Signs & Wonders Blog

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...

Tomorrow is Labor Day, which one dictionary defines as “a public holiday or day of festivities held in honor of working people, in the US and Canada on the first Monday in September, in many other countries on May 1.” Despite the Bible’s commandments to have a good work ethic, some missionaries are more like “moochinaries”, begging in the name of the Lord. I’ve dealt with a few especially online. Three years ago, a Facebook friend who called himself “The Thankful Leper” sent me a message asking for money. Until then, I never had any interaction with this man since accepting his friend request. Initially, I replied with a link to my “ Discernment for Donations ” article. That was to explain why I don’t give money in response to unsolicited emails. He immediately responded by saying he won’t play “scripture ping pong” but quoted verses about why I should help him financially.  This man went on to say, “If you can't help me in that way I’d be happy to move in with you and you can t...

There is a large homeless population in Washington, DC. Whenever I'm street witnessing in the nation's capital, I'm occasionally approached by people wanting money. Often they will say it’s for food. That's why I usually carry extra snacks in my backpack like crackers and granola bars that I offer to hungry panhandlers. Con artists who really want money for drugs or alcohol will frequently refuse the food. This afternoon as I approached a Metro station, I noticed a man standing by the escalators and correctly discerned he was begging for money. He asked me for some change and I responded by asking this man if he was hungry. When he replied, "yes", I told him I had fruit bars with me and offered him the choice of either strawberry or fig flavor. After choosing a strawberry fruit bar, I gave Joseph a tract and asked if he knew for sure where he would spend eternity when his life ended. Joseph said he was hoping to go to heaven and initially didn’t...