2012….The End?

As we inch further into the year 2012 we hear more rumblings of looming disaster that awaits. Many fear an apocalyptic scenario on or before December 21, 2012 because the ancient Mayan calendar ends on that day. There have been countless documentaries and interviews with those who truly believe the end of the world is at hand. The ancient Mayans were well advanced in astrology and science long before other civilizations, however I can assure anyone reading this that the world will never end! What’s my source of information? The Bible!

Ecclesiastes 1:4
⁴ Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever

Psalm 104: 5
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

Although this world will never be destroyed, it will indeed undergo massive renovations by Almighty God (Revelation 20:1). Translated properly, when we read phrases like “end of days” or “end of the world”, it means “end of the age.” The church age will one day end, and King Jesus will descend from Heaven at the end of the Tribulation hour and will literally reign upon this earth for 1000 years. This will begin the age of perfect peace in the Millennium. So yes, the world will cease to exist as we know it, but it will never cease to exist.

Many so-called experts have come up with many scenarios that may happen, or could happen in the near future. Asteroids could hit the earth virtually wiping us out completely. Another planet could collide with earth. Solar storms may disrupt the entire earth. Nuclear war. The list goes on and on. Although many of these things can and one day will happen to a certain degree, those who believe and are eagerly looking for the appearing of Christ will not be here to witness the worst of it. Although we’ll see these things begin to happen (Luke 21:28, Luke 21:36), He will rescue those who are looking for His return from these frightening scenarios (Rev 3:10, Rev 4:1, I Thess. 4:15-17, I Thess. 1:10).

Jesus likened the last days to a thief robbing a homeowner. Jesus commands us to continually watch so we’re not walking blind during these days we now live.

Matthew 24: 42-43
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.”

What is Jesus saying? He’s saying to keep watch, be ready, and NOT to be taken by surprise. He’s telling us to read and understand scripture and how it relates to our culture today so that we walk in confidence, not fear. The Apostle Paul echoed the teaching of Jesus in his letter to new Believers in Thessalonica.

I Thessalonians 5:4
“But you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”

So, were the Mayans right? Well we know that no man knows the day or hour, not even Jesus (Matthew 24:36). However, we also know for sure that we’ll know when His return is “right at the door” (Matthew 24:33). I do believe scripture has pointed us to the season we’re in. Based upon scripture we can know for certain that it’s NOT December 21, 2012. However, “right at the door” could be next month or next year. What if it’s today? Are you ready?

Journey On,

Shane Bowers

Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?

This month we’ll celebrate the most significant landmark event since the fall of Adam and Eve. Sin committed in the Garden of Eden brought about the curse (Genesis 3: 17-19) and separation from God. The central theme of the Old Testament was the blessed hope in the coming Redeemer that would atone for the sin of mankind. The Torah, or the first five books of the Bible, laid out many customs, rituals, and laws for those that chose to serve Yahweh (YHWH). In that law there were very specific instructions regarding the sacrificing of animals as covering for sins. This covering was temporary and only served as a prelude to the complete and perfect sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 9:22 declares; “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Someone had to pay the ultimate price for our sin. Since no one was, or is, worthy for such a task, God chose to do it himself.

One of the most amazing things about the Bible is its ability to foretell the future. Old Testament scripture gave many very specific details of the coming Messiah. I’ve read different commentaries and studies by statisticians that say the odds of any one man fulfilling all of the prophecies written is 1 in a number that’s not even comprehensible. Perhaps the most amazing truths foretold about the coming Messiah was the virgin birth as described in Isaiah 7:14. Further, he was to be born in a small, seemingly insignificant town called Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

God chose to come to us through a young Jewish woman named Mary. Scholars estimate that she was likely 14-15 years of age. Imagine that; the Savior of the world placed such a formidable task to a teenager. She was not perfect but she loved God with all of her heart. (As a side note, let this serve as notice that age is simply irrelevant when it comes to God. He can use anyone; young or old!)

We can’t overlook Joseph. Here’s an upstanding servant of God as well that was faced with a tough decision. He was pledged to be married to Mary but found out that she was pregnant. That would be tough news for anyone. In that culture, rejecting her as his wife would have all but ruined her. Her family would have disowned her and she quite possibly may have even faced death for having a child out of wedlock. As much as Joseph wanted to believe, at first it was tough to hear the excuse of, “God’s the father of my child” (paraphrased of course)! We’re told that he even contemplated leaving her quietly (Matthew 1: 19). After an angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream, he stayed, took Mary as his wife, and this carpenter became the earthly father of Jesus.

Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, in Galilee. However Caesar issued a decree to have a census taken. That forced them to return to Bethlehem in Judea since Joseph was from the line of David. While on their visit to Joseph’s hometown, Jesus was born in Bethlehem thus fulfilling a prophecies of Isaiah 11:1 and Micah 5:2. This was the beginning of the greatest love story ever told when God himself came down from Heaven as the sacrificial Lamb of God.

That brings us to this season of Christmas. Jesus most likely was not actually born on December 25th, but this is the day appointed to celebrate this amazing event. I truly love this season when kept in its proper context. I love the music. I love the lights. I love the trees. People seem nicer, unless it’s Black Friday. I love spending time with family. I love many of the fond memories of Christmases of days gone by, in particular, those when my grandparents were still around. But most of all, I love it when we all remember why we celebrate it.

There’s a changing of the tide in our culture. Many simply want us to forget the true reason for the season. Many want us to believe it’s about a man in a red suit or about how much stuff we can accumulate. The television airwaves seldom even say Merry Christmas anymore because the word “Christ” is right in the middle. How sad is it that media won’t even say Merry Christmas anymore? Instead, most have opted for the politically correct “Happy Holidays.” As for Julian Drive, my family, and certainly me, it will always be “Merry Christmas!” So from all of us, we wish you and your family the Merriest of Christmases yet!

Shane Bowers

Tebow Haters

Let me begin this article by saying that I am absolutely not a Florida Gator fan! I was born and bred in the Red and Black family of the Bulldog Nation in Athens, Georgia. Go Dawgs! However, as much as I’m a fan of college football, there are some ties that run much deeper than the colors we wear on Saturdays. In a day and age where classless athletes are more concerned with how good they may appear on film and how amazing their celebration dance can be, it’s refreshing when the humble superstar ascends to the national platform. What’s even more refreshing is when the humble athlete gives glory to the One who gave him or her the talent to start with.

Anyone that knows me knows that my favorite football player of all time is Herschel Walker. Not only was he the most dominant and greatest college football player of all time, but he was one of the most humble as well. He’d run completely over you, then help you up, and then hand the ball to the referee. He would not gloat over you, taunt you, or exalt himself, as 95% of the players do today. He set numerous NCAA, SEC, and UGA records back when the season was still only 11 games. He also only played three years, not four. If a child must look up to an athlete, his example was one to be followed.

As is the case with most records, Hershel’s career touchdown record finally fell a couple of years ago. It fell to the hands of a Bulldog nemesis: a Florida Gator! Granted, it took many more games and another season, but it fell nonetheless. The young man’s name that accomplished the feat was Tim Tebow. Tim was a tremendous college football player, but more than that, he used the national platform given to him to glorify Jesus and set an example to other Believers out there.

He was not, and is not, the only prominent athlete to take a stand for His faith. There have been many in the past, though most simply do not get the press time that Tim does. His future as an NFL quarterback is questionable due to his style of play. Since getting into the league a year ago, many outspoken sports figures have been waiting patiently for his failure. With each incomplete pass, interception, and bad game, the haters raise their voices. He has become a daily topic of conversation on ESPN and other sports media outlets. Players have even gotten to the point of mocking both he and his faith. Last week a player tackled Tim and then knelt into a prayer stance as a mocking celebration.

Why such hatred? It’s simple; because Tim is unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it has made many uncomfortable because of it. Many sports writers and commentators have brought up great points that I agree with. Some have suggested that his way of life is simply a standard that makes the others that mock him look bad. Therefore they exalt themselves in order to bring Tim, and the Christianity he represents, down. The funny thing is, he does not boast, nor carry a Bible around condemning anyone. He simply handles himself with class and unashamedly thanks Jesus Christ for his talent.

One writer said a few days ago that if someone had mocked a player that happened to be a devout Muslim with the same sarcastic prayer pose, there likely would have been fines from the league, multiple apologies, and unending public outcries. Yet, here we are supposedly living in a Christian nation, where the outspoken Christian deals with verbal persecution and mockery on a daily basis. What’s wrong with this picture?

Roughly 76% of the United States claim to be Christians. Certainly we don’t see fruit from 76% of our population, but that many identify themselves as holding to the beliefs of the Bible. If there really is that many of us, then why do the 24% seem to always make more noise? Why do those who handle themselves with class and with the love of Jesus seem as if they are in a very, very small minority? The bible plainly addresses skewed statistics such as these in Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 15:8, Mark 7:6, and II Timothy 3: 5. I encourage anyone to read them all in context.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be more than a statistic. My deepest desire is that I can be a walking testimony of the hope and promise of God’s Word, regardless of public opinion. I don’t know if Tim Tebow will make it as an NFL player, but I sure root for him each and every Sunday. If he fails as a player, he’ll surely win in eternity, and his example will point others in the right direction as well. Which direction are you point people towards today?

