Point of View. – Page 2 – A leadership commentary on life today by Bob Shank

Never use this four-letter word with God

bottom line

What do you have to say for yourself?

For the last few weeks, we’ve spent these moments on Monday eavesdropping on the Apostle Paul’s intimate communiqués to people for whom he cared deeply. His letters always addressed crucial issues regarding their faith: both foundational truths and the practical implication.

The Christian believers in Colossae – a moderately influential Roman city located in Asia Minor (now Turkey) – were encountering challenges akin to modern American life. Concepts heretical to the Christian faith were making inroads in the church. Forms of Gnosticism (a mish-mash of incompatible beliefs from multiple religious sources), Asceticism (rigorous self-denial and abstinence in an attempt to create self-righteousness) and Sophistry (relativism that denied the existence of objective truth) were attempting to draw the believers away from the purity of the Gospel.

How in the world can the “average” Christian hold up against that kind of onslaught? “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:2-6).

Here’s Paul’s coaching for the starting line in the marathon that leads to success as a follower of Jesus: get on your knees (figurative, but it doesn’t hurt…)

According to a recent Pew Research survey, 55% of Americans say they pray every day; another 21% say they do so weekly. LifeWay’s separate survey found that 80% of the pray-ers do most of their praying alone – silently; another 13% verbalized their prayers – alone; just 2% did their praying in public, with others. Daily or weekly; alone – silently, or audibly – the majority of Americans are talking to God. What’s being said?

LifeWay managed to listen-in – with permission – on 15,000 Evangelical Christians as they prayed. They had no preconceptions, but their discovery was astonishing: the word most used in appeals made by the sons and daughters of God when talking to their Heavenly Father: just.

Just: simply; only; no more than.

More than one of every three words spoken in prayer is setting a governor on the requests made by confused people of a sovereign God. In effect, the conversation is brief and bounded: “This is all I want; nothing more, nothing less…”

Paul’s prayer requests – and, counsel – had no such limits. When you have God’s attention, why go for the minimums? What was he asking them to ask of God, on his behalf?

In the marketplace, Paul was in the tent business. But, on behalf of the Kingdom, he was in the messaging business. The Gospel was his product, and it had universal efficacy with everyone. Because of that, he asked them for prayers seeking four things for himself, from God: 1) Opportunity: “…that God may open a door.” 2) Priority: “that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ.” 3) Leverage: “…for which I am in chains.” 4) Clarity: “…that I might proclaim it clearly.”

There’s no “just” in Paul’s request for prayers, nor did that word find its way into his counsel to them. Every Christian shares the same assignment accepted by Paul: we’re ambassadors, representing the King who is returning soon. He gave them a seminar in a sentence: be wise with outsiders; don’t miss any opportunities; be gracious when you open your mouth… and be ready with answers.

I know you’re praying; let me echo Paul’s coaching. Focus on what you’re doing – for heaven’s sake – and drop the “just” from your verbiage. Swing for the fences of faith; ask for big things!

Bob Shank

I know what you’re thinking…

It’s time for some brainwashing.

We’ve all got some crud on our keyboards; the crap in our craniums has accumulated over the unrelenting months of Covid and Campaigning. I’ll confess on behalf of both of us – you, and me – and call it straight: our minds have been sucked into septic swirls that have soured our senses and numbed our norms.

The Political Battle is over; the Legal Battle is just beginning… but the War in the Heavenlies continues to rage. Since Lucifer declared himself God’s equal, the firestorm has been stoked by the Devil and his angels in their attempt to disrupt God’s plan for redemption and populate Hell’s future with humans who missed-out on the Gospel.

I’m writing this reflection in 2020, but Paul could have penned the preview of this Current Event summation about 61AD, when he wrote the Letter to the Philippians.

It had been a decade since Paul’s first visit to the city; their church was the first entrée of the faith into Europe. It’s worth revisiting Acts 16: Paul’s vision – “the Man of Macedonia” – was a divine invitation to reroute their plans into Macedonia. Within a week of arriving, they met an erudite group of local women, gathered on the Sabbath by the river that ran alongside the city.

Lydia – an accomplished merchant from Thyatira – was the first convert; she was baptized along with her entire household. Supernatural demonstrations of the Holy Spirit happened publicly; a marketplace dispute between a shady character and Paul landed Paul and Silas in prison.

Rather than hatching a legal challenge, the missionaries filled their time with singing and praying. An earthquake and a jail full of compliant prisoners brought the jailer to faith, along with his whole family. The bogus charges were dropped when the city leaders discovered that both Paul and Silas were Roman citizens whose rights had been infringed…

That’s all backdrop. Paul was – again – behind bars for his preaching. He wrote to his friends in Philippi to encourage them, highlighting the encouragement that their faith in the Lord Jesus made real and reasonable. As he was known to do, he provided a summation of counsel that would serve them well as their ongoing life demonstrated the transformation brought by their common faith.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).

I’m guessing that the onslaught of mental morass is even greater for us – thanks to our 24/7 interconnected world and social media – than was problematic for the Philippians. If Paul’s filter for rumination was important then, the conditions today raise the significance all the more.

You already know the way it works: “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” Ralph Waldo Emerson’s observance rings true for us all, still today.

True: agreeing with God’s Word. Noble: high-class, not shameful. Right: certain, based on God’s binary standard. Pure: untainted, flawless. Lovely: take a selfie with your thought, and your reputation rises. Admirable: people you respect would respect it. Excellent: the top of your mindshare options. Praiseworthy: people who could read your mind would applaud your thoughts.

It’s not about “what’s in your wallet?” It is, however, about “what’s on your mind?”

Care to share your thoughts?

Bob Shank

The fight doesn’t end tomorrow…

bottom line

Gear Up!

For football players, that’s the summons into the locker room, to don pads and helmets. For firemen, it’s the 911 call to get into protective gear, ready to run into the flames. For a SWAT team, bullet-proof vests and shields come out of the truck and into the array. The opposition is at full strength; the specialty squad is now in formation, to do their part to prevail.

Paul and Silas spent over two years in Ephesus. It was the #1 most influential city in the 1st Century Roman Empire (World Atlas); Rome was #5. The Temple of Artemis – the Greek goddess of fertility – was there; it was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. While there, they planted a church that impacted the city and its commercial health. The sale of idols – a major income source in a city highly prized by pagan pilgrims – had dropped, a fact directly attributed to the rising Church dedicated to worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ.

Demetrius the silversmith created an uprising against Paul and his associates. His charges: “And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” (Acts 19:26-27). Paul and his team left to resume their missionary journey, but the church stayed to continue the battle.

Later, Paul wrote a significant pastoral letter to the church in Ephesus, loaded with insightful revelation (Ephesians 1-3) and instructive application (Ephesians 4-6), describing the way for them to link – daily! – what they believed with what they did: in church, at work, and in their families.

Once again, Paul’s summation – his “closing arguments” – would transition from the classroom to the battlefield. For these Ephesian believers whose face-off with their community did not end because Paul and Silas left the scene, their conflict was constant. What did that mean, for them?

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (6:10-17).

The removal of the Christian missionary leaders from the city of Ephesus was probably a headline news story when it happened; the casual observer would have seen the Demetrius v Paul match-up, with Demetrius – the local favorite – coming out the victor. Their view was myopic.

For Kingdom leaders – then, and now – the fight is constant, and the opposition is spiritual. Sport rivalries – college or pro – are benign. Economic skirmishes – between companies, or countries – are irrelevant. Political campaigns – even the “most important election in history” – pales alongside the real life-or-death rebellion that continues between Lucifer and his loyalists and Jehovah God the Creator and all who are committed to Him.

Good theology is foundational; instruction on living the faith is essential… but the spiritual warfare is underway, and the satanic attack is focused on those whose beliefs and practices align with God and His Kingdom. Are you Geared Up for that ambush?

Bob Shank

What’s Your “Bottom Line?”

bottom line

What’s the Bottom Line?

One on-line dictionary – devoted to the idioms of American English – defines “Bottom Line:” the most important aspect of something.

All apostles/prophets/evangelists/pastors/teachers (Ephesians 4:11) have important messages for people whose spiritual development are in-process. Their sermons might be given without an archival capture, but in this era, many are recorded for later consumption, digitally.

In the first generation of this expanding movement, many messages were sent in print to distant recipients; some of those were later recognized to be Inspired, and suitable for inclusion in the Scriptures. These letters – epistles – bore evidence of the Holy Spirit as the original source.

Seven of Paul’s letters made that short-list; all were full of valuable insights, from the first to the last words. But – in a style that marked the arguments of this insightful apologist – he often added a virtual Post Script that would capture the key thoughts emerging from the body of the missive.

In his second letter to the Christians in Corinth, his summation was rich: “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you” (13:11).

When Paul says “finally” and “good-by,” you can trust him to be wrapping-up. The main topics of his letter has been concluded, and his intentions in writing had been exposed. Both letters to the church in Corinth went from timeless and elementary theology to personal interventions and spiritual disciplines. They came from the loving heart of that church’s founding father: none other than Paul, during his second missionary journey.

First, he reminds them that they’re not just club-members: they’re family. God didn’t send Jesus to open up membership in another religious community; He sent his only begotten Son to enable the adoption of humanity’s orphans, who would become the new progeny of the Heavenly Father.

Then, get this: “Aim for perfection.” Following one’s birth into the spiritual family, God’s intention was for all mature toward alignment with the Father and the Son, to always be in process toward god-likeness. No longer willing to settle for human norms, Paul wanted them to be serious about their refinement toward righteousness.

His authority as an apostle is on display: “listen to my appeal.” Those leaders in the Church – the apostles / prophets / evangelists / pastors / teachers – are not just advisors with elective opinions. Rather, they are commissioned by the One who placed them in the church to speak for Him. Paul expected that his messages to them would be received as orders from Headquarters, calling for affirmative action.

God’s plan is always unity; the Enemy’s strategy is always division. “Be of one mind” doesn’t allow for differences of opinion that would result in separation and segmentation. God has always intended that unity in the community of the redeemed would be a compelling demonstration of His work among otherwise combative humans…

“Live in peace” is more than an inscription in a greeting card. Paul’s initial greeting in this letter – “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” – is bookended by his closing challenge: “Live in peace… and the God of love and peace will be with you.” The aura around true believers will always depict the shalom calm and confidence that flows from their settled conflict with God, and their settled tensions with one another.

What’s your “Bottom Line?”

Bob Shank

Don’t be an innocent target…

It’s the toughest request you’ll ever receive.

