Author: Ian Bothwell

Modernity with its efficiency and improved and enhanced products makes our lives – I was going to say better but I’m not sure.  Last evening I was looking out a window at the snow and realized I might never again see Jack Frost’s artwork on window panes.  I loved how lacey frosty patterns of hoar would start in the corner of a window and work their way toward the center.  I would put my finger on it and watch it melt only to see it refreeze when I took my finger away.  Few children today will ever see that.

In the summertime on hot August days my Dad and I would go to the corner grocery store where there was a bright red metal box in the corner.  We would lift the lid and peer inside at a variety of sodas immersed in icy cold water.  Oh the utter joy of putting your hand in that frigid tank to slowly fish out a Nehi orange.  Carefully we would pry off the cap without bending it so we could remove the cork liner.  For the rest of the day I would wear the cap on my shirt by putting my shirt between the cap and the pushed-in cork.

Perhaps new and improved isn’t always better?  But when it comes to new and improved you and me we cannot argue. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”           II Corinthians 5:17.  I doubt anyone of us will ever long for the old.  The old just isn’t that grand.  The new will be out of this world.  Awesome.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 22, 2017

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I used to love used book stores.  I loved the musty smell of decaying paper, glue and sometimes leather.  The older the book the better.  I was on a quest to find some ancient tome filled with the wisdom of the ages.  I knew that somewhere there had to be written out the secrets of life and happiness.  I was a fool.  I was like Ponce de Leon who rode about Florida searching for the fountain of youth while having a Bible in his pack.  My search was futile because I already had Paul’s letter to the Colossians on my desk.

Paul, one of the world’s greatest minds, said, “My goal is that they (you) may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they (you) may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they (you) may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2.  There it is.  God has kept nothing from us.  When He sent us Jesus He opened up the library of heaven for us to grasp ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Do you want to be smart?  Do you want to have unlimited intellectual growth?  Do you want to understand more about life than the philosophers of the world with their sophisticated, complex theories?  You can!  The source of the secrets of the universe are not in some musty old book.  They are found in the vibrant life and teachings of Jesus, the very Creator of all that is.  Time spent with Jesus is a guaranteed way to a fuller, happier, more complete life because of the wisdom you will gain.  A day without Jesus is a day of mental stagnation.  A day with Jesus is a day of unlimited progress.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 24, 2017

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My wife’s father died at home on the very farm he was born.  A half mile down the wooded road is a very small cemetery that had not been used for over 50 years.  When we called the county records office they told us there was no map of the cemetery so we could dig anywhere we chose. If we struck something, refill and move to another location.  We carried him from the house, down the road and placed him under an old pine.  Years later we placed my wife’s mom’s coffin right up against his.  When his daughter and I were dating he taught me that a gentleman always walked between his sweetie and the road.  Therefore, we made sure we placed her with him protecting her from the road.  I’m anxious to talk with him because I am sure he will notice on resurrection morning that I remembered my lesson.  I’m sure I will get a big thank you.

There will be so much to talk about on resurrection morning. I Corinthians 15 is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible.  For 58 verses Paul gives us the most information we will ever find anywhere regarding the joy of living again.  He tells us it will all happen in a moment; in the twinkling of an eye.  We fall asleep in Jesus and awaken to life evermore with all of our corruption gone.  I’m sure you have friends, family, parents, grandparents, in-laws in my case, and children to tell all about what happened after they fell asleep.  This will not be like wakening from a medical procedure.  That has moments of trying to clear one’s head.  This is instant clarity.  This is the beginning of brilliance.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 23, 2017

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Have you ever heard a sermon so good deacons should have passed out Nexium to people on the way out of church?  Just in case you don’t watch the network evening news let me explain that Nexium is a remedy for heartburn.   Cleopas and his companion spent late Sunday afternoon with the resurrected Jesus.  He gave them a Bible study that was so intense and so meaningful they rushed back to the disciples and described it as, “And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”

Sometimes the power of the Holy Spirit sweeps over a congregation and the word is so wonderful we can barely contain ourselves. It’s all so joyful to have a Cleopas experience. I wish everyone could taste the presence of God as they listen to the story of Jesus.  I have heard some marvelous presentations on the typology of the sanctuary.   I can add to that psychological sermons dressed up with spirituality.  But, as good as they are they never make my heart burn as much as hearing about Jesus’ love and sacrifice.

If I could talk to all my preacher friends I would encourage them to hide their doctorates and just present the simplicity of that wonderful song we learned in Kindergarten.  “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to Him belong.  They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me.”   Now that makes my heart burn.  When I see Him reaching out and touching lepers, I am astonished and definitely in need of Nexium.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 27, 2017

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For Christmas my son gave us an Amazon Echo with light bulbs for the kitchen.  We have been able to turn on the kitchen lights with a voice command.  It has been very cool.  But tonight it stopped working.  The Echo tells me there is no connection. I am into almost two hours of frustration and still don’t have it.  In the setup process I need user names and passwords.

I am so glad prayer doesn’t work this way.  The Echo hears me and God hears me.  The Echo says I’m not connected and God never ever says such a thing.  We are always connected and we don’t need a password or a user name.  He not only knows our names he knows how many hairs are growing out of our ears.   One of my favorite quotations from a book entitled Desire of Ages (a biography of Jesus) is found on page 335.  Jesus was sleeping in the bow of a fishing boat when a horrendous storm overwhelmed the sailor skills of the disciples.  Remembering that He was with them they cried out above the roar of the storm, “Lord, save us: we perish.”  Now comes the really good sentence.  “Never did a soul utter that cry unheeded.”

