Signs & Wonders Blog

When doing the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5), our job is to share the gospel and lead sinners to Jesus if they are ready. One fellow evangelist I met at a luncheon last weekend asked if I do what she called “shotgun salvations.” A few other believers have suggested I spend more time ministering to each individual. I beg to differ. Usually, I don’t witness to someone for more than two or three minutes, but there have been exceptions. One time at the University of Minnesota, I led a team that spent forty-five minutes ministering to a teenage girl who was homeless. She eventually prayed to get saved. A teenage girl on my team then felt led to give her coat to our new sister in Christ (it was a bit cold outside). Another time at North Dakota State University in Fargo, I chatted with a young atheist for about ten minutes. He wouldn’t pray with me but God kept giving me things to say to him. It was a seed-planting opportunity. One thing you want to watch out for is individuals who...

Too many Christians put themselves down thinking they’re being humble . I’ve heard believers say they are “ a sinner saved by grace .” Some may recite the “Wayne’s World” mantra “We’re not worthy!” Statements like these degrade what God created them to be. Nevertheless, I’ve seen the above meme circulating that compares Joel Osteen to the Apostle Paul. The statements by the Lakewood Church pastor are from his book “The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today.” The meme implies it’s wrong for Christians to make positive declarations about themselves. Yet Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” What we speak can affect our lives (and others) for good or bad.  Let’s compare Joel’s affirmations to what the Bible says: I AM PROSPEROUS. Psalm 35:27 says, “Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, ‘Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.’” I’m ...

I enjoy science fiction movies, particularly those attempting to predict the future. Probably my favorite is the “Planet of the Apes” franchise. Since the original came out in 1968, numerous sequels have been produced plus two television series (including a Saturday morning cartoon). Starting in 2011, a reboot of POTA films was released. The central character is an intelligent chimpanzee named Caesar, who led a multitude of apes from human captivity to form a civilization of their own. Three days ago, I watched the newest release “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.” One part I found interesting was an orangutan named Raka who talked about following the true teachings of Caesar. Another ape named Proximus Caesar had formed a colony, which perverted what Caesar originally taught them. That had me thinking about how some believers talk about following the true teachings of Jesus. Critical Christians are quick to label ministers they don’t agree with as false teachers. Some focus too mu...

Some Christians are quick to criticize things that don’t fit their mindsets. Church folk called rock and roll “the devil’s music” when it first came out in the 1950s. Nowadays, most believers accept Christian rock as an alternative. When I worked for Billy Graham’s film ministry , some pastors refused to show our movies for various religious reasons. In 2016, Hillsong NYC experienced flak because the youth pastor parodied “The Naked Cowboy” , a popular Times Square street performer during a women’s conference. That incident came to my remembrance after another conference three weeks ago generated even more controversy.  James River Church in Springfield, Missouri has an annual Stronger Men’s Conference. The opening night features entertainment ranging from weight lifters to monster trucks. This year’s conference had a sword-swallower originally from Moldova who appeared at the 2014 Olympics and on TV’s “America’s Got Talent” plus is a two-time Guinness World Record holder. Alex Ma...