Author: Ian Bothwell

We received a package. We could not tell from the outside information who sent it.  Inside on top of packing was an envelope with my wife’s three-letter name. Instantly she said, “It’s from Patty.”   I was amazed. It is not that she receives something from Patty on a regular basis.  This is handwriting that appears maybe once or twice a year.  How does she do that?  She has an exaggerated gift.

We all recognize things by use of pattern recognition.  It is the brain’s shorthand for identifying things.  We all do it but she seems to do it better than most of us. Often times I can identify people on the phone with the first “Hello” but in a few sentences she can usually tell people where they grew up.

I used to wonder how God could listen to all our prayers and get the right answer to the right prayer and not get confused.   For God it is no bigdeal.  He knows us by sight, sound and smell.   He knows how we walk and talk.  The truth is we could never disguise ourselves in anyway that He would not instantly recognize us.

 Pattern recognition enables us to know when someone is a fraud.  If someone pretends to be a Christian it doesn’t take long before their behavior or speech will betray them. Last evening two of our students were coming to a door. My wife looked up and said, “That’s….”  It was dark!  She was right.  The students could not hide their basic size, shape and manner of walking. 

How I wish everyone could always recognize us as having been with Jesus.

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 23, 2008

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

Because next week is exam week I spent the day writing finals.  Exams are interesting.  One can quickly write an exam but that usually produces long tedious grading. One can put in lots of time writing an exam and then it is usually quickly graded.  I’m still looking for the quick to write – quick to grade exams. As I was doing so I remembered when I was a little boy I was told some day I would have to be examined by God in a great day of judgment.

I even had to memorize the last verse of Ecclesiastes,”For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”   Now that was scary because I didn’t want to even try to explain some of my behavior.  The verse said “every”.   That didn’t leave any wiggle room.  I also had to learn James 2:10 which said if I broke one commandment I was guilty of breaking all.   Hey, why bother?  I was dead meat.

How I wish someone would have encouraged me to also memorize         John 5:24 where Jesus Himself said, “Truly, truly I tell you, the one who hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.”Wow! What an incredible verse!  So why did I have to memorize the scary ones and not the great ones.

Jesus changed it all. Too bad Solomon never knew Jesus. If he had I am sure his letter would have finished much differently. Jesus is revolutionary. Jesus is wonderful.  Jesus gives us a “Go to heaven. Do not stop at judgment” card.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 6, 2008.

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

When we are very small we are good because being bad results in pain or loss.  Unfortunately some people never change their reason for being good. Fortunately some people learn to be good for the sake of love.  They do not want to disappoint those they care about.  This is a very good reason for being good. 

There is another reason for being good.  Reason is the reason. As we mature we understand God’s will is for us to thrive,and the only things He requests of us are for our own good.  There are the do’s.  Take good care of one’s self and one can avoid all manner of ills.   There are the don’ts.  If we avoid certain rotten behaviors, we avoid the rotten fruit.

One of my students interrupted my lecture on why we are good because he wanted to know which was the best reason for being good.  I quickly noted that being good to avoid punishment might work but certainly has no particular moral value. Fear works.  Fear also erodes the quality of life.

 That left love or reason. I like reason.  Reason helps us understand God’s rationale and helps us understand God is not arbitrary.   However, I also like love.  There is something noble about love that has elements beyond our own personal happiness. Love begets goodness for the sake of another. John 3:16 does not say, “For God so reasoned it best to sacrifice Himself for us.”  Which by the way would be a good text.  Instead God’s emphasis is on love.  Love grows and reason grows.  Love and reason fertilize our growth into His image.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 20,2008.

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

I had a small computer technical problem this evening and  called tech support.   Upon his request I gave the tech support person control of my computer.  In a few moments my computer mouse arrow started whizzing about my screen and as fast as I could barely comprehend, windows were opening and closing, menus appeared and disappeared, commands were typed in little boxes and everything started working properly.   He terminated his control of my machine and I was once again sole commander of my domain.