That is overwhelming to me because of the word “never”.  There is no ritualized language, no addressing Him by some secret name, no password or secret handshake.  All that is needed is our fervent need.  The faintest prayer of the weakest soul receives an immediate audience in the hallowed halls of heaven.  We might not get an immediate physical rescue on earth but we can be guaranteed the best answer ever.  There will be an instant forgiveness of sin and we will step from death to eternal life.  See John 5:24.   It doesn’t get any better than that.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 1, 2017

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Last night was one of those really dark nights.  My dog and I were out for a latenight walk when she stopped, raised her hackles and uttered her fiercest low growl.  I carry a small flash light to turn on in case a car comes by.  I want to make sure the driver sees us.  But something else was seeing us.  As I swept the area with the light I suddenly saw the reflection of six eyes pointed in our direction.  The owners were about eighteen inches tall and silent.  I’m pretty sure if I had hackles they would have matched my dog’s.  Ever so vigilantly we retreated back home.

It is not the first time we have encountered coyotes but this was the first time more than one; at least that I noticed. How often are we unaware of being watched?  In the workplace, in our neighborhoods, people are observing.  We think our behavior and attitudes don’t matter, but they do matter, especially if people know we are Christians.

A really good kind of watching is “He who watches over you will not slumber;” Psalm 121:3.  That kind of watching doesn’t cause us to vigilantly retreat.  That is unless our path is somewhere we should not be.  Psalm 1:1 describes that in three ways.  “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.”  If that was our path then we should flee as quickly as possible.

What joy we have in Jesus’ words, “Lo, I am with you always. Even unto the end of the world.”  I like that kind of watching.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 28, 2017

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I have to confess that sometimes David fills me with frustration.  I read Psalm 17 and wonder if this man lived in denial.  Please note.  “Hear me, LORD, my plea is just; listen to my cry.  Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.  Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded.  My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.”

He must have had a selective memory.  What about the lies he told to Achish when he was robbing surrounding cities and killing everyone so they couldn’t tell on him?  See I Samuel 27.  In Psalm 51 he is repenting for the sin of having Uriah the Hittite, killed to cover up his affair with Uriah’s wife.  In his confession he says, “I know my wrong-doing, and my sin is always in front of me. I have sinned against You, and You only. I have done what is sinful in Your eyes.”  Really?  “You only.”  What about Uriah?  Didn’t he sin against him?

What was he thinking?  We cannot lie to God.  He knows everything about us.  Psalm 17 doesn’t say as much about David as it does about God.  God is gracious.  God is merciful.  God is wonderful to tolerate us.  If you are ever discouraged about your sinful past, just remember God’s care for David and I promise you, you are going to be taken care of.  God doesn’t play favorites.  You have it made.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 6, 2017

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It is fascinating that we consider the Psalms to be Scripture.  The Psalms were authored by quite an assembly of people.  Normally we think of David, but there was a nameless afflicted man (102), Moses (90), Ethan (89), the Sons of Korah (several), someone named Asaph (83) and others.  Most of Psalms were written for use by musical groups.  They were a Hebrew hymnbook.

I was thinking about this while browsing through a modern hymnbook.  Once again there is quite a variety of writers from the Wesley brothers to Martin Luther and Fanny Crosby.  How many centuries have to pass before they will be looked upon as inspired enough to be Scripture?   Some of them have incredibly inspiring theology.  My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less by Edward Mote is excellent.  “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.”

Some of the more familiar hymns become such a part of our thinking we often sing them without thinking about the words.  Our brain goes into automatic drive and the words mindlessly pop out of our mouths.  I have discovered it is a real blessing to sometimes not sing the hymn but just read the words.  Our brains are forced to use a different area other than the music area.  Edward Mote’s hymn could remind us that salvation is only possible via the blood and righteousness of Jesus.  We would be reminded not to think so highly of ourselves and instead be “Clad in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 2, 2017

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Years ago Martin Luther, a professor at Wittenberg, began to explain to his students Paul’s letter to the Romans.  It was Romans 1:17 that ignited Luther’s quest to reform Christianity, “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed–a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”  Luther’s commentary on Romans was the fruit of those lectures.

He begins his introduction with the following challenge.  “This Epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel, and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.”

At times I fear we are all a bit like Peter, who declared that Paul could be quite difficult to understand. See II Peter 3:16.  For those of us who are not as brilliant as Paul, we might want to begin by concentrating on some of the more familiar passages in Romans and then expand out from them.  The end of chapter 8 is a great passage. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I know that is a very familiar text so that makes it a great place to start.  That’s good pedagogy.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 7, 2017

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Robert Frost’s famous poem The Road Not Taken ends with the classic lines, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.”  I cannot tell how many times through the years I have heard people reference this passage to themselves.  I have never heard anyone say they took the road most traveled.  We love ourselves and think we are very unique from all others. And while that is true in a limited sense but the larger truth is we are all alike.  If this were not true there could not be medical science.  We need to be like each other so doctors can diagnose our problems because we have symptoms that digress from the norm.  Without norms it would be impossible to help the ill.

The same is true psychologically.  Without norms we couldn’t know when and how someone was maladjusted and what to do to help them.  It is an extremely rare person who does not automatically use Freud’s ego-defense mechanisms.  But it seems that our love for ourselves deceives us into thinking we are outliers several standard deviations above the norm.  We are the protagonist of our life story and therefore we think we took the road less traveled.  It blinds us to the reality of the millions of others crowding the same road as we. Yes – it is true each of us is a unique one of a kind being and the irony is that very uniqueness is what makes us the same as others.

When God made us He said, “Let us make man in our image.”  Man was a distinctly new creature different from angels and other heavenly beings described in the book of Revelation.  We must accept the gift of eternal life so we can meet those others.  It will be an eternity of discovery.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 9, 2017

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