Shane Bowers
11/9/11

God Bless America

May 4, 2011

In the wake of the national and international response to the death of Osama Bin Laden, I had to slow down my normal pace of life, just so I could reflect on just why it is that I even have the freedoms in my life.  Many times we forget that the comforts we enjoy in the United States of America have not come without a price. Most of the time we don’t even realize what a gift it is to freely go to church on Sundays and worship the God of all creation; the only God that knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).  Yet in countries around the world, most notably in the Middle East, it seems we hear stories each and every day where Christian churches were bombed, congregations were subject to mass slaughter, Christians are taken hostage, and so on. It’s a routine occurrence.

Those stories make me proud to be an American that much more.  America is the one that’s called upon first when disaster hits any part of the globe. America is the one who is expected to be the rescuer to defenseless nations. This land is where our many haters would relish the opportunity to live. We that live here cannot fully fathom the magnitude of the gift that is, our freedom.

There are many reasons for our blessings. Godly men many years ago signed the Declaration of Independence. “In God we trust” was a phrase that was speckled all over our governmental system.  Even in our pledge we say, “One nation under God.” Even though many of our leaders today spend more time appeasing Atheists and Non-Christian religions, we were still founded as a nation under God. The bible says in Psalm 33:12,

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for His inheritance.” (NIV)

Although America accounts for about 5 percent of the world’s population, it accounts for 75% of the world’s missionaries, money and material aid (Source: “What in the World’s Going On”, David Jeremiah, copyright 2008, page 122). God has blessed America because America’s Christians have spread the gospel message across the globe through missions.

It was the final vote of US President Harry S. Truman that led Israel to become a nation again May 14, 1948. America has been Israel’s biggest ally in the Middle East. America has enabled this small nation that’s about the size of New Jersey to be feared and protected because of its own military might.  God’s Word has made it clear that anyone that blesses Israel will in turn be blessed:

Genesis 12: 3

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

No we’re not perfect here in America. With the magnificent freedoms we enjoy, many choose not so serve God. God gives us free will and does not force anyone to serve Him. That’s how much He loves us. Although our support of Israel is not as outspoken and strong as it once was, America still supports Israel. Lets pray we always do! The light of Christianity still shines bright in America, even though there have been countless detractors who have pushed God out of our schools and government.

Our political leaders will never say it publicly because of political correctness, but each time we’re forced to defend our nation, or come to the defense of other nations, we are looked upon as the Christian nation from the West. That’s a banner I pray will always be tagged to our country.

Many have celebrated the death of Osama Bin Laden much like King David celebrated each time God gave him victories over his adversaries. Over the past couple of days I’ve read and heard many Christians debating whether or not that’s the best reaction to have. I have no desire to get into that debate. I believe one thing that we all can agree upon as Believers in Christ is that we should pray for anyone who has not had the Truth revealed to them. Lets pray that our adversaries come to know the Truth about Jesus Christ, and we certainly should be praying for our governmental leaders as well. Both are Biblical principals that I challenge us all to make part of our daily prayers. If you’ve not been praying for your enemies and leaders, why not start today? Now more than ever, our leaders need the wisdom of God spoken into their lives.

Thanks to the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice through the years to secure the freedom to worship the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac; The God who was, who is, and who is to come. Thanks to the CIA and the team of Navy Seals who risked their lives to further ensure the safety of many just a couple of days ago. Thanks to all the armed forces that secure our freedoms each and every day they are in uniform.  May God continue to bless America!

 

Shane Bowers

Beauty Behind the Pain

So what’s the story behind “Beauty Behind the Pain?” Unless you’ve seen us live and up close over the past year, you might be wondering this very question. It comes from a very personal matter in my own life and marriage. Though I’ve certainly had ups and downs in my own life, and certainly not without faults, God still chose to bless me with a wonderful woman of God. She too had her own bumpy and winding road that ultimately led to me. I got the better end of the deal. Thank You Jesus!

Not long into our marriage my wife became pregnant with our child, only to lose the child at 10 weeks. If that wasn’t enough, we lost two more in succession following the loss of the first one. Our hearts were not only heavy, but they felt as though they were torn into. We began to wonder what the reason might be for this. “Was God mad at us for something we’d done? Had repentance and forgiveness not taken place?” I knew I was a Believer and had been forgiven, so I did what I always do. I went to scripture for answers.