A dear friend and collaborator of mine passed from gory to Glory on Saturday. Gordie had been on our ministry’s Board of Directors for decades; he was a trusted partner and had earned widespread respect from all who knew and worked with him.

When Covid’s craziness wanes, the backlog of Celebrations of Life will exceed weddings at most churches. Gordie’s service will include, undoubtedly, a eulogy. Capturing a life well lived – in a few short minutes – is an exercise in futility. Summations are strenuous business…

Over the last few weeks, we’ve spent a few minutes on Monday’s dissecting Paul’s auto-eulogy. His reflection of his life – given to his son-in-the-faith, Timothy – was worthy of the attention.

Each of Paul’s epistles included abstracts that clarified the essence of his intent in these short missives that were intensely specific and universally instructive. They varied in length, but all had unique revelations of Truth that demonstrated their divine origin: they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

He wrote to the church in Rome, planted at Ground Zero –home to Emperor Nero who was targeting Christians as his enemy – and concluded his powerful teaching with this epilog: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (Romans 16).

If you had only the first 15 chapters of Romans, you’d have enough theology to ground your life of faith, from salvation to the end. Paul knew that high-impact teaching opens the door to enemy attack. God’s word in the Garden was clear and unambiguous: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:16-17). The Serpent was openly skeptical about the Word of God when he gave the alternative to Eve: “You will not certainly die” (Genesis 3:4). Who will you choose to believe? Eve faced that question, and her answer continues to echo through humanity and history…

Paul was well aware that clear teaching sets the stage for an onslaught of contrary messages, hoping to deceive naïve people. (False) churches, bogus books, and well-produced television fantasies claiming to offer supernatural ministry are modern derivations of what Paul knew would follow the declaration of truth.

Time spent entertaining the contradictions is wasted; to be steeped in the certainty that attaches to timeless truth is an investment in wisdom.

Right now, we’re in the final lap of a presidential election cycle. Two weeks from tomorrow, America’s populace will speak their mind and cast their ballots. The candidates – local, regional, statewide, national – are all in their finishing “kick” as they seek to cross the line in first position. They’re delivering their Closing Arguments.” They’ve made innumerable speeches to get to this point; it’s time for them to wrap it up.

Paul wrapped it up for the Romans, and for us: once you’ve received the truth, expect the opposition to propose well-crafted lies intended to throw you off course. Be wise about truth; figure out who’s sweet messages are hiding deadly deception and avoid them like the plague.

A life lived in obedience to the truth is a gift to the people who will be asked to summarize your contribution to history: live today in a way that will give them a rich treasure-trove to work with!

Bob Shank

Your job, after the election

Politics is – along with religion – a taboo subject in social settings. Despite that timeless ground rule, you can’t find a dinner table in October ’20 where the conversation hasn’t turned to the election – or, protests, or societal issues that are woven into presidential platforms – with passion.

There’s a man whose wisdom I regard highly who gave me some sound advice about that matter. This was his counsel, to me, in these challenging times:

Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.

Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you’ll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you’re breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren’t there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it. That’s why you must live responsibly – not just to avoid punishment but also because it’s the right way to live.

That’s also why you pay taxes – so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.

I think he’s pretty savvy, don’t you? That’s what Paul told me – and, you – in a letter he first wrote to the Christians in Rome (Romans 13, in The Message). Those believers were a disparaged minority living under the corrupt government of the Emperor Nero. He became infamous for his personal debaucheries and extravagances and was behind the persecution and deaths of many followers of the Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. He was responsible for burning down Rome, which he blamed on Christians.

The outcomes of the election just three weeks away will stripe the lanes for the highway into our future. Here’s what I know, for sure: there will be millions of people in America who are unhappy with the results. With no option but to live with the hierarchy whose terms commence in January, how will those dissatisfied with their new local/state/federal overseers conduct themselves?

The ultimate solution: establish a relationship with an eternal King, under whom all human governments exist. Act responsibly. Follow the rules, unless they violate the King’s rules. Be orderly; keep short accounts. Show respect to the men and women God has allowed to lead. Be a model citizen.

At The Master’s Program, we’re stepping into the line of fire. Six years ago, we launched our Warrior Program, allowing Master’s grads to scholarship active and veteran military leaders in TMP. Since then, 147 heroes have become part of our Kingdom leadership community.

One of our early Warrior grads has the vision to see the same opportunity extended to leaders in the law enforcement community. In early ‘21, we’ll begin a targeted service to these vital public servants, to provide the biblical leadership mentoring that we’ve refined over the last quarter century.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Jesus; Matthew 5:9). If you’d like to help fund the police, click here; we’ll let you know how you can help us bless the men and women who are putting themselves into service to God, and to us, every day.

Bob Shank

What do you have worth dying for?

When was the last time you dealt with your mortality?

Every person – from the most marginalized homeless person camped on a sidewalk in a modern, declining urban neighborhood to the POTUS who is whisked from the White House Lawn to the VIP Suite at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center – will likely find times when the demands of the moment give way to the considerations of the afterlife. Mankind – sensing their status as Imago Dei (made in the image of God) – looks beyond the limits of lifespan to the reality beyond.

Long before Paul of Tarsus was immortalized for his part in the rapid expansion of the Christian faith in the Roman Empire of the 1st Century, he used his time in isolation in Rome’s Mamertine Prison awaiting the executioner’s summons to ready himself for the punctuation that would signal his longed-for transition to eternal glory.

There is no woe-is-me tone to his self-summation of his 30 years of faith, the last half devoted to the fulfillment of his Calling: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

The third claim is today’s focus: “I have kept the faith.” The expression has become far too common among people whose grasp of the faith Paul referenced is somewhere between minimal and abysmal. What was “the faith” about which Paul’s claim of protection rose to the highest levels of lifetime devotion?

Within a couple of generations of Paul’s life mission, the diffusion of the Christian faith across the known world – without the benefit of digital communications and real-time vetting and editing – led to the need for the codification of the essentials of the Christian faith, as originally divinely inspired.

The result was later encoded as the Apostles’ Creed. In modern English, it draws the boundaries around Orthodoxy:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven; he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (universal) Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

History has confirmed the elevated value of those carefully chosen words: they’re worth dying for, and many continue to do so, today. False religions and counterfeit cults find conflict with key concepts captured within those power phrases.

Jude was one of the sons of Joseph and Mary, raised alongside Jesus in Nazareth. His short but essential comments ring with agreement: “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” (Jude 3-4).

In America today, the Constitution has fallen into disregard among people who want to contemporize it to accommodate modern culture. In similar fashion, the tenets of true faith protected by Paul and endorsed by Jude are being reconsidered and rejected, item by item. Jude saw this coming…

For Paul, that faith was worth dying for… and, he did. Does this dogma live loudly within you today?

Bob Shank

You were made for more

I’m not completely insensitive; I know that this is a busy week – with the end of Q3 happening on Wednesday, and the start of Q4 signaling the last chance to make something out of a calendar year that started with a bang and has run for months as a bust – but this won’t wait.

You need to give some attention to writing your epitaph. Your death may be decades in the future; or, you might soon be a statistic on the CV-19 reports published every day in your local paper. The date of your departure isn’t knowable… but the eulogy offered at your memorial service is yours to draft, now. Covey says that highly effective people “begin with the end in mind.”

The Apostle Paul was at-risk when he wrote his last known letter (you’ve read it as 2 Timothy). Though he was in his mid-60s, it wasn’t his susceptibility to the plague that raised his threat-level; in prison for preaching Christ, the countdown to his execution was underway.

To prick your memory from last Monday, a replay of his comments to his spiritual son: “I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Four bullet-points from the summation of his life-well-lived stand out. Last week, I noted the first: “I have fought the good fight.” Paul’s personal struggle wasn’t with sloth or addictive behaviors; the competitors in the tent industry weren’t his mortal enemies; the government of Rome didn’t represent his nemesis: his battle was with God’s opposition – Lucifer/Satan/the Devil/the god of this world – and the skirmishes with his forces were, for Paul, unrelenting. Anyone on mission from God will face God’s archenemy; if things go too easy for too long, it’s not a good sign…

This week, Paul’s second self-disclosure warrants attention: “I have finished the race.” Paul’s cell – while held for two years in Caesarea, on the Mediterranean coast of northern Israel – looked out on the athletic arena where chariot races and track events were routinely staged. His letters would often use racing as a metaphor for his ministry initiatives. Over the course of 15 years, he was unrelenting as he pursued the course that marked his journey.

Paul’s apostleship was not a generic assignment to just “do good things” while portraying the image of an upscale craftsman with a dedicated customer following. His commission had been clear, given by the third person of the Trinity: “Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:1-3).

Already active as a leader in the church at Antioch, God’s plan for Paul – and, Barnabas as well – was to launch them into a wide-reaching territory of countries, cultures and conflicts. For a mid-life man (he was about 48 when he stepped-out), the adventure of a lifetime was before him. Paul and Barnabas were called to go and evangelize Gentiles; Simeon, Lucius and Manaen were called to stay and disciple Christians; all were vital to the Kingdom cause.

Kingdom Calling: it’s about finding your race (100 meter sprint? high-hurdles? 4 x 400 relay? marathon?), and then finding your lane. Once there – and the starting pistol fires – run all-out, to win: “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…” (1 Corinthians 9:25-26). Dawdling has no place among the dedicated…

The grains of sand in life’s timer are running down for me, and for you. We’re writing the script for our upcoming eulogy. What do you want them to say about you when you’re finished?

Bob Shank

Will your last words be famous?

Steve Jobs: “Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow.”

A direct quote from the famous Founder of Apple, but that wasn’t his marketing pitch for a new product launch at the annual MacWorld gathering. Steve’s last words; his wife was there to hear them.

Reflections from some of history’s famous notables as they breathe their last: Leonardo Da Vinci: “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.” Donald O’Connor: “I’d like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get” (he still hasn’t received it). Winston Churchill: “I’m bored with it all.” Todd Beamer (on Flight #93, on 9/11): “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll…” John Belushi: “Just don’t leave me alone.” Diana, Princess of Wales: “My God. What’s happened?” Bob Marley: “Money can’t buy life.” Edgar Allan Poe: “Lord help my poor soul.” Harriet Tubman: “Swing low, sweet chariot.”

When you don’t have much/any time left on your meter, words become few and highly valuable. It’s true for people who are famous leading up to death, but become immensely normal in their last moments. When the cameras stop rolling and only those closest are nearby, truth becomes reality.

