Biblical Citations

 

Matthew 24:10-12: “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”

2 Timothy 3:1-5: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Daniel 12:4: “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Matthew 24:21-22: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

2 Peter 3:3-4: “Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

Luke 21:11: “There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”

Matthew 24:7-8: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”

Jude 1:18-19: “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”

Here’s one for the books…

Books. “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”

President Harry S. Truman is the source of that quote, and most people would agree. There are people who read and never lead: they are probably great students, but ineffective teachers. And, there are functionally illiterate leaders (able to read, but – because of myriad excuses – choose not to do so) who rely on contemporary acquaintances for all of their insight, losing the chance to benefit from those who have come before them. The outliers do not dismiss the norm: leaders are readers.

The average American adult owns 200+ books; they read 12 last year. The Smithsonian poll in 2015 found that 27% read no books – none – the prior year. Reasons (excuses) abound, but the men and women whose influence on culture puts them up-front of the pack always have a book underway. The simplest test of real leadership is a simple question: “What are you reading right now?”

Books – in general – are treasures, but there are three books that rise above all others. In fact, they are the only books in your personal library that will make the transition from this life to the next. If these aren’t on the top of your stack – commanding attention, constantly – you’re at risk of missing the greatest leadership potential you could ever hope to exploit. What are the three titles?

Book #1: The Book of Truth. That’s not on the spline (that’s the edge of the book, visible when it’s on the shelf); the title on the Book of Truth is Bible. The author is God, and it should be on top of your stack. Most people (including self-confessed Christians) have never read it, in its entirety. God is the author, and your life cannot be transformed from human-like to God-like without its impact on you (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Theodore Roosevelt: “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” If God’s Truth has not become your subliminal reality, you’ll be adrift in life.

Book #2: The Book of Life. That’s the abbreviated title for The Lamb’s Book of Life. It is referenced in John’s Revelation (6x); it is the only data base that really matters. It’s the list of people who have been redeemed from eternal damnation through the grace of God. I’m making an assumption: you’ve made Ephesians 2:8-9 your personal testimony, and have trusted Jesus to be your Savior on his terms, not yours. The offer he has made to buy you – and, me – out of sin has to be accepted without a counter; the terms are not subject to human negotiation. We embrace God’s Gospel as presented… or, we never realize its promise for forgiveness and life.

Book #3: The Book of Works. The Book of Truth provides the answers that will matter for eternity, beginning now. The Book of Life is the guest list for Heaven, and no one gets in without being on that list. Both of those volumes are authored by God; this is the book that you’re writing, and you are the main character in this non-fiction tome. Every person – lost or saved – is authoring their own life story, and that record will be the basis for their final judgment. That leaves the Book of Works.

For the unredeemed, the entries in that journal will determine their degree of condemnation (Matthew 11:22-24; Revelation 20:11-12). For the redeemed, their works will determine the degree of commendation (1 Corinthians 10:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11). The basis for the Judge’s decision: he will rule based on what he finds written in the Book of Works.

The works that matter the most: those that result – directly, or indirectly – in the addition of names to the Book of Life. Every day I make decisions about the entries I’ll make to my own life story. Some will be redacted at the Judgment (the pursuits that have no eternal value); the ones that proved to be part of God’s Calling on my life will be rewarded. Redacted or rewarded: those are the only options.

What are you reading right now? What are you writing right now?

Bob Shank

The last word

America needs a day off. Last week was supposed to be the final lap around the summer track before returning to the sprint lane that puts everyone back in competition for the Fall. But some things aren’t planned in keeping with the normal calendar: death lands on life with little notice, and demands attention.

Parties are great, but they don’t offer the value one finds at a funeral. Solomon said as much: “A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart…” (Ecclesiastes 7:1-2).

America attended services last week for Senator John McCain and the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Both were icons, from the same era. The politician died at 81; the singer died at 76. Their lives were lived in public, and their endings were not private. Through live media coverage, the world was invited to be part of their houses of mourning as the living gave their own perspective about the dead.

For McCain, his family funeral was hosted at North Phoenix Baptist Church, the congregation in which he and his wife often worshiped when he was “home.” In his service, Pastor Noe Garcia shared that McCain had placed his faith in Jesus Christ, and that he was then “more alive than he’s ever been,” because he embraced the truths of Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23 and John 3:16. Though Joe Biden’s eulogy in that service garnered more headlines, Garcia’s comments offered more solace. Dead… but “more alive than he’s ever been.” Faith in the Lord Jesus allows that certainty…

Aretha Franklin’s service was held at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. The day-long tribute was a multifaceted experience: music across genres – Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill were just some of the headliners – and orators aplenty, from Reverend Jesse Jackson to President Bill Clinton.

C.L. Franklin – Aretha’s father – was a respected pastor and civil rights leader. When he died in 1984, his dear friend, Reverend Jasper Williams, Jr. – the pastor of Salem Bible Church in Atlanta – was asked to deliver his eulogy. As Aretha anticipated her own death, she asked that Williams (a lifelong friend and contemporary) do for her what he had done for her father. He came prepared…

At both memorials, the commentaries went beyond the lives of the dead and ventured into the ideologies of the living. Some of those observations were applauded; a few were later attacked. None received more negative reaction than those offered by Reverend Williams.

Williams preached with fire and passion as he declared that the righteous objectives of the civil rights movement would never be achieved through political victory alone: that the erosion of the nuclear family – manifested in the absence of fathers in the home and the vacating of the self-disciplines that give strength to a community – are the responsibility of men within every culture.

While his declaration was directed at the men in America’s black community, the same confrontation of culture could be directed to modern men of every ethnic category. To adapt his rhetoric: America has lost its soul, and mothers raising sons alone are at a disadvantage. Men – by God’s design – were called to accept their responsibility to be faithful husbands and fathers.

Here’s Aretha at the White House singing what she believes. Here’s Jasper doing Aretha’s eulogy, preaching what he believes. Both of them are stirring renditions worth hearing.

What will someone say in your eulogy?

Bob Shank

From home to hell…

What are the odds that your kids in college will reject your faith?

This happens every year. For families, the summer break ends and “back to school/college” or becomes the critical transition point. Clothes, classroom supplies, shifts of routine and more become a demanding deadline. “First day of school” is on the calendar, and it has no wriggle-room. No one consulted your family regarding that appointment: be there, or be truant…

From preschool through high school – or, “prep school,” for some of the privates – the daily classroom convenes out-of-sight for parents, but becomes – for some – an item on the dinner agenda for the families who still convene the family for a common meal (40% of American families eat dinner together three or more times each week, according to the Food Marketing Institute). Mom and dad have some touch with what their kids are hearing all day from their teachers…

School happens alongside multigenerational family interaction; for a declining number of American families, frequent church attendance is another balancing factor. In families like yours, high school graduates still self-identify with the claims of “born again” and “followers of Jesus.”

Near the end of that intense 18 year period of parent-supervised maturation, the focus shifts toward planning the next steps. My readers – you – are highly likely to send your kids to college. To put it in business terms, the most important product ever created in your family workshop will be shipped to an outsource enterprise for its final assembly. They will forever have your brand attached, but the finishing touches on your labor of love will be provided by someone else. What will that mean?

Allow me to disrupt your fantasies with some reality: the vast majority of young American Christians who leave a home just like yours to live and study at an undergraduate college – public or private – will, during their four year enrollment, reduce or reject their claims of personal faith.

Right now, our culture is in the midst of a faith free-fall. Catholics are appalled at the unrelenting headlines concerning decades – perhaps, generations – of sexual exploitation of children by priests, down the street and around the world. In the Protestant/Evangelical community, the revelations of double-lives by notable leaders have hit both the church and parachurch movements. Confidence in religious structures continues to be shaken, and emerging adults – who are beginning to think for themselves – are not immune to the tsunami of backlash that is sweeping over American society.

Find 100 college freshmen who frequented the high school ministry at their family church and say “yes” to their ownership of personal faith… and, then, reconvene them after graduation, four years later. The statistical probability: less than 35 will claim the same spiritual status. What happened?

Today’s public and private college classrooms in America are hostile to biblical faith, and most Christian students coming in the freshman door are unprepared for the active assault on the beliefs and values that came from their family and church. Read more…

If you still have time – with kids or grandkids – and if your faith legacy within your family matters to you, here are two crucial considerations that warrant your top-priority attention.

First: put Christian colleges that teach what you believe on top of your preferred list. If a biblical worldview does not permeate the college classroom, why put your progeny at risk in a place where the Enemy’s version of “truth” is embedded in the education? You have options.

Second: if your choice is a school without Scripture, invest in an evangelical epipen. Before you deliver your student to the Enemy for their college education, enroll them in a 12-day training camp that will help them handle the attacks that are inevitable. Summit is the signature option.

Confession: both of our daughters attended college at Biola University; both attended Summit. We’ve set the same protocols in play for the next generation – our grandkids – because our legacy depends on it.

So… what’s your plan, to avoid the tragedy of losing your most important battle?

What are you building?

“What did you do on your summer vacation”?

In a bygone era, that question was a predictable “pop quiz” for the first day of school. Designed to get the cobwebs out of the students’ cursive grips, it challenged kids to put 10 weeks into 300 words.

Today is “back to school” day, for me; my 2018/Q3 schedule has begun. Sessions for The Master’s Program begin – for me – tomorrow, in Atlanta, and will keep me flying/running until the mid-December holiday shutdown. What did I do on my “summer vacation?”

My holiday spanned 30 days – from July 19 to August 18 – with four of those days spent at home base, handling appointments and ministry infrastructure enhancements that were important. The other 26 days were a virtual whirlwind: 17,422 flying miles across nine time zones.

If I was allergic to marble, I would be in intensive care today: extended stays in Washington, DC, Rome, Naples, Sicily, Venice and Vienna put us in the crosshairs of history. Everywhere we went, there were monuments to visit, buildings to enter, and exploits to rehash.

Cultures produce radically different remnants. In Rome – and much of the rest of the Italian sites – the sites and buildings date back 2000 years. Emperors were conquerors, and they had no inherent budgetary limits for “public works” projects. They ensured their immortality (or so they imagined) by building edifices to themselves or to the pantheon of deities whose blessings they sought or claimed in their ventures. Modern archeology cannot fully grasp the “how” of those construction projects: with seized treasures and defeated slaves, the sky was the limit on what could be erected to honor human leaders who were destined to experience the same end-of-life reality that was common to all.

