Billy Mellick

"My Personal Testimonies"

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One week in Aug. 2001, I asked my Pastor, John Clark on his next trip to Louisville, Ky. from N.C. to come stay in our home. To a little of my amazement after a Friday night's get-together, he let us know he would stay with us this time. My wife Judy and I were both excited and a little scared because we hadn't had anyone such as a Pastor to stay with us before.

As we rode home with Pastor John, we were talking about the things of God. When we arrived home, we treated John to cold pizza and a burnt tongue after my son Jeremy had shown Pastor John how many minutes in the microwave for the perfect slice of reheated pizza. We then went into the living room, turned the t.v. on, and watched the news, continuing talking more about God. We all were tired and turned in for the night. Whew… we made it through a night with a Pastor.

The next morning, Pastor John asked Judy and me if we wanted to hear a song by a dear brother in the Lord from the state of Washington. Of course, we both said, "yes". (another "whew" here, please). Sitting at the breakfast table, John inserted the cassette.

As the song started to play (Rest Oh My Child), Judy and I began crying from deep within our souls uncontrollably. I have never cried like this before in my whole life. While I was lost in this song, a pain from inside my heart from many years past began to come to the surface. As this hurt was surfacing, an anointing of healing that Jesus put into that song began to rake aside the years of hurting and pain that others and myself had, that didn't know were there. Though the song was only minutes long, it felt like it lasted a lifetime. My wife had been feeling the exact same thing.

Once the song was over, I was speechless and numb from the love of Jesus' tender mercy he had just granted to us. I didn't know it then, but this was just the start of many wonderful things that would happen to me.

Sunday

After this, we took Pastor John back to Bro. Junior Embry's house where more people would be gathering off and on all day. We had another wonderful time that evening feeling the cleansing power of God's spirit.

The next morning Pastor John played for everyone the same song we had listened to the day before in Jr. and Natalie's living room. As the song started, I felt the same mercy and love of Jesus filling my soul, but more deeper than previous. This time the Spirit was opening more of the doors of my heart that had been rusted solidly shut for most of my life. Jesus with his love had literally taken my breath away. I found myself crying uncontrollably like an infant. I had to get up and go into the kitchen so I would not disturb others who were listening to this song that Jesus gave to Bro. Darren Prater.

The Call

Over the next few days, I often found myself sobbing without warning about what I had felt at Junior's house. Pastor John was back in N.C.; Darren was back in his home state of Washington; and Judy and I were back to work with our daily routine of raising children.

The whole time I felt in my heart to record Darren's music, for I know there is healing from God in it. I told myself I would go to Washington, or I would buy his plane ticket, or something, but just to record him would be wonderful. I prayed, "God please hear this prayer."

It was late, and I was sleeping when Judy received a call from Bro. John. It seems Darren was coming to N.C. to stay with John, and a way was made for Judy and I to go, if we could make arrangements. She woke me up and my prayer came back to mind how I wanted to record Darren, so without hesitating, I called John back and told him we would love to be there that Aug. 20th weekend. We were packing (in our hearts so to speak) that moment. I also packed the recording equipment, and soon would take it with me on the plane to N.C.

Pastor John felt in his heart that Judy and I should be there and, to him, and especially Jesus, I am so happy and grateful he made that phone call to us.

The Epileptic

The following day, Thursday morning at work, two customers came in to buy vinyl siding. When the one on the left began turning circles and talking in a retarded kind of way. He passed out and hit his upper jaw on a concrete ledge covered with a board. I thought it broke his neck. As he was shaking violently, blood started pouring from his mouth till it was making a pool on the floor in front of the door. I thought he was drowning in his own blood.

I asked a lady to call 9-1-1 and went around the corner of the counter, rolled the young man over on his side to keep him from drowning, and laid down beside him holding him tight so he wouldn't hurt himself any further. Everyone else were trying to find protective gloves. I wasn't worrying about diseases, I was concerned about this young man's life.

As I was lying there with him still clutching him closely and wiping blood off his face, I felt a peace and a calmness come over me like the one I felt listening to Bro. Darren's song. This time it wasn't for me, but for the young man I was holding. What such a sweet compassion from Jesus I felt for him. I kept telling him he would be o.k. and help was on the way while a crowd had gathered around us.

Help finally arrived by way of Emergency Medical Service (ambulance), as the boy started to come to his senses. This young person I found out the next day had received 20 stitches in his mouth. He had forgotten to take his medication for his condition. I could count the teeth marks in the wood where he fell. I haven't seen him before and haven't seen him since.

As people were congratulating me as though I did something, my mind was focused on the compassion and peace I felt lying there in that blood holding him. I knew he was going to be all right.

Sister Sandy & Sheila

Judy and I were picked up from the airport Saturday Aug. 20th , and we were on our way to meet Darren and the rest of the God's people. Before we came, we were told by John not to tell anyone else coming from Louisville that Darren was going to be there.(and we didn't). He was planning to surprise them. However… the funny thing is, we were the last ones from Louisville to arrive so we had none to tell. Everyone saw Darren before we did.

That evening we gathered back at John's house, and Sister Sandy started singing "From This Moment On." Wow, what a love from this song, too, that was opening up to me! My heart had another chamber opened to be cleansed. Incredible! I found myself again like a child sobbing as if I had been abused.

As I was sitting there shaking and sobbing, Sister Sheila came over and put her head on my shoulder and began crying with all of her being for my soul. Such a love from her touched the bottom of my soul, too. I could feel her heart beat for me and the warmth of her breath on my chest. I felt Jesus was holding me. Jesus is the only one that could put a broken reed back together without breaking it. I was so delicate in my spirit at that time that only Jesus could help.