Some have the opportunity to archive their last words in print, leaving no question about their veracity. Paul – the tentmaker and Apostle – was writing his last letter, to Timothy when he summarized his own epitaph: “I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Stephen R. Covey is best remembered for his signature book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The second of the principles is fitting here: Begin with the end in mind. That’s an ingredient in the recipe for living well; it’s also wisdom for dying well. If you could pre-script the eulogy for your memorial service – or, purchase your tombstone in advance – what are the meaningful remembrances you’d want to convey to those assembled in a post-covid public service?

The lockdown fog is still hovering over many of our communities; time to read and ponder is an unintended consequence of the coronavirus pandemic panic. Today – and, the next few Mondays – I want to listen-in as Paul hits the highpoints of his life of Calling. For him, his LifeMission didn’t get life focus until middle age; he was about 49 when: “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:2-3).

For the next 15 years, his purpose in life became crystal clear and central to all that he did. The key take-aways of a lifetime accumulated in his last decade-and-a-half.

There’s no call for sympathy in the self-pronouncement of his limited time horizon: “The time for my departure is near…” (he was executed by Nero for promoting the Gospel). With anticipation of his imminent transition into Eternity, he cuts to the chase in encapsulating what really mattered.

“I have fought the good fight.” The assignment given to Paul – to take news of the Jewish Messiah to the Gentile world – was no cake-walk. We live at a time when “free speech” is easily taken for granted; in the 1st Century Roman Empire, comments that could be associated with insurrection against the Emperor were delivered with great risk.

But Paul knew that no human was his true enemy: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12). Nero was not his enemy; Satan was his real opponent.

His example stands today: if you’re out to serve the Kingdom, the Enemy of Heaven will battle you in an effort to compromise your results and thwart your initiatives.

On the top of Paul’s paragraph-long press release: he had been engaged in spiritual warfare for 15 years… and he emerged the Victor.

More next week…

Bob Shank

The road back is the road less traveled…

I left college before graduating. Cheri and I were in the countdown to our marriage date, and her father invited me to come into his 25-year business and apprentice under his leadership. I was going to school to snag a career, so the decision wasn’t difficult for me. I traded books for a briefcase…

For the next decade, life became pretty predictable: I was climbing the ladder during the week, and – on Sundays – “volunteering” for church assignments. Business was providing challenging advancement opportunities while my “layman” assignments were perfunctory. Sound familiar?

Something began to shift, for me. Opportunities for leadership in the Kingdom opened, unexpectedly. I was elected to the Elder Board when I was 28; leadership positions in parachurch (ministries outside the local church) were already part of my ongoing calendar. What was happening?

I knew there were some stepped-up category standards that were non-negotiable. Paul’s letter to Timothy was clear: “If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap.” (1 Timothy 3:1-7, The Message).

As time passed, those commitments – for me – became the dominant drivers in pursuing my Calling. By the time I was 31, my ministry efforts became my career focus; I sold my way out of business to formalize my already-expanding catalog of ministry initiatives under the umbrella of Priority Living, Inc, the non-profit we founded in 1984.

Three years later, I was rocked when Gordon MacDonald announced his resignation from the presidency of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship; he had been in that role for two years. Just 48 years old, he had a distinguished past as a pastor in New England and an author with a voice of integrity and authority. As a ministry leader with no seminary training, I benefited greatly from conferences featuring great Bible teachers; MacDonald was on my A-List; I looked up to him…

It didn’t take long for the reason behind his resignation were revealed: an extramarital affair – over a two year span – had preceded his appointment to the IVCF position. His marriage survived, but his fitness as a ministry leader ended when his board became aware of his infidelity.

Within weeks of his departure, he was interviewed by Christianity Today and demonstrated refreshing honesty about the situation; click here to read the article and the transcript.

To his credit, MacDonald submitted to a restoration process in which he was not in control, but to which he was willing to defer. That journey, for him, was not swift, but the leaders involved with him were sure that it was comprehensive. The discoveries from that effort were the basis for MacDonald’s still-in-print book, Rebuilding Your Broken World. It is a primer for leaders – in any strata in the Kingdom hierarchy – who hope to return to fruitfulness after willingly surrendering their authenticity.

The mandate of 1 Timothy 3 (above) is the basis for vetting incoming leaders for the Kingdom; it’s also the standard for the return of leaders whose earlier fitness was sacrificed through their own lapse of purity – whatever the nature of their disqualification – before their return to service.

Leadership in God’s Kingdom is a privilege, never an entitlement. Qualification comes at a great price; disqualification exacts a greater price. It can be regained; most are unwilling, but some – like Gordon – pay the price that is required for restoration.

Aspire to leadership. Exercise it with integrity. If lost, regain it biblically. Finish well…

Bob Shank

The Article

The following article can be found at the following URL:

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1987/july-10/resignation-gordon-macdonald-leaves-helm-of-intervarsity.html

The Article:

After serving more than two years as president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF), Gordon MacDonald last month tendered his resignation. In a statement released to the press, IVCF Board Chairman James Kay said MacDonald resigned “for personal reasons, having been involved in an adulterous relationship in late 1984 and early 1985.”

MacDonald, 48, took the reins of the ministry to college students in January 1985, after serving three months as minister-at-large for World Vision U.S. Prior to that, he served for 12 years as senior pastor of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts, a church known for its commitment to missions. He has also been a member of the Christianity Today, Incorporated, board of directors.

The IVCF board did not know of MacDonald’s moral lapse when it selected him as president. Asked in an interview why he did not inform the board at that time, MacDonald said, “I have no good answer for that.… The same distorted and deceived mind that got me into the [adulterous relationship] was causing me not to think clearly.… I suppose I was in that very naive perspective that says, ‘This is going to be covered, it’s going to go away.’ ”

Earlier this year, MacDonald said, he told three IVCF board members about his adultery. “It was their initial decision … that I should keep on [as president],” he said. He did not inform the full board until he tendered his resignation last month.

MacDonald said he submitted himself to the discipline of three trusted Christian leaders in January. He said the three-member council pronounced him guilty of adultery, acknowledged his repentance, advised him to cut back on his speaking engagements, and required that he account to them spiritually on a regular basis.

“I had hoped … the tragedy in my past would have been over and buried,” MacDonald said, but in recent months information about the affair began to spread, partly through anonymous letters sent to several Christian publishers. MacDonald said his 25-year marriage has remained solid through the ordeal (see accompanying interview).

The IVCF board elected one of its members, retired advertising executive Thomas Dunkerton, to replace MacDonald. At the same time, the board appointed a presidential search committee, and Dunkerton said he expects to remain in the post for only about six months.

As president, Dunkerton said he will seek to implement the plans put in place by MacDonald and his staff. He cited as one of his priorities the shepherding of Urbana ’87, a world missions conference sponsored by IVCF. He said this is a crucial time for recruiting young people for the mission field, since many who became missionaries after World War II are reaching retirement age.

A Talk With The Macdonalds

In the following interview with CHRISTIANITY TODAY, Gordon MacDonald and his wife, Gail, discuss the events that led up to his resignation from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) and what lies ahead.

When did your problems with adultery begin?

Gordon: In late 1984, I permitted a friendship to become immoral. The woman was not involved in InterVarsity or in any of my pastoral ministries.

When I came to InterVarsity, I was working to dissolve that relationship. In the early stages, I didn’t feel the liberty to talk to anybody about it. I experienced God’s forgiveness, and I decided to keep going [as IVCF president] as long as he would permit me.

You have said there is no excuse for what you have done. In addition, you have insisted that sin be called sin. What factors contributed to the adultery?

Gordon: It was a number of things. From about 1982 on I was desperately weary in spirit and in body. I was working harder and enjoying it less.

Satan’s ability to distort the heart and the mind is beyond belief. I assume the responsibility for what I did; I made those decisions out of a distorted heart.

In addition, I now realize I was lacking in mutual accountability through personal relationships. We need friendships where one man regularly looks another man in the eye and asks hard questions about our moral life, our lust, our ambitions, our ego.

Why did you feel it was necessary to resign?

Gordon: Early last month, someone sent a series of anonymous letters to several Christian publishers. The letters called me an adulterer and said I ought to be gotten rid of. A friend told me about one of the letters, and I knew there was no longer any protection. Gail and I decided I had to resign and free InterVarsity from having to live with this pain.

In our public statement, Gail and I emphasized three things. First, that I am terribly sorry. Second, that our marriage has always been strong, and it’s stronger today than ever. The third thing is that we are going into quiet and we have no plans for the future until God gives us some sense of direction.

Gail: It’s important that people understand that Gordon has been a person of integrity for the 25 years that we’ve been married. I will not dwell on that short period of time when he fell into sin.

What have you done to restore your marriage relationship?

Gordon: It’s not as much finding things to do as it is taking the necessary time, because for people in ministry, the work is never over. Jesus withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5 implies that he withdrew often, and he apparently renounced work and turned aside from the visible needs of people. In Christian ministry, we need to find the discipline to turn away from responsibilities or activities for a period of time.

We also have begun to cultivate friendships on a much deeper level than in the past. And I have deliberately cultivated the friendships of three or four godly men. I want people to know how dearly and deeply I love my wife and how painful it is to live with the fact that I have hurt her so badly.

If you could speak to the many people who have been influenced by your ministry, what would you say?

Gordon: First that I’m terribly sorry. I wish they would forgive me, would understand that what I wrote and said came from the Holy Spirit working through me, and that they would not set aside the truth of the books I wrote because of what happened. Also, that they would take a hard look at what happened to me and resolve that it won’t happen to them.

Do you hope to return to public ministry?

Gordon: I have no plans for the future, and I have no pretensions about returning to ministry. I would love to once again serve the Lord in some capacity. But that has to be initiated by others. If people feel I have learned and have something to say that they want to hear about, then I will respond to that. But I don’t plan to initiate anything.

How to guarantee you’ll be forgotten…

Say it ain’t so, Joe…

It was 100 years ago this month – September 28, 1920 – that a Grand Jury was tasked with hearing testimony in what came to be known as the Black Sox Scandal.

In brief: the 1919 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds with the Chicago White Sox. The allegations emerged after the Sox lost the series to the Reds: eight players on the White Sox team had been paid $5,000 each to “throw the Series,” allowing the Reds’ win. Shoeless Joe Jackson – hero to innumerable kids in Chicago – was one of those charged.

The Grand Jury acquitted the eight, but Kenesaw Mountain Landis – the new Commissioner of Baseball – banned them from baseball, for life. His declaration: “Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player that throws a ballgame; no player that undertakes or promises to throw a ballgame; no player that sits in a conference with a bunch of crooked players or gamblers where the ways and means of throwing games are planned and discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it will ever play professional baseball.”