Venice moved the calendar forward about 1000 years. By then, victory came from commerce rather than from conquest. Fortunes were acquired through transactions and distributions instead of trauma and defeats. Turning low-lying islands into a thriving city-state – with canals being the corridors of commercial activity – made the city a destination of note. The impact of the Renaissance played out on the 118 islands that comprise the city; the linkage of the Doges (the political heads of the independent region) to the Cathedral of Saint Mark that was conveniently located next door to the Doges Palace. Again, edifices were evidence of human accomplishment. Magnificent marble says so much…

The defacto capital of the Holy Roman Empire was Vienna. Often named “the most livable city in the world,” it’s home to 1.8 million people and architectural treasures that seem timeless. Home to the Habsburg royal dynasty for hundreds of years, the influence of the city continued into the modern era. It was woven into Hitler’s tapestry for his Third Reich, and suffered bombings by the Allies that destroyed 12,000 buildings during the Great War. Today, there is no evidence of that devastation; the city’s columns and corridors seem timeless, though lifeless…

We’ve got our own rock piles: Washington is more recent, but just as grand. Stonecutters in the states took their lead from their predecessors on another continent, but had the same motivation: capture legacies for perpetuity…

A month of marble; now, I’m back to months of ministry. What did I do during my summer vacation?

Peter’s name came up – a lot – at the Vatican, the palace of the popes. Here’s Peter’s wisdom: “The present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming…” (2 Peter 3:7-12)

Buildings are great; people are greater. Marble has value; mankind is more valuable. Massive amounts of time and money went into creating inanimate structures… that will, one day soon, be destroyed. Investments into Eternity are wise… but have little to do with brick and mortar. Jesus didn’t come to inspire construction; he came to redeem humanity.

He’s not wanting anyone to perish. That’s what matters most to him; it should matter most to us. He’s left us with the task of populating heaven; that’s our Prime Directive.

What did you do on your summer vacation?

Bob Shank

Identity matters: Who are you?

Who are you? What is your identity?

These days, that’s not an easy question to answer. Identity goes to the heart of life; it frames our status in every conversation and encounter that, together, formulate our days.

Within the span of my lifetime, that question – and, its answer – has become far more complex. As a kid, “American” was a label that was worn with pride and distinction by everyone who surrounded me. At home, at school, at church: it seemed that common denominator was worth a high-five, anywhere, for any reason (though, back then, “high fives” were not yet a “thing”).

Today, “American” doesn’t have the same effect. Famous people – in politics, entertainment, business, sports – have been quick to denounce our country. Even more telling has been the applause and support they’ve earned through their condemnation of our nation. Unity is extinct. Flying the Stars & Stripes has become divisive: lines are drawn and tensions are heightened.

Are you an American? A growing number of people living in the United States demand qualifiers before they will embrace that identity: they link more specifically with a faction than they do with a nation, which is no longer “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Debate and discussion among people of differing views are no longer socially acceptable; verbal assaults have taken their place, and shouting has accelerated to shoving and shooting in the public square.

Are you a Christian? What’s happened with “American” has happened with “Christian.” Ask a suicidal ISIS terrorist: they’ve determined that American = Christian. Ask Americans if they’re Christian, and that generalization evaporates like August rain in Arizona. Maybe; it depends…

Even within the self-identified Christian demographic, the need to qualify the identity remains. Are all Christians cookie-cutter comparable? Is there a distinction that culls the Christian community to the vital core? If being a follower of Jesus means more than attending a 70-minute event every other week, is there a name for those who live as if their faith is their primary distinction, affecting their every thought, word and deed in a 24/7/365 context?

“Evangelical” may be that identity. That’s not just a seminary exercise; the influence of the deeply committed Christian electorate has become a factor in American politics. Recently, The Atlantic addressed the question in a feature article, Defining “Evangelical.” No one could accuse them of positive bias, but their journalistic objectivity landed pretty close to reality.

Evangelicals hold three key tenets: 1) The Authority of Scripture: the Bible is the Word of God; 2) The Necessity of Conversion: every person must respond to God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ; and, 3) The Responsibility of the Great Commission: the directive by Jesus to take the Gospel to the whole world is binding on everyone who calls him Savior and Lord.

Are you an Evangelical? Accepting one’s identity is foundational to finding and fulfilling one’s role in the world. Identity matters; it has always mattered.

After Jesus’ arrest, the mockery and humiliation – leading to the public execution that fulfilled God’s perfect plan – created personal crisis for the followers who had, to that point, been willing to be counted among Jesus’ close collaborators. In the melee of Jesus’ mock trial, Simon Peter was called out as one who was associated with Jesus; three times he rejected that identity to avoid the risk it held.

Identity matters: everything else flows from that essential determination. The conditions of life in 2018 are becoming terser and tenser than ever before; connections between people are often made or broken based on the answer.

Who are you? Let me give you my answer: I am a Christian, best described as an Evangelical: I recognize the Bible as the Word of God; Conversion is the only way to be saved; and, the Great Commission is my #1 lifetime assignment. Everything else is secondary…

Bob Shank

Nothing lasts… or, does it? Spent, or invested?

Where were you, yesterday? Was the time you spent – where you were, doing what you did – spent, or invested?Whatever your answers to #1 and #2, here’s a stopper: can you prove it?

ColiseumNormally, this weekly musing arrives with my mug shot embedded at the top. Today, I’ve led-off with the iPhone shot from my Sunday sun-up walk through ancient Rome. Undoubtedly, you can name the edifice; everyone – whether they’ve walked the streets of the Eternal City or not – could pick the Coliseum out of a police line-up. It has no modern knock-off.

It was bigger than any modern megachurch; seats for 80,000, with the ability to stage mock naval battles – or wild animal hunts (they had particular affection for killing African lions, up to 100 at a time), or athletic competitions, or gladiatorial contests, or dramatic re-enactments of military victories.

Originally known as Amphitheatrum Flavium, it was named for the emperors of the Flavian dynasty, following the reign of Nero. A monstrous statue of Nero stood outside the megalithic structure that was patterned after the Colossus of Rhodes (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; built in 280BC, the Colossus of Rhodes collapsed from an earthquake in 226BC and was never rebuilt – time spent: 56 years). That statue was the basis for the nickname ultimately given to the stadium: the Coliseum was the moniker that stuck.

In Rome, a statue produced the colloquial name for an epic structure; in America, our culture produces catch-phrases from movie screens. The 1976 docu-drama All the President’s Men coined the phrase, “Follow the Money.” The concept is clear: if you want the real/whole story, track the cash and you’ll get the big picture.

Where did the Romans get the money to build that immense memorial? The answer: Titus – a Roman General who became Caesar from 79-81AD – led the siege of Jerusalem in 70AD that conquered the Jews, destroyed Solomon’s Temple… and brought the stolen wealth of Israel back to Rome to fund the construction of the massive monument. Time spent.

Less discussed is the incalculable worth of the captives who were displaced: 10,000 enslaved Jews were employed to quarry the marble at Tivoli, transport it 20 miles to the Coliseum site, and erect the testimony to Rome’s power and might. It was about 2000BC when Pharaoh had enslaved their ancestors to build his pyramids; now, again, God’s people were being forced to erect the marble declarations of the greatness of their human oppressors.

While the Roman hierarchy was constructing stone monuments declaring their power, there was an invisible movement expanding across their Empire. Led by people like Paul of Tarsus, they left no buildings in their wake that would draw tourists in the 2000s. The strategic difference that marked the leaders who were the followers of Jesus had staying power. Paul’s approach:“For we wanted to come to you – certainly I, Paul, did, again and again – but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” (1 Thessalonians 2:18-20).

The Roman approach: conquer countries; enslave people; steal their riches… and then construct structures that would – forever – tell the story of human victory. The Christian approach: go to every country, share the truth that would forever free people from slavery, teach them what real riches are and what to do with the resources that seem so valuable, but are, in fact, so temporary. The result: a new divine force – the “Church” – that would, forever, tell the story of God’s ultimate victory.

Every significant building in Rome has the names of Emperors or Caesars or Popes who built lifeless formations that have crumbled with time. The superior approach: invest your life’s efforts in redeeming people who will live forever because of the imprint you made on them.

Rome is not the Eternal City; that’s Jerusalem. Buildings are not the ultimate memorial; the greatest testimony of one’s life is people brought to faith and life through Jesus Christ.

Bob Shank

Your plan or His plan?

For the Jews – about 3330 years ago – God performed a miracle that showed his power and would forever define their family and mark His plan. It was Passover and Jews mark that divine intervention each year.

For the Shanks – 25 years ago – God performed a miracle that showed his power and would forever define our family. It was our accident in Colorado, and August 3 is an annual remembrance.

It was my second year as senior pastor at a large church in California. We were enjoying my summer break at our place in the Colorado Rockies; our daughters were 19 and 15. My plan: dinner in a historic mining town about 60 minutes away. Our Ford Explorer – factory-equipped with Firestone tires – was just a year old, and the graded dirt road had a late-summer washboard surface. My plan wasn’t God’s plan…

I have no memory of the accident, but Cheri and the girls cannot forget: we were going about 30 – on a flat S-curve – when the SUV went out of control. It rolled about six times before landing upright – roof flattened, windows all gone, car totaled – and the dust settled. They were still strapped-in and okay; my seat belt had released and I was ejected. They found me in the dirt about 75 feet away.

I was unconscious and not breathing; Cheri performed CPR and revived me. The girls ran to call for help at a ranch about a mile away. It was an hour before the off-duty, rural fireman arrived; another hour passed before the Flight for Life helicopter landed for my evac. Three hours after the incident, I was offloaded on the roof of St Anthony’s Hospital in Denver… and the odds weren’t good.

The massive concussion was the life-threatening issue; prayer – across the country – was huge; God was gracious toward us all. I spent eight days in Intensive Care; finally released with this dark prognosis: “We don’t know if your mental edge or memory will return.”

In intensive care, my orthopedic issues were undetected and untreated by the neurologists on my crisis team: broken femur, pelvis and ribs; two Grade-III shoulder separations that remain today. My family’s experience: four days of “will he live?” followed by weeks of  “will he be Bob again?”

Traumatic brain injury does its thing; the effects can remain long after people forget about the incident that caused it. I knew who I was before the accident; who would I be after?