At first I thought it would be grand if the Holy Spirit would take over our lives like that and aid us in solving our human problems.  How grand just to sit back and watch His divine power make everything right.  But then I paused and thought, “No.”   While it was wonderful to have my computer working, I did not learn anything.  If the same thing goes wrong again, I have no way of repairing it other than to once again call tech support.  He whizzed through windows and menus and I couldn’t note where he was and what he did.   What we need from the Holy Spirit is not just a repair but also knowledge.  We need to know how to avoid future difficulties and should we err, it is very helpful to know what to do to remedy the situation.

God declares us faultless as we come before His throne.  See Jude verse 24. But He is also interested in our growth.  He wants us to learn.  He wants us to become more like Him each day.  He will not only fix He will educate.

How grand!

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 15, 2008.

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

I have a couple of great sisters.  Please note one can only use that adjective several decades past childhood.  One of them lives with me and has adapted a lifestyle free from conventionality.  She is retired and has no need to be concerned about when the sun rises and sets.  She has no need to be on the road at any specific time heading to a job.  Therefore she is often awake at 3:00 A.M. I become aware of this when I take the dog out. (The dog will only go out if I take her.  Otherwise she just stands by the bed and shakes her ears to awaken me.)  At 3 A.M. when most people are asleep my sister watches a lot of infomercials and ends up purchasing things she doesn’t need. Fortunately she comes to her senses when the package arrives and “Return to sender” becomes one of her favorite things to write. Back it goes. When I watch her do this I become envious of her freedom to get rid of stuff she doesn’t really want. 

I think to myself I wish I could write on all my sins “Return to sender” and have them returned to Satan who tempts me.   Ah, that isn’t really fair. Most of the time I tempt myself. I am a big boy and don’t need to blame Satan.  So I have a better plan.  It’s called 1 John 1:9.  It’s much better than just sending them somewhere. Instead they are forgiven.  What amazes me about this is Jesus never grows tired of forgiving me.  He is faithful.  He is just.  He actually loves it when I ask.  What a magnificent plan this is!

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 13, 2008

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

I do hope I do not sound like a broken record but I am concerned about our conception of prayer.  It is important to understand that prayer is talking to God and not to the other people in the room.  If we are talking to someone we don’t insult him or her by making references to things upon which they are expert.  Recently I listened as a man prayed in public and he continually made Scripture references by quoting the text numbers as if God, the individual to whom he was supposed to be talking, didn’t know the verse numbers in His Word.

The prayer went something like this.  “Father we claim the promises you have made to us in I Peter 1 and we want to live lives full of the love you describe for us in 1 Corinthians 13.”   Maybe I am being too picky and I am sorry if I am.  It’sone of the characteristics of old people. But I get the feeling that public prayer has become another form of preaching to people instead of really talking to God.   Maybe he was praying and was just reminding God of the texts in case God forgot.  I do not mind being preached to.  If it is good I enjoy it.  I would even comply and close my eyes if that’s what the preacher wanted.   But just don’t think it is prayer.  Would we quote verses to Him if we were in our closets praying as Jesus admonished us to do?

 “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,  unuttered or expressed, the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.”     James Montgomery

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 10, 2008.

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

One evening I welcomed to my house two guests, the world famous concert violinist, LeRoy Peterson, and his wife Carol, who announced to me that we had a porcupine in the backyard.   Sure enough it was a big one snoozing on the bottom branch of one of our trees. It is rather exciting but now I had a major problem.  When will it be safe to allow my dog outside?  For a few of the coming nights I think I will take her out under my careful watchful eye.   She will be puzzled why she cannot just roam the yard like usual.

Often times God tells us not to go somewhere and in our limited intelligence we cannot see why not.   Because we are filled with self-importance and trust our own judgment we disobey Him and not long after we begin to reap the results.   We should have listened.    I’m sure my dog will say to me, “Hey, stop following me.  I’m okay.  This is my yard.  I have been out here a thousand times.”   She just can’t understand the pain that awaits her if she crosses paths with that porcupine.

