December 13, 2016

Something is going on.

If you’ve ever been to New York City in December – whether for business or pleasure – you have some understanding of that iconic island at this time of year.

The magnetic center of Manhattan during the Christmas season is Rockefeller Center. There’s a Christmas tree outside the White House, but it’s the consolation version. The most visited, most photographed, most “Ahhh!” evergreen is standing between 49th and 50th Streets, across 5th Avenue from Saks and their famous windows. People get off the plane at LaGuardia or Kennedy – from everywhere – and tell their Uber driver to “go to the tree,” and that’s all the direction they need…

Except for this year.

Some people are arriving in New York right now, getting in their black Town Car… and setting a course across a bridge or through a tunnel to go seven blocks north of The Tree, to Trump Tower. They’re on their way to an appointment…

Since the dust settled on the 2016 Elections, it’s been a different holiday hustle in New York. The national networks have their news studios in Midtown on the ground floor of high-rise buildings, broadcasting live around the world, with out-of-towners looking in their windows from the cold plazas outside. Not this year: the reporters are standing outside Trump Tower, watching the people coming in for their appointment with the President-Elect, up in his office on the 26th Floor.

People from across the political spectrum have been to the Tower. Al Gore and Mitt Romney are former candidates for president – from opposing parties – but they both came to 57th Street and 5th Avenue for their meeting. Leaders with very different life experiences – wives of billionaires, generals of armies – have ridden the elevator, awaiting their audience. All of them are currently engaged with something – no homeless or unemployed have been spotted on the gold escalator, rising from the ground floor – but they’ve put their other pursuits aside to come to their meeting.

Here’s the news release that you won’t see: “(Famous person) was called by the President-Elect and asked to serve as the new (cabinet position, or other significant appointment) in the government that will commence in January. They turned him down…”

No one says “no” to the President, or to the opportunity to demonstrate their patriotism. When duty calls, the only reasonable response is: “Yes, I’d be honored to serve.”

Down the street, The Tree is still drawing a crowd. The Tower – up by Central Park – is where the future President is holding court. The Tree – down the street, in Rockefeller Center – is where the birth of the future King reminds people that there is a political change in the future that will rock the world even more than the outcomes of the 2016 election in America.

Last year, Forbes Magazine named Putin the World’s Most Powerful Person; President Obama was #2. Time Magazine just named Trump 2016’s Person of the Year. The competition is fierce… but there’s no human competition who can hope to top the One whose title is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords:” Jesus wins, hands up.

The networks aren’t covering this part of the Big Story, but the King of Kings is meeting with people Himself, calling them to assume significant assignments in His Kingdom. Men and women whose leadership – in their “private life” – has been refined… but the chance to step into a position of service that will be historic outweighs any other commitments on their calendar is now on the table.

A tip: the Lord Jesus is having those meetings with candidates for his Kingdom at The Master’s Program – across America, and in select locations in other countries as well – vetting people for amazing roles that they never imagined they’d be offered. Have you been called yet?

Bob Shank