The popular fable surrounding that tragic tale from America’s Pastime pictures a gaggle of boys standing by the exit of the White Sox clubhouse after the scandal broke. As Shoeless Joe Jackson emerged, one of the heartbroken min-fans verbalized his empty hope: “Say it ain’t so, Joe.” In fact, that was the headline in the Chicago Tribune over their coverage of the fall-from-fame suffered by Jackson and the others.

If the standards in professional sports are high, the expectations for Kingdom Leadership are higher yet: “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” (James 3:1-2). Reminder: when the Bible references “perfect,” it is describing maturity, not sinlessness.

To recap: we started this Monday-morning miniseries reminded of Paul’s expressed intent to finish well. He wrote of his self-discipline: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14). Even the great Apostle knew his lifetime impact could be compromised – and his own eternal rewards sacrificed – if a lack of integrity in his leadership was ever allowed.

Money, Sex and Power are the continuing challenges that are most likely to disrupt the leaders whose lives are works-in-progress. Prominence does not ensure sincerity: the allure of highly elevated positions can lead to attractions and allurements that can distract a leader from their mission.

The Bible is not a highly-edited Positive Thinking Manual featuring only the happy stories of lifetime achievement; packed into God’s account of history are stories of winners and losers, allowing us to find lessons in both: “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4). We can learn from the leaders who stayed faithful, and from those who did not.

Israel’s first king was Saul: “… Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else…” (1 Samuel 9:2). He looked the part… but his leadership was compromised by disobeying God: “Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: ‘I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” (1 Samuel 15:11). The story is 3,000 years old, but the sequels continue today.

Case in Point, from today’s news: Jerry Falwell, Jr., whose rise to fame as President of Liberty University made him one of modern culture’s most notable Christian leaders. Click here for the latest Ministry Watch account of his rise and fall.

If earthly success is measured in dollar signs, Falwell scored a “win” with his severance package. If eternal significance is demonstrated through Eternal Rewards, he has squandered his heavenly account through his willful acts of disqualification.

This mini-series is not a sensational celebration of fallen heroes; instead, my intent has been to caution us all against the arrogance of ascendency and to listen to Paul’s caution with the utmost clarity: “In everything set them an example by doing what is good… so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” (Titus 2:6-8).

Next week: is a leader’s disqualification “the unpardonable sin?” Or, is there a way to get back on the pathway to “Well done, good and faithful servant?”

Bob Shank

Follow the money…

When will things return to “normal?”

The question is fraught with confusion: what – exactly – do we mean by “normal?” Pre-CV-19? Pre-election conflicts? Pre-Russia probe? Pre-Trump? Pre-internet? When were things “normal?”

It’s time to figure out how to fulfill your life’s essential mission, no matter the conditions surrounding us. What does it take to establish – and to protect – your place in the Kingdom leadership collaborative? There is an expectation of qualification: “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.’” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

In the United States Navy, when a ship runs aground, an inquiry begins immediately to find causation. For the officer(s) who were in charge at the time of the mishap, their decisions and conduct will be evaluated to determine responsibility. “Relieved of duty” is almost a given; court martial can be likely, which could result in anything from demotion to dismissal to criminal charges, depending on the nature of the situation, once adjudicated. Leaders don’t get a “pass;” they’re under stricter judgment.

In God’s Kingdom, the gravity of leadership is no less important. When God elevates a person to visible positions of influence to serve at His pleasure, for His glory, it’s not something to take lightly: “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” (Titus 2:8).

Last week, we were reminded that a lack of discipline and constraint in matters of relational intimacy (sex, to be explicit) has been a landmine responsible – over millennia – for disqualification of leaders in the Kingdom. In this installment, it’s all about money.

The Rich Young Ruler became the Rich Young Loser when he failed the test applied by Jesus: “’If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (Matthew 19:21-22). He had met the requirements for salvation under the Old Covenant, but he was looking for the breakthrough to maximize his potential – to be “perfect” – and realize his Kingdom leadership potential. Jesus called out his disqualifier: he wanted to be rich here and now, not in Eternity, in Heaven. Money was his roadblock to Eternal Significance.

In our generation, that challenge continues to reveal the seriousness of commitment by men and women who have the potential for great eternal impact, but lack the faith to pull the money trigger.

James MacDonald built a mega-church movement and media ministry – based in Chicago, but spread widely – that has crumbled around him. What could derail a 30-year investment of leadership in service to the Kingdom?

Read it here, as reported by the Christian Post. Their disclosure: “His termination ultimately came about as a result of lewd comments he made on a hot mic that were aired on a local radio station amid controversy over allegations that he had presided over an abusive church culture and had mishandled church resources while living an opulent lifestyle.”

Sex; Money; Power: technology changes constantly, but the temptations luring leaders to the death of their Kingdom influence are unchanging from generation to generation. No one is immune, but self-discipline can inoculate you against disqualification.

Bob Shank

The marathon course goes through a minefield…

Finishing Well.

Bob Buford wrote that book in 2004; he, himself, finished well in 2018. I have my copy of that book in front of me, right now. Here’s Bob’s inscription to me, on the inside flyleaf: “To Bob Shank – A true comrade-in-arms in this ministry. God has joined you and I together in so many initiatives over the years. We’re soul brothers; I’m grateful! Bob Buford, 7/30/04, Aspen.”

Bob finished well. Bobby Clinton – renowned professor of leadership at Fuller Seminary – estimates that 70% of Christian leaders do not. Howard Hendricks – founder of the Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary – said that 80% of the leaders in biblical history ended life on a decline. Howie (a dear friend and mentor, to me) finished well.

Knowing the constant risk of disqualification, Paul expressed his personal aspiration to the elders from the church he planted in Ephesus: “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24). For the esteemed Apostle of Christian history, the personal goal not yet realized: to finish the race and complete the task.

Richard J. Foster – still with us, at age 78 – is a renowned thought leader and theologian from the Quaker tradition. He’s written some timeless books including Money, Sex & Power: The Challenge of a Disciplined Life (1985) in which Foster has recognized the recurrence of threats most likely – through history, and still today – to trip Christian leaders seeking to emulate the finishing kick modeled by Paul: “The time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

David was one of the All Stars of God’s history, but his was not a “charmed” life. Subject to the same temptations germane to leaders in power, he allowed himself to be distracted from discipline in a manner that continues to infect leaders today: “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, ‘She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’ Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.” (2 Samuel 11:1-4).

It was “the season of war” – and the kings of the region were on the battlefield – but David sent Joab, his top general, to represent Israel’s leadership while he stayed behind – in the palace, in Jerusalem – to enjoy the pleasures of power. A strategic blunder of immense proportion; his undisciplined exercise of privilege became the greatest failure of his lifetime.

My subject line last week was intense: this should scare the hell out of us. David was a man with the pedigree of Providence, but he was susceptible; can we really think we are not?

For the Boomer generation of evangelicals, Bill Hybels became one of contemporary Christianity’s leadership all-stars. His influence had spread to the ends of the earth, and the church he launched as a young man had become a defining movement. And then, we found out that there was a story-behind-the-story that made it all come crumbling down.

Warren Cole Smith is a graduate of The Master’s Program; he leads Ministry Watch and provides a thoughtful analysis of what’s happening in the faith movement. Click here to read his report on the rise and fall of Hybels and Willow Creek, and what happens when the king isn’t on the front lines…

Money, Sex & Power. Are your guard-rails in place to make sure you don’t find yourself in the ditch? Next week, we’ll be following the money…

Bob Shank

This should scare the hell out of us…

Whose advice will you take?

For those whose career life happens in the marketplace, the points on the scoreboard have the “$” symbol. “Bottom line” becomes the bottom line; if money makes you the “winner,” the leaderboard is maintained by Forbes. Every year, their Forbes 400 list updates the current prize winners…

Right now, the No. 4 spot is held by Warren Buffett. His current stash – $67.5 billion – does not include the $37+ billion he has given away since 2005. Had he held those donor funds, his $104 billion would have placed him today at #2, just behind Jeff Bezos.

It’s a good thing Buffett gives – rather than takes – advice about his marketplace activities. Conventional wisdom would suggest that a 60-year-old with $3.3 billion should retire early, move toward sunshine and place their funds in CDs and tax-free municipal bonds so they can enjoy their Golden Years. If Buffett at 60 had decided to wait until 65 to enact the elder exit – to run up the score a bit – he would have considered the same passive strategy (in 1995, at 65) with $11.8 billion in hand.

Warren chose not to leave the field, or to adopt an end-of-life/reduction-of-risk posture. He stayed at the table – through the tech crash of 2000, the Great Recession of 2008, the CV-19 of 2020 – and has parlayed his positions into ever-increasing success. Had he stepped away at 60, 97% of his accumulation – both retained and contributed – would have gone to someone else.

Bernie Madoff’s score was estimated at $17 billion in 2007, before he was exposed and convicted of a Ponzi-styled scheme that defrauded multiple members of the Forbes elites. He didn’t retire from the game; he was disqualified, and is now living out his “retirement” in the care of the Federal penal system, currently in North Carolina. He’s expected to die serving his 150 year sentence.

Down here, in a world that worships Mammon and defines life by dollars, people follow the leaders hoping to emulate their results. Up there, in the Kingdom that will never end, the metrics of significance contrast sharply with the measure of success. Smart people hoping to be rich here flock to Omaha to hear the counsel of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger; even wiser people listen when the Apostle Paul offers his tips on how to get on – and, stay on – the leader board in Heaven.

Hear his encouragement as he takes a quick time-out on the sideline, before getting back onto the field: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

We find the unchanging facts of life in the Scriptures. For the followers of Jesus, two truths are gamechangers: 1) Salvation is a gift: it cannot be earned or deserved; it manifests God’s grace. And, 2) Status is a reward: it must be earned and deserved; it demonstrates God’s justice.

Our entry to Heaven is based on God’s works on our behalf. But, our rewards in Heaven are based on our works on His behalf. “Saved” is an absolute, same-for-everyone certainty; “Rewards” are a biblically-revealed, God-determined variable, different-for-everyone certainty.

Two things can diminish or destroy your heavenly honors: 1) retire from Kingdom duty because “you’ve done enough;” or, 2) disqualify yourself through a lack of discipline.

In the next three episodes, we’ll address the miscues that have derailed Kingdom leaders – in the past, and in our generation – and how to avoid those traps. I hope it scares the hell out of us…

Bob Shank

Will you fumble on the one-yard line (in the game with Estate Planning)?

