Four Kingdom Laws

September 15, 2014

“At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” (Luke 4:42-44)

I left you hanging last Monday with this: “Two Gospels; both powerful; both sourced in God the Revealer. One brings life from death; the other brings meaning to life. We Evangelicals tend to replay one of them, constantly; are you as clear about the Gospel of the Kingdom as you are the Gospel of Salvation? One brings forgiveness; the other brings greatness. Are you one gospel short of greatness?”

For nearly two decades, Jesus was living in relative obscurity in Nazareth, working in the trade that Joseph had practiced. He was known for his way with wood, not his way with words. His Calling released him from the tools of his trade and unleashed him with a message that would motivate.

The Gospel of the Kingdom was the good news He came to proclaim. For His audience – the Jews of the First Century – the conditions of life had become the seedbed of despair. The Rabbi from Judea was talking about life on an entirely different plane, and His descriptions were powerful enough to cause grown-ups with responsibilities to do an about-face in life, and join the movement He was leading.

Dr. Bill Bright summarized the Gospel of Salvation into the Four Spiritual Laws. If there were Four Kingdom Laws – for the Gospel of the Kingdom – they could be:

1. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, both here and in His Eternal Kingdom.
2. You are now in Christ, and are called to participate in His plan, which we call the Great Commission.
3. His plan for you – within His greater plan – is for you to fulfill the unique destiny for which He made you: your Kingdom Calling.
4. Your Kingdom work in fulfilling His plan will please Him as you produce enduring value, for which you’ll be recognized and rewarded.

The Gospel of Salvation gets you into the Kingdom; what you do following your conversion establishes your position in that Kingdom. That’s the promise of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Jesus spoke incessantly about the place He was preparing for us to occupy; the place where He would reign. In this world, He would experience rejection and would occupy a cross. In the world to come, He would experience affirmation and accolades, and would occupy a throne. “My Kingdom is not of this world” was an interpretive guide: all of what He promised would happen, just not here and now.

“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19-20)

“Saved” is better than “Lost,” for sure. But, once saved, “Great” is better than “Least.” The Four Spiritual Laws will get you to the Kingdom, and the Four Kingdom Laws will impact your experience, upon arrival… and, forever.

Jesus offered forgiveness; you accepted. He also offers greatness; have you accepted that offer?

Bob Shank

Good News

September 8, 2014

“First, the doctor told me the good news: I was going to have a disease named after me.” (Steve Martin).

I took a break from the unrelenting news cycle over the weekend to get a couple of runs in with one of my mileage buddies. He posed an intriguing thought: why aren’t there any news channels that specialize in only good news? They’d be alone in the space; all the rest seem to be scrambling to pack more pain between commercial breaks than their competitors…

If you’ve spent time around the places where the Bible is the basis for the things in discussion, you know that good news is a synonym for gospel; often, when the original language says, simply, “good news,” Gospel comes into the English translation.

We call the biographies of Jesus – Matthew/Mark/Luke/John – “the Gospels,” because they introduce the One who was – and, who brought – the Good News. In those four books, gospel/good news appears about 25 times. In the 21 Epistles, the same reference is used nearly 85 times.

Good News is a great overarching descriptor, but – like ice cream or fine wine – it comes in a variety of distinct flavors.

When Jesus began His ministry, His message was not detailed by Matthew, but the headline was intriguing: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the Kingdom, and healing.” (Matthew 4:23). That particular good news message – “the Gospel of the Kingdom” – was recurrent in Jesus’ teaching, and He said that it would be communicated to every people group on the planet before His return (Matthew 24:14).

Decades later, Paul would remind the believers in Corinth of the particular good news that introduced them to Jesus: “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.” (1 Corinthians 15:2-5). The Gospel of Salvation is a specific collection of truths that, once embraced, brings life to the lost.

Two Gospels – the Gospel of Salvation, that begins our life of faith – and the Gospel of the Kingdom, that is also good news… but, different!

Through 1500 years of Christian history, the Gospel of Salvation became buried by the residue of religious dogma that had departed from simple biblical truth. The Reformers rediscovered the clear wisdom of Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” – and that understanding sent shock-waves around the institution that had fallen into a deadly misunderstanding: that works prescribed by the church could earn one’s salvation, apart from faith. Bad News buried Good News.

For the believers who found life in the Gospel of Salvation… was their message from conversion to heaven going to be limited to the replay of the good news that brought them to spiritual life? Or, was there more good news for them?

God has good news for every human, in both spiritual conditions. For the lost, the Gospel of Salvation is the most important thing for them to hear and engage. Once their response to the offer of grace – through faith – proves its power… what does God have to say to the one who is now Alive in Christ?

Two Gospels; both powerful; both sourced in God the Revealer. One brings life from death; the other brings meaning to life. We Evangelicals tend to replay one of them, constantly; are you as clear about the Gospel of the Kingdom as you are the Gospel of Salvation?

One brings forgiveness; the other brings greatness. Are you one gospel short of greatness?

More next week…

Bob Shank

Who’s your daddy?

September 2, 2014

“Who’s your daddy?”

It’s slang, but it’s telling: no one starts as a first-generation anything. We all come from somewhere; we’re all marked by someone along the way, for better or for worse.

I was recently asked to write a tribute to Dr. Howard Hendricks (“Prof”), one of the handful of mentors whose impact on my life has been – and, continues to be – defining. Dallas Theological Seminary is organizing a volume capturing the stories of Christian leaders whose life and ministry has been imprinted with Howie’s wisdom; my perspectives will reside alongside others whose compound effect will be measured in Eternity, based in no small part on the foundation built in them by Prof.

I’d love to share my contribution to Howie’s legacy; click here to read my story. It’s my Point of View this Labor Day week. To learn a little more about Hendricks’ life, click here for the Wikipedia page devoted to him.

“Who’s your daddy?” One of mine is in heaven; he left about 18 months ago…

Bob Shank

Weary

August 25, 2014

Weary: lacking strength, energy or freshness because of a need for rest or sleep. Bored or annoyed by something because you have seen it, heard it, done it, etc., many times or for a long time.

Back in January, ISIS was compared by the White House to “the JV (junior varsity) team,” and it was assumed that “the JVs didn’t become Kobe Bryant by putting on Lakers jerseys.”

Since then, ISIS has acquired 35,000 square miles of territory, robbed banks, captured oil wells and refineries, murdered thousands of people, displaced more… and become wealthy (billions in cash; $2 million/day in oil sales) and formidable (15,000 fighters and fleets of stolen American and Russian military hardware); a virtual rogue nation, committed to the destruction of Israel AND America.

But, it’s summertime, and we’re on vacation. We’re not at the office; we have a date at the beach and a starting time at the course. We’re not in-session; it’s not a good time to deal with savage butchers who are beheading children and inviting Muslim miscreants from around the world to come join the varsity Jihaders in their march toward the prize of a Muslim Caliphate practicing rigid Sharia, with a “convert or die a brutal death” invitation to those they overrun.

Why is America on the sidelines of the battle for civilization? We’re said to be “war weary;” we have other things to do. The sophisticated mainstream populace is more likely to be spellbound watching Seth Meyers hosting the Emmys tonight on NBC than they are to be watching Charles Krauthammer explaining the threat of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) on Fox. Never tired of Entertainment Tonight… but really “over it” regarding the War on Terror.

“Lead from Behind” is a strategy that presumes that crowdsourcing with Foreign Affairs is where the smart Washington money goes. The “Don’t do Stupid Stuff” doctrine precludes principled use of our military power to destroy powerful forces committed – and, funded and manned – to destroy us. If people on the beachfront in Venice (California) or Martha’s Vineyard (Massachusetts) wouldn’t applaud immediately, just avoid the threat and give ‘em what they want…

“War Weary” Americans are not the military professionals – and their families – who have been directly involved in America’s missions over the last decade; they are the watchers who are tired of seeing the coverage of the conflicts crowding out their other screen interests. “So wretched is man that he would weary even without any cause for weariness… and so frivolous is he that, though full of a thousand reasons for weariness, the least thing – such as playing billiards or hitting a ball – is sufficient enough to amuse him.” (Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Christian philosopher who died 450 years ago.)

American Christians have the same risk regarding the continuing War against the Evil One. Long ago, he captured territory that he continues to hold today, holding people captive in darkness. Our leader – the King of Kings – leads from the front, and assaulted Satan at the Cross, delivering the kill shot that won the war at the Eternal level.

In real time, the King sent His troops (us) to complete the mission; we call His orders the Great Commission. “Go” was the directive; “make disciples” was the strategy. Defeat the forces of Evil with the benevolent power of the Good News.

Now, 2000 years later, many American Christians are “War Weary,” tired of the constant emphasis of the Mission. We’re at risk of being more concerned with our own issues than the fate of those whose domination by the Devil keeps them, forever, outside the Kingdom of God.

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Bob Shank

Greatness

August 18, 2014

”It ain’t that great.“

In a world ruled by personal opinions – expressed on everything from YouTube to Yelp – it doesn’t take much to order-up the headstone and doom someone/something to early death. Just let a loon with the leverage of social media express their opinion – well-founded, or embittered – in the right place, and vicious goes viral: ”It ain’t that great“ can close a restaurant or short-run a movie.

Be willing to be honest: in the 21st Century, no one settles for good anymore. Average deserves the death sentence by consumers who don’t want to waste a dollar on anything short of 5-Star. If you only have one life to live… set your sights on great (even better when you can experience it with a GroupOn). Anything less-than-great doesn’t deserve the oxygen it sucks to survive, or so it seems…

Jim Collins has risen in the ranks of marketplace mavens through the last two decades. Built to Last put him on the radar, back in 1994; Good to Great put him over-the-top in 2001. His signature life message articulates what it takes to rise above the victor class and achieve Olympian status.

Good is a four-letter-word, no longer worthy of note. To deem someone good is to condemn them to mediocrity: we’ve become a culture willing to settle for nothing short of great.

Who ever sets out to be average? Answer: no one will ever cop to that charge! Since Collins raised the bar, God help the person who circulates at a class reunion without accounts of greatness to report. Gold may be the top medal in games, but it’s just the starting point for a culture now consumed with Diamond Platinum status in their elite designations.

