My name is Matthew; I live in Denver, Colorado since I got off of parole. I did 8 years in Colorado State Prison. I am currently 30 years old. I had been charged with drug trafficking, drug possession, theft, breaking and entering, auto theft and leaving the scene of an accident. How I only ended up with 8 years is still a mystery to me, but I’m glad it wasn’t more! At age 15 I began getting drunk, I liked beer and whiskey. I started to use weed at about age 11. My parents have both passed away; they died during my 8 years in prison. I have no siblings or any other family. My parents pretty much let me do whatever I wanted to do; it was like they just did not care about anything. My parents led me down the path they were on. They taught me how to collect welfare, disability and whatever else they could scam; they taught me by their example. Even when I was a young boy I wished I had normal parents, parents who would have real jobs, parents who would tell me “NO” when I did wrong. My parents didn’t care. From about age 12 to 18 all I did was sit around, watch TV, play video games, and hang out with the wrong people. I never tried to get through high school, I didn’t care. Never did I have a real job. I’d just sit around doing nothing until doing nothing got me deeper into the world of drugs and into a lot of trouble. In prison I was given a job in the chow hall, I didn’t like it so I made sure the cop saw me steal food so I’d get fired. Within 3 weeks I was given the job of cleaning bathrooms. I tried my best to get fired but that cop was on me, he refused to fire me and he’d always have his eyes on me. After about a month of trying to get fired I gave up and just began to do my job. I ended up getting a stolen TV, so it felt good to just lie back all day watching TV. Well, after a few months I got very bored, I started to make and sell spud juice (prison wine) and I soon found some weed too. I thought “Man, this will be an easy 8 years”. Well things are not always what they seem. I got bored with the TV. I got bored with hustling the spud juice and the weed got hard to find. BORING!!!!!! All of a sudden all I could think was “This is going to be one heck of a long 8 years”! Into my 2nd year of prison I felt as if I just wanted to die and get it over with. This one guy hollered over to me “Hey Matt, what do you feel like doing tonight”? I hollered back “Kill myself”! This is where my life began to change. This one prisoner in his 50’s heard me and later that day he came up to me and introduced himself. He asked me if I just needed to talk to someone, I thought he was going to make a sexual advance on me! But then I saw he had a small Bible so I began to talk to him. He talked me into sitting with some other prisoners and to just talk. Wow, there were 2 guys my age too. For the first time in all my life I sat in a group of guys to just talk. When we got ready to go they wanted to pray, one of them prayed for God to lead me in the right direction. It did not take me but a hot minute to ask “When can we talk again”. That began my new direction. The guys were Bible believing Protestant Christians. They got me a Bible and got me into a Bible study too. They even got me to get my G.E.D and then they got me a better job too. When they told me about how Jesus Christ paid for my sins and about God’s grace, I just lit up like a Christmas tree. My parents were alive yet I prayed for them, I wrote them about Jesus too, I hope they got saved. My whole life, my attitude, my actions, my mental state, everything about me changed for the good since I put Jesus Christ into my life. By the way, I’m in a clothing store, selling men’s clothes; doing quite well. All I can add to that is: THANK YOU JESUS!
CON-TRACTS
Editor: Paul Bero, Michigan Prisoner # 192686
Artist: Jamie S. Michigan Prisoner
The Bible in John 3:16 says that God loved us so much that He sent Jesus Christ to pay for our sins. Pick up a Bible today!
This tract is © 2013. However, we invite anyone to reprint it for free distribution.
Everyone has an appointment with death; 10 out of 10 people die. Every day, about 155,000 people will pass from this life to the next and then face judgment. On that day, what will be your fate? Here’s a quick test to see how you’re doing.
Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything, irrespective of its value? Jesus said, “I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28)
Have you ever looked at someone with lust? The Bible says that if someone hates another person they are a murderer (1 John 3:15).
Have you ever hated anyone?
If you have answered “Yes” to the previous questions, then you have admitted that you are a liar, a thief, an adulterer and a murderer and we’ve only looked at 4 of the 10 Commandments. If God were to judge you by this standard would you be innocent or guilty? You know you are guilty and deserving of an eternity in Hell. Do you still think you are a good person or do you now understand that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23, 1 John 3:4) and deserve the wrath of God? Jesus Christ came to earth and died a criminal’s death not because He had broken the Law, but because we had.
Romans 5:8 says, “…God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” What should you do? Repent, turn from your sins and put your complete faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Please don’t wait! Your last ride could be tonight…
Then where would you be?
I hope this testimony has been a blessing to you. If you would like to read how others have experienced the life transforming power of God please write to me at the address below. We now have over 100 testimonies of those whose lives have been transformed by God’s amazing Grace and over 100 con-tracts, please send us your testimony as well.
Bro. Otto Ball
c/o Crossroads Ministry
P.O. Box 363
Hyde, PA 16843