiness all around.  When Jesus died on the cross He gave so much it is difficult for us to understand what He got out of it.   However, according to Scripture He gained the right to give you and me eternal life.  I find it difficult to understand why He thinks that is a good trade.  But I am not going to argue.  I love what we got.  And He loves what He got.

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 5, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

Prince William of England and Catherine Middleton are to be wed April 29th at Westminster Cathedral.  The engagement ring is an oval blue sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds set in 18ct white gold. It was Lady Diana’s engagement ring. According to authorities (whoever they are) the ring is one of the most desired pieces of jewelry in the world.  Being that I love to be the bearer of good tidings I am most happy to pass on to you the very good news that you also may own such a ring.  It seems preposterous but I saw it myself on television.  Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity you may own a limited edition copy of this coveted item for $19.95.   According to those offering this fine opportunity, if you purchase one, you will be the envy of your social set.  You will be part of history. Don’t let me forget to tell you that it comes in a hinged velveteen covered box.

If I cannot tempt you with that let me try with this, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Revelation 3

God’s throne with you and God together, and yet as splendid as that sounds the real prize is something far better.  The real prize is victory over self, sin and death.  All the rest are but tokens.

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 4, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

With the world’s population growing and our awareness that resources are finite, we think about how much we consume; at least we should think about it if we don’t.  Today I asked my students how much actual space each one occupies.  One of the students volunteered that that would be a very difficult math problem considering all the roundness of our head, limbs and body.  However, there is an easier way than trying to measure all those parts.  The baptistery in the college church is a rectangle with a Plexiglas front. If we marked the water level without someone in it and then put a new mark when someone got in, it becomes a very easy problem of height times width times length.  I think they want to do it.  At least they said so.

So, how much space do we occupy in God’s mind?  He’s a busy guy.  He doesn’t just have the whole world in His hands, how about the whole universe, of which, no matter how large our telescopes get, we can’t see the end.   Love, real love, His love, has no bounds.  Just listen to Paul in Ephesians 3, “. . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, . . .”

Now that is totally awesome.  His love for us passes knowledge.  How much space does that much love require?  How big are you in His heart?  How much space do you require in His love?  I don’t think we will ever know.  We just wouldn’t get it. It’s that big.

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 1, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

There are no words adequate to describe the Easter weekend. We go from the agonizing horror of Gethsemane to the ecstatic elation of Sunday morning. The events in between are staggering to ponder. Created beings not only reject their Creator they mangle His humanity in some of the most barbaric techniques of torture ever conceived. By the time He arrives at the actual nailing to the cross, His body is a quivering mass of flesh kept from bleeding to death by handfuls of salt rubbed into the meat of His back.

All heaven must have been in deepest sorrow and mourning the Sabbath He was in the tomb.  Ever so anxiously they must have watched the earth turn into the sun as it rose over China and then India getting closer and closer to Judea. The earth quaked when the word was given and the resurrecting angel rushed to his task.  The hordes of evil under the enemy’s direction were determined to keep Him in His tomb.  They scattered like leaves before wind in the presence of that one righteous angel. Goodness, righteousness always wins. The horror of the last two days was eclipsed by the power of life, light and purity.

Choirs in Andromeda and galaxies at the edge of the universe broke into anthems of victory as their Creator rose to forever be the victor over evil and death itself.  Months before this He had proclaimed in front of Lazarus’ tomb that He was the resurrection and the life.  Never again would it be doubted.  It was.  He lives and we live in Him.  “For whosever believes will have everlasting life.”  Believe with me.  Believe. Live not just now, but into infinity.

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 2, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

If you are looking for a really great sub, there is a wonderful old store in our town that cannot be beat by any franchised chain.  The store sits on a side street surrounded by homes and is a relic of past decades.  I think the lady who runs it lives in the attached house.  She is, well let’s say, experienced with years.  She is very well groomed and looks great.  Her shelves are stocked with a couple of cans of this and that.  The newspapers are fresh as well as the ice cream bars you get by sliding away the glass top and reaching deep into the cold.  There are boxes of candy spread around and to my surprise candy cigarettes.  I really didn’t think they made those anymore.  Who would buy them?  To step inside is to be back in 1948 just after the war.  I love to stop there and not just for the blast from the past for the truth is she makes a mean sub!

We have lots of places to take those who visit us.  We make sure we stop at the Concord Bridge where the first shots were fired during the Revolutionary War.  Close by are the homes of Louisa May Alcott and Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the town of Clinton there is a wonderful old abandoned railroad tunnel.  And I am going to add this old Leominster store to our tour.  It has to be savored as long as it lasts.  If you come to visit we will take you there.

Isn’t it interesting what we value and want to show visitors?  In 2 Kings we read the story of Hezekiah who showed to Babylonian visitors all his material wealth.  The story doesn’t end well.

I need to learn from this and make sure I also show all my visitors the love of Jesus.  Now that will end well.

