I remember one time when I was out in the country,
sitting on a fence. With half a bottle of wine in my hand and the other half
in me, I started reflecting on my past. Understandably, I had a deep seated
hatred of my life. With a desire to dwell on something pleasant, my mind
wondered to my childhood. There was a short time when I had attended church
with my parents. In all honesty, most of what was said had slipped through
my mind without taking a hold. There was a part that stayed with me however. Those
songs we used to sing never left me. It was not uncommon to find me singing
one of them. Yes, I could still remember the words. If you can picture this,
I was sitting on a fence, drinking, wanted by the police, as wicked as a man
could get, singing songs I learned in church!
“Jesus, hold my hand, I need thee every hour. Thru this
pilgrim land, protect me by thy power. Hear my feeble plea, O Lord look down
on me. When I kneel in prayer, I hope to meet you there. Blessed Jesus, hold
my hand”.
As I sang, my eyes began to fill with tears. Though I
was a hardened convict, here I was fighting back tears when I felt the
presence of The Holy Spirit. They told me later that was called conviction.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit calling people to seek God's forgiveness.
I knew God was not happy with the life I was living, but I lacked
understanding in these matters. What I did understand was what this life had
taught me. “Never show weakness to anybody!” If you can act cold and hard
enough, nobody will want to try you. Have you ever considered the behavior
of people behind bars, or in a bike club, or this type of situation in
general. My lifestyle did not permit me to show signs of weakness to anyone,
and I thought the tears were a sign of weakness. I wiped away the tears and
resisted The Holy Spirit. He is mighty, but also very gentle. He will not
force himself on anyone. He stepped back and let me go my way.
One day I heard a man talking about Jesus. He said that
when Jesus spoke to the crowds some of the people would say, "He is a mad
man! He has a devil!" While others would say, "These aren't the words of a
mad man. We understand what He is saying. These are the words of life." I
wondered what I would think of Jesus' teachings if I read about them. Would
I be able to understand what He said? I decided that if I ever had an
opportunity to examine a Bible, I would look into it and see what Jesus had
to say.
It didn't seem like that was likely to happen any time
soon. There were no Bibles in my home and I'm pretty sure none of my friends
owned a Bible. When it came time to choose between buying alcohol, drugs or
a Bible....well, you get the idea. However, you don't think those kind of
thoughts without God acting upon them.
I was living in downtown Vancouver B.C. at the time and
had gone to the Pacific Centre Mall, which was a short walk from home. I was
living with a woman named Marion who wanted to do some shopping and I had
reluctantly agreed to tag along. We were walking down a long corridor with
stores on both sides. She would enter a store while I waited in the hallway.
When she returned, we would go down a few more doors, and I'd wait again.
I was sitting there waiting when I saw a booth where
two Gideons were giving away New Testaments. You know who the Gideons are if
you've ever stayed in a motel or hotel. They leave Bibles everywhere but you
so seldom ever actually see one of the Gideons. They tend to be "low profile
- behind the scene" kind of people.
The Holy Spirit started speaking to me. "The answers to
the questions and problems in your life can be found in that book." This was
just what I wanted and the price was right. I'd take a free Bible, but the
thought of purchasing one never once crossed me mind.
I was just about to approach the booth and receive my
free Bible when I looked around and realized where I was. This was a public
place with people all around me. I was so ungodly I was ashamed to let
someone see me even touch a Bible. The Holy Spirit has to be the most gentle
being in existence. He will never force his will upon anyone, great or
small. He can however be very persuasive. He kept gently telling me I needed
to get that Bible. I really wanted it, but there were too many people around
and so I just keep walking past the booth. I'm thankful God doesn't give up
easily. He keep tugging at me to get a Bible.
I had walked some distance past these gentlemen when I could resist the Holy
Spirit no longer. I turned to Marion and asked her if she would mind going
back to that booth and getting me one of those free books. Well...I
wish I could describe the look she got on her face. I told her not to come
back and hand it to me; just put the book in her purse and I'd get it when
we got home.
"LISTEN, DON'T YOU GO GETTING MIXED UP IN SOMETHING WEIRD!"
God must have been involved because it was probably the
only time in her life that she did exactly what I asked her to do! Later
when we arrived home, she brought the New Testament to me. Looking me in the
face she said, "Listen, don't you go getting mixed up in something
weird!" I
assured her there was nothing to worry about. I was only curious about some
things.
