Signs & Wonders Blog

My biggest pet peeve with flying is baggage fees. Years ago, airlines only charged extra money for luggage that was oversized or too heavy. Then in May 2008, fees for a second checked bag were added by most airlines in response to rising fuel prices. Despite costs decreasing later that year, airlines increased their baggage fees when realizing what a cash cow it was. Some now charge for carry-on bags! For years, Southwest Airlines hadn’t succumbed to this greediness. They still allowed passengers to check two bags for free if they were within size and weight limitations. You could also bring a carry-on bag plus a personal item that will fit underneath the seat. As a missionary who lives out of a suitcase, I’ve traveled with four pieces of luggage. My two checked bags mostly contain clothing and gospel literature. My carry-on includes computer accessories I didn’t want to get damaged. My personal item is a backpack containing my MacBook Air, iPad, and other items I may access...

Ministers experience enough persecution from worldly people who don’t care at all about the things of God. It’s sadder when attacks come from within the body of Christ. Three years ago, Creflo Dollar was heavily criticized for launching an aborted fundraising campaign to acquire a multi-million dollar jet. Now evangelist Jesse Duplantis is receiving similar flak for his intent on obtaining a Falcon 7X for his ministry. Previously in this blog, I addressed the issue of preachers with planes . In this article, I want to share my experiences with Jesse’s ministry. The first time I heard of Jesse Duplantis was in late 1992. A friend encouraged me to watch Jesse as a guest speaker on Kenneth Copeland’s “Believer’s Voice of Victory” program. What I saw was a preacher I could definitely relate to. Like myself, Jesse used to work in the secular music business. I was also drawn to Jesse’s outgoing personality and sense of humor. He didn’t come across as a stuffed shirt but someone who lo...

A few years ago, actress Jennifer Anniston purchased a one-bedroom penthouse apartment in New York City for $8 million. Around that time, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg bought a $7 million home in California. It was also reported Michael Jordan was building a home in Florida with an estimated value of $20 million. The secular media doesn’t mind celebrities and athletes owning multi-million houses. Yet they will launch an “exposé” if a preacher buys (or is given) a house for a fraction of that amount. Even some believers are critical of brethren with nice domiciles. One time a homeless man I met in Florida complained about a local pastor having a $500,000 house. Before you pity this homeless man, it should be pointed out he was a modern-day Jonah running from the call to preach. God will bless those who will obey His will for their lives. Isaiah 1:19-20 says, “‘If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured b...

Let this be a warning to read the fine print of an airline's baggage policy the next time you fly. Yesterday morning when I checked in at Tampa International Airport for my flight to Charlotte, an AirTran employee weighed my large suitcase and the scale read 54.5 pounds. I found it strange that my suitcase suddenly gained weight on my way to the airport. At the missionary house I stayed at, their scale had my suitcase at 50 pounds. After putting on an extra jacket and my heavier pair of shoes plus moving other items into my carry-on bag, the AirTran employee measured my suitcase and told me it was “too big.” I was shocked that I suddenly had to pay a $49 “oversized bag” fee. That same suitcase had never incurred such charges on previous AirTran flights. I didn’t know a policy change regarding baggage dimensions went into effect last month. When I asked the AirTran employee to waive the fee, she refused and claimed the $49 would otherwise be taken out of her paycheck. ...