Signs & Wonders Blog

In this episode of the classic comic strip Peanuts, Lucy and Linus watched a heavy rainfall through a window. Lucy wondered out loud if the entire world will be flooded. Linus reminded his sister that God promised Noah that such a catastrophe would never happen again. However, floods continue to occur on a regional level. A few days ago, a flash flood in Kerrville, Texas killed over 120 people including children and counselors at a Christian campground. Many more are still missing. One shouldn’t believe this was an “ act of God .” John 10:10 says that Satan comes “…to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” God wants His people to avoid tragedies like this. Sometimes, He will use circumstances so we won’t make bad decisions. A friend of mine in the Texas capital of Austin used to live in Kerrville. She had recent thoughts of moving back there but her plans were hindered. That possibly saved my friend’s life. Sometimes God’s protection comes from evacuation. Back in 1951, evangelist Ja...

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...

During the past week, Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Cuba, Florida, and the Carolinas. However, there were reports of believers whose homes were miraculously spared. The mainstream media predicted the hurricane would hit the Tampa Bay area but diverted to the south. I believe that was the result of extra prayer meetings The River Church (and probably other fellowships) had where they spoke against this storm. On May 22, 2011, a tornado hit north Minneapolis where I’d been staying with friends. I wasn't even aware a tornado touched down in the area until hours after coming home from a downtown bike ride. An air raid siren had been wailing but I didn't think much of it because it wasn't very loud. I figured it was due to bad weather out in the suburbs...not 20 blocks away!   Meanwhile, my host had slept in late and was awakened by the siren. In response, he simply rebuked the tornado. It lifted within five seconds! Five minutes later the sun came out and there was beau...

A fellow evangelist I know used to be employed by the U. S. Postal Service. I heard him talk about a time when a massive winter storm prevented coworkers from showing up on the job. Some of them were atheists but still marked “an act of God” on a form as their reason for missing work so they could get paid. One dictionary defines act of God as “an instance of uncontrollable natural forces in operation (often used in insurance claims).”  Many people who won’t live for God still blame Him for disasters such as tornadoes and floods. Obviously, the Lord has some control over the weather. Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, “for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” However, I don’t believe killer storms are “acts of God.” Keep in mind we live in a fallen world largely ruled by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4) who comes to “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” Jesus came to give us life and “ ha ve it more abundantly” (John 10:1...