Signs & Wonders Blog

It’s often been said the gospel is so simple it takes the mind of man to complicate it. While evangelizing with other Christians, I’ve seen some give too much information. One night, I hit the streets with a woman who preached a sermon to everyone she approached. That wasn’t necessary since some of these people were already saved. Another time before an outreach I led, the pastor’s wife (who didn’t even go out with us) suddenly showed up and insisted we hand out large flyers promoting the church plus “Our Daily Bread” devotionals. Although two people got saved during this outreach, we could have seen more if our focus hadn’t been diverted to handing out all the extra literature. We already had gospel tracts, mini-Bibles, and business cards from the church. I usually give out gospels of John or Bibles only to people who don’t have one.  Then there was the time a man who I had dinner with showed me booklets he hands out when witnessing. In response, I showed him the “ Good News ” ...

As a missionary who hasn’t owned a car for over two decades, I’ve often used public transportation to get to various places. While living out of a suitcase (à la Corrie ten Boom), I’ve learned a few things I will share in this article. Many of these tips will be helpful whether you are just visiting family for the holidays, going on a short-term missionary trip, or out of the country for an extended period. If you need to use public transportation, keep in mind mask mandates are still in effect (which is one reason why I haven’t traveled as much this year). During recent trips, I brought along a bag of Tootsie Pops. As long as one is “actively eating,” masks can be off your face. You can suck on lollipops for several minutes at a time. Another benefit is a mask cannot cover the stick coming out of your mouth. That allows extra moments to breathe easier. Here are some more tips for these public transportation options… 1) Planes - Flying is a more attractive choice when going ...

Not having owned a car for almost two decades, I often use public transportation to travel around the country. Whenever possible, I avoid overnight trips by bus. I had done that in June 2016 going from Boston to Virginia. A pastor in South Hill wanted me to lead outreaches there and offered to buy the ticket. Then a few days ago I took a bus from Tampa, Florida to Washington, DC. The Southwest and Amtrak fares were higher than usual. So I checked the Greyhound website and found a one-way ticket for only $69.  Greyhound restricts passengers to one free carryon and one checked bag. Two extra bags may be checked for $20 each. Usually, I travel with four bags (one of them filled with tracts and gospels of John). I repacked my stuff into three bags by downsizing and placing my duffel bag into one of my suitcases. My backpack was used as the carryon. Despite using a scale at the missionary house to get everything within weight limitations, both my two suitcases were slightly over ...

Over the years I‘ve had a few individuals tell me I shouldn’t be doing street evangelism alone. They think it’s unscriptural because Jesus sent his disciples out two by two. Certainly, there are advantages to going out in pairs or groups. Deuteronomy 32:30 says that if one can chase a thousand, two can “put ten thousand to flight.” There is power in agreement. However, that doesn’t mean Christians are useless by themselves. There are examples in the Bible where individuals ministered to others without having fellow believers with them such as Philip leading the Ethiopian eunuch to salvation (Acts 8:26-40). While I prefer having a partner with me on the streets, many times no one else has been available or willing to join me. One day while staying at a church in Hanover, Germany, the Lord told me to go out and evangelize that afternoon. But except for handing out a couple of tracts, I resisted doing so because I wanted someone else ministering with me. While venting before t...

I’ve been faithfully doing evangelism now for twenty-three years. During that time I’ve used a variety of gospel tracts but prefer ones that include a salvation prayer at the end. Sometimes the Lord will lead you to approach people who don’t have time to talk but are willing to read something later. One day I stopped at a convenience store in Virginia and gave a tract to a young Russian woman working behind the counter. When I happened to stop by there again the next day, this woman thanked me for the tract. I found out she prayed a prayer like the one pictured here and gotten saved! Nevertheless, there are Christians opposed to leading people in a “sinner’s prayer.” One reason often cited is “it’s not in the Bible.” Yet we have other generally accepted traditions not specifically mentioned in Scripture. Sunday schools cannot be found in the Bible yet many churches have them. The same thing could be said about altar calls for salvation.  “Sinner’s prayer” critics seem to...

Among the greatest tools for spreading the gospel is the printed page. I praise God for organizations like The Gideons who distribute Bibles throughout the world. Sometimes I give away their New Testaments to people who don’t have a copy of God’s word. Other times I give out gospels of John produced by the Pocket Testament League . Still, I believe the greatest evangelism tool is a simple gospel tract. This handy “little preacher” is able to do what many of us often fail or are unable to do.  Consider the following advantages of using gospel tracts… The gospel tract never stumbles over words or forgets important Scriptures. The gospel tract can be given during extremely brief encounters (when making a purchase, passing someone on the street, etc.). The gospel tract never gets sidetracked or caught up in an argument. It just gives the message of salvation, plainly and clearly. The gospel tract is never intimidated or fearful. The gospel tract is never tempted to comp...

God often uses secular songs to minister to me. This past Wednesday I had a dream in which I was watching a revised music video of the 1989 Tears For Fears hit “Sowing the Seeds of Love.” One of the lyrics had been changed by mentioning the Lord. When I woke up, I perceived this dream was direction to go evangelizing that day (I had stayed home the previous two days fasting and praying). Later that evening, I got blessed with a huge amount of gospel tracts. I also recalled a prophetic word I received five years ago in which I was compared to Johnny Appleseed. This 19th Century missionary lived a nomadic lifestyle planting apple orchards in Pennsylvania, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, as well as the northern counties of present-day West Virginia. A popular legend is that Johnny randomly planted apple seeds without seeing the fruits of his labor. Although I’ve prayed with thousands of people to receive salvation, I’ve also planted countless seeds through gospel tracts. ...

In 1985, I moved away from the Fargo, North Dakota area where I was born and raised.   After a brief stint in the army, I relocated to Minneapolis originally to pursue a secular music career.   Six years later I committed my life to the Lord Jesus Christ.   Ironically that happened in Fargo while visiting my sister and her husband.   In recent years, God has sent me back to Fargo for lengthy visits.   A few times it appeared He wanted me to resettle there.   I wasn’t fond of the idea for I hate the colder winters up north.   Another reason was Jesus’ statement in Mark 6:4, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”   One day I talked about this with a pastor friend in Fargo.   He responded by asking me, “Are you a prophet?”   I answered “no” because I’m primarily called to be an evangelist.   Even so, God has continued sending me to other cities. ...

One afternoon as I got a ride to the Charlotte airport for a flight to New York City, my driver (who’s a student at MorningStar Ministries) admitted that she wasn’t too comfortable sharing her faith.   I can understand where she’s coming from.   As I often say, the hardest part about evangelism is simply getting started.   But once you get used to asking people questions about their eternal destiny, you will look to turn various situations into soul-winning opportunities.   How many times have you walked into a store and the clerk asked, “How are you doing today?”   My usual reply is, “I’m saved and on my way to heaven.   How about you?”   If the clerk responds with a comment like “I don’t know” or “I hope so”, then that indicates they are giving serious thought about eternity.   At the very least you can offer them a gospel tract.   If the clerk doesn’t seem too busy, you can take time to share the gospel and offer to pray wit...