Signs & Wonders Blog

Some Christians are quick to demonize Holy Spirit manifestations unfamiliar to them such as people shaking. A few of these watchdogs accuse certain ministers of allowing a Kundalini spirit at their meetings. Kundalini is a yoga term whose origin is the Sanskrit word for snake. One dictionary defines Kundalini as “latent female energy believed to lie coiled at the base of the spine” and “a system of meditation directed toward the release of kundalini energy.” In response to a YouTube video posted to “expose” one well-known evangelist/pastor, I pointed out these Kundalini hunters don’t know how to test the spirits. 1 John 4:2 says, “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” The minister in question has altar calls for salvation that include leading newborn believers to say, “I confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” One critic responded, “So did Jim Jones. What does that prove?” I replied by askin...

Back in 1995, I became friends with another serious soul winner who was part of the evangelism ministry at Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Leonard Micklin led hundreds to the Lord apart from the church’s scheduled outings. Often when I arrived prior to an outreach or service, Leonard was sitting in the sanctuary confessing the word. I admired his faith in God meeting his needs without having a job or car. Leonard didn’t seek to promote himself but the gospel. He often wore a baseball cap with the name of Jesus on it and sang praise songs after leading someone to salvation. During one outing in downtown Minneapolis, I was the leader but perceived the Lord wanted Leonard to lead our team for a while. Leonard was reluctant but agreed to do so. Later I learned the heads of the evangelism ministry were already nudging Leonard to become a team leader. Not long after I started working for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Leonard often said, “Say ...

When in the Upper Midwest, I frequently patronize Caribou Coffee, a chain of coffee shops I refer to as my “office.” I like working on my laptop in the relaxing atmosphere plus most Caribou locations give free refills of their Coffee of the Day. Because I prefer light or medium roast coffee, I usually show up at Caribou in the morning since they sometimes serve only dark roast later in the day. For now, I’ve temporarily cut back on my visits to Caribou Coffee. This time of the year they heavily promote Amy’s Blend, a coffee flavor that is (in my opinion) very overrated. Amy’s Blend is named after Caribou’s original roastmaster Amy Erickson who died of breast cancer in 1995. In addition to coffee, Caribou sells mugs, tumblers, and related merchandise as a tribute to Amy. Their website states: “Every October for the past 19 years, Caribou Coffee has donated 10% of retail coffeehouse proceeds from Amy’s products to support women and men impacted by cancer in Caribou communities.” ...

When people hear the term street evangelist , some think of men and women standing in public places shouting out Bible verses. That’s one way of reaching multitudes who might not hear the gospel otherwise. Romans 10:14 says, “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” All the prophets of old as well as Jesus and the Apostle Paul preached in the marketplace.  Unfortunately, many open-air preachers I’ve seen lack compassion and do not speak the truth in love. They preach more about God’s judgment than His mercy. Some call women “whores” because (in their opinion) they don’t wear enough clothing. Jesus didn’t talk like that to the woman caught in adultery. Rude preaching repels sinners instead of drawing them closer to God. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 says, “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant t...

One reason I maintain a post office box in Ashland, Virginia is because of frequently visiting a Christian campground there. Calvary Pentecostal Tabernacle hosts meetings and conferences throughout the year without charging for food or lodging except during their biannual Women’s Conventions. For over 60 years, CPT’s needs have been met largely through offerings. That is truly a testimony of God’s faithfulness. At other places, I’ve attended conferences where admission fees were charged. A few of those have been at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (now known as Catch the Fire ). The evening meetings were still free to the general public. TACF told the ones who paid the conference fee not to feel obligated to give during evening offerings unless the Lord led them to. TACF also gave people the option to work a few hours at the church if they didn’t have enough money to attend the day sessions. Then there are ministries charging to attend their evening meetings as well and...

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 ...

Today on the anniversary of 9/11, many people can recall where they were and what they were doing during that tragic day. On that Tuesday morning, the Lord led me to do street ministry in Springfield, Virginia (at the time I was living in the nearby city of Manassas). The first two people I prayed with were teenaged boys on their way to school. Later while browsing around a Barnes & Noble bookstore, I overheard someone talk about a plane crash. I figured if it was something serious, I would later hear about it on the news. Not long afterward, I walked into an electronics store and noticed people crowded around a big-screen TV. It was then I heard about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (which is only ten miles from Springfield)! Increased boldness came upon me and I altered my evangelism approach for the rest of the day. First, I asked people if they heard what just happened in New York City and Washington, DC. Then I asked if they would be in ...