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...

Usually when a loved one dies, the next of kin are promptly notified . Last Monday afternoon, while browsing the Internet, I stumbled upon an unexpected revelation: one of my aunts had passed away almost three months prior . For some inexplicable reason, I wasn’t informed of this news sooner. Nevertheless, I reminisced about the wonderful times I had shared with her. Gaye Linda Hannestad (née Tweiten ) was born on June 7, 1954 in Fargo, North Dakota. Her infectious energy and lively personality made me anticipate the times she babysat my sister and me when we were young. Tanya and I called them a “Gaye Gaye Day.” My aunt introduced me to some of the popular hits of the era. I remember her playing 45s of “In the Year 2525”, “I Started a Joke”, and “Spirit in the Sky.” Another endearing aspect of Gaye was her insistence that we sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus before opening our Christmas presents. Gaye graduated from Fargo South High School in 1972 and eventually became a dental assi...

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...

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines pardon as “the action of forgiving or being forgiven for an error or offense .” The White House has a history of issuing them especially before a president leaves office. One of the most memorable was the 1974 pardon Gerald Ford gave shortly after the resignation of his predecessor Richard Nixon. Ford’s stated reason was to help the country move forward from the Watergate scandal. His press secretary Jerald terHorst resigned in protest. Historians believe the Nixon pardon was a major reason Ford lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter. Last Sunday, another controversial pardon came from the White House. Joe Biden issued one for his son Hunter who was convicted of multiple felonies but hadn’t yet been sentenced. What makes this pardon troubling is the Biden administration stating numerous times no pardons would be issued for Hunter. The outgoing president didn’t keep his word. Even if Hunter Biden appears to be getting off scot-free, he will...

A convicted murderer was recently denied parole after spending thirty years behind bars. Susan Smith of Union, South Carolina, made national headlines in October 1994 when she claimed a black man carjacked her vehicle with her two young sons strapped in the back seat. For nine days, multitudes searched for the man, the boys, and the car. After investigators pointed out discrepancies with her story, Susan confessed to plunging her vehicle into a lake, drowning 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex. During a subsequent trial, prosecuting attorney Tommy Pope sought the death penalty. Instead, Susan was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. In a book written by the father of the two boys, David Smith revealed he and Susan had been unfaithful to each other. I also learned about Susan’s rough upbringing. Her father committed suicide when she was six. Her mother got remarried to a man who molested Susan. Susan herself attempted to kill herself a couple of times and almost drowned herse...

In one of his YouTube videos , conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager asked, “If you saw your dog and a stranger drowning, which would you save first?” In surveys he’s done with students, two-thirds have voted against the stranger. British evangelist Leonard Ravenhill stated, “Today’s Christians spend more money on dog food than missions.” One study determined Christians spend twenty times more money on Halloween costumes for their pets than preaching the gospel in unreached areas. That demonstrates how some believers value their pets more than men's souls. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I know how painful it is to lose a pet. As a boy, I wept heavily after the family cat got hit by a car and died. While some believe their deceased pets are in heaven , they don’t need to be redeemed. Jesus came to bring salvation to humans, not animals. It should also be pointed out God Himself said that man was alone until He c...

On Father’s Day, many people spend time with their dads. Mine passed away almost seven years ago. Although I’ve had other father figures in my life, I want to honor someone who was like a mother to me. This past Wednesday, I learned she had gone home to be with the Lord. For a few weeks in 2001, I lived with a family in Manassas, Virginia. Issues came up that made it necessary for me to find alternative housing. Through a mutual friend, I moved in with another family in the nearby city of Woodbridge. The matriarch was Merrie Christina Lavikoff.  “Chris” (as she preferred to be addressed) was born in Long Island, New York but grew up in California. A stint in the U.S. Army brought her to Northern Virginia, where she met Jeffrey Lavikoff. Although Chris was Christian and Jeff was Jewish, they married and had three children: David, DebraLyn, and Emily.  While I first lived with the Lavikoffs, Chris worked at and attended Christ Chapel, an Assembly of God fellowship. I occa...

Just over a week ago, I joined a ministry called GodTown that regularly reaches out to homeless people in St. Paul, Minnesota. While we put together bags of food at an outreach center, two Jehovah’s Witnesses stopped in. The couple handed us brochures to promote an Easter event they were having. That’s rather odd since the Watchtower discourages celebrating holidays.  I asked one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses questions about eternity, plus shared Scripture pointing out that salvation is a gift one must receive. The Watchtower promotes a false gospel based on works. One woman who was part of GodTown later approached me with tears in her eyes. She thought I needed to “love them more.” With all due respect to her concerns, we are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). True love warns sinners of wrong beliefs that can lead to eternal separation from God. Galatians 1:8 says,  “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to ...

This past Wednesday, Tina Turner died at 83. I wasn’t a fan of the singer, but played some of her records while working as a disc jockey in the 1980s. In response to a Facebook post written about Tina's passing, someone repeatedly accused me of being hateful because of questioning her   eternal destiny (she was raised Baptist but later became a Buddhist). I soon unfriended and blocked this person. Whenever celebrities die, those who care about them will often say, “Rest in peace.” Sometimes the initials R.I.P. are engraved on headstones as well as Halloween decorations. R.I.P. originated from the Latin phrase “requiescat in pace.” The truth is that all dead people are not resting in peace. When a person dies, they either experience great joy in heaven or eternal torment in hell. There is no in-between place such as purgatory. Hebrews 9:27 says,  “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” One doesn’t magically change into an angel or get a ...

Last month while riding a train through Baltimore, I saw a billboard like this one advertising “Moshiach is Here.” Moshiach is the Hebrew word for “Messiah.” The man seen on these billboards in various cities is an Orthodox rabbi named Menachem Mendel Schneerson (a/k/a Lubavitcher Rebbe), who passed away in 1994. Followers of him believe he is the Messiah despite being dead for almost thirty years. Jesus warned in Matthew 24:4-5, “Take heed that no one deceives you.   For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” Occasionally, I meet individuals claiming to be God or Jesus. I expose these imposters by pointing out they don’t have nail prints in their hands. I also ask false Christs how many hairs are on my head since God has them numbered (Matthew 10:30). Some religious groups claim the Second Coming has already happened. Jehovah’s Witnesses preach that Jesus returned invisibly in 1914. Revelation 1:7 says otherwise,  “Behold, He is comi...

This past Monday night during a football game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, 24-year-old Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and was in critical condition, but is recovering. That game got suspended and then cancelled. It brought to my remembrance the only player known for dying during a NFL contest.   Back in 1971, Detroit Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes collapsed on the field in the closing seconds of a game against the Chicago Bears. While he got rushed to the hospital, the game went on before a silent crowd of over 54,000 fans. Chuck was soon pronounced dead from a heart attack. He was only 28 years old.  Football fans look up to players like they are larger than life. Sadly, others have died young through a variety of circumstances. One of them played for my favorite team. During the Minnesota Vikings 2001 training camp, offensive tackle Korey Stringer had a heat stroke and hours later died from complications. He was 27. Anothe...