My favorite verse to quote then, as is whenever anything does not go my way, is Romans 8:28:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)

The writings of Paul can serve as a great encouragement to anyone who’s suffered pain of any kind. He suffered much in his life, but kept such a great perspective of all of his pain and suffering, because of the radical move of God upon his life. Even in that same chapter of Romans, more encouragement is offered to us when we have a kingdom perspective:

Romans 8:18
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Romans 8:31
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Although the truth in God’s Word helped us overcome this part of our life, certainly in our flesh we were saddened for a time. Even now we think of those wonderful gifts that we never got to meet. However, our blessed hope and excitement In Christ, is that we’ll certainly meet again, and this time there’ll be no more parting of ways. It’ll put to death any sadness we may have left in these fleshly bodies.

Over the next few months, God made a way when the way seemed unlikely. Colleen gave birth to our son Jack on March 1, 2010, and gave birth to our next son Jayce on February 24, 2011. Talk about a double portion! Whew! Those two little guys proved to be something beautiful in the midst of our pain. God’s not finished using our pain for His glory. As we’ve been able to share our story over the past year or so, we’ve had countless emails and testimonies of those who have been, and are still in the midst, of where we’ve been. Sometimes folks just need to be reminded that they’re not alone in their sufferings.

When you’re on the road as much as we are in Julian Drive, through the years we’ve all become family more than just being a band, or even friends. As I went through this season of life, it ended up taking on a more personal tie with all of us in Julian Drive; not just me or my wife. As I penned the song Beauty, the three of us began sharing our own stories with one another about how God has always been our comfort, even when things didn’t go our way. Having that personal relationship with Christ has always been our blessed hope and comfort, even when our hearts seemed torn to pieces. As we all began arranging the song and each of the guys added their own personal tie to it, it took on a much more intimate and deeper feeling than before.

The message in “Beauty” is true for any believer. So we all decided that this was the theme that made sense for this season of where we are as a society today. Many are suffering the pain of lost jobs, lost homes, loss of hope, families being torn apart, memories of sin that won’t go away, depression, loneliness, and addiction. This CD’s purpose is to remind all Believers everywhere that all pain is temporary and it serves some purpose, though we don’t always immediately see that purpose. Sometimes it’s to pull you back on track, if you’ve gotten off track. Other times it’s simply a means to make you stronger in your walk with Christ. Many times we may never know in this life, but we must trust in what God’s Word says, even when it’s hard to do so. Somehow, some way, someday, there’ll be something beautiful as a result of your affliction…when you believe in Him.

Click the image below to buy Julian Drive’s new cd “Beauty Behind the Pain”.

 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all!! Hope everyone had a splendid Christmas and New Years. Julian Drive has some exciting things in store for the new year. We have a new record coming out soon. It has some incredible tunes on it. If you want a preview just go to juliandrive.com and check out our latest Monday video on the home page. You can also travel on over to itunes and download our EP entitled “Beyond Our Eyes”. Don’t forget to be our friends on facebook so you can keep up with all the latest happenings near you. Hope to see you guys out on the road in 2011. Peace!

Josh

Fall Update

Greetings Julian Drive Fans! We’re coming to you from the cornfields of Nebraska today. We’re off and running with our fall promotional tour. We just finished up an incredible acoustic-style tour all the way to Salt Lake City, Utah and back. We had stops in almost every state in between Georgia and Utah. It was quite a unique tour and we’ve received lots of good feedback from both a sound standpoint and even more, the testimonial sections. We look forward to our upcoming stops the rest of the fall as well. We’ll be everywhere from Florida, all the way up the eastern seaboard to New York. Be on the lookout for us in your area and come be part of a service with us. As a matter of fact, we still have a few gaps in dates and are always open to coming to your church too. Email us on our website at booking@juliandrive.com. We’d love to see you and share what all God has been doing in our ministry.

We are sad to say that James Nitz has made a personal decision to come off the road. He’s held down the bass line for over 4 years and has been the most solid bass player you could find anywhere. As much as we hate to see him go, we wish him and his family the best in all future endeavors.

If you’ve not already downloaded your copy of our new EP, “Beyond Our Eyes” on itunes; do it today! It’s a 3 song preview of our upcoming release in January. Also, make sure you stay in touch with us via our website, Facebook, and MySpace.

Blessings to all!

Julian Drive

When You Feel Like Giving Up…..