Three life-impacting lessons from that game-changing experience are still with me, today; let me share them with you as my family remembers God’s graciousness to us on that August evening:

Often, our plans are not His plan. We were on vacation, heading for dinner; I had just turned 40, and wasn’t yet at Halftime. Discovery: life can change course – or, end – at any time, without warning or consent. Ready or not, you may be in the midst of the final act of your personal story… or, it may be just a chapter that is wrapping up, with another taking its place. Be ready…

Pain can be a liability, or an asset. Make it an asset. My memory starts-up again, about 10 days after the accident… and every waking moment since has been marked by chronic pain – in both shoulders. Pain speaks constantly; some activities make pain scream. “Thorn in the flesh;” I get that. Pain either preoccupies me… or I relegate it to the background of my consciousness and engage something more important. I’ve learned that, through pain: focus – constantly – on something bigger…

Disconnect identity from entity. Leaders can become their enterprise… and lose themselves in their assignment. If I could not return to my position after the accident, was my calling finished? From my recovery months, a vision for the church became clear to me… which I set in motion when I regained my capacity. Back to Lesson #1: Often, our plans are not His plan. I left the church 24 months after the accident. My vision for the church was accomplished without me after I left to pursue another vision which became The Master’s Program.

Every year, the Jews relive the Passover; every year, the Shanks relive the Accident…

Bob Shank

Be jealous of people who are livin’ the dream (not the Bucket List)

It’s time to kick the Bucket List.

I’m stealing that headline from the Wall Street Journal’s Weekend Edition; Joe Queenan’s lead article in the Review section was the kind of laser-focused leering that challenges otherwise savvy people to re-examine their assumptions.

Blame Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman for the cultural obsession with coming up with a Top-10 wish list that finishes with #11 being “embalm or cremate?” The concept went viral after the 2007 adventure/comedy exceeded predictions and grossed $175 million at the senior-adult box office.

If you’re under-50, this may not be your read. As Joe said in the WSJ, “Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: you can’t start a bucket list when you’re twelve. You can’t start crossing things off your bucket list when you’re 29. People that young do not possess the moral authority to compile a bucket list. They should all go up to their rooms and play Warcraft for four decades; Mommy will call you back downstairs when you reach full retirement age…”

So, what’s wrong with a “wish list?” Maybe nothing; maybe everything. Again, from Queenan: “(The list) can seem like a consolation prize for not having a satisfactory life. If you are rapidly approaching the final curtain and you still have dozens of things pending on your bucket list, it raises the question of what you were doing all that time. Bucket lists too often are an attempt to compensate for not having done things early enough in life that they would have made a difference. They’re a shortcut, a make-up exam, a trick. Bucket list accomplishments are like Fantasy League baseball: a cheap substitute for the real thing.”

Heathen and Heaven are on the same dictionary page, but they direct people in profoundly different directions. A Heathen compass points to self-gratification; Heaven’s compass will set a course toward experiences that honor God and advance his Kingdom, while producing a deep sense of certainty that the time and energy spent in the pursuit were invested, not squandered.

Scrap the Bucket List; in its place, get yourself a Dream Roster: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people…  your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). New Testament Peter – at Pentecost – was quoting Old Testament Joel: when God comes to live in a person, they’ll see into a future that is more amazing than the present can imagine.

What are your dreams? “I dream my painting and I paint my dream” (Vincent van Gogh). The imagination begins with an image, and energy then flows into bringing that secret possibility into an obvious reality. The pursuit of Bucket Lists end up in Christmas letters; life invested in Dream Rosters is celebrated in Memorial Services… and upon arrival at the Reception Hall of Heaven.

Back to the WSJ article: “Remember that making a dream come true is not the same thing as showing off. Dreams are not pranks. When Don Quixote belts out his inspiring tune in ‘Man of La Mancha,’ he’s singing about achieving the Impossible Dream. He’s not singing about accomplishing the Impossible Stunt.”

Paul was a dreamer, and living those dreams made his life historic. He wrote to Christians in Rome: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation… This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain…” (Romans 15).

In The Master’s Program, we help couples clarify and pursue their dreams. Scroll down: you’ll see multiple opportunities to join an amazing group of Dreamers – and our gifted “Dream Doctors” – who will help you think out-of-the-box and into-your-aspirations as you live into a future rich with potential!

If you’re a TMP grad, get your Session #4 materials out and set a time to work on your dreams. If you haven’t joined us yet as a participant in Master’s, watch for one of these DreamMaster weekends to come around (offered in multiple venues during the year, every year).

The Bucket List premise: it’s what you do to get ready to die. The Dream Roster promise: it’s what you do to get ready to live.

Which would you prefer?

Bob Shank

Should you do a walk-through before you move in?

What’s your favorite place?

Ask that question – in a group – and step back; you’ve done enough. The answers will start flying, and will often be offered with passion and explanation. If there are 12 people in the room, you might get 12+ answers, because some people cannot settle on just-one-place.

If God is in on the conversation, he might be one of those respondents with a first-choice, and a runner-up. What do you think he would say?

If you can discern someone’s interests from their writings, let me make a bold move and presume to speak for God. What’s his “favorite place?” And, then: what would his second choice be?

God’s favorite place: it’s Jerusalem, Israel. His second choice: heaven.

What! How could that be?

Do a word inventory; in God’s comprehensive record of creation/life/history/plans for the future – found in the 66 books of the Bible – here’s the word-count for those places:

  Israel: 1683 citations (admittedly, some focus on the people, not the place).

  Jerusalem: 801 mentions (by name; the same place had additional Bible monikers).

  Heaven: 399 times, specifically (many regard the expanse, not his dwelling place).

Before you send this Point of View to an accounting firm for an audit, let me just distill the point: in Revelation (God’s “preview of coming attractions”), he tells us that he’s moving from heaven to earth – for Eternity – to move-in with us. In fact, he’s constructing his amazing domicile that will be permanently affixed to earth. He calls it “New Jerusalem,” and its GPS coordinates will match the current city (see Revelation 21 for a sneak peek!).

Here’s the deal: if Israel – and, Jerusalem – are so high on God’s hot-list, does it make any sense for you to seize the opportunity to visit that destination before it becomes the holy hub of the coming age?

We’re just months from an amazing adventure! October 16-27, 2018 an elite gathering of men and women from the Master’s Program and Barnabas Group community – across America – will experience the Holy Land led by Tom and JoAnn Doyle, ministry leaders who work in collaboration with us. The Mid East is their ministry focus; they’ll introduce God’s favorite place in a way that will capture your heart as well.

We made room for 42 guests to join us (the bus will only be 80% loaded), and we have four spots left. Why not think about joining us? Check it out: morningstartours.com/bbg936.

This year is the 70th anniversary of the modern-day resurgence of the State of Israel. What an opportune time to see the place that will be embedded in your eternal future!

This destination is on God’s bucket list. The Doyles are the best folks to show you the places where the Bible stories happened, in real time, and to introduce you to what is happening there, today, on behalf of the Kingdom. Cheri and I can’t wait to share this incredible discovery with friends like you!

Only four spots left. Will you make a decision to come with us and see a place that God can’t stop talking about?

Can’t wait to meet you in Israel!

Bob Shank

Begin with the End in Mind…

Make the call.

Summer and baseball are inextricably linked. The guy with the worst job on a hot July day is the one in the black get-up – wearing thick padding, on top of that – behind the catcher, behind the plate. Beyond the discomfort, he has to call ‘em as he sees ‘em, based on a virtual box, over the plate. You might not see it, but the strike zone will determine the outcomes of the game. You might not agree with his calls, but his task is to use his interpretation of reality to make critical decisions.

That’s baseball; what does that have to do with life? In baseball, it’s the strike zone; in life, it’s theology. God is the Man in Black (symbolically); he’s enforcing the rules and the limits that he has established. You can stand up and cheer or jeer when he makes his calls… but opinions don’t change his conclusions. What he says, goes.

Last week – leading up to the 4th of July – this blog wasn’t full of optimism. Instead of painting a rosy picture of America, it addressed the systematic erosion of the Judeo-Christian foundation on which our country was built. People are opting-out of active participation in faith-based relationships and redefining their values based on celebrity tweets rather than apostolic epistles. What’s ahead?

The answer to that is rooted in your theology; specifically, the sub-set of theology that focuses on the bottom-of-the-ninth (using the baseball analogy). It’s called eschatology: the study of what the Bible teaches about the end of this “game,” and what comes after the final “out.”

There are two doctrinal positions regarding the End Times: they are branded Pre-Millennial and Post-Millennial. You can click those for some clarity, but here’s the fortune-cookie summary: both camps believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will someday return to Earth, to wrap things up. Their conflict concerns when that will happen… and what we’re supposed to do, between now and then.

The Millennium – as a biblical concept – is the promised period of Jesus’ reign over the world we live in. Described in Scripture as a 1000-year span, it has been a compelling promise of hope for believers throughout the testaments.

Premillennials believe that Jesus is coming back – literally, physically – to establish and oversee his Kingdom of peace and righteousness. Postmillennials believe that Jesus will come back after believers have established his Kingdom, in preparation for his triumphal return. That’s a critically-important issue to resolve, personally. Why is that true?

The answer defines the parameters of our life mission. For Pre believers, success is the fulfillment of the Great Commission: make disciples of all nations. They believe that we are called to make the Gospel accessible to every ethno-linguistic group around the world; when that task is completed, the King will return to fulfill his promises.

For Post believers, they rally around the commission given to Adam and Eve, before they were corrupted by sin: “Rule over…” (Genesis 1:28). From that mandate, the Special Forces of the Post crowd embrace Dominion Theology (again, click).

The Great Commission compels believers toward conversions; the Dominion Mission points adherents toward conquests. Theology sets the tone for all that is done in the Name of Jesus.

If “success” – for Christians – is to bring in the Kingdom of Righteousness leading to the return of Jesus, we’re losing ground. If the progress that matters is the expansion of the Gospel to those waiting to hear it for the first time, great progress has been made in our generation. We’re near the finish line.

Figure out what you believe; theology matters. Believe it… and, then, get on with it! (By the way, I’m Pre: I live to run up the score in conversions – not conquests – until he returns.)

Bob Shank

Lots of fireworks… but not much celebration in America

That isn’t a birthday cake, America: it’s a brushfire.

