Signs & Wonders Blog

Last Sunday, Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota had their morning service interrupted because one of the pastors is also an ICE agent. Protesters came in chanting Renee Good ’s name and using foul language . One of them claimed their disruption was something Jesus would have done. Chauntyll Allen compared it to the Lord chasing the money changers out of the temple. I doubt Allen even knows Him. She is the leader of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and “married” to a woman. Allen and two other protesters were later arrested but have since been released. Cities Church issued this statement: “Invading a church service to disrupt the worship of Jesus - or any other act of worship - is protected by neither the Christian Scriptures nor the laws of this nation.” Still, their situation had me thinking about other meetings where preachers faced opposition from the congregation. Even if one disagrees with what’s said from the pulpit, it’s rude to interrupt the speaker. One can choose to keep q...

One topic that stirs up debates amongst Christians is the rapture of the church . Some don’t believe that will happen at all . Others dispute the timing of it. Personally, I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, when the Body of Christ will be taken to heaven before the start of the seven-year tribulation period. However, a few argue it will be mid-trib, or post-trib.  A reason cited by post-tribbers is the “last trumpet” the Apostle Paul referred to in 1 Corinthians 15:52, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” They think this is the same trumpet mentioned in Revelation 11:15, “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” There are reasons why I don’t believe these two trumpets are the same:  The las...

Jesus warned in the last days, “…many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11) Among them are individuals who persist in setting dates for the Lord’s return. If only they would learn from the mistakes of others. 1n 1844, a Baptist preacher named William Miller predicted Christ would return on  October 22nd of that year. He based that on calculations from the Book of Daniel. Thousands of Millerites sold their possessions expecting to be removed from the earth, but nothing happened. That became known as the Great Disappointment and led to the formation of Adventist denominations. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have a history of unfulfilled prophecies. Watchtower founder Charles Taze Russell declared Christ returned invisibly in 1874 and the world would end in 1914. His successor Joseph Rutherford falsely predicted the Second Coming would occur in 1918 and then in 1925. The Watchtower later told their followers that 1975 would be the year of the Lord’s return. Again...

Yesterday while driving to Panera Bread, I noticed a man with a sign begging on a divider. I pulled into the parking lot and then walked over to the intersection and offered him a bag of Doritos. He gratefully accepted them. Then I gave him a gospel tract and asked, “Do you know that God loves you and has an awesome plan for your life?” This man claimed to be a priest and has been living in his car for a year. He then went on to complain about the Masons and other organizations. Wanting to  “avoid foolish and ignorant disputes”  (2 Timothy 2:23), I asked what he knew about Jesus Christ. He referred to Him as his brother but went on to say he will never take communion because the Lord said to  “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood…”  (John 6:53) This self-proclaimed priest went so far as to call Jesus a vampire. I tried to explain the Bible is full of symbolism such as the Lord calling Himself “the bread of life” (John 6:35). Certainly, He doesn’t ex...

Yesterday afternoon I rode a bus from downtown Tampa after doing some street evangelism. I was getting hungry and thought of an area in the northern part of town with many restaurants. While getting off by the intersection of Fowler and Nebraska Avenue, I noticed a gathering that included a man preaching over a loudspeaker. One thing that caught my attention was a large banner quoting Isaiah 1:18 but misspelled “saith.” By the time I walked over there, I forgot about the misspelled banner because of seeing other signs. I also noticed the group consisted of well dressed African-American men (I don’t recall seeing any women). I asked who they were. One of the men handed me a flyer that resembled a church bulletin.  I started looking at the flyer minutes later after getting seated at Denny’s. I realized the flyer was their church's version of a gospel tract. However, there were parts of it I don’t agree with. Despite their sign encouraging people to “reason together”, I wasn...

During the 1990s, I attended a Word of Faith church and grew to appreciate many preachers associated with that stream of ministry. Atlanta-based pastor Creflo Dollar wasn’t among my favorites, but I listened to him occasionally through various media platforms. Once I visited another church where he was the guest speaker and enjoyed his message. Creflo talked about how the use of certain words has changed. He pointed out that calling someone a dog used to be an insult. Now homies greet their buddies, “What’s up, dog?” I was shocked when learning of Pastor Dollar’s recent recantation of tithing. My Facebook newsfeed has been full of reactions to that, both positive and negative. Previously, Creflo received flak for an aborted fundraising campaign to buy a better jet . Instead of prejudging him, I took the time to listen to his message, “The Great Misunderstanding.” One part I agreed with is that our giving should come from the heart and not out of fear of being cursed. However, Crefl...

A friend of mine who’s been hosting me recently received this letter in the mail from a Jehovah's Witness. In addition to mailing him a written response, I’m posting it here online… Dear Roland,  I’m a missionary based in Virginia but currently working in Minnesota. Recently you sent a form letter to various neighbors. That included a friend who’s been hosting me. I read your letter and decided to send you this reply. I’m also concerned about the health and welfare of my neighbors. I’ve shared the gospel in various cities for almost thirty years and seen many lives transformed. Occasionally I’ve encountered Jehovah’s Witnesses and recognize their dedication to what they believe. It’s sad that many Christians (especially here in America) are reluctant to share the Good News with others. Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, I noticed Jehovah's Witnesses by their carts displaying Watchtower literature. Often I asked them this question: “If someone stuck a knife in my back a...

For over a decade, one of the most popular books on the Christian market has been “The Shack.” This 2007 novel self-published by Canadian author Wm Paul Young went on to become a best seller. A movie based on the book came out two years ago. While many Christian leaders endorsed “The Shack”, some dismissed it as heresy. One reason is God the Father represented as a woman. I haven’t read “The Shack” for other reasons. One of them is I never felt led to do so. Years ago as a young believer, I devoured many Christian books but have since focused more on reading the Bible. Nowadays, I rarely buy any books. I trust the Lord to provide what He wants me to read. Whenever someone offers to give or loan me a book, I often examine the cover, table of contents and any endorsements before deciding if it’s something to invest my time in. So why this article about a 12-year-old book I haven’t even read? A few days ago, a Facebook friend shared a post that aroused my concerns. A prophetic ...

One thing I will commend Jehovah’s Witnesses for is their persistence in spreading their beliefs. Every Saturday morning, many of them go door to door in various neighborhoods. In recent years, I’ve seen JW’s standing by portable displays of their literature near libraries, stores, restaurants, bus stops, and on street corners. Unfortunately, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society promote another gospel based on works (Galatians 1:6-9). Their teachings can put undiscerning followers into religious bondage, eventually resulting in them being lost for eternity. Recently after I led a young man to the Lord at McDonald’s, a Jehovah’s Witness who overheard our conversation placed a brochure on my table as she was leaving. “What is the Kingdom of God” lists several Bible verses and then asks, “What will life be like under the rule of God’s Kingdom?” That question is answered by referring to two passages of Scripture… “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.”...

Recently while walking through Ashland, Virginia, I saw this sign posted in front of somebody’s yard. It reminded me of another sign (with the same phrases but stylized differently) seen days before outside the entrance of a Universalist church near Washington, DC. Many churches have a statement of faith. Unfortunately, some of them promote beliefs contrary to Scripture. To anyone reading this who believes in the tenets of “Here We Believe”, I offer this response to each one… “Love is Love” - What does that prove? That’s like saying “blue is blue” or “4=4.” Often what people call love is really lust. What would you say if a 40-year-old wants to “love” your underage child? “No Human is Illegal” - Every human is precious in God’s sight. However, individuals get in trouble with the law if they choose to do illegal things such as sneaking into a country without going through customs or overstaying their visas. “Black Lives Matter” - I agree…but so do the lives of whites,...