Put the hidden camera in the management office where perfunctory performance reviews are executed. Any position above the lowest-ranks of the org chart will experience a predictable hour-with-the-boss. Reports of good performance will evoke a yawn; expectations of great achievement in the next reporting period will be clear before the meeting ends. Last year’s record performance is the baseline for the future, now that it’s been accomplished once. Be great, or be gone…

Collins has turned greatness into a consulting focus: there are ways for people and for teams to climb to the top if practiced religiously, over long periods. If you’re serious about greatness, prove it.

The debate rages in society: should kids get a trophy for just showing-up? There’s no debate on that subject in the real world: trophies go to the winners, and the world-records in every field are never static. Today’s great is tomorrow’s good… and life – and its expectations – goes on.

The race to greatness isn’t recent. During a commute between venues – while Jesus was on tour – the 12 guys in his entourage got into a tongue tussle over pecking order: ”They came to Capernaum. When he (Jesus) was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.“ (Mark 9:33-34)

I’ve talked with Christian marketplace leaders, sprinting in their Monday-Friday marathons trying to achieve – and, sustain – greatness in their field, suggesting that greatness in the Kingdom is also worth pursuing. Frequently, I get a response indicting me for abandoning the grace-alone tonic that was brewed in the Reformation. Does salvation by grace alone (biblical truth) disallow the serious pursuit of greatness in God’s enterprise?

”Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ”Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.“ (Mark 9:35) Jesus didn’t assail the pursuit: he just defined how it could be achieved. Cultural navigation says that the Great are served; Kingdom navigation says that the Great are serving. Professional is good; pro bono is great. Waiting for recognition – until the Great One appears – is the ultimate deferred compensation…

Bob Shank

Share Your Experience

August 11, 2014

Anomaly: an irregularity; something that deviates from the norm, or from expectations.

We run across anomalies frequently: an American, who doesn’t embrace democratic ideals. A person driving an environment-friendly car, who throws a Starbucks cup alongside the road. A school teacher, who doesn’t like children. A university professor, who imposes a narrow and radical worldview on their students. Anomalies are curious because they defy the reasonable dot-connecting we’re inclined to practice as we figure out what’s going on around us.

Here’s an anomaly: American Christians who believe that they have answered the most crucial questions of life through the truth that is found in the Lord Jesus and articulated in the Scriptures… and don’t share that discovery with their friends who are lost. The Christian faith has been described as “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread” (D.T. Niles). Should beggars be selfish?

Truman famously had a sign on his desk that declared, “The Buck Stops Here.” Sadly, too many Christians have a virtual sign on their desktop that could say, “The Faith Stops Here,” because they’ve chosen to become the last link in a belief chain that began with one of 12 Apostles, came down to them… but will have no eternal spiritual progeny beyond them.

The era of social media and wiki collaboration has allowed people to give instant evaluations to everything from speeches to restaurants, from movies to beaches. Facebook puts the moment-by-moment experiences of life into broad circulation, with immediacy. Twitter passes bite-sized impressions into real-time headlines. Why wouldn’t someone share a great find with friends? Even more, why wouldn’t they share a great God-sourced experience with their friends?

Most Christians will never have the experience of introducing another person to the Savior, Jesus Christ. What a sad commentary on their generosity with God’s grace. The minority who practice the passing of Good News have amazing stories… and eternal gratitude from those they invited into redemption. Are you one of the silent, or the fruitful?

Here’s another anomaly: every participant in The Master’s Program was introduced to TMP by a friend whose time in TMP made them advocates. They realized that the question was not, “Who do I know who would benefit from The Master’s Program?” Instead, the real question was, “Who do I know who would not benefit from refining their life balance, creating margin that makes them available for great opportunity, and finding the focus that comes from understanding their Kingdom Calling?”

The Woman at the Well (re-read the story in John 4) didn’t have the greatest lifestyle reputation, but when she met Jesus, she knew that He was the relationship that everyone in Sychar – her hometown – was waiting for, though they didn’t know it yet. In her first day knowing Jesus, she brought a crowd from town out to hear what she had heard from the One. It wasn’t called “Personal Evangelism” yet; for her, it was the natural thing to do: why wouldn’t she share the Answer with anyone who would listen?

As the Fall begins, we’ll be hosting introductory events for The Master’s Program in cities around the country. Balance, Margin and Focus will be the offer: who will be there to listen to the appeal?

Answer: friends and acquaintances of people like you, whose experience with The Master’s Program drives them to share the opportunity with others.

Question: are you an Advocate... or, an Anomaly? Scroll down to the bottom of this page and see the list of Introductory Briefings happening soon. Who do you know in those cities who would respond to your invitation to attend, and to consider participating in TMP?

Someone invited you into the Faith: have you passed the faith along? Someone introduced you to The Master’s Program: have you returned the favor?

Bob Shank

Running Toward Eternity

August 4, 2014

It’s probably not in your “to read” stack.

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology isn’t a page-turner; if you’re not employed in the field, you’ve never heard its name. Featuring articles with headlines like, “Effect of Intensive Statin Therapy on Regression of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Multicenter Randomized Trial Evaluated by Volumetric Intravascular Ultrasound Using Pitavastatin Versus Atorvastatin,” it’s hard to imagine you’ve ever heard a quote from its august editions (that’s “august” as in, “respected and impressive,” not August, the month).

So, you have every excuse for not spotting the article last Monday, reporting the findings of Drs. Duck-chul Lee, Russell R. Pate, Carl J. Lavie, Xuemei Sui, Timothy S. Church and Steven N. Blair. In a study involving 55,137 adults – ranging in age from 18-100, with a mean age of 44 – their discoveries were remarkable. Do unremarkable joggers get any pay-off for their meager time on the track?

The conclusion: running – even 5-10 minutes per day, at less than 10 minutes/mile – has a profound effect on age and longevity. If done once or twice a week, with less than 51 total minutes, the results were consistent: casual, occasional runners had 30-45% lower risk of death by any/all causes, and an increase of three years in life expectancy. More miles, more benefits… but even the, “Aw, shucks, I only get out once or twice a week…” tail-draggers achieved a remarkable increase in predicted lifetime.

I’ve been running since April 1, 1978 (I bought my first pair of Nike Air-Max shoes). It took me a month to go a mile without stopping. In 90 days, I lost 30 pounds; in six months, I ran my first marathon. Now, 24 marathons – and more than 35,000 road miles – later, I’ve run through a lot of Nikes. What’s the pay-off?

Bragging rights, I guess. Put the control group alongside me and my obsessive behavior. Find the guy who bought the same shoes, hit the same stride in ’78… and was content to do five miles/week since then. His +9000 miles, compared with my 35,000. Who wins?

I’ve got a drawer full of silk-screen T-shirts, of interest to no one but me. I’ve had the chance to train for – and, compete in – marathons with both of my daughters: priceless. I’ve had great relationship times with runnin’ buddies for nearly four decades, and we’ve solved the world’s problems (and, some of our own!) in the conversations we’ve had on streets and trails across the country. The real-time benefits have been remarkable.

But, the real payoff is still future: I’ll have more years to accomplish my earth-mission than the control group who watched athletes sweat on ESPN rather than creating their own perspiration, in less time each week than it takes for an NFL game (60 minutes of clock time; doesn’t count the time-outs, the stop-the-clock huddles, or the advertising pauses). Who’s the winner: the watcher, or the doer?

How much faith does it take to give you life? Decades ago (about the time I became an amateur runner), I had a longtime friend with whom I regularly shared my faith. He was cordial, but unmoved. One day, I asked him why he wasn’t interested in my fascination with Jesus. His answer: “It sounds intriguing… but at this point in my life, I don’t have the time to go to the meetings” (church!).

Is Eternal Life the payoff for going to meetings? Or, is it something else? Paul’s answer: “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life… (Titus 3:5-7)

Running buys a few extra years (and T-shirts); faith secures Eternity! A little goes a long way!

Bob Shank

Plan Good Things

July 28, 2014

I’m seldom – if ever – enviable, but today takes the cake.

Today and tomorrow, I’m in a crucial lockdown-mode, in an undisclosed, secure location. My task: plan 2015.

Over 100 weekdays – avoiding local school breaks – I’ll be leading sessions for The Master’s Program. Board meetings and special events for 14 organizations I serve in that capacity. Participation in team events with our Collaborative partners – National Christian Foundation, Ronald Blue & Co., Convene – as they occur. Sabbath time with my wife and family – individually, and collectively. All of that in cities spread across the USA, integrated with flight schedules allowing me to invest my evenings “repositioning” (changing cities while most folks are changing channels).

I exchanged messages with a friend/board member this morning; I texted a picture of my 2015; Draft #1. His response: “I don’t even have September organized. How sad is that?”

My life – and, its commitments – have a high degree of complexity built-in. The clubs we use as venues for TMP are great, but have rigid limitations. The city clubs have weekly/monthly standing dates for local groups that we must avoid; country clubs are generally closed on Mondays. Airline schedule changes can become a nightmare…

For most folks, their weekday life plan just says, “Go to the office.” If they have anything on the calendar months-out, it’s a special vacation that has captured their heart. The internet push made them planners: “Five days left for the special early booking discount!” got to them. Their position in the company may be eliminated by then, but their personal holiday plans are now reserved with a non-refundable deposit…

Some people just run for cover, in the shadow of James 4:  “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes…” (v 13-14). Why waste the time planning, when you can’t forecast the circumstances that are still future? Does that mean that God doesn’t want us to come up with strategies for the things we’ll be doing beyond the horizon of certainty? Why waste time planning?

He continues: “…Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” (v 15-17).

James had a pretty amazing chance to see how God operates, in practical terms: he grew up as the younger half-brother of Jesus, in Nazareth. He didn’t know until after the Resurrection how much more than an older-brother Jesus really was. Like a late reveal in a masterfully-written mystery, the Discovery of Deity made so many things make sense, to James. He watched Jesus – the Man who was God – go about life in the most purposeful – and, planned – manner imaginable.

His addition to inspired Scripture reminds us that planning is bogus unless it factors God’s control into the formula: putting plans in play without deferring to God’s sovereign right to amend, redirect or delay the entire scheme is a fool’s mission.

