Crazy Is as Crazy Does

January 2, 2017

Will 2017 be another crazy year?

Albert Einstein is commonly given credit for the quip: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Whoever said it, it rings true: if you approach 2017 the way you just finished 2016, don’t expect any positive improvements.

The Great Unwashed (credit: novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton) spend time this week – between football games and parades – coming up with New Years Resolutions. Health Clubs brace for the annual influx of wanna-be shrinkers; Oprah is showing off her 42-pound drop to recruit – and raise the value of her stock holdings – for Weight Watchers. “Losing Weight” is among the top aspirations; Super Bowl Nachos will sink that boat before it gets out of the harbor…

How do you break from the Crazies and take the steps to see 2017 emerge as a breakout year of improvement, for you?

About 25 years ago, I was introduced to Tom Paterson, a master strategist and wisdom voice, creator of the Paterson LifePlan process. Tom facilitated my own LifePlan, which led to the launch of The Master’s Program, and trained me to do the same. Tom’s work with leaders and corporations – helping them to clarify their strategies for positive inflection points – taught him the Right Questions.

As you face 362 days (you’ve already left the starting blocks!) of new opportunity, here are the questions that could refine your approach to the new horizon of life that is inviting your engagement.

    1. What’s Right? Your greatest achievements give evidence of some efforts that you’ve already refined to the superior level. Peter Drucker – another wisdom voice in my life – advised that we “build on the islands of health and strength.” Too many resolutions are defensive, fix-me- first distractions: Peter knew that a strong offense was Priority #1. Find what you’re doing well, already… and make plans to do even more of that, first.
    2. What’s Wrong? We all know self-appointed experts, offering their input on that question. The most reliable voice on that point is the Holy Spirit, whose contribution to our real-life pursuits is conviction: He highlights the chronic miscues that compromise our greatness. It’s more than a nagging sense of self-loathing: conviction is God calling us out to new levels of rightness. The process to eliminate the Wrong: 1) Renounce: disavow the acceptability; 2) Repent: declare your intent to set a new course; and, 3) Restore: demonstrate your commitment by providing resolution for anyone who has been damaged by your words or actions.
    3. What’s Confused? Most people have advanced degrees from the University of Uncertainty. Grads of UU populate the pool of the “I can’t move until I’m sure…” players. Befuddled and perplexed, they watch life speed by while idling on the shoulder. In your life right now, where are you stalled because of a lack of clarity or confidence? The alternative to common confusion is uncommon insight: find a source of wisdom and truth – in the face of your confusion – and make their contribution your new clarity.
    4. What’s Missing? In our consumer society, marketers convince the gullible that the things they need to enhance life can be delivered tomorrow – by drone – from Amazon Prime. Catalogs don’t offer the solution; “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (1 Peter 1:3) Until you complete your righteous requisition of the ingredients you need for the life He’s promised – knowing the if-then prerequisites He has articulated in His promises – you can’t expect to find the critical enhancements that will round out your resources for a dramatically enhanced future.

My gift to you, this New Years week: shred your resolutions, and replace them with thoughtful consideration of your most strategic issues: What’s Right? What’s Wrong? What’s Confused? What’s Missing? Answer those questions, and then get busy with the pursuits those answers expose.

Or… prove Einstein right: get ready for just another crazy year.

Bob Shank

Time is Running Out

December 26, 2016

The hourglass of 2016 is running out of sand.

It doesn’t get any better than 2016: Christmas and New Years are on Sundays, so folks can do their holiday thing with other people on the weekends, reserving the week between for pure, unadulterated self-interest, for most people.

Proof: send the drone you got yesterday for Christmas over the local mall, and look at the images appearing on your screen monitor. The traffic back-up is epic: fighting for access to the Consumer’s Cathedral is just a preview to the “early shopper specials” awaiting the faithful inside.

It’s a huge week for spending, but it’s also the seven-day window when philanthropy is most likely practiced in America. Retail spending is easier to track, but the best guess is that over 40% of charitable giving happens during December each year, with the last week – beating the tax-year deadline – representing the final surge.

We have these conversations every week, all year long. My Point of View comes into your life on Mondays, and the chance to look together at life through the lens of a biblical worldview is one of my continuing contributions to our work with leaders.

You’re aware of what we do with The Master’s Program: we help Christian leaders explore, expose and – ultimately – exploit their Kingdom Calling. Those photo teasers that come every week – on the bottom of the Point of View – allow you to “click” and be redirected to learn more about what we do for leaders like you, all year long.

We’re a non-profit ministry organization – legally designated as a 501(c)3 entity – dependent on people we serve to support us in what we do. Because our partners are most likely to do their giving during December every year, this is the only month we solicit your stewardship for the work we do.

You’ve got year-end challenges of your own, even as you try to squeeze some holiday happiness out of these last few days of 2016. On your to-do list this week is some last-minute giving decisions to finish your philanthropy for the year.

Would you take a minute to scan our Ministry Montage by clicking here? We have an incredible catalog of emphases that have sprung from 20 years spent investing our ministry into leaders who are now leveraging their lives for impact that is eternal.

After you get a sense of our scope and significance – measured in those partners who have been launched through their TMP experience – would you consider including us in your year-end giving? You can click here to see your options; any of them will allow you to receive a receipt to include in your 2016 tax preparation.

Desperate? Not at all. Dependent? Utterly so. We serve friends like you, all year… and then trust friends like you to help restore the reserves we’ve expended all year in doing that work. Our need during December is a bit over $350,000; that’s our year-to-date shortfall. For 20 years, God has used friends like you to meet that challenge and put us on-course for a new year of service to leaders in the Kingdom.

No pressure; just honest disclosure: asking your friends for God’s money – placed in their hands to steward on His behalf – is humbling, but worthwhile. I’m making the request; you’ll decide your response. Whatever your decision, thanks for allowing me to have these conversations with you each week.

I’ll see you here next Monday!

Bob Shank

Don’t be Late!

December 19, 2016

You’d better leave now.

My kids now have kids; they’ve maintained a family value that was embedded in their psyche long before the culture could mess ‘em up. Here’s the Shank approach to life’s commitments: early is on-time; on-time is late; late is unimaginable.

The 21st Century app for time management doesn’t operate on the Shank operating system. We border on intolerant when the modern approach of “I’ll get there when I can… or I won’t make it at all. Don’t wait for me…” collides, head-on. Commitments involving other people are an opportunity to show respect toward them, and regard for the occasion. Late – or, no-show – devalues the people who made a point of doing what they said they would do…

Two thousand years ago, God staged a significant event in a cave/stable on the edges of a small village, just south of Jerusalem. Bethlehem’s hospitality infrastructure was pretty meager; the inn in town had a corner on the tourist trade, and they were sold-out because of the movement of people back to their family’s town-of-origin, in response to a government-mandated census. Joseph and Mary had no reservations… and, hence, no accommodations. The stable – local archeologists’ best guess is a cave, not a structure – was the only provision.

God put the birth of Jesus on His calendar hundreds of years before it happened, but He didn’t send out the invitations until the drama was underway. To validate the story with independent witnesses, appeals were made to men on two ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. Women are more likely to prioritize a trip to the maternity ward; they are conspicuously absent the guest list.

Matthew and Luke are the only ones to include the Nativity in their biographical records of Jesus’ life. Each views the occasion uniquely, and it takes a cut-and-paste exercise to get the whole story, between their gospels.

Luke gives us shepherds. Herding sheep – likely destined to be sold for sacrifice in nearby Jerusalem – was not the career of choice in Israel. The men who were never on society’s A-List for inclusion in notable events were beckoned by angels to observe the first hours of God the Son’s appearance as a human baby. “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about’” (Luke 2:15). God – accessible to the masses – puts the shepherds in the scene. With limited distractions – out in remote pasture-land – the offer to drop everything and go to town was stellar.

Matthew presents the royal line of the Messiah as he opens his gospel; it’s no wonder that the witnesses to the fulfillment of God’s promise would be royal players “from the east.” Magi – a historic blend of mystery, wisdom, priesthood and government favor – saw the extraordinary light in the sky that illuminated the incident from a great distance, confirmed the predictions found in sacred writings within their libraries, and mounted an expedition to find the Sovereign who had been born.

Royals on a pilgrimage go to royalty for directions: the magi head to Herod’s palace seeking the Savior. Feigning sincerity, Herod sends them off as scouts, asking them to find the child and, then, to report. His intent was to eliminate competition for his throne; the magi didn’t follow-through with him, but the Slaughter of the Innocents was Herod’s attempt to thwart God’s plan. He failed…

The Magi arrive after the Nativity, find Mary and Jesus in a house in Bethlehem, and honor the Child with gold and expensive spices, each with great symbolic meaning. The honor shown the young child bespeaks the appropriate response to the One who is greater. Whether from the lowest caste or the upper class, the invite went out to both. Shepherds arrived earlier; the magi came later, but still in time to honor Him with homage and be included in the Story.

Wherever you’re coming from, you’d better leave now: the offer to see Jesus won’t last forever.

Bob Shank

Have you been called to 5th Avenue?

December 13, 2016

Something is going on.

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

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

Except for this year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bob Shank

Don’t be caught by surprise

December 5, 2016

“A date which will live in infamy.”

Wednesday marks the 75th anniversary of the surprise attack on the naval installation at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese navy and the 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft, launched from six aircraft carriers.

At 7:48am, the attack began, with two waves of airborne destruction raining down on the American military installation. The eight U.S. battleships in port were all damaged; four were sunk. Cruisers, destroyers, an anti-aircraft ship and a minelayer – eight in all – were damaged or sunk. 188 American aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed, and 1,178 were wounded.

