Signs & Wonders Blog

I was born in Fargo, North Dakota and raised across the river in Moorhead, Minnesota. Years later, I would appreciate the conservative values instilled in me and still shared by many F-M residents. Unfortunately, a growing number there are promoting ungodly ideas. I remember the ruckus caused by then-Fargo mayor Jon Lindgren proclaiming the area’s first “Gay Pride Week” in 1984. It’s since become an annual event. During return visits to my birthplace, it grieved me to see rainbow flags hanging on lampposts and pride parades marching downtown.  North Dakota’s largest city recently made news for another ungodly purpose. On August 9th, the Fargo School Board voted 7-2 to nix reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before each meeting (that decision didn’t apply to classes). The phrase “under God” supposedly didn’t align with the district’s values. The resulting backlash prompted the board to reinstate the Pledge of Allegiance a few days later by an 8-1 vote. Like the Lord’s Prayer and t...

Yesterday I learned from a friend’s Facebook post that it was National Radio Day. This man shared a photo of himself at the first radio station he worked at over 40 years ago. I responded by posting the meme above featuring Wolfman Jack and cast members from the old sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati.” That brought back memories of my disc jockey work. As a boy, I pretended to be a DJ using my Panasonic tape recorder and playing records on my parents’ stereo system. Listening to Casey Kasem ’s “American Top 40” was an inspiration. It wasn’t until my first year in college I became a DJ for real. I volunteered as an announcer for the radio station at Moorhead State University in Moorhead, Minnesota. That same year, the roller rink I worked at promoted me to floor guard. Part of that job was playing the records. I had a blast doing that but resigned after eight months due to disagreements with the managers. Less than a year later, I landed my only paying announcer job on terrestrial radio. I c...

Despite the Bible having promises of long life on earth (Psalm 91:16, Ephesians 6:3), some Christians die at a younger age including ministers. Sometimes they are martyrs. Other times it may be due to bad decisions on their part. A few days ago, a well-known prophet unexpectedly passed away in his late 50s. At the time of this writing, the cause of his death hasn’t been determined. My intent with this article is not to be critical of this prophet. His ministry impacted many lives. However, red flags should go up when ministers repeatedly issue prophecies with a definite timeframe   and they don’ t come to pass. This prophet claimed God promised Donald Trump would serve back-to-back terms as president. He later stated the military would reinstate Trump before the end of April 2021. Those things didn’t happen.  As far as I know, no retractions were issued. While I prefer to see Donald Trump back in the White House , that likely won’t happen before the 2024 election. If Joe Bi...

One of the most popular nursery rhymes is “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” According to Wikipedia , it originated from a true story in early America. The rhyme was the first recording made by Thomas Edison on his newly invented phonograph in 1877. Lowell Mason composed the well-known melody for “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Many of us learned how to play it on the piano because it’s so simple. I once heard a girl play the song on her push-button telephone on the radio. Paul McCartney had a hit with that title but composed an entirely new melody. Two days ago I posted this on my social media pages: “If Mary had Jesus, and Jesus is the Lamb of God, does that mean Mary had a little lamb?” A Facebook friend claimed the nursery rhyme was based on the Virgin Mary . That isn’t true but it reminded me of this poem heard at a Joyce Meyer meeting (read by her husband Dave)… Mary had a little Lamb, His fleece was as white as snow.  And everywhere that Mary went,  The Lamb was sure to go. He ...

Recently I reposted a powerful story circulating on social media. A church visitor requested prayer from the pastor because his cousin had died. “Pray that God will guide him in the afterlife.” The pastor asked, “Suppose you’re taking an exam. Should you pray before the exam or after?” “Obviously, before the exam.” “Right. When you pray after the exam, it’s like you’re asking God to change the grades. That is not possible because God is faithful. He cannot deceive the result. Similarly, when we die, the exam is over. We can no longer change our destiny. Hebrews 9:27 says that we die once and then face judgment. That means no second chance. I’m sorry for your relative. He can no longer be prayed for. That is why people need to understand the Gospel while they are still alive. They had to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior before it was all over.” One Facebook friend asked what I thought about praying for the dead. I replied, “Praying for deceased people is not biblical except when G...

Some Christians are reluctant to share the gospel because they think it involves going door to door (as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons are well known for). Unless the Lord directs me to somebody’s house, I avoid this type of evangelism. Usually, I find more receptive people in public places. Nevertheless, I have gone out with a few  door-knocking  ministries. Twenty years ago, I attended a church in Northern Virginia that went to townhouse complexes on Saturday mornings and knocked on one door at a time. They were okay with me talking to people walking around or standing outside. I always had more salvations than everyone else who knocked on doors.   Another time in Tennessee, I went with a church doing door-to-door ministry at a newer apartment complex. Because it was a weekday afternoon, most residents were probably away at work. I was also in a group of five people (evangelism works better in pairs or three people max). A man in my group named Lee encouraged me to ...

As a boy, I had a coin collection. In addition to American currency, I possessed some from other countries. Since I grew up not far from Canada, Canadian coins occasionally appeared in my change. Many stores accepted them during transactions, but vending machines didn’t. I also had relatives that traveled to different nations. They sent me coins from those countries. Some believers are freaking out because the U. S. quarter has changed. George Washington has supposedly turned his back on the motto “In God We Trust.” One Facebook post proclaims, “We need every head on everything to be turned towards God, now more than ever!” Technically, the motto used to be under Washington’s chin. He might not see it without looking down. I don’t think this is a big deal. All other American coins have remained the same with “In God We Trust” positioned in different spots. For example, the Kennedy half dollar has the motto below the President’s head. It’s worth noting “In God We Trust” didn’t become...