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

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

Vegging in front of a big screen…

Well, I’m sitting here on my computer half watching “Back to the Future II” (classic!) while trying to keep my mind focused on our upcoming events. I must add that I’m wrapped in a blanket because the AC is kicking up here. We actually do have to do a little bit of work behind the scenes:) It’s all good though because I’m sitting in the entertainment room in the home of some of our great friends in Texas; the Barkers. I have some very special people flying in tonight for the weekend (Colleen and T!) so I’m looking forward to that too. There’s talk of the JD crew and our friends here going skating Saturday between shows. We have no shame in that either! Skating seems so 70’s to me. All I can think about is a disco ball and “Staying Alive” or “Funkytown” playing in the background. In honor of that thought, I’m thinking of letting my mustache grow out for a few days, and buying some more 70’s attire, along with some gaudy sunglasses. It’ll be inspiring and we’ll post pictures if we go with that theme.

You guys stay tuned. We’ve finally got a new single in the works. More on that later….