The footnote he adds to the paragraph is telling: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them” (v 17). In context, James is explicit: if I know that I should be doing some good things (note: “good” and “God” are joined-at-the-hip), and have no plans to do them… it’s sin.

Don’t try to reach me the next couple of days: I’m planning some good things that God can choose to override. If He doesn’t, I’m going for it. To not plan good things is a sin I can avoid…

Bob Shank

Maximum RPMs

July 21, 2014

Malaysian Airlines Flight 17: did the Russians do it?

Boko Haram: what’s happening with the girls they kidnapped in Nigeria? Lois Lerner: will anyone find a way to reconstruct her e-mails? Gaza: will the ground offensive become an all-out war, drawing outside participants? Health Insurance: will my policy cost go up 25% next year? Immigrant Children: what should we be doing with 90,000 kids this year, crossing our southern border? ISIS: who’s doing anything about the violent eradication of the Christians in Iraq? The Stock Market: what if global instability kills the Bull and deflates my 401(k)? Political Impasse: how should Beltway paralysis effect my voting this Fall? Oh, by the way: have you opened your calendar this week to see what is expected of you at work, at home… and, at church?

The intake portal on your brain is running at maximum RPM. In the old days, you could choose to watch the Nightly News – on one of three national networks – or, not. Even then, the reach of their reporting teams was pretty limited – in the analog world. Today, instant access and global alliances have made minute-by-minute refresh so constant that the Talking Head in the middle of the news screen is framed by life-time text streams across the bottom – and, along the side – forcing the viewer to multi-task the experience. Within our generation, bombardment is the baseline: breaking news is breaking us.

In the midst of Jesus’ season of public ministry – with the crowds growing and the demands increasing – he took that time of high-intensity personal engagement to send his 12 associates into their own field testing. Two-by-two, they were dispatched to try their hand at ministry and messaging – their attempt to replicate what they’d seen Jesus doing – and prove to themselves whether they could reproduce outcomes like the ones they had seen from Jesus. They’re back: “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” (Mark 6:31-32)

Everyone has a red-line on their tachometer: it’s the point at which your demand exceeds your capacity, and your wheels fall off. In the gym, the limits on heart rate cause training regimens to target 80% of maximum beats-per-minute. Short bursts above that may happen, but hammering your heart with too much action leads to a blowout. Your brain has some boundaries, as well: are you at – or, beyond – those limits, today?

News Flash: “It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy. Fish are jumpin’, and the cotton is high. Oh, your daddy’s rich, and your mamma’s good lookin’; so hush, little baby, don’t you cry. One of these mornings, you’re going to rise up singing. Then you’ll spread your wings and you’ll take to the sky. But until that morning, there’s nothing can harm you. With your daddy and mammy standing by…” (George Gershwin, from Porgy and Bess; 1933).

God calls that rest experience Sabbath, and He’s really into it. Once a week is your personal oil-change; once a year puts you in the shop for a major: tire rotations, check the belts, measure the brake wear, top off the radiator and transmission. It isn’t about earning the break, through performance: it’s about taking the break, to ensure performance. It’s not optional…

Ask Fox / CNN / MSNBC (pick your poison) to put your feed on hold for a week. Give yourself permission to shut off the intake; be the unusual career pro who takes all of your allotted vacation time this year, and do it for the benefit of your customers / bosses / employees / stakeholders: you owe it to them to take care of yourself.

I’d love to talk about that more, but I’m getting ready to go do some Sabbath with my grandson…

Bob Shank

A Returning King

July 14, 2014

“The King Has Returned!”

The sentiment was sincere, on the placard held over the head of a celebrating fan in Cleveland, to the news that LeBron James was “coming home,” to the Cavaliers. The photo ran on Section 1/page 1 of the Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition, so the neighborhood buzz received national attention…

James is leaving the Miami Heat, after four seasons. I’m writing from Miami (here to preach for a friend while he vacations with his family, in Southern California) and the people on the streets of South Florida this Summer Sunday aren’t giving any thought to basketball: sports fans here are whooping over Germany’s victory over Argentina – just now – in the World Cup finale, in Brazil.

James isn’t royalty, but his $42 million contract for his next two years of play could buy a closet full of crowns. In Washington, one house of Congress is complaining about what they view as a regal presidency; in Eastern Europe, the President of Russia is acting like a monarch as he endorses and supports actions that expand his jurisdiction toward the old borders of the USSR. In Iraq, a new face on the world scene – Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi – has declared himself Caliph over all Muslims, everywhere – in the line of Muhammad, and the leader of a new Sharia-law national entity.

America is an anomaly: a country with a durable constitution instead of a sovereign leader. Despite a plan – played out over 238 years – to limit leadership to less-than-a-decade, there’s something in many that longs for a king to follow. Solomon observes that God “has put eternity in their hearts…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11); a wisp of connection to the divine that influences human passion without being able to explain the source, or the yearning.

God always planned to be the King of His People, the Jews… but, the family line that remembered their King’s victory over Pharaoh – and his provision to them through His mystical faithfulness – came to envy the other nations who had kings. Never mind the abysmal batting average of kings – through the ages, and across all cultures – the failure rate of royalty never seems to diminish their perceived value.

I’ll confess: something in me tires of the incessant campaigning for prominence, and the recurrent headlines announcing yet another feet-of-clay revelation confirming that all human leaders seem to succumb to self-aggrandizing arrogance, making way for the next candidate to prove that fallacy is universal.

One day – soon? – the placards will be in Cleveland, and in Copenhagen; the news will be front-page in Moscow, Russia and Moscow, Idaho. “The King has Returned” will be tweeted and blogged, bull-horned and headlined; every eye will see Him, and the innermost longing of the redeemed will finally be realized.

His Kingdom. I talk about it, write about it, ponder it, dream about it: it’s where my mind goes when nothing demands my current full attention. Some conceive it as a mystical, current reality; my theology anticipates a reality that will see a glorified, flesh-and-blood King of Kings establishing His Righteous Reign, and showing what good leadership always aspired to be, but could never match.

Sorry, LeBron: I’m not satisfied with substitutes. He’s worth waiting for…

Bob Shank

A Reminder of Freedom

July 7, 2014

America is cleaning-up from Friday’s fireworks; despite the horror of the daily headlines, people around the world still long to join us in “the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave…”

Conflict continues over the price paid to bring Bowe Bergdahl home from Taliban captivity (five of their top-guys for one guy who might not have wanted to be one of us), but there is – currently – no indication that high-level talks are underway for the repatriation of Jeffrey Fowle from North Korea.

Fowle is an Ohioan – a municipal employee of Moraine, population 6,400 – who entered North Korea on April 29th in an organized tour group. During his stay, he left a Bible in his hotel room (in most American hotels, they’re already there). That was declared a hostile act against the government, and he awaits trial. If found guilty, a sentence of 15 years hard labor is possible…

Kim Il-Sung, the first president of North Korea, grew up in a Christian home. As a result of his exposure to the Christian faith, he became convinced that the facets of Christianity – meeting together, complete and total devotion to a divinity, and singing hymns – could be adapted to a state religion. Juche is the worship of the Kim family. This means that Christianity is a direct challenge to state ideology, and practicing that faith is illegal. Christians are enemies of the state of North Korea, refusing to deify the Kim dynasty. In North Korea, the religious faith is sola Kim…

The Christian faith practiced by the Reformers – whose contribution to clarity still serves us today – was captured in five powerful statements of truth; they are:

    Sola Scriptura: by Scripture alone. This primary claim recognizes the Bible as the ultimate, final authority, because it is the Word of God. No church, no government, no cultural trend, no intellectual argument is elevated above the Bible in the establishment of overarching truth.
    Sola Fide: by faith alone. Salvation cannot be earned or deserved; it is obtained on God’s terms, and His terms demand faith in His plan. It was always so, and will always be so.
    Sola Gratia: by grace alone. God is beholden to no one, and He dispenses His favor on the basis of His grace, in keeping with His character. No demand can be made of Him; He does what He wills, on His terms, by His grace.
    Sola Christo: by Christ alone. Dependence on human intermediaries – an earthly priestly class – is no longer required: Jesus Christ alone stands between earth and heaven to represent people to God the Father. The priesthood of all believers elevates them to a life that is ministry.
    Soli Deo Gloria: glory to God alone. All legitimate applause ends in heaven; the conduct of Creation is – ultimately – a commendation of the Creator. The works intended by God give honor to God, by Whom they were imagined and in Whom they are sourced.

Kim Jung-Un may have Dennis Rodman as a buddy, but Jeffrey Fowle has Friends in higher places. His best contacts are in Heaven, and they represent a Higher Power Who can orchestrate human events at will, even in countries under the control of self-deceived despots (capitals used for clarity).

Almost 2,600 years ago, Nebuchadnezzar thought his Empire – Babylon – made him the greatest. A voice came from heaven: “Your royal authority has been taken from you… until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone He wishes…” (Daniel 4:31-32).

It’s been three millennia, but that declaration is a somber reminder for any leader, whether in Pyongyang, Moscow, Havana… or, Washington. You may be powerful now, but…

Bob Shank

Exceptionalism

June 30, 2014

If you define life based on your Christian faith, your calendar declares a major time-out when Christmas and Easter come ‘round. If your life is more defined by national boundaries – and, if you’re an American – this is your week: come Friday, we’ll celebrate Independence Day, on the 4th of July…

Why does the date recognizing our nation’s founding cause such hoopla? Blame it, in part, on American Exceptionalism (AE): the belief that the United States is qualitatively different – and, better – from all other governing models.

Last week, David Brooks – writing in the New York Times – noted the ideological conflict that has been erected in advance of the temporary fireworks stands that occupy corners across America this week. He notes the civil war – fought publicly in debates, and quietly in classrooms – arguing the status of America’s model, measured against all others. Go to this page to read his column.

The traditionalists – who affirm AE – have embraced the missionary zeal with which America has attempted to plant democracy and the human rights that accompany that government model across the planet, at the great expense of life and lucre. Those folks tend to gather on “the right.”

