The Monday Memo from John Stanko

853: Art for a Few

I am off to Israel and Rome on Tuesday with a group of 36 people, and I am going to take a break from writing a Memo until Monday, May 14. If you go through withdrawal, you can always go to the Monday Memo site and read through the archives. With 853 Memos there, I think you will find something of interest there to hold you until I return.

I will be blogging and posting my pictures and trip updates on my Facebook page and on my blog, so you can follow my trip's progress at either site.

GIFTED ARTISTS

This week, I want to talk about a gifted artist who was anointed by God to do magnificent work, but whose art was created not for the masses but for the few. His name was Bezalel and he is introduced to us in Exodus 31:1-11:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand—and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.”

Bezalel and his assistants were commissioned to handle all the creative designs for the tabernacle, for which God had given specific instructions for its construction, assembly and tear down, and worship activities therein. It seems that God wanted the very best artisans in Israel to work on His dwelling place, and filled the artists with His spirit to ensure quality work.

WHY?

Why was God being so particular about the tabernacle? Obviously, He was using it as a teaching lesson that He had specific requirements when it came to worship and approaching Him. Today, we realize that He was preparing hearts for the coming of His Son, who is the only way to God. The lesson for those who were working on the tabernacle decor and construction was that their gifts were given to them by God and were to be used for God.

When you think of it, those gifted, Spirit-inspired artists were creating some masterpieces that would only be seen by a few people, those being the priests who were to handle the tabernacle worship. The Holy of Holies that contained the ark of the covenant was only seen by the high priest, so in essence, those men were doing work that would seen by few living creatures.

THE LESSONS

The lesson here is that those artists were commissioned to do superb work that would only be seen by a few eyes. They had spent their entire lives preparing for that moment, and God wanted the fruit of their gifts and lifelong preparation to be for His eyes only. What's more, creativity for those men was not something they did as a hobby or when they had time. It was their full-time endeavor and they had perfected their skill, with God's help, so that they could be called on for a special project that required the best in their field.

All of us who create hope that our work will be enjoyed by many people, perhaps some even parting with their hard-earned cash to take our art home to enjoy beyond the moment they first behold it. Whether they do or not is not the point, however, for we create because God created and gifted us to create, and we produce our projects to display what God has made us to make. If those projects lead to critical acclaim and fame, so be it. If they are for the eyes of a few, so be it as well.

When you create, do you see it as a responsibility to steward the gifts God has given you? Are you paralyzed by fear that "no one" will like it or buy it or appreciate it? If you are not flowing in your creativity, I urge you to consider the example of Bezalel and company who were commissioned to do work destined to be seen by very few, but who had the satisfaction of knowing that God was pleased and would behold their handiwork in the context of worship that He had required. I am happy to produce for His eyes only, and I invite you to join me as we worship the Lord through the work of our hands. Have a blessed three weeks till I am back again!

852: Pruning and the Funnel Effect

Jesus taught this lesson in John 15:1-8:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

I may not have perfect insight into my own life right now, but I think I am in a time of pruning, but you judge for yourself from the following evidence. Here is a list of things I have stopped doing in 2018:

1. I did not lead a team to Kenya in February for the first time since 2008.
2. I ended my weekly leadership radio broadcast that I had for three years on December 31.
3. I resigned from my assistant director position for a local university program.
4. This week, I will teach my last two college classes for the year. This will be the first time I have not taught since 2007.
5. When I finish editing my commentary of Revelation in May, I will no longer be adding content to my Bible study blog (I will have the entire New Testament on that blog site by then).

My birthday is this coming Thursday but I am not retiring in any way, shape, or form. I am simply doing a bit of self pruning so I can be more fruitful. What i am experiencing is what I have referred to as the funnel effect of purpose.

THE FUNNEL EFFECT

A funnel is wide at the top and very narrow at the bottom so that liquids may be poured into something with a small opening. When you begin your PurposeQuest, you are at the top of the funnel. The whole world and all its options are available to you. Then something happens and it can unnerve you and make you uncomfortable. As you progress down the funnel of purpose, you may begin to feel restricted in your activity. Things you once did have no meaning or you lose your enthusiasm for things you once had energy to do. You also may find that you evaluate everything you do differently. As you go down the funnel, you find there is no room or time to do some of those things that are no longer related to your purpose.

Some are concerned that their lives will be less meaningful if they get to the bottom of the funnel. They can’t see how God can use them when they seem to be doing so little. To the contrary, the bottom of the funnel is your point of greatest effectiveness. It is at that point where you find what you do that no one else can do. While it seems restrictive, that point allows God to send you anywhere in the world that needs who you are and what you do.  The narrow point is why the funnel exists; without it, there would be no purpose for the the larger, top portion of the funnel.

God is narrowing my activity so I can be more effective with greater impact. My pruning that is restricting my activities is actually making me more focused. This year I should finish and publish six books while helping an estimated 25 others to publish theirs by serving as their creative consultant and editor. I am doing more media, mostly video, and I am also speaking more on leadership issues, while I consult and coach for those who want to be better leaders.

