Signs & Wonders Blog

Another highly publicized trial in Minnesota involving the death of a black man by police has ended. Kim Potter was a 26-year veteran for the Brooklyn Center Police Department. This past Thursday, she was found guilty of both first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11th shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Potter’s sentencing is on February 18th. She could face up to 15 years in prison. Officer Potter made a tragic mistake by confusing her handgun with a taser during a traffic stop. However, I found it disturbing to hear Black Lives Matter activists cry “justice for Daunte.” The 20-year-old had an outstanding warrant  plus a criminal record . He got shot by Potter while resisting arrest and then committed another crime: fleeing the police in a motor vehicle. That alone is a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of $5,000. I was also disturbed by Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu praising the jurors as “heroes” for their verdi...

It’s sad how some Christians freak out when hearing ministers teach on prosperity. Not too long ago, I saw this comment in response to a meeting streamed from Rodney Howard-Browne ’s church: “This is some prosperity gospel. Heresy! Frightening that people are so unaware of what this is. Prayers that those involved see the truth.” I replied, “I’d rather hear a ‘ prosperity gospel ’ than a ‘poverty gospel’” plus referred to 3 John 2,  “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”  I also pointed out he had watched a Kingdom Business Fellowship meeting the church has every other Tuesday night. Its purpose is to help Christians generate more finances to get the gospel out. The world is not impressed with believers who are broke. The critic then wrote “1 Timothy 6:10” without quoting the verse ( “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” ). I replied, “Money is not evil as long as you don’t love it more than peopl...

Although I still avoid watching NFL games , I continue to follow the Minnesota Vikings . This past Thursday, they played against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I googled the score after a Facebook friend commented that the Vikings looked the best they had all year. At that point, they were ahead 29-0 during the third quarter. Later before going to sleep, I checked on the final score. The Vikings held off a Steeler rally and won 36-28. Had they lost, it would’ve set an NFL record for the largest regular-season comeback (the Buffalo Bills once overcame a 32-point deficit in a playoff game).  It reminded me of a saying attributed to Yogi Berra (though he didn’t utter these exact words): “It ain’t over till it’s over.”  The Bible mentions individuals who found themselves in difficult situations but didn’t give up and came back victorious… Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Despite being a faithful servant, his master’s wife accused him of raping her and was put into prison....

One thing that makes the holiday season special is music exclusively heard this time of the year. As a Christian, I now prefer hearing Christ-centered songs as opposed to those glorifying Santa Claus. Nevertheless, I have fond memories of various tunes associated with Christmas. Here are a few of them… “ The Chipmunk Song ” - This David Seville hit reached number #1 in 1958. I first heard it on the radio sixteen years later when I was ten. Earlier that year, I got my first Panasonic tape recorder and had already created similar recordings. I discovered that recording myself while using batteries low on power and then plugging in the AC adapter for playback at regular speed resulted in high-pitched voices.  “ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ” - During first grade, I repeatedly listened to an old 78 rpm record of this Gene Autry hit. While doing so I imagined my own music video featuring other kids from school performing on it. I also remember classmates singing a parody of this ca...

As a missionary who hasn’t owned a car for over two decades, I’ve often used public transportation to get to various places. While living out of a suitcase (à la Corrie ten Boom), I’ve learned a few things I will share in this article. Many of these tips will be helpful whether you are just visiting family for the holidays, going on a short-term missionary trip, or out of the country for an extended period. If you need to use public transportation, keep in mind mask mandates are still in effect (which is one reason why I haven’t traveled as much this year). During recent trips, I brought along a bag of Tootsie Pops. As long as one is “actively eating,” masks can be off your face. You can suck on lollipops for several minutes at a time. Another benefit is a mask cannot cover the stick coming out of your mouth. That allows extra moments to breathe easier. Here are some more tips for these public transportation options… 1) Planes - Flying is a more attractive choice when going ...

Two topics that often generate disagreements are religion and politics. This is especially true when the two are mixed. A few days ago, a Facebook friend posted two short video clips taken at John Hagee’s Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. Members of the audience shouted, “Let’s Go Brandon!” My friend opposed the use of that phrase (a substitute for an obscenity aimed at Joe Biden ) by saying, “…the church is suppose [sic] to pray for leaders.” In response, I suggested she not jump to conclusions . Additional research revealed the following… The videos originated from PatriotTakes, a group whose goal is “Exposing Right-Wing Extremism.”  The videos weren’t part of a worship service but a three-day conference called “ReAwaken America.” Among the speakers were former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell. Neither John Hagee nor his son Matt (who now pastors Cornerstone) led the “Let’s Go Brandon” chant. Matt later published an apology on t...

@ Rhema in 1994 Romans 13:7 tells us to give honor to whom honor is due. In this article, I want to express gratitude for fifteen preachers who played a big part in my spiritual growth. This list is in chronological order to show the progression of my Christian walk. 1) Mac Hammond - Mac is the founder and senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center in suburban Minneapolis. I started attending his church in February 1991, just before committing my life to the Lord. Later that year, I became a member of Living Word. Every weekend I looked forward to listening to Pastor Mac. I was impressed with his speaking abilities and knowledge of the Bible. Pastor Mac repeatedly reminded us from the pulpit that we come to church to hear from God and not man’s opinion. Because Living Word is a megachurch, I never really got to know Pastor Mac personally (discipleship mostly came from associate pastors and lay leaders). Nevertheless, I consider him my first spiritual father . 2) Jerry Savelle ...

