Matthew 24:10-12: “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times …
Author Archives: Bob Shank
Here’s one for the books…
Books. “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” President Harry S. Truman is the source of that quote, and most people would agree. There are people who read and never lead: they are probably great students, but ineffective teachers. And, there are functionally illiterate leaders (able to read, but – because of …
The last word
America needs a day off. Last week was supposed to be the final lap around the summer track before returning to the sprint lane that puts everyone back in competition for the Fall. But some things aren’t planned in keeping with the normal calendar: death lands on life with little notice, and demands attention. Parties …
From home to hell…
What are the odds that your kids in college will reject your faith? This happens every year. For families, the summer break ends and “back to school/college” or becomes the critical transition point. Clothes, classroom supplies, shifts of routine and more become a demanding deadline. “First day of school” is on the calendar, and it …
What are you building?
“What did you do on your summer vacation”? In a bygone era, that question was a predictable “pop quiz” for the first day of school. Designed to get the cobwebs out of the students’ cursive grips, it challenged kids to put 10 weeks into 300 words. Today is “back to school” day, for me; my …
Identity matters: Who are you?
Who are you? What is your identity? These days, that’s not an easy question to answer. Identity goes to the heart of life; it frames our status in every conversation and encounter that, together, formulate our days. Within the span of my lifetime, that question – and, its answer – has become far more complex. …
Nothing lasts… or, does it? Spent, or invested?
Where were you, yesterday? Was the time you spent – where you were, doing what you did – spent, or invested?Whatever your answers to #1 and #2, here’s a stopper: can you prove it? Normally, this weekly musing arrives with my mug shot embedded at the top. Today, I’ve led-off with the iPhone shot from …
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Your plan or His plan?
For the Jews – about 3330 years ago – God performed a miracle that showed his power and would forever define their family and mark His plan. It was Passover and Jews mark that divine intervention each year. For the Shanks – 25 years ago – God performed a miracle that showed his power and …
Be jealous of people who are livin’ the dream (not the Bucket List)
It’s time to kick the Bucket List. I’m stealing that headline from the Wall Street Journal’s Weekend Edition; Joe Queenan’s lead article in the Review section was the kind of laser-focused leering that challenges otherwise savvy people to re-examine their assumptions. Blame Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman for the cultural obsession with coming up with …
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Should you do a walk-through before you move in?
What’s your favorite place? Ask that question – in a group – and step back; you’ve done enough. The answers will start flying, and will often be offered with passion and explanation. If there are 12 people in the room, you might get 12+ answers, because some people cannot settle on just-one-place. If God is …
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Begin with the End in Mind…
Make the call. Summer and baseball are inextricably linked. The guy with the worst job on a hot July day is the one in the black get-up – wearing thick padding, on top of that – behind the catcher, behind the plate. Beyond the discomfort, he has to call ‘em as he sees ‘em, based …
Lots of fireworks… but not much celebration in America
That isn’t a birthday cake, America: it’s a brushfire. I mean, really: put 242 candles on anything and light them up. The smoke alarm will signal an evacuation order, and the party will be over before you scoop the ice cream and pass out the forks. It’s pretty much official: the Declaration of Independence was …
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Halfway? Half in? No way!
