Signs & Wonders Blog

This past Wednesday, Tina Turner died at 83. I wasn’t a fan of the singer, but played some of her records while working as a disc jockey in the 1980s. In response to a Facebook post written about Tina's passing, someone repeatedly accused me of being hateful because of questioning her   eternal destiny (she was raised Baptist but later became a Buddhist). I soon unfriended and blocked this person. Whenever celebrities die, those who care about them will often say, “Rest in peace.” Sometimes the initials R.I.P. are engraved on headstones as well as Halloween decorations. R.I.P. originated from the Latin phrase “requiescat in pace.” The truth is that all dead people are not resting in peace. When a person dies, they either experience great joy in heaven or eternal torment in hell. There is no in-between place such as purgatory. Hebrews 9:27 says,  “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” One doesn’t magically change into an angel or get a ...

Now that the World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 health emergency over, Jehovah’s Witnesses are again standing around with their portable displays of literature. During my recent train travels , I saw two JWs near Chicago's Union Station. When I approached them, one of them asked, “How are you doing?”   I gave my usual answer, “Saved and on my way to heaven. How about you?” One of the Jehovah’s Witnesses eventually asked, “What will you do in heaven?” That initially stumped me, but I soon replied we would be serving the Lord. She later answered her question by mentioning the Bible says we are  “kings and priests”  (Revelation 1:6). Both JWs tried telling me good works were necessary for salvation. I shared with them a couple of Biblical truths that contradict Watchtower doctrines. Nevertheless, the conversation had me thinking about what we will do in heaven. Some believe we will fly around wearing wings for eons. That erroneous idea came from what Je...

A few days ago, I temporarily returned to the state where I have lived most of my life. Minnesota state law says the fishing opener must occur two weekends before Memorial Day. That often coincides with Mother’s Day, which includes this year. That hasn’t mattered to me since I’ve never been a fan of fishing. Besides that, my mother passed away five years ago. As an evangelist, I think of evangelism when people discuss fishing. Jesus told his disciples to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Sadly, many Christians talk more about evangelism than actually doing it. It reminds me of “The Parable of the Fishless Fishermen” written by John M. Drescher that someone emailed me years ago: There was a group called The Fisherman's Fellowship. They were surrounded by streams and lakes full of hungry fish. They met regularly to discuss the call to fish, the abundance of fish, and the thrill of catching fish. They got excited about fishing! Someone suggested that they needed a philosophy of fi...

For almost five years, I avoided using Amtrak except for two free trips available to me through their Guest Rewards program. Too many delayed rides had become a nuisance. Then in January of this year, Amtrak had a sale on their USA Rail Pass. For $299, customers could ride the train ten times (called “segments”) over 30 days. At less than $30 per ride, it was an opportunity to do extensive traveling at a much-reduced price. On March 13th, I took a train from Washington, DC, to Buffalo, New York but bought a separate ticket. I planned on being in Buffalo for two weeks but ended up staying two more. One reason was the Amtrak website didn’t allow me to use my rail pass to book a ride on April 3rd to Emeryville, California. The pastor I stayed with in Buffalo encouraged me to stick around for Good Friday and Easter. Finally, I activated my pass on April 10th. Instead of first going to California, I went to Topeka, Kansas (a Facebook friend there extended hospitality ). I had to change ...