I mean, really: put 242 candles on anything and light them up. The smoke alarm will signal an evacuation order, and the party will be over before you scoop the ice cream and pass out the forks. It’s pretty much official: the Declaration of Independence was approved by 13 colonies on July 4, 1776… and history would declare that as the birthday for the USA. Wednesday marks 242 years…

Here’s a factoid: most efforts that require human connection don’t survive long. Oft-quoted statistics are usually rooted in generalized facts: 80% of new businesses fail in the first five years. In marriages, the divorce rate in America is currently 53% and the average duration of those failed unions is seven years. Over 90% of organizations expire before their founders die. The life expectancy for entities created by people (except other people) is, most typically, pretty short…

Invent a new tech product, and expect competition to best your baby in short order. Start a company, and work on your IPO plans as soon as your initial funding allowed you to incorporate. Unless your marriage is solidly faith-based, have a pre-nup on your wedding plan to-do list. If you want all of your best efforts to make something happen to last… get some friends together and birth a nation. That’s the exception to the “use-by date” conundrum: countries can last…

The USA is showing its age. Fourth of July celebrations used to be apolitical unifiers: when the hot dogs and flags come out, the differences are left on the opinion page and everyone would rise to sing the National Anthem. Today, there are more buses going to protests than to parties. Barbecues will be the setting to roast politicians instead of grilling ribs. Membership in the NRA is going up: for some, the “R” is for rifles; for others, the “R” is for rhetoric; both are being used – today – with a shoot-to-kill precision.

Most Boomers have some foggy remembrance of America’s Bicentennial celebrations. It was 1976 – in the last millennium – and it was a unifying experience. America – and, Americans – came together to mark the milestone of the Grand Experiment: the first country that was formed “by the people, for the people” and based on democracy and liberty, to give the power to the people as the rulers of the government, instead the historic norm where a government rules the people.

Don’t look for any residual of that bicentennial blessing today; it’s gone. Much of what was accepted as reasonable in ’76 is now contested, somewhere. The line – from the Pledge of Allegiance – that raises hackles in ’18: “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all…”

The number of opt-outs from “the Pledge” is spiking; the voices in unison expressing that sentiment is shrinking. Aspirations to divide individual states based on ideological differences have become ballot initiatives; conversations about particular states exiting the Union are now recurring as differences spike and debates turn ugly. One nation? Not so much these days…

Then, “…under God.” The rejection of the historic role of faith in the foundations of America is now a widespread tenant of most university faculties, and the rise of functional agnosticism is the product of modern culture’s impact on the impressionable next generation.

“One nation?” Unity is in steep decline. “Under God?” Divine reality is now dismissed. "Indivisible?" Political polarization has fractured families, friends and faith communities. The absence of “liberty and justice for all” now incites public protests and uncontrolled mayhem.

Happy birthday, America. Maybe it’s time to pray…

Bob Shank

Halfway? Half in? No way!

We’re running out of time at the half.

I know you’re scrambling this week to get ready for next week’s inconvenient holiday schedule. Could it be more crazy? July 4th lands on Wednesday, and it’s the middle of the summer. No one will close it down for just one day: the lazy genes push for a long weekend… but, which one? Shutter the doors on Monday and Tuesday? Leave for Wednesday’s legal break… and don’t come back?

Then, think about this one: six months from today is Christmas! Whatever you were planning to get done in 2018 had better be in full swing, because this week marks the half-way point: Q2/2018 will be history by next Monday, and – like an out-and-back marathon course – the finish is now coming into view. Whatever your plans for Independence Day, the year takes on an increasingly serious tone the day you’re back from your beach/lake/fireworks/burgers/ballgames/sunscreen family extravaganza…

“Half” is a curious concept; that quantifier is now attached to your 2018 calendar. Half-full vs half-empty; half-hearted vs whole-hearted; half price vs full price; half-moon vs full-moon: there’s something about “half” that is inherently dissatisfying. Why “half?” Why not “whole?”

Just imagine assembling your working team after the Fourth of July halftime… and reiterating the challenges of completing your work year with a “win.” If it’s your role to fire-up the faithful and get the A-Team on the field with gusto and resolve, you’re likely to ask the crucial question: “Are you all-in?” What if your #1 Draft Choice – peer-voted Most Likely to Succeed – raised her hand and said, “I’m about half-way there…” What are your chances of making your numbers in the Second Half?

Chris Sonksen – pastor of a church in Southern California – whose x-ray glasses allow him to see his weekend crowd – the board shorts, lattes and “Bible-on-my-mobile” quirkiness that defines contemporary Christians – with clarity that most lack. His perspective: “In most churches, 80% of the work is being done by 20% or less of the people. We’ve become a church of spectators and the pastoral staff is getting burned out. According to my own personal research, the problems are even bigger than the 80/20 Principle. Only 39% of active believers consider the Bible as the literal word of God. Less than 20% of professing believers follow the biblical principle of giving. Only 5% have shared their faith with a non-believer. More than half of all church members attend church once a month or less.”

That disturbing analysis could frame the distinctions of what it means – today – to be “half-Christian.” If that’s the status of the forces who have been commissioned – in this generation, in every generation – to change the world and build God’s Kingdom… how does that affect our game plan?

The first few chapters of the Revelation include Jesus’ unredacted assessment of seven recurring church types; one of them – in Laodicea – got this tough diagnosis: “These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:14-16)

We’re running out of time – “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” – and we’re running out of gas – “…neither cold nor hot…” – while we have custody of the most awesome assignment ever entrusted to mere humans: the Great Commission.

Businesses are preparing to double-down as they turn the corner into Q3 and stare down the calendar to year-end. Half-in won’t cut it; all-in hits the target.

What if we doubled-down in the Kingdom, recognizing the reality that time is short, Eternity is real… and half-in makes no sense for the followers of Jesus who are really serious?

Bob Shank

How earth’s losers become heaven’s winners

It’s amazing how many people believe in both natural and supernatural selection.

We start our week with Supernatural Selection – at church – reminded that God has chosen us to be His followers, His children, His heirs, by His grace: that’s Supernatural Selection…

Then, starting Monday morning, we shift from the Apostle Paul to Charles Darwin for our source code, and fire up our competitive engines to compete in the Natural Selection finals. For the rest of the week, it’s all about the Survival of the Fittest.

Best-in-class wins the day; superior by every measure is what we’re programmed to pursue, and the tireless search for excellence drives climbers to accept exhaustion as a reasonable recurrence.

As you receive this, I’m flying home from Africa with Cheri and some colleagues. During our two weeks there, we took a couple of days to see what God created in the savanna in Kruger National Park. We spent hours tracking, finding, watching and photographing lions – alone, and in prides – and observing their approach to life. That was pure indulgence…

Observation: the King of the Jungle has no sense of decency or grace. An independent male comes upon a pride and challenges the dominant male. A battle ensues; the winner takes it all. The females are now his; any cubs will be killed by him (to eliminate the former leader’s blood line). I watched that Animal Kingdom drama, and thought about God’s superior Kingdom alternative.

Saul was Israel’s Alpha Male – the first King – who rejected God, and God rejected him. God made a Supernatural Selection for King #2, and it wasn’t the normal royal succession. Jonathan was the Crown Prince, but David was God’s pick. It took over a decade, but Saul and Jonathan (David’s best friend) both died in battle – on the same day! – and David moved toward the monarchy.

Once installed on the throne, David remembered a promise he had made to his good friend: he would forever remember Jonathan’s family with kindness. Natural Selection – in the pursuit of thrones and crowns – dictates that the victor eliminates the former sovereign’s progeny. Banishment or execution were the tactics for the Survival of the Fittest king. The one whose bloodline would include the Lion of Judah had different plans.

After securing his position, David ordered Jonathan’s only surviving son brought to the palace. His name was Mephibosheth and, when word had come years before that his grandfather and father had both died in battle, his nurse had dropped him (he was only five), disabling him for life. Now a man, his summons to Jerusalem was presumed to be a death sentence.

The story is worth re-reading; it’s found in 2 Samuel 9. When Mephibosheth arrived, David welcomed him, restored to him the properties that had been owned by Saul and Jonathan (giving him lifetime income), and then set a place at the King’s table that would be his in perpetuity.

Mephibosheth: Natural Selection would have ensured his death. Supernatural Selection granted him a privileged life. Darwin saw him as expendable; God saw him as redeemable: grace in action.

The reason we went to Africa (the safari was 20% of the trip) was to come alongside a great ministry founded by Ryan and Gerda Audagnotti, South African graduates of The Master’s Program who live in SoCal who found their calling – together – and launched Acres of Love.

South Africa is home to 57 million people; 5.2 million of those (est) are orphans. Acres of Love buys single family homes, staffs them with houseparents… and then welcomes orphans to become part of their Forever Families (check them out at www.acresoflove.org).

Modern-day Mephibosheths – marked for mortality by their conditions – are brought in to the House of the King (provided by Christian partners who understand God’s grace and His plan for children to be raised in families!). Many come with difficulties or disabilities; they are special there.

We helped to dedicate their newest home – made possible by friends of The Master’s Program – and then visit the families of other Acres homes that came from Master’s and Barnabas partners.

The kids in their care – over 210, at current count – have a place at the King’s table, because Supernatural Selection is the way God distributes His greatest provisions…

Bob Shank

Guaranteed: How to live better, and longer (with honor)

Here’s one secret to ensure a longer (and better) life.

That promise on a magazine cover promotes purchases; people read that research and archive that wisdom as a constant reminder of better choices. It’s not buried in some research paper presented to academics convening in Institutes of Intellegentsia; those life hacks are the stuff of real people, looking for real answers. How can you outlive your classmates? What does it take to outlast your peer group? Why do some people go-the-distance, while others seem to leave too soon?

Ask the gerontologists who are evaluating those important questions, and their findings seem to be clustered under two collective headings.

First: maintain a healthy lifestyle. Get some sleep. Eat what you know you should. Drink in moderation (if at all). Exercise your body, habitually. Make moderation your measure.

The soft science addition: be part of a community where relationships create – rather than drain – energy. Within that community, share a sense of purpose. Make yourself an important part of other people’s lives.

Those are great, but there’s another layer of the exercise that the science crowd would tend to dismiss as too-far-out-there: it takes seriously a promise that is buried in a collection of writings that spring from honorable antiquity but are still regarded as authoritative in the 21st Century. The Bible makes an astounding offer that has never been rescinded.

Tucked between an order to take one day off every week – no work allowed, while you recharge your batteries and renew your relationships – and a mandate that every culture on earth still embraces (“You shall not murder”) is this imperative, with a platinum lining: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12).

In this era, “honor” has hit the cultural skids. It’s still the pretense for celebrities to gather in designer gowns and award statuettes of honor for best performance in fictional cinematic lawlessness and hedonism, while using acceptance speeches to dishonor people whose positions used to merit a grudging stand-upon-entrance recognition but are now the target of venomous vile. What is “honor?”

