Signs & Wonders Blog

One of the biggest reasons I resisted Christianity during my youth was because of preachers crusading against secular rock music. I remember hearing one minister who recommended listening exclusively to Christian rock and gospel music. That led me to believe God only approved of songs that referred to Him. Later I learned there are two books in the Bible (Esther and Song of Solomon) that don’t mention God’s name at all. Certainly, we must be cautious of the words we allow to go into our ears. Jesus said in Mark 4:24,  “Take heed what you hear.”  Nowadays, I avoid listening to most of today’s hits because of the increasing profanity in the lyrics. There are currently two songs in Billboard’s Top 20 with the F-word in their title. One of them (by rapper Cee-Lo Green) is up for two major Grammy awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Nevertheless, secular songs can be used by the Lord to minister to people. I attended services at Toronto Airport Christian Fellow...

Shortly after being sworn in as the new governor of Alabama, Robert Bentley spoke at a local Baptist church. The following comments he made there caused a stir in the media… “There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit. But if you have been adopted in God's family like I have, and like you have if you're a Christian and if you're saved, and the Holy Spirit lives within you just like the Holy Spirit lives within me, then you know what that makes? It makes you and me brothers. And it makes you and me brother and sister.” Bentley then stated, “Now I will have to say that, if we don't have the same daddy, we're not brothers and sisters. So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother.” Not surprisingly, the secular press had a field day with the governor’s remarks. One reporter wrote, “...

Last week I glanced through a photo album one of my Facebook friends posted and was surprised to see this drawing with the caption “Big F***ing Diamond” (I purposely blotted out three of the letters). Immediately, I thought of Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Since my friend is an “on fire for God” believer, I sent her an email asking why she posted this pic. In her response, she apologized if it affected me negatively but then went on to explain this drawing (which she found at an art gallery) represented how she felt “…as an awesome princess and bride of Christ and that I am married to the King of Bling!” I don’t doubt the sincerity of my friend’s love for the Lord. What I question is how some Christians think using profanity glorifies Jesus. It’s one thing if an unbeliever uses foul language. That’s part of the nature of fallen man. Yet there have been tim...

While in New York City late last year, I saw other preachers there passing out tracts, open air preaching, and displaying banners. It’s encouraging to see more of God’s people reaching out to the lost. Unfortunately, some of them are really off with their doctrine. At a subway station, I encountered one woman with literature claiming God’s judgment was coming upon the world on May 21st, 2011. When she tried handing me a brochure, I asked her, “Doesn’t the Bible say, ‘No man knows the day or hour of the Son of Man’s return?'” This woman replied, “That was for the church age” and wanted to debate doctrine with me. I opted to walk away. As Titus 3:9 says, “But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. ” Two days ago I read an Associated Press article about other Christians led by a radio broadcaster named Harold Camping proclaiming the rapture of the church will happen on May 21st. One follower ...

Three days before Christmas, President Obama signed into law a bill repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This action now paves the way for outspoken homosexuals to serve in America’s military. Shortly after the bill was signed, I logged onto the White House’s YouTube channel expecting to see a video about that. Instead, the featured clip was called “It Gets Better” in which “several LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender] White House staffers share their messages of hope and support for LGBT youth who are struggling with being bullied.” As a Christian and as someone who was severely picked on as a child, I certainly don’t approve of bullying anyone. Jesus told us to turn the other cheek and to “love your enemies.” (Matthew 5:44) Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. Every person deserves to be treated with love and respect even if we don’t agree with his or her behavior. But while homosexual activists campaign for “equal rights”, many of them threa...

Three years ago on the day after Christmas, I went to a grocery store with a friend of mine. The store was still running holiday advertisements on their loudspeaker. Not once did I hear the announcer mention the word “Christmas.” When I was a kid, I often heard people say "Merry Christmas" to each other. Since then the world has gradually removed "Christ" from Christmas. In our politically correct society, Christmas trees are now often called “holiday trees.” School districts refer to Christmas vacation as “Winter Break.” They also prohibit religious songs from their music programs such as “Silent Night” in favor of ditties like “Frosty the Snowman.” 2,000 years ago, the apostles were commanded by authorities “...not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18) Today there are businesses requiring their employees to say "Happy Holidays" to customers instead of "Merry Christmas." Some city governments forbid N...

It’s no secret that the sanctity of marriage has decreased in our society. U.S. Census data released two months ago showed that marriages hit an all-time low of 52 percent for adults 18 and over. Among the reasons for this are a higher number of divorces and the increasing number of unmarried couples cohabitating. Last week, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that 39 percent of its respondents now believe marriage is “obsolete." Yet Hebrews 13:4 says, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Once while riding a train in Florida, I sat next to a divorced man who vowed never to marry again because of the pain he experienced from his ex-wife. I can relate as I’ve gone through two short marriages with women who weren’t faithful to me. Still I haven’t given up hope of finding a godly woman to spend the rest of my life with. One thing that I find annoying is when people suggest I can ...