Mid-summer; vacations – such as they are in a no-fly zone, with CV-19 isolation – calling for lighter issues and an escape from the macabre realities swirling in the incessant headlines. Start the week with some light reading, Bob. “Estate Planning?” What was I thinking?

The markets have rebounded; savings rates have climbed. People are cleaning out closets and repainting the guest room; Marie Kondo – the Organizing Consultant from Tokyo – has her own Netflix series as she helps bored shut-ins rearrange their clutter. Why not use some time to ensure your legacy?

In the last two installments, I gave you the first two of three critical steps. First transfer the Invaluable. The greatest thing you have in life is your saving – and, living – faith in Jesus Christ. Until you pass that to your children – to ensure that they will follow you, then follow Jesus – nothing else matters. Until that happens, you have no legacy of note; “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 4).

The next milestone is to transfer the Values. What are the beliefs that come from your redeemed worldview that are central to driving your thoughts and actions? To operate inconclusively – assuming that “they’ll figure it out on their own” is like dying without a will, and allowing the probate courts to play moderator in sifting through your life’s left-behinds. You want to exercise intentionality in what you leave with your Gen 2 and Gen 3 progeny; that affects the intangibles before the tangibles.

I gave you a copy of my homework last week. Cheri and I have distilled our essential cluster of defining convictions; the Top Three: 1) the Perspective of Eternity; 2) the Priority of Calling; 3) the Practice of Stewardship. Certainly, there are more values in evidence around our table, but those are the Shank family’s version of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Once you’ve been successful in seeing your faith and your core, driving beliefs reestablished in your family downline, it’s finally time to talk about the Valuables. Too often, Estate Planning begins there; if that’s the approach you’ll take, you lose.

Read to the bottom for the book recommendation that will score the winning touchdown on this subject, but let me put it in brief: what you have isn’t yours in the first place. Whatever you have has been entrusted to you by God, and He has put it in your hands for His purposes to be served. If you’re the real-deal in following Jesus, you know and accept that. That is a driving distinction during your lifetime, and – then – in your deathtime.

Paul knew that: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me” (1 Corinthians 4:2-4). What happens to whatever you leave behind is crucial; you are a Trustee of God’s resources.

Your decisions regarding your net worth mirror the delegation practiced by the master in Jesus’ story: “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey… After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them” (Matthew 25:14-15, 19).

Whatever you have and control has been given to you by your Master to accomplish His purposes. How much did He entrust to you? “… each according to his ability.” That’s how you got it; that’s how you should pass it. Conventional Estate Planning: each kid gets an equal split. Immature Christian Estate Planning: give God 10%, then each kid gets an equal split. Biblical Estate Planning: God’s Kingdom is in the forefront in your planning, and the distribution to kids is determined by their faith and their values qualifying them for the portion that they can handle… and no more.

If you’re serious about getting this right, you must read Inheritolatry, by my friend Jim Wise. His Calling is practiced through his role on the team at the Ronald Blue Trust; he advises Christians in Estate Planning and in getting their last moves right, for God and for their family. Click here to order your copy right now (it’s your assignment for Summer reading). Too many believers script their life for success while breathing, followed by calamity once deceased.

Why is this such a big deal? “After a long time, the master returned and settled accounts with them.” You’ll answer – to Him – for what you did with what He gave you – as a Trustee – to manage. Don’t make your last moves your worst moves…

Bob Shank

It starts with faith; does it end there?

We’ve always called this weekly blog the Point of View. An alternate name could have been The Politically Incorrect Journal. It’s never been my desire to be in-step with the culture; I’ve always preferred to be in alignment with God, and the truth He has disclosed in the Scriptures.

A three-week series on Estate Planning? That was a bit of a head-fake; I’m challenging the model that is assumed, and, instead, starting at the beginning. What is God looking for, from me – and, from you? “Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. The man who hates and divorces his wife does violence to the one he should protect” (Malachi 2).

Grow up. Get married. Be faithful. Stay married. Have kids. Raise them to be godly. Repeat.

A generation of American Christians who are marrying later, if at all; the matrimony rates continue to decline. Faithfulness is now deemed unnatural; divorce has lost its stigma. Abortion – since Roe v Wade – has sent 62 million children from the womb to heaven, without an earthly life in-between. That’s more than the populations of California and New York, combined. And, for the kids that were born: for the minority who are raised in Christian homes, 75% who begin college confessing faith in Jesus will finish their time in a secular institution – public or private – as non-believers.

Step #1 in Estate Planning: Transfer the Invaluable. Model a vibrant, living faith in Jesus, and be sure that it passes to your children, intact. Without that, there is no meaningful heritage to perpetuate.

Step #2 in Estate Planning: Transfer the Values. On the foundation of a shared faith in Jesus, clearly frame the essentials that you – as the testator – intend to inculcate in your progeny.

Among our trendy peers, the discovery of innate capabilities – one’s Natural Talents – has become the scavenger hunt with a no-lose outcome. It’s insightful to share your StrengthsFinder results over coffee – or, around the fire with a glass of wine, without facemasks – to compare differences.

Next time, after everyone has disclosed their Strengths, suggest another category: what are your personal values? Values are the basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate one’s attitudes and actions. Pursue your strengths, and you’ll get a Top-5 list from a pool of 34 (Gallup). Consider your values, and you find no finite summation of standard answers, even among Christians.

Moses encouraged the values-centric conversation between parents and their children: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).

What are the values you’ve lifted from your faith experience that will be actively transferred to your children? Cheri and I have done that; we’ve landed on our Top-3:

The Perspective of Eternity: everything we do in this life must be considered in view of its impact on Eternity. Short term thinking and actions are at risk of tragic consequences.
The Priority of Calling: the “what am I here for?” question is powerful; seeking an answer from anyone but God is dangerous. We are each here for a purpose, by His design. Our job is to do it.
The Practice of Stewardship: after personal redemption, the agenda of life is discipleship – growing up to spiritual maturity – followed by stewardship – using everything given to us by God to produce “fruit that will last:” Every Calling is deemed a trust, conferred by God.

Those are the Shank Family Values. We could put them on our tombstones; they won’t change.

We’re passing those along, to our kids, family and grandkids. What are the values you’re planning to leave?

Bob Shank

Are you acting like a grown-up?

It’s tragic to hear about the passing of someone you love; here’s the pronouncement that amplifies the loss: “He/she died intestate.”

You might be not be able to beat death – at least, the kind of death whose cause is not needless risk or undisciplined behavior – but you have absolute control over being intestate.

There’s no medication for that condition: the term describes someone who, in their passing, was disclosed to be unprepared. Intestate: a person who dies without having formalized a will.

Legacy is an emotionally-charged idea; estate planning is a cognitive assignment that few people undertake. It’s estimated that nearly 70% of American adults have no formalized plan for the hand-off to their next generation; without that, the government assumes that role. Is it important?

“A legacy is one of the best gifts we can give to those we love. If you die without your affairs in order, you put your loved ones in a time-consuming, expensive, stressful process while they are already in mourning. It is an additional burden that they have to worry about. Without a clear estate plan in place, assets get sent to probate and a court decides how to divide them up. So not only does it take a long time to be sorted out, but your loved ones won’t know what you really hoped to do with those assets. Planning ahead will protect your loved ones from this additional stress.” (Forbes Magazine).

In practical terms, many Americans need not worry: their approach to life is to spend everything they make, living paycheck-to-paycheck. Without credible retirement planning, their home equity is the last resort – tapped using a reverse mortgage – and their “heirs” will pick through the garage to find their “inheritance.” Let me challenge the confusion with a timeless insight: estate planning begins the moment you accept the role of a grownup, in God’s great plan for His Creation.

Here is His plan for your life, in a paragraph: 1) Become an adult. 2) Find and marry a spouse, with a till-death horizon on the relationship. 3) Have children, and raise them – from birth – to follow your example, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let me quote the Boss: “Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. The man who hates and divorces his wife does violence to the one he should protect” (Malachi 2).

Grow up. Get married. Be faithful. Stay married. Have kids. Raise them to be godly. Repeat.

The modern culture has declared rebellion against God’s always-binding declaration of intent for His Creation. The alternative: don’t get married; instead, hook up at leisure, or take the great leap and live together. Agree on an open relationship that allows everyone to venture out. Abort the accidental pregnancies. If kids come along, don’t try to impose your beliefs on them (leave that for the teachers in godless schools). Celebrate their ascension into single adulthood … (repeat).

Legacy/Estate Planning is not something you do when it appears that you’ll die with assets; it starts when you decide Who has the right to order the steps of your earthly life experience. Will God lay out the strategy for your time this side of Heaven, or will the culture?

Joshua challenged the Jews – as they settled-in to the Promised Land – to make that decision wisely: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24).

Go along with the culture… or follow God’s alternative. This is the first of three installments on this theme. Estate Planning 101: if you don’t pass along your faith, nothing else matters…

Bob Shank

What’s your next, big move?

We were supposed to be in Colorado last week…

I’m giving this season an acrostic; it’s SOLO: Summer of Lost Opportunities. Two years ago, we calendared a commitment to be in Colorado Springs last week – with the team of The Jesus Film – helping to recruit another wave of resource partners to help their worldwide effort to allow everyone to see Jesus. We had planned some extra days – before and after that briefing – to spend in the Rockies.

My batteries charge at 7000’+ elevation; I must be allergic to oxygen. Given a straight-up choice, an empty forest is my hands-down favorite over a crowded beach, any time of the year.

What day is it? Does it matter? In my cell, the temperature is a constant 72° (as it has been, since March, when this all started). Get out of bed before sun-up; dress for success (from the waist, up); fire-up the Keurig; check with the news that never changes (Bible); look in on the news that is changing constantly… then open Zoom for the first-of-many conversations that will be the only proof-of-life we can hope for during this epochal reset of global reality. If you can catch something deadly from webinars, I’m sure to be terminal from my terminal…

Today’s mail included this month’s Kiplinger’s magazine; the cover story lacks any unique quality, but compels the aging CV-19 hostages: “Great Places to Retire.” The competition among those list creators is intense, given the Baby Boomer surge into the “to heck with it; we’re outta-here!” demographic and the marketplace upheavals that have sent them home to work at the kitchen table.

Thriveafter50.com says the smart seniors are heading for Asheville, Colorado Springs, Tahoe, Napa, Palm Springs, St George, San Diego, Savannah, Taos… or, The Villages in Florida. With little left to binge-watch – and no place to go without facing the wrath of governors who operate like anti-tourism ambassadors – it’s tempting to compute reduced costs of living, relational proximity and quality of life issues like walkable downtowns and free university lectures. What’s holding you back?