When the 5th of the 10 Commandments was restated in Ephesians, the Greek verb for honor is rich in clarity: to revere, prize and value. While these mandates were connected with fear as a motivator, God made obedience to this directive a qualification for a great prize: “…so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:3). Quality and quantity of life were both extended to the person who makes every day Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Next Sunday puts a spotlight on a key player in every person’s life. Fathers are disappearing from American families: currently, 21% of whites, 31% of Hispanics and 55% of blacks under 18 live in single parent homes, and the vast majority of those are moms, not dads. And that’s just measuring physical presence; emotional disengagement cannot be fully measured, but is a mounting malaise.

Fathers are honored in three categories: position, performance and perseverance. Their status as Dad puts them on top of the family chain of command, and honor is attached. “Because I said so” isn’t great team-building language, but it captures the reality of rank. Position warrants honor.

Performance measures dad’s ability to convey the blessing to his offspring. The reinforcement of a father, poured constantly into his progeny is a power source that is by God’s design.

Finally, perseverance wins the bonus round. “He was there for me” and “he had my back” may not make it into a Hallmark card, but that confidence is in the autobiography of the healthiest next-generations who never had to wonder if they had someone ready to take their call and to respond to a family 911.

Next Sunday: honor your father.Then, on Monday, do it again. On Tuesday, do it again…

Bob Shank

There’s smart… and, there’s wise

Smart! He must be smarter than me; he’s the richest guy in the world.

Jeff Bezos wasn’t always in that position. In fact, the early days of the New Millennium were really tough years for him. Between 1999 and 2002, he lost 85% of his net worth. From that “low point” – his paltry $1.5 billion in late 2002 – he has realized an incredible recovery. Since last July, he has been the world’s wealthiest person; as of March, his net worth is pegged at $130 billion.

Amazon was conceived as an online bookseller; Bezos wrote the business plan while on a road trip, driving from New York to Seattle. The company was birthed in his garage in July of 1994. Four years later, he proposed enterprise diversification, and that inflection point allowed the explosion into the status they now enjoy. Their thirst for growth – new products, new services, new cultures – has not slaked; their future will likely unfold in both predictable and unpredictable paths.

You’d think that Amazon and its dominance in this consumer driven culture would be the most dominant intellectual preoccupation for Mr. Bezos… but you would be wrong. Blue Origin LLC is the space exploration company he founded in 2000 when his own finances were in chaos. Today, he sells about $1 billion in Amazon stock each year and pours the proceeds into privately-held Blue Origin. That company’s pursuits are, in Bezos’ own words, “the most important work I am doing.”

Mr. Bezos believes that the colonization of space is not just an adventure for wealthy Earthlings: “it’s necessary for long-term human survival.” He says that future generations won’t be able to survive on earth without expanding into other parts of the solar system. “We will have to leave this planet, (and) we don’t have a lot of time.” Moon and Mars: here we come!

He’s a self-described space geek and lifelong reader of science fiction novels, according to the Wall Street Journal. For him, it’s not fantasy that diverts him from reality: he’s putting his time, talent and treasure into a future that seems unlikely to most, but non-negotiable to him.

Jeff Bezos is brilliant. High school valedictorian, National Merit Scholar, he finished Princeton undergraduate studies with a 4.2 GPA. Smart guy? No question. But is hesmart about everything?

There are lots of interesting details about Jeffrey Preston Bezos available online, but his faith is a dimension of his life that is unclear. “Christian” is the default identity, but no comment or commitment about him is known to reinforce that assumption.

He’s right: Earth – as a life-friendly ecosystem – has an expiration date stamped on it. That’s fact, not fantasy. Given that reality… what’s the strategy for sustaining human life?

This is not from a science fiction fantasy or a Blue Origin business plan; it’s from the last book of the Bible: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God… 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)

That sounds better than the Moon and Mars! Who gets to go? “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (21:27)

Money won’t get anyone into that City; only faith in Jesus will open the door to Eternity. What’s better than the Forbes List? The Lamb’s List…

Bob Shank

For today’s honorees, it was no picnic…

It’s that time of year: we’re in the middle of significant “special days” that demand attention, medals, and recognition.

Retail advertising – on-line and in-print – will be running “Dads & Grads” as a key theme. Fathers – for families that are still aligned with the traditional pattern of father/mother/kids who are linked long-term – will get their day in a few weeks. Until June 17th, Grads will get the attention. Caps and gowns come out for preschool, elementary, middle and high school finishers, but the big shout-out goes to the college graduates who will get an Amazon gift-card from their family fans… and a payment book from their lenders (average undergraduate student debt is now $39,400).

Those cultural milestones are imminent, but today is a moment to slow down and express our gratitude for a category of Americans who may have been grads and dads in their civilian life, but are remembered today for a contribution they made to our life and liberty: they were members of our military community who died while serving in action.

In many churches yesterday, Memorial Day included a “stand up if you are now – or, have been in the past – a member of our armed forces.” Recognition of the men and women who have volunteered to be part of our national defense is always great, but this holiday is focused specifically on the ultimate sacrifice made by people who accepted the possibility of death as reasonable in protecting their own loving families and great country. Patriotism is, for many, a low-cost attribute; for them, it was a personal value purchased at the highest cost imaginable.

Recognizing the great contribution of warriors is a vital responsibility. In America, we do that through annual holidays, but specific personal affirmations for exemplary status is expressed through military medals and decorations.

For men and women who are wounded in action, the Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the president. Since its inception, over 1 million of these medals have been designated – to recipients who survived their wounds as well as those who did not.

The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest recognition bestowed on those whose heroism has set them apart as extraordinary. Awarded to just 3,518 since it was formalized in 1861, it designates the most exemplary conduct imaginable in service under fire.

Service to our nation warrants high praise; service to God’s Kingdom deserves similar consideration. Our King doesn’t wear a ceremonial uniform bearing virtual or honorary medals; he has earned his commendations from his front-line service as he warred against our evil enemy.

His Purple Heart was earned on Good Friday. From the battlefield account: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

The wounds he suffered in the fight for life – our life – were worthy of merit, but his victory over sin and death was so awesome that his commendation by the Ultimate Authority is unmatched: “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2).  That’s God’s Medal of Honor…

Our American heroes are worthy of our respect and admiration, but our Heavenly Hero deserves that and more: he has earned our worship and reverence. With Jesus, every day is Memorial Day…

Bob Shank

The radical solution to a campus shooter

The shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis is a name that would have – likely – never entered your mind. Nikolas Cruz wasn’t destined to cross your path, either. Their names have left obscurity and anonymity, but they have not become memorable through service and accomplishment. Within the space of 90 days, their bent toward murder and calamity has put them in a category of infamy: School Shooters of 2018.

Parkland, Florida in February; Santa Fe, Texas in May: those are the most recent occasions when a current – or, former – student has walked onto a high school campus while in session with the intent to kill (and, most often, be killed in the process).

Within a nano-second of the news that the situations had been neutralized and the perpetrators had been apprehended, the political battles over gun control and school security had resumed. The active shooter status around classrooms can be retracted, but there is never a cease-fire regarding public policy and partisan culpability. The campaign to blame elected officials for evil events will result in more headlines than the criminal proceedings that will someday determine the fate of Cruz and Pagourtzis.

Cause and prevention will be at the core of thousands of hours of public debate and discourse as candidates and academics, philosophers and agitators claim clarity about the darkness that brings people – mostly men, mostly young – into environments where defenseless students become motionless figures on their macabre canvas of destruction.

Here’s what we won’t hear as the talking heads reveal their empty hearts: at the root of most of this tragedy is the breakdown of the American culture, and the center of the culture’s rot is the dismissal of the American family. The family is in disarray because marriage is in steep decline, and the rejection of the historic Christian faith – the disapprobation of values as portrayed in the Bible – has put America into a moral free fall.

Find a school shooter who came from an intact family, led by a dad and mom who love each other and are committed to the marriage vows that included words like, “faithful and true… honor… obey… ‘til death do us part,” whose family were more likely to be at church on Sunday than a sports complex, who learned memory verses and knew family friends as “Uncle” and “Aunt,” showing respect for adults because they learned it at home. Put the suspect in a line-up who was baptized by choice because they had “accepted Jesus as their Savior,” and went to a Christian club on their public school campus (now likely banned by a school board seeking to avoid class-action suits).

Amy Wax and Larry Alexander – both law school professors at public universities, from both coasts – were vilified last year for suggesting in their published op-ed that the bourgeois American values of the 50’s created a cultural environment that would not have fostered the kind of anarchy that has now become commonplace. Their description was clearly Christian, with the heart of faith removed.

Do we blame the store that sold the guns, or the family that produced the shooter? Does the decision to remove God from the campus – in any form or fashion – mean that the Evil One will be welcome there, 24/7/365?

History – as recounted by God, in the Scriptures – portrays people/nations as predictably short sighted. For a period – years, or generations – the blessing of God elevates a populace who honor Him. Then, their abundance becomes their entitlement, and their debt to the divine is dismissed. It happened to Israel: “In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” (Judges 21:25)

Ban guns? Is there a better solution? “If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The Ambassador is “in,” and will see you now

A symbol is important; when a symbol depicts  reality, its importance amplifies.

Today marks an historic moment: the Embassy of the United States in Israel is moving from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Some argue that the location of the Embassy is simply symbolic, but it depicts a reality that is incredibly important.

For Christians, the Bible is the ultimate source of truth: when the Word of God makes a declaration – on any subject – that statement is far more than a citation of opinion, published in some distributed form. When God speaks, his pronouncement warrants profound consideration.

From Genesis to Revelation, Jerusalem is mentioned 811 times (Tel Aviv did not exist in antiquity). About 3000 years ago, Israel’s King David conquered Jerusalem – taking it from the Jebusites – and established the city as the capitol of the Kingdom that united Israel’s 12 tribes. The Jews’ claim for the city goes back to that historic marker.

How special is Jerusalem, to God? From Joel, 800 B.C.: “The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.” (Joel 3:16-17).

Location matters. God created the heavens and the earth, and – since time began – the importance of places and placement has been woven into his story of mankind. God established the nations; he sanctioned the distribution of particular people to particular places, under his sovereign design and control.

Battles over boundaries between countries have forever been waged between people, but when God has declared particulars regarding people and places, wars and treaties do not take precedent over his divine prerogatives. Terms like “Promised Land” are not founded in fiction; the commitment God made to Abraham does not require a vote at the United Nations to certify its modern efficacy.