Caught unprepared, the defensive response on-site was minimal; only 29 attacking aircraft were downed, one midget submarine sunk, 64 service men killed, and one captured.

The reactions to the attack were multiple. In Hawaii, the immediate response was obvious and overwhelming: the dead and wounded required attention, and the destruction of the vital western naval presence called for emergency restoration. In Washington, America’s entry into the global conflict that would become World War II was sanctioned; first against Japan, and, then, against Germany and Italy. Within four days of the Pearl Harbor attack, America was at war on two fronts.

The view in the rear view mirror of history is always clear and obvious; the view through the windshield, into the future, is usually foggy and fractured. In the years since the invasion of Pearl Harbor, records of informed prognostications concerning an imminent attack on the Pearl Harbor resources by the growing Japanese naval power have come to light. Authorities as high as the president were forewarned but unresponsive. Prediction had not produced preparation; the most powerful country on the planet was caught unawares when the unimaginable occurred…

Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress the next day; 81% of Americans listened to his address – live – via radio. His opening line included the historic stamp on the attack: “A date which will live in infamy.” His speech took just seven minutes; a half hour later, Congress declared war on Japan, with only one vote in opposition. Two days later, Germany and Italy declared war on America; the next day, America accepted the challenge and reciprocated. For the next four years, life stopped around the world, and the attention of humanity was on the two-front conflict.

“The greatest and most momentous fact which the history of the world records is the fact of Christ’s birth.”

That was Charles Haddon Spurgeon, speaking 125 years ago. In the same address, he adds: “Christ is the great central fact of the world’s history. To him everything looks forward or backward. All lines of history converge upon him. All the great purposes of God culminate in him.” If December 7th is “a date which would live in infamy,” Christmas – celebrated on December 25th – would be “the date which would live in eternity.”

It should have come of no surprise. Numerous warnings of the invasion had been recorded, hundreds of years before it happened: “The Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)  When word of the invasion reached King Herod, he declared war on infants in/around Bethlehem, in an effort to defeat his Enemy, Immanuel.

World War II was over by 1945, but the war against the god of this world has continued until today. Make no mistake: the escalation of the conflict involving the arrival of the King – masqueraded as an innocent child – was the decisive move that would ensure ultimate victory.

Christmas celebrates the ultimate resolution of a timeless war epic that captures and refocuses the attention of every human being ever born. “The greatest and most momentous fact which the history of the world records…”

Bob Shank

New Holiday Schedule Announced

November 28, 2016

You’re in a veritable vortex; can you feel it?

It’s a calendar constellation that has developed its own gravitational forces, putting people into motion in a variety of ways.

It started last week, with Thanksgiving. There were 47 million folks traveling more than 50 miles to sit down around a table for a 4500-calorie meal that took hours to make… and just minutes to eat. The next show-stopper was Black Friday: last year, 151 million people went retail – online, or on-site – and added $299.60 to their credit card balances (the 2016 numbers are still being tabulated; the Green Party has already asked the National Retail Federation for a recount).

Thank the Pilgrims for Thanksgiving; blame internet marketers for Cyber Monday (today). First named by Ellen Davis – VP of the Nat’l Retail Fed – in 2005, today offers workers back from their long weekend an unneeded excuse to turn their office cubicle into Santa’s workshop. The ecommerce world offers special discounts today on all the stuff Target and BestBuy ran out of last Friday.

It isn’t over yet: tomorrow is the caboose on the calendar holiday train. Welcome to Giving Tuesday, 2016.

In 2012, the United Nations Foundation teamed in New York with the 92nd Street Y (not to be confused with the YMCA, the 92Y is “a proudly Jewish organization”) to promote philanthropy. The concept was joined by the new era corporate voices in the cultural choir – brands like Skype, Cisco, Mashable and others – to foster charity among the new generation.

No small challenge: pay the Thanksgiving premium for airfare and Uber; camp-out in front of the big-box stores for the door-buster specials, then run the credit cards to their limits today while pretending to be back on the business frontline… and then, tomorrow, throw whatever you have left into the charity crowd-fund, to give something back.  “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”

Think back to Thursday. Around the table, there were probably some thoughtful people who inventoried the great things in their life, and referred to them as “blessings.” Maybe you used that word to explain your experience in life. Your personhood, your relationships, your position in your career and in your community, the things you’ve accumulated that surround and serve you: all of those might have been in your mind when you referred to your “blessings.” You probably cited God as your Benefactor. When you deconstruct that description of a rich and bountiful life experience, what will you find?

As you look to the horizon while motoring down the Blessing Parkway, have you looked over your shoulder to consider its origins? Where did this idyllic journey begin?

Retrace the path to a point in the Mideast, about 4000 years ago. The genealogy of a family – with dozens of names in play – intros a nondescript character who is singled-out by God for special consideration. Abram is lifted from the crowd and offered God’s blessing (see it: Genesis 12).

God says, “I will bless you.” With what? How did God bless Abraham? An amazing family, destined to become an independent nation. His name would become a powerful brand. His land holdings – given to him by God – would be a source of incredible wealth. God would be his Protector against anyone who would seek to harm him. His detractors would be silenced and chagrined by the Almighty. Imagine sharing that vault of valuables around the family Thanksgiving table…

Why did God “bless” Abram/Abraham? “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Abraham didn’t win the lottery… he received the resources with which he would become a blessing.

All of the “blessings” cited last Thursday were not to fund the weekend shopping spree, but to enable a life of giving to others. Every day is Giving Day, according to God.

Bob Shank

On Thursday, show ’em how it’s done

November 21, 2016

Get busy; you don’t have much time…

Lots to do this week. At the office, you’ve got to pull a rabbit out of the hat. It’s the annual holiday magic: get five days of work done in three, so you can duck-out on Wednesday around noon, to beat the travel rush. At home, you’ve got to make room for Big Bird (the turkey) and the Out-of-Towners (the other turkeys) who will all find places around your table on Thursday.

Over the next six weeks, you can expect to be asked The Three Questions: 1) “What are you thankful for?” 2) “What do you want for Christmas?” and, 3) “What are your New Year’s resolutions?” Deep inquiries for most; the answers generally fit Twitter-defined brevity…

With the lead-off question – asked this week – most don’t get it. They use Modern Math, and the “What are you thankful for?” formula fails because it’s missing a critical factor. Read on…

Archers are not notable because they fire arrows; their prowess is measured by how often they hit the target. Quarterbacks don’t win the game this week based on passes thrown; they succeed because of the ones that are caught. I cannot claim to be a “loving person” if there is no one to whom my love is bestowed. Gratitude is empty if it only recognizes the gift, but never mentions the giver.

From Paul, to the Romans: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:21-22).

How do you track the decline in human wisdom? One key marker: the creation migrates from knowledge of God and gratitude toward him toward the foolishness of denying his existence and only focusing on our own limited life experience…

The American tradition says that Thanksgiving is an “official” day for gratitude within our culture. The Christian tradition says that life should be marked by daily recognition of the provision of God in the abundance we enjoy: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19-20). Who is the target for the thanks we project?

Thanksgiving is great; don’t get me wrong! But, the unsophisticated practitioners who will crowd the tables on Thursday will be proving ineptitude in the practice of gratitude! As you exercise your influence in the festivities, make sure you show them how it’s done! What’s the secret?

In a nutshell, the formula:  to + for = thanksgiving

Most people focus on the “for.”   Real thanksgiving requires a “to” – the source of the “for” – to express gratitude. A thank-you note for a gift has to be addressed to the giver, or it lands in the dead-letter box, alongside the Santa Claus stack. To whom are you grateful, and… for what?

“One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.” (Romans 14:5-6). Whatever your main course, do it right!

On Thursday – and, everyday – recount your blessings, sure… but don’t forget the Giver   while you celebrate the gifts!

By the way, I’m grateful to God for your part in my life. You – reading my Point of View – are a gift, from Him, to me. Happy Thanksgiving!

Bob Shank

Be Careful When You Pick a Fight

November 11, 2016

Life happens; art remembers life.

Man is unique among God’s creation. When people experience profound things, their memories are often complemented by creativity, to capture and retain the importance of the moment. Paintings, sculptures and statues, plays and performances, music: the varieties of expression allow the significant exceptions to the daily routine to stand tall.

Almost 4000 years ago, the Children of Israel were rescued from their Egyptian slavery by God, using Moses as his human leader to effect the plan. The drama unfolded in an extraordinary way – a burning bush as a source of vision, a strategy that included plagues and palace intrigue – resulting in 2 million people leaving Egypt in a massive exodus, from bondage to freedom.

An unexpected conflict – capable of derailing the dream – put the people at great risk: the most powerful military force on the planet decided to come after the Jews, intent on turning them back and neutralizing God’s plan. What would they do?

God stepped in, powerfully: the same miracle that assisted the Jewish escape – the parting of the Red Sea – was the means by which God obliterated the armies of Egypt, including their Commander in Chief, Pharaoh himself. What an incredible War Story:

The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord    swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen – the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. – Exodus 14:23-28

Great victories often stimulate art, to commemorate the experience:

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord: “The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.” – Exodus 15:1, 3-4

The Lord is a Warrior; the Lord is his name. Fighting righteous battles is part of God’s history; part of our history is the valiant service provided by Americans who have stepped in – at crucial moments in the story – to place themselves at risk for us all.

Veterans Day is the time to remember and recognize these brave warriors. Today, in The Master’s Program, we have 42 Veterans who are currently enrolled in TMP – with scholarships provided by TMP grads/patriots – in groups across the country.

We salute them today: the Lord fought for Israel; our Veterans have fought for us, and we’re grateful to God for them.

Bob Shank

Where do you plan to relocate?