What are you holding on to that is restricting the funnel effect in your own life? Is your fear that you won't have any money causing you to hold on to some activities that have lost their life and interest for you? I urge you to follow my lead and embark on a self-pruning journey. Allow God to take you to new places that will lead to new fruitfulness as you let go of things that are important and dear, but cannot make the trip down your funnel with you as seek your point of maximum potential and usefulness. Have a blessed week!

851: Resurrection Myth

There is a detail in the account of Jesus' resurrection that has captured the attention of scholars and Bible students over the years. The passage is John 20:6-7 and it tells us what Peter saw when he came to the tomb: "Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen."

Some have found  meaning in the fact that Peter found Jesus' face cloth separate from the linen that had wrapped His dead body before He was hastily laid in Joseph of Arimathea's tomb. The myth surrounding the face "napkin" (as the King James referred to the face cloth) is that it was folded as a master would fold his dinner napkin to let the servant know he was not finished eating but was coming back to the table after a brief absence. People have assumed that Jesus was sending a message to His followers that He was "not done" but was "coming back"' in due time.

While this a touching thought and interpretation, it is not true. First century Jews did not use a dinner napkin (that was a European custom) and there does not seem to be any biblical evidence that the face cloth was folded a certain way. It was simply not with the body linens, but rather in a separate place.

SO WHAT?

Does the face cloth detail have any meaning? It must, otherwise John would not have found it significant to include well after the other three gospels had been written omitting the face cloth placement. So what is the significance?

First, the fact that the face cloth was present and not thrown aside indicates that "body snatchers" had not stolen the body as was later reported. If someone is breaking into a tomb with armed guards asleep at the entrance, they would not take the time to fold or place a face cloth in its appointed place. Speed would have been essential, so the body could have been grabbed as is, and unwrapped later.

Second, when Lazarus was raised from the dead as reported John 11, he had to be freed from his grave clothes. Granted, Jesus had been hastily entombed because the Sabbath was nigh, so He would not have been fully wrapped. Still, He needed no help extricating Himself from His wrappings, either performing the task Himself or having angelic help in doing so.

Finally, Jesus' resurrection was just another "day at the office" for Him. The scene in the tomb did not depict a violent struggle or an escape that had to be completed quickly and silently before the guards discovered what was happening. Jesus had surrendered His life to the Father because He trusted the Father's promise in His word:

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:9-11).

THE LESSONS

There are several lessons for us in this simple detail. Here are some three thoughts as we close:

1. God will do what He promised He would do.
2. You do not need to fret or frantically work to fulfill your God-given assignments. God will help you.
3. No one can wrap you in grave clothes so tightly that God cannot free you.
4. You may have a role in removing your own grave clothes - those things that restrict your faith movement in God.

And one final thought: Jesus is alive as He promised He would be, and that is no myth. His resurrection is real and He shares His resurrection power with us right here, right now. I urge you to put aside the things that try to wrap and entomb you, and do so as nonchalantly and calmly as Jesus did. As you do, I know you will have a blessed week!

850: Easter Power

Easter isn't what it used to be. Today, it is mostly about Easter bunnies, colored eggs, candy, and mall sales - if it is acknowledged or celebrated at all. When I was a child, businesses closed down between noon and 3 PM on Good Friday and no business ever opened on Easter Sunday. There was never any school on Good Friday and Easter Monday. I was in England a few years ago over Easter and I can remember thinking that if it wasn't for the hotels advertising Easter Sunday dinner, I would never have known that Easter was approaching.

This Memo is about the good old days, but not those 65 years ago when I was young. The good old days I want to remember are the days 2,000 years ago when Jesus came back to life, after having been dead for three days. 

BELIEVING

Easter is still one of the best-attended church days of the year when thousands attend worship services to commemorate Jesus' resurrection. Think of it: All those people come back to commemorate that the Spirit brought a dead man back to life. They actually believe that it happened and bear witness by their presence! 

If you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, then you can believe God for anything!  If God raises the dead, which He does, then He can cure cancer. He can provide for your business or ministry. He can transform you into the person He intended you to be, that person you want to be. If God can take a dead body and give it life, then nothing is beyond His miracle-working power. What's more, you have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living in you!  It is not a replica of that Spirit, it is not a portion of that Spirit. You have the Spirit that raises the dead living in you. Here is what Paul had to say about the implications of your Spirit-resident:

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you (Romans 8:9-11).

THE SPIRIT LIVES IN YOU.

The Spirit lives in you, and He did not run out of power when He brought Jesus back to life! He is not "out there" doing good work with the same power that raises dead people. He is in you. What difference should that make when you pray, work, and serve? It should make a big difference. Is it? Is Easter Power present in your life and purpose work all year long? 

If not, then think about Romans 8:9-11 and ask God to show you how you can allow this life-giving Spirit more room in your life in the coming days and weeks. As you're doing that, I hope you found the time to have a blessed Easter.