Signs & Wonders Blog

During a recent evangelism outing, I led a young man to the Lord who might have been Catholic. After he finished praying with me, this guy drew an imaginary cross on himself. Then he insisted on giving me a card that had a prayer from St. Francis of Assisi on there. Here is the full version of that prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. While this prayer promotes godly ideas, I’m not interested in making this a regular recitation. A Christian’s prayers should be done to the Father in Jesus’ name (...

While teaching on evangelism at a church a few weeks ago, one woman asked if I witness to children. I explained that it would depend on the situation. Given the increasing fears of child abduction and human trafficking , one must use wisdom when approaching little kids. Whenever possible, I try to obtain their parents’ permission first. During outreaches, I often seek out high school students to talk to. Teens are mature enough to make their own decisions about Christ. They have reached what some refer to as  “ the age of accountability .” There have been exceptions. One day, while living in a house in Minnesota, the doorbell kept ringing. I didn’t answer the door immediately because I was on the phone with my mother . A couple of minutes later, I went outside and found five young children playing by the side of the house. They wanted candy, but I correctly discerned I wasn’t supposed to give them any. Since they were on my property, I offered them something more important: eterna...

When I rededicated my life to the Lord in 1991, I had been a nightclub disc jockey for over five years. By that time, I lost interest in my work. The constant exposure to alcoholics and the repetitive requests for the same old songs had taken a toll on me. For a while, I continued dancing in clubs. I still enjoyed vibrant light shows and hearing modern sounds, but I hated being around smokers and listening to profane lyrics. Since then, I’ve deejayed at a few Christian gatherings. Two nights ago, I went to my first-ever silent disco at a church in Burnsville, Minnesota. It was an event where people danced while listening to music on wireless headphones . I arrived in time to enjoy free Mexican food. A short while later, the music started. The headphones had two channels of music to choose from. One had the DJ’s performance on the main stage. The other channel had a preset playlist fed through a sound system in the back of the church sanctuary. The room was lit up with colorful lights...

During the 30+ years that I’ve been doing street evangelism, I’ve learned that cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses are hard to reach with the gospel because they misinterpret Scripture. Another group I’ve found difficult to witness to are the Hebrew Israelites. They are mostly African-Americans who insist they (some include Hispanics and Natives) are the true descendants of the ancient Israelites. Often they do outreaches dressed in traditional garments like robes, sashes, and turbans. They are not to be confused with black Jews. Hebrew Israelites are a fragmented movement with various groups and leaders holding diverse viewpoints. Most I’ve encountered have been rude and abrasive while proclaiming legalistic doctrines. The first time I recall interacting with Hebrew Israelites was in New York City. They were holding an open-air preaching session. I don’t recall what I said to them, but they responded with insulting remarks. One time in Tampa, Florida, a man with a suitcase called o...

In this episode of the classic comic strip Peanuts, Lucy and Linus watched a heavy rainfall through a window. Lucy wondered out loud if the entire world will be flooded. Linus reminded his sister that God promised Noah that such a catastrophe would never happen again. However, floods continue to occur on a regional level. A few days ago, a flash flood in Kerrville, Texas killed over 120 people including children and counselors at a Christian campground. Many more are still missing. One shouldn’t believe this was an “ act of God .” John 10:10 says that Satan comes “…to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” God wants His people to avoid tragedies like this. Sometimes, He will use circumstances so we won’t make bad decisions. A friend of mine in the Texas capital of Austin used to live in Kerrville. She had recent thoughts of moving back there but her plans were hindered. That possibly saved my friend’s life. Sometimes God’s protection comes from evacuation. Back in 1951, evangelist Ja...

Yesterday while driving to Panera Bread, I noticed a man with a sign begging on a divider. I pulled into the parking lot and then walked over to the intersection and offered him a bag of Doritos. He gratefully accepted them. Then I gave him a gospel tract and asked, “Do you know that God loves you and has an awesome plan for your life?” This man claimed to be a priest and has been living in his car for a year. He then went on to complain about the Masons and other organizations. Wanting to “avoid foolish and ignorant disputes” (2 Timothy 2:23), I asked what he knew about Jesus Christ. He referred to Him as his brother but went on to say he will never take communion because the Lord said to “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood…” (John 6:53) This self-proclaimed priest went so far as to call Jesus a vampire. I tried to explain the Bible is full of symbolism such as the Lord calling Himself “the bread of life” (John 6:35). Certainly, He doesn’t expect His disciples to...

As an evangelist, my primary objective is to save souls. Therefore, I minimize small talk during my witnessing encounters. Some individuals are inclined to engage in trivial discussions that have no relevance to their eternal destiny. Others who are already saved want to debate doctrine, which will take away time from those that need salvation. 2 Timothy 2:23 says, “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.” Last Tuesday night, I participated in an outreach called Jesus Burgers, which aimed to primarily attract University of Minnesota students. Free hamburgers, chips, drinks, and freeze pops were available. The event was held on a corner in the Dinkytown area. I had lived there almost forty years ago during my time as a U of M student. So I spied out the land a bit while handing out invitation cards without asking people questions about eternity. The outreach leaders wanted us to spend a few minutes getting to know “pre-believers” (their term for sinn...

Since June 13th of this year, the news has been dominated by reports about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. The United States has now become more involved in the situation. Initially, the U.S. provided support to Israel by intercepting incoming Iranian missiles and drones. Yesterday, President Donald Trump issued a statement. Here’s a portion of it:  “A short time ago, the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror. "Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, m...