Signs & Wonders Blog

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...

Two days ago, the U.S. Supreme Court made a 6-3 decision to overturn the controversial Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973. That doesn’t outlaw abortion in this nation but will make it more difficult in states that decide to ban it altogether. In my birthplace of Fargo, North Dakota, the state’s only abortion clinic has already made plans to move across the Red River to Moorhead, Minnesota. While I haven’t been as passionate about pro-life causes as some of my friends, I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision. Abortion not only terminates the lives of unborn children but scars the lives of women who get one. Nevertheless, numerous celebrities are speaking out against this decision. Some individuals have responded with violence. What’s tragic is how political figures are reacting. Joe Biden (a professing Catholic) called the Supreme Court’s decision “a tragic error.” Former First Lady Michelle Obama said she’s “heartbroken.” Hillary Clinton borrowed a phrase from Franklin Roosevelt by saying t...

Dear Miss Smith: This past Thursday, I learned about your valedictory address that went viral. While many people commended you for speaking against the new Texas law banning abortions as early as six weeks after conception, I have a differing viewpoint. Hopefully, you are open-minded enough to read this. First, let me point out I’m a Christian who once leaned towards a pro-choice stance. Radical pro-life advocates who harassed and killed abortion practitioners repelled me from their cause. Then one day, I saw a picture of a little girl whose arm got cut off from an attempted abortion. The back of this flyer had illustrations of a fetus killed during an abortion procedure. That convinced me abortion is taking the lives of innocent human beings. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend watching the movie “Unplanned.” Those in favor of abortion talk about “women’s rights.” What about the baby’s rights? It’s not the mother’s body cut to pieces during an abortion procedure. That f...

I didn’t closely follow the Derek Chauvin trial but was a bit surprised with the outcome. The former Minneapolis police officer was convicted on all three counts for the death of George Floyd. I didn’t agree with Chauvin pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes. However, fentanyl could have killed Floyd (similar to what happened to Prince five years ago). He had three times the lethal dosage in his system. The jurors may have rendered the guilty verdict fearing reprisals from protesters.  Throughout history, innocent people have been imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit. They were sometimes the victims of circumstantial evidence. One online dictionary defines that as “evidence not drawn from direct observation of a fact in issue.” An example could be someone running away from a murder scene with a weapon in hand. Unless witnesses saw him commit the murder, there’s a possibility the suspect wasn’t involved. Hours before the Derek Chauvin verdict was delivered, I h...

On this day thirty-nine years ago, musician John Lennon was shot to death outside his apartment in New York City. Years before as a member of the Beatles, John made the infamous remark, “We are more popular than Jesus.” To some people, the Beatles are still more popular with them because they don’t know the real Jesus. That’s why God needs His people to go into the world and share the full gospel with others. Unbelievers need to hear about a Jesus that will heal their broken hearts, cure their diseases, and of course, forgive all their sins. There was a time when John Lennon had a genuine interest in Jesus. According to Steve Turner’s book The Gospel According to the Beatles , John became a regular viewer of that era’s most influential TV preachers. In 1972 he sent a letter to Oral Roberts that the evangelist later shared publicly. Here are some of the comments Lennon wrote… “The point is this, I want happiness. I don't want to keep on with drugs. Paul [McCartney] to...

Matt Post at the Capitol Last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 people has not only triggered more calls for gun control but students leaving classes in protest. As part of the nationwide walkouts this past Wednesday, students gave speeches outside the U.S. Capitol alongside Democratic lawmakers. A video of the speech made by Matthew Post (no relation to me) has gone viral. This high school senior from Maryland declared, “We have a moral problem in this country…The adults have failed us. This is in our hands now. And if any elected official gets in our way, we will vote them out.” I can sympathize with Matt’s anger and frustration but don’t agree with how he and others like him are reacting. Matt threatened to “shame our national policy leaders into protecting us.” No politician is perfect but we are supposed to honor and pray for those in authority . Many young people nowadays don’t respect their elders. Voting out certain elected officials is a...

Whenever a mass shooting takes place, there is increased talk in the media about gun control. That is happening again following the recent tragedy in Las Vegas, Nevada. From two 32nd story hotel windows, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock used automatic weapons to fire upon a crowd gathered for a country music concert. 59 people died and over 500 others were wounded. This surpassed last year’s Orlando nightclub massacre as the deadliest shooting by a lone gunman in U.S. history. Back in 2012, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend before committing suicide hours later at the team’s practice facility. The next night during a nationally televised football game, NBC Sportscaster Bob Costas stated, “If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins [Belcher’s girlfriend] would both be alive today.” Some Americans think taking guns out of public hands will reduce the amount of murders in this country. One of my Facebook friends posted th...

Dear Daniel, I’m a missionary who has lived most of my life in Minnesota. While there’s no guarantee you will ever see this letter, I still felt inspired to write to you. My intent is not to bring additional shame and condemnation you’ve already experienced. You probably felt some relief after confessing to the abduction and murder of Jacob Wetterling. It would be hard for anyone to have that on their conscience for 27 years. The date of Jacob’s disappearance (October 22nd) always stood out to me because that happens to be my sister’s birthday. I can’t imagine the horror of having a loved one disappear and not knowing their whereabouts for nearly three decades. The news reports I read about your plea agreement indicate you will spend at least 20 years behind bars. Regardless if you ever see freedom again, I want to share some good news with you.  While there are angry people who want to see you suffer for eternity, God sees things differently. Romans 3:23 says, “for ...

Recently while evangelizing on the streets of Tampa, Florida, I talked with a man who claimed God told him he would never die. He affirmed this belief even after I quoted Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” It amazes me how some individuals think they will be an exception and live forever on this earth. Although God wants us to have a long life (Psalm 91:16), we still live in a cursed world. People die unexpectedly every day from diseases, accidents, murders, and other tragedies. John 11 contains a passage that appears to be contradictory... 25 Jesus said to her [referring to Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Scripture shows there are two different ki...