The modernists – who reject AE – have called for the dramatic pullback from the international scene. These intellectuals are gaining ground like the ISIS rebels in Iraq: New York news voices, Hollywood entertainers, Washington politicians; denominational leaders; one by one, they’re conceding. As Brooks puts it, “Such is life in a spiritual recession. Americans have lost faith in their own gospel… Without the faith, leaders grow small; they have no sacred purpose to align themselves with. Young people get fired up by the thought of solar panels in Africa but seem much less engaged in the task of spreading political dignity and humane self-government.”

Along with AE, our country has also been known for Christian Exceptionalism (CE): that our faith is the only faith that answers the ultimate answers for life, both here and heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6). Based on this and other Bible passages, most orthodox Christians believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Without a conscious embrace of the salvation found only in/through him, mankind is forever lost.

This CE view has moderated a bit in the past century. Today, about two-thirds of self-proclaimed American Christians believe there may be other ways to heaven besides accepting Jesus as personal Lord and Savior. Following the lead of false teachers – employed as religious leaders – the erosion of missionary zeal is the natural result. The decline of CE has been in lockstep with that of AE…

Quoting David Murrow (author of the book, Why Men Hate Going to Church): “Non-Christians scoff at the idea of Christian exceptionalism. I’d guess that no doctrine makes us more noxious to non-believers than the fact that we believe we’re the only ones going to heaven. Some young Christians are having a hard time with this doctrine, since this generation is aghast at the very notion of absolute truth.”

Are we, as Americans, Exceptional? And, if so, what does that exceptional status call us to do? Even more compelling: Are we, as Christians, Exceptional? And, if so, what does that exceptional status call us to do?

That’s a question for the head and the heart. I speak to your head, every Monday, in this PoV. Allow me to introduce my dear friend Steve Amerson, to speak to your heart. Turn on your sound; put your earbuds on. American Exceptionalism? Click here for your American heart. Christian Exceptionalism? Click here for your Christian heart.

Celebrating – and, challenging – your Exceptional Calling,

Bob Shank

Embrace Disruption

June 23, 2014

“Is it a significant birthday?”

The question was asked by a younger-than-us – well-intended, but nearly clueless – restaurant hostess regarding a peer’s upcoming surprise party. I thought to myself, “young lady: at this point in life, they’re all significant!”

Every age offers its own potential for advantage. I was thinking about my own seniority last month, as I added another candle. I’ve been embedded in the Christian community for the last half century, and – in that span – have heard all the great speakers. (Cultural note: the Christian faith produces more communicators than the Vegas comedy clubs, the political arena and the downtown service clubs, by a long shot.)

I’ve heard all the great speakers and, during that same five decades, I’ve heard a few great talks. The curiosity: I’ve heard more great speakers than great talks. What’s that about?

A lifetime in really good churches – with really good teaching from the pulpits and platforms – has allowed my belief library to be pretty well stocked. Because of that, it’s rare to hear a message that explores an empty shelf – or, exposes a missing category – in my belief library.

Because of that, most of the times that I’m in the crowd experiencing a great speaker… he/she is addressing a topic I’ve already nailed down with conviction and confidence. When the talk begins to align with an “already knew that” subject, I shift from note-taking to style-watching: for the rest of the presentation, I’m feeling really good about already agreeing with the presenter, and rating the orator on form and finesse.

When asked afterward if I was there, and how it was, my answer is predictable: “It was great! You really missed it!” The follow-up question: “What did he/she say?” That’s where it gets dicey…

“They… were really spot-on, and they got a Standing-O from the crowd!” But, what did they say? I rack my brain trying to recall… and usually cannot.

What’s different about the great talks? For me, I’ve distilled a common denominator among the memorable messages that become unforgettable: they were disruptive.

The word can go either way: a disruption is a major disturbance; something that changes your plans or interrupts something that was moving along without opposition. In the marketplace, disruptive innovation notes breakthroughs that displace earlier approaches or technologies in a way that is far beyond moderate, controlled improvement, and gets positive marks.

I can count on two hands the talks that caught my attention, seized my focus, challenged my premises… and then proposed a new understanding that, if true, would represent a transformational change-point in my belief system that would demand action.

When Paul traveled the population centers of the Roman Empire, he had a limited repertoire of talks, all centered on the Lord Jesus. Most people rejected it without recourse; some embraced his conclusions and joined the movement without hesitation.

His effort in Berea exposed a great reaction: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed…” (Acts 17:11-12). A disruptive message, but they compared it with what they already believed – the Scriptures – and were open to the enhancement of their belief systems that followed… and, they believed.

When was the last time you were disrupted by something you read or heard? Are you restricting your intake to the voices that only say what you already know?

Bob Shank

Accelerate the Pace

June 16, 2014

Do you sense it? Your bod – and your brain – are probably talking to you right now. It’s in the air. Not the air, really; it’s wired into your DNA. Within the next seven days, it’s coming. Can you feel it?

If you saw the most depressing movie ever made (What About Schmidt, with Jack Nicholson convincingly playing an old man), the opening scene sets the stage for the plot. Nicholson is Schmidt, retiring from a "career" in a bland insurance office… and the last hour of his last day is spent at his desk, watching the clock on the wall tick off the seconds until the end of the day, and his release to retirement.

That’s what you’re feeling, as you count down to SUMMER! Remember, back in grade school, when the last day in class felt the same way? Couldn’t wait for the last day – the Longest Day – to end?

Next Saturday is the first day of SUMMER! Longest day of the year; it’s the Summer Solstice. In Anchorage, that means sunup at 4:20a… and sundown at 11:42p. Chicago: up at 5:16a, and down at 8:29p. In The OC – where my family lives, and I unpack-and-repack – we’ll be light at 5:42a, and lights-out at 8:05p. In every northern hemisphere city, this is as good as it gets: if you long for lots of sun, this one’s for you! Saturday the 21st is the best tanning day of the year!

The Longest Day? Say that to a movie buff, and the answer is a war epic filmed in ’62, with a cast that included names who would, only later, become famous. Eddie Albert, Paul Anka, Red Buttons, Richard Burton and Sean Connery were all included in the reenactment of D-Day, the heroic assault on the Third Reich that assured the end of the War to End All Wars. That Longest Day – June 6, 1944 – wasn’t the longest day, literally; it just seemed the longest … if you were present for the assault.

How long is a day, anyway? Are they all the same size? Can one day be longer than another? Do you feel differently at the end of a day than you did at the beginning? Are we hardwired to react to the beginning – and, the ending – of days?

When God talks about days, sometimes he’s referring to the 24-hour version, and sometimes he’s denoting time spans with pronounced beginnings, and endings. Jesus was the one who said, "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." (John 9:4). In his view, days were for getting the job done… and the end-of-the-day marked the end-of-the-work.

Peter was listening as Jesus spoke; he picked up the same theme when he wrote for us: "… do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming…" (I Peter 3:8-12b)

The word picture is powerful: we’re in the midst of a "day" when there is work to be done. "As long as it is day, we must do the work…" is Jesus’ counsel. The clock is ticking down; "…the day of the Lord will come like a thief…" is the way Peter says it. Like Schmidt, we should be aware of the clock, but instead of putting our feet on the desk and counting down, we should accelerate the pace, "…not wanting anyone to perish…"

Can you feel it? We’re running out of time on the game clock.

Night is coming…

Bob Shank

Build with care

June 9, 2014

A question, for graduates: “What’s your goal in life?”

Ask that question 10 times, and you’ll get a few serious answers, and numerous frivolous responses. Wait about a decade, and the intensity might rise. The longer one lives, the more you feel the weight of the significant. What’s your goal?

Paul’s reply: “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” (2 Corinthians 5:9) Why did his goal line go so far from the immediacy of his daily life and demands? “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (v 10) The certainty of accountability raised the importance of knowing the ultimate objective!

How in the world can a person know – in the most practical sense – what it takes to please God? Isn’t that like trying to buy a gift for a person who lives on another continent, without knowing much about them? How can people living in the limitations of a fallen world have a clue about pleasing God?

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

There’s the catalytic ingredient: if pleasing God is the goal, faith is the crucial factor that must be found in the answer! That’s a generic quality that needs definition to be sure it is the type and style that matches God’s preferences: what brand of faith does He favor?

Two things have to be in the ingredients list for the faith He’ll certify: 1) a belief that He really exists; and, 2) the certainty that He rewards the people who perform above the baseline.

Take a survey; How many people believe in God? In America, 78% say “yes,” and 15% say they’ll buy a “higher power,” without denoting God. Does that mean that eight-out-of-ten Americans meet the “belief” test? Or, is He talking about us believing what He has revealed about Himself in His Word? Does a watered-down belief in a Mr. Potato Head god – constructed from cultural portrayals that have no resemblance to His self-portrait, in the Scriptures – meet the test?

“Must believe that He exists… and that He rewards…”

It’s impossible to please God (v 6) until my beliefs get in alignment with the facts: who He is, and the promise of accountability and restitution that is portrayed in the New Testament teaching on Eternal Rewards. God puts those two primary convictions in a life that will succeed in pleasing Him.

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved – even though only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

The foundation is Jesus Christ: we must believe that He is. The construction – the life we build on that truth – is what He – Jesus Christ – will evaluate when we see Him. Our everyday decisions go back-and-forth between the temporal (wood/hay/straw) and the eternal (gold/silver/costly stones); He will filter the mundane from the marvelous, and… what?

He’ll reward each Christian – the ones with the foundation of Jesus Christ – based on the choices they made in this life. Suffer loss… or, receive a reward. Who determines the outcome? We do…

Bob Shank

Graduation Day

June 2, 2014

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16)

If you’re not comfortable with paradox (“a self-contradictory statement”), you’ll have a hard time with the Bible. So much of what God has to say runs in head-on conflict with what we have spent a lifetime confirming.

It’s enough to get some people signing-off and going about their daily routines – lived in sync with the culture’s baselines – with a plan to figure it out once they get to the “other side.” That’s one of our Bible-light references to the reality beyond death; unlike the uninformed, we – Christians, through faith in Jesus Christ – know with certainty that we’ll be with God the Trinity forevermore.

Here’s an interesting field-test: find a friend who is most-definitely headed to Eternity with the Lord Jesus, and ask them this question: where will you be – 1000 years from now – and, what will your daily routine be?