For the oncoming generations – Millennials, or their younger siblings, the Gen Ys – the idea of waiting for arthritis to set in before checking out has become outdated. The movement to escape the system is mobilizing under the banner of FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early), and the outliers are claiming success in their 30s and 40s, willing to replace their morning Starbucks with something brewed from potato peels and renounce owning anything that they don’t use constantly. No telling whether their Top-10 list matches the Boomers’, but their drive to park is reaching warp-speed.

We thought about it; it didn’t take long to reach our conclusion: we might visit the Top-10 spots, but there’s no U-Haul in our future. We’re staying put; our next move is to Paradise.

A quick sidebar: name the largest living thing. In the 21st Century Google-this era, I won’t offer you a prize for the right answer, because – under the view of the camera on your laptop – your search engine will have the answer in a nanosecond. Ready? It’s Pando.

Not Panda; it’s Pando: an aspen grove in the Fishlake National Forest in Utah. Called the Trembling Giant, it’s a single root system – estimated to be over 80,000 years old – covering over 106 acres, with more than 47,000 trees growing above-ground, all of which are genetically identical. The entire organism – roots and trees – weighs nearly 6,000 tons. There’s nothing bigger, or older…

Why aren’t we moving? We’re connected to a vast, invisible but powerful root system of relationships of which we are above-ground, visible manifestations… but our vitality comes from that network. You don’t just “pull up roots” and expect to replicate that; it takes millennia to mature.

Jesus calls it his “body.” We call it our “network.” Call it what you will, you can’t take it with you, until you all leave, together. And… we’re working to make that day happen, sooner!

Bob Shank

The Message from Maximum Security

It’s been four months, and there’s no end in sight. What’s the plan?

If your Myers Briggs profile starts with “I” (introvert), the last 16 weeks might have felt like an unexpected energizing vacation. Released from unnecessary interaction with people, you could be free to read or binge to your heart’s content. Congratulations on your good fortune.

For the “E” crowd (extrovert), the last four months have been a time of house arrest. When a judge sentences a wrong-doer to home confinement, they’re normally required to wear a leg bracelet, continually; this is different. With CV-19, we’ve all been assumed to be guilty. No monitor on the ankle, but – if you go outside the house – a facemask is non-negotiable. Has your occasional workout option been “climbing the walls?”

The situation is so widespread and boundless that the chances of charges – or, convictions – of government leaders is unlikely. The charges? False imprisonment: the illegal confinement of one individual against his or her will by another individual in such a manner as to violate the confined individual’s right to be free from restraint of movement.

When the “Breaking News” – whether spikes in CV-19 positive tests, or toppling of statues in another political plaza – becomes repetitive, it’s good to find some external reinforcement from someone who can relate. Find a good book – preferably, non-fiction history – and see what you can learn from a heroic past leader you can trust. Perhaps the Good Book would be a place to start.

Navigate to the back-end; find the 50th of the 66 books. It’s a letter – broken into four chapters by history, but written as a free-flowing message in its original form – from Paul the Apostle to the church he planted, in Philippi.

The origins of that church are outlined in Acts 16. To summarize, Paul’s second extended sweep of the Roman Empire had been redirected by God – in a dream-with-meaning – that sent Paul and his team into Europe. The arrival of the Gospel in Philippi became headline news; the clash of Good and Evil landed Paul and his partner, Silas, in prison for “throwing the city into an uproar.” God decided to get involved at a headline level: an Act of God, brought on for Eternal impact (read for yourself: click here). From that brief incarceration, the prominent breakthrough of the Gospel in town made the start-up church immediately significant.

Run the clock forward: toward the end of Paul’s third missional itinerary, he was arrested in Jerusalem because of the confrontational nature of his unrelenting presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (which is the most disruptive public message – then, or now – that could be delivered into god-confused cultures). That arrest ultimately resulted in his case being remanded to Rome. During the 20 years of Paul’s devotion to his Kingdom Calling, six were spent in prison (note: the pursuit of Calling requires the courage that comes from confidence).

The believers in Philippi had history with Paul. He knew their story; they knew his. He writes to them from prison in Rome; what would his message be? Woe is me? Regret for his devotion to Christ, that had disrupted his “quality of life?” Appeals for funds to be used in his legal defense?

It’s worth revisiting the first page of his correspondence (click here). That opener – Philippians 1:1-26 – bespeaks a perspective from an unjust detainment that we need to embrace today, ourselves. He writes with greater expressed concern for his readers than for himself, and then offers profound insight: “…what has happened to me has actually served to advance the Gospel…” (v 12).

I’m an ENTJ (Myers-Briggs), but I’m also a called Kingdom Leader (as are you). My E says, “get me outta here!” My Bible says, “use this to advance the Gospel.”

Care to join me?

Bob Shank

Is America on its death bed?

The patient is symptomatic; are they terminal, or can they recover?

Sounds like another Covid-19 story, doesn’t it? Far from it, this is far more serious. Viruses come and go; pandemics are recurrent, and are part of life in a fallen world. This short treatise does not concern a malady that is treated in hospitals, requiring ICU capacity, PPE and ventilators. This is far more onerous than a disease that can kill Americans; this is about a condition that could kill America.

The debate over the origins of the coronavirus has become background noise. Did it originate by accident in a laboratory in Wuhan? Or, was it an intentional act of biological warfare by a regime that would seek to dominate the world? The condition attacking America is far more sinister…

Here’s the strategy behind the effort to destroy the United States.

First, remove the underlying worldview that gave birth to America, 244 years ago. Worldview is not just a philosophical debate; it has tangible substance necessary for the foundation of any sustained community. America’s worldview – at the time of our formation – had three profound components: 1) God – the Almighty, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – is the Supreme Creator whose existence and expectations are the necessary presumption; 2) The Bible is the source of divine truth; and, 3) Eternity extends the importance of every decision today in the light of the Judgement that will end this earthly life and begin the everlasting that follows.

That worldview has been rejected by the modern pipeline of education that prepares oncoming generations for their turn on history’s stage. Though there are Christians within the public educational systems and private, non-religious alternatives, their opportunity to advocate based on their personal faith is denied them. A biblical worldview cannot be created out of nothing; it is transferred by educators who hold it to students who need it. Over time, the elite classrooms of godless America have produced oncoming generations who have no remnant of God, Bible and Eternity in their ideological moorings.

With that deconstruction underway, the next step to eliminate America follows. Take aim at the first three things created by God that had direct effect on mankind, and destroy them. 1) The Sanctity of Life: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” (Genesis 1). 2) The Essence of Gender: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1). 3) The Gift of Marriage: “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone…’ Then the Lord God made a woman… ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife…’” (Genesis 2).

Everything God imagined and instituted is, by definition, holy. Any opposition to sustaining and supporting those institutions is, by definition, evil. That’s not a political statement… but it informs and inspires what comes to life in the political arena.

You must be a Christian with some level of influence within the community surrounding you. How do you, as a follower of the Lord Jesus, have an impact on the direction of your country?

What criterion do you employ to vet candidates – or, political parties – calling for your support? Here are basics: 1) Within your worldview, what is your belief about God, the Bible and Eternity? And, 2) Regarding the things you are prepared to protect – in policy and in advocacy – are the Sanctity of Life, the Essence of Gender and the Gift of Marriage on top of your non-negotiables?

America is the patient, and we’re sick right now. The symptoms are unmistakable; the cause is a disease that could be fatal if not reversed. God, the Bible, Eternity – then, Life, Gender and Marriage – are non-negotiables. Where do you stand, on each? Where do the parties – and candidates – stand?

Bob Shank

Am I a racist? This is the question that everyone is asking

Am I a racist? Are you?

Writing this weekly message – blog? article? newsletter? – every Monday is stretching. For 30 years, I’ve sought to challenge you and my other friends (nearly 5000) to address the hot-off-the-press issues of the moment looking through the lens of Scripture. It’s 4:35a as I write today’s edition…

Jabez was a welcome diversion from the Covid-19 crisis. For five weeks, this column didn’t mention the pandemic, closures, facemasks, quarantines; we looked back nearly 3300 years to pick up some insights that are still worthy of emulation today. Today, the headlines have shifted; history has meshed with histrionics as a violent and indefensible act by a policeman in Minneapolis has stopped the world in its tracks.

I grew up in a town surrounded by orange groves. The kids in the annual class photos at school were mostly white, but definitely mixed. I played football through junior and senior highs; our huddle looked like the United Nations. Samoans, Japanese, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Blacks, Whites; with our helmets on, there weren’t any differences or divisions apparent. I was a lineman, blocking for Isaac Curtis who went on to play for over a decade in the NFL; a white kid opening holes for a black kid who went to Berkley on a football scholarship. Nothing was wrong with that picture.

If we had been more sociologically savvy – and lined up based on demographic profiles – I would have stood in the Poor White Trash contingent. My dad was a gardener – before the task was reassigned to immigrant labor – and we mowed lawns in the neighborhoods where my White Privilege friends lived. Nobody seemed overly preoccupied by those differences; I did well in school, but our social studies classes weren’t out to highlight inadequacies in the way we did life.

I didn’t know I was PWT; my friends at school – and, at church – didn’t seem to know they were growing up with WP. When we all graduated, I was the Class President. After graduation, most of my WP friends left for college; the month after graduation, I moved into an apartment (I was 17, and lied about my age on the rent application) and went to work, taking classes at the local junior college at night. Vietnam was raging; back then, the only “lottery” was drawing birthdates to determine who would be inducted into the army. The first hundred drawn were likely to head to southeast Asia…

Racists? Those were the KKK guys who made the news, while Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was calling the nation to reimagine the values that we claimed as foundational. Assassinations and demonstrations were historic markers, but they seemed a world away from the neighborhood, before the era of breaking news and live coverage on our ever-present mobile devices. Am I a racist?

I have a great friend who played quarterback for a Division One school, got his business degree and has a vita far superior to mine. I have a grandson who started life in a Zulu village in South Africa and joined our family six years ago; he’s my flesh-and-blood. Our family devotes significant time and resource to support the rescue and nurture of children orphaned by crisis in South Africa. I lead a color-blind ministry that invests in the leadership of Christians whose faith-based influence can change the world and build God’s Kingdom. Am I a racist?

“Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

The followers of Jesus have checkered histories; life apart from redemption by grace came in various deficiencies, but those definitions were left in our past when the transformation made possible by the Lord Jesus redefined us, at the core. We were all something, before; but, today, we’ve been made something entirely different: washed, sanctified, justified in His Name, by His Spirit.

