Author: Ian Bothwell

Our campus was without phone service, the Internet and e-mail service today. I was more than a bit amused to get home this evening and to discover the

campus IT department sent an email to everyone on campus telling us there was no e-mail service.

Obviously communication is everything.  Without it nothing happens.  The exchange of ideas, intentions, desires, dreams, plans, appointments, reasons and motives is essential.   In God’s desire to communicate to us He has used and does use a multitude of devices and means.  In Hebrews 1 we read, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.”

God really does want us to hear Him.  He has so much to say to us.  Everyday He tries via a variety of tools.  The most effective ever was Jesus.  Jesus told us how to live.  He told us the future.  He is coming again to take us to a place He prepared for us.  He told us He is exactly like the Father. We don’t have to spend time or money exploring strange and exotic ways to meet with God.  It is very simple.  Study the life of Jesus.  Spend time in the Gospels.  Prayfully read the Gospel of John and you will hear His voice. God is way too smart to send us a message via a medium that doesn’t work!

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 28, 2008.

Photo by Belle Deesse.

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

This evening my sister handed me her camera wondering why it did not work.  She just put new batteries inside and yet it was dead.  I checked to see if she had the batteries in the right direction.  (I have made that mistake a few times in life.)  But she had done it correctly.  After fussing with it for a while I decided to get another set of new batteries and bingo everything came to life.  It works.  The new batteries she had used were dead.

As I held the batteries in hand I remembered a marvelous passage in Jeremiah.  He is taunting his people about serving useless Gods.    He wrote, “Everyone is stupid and ignorant. Metal smiths are put to shame by their idols.  Their statues are false gods. They can’t breathe. They are worthless jokes.”  Jeremiah 10:14-15.

At the very beginning of the Ten Commandments God tells us not to have anyother gods before Him.   When I was young and ignorant I thought this was indicative of God’s egotism.  Later I understood the real reason He commands us not to do that.  Other gods are as powerless as those batteries.  Once again God’s wisdom reigns.  He tells if we are hungry don’t go over there because there is nothing over there to eat. “Come to me.  I am the bread of life.  Don’t go over there if you are thirsty. I am the water that satisfies forever.”

We serve such a practical loving God. His commandments are there to protect us and to help us avoid major pitfalls. Only He is power and life. Don’twaste yourself any other place.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 3, 2008.

Cliffs of Moher photograph by FX Extreme.

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

Have you ever gotten a new perspective on someone after really getting to know them?  You thought you knew them, but once you got closer you suddenly realized your former perspective was hearsay.   Your ideas about the person were secondhand and not at all what you recently discovered.  This happens to me sometimes with positive results and sometimes with not so positive results.  There are some people I really admire and I don’t want to get to know them well lest I change my mind.

I think most people think they know who Jesus is, but little of their knowledge is from personal contact.   They listen to teachers or their pastor and thus think they know all about Jesus.  I would like to propose that no one really knows Jesus until they have a one on one experience.  I know when I was young I used to think Jesus was always a really nice guy that everyone loved.  Then I read Matthew 23 and gasped when I saw him boldly calling the religious leaders snakes, frauds and murderers.  He wasn’t the gentle Jesus meek and mild I thought I knew.  While He was indeed compassionate with the weak and abused He really got angry with the “righteous”.  See Mark 2.

The more I experienced Jesus for myself the more my admiration grew.  The more I wished I had that kind of courage.  He was a man’s man who wasn’t afraid to do the right thing.  If all you know about Jesus is what your teachers or what I have told you, please remedy that.  He’s waiting for a one on one relationship with you.  You’ll like what you discover.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 1, 2008.

Photograph by Samim Hasan.

Spring of Life Ministry, St. Helena, CA 94574

Have you ever thought you had a warranty on something only to discover to your horror you had to pay for the repair or replacement?   You didn’t read the fine print and they got you right in the wallet.   If so, I have a text for you.  Romans 11:29 says, “God’s gifts and call are irrevocable.”  NIV. The King James says, “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” Repentance of course means turned around.  Therefore, in this verse, God doesn’t change His mind.  Once we have His gifts and receive His calling He will not take them back.  The paraphrase, The Message, says, “God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty-never canceled, never rescinded.”