November 7, 2016

What will you do about the extinction dilemma?

Entrepreneurs are wired differently; there’s no question about that. Most people see problems and feel some level of fear; their instinctive reaction is to move the other direction. Fire? Run the other way. Market uncertainty? Put the money under the mattress. A friend in crisis? Don’t answer the phone.

Forbes magazine has an annual report that gets widespread attention: the Forbes 400 is regarded as the authoritative roster of high-net-worth people, no matter the means by which they became rich. If they were to create a new annual all-star list – based on entrepreneurship – Elon Musk would probably be listed in the upper quartile of practitioners. He turns (perceived) problems into opportunities…

Known today for Tesla cars, SolarCity collectors, and – soon – the battery factory that will put Reno on the map, before those consumer-targeted efforts made him famous, his first significant venture launch was SpaceX, in 2002. Why space?

Musk – 45 years old – was born and raised in South Africa, moved to his mother’s Canada in his teens, and became an American in 2002. He calls himself “nauseatingly pro-American,” and believes that his adopted country is the savior of democracy.

He lives in Bel Air, California… but he sees a problem on the horizon that he’s running toward: human extinction.

Next week, Ron Howard is putting Musk’s business pursuit on your home screen: it’s time for a National Geographic miniseries to give us the good news of interplanetary space travel, with Mars as the most likely outpost for humans to escape the coming Apocalypse (www.makemarshome.com).

Six installments, over six weeks (leading up to Christmas), it’s one-part fictional drama and one-part talking-head documentary, designed to open our minds to the need for a chance to ensure the survival of the species through space colonization. Director Ron Howard (Andy Griffith’s Opie; Happy Days’ Richie) doesn’t plan to go there, but Musk would like to retire there (interview with the Guardian, 2010).

Competition for the tourism space business is not small: Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic) only wants to orbit passengers, returning them to earth; Musk wants to sell one-way tickets to the Red Planet, and compete with Florida and Arizona as the preferred last-address.

Whether your legal address is Miami or Mars, there’s a problem with even higher probability than a human extinction event: every one of Musk and Branson’s target customers are rocketing toward a personal extinction event. A comet strike that destroys earth’s environment is a long-shot: mortality is the sure-thing problem that warrants something more than a six-part miniseries to ponder…

Elon Musk is both scientist and entrepreneur; when asked his view of the invisible dimension – the possibility of destiny and a higher power – his answer frames his spiritual formations: “Do I think that there’s some sort of master intelligence architecting all of this stuff? I think probably not because then you have to say: ‘Where does the master intelligence come from?’ So it sort of begs the question. So I think really you can explain this with the fundamental laws of physics. You know its complex phenomenon from simple elements…”

Here’s some crucial information about the certain future: “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28) Mars: the Mini-Series doesn’t hold a candle to Christmas: the Solution.

Musk is watching for an asteroid; the followers of Jesus Christ are watching for his Second Coming. They don’t plan to move to Mars; instead, they’re relocating to God’s abode – Heaven – where their horizon is not a natural lifetime, but the promise of eternal life…

Bob Shank

Who’s got time for dead people?

October 31, 2016

Who’s got time for dead people?

For various cultures around the world, tomorrow is a holiday. Driven by church traditions – often consolidated with pagan practices – a commemoration was planted on the calendar to focus on the dead. The 1st of November became All Saints Day – or, in the Mexican Catholic approach, Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – devoted to relatives, friends and others who had passed on.

The institutional church declared All Saints Day as a time to remember the good done by the dead. The Day of the Dead alternative was the chance to pray for the passed; presumably, to better their chances of, ultimately, achieving heaven.

Jesus had some great insight about the relationship connections that continue between the living and the dead… but his insights are often missed in the traditions of religion. Consider this story he told; it wasn’t presented as a fictional parable, but – instead – as a real-life account of a real-dead “winner:”

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

“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.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31)

Instead of the living thinking about the dead on a holiday, Jesus said that the dead were thinking about the living, in Hades (the temporary abode of lost people while awaiting their judgment). What do the lost think about while they ponder their eternal future, apart from God?

According to Jesus, the formerly self-indulgent rich man has become a proponent of the Great Commission. He still thinks about himself, first (“…have pity on me”), but his next request had to do with saving his still-living family (“…send Lazarus to my family… let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment…”).

Mis-guided religion asks the living to pray for the dead. The Lord Jesus says that the dead are praying for the living. Their one request: that their loved ones will be warned to repent and be saved, while there’s still time.

Jesus says that God has done his part; “Moses and the Prophets” symbolize the Scriptures, which give the roadmap that leads from the Land of the Living to the place of Real Life, prepared as a destination for those who have a relationship with the One who rose from the dead.

Some will focus on the dead tomorrow. The smartest move: focus on the living dead, every day… and tell them how they can have life, everlasting.

Bob Shank

Leaders don’t wait to lead

October 24, 2016

Don’t miss the moment.

In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the term “the first 100 days” to describe the efforts of the 73rd Congress – at that time, his legislative parallel branch – but the concept leaked across to measure his executive administration, recognizing the potency of performance by a President/CEO at the time when the power and influence of his/her position is greatest. To have that high capacity without a well-defined plan to leverage it risks a “miss” when everyone is poised to watch change happen.

While made famous in government, the concept has come into vogue within the marketplace, as well. You could spend 100 days reading the books, scanning the professional articles and watching YouTube presentations by consultants whose ongoing specialty is focused on the mystical 100 day leadership window. If you don’t take an early lead, coming out of your inauguration… it’s more likely that you’ll be a footnote rather than a headline when history includes your time in the corner office…

Right now, the American public is split in their political loyalties; less than 50% of the voting pool is committed to either major party candidate. A curiosity: there is a leadership belief shared by 58% of American evangelicals: the King of Kings will come back before 2050 (Pew Research).

The nominees for president always make bold and brash promises about what they’ll do once they’re in the White House. Lots of audiences; lots of addresses; lots of goodies on the payback list in return for the promise of their bucks or their ballots. Amnesia must be in the air in the Oval Office: the first 100 days – and, the 1360 days in the balance of their four year term – always unfold apart from the campaign, and the to-do list from the pre-election run-up goes into history’s self storage bin…

The King of Kings is coming back, and when He arrives, there are some things you can count on seeing. Here are a few of the high-points:

  1. Everyone will see Him (Mark 13:26-27). The first event – ever – with truly global coverage will be the Second Coming. Explain it with satellite technology or the supreme authority of the Creator over His Creation, but it will happen: He will have a 100% audience for His arrival.
  2. All opposition will be utterly defeated (Revelation 19:11-21). Delayed victory over His enemies is not a sign of God’s weakness; it portrays His patience and mercy, giving opportunity for more people to hear and respond to His grace and salvation (2 Peter 3:9). God wins.
  3. Every human who ever lived will be resurrected (Revelation 20:4-6). The faithful will come to life, and exist forever in the Kingdom of God, with the Lord Jesus Christ in charge. Those who lived without conformance to God’s requirements will be exiled to judgment (20:11-15).
  4. Everyone will be judged for what they’ve done (Revelation 20:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Those who rejected God’s salvation will be eternally condemned for their works; those who accepted the gift of God’s salvation will be eternally commended for their works.
  5. He will destroy the fallen world and recreate a perfect replacement (2 Peter 2:8-16). The Paradise we long for will finally appear, the effects of sin and rebellion will cease to exist, and the family of faith will occupy eternity together, with their Savior (John 14:1-4).

I don’t know who will get the most powerful position in the world on November 8th, but I’ve already cast my vote for King of Kings, and His reign will never end (Daniel 6:26). Until He comes back, the Party of Righteousness will never be in power (2 Peter 3:13).

I can’t wait to see what Jesus will do in 100 days…

Bob Shank

You know what; do you know why?

October 17, 2016

Lots of people know; only a few know why.

Every generation has been defined by discovery… but our generation has pushed the pursuit to levels never before imagined.

In 1965, Gordon Moore – co-founder of both Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel – predicted that the capacity of the microchip would double every two years (he was right). During the same period, the expansion of human knowledge – computed across all cultures and specialty studies – has exploded at the same rate. No generation in history has known as much as ours…

So, if knowledge is expanding exponentially, why isn’t life becoming better at the same breakthrough rate? We know more than we’ve ever known, and we’ll know more tomorrow than we know today; can we expect the experience of life – for everyone, everywhere – to align with that rise?

Here’s our problem: we know more than we’re doing. Why would we be capable of so much, and settle for so little?

Lou Holtz – legendary coach and commentator on life – observes: “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do.” Zig Ziglar marketed his words as incentives for enhanced performance. He put it this way: “Motivation is the fuel necessary to keep the human engine running.”

Lou and Zig were part of a long line of voices who recognized that the final exam in school is quite different than the final exam in life: in the classroom, the emphasis was – exclusively – on knowing. Life demands more: unless you know why doing is crucial, educated failures are likely.

Hear Paul’s personal perspective; listen for the motivations he offers as the why of life:

“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we   must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are ‘out of our mind,’ as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” (2 Corinthians 5:9-16)

Paul knew that there was a final exam for believers, and that made his goal of pleasing God the only reasonable pursuit. What motivations did he recognize as crucial to the mission?

First: “we know what it is to fear the Lord.” If falling short of His Calling doesn’t frighten you, you’ll never get started: “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10)

Next: “each of us may receive what is due us.” The New Testament promises of eternal rewards have been redacted in most discipleship training. Big news: rewards await those who worked on God’s Kingdom purposes – instead of their own – by faith, in this life. Get over it… and get on with it.