Apart from the reset of redemption, people are defined – secretly, or blatantly – by the sin that has come to define them. Because of redemption, sin no longer characterizes the follower of Jesus: we may choose to re-enact the moral failures of our past, but those choices can be challenged by the power of God that makes victory over sin the game-changing option.

Am I a racist? No sin defines me, though any sin could distract me from living up to my potential in Christ. Being aware of the egregious path and choosing, instead, the righteous path is the daily exercise of following Jesus.

Bob Shank

What’s in Your Pocket?

So, how have you managed to navigate through the last three months?

Your answer to that question may not receive the same kind of broad exposure that the Wall Street Journal gave to Deepak Chopra over the weekend. In the post-religion era, he’s the most accomplished guru of the spirituality movement that offers mystical creativity without the boundaries of historic faith systems. How would such an expert get through these challenging times?

He’s been binge-watching Candid Camera on Netflix, his taste for Nespresso (“I believe coffee is good for you”), his Yeti microphone for Zooming, and: “I carry around a Divine Feminine coin and several talismans in my coat pocket at all times. In my tradition, there are three aspects of the Divine Feminine: the Goddess of Wisdom, the Goddess of Abundance and the Goddess that Destroys Ignorance. So I use them to ground me and remind me of what I’m doing and where I’m going…”

Chopra is not a poor, superstitious beggar. He serves as an adjunct professor in the marketing division at Columbia Business School as well as adjunct professor of executive programs at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He participates annually as a lecturer at the Update in Internal Medicine event sponsored by Harvard Medical School and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Robert Carroll writes of Chopra charging $25,000 per lecture, “giving spiritual advice while warning against the ill effects of materialism.” He believes that a person may attain “perfect health, free from disease, never feeling pain, able to never age or die.”

In 1996 he set up the Chopra Center for Wellbeing with neurologist David Simon in Carlsbad, California. In his 2013 book, Do You Believe in Magic?, Paul Offit writes that Chopra’s business grosses approximately $20 million annually, and is built on the sale of various alternative medicine products such as herbal supplements, massage oils, books, videos and courses. A year’s worth of products for “anti-ageing” can cost up to $10,000, Offit wrote. In 2014, Chopra’s net worth was estimated to be over $80 million.

Chopra has found a market pocket for his brand of spirituality; his specialty may be mysticism, but his roles in the academic community recognize his expertise in marketing and building a business. His breakthrough happened in July of 1993 when Oprah Winfrey’s afternoon program first exposed him and his philosophy. Now the author of 90 books, he’s presumed to have the secrets needed to discover greatness. Maybe he should get an Oprah coin for his pocket…?

In all of that hocus-pocus, he does have a compelling promise: is it possible for someone to achieve “perfect health, free from disease, never feeling pain, able to never age or die?” The answer: absolutely “yes.” Will they find it from Deepak? Absolutely “no.” In a world running from CV-19, where is that ultimate solution?

For that discovery, it isn’t Oprah or Deepak who reveals the secret. Paul the Apostle discloses the mystery: “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Romans 8:9-11).

According to Paul, it isn’t the Goddess coin in your pocket that unlocks your potential: it’s the Spirit in you who does that. Paul and Deepak, logically: they could both be wrong… but they cannot both be right.

Where will you place your trust: the coin in your pocket, or the Spirit in your body?

Bob Shank

Old or new; is it really Normal?

Is this the “new normal?”

Everyone seems to be using that term – the “new normal” – as if it has some empirical certainty. In a cultural laboratory somewhere, some highly educated people in white lab coats are probing the current societal situation – which seems to be manifesting a values virus with no antidote – wondering how long it will be until the “outbreak” can be controlled, and the whole of civilization will be able to return to what they’re calling the “new normal.”

Somewhere in the soul of every person is the longing for normalcy. Lacking an absolute that is universally valid, “normal” seems to refer to a feeling that we once had (though, in the moment, it may have lacked sufficiency), or – more likely – to a feeling toward which we’re drawn, compellingly. To arrive in a place where there is no threat, no conflict, no lack, no storm, no distance, no dissonance; that hunger for happy is in every person, and deceptive offers to deliver that promise are the domain of hucksters, charlatans and cultists in every generation.

In the midst of this moment of life, allow me to reset our instruments for reality: the “new normal” will be no more peaceable than the “old normal,” as the societal scientists report on our condition as “progress.”

We were made for normal. To really understand that truth, you have to go back to Yesterday, on Day #2: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’” (Genesis 2:15-17). Normal? Men and women, in relationship with God, with no knowledge or fear of death.

Bad choices. Sin unleashed. The consequence, now an epidemic: “The one who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:20). “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Death became the “new normal,” but it’s anything but normal. “Normal” is what we long for…

What’s “normal?” That’s the amazing promise of God, offered through His Son, Jesus: it’s our return to Eden: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” (Revelation 21:1-4).

Suppose we get a sure-shot inoculation against CV-19. Suppose we solve the sin of racism through a grassroots breakthrough. Suppose we sign an economic treaty with China. Suppose the Dow went to 50,000. Would that be the “new normal” that would satisfy our souls?

None of those points of progress would solve our real problem: it’s death, through sin. What’s the path to the normal that returns us to life, absent death? “Death has been swallowed-up in victory… The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15).

Normal is life, without death. Let’s keep that reality at the forefront of our messaging…

Bob Shank

From Long Shot to Hot Shot

They didn’t have a prayer (or shot).

That’s an idiom that says it all. Usually pronounced about someone whose demise is now history, the onlookers agree that the person in question never had a chance. His/her outcome was pre-ordained, in the now-expert view of all assembled. In retrospect, the Monday morning quarterbacks all agree: they didn’t have a prayer…

When Jabez launched into his adult life, he was the longshot-of-longshots. The handicappers counted him out of contention before the game of life even commenced. His mom had marked him – “he’s a pain” – and no one contested her assumptions… but Jabez, himself.

Find any survey that digs into spiritual themes. The findings are consistent, whether the Dow is “up” or “down;” whether you live in a Blue State or a Red one; timelines and zip codes don’t change this fact: when things get dicey, people – even the “non-religious” ones – pray, just in case. “Send one up for me” is the ultimate call of desperation that signals that someone thinks they’re heading down-for-the-count. “No atheists in a foxhole” is another one of those pesky phrases that confirm the fact that God is the last call made from a dying man’s cellphone. Prayer: it’s the last resort.

What made Jabez amazing: prayer wasn’t what he did with his final breath. Instead, he employed it at the beginning of the race, before life and its outcomes became a fait accompli.

He had a prayer: “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:10).

Christians often gather – in a well-understood routine – for “Bible Study” and “Fellowship.” Those clusters often finish with a protocol that everyone understands. “Any Prayer Requests?” signals the two-minute warning: if you’ve got something worthy of a Hail Mary – likely to fail without divine intervention – put it in Heaven’s in-box before the group shuts down for the week. Often trivial, the “list” changes frequently; the outcomes are seldom gamechangers in the flow of history.

Jabez didn’t have a prayer request; he had a Prayer. He looked beyond the job interviews, the cholesterol diagnosis, the kid hoping to score an SAT that would get scholarship attention; those are great to seek God’s partnership… but that wasn’t the tone of Jabez’ Main Thing Manifesto.

A concise appeal that framed his partnership with Heaven: Launch me into Your plan for my life (“Bless me”). Watch my faithfulness to You, and promote me accordingly (“enlarge my territory”). Give me the invisible, invincible Edge (“Let your hand be with me”). Cover my blindside (“keep me from harm”). I want to be exuding your glory rather than be consumed with my own despair (“so that I will be free from pain”). That was Jabez’ Life Prayer.

The words that ensured his ultimate success in life: “And God granted his request.”

The epitaph that was on his gravestone: “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.” That summation of a life well lived opens the two-verse biography that we’ve spent weeks dissecting.

In biblical terms, honor isn’t granted; it’s earned. Honor recognizes great performance and responds with the appropriate accolades. In God’s view, doing well warrants applause. He got it.

Jabez had a prayer; it was the Prayer of a Lifetime. He boiled it to its essence: two sentences, nineteen words, and decades of life ahead. Jabez stepped up; God reached down; honor followed.

So… what’s your Life Prayer? Are you still sending God your occasional texts with longshot appeals? Or have you captured the Longings of a Lifetime that could be your gamechanger?

Bob Shank

Are you under attack?

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).

The books of Chronicles are highlights of history; the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles cover thousands of years – leading up to David’s reign, around 1000 BC – and present a genealogical record that spans from Adam to David. It is not a comprehensive roster; during the centuries of multiplication, only 911 names make the list… and, from those hundreds of individuals, few have any biographical commentary. Of those, Jabez makes the cut.

We’ve been slicing the 63 words that capture the essence of his life (in the English of the New International Version) to see what made his contribution to God’s history most memorable. We’ve considered the deficit that framed his beginnings – “I gave birth to him in pain” – and the bold faith that caused him to appeal to God for a life that would reach the extraordinary potential that is embedded in every person, through the creative genius of the infinitely imaginable God.

Jabez wanted to land on the battlefield of life with an offensive strategy that would accomplish the things that would matter most. “Bless me; enlarge; let your hand be with me…” are appeals for achievement that would mean that his life had mattered in the metrics that were most important to God.

But Jabez wasn’t operating with rose-colored glasses; he knew that any time advancement is made, in a life that seeks to glorify God, the effort captures the attention of God’s historic opposition.

That defiance is led by God’s mortal enemy. He has many aliases – Lucifer, Satan, the Devil, the God of this World, Beelzebub, the Deceiver, the Accuser of the Brethren, the Father of Lies, the Serpent – but they all refer to the one who renounced his high standing in the angelic formation to mount a rebellion against his Creator.

Unable to succeed in displacing the Almighty, he was exiled to Earth where he fomented dissonance in the Garden. He has worked for millennia to thwart God’s plan to restore fallen man to Eternal fellowship through the rescue operation led by the Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone committed to actively participate with God in that strategic initiative has been targeted for attack by the forces of Evil. The Battle between Heaven and Hell is real; those who choose to engage through finding and pursuing their divine Calling are not just bystanders, but soldiers on the front-lines of spiritual warfare.

In the modern era, ground forces benefit from calling in air cover to assist them in attacking well-defended positions that are strategic targets. Jabez knew that he needed the ultimate assistance as he stormed the entrenched positions held by God’s nemesis. “Keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain” was not the request of a wuss; he knew that the angels of Heaven were available to align with efforts that would be strongly opposed by the other side.