God always has our best interest at heart.  There is nothing He asks us to stay away from that is not harmful.   Good parents hate things that harm their children.  That is why God hates sin.   If it’s good for you He wants you to have it.  It is just that simple.  Psalm 119:105 says it so well. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  Just as I know dangers my dog doesn’t know, so God knows dangers we don’t know.

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 21, 2008.

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

I’m sitting here watching the Kennedy Center Honors.  As I watch the honorees receive standing ovations and the accolades of friends it occurred to me the real honor, the real joy were the years of accomplishment.  It was the doing. It was the work. It was the learning. It was the talent used that was/is the real honor.  It would be empty to have others honor you if you did not know you put in the sweat, long hours and often tears. The joy is the work and the satisfaction of doing something well.  Long ago I had a young man in his twenties come to my office and pour out his heart because he wasn’t being recognized for his talent.  I told him it was three decades too soon to be making such a speech and if it was recognition he was looking for there was a great chance he would never find it.  But if he would forget the fame and put his hand to the plow, the recognition would come when and if it had been earned.

God has given us talents. Real happiness in life isn’t having others tell you how wonderful you are.  It is knowing you have taken the talent you have been given and used it to the best of your strength.  Jesus’ parable of the man who gave his servants talents comes to mind.  Two used them but the third buried his.  It was not a happy day for the third when his master returned.  Forget the accolades.

Live the abundant life by using what we have. The joy is in the doing regardless if any other human ever knows. You will know and God will know and that’s a great audience.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 31, 2008.

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

 

I am wondering if one’s theology forms the basis of one’s disposition or is it the other way around?  Harsh people seem to have a harsh God and gentle people seem to serve a God of mercy and grace.   Do we form God in our image or do we allow the portrayal of Jesus in the Gospels to educate us as toGod’s true nature?  Do the biased glasses that taint all we see not even allow us to see God’s true nature even in the New Testament accounts?

I was taken back today by a stark truth blurted out in the midst of a classroom discussion.  A student who had taken a strong position on the side of what he thought was justice said to another student, “Easy for you tosay. You have a father!”

Ouch.  There it was.  It wasn’t merely the absence of a caring father.  It was the total absence of a father.  As I looked over my class I wondered how many other students could have said the same.  Or would have substituted the descriptor “caring” with “vindictive” or worse.

It is not so easy revealing the true character of God.  Not so easy because I also wear biased glasses and have not one student with my background.  God is such a private personal thing.  I wonder at my audacity to try yet I do and shall continue to do.  Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world and tell.” John wrote, “We tell you what we saw with our own eyes and handled with our own hands.”  It’s always best when it is personal.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 25, 2008

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

I have six FM presets on my car radio.  One is classical, one is jazz, one is news, one is pop, one is religious and another is talk radio.   The music ones fascinate me because with just eight notes musicians create a zillion songs and compositions.  Why is it that some kinds of music inspire us and others make us ill?   Some is beautiful and some is cacophony.  One man’s praise is another man’s dissonance.

This past week my house was filled with six grandchildren.  The human sounds on top of the television, the computer, the Wii, the door bell, the phone ringing and the dog wanting out were something to behold.  I’m sure a visitor to my home would have fled from the chaos.  But to me it was a symphony of life and love.  I can’t get enough of children crying and laughing.  It’s a good sound that I never want to end.  It’s only noise when it is someone else’s children!

God listens to the universe.  Experts estimate there are roughly 6800 languages just on our little planet.  Add to that the languages from other worlds and God has a lot of sounds to sort out.  Prayers ascend to His throne from a multitude of intelligent beings and His infinite knowledge and presence enables Him to individually care for every request.  I am sure He thinks it is a good sound and that He never wants it to end because it is from His children.

Paul wrote, “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men . . . that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 22, 2008

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