Last: “Christ’s love compels us.” If God loved you enough to send Jesus to die, do you love Him enough to live for Him? That’s not a Sunday School banner; it’s a lifestyle of passionate service.

Stop learning; you know enough, already. Start doing… and fill your motivation tank with the high-octane fuel that put Paul in the fast-lane of His Calling!

Bob Shank

Maybe it’s time to pray

October 10, 2016

My Monday readers are a diverse bunch. Most are Americans, but not all. Adults, but with differing generational affiliations. Boomers; Busters; Millennials: we each bring nuances from our particular seasonal tribe into this conversation…

Most never saw the name “Ronald Reagan” on a ballot; many were under-aged when he won his bid for a second term in 1984 with 58% of the national vote – and 525 of 538 electoral votes – which exposed a level of national unity we may never – ever – see again.

Last night, two candidates worked to woo the undecided, hoping to prevail when the ballots are counted in a few weeks. Undoubtedly, some inflammatory lines will be quoted today from last night’s sparring match; most will be forgotten after the dust settles after November 8th.

Someday, Jesus will be the Head of the Government; we don’t have a perfect candidate until He returns. In the meantime, we’re longing for Heaven as a residence, and the King of Heaven as a Leader. For now, we have neither.

In the midst of this dark and difficult time of decision, allow me to recall some great insights – from various moments – from the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan:

“There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.”

“Within the covers of the Bible are all the answers for all the problems men face.”

“Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.”

“We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much”

“If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.”

“Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.”

“Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.”

“I made a speech by that title – ‘A Time for Choosing’ – in 1964. I said, ‘We’ve been told increasingly that we must choose between left or right.’ But we’re still using those terms – left or right. And I’ll repeat what I said then in ’64. ‘There is no left or right. There’s only an up or down:’ up to the ultimate in individual freedom, consistent with an orderly society – or down to the totalitarianism of the ant heap. And those today who, however good their intentions, tell us that we should trade freedom for security are on that downward path.”

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”

“We are never defeated unless we give up on God.”

Our choices are very different this time, but my job in the American system is to vote in a few weeks. May God preserve America.

Bob Shank

Is there Victory in the Verbiage?

October 3, 2016

Heard any great speeches lately?

It happens every four years: the Olympics and the Presidential are quadrennial. The Games have a variety of settings and skills, but The Campaign has only one model: it’s all-about-the-mouth. The gold medal in persuasive rhetoric will go home with someone on November 8th this year. Speak on…

Battlefield speeches are far more memorable than political monologues. The judges have delivered their best-in-movie-history awards for the short talks that would mobilize the troops to fight to the death. The Silver goes to Russell Crowe – portraying Roman General Maximus in Gladiator:

“At my signal, unleash hell… Three weeks from now, I will be harvesting my crops. Imagine   where you will be, and it will be so. Hold the line! Stay with me! If you find yourself alone, riding in the green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you’re already dead! Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity…”

The Gold Medal battlefield speech – #1 of all movie history – was reserved for Mel Gibson, in his role as William Wallace in Braveheart:

“Fight and you may die. Run and you will live, at least awhile. And dying in your bed many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that, for one chance to come back here as young men, and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom!”

Stephen: “Fine speech. Now what do we do?”

Wallace: “Just be yourselves.”

Hamish: “Where are you going?”

Wallace: “I’m going to pick a fight.”

Hamish: “Well, we didn’t get dressed up for nothing.”

It accompanied a political turning-point, but it was given as a battlefield speech. You may not remember it; listen to David’s remarks to Goliath, just before they went toe-to-toe:

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

David was a teenager; Goliath was the Philistine Champion. The armies of Israel and Philistia had been on the field for 40 days – with Goliath blasting his challenge-to-fight every day – but they had no takers until David showed up with supplies from home for his older brothers who were soldiers. The armies would be reduced to cheerleaders; one-on-one combat was the engagement… but none of Israel’s men were man enough for Goliath.

Saul – King of Israel – had won the throne with his dominant stature – he was “a head taller than anyone else” (1Samuel 9:2). Israel’s big guy – King Saul – wasn’t big enough to stand-up to Goliath.

David volunteered to fight. Saul offered him the King’s custom armor. Maybe he wanted people to think it was him, doing what he should have done, as Israel’s leader. David turned that down: he went up against the giant on his terms – using the weapons he had confidence in – rather than playing someone else’s strategy, ensuring defeat.

David’s speech wasn’t his victory… but it foretold what God was about to do through a man who understood his part in the larger Story.

Speeches don’t win battles… but history records great victories for underdogs who honor the Lord.

Bob Shank

It’s a Numbers Game

September 26, 2016

“What do you guys do in there?”

It was a private club – in a downtown setting – where we hold our all-day quarterly sessions for The Master’s Program. The young man is part of the club staff who serve us through the day, but is never in the room when we’re underway. He sees the sign outside our door – “Preparing Christian Leaders to Change Their World” – but was nonetheless mystified about what we might be doing – from 8:00-4:00 – with a posted message that sounds so Sunday oriented…

His question was understandable; though he doesn’t represent our target prospect, even the men and women who are invited to consider enrolling in this three-year experience have a difficult time putting TMP into a familiar “box.” We’re not a business seminar; we’re not a Bible Study group: though portions of our day-long sessions could be replayed in either of those settings, our approach is unique from both the church and the conference room. What is it that we’re doing?

Ours is a modern-day approach to a powerful model that was pioneered by Jesus, with the first wave of prospective leaders he prepared to succeed him, becoming the next generation of movement leaders tasked with developing the most successful global brand of the last 2000 years.

Jesus described the process of recruiting participants in the movement, in a story told early in his three-year public campaign: “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” (Matthew 13:3-8, from The Message)

An agricultural allegory that his 1st Century audience could easily imagine, told in the midst of their weekday career activities. The parable was intriguing, but the 12 men who had left their prior assignments to be his understudies didn’t want to presume the meaning: they wanted him to clear their confusion and make his point.

His response to them: “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. The seed cast in the gravel – this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” (vs. 18-23)

People come in lots of flavors: regarding God’s truth – the “news of the Kingdom” – their reactions are telling. Condition #1 is a complete blow-off; God’s truth makes no impact, none. Condition #2 is rocky regret:  the feelings recede, and the opposition hits… and they move on. These folks are lost.

The third and fourth categories both come to life… but their experience is far different. #3 lives in a financial fog, with worry over loss and ambition for more distracting them from what matters most. #4 comes alive, and becomes dazzlingly productive: “a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.”

The New Testament makes productivity – as God defines it – really clear: it’s the person whose influence on other people results in increasing the population of heaven. That’s all that matters to God…

“What do you guys do in there?” We help #3’s eliminate their unhealthy worries and distractive ambitions, making it possible for them to become #4’s. And… we help #4’s increase their productivity, from 30x to 60x to 100x returns (Jesus’ comparison of #4 returns, from the original texts…).

So: where are you, in that story? And, where do you want to be, when he comes back?

Bob Shank

I used to be Deplorable…

September 19, 2016

Bombs in Manhattan. Stabbings in St. Cloud. A weekend of football… and terrorism.

It’s Monday morning; so much for starting the week with some “good news” in the headlines. In the old days, we left our doors unlocked; today, a deadbolt does nothing to provide security. Walking down the street – or, through the mall – can be a flirtation with evil.

Your mom was right: there are bad people out there. You can’t be too careful.

A few days ago, it was a mom whose caution was captured, verbatim: “You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of (his) supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?” (applause and laughter) “The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic – you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.”

Just a week ago, those comments were in the headlines from the weekend. Today, “Basket of Deplorables” gets 26 million Google results; that’s a whole lot of chatter about a statement made at a private gathering/political fundraiser.

Here’s the interesting factoid: everyone has their own Basket of Deplorables. The line between acceptable and unacceptable exists, for everyone. American Football/European Football; vegan/BBQ; socialist/capitalist; Pacifist/Putin: some distinctions draw a line in the sand that creates opposing sides. Pick an issue; you’ll begin to populate a Basket of Deplorables. The big question: if I’ve created the basket of others… does that isolate Despicable Me?

That quote created a political firefight. The Apostle Paul – speaking for God – wasn’t stumping for votes when he made this observation: “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God…” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

What does it take to be “deplorable,” according to God? Any list of lifestyles is inherently incomplete. While instructive, the universality of error is the inescapable truth: “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:22-23).

“All have sinned” is pretty inclusive. We all use our own values to determine the criterion by which others are excluded; God does that, as it involves integrating people into his family and vetting people for his Eternal Kingdom. His standard: any evidence of unrighteousness – by his definition – is enough to keep us out of his promised future. So… are we doomed to divine deplorability?

Gratefully, there is an antidote: “…And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11). “…all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24).

God has a solution for the Deplorables (a pretty extensive category: that’s what he calls “humans” who have not yet experienced the overhaul that is offered – without cost – by his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ). The Lord Jesus came from heaven to earth for only one purpose: to move people from the Basket of Deplorables to the Kingdom of God.

We have no power to make that quantum leap on our own: God offers that as a free gift, made possible by Jesus death / burial / resurrection.

My story – your story: formerly Deplorable; now Redeemed, by the grace of God…

Bob Shank

Here’s Your Assignment for 9/12

September 12, 2016

Where were you on 9/11?

“A date that will live in infamy” is the description given to December 7th, 1941, by then-president Franklin D. Roosevelt to a joint session of Congress the next day. The Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, and the destruction galvanized the resolve of America to enter World War II.

For the current generation, September 11, 2001 had the same effect. The War on Terror has been difficult to formalize: countries are far more clear about doing battle with other countries than in defending against a radical ideology. World War II began in 1939; America did not enter the arena until the week of the Pearl Harbor attack – declaring war on Japan on the 8th, and Germany on the 11th. It’s easy to declare war; it’s tougher to get a surrender. The two-front war was over by September of 1945, and participants in the conflict never forgot many of their days in that conflict.