Don’t ask them until you’ve asked yourself; use a yellow pad (or, Dragon dictation on your smart phone) to capture your answers. What does Eternity mean – in tangible, practical terms – for you?

I’ve been taking that survey myself the last few weeks, and let me tell you what I’ve discovered: most Christians are more informed about their vacation destination – the place they’ll spend two weeks this summer – than they are about their ultimate destination!

I spend my life with Christian capitalists, who are citizens of God’s Kingdom through the portal clarified in Paul’s Ephesian letter: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

My wild discovery: Christian Capitalists who describe a destination reigned by a God who is a Cosmic Communist!

How so? They paint the picture of an eternal environment where all of God’s children – the Kingdom’s citizens – anticipate God’s “fairness” as an endless party where we’ll all sing all the hymns and choruses ever written… and then do time-outs in matching suites where the goody-bags have the same number of M&Ms in the snack pack and the same channels on the in-house cable. Where did we get that confused – and, inaccurate – picture?

Paul didn’t have that confusion: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

In Paul’s portrayal, we’re all runners, but we don’t all win. There are no lost people in the race Paul describes; you don’t “win heaven” through performance. It’s a gift received by faith, from Jesus.

But, Paul understood Eternity to be a place populated by saved people whose lives created the competitive environment in which winning and losing were the only two ultimate possibilities.

This month, graduations will distribute diplomas to the majority… while awarding honors to the few who approached their schooling with seriousness. There is a graduation in your future with the same kind of segregation planned; are you getting ready for that event?

During June, that’s going to be my Point of View focus: what should we be doing to assure that we’re closer to first than to last, at the Judgment Seat of Christ? Stay tuned…

Bob Shank

Memorial Day

May 27, 2014

“A day to honor our ancestors.”

There’s a church a mile away from my home that has a monument sign out-front that challenges my spiritual maturity, constantly. The message changes every week; each time I go by, I’m reminded that the designation “church” is very fluid and flexible.

The pastor is very politically active; his interests – and, hence, the positions elevated by his congregation – reside in a part of the spectrum of beliefs where I’m least likely to utter “amen.”

Their staunch peace posture disavows any affirmation of military action; apparently, figuring out what to do with “Memorial Day” is no small quandary. Their solution: honor ancestors, not fallen soldiers.

The national holiday traces back to the days following the War Between the States, and the establishment of a day honoring those who fell in battle, by understanding citizens in Waterloo, New York. From then to now, the date of observance has shifted a bit – from May 30th to the last Monday of May – but the clarity of the commemoration has not: it’s about the men and women whose service to our country resulted in the sacrifice of their life, in the ultimate demonstration of patriotic service.

Some of my ancestors may warrant remembrance; many probably do not. All of the Americans who died in defense of our country deserve my honor, and that’s worthy of a day for all of us – taken  away from our otherwise pursuits – to be reminded of things larger than daily life.

That was the mindset of the writer of the book of Hebrews when he came to Chapter 11: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for…” (vs 1). In the view of the writer – giving human agency to the Holy Spirit’s insight – the lives of some who have come before us warrant special reconsideration.

The remainder of the chapter is devoted to retelling stories of men and women who lived on the frontlines of the War of Faith, fought against those who live in a world that is all about here, and all about now.

What does it take to be on God’s shortlist of heroism? He – the Holy Spirit – does not leave that question unanswered: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (vs 6).

Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel all qualify for honorable mention, based on their commitment to obey the orders given to them by the Commander in Chief. Faithfulness – in the face of conflict and hardship – never went unnoticed, though it would have been easy for any/all of them to believe that they had been forgotten by headquarters and left to fend for themselves.

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” (vs 13). There are warriors who march into their home in a parade, greeted by cheers and declaring victory; the fighters God highlights are the ones who left without any confirmation – humanly – that their outcomes qualified for medals and honor.

As an American, I want to give applause to the men and women whose service to my country was performed with selfless commitment, whether they are now dead or alive. Memorial Day is wholesome and appropriate.

God has His own Memorial Day; read Hebrews 11 to understand the Divine Proclamation. May we be among those He honors, on that day…

Bob Shank

Come join me at the Summit

May 27, 2014

Perhaps I’ve worn out my welcome.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve sent you a number of invitations to join me at the Issachar Summit on June 4th – next Wednesday – in Costa Mesa.

There are lots of amazing Christian events that you could attend; I know you are inundated with opportunities. This one is different, and I believe it’s an experience that will expand your Kingdom worldview like no other single day could.

Leaders from the frontlines of the Great Commission – from around the world – will be there as presenters; many will travel thousands of miles – at their own expense – to participate. Men and women whose stories are incredibly powerful, and will motivate new thoughts, visions and strategies for your life and leadership in the days ahead.

I’ll be hosting/emceeing the event. If I could, I’d come pick you up myself to ensure that you make it to the Summit. That’s not possible… so I’m putting one last appeal in front of you for next Wednesday: come join me at the Summit! Even better, bring someone with you. Lots of couples; some small groups; connections from church will come in as friends to this unique one-day strategic briefing on what God is up to – right now – around the world.

Click here to go to the Issachar Summit website and register for the day. I’ll make you the promise: it will be the best use of that day in your life that you could possibly imagine. An assessment I’m prepared to support; tell me at the end of the day if I oversold it!

I’ll see you next Wednesday at The Crossing! You belong there!

Mentor in Chief,

Bob Shank

Closed-Minded Campuses

May 19, 2014
 
I’m getting my affairs in order; this may be my last Point of View.

Condoleezza Rice had to cancel her flight to New Jersey when the outcry by the students at Rutgers made her commitment to speak at their commencement a bad idea. Christine Lagarde was coming to Smith College in Massachusetts for their graduation event yesterday, but 500 student signatures on a petition protesting policies of the International Monetary Fund caused her plans to change; she was replaced at the dais by Ruth Simmons, a former president of the school: a safe bet.

There is a creeping landslide underway in America, “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave” (from the words of a very out-of-date song, called “The Star Spangled Banner”). Our national community has been swallowed-up by the mud called “political correctness,” and no one seems to know how to stop the mucky flow. Will there be any survivors?

David and Jason Benham are twin brothers from North Carolina who have been uninvited, as well. Both graduates of Liberty University (an affiliation that puts any graduate on a watch list), they are real estate entrepreneurs whose success through the Great Recession has captured attention. They were under contract with HGTV (“Home and Garden Television”) for a reality program called “Flip it Forward,” set to air in the Fall. The program would give under-advantaged families their dream home by transforming fixer-uppers, but the show was ditched when Right Wing Watch informed HGTV that the brothers’ “extreme right-wing views” had no place in the public square. Because they had been heard to express their Christian convictions against homosexuality, they were now persona non grata on HGTV.

I’ve met the Benham brothers; they’re great young guys, and my beliefs sing harmony to theirs. What they applaud, I applaud. What grieves them about our country grieves me, as well. I’d be proud of being compared to them and their biblical worldview.

Allan Bloom died 22 years ago, but he wrote about 2014 way back in 1987, with his haunting bestseller, The Closing of the American Mind. The seismic shift was already underway then – nearly three decades ago – when he exposed the paradox of the American elite university culture as a death-to-meaningful-discourse environment. No views save the liberal left were welcomed, even then. What Bloom forecast has now become our national reality.

Case now closed: all opposition is now silenced. Views contrary to the mainstream media/top-tier academic/progressive politico ideologies are heretical and disallowed. People holding a traditional Christian worldview – founded on the Bible – are subversive radicals who are too toxic to take seriously.

I’m expecting a social media campaign against the Point of View any day now. Every time I open my mouth – or, put my digits on my keyboard – I’m likely to be expressing a view that will mobilize an outcry by someone whose personal boundaries are being challenged. Good thing I don’t maintain a Facebook presence; I would have been challenged years ago…

If you don’t hear from me next Monday, thanks for the memories. What the terrorists (can’t call them Islamic) haven’t yet accomplished – shutting down America’s foundational freedoms – is now the agenda of the powerful and privileged who are kidnapping a culture built on Judeo-Christian truth and holding it hostage in the jungle of godless closed-mindedness.

Hey, David and Jason: how about we put in a bid to buy back America and see if we can get some folks together to do a large-scale remodel before it’s condemned as a tear-down? We’d better hurry; the wrecking ball is on the freeway, heading this way. “At that time there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing,” (Judges 21:25).

Bob Shank

Climate Change

May 12, 2014

There are certain words/phrases/concepts best left to news pundits and political candidates. Polite conversation among friends disallows controversy and conflict; some things are just better left on the air, rather than in the air.

Climate Change is one of society’s new four-letter words: drop the CC bomb in the wrong circles, and you may have your mouth washed out with eco-friendly soap. Raising the CC flag puts people into camps, immediately. Two lines in the sand: 1) is CC real, or contrived? and, 2) if it is real, who is responsible?

The history of Earth – and, the cycles of climate – has a longer horizon than the life of political movements. Turn the clock back almost three millennia, and there was a localized incident of Climate Change that was real – not imagined – that was triggered by something other than carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.

There were conflicts at the top of the power structure that, ultimately, trickled down to the local level. It had been about 60 years since the Promised Land had been fractured into two kingdoms: Israel, with 10 tribes in the north, and Judah, with two tribes in the south. In Israel, the seventh king – Omri – had ruled miserably for 12 years; his death brought his son, Ahab, to power. Ahab took a foreign wife – Jezebel, daughter of the king of Tyre – who brought idols as her dowry. For 22 years, this couple would rule Israel… and draw the wrath of the God of Israel, whom they had displaced with the idol gods Baal and Asherah.

The account in 1 Kings is easier to read than to experience: each administration brought Israel to new lows. Omri was worse than all who preceded him… and, then, his son Ahab achieved a new low, from God’s perspective.

Things had reached a boiling point when God sent Elijah – a virtual unknown – to deliver this stark message to Ahab: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” (1 Kings 17:1) What followed was three years of absolute drought; which, in a nation whose economy was based on agriculture, meant severe depression and marketplace chaos.

