Evangelist T.L. Smith and our miracle baby

I’ve been part of many revivals during my 30-plus years of living, but few can compare with the revival Calvary Tabernacle of Quincy hosted this past weekend. Our church saw miracles, healings and deliverances as the power of the Holy Spirit fell during each of the Thursday through Sunday services. The sanctuary was crowded every night with first time guests and fellow Pentecostals from across the river in Missouri and Iowa.

Our guest evangelist was T.L. Smith of Kinder, La. Brother Smith (pardon the Pentecostal-speak) is one of my favorite evangelists, and has been ever since I heard him preach for the first time in Bethalto, Ill., a couple years ago. He’s from southern La. – Cajun country – and it shows in his accent, mannerisms, speech and the stories he tells. No one can preach like a Southerner.

But the main reason I love Brother Smith is that when he first came to Quincy in October 2007, he prophesied that Tollie and I were going to have a baby.

You may not “believe in all that,” but, nonetheless, here’s how it happened.

Earlier in 2007, my wife had suffered some health complications. Because of this, the doctor told her we shouldn’t count on having children. This news naturally was upsetting, as we both wanted to be parents.

On Sunday morning of our October 2007 revival, Brother Smith was preaching – my fellow Pentecostals would say he was “tearing it up” – when suddenly he stopped and said, “I see babies.” He turned to our pastor, Randy Pate, and asked, “Am I crazy?”

A few moments later he announced he wanted to pray for someone in the congregation who was unable to have children. Tollie was a little hesitant to step forward; her older sister, Heather, who was sitting across the sanctuary that morning, got up, came across the room, took Tollie by the hand and led her to the front.

I was in a bit of shock, frankly, but the most shocking part was yet to come. After he finished praying for Tollie, Brother Smith looked back toward me, pointed his finger, and said something to the effect of “According to the time of life, you’re going to have a baby.” (I don’t remember the exact wording because I was stunned!)

I also recall he said something about the baby being a blessing from the Lord, but sometimes it wouldn’t seem like it. I have often thought of this while changing a diaper in the middle of the night, and all I can say is “Amen!”

God did exactly what He said He would do, because on July 16, 2008, Tollie and I welcomed an eight-pound, five-ounce screaming baby boy into the world.

Nolan is now nine months old. While he was ministering this past Friday evening, Brother Smith took Nolan in his arms and took off preaching about the “miracle” baby. It was a proud moment for Tollie and me, as well as for our family and fellow Christians at Calvary Tabernacle.

One Comment

Nathan on May 7th, 2009

Pretty awesome. I still remember at Landmark when he said in 6 to 8 weeks God was going to do something about our building situation (we needed a new building bad). At the 6 week mark, Pastor Burk had us pray that God would do what he wanted to do. That Wedensday night, a tornado came through Bethalto, and the only building it demolished was…you guessed it, Landmark.

They are now in a great building with room to grow and a lot of potential, that God gave them for about half of what it was worth. It was a GREAT reminder that God never makes a promise that he won’t keep.

Jonathan Mohr