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Showing posts from August, 2017

Signs in the Sky

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This past Monday, portions of the United States got to view a rare total solar eclipse. Later that day, my hometown newspaper ran an article on their web site that caught my attention. The Fargo Forum spotlighted two long-bearded brothers claiming the eclipse represented “a seven-year judgment on America.” My first thought was to dismiss Dean and Dennis Johnson as religious wackos. Then I decided to watch the accompanying video to hear what they had to say. I agree with Dean and Dennis Johnson’s exhortation of our country’s need for repentance. However, they also stated that unless America repents, “another one [eclipse] is coming in seven years.” Astronomers have already determined the next solar eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024. I don’t see how national repentance will stop that from happening. Now I do believe God uses signs in the sky to get our attention such as the wise men being led by a star to Bethlehem in Matthew 2. The rainbow in Genesis 9 was a sign that God

Let Our Sisters Speak

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As a young Christian, I devoured numerous teaching tapes and books that God used to help me grow in my knowledge of Him and prepare for ministry. One Bible teacher from who I’ve gleaned a lot is Joyce Meyer. Her “Battlefield of the Mind” is one of the most powerful books I ever read. Joyce’s testimony of overcoming abuse and rejection has inspired millions of hurting people. I appreciate her candor and sense of humor (especially her “What About Me?” robot imitation). It grieves me when I hear fellow Christians criticizing Joyce Meyer. She is often labeled a “prosperity preacher.” Her website  clarifies: “A ‘prosperity gospel’ that solely equates blessing with financial gain is out of balance and could damage a person’s walk with God.” Another reason Joyce receives flak from religious folk is simply being a woman behind the pulpit. Yet the Bible has numerous examples of women ministering to God’s people. These five prophetesses are mentioned by name: Miriam (Exodus 15:20)

A Permit to Preach

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Every minister who takes the gospel to the public occasionally comes into conflict with authority figures. Even in the United States where the Constitution guarantees “freedom of religion”, various laws and ordinances have been passed in an effort to hinder God’s word from going forth. Two weeks ago in Crystal, Minnesota, I was with a group of soul winners sharing the gospel at a carnival. Although it was in a public park, a carnival supervisor came up to us saying we weren’t allowed to evangelize there because we didn’t have a permit. We continued moving and witnessing in the park until a policeman told us “no preaching”. We then moved outside the park perimeters and talked to individuals walking towards or leaving the carnival. Then this past week at the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, I passed out tracts along Main Street and struck up conversations with other ministers doing the Lord’s work. One Baptist group was promoting a motorcycle giveaway. When I

Online Boundaries

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For about a month now, I’ve experienced an unexpected surge of friend requests on Facebook. Until recently I might get one or two per day. Now they’re pouring in at an unprecedented rate. One morning I woke up and had sixty new friend requests waiting for me!  A fellow evangelist I often work with has also seen this happen but only accepts friend requests from people he already knows. As for myself, I will accept most of them as long as my potential friend appears to be a committed Christian. They must also have a legitimate profile photo . At the time of this writing, I now have over 3,600 Facebook friends from different parts of the world. Most of whom I’ve never met personally. Yet many of them want to chat immediately after I accept their friend request. That prompted me to draft a letter that I now display on my Facebook page . This letter clearly outlines things I will and won’t do online. I’ve had to email this letter to new friends who apparently didn’t notice it the