From Cocaine to Christ
The Martin Briseno Story
“Give me the money!” I demanded as I waived a gun in the face of the bank teller. “Everybody on the floor, now!”
It’s hard to believe I was the person robbing that bank. My cocaine addiction had driven me to this point of desperation. I look back at it now… and it seems like a distant nightmare. Yet at the time, it was my reality. After all… cocaine was the physical drug that held me prisoner to it. But I was a prisoner to something much more lethal. I was a prisoner to SIN. Sin is abundantly available to one and all. Each of us, the Bible says, are born with it. (See: Romans 3:23). The ‘righteous’ disagree. ‘Sinners’ know it to be fact.
Cocaine fascinated me, and it provided a feeling I was not to forget. It made me feel confident, tough, and important. I needed to do something to kill the boredom and emptiness that was always present. Even the drugs, alcohol, and women were not satisfying as they had been before, so I turned to stealing.
I fled the state as a wanted fugitive and traveled to Indiana. As I traveled the endless highways, I began to realize the seriousness of my actions.
Sensing my mother had been praying for me, I felt an urgency to call her. I finally stopped and called. The phone was answered by my brother, and when he heard my voice, his first words were, “I have met the bank teller you robbed, and he has a message for you.” I had no wish to hear about this man or what he had to say. But before I could say a word, my brother went on. “He wants you to know that he and the members of his church are praying for you.”
I was stunned! I could not understand why he was praying for me. Something seemed to grieve my heart… I was being shown all the pain and hurt I had inflicted upon others. I called out, “God, if You are real, change my life. Take away my cocaine addiction.” I no longer wanted that cocaine habit. I did not want to rob banks. “Please forgive me for robbing that bank.” I only wanted to be rid of all the wrongs. I wanted to be clean. I wanted to be free.
Sensing a glimmer of hope and with tears in my eyes, I cried out, “Jesus, come into my heart. Take away my cocaine addiction and give me a new life!”
I cried as the heavy burden of my sin disappeared forever. My body, spirit, and mind felt clean and pure. His love filled me with extreme hope for my life. His indwelling Spirit gave me the desire to live again. The emptiness and heaviness I had carried all my life were now gone. He made me realize I no longer needed cocaine to fill the desires of my heart. On July 3, 1997, Jesus Christ set me free from my addiction and gave me a ‘new life’. His life!
I now understood why the bank teller had been praying for me. This man had the love of Jesus Christ within his heart. Jesus placed an urgency in my spirit to tell the world about him. I wanted others to find Him. People needed to know who He was. As I stood there meditating on these thoughts I asked, “Jesus, what do you want me to do?”
An inner low voice replied, “Go back and tell those in prison about me.”
My worst fear had been spoken, and I could not help but hesitate for a few moments as I thought about the years I would be in prison. It was going to be very difficult going back, for not only did the thought of prison scare me, but I had my family to consider. I knew his request to return would take me away from my loved ones for a long time, but nothing else mattered in my life except following Jesus.
Realizing I had to follow my heart, I made my decision and said, “Yes, Jesus, I will go back!” But I pleaded, “I can’t do it alone. I will need you with me!” In spite of my fear, I was filled with an exciting anticipation for I knew I would be sharing my Redeemer with others.
As my heart calmed, I asked God if I could see my family one more time; his peace assured me I would be seeing them. Knowing I only wanted to exalt the name of Jesus Christ to others, I fell asleep with the greatest peace I had ever known.
On July 14th, I returned to Michigan to turn myself over to authorities for the bank robberies. On October 28, 1997, the judge quoted Romans 6:16 before sentencing me to 10-60 years for the bank robberies.
As a result of what God did in my life a number of years ago, many in prison have come to know Jesus Christ. As my journey continues, my God-given burden and vision is for genuine revival to spread throughout the prison system.
God is a God of second chances! I am living my second chance to reach others by uplifting the name of Jesus Christ. This is done through discipling, teaching and evangelizing as I push toward my goal of Christ-likeness by ’embracing the cross.’ I am a living testimony of God’s grace toward sinners, and no matter what type of dependency you have, there is hope for you!
Originally published in May 2006
