It was every man for himself. Growing up in an abusive family, Dennis Page learned about the realities of life with little parental guidance, love, or spiritual influence. So as an adult, he easily plunged into a dark prison of drugs, money, and women.
One day, Dennis’ boss invited him to church. “I thought it odd because he knew I was using and selling drugs,” he says. Dennis declined, but then to his surprise his boss asked if he could take Dennis’ five-year-old son Travis.
“I told him, ‘If I ever do anything right in this life, I want my son to know who this Jesus is.’ My thought was that there is still hope for him. He’s five. He’s untainted. I’d heard of heaven and hell and was pretty sure where I was going, but maybe my son might have a chance.”
A short time later, another employee invited Dennis and his son to church. They attended a few times, but Dennis felt hypocritical going to church while still a drug user and dealer. Nevertheless, the employee and his wife gave Dennis a Bible, which he dismissively placed on a shelf.
Dennis soon quit that job and joined a drug ring to push drugs full-time. Within a year he was involved with spiritualism. Not long afterward the FBI began investigating Dennis; so the drug ring decided to murder him. Scared and depressed, Dennis sent Travis to live with his mother.
One night of despair overwhelmed him. As he journaled his thoughts, a poem called “Jesus Said” poured from his pen. Although he’d never read the Bible to know what Jesus actually said, the Holy Spirit spoke through his just-written words. “The greatest experience of comfort and peace came over me. God made Himself known in a way I could understand at that moment. I now knew God was real because for the first time in my life I felt hope, regardless of my situation.”
"Lord, save me!"
Dennis found the Bible his co-worker had given him and began to read. “I wanted my life to change and was under strong conviction that the things I was doing was wrong.” Weeks went by as Dennis tried to fix himself, to no avail. Finally, in desperation, he cried out to God for help. The next day he was arrested by the secret service. “This was not my idea of help!” he says. “But we serve an awesome God. When it comes to saving a soul who is crying out for deliverance from sin, He does not waste time.”
In prison Dennis started reading the Bible. “I could hear God talk to me every time I opened the Bible. I also read the book Left Behind and thought, ‘This is a lie! This is not the same God I’ve been reading about in the Bible.’”
Eventually, Dennis shared a cell with a man taking the Amazing Facts Bible study course. The first lesson Dennis read was like cool water to his thirsty soul. Within one week he had completed 12 lessons. As each new truth unfolded, Dennis immediately put into practice the things he learned.
“I could see how much God loved me, and I wanted to respond. What really built my faith was seeing how I could trust the Bible through prophecy. The 2,300-day prophecy showed me that Jesus was the Messiah. Seeing His love from creation to the cross made me realize that the Bible was no ordinary book. When I see what love Jesus has for me, why would I live contrary to that?”
Dennis spent the next two years in five different prisons. During this time, members of a local Sabbath-keeping church in Fort Wayne, Ind., continued to minister to him and sent additional materials from Amazing Facts. Their faithful ministry quickly grew Dennis’ faith and understanding. He was baptized before leaving prison.
New life in Christ
Since his release from prison six years ago, Dennis now takes every opportunity to share his testimony. Today he is afrequent speaker in churches and prisons. He also wrote From the Cell to the Cross, which details his experience and the power of God’s grace to save and transform lives. This book has been sent to many prisoners around the country. Aware of the powerful witnessing potential of his book, Dennis also included a listing of all the Bible Study Guides available through Amazing Facts and information on how to receive them.
“One book or Study Guide will be read by a multitude of people,” he says. “In prison one person will share with others, and they likewise will share with many more.” The church who ministered to Dennis has already received many letters requesting the Amazing Facts Bible studies and more information on the Sabbath.
Dennis is also now married, and he and his wife Melody are committed to ministry. They hope someday to attend the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism to strengthen their talents and be better equipped to share God’s love with others.
One of Dennis’ greatest joys has been to introduce his son to Jesus. Now rather than needing to depend upon someone else for that solemn task, Dennis can tell Travis himself about the Savior.
“Only God knows the depth of gratitude I have for the faithfulness of Amazing Facts. You have been a tool in His hand to not only reach my life, but now also my son who is coming to know Jesus through my experience – and with the help of your ministry by presenting the Word of God in such a clear and understandable way.”
Your gifts do make a difference. Lives are being miraculously transformed by the power of God’s grace. Your continued support enables Amazing Facts to share the gospel with thousands of people like Dennis. Together we can bring freedom and hope to more hurting people locked in Satan’s prison of sin.