Signs & Wonders Blog

Five years ago during a prayer meeting at a church in West Fargo, North Dakota, I was praying for the 2012 presidential election and specifically asked for God’s choice to be elected. Michele Bachmann’s name came up in my mind but I didn’t immediately speak that out. Seconds later, the prayer group leader started praying for the congresswoman from Minnesota. A few days after that I posted a comment about this on Michele Bachmann’s Facebook page. Unfortunately, that triggered mostly negative responses. One person argued that God doesn’t choose politicians…people do. It’s true in a democracy, the candidate with the most votes gets elected. Nevertheless, God does anoint selected individuals for positions of authority such as King David in 1 Samuel 16:12.   One might question if I really heard from God regarding Michele Bachmann becoming president since she dropped out of the race months later. Regardless, if more God-fearing people sought the Lord before going to the p...

Today is the 38th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. Although I wasn’t a big fan of the singer, I can remember where I was when hearing the news about him passing away. My family and I were at a Neil Sedaka concert in Fargo, North Dakota. Neil announced from the stage Elvis died that afternoon and then sang his composition “Solitaire” (a hit by the Carpenters but also sung by Elvis) as a dedication to the late singer. Elvis was often referred to as "The King of Rock 'n' Roll” or simply “The King,” a title he repeatedly resisted. Having been raised in an Assembly of God church, Elvis often declared there’s only one King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Early in his career, Elvis confessed to his pastor, the Reverend James Hamill: “Pastor, I am the most miserable young man you have ever seen. I have got more money than I can ever spend. I have thousands of fans out there, and I have a lot of people who call themselves my friends, but I am miserable. I am not doing a lot...

Walk into your local Christian bookstore and you will find a variety of bibles to choose from. Because of questionable translations that have come out in recent years, a few defenders of the faith have gone to an extreme by declaring there’s only one type of bible that’s the true word of God. The King James Version (also known as the Authorized Version) has been used by the English-speaking world for over 400 years. While I agree the KJV is an accurate translation of God’s word, it’s totally illogical for its advocates to claim it’s perfect and the only bible Christians should use. Not everybody in the world understands English. Let’s say I grew up in South America and could only read Spanish. A missionary leads me to the Lord and then offers to give me a bible. Which type of bible would work best for me: a King James Version I cannot understand at all or a Spanish translation of the Hebrew and Greek scriptures? The answer to that is a no brainer. One well-known publisher of...

I have a missionary friend who closely follows the American political scene. Back in 2010, he sent me an article he wrote in response to that year’s midterm elections. For the most part I thought his commentary was well written. My friend even admitted he used to be a “bleeding heart liberal” that disliked Ronald Reagan. Three years after the 1980 election, he suddenly became a big Reagan supporter. What made the difference? My friend got born again and in his own words, “...my new Kingdom affiliation had brought about a new worldview!” However, there was one part of his article that bothered me. My friend labeled Barack Obama a “liar and impostor.” I don't agree with the decisions Obama has continued making since becoming President. I would be happy if he was removed from office before his current term runs out. Then again, I read how the late Ruth Heflin (who hosted a couple of inaugural prayer breakfasts) lifted up President Bill Clinton in prayer while he faced impeachme...

Do you sometimes feel your prayers aren’t going beyond the ceiling?   Maybe you’re tempted to think God isn’t hearing them at all.   If that’s the case, then let me share a simple truth that can help transform your prayer life. I’ve heard Christians talk about “bombarding” or “storming” the gates of heaven when praying.   Yet the gates of heaven aren’t closed at all to those who know the Lord.   Ephesians 2:6 says God has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”   Spiritually speaking, you already have a position of authority in heaven. Unanswered prayers are not God’s fault.   Sometimes it’s due to our own disobedience such as not tithing (Malachi 3:8-10) or being in strife with our spouse (1 Peter 3:7).   Demonic opposition can also delay prayers from being answered.   The prophet Daniel fasted and prayed for 21 days until he received an answer that had been immediately sent to him by...