Signs & Wonders Blog

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 10:10).

A new NFL regular season begins in a few days. Armchair quarterbacks are already discussing how their favorite teams and players should do things differently this year. These self-appointed experts seem to think they know more about football than the coaches.  Sadly, this sort of thing happens in the Body of Christ. “Armchair pastors” criticize ministers for doing or not doing certain things. This past week, the Internet has been (pardon the pun) flooded with unChristlike remarks regarding a well-known pastor in Houston, Texas. Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church receives enough flak from heresy hunters who disapprove of his ministry . Now Joel has been lambasted for his response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. Lakewood Church was criticized for not having services last weekend. Their website stated that was done due to “…concern for the safety of our members.” Many streets in Houston were impassible by flood waters. In the Upper Midwest where I’ve lived most of my