The War on Terror is far less formal. Attacks by the amorphous enemy against America – and, the rest of western culture – had begun long before 9/11. Lacking central control, it was – and, is – easy to redefine it as “criminal activity,” but the size and scope of the antagonism exceeds the conventional understanding of what bad people do in an otherwise civilized society. Radical Jihadists are still on the warpath against all that they believe us to be; they think they’re fighting Christians – whom they call “infidels” – but they’ve lumped all Americans in the same religious category…

Where were you on 9/11? I was sitting in a Starbucks in Tustin, California when I overheard a customer at the counter as he commented to the barista that “a plane has hit one of the Twin Towers.” The details of the next hours went from a casual side-comment to a gripping horror, as people across America watched the horror unfold.

Where were you on 9/10? That’s a tougher question to answer…

Memories happen in moments; life happens in minutes. Memories are few-and-far-between; minutes come and go, most without consequence. We don’t have enough storage capacity in our human mind to archive all of the minutes… but we have the moments memorialized in galleries that tell the story of the meaningful exceptions to the otherwise forgettable flow of experiences, conversations and occasions. We all remember where we were – and, what we were doing – when we received word of the attacks in New York, Washington and in the air over Shanksville, Pennsylvania; the same clarity about the day before does not exist.

Catastrophes burn memories into our minds that are kept in a frozen status: the passage of time does little to numb the details and pain that characterize such an incident. Untimely deaths, unanticipated accidents, life-altering relational failures – broken covenants that interrupted “til death parts us” pathways – never age: they’re as painful after decades as they were when they first impacted.

In the same hallways of history, fame and infamy are kept in memory. Life captures pain and preserves it for posterity, but it also accommodates exaltation with deep imprints that do not fade or disappear.

Here’s a truth that changes life: bad guys are remembered for death and destruction; good guys are remembered for enlivening and encouraging. The 19 terrorists who took over planes on 9/11 are names that are forever associated with evil; the Top-10 men and women who have gone out of their way to imprint life and potential into you have already achieved saint-status in your life story.

What’s the recipe for making a memorable impact on another person? “Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). That’s not insincere fortune-cookie phrases that are scattered indiscriminately: it’s verbalized, positive projection of what’s possible for the person who is realizing the path of God’s call in their life.

How about making a memory – for someone you care about – today?

Bob Shank

Back to Work!

September 6, 2016

Happy Labor Day!

Seems like I’m always saying that, though it’s only once a year. But, Labor Day always falls on a Monday – and, Point of View is always published on Monday (though distributed on Tuesday when Monday is a holiday!), so Labor Day – for us – is Big…

Labor Day was established by Congress in 1884 to recognize the "strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations." In the great org chart of life, the three strata are present: top tier is for Leaders; middle tier is for Managers; lower tier is for Workers. Labor Day is for Workers.

The unsophisticated observer would say that the “work” is done by the people on the bottom of the pyramid. The people in the middle – the managers – are there to make sure that the workers show up on time and do what they’re being paid to do. The leaders – or, so the delusion goes – just linger over breakfast at the Club, check-in at the Executive Suite mid-morning to see stock prices, leave for a long lunch back at the Club, move back through Privilege Parkway to collect their messages… then leave early for their afternoon tee-time with a "client," back at the Club.

The truth: “work” is performed up-and-down the org chart. For the workers at the bottom-tier, their work is more clear and measured. A unit of effort is clocked-in; a unit of output is shipped out. Their hands are busy, whether their mind is engaged or not.

For the managers in the middle, their work is important as well: they pursue the leader’s vision; execute the leader’s strategy; supervise the workers who have been given their assignments. Managers are the connection between the leaders at the top and the workers at the bottom.

Leaders? Their work is to see around the corner, into the future, and to create a vision for the way things could be, given a world-changing effort by their team. Then, the leader constructs a strategy: a way to get from where the team finds itself, today, and the place where vision places them, tomorrow. Then, the leader must find and refine the managers who embrace the vision, understand the strategy… and are ready to supervise the workers who will "do the work."

It’s “work” for the workers to work. It’s “work” for the managers to manage. It’s “work” for the leaders to lead. “Work” runs up-and-down the organizational chart, if things are working…

The same is true, in the Kingdom space: within the human community of faith, there is also an org chart in place: leaders, managers and workers, each with a critically important work that is theirs –  uniquely theirs – to contribute to the Work of God.

Leaders in the Kingdom; Managers in the Kingdom; Workers in the Kingdom: each are doing the works of God, but each category is responsible for a different genre of work in the Kingdom. How do their assignments differ?

The Leaders in the Kingdom bring vision, strategy and assignments to the team. The Managers pursue the vision, employ the strategies, and supervise the Workers. The Workers accept their assignments from the Managers, and do the work.

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you…" (Hebrews 13:17). Workers and Managers – the majority of any community – are ordered by God to relate well to the Leaders who are over them in the Kingdom structure. Who are those Leaders? And, do they all get a career paycheck – down here – for their role in the Kingdom?

Here’s the truth that drives The Master’s Program forward: All Church Leaders are Kingdom Leaders, but not all Kingdom Leaders are Church Leaders. Many of those Kingdom Leaders are employed in the Marketplace, but await their Kingdom role – as Leaders – and are ready to bring their Vision, Strategies and Assignments into the Great Commission. That is their Work…

Bob Shank

Something’s Gotta Change

August 29, 2016

“The modern mind is in complete disarray. Knowledge has stretched itself to the point where neither the world nor our intelligence can find any foothold. It is a fact that we are suffering from nihilism.” (Albert Camus)

Albert Camus was a French philosopher – he won the Nobel prize for literature in 1957 – with whom I would find little common ground. But, we’re together in that sentiment: it seems that we’re in a culture that knows better, but is manifesting a herd mentality as it accelerates toward a dark future.

In earlier eras (era: that used to describe a long and distinct period of history; today, it’s an election cycle), candidates were offered by the major parties as a champion for all that is right and good, offering an optimistic hope for a better tomorrow. Today, political competition has eroded into a “gotcha game,” as if the last shameful revelation will be made just before the polls open, too late for the other side to counter a disqualifying disclosure with something even more sordid.

Something’s gotta change. Bad grammar, but a great aspiration. The course we’re on is careening toward some kind of cliff: what’s got to happen to get back on-track?

In the addiction world, intervention is often marketed offering a “Turning Point.” In business, Andy Grove – one of Intel’s founders – observes a “Strategic Inflection Point:” a time in the life of business when its fundamentals are about to change. That change can mean an opportunity to rise to new heights. But it may just as likely signal the beginning of the end…”

I find myself looking at our culture with growing dismay. My mind goes immediately toward segmentation: I see three generations on stage, together – Boomers, Busters and Millennials – and their growing disconnection. Within each of those generations, agreement is not assured: the cream rises to the top in any collection of personalities. A few will achieve influence, and the majority will be influenced. To affect any turn from destruction means shifting the course for a select strata. As Scientific American reported in 2013, “the Influential Few predict the behavior of the Many.” Who will influence the Influential Few?

Robert Goolsby is an entrepreneur in the marine shipping industry based in Houston. A decade ago, he made some profound discoveries about God’s Kingdom and his own God-sourced potential through The Master’s Program. During those three years, he experienced his own Strategic Inflection Point. The last ten years have been a decade of immense challenges for Robert, but he has piloted his life and family through those rough waters based on his strengthened worldview and leadership expertise…

Robert’s son and son-in-law are young men of great potential, but navigating life at a time of immense cultural cross-currents. What could a thoughtful patriarch do to help make them the Influential Few? He’s not a philosopher, he’s a leader: he’s bringing them – with him – into a better future.

In Robert’s words: “My desire is to provide both men with an opportunity to be challenged to go beyond the boundaries of today’s societal expectations and to continue to grow in their walk with God in every aspect of their lives including spiritual growth, professional growth and direction and family. I want them to be able to invest their time and talents in areas that have high yield for the Kingdom by impacting their lives, their families lives and all those they touch as they go through life.”

Robert has enrolled both of them – and, himself – in Master’s OnLine. They’re going to experience the weekly video download individually, and then process the content together. Robert:  “This investment has eternal rewards that far exceed anything we can find on this earth. Each of the men may get different values out of the program and for me it is an opportunity to revisit Master’s but it will connect us and hopefully give us opportunities to grow together.”

Curse the darkness… or, turn on the light. Robert is doing something for his family… but he’s also doing something to change the culture. You could do that too…

Who’s in your down-line? Check out Master’s OnLine: could you create a Strategic Inflection Point for some next-generation men and women whose futures could be influenced by your leadership?

Bob Shank

Living the Dream

August 22, 2016

It’s 2016; do you know who’s next door?

It’s been 20 years since Tom Stanley and Bill Danko co-authored their signature book, The Millionaire Next Door (Longstreet Press). Using sound research, they countered the Thurston Howell III illusion (the rich guy on Gilligan’s Island) with the reality of rich people in America, who were – most likely – successful business owners who drove Explorers and lived with a level of frugality.

In two decades, the climb in net worth has changed the American landscape. If they were writing today, they might release their sequel: The Billionaire Next Door. Worldwide, there are nearly 2,500; over 400 live in America. California claims 111 of the total; 70 call New York City home; Texas weighs-in with 40. There might be one camped-out around the corner in your neighborhood…

In TMND, Stanley and Danko described the lifestyles that were enabled by seven figures; sixteen years into the 21st Century, Wealth-X is a consulting firm with 200 worldwide employees focused on marketing strategies for the Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) tribe. Their researched picture of billionaires is uncontested; 87% of the UHNW made it through entrepreneurship, not inheritance. Their ascension to economic royalty happened in one generation, and their lifestyles are intriguing.

