Signs & Wonders Blog

While I grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota, homosexuality was something my classmates in school joked about. Back then, I couldn’t believe anyone would seriously want a sexual relationship with a person of the same gender. Since becoming an evangelist, I’ve been mindful to  speak the truth in love  when  encountering individuals who identify as LGBT. This past Tuesday while sightseeing in Tucson, Arizona, I noticed a young couple goofing around at the streetcar station where I waited for a ride. The boy kept singing the old Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive.” I told him that was a favorite of mine, and I was around his age when that song was a hit. (This young man happened to be 14 years old - I was 14 when “Stayin’ Alive” was the #1 song in the nation). Toby and Lily eventually prayed with me to receive salvation. After giving them gospels of John, I played on my iPhone an ApologetiX parody of “Stayin’ Alive” called “ Stay in the Light .” Just before the streetcar arrived, Tob...

Even before committing my life to the Lord, I knew homosexuality was wrong. The thought of same-sex couples having intimate relations repulsed me. Nevertheless, I grew up around at least two guys who I discovered years later were homosexuals. One was a neighbor who lived two houses away from   my childhood home   in Moorhead, Minnesota. David was a bit eccentric. He had tall plants growing in his front yard that looked like a jungle. A year after I moved to Minneapolis, David died of AIDS. My parents told me he had admitted to them of being gay. Another was a junior high classmate whose locker was next to mine. Thomas seemed popular with the girls and even became class president. So it surprised me when I eventually learned of him becoming a homosexual. In 2011, Thomas died unexpectedly of a heart attack at 46. Although he wasn’t friendly toward me at school, I still hate to think of this guy being in hell. Three years before his death, Thomas got “married” to his long-time pa...

Dear Amy, I’m an evangelist who appreciates your contributions to Contemporary Christian Music. When I used to program an Internet radio station , your songs were on my playlist. I also saw you perform at a Billy Graham crusade in Minneapolis. Years before, your music planted seeds that later resulted in my salvation. In 1984, my sister bought a copy of “Straight Ahead” after seeing you in concert. I wrote a mostly positive review of your album for my college newspaper and predicted you would hit the Top 40 in a couple of years. The following year, I got excited when “Find a Way” debuted on “ American Top 40 .” Six years after that, I found The Way (John 14:6). It’s sad when religious folk become judgmental of us. I remember you got criticized when you started recording more secular songs such as “Baby Baby” (which hit #1 a month after I got saved). I can also relate to the flak you received for getting divorced and remarried. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of going through ...

When I was a kid, my family received from my grandparents a stereo console that played records only at 78 rpm. Sometimes I put on records meant to be played at 33 or 45 rpm (making the vocalists sound like chipmunks). Other times I listened to old ten-inch discs that belonged to my father and uncle when they were boys. One of which was “ Little Brave Sambo ”, a variation of The Story of Little Black Sambo written by Scottish author Helen Bannerman.  Little Brave Sambo was a South Indian boy who wore colorful clothes and shoes plus carried an umbrella. While out for a walk, Sambo encountered four tigers that threatened to eat him. He appeased the tigers by surrendering all his stuff. The tigers soon argued over which one was the grandest in the jungle. They chased each other around a tree until they were reduced to a pool of melted butter. Sambo then recovered his belongings. In real life, appeasing your enemy isn’t being brave and can have negative consequences. One exa...

It’s often been said we are our own worst critic. Many of us have characteristics about ourselves we wish were different. When I was younger, I often got permanents because I liked how I looked with curly hair. Eventually I stopped getting those because I grew tired of the time and expense involved. Besides that, Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...” All of us should be thankful for how God designed us. However, we now live in a day where people are celebrated for changing their gender. This past week the media has been bombarded with reports of a former Olympic athlete becoming a woman. Bruce Jenner now prefers to be called “Caitlyn” and be addressed by feminine pronouns. Because of this gender reassignment, Jenner has been awarded this year’s Arthur Ashe Courage Award by ESPN. Even more disturbing is Jenner professing to be a Christian and claiming God gave him “the soul of a female.” As a minister of the gospel, I cannot accep...

For years I’ve enjoyed watching NFL games on TV especially when the Minnesota Vikings are playing well. This fall I will be watching fewer (if any) games if a particular player makes it through training camp and continues receiving massive publicity. Last weekend, a University of Missouri defensive end named Michael Sam was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams. A homosexual who “came out” this past February, Michael reacted to the news of being drafted by kissing his boyfriend. That incident was broadcast all over national TV and the Internet.  Not everyone in the NFL was pleased with Michael Sam’s kiss. Miami Dolphins strong safety Don Jones tweeted “OMG” and “horrible” but later deleted those politically incorrect words and offered an apology. Nevertheless, the Dolphins fined and suspended Jones who is now required to attend “sensitivity training.” This kind of training actually desensitizes people of sinful behavior. It’s ridiculous for Michael Sam’s entry ...