This is one of the most wonderful promises in the Bible.  God is consistent. He means what He says.  He will not take back things He has given us and this includes the greatest gift of all, eternal life.  Now just to calm someone who is alarmed thinking this is “once saved always saved” we must remember you can always return a gift.  You don’t have to keep it.  The point Paul is making is if you are lost it is your doing – not God’s.   He is not going to force anyone to keep salvation.  God is into freedom.  We have the freedom to let Jesus into our lives with the miraculous overhaul that accompanies that or we can ask Him to leave.   We can then continue on destroying ourselves.

If we accept the gift and decide to keep it by allowing Jesus to work out His perfection in us we never ever have to fear again.   God will NOT change His mind.  We are saved.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 17, 2008

Spring of Life, 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 dos.  Take good care of one’s self and one can avoid all manner of the 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 fertilizes our growth into His image.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 20, 2008.

Spring of Life, 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, St. Helena, CA

One of the greatest verses of Scripture is I Corinthians 13:2.  “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”

We have all seen great scholars able to answer any theological question.  Perhaps we ourselves are excellent students of the Word able to give Bible studies without any media devices to project texts on a screen.  We have been taught to go from text to text building doctrine and feeling good that we know “The Truth.”  There is almost a temptation to think that truth saves.  The more we know, the surer is our grasp on eternal life.  Being “righter” than some other group means we are closer to the Kingdom.  While I certainly do not want to put down on study and properly discerning the Word of truth, it appears that Paul does not think this is the most important aspect of being a follower of Jesus.

I am under the impression there will be many great scholars lost.  Truth is important.  But truth does not save.  Jesus saves.  When we allow that to happen wonderful changes begin inside our being.  Selfishness begins to transform into care for others and relationships change.  Characteristics of God go from bud to blossom and people are blessed by our presence.  Rules are replaced by principles and as Paul intimates, if I have love I’ve finally become somebody.  And who is that somebody?  That somebody is the best thing in the universe.  We become sons and daughters of the living God.

Written by Roger Bothwell on Sept. 2, 2008.

Photograph by Sebastian Voortman.

Spring of Life, St. Helena, CA 94574

Yesterday’s tomorrow is a grand day.  I do not know what today’s tomorrow will bring because life has a way of surprising us.   As for today’s yesterday, that is gone and we cannot undo it.  It is so important to learn to live in the now.  The Psalmist said it so well in 118:24.  “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Research reports to us that most people live for the future not enjoying and appreciating the now.  We plan our lives ahead and set goals that become the primary focus of our being.   As we drive to appointments we plan and practice what we will say upon arrival at our destination.  I don’t believe this is the life to which Jesus has called us.  While it is important to look forward, to have goals and look for the second coming, it is also very important for us to realize the benefits of being in God’s Kingdom begin now.

Eternal life begins when we accept Jesus as the Lord of our life.  In John 5:24 Jesus said, “Verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”   If we now have eternal life let’s begin to enjoy it.  Let’s savor each day and the forgiveness and grace that removes the stress of the future.  The future is cared for by the loving God who rules over all things. Today is a good day. Today is a day so rich that others will want to have what we have. It is the finest evangelism possible.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 9, 2008.

Spring of Life, St. Helena, CA

While blowing leaves this afternoon I thought of my postman.  This is a never-ending task.  Tomorrow there will be more leaves in the yard and my postman will have another bag of mail to deliver.  Actually he will have two because today was a holiday.  In a way it is also like asking Jesus to forgive our sins.  Tomorrow there will be a new batch.  They just keep coming.  So the question rises, “Is it all futile and why bother?”

Actually in all three cases it is far from futile.  Removing the leaves prepares the yard for springtime flowers and a nice green lawn.  The postman brings all manner of important items to people.  And getting rid of today’s sins enhances real character development.  Far from being discouraged by today’s batch we can realize intense growth, which is very encouraging.  We recognize the old ones are not happening as often and the new ones come with a deeper understanding of what new heights God is taking us.

The next time you become aware of a new sin in your life rejoice.   You have graduated to a higher level of communication with God.  You are making great progress in understanding yourself.   The day you don’t recognize a need for improvement is a dangerous day.  Self-complacency is a retreat into smug self-righteousness.  Now there’s a sin with which to deal.

“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 12, 2008.

Image by Stergo.

Spring of Life, St. Helena, CA 94574