The Bible tells us many times to sing to the Lord a new song. However, we should be cautious of hymns with unscriptural lyrics. Last year, I briefly visited a church where the praise and worship band promoted sin consciousness instead of who we are in Christ. When one of their songs repeated the line “our sins are many”, I quietly slipped out of the sanctuary. Last week while watching a minister’s conference streamed from The River, Rodney Howard-Browne talked about green activism invading the church. He read the lyrics to “The Climate is Changing.” This “hymn-prayer” uses music from a traditional Welsh hymn. New lyrics written by Presbyterian pastor Carolyn Winfrey Gillette are “to support efforts to counter climate change.” Let's examine some of these lyrics and compare them with Scripture... We pray for the animals here in our midst who cannot defend their own right to exist. Immediately, I thought of Romans 1:25, which warns of people worshipping the creature rather than...

(Family Worship Center Churches) Every October, I read and hear various rants from Christians against observing Halloween. Certainly, I don’t celebrate the holiday with its demonic connotations. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV) commands us to “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”  For me, it’s another day to share the gospel. Yesterday I passed out tracts before, during, and after a Halloween parade along with a few other soul winners. I got to lead 27 people to receive salvation. One part of Halloween I’ve always liked is seeing the costumes people create. Of course, I disapprove of the scary-looking outfits many individuals wear. But if I were raising children, I wouldn’t mind them going to a “Hallelujah Party” or an alternative family-friendly gathering. Growing up, I remember having fun dressing up as somebody else.  A few years ago, I made myself look like Jesus to reach out to trick-or-treaters . Some costumes are labeled as  disguises , which the dictionary defi...

Once I heard a minister share what was meant to be a joke. He asked the congregation if they remembered the man in Acts chapter 20 who fell out of a window while Paul preached late into the night. The minister then revealed the man’s name was Eutychus “…and you’d cuss if you fell out of a window.” I’ve heard of Christian gatherings in some countries that last for hours. Nehemiah 8:3 mentions that Ezra read in the open square “…from morning until midday…and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.” Here in America, many churches have services where you’re in and out within an hour. The pastor’s sermons have little spiritual content. However, I get more annoyed by ministers who talk too long. Even if they have valid information to share, their meetings drag on if there’s little preparation. Instead of just getting to the point, they ramble and repeat stuff. Charles Spurgeon once wrote: “Spend more time in the study that you may need less in the pulpit.” It’s ...

Last Wednesday, I received an email via Messenger from a young man currently living in the city where I was born. I hadn't met this man before and initially wondered why he contacted me. A glance at his Facebook page revealed he is a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. His profile photo shows him wearing an elder badge. I figured he wanted to have a conversation in an attempt to convert me to his religion. At first, I didn’t respond to his greeting of “How’s a going.” Then last night while organizing computer files, I came across a video produced ten years ago in response to the “I’m a Mormon” campaign happening then. So I sent the YouTube link to this man. Here’s the transcript of the video… I was born in Fargo, North Dakota where my parents took my sister and me to a traditional Lutheran church. There I attended Sunday school and went through confirmation but didn’t like it very much. Deep down in my heart I wanted to believe in God but he wasn’t re...

Today is Clergy Appreciation Day. Sadly, many believers use the Internet to criticize preachers they don't like. Some think particular individuals shouldn’t be in the ministry. The truth is God calls the most unlikely people. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says,  “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” If someone told me over thirty years ago I would be an evangelist, I wouldn’t have believed them. I sought a career in the recording industry and also worked as a disc jockey. Becoming a minister was the furthest thing from my mind. My life radically changed after I got born again on March 19th, 1991. As a young Christian, God used some of my natural abilities to do His work, such as duplicating cassettes in my church’s tape ministry. Eventually, spiritual gifts developed as I stepped out and followed the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Consider these individuals God u...

It’s sad when a loved one dies. That includes our pets. I remember as an 11-year-old crying heavily after our family cat Yo-Yo got hit by a car. Last year, a chihuahua owned by a close friend died of old age. I perceived Gracie’s death was imminent. Therefore, I didn’t grieve that much but loved her enough to make this  memorial video . Then last Wednesday, a cat belonging to the pastor I’m staying with died. Calico was only five years old. She often had a “cattitude” (hissing at me when I tried giving her affection). Still, I will miss her as well.  Calico’s death stimulated a short discussion with my pastor about seeing pets again in eternity. We both recalled the  Jesse Duplantis  video “ Close Encounters of the God Kind .” Jesse saw animals in heaven that included dogs. His book of the same name also mentions large cats like lions. My former pastor Mac Hammond  filmed a  teaching  about pets in heaven. It’s his opinion we will be reunited with the...