Signs & Wonders Blog

Many Christians struggle with knowing God’s will for their lives even though Jesus said His sheep know His voice (John 10:4). One way to increase spiritual sensitivity is to be a soul winner. Sharing your faith on a regular basis will help you recognize the leading of the Lord. He’ll show you who to talk to, who not to talk to, and what to say to the people you do talk to. Still, there are believers who seek divine direction through natural means. Recently, I talked with one who sought confirmation regarding a purchase he made by “putting out a fleece.” That concept originates from a passage in Judges 6: 36 So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said— 37 look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung...

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines pardon as “the action of forgiving or being forgiven for an error or offense .” The White House has a history of issuing them especially before a president leaves office. One of the most memorable was the 1974 pardon Gerald Ford gave shortly after the resignation of his predecessor Richard Nixon. Ford’s stated reason was to help the country move forward from the Watergate scandal. His press secretary Jerald terHorst resigned in protest. Historians believe the Nixon pardon was a major reason Ford lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter. Last Sunday, another controversial pardon came from the White House. Joe Biden issued one for his son Hunter who was convicted of multiple felonies but hadn’t yet been sentenced. What makes this pardon troubling is the Biden administration stating numerous times no pardons would be issued for Hunter. The outgoing president didn’t keep his word. Even if Hunter Biden appears to be getting off scot-free, he will...

A convicted murderer was recently denied parole after spending thirty years behind bars. Susan Smith of Union, South Carolina, made national headlines in October 1994 when she claimed a black man carjacked her vehicle with her two young sons strapped in the back seat. For nine days, multitudes searched for the man, the boys, and the car. After investigators pointed out discrepancies with her story, Susan confessed to plunging her vehicle into a lake, drowning 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex. During a subsequent trial, prosecuting attorney Tommy Pope sought the death penalty. Instead, Susan was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. In a book written by the father of the two boys, David Smith revealed he and Susan had been unfaithful to each other. I also learned about Susan’s rough upbringing. Her father committed suicide when she was six. Her mother got remarried to a man who molested Susan. Susan herself attempted to kill herself a couple of times and almost drowned herse...

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield often joked that he got no respect. One of his famous one-liners was, “I called suicide prevention…they put me on hold.” In real life, suicide is no laughing matter. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, each year more than 32,000 Americans take their own lives. This past January, an eight-year-old boy in Cincinnati hung himself with a necktie in his bedroom. This happened two days after he was attacked in a school bathroom. I can relate to people who contemplate ending their lives. During eighth grade, I experienced much name-calling and physical abuse from my classmates. Going to school had become so traumatic I wanted to die. If my father had a gun, I probably would have shot myself. I considered swallowing poison but fortunately was too scared to follow through with that. A couple of months before giving my life to the Lord in 1991, I was driving on the freeway one night when suddenly I had recurring thoughts of taking my o...

Some people have this idea that to be a Christian, you have to check your brain at the door.  Recently an atheistic businessman published a LinkedIn article titled “Religious People have lesser IQ than non-believers!” In an attempt to back up his claim, the author included numerous graphs such as the one pictured here. He also added the caption “ Charts speak for themselves.”  We will now let God’s word speak for itself... “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” - Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 “...although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” - Romans 1:21-22 “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” - Romans 8:6-7 "But the natural man does not receive the...

Critical Christians who don’t regularly experience supernatural encounters with the Lord will sometimes nitpick the craziest things.   This past week I watched a YouTube video in which a minister I know was labeled an “apostate” because of certain manifestations occurring at his meetings.   One of which is people falling backward when touched by the Holy Spirit.   The producer of this video claimed, “Only the enemies of God fall backwards.”   Other like-minded critics point to Scriptures where men of God “fell on their faces” during worship. Having grown up in a mainline denominational church, I was somewhat cynical when first seeing people “slain in the Spirit.”   Since then I’ve fallen backward many times when receiving ministry in a prayer line.   After one such incident while lying on the floor doing “carpet time”, I was healed of a nasal defect I had since childhood.   Does that sound demonic to you?   It shouldn’t since Jesus ...

People who refuse to believe in God are becoming more “evangelistic” in spreading their message of unbelief. Last weekend in front of a Florida courthouse, a group of atheists unveiled a monument next to a granite slab listing the Ten Commandments.   American Atheists President David Silverman stated in a press release that his New Jersey-based organization plans to erect 50 more monuments at public sites across the country. Many atheists pride themselves as being “freethinkers.”   They believe that by not adhering to Scripture, they are free to think for themselves.   On the other hand, Sid Roth released a book called “They Thought for Themselves”, which features testimonies of “ten amazing Jews” who found out the truth about Jesus as their Messiah. I heard one motivational speaker claim the human brain didn’t come with an owner’s manual.   The truth is the Bible gives many instructions on how to use our minds.   Here are a few of them… “...

One of the most controversial occurrences in Christianity is people getting “drunk in the Spirit.” Some well-meaning Christians have preached against this manifestation by referring to Scriptures commanding us to “be sober.” Let’s look at some of them… “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:6 “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:8 “Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded” - Titus 2:6 “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” - 1 Peter 1:13 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8 There are different definitions of the word sober found in the Encarta World English Dictionary… 1. Not und...