Next Sunday marks another significant day in history: it’s Pentecost. On that date – 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection on Easter – God established heaven’s embassy on planet Earth.

Peter quoted the prophet Joel in his first sermon, on Pentecost. Here’s what Joel wrote: “…I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth…” (Joel 2:28-30).

An embassy is an outpost of a foreign power, where the distant sovereign’s interests are represented and protected by someone empowered to serve in that prestigious role. The Embassy of the Kingdom of Heaven has been uniquely cited: people – men and women who are “his servants” now house the immortal Spirit of the King of Kings in their mortal beings. That’s not just Sunday School minutia: it’s even more provocative and game changing than the symbol of the opening the doors of the US Embassy today in the “Holy City”.

Politicians will be atwitter this week because of what’s happening today in Jerusalem. The spiritual powers continue to reverberate because of what happened nearly 2000 years ago next Sunday in Jerusalem. God established the center of his power on planet Earth within the men and women who have become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven through faith in Jesus Christ.

We’re ambassadors today, awaiting the future arrival of the King of Kings. He’s not coming as a symbol on a diplomatic mission; he’s coming to take over – everyone, everyplace – and fulfill his promises…

Bob Shank

This just in, from a Nigerian Prince…

There’s $40 million sitting in an African bank account – in the name of a Nigerian Prince-in- exile – ready to be transferred to your bank in America. They need your information – and your Social Security number – for the funds to be wired, and you’ll get 10% as the accommodator. Are you “in?”

I’m no Nigerian Prince, but I’ve received a message about an incredible promise that sounds too good to be true. It’s from someone called “the Prince of Peace,” and here’s what he said: “Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Jesus, in Matthew 4).

Here’s the deal: help someone fulfill their Kingdom Calling – the prophet, the righteous person, whoever – and the eternal reward that they will receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ will be shared with the people who were credited with an “assist.” The “Nigerian Prince” is a classic scam but the Prince of Peace is for real. “Too good to be true” is stamped across the phishing scheme… but “Truly I tell you” is the headline across the biblical promise. Would you like to get in on that invitation?

Here’s the opening, and this is the week to get in on it: we’re getting our partners on-board who are underwriting the recruitment of new participants in The Master’s Program in 2018.

We have 20+ years of history, and we know this: men and women who complete TMP go on to partner with existing ministries, create new Kingdom Initiatives and provide breakthrough investments in efforts that are working to complete the Great Commission. Their contribution – individually and collectively – becomes exponential. How did their eternal impact grow toward the 100x Jesus said was possible?

It all started when they attended an introductory event – offered free-of-charge in their city – that presented The Master’s Program as the onramp to a lifetime focused on their Kingdom Calling.

We’re able to stage dozens of those “free” events every year because of the Golf Challenge. This Thursday – May 10th – we’ll field a few golfers who have solicited sponsors for their play that day. The golf is simply a ruse; it’s simply the mobilizing event for wise investors to funnel resources into this targeted effort.

Solicit sponsors. Play golf. Underwrite briefings. Offer Session #1 (of 12) as at no cost, allowing prospects to audit TMP before enrolling. Once enrolled in Session #2, their pledges cover the direct costs of serving them. Everything before that is funded through the results of the Golf Challenge.

The “Master” in The Master’s Program is the Prince of Peace. He is the one who made the incredible offer: offer assistance to the gifted Kingdom contributors who are facilitated through your hospitality, and you’ll share in reward they will one day receive.

I’ve pursued you already; shamelessly. I’m soliciting you to become one of my personal sponsors for Thursday’s event. Your business has probably calculated the cost of customer acquisition; for us, we invest about $1000 to get a new participant on-board. Kingdom capital on the line: the value of their future Kingdom outcomes, to quote MasterCard: priceless.

Click here to go to the secure page where you can join my team. Someday, you’ll meet the leader(s) you “received” (Jesus’ term)… as well as the people who will be in Heaven forever because of what that leader did beyond TMP. Would you like to have some IPO stock in that future dividend?

Bob Shank (not the Nigerian Prince!)

to sponsorship

His burning fire just went out

Our days may come to seventy years…

According to the United States Government – the Centers for Disease Control – the average lifespan for an adult born in America in 1948 is 68.2. That opening quote was from Moses – who headed the Jewish community for 40 years, nearly 4000 years ago – who was inspired by God when he said, “I don’t know what you’ve got on your bucket list, but you’d better get it wrapped up by your 70th birthday. Anything beyond that is a bonus…” (Shank paraphrase of Psalm 90).

Larry Harvey made it to 70; he died last week. He got just what Moses – speaking for God then wrote the Psalm that was later included in the Scriptures – said was likely. How did he use his time?

On the surface, the accolades by friends and family seem upbeat: a visionary, a lover of words and books, a mentor and instigator who challenged others to look at the world in new ways. May my loved ones speak similar words about me someday…

The organizational world remembers Mr. Harvey on a different plane. Founder of a movement, the momentum of his brainchild would ultimately incorporate as a not-for-profit entity in 2013 that reports 70 employees and an annual budget of  $30 million. Their principle effort is a week-long event that draws 70,000 participants each year, who pay $425-$1,200 to “get in the door” and experience Burning Man in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in August.

The Associated Press describes Burning Man as “an esoteric mix of pagan fire ritual and sci-fi Dada circus where some paint their bodies, bang drums, dance naked and wear costumes that would draw stares at a Mardi Gras parade.” Harvey died as President of its board and “Chief Philosophic Officer.”

Harvey’s longtime friend Stuart Mangrum posted on the Burning Man website that Larry did not believe in “any sort of existence after death.” What does he believe now?

Jesus told a fascinating story about a rich man whose accomplishments had allowed him unusual success. A homeless beggar named Lazarus was known to hang-out at the rich man’s security gate, and he sorted through the scraps that were in the rich man’s trash cans for the food to stay alive. Stray dogs would come and lick the sores that covered his body. What a contrast, between the well-to-do and the what-did-he-do extremes…

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’” (Luke 12)

Burning Man made Larry Harvey famous. Larry Harvey lived his earthly life dismissing the existence of God and the choice to an afterlife with or without Him. What does he believe today?

About 10 days ago, Larry Harvey became the Burning Man. In a place more extreme than the Nevada desert in August, he now believes in God and an afterlife without Him. The sad reality: his belief came too late to do him any good.

Rich now, or rich later? There’s no answer to be found at Burning Man. Ask Lazarus…

Getting testy about the Testaments of the Bible

Things seem to be heating up…

Every week, it’s been my discipline – for nearly 30 years – to look at what’s going on within the modern world and American culture, and view it through the filter of a Biblical worldview (via the Bible). Headlines – all headlines – come from sources with bias (some clear and disclosed; many hidden, while claiming objectivity). Everyone has a perspective shaped by his or her values, or lack thereof.

This week, GQ Magazine – one of today’s thought-shaping publications – published their list of “21 Classics You Don’t Have to Read Before You Die.” To a generation that has already abandoned books in favor of Instagram, they’ve eliminated books like The Old Man and the Sea, The Lord of the Rings, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn… and, The Bible (#12 on their ditch-list).

Their argument for avoiding the Scriptures: “Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced. It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish and even at times ill-intentioned.”

Will sales of the Bible plummet because of GQ? Perhaps not. As reported by the Washington Post in 2014, “…it is the central and foundational book of Western culture, including American culture. Everywhere we turn in the cultural past, we find the Bible. We cannot avoid it if we tried, and we will not understand our past without a knowledge of the Bible. George Lindbeck, former professor of theology at Yale University, once described the cultural position of the Bible in American culture this way: ‘Its stories, images, conceptual patterns, and turns of phrase permeated the culture from top to bottom. This was true even for illiterates and those who did not go to church, for knowledge of the Bible was transmitted not only directly by its reading, hearing, and ritual enactment, but also indirectly by an interwoven net of intellectual, literary, artistic, folkloric, and proverbial traditions. There was a time when every educated person, no matter how professedly unbelieving or secular, knew the actual text from Genesis to Revelation.’”

In California, a law was passed last week (AB2943) that bans “conversion therapy” for people with non-heterosexual issues. As written, there is significant concern that people antagonistic toward traditional values as they are portrayed in the Scriptures and taught from pulpits would find conservative Christian ministries in violation of state law. There has been no mention of sanctuary protection for those who could come under attack for their failure to relinquish their traditional biblical positions…

How bad could it get? Here’s what Jesus cautioned: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come…” (Matthew 24).

Things seem to be heating up, but – at the same time – things seem to be wrapping-up. The Gospel of the Kingdom, as explained in the Bible, is being suppressed in America, but expressed to the language groups around the world who have waited 2000 years for their chance to hear from God. “And then the end will come…”

Bob Shank
The Master’s Program

Ripped from the headlines…

Everything starts somewhere.

I was rocked last week with the news that Bill Hybels – Founder/Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church – had resigned his position amidst allegations of inappropriate conduct. In the hyper-charged environment of modern culture – exposing histories of sexual exploitation of women by men in power in business, politics and entertainment environments – the reports of highly-regarded women within the Willow Creek community aggregated to become an overwhelming force.

Almost 30 years ago, the path of my calling brought Bill into my story. My departure from my business career in 1984 – resulting in the launch of the marketplace-focused parachurch ministry that I still lead today – had occurred as a result of strategic counsel I received from Chuck Swindoll.

Seven years later, I was rocked by an unexpected shift in my direction. Back then – in 1990 – there were only 150 megachurches (weekly attendance of 2000+) in America (today, there are 1000+). One of those – with 5000 people – was 10 miles from my home; their founder resigned amidst allegations of inappropriate conduct. Their leadership began the tough task of finding a replacement, and the search started with 100 names to cull. Within a few months, the list narrowed to… me.

Willow Creek was the mirror-image of South Coast Community Church, though 1700 miles apart. They began about the same time – with the same ethos of evangelicalism – and the two founders had collaborated in their innovations. My consideration of the radical realignment of my personal calling created a conversation between me and Hybels, that continued over the course of months. My decision to accept the call to lead that church would not have happened apart from the input I received from Bill.

Yogi Berra’s quote comes back into play: “It’s like déjå vu all over again.” The same stunning news of resignation amidst allegations – the same pain and anguish among people who come to church for some relief from the cultural calamities that characterize daily life in a fallen world – has re-circulated, into the holy headlines.

What is the genesis for destructive behaviors? Technology advances, but human foible is frozen in time: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.” (James 1:13-16).

