Signs & Wonders Blog

An objection that often comes up when sharing the gospel is there are many religions in the world. One I’ve seen advertisements for is Eckankar, a Minnesota-based group that labels itself the “ Religion of the Light and Sound of God.” Literature put out by ECKists claim: “Singing ‘Hu’ (pronounced “hue”) draws us closer to God.” I was skeptical of this and decided to do some online research.  According to Wikipedia, Hu is Arabic for the English pronoun “He.” In Sufism (a mystical form of Islam), Hu or Huwa is a pronoun used with Allah. So “Allah Hu” means "God, just He” or “God Himself.” Eckankar’s current leader Harold Klemp professes Hu is a “...word people anywhere can use to address the Originator of Life.” He also declares, “Jesus stands out so prominently and so brightly because he loved God back equally...true Masters all have love for God.” Jesus is not one of many masters but “...the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Eckankar’s web site states, “Regar...

During the past few days I’ve exchanged emails with another blogger who’s tried to “unconvert” me. This man is a former born again Christian who now considers himself an agnostic. He equates Christianity with magic and even labels it “a cult.”  There’s a clear difference between true Christianity and cults. One dictionary defines cult as “a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious.” This wouldn’t describe Bible-believing churches and ministries who aim to preach the Word of God without intentionally distorting it. Examples of cults would include... Church of Scientology Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) David Koresh’s Branch Davidians Unification Church (Moonies) Watchtower Bible and Tract Society ( Jehovah’s Witnesses)  Most of these groups preach truths from the Bible but mix in other doctrines that pervert the gospel. Galatians 5:9 warns, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” One warning sign of a cult is members being told th...

Many people have this idea Christians aren’t supposed to be prosperous. This belief is often propagated by misquoted Bible verses such as “money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10 actually says, “... the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” ). As a result, the secular media and even some believers frown upon ministers who own expensive homes, cars, and especially airplanes.  This past week a well-known pastor experienced a social media backlash after launching a fundraising campaign for a jet. Since 1999, Creflo Dollar of World Changers Church International has owned a Gulfstream III to transport him and his ministry team plus thousands of pounds of food to be a blessing to others. Last November, Creflo's jet became inoperable due to an accident in London when it slid off the runway during an aborted takeoff. Creflo now wants to acquire a Gulfstream G650 valued at over $60 million. A video posted on his website (which has since been removed) suggest...

This past Wednesday night, I attended a service at Living Word Christian Center where evangelism pastor Nick Kinn was ministering. I consider Nick my mentor. During the mid-1990s, it was through him I learned how to be a soul winner. In recent years, I resumed evangelizing with Living Word and gained even more wisdom in sharing the gospel with people. As Proverbs 11:30 says, “...he who win souls is wise.” One testimony Pastor Nick shared involved a time he went to Sam’s Club. As he was about to push his cart out the door, Nick suddenly had thoughts of getting a hot dog. He walked over to a counter and paid $1.61 for a hot dog and pop. Then in the dining area, Nick recognized a man he used to work with at the Post Office. They hadn’t seen each other for over 28 years. To make a long story short, Nick led Duane to the Lord. Afterward as Nick walked towards his car, the Holy Spirit asked him, “How much is a soul worth?” Likewise, I’ve been prompted by the Lord to buy food at c...

This past Friday actor Leonard Nimoy passed away at the age of 83. Leonard was best known for playing the original Mr. Spock in the “Star Trek” media franchise. One of Spock’s famous catchphrases was “live long and prosper.” That and the Vulcan salute pictured here originated from an Orthodox Jewish synagogue Leonard attended while growing up in Boston. God wants man to have long prosperous lives. Psalm 91:16 says, “With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” Unfortunately that’s not a reality for everyone. Some people die young due to accidents, disease, or were murdered. A few individuals choose to take their own lives without fulfilling their divine purpose. Likewise not everyone on earth experiences prosperity. It amazes me how some religious folk criticize sermons on the topic when Scripture is full of promises of abundant life. I’d rather hear a “prosperity gospel” than a poverty gospel. People who think Jesus was poor must remember He had a treasure...