During the drought, Elijah was out-of-country, while Ahab tried to keep the upper hand. His message was clear: Elijah was the cause of the country’s calamity. After three years, a summit was convened: “Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, ‘Is that you, you troubler of Israel?’ ‘I have not made trouble for Israel,’ Elijah replied. ‘But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals…’” (1 Kings 18:16-18)

Their climate had changed; their national security and serenity were in crisis without fresh water. Any study of cause/effect – commissioned by the king and queen – delivered a faulty conclusion: it was the result of the confrontation between the traditional positions held by Elijah and his ilk and the more enlightened, tolerant embrace of foreign influences brought into a nation that had been established on a common faith in the One True God.

It’s worth reading the rest of 1 Kings 18. The public contest was arranged between the popular, sanctioned majority – represented by the 850 priests of Baal and Asherah, supported by the palace – and the dedicated minority – Elijah was the face of the conservative position, but there were 100 prophets of Jehovah who had been hidden and protected by a palace double-agent named Obadiah (see 1 Kings 18:2-4). They were dying without water, but the contest to prove power would call down fire from heaven, to consume a meat offering on a stone altar. The winner: it’s Jehovah God, in a rout.

It’s really dry, out here in California. The severe weather map seems to be spread over America like a tablecloth on a picnic table. Modern power players are stringing up conservative voices on virtual gallows: commencement speakers, cable reality figures, aspiring political candidates all find themselves disavowed in the name of political correctness if they embrace some zany values based on the Bible.

I wonder: does God still communicate through the weather? In America in centuries past, drought brought people to church, to pray for God’s blessing from the skies. Are we counting on cap-and-trade instead of fast-and-pray to get us out of this mess?

Bob Shank

The Last of the Lost

May 5, 2014

It had been almost 30 years since Samuel found David – youngest of Jesse’s sons – in a sheep pasture, doing the family grunt work – and tapped him as God’s choice for King of Israel. David was not yet a teenager, but his destiny was already set.

What followed was not a William and Harry jetsetter lifestyle; instead, he rose to fame (the rookie who took down Goliath), and then became a political fugitive (Saul’s Wanted: Dead-or-Alive declaration). From ages 12 to 42, David’s survivor competence served him well; God orchestrated history in real-time to bring David to the threshold of his long-awaited placement on Israel’s throne.

The final stages of establishing the promised kingdom were on the to-do list, and the fighting men of Israel’s 12 tribes were the human resource required to realize the divine directive. Each of the tribes had their own territory where their families lived, their communities functioned and their professions were pursued. But – in 1 Chronicles 12 – they set their daily life assignments aside to come together for their combined purpose. Each tribe sent their militia to become Israel’s army – together – to ensure the successful establishment of David’s kingdom, and to usher in the new order.

Though not the biggest contingent, the contribution of one tribe stood out: “ …from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command…” (1 Chronicles 12:32). For the other 11 tribes, their asset was their strength; for Issachar, their value was their strategy: “they understood… and knew what Israel should do.”

The Messiah would come and be the forever King, in the line of David. David’s earthly journey reflected into the future, giving a sense of the spiritual journey that would mark the reign of King Jesus.

The final stages of the strategy to recapture Jerusalem and establish the kingdom required the combined forces of the 12 tribes – to demonstrate the unifying power of their shared King and to put the human oomph into the divine plan. Each tribal group sent their best contribution to the effort: Issachar sent the strategic leaders who would help David focus the horsepower of the rest to accomplish the task.

In terms of the Great Commission, we’ve reached 1 Chronicles 12 in the New Testament timeline. The last push to seat King Jesus on His throne is underway. The mission He launched 2000 years ago is almost completed. Israel was about land and territory; Jesus’ Kingdom is about tribes and people. He sent the Special Forces (the original apostles) into “all the world,” and the last corners of the people groups He died to save are now in reach.

The troops are mobilizing – in support of the King – for the final push. On a global front, things are happening that the people at home in the villages don’t know: they’re busy about their own affairs, and not current about what’s happening on the front lines. Some folks will make history; most will just hear about it, after the fact.

Enough metaphor; here’s the scoop. We’re in the final stages of the Great Commission, and our generation’s opportunity to finish the task assigned by Jesus is very real. That’s not gratuitous overstatement; it’s the reconnaissance coming in from the front lines of the Mission. There is a great offensive underway – globally – to use the resources available in our generation to introduce the last of the lost to the Savior.

On Wednesday, June 4th, the Issachar Summit will assemble some of today’s most amazing leaders – from the global front lines, and from the American marketplace – to set aside our daily demands and to consider what God could use us to do, together, to change the world and build God’s Kingdom. Click here to learn more, and to secure a seat around that table. You’re busy; this opportunity trumps any conflict that stands in your way. Join me – and dozens of Kingdom leaders – on June 4!

Bob Shank

Make the Most of Your Partnerships

April 28, 2014

What’s the greatest challenge facing every human being? I cite loneliness as the universal deficiency, embedded in the DNA of all. You don’t have to be alone to be lonely; many live in dense population… with no connection to anyone.

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” (Genesis 2:18) If you’re a Bible student, you recognize that out-take from the creation account; it’s the preface to God’s most magnificent creation moment: Eve. Now, neither would be alone.

Don’t miss the underlying principle, though: no person does as well alone as he/she could do if partnered with someone different than they are. It was true in Eden, and it remains true, today.

If together is best, it makes sense that mankind’s fall from grace predisposed us to isolation. The self-protection that is “natural” is anything but optimal. When Solomon the Wise spoke of the matter, he left no confusion: “Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless – a miserable business! Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:7-12). Lone ducks end up on a platter; partners increase their odds of success, while enhancing the experience along the way.

Before today is over, you need to order a copy of The Power of 2: How to make the most of your partnerships at work and in life, by Rodd Wagner and Gale Muller (Gallup Press, 2009). Wisdom is, indeed, timeless. Without quoting Solomon, Wagner and Muller reach the same conclusion: “Equally troublesome is the concentration of power in the hands of a lone leader whose human foibles cannot help but be magnified under the pressure of having to be too many things to too many people. America’s most serious corporate governance problem is the Imperial CEO…”

After more than 40 years of organizational life – with over 30 of those spent in senior leadership – I know that I’ve always done my best work alongside a partner. My father-in-law’s business was already successful when he invited me in; when he empowered me as a partner, the results grew exponentially. My best years as a senior pastor were alongside my colleague Jim Hogan. The Master’s Program was a one-man band until Steve Esser sold his business and brought his talents alongside mine. What Cheri and I have learned in 43 years of marital partnership has been mirrored in my four decades of enterprise life: I wasn’t made to be single. It’s still not good for a man to be alone…

Not convinced yet? Listen to the concise summary of Wagner and Muller’s case: “If you want to have great partnerships, be a great partner. Get beyond yourself. Give up the notion that you are well-rounded, and stop expecting your colleagues to be universally proficient. Incorporate someone else’s motivations into your view of the accomplishment. Loosen up. Put aside your competitive nature, your prepackaged view of how the thing should be done, and your desire not to be inconvenienced with the imperfections of a fellow human being. Focus more on what you do for the partnership than what you get from it. Demonstrate trust in more people, and see if they don’t surprise you with their trustworthiness. Be slower to anger and quicker to forgive. And, along the way, communicate continuously.”

God never leaves people alone; Jesus came to make together possible…

Bob Shank

What now?

April 21, 2014

What now?

Human experience gets us every time. Take any category of life: define an emotional high; a zenith achievement that warrants group photos that go straight to Instagram; an extraordinary culmination of efforts that resulted in more than anyone could have ever imagined. Once life’s unbelievable! becomes a confirmed memory… how can you top that? What now?

Welcome to après Easter.

The cohort – Jesus called them “apostles,” from their first day together – were now on the field, without a playbook. They had cast Jesus in their plan of history in the role of “political messiah:” the mission – his mission – was to be all about Israel’s renewed independence, in their version of the story. To accomplish that meant some kind of political/military victory over Rome. Let Jesus work out those details: they were ready to support his rise to power… and their part in the aftermath.

The last week had been a rollercoaster of emotions. Exultation at the Eastern Gate, when the crowds got on-board and acclaimed Jesus as the emerging leader – the “King of the Jews” – and the Passover pilgrims were a perfect audience for dramatic events. Things were coming together…

In the span of five days, things went from amazing to agonizing. The King on the donkey became the guilt-free criminal on the cross. “I find no fault…” and “crucify him!” came together at Calvary. The Apostles’ plan for the rest of their lives died with Jesus…

But, the game went into overtime; the story didn’t end at the tomb. Together, in hiding, on Sunday morning… their surprise surpassed yours on the first Easter: no one – no one – was ready for what happened next. He had been telling them for months: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Matthew 16:21) He was speaking… but no one was listening.

In hiding on Sunday – fearing for their own safety, in the aftermath of the execution – they hear the reports from the women, from the graveyard… and then watch as Jesus walks through a locked door, to declare himself alive, forever more. In the next days, additional appearances expand the experience to over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). It’s now, indisputable: Jesus really did rise-from-the-dead… but he’s going to his throne in heaven, not reestablishing the throne in Israel (yet). He’s leaving…

What now? Three years of incredible experience, culminating in the never-again events of Passover Week; how do you go back to “life-as-we-once-knew-it?”

That’s the run-up to John 21. Seven of the remaining 11 (Judas resigned) are back in Galilee, fishing. Not, “Hey, it’s opening day: let’s go fishing!” This isn’t a recreational break; instead, they’re out to jump-start their retired careers. If the messiah mission is over, it’s get-back-to-business time.

In the span of just a few days, their GPS coordinates will be reset for the rest of life. That day – at the Sea of Galilee – it was personal, for Peter: “Do you love me more than these fish? Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-19). Days later – on a hilltop in Galilee, to all 11 of them: “…go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20) And, just days later – as he was leaving Earth, for Heaven: “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).

What now? We’ve been living the after-Easter, what-now, for 2000 years. How’s that going? An incredible chance to get an update on the Mission is happening on June 4th, in Costa Mesa, California. The Issachar Summit is a day for people who have seen Jesus alive… and are at-risk of going back-to-work, and missing the personal implications of What now? Click here to learn more.

On June 4th, 2014, 18 “modern-day apostles” (“sent ones”) will be delivering powerful reports on what’s happening on the front lines, where missions leaders, marketplace leaders and funding leaders are joining forces to finish the task. It’s the natural extension of Easter… 1986 years later. What now?

