03/05/2026
This is Capt. Cliff Mathews, Upland Police dept. He arrested me in 1995 for multiple warrants, but first crushed my glass pipe and dumped my bindle of speed out in the gutter, he gave me a break on that, because he had a thought he needed to share. As I was cuffed up in the back seat of his patrol car, he turned around and said, "You dont have to live like this, you should give Jesus a chance", and I just stared back, I didnt know what to say.
I mocked him whenever I was around friends, but privately, I couldn't get what he said out of my head. Six months later, after being awake for four days, hearing voices, I spun out and slit my wrist. Obviously I didnt succeed in the attempt to end my life, but it did open a door to meet pastor Don Overstreet, and when I spoke with him on the phone, he said the same thing. "You dont have to live like this and give Jesus a chance", word for word!. It kinda freaked me out, but I decided to let him take out to Set Free in Yucaipa, and that night, July 13th 1996, I gave my life to Jesus. and its been a long amazing ride ever since, 30 years of ministry, three churches and now pastoring the Roadhouse Biker Church. It's been surreal to say the least, but I've always wanted to just thank him for those kind and prophetic words he said to me that night. But I never knew who he was, just another cop taking me to jail again. Anyway....recently I was watching this crime show about a murder in Mt. Baldy, and the investigator popped up on the sceen and I said, "Hey, thats the cop that told me about Jesus!!", and after some serious searching and several phone calls...It happened!
Today, after 30 years..I finally got to say "Thank you for your faithfulness Captain Mathews".....It really was quite a moment.
You never know what kind of impact you're making in someones life when you boldly share your faith. I do believe that God put Cliff into my life that night to plant a seed, and I am forever grateful for the life he helped save. We do serve an Awesome God!! Pastor Denver