Signs & Wonders Blog

(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 defines as “give (someo

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 them.  Scripture doesn’t give a cle