Darren's Surprise

Sunday morning Aug. 21st, and Darren is going to get a surprise. You see his guitar had been stolen, and the saints who meet at Pastor John's house (most of them members of the Pioneer Tract Society) had purchased him a very fine replacement.

John casually brought the case out and while Darren opened it and picked it up for the first time I snapped his picture with Brother John in the background along with others. I have this picture on my wall to this day.

It took some time for the congregation to calm down enough for Darren to tune his new friend, not to mention play and sing. The love of God filled the place where each of us sat, but eventually we would hear this new instrument.

Rest Oh My Child

Bro. Darren started to play and sing his song, "Rest Oh MY Child", and all the chambers of my heart were unlocked, and the cleansing and healing power of Jesus flooded my soul. It was more than that previous Saturday morning at my house, stronger than that Sunday at Junior's house, and deeper than that evening with Sheila and Sandy. I had been given a complete heart by-pass by the spirit of God…I was feeling life. I had to leave again so I would not interrupt Darren playing and singing for everyone. I found my whole being shaking from the inside out and crying profusely. I was moaning and feeling love at the same time.

Standing in the doorway praying to Jesus, I told him he could have made me bow to Him in power or might, maybe fear, but He had made me bow to Him from the love He had been showing me all this time. This love came directly from the throne of his Father.

In an ever so kind and tender voice, Jesus through his spirit told me He had held me my whole life the same way that I had held that young epileptic who had fallen at my work. "When none wanted to lie beside you, when everyone was scurrying around trying to figure out what to do, when there was no help in sight, I was there with you in your own blood keeping you from hurting yourself." He had heard all of my feeble cries, and not one escaped his ears unnoticed.

Jesus touched my heart with grace, and I will never be able to pay Him back, but I thank Him! It's not what we can do for Him but it's what He will do for us. He wanted me to feel what real love could be felt like with no other motive attached than to be loved with….A Touch of Grace.

Another One

Feb. 2004, as my wife Judy, and I were coming home from a family gathering, we decided to stop at Kroger's and shop for supper. It was around 2:00 p.m. when we came out through one set of automatic doors into the breezeway waiting to go through the second set to exit into the parking lot. A lady could not make her mind whether to go ahead of us or to wait until we went through. Judy went first, the lady and her grocery cart went second, then I followed up with our groceries out the second set of doors.

As Judy went out, the lady followed her, and made a funny sound. She pushed her cart into the street, twirled and fainted. Hitting her head on the set of glass and steel double doors, she cut deep into the corner of her eye next to her nose; she was having an epileptic seizure. Laying face down, I saw blood pooling on the ground while she was shaking violently. A crowd was gathering, I told Judy to call 9-1-1. I ran over and put my hands under her head so she would not hit her head on the concrete; I told her I would not leave her, and help was on the way.

A doctor passing by us eased into the scene and told me to take her inside, because it was cold where she was laying. I told him I saw her hit her head and that she could have a neck injury. While he agreed with me, the manager and others, put coats and a tarp over her to keep her warm. The doctor then told me to keep pressure on her wound to help stop the bleeding. I was already doing that. I could tell that this doctor was afraid of a malpractice suit, and equally afraid to walk off because of his medical conscience, so the only thing he would do is give medical orders and have some one else to do them.

The crowd was growing larger. My wife was very shaken and began praying in the Holy Ghost, a black lady stretched forth her hands on the other side of the double-glass doors and was praying too. I was on the other side on my hands and knees holding this lady and praying in the Holy Ghost also. I felt such a peace for her as I did with the other epileptic.

The fire dept. was on the way and two nurses were now on the scene delaying their shopping to help this seizure victim. As the nurses took over, I stood up and saw a very petite lady standing next to me. She had blondish hair, and an olive green coat on. She was smiling, and she patted me on my back on three occasions. She never spoke a word to me, but I felt as if she was saying everything was going to be all right.

With the fire dept. parked in front of us and the nurses taking over, I asked them if they needed anything else from me. With nothing else I could do, I was released by the Paramedics as they thanked me for helping this person. Judy and I picked up our groceries and went back in to the truck to go home.

We began crying and talking about what had happened to us. We were both puzzled about the doctor not wanting to get personally involved. Then Jesus started telling me what this lady was sent this day for.

As Pastor John Clark has said in a meeting in N.C. a few months before, when God says something twice in the bible, he means it and it is confirmed no matter who says or does anything. God was showing me through this epileptic that what he did for me August 2001 was no accident and he meant it. This was why he sent the second time a seizure victim to help and hold. What God does is true and complete. He is not afraid of malpractice suits, for he will do the work himself. What he did for me is complete, and what He does for others is complete. His work is perfect!

As for the little petite lady with the green coat, I don't know if she was an angel or not, but I got the message God sent through her. She was telling me everything is o.k. and on schedule, not to worry or doubt about anything God is doing in my life, He is still taking good care of His people and me. He is perfect and what He does is perfect. This epileptic is going to be just fine and I am going to be just fine. I felt God was telling me that Judy was there to witness what I went through the first time, and to let her know what Jesus did for me was true, and what He does for others are true.

People go without experiencing this their whole life (the epileptic), but I have been through two first-hand situations. God is determined to save his people, and it is with deep assurance that He is able to do it in your life. Prayers may seem to go, it seems, without being answered for years; as it was with me for 10 yrs., but God does not forget a sincere prayer that wants to do right. In His perfect time, you will have a perfect healing and walk with Him a perfect walk. Amen.

Brother Billy Mellick