Signs & Wonders Blog

Tomorrow is the golden anniversary of a tragic event that unfolded on Lake Superior. On November 10, 1975, the American freighter Edmund Fitzgerald embarked on a journey from Superior, Wisconsin, with a cargo of iron ore. The ship didn’t reach its intended destination of Detroit. The Fitz succumbed to a colossal storm. 29 lives were lost. A year later, Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot released “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” which became one of his biggest hits. I was 12 years old then, and considered purchasing the single, except my mother hated the song. I ended up taping it while listening to “American Top 40.” Casey Kasem revealed that the ship’s crew were all experienced men. The captain had been sailing the Great Lakes for 44 years. Other details of the sinking were uncertain. Casey thought the ship might have gone down during the early morning hours of November 11th. That would have coincided with storms (often called “November witches”) occurring on that same ...

At the time of this writing, the U. S. Government has been shut down for a month due to ongoing disagreements between Republican and Democratic leaders. Among those affected are individuals collecting welfare. Nearly 42 million Americans (that’s 1 out of 8) are no longer receiving food stamps or what’s officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This past Friday, two judges ordered the Trump Administration to keep SNAP benefits in place. Judges cannot legislate from the bench, especially when funds aren’t available unless approved by Congress. The president has stated, “I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT. Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.”  Regardless, the welfare system in this nation needs to be revamped. Many individuals receive more money staying unemployed than working. It seems ...

Every October I see many social media posts advising Christians not to have anything to do with Halloween. Certainly, I don’t celebrate the holiday, but I look at trick-or-treaters as a mission field . Two years ago, I took part in a Halloween outreach at a church in Buffalo, New York. A few of us spent time praying in the sanctuary before the doors opened. Trick-or-treaters and their parents walked in to receive free candy, hot dogs, popcorn, and apple cider. More importantly, they were offered prayer and the gift of eternal life. I got to lead 29 people to receive salvation that night. Another time while living in the Washington, DC area, I dressed up as Jesus and gave out bags of candy with mini-Bibles my then-girlfriend put together. I also witnessed to kids who stayed at my girlfriend’s door long enough to listen. Three of them prayed to get saved. Other years on Halloween night, I simply walked the streets handing out gospel tracts. Still, some Christians prefer hiding in t...

This past week I did some evangelistic outreaches with a friend originally from Cuba. Milco regularly attends services at the missionary house I reside at when in Tampa, Florida. The two of us went to a couple of Home Depots. Many Hispanics gather by the store’s parking lot in hopes of finding work. Previously, I’ve witnessed at the Home Depot closest to the missionary house. Since Milco has a car, I requested going to different locations for a change of scenery.  Milco’s translating resulted in us leading many Hispanics to Jesus. However, one man we approached was very critical of churches. He specifically complained about a fellowship that wouldn’t let him attend a toy giveaway because he didn’t have an ID. I figured he was talking about The River at Tampa Bay Church. Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne started requiring IDs after receiving death threats for keeping his church open during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Some may think needing identification to get into a church is a bit ex...

Facebook can be an awesome tool to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. I’ve also seen the social media platform abused . One thing I won’t tolerate is people being deceptive with me online .  Three days ago, it appeared I received a friend request from the son of a female missionary. In the past, I had issues with this woman but opted to accept her son’s request. Then I received a friend request from the woman, plus a message explaining she sent the friend request through her son’s account. It turns out he hates Facebook and no longer uses it. After waiting a couple of days to decide what to do, I deleted her friend request and disconnect from her son’s account. Scammers have set up fake social media accounts of well-known ministers in hopes of receiving money from undiscerning donors . Once I received a friend request from someone impersonating Bill Winston, a megachurch pastor in the Chicago area. What really raised red flags in my mind was the account “liking” four ...

I consider myself a techie and enjoy the benefits of using electronic equipment. For years, I’ve mostly read God’s word on my smartphone, tablet, and laptop. I can quickly look up verses in different translations, plus enlarge the font to make them easier to read. The small printing in some Bibles almost require a magnifying glass. At night, I often fall asleep to an audio Bible playing on one of my devices.  Living out of a suitcase and limited to the amount of things I can pack, I strive to be as paperless as possible. I primarily communicate online to reduce the amount of snail mail that arrives at my post office box . Using apps on my iPhone, I conveniently use public transportation and make financial transactions. However, I still carry some cash in case of emergencies. One morning, I visited McDonald’s to order a coffee and breakfast burrito, but unfortunately, their computer system was down, preventing me from using my debit card. Fortunately, a woman behind me, who was a ...