Signs & Wonders Blog

While evangelizing, you will sometimes encounter individuals who claim nobody can know if they will spend eternity in heaven. Yet many Scriptures guarantee eternal life for those who know the Lord. Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Verse 13 from the same chapter reads, “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’” Whenever someone tells me no one can know their eternal destiny, and I have a friend with me, I turn to my friend and ask, “Do you know for sure you’re going to heaven when your life ends?” After my friend answers “yes,” I boldly declare that I’m spending eternity in heaven, and that God confirms His word in the mouth of two or three witnesses. Then I quote 1 John 5:12-13,  “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. T hese things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of...

T his past Wednesday, I attended a Volunteer Appreciation Night at Living Word Christian Center . Since I still occasionally evangelize with them, Pastor Nick Kinn encouraged me to attend this event. The gathering began with free pizza, a taco bar, and other refreshments served in the lobby. Then we moved into the sanctuary for a special meeting. One thing we did was play a trivia game via our smartphones. Among the questions shown on the video screen was “Which worship song does Tim Amstutz (the worship leader) like the least?” The correct answer was “He Is Exalted.” That reminded me of an article I recently read titled “10 Worship Songs I’d Be Fine with Never Singing Again (And Why).” I thought of compiling a list of my own but didn’t want to publicly criticize songs the Holy Spirit has used to minister to others. Then again, just because a song is “Christian” doesn’t mean we have to like it. I’m sure the Lord doesn’t like religious songs with lyrics embalmed with unbelief. Plea...

As a child, I watched TV programs that sometimes had men pretending to be women or vice versa. Stage presentations of “Peter Pan” often had a woman play the title character. During fourth grade, I sang in a school program based on the Book of Daniel called “It’s Cool in the Furnace.” A girl played the role of Daniel. I’ve also seen movies where men played women. One of them was “Tootsie” starring Dustin Hoffman as a struggling actor who landed a role in a soap opera by impersonating a woman. Another was “Back to the Future II.” Michael J. Fox portrayed a girl named Marlene McFly (the daughter of Marty McFly also played by him). Years ago, men played female roles in ancient Greek theatre, early Shakespeare, and Japanese kabuki. During the 1980s, I hadn’t thought much about cross-gender acting. I was more creeped out with male musicians looking like women. The British band Culture Club became famous for their androgynous lead singer. Boy George’s appearance turned me off, but I liked ...

Every year some folks do an activity called “spring cleaning.” People clean their houses from dirt accumulated during the winter and get rid of belongings they no longer need. Occasionally, the Lord has led me to downsize, especially before I do extensive traveling. It's a lot easier being mobile when you have fewer personal belongings. There is also the necessity of spiritual housecleaning. If you have struggled with entering into God's presence in your home, it may be because of items causing spiritual pollution. Before becoming a Christian, you might have acquired accursed things. Examples include Ouija boards, good luck charms, hand-carved objects from Africa or the Orient, books, movies, and music associated with witchcraft, astrology, and the occult.  The Lord once put it on my heart to erase cassette tapes of instrumental music I produced before my conversion. I was willing to do that but questioned if it was necessary. Then one night after a church service, I approach...

A friend of mine who’s been hosting me recently received this letter in the mail from a Jehovah's Witness. In addition to mailing him a written response, I’m posting it here online… Dear Roland,  I’m a missionary based in Virginia but currently working in Minnesota. Recently you sent a form letter to various neighbors. That included a friend who’s been hosting me. I read your letter and decided to send you this reply. I’m also concerned about the health and welfare of my neighbors. I’ve shared the gospel in various cities for almost thirty years and seen many lives transformed. Occasionally I’ve encountered Jehovah’s Witnesses and recognize their dedication to what they believe. It’s sad that many Christians (especially here in America) are reluctant to share the Good News with others. Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, I noticed Jehovah's Witnesses by their carts displaying Watchtower literature. Often I asked them this question: “If someone stuck a knife in my back a...