We’re running out of time at the half. I know you’re scrambling this week to get ready for next week’s inconvenient holiday schedule. Could it be more crazy? July 4th lands on Wednesday, and it’s the middle of the summer. No one will close it down for just one day: the lazy genes push for …
How earth’s losers become heaven’s winners
It’s amazing how many people believe in both natural and supernatural selection. We start our week with Supernatural Selection – at church – reminded that God has chosen us to be His followers, His children, His heirs, by His grace: that’s Supernatural Selection… Then, starting Monday morning, we shift from the Apostle Paul to Charles …
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Guaranteed: How to live better, and longer (with honor)
Here’s one secret to ensure a longer (and better) life. That promise on a magazine cover promotes purchases; people read that research and archive that wisdom as a constant reminder of better choices. It’s not buried in some research paper presented to academics convening in Institutes of Intellegentsia; those life hacks are the stuff of …
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There’s smart… and, there’s wise
Smart! He must be smarter than me; he’s the richest guy in the world. Jeff Bezos wasn’t always in that position. In fact, the early days of the New Millennium were really tough years for him. Between 1999 and 2002, he lost 85% of his net worth. From that “low point” – his paltry $1.5 …
For today’s honorees, it was no picnic…
It’s that time of year: we’re in the middle of significant “special days” that demand attention, medals, and recognition. Retail advertising – on-line and in-print – will be running “Dads & Grads” as a key theme. Fathers – for families that are still aligned with the traditional pattern of father/mother/kids who are linked long-term – …
The radical solution to a campus shooter
The shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis is a name that would have – likely – never entered your mind. Nikolas Cruz wasn’t destined to cross your path, either. Their names have left obscurity and anonymity, but they have not become memorable through service and accomplishment. Within the space of 90 days, their bent toward murder and calamity …
The Ambassador is “in,” and will see you now
A symbol is important; when a symbol depicts  reality, its importance amplifies. Today marks an historic moment: the Embassy of the United States in Israel is moving from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Some argue that the location of the Embassy is simply symbolic, but it depicts a reality that is incredibly important. For Christians, the …
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This just in, from a Nigerian Prince…
There’s $40 million sitting in an African bank account – in the name of a Nigerian Prince-in- exile – ready to be transferred to your bank in America. They need your information – and your Social Security number – for the funds to be wired, and you’ll get 10% as the accommodator. Are you “in?” …
His burning fire just went out
Our days may come to seventy years… According to the United States Government – the Centers for Disease Control – the average lifespan for an adult born in America in 1948 is 68.2. That opening quote was from Moses – who headed the Jewish community for 40 years, nearly 4000 years ago – who was …
Getting testy about the Testaments of the Bible
Things seem to be heating up… Every week, it’s been my discipline – for nearly 30 years – to look at what’s going on within the modern world and American culture, and view it through the filter of a Biblical worldview (via the Bible). Headlines – all headlines – come from sources with bias (some …
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Ripped from the headlines…
Everything starts somewhere. I was rocked last week with the news that Bill Hybels – Founder/Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church – had resigned his position amidst allegations of inappropriate conduct. In the hyper-charged environment of modern culture – exposing histories of sexual exploitation of women by men in power in business, politics and …
Taxable – Your Life is On the Line
Your life is on the line. That’s a one-liner (double entendre intended) that is always true, but is even more vividly evident this week. Actually, we’re just eight days from the filing deadline, to give an account for your 2017 life to the Federal (and State) taxing authorities. Your life is on the line… There …
Here’s the Story, in < 400 words
Football fans hit their peak the first Sunday of February; there are bowl games aplenty, but there’s only one Super Bowl (so the story goes). Attention is riveted to the field – or, the screens – for 60 minutes, plus time-outs and commercial breaks as the battle for victory consumes the weekend for millions. Christian …
What if this wasn’t your Holy Week?
There were no little kids with palm fronds – wearing bathrobes and cotton-ball beards stuck to their chins – when the Carpenter from Nazareth rode that donkey into the Eastern Gate of the city, the first day of Passover Week in the 1st Century. The crowds were going crazy – fulfilling prophecy without knowing it …
Liberty and justice for all…
New parents are predictable: they listen intently to capture and recount their toddler’s first word. Momma? Dadda? In your dreams! For many, their first word is part of an outcry: “It’s not fair!” Â Â “Children are innocent and love justice, while most of us are wicked and naturally prefer mercy.” (G.K. Chesterton). Preschoolers are in …
You’re where the action is – and, will be – the marketplace
“There’s something happening here…” It’s been over 50 years since Stephen Stills’ song – performed by him in the band Buffalo Springfield – used that line in verse one of “For What it’s Worth.” During Vietnam, it was written to give voice to reasoned protest against the way things are in favor of the way …
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The search is underway… for the next Billy Graham
Who is “the next Billy Graham?” His death occurred 12 days ago; Billy Graham’s funeral was last Friday. The news leads and headlines – prominent for the last two weeks – will now recede and disappear, until year-end, when summations of 2018 include the deaths of prominent people. His burial place – the library/museum bearing …
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Soil that bears fruit – He’s finished… but we’re not
It’s what Jesus said to his Twelve Apostles – at the Last Supper, in the Upper Room – but his charge to them became his charge to us, through the centuries: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will …
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