Reading in bed each night before I fell asleep was
something I enjoyed. The pile of books beside my bed was pushed aside so I
could start reading my New Testament. I wasn't too sure at the time what
Matthew was trying to say with all the begats, so I skipped over the first
few sentences. I soon learned all about Jesus and what He taught. I
discovered the message of that New Testament was not mysterious at all. I found
it plain and easy to understand. Jesus is the Son of God and came to earth
in human flesh so that He might redeem mankind by dying on the cross. A day
of judgment is coming but there is forgiveness for anyone who will confess
their sins and trust in Christ as his/her Redeemer.
Let me explain it like this. Suppose you had a son and he got in a lot of
trouble. You knew that he would be put to death for his crimes. You love him
so much that you could not stand by and let that happen. When they come to
get him, you said "Wait, take me instead!" You would have to love somebody a
lot to do that, but that's what Jesus did. He already paid the penalty for
your crimes and mine. All anyone has to do is acknowledge this and stop
committing crimes. Crimes against God are called sin. A Christian is a
person who not only keeps the laws of the country he lives in, but also
keeps God's laws. God's laws are not that hard to keep because he will tell
you if you're about to do something wrong. He may not stop you, but you will
know it's wrong. How many times have you started to do something wrong and
something inside of you was saying "Don't do that!" He really wants to help
us, but it's our choice to listen or not. If you ignore that little voice
inside of you long enough, you may get to the place where you don't hear it
anymore.
All this seemed too good to be true, and I knew I would
have to get my life straiten out with God someday. I thought being a
Christian meant I would have to give up everything and spend the rest of my
days being bored to death. The best way to handle this was to wait till just
before I died to get right with God, or at least that’s what I thought. One
of the problems with that plan was the inability to know when I was going to
die. It would only take one bullet in the head to completely ruin that plan.
While my plan was “The later, the better,” God’s plan was “The sooner, the
better.” The Holy Spirit was calling me to surrender my life to Him.
I remember going into work each day and having
difficultly concentrating on my work. The Holy Spirit was telling me that I
needed His forgiveness today, for I had no idea what tomorrow would
bring. His presence was so strong, my eyes would fill with tears. I would hurry into
the washroom to dry my eyes before anyone could see me. A little while on
the job and I’d be back in the washroom again. He was telling me that He
loved me and could help me with my life. He could also bring me peace,
something I knew so little about. I don’t think anybody had ever really
cared much about me, and there was no question about it, only God could help
with the mess I had made of my life. The more I thought about it the better
it sounded.
ONE DAY I FELT I COULD RESIST GOD'S LOVE NO LONGER
One day I felt I could resist God's love no longer. On
July 28, 1980, I knelt down down on an old chair we had in our living room
and prayed a short prayer. I told God I was sorry for the things I had done.
I couldn't change those things, but I could change what I would do from now
on. I knew I had hurt a lot of people and I regretted it very much. If He
would forgive me like I read in the Bible, I would start doing things right.
I told him I wanted to be a Christian and to start living like He wanted me
to. I meant what I said. I did not feel like I had been struck with
lightning, but something was different.
From that day on I have never been the same. What the Bible says in 2
Corinthians 5:17 is true: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
I got up
from my prayer and went to bed.
The first thing I learned the next morning as a new
Christian was what Peter was talking about in 1 Peter 4:12: "Beloved, think
it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though
some strange thing happened unto you." I had changed sides in this war and
the one I used to serve had become my bitter enemy. (Truth is, he always was
my enemy). I lived in a downtown area and received my mail early in the
morning. As I opened it I found out a man I had been doing business with had
cheated me out of four hundred dollars. I become angry and started planning
revenge. I wanted to choke him to death, or at least beat him senseless!
The Holy Spirit begin speaking to me. "If you want to
serve Me then you must do things differently now. I have forgiven you for so
much, shouldn't you forgive him?" I knew God was right. I still wanted to
hurt the man as I began thinking about what it meant to be a Christian. This
was on my mind day and night.
I was at work when I was handed my paycheck. I took it
to the bank intending to cash it. The Holy Spirit spoke to me again. I was
the next one in line when He asked me who's name was on the check? I still
had the pay check in my hand when I turned around and left the bank. God was
showing me how my life was all built upon lies. I knew I couldn't serve God
and go on telling these lies. As these thoughts went through my mind I began to
realize some major changes were needed in my life. The Holy Spirit helped me
understand that I could not go on living like I had been and still serve
God. I knew exactly what I had to do. I would turn myself into the police
and start life over again based on a different set of principles. How could
I compare life in prison to eternity in hell? My life on earth would end one
day, but eternity in hell has no ending.
It was about noon when I walked off the job, telling my employer I had to
get my life straitened out with God. I went home to tell Marion my plans and
say goodbye. She asked me how I could desert her like that. It seemed likely
I would die in prison. She did everything in her power to talk me out of
surrendering to the police. As the fruitlessness of her efforts became
apparent, I said I would like to go to church on my way to surrender.
