Signs & Wonders Blog

I make it a point to attend Christian movies that are released in theaters on a national level. This past Tuesday, I saw “David.” I had high expectations since it was the second highest grossing movie in America on its opening weekend. One thing I noticed was better animation than the previous Bible-based movie I attended (“ Light of the World ”).   Based on 1 and 2 Samuel, “David” begins with the title character overseeing his father’s flock of sheep. While one of them gave birth to a lamb, David fought off a lion. He soon returns home and is surprised to be anointed by the prophet Samuel as the next king of Israel. Meanwhile, the reigning King Saul faces personal issues as well as external threats to his kingdom.  The well-known story of David fighting Goliath has two noticeable omissions. It doesn’t show King Saul offering his daughter as a wife, plus tax exemption as rewards for killing the Philistine (1 Samuel 17:25). It also doesn’t show David cutting off Goliath’s h...

Many of you will remember the hoopla about the end of the world that was supposed to occur on December 21, 2012 (according to some people’s interpretation of the Mayan calendar). Of course, that didn’t happen. Those of you reading this are still alive and breathing. Three years before that, the motion picture “2012” was released. It was well-produced but biblically inaccurate. The movie showed the Earth flooded by a tsunami. God promised in Genesis 9:11, “...never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Additionally, the world will experience a seven-year tribulation period before the return of Jesus Christ. Some believers insist we are in the tribulation right now. That won’t begin until the antichrist signs a seven-year peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). One noteworthy event happened for me on “doomsday.” I had returned to my birthplace of Fargo, North Dakota, for the holidays and stopped to see my mother. She was in an assisted living facility recovering from a s...

One topic that stirs up debates amongst Christians is the rapture of the church . Some don’t believe that will happen at all . Others dispute the timing of it. Personally, I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, when the Body of Christ will be taken to heaven before the start of the seven-year tribulation period. However, a few argue it will be mid-trib, or post-trib.  A reason cited by post-tribbers is the “last trumpet” the Apostle Paul referred to in 1 Corinthians 15:52, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” They think this is the same trumpet mentioned in Revelation 11:15, “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” There are reasons why I don’t believe these two trumpets are the same:  The las...

Many Christians struggle with knowing God’s will for their lives even though Jesus said His sheep know His voice (John 10:4). One way to increase spiritual sensitivity is to be a soul winner. Sharing your faith on a regular basis will help you recognize the leading of the Lord. He’ll show you who to talk to, who not to talk to, and what to say to the people you do talk to. Still, there are believers who seek divine direction through natural means. Recently, I talked with one who sought confirmation regarding a purchase he made by “putting out a fleece.” That concept originates from a passage in Judges 6: 36 So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said— 37 look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung...

When I first flew on an airplane as a ten-year-old in 1974, my parents had bought me a special outfit that I got to enjoy wearing. That came to my remembrance after U. S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently made headlines with a new “ civility campaign ” ahead of the busy holiday travel season. During a press conference this past Monday, Duffy said, “…whether it’s a pair of jeans and a decent shirt. I would encourage people to maybe dress a little bit better, which encourages us to maybe behave a little better. Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport.” Having used public transportation numerous times, I’ve occasionally dealt with fellow passengers who were rude. I believe there is a connection between sloppy attire and sloppy behavior. Dressing better seems to influence people to have better manners. When we look our best, we usually act our best. Years ago, people dressed up more in public. Nowadays, some individuals travel in outfits like they...

While in elementary school, I developed an interest in learning Spanish. That was triggered by watching “Sesame Street” during the early 1970s when they went bilingual. Later, I watched another show on PBS called “Villa Alegre” (“Happy Village”). Around that time, my fifth grade English teacher taught us some Spanish. I could’ve taken Spanish classes in high school and college, but my interests drifted toward computers and music. After becoming a street evangelist, I wish I had learned more Spanish. Nowadays, there are many Hispanics in America who don’t speak English. Most of them come from Catholic backgrounds. Therefore, a majority believe the gospel but haven’t yet made a decision to be born again.  Up until a few years ago, I simply gave Hispanics gospel tracts in Spanish. If I encountered one that knew some English, I'd witness to them by speaking simple words but mixed in a few Spanish words I knew to build rapport. That resulted in a few salvations. Then I started using...

In the old Looney Tunes cartoons , a statement occasionally made by Bugs Bunny was: “Did you ever have the feeling you was being watched?” The truth is God is always aware of what we’re doing. Jesus said in Matthew 10:26, “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.”   I once heard Dennis Burke say, “God keeps the books.” Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” Fortunately, our mistakes can be washed away by the blood of Jesus if we ask for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Still, Christians need to remember that nonbelievers watch professing believers like a hawk. A major slip-up can damage one’s testimony. Recently, I read a story online that illustrates this truth:  A man was being tailgated by a woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light in front of him turned yellow. He stopped at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through ...

Tomorrow is the golden anniversary of a tragic event that unfolded on Lake Superior. On November 10, 1975, the American freighter Edmund Fitzgerald embarked on a journey from Superior, Wisconsin, with a cargo of iron ore. The ship didn’t reach its intended destination of Detroit. The Fitz succumbed to a colossal storm. 29 lives were lost. A year later, Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot released “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” which became one of his biggest hits. I was 12 years old then, and considered purchasing the single, except my mother hated the song. I ended up taping it while listening to “American Top 40.” Casey Kasem revealed that the ship’s crew were all experienced men. The captain had been sailing the Great Lakes for 44 years. Other details of the sinking were uncertain. Casey thought the ship might have gone down during the early morning hours of November 11th. That would have coincided with storms (often called “November witches”) occurring on that same ...

At the time of this writing, the U. S. Government has been shut down for a month due to ongoing disagreements between Republican and Democratic leaders. Among those affected are individuals collecting welfare. Nearly 42 million Americans (that’s 1 out of 8) are no longer receiving food stamps or what’s officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This past Friday, two judges ordered the Trump Administration to keep SNAP benefits in place. Judges cannot legislate from the bench, especially when funds aren’t available unless approved by Congress. The president has stated, “I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT. Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.”  Regardless, the welfare system in this nation needs to be revamped. Many individuals receive more money staying unemployed than working. It seems ...