Even billionaires go to work. But, like most of those behind them in the race to riches, it’s what they do in their “free time” that is intriguing. Once their professional agendas are set-aside, what are the hobbies that define them and provide their fulfillment? Wealth-X has the answers, with statistics rather than speculation. The top-five pursuits of the well endowed, and the percentage who engage:

1. Philanthropy 56%
2. Travel 31%
3. Art 29%
4. Fashion and Style 25%
5. Politics 22%

Hunting, jewelry, fishing, watches and skiing all pulled less-than-10% in participation. Among the people who could do anything, their preoccupations had little to do with their occupations.

My neighbors don’t know it, but they could have the billionaires next door. The Shanks are living a billionaire lifestyle, even though we don’t have their tax challenges or monthly expenses. How so?

Philanthropy is no longer practiced as a check-writing exercise: among the wealthy, they’ve linked their time and talent with their contributions, to create breakthroughs that are truly world changing. The generosity that populates heaven – and addresses felt needs while solving the eternal problems as well – is a key part of our “free time.” We’re living like billionaires…

Travel is on the calendar. I’ve stood in 65 countries since my first flight, coming home from our honeymoon 45 years ago. Most of those international excursions had a ministry purpose. Cheri has more stamps in her passport than most, with annual treks to South Africa in support of the orphan crisis there. Mission trips are the best trips. We’re living like billionaires…

Rich folks doing art: they’re not painting, they’re investing. While they enjoy the pieces on display, they expect to see their holdings gain value because they chose well. God is into art, as well: Paul explained that people are God’s handiwork – “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do…” (Ephesians 2:10) – and that people are our greatest investment. We’ve spent the last two decades collecting a gallery of masterpieces – people, released into their Kingdom life of service – who are a living Louvre of eternal art. We’re living like billionaires…

You don’t have to be rich to have a rich life. How extravagant is your lifestyle?

Bob Shank

Are you here to watch… or, to win?

August 15, 2016

Don’t bother me right now; somebody’s about to win the gold.

Summertime productivity is always tough, but the quadrennial years are beyond reason: presidential mud-wrestling (the campaign) and worldwide competition (the Olympics) make it hard to focus on anything else on today’s schedule.

Over 10,000 athletes are in Rio right now, from 205 countries. They’re competing in 42 sports, with 306 separate events. Nearly 1000 medals will be carried home by winners, runners-up and third-placers; Americans have been fixated – so far – on Michael Phelps and Simone Biles, with occasional distractions like Usain Bolt’s photo-finish in the 100 meters, and his signature pose after his victory…

Kids around the world are watching – and dreaming – as people not much older than they push themselves to the limit in synchronized swimming and beach volleyball; archery and mountain biking; fencing and field hockey; taekwondo and table tennis. Some of today’s watchers will be motivated to make the massive investment of time, energy and devotion to be wearing their country’s colors in August 2020 in Tokyo.

The Olympics are inspiring… but they’re not new. Launched in antiquity, the modern version was resurrected after 1500 years of cessation in Athens, in 1896. They have become a fixture of modern international life: individual and national pride is earned through fair and responsible means, allowing honor and recognition without abuse or violence.

How do you get to the winner’s platform, to hear your anthem and receive your prize? It starts with baby steps: begin to develop a baseline of physical fitness; find the field of endeavor in which you seem gifted and inclined; connect with a coach who can refine your performance and inspire your focus; sacrifice other distractions so that you can maximize your potential… and then give it your all. If you’ve got what it takes, keep your passport in your gym bag: you’re going to Japan…

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:23-25)

That’s about more than a membership at 24 Hour Fitness and a Saturday morning jog with your buddies. Paul didn’t try to inspire Kingdom heroism with sandlot softball and basement ping-pong; he likened individual engagement in eternal endeavors with the highest level of athleticism. No average amateur efforts were acceptable when a gold medal race was possible.

Let’s be honest: most Christians are content to drop in at God’s Gym (their local church) when nothing “better” draws them away. As long as they work up a sweat and get their heart rate up for 65 minutes – from the opening prayer warm-up to the closing prayer cool-down – they feel like they’ve earned an honorary medal for just showing-up in the proper workout clothes.

What stands between the gym-rat and the gold medal? It mirrors the journey from church-attendance to winning the crown that lasts forever: make the crucial reset from watching to doing. Believe that God made you to win the prize. Find the performance implied by your divine design. Put yourself in touch with a coach who knows how to develop and challenge you to engage beyond your comfort zone, and reach toward your potential. Begin to produce and see results. Win some chrome-plated plastic trophies in hometown performances… and believe that God has made you to make a difference.

Untold millions of hours – and billions of dollars – were expended to convene the XXXI Olympiad. What investment is warranted in preparation for the awards platform – the BEMA seat of 2 Corinthians 5 – at the end of this era?

I don’t know about you, but I’m working on taking home the gold in my race…

Bob Shank

Which is it: Loser, or Leader?

August 8, 2016

Here’s the new approach to increase your business: offer the “no commitment” option.

No-Commitment Workout: “Worried about sinking your workout time and money in a gym? Think about these stand-alone classes as a fitness tasting menu.” (Weight Watchers)

No-Commitment Pricing: “You may purchase a new phone without a contract at the no-commitment price. This non-discounted equipment purchase option does not require a two-year contract or other long-term service commitment.” (AT&T)

No Commitment Hockey: “Provides all of the benefits of a hockey league without the commitment. You will get competitive organized hockey on your schedule – on demand, where and when you want to play.” (Stinky Socks Hockey)

No Contract Commitment: “We don’t force you to accept any contract commitments because we know that you’ll like our service and want us to keep protecting you – month after month, year after year.” (Pointe Alarm)

No Commitment Sports: “WWE Network is now $9.99/month with no commitment. You’ll continue to get every LIVE pay-per-view, access to our massive on-demand library, without the six-month commitment.” (World Wrestling Entertainment)

Life in the 21st Century has been redefined: people expect all of the benefits, but accept no obligations. Consumption is positive; commitment is not. Freedom is presumed to be the absence of commitments, rather than the choice of commitments. Theme song: “Don’t Fence Me In.”

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes, but no plans.” (Peter Drucker)

“Without commitment, you cannot have depth in anything, whether it’s a relationship, a business or a hobby.” (Neil Strauss)

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” (Mario Andretti)

“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses – only results.” (Ken Blanchard)

“One person with commitment accomplishes more than a thousand with an opinion.” (Orrin Woodward)

“Commitment is a word invented in our abstract modernity to signify the absence of any real motives in the soul for moral dedication.” (Allan Bloom)

“The problem that we are facing in the church today is that we have so many Christians who have made a decision to believe in Jesus but not a commitment to follow Him. We have people who are planning to, meaning to, trying to, wanting to, going to, we just don’t have people who are doing it.” (Tyler Edwards)

Losers reject commitment; Leaders demonstrate it, and demand it.

For 20 years, we’ve offered participation in The Master’s Program to Christians who claim to be leaders. It requires commitment. The losers say, “No thanks;” the leaders say, “I’ll be there,” and they show up, and grow up, and – then – change the world and build God’s Kingdom.

Bob Shank

No Cross, No Conflict

August 1, 2016

This means war.

ISIS is a technologically-savvy iteration of a movement that is anything but clandestine. They publish an online magazine – Dabiq – that targets the world with an insider view of their ultimate objectives and current strategies. They’re reaching a worldwide audience of disenfranchised people with a compelling call to ideological warfare.

The 15th Issue of Dabiq has just been posted. The cover declares their agenda: Break the Cross.

In the fiery sermonette that flows from that headline, they declare, about the “West” (their chosen enemy): “… How do they claim to be monotheistic and claim to know Him (Allah) as being the One and Only, the Merciful, the Just and Wise God yet they attribute to Him a mother, a son, a partner and the Trinity, believe He is unable to forgive mankind for their ‘original sin’ except by having one of His most beloved men (Jesus) unjustly bear their burdens and be crucified on their behalf, and declare that the laws He legislates (sharia) are cruel, barbaric and unfit for modern times? Where is your servitude to Him (Allah)? Where is your respect of what He loves? Where is the residue of sound intellect, which would immediately reject the superstitious beliefs of Trinity and atonement through the crucifixion of Jesus? … We call you to reflect on these questions as the bloodthirsty knights of the Caliphate continue to wage their war of just terror against you…”

Call them what you choose – in government, they say “ISIS;” in conservative political speak, they’re “Islamic Terrorists;” – but be clear what they call themselves: “bloodthirsty knights of the Caliphate.” In a war, clearly declaring the identity of your enemy is the first step in developing a strategy for victory. They – the “other side” – have made their opponent clear: it’s Jesus, and His cross is the symbol of all they are committed to destroy.

No politician in America has the capacity to really understand the war that has been declared against us. While they debate the differences between ISIS and Al Qaeda, they miss the underlying common denominator: their attack is against the Christian faith, and the Cross that is its foundation.

Their confusion is daunting: they assume that all in the “West” are Christian, though most of the population of the West has no personal connection to the Cross. The followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are their real target, and every place they find them, they are marked for martyrdom.

What is it about the Cross? Listen to Peter, addressing Jews at Pentecost: “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:22-24)

Paul knew that the Cross draws the line in the sands of Eternity: “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’” (1 Corinthians 1:17-19)

A military solution for Islamic Terrorism? Good luck with that: the Cross is the nuclear weapon in this war, and we need to deploy it to utterly defeat the Evil that will not rest while it stands…

Bob Shank

When Winners are Losers

July 25, 2016

Run to win.

