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A Message for the Students at the Yunlin Youth Home in Taiwan
This is your friend David Berkowitz from the United States of America. I have a message which comes from my heart, and I'd like to share it with you.
Committing crimes, coming to prison, and doing all kinds of bad things, as well as ending up as a failure, doesn't have to be the story of your life. As young men you should have good hopes and dreams and plans for your lives. You also need an education, and you need a personal relationship with God, the One who created you.
In addition, you do not need alcohol or other drugs to help you to cope with life. Instead your strength and hope should come from God himself.
I am in prison now as I write this message. I have been locked away from society for 35 years having been arrested for many very serious crimes. I was twenty-four years old back then in 1977. I took the lives of innocent people, and I hurt even more with a weapon. However I also damaged my own life as well.
When I was arrested my family was in shock. They were devastated. They couldn't understand how I could do such terrible things, and I too was confused as to why these bad things happened. My parents were in tremendous pain and their hearts were filled with grief.
I lived a violent and rebellious life. I rebelled in school, too. My mind was often confused. It seemed as if no one could understand me, and I felt very alone even though I had good friends and a loving family.
Then, later on as an adult, I would find other friends whom I thought were okay. But I found out they were devil worshippers. I wanted to please them, and so I ended up doing evil things which I thought would make me a loyal soldier to Satan. As a result, here I am today, behind prison walls and bars probably for the rest of my life.
Maybe some of you have, like me, already gotten into trouble with the police? Or maybe someone in your family has broken the law and has gotten into trouble? Maybe there are those of your own families who get drunk all the time and use drugs? If this is true, then you don't want to be like them. You don't want to make the same mistakes they've made. You don't need to cause harm to yourselves by doing the same things.
You see, the holy Bible describes the Lord Jesus Christ as the "Door" (John 10:7-10). He is the door to heaven. But He is also the doorway out of a life of crime and drugs, and hurting people. Jesus is the way out of a bad life of sin and bondage. He is the door to spiritual freedom. I know this from my own experience.
Yes, I know from my own experience that Jesus Christ is the way out of the trap you may be in right now. Maybe you're trapped in a life of crime, or you're addicted to alcohol or other drugs, or you feel stuck with a family who is not showing you love? Well the fact is everyone is trapped by their own sin nature. It is this fallen nature that causes us to choose to do bad things and to break the law. We lie, steal, hurt others with our hands or our tongues, and even kill people because of this bad nature that's inside us.
But the Bible also tells us that through repenting of our sins and turning away from them with godly sorrow, and by placing our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be set free from our sinful ways. With God's help we could gradually overcome our bad thoughts and actions, and we could live a better and happier life. Not a problem free life, however, because we will always have our day to day problems. Yet you can begin a new life right now.
Friends, God loves you and He wants you to live the best life possible. And Jesus wants to forgive you of the sins that are keeping you from starting this new life.
In addition, by placing your faith in Christ, God will then make you His child and He will become your heavenly Father, forever. How could you not want all this?
Now the choice is yours. It truly is. Will you take Jesus as your Savior? Are you willing to turn from your sins asking God to forgive you for all the bad things you have ever done or thought? I hope you will do this right now. It will be the best and most important decision you will ever make.
Your friend,
David Berkowitz June 1, 2012
Now the minister and gospel workers will read and discuss the following Scriptures with the youth:
-John 3:16
-Romans 10:9-10 and 10:13
-John 1:12
A time for prayer and counsel, and the invitation is now given for those who wish to receive Christ.
A Message for the Students at the Yunlin Youth Home in Taiwan
This is your friend David Berkowitz from the United States of America. I have a message which comes from my heart, and I'd like to share it with you.
Committing crimes, coming to prison, and doing all kinds of bad things, as well as ending up as a failure, doesn't have to be the story of your life. As young men you should have good hopes and dreams and plans for your lives. You also need an education, and you need a personal relationship with God, the One who created you.
In addition, you do not need alcohol or other drugs to help you to cope with life. Instead your strength and hope should come from God himself.
I am in prison now as I write this message. I have been locked away from society for 35 years having been arrested for many very serious crimes. I was twenty-four years old back then in 1977. I took the lives of innocent people, and I hurt even more with a weapon. However I also damaged my own life as well.
When I was arrested my family was in shock. They were devastated. They couldn't understand how I could do such terrible things, and I too was confused as to why these bad things happened. My parents were in tremendous pain and their hearts were filled with grief.
I lived a violent and rebellious life. I rebelled in school, too. My mind was often confused. It seemed as if no one could understand me, and I felt very alone even though I had good friends and a loving family.
Then, later on as an adult, I would find other friends whom I thought were okay. But I found out they were devil worshippers. I wanted to please them, and so I ended up doing evil things which I thought would make me a loyal soldier to Satan. As a result, here I am today, behind prison walls and bars probably for the rest of my life.
Maybe some of you have, like me, already gotten into trouble with the police? Or maybe someone in your family has broken the law and has gotten into trouble? Maybe there are those of your own families who get drunk all the time and use drugs? If this is true, then you don't want to be like them. You don't want to make the same mistakes they've made. You don't need to cause harm to yourselves by doing the same things.
You see, the holy Bible describes the Lord Jesus Christ as the "Door" (John 10:7-10). He is the door to heaven. But He is also the doorway out of a life of crime and drugs, and hurting people. Jesus is the way out of a bad life of sin and bondage. He is the door to spiritual freedom. I know this from my own experience.
Yes, I know from my own experience that Jesus Christ is the way out of the trap you may be in right now. Maybe you're trapped in a life of crime, or you're addicted to alcohol or other drugs, or you feel stuck with a family who is not showing you love? Well the fact is everyone is trapped by their own sin nature. It is this fallen nature that causes us to choose to do bad things and to break the law. We lie, steal, hurt others with our hands or our tongues, and even kill people because of this bad nature that's inside us.
But the Bible also tells us that through repenting of our sins and turning away from them with godly sorrow, and by placing our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be set free from our sinful ways. With God's help we could gradually overcome our bad thoughts and actions, and we could live a better and happier life. Not a problem free life, however, because we will always have our day to day problems. Yet you can begin a new life right now.
Friends, God loves you and He wants you to live the best life possible. And Jesus wants to forgive you of the sins that are keeping you from starting this new life.
In addition, by placing your faith in Christ, God will then make you His child and He will become your heavenly Father, forever. How could you not want all this?
Now the choice is yours. It truly is. Will you take Jesus as your Savior? Are you willing to turn from your sins asking God to forgive you for all the bad things you have ever done or thought? I hope you will do this right now. It will be the best and most important decision you will ever make.
Your friend,
David Berkowitz June 1, 2012
Now the minister and gospel workers will read and discuss the following Scriptures with the youth:
-John 3:16
-Romans 10:9-10 and 10:13
-John 1:12
A time for prayer and counsel, and the invitation is now given for those who wish to receive Christ.