It’s that time of year again - Easter.  I was in Costco yesterday and the front display had huge chocolate eggs and hams.

You’ve heard of the “elephant in the kitchen”- that obvious topic that nobody talks about.  Well, Christ’s resurrection is the “elephant in the Easter basket” – the most important event in human history that our culture blurs or ignores.

It is possible in this post-Christian era that the unchurched are clueless about the true meaning behind Easter.  When I was a kid, we got out of school for Easter Break.  Now it’s called Spring Break - an evidence that we are post-Christian.

Have you ever thought how ridiculous it is for Christians to eat ham on Easter?  Ham is an unclean food to Jewish people.  Even though Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19), we are burning bridges with Jewish people by celebrating the Messiah with a ham on Easter.

There is no Easter in Islam, because the Koran teaches that Jesus was never crucified, and therefore was never resurrected - so much for all religions being the same.

I do hope this Easter weekend (April 22-24) you’ll be pondering the reason for the season.  I reflect on exactly what was going on with Jesus as he hung on the cross from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Good Friday.  He was buried just before sundown.  Imagine what was going on in the disciples’ hearts on that Sabbath Saturday.

Then, on that walk to the tomb, the question came to mind on who would roll away that stone.

Who moved the stone?  That’s my message at our Easter Weekend services.  I hope to see you there.  Let’s talk openly with our friends, neighbors and co-workers about the “elephant in the Easter basket.”

For the last few years I have been playing beach volleyball with devout members of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) church, also known as Mormons. They are warm, friendly people – and great players!

One of the Christian players has an adult child who recently began dating a Mormon. This has caused quite a stir in the family. What should Mom and Dad do, if anything?

From my earliest days of being a Christian I have been intrigued by the religion with clean-cut all American boys on bicycles and buildings with manicured lawns. Is what they believe so different from what the Bible teaches? As one author asked, “How wide the divide?” Can Christianity and Mormonism peacefully co-exist? I had to have some answers.

After years of study I preached a message on “The Bible and Mormonism.” Thanks to modern technology, I offer it to you by clicking on the mp3 file below. May God’s Spirit and His Word lead you into a crystal clear understanding of the truth.

Blessings to you.

iPhone users can CLICK HERE.

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Many people declare that all religions are the same. That cannot be true because each religion has its own unique understanding of who Jesus is. Since all religions have a “different Jesus,” all religions are different from one another.

I have been intrigued by the Muslim understanding of Jesus. I went to London for two weeks in 2004 in order to study exactly what Muslims believe about Jesus. I had dozens of face to face conversations with Muslim people. I have read substantial portions of the Koran. I have read numerous books comparing and contrasting the Jesus of the New Testament with the Jesus of the Koran.

When I returned from London to my home church, I delivered a message entitled “What I wish Muslims knew about Jesus.” I preached that sermon out of a deep burden and compassion for Muslim people who perhaps have not heard the Biblical perspective of Jesus. I do hope this message will be inspiring and eye-opening to one and all. To hear “What I Wish Muslims Knew About Jesus,” please click below. iPhone users can CLICK HERE.

Pastor Shane Womack

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Here is a poem that was written by Pastor Shane Womack and read at the last Shebrews event.

A Shebrews Poem

Thank you for coming

The shortcake was yummy

We hope Shebrews was a success

Some coffee with pals

While meeting new gals

The atmosphere was sunny

Dawn Hammy was funny

And someone else will clean up this mess

We can’t let you cruise

Till you heard the news

About our common dilemma

Sin in the garden

Our need for a pardon

The first madám and her husband Adám

Caused the original problémma

Don’t eat from this tree

Was God’s first decree

You’ll die if you eat from its fruit

The devil was deceiving

And Eve was believing

That she could be wise

To her own demise

So God had to give them the boot

But after death’s curse

Just read the next verse

To Eve a promise was given

Your descendant’s ovum

One special woven

Will die in our stead

And crush Satan’s head

So mankind can once more start livin’

