From Son Of Sam To Son Of Hope

From “SON OF SAM”
To Son Of HopeThe author was known as “The Son Of Sam” when he terrorized New York City in the summer of 1977 as the serial killer who murdered six people and wounded seven others. He got his nickname because he said his orders to kill came from a neighbor’s dog named Sam. Last summer a movie about his killing spree, entitled “Summer of Sam,” was released. It brought back painful memories not only for the victims’ families, but also for the convicted killer who calls it “an ugly movie full of sex, violence and profanity that no Christian should see.” While the movie portrays him only as a demon-controlled killer, his personal testimony which follows shows how God can save even the most wretched of sinners. The police and the news media used to call me “The Son of Sam.” But God has given me a new name, “The Son of Hope,” because now my life is all about hope. Praise the Lord! I have been in prison for over 23 continuous years. The first 10 years of my sentence were years of darkness, defeat and despair. I had no purpose for living, and constantly thought of suicide. I was bitter, angry and miserable. A lot of convicts were out to get me. I was living in a vicious cycle of kill-or-be-killed. I Wanted To Die
In 1977, when I was 24 and on a rampage for the devil, I felt as if I were ready to die. Maybe I should have been killed back then, when the police surrounded me with guns drawn. But they were more scared of me than I was of them. I was looking forward to a shootout, but it never happened. A few years into my sentence, while housed in the infamous Attica, New York prison, a guy slit my throat with a razor blade and nearly killed me. With a sentence of 350 years plus life and no hope of ever getting out, one part of me just wanted to die, but another part struggled to survive. I should have died when that inmate slit my throat. I should have died many other times in my life because I was always in trouble. I was a bona fide candidate for hell’s fire if there ever was one. But God had other plans for me. For reasons I cannot fathom, Jesus Christ made it His business to reach out to me with a love, kindness and compassion that I never knew before. I Got The Word
In 1987, while walking the prison yard one winter night, another inmate approached me and told me that Jesus Christ loved me and had a plan for my life. I laughed at him and told him there was no way God could love me. I told him I was too evil, and that he was wasting his time. But he was so compassionate. I can’t put it into words - he had a special glow about him. Although I rejected what he told me about Christ, we became friends and started lifting weights together. Every day he would patiently share God’s Word with me. At first, I just listened. But after several weeks my attitude changed. One day he offered me a pocket New Testament which included the Psalms. He urged me to read it, especially the Psalms. Some nights I would peek into the Bible just to check it out. I wasn’t raised in a home where the Bible was read, so I knew nothing about it. However, as I began to read the Psalms things began to happen inside me. I really found myself enjoying the words of the writers, especially those of David. It seemed as if he were talking directly to me, because like me he had undergone many trials and had a lot of pain in his life. Often he was literally surrounded by problems and troubles. I said to myself, “Hey, this guy really suffered!” I always thought that a king’s life was supposed to be healthy, happy, exciting and prosperous. Yet I read about how he cried out to God in his misery. I said to myself, “I’m miserable too.” And I was! But David’s solution was to cry out to God for help and deliverance. Me? I just cried into my pillow.
Then one day it happened. I was reading the Psalms late at night and they began to pierce my soul. My heart began to burst. Everything hit me at once - my guilt, anger, shame, loneliness, pain - everything! I began to cry like never before. I shut my light out, got down on my knees in the darkness, and began to pour out my heart to the Lord. This was all new to me. Feelings of grief and remorse welled up inside. I talked to God as if He were in the cell with me. I didn’t know if God was listening, but I had to pray. I Was Born Again
When I finished talking to God I got off my knees and I felt as if a tremendous load had been lifted off me. As I look back, I realize this was the moment that I was “born again.” Although it would take a while to see the whole picture, this was the turning point in my life - the start of my new life in Christ, even while still in prison. Many years have passed since that night in 1987. Right after I got “saved” I began to attend the chapel services and read my Bible fervently. I started to fall in love with Jesus Christ. As I began to grow spiritually, many of the guys I previously hung with turned against me. But I knew I was finally on the right road - the road of healing and hope. God began to flood me with His peace, even inside the prison house. On one hand, I experienced God’s grace and peace. On the other hand was persecution and affliction. However, God has proven faithful, even in my deepest struggles. It is not an easy process to die to self and be re-made in the image of Christ. He is still working on me! JESUS, The Only Way
Now, after more than 23 years behind bars, I can still say that Jesus Christ is the only Way. Before I became a Christian, my life was going nowhere. I was miserable and full of hate. I had no hope. But now, thanks to Jesus Christ, instead of being the “Son of Sam,” I go by my new name, the “Son of Hope” because I am no longer the son of the devil. If you feel you have made a mess of your life, if you have never really found anything that satisfies your deepest desires, I want to tell you that Christ is about rebuilding broken lives. He is about changing things and making things new. God is not about rehabilitation! He is about re-creation, creating anew and imparting fresh life into a dead soul. The Bible says that a person without Christ is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). But it also says that God is “rich in mercy” and has “great love” for us (Eph. 2:4). Then it reminds us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Maybe you see no way out of your situation. Maybe you tried getting high but ended up low. Maybe you were desperate and stole something, only to find out that the devil has now stolen years from your life. Well, the Bible says that the pleasures of sin last only for a “season” (Heb. 11:25). But the devil doesn’t tell you what’s going to happen when that season ends. He will sell you the bait, but forget to tell you it’s poison. I’m telling you these things because I care about you. No matter what society says, you are still a human being. I love you and Jesus Christ loves you. And there is hope in God. The important question is, “Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?” Only He can break the chains of sin and destroy old habits. I know personally what it is like to be in bondage to sin. I know what it is like to be shackled to Satan. Those cuffs can only be opened by Christ. My message is plain. Jesus Christ is calling people of all ages and races to repent - to turn from their lives of sin, to obey God by accepting Him as their Lord and Savior, to trust in His finished work on the Cross, and to have a new life in Him. Christ Fills The Void
If there is a void in your life, an emptiness in your soul, neither money, alcohol nor dope will fill it. Knowledge and education can fill your mind, but not your empty heart. Sex won’t do it, and neither will religion. So how can you fill that void? By being honest and admitting that you blew it. We all have sinned, and all need to repent and believe the gospel - that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins, rose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. You fill the void by having a personal relationship with Christ, and having Him dwell in your heart by faith. Please do not neglect this opportunity. Right where you are, right now, you can make sure you are saved for eternity. He is standing at the door of your heart, knocking and calling your name. It is time to open the door and let hope in - that is, “Jesus Christ, our hope” (Rev. 3:20; 1 Tim. 1:1). Here’s How
The Bible tells you how to do this: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame ... For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (Rom. 10:9-13). It is my privilege to share these things. I hope you have been encouraged to come to Jesus Christ for healing, hope, salvation and life. If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, continue with Him no matter what. The road may be hard but He will always be with you. I do not know what the future holds for you. But maximum security prisons have been my home for over two decades, and will be for the rest of my life. I know that God is with me today and will also be with me tomorrow. I am confident that, as the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). I have no doubt the Lord will see me through, and I know He will do the same for you.
By David Berkowitz