Imagine being invited to the Mount of Olives, for the Ascension… and responding with, “Gee, I wish I could be there… but I’m supposed to be in a meeting about jump-starting a fishing business…”

Bob Shank

Seven Days

April 14, 2014

What a week…

Fortunes can turn on a dime; the half-life of popularity can be extraordinarily brief. An individual’s affection can shift directions in a heartbeat; a mob can be redirected in a nanosecond. Have you ever felt the whiplash of commitment, offered… and, then, withdrawn?

This is a week handcuffed to history. In the space of seven days, our attention will be drawn back into contact with events and perspectives that are not stuck in the past: they remain powerful in our present.

Palm Sunday. Tax Day. Maundy Thursday. Good Friday. Easter. Each of these are worthy of preparation and experience, with some time afterward, to recover and reflect. No such luck; they’re coming back-to-back this week, leading up to the Great Conclusion.

Palm Sunday: yesterday was all about the Triumphal Entry. The Jews – held under foreign domination, for generations – were tired of waiting for the Messiah, promised to them by God. They read the Scriptures through the filter of their pain; they were looking for a political savior, and Jesus met their demands. When He rode into Jerusalem, they were ready to back his campaign for power…

Tax Day: for us, it’s April 15th, but the trauma of the tax bite is unrelenting. “Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar…?” is a constant enigma. Would God declare a tax holiday? “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s…” (Matthew 20:15-22). The question still echoes…

Maundy Thursday: “Maundy” refers to the foot-washing that began the Seder Dinner, shared by Jesus and the 12 in the Upper Room. This was an intimate, invitation-only commemoration of God’s rescue of His people – the Jews – from Egypt’s bondage. Jesus was the only one in the room who understood that it would also be the genesis of a new commemoration – what Christians know as “communion” – of God’s rescue of His people – the church – from the bondage of sin and death.

Good Friday: confusion and conflict surround the celebration. First, was Jesus crucified on Thursday – allowing three full days in the tomb? – or was it on Friday? And, why call it “Good” – a unique designation which only occurs in English – when it marks the death of the Son of God? Those are distractions to the main point: the day that changed the eternal fate of mankind isn’t even a legal holiday.

Early in the day, Pontius Pilate offered the crowd a choice; he was preparing to show mercy on one prisoner of Rome, and the mob could choose between Barabbas – an insurrectionist, under arrest for crimes against Rome – and Jesus, their fleeting fulfillment of their dreams of political rescue. Their vote said it all: give us Barabbas. The Lamb of God – the mystery that eluded the messiah-watchers of Jesus’ time – did His work without human acclamation. The Anointed One (Messiah) would take away the sin that forever separated God from His creation. Nearly 2000 years ago, that day ended with earthquakes and deep distress: the Man in whom so many placed their high expectations was buried in a borrowed tomb, along with their dreams…

Easter: the prior week began with great anticipation, and ended with desperation. But Sunday morning marked a new week, and ushered-in a new era that made God’s plan come to life in unforeseen ways. The brutalized body of the One executed for no apparent crime was now missing…

But, that’s a subject for another week! Next Monday, allow me to give you some reflection about that event!

By the way: this is a special week! Watch for a special Point of View on Wednesday, and another on Friday. What a week; we’ve got some great things to talk about, together!

Bob Shank

Lewis and Clark

April 7, 2014

Pages of history are written every day… but the chapters are devoted to the deals.

A major chapter of history was opened 211 years ago, by America’s third President, Thomas Jefferson. He had already made his contributions to history as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence; he served in the Continental Congress, as the wartime Governor of Virginia, and the first Secretary of State, during Washington’s presidency. In the race to replace Washington, John Adams edged Jefferson at the polls… and Jefferson became Vice President. He won the next election.

Those were all pages in a chapter, but Jefferson transitioned the tale with a real estate deal that remains a defining event: the Louisiana Purchase.

Lots of international intrigue surrounded the decision, but the bottom line was a game-changer: France’ long-distance claim to 828,000 square miles of North America was dismissed when Jackson paid them $15 million (4¢/acre) for the whole shebang, sight unseen. Escrow closed on April 30, 1803.

A year later, Jefferson sent two Army officers – Meriwether Lewis and William Clark – to lead an expedition to survey the vast western frontier – including the Louisiana Purchase, and more. They left St. Louis in May of 1804; two years, four months and 10 days later, they were back in St. Louis, ready to report their amazing findings. Thirty-three people left on the adventure; only one died during the journey. Dozens more had support roles along the way; their exploits remain a fascination of history, today. Their chapter: the “Louisiana Purchase” is a treasured part of the American story…

About 1984 years ago, the King of Kings closed escrow on humanity, buying the souls of lost people back from eternal judgment. He sent an expedition of 12 men to go out to the frontier to effectuate the transaction; we look back on that new chapter in history with fascination. The chapter title is, “Great Commission;” it’s still being written today…

Lewis and Clark were adventurers with a purpose; we can only imagine their experiences, in a world that has been mostly explored and mapped.

The Great Commission’s adventures are still underway: the first 12 made great progress in advancing the frontiers of faith, but there are still thousands of people groups – and, millions of people – who are as unreached today as they were when Jesus left for Heaven. Men and women who have the same courage and determination that marked Lewis and Clark are carrying the flag of the Kingdom of God to distant places, and facing obstacles no less daunting than the ones Lewis and Clark encountered.

If you had the chance to spend a day with Lewis and Clark, would you do it? If you had the chance to spend a day with the Lewis-and-Clarks of the Kingdom, would you be interested?

On June 4th, you have that opportunity. Men and women who are part of the Expedition will be with us in Orange County at the Issachar Summit, sharing stories from the front-lines… and challenging you with some opportunities for excitement that could be – for you – life impacting.

Two years ago, we staged the first Issachar Summit in the same venue; since then, hundreds of men and women have attended the Summit in Houston, Kansas City, Charlotte and Atlanta. We’ve refined and recharged this one-day encounter; the last stop – in Atlanta – had leaders from dozens of states in attendance, and their reflections on the day were extraordinary.

You need to click here to visit the website for the Issachar Summit; take a look at the line-up, and take a look at your calendar: presenters are coming – at their own expense – from the Kingdom’s frontiers, around the world. Could you get to Orange County to meet them? Can you spare a day?

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Jesus, in Matthew 24:14)

Thomas Jefferson closed the Deal of the Century. Jesus closed the Deal of Eternity. How involved should you be in the Great Commission chapter of history?

Bob Shank

A Tweet to Live By

March 31, 2014

What do you have to say for yourself… in 140 characters or less?

The Bible remains the most successful publishing venture in the last 2000 years. They’re everywhere; as long as there are hotel nightstands, a market exists for new copies. Every president needs one, for the first day of their term (many never consult it, again). Brides and babies often warrant a new one; in America, they can be ubiquitous.

But… they don’t get read much.

Lots of people have one – or, more – but haven’t checked inside to make sure they have all of the pages they paid for. Written uniquely, it claims Divine Inspiration: that God supernaturally (that’s no big deal for Him; He works in that space, all the time) communicated His truth and wisdom through mortal authors whose personality gave the results their own personal flavor, without messing it up.

If you had one shot at giving mankind all it (we) would need, to get from a lousy beginning to a heavenly ending… how much space would you need? Word count for the King James version runs just under 800,000; most folks find that daunting.

What if God had waited… and decided – instead – just to tweet His truth in bite-sized nuggets?

David Javerbaum is a comedy writer and lyricist who graduated from Harvard – where he was a contributor to the Harvard Lampoon – and now lives in New York, where he leaves his mark around town with books, plays and television scripts. He wrote a risky book, The Last Testament: a Memoir of God, about which the Washington Post said it was as “…if the Bible were narrated by Mel Brooks on crack-laced manna…” To promote his book (not God’s), Javerbaum launched @TheTweetOfGod. Some of his jabs:

  – Why does the universe keep expanding? Because I run a successful operation.
  – If hell existed it would be filled mainly with people who spent their lives telling others they were going there.
  – The trick to successful prayer is to ask for something that was going to happen anyway.
  – Seriously, what is wrong with you people?
  – When you type "omg" you simultaneously blaspheme, abbreviate and lower-case My name. But hey, no worries.
  – Many religions worship Me but only one does so correctly. The others are in procedural error, and thus all of their members will go to hell.
  – North Korea shows that you don't need religion to be crazy.

Thank God that God doesn’t live in New York and write for Stephen Colbert. He’s left that to Javerbaum; He’s no competition.

What if God did open a twitter account, in an effort to communicate with a faux ADD (attention deficit disorder, if you need me to spell it out) generation of time-frenzied techies? What would He say?

To quote Ken Cochrum, who leads the digital platform strategies team for Campus Crusade for Christ, world-wide, "If Jesus had a Twitter account, His message:

    "Love God. Love people. Follow Me. Make Disciples. Coming soon."

There you have it: 66 books, captured in 62 characters. Truth of the Ages, with tweet space to spare. Read the whole book and miss those 10 words: you miss heaven. Live that short blast, and you get where you always wanted to go. Get it?

Bob Shank

Crisis

March 24, 2014

The fact that there’s no crisis may be the bigger crisis.

Erik Erikson was a psychoanalyst with a unique pedigree. Born in Frankfort in 1902, his single mother was Jewish, married a physician and kept his birth circumstances from him until he was an adolescent. With blonde hair and blue eyes, kids at his temple school teased him for being Nordic; the grammar school crowd shunned him for his Jewish heritage. His training was in psychoanalysis, a field founded by Sigmund Freud that probed the influence of the unconscious mind on human behavior.

Erikson first proposed the concept of the Identity Crisis: a time of intensive analysis and exploration of different ways of looking at oneself. Unsure of your role in life? Don’t feel like you know the “real you?” Lack a sense of underlying purpose upon which you set your direction in life? Identity Crisis may well be the diagnosis…

Erikson observed that IC is predictably typical for young people transitioning from youth to adulthood. Direction that was generic, imposed from power figures in family or community is disappearing, to be replaced by self-directed pursuits that begin to accumulate the markers from which one’s identity emerges. Start with identity, and there is no crisis. Search for identity… and ensure it.