Well who would this be

A light of Galilee

A son, and yet mighty God

A Bethlehem native

Said Micah verbatim

Born to a Virgin

The prophecies mergin’

To the path that young Mary trod

In a straw-laden stable

It’s fact and not fable

God once entered our time

While angels lauded

Shepherds applauded

Magi bowed down

As demons did frown

At such a birth so sublime

But right from the start

Mary knew in her heart

A sword in her soul would soon pierce

A wooden cross

Brought temporary loss

To shed Christ’s blood

To stem the flood

Of God’s wrath toward sin so fierce

Yet on the third day

The Lord had his say

He raised Christ from the tomb

Hey! Good tidings

Of resurrection sightings

God has spoken

Death is now broken

He triumphed and sealed Satan’s doom

Though Eve was contrary

All’s reversed through Mary

By carrying the godly seed

Now Christ alone

Can take you home

Canceling Hell’s fate,

Come to heaven’s gate

With Jesus – he’s all that you need

Daughters of Eve

Please do not leave

Till you turn from your sin and strife

Admit you’re a sinner

And you’ll be a winner

Accept Christ as Lord

Leap over sin’s fjord

And enter into eternal life

You have a choice

To obey God’s voice

Ask Jesus to live in your heart

In Christ believe

And then you’ll receive

His Holy Spirit,

Just pray and He’ll hear it

Born again with a brand new start

Another sexual scandal by the rich and famous.  It is a common tale of athletes, politicians and celebrities.  So, why does this keep happening?  Why did Tiger cheat?  Why did King David cheat with Bathsheba?  The pages of Scripture tell us why.

Certainly arrogance is the chief culprit.  “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you.  You who live in the clefts of the rock, in the loftiness of your dwelling place, who say in your heart, ‘who will bring me down to earth?’” (Obadiah 3).  Answer? God!

Arrogance deceives you.  Success blinds you.  “When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery” (Jeremiah 5:7).  Pride causes spiritual amnesia.  “And being satisfied, their hearts become proud; therefore they forgot Me” (Hosea 13:6).

With arrogance comes a sense of entitlement which Tiger expressed he had.  Yet, King David also felt entitled to Bathsheba even though one said by warning, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” (2 Samuel 11:3).  Entitled people do not regard boundaries because they deserve everything.  In the prophet Nathan’s parable, the rich man took the poor man’s only lamb and cooked it for dinner (2 Samuel 12:1-6).  David acted with “no compassion.”  Arrogant, entitled people have no compassion.  Rather, they are driven by fleshly passion and lust.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will reap” (Galatians 6:7).  “And be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

We all need to take heed, lest we fall.  I find myself praying for Tiger and Elin Woods.  I pray that Tiger will find the God of the Bible who can extend forgiveness and wipe away shame and dishonor.  I hope that Tiger can experience the power of God’s Spirit that will empower him to live a pure life.  I hope that Tiger can fall at the feet of Jesus Christ like the immoral woman in Luke 7:50, and hear the words, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

On Being a Grandpa

I finally got used to being a dad, and now I’m a grandpa.  On January 29^th my daughter Amanda and Aaron Roberts presented us with a baby boy, Owen, weighing in at 10 pounds.

When I held my “baby’s baby,” a thousand thoughts and feelings ran through my mind…like, where did the time go?  Will I live long enough to see him get married?  Who does this kid look like?  More importantly, God thank you for an incredible and beautiful miracle.

I had the privilege of holding Owen for about five hours last Sunday night while my daughter slept and Aaron got some work done.  As a new dad I felt exhausted and ill-equipped.  As a grandpa I feel relaxed and well-trained.  As a new dad I was a servant to my baby.  As a grandpa I’m a servant to my adult child.  As a new dad, I was looking for a break.  As a grandpa, I can give someone a break.  As a new dad, my parents looked old to me.  As a grandpa, my wife still looks young to me.

“Indeed, may you see your children’s children.”  Psalm 128:6a

 

As the New Year begins, my mind is going in a lot of different directions. 