Hey gang! We are out on the road again this week. This morning we are in Mississippi (I still sing the M I crooked letter, crooked letter I song when I spell that state). We stayed over with some great friends that we have met in the past few years. Logan Collins and his family have been great supporters of us and just all around great people to hang with and they really just feel like extended family so anytime we are near we plan on staying with them. They came to see us play recently and help with the loading process, which we always appreciate. After the show we sat down to eat and Logan joined us as well as the youth pastor of the church. We began to chat a little and share about stories of times that events had been planned and how the turn out wasn’t what we had hoped for and how it often times has left us discouraged. One event had happened recently to the youth pastor of the church in which we had just performed. They shared about the event and how only 7 of the youth showed up from their church. They went on to say that the kids had wanted this event to happen and even begged to get it planned but when it came time to have it, they chose another, how do we say, less spiritually effective event to attend. The youth pastor was almost in tears sharing this story. They felt like they were let down. Maybe even a little disrespected.

As ministers we all have times like these. Logan has often times shared of times of discouragement in his own ministry with me. I’ve shared times like that in my ministry with him. It happens all the time. I wish there was some magic formula to make people get it, but there’s not. We are not perfect and will always let each other down. We’re human! In the 2 years I have been with Julian Drive, we have gone through times of feeling disrespect, anger, disappointment, discouragement, you name it we’ve had it. It seems like it’s a continuous cycle that repeats itself constantly. Sometimes you even question if it’s worth it to keep doing ministry. It’s a scary place to be. Believe me I know!

Not that we are there now but I believe Julian Drive is in a season. It’s been tough over the last year. There have been ups and downs but God always is there ready to encourage us to keep going. I was reading this morning, with all these thoughts of the past year on my mind. Listen to what I believe God was telling me in 1 Cor. 4: 1,17-18:

Since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we never give up.… For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

For those of you in ministry I hope this has been some encouragement for you! Keep going and reaching people for Christ!

Mt. Rushmore

Hey everyone. Coming live to you from Rapid City, South Dakota. Yesterday we visited Mt. Rushmore and it’s pretty incredible what man can build and create. It was an amazing site to see and hear how it was built. We even took our own band picture recreating Rushmore. You can check it out on my twitter or facebook if you want.

I woke up this morning with a passage of scripture, that I had read a couple months ago, on my mind. So I looked it up and reread it. It was in I Cor. 15:10. Paul says, “But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am.” You know being around Paul had to be so encouraging because of all that he had been through, his past, so much yet he still passionately pursued after God and the things of God. That guy has encouraged me so much throughout my Christian life. I think because most of the time he always communicates how I feel. When he says things like “I the chief or sinners” or “I’m not worthy to even be called an apostle”. Not that I’m an apostle but I see his heart. I know that there are times that I feel like I don’t deserve to be doing what I’m doing but because God is so gracious, so very generous, here I am. Paul mentions in the verses above Peter, and James, and then says I don’t deserve to be on the inner circle like them. But, he gets the love that God has for him despite his downfalls. That’s why he follows vs. 15 with, “And I’m not about to let His grace go to waste.”

I just want to encourage you today. No matter who you are or what you’ve done or will do, God has a purpose for each of us. I know most of you know that but let the words of Paul eco in your life today. But because God is so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let His grace go to waste.

God Bless,

Josh Seagraves

A Fathers Love

On March 1, 2010 God sent a precious gift to Colleen and me. His name was Jack Michael Bowers and he was 6 lbs, 13 ounces. Words can not express the pure joy that overwhelmed me that day when I saw my little man for the first time. As much as I adored and loved him that first day, it’s only multiplied each and every day since. In my mind I constantly think, “Is there anything as precious as the love of a parent, or in my case, a father’s love?” I never thought I’d get so giddy inside from seeing him smile from ear to ear while fixing his eyes on me, even in a crowd, or hearing him cry out, only to be still and calm in my arms as I pick him up, or to see him simply being content with me by his side.

The more I’ve thought about this whole experience, I can’t help but think about the relationship of this experience to God’s Word. Now, more than ever, I really get what Jesus was saying in Matthew 18: 3-5:

3) And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4) Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5) And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

The innocence of my sweet little Baby Jack is exactly how God wants us to be towards Him; fully trusting in Him as the Father. When we do that, we feel that quiet peace and joy that a child feels when with their parents. As Jack does with me, God desires for us to be filled with all the fullness and joy as our eyes continually stay on Him. God wants us to cry out to Him when things aren’t seemingly going our way and for us to just “be still and know that He is God” and trust Him. God wants us to be okay in all circumstances, knowing He’s by our side. He wants us to have the humility of a child….like Jack.

There’s one other point I’d like to make about the relationship of our little miracle and God’s Word. Every parent knows the love they have for their child. Could you sacrifice your child so that someone else might live? God did……

Shane Bowers

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