Signs & Wonders Blog

Many people have a bucket list, a list of activities they want to do before they pass away. This term comes from the English idiom “kick the bucket,” which means “to die.” Recently, while walking through downtown Buffalo, New York, I saw a chalkboard where people could write down things they want to experience before their lives end. After I took this photo, I noticed chalk at the bottom. So I wrote on the upper right hand corner: “Lead more people to Jesus (Romans 10:9-10).”  A quote attributed to Oliver Wendell Holmes is “most people die with their music still in them.” Many people pass away before fully expressing their potential, creativity, or passions. This is often due to fear or waiting for “the right time.”  Then there are Christians who fear it’s too late to accomplish God’s purpose for their lives. One of my favorite Bible verses is Joel 2:25, “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and th...

During my youth, I was a chronic complainer. I frequently griped about things such as annoying TV commercials and overplayed songs on the radio. When I later became a Christian and learned that our words have power (as mentioned in Proverbs 18:21), I became more mindful of what I said. One dictionary defines complain as “express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something.” Sometimes I’ll rant about things on social media, but when possible, I'll also offer a solution. Constant complaining grieves the Lord. The children of Israel spent forty years in the wilderness because of that. Some of them experienced an early death because of their moaning and groaning. Numbers 11:1 says, “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.” Occasionally, I’ve caught myself complaining about traffic, but I soon thank God when I have a car to driv...

Prior to my salvation, I often went dancing in nightclubs and also worked as a DJ in a few of them. After getting saved, I continued going to clubs for a couple of years but eventually stopped. I could no longer put up with smoke-filled rooms plus listening to music with explicit lyrics. One reason many sinners resist Christianity is the mistaken idea God doesn’t want us to have fun. Some religious leaders have a problem with dancing in general. When I worked for Billy Graham ’s World Wide Pictures, one film we distributed called “The Homecoming” featured students at a high school dance. A pastor who planned to show “The Homecoming” in his church changed his mind because he was afraid the dancing would offend members of his congregation. A more famous movie that dealt with this issue was 1984’s “Footloose.” Based on actual events that happened in a Oklahoma town, an overzealous pastor convinced his city council to ban public dancing. He was challenged by a young man who read the fol...

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...