My oldest daughter (Amanda), is 8 ½ months pregnant.  Since her baby is scheduled to be born in our home, Phyllis and I are preparing nightly just in case. 

My youngest (Haley), just finished driving school.  She wants to go get her permit. 

My daughter, Jeniece, turned 23 on Dec. 31.  She went to New York to watch the Ball drop in Times Square. 

My sons Luke and Micah are on a break from college, so they are home with not much to do. 

My mother’s dementia and Alzheimer’s is advancing rapidly.  I see her in a lockdown facility often.  My brother has just been released from drug rehab.  Another brother is recovering from his 4^th surgery to remove a tumor from his throat.  I was recently diagnosed with a very treatable skin cancer on the top on my head (nothing real serious).

Besides all this, I am looking forward to 2010 at our church.  Our pastoral staff retreat January 5,6 will involve prayer and fasting, as will our January 11^th day of prayer and fasting for our staff, elders and deacons. 

My hope is that in 2010 we will experience a revival in soul winning and a great movement in the Holy Spirit among all KACC attendees.  In fact, one of my prayers is that we will see at least one soul saved everyday at KACC.  Daily salvations occurred in the New Testament church (Acts 2:47; Acts 16:5).  Let’s unite together behind this vision and goal. 

May He be glorified through it all.

One of our pastors asked me yesterday, “How can you really know when you’re hearing from God?”  Great question!  Life’s big decisions should only be decided if we have clearly heard from Him.  My answer?

1.  Bible – God obviously speaks to us through His word.

2.  Inner Peace – God’s wisdom is characterized by peace in your soul (James
     3:17), and will indeed act as arbiter to settle the matter (Colossians 3:15).  If  
     you have inner turmoil about an option, it’s probably not of God.

3.  Spirit Speaks – Occasionally the Holy Spirit will speak a direct message to
     our heart, as He did to Philip (Acts 8:29).  The Spirit guides us into all truth
     (John 16:13).

4.  Godly Counselors - In the abundance of counselors there is victory
     (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; 20:18; 24:6).  Bounce your idea off three solid
     believers and see if their advice is the same.

5.  Church Leadership – The Holy Spirit gave the same message to the
     apostles and elders in Acts 15:28.  Corporately, church leaders are a great
     source for discerning God’s direction and will.

6.  Spouse – God put His direction to Abraham into his wife Sarah’s mouth
     (Genesis 21:12).  Who knows you better than spouse?  If God is leading you
     in a certain direction, don’t you suppose that God can send the same
     message to your spouse to confirm it?

7.  In Church – My wife Phyllis and I both received an identical message from
     God to move to California while we were listening to a sermon in a church in
     Seattle.  God often speaks most clearly when the church is gathered (Acts
     13:1-3; 2 Chronicles 20:14-18).

8.  Spiritual Gifts – God will use someone’s spiritual gift to give you a clear word
     (word of wisdom, prophetic word, discernment, etc. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10).
     At a prior church I went and interviewed elsewhere as I was running away
     from God.  God raised up a friend who wrote me a powerful letter that I
     received as if were from God Himself.

9.  Dreams & Visions – We can’t go overboard on this, but Paul (Acts
     16:9,10;18:9),  Peter (Acts 10), Cornelius (Acts 10), Ananias (Acts 9:10) and
     others received visions from God that clearly guided their next step in life.
     Joseph (Matthew 2:13,19) and the Magi (Matthew 2:12) both received dreams
     from God to direct them.  Elihu taught that God does this oftentimes.  (Job
     33:13-18).

10.  Angels – Philip (Acts 28:26) and Paul (Acts 27:23) are among many who
       had an angelic encounter who issued an unmistakable command.

Do not enter into a major life-changing decision quickly.  Allow God to direct you through the above means of communication.  When you hear a voice that says “move to another city or state,” “leave your spouse,” “change churches,” switch jobs,” “have surgery,” etc., be sure to seek the Lord wholeheartedly to see if it’s your voice, Satan’s voice, another person’s voice, or God’s voice.