Hello, my name is Elvis Wright and I’m writing this short testimony to the partners and all who are involved with The Recovery Church & Dennis and Debbie Hall’s ministry. I met Dennis in 2010 while I was in the Stephens county jail, department of correction pod. I was in on three counts of distribution of a controlled and dangerous substance (meth). I was held in Stephens Co., for 7 months, before I was sent to prison. I received 25 years for each count.A little background; I was not looking for Jesus; in fact, the officer in charge informed me that there were two DOC pods. D-pod, or demon-pod, where they we’re fighting and not trying to do better, and B-pod, or Bible-pod, where they were bringing in videos and doing bible studies. I thought I would inform the officer that I would go in to D-pod, because, I didn’t want to hear about how I was going to hell, and be told how bad I was. See I had grown up under religion and judgment. I had just received three 25 year sentences I knew how bad I was. Not to mention I was still high! Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.Well, needless to say, I wasn’t being given a choice and God and the officer put me into B-pod. Where, while waiting to pull chain to prison, I hear of Dennis Hall. He was one of the chaplains bringing in the bible studies and videos the officer was talking about. At first, I never came out of my cell to hear a word he had to say—like I said I was not interested. Also he was a convict, a con, with 8 years on 65 at 85%. Like many people probably think, I figured he was full of IT! However, after I sobered up, I discovered that Dennis had only been out a few months and he was coming in everyday for hrs.—I thought why would this guy come and spend his entire week with us after spending nearly 8 years locked up. Later I find out, he’s the only chaplain that has ever been allowed that kind of access. Anyway I decide after about 2 weeks to give this guy a shot. Boy could he talk! He would get all fired up! Interestingly enough he was making sense. I had gone to church growing up, even got saved a few times. One time was with my grandmother. My cousin and I got saved at her kitchen table, even spoke in tongues. But Dennis had brought thing out of the word I had never heard. So much so, in fact, I thought this isn’t in there he’s making that up. I had told the story god gave me a thirst for the word… well, he did. What I had been leaving out was how he did that. As I said before I had my doubts about Dennis. Con was the word I used. So I started to search the bible in order to debunk Dennis’ oratory. I read everything except most of Isaiah and revelations in less than 7 months. I could not debunk one thing. So had it not been for that fact and that he was one of us, and the fact that I knew of his reputation from the years before, then I would never have given him the time a day especially, about God. There was something different about him, he loved us. I could tell he had truly met Jesus; just by the way he talked about him and the life that was in him.Along with Dennis’ preaching the jail let him bring in TV and DVD stations to show seminar videos on God’s way of thinking and coping with life. Dennis was preparing us for prison. He would say, you could do your time or your time could do you! I begin thinking that, like Dennis, where God used prison to change his life and give him and entirely different one; maybe I could do the same. He would always ask, when we would tell him how we would thing, how is that working for you? Well it wasn’t working for me that was pretty obvious.Romans 10:10. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.So on the 17th of June in the year of our Lord 2010 in a cold Stephens Co. jail cell. With tears rolling down my face, kneeling down on that concrete floor, broken, and afraid and realizing what a selfish, self righteous, arrogant, prideful, and lustful, piece of stupid I had been. And a willing participant in the works of the devil, himself, Cried out to a God I thought I knew, but didn’t. Cried out to a Jesus people told me was my Savior but didn’t want any part of. But now, on my knees, at that moment the Spirit of God himself filled that room tangible like the hug of a loving Mother with her newborn baby. I was engulfed in that love. I sobbed even harder. Father, I said, forgive me help me. I want to know you and do this life with you Lord. Again I said help me. That night I heard God say I love you son. I saw Jesus with His arms spread wide. And the spirit of God came into me and filled every little nook and cranny until It overflowed and filled that cell again. And I cried even harder. However, now those tears were tears of joy, tears of living water. I knew my life had changed and would never be the same. Amen
The Principle I Learned About Tithing
While I was incarcerated Jackie Brannon correction center I was attending Victory Bible College. I graduated top of my class and went on to help facilitate for the next year. One of the pastors, a Kerry KIrkheart, that came in to help with the class, brought coffee and supplies from his church locally there in McAlester, Oklahoma. Dennis’ had talked about tithing one time. He said, “The new testament said to be a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV ”Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
One of the other inmates had said something about how churches and TV preachers were always asking for money. If you didn’t “give” people looked down on you and treated you like a low life. Also, I never had the money to give got to pay my own bills. Dennis would ask us, “do you smoke was you doing drugs”. Then he would challenge us “take the money you were spending on drugs and help someone else. Start where you are and give from your heart. Not only will you feel good about what you’ve done but see what God will do.
Malachi 3:10 ESV Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
I said but we’re going to prison. (I’m pretty smart. I thought maybe he forgot.) Dennis explained that we got a check. I was thinking “we get paid in prison…?” At first I would go in on a spread from time to time. We would help the new guys and the guys that didn’t have anything. So after I started VBC God put it on my heart to give to Pastor Kirkheart. We got permission for them to bring in flip flops and some hygiene for the new inmates so we could minister to them. But I was still just getting the minimum $10.85, level four pay. At home my house was all boarded up. It was just sitting there rotting to the ground. One of the things I learned from Victory was believe that you will receive and to make room and prepare for your blessing. To have faith, I mean he said to test him Amen. I asked my parents to rent out the house after my lady friend quit riding with me about a year ago. So my house had been empty for 2 years.
Next check I gave just 2$. The very next month my house rented! I gave my next month’s 2$. I had told my mother to keep the money for the kids but maybe if I needed a pair of shoes or something I would ask and maybe they could help me. But you know we serve a mighty GOD! And like in the prodigal son he gives the fatted calf, and the best robe Amen. (Luke 15:11-32). I received my statement on how much was on my books and there was an extra $100. That Sunday I called home and ask mom if they put that money on my books. And she said yes and we’re going to every month. And they did until I came home. I started to give 12$ right then. Now look here…when I got out of prison I went into a transition house there in Enid, which I’ll talk about later. We learned how to make our financial inventory. So I called home to see how much I still owed on the house. Mom said “Oh I forgot to tell you? We paid it off a few months ago.” Amen! God is good. When I got out of prison I had over $8,000 and a house paid for.
Joel 2:25 ESV ”I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.”
Sincerely
Elvis Wright