Signs & Wonders Blog

As Christians, we should stand for biblical truth. Unfortunately, some defenders of the faith are too quick to judge certain ministers as heretics. A few months ago, a Facebook friend blasted a well-known preacher for proclaiming at a local church, “Jesus was born again in hell.” I was at that same service. The “born again in hell” comment generated question marks in my mind. Other than that, I didn’t hear this preacher say anything that would be considered heresy.  While walking into the bathroom at this church, I pondered the “born again” comment. Suddenly, Romans 8:29 came to my remembrance: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Jesus is also referred to as “the firstborn” in Colossians chapter 1 verses 15 and 18. Those of you familiar with the Apostles’ Creed will recall the phrase of Jesus descending into hell. Scriptures supporting that concept include… ...

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...

Over the years I’ve heard some strange ideas promoted in the name of Christianity. Yesterday I saw what would have to be one of the most ludicrous. A Facebook friend who considers herself “an advocate for the homeless” made several posts preaching against cars.  Yes, you read that right… cars ! Here was one of her posts…  Teach to RESIST AGAINST WICKEDNESS...CARS ARE WICKEDNESS. COME OUT OF BABYLON. W A L K. Rather than ridicule this woman’s misguided theology, I tried reasoning with her. First, I wrote: “Satan built demonic kingdoms before cars existed” (such as Sodom and Gomorrah).  Her response? “CARS EXCULATED [sic] things.. Christians do not RESIST.” Then I pointed out most things are not evil in themselves but how they are used. A gun can be used to break the law or uphold the law. Money can be used to finance the spread of pornographic filth or print Bibles and gospel tracts plus send missionaries to foreign fields. Likewise, a car can be use...

As a Christian, I’ve had the unfortunate experience of going through two failed marriages . My first wife left me after we’d been married only a few weeks. She then initiated an adulterous relationship with a close friend of mine before filing for divorce. Soon I had believers giving me conflicting advice. One minister told me if my ex-wife ever wanted to reconcile, I had to take her back. Another man suggested she was never officially my wife because of her being previously divorced. My second marriage lasted a little longer but still had an acrimonious ending. My new wife became verbally abusive and tried controlling various aspects of our relationship including what we did in the bedroom. Since she wouldn’t agree to counsel, I separated from her but remained open to reconciling. That wasn’t possible since it was basically “her way or no way.” She eventually emailed me claiming to have remarried but never sent divorce papers. I had to file myself to be free from what became an...

Several decades ago a dairy farmer and his wife in North Carolina held a prayer meeting. One of the things they prayed for was someone in their area who would go on to have a massive worldwide ministry. Their prayers were answered through their own family. On November 7, 1918, the dairy farmer's wife gave birth to William Franklin Graham Jr.   It is widely believed Billy Graham preached the gospel to more people (an estimated 215 million) than anybody else in history. He was also a spiritual adviser to multiple U.S. presidents. In an era when preachers are not as respected as they used to be, Billy was constantly on the upper rungs of Gallup's List of Widely Admired People. During the late 1990s, I worked at World Wide Pictures , the film ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. My job there was calling pastors throughout the United States scheduling evangelistic films to be shown in their churches. Although telemarketing work can get tedious, my job at...

Sometimes I’ve witnessed to individuals online by countering unscriptural comments posted on Facebook and in response to YouTube videos. One person wrote back to me claiming, “God doesn’t speak to men. Any man that tells you he hears God’s words is either a liar or delusional.” “God doesn’t speak to men?” What about Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, and all the other prophets? Jesus Himself talked with the Father while He was on the earth. The Apostle Paul’s conversion resulted from a conversation with the Lord on the Damascus Road. Why wouldn’t God speak to us today? Did He suddenly become mute? On the other hand, there are ministers and religious organizations claiming to be God’s mouthpiece but really aren’t. One denomination has been using the advertising slogan “God is still speaking.” My question for them is, “Which god are you listening to?” It must be “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) because their website states the following… “No matter who ...

The topic of money often stirs up debates among Christians. Part of the problem is so-called “prosperity preachers” who are misrepresented by critics playing or quoting selected portions of their sermons to where it distorts their original message. God wants His people to prosper but that doesn’t mean they won’t face tests and challenges along the way. In response to a sermonette about prosperity that I posted on Facebook, a couple of friends made critical remarks about ministers owning an airplane . I unfriended one of them because he persisted in attacking a  particular preach er who I happen to be a partner of. Another friend claimed God wants economic equality amongst His people citing 2 Corinthians 8:14 as her proof text… “but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.” You cannot build a doctrine on one verse. It must be read in context and compared w...