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 1, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

Somewhere in the world tonight someone is planning to kill as many human beings as possible.  In doing so, they will most assuredly die with their victims.  They are not afraid because someone has convinced them that God will be pleased and they are guaranteed a ticket to heaven.  Thus it is that religious people can be very frightening.  A common criminal can possibly be talked out of pulling the trigger, but if someone is doing it for God only a miracle will deter them.

Recent years have seen an uptick in religiously inspired violence.  We have always seen patriotically inspired violence but with the addition of religion we face a new human crisis.  Into the mix goes hate speech and the flames are fanned.  People who hold different views than we become not just traitors but heretics who must be silenced at all costs.   Somewhere along the way the ideals of faith that inspire us to be better people vanish without our being aware.  Unwittingly, we become zealots who so often are but puppets for unsavory types who use our passion for their gains and to the destruction of the good we used to possess.

Our email boxes become repositories of hate materials disguised as religious or patriotic materials and we are duped into forwarding them on to our friends and relatives not even asking ourselves the question, “Would Jesus forward this?”  “Does this represent the best that I want to be?”  Hate crimes begin with hate speech, and hate speech is hate speech even if it is just a “funny” cartoon or an editorial that encouraged an inflamed soul to kill for Jesus.  If we are part of the chain we share the guilt.

God has given the 21st century citizen marvelous electronic tools with which to spread the gospel.  Let us use them to proliferate the joy of salvation.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 31, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

A little girl standing in line behind us at Staples this evening went over to a display and picked up a bottle of hand sanitizer.  Looking at her mom she said, “I need a new one of these because I wasted the last one.”  I wondered how she had wasted it.  Had she sanitized the dog or the cat?  I loved her honesty.  I immediately thought of us being honest enough with God to say, “I need a new life.  I wasted the old one.”  The little girl’s mom said, “Yes, you can have it.”   And how happy I am to report that God says the very same thing to us, “Yes, you can have it.”   What is even better about God’s replacement is it lasts forever.  The bottle of sanitizer will someday be gone.

God is a great parent.  It is perfect that Jesus told us to call Him “Father.”  Nothing could be better.   Today one of my students told about her mother totally shocking her.  According to my student her mother had always been a model of decorum and gentleness, until the day my student saw another child bullying my student’s little brother.  Her mom went ballistic.  Parents are that way.  I can only imagine the fate of those who have harmed God’s children.  There is an old expression about “hell to pay.”   I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.

Going back to the wasted lives, I love Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.”   The word “uttermost” means just that.   A totally wasted life is totally replaced.  Now I am hoping that each of us didn’t totally waste our lives.  I am sure each of us had some good days, weeks or years.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 30, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

When I was in college I had to take P.E. as a part of my theology curriculum.  If it really had been Physical Education I would not have minded.  I wanted to know more about myself and how to get stronger. However, the curriculum was far from education.  It was hell.  At the first class the teacher gave us a list of things we had to do to get a certain grade.  The A list was obviously longer and more difficult than the B list and the B list was harder than the C list.  Wanting a good grade, I tackled the A list.  It was such things as run a mile in a designated time, do 100 push-ups, etc. I had English composition class right after this farce disguised as education.  It was difficult to concentrate in English because of the extreme nausea I experienced following each P.E. class.  I did not get my A.  I was too busy cleaning myself up after each class. Neither did I get an A in English.

I remembered this unfortunate educational experience when reading that world class athletics that run the 400 meter race often vomit during training.  I had a preacher friend who told me he used to vomit each Sabbath morning before going into the pulpit.  The stress to be excellent was that horrendous.

In Hebrews 1 we read that we are in a race.  We are racing toward character building.  We are racing toward Christ-likeness.  We are racing to improve our morality and our understanding of true goodness.  What we are not racing for is salvation.  The reason being is salvation is a gift.   Romans 6:23.

The quest is to excel in righteousness.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 29,2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Could switching to God’s side really save your soul?   Do dogs chase cats?  Did the little piggy cry, “wee wee wee” all the way home?   Was Abe Lincoln honest? Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, 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.”

I guess it really boils down to whom you want to believe.  Do you want to believe some television preacher who is clearly lining his pocket?   Do you want to believe some scientist who clearly does not have all the data?  Do you want to believe that something as complex as you exists because there were over a twenty trillion favorable mutations all in a row?  Do you want to believe some preacher who uses God’s Word to promote hate?

I have a really good scientist friend who was let go from a major university because his colleagues discovered he was a creationist.   Really now, if they are so sure of their position why did they feel threatened to keep him around?  He would have made a great intellectual sparring partner.  They could have scored points off him with their students if they were so sure.

It becomes fairly obvious that there are many reasons to become disenchanted with both sides.  So how about starting a new side?  Our side – one based upon our own common sense of logic, decency and honesty.  Why not turn off the strident voices on either side and instead sit down quietly with God’s Word, read carefully and listen to what He has to say?  Why not look at nature and see the incredible complexity of life?   Why not believe because we believe and not because someone told us to believe?

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 28, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org