Signs & Wonders Blog

June 14th is a memorable day for me for three reasons. I still recall it being the birthday of a girl I had a strong crush on in my teens . It’s also the birthday of the president of the United States ( Donald Trump turns 80 today). Last but not least, it was on this day in 1777 that the Stars and Stripes was officially adopted as the American flag. Although Flag Day is not an official federal holiday like Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, it’s often listed in calendars.  Other countries have similar holidays on different days. Religious groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses oppose saluting flags or even saying the pledge of allegiance. They view these things as acts of worship or idolatry. I disagree. One can participate in patriotic acts like standing for The Star Spangled Banner without making it an idol. Scripture talks about respecting the government as long as they don’t pressure us into doing things that violate the laws of God: “Render therefore to Caesar...

For most of my life, I’ve lived in Minnesota. I grew up in Moorhead and moved to Minneapolis at 21. Eventually, I left the Twin Cities area when the Lord called me to travel as a full-time missionary. In recent years, I’ve returned to Minnesota for extended visits in the spring and summer. I prefer avoiding their brutally cold winters. Another thing I don’t like is the state’s political climate. Minnesota legalized same-sex marriage before the U. S. Supreme Court did. One of their congresswomen is Somalian-born Ilhan Omar, who supports the BDS movement, Black Lives Matter , and defunding the police. Current governor Tim Walz got reelected despite the lockdowns he imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some locals have called the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” the “Land of 10,000 Taxes.” Minnesota has one of the highest taxation rates in America and ranks third on welfare spending per person. Minnesota has become known for protests, including the ones that erupted after the deaths of George...

Moses overlooking the Promised Land Some of the social causes Americans stand for have gotten ridiculous. Last Sunday at a festival in New Orleans, R&B singer Jill Scott sang “The Star Spangled Banner” but altered the words claiming black people are oppressed and “blood built this land.” Those remarks come from a woman with a net worth of $12 million. It’s true blood built this land. Countless U. S. soldiers shed theirs so one could be free to desecrate our National Anthem by singing misguided lyrics. I’ve already boycotted Ben & Jerry’s ice cream because their founders promote ungodly causes like abortion and same-sex marriage. This past Fourth of July, the Vermont-based company posted a tweet suggesting it was “high time we recognize that the U.S. exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it.” Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield better be ready to put their money where their mouths are. One Native American leader wants them to return the land their company headqua...

I saw many Walt Disney movies in theaters and on TV during my childhood. My family and I often watched “The Wonderful World of Disney” on Sunday nights (I also remember my dad doing a great Donald Duck imitation). Although some Disney productions such as “Fantasia” and “Escape to Witch Mountain” had occult themes, they mostly promoted family values.  Sadly, the Walt Disney Company has drifted into endorsing ungodly lifestyles. In 2005, a friend of mine briefly worked at Disney World in Orlando. He told me about “Gay Days” hosted by the amusement park. In a company-wide Zoom call this past Monday, a Disney executive said they must be more “inclusive” by increasing the number of LGBTQIA characters. Karey Burke claimed, “I am here as a mother of two queer children – one transgender child and one pansexual child.” Not surprisingly, this moral decline has shown up in their productions. Four years ago, Walt Disney Studios released an R-rated flick called “Eighth Grade”, which feature...

I’m a traveling missionary who frequently patronizes Panera Bread. I enjoy sitting inside their restaurants drinking coffee and eating an occasional bagel while working online with my laptop. I was glad to see the one closest to my home finally allow indoor seating again after three months of doing take-out and drive-thru orders only. So I resumed going there earlier this week. Unfortunately, I saw something on Thursday that made me turn around and leave. The windows had artwork of a rainbow with the caption “CELEBRATE WHO YOU ARE.” I assume this is in observance of Gay Pride Month. As a Christian, I find this offensive. The rainbow is a sign of God‘s promise not to destroy man again with a flood (see Genesis 9). It was never meant to symbolize deviant lifestyle choices. I happen to know former homosexuals and transsexuals who got delivered with God’s help. Therefore, I do not buy the lie that gays are “born that way.” I avoid spending my money at places that openly endorse ...

The fast food chain Chick-fil-A is known for being closed on Sundays and promoting Christian values. Back in 2012, founder and then-CEO Truett Cathy spoke out against same-sex marriage. Threats of protests by gay activists prompted politician/minister Mike Huckabee to spearhead a Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. Long lines of customers arrived to show their support. Since then, Chick-fil-A continues to be assaulted for their “anti-LGBT” stance. New restaurants opening up in certain cities have faced protesters. What’s ironic is hours after the 2016 gay nightclub massacre in Orlando occurred, the local Chick-fil-A opened that Sunday to provide free meals to first responders, blood donors and victims’ families. Last month, Chick-fil-A announced they will stop giving donations to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Many Christians interpret this as Chick-fil-A cowering to the homosexual agenda. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council stated, “Many peo...

I’ve always thought Starbucks Coffee was overrated. Usually, I go to Caribou Coffee. One reason I prefer Caribou is they provide free refills of their “coffee of the day” while you remain in the store. Nevertheless, I occasionally enjoyed Starbucks’ cold drinks such as their frappuccinos. That changed in March 2013 after reading about Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz affirming his support for same-sex marriage. I decided then to avoid Starbucks products altogether. Not long afterward, I went evangelizing one night in downtown Minneapolis with three other soul-winners from a local church. The leader of our group directed us into Starbucks and offered to buy us each a drink. I didn’t have peace in my heart and declined his offer. When I later told him the reason, my fellow evangelist totally understood for he wouldn’t do business with Home Depot because of their supporting homosexual groups and pride celebrations (which they have since discontinued). To be fair to Howard Schultz, ...

Last night before going to bed, I was reading news headlines on the Internet and learned that the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company was temporarily changing the name of their “Chubby Hubby” flavor to “Hubby Hubby” to commemorate same-sex marriage being legalized in their home state of Vermont. I was appalled but not surprised considering Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have used company profits to support other ungodly causes such as abortion advocacy. Now I have another reason not to buy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Every Christian has had to decide whether or not to avoid purchasing certain products or services based on moral grounds. Years ago while I was at a prayer meeting, one man there suggested boycotting Best Buy because the electronics company sponsored a rock music festival where Ozzy Osbourne was the headlining act. At first, I was in favor of the idea. But a few days later, I was praying when the Lord specifically told me to go to Best Buy. When I showed up at ...