Your Family Can Be Saved

As a minister of the gospel I often receive prayer requests. Many of them are for lost loved ones. This article is to encourage those of you standing for a family member’s salvation.

It was my sister and her husband who led me to Christ. A personal crisis made me recognize my need for Him. On March 19, 1991 I drove to Fargo, North Dakota (the city where I was born) to talk with Greg and Tanya. After three hours of clearing up many misunderstandings I had about Christianity, my brother-in-law invited me to pray with him. I asked Jesus to come into my heart and felt the power of God flow throughout my body. Later I learned Greg and Tanya prayed for years I would recognize my need for Jesus and wanted to play a part of my salvation.

By July 1994 I had become a committed soul-winner and went back to the Fargo area specifically to witness to family members. Quite a few of them already knew the Lord. One morning I stopped to see my Aunt Gaye. She didn’t have a phone and so my arrival totally surprised her. I found out my Aunt Gail (Gaye’s twin sister) was also coming over. Shortly after Gail arrived, I discovered she wasn’t sure of her eternal destiny. Gaye had tears of joy after hearing her sister pray with me to receive salvation.

Later that year, I returned to Fargo to spend the holidays with my family. On Christmas Eve I went to my Grandma Tweiten’s house. One tradition we had there was Gaye singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus before we opened presents. The Lord put it on my heart to talk to Gaye’s six-year-old son Zachary. First I asked Gaye if it was okay for me to witness to Zach. Then I ministered to my cousin who received the best Christmas gift of all...salvation through Jesus Christ! 

On Independence Day 1996, I went up to Fargo again. Grandma Post’s birthday was on the Fourth of July and so we had a family get together that day. Although my grandparents had been longtime members of a Methodist church, I wanted to make sure they were in right standing with the Lord. Just before I left town the next day, I stopped to see Grandpa again and asked if he was going to heaven. His response was “I hope so.” So I gave him a tract and led him in the prayer of salvation. Later I witnessed to Grandma Post and found out she was already born again.

In November 1996, I went to the Rochester, New York area to spend Thanksgiving with distant relatives, most of whom I never met or hadn’t seen in years. After we ate dinner, many of them gathered around me to hear a tape of Christian songs I produced about end time prophecy. Then I asked, “How many of you are not sure you would be in heaven if you died right now?” Eight people raised their hands. So I shared the Good News with them and all eight got born again! 

Remember the end of the world was supposed to occur on December 21, 2012? That day I stopped to see my mother who was in a nursing home recovering from a stroke. For over 20 years I interceded for Mom’s salvation. After talking with her for a while, Mom let me lay hands on her to receive healing. Then I asked if I could also lead her in a prayer to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She agreed and now I know for sure she is heaven-bound! 

One of the devil’s greatest lies is “your relatives are the hardest to witness to.” Many of them might come into the kingdom if you simply open your mouth and share the Good News. 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?”

If you already shared the gospel with relatives but they rejected it, don’t give up on them. Bind the enemy from blinding their minds (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) so they receive the message of God’s love with clarity. Then keep praying for laborers to cross their paths. God knows who they will listen to.

You have the promise of your family.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” - Acts 16:31

Resurrection Power

An objection some people bring up regarding the gospel is comparing Jesus to other religious figures such as Buddha and Mohammed. My usual response is quoting what Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” 

I also like to point out what happens when Christians obey the Great Commission. Jesus said in Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” I’ve yet to see someone healed in the name of Allah or Buddah.

Another commandment Jesus gave His disciples was to “raise the dead.” (Matthew 10:8) While I personally haven’t seen a dead body come back to life, I know of other ministers God used to restore life to individuals who briefly died. Romans 4:17 says that God “…gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

The resurrection of Jesus Himself is a key tenet of the Christian faith. Look at 1 Corinthians 15…

16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 

17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 

18 Then also those who have fallen asleep [died] in Christ have perished. 

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

During Bible times, there was a religious sect called the Sadducees who denied the resurrection of the dead and the supernatural. As I’ve heard other ministers proclaim, that’s why the Sadducees were “sad…you see.”  

When Martha was grieving over the death of her brother Lazarus, Jesus told her in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Lazarus was soon raised from the dead.

In the next chapter, Jesus said in John 12:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” Maybe the Lord gave you promises that haven’t been fulfilled yet and has even allowed some of them to “die.” But in His timing, God can bring those dead dreams back to life.

Romans 8:11 says, “…the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.” Resurrection power is available for every area of your life. So if you know the Lord, then you can proclaim the words of an old Snap song, “I’ve got the power!”

