My tribute to Steve Hill, Jeri Hill Dec 1st 1995 was the day that God used Steve Hill and my life was forever changed. September 1st 1995 I had moved to Pensacola with a friend of mine.. A few months before I had moved to Missouri to work as a youth pastor at my dad’s church. Started strong and then backslid all the while the youth group dwindled down to zero. I knew I had blown it again. The roller coaster of sinful ways had crept back in and now I had just about caused a church split. I asked my mom what should I do, she was my confidant and the buffer between my dad and me. She said she would pray about it. A few days later she said she had heard from God and I should move to Pensacola Florida. I argued because I did not know anyone in Pensacola and she said that is what God had said, (we did not know of this revival). So I had a yard sale and sold what I could and my friend and I moved to Pensacola. Still I had not cleaned up my act and was still smoking; I had quit drinking December 4th 1994 but not smoking. Nevertheless my friend and I started visiting local churches scouting the prettiest girls. In the restaurants we worked at and various places, different people would invite us to this revival, some with a Tequila Sunrise in their hands. They spoke of how wonderful it was. We would drive by Brownsville when the big spotlight was in the parking lot and heckle the people standing in that long line. We would blow the horn and make fun of them because I was sure this had to be a cult. Steeped in religion we sang at Bellview Assembly of God a few times because we were professing Christian singers, and a dear friend Jeff Oettle was there that night. He approached us afterwards and told us about the revival, I laughed and said I met a bunch of weirdo’s and fanatics and would never go. He told us that we were right, that witches, warlocks, demon possessed, etc. all come there and to come and just watch …and he was daring me. I am a preacher’s kid unafraid, so I said we would give it a shot. So we dressed up nice and decided to go. You could feel the Lord in that place, kind of eerie. Steve Hill was preaching “Remember the Wonders of the Lord”. It was riveting. Then came the prayer time and Steve was walking through the crowd praying for them. I looked at my friend and told him that this may or may not be the Lord and to keep his hands raised with one eye open and the closer the evangelist came near to us to move his lips like we were praying, it would take the evangelist off our sinful scent. (I had been doing this for years and it usually worked except one time with one evangelist hitting me with a red handkerchief and telling me I was possessed with Satan). So Steve Hill was doing his thing and I was faking it…then when Steve was still a good distance away and praying “now” , “fire”, “more Lord”, and could be heard so clearly with the microphone…then he stopped…and looked up and I realized he was looking at me….silence….I moved my lips quicker and tried to look spiritual. He was staring and then he said “may I pray with you”? Are you kidding me? In front of all mankind he was calling me out but in such a loving way. I could not believe my plan had failed, but I said yes and went to him. It was the sweetest prayer, “The Lord is going to become more and more like your best friend, He will become much more real to you “. That was it. For the second time in my life I was touched in an incredible, notable way! I started getting the sin out and drawing closer to God. .within a few months I was catching for this man of God. What an experience! I watched him and listened as he ministered and man he really cared for the people. By September of 1996 I had met my best friend and married her. Seventeen years later with 5 children and it is still bliss. Thanks you Jesus for mercy and grace and thanks to Steve Hill for caring to call me out, and to Jeri Hill for laboring with Steve all those nights. I am one of millions whose life was touched by this man. What a legacy, what a story!
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 18:25:43 +0000
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