Just 12 months before the news from Willow Creek broke, the American press was reacting with vile toward the revelation that Mike Pence – the Vice President – was personally committed to what they called “The Billy Graham Rule:” the commitment by men not to spend time alone with women to whom they are not married. Called “misguided” by The Atlantic and other enlightened sources, the attacks suggested that women were denied career advancement because of moral boundaries established by faith leaders who wanted to maintain what the Apostle Paul had described as one of the prerequisites for Kingdom leadership authenticity: to remain “above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2).

Had Billy’s ground-rules been practiced by Bill, the headlines of the last week would have lacked the sizzling sensationalism that has come from South Barrington, Illinois. Had another pastor – in Orange County, thirty years ago – adopted Mr. Graham’s wisdom, my diversion into church leadership would have never occurred. Everything starts somewhere; nothing “just happens…”

Boundaries matter. For over 30 years, I’ve embraced “The Billy Graham Rule.” It works.

What’s your rule? Where are your boundaries?

Bob Shank

Taxable – Your Life is On the Line

Your life is on the line.

That’s a one-liner (double entendre intended) that is always true, but is even more vividly evident this week. Actually, we’re just eight days from the filing deadline, to give an account for your 2017 life to the Federal (and State) taxing authorities. Your life is on the line…

There are three places where our Kingdom citizenship will be revealed as we report our American citizenship; for better or for worse, our story will be exposed in a way that is masked from most of our friends, co-workers and friends. The IRS manages the taxable system(s) that extract the individual tax revenues that produce just-under 50% of the federal budget. Within that sweeping universe of dollars and data, our experience with God is on display for them – and, us – to see.

There are three lines in the federal tax forms that are rich with meaning. What are they?

Form 1040/Line #22: Total Income. This represents the sum of wages, salaries, interest, dividends, capital gains, pensions and annuities, rental income, royalties, partnership distributions and any other beneficial receipts that came into your hands during the taxable year. Most people live-and-die by the rise-and-fall of Line #22.

Frederick Douglass – respected American leader a century ago – defined the concept of the self made man: “…who owes little or nothing to birth, relationship, friendly surroundings; to wealth inherited or to early approved means of education; who are what they are, without the aid of any of the favoring conditions by which other men usually rise in the world and achieve great results.” While a valuable concept within a sociological context, it gives rise to the deception that there is no Higher Power behind human achievement. Are we “self-made,” or do we owe God any gratitude?

How could that number have spiritual significance? “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant…” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Is God our source of provision? Form 1040/Line #22 has spiritual implications: who’s in control of that number? And, are there any responsibilities attached?

Form 1040/Schedule A/Line #16: Gifts to Charity… by cash or check. Here’s a challenging math project: divide Schedule A/Line 16 by 1040/Line #22. If the result is less than 10%, God has a designation for you: “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse – your whole nation – because you are robbing me.” (Malachi 3:8-9).

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus portrayed the standards of his Kingdom as an even higher standards than the Law. Moses denounced murder; the Kingdom sets the bar at hatred. Adultery was chargeable for the Jews; thinking lustful thoughts was the new Kingdom criterion. In every category cited, Jesus made the expectations under grace far more extraordinary than Jewish Law.

Never lie to the IRS on your Tax Return with the intent to lower your taxable income or underpay your taxes: cheating the government is a no-win proposition. Malachi speaks for God to say that his audits – which are conducted for 100% of his citizens – result in blessings or curses, based on meeting his tithe codes…

Here’s a form you’re not familiar with: it’s Form 706: Estate Tax Return. It will be filed – someday – by your Executor. On Line #3a, it will report your “Tentative Taxable Estate.” That’s the total taxable value of what you’ll leave behind someday, when you head to Paradise to claim your eternity with the Savior. That line – in Form 706 – will be a source of some potential regret for you, then: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… ” (Matthew 6:19-20).

This week, your life is on the line. Take some time to ponder the significance of what you’ll sign and send in. The report you’ll deliver someday to Jesus – at the end – is even more telling…

Bob Shank

Here’s the Story, in < 400 words

Football fans hit their peak the first Sunday of February; there are bowl games aplenty, but there’s only one Super Bowl (so the story goes). Attention is riveted to the field – or, the screens – for 60 minutes, plus time-outs and commercial breaks as the battle for victory consumes the weekend for millions.

Christian churches hit their highest crescendo yesterday with the celebration of the Resurrection. The earthshaking (literal and figurative) impact of the Resurrection informs the weekly worship of Christians, but the once-a-year commemoration still brings out the crowd. Super Bowl and Easter are anomalies; the folks who show up regularly – between Christmas ~> Easter ~> Christmas – are more likely tuned in on the Big Picture. Are they?

Here’s the 400-word compression of the New Testament storyline. In case someone would like to know what they missed at church, you can fill them in. The Christian Era, in three bullets:

Great Confusion: we know it as “Palm Sunday.” For three years, Jesus – the carpenter’s son from Nazareth – had been gathering momentum from his miracles and messages. The national longing for the promised Messiah had the attention of the Passover crowd gathering in/around Jerusalem on Jesus. Their history was marked by stories of heroes defeating overwhelming forces and benefiting their Jewish forebears. Their belief: Messiah would fulfill all prophecy and restore their dignity through conquering their occupiers. That’s the Confusion: Jews don’t believe in Jesus…

Great Commission: that week, Jesus finished the beginning of God’s New Covenant plan with his Resurrection. Within the next 40 days he would follow that with the Great Commission – extended to his hand-picked next-gen leaders – that would become the underlying emphasis of all done in his  name for the time that would stretch from his last appearance to his next appearance. This work (he didn’t call it the “Great Commission,” but he never coined the terms “Christmas” or “Easter,” either) would become the marching orders for the faithful until he would return. (Note: most of the people at church yesterday don’t know about the Great Commission.)

Great Conclusion: the Great Confusion was birthed by the deep desire to see all things made right and new: for God to recreate Paradise on Earth as he had promised he would. Their confusion   was over timing; they lacked insight about the plan of redemption and the patience of God. The last page of the story – in Revelation 22 – paints the final scene: “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (v. 12-13).

Without the Great Commission – and, the insight about the return and rewards that accompany the Great Conclusion – the religious festivities of the last week are at risk of being modern-day reenactments of the Great Confusion. The pursuit of power can even compromise the command of the King to his followers – the Great Commission – to disciple, not to defeat.

He didn’t come the first time to establish his Kingdom; he’ll be back to do that at the Great Conclusion. His followers (that’s our role in his story) aren’t here for conquest; we’re here for conversion. His Kingdom is – still – not of this world… yet.

Yesterday was great… but the Great Conclusion will be the epic spectacular finale, to which you’ve already been invited!

Bob Shank

What if this wasn’t your Holy Week?

There were no little kids with palm fronds – wearing bathrobes and cotton-ball beards stuck to their chins – when the Carpenter from Nazareth rode that donkey into the Eastern Gate of the city, the first day of Passover Week in the 1st Century.

The crowds were going crazy – fulfilling prophecy without knowing it – but their jubilation was fueled by their own speculation about what was happening. For generations, the Jews had been an occupied people, and oppression had haunted them through multiplied lifetimes as they waited for God’s promised Messiah to come on the scene.

Their cheers for Jesus on that Sunday were voicing their zeal for a political savior; within days, His public image would sink as one of His own insiders would sell Him out to the temple leaders and a mock trial would allow the Roman governor to destroy another threat to Caesar’s control.

He had come to overthrow the usurper, but it wasn’t Augustus who was in His crosshairs. The Enemy at war with God was Lucifer, and his long-running rebellion against his Almighty Creator would receive its fatal blow just one week later. The best news the planet ever heard was first announced in a graveyard just outside Jerusalem…

What was Jesus’ Calling? No true believer would fail that pop-quiz: “…the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10). His mission plan was full of details and particulars – including His half-a-lifetime career in Nazareth, in the family business – but the bottom line of His mission was captured in that self-descriptor at Zacchaeus’ house in Jericho: seek and save the lost.

This will be a big week for our church traditions. Palm Sunday; Maundy Thursday; Good Friday; Easter: that’s a historic line-up of awesome remembrances without equal. For too many people, those dates are old-news, but for the dialed-in followers of Jesus, those were foundational elements that frame the basis for their own lifetime Calling, in service to His Cause.

The movement launched by Jesus is important every day of the year, not just Easter. In the same manner that human events – private and public – converged with meaning and purpose for Him, the actions and influences of the men and women left by Him to continue His mission will be remembered and valued 2000 years from now.

A group of men in San Luis Obispo, California – a cohort of 18 men, brought together by The Master’s Program – were impacted a couple of years ago by the strategic importance of expanding the reception of the Easter/Gospel message to a people group who – after 20 Centuries – had no knowledge of Jesus. They joined forces to launch an initiative way outside their normal horizons… and the results have been astounding. Click here to get an insider view of what they’re doing, and the new enterprise they’ve launched – Engaging Nations – that is now one of our TMP family of ministries.

It’s not a new concept – you know it as the Great Commission – but that challenge, issued by Jesus Himself, has become the top-priority for hundreds of leaders through TMP. Men and women, with backgrounds in marketplace and ministry, joining forces to accelerate its completion.

It’s great to celebrate the Jesus holidays that are calendared for this week, but are you current on the progress of what He left us to do?

Click here for a short whiteboard video: it’s the post-Easter State of the World 2018, using Heaven’s metrics. In five minutes, you’ll see what’s happened over 2000 years, and the situational report on the movement Jesus came to launch. He’s handed the leadership to us – that’s right, to you and to me! – and it’s the most astounding delegation of responsibility we’ll ever receive.

Take a few minutes this Easter week to sneak a peek at what my friends in California’s Central Coast are doing; take a few minutes to see what we – Christians in 2018 – have left do to.

Jesus came out of that tomb… and handed us the baton. That’s Easter… today!

Liberty and justice for all…

New parents are predictable: they listen intently to capture and recount their toddler’s first word. Momma? Dadda? In your dreams! For many, their first word is part of an outcry: “It’s not fair!”

   “Children are innocent and love justice, while most of us are wicked and naturally prefer mercy.” (G.K. Chesterton). Preschoolers are in search of justice; they have an innate sense of right and wrong. Physical balance makes walking possible; moral balance makes living possible…

   “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of ‘just’ and ‘unjust?’ A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?” (C.S. Lewis) 

  Life “inside the Beltway” (that’s cultural code for our nation’s capital) has taken a stark turn. Three lists that are renewed daily: 1) people under subpoena; 2) people under indictment; and, 3) people under Twitter. The most Googled federal agency has become the Justice Department, but here’s the disconnect: that ostensibly impartial entity has been charged with corruption, even as they are tasked with the administration of fairness under the law. Can someone say, “Conflict of Interest?”