I went
to a church and after talking to the pastor, he said he could baptize me
before I left. After I was baptized, the pastor offered to take me to The
Mounties. I thanked him and we set off to find a police station. When we had
found the R.C.M.P. in Buraby, British Colombia, the pastor and Marion walked
me inside and up to the counter. The Mountie on duty asked if he could help
us with anything.
EVERYBODY I KNEW HATED "THE MAN"
My friends were bikers, rapists, thieves, drug dealers, prostitutes,
forgers, burglars, etc., and they had planed their various business ventures
in my presence. Everybody I knew hated the Man (The police). In the world I
had lived in, it had always been us against them. I had been taught to do
anything to keep from being caught. I had jumped bond and successfully
eluded capture for ten years after encountering the police more than a dozen
times. I had a full set of identification, a good job, a woman I had lived
with for a few years with plans to marry. Now, two days after I had accepted
Jesus as my Savior and became born again, I find myself standing in the police
station about to do the unthinkable ... that I might please God.
"Yes," I said to the Mountie, "I am here to surrender. My real name is Ken
Burton and I am a fugitive. I have become a Christian and want to face the
charges against me. I need to return to Michigan and serve a 25 - 40 year
prison sentence I've been running from. Here is all my false identification.
I have been living in your country illegally for ten years and have eluded
capture many times. I will tell you all the names I have used and the jobs I
have had. In fact, I will tell you anything you want to know about me.
Here
I am!"After listening to my story, that Mountie only wanted to know one
thing. He looked me in the face and asked, "Mr. Burton, have you ever had any
psychiatric treatment?"
To this day, I find it humorous that the officer was
reluctant to lock me up. After some more conversation and seemingly against
his will, he agreed to take me into custody. The officer acted as if he were
doing me a favor when it become apparent I was not leaving. He locked me up
and they began checking my story. When they concluded I had been honest with
them for the first time in my life, they were elated.
By the next morning they were bringing people back to my
cell to see me. “There he is. Walked in here last night on his own!! Said he
had become a Christian and needed to start pleasing God with his life now.”
They were all walking around grinning and shaking their heads. A man from
the Department of Immigration came early in the day to interview me. It was
then established that I had entered Canada illegally. Arrangements were made
for my immediate transfer to isolation at their downtown facility. When it
came time to be placed in the cell, I asked if I might have my Bible. The
officer in charge said, "No." Another officer said, “Oh let him have it.” I
believe he had heard about my surrendering after I became a Christian and
was somewhat sympathetic. The first officer insisted, “He’s not allowed to
have it.”
Who would have thought they’d have wanted to deprive me
of my Bible? Just look at the effect it was having on me in the few days I
had been reading it!! After observing the effect God’s Word was having on
me, a wise law enforcement agency should have placed Bibles in ever cell
they had!
In a deficient and disappointed state, I was led to my cell. A
short time passed and that “somewhat sympathetic officer” opened the cell
door with my Bible in his hand. “Here,” he said with an outstretched hand. I
said, "Thanks!" as we seemed to have traded understanding smiles. There was such
a desire in me to learn more about God, and from all appearances I was going
to have the time to do so.
The cell they had placed me in was made to hold about a
dozen prisoners and was empty. The Canadian authorities used this cell to
isolate illegal immigrants from their own population. What a great
opportunity for me to pray and read my Bible. There was a need to learn what
my enemy (Satan) could and could not do to me. There was such a battle taking place
around me as I stood wondering if I had weapons and how I would use them.
The Holy Spirit was with me in a way so powerful that I could feel His
presence. He was there to guide me every moment as I began to learn how to
stand against the devil.
THE DEVIL'S GREATEST WEAPON IS THE LIE
The devil's greatest weapon is the lie. Through his lies, he caused me to
question my salvation. How did I know I was really saved? Why would God care
anything about someone like me? Why should God want to help me in my current
situation? The devil lies in the hopes that he can get people to doubt God
and His Word. I read in the book of Genesis where the devil (through the
serpent) tried this with Eve. First he asked her, "Did God really say,
'Ye shall not
eat of every tree of the garden?'" She told him God said she would die if she
ate from one tree. The devil called God a liar, and said, "Ye shall not surly
die." Now ... he was lying to me and trying to call God a liar again. If I had
know what God had said in His Word, I could have answered him and sent him
away. I found out later God said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
(See: Hebrews 13:5).