A thousand years after Jabez, the Commander in Chief encouraged his troops to pray with clarity for the things they would need on the front: “… And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One” (Matthew 6:13). That is not a request from weakness; it’s a show of strength. To call-in superior forces as needed is to ensure that the defensive assist will assure offensive victory.

Most Christians aren’t in the battle; they relish the Prince of Peace without relating to the Lion of Judah. An era beyond war is coming… but the combat to get there is underway, and necessary.

Are you in hiding, or on the front lines? Are you praying for better rations, or for air cover?

Who’s going to get the credit?

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).

Some parts of the Bible have often been hijacked by people who would love to use it to justify their personal agenda. The idea of finding a compelling promise in the Scriptures and adapting it to fit one’s personal agenda or interests isn’t creative; it’s repetitive. “Taking it out of context” is a recurrent violation of God’s divine authorship and His intention to portray His truth – and, His promises – without risk of being misquoted or miscast.

If you wanted to snatch a verse to claim divine favor for any personal ambitions that advanced the longing for a long and prosperous life, expecting to avoid all of the negatives and enjoy the best of everything, Jabez’ prayer would be the crown jewel. The only problem: Jabez wasn’t pursuing his own aspirations; he was on the path to realizing God’s divine purpose for his life.

Bless me? That was the plea of a person who had detached himself from the negative voices that echoed from his family past and was, instead, linked for life to the Creator Who made him for more. He wanted God’s favor – God’s blessing – which always points toward the genius behind one’s unique eternal imprint: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). God’s blessing confirms the blueprint He used to make each of us for greatness.

Enlarge my territory? If taken at face value, that’s a request for more power and control. But to qualify for God’s inclusion in this comprehensive list of generations in the family line of Jacob, the desire for a broader assignment in which God’s glory could be achieved was the remarkable alternative.

Based on Jabez’ appeal to live up to his greatest, God-designed potential – and, the solicitation for a broader platform of opportunity than he could possibly maximize with his inherent human limitations – the next item on his wish list makes perfect sense: “Let your hand be with me.” (v 10).

If you use some of your quiet time to pursue new discoveries, use the tools available to you through the internet to learn a magnificent truth: the Hand of God always references the moments when human strength is inadequate for the initiative that’s underway, and unless an extraordinary intervention occurs, the task is doomed to fail. Who has access to superpower that’s on stand-by from heaven?

God looks for someone with whom He can partner: “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9a).

The underlying criterion are clear: 1) He limits his divine participation to the people in whom His Spirit already dwells; and, 2) If the pursuits can be successful with the resources already available to the people involved, He doesn’t provide back-up. But, when it’s a mission that is undertaken for His glory – and the capacity to ensure victory is beyond your reach – ask for Him to come to the rescue and watch for an answer.

What are you attempting to do, right now – for His glory – that will not be possible unless He provides capacity that you cannot mobilize, humanly? Unless it requires His hand – the divine power of heaven, in some form – it will never ensure His glory.

As William Carey was known to say: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God!”

Bob Shank

How can you earn your next promotion?

We’ll spend two more Mondays talking about Jabez; as promised, we were going to use some of our stay-at-home time to gain some insights from the life of a man whom God chose to elevate above the mean-average impact level of his own generation, and the generations before and after him.

Two verses tell his story, with precision: “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).

Look back at my three past posts if you want to catch up; today, we’ll zero in on: “…enlarge my territory!”

Fifty years ago, Laurence Peter wrote The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong. His observation of human promotion was dismal: in his model, the last step up the corporate ladder took people from their best spot to a place where their contribution would diminish.

Don’t confuse God with the fallible actions of human organizations. If one wants to advance to higher levels of opportunity in God’s Kingdom – to be nominated by the King! – they must prove to be promotable through dedication to their current tasks. In setting out the qualifications for church leadership, the standard was clear: “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church? (1 Timothy 3:4-5).

“Enlarge my borders!” Jabez appeal was for God to entrust to him even more responsibility than he already had. Was that an appeal for Jabez’ benefit, to feed his personal ambitions and to lead to his own elevation and accomplishment alone? Or, was something else in play here?

There’s a lab-test that should be addressed to any prayer, to ensure that it will capture the attention of God as He considers the appeals that are forwarded to Him. One key element of the filter: does it exhibit any motivations for self-interest?

Make sure you hear me out, my friend: the vast majority of our prayers have self-interest – either in trace amounts, or as full-strength potency – embedded in the requests. God knows that; it’s assumed. But there’s another self-interest to be considered: it’s God’s self-interest, about which He is very clear: “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory,” (Isaiah 43:6-7). “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13). Everything God does is done – ultimately -to bring Him the applause of His Creation.

Jabez longed to expand the territory of responsibility for himself, with the underlying intention to gain a larger audience who would see, in him, things that would raise the ratings of Heaven. He made a believable case to God: move me into a more prominent position, and I’ll make sure that You get the glory. No bluster; God heard his prayer and believed his motivations. And… He delivered.

Your prayers are laced with self-interest; so are mine. The constant qualifying question: do our self-interests align with His? Will granting our request mean the advancement of God’s reputation in the world watching our lives play-out on the stage of history?

Are your borders shrinking? Or, are you pushing the boundaries and asking for more?

Bob Shank

If you don’t start well, it won’t end well

For a few Mondays in a row, we’re taking a few minutes to ratchet-back a few millennia to be reminded of the story of a man whose life is recounted in just 63 words (in the New International Version) in the book of 1 Chronicles: “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).

We’ve already seen that his human legacy sucked (def: very bad, disagreeable, or disgusting). Jabez – his “given name” – meant “borne in pain,” and forecast a dismal future. His family’s caution: this kid has been nothing but a source of agony from the beginning…

Jabez refused to allow that estimation to become his epitaph. His prayer – the centerpiece of the biography that God wrote about his life – became his reality, as God delivered what he requested. You’ve been in “small groups” where “small prayers” are the recurrent appeal: fix this, change them, heal that; the gravity of the requests raised to Heaven is usually pretty minimal. Jabez took his best shot and captured a short-list of details in a petition that was heard – and, granted – by Jehovah.

“Oh, that you would bless me!”

Jabez was not an early proponent of what has come to be known as the “Prosperity Gospel,” a modern perversion that claims a direct link between the believer’s faith and the guarantee of health and wealth. John Piper says there are six “tells” that typically attend that heresy: 1) No biblical understanding of suffering; 2) No recognition of the biblical call to self-denial; 3) No serious exposition of Scripture; 4) No means to deal with the obvious tensions in Scripture; 5) Church leaders with exorbitant lifestyles; 6) The prominence of self and a marginalization of the greatness of God.

The Blessing is a foundational biblical principle that is sourced in God; the pipeline for God’s blessing runs principally through families – from fathers to progeny – and unleashes the overarching power of Heaven into the affairs of this life.

Here’s the Big Idea, in a nutshell: each of us was made as a unique, one-of-a-kind demonstration of the creative genius of God. He’s infinite, and His lack of limitation means that He could imprint every human being – who are the ultimate in-His-image culmination of Creation Week – with a distinctive coding for life that pre-ordains an incredible role to play in His plan for history: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14). “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10).

Bottom line: God’s intent was for parents to decode and declare God’s intended future for their children. Their lives are hard-wired for historic contribution, not for dismal despair and disenchantment. A proclamation of parental confidence and support was to be part of every generation’s legacy; that baton was dropped by Jabez’ parents.

Jabez asked God to step in; The Blessing doesn’t sprinkle miracle-dust on self-serving, man-crafted temporal agendas. God’s Blessing enables His plan to unfold with His power attached.

That’s the start of the story: figure out what you’re made for – your Calling – and then ask God to become your Patron/Partner. That was Jabez’ starting-point; everything emanated from there…

Have you come to your starting-point?

Bob Shank

Whose opinion really matters?

If you’ve embarked on a structured reading program, intent on reading through the Bible in a calendar year – using the straight-line approach from Genesis to Revelation – the last few days would have been a real challenge for you – Chronicles.

Last Thursday – April 30 – you would have landed on 1 Chronicles. Through the weekend, you would have journeyed through Chapters 1-8. Today’s reading would be 1 Chronicles 9-11. These were the days you may have re-considered your plan to wade through all 66 books, in order. Why?

In the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles, the uniqueness of the Judeo/Christian faith is in full display. No other religious system gives attention to people – real people, by name – in the way that the record of Jehovah (the formal name for the God of Abraham/Isaac/Jacob) includes.

Nine chapters; 911 people mentioned by name, beginning with Adam, as the family tree of Israel is established. Nearly a thousand names – 886 men, 25 women – are archived in this real-life account of the family line God chose to use to bless the nations (Genesis 12:3). The vast majority of them are, in this text, part of the rollcall; no embellishment or details are included by the author (Jewish tradition suggests that the prophet Ezra wrote this book of history).

Until you come to Jabez: “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).

We’re going to spend a few Mondays looking into this extraordinary exception. Jabez’ life – in two verses – goes from start to finish. His biography can be memorized; in a life that spanned decades, what really mattered could be captured in two verses. Thousands of days spent in real-time, but the substantive story is short… and turns from loss to victory in the space of a paragraph.

His beginning: “His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’” In Jewish culture, names were never random. They represented a presumptive prophetic forecast of the child’s future; the coming course of life was set in motion with a parent’s declaration. Welcome to your future, son: you were a pain from the beginning… and you’ll likely keep that trajectory going forward.

There are certain painful conditions that are universally repulsive; no one wants to be charged with them. An example is prejudice: a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Jabez’ mother was demonstrating prejudice toward her son; her act was akin to dooming his future before it ever took flight. She stamped him with a warning label…

Even before the details of Jabez’ prayer were articulated – the prayer that was the game-changer for him – Ezra gives us the epitaph for which Jabez would be remembered: “He was more honorable than his brothers.” In that genealogical flow of names, “his brothers” could include only his siblings, or his particular generation… or a larger populace against which to draw comparison.

Honorable: deserving of respect or high regard; of great renown; characterized by integrity. A continuing theme of the Scriptures is in evidence in Jabez’ life: one’s origins are no sure predictor of one’s outcomes. The shortfall of your past does not determine the significance of your future… unless you allow “the voices” that say “No” to shout over The Voice that says, “Yes.”

Jabez heard his mother’s voice every time he said his name… but he turned his conversation to his Heavenly Father, and received an entirely different answer. His ending outweighed his beginning.

Whose voice are you listening to today?

Bob Shank