  Do you sense the craziness of today’s culture? The basis for the entertainment industry is the creation of content – music, television programming, movies, live theater – that portrays lifestyles routinely flaunting moral standards with no accountability or consequence, but in their annual awards orgies they call out violations that offend their narrow sense of right-and-wrong. Hypocrisy?

  In Washington, the Lord’s Prayer doesn’t frame the operative agenda: “…and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…” (Matthew 6:12). The plea suggests equity between pardons sought and pardons granted; if that was the balance point, much of the political drama in the headlines would fade to silence. If acquiring forgiveness required the dispensation of forgiveness, an environment of fairness would settle over the mayhem and innocence would prevail.

It may not seem so, but the charges and countercharges flying across the modern cultural battlefields are really a plea for the Ultimate Solution, promised by the prophets and sought by every generation. Who could satiate this longing? “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:1)

Try as we might to elevate the men and women who will ensure the administration of justice after the next election cycle, we come up short. The wellspring for fairness has never changed: “Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.” (Proverbs 29:26) The longing for justice is, in reality, a thirst for God.

  Interesting – isn’t it? – that the post-modern rejection of God and godly people is happening alongside the call for justice. The dichotomy is unresolvable.

   “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.” (Psalm 112)

Bob Shank

You’re where the action is – and, will be – the marketplace

“There’s something happening here…”

It’s been over 50 years since Stephen Stills’ song – performed by him in the band Buffalo Springfield – used that line in verse one of “For What it’s Worth.” During Vietnam, it was written to give voice to reasoned protest against the way things are in favor of the way they could be, better. Movements founded in protest come and go; movements formed for better are lasting…

We’re a little late in this week’s release; my weekend was spent in Washington, DC in the company of marketplace leaders from across America. Mobilizers from multiple Kingdom entities that exist to stimulate the Christian chiefs of for-profit firms joined forces there to challenge an audience of men and women whose eternal influence peaks from Monday to Friday.

For over 40 years, I’ve been in settings where the importance of that worldview was being proposed in conference rooms and coffee shops. Times have changed; the people carrying that banner today – and, the streets they’re marching down as they mobilize momentum behind it – suggest that there is a divine force behind that message.

If the culture of the last Millennium was challenging, the modern era for leaders with a biblical worldview in the marketplace is even more hostile. Using Stills’ words, “There’s battle lines being drawn; nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong. Young people speaking their minds; getting so much resistance from behind, it’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down…”

Generations-back, the biblical model for life was still in vogue; today, anything sourced in Scripture is immediately eliminated from consideration. The result: American family life has failed, and the family output – children elevated to adulthood – is broken. What God calls “true religion” (not jeans, but James) is Kingdom care directed toward women without husbands – widows – and children without fathers – orphans. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  (1:27)

The tragic failure of men to be righteous in their lifestyles, marketplace and relationships has resulted in our culture’s effort to eliminate men from the societal formula. Today, we are told women don’t need husbands – and children don’t need fathers – to achieve their best life. Like an amputee redefining life without a vital limb, contemporary contenders are out to prove that they don’t need a healthy family to experience their full potential. Life is best with intact limbs; absent that, a best-in-class prosthesis is an alternative…

Here’s an amazing reality: the American family is shrinking, but the American workplace is expanding. More adults have job titles than marriage titles: over 70% of grown-ups have careers, but only 50% have spouses. Adults with jobs have more conversations with their supervisors than with their fathers, and one’s boss is likely more current on life issues than the dad with whom there may not be more than a holiday presence.

Something’s happening here. Thirty years ago, Dr. Billy Graham expressed his belief that the next great revival in America would likely spring from the marketplace.

Devout Christians spend a few hours each week in church-related activities; the nominal believers make time two to three times a month for the 90 minute park-sit-leave appearance on Sunday. The majority of those Christians spend most of their week in the context of their professional life, the marketplace, and are most likely to find their friends – and, if they ultimately marry – their spouse within those contacts. Their experience with influence – both receiving it, and extending it – will happen there.

Something’s happening here. We – The Master’s Program – are in the vortex of that happening. You’ll be hearing more in the days ahead. God is up to something, and you in the marketplace are part of it…

Bob Shank

The search is underway… for the next Billy Graham

Who is “the next Billy Graham?”

His death occurred 12 days ago; Billy Graham’s funeral was last Friday. The news leads and headlines – prominent for the last two weeks – will now recede and disappear, until year-end, when summations of 2018 include the deaths of prominent people.

His burial place – the library/museum bearing his name in Charlotte, North Carolina – will see a spike that will last all year as Christians come to pay their respects to the man against whom they measured their pastor for the last two generations. They will walk through the exhibits that tell the story of his emergence from a dairy farm in Charlotte to become the spiritual advisor to presidents; the man dubbed “the Protestant Pope;” Billy Graham was spokesman who gave credibility to the evangelical movement.

There is no banner at the Billy Graham Library posing the question, but the mystery hangs in the air like skywriting over a spring-break beach: who is “the next Billy Graham?”

It’s only human: the grief over the loss of beloved people – prominent for some benevolent role they played in a historic time – generates a sense of longing for the person who will assume their place. It gives the sense that the order and security felt while that person was alive can be regained and retained. Mantles are worn by few; they are symbolic – not literal – and they are earned through humility and sacrifice, not by campaign and succession. They are displayed in remembrance, not purchased on-line and self-bestowed.

Three thousand years ago, the Jewish nation was in the midst of a significant shift in their governance model. For four centuries, God had been designated as Israel’s king, ruling them from his palace in Heaven and administering his reign through a succession of divinely-appointed judges. The power of nationalistic peer-pressure became great: the popular uprising was calling for a human king like the countries surrounding them.

Convention replaced conviction: find a candidate who would win the popular vote. “Kings” are bigger-than-life; the selection of Saul sounds like a 21st Century audition: “…a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people…” (1 Samuel 9:2).

Saul captured their hearts, occupied the new throne, and reigned for over 40 years. He was grooming his firstborn – Jonathan – to be his successor, but Saul defied a direct order from Heaven (God had not removed himself from the role of ultimate Sovereign) and lost his mantle. God set his own succession plan in play…

Who would be “the next Saul?” Not Jonathan; God chose a teenaged shepherd to begin the march toward monarchy. David would not be “the next Saul;” he would be his own man.

David’s rise to power – and, his four decade reign – was a period when God did great things for his people. David was not perfect, but he was the iconic leader that Israel would remember forever. His death was not celebrated as a welcome regime-change; who was “the next David?”

God promised that there would be another heroic leader for the Jews; the anticipation over his ultimate emergence kept hope alive in the darkest days of Israel’s history. The Messiah was their salve for the wounds of oppression; there was a constant watch underway to spot the man who would arise and sit on the throne of his father David.

Lots of self-nominated candidates for Messiah came and went; only one came, went… and came back from death to claim the title. The question was always, “Who is the ‘next David?’” God’s answer: that’s what you’re looking for… but there is no “David II;” instead, there is “Jesus, the-Last.”

Each of us is first-and-last in history; one’s role can be assumed, but one’s identity can never be replicated. The normal approach: try to be someone else. The divine directive: be who God made you to be…

Bob Shank

Soil that bears fruit – He’s finished… but we’re not

It’s what Jesus said to his Twelve Apostles – at the Last Supper, in the Upper Room – but his charge to them became his charge to us, through the centuries: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

Billy Graham lived as if he had been at that table; from his conversion as a teenager to the moment last Wednesday when his life transitioned from Earth to Glory, he followed those instructions.

If you’re looking for a mission statement for your life – a “Kingdom Calling” – there it is, in one verse (John 15:16). It’s the Great Commission, made personal.

Bear fruit. That’s not cryptic or conceptual: his followers – themselves, disciples, headed for Heaven – were to make more followers who would populate Heaven: that’s life’s “bottom line.”

Early in Jesus’ teaching ministry, he made the same point in his “Parable of the Sower.” He was clear: when God’s truth is communicated to people, their reactions vary greatly. He cautioned that the response to his message would fall into four categories.

Some people are exposed to God’s truth, but it’s as if they never heard it. They don’t even ponder his proposals; they move on without personal consideration of divine revelation. The 1st Soil.

Others hear the same truth, and – for awhile – they’re amenable, but, then, easily distracted. They move on to alternatives without allowing God’s truth to bring them to life. The 2nd Soil.

The Third Soil is troublesome: it’s the person for whom the good news – the Gospel – brings eternal life, but distractions disable their eternal productivity. His specific caution is clear: “…the worries of this life and deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). Survival – a focus on great lacking – or success – a focus on great lifestyle – are both capable of compromising one’s Significance – which, ultimately, focuses on great legacy. The 3rd Soil.

The ultimate outcome – the clear emphasis of Jesus’ parable – is found in the exception to the first three: “…the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:23). The measure of one’s life and legacy is found in multiplying God’s provisions – time, talent, influence and resources, entrusted to each of us – toward God’s intended outcome. That’s 4th Soil.

How does that timeless framework become a life plan? Is Jesus’ tale simply an interesting curiosity, or was it intended to inform our stewardship of all we have? What is “The 100x Life?”

Survival is no longer a compelling issue: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31-33). Anxiety is wasted effort; put first-things first, and God promises to take care of the rest: just enough, just in time.

Success ceases to be the ultimate pursuit; rather, it’s the means to greater achievement: “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). The accouterments of accomplishment enable an eternal outcome.

Significance is found through multiplying the impact of one’s life into the eternal horizon; it is – ultimately – measured only in people whose lives have been influenced for Heaven. Yield – fruit – is the mandate; increased yield – 100x – is the challenge, issued by Jesus Himself. 4th Soil; 100x.

A life of Significance, with eternal productivity approaching 100x: those are choices made by the savvy, and – someday – rewarded by the Savior.

Billy Graham lived a life of Significance; he knew he was “appointed to bear fruit – fruit that will last…” That was his calling… but, it’s also my calling – and, yours. Bear fruit; populate Heaven.

Four soils; three levels of productivity. Where are you on that scale? Where do you want to be?

I’ve made my aspiration clear: it’s 4th Soil; 100x.

Bob Shank