Signs & Wonders Blog

Like many God-fearing Americans, I was grateful to see Donald Trump return to the White House last Monday. I watched the inauguration at Rodney Howard-Browne ’s church (which played on the video screens during their Winter Campmeeting). I was happy to hear the president declare, “We will not forget our God.” However, some clergy aren’t happy about this. Among them is Episcopal bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who oversees 86 churches across D.C., and Maryland, with 38,000 members. She previously made critical remarks about the president during his first term in office. On the day after Trump's second inauguration, Budde delivered the homily at an interfaith prayer service held at the Washington National Cathedral. The final part of her sermon was directed at President Trump who sat in the front row. Here are portions of what she said:  “Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our ...

For the past few days, wildfires have devastated the Los Angeles area. Since January 7th, the fires have claimed at least 27 lives, forced over 200,000 to evacuate, and destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 structures. Some were houses owned by Hollywood celebrities.  One Facebook friend wrote a post claiming the fires are divine judgment. I don’t believe it’s an " act of God ." For one thing, the Pasadena Jewish Temple plus some churches have burned down. Approximately 20% of Californians are evangelical Christians. Actor Mel Gibson (who directed “The Passion of the Christ”) lost his home. It’s unlike Sodom in Genesis 19, which was destroyed after only four righteous people fled the city. I’ve also heard reports of homes supernaturally spared from the wildfires. Unfortunately, questionable posts have circulated about one of them. Take a look at the photos of the preserved houses above. Notice how they differ. One shows a house with two chimneys plus a charred house to the...

For almost a decade, TracFone was my cell phone carrier. Because I often use Wi-Fi and have a Google Voice number, I didn’t need to spend much money on a cell phone plan. Gradually, other pay-as-you-go options emerged that offered better rates, especially for data.  At the beginning of 2024, I switched to Mint Mobile because of this promotion for new customers: buy three months of service and get three more for free. I chose their 15 GB data plan with unlimited talk and text. That cost just over $84 (approximately $12/month). Mint Mobile’s service had been okay. However, I didn’t like the requirement of a large upfront payment with greater discounts for longer commitments. I prefer a month-to-month plan. Another turn-off is having to pay increased rates to keep their service.  In July 2024, I called Mint Mobile to request my Port PIN and account number so I could change carriers . A rep named Ace kept pressuring me to stay with them. Normally, that would be reason enough...

Many Christians are starting 2025 by fasting of varying lengths. Some ministers who I respect recommend fasting no more than three days. Yet, I’ve heard testimonies of people who had supernatural encounters during longer fasts. Jesus Himself did a 40-day fast before starting His earthly ministry. There are also debates as to what defines a fast. Some pastors encourage their congregations to do partial fasts by skipping a meal or two. Others endorse what’s called a “Daniel fast.” That involves abstaining from selected foods like Daniel did while the Israelites were held in Babylon. In Daniel Chapter 1, the prophet and his friends only had vegetables to eat and water to drink for ten days. What was the result? 15   And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies.   16  Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave the...