Our family – at least, the next two generations – is at full strength; we’ve filled all of the seats on the family team bus, it seems, with Ben – adopted last year from South Africa as Grandkid #6.

He’s only been in-country for 16 months – and, he’ll be six next month – but he’s adapted quickly. He must have some remnant of his Zulu background, but it’s now been supplanted by his full-on American psyche. Proof: yesterday, on a SoCal freeway – with Cheri at the wheel – he was coaching her to “beat the truck!” as she passed the box van in the next lane. A back-seat driver – from a legally-mandated child seat! – who wouldn’t settle for “second place” on a road where there were no winners!

I run. I started in 1978, to lose a few pounds and rebuild my young-man ego. Back then, my pace (minutes-per-mile) was okay; my best time in a 10k was 39:30 (that’s a 6:22/mile pace; my 15-year old grandson runs a 4:46). Today – 38 short years later – I’m still running, but I no longer track my pace; my ego is now served by not computing that metric. Today, it’s not about speed; it’s become about endurance.

It may be summer, but the competition is heating up. This month, the conventions are putting the pit-crews into action for the two racers who will spend every waking hour – from now until November – in the race that will captivate the world. And, next month, the quadrennial Games will bring athletes from around the world to Brazil to run races, compete in events and win medals. The goal – for both competitions – is not just to participate: it’s to win.

And, in both settings, there are rules. Rules?

In the political marathon, there’s a continuing rumble over the question: have the presidential  runners played by the rules? A “university” sued for shortcomings; a “foundation” questioned for misuse; an aspiring “first lady” charged with stealing speech verbiage; a former first lady/candidate chided – but not charged – for putting secrets at risk of malicious discovery. The point: if they haven’t played by the rules before now, how can they be trusted to enforce the rules if they win the race?

Enough controversy: politics and religion aren’t polite subjects to address in friendly banter, so let’s flip-off Fox and CNN and watch ESPN instead. Don’t we love “athletics” for the pure competition that avoids the deception and corruption?

Google Tom Brady and Vladimir Putin – hit the “news” tab – and catch their latest headlines. Whether it’s DeflateGate, or the redeployment of the KGB to the Olympic test labs in Sochi, we find the same lame question: can anyone be trusted to play by the rules, so that we can really celebrate a victory won without bad sportsmanship?

We’re created to compete… and wired to win. It’s so much of who we are that many will do anything – right or wrong – to acquire the prize. Is competing inherently evil… or, can it glorify God? 

Paul’s answer to the question: “I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:23-27)

Pick your race for the sake of the gospel. Train to compete at your highest potential. Start with seriousness. Play by the rules. Run to win. Expect a prize; you’ve earned it. Know this: if you cheat, you lose.

Bob Shank

Don’t move… until you answer this question

July 18, 2016

“Where am I?”

That question may not come up, for you, as often as it does for me.

For the last 20 years, half of my nights are spent in a rent-a-bed. My ministry activities account for a lot of that travel, but my “off-time” isn’t spent in a recliner: for the last two weeks, I’ve been practicing-what-I-preach (always a good idea for ministry types) with family. Most of my now-‘til-Fall calendar is on-the-road, not in-the-pool: the GPS on my phone tells the story of a man-on-the-run…

It happens for me, frequently: my iPhone is my alarm clock, and the audio is set to “birds,” at a volume that rivals an aviary. Rudely awakened by a noisy flock – always long before sunrise – I have to find the phone, find the screen spot that kills the birds… and then answer the question: “Where am I?”

The path to the bathroom will be illuminated by the answer to that question, and all that will follow. Why am I here? Who’s waiting for me? Am I checking out? How will I be dressed? What do I need to have with me, to accomplish my purpose for the day? Where’s the closest Starbucks? Am I reset to the local time zone, and how soon can I call Cheri to have our first contact for the day?

My “normal” week – apart from the summer reset – puts me in a different city every day, leading sessions for The Master’s Program. Exit the venue around 4:00p, head for the airport, turn in the rental car, get through TSA, fly 500-1000 miles, land, bag check, rental car, drive to hotel, check-in, iron tomorrow’s uniform, check e-mails, hit the pillow around midnight… and set the birds to wake me at 5:00a with their choir of chirps, triggering the question: Where am I?

We’re time-and-space beings: our life is happening by the moment, and in a place. Those certainties can be overlooked in a routine, normal day… but they’re operative, nonetheless. For ourselves – and, for the context within which we live and operate – the whole of life revolves around that clarity.

Think about the last few days, and the concise reports that we’ve processed to figure out what’s going on around us: a truck in Nice; a coup attempt in Turkey; an ambush in Baton Rouge; memorial services in Dallas; Republicans in Cleveland; suspects in custody.

That preposition – “in” – says it all. Pushpins go on today’s map, based on that little word. We see where we are – and, we set the world around us – based on its clarity. Where are you? Your answer: “I’m in _________.” That answer changes everything.

Where are you? I’m in the office. I’m in trouble. I’m in a relationship. I’m in Cleveland. I’m in a meeting. I’m in Halftime. I’m in retirement. I’m in ministry. I’m in process. I’m in recovery. I’m in bed. I’m in a good place. I’m in jail. I’m in transition.

Paul is one of my go-to advisors; we’ve never had a face-to-face meeting, but he sent me a bunch of e-mails 2000 years ago that are more insightful and current than the “breaking news” intrusions my phone features every few minutes. In his letters – the New Testament epistles authored by him – he positioned me on Eternity’s map 85 times – 85 times! – those missives. Where did he find me? Here’s where he says I am: “In Christ.”

Alive in Christ. Co-workers in Christ. Sanctified in Christ. Wise in Christ. Firm in Christ. Reconciled in Christ. Freedom in Christ. Justified in Christ. One in Christ. Faithful in Christ. Hope in Christ. Created in Christ. Promise in Christ. Accomplished in Christ. Holy in Christ. Mature in Christ. Dozens more; he sees me – and, you – where we really are, on the only map that matters.

When your spiritual GPS finds your position – in Christ – the realities surrounding you, the services available to you and the certainty that now defines you prepares you for the ultimate.

Where am I? The only answer that matters: in Christ.

Where are you, today? And… do you realize what that means?

Bob Shank

The Ball is in Your Court

July 11, 2016

Chaos burns bridges… and builds platforms.

We’ve had chaos this week, in downtown Dallas. Blocks from the place where John F. Kennedy was shot, 53 years ago, another lone sniper has incited chaos and conflict across a country that is already polarized because of politics and policing.

Bridges are burning; people have stopped talking and started shouting. Opposing positions are becoming hardened, and the light has been extinguished in the darkness of mistrust and malice.

But, platforms are hastily constructed… and gadfly celebrities are drawn to the cause célébre, offering their biases in the guise of wisdom.

One of the chants offered by some of the marching mobs today is telling: “No justice; no peace.” The Martin Luther King, Jr. era of peaceful protest has passed over the horizon of history; today, the intractable demand assumes that unless the angry crowd gets its demands – fueled by the first-video-on-Facebook-wins phenomenon – the violence will begin.

Nationwide unrest is not a modern malady; it’s been around, as long as power has been misused. The people of Israel were living in oppressive circumstances, and their pushback had been long suppressed by the “cops” – the Roman military enforcers who had become part of their life sentence – in a country that had become a penal colony under a succession of Caesars who saw the Jews as inferior chattel.

When you have unjust oppression in the prison of life with no possibility of parole, you’re looking for a Savior. There’s the backdrop for this amazing introduction:

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” (Luke 4:14-21)

Transport yourself back about 1980 years, and grab a clipboard. Park in a public place – anywhere around Israel – and take a survey: ask people how they’re doing with their current government situation, and its affects on their daily life. “No justice; no peace” may not have been their catch phrase, but the sentiment would have been there, just below their rage…

Jesus was sent to the worst of situations, with the promise of peace that was not dependent on “justice” (where, exactly, do you find that, in a fallen world?). Justice is fleeting; peace is everlasting.

His message: what you really need is a personal solution, between you and God. Find good news – the Gospel – in a bad news world. Break out of the prison of ideas in which most people rot and die. Get eyes that can see truth, in a world full of blind victims. Live free from the oppression that most people just accept… and hear God’s approval and favor above the screams of the multitude.

Find a platform, and announce God’s continuing solution. America needs us to do that…

Bob Shank

Promoting Freedom to People Demanding Slavery

July 5, 2015

Freedom!

“Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live… at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… OUR FREEDOM!” (Mel Gibson, as William Wallace, in Braveheart)

That may be one of the great lines from the cinema, in our generation. It isn’t the battle scene (the Battle of Stirling) that stirs the heart, but the sentiment that drove the disorganized Scots to heroism: freedom – for them – would be worth more to them than whatever it cost to secure.

