Signs & Wonders Blog

Like many God-fearing Americans, I was grateful to see Donald Trump return to the White House last Monday. I watched the inauguration at Rodney Howard-Browne ’s church (which played on the video screens during their Winter Campmeeting). I was happy to hear the president declare, “We will not forget our God.” However, some clergy aren’t happy about this. Among them is Episcopal bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who oversees 86 churches across D.C., and Maryland, with 38,000 members. She previously made critical remarks about the president during his first term in office. On the day after Trump's second inauguration, Budde delivered the homily at an interfaith prayer service held at the Washington National Cathedral. The final part of her sermon was directed at President Trump who sat in the front row. Here are portions of what she said:  “Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our ...

Dear Macklemore, This letter is a response to your comments at the recent Palestine Will Live Forever Festival. First, let me tell you about myself. I could be considered a rapper since I rap better than sing. Years ago, I pursued a career in the recording industry . I worked as a disc jockey plus produced electronic music that received national radio exposure. Then in the 1990s, I committed my life to Jesus and became a missionary. Occasionally, I glance at the Billboard website to see what’s happening with the music scene. I first became familiar with you in 2013 when your gay anthem “ Same Love ” became a hit. A short time later, a friend who performs Christian rap in parades added “And We Danced” and “Can’t Hold Us” to his repertoire but with rewritten lyrics. I helped him remix the parodies of your songs. You once told an interviewer, “I want to be someone who is respected and not just in terms of my music. I want to be respected in terms of the way that I treat people.” I ...

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...

Shortly after giving my life to the Lord in 1991, I got involved with Toastmasters. This organization helps individuals develop their public speaking skills. One talk I created for a humorous speech contest was titled “Crap Music.” It was inspired by a coworker who jokingly talked of mixing country music with rap. That speech came to my remembrance after reading about a rapper claiming to embrace Christianity. Lil Nas X burst onto the national scene with a huge hit in 2019. “Old Town Road” set an all-time record by logging 19 consecutive weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. That song combined elements of country and rap, plus featured an appearance by Billy Ray Cyrus (of “Achy Breaky Heart” fame). Lil Nas X also gained notoriety for coming out as gay and creating “Satan shoes.” Now the rapper claims to have entered his “Christian Era.” In a teaser clip for a yet-to-be released song, he sang these lyrics: Father stretch my hands The lonely road seems to last the longest Help me...

During the history of America, four presidents were assassinated. One of which happened on this day in 1881. James Garfield got shot inside a railroad station (but died weeks later) where the National Gallery of Art now sits. I’ve walked by there during my numerous visits to Washington, DC. I’ve been to the other spots where an assassin’s bullet struck the president. Abraham Lincoln got gunned down in DC at Ford’s Theater. I went in there once to explore a museum honoring Lincoln. Last year in Buffalo, New York, I visited a monument marking the spot where William McKinley got shot. A few years before in Dallas, I walked through the Dealey Plaza area where a sniper killed John F. Kennedy. Three other presidents have died in office due to health issues. The United States currently has a man I’ve been reluctant to label as my president. Because of his declining mental state, many Americans are concerned about Joe Biden ’s capability to serve in the White House. I don’t believe he legit...

Recently while browsing around a Barnes & Noble bookstore, I saw a display of children’s books promoting Pride Month. One stood out to me titled “'Twas the Night Before Pride.” I didn’t look through it, but a later search on amazon.com confirmed my suspicion. It was a parody of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (a/k/a “'Twas the Night Before Christmas”) by Clement Clarke Moore. That inspired me to write a version of my own: " Twas the night before Pride, when all through the house  Two creatures were stirring, men wearing a blouse; Stockings and leather would be worn without care, Without any concern who would be there. Their children were all rolling in their beds; Various nightmares raced through their heads; While their guardians pinned messages on a cap, “Love is love” they would continued to yap. This same-sex couple prepared to make such a clatter, Parading down the street like Black Lives Matter Exposing private parts they would proudly flash, Opening thei...

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 ...