“He Gave Gifts”
From August of 2002 to December 2010 my family suffered the affliction of brain cancer which was placed by Satan (2 Corinthians 12:7; Luke 13:10-17) upon my “helpmate,” (Genesis 2:18-25) Bonnie K. Laughlin. Just like many conservative preachers of the Word of God today, I have tasted the consequence of sin in the “Institutionalized Church.” (Ezekiel 24:15-27) Every year a growing number of preachers and teachers of God’s Word experience the heartbreak of the physical death of their wives.
Bonnie and I served as Theological Reviewers for SermonCentral. We were amazed of how the “Conjuncture of Man” is being afflicted with the cancers of traditionalism, legalism, faddism and denominationalism. Even to this day I am almost overwhelmed by the hard heart of mankind. I am concerned as the people of God fail to come to the modern day prophets (Ephesians 4:11-16) and say as the people in Ezekiel’s day, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?’ (Ezekiel 24:19)
In His mercy and through His faithfulness to His own Word, I received a Holy Spirit gift that enabled me to pray a prayer that gave comfort to my dear Bonnie in her very last moments upon this earth.
Here is a truth you must grasp. Because of original sin, people do not come into the world easily (Genesis 3:16) and it is not likely they will leave it without a struggle. On December 31, in our bedroom I was awakened by Bonnie’s labored breathing. Because I have spent many hours at the bedside of dying patients and witnessed their struggle, my heart broke for her as I knew she would soon breathe her last. At that moment the Holy Spirit gave me a measure of faith to pray in my heavenly language. With my mind steadfast upon the Lord and with a surrendered heart to God’s will, I held her hand and prayed in tongues. As soon as I finished praying, Bonnie’s breathing became relaxed and, being fully aware of my presence, she went peacefully to be with Jesus.
The Bible says, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God.” (1 Corinthians 14:2) It also says, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays…” (1 Corinthians 14:4) At that very moment, when Bonnie needed my intercession, “I thank God that I speak in tongues…” (1 Corinthians 14:18)
I prayed Her Home!