I was beginning to have my doubts and wondering if God
was big enough to take care of me in a place like this jail. I remember
laying on the floor and weeping before God in need of some reassurance. I
found something out about God that day. If you serve Him and are in need of
help, you will receive it. Because that day was a Holiday in Canada, a
special pass from the Department of Immigration was required to visit
someone in isolation where I was. The office that issued these passes was
closed for the holiday. Marion had wanted to visit me and was told it was
not possible without that pass.
The pastor who had baptized me, contacted Marion to
inquire of my well being. It was decided they would try and visit without the pass.
That pastor was not a new Christian and knew God could not be hindered by
the lack of a pass.
My door opened and a guard called me out of the cell,
explaining that I had visitors. Wiping away tears, I went with the guard and
tried for the moment to forget the spiritual battle raging in me. We
eventually came to a door the guard unlocked and sent me through alone. He
locked the door behind me, leaving me there to visit without supervision.
The room was divided by a very heavy wall with the top half made of glass so
thick it made people on the other side look green. I climbed on a stool and
picked up the telephone they had set up for an intercom. The pastor had
brought Marion and his wife as well as their new baby. It seemed almost
impossible to talk to anyone through my tears from the battle I was in.
Finally, the pastor reached for the phone from Marion and started to pray.
As he prayed, I felt my strength leave my body and I
started sliding off the stool I was sitting on, toward the floor. About half
way to the floor it seemed like I was struck with a HUGH bolt of lighting.
It hit my chest low on the right side and exploded inside me! It seemed like
I was before God's throne.
I leaped to my feet and threw my hands into the
air and began praising God with a loud voice! His presents was so strong! I
wanted to stay there with Him forever!! I was so happy I was leaping up and
down praising God. I now knew He was big enough to meet all my needs. I now
knew He was more then able to take care of me and anything I would ever
face.
There came a time when I remembered that I was still on earth and had
friends looking at me from the other side of the thick glass. I picked up
the phone and told them they could go now; everything was going to be
alright. I wasn't trying to be rude; it's just that I wanted to be with God.
My life had been forever changed, but Marion lacked knowledge about the
things of God. She went home not believing or understanding anything about
God.
The next day Marion called the jail and reported all that she had seen. She
cared about me and thought I might be under too much stress. Later that day
my cell opened and a man dressed in white entered with two of his friends.
He said, "I've been talking to Marion and I'm here to help you. As a matter of
fact I have brought you something." He lifted his hand a little so I could
see he was holding some pills. "You have been under a lot of stress and these
pills will help you to mellow out a little."
I COULD HARDLY BELIEVE MY EARS
I could hardly believe my ears. I have had a problem with drugs most of my
life. It was easier to commit a crime if you were full of drugs. I had been
living on drugs almost as long as I could remember. The reason the police
had chased me for the last ten years was because I was selling drugs. Now
for the first time in my life I was full of the Spirit of God and had no
desire for drugs and what do I hear? This unknowing servant of the devil is
standing in front of me with his hand outstretched offering me drugs.
I told
him I would never need drugs again. I had found something better. He acted
almost offended by my refusal. He assured me that I could call the guard,
and he would return with the drugs anytime I changed my mind.
Eventually the Canadian authorities delivered me to the U.S. border (I think
it was the crossing at Blain, Washington). The U.S. authorities escorted me
to the Whatcom County jail in Bellingham, Washington. My new accommodations
consisted of one large room with a row of cells across one side, for
sleeping.
As a new Christian, there were many things I needed to learn. My
understanding of the enemie's tactics and weapons was about to increase. As
the heavy steel door slammed noisily behind me, I was approached by the
welcoming committee. Seems like prisoners always wanted to know one thing,
"What are you in here for?"
Well ... I started telling my story and did not get
very far before being interrupted. "HEY! Come over here. You 'gotta
hear this one!"
The committee grew in size and I was asked to start over
again. This time I got a little farther into my story before I heard, "Wait
a minute! Are you trying to tell us - you had a job and a good set of false
identification? You were living with a woman, planning to be married? The
police hadn't caught you in ten years. And you surrendered to serve a 25 to
40 years prison sentence and all the other charges they now have on you?!"
To me it
seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do. "Yes," I answered.
"I
have become a Christian and now I want to please God with my life." Another
prisoner looked me in the face with utter disbelief and said, "You ain't got
a lick of sense in your head!!! You will never get out of prison alive!"
(Looking back on this incident, I am able to see now that God had not sent
them to encourage me.)
