Signs & Wonders Blog

This past Wednesday, I went with a friend for a drive to Zion, Illinois. This city near the Wisconsin border was founded at the beginning of the 20th century by a preacher named John Alexander Dowie. Originally from Scotland, Dowie had a powerful ministry based in Chicago where God used him mightily in the gifts of healing. However, he wanted to establish Zion as a totally Christian-based society. Possession of tobacco, liquor, and swine's flesh were prohibited within city limits. As Dowie focused on overseeing this new city, his ministry declined, and suffered financial problems before passing away at 59. Roberts Liardon’s book “God’s Generals” details Dowie’s life as well as other preachers whose ministries didn’t end well. One of whom was William Branham. He had gifts in healing and prophecy, but desired to become a teacher. Branham wasn’t knowledgeable enough in the Word. As a result, he drifted into proclaiming unbiblical doctrines such as rejecting the existence of an eterna...

Since the United States is celebrating its 250th birthday this year, more movies are coming out about America’s founding era. A historical drama film called “Young Washington” is scheduled for release on July 3rd. Last Thursday night, a pastor and his wife invited me to go see “A Great Awakening.” I had seen a trailer for this a few months ago, but I wasn’t aware it was released for Easter weekend. “A Great Awakening” delves into the unlikely friendship between American founding father Benjamin Franklin and English preacher George Whitefield (pronounced “whit field”). Franklin resists his father’s wish for him to pursue a career in preaching. Instead, he embarks on a successful venture in establishing a renowned print shop. Years later, Franklin’s grandson stumbles upon old journals belonging to George Whitefield. This discovery triggers a flashback that takes the audience on a journey through the preacher’s life. Whitefield, initially aspiring to be an actor, pursued his dream at ...

When Christian movies hit the silver screen nationwide, I make it a priority to go see them as soon as possible (but usually opt for matinees when ticket prices are lower). “Light of the World” premiered in theaters on September 5th. At the time, I was staying with a pastor and his family in the Buffalo area. Unfortunately, the movie wasn’t showing at the nearest theater there. Earlier this week, I took a train to Northern Virginia to spend a few days with my friend Jim . Since he’s a movie buff, we both went to see “Light of the World” this past Thursday. This animated story of Jesus is told through the apostle John. At the beginning of the movie, John, a young boy, is eager to assist his family’s fishing business. However, his father, Zebedee, faces the threat of being enslaved due to unpaid taxes. In his quest to bring the fish to market and raise the required funds, John inadvertently encounters the Messiah, whom his mother had spoken of. Eventually, John and his brother James dec...

Prior to my salvation, I often went dancing in nightclubs and also worked as a DJ in a few of them. After getting saved, I continued going to clubs for a couple of years but eventually stopped. I could no longer put up with smoke-filled rooms plus listening to music with explicit lyrics. One reason many sinners resist Christianity is the mistaken idea God doesn’t want us to have fun. Some religious leaders have a problem with dancing in general. When I worked for Billy Graham ’s World Wide Pictures, one film we distributed called “The Homecoming” featured students at a high school dance. A pastor who planned to show “The Homecoming” in his church changed his mind because he was afraid the dancing would offend members of his congregation. A more famous movie that dealt with this issue was 1984’s “Footloose.” Based on actual events that happened in a Oklahoma town, an overzealous pastor convinced his city council to ban public dancing. He was challenged by a young man who read the fol...

During my thirty-plus years of street ministry, I’ve had to be discerning when handling panhandlers . Because some are persistent, I tell them upfront, “I don’t have any money for you.” However, I always carry extra snacks to give to hungry beggars. That opens their heart more for me to share the gospel with them. Last weekend, I took a train to New Orleans. Because hotel rates were too high downtown, I opted to get a room at a motel in the northern part of the city. Instead of using Uber or Lyft, I took a bus from the train station to save money. I had to walk a few blocks from the bus stop with three pieces of luggage plus a backpack.  As I was getting close to the motel, a woman offered to help move one of my bags. I accepted her offer and perceived she was homeless. It was past midnight, and the lobby was closed. Therefore, I had to talk to the desk clerk through a glass window. Meanwhile, “Becky” (not her real name) stood nearby while I used my debit card to pay for m...

Thirty years ago this month, I got serious about soul-winning. Starting in June 1994, I went out street witnessing with Living Word Christian Center almost every Monday night. I was assigned to a team of usually three people. Within a few months, I felt ready to be a team leader. However, a few more weeks passed before Pastor Nick Kinn ’s assistant asked me to start leading evangelism teams. A year later, I went to work for Billy Graham ’s film ministry World Wide Pictures. I was often the top salesperson of the week. My team leader even suggested our co-workers study my telemarketing techniques. At one point, another team leader position opened that would result in higher pay. I was disappointed the promotion went to someone else. Perhaps the reason was my supervisor knew I would leave in a few months to go back on the mission field (he previously made me agree to stay on the job for one year after I temporarily left to live in Toronto for a season). In the world, individuals wil...

Social media is a powerful tool I use for ministry. It has also been a distraction. Many of us will admit to spending hours scrolling through our news feeds. I enjoy the occasional humor and cute pet photos. Still, a lot of frivolous things appear I don’t care to see and read. A few are insulting, such as saying I’m “old” if I recognize a particular item. I don’t mean to be critical of what people post on their social media pages. That’s their business. Fortunately, there’s a way to stay connected with select individuals without unfriending them and having their posts appear in my news feed. I’ve been unfollowing Facebook friends who repeatedly do the following: Make too many posts. I’ve seen as much as forty a day by some folks (rarely do I exceed two or three). I don’t need the same individuals overwhelming my news feed. There are other friends I want to hear from. Post chain letters , hoaxes, and memes that contain profanity . Make requests for money. Some ministers send me fr...

One thing that unites Christians is knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, doctrinal differences continue to divide us. Some religious folk called cessationists insist the gifts of the Spirit are not in operation today. They believe speaking in tongues, prophecies, and healings passed away when the original apostles died. A well-known pastor in California named John MacArthur has scheduled a cessationist conference at his church for next October. One of the other speakers is Justin Peters, an outspoken opponent of the so-called “ health and wealth gospel .” Yet they are charging $299 for this event. If they are against prosperity, why the high registration fee ? Isn’t that being hypocritical? I can understand how some Christians doubt God doing miracles today if they’ve never seen any. I grew up attending a traditional Lutheran church that didn’t make room for the gifts of the Spirit to operate. There were occasions when the pastor practiced hypnosis on my ...