Would that our generation would rise to that call: “Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.” (Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents). Entitlements and personal responsibility mix like oil and water; “You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.” (Robert Heinlein). Responsibility keeps you up at night; the peace that comes from irresponsibility allows you to sleep, while your world crumbles under the force of ignorance…

The battles we face within America today are not fought with guns and tanks; rather, the battle lines are drawn at campaign stops and raucous rallies. The demand for personal privilege – at the expense of someone else – seems like a deal that’s too good to pass up. “If you want total security, go to prison. There you’re fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking… is freedom.” (Dwight D. Eisenhower)

Freedom sounds great to the cheering crowd… until they consider the cost of experiencing it: “It is the preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” (Bertrand Russell)

The War to Secure Freedom did not begin on American soil, two centuries ago; rather, the decisive battle in the conflict was fought on a hill outside Jerusalem about 20 centuries back. The Champion was a Carpenter who captivated a nation in bondage with his words: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jesus, in John 8:31-32)

Freedom was a principle theme in the oratory that defined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but he was echoing the message that defined the leaders who had followed the Resurrected One: “Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.” (Paul, in 1 Corinthians 7:21) “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

For two millennia, contrarians have demanded attention in opposition to the Son of God/Savior of the World, but their thinly-veiled agendas are nothing new: “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’” (Peter, in 2 Peter 2:19). His alternative, to the revolving door manipulators who try to counter the freedom call of Jesus: “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.” (1 Peter 2:16)

It’s great to be an American, celebrating freedom; it’s even better being an American Christian, understanding freedom at its most powerful level: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13)

Bob Shank

One thing guaranteed to make you better

June 27, 2016

What are you planning to do this summer?

The magazine headline was provocative: “The Death of Reading.” Its author – Mitchell Stephens – had a vested interest: he was a journalism professor at New York University. The article appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine – when there was a Los Angeles Times Magazine – on September 22, 1991, 25 years ago.

You can Google the whole treatise, but his summation is found in his subtitle: Will a nation that stops reading eventually stop thinking?

You don’t have to guess the answer to his rhetorical question: we’ve seen it portrayed by Jesse Waters – the pop-up host of Water’s World (Fox)… and in the passionate crowds affirming everything from Bernie to Brexit. Reading refines thinking, and thoughtful people act differently.

The reasoned follow-up question to incomprehensible actions is seldom asked, or answered: “What were you thinking?” The unfortunate conclusion, if that dialog ever took place? What passes as “thinking” today is abysmal, at best.

The decline of reading can be tracked by an objective metric: the reading scores in the College Board’s SAT are absolutes. The steady erosion has continued for a generation: “The decline in SAT scores has a lot to do with not reading,” asserts former College Board President Donald M. Stewart. Why? “The ability to read is linked to the ability to process, analyze and comprehend information,” Stewart explains. “I guess that’s called thinking.”

Some people use them as doorstops; for others, they’re paperweights. Decorators use them to furnish model homes; garage sales use them as 50¢ loss-leaders; frustrated party-goers use them as last-ditch birthday gift options: if books were animate, they’d probably be suffering from a wide-spread identity crisis. Books are like cockroaches: they’re everywhere, but no one knows what to do with them.

I can’t wait for July 12th; I’ve already placed my order for a copy of Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life is Designed, by Douglas Axe. A former engineer, then molecular-biologist, Axe now writes with reasoned insight that Darwin’s theory of evolution has had a gaping hole at its center from the beginning. The intent of his book: “Armed with confidence, readers will affirm what once seemed obvious to all of us: that living creatures – from single-celled cyanobacteria to orca whales and human beings – are brilliantly conceived, utterly beyond the reach of accident. Our intuition was right all along…”

From Stephen’s article, a quarter century ago: “Ironically, but not coincidentally, reading has begun fading from our culture at the very moment that its importance to that culture is finally being established. Its decline, many theorists believe, is as profound as, say, the fall of communism, and some have taken to prophesying that the downturn in reading could result in the modern world’s cultural and political decline…”

That was the state of the intellectual union 25 years back: are we further down that race to ignorance, or have we turned the corner back to a reasoned world of thoughtful progress?

Here’s a wild thought: use some of your vacation time this summer to read a book. Here’s a great starter: written by Indian philosopher Vishal Mangalwadi: The Book that Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization. How about a book, about The Book, to make the point?

God; the Son of God; the Word of God. Without that progression of revelation, you’ll never know the Truth.

Don’t come back to work on Labor Day unless you’ve read a book. That’s an order…

Bob Shank

Every day is Father’s Day

June 20, 2016

Happy Father’s Day.

I know; I’m a day late. Yesterday was the day to honor fathers. The market for Brookstone nose hair trimmers – and, Costco’s Chateau Kirkland 2015 Burgundy – peaked, the day before Father’s Day. The barbeque tool-set was used immediately after opening; those formalities are passed…

Now, it’s the Day After; time to get back to being a dad. American eagles are staging a come-back, from their threatened status; American dads are in decline, nationally. Less homes have them than ever before, and the ones still present are increasingly marginalized. We – dads – need all the help in the task assigned us than ever before…

“Fathers, don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.” (Ephesians 6:4, from The Message). That responsibility does not drop-off when the kids turn 18; it’s a life-long delegation – from the Heavenly Father – that runs from kid-birth to dad-death. How do we – as dads – “lead them in the way of the Master?”

Most fathers have had a similar experience: tell your tribe which end is up – over and over again – and they listen like they no longer understand English. Then, one day, they come home from an encounter with a coach/youth pastor/older friend, and sing their praises because of the incredible insight they just heard from them. It was just what you had said, but – coming from another source – it’s now validated.

Hey, dad: how would you like some help with that lifetime initiative that God laid on your shoulders? Would there be any value – for you – in arranging for some trusted friends to spend 20 minutes every week telling your kid(s) what you’ve already told them – or, what you’d love to tell them – in pursuit of “the way of the Master?”

My first grandson graduated from high school last week. I met him for coffee on his grad day, to hand him an envelope marking his milestone. Inside: a handwritten note of affirmation, some green “coupons” ($$) that are redeemable everywhere, and, a scholarship to Master’s OnLine (MOL).

Jackson – my grandson – is going to be led in “the way of the Master” every week for the next three years. In August, he lands at Biola University… but, he’s already enrolled in MOL.

Weekly installments, send to his iPhone: Week #1 is a 20 minute teaching video from me, on that month’s concept. Week #2 is Noah – my MOL partner – and me, unpacking the concept’s application. Week #3 works through the chokepoints: what obstacles will he face in putting this MOL concept into practice? Then, Week #4: an interview with a Master’s grad, describing life on a different path – “the way of the Master.” That ends the month… and the next week starts up again, with a new concept.

He could have enrolled, himself, at the normal $99/month rate. Instead, I sent $1000 – as a tax-deductible contribution – and scholarshipped him for Year #1 (I’ll renew that next year). He’ll have great profs in his classrooms at Biola… but, he’ll also have MOL taking him to yet another level.

MOL is designed for Millennials – currently, 18-30 in age – who have the challenge of living their faith in a culture that is becoming increasingly hostile. I want some voices in his life that will help him find – and, follow – the way of the Master. MOL will be those voices, in biblical harmony.

Perhaps you’ve got some millennials in your family system – or, in your org chart – who would benefit from this fatherly gift. How about it? Click here to go to a page that will present your options: go straight to masters.life and enter the enrollment onramp, or contact us directly to arrange the tax-deductible scholarship that you can invest in your family/business downline.

Do you trust the culture to shape your legacy? Would you allow me to echo your life message and example in the lives of the youngers who are coming behind you?

Bob Shank

Can someone just make a decision?

June 13, 2016

No commitment.

You’ve felt it; you might have even said it. People around you – with whom you’re connected, in business and in life – are increasingly flakey. You leave them messages, and they don’t reply. You finally get through – with a solid offer to benefit them in some meaningful way – and they agree to take you up on the opportunity.

Whatever the “follow-up” step is, they don’t take it. They gave you a clear affirmation of their decision to say, “yes,” but their actions never echo that conclusion: all of their non-verbals are screaming, “no.”

Two things are going on around us today: 1) well educated, well situated people who are reasonably accomplished, who cannot make a decision; and, 2) people with integrity that is marked at the mean-average of their category of society, for whom an RSVP means less than nothing: their earlier decision – if one was made – can be abandoned, upon further review or the emergence of another option, later.

Jim Sollische – writing in the Wall Street Journal – calls it “decision fatigue.” They say the average American is making 35,000 decisions every day. Should they get out of bed when the alarm sounds, or wait 15 minutes? Casual Tuesday, or dress-for-success? Make a Keurig cup at home, or stop for a custom brew on the way in? Latte or mocha? Almond milk or non-fat? Venti or grande? Answer the incoming call from your business contact who’s waiting for you at the office, or let it go to message?

The marketing study has been repeated across multiple decades; it was last done in Menlo Park, the epicenter of Silicon Valley. A special display of jam was established, with a $1 coupon applicable only to the jams on the table. The set-up changes: one model offers six selections, the other presents 24. Both record over 100 people stopping to consider the options. The action is secretly video taped.

The results: with six to choose from, 31% make a purchase. With 24 choices, 4% buy. The conclusion, whenever business schools repeat the exercise: more choices; less decisions.

Some blame search engines. Stop at that grocery display and pull out your smart phone; Google the question, “What’s the best jam?” In .43 seconds, you’ll have 39.4 million results to scan; by then, most will swear-off Smuckers and keep on walking. You can ask Google, “How can I know God?” and 274 million results come up. Is it any wonder that people are reporting disengagement from religious practice? They’ve been hammered by decision fatigue.

Programmers understand the necessity for binary decision making: narrow the option field to two, choose the best, and stick with it. The decision chain is critical, and often requires wisdom to reduce the selections and, then, trust one’s intuition to go forward.

It was 2800 years ago when Ahab and Jezebel – king and queen of Israel – determined to eradicate Jehovah God from their society and replace him with the pagan gods Baal and Asherah. God called Elijah – his prophet to the profligate nation – to confront king and country with their option: “Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing.” (1 Kings 18:21)

Our society seems to be losing the capacity to make a solid decision – from seemingly unlimited options – and, then, to stick with that decision.

Maybe it’s time to shut off the screens, narrow our choices… and commit to something, believing it to be right. The world – today, and tomorrow – does not recognize or celebrate the indecisive…

Bob Shank