The cultures of North America have their differences, but they have this in common: one’s primary identity found – increasingly – in career. The movement away from family systems – protracted singleness, transient marriage relationships, children born in, out of and beyond wedlock – has occurred alongside the embrace of women finding long-term, self-defining career pursuits filling the time and energy capacities once filled by family demands. “Who are you?” is a question most easily answered, for most people, by their most recent – or, most impressive, former – business card. Their title grants them status; their blueprint for life came with their current employment agreement.

And, along comes Jesus. He did it, 2000 years ago… and He’s still doing it, today. Someone living in the culture makes the acquaintance of the Creator, Himself… and that new relationship turns over the identity applecart, sending assumptions flying.

A fisherman signs on to become a Fisher of Men. A tax collector becomes a contributor to history’s Best Seller. A physician becomes a historian. A tentmaker becomes the champion of a movement launched from a closed people group that becomes internationally expansive, through his personal efforts. Examples of a continuing phenomenon: “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view… If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

America, c. 2014: the vast majority of Christians see themselves from a worldly point of view. Find a woman who does not work outside her home, with her family as her primary focus… and she’s likely to be uncomfortable describing her meaningful life to a college friend who has remained single, but rocketed up the corporate hierarchy in her years since school. Find the man whose career achievements were forgotten when his company suffered a dramatic, negative reset in the Great Recession. Find the summa cum laude grad, Class of 2010… underemployed, but imprisoned by student debt. Identity has become murky, or maudlin; it’s the subject to avoid, rather than to applaud.

If you’re in the family of God through the relationship you have with Jesus Christ, here’s the new creation reality: your identity is now defined by your Calling. It’s an eternal brand, given to you by the God who made you for something uniquely yours. If you know your Calling, you’ll never have Identity Crisis; if it remains a mystery, it may explain your pain. If you don’t know your Calling, and you have no Identity Crisis… the fact that there’s no crisis may be the bigger crisis.

Bob Shank

Waiting for News

March 17, 2014

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

That’s easy advice to give… but much harder to receive. It’s usually good counsel, given the fact that we often lose sight of the forest because of our preoccupation with those trivial trees. But there are times…

This morning, the headlines are eclectic. Over seven billion people on the planet, and we don’t know where to focus our attention: should we be more concerned with the 43 million people in Ukraine who are watching thousands of Russian troops accumulating on their common border? Or, should we be fixated on the two million in Crimea – about 60% of whom are of Russian ethnic descent – and the legitimacy of yesterday’s “election” regarding their national affiliation? Stop the presses: there are 239 people – holding passports from multiple countries – who boarded a Malaysian Airways 777 a week ago… and haven’t been heard from, since.

No business would ever imagine efficiencies that would drop its inventory shrinkage to the level that represents. What’s a loss of 239 from a total population of 7.8 billion matter, anyway? With billions in poverty, hundreds of millions in hunger, over a million children aborted every year in America, and myriad other critical issues spreading across the planet… why call a time-out and obsess over 239 people?

Twenty-five countries are involved in the search for Flight 370. Based on the speed of the plane and the pounds of fuel on board, the search grid is massive. Land and water are both being scoured for wreckage and deception; every stone is being turned in the hunt. The world is waiting for news…

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ Then Jesus told them this parable:  ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.”   I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.’” (Luke 15:1-7)

The debate over population control stops when 239 people go missing: theoretical conversations have no place when real people disappear. Only three are reported to be Americans, but we’re as riveted to the coverage as the people in Kuala Lumpur, where the flight originated. Why would so few people warrant the preoccupation of the world’s attention?

Jesus made the contrast stark: the existence of the many does not negate the fate of the few. One sheep out of 100 was enough to get the owner’s attention; every life has value, and the cost of searching and securing every life pales in comparison to its underlying worth.

I’m at risk – every day – of forgetting the example of the Creator, when I walk by His creation without considering their condition. In the eyes of the loving God, the person whose life is spiraling out of control absent the rescue provided by the Good News of the Lord Jesus should be in my search grid. The distractions of life keep me from recognizing the immediate importance of the rescue mission launched by Heaven 2000 years ago, and my part in the continuing effort to rescue the souls who are still outside the security of the Savior.

A lost airplane. A lost sheep. A lost race. All of them warrant the attention of those who care. They aren’t the “small stuff;” they all matter greatly…

Bob Shank

For the Sake of the Father

“Would you do me a favor?”

The question was not unusual; we all hear it – and, request it – numerous times, every day. Favors – “acts of kindness beyond what is due or usual” – are the lubrication that keeps the machinery of life running smoothly.

We are acquaintances; not friends. Why would he contact me? Simple: we had a relationship connection: his father was a friend, and a trusted mentor. I’ve used his dad as an endorser for me; his stature and opinion raised my value in the eyes of people who regarded his father highly. His father is already in heaven, but his imprint on the Kingdom remains widespread.

I thought – immediately – of Mephibosheth. Does his name ring any bells, for you?

Turn the clock back 3000 years. Saul was king in Israel, and his approval rating – in heaven – was on its way down. God sends prophet Samuel to recruit Saul’s replacement; he found him in a sheep pasture, outside Bethlehem. David is the runt in his father’s litter, not yet old enough to drink… and God’s choice for king. He’ll be introduced to Israel – and, to Saul – through an encounter with Goliath…

Lots of storyline follows – and, years pass – before David ends up on the throne. Along the way, Saul’s oldest son – and, his presumed successor – becomes David’s best friend and protector. Jonathan is 10-12 years older than David, but the age difference doesn’t disable the example of unlikely loyalty modeled between them.

Long before the term was in use, “mentor” could have applied to the nature of Jonathan’s impact on David’s life. His investment in helping to pave the way for David into his God-ordained future is Jonathan’s legacy in history. Though any human observer would have anticipated King Jonathan, God’s alternative plan was enough to earn Jonathan’s support and engagement in David’s rise to power.

Saul and Jonathan – the Crown Prince, from the street view – both died in battle, on the same day. David’s ascension to the throne followed. Normal palace politics following the change of administrations would have been anticipated. One of the typical protocols, in that era: find all of the progeny from the former royal line… and eliminate them from the scene, to assure no future coups or overthrows, orchestrated by opponents who wanted to go back to the “old days.”

No one was surprised when King David asked the question, but his reason was highly unusual: “‘Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” (2 Samuel 9:1). He wasn’t looking to clear the decks and eliminate a threat; instead, he had a score to settle, and he needed a living descendent to make things right.

They found the sole survivor: he was Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan. The day his father and grandfather died in battle, chaos was underway back at the king’s compound. The nurse tasked with caring for the next in the royal line dropped the five-year-old, and Mephibosheth (we’ll just call him “Meph”) was crippled, for life. His disability removed him from the threat column; he was in hiding by the time David’s administration was established and his power consolidated. “Find me somebody!”

Meph was living beyond David’s reach, but they found him and brought him to the palace. “David said, ‘Mephibosheth!’ ‘At your service,’ he replied. ‘Don’t be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.’” (2 Samuel 9:6-7).

David owed Jonathan, and J’s death didn’t dismiss the debt. David found Meph, and reimbursed him for the investment his father made in David.

When the son of my friend contacted me, I heard Mephibosheth’s voice. I owed his father more than I could calculate, but I had the privilege of making a small installment with his son… Who is your Mephibosheth?

Bob Shank

Drama or Trauma

March 3, 2014

“What's in your rearview mirror?”

For most of my adult life – from Richard Nixon to now – Americans have lived with a growing sense of best-days-coming-soon, no matter the current metrics. In 1972, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit the amazing high of 1,000; in the next 35 years – the generational game time for Baby Boomers – it climbed over 14,000… before it was attacked and left for dead by a Bear called the (not so) Great Recession.

Stock markets may recover… but the people impacted by significant resets do not rebound as readily. For the last 75 months, people who were accustomed to looking over the hood into their positive horizon changed their paradigm. The unexpected chaos of this prolonged season now has them focused on their past – through the virtual rearview mirror – and trying to make sense of the picture.

When bad things happen to good people, what's going on? Where's God, anyway?

Mediocre business results. Deflated investment portfolios. Betrayal in relationships founded on mutual benefit, but split by competing interests. Abandoned dreams. The sad pictures of the recent past aren't framed on mantles, but their images still haunt the people who are in the foreground.

When you see calamity in your past – and self-induced consequences cannot explain the origin – there are only two ways to view it: you're either looking at trauma, or drama. We all wear lenses through which we view circumstances; what we see becomes our reality. When you're blindsided by destruction, which perspective is yours?

Trauma is the choice of most; and, when trauma is the caption, “victim” is the only role you can play. If unfair catastrophe comes to visit, victims react defensively… and begin to seek someone to whom they can report their travail. Wanted: someone to listen, and care…

There's a problem: victims tend to find only other victims, none of whom wants to hear and care. When everyone has a tale of inequitable experience to share… everyone stops listening, and they become – individually – bitter victims who have issues with God's fairness.

Same conditions, through another lens: instead of trauma, the story is drama. Not comedy: that makes you laugh, and features an ensemble cast. Dramas can be cliffhangers, with the story made of loose ends and unresolvable pieces until the hero is revealed. Every drama has a hero; but, often, it takes awhile for the champion to emerge.

Joseph gets more column inches in Genesis than Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. He is on-the-rise as the son with the bright future until his 10 older brothers pull the rug out from under him and he begins his 13 year journey through the hinterlands of Hell.

Sold as a slave. Framed as a rapist. Used as an unpaid servant by a lazy warden. Betrayed by the promise of Pharaoh's baker and cupbearer. For over a decade – half of his conscious life – he was at risk of sending for his Victims Anonymous membership card.

“But God was with Joseph…” was a recurring retrospective account. Used – finally – to rescue both Egypt and his own family from famine and destruction, he had the power to obtain justice regarding his evil brothers. What would he do… when he could do anything?

“But Joseph said to them, ‘Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” (Genesis 50:19-21)

Bad stuff; great perspective. It's all in how you look at it: if God's involved, all of life is drama. Without him, trauma is the only option. Are you a victim? Or, the hero who will soon be revealed?

Bob Shank