“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” - John 5:21

A Pain in the Butt

Last Sunday a friend and I went to the Minnesota Vikings home opener against the New England Patriots. One key player was missing in action. Running back Adrian Peterson was deactivated for the game due to child abuse charges resulting from him using a wooden stick to punish his four-year-old son. After a brief activation by the Vikings, Adrian has now been banned from all team activities until his legal situation is resolved.

Seeing released photos of the cuts and bruises on Adrian’s son was disturbing even though that kind of corporal punishment is common in Texas where Adrian is from. Nevertheless, I pray Adrian will be redeemed from this incident because he’s cooperating with authorities plus he’s my brother in Christ. Last year I met the pastor of a church Adrian attended at that time.

In these days of political correctness, parents face increasing challenges with raising children. Unless your kids are homeschooled or enrolled in a Christian learning institution, they are likely bombarded with ideas contrary to Scripture. I would think twice about sending children to public schools that nowadays hand out condoms and teach it’s okay to have two homosexual parents.

The law has gotten more invasive in how we should discipline our children. Nearly four years ago, another parent in Texas lost custody of all three of her kids for spanking one of them! As part of a plea deal, Rosalina Gonzales of Corpus Christi was sentenced to five years probation, ordered to take parenting classes, and make a $50 payment to the Children’s Advocacy Center. Gonzales was told she wouldn’t get her children back from their paternal grandmother (who reported the spanking incident) until the court deems her “capable.”

I could agree with this decision if child abuse happened but the prosecutor described it as a “pretty simple, straightforward spanking case.” Gonzales didn't use a belt nor leave any bruises. During the sentencing, Judge Jose Longoria stated, “You don’t spank children today. In the old days, maybe we got spanked, but there was a different quarrel. You don’t spank children.” 

This judge should take time to open that Bible people in his courtroom swear an oath on (if they still do that there) and read the following verses…

“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” - Proverbs 13:24

“Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction.” - Proverbs 19:18

“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” - Proverbs 22:15

“Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.” - Proverbs 23:13

“The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” - Proverbs 29:15

I once heard a children’s pastor advise that we shouldn’t spank kids with our bare hands. He pointed out that hands are for holding and loving.  

When I was little and got mouthy with my mother, she threatened to take out a wooden spoon and occasionally used it on my behind. Certainly, I didn’t like the punishment but have to honestly say it worked. Frequent sittings in a “time out chair” would not have the same effect.

An American pediatrician once proclaimed we shouldn't spank our children. In his 1946 book “Baby and Child Care” Dr. Benjamin Spock wrote, “The American tradition of spanking may be one reason there is much more violence in our country than in any other comparable nation.” I totally disagree. We have since seen a dramatic increase in divorce, youth crime, and teen suicide.

In addition to disobedient children, I believe some of our politicians and judges who legislate from the bench could use a good spanking. Maybe that would stop them from passing laws and making ridiculous decisions that are ruining our society.

“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” - Hebrews 12:11

Raised From the Dead

Recently I got together with an old friend for coffee. Her expressing interest in going to Germany inspired me to show her photos on my laptop from the times I went there. A few of the photos were from a Reinhard Bonnke meeting at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. During which, a Nigerian pastor testified of being raised from the dead after receiving glimpses of both heaven and hell. My friend’s attitude suddenly changed as she called that “satanic” and said, “I’ll bet you a million dollars this is not true!” When I mentioned Jesus’ commandment in Matthew 10:8 to “raise the dead”, she said that was for the Jews only.

I found out my friend believes “Paul’s gospel” and claimed the apostle didn’t raise anyone from the dead. In response, I reminded her of the incident of Eutychus falling out of a window. My friend insisted it was Peter who God used to bring that dead man back to life. Not wanting to debate doctrine with my friend, I changed the subject. But when I got home, I read the following verses in Acts 20…

9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

10 But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.”

11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed.

12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

The next day I got together with my pastor for a prayer meeting. When I told Pastor Chuck what happened the night before, he reminded me of Paul himself coming back to life in Acts 14…

19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

Paul also wrote about a third heaven experience he had in 2 Corinthians 12:2-5. Therefore, it is scriptural for Christians to receive glimpses of eternity before they leave this earth for good. During a hospital stay in 1986, my grandmother went into a coma and later revealed she saw deceased relatives in heaven who basically told her it wasn’t time to go yet (Grandma Post lived another fourteen years before she went home to be with the Lord in 2000). Since then, I’ve met numerous individuals who had briefly died but came back to life.

Again I don’t want to stir up strife with my friend. But it would be nice if she had the million dollars she offered to bet me. Then I’d have more than enough finances to fly back to Germany.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

- Hebrews 13:8