By the next morning I needed to think, and spend some more time in prayer. I
decided to stay in my cell, instead of joining the other prisoners in the
large room for the day. A life in prison was nothing to look forward to and
I must confess to some self-pity and discouragement. As I began to focus
more on my situation than on God's ability, desire and intent to work in my
life ... discouragement tightened it's grip. An inability to meet a need is
not one of God's traits. Since having committed myself to Him, I was rapidly
learning He would always meet my needs, even without my asking. As I paced
the small cell, becoming more discouraged by the minute, help was already on
the way.
A guard came to the door and shouted my name. "I'm here," I answered. A tall
woman in uniform unlocked my door and introduced herself. "I'm Sharon Wagner
from the Sheriff's Department. I'm here to take your fingerprints. We want
to be sure that you are who you say you are." (Why on earth would anybody
want to impersonate me?) The deputy led me out of my cell and to a room
where she could take my prints. When Sharon saw I was downcast, she began to
make some small talk. She soon asked me if I had accepted Jesus as my
Savior.
Yes - you're reading this right! I'm in jail with a Deputy Sheriff taking my
fingerprints when the cop wants to know if I'm a Christian! I was so
thrilled to see another Christian I couldn't contain myself. "Yes!" I
exclaimed,
"That’s the reason I'm in this place." I started telling her my whole story. I
told her about the way I used to live and how much trouble I had gotten
into. I went on to explain how God had forgiven me, and how I had
surrendered myself to please Him. I told her about how they wanted to give
me free drugs. (She may not have needed me to reveal my discouragement as it
was not well hidden). God had His hand on my life and I knew He would always
help me.
When I finished speaking, she looked me in the face and said, "You
listen to me." I was once a prisoner on the other side of this building
where they keep the women. Look what He has done in my life. Today I work
for the Sheriff's Department. He will NEVER leave you or turn his back on
you. It is written in God's Word: '...he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion...' There is no need to be discouraged. Let's
pray." We bowed our heads and Sharon prayed for me.
GOD IS TRULY AMAZING
God is truly amazing. Who else would send a cop to encourage and pray for a
convict. Needless to point out, I reentered my cell greatly encouraged. In a
very short time I believe it became obvious to all that someone was
laboring, behind the scenes, in my behalf.
A few day later I was in my cell
with 5 or 6 other prisoners answering questions about the Bible. They had
started reading them and wanted to know what I found in there. Sharon
returned with some Christian literature and more encouragement. That had to
be very startling to the other inmates as the Deputies are not widely know
for their love of the prisoners.
In due time I was back in Flint, Michigan, standing before the judge. He
said, "I am going to re-sentence you," and I wondered what was coming.
To my surprise, he threw out the sentence of 25 to
40 years, and gave me 3 years' probation. It seemed too good to be true! He
also dismissed the Federal warrant. The Canadian authorities dropped all the
charges they had against me for the 10 years I was running in their country!
I'm very thankful for the great love and mercy God has shown toward me. He
turned my life around and called me to be an evangelist. I have the
privilege of visiting many places across the country and sharing my
testimony with various groups. I enjoy telling what God has done for me.
I was a loser, but now I am a winner since I teamed up with Jesus Christ.
I'm glad I stopped running. How about you? Are you running from God? He is
pursuing you because He loves you and wants to help you. If you will give
yourself up to Him, He will make you a new person. I know from experience that if
you will put your life in His hands, He will give you a new start, and help
you to be a winner.
GOD LOVES YOU
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"
(John 3:16).
MAN IS A SINNER AND SIN SEPARATES
HIM FROM GOD
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
CONFESS YOUR SINS
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS
YOUR SAVIOR
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).
Pray this simple prayer
(or one in your own words) right
now: "Dear
God, thank You for loving me. I realize that I am a sinner, and ask You to
forgive me through Jesus Christ, who died for my sins. I accept Jesus right
now as my Savior and lord of my life. Amen."
Editorial Note: Ken may be contacted at
kennethlburton@yahoo.com
and his website is
www.kenburtonstory.com.
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God?
If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die?
You can have the assurance from the Holy Spirit that heaven will be your
home, if you would like to be certain. Either Jesus Christ died for yours
sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God
on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of
Jesus Christ on the Cross to cover your sins? We plead with you ... please
don't make such a tragic mistake.
To be at peace with God; to
make certain heaven will be your home for eternity; to make certain that
you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click
here to help understand the
importance of being reconciled to God. What you do about being reconciled
to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one.
Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever
make in this life.
The staff and our
ministry supporters so greatly appreciate hearing how God is touching lives for
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special way, would you please consider taking a brief moment and share your
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ptoffice@precious-testimonies.com
We truly thank each of
you who allow us to publish your testimony, for those who faithfully pray (and
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Spirit has you play is vital in helping win lost souls and being
engaged in discipleship, and we can never thank you enough for the labor
of love and support you provide on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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