This is David’s first book, published on 11th February 2001. This date
being very signifcant as it was exactly 30 years to the day that his story hit
the Headline news in Aylesbury’s Bucks Herld News paper.
This is a true story of two brothers born in Oldham Lancashire, Michael
John Clarke (1946 and David Clarke (1949).
The story portrays a remarkable change that took place in the life of
David, on the night of 16th January 1970, when 20 years old, but left his
brother Michael untouched. David was miraculously converted to faith in Christ
when Jesus Christ actually spoke to him during a bad trip on LSD. His life was
changed dramatically overnight from a life of crime, drug taking and
promiscuity.
Both brothers influenced each other until this time (during the 50’s
& 60’s) which lead to David serving time in Dover Borstal and Michael a two
year prison sentence in Maidstone Prison for a charges of malicious wounding
and theft.
Their live paths changed from the night 16th January 1970. David turning
from his former life of crime to follow Jesus Christ, as best he could, whilst
Michael was left to go his own way.
The story speaks in detail of all the significant events in David’s life
from a child to the time of his conversion to Christ. Then his on going life,
of peculiar difficulties, in learning to follow Jesus Christ.
In Michael’s case he had a lifetime of petty crime as a youth, which
lead to two spells in Detention Centers, one Borstal sentence and then the
two-year prison sentence in Maidstone Prison.
Michael’s path took him through a broken engagement after going to
Gretna Green to get married to his 16-year old girl friend. This lead to work
at Butlins, as a Blue coat worker, (as a means of escape). He then lived in
Jersey in a tent. He later returned to Aylesbury from Jersey on a Chopper Motor
Bike he had made from an old Triumph 100. It had a sprung rear wheel a 500-cc
engine with a bronze cylinder head. The forks were racked and had beautiful
chrome wheels and Cissey bars. He then began to build Chopper Motor bikes
calling his business “Clarke’s Customs Special” working from KKs garage in
Aylesbury.
He later sold all his house and goods and move to Spain living on his 8
meter Bobcat Catamaran, seeking to live a life of ease and enjoyment in the sun
on the Mediterranean sea. After this his boat was smashed by a hurricane on the
rocks in Denier Harbour and he returned to England. He then married and had a
brief flamboyant life-style in business, eventually obtaining his Rolls Royce
and owning his own businesses, building two or three houses. This finally ended
company liquidation, depression and broken marriage.
His broken marriage lead him into various scams in Thailand and a life
of unusual living in Bangkok with his stories hitting National Newspapers.
Finally he takes the ideas he learned from Patiya, Bangkok to the Philippines
as a Travel Agent selling holidays where the main attraction was, “Adult
Pleasures for men only”. This hit international news and television. He is now
serving a 16-year prison sentence after being “set up” by a local headhunter in
the Philippines for a crime he did not commit. It was feared at one time that
he was going to get the death sentence for his crimes. He is now a broken man
in body and heath having no hope for the future.
The account of David’s life includes a detailed account of how Jesus
actually spoke to him that changed his life. It also includes many scriptural
quotations showing his experience is truly of God. This conversion involved a
court appearance confessing to 24 crimes, which hit the local news headlines
and a remarkable conditional discharge. He also found himself on the front page
when he sought to reach his old friends in crime through preaching. And again
in 1982 he found himself in the news when he was expelled from St. Albans Abbey
for staging a protest against a Roman Catholic Priest conducting mass, for the
first time in 400 years, in the Anglican Abbey.
He later speaks of events, which led him to doubt God and turn from God
in unbelief that led to a brief (about 2-3 years) spell of immoral living and
to divorce. As David the King committed murder and adultery and turned from his
sin finding mercy and grace in the sight of God so did this David and he too
can say, “ Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight”.
(Spa 51 4). It also could be said he became a “prodigal son” (Matth 15 .13).
However he turns again to God in repentance and is restored to faith in Jesus
Christ.
The thrust of the story is that God intervened in David’s life but his
brother Michael was left to himself. Had not God intervened in David’s life
where would he or they be today?
David is currently in contact with Michael in Muntinlupa City Prison in
the Philippines and David’s church is praying for him. It is believe God is
able to save Michael and give him hope for the future even though he has lived
a life far from God and is now serving a near life-sentence in an awful prison.
Stop Press: Michael has become a Christian and
was baptized on the 16th September 2000, in a 45-gallon oil drum in New Bilibid
Prison. See page 220.
The story is real, remarkable and demonstrates the Goodness and mercy of
God in saving one through Jesus Christ and the severity of God in leaving
another to him self. Now delivering a brand from the burning fire.
This story could be of real help to any one working with unruly, youths,
drug users, criminals, and manic-depressives.
It could be helpful for back slid den Christians and generally any one
interested in what Jesus Christ can do is doing and will continue to do for all
they who will believe the Gospel.
This is a message of hope and deliverance to all who feel they are at an
end of them selves and in need of God.
David and Michael (God willing) are available to talk of these things
freely to any one in need. See contact page 233
MA.
BA, Bch. FRCPsych. DPM
"Converted
on LSD Trip"
This
book, the personal testament of David Clarke, in in an autobiographical style.
It charts his life, which became one of criminality and drug taking though an
experience in 1970 of finding God whilst under the influence of LSD. Cynics may
say that this was just an effect of drugs, but it is clear that the experience
changed his life. Later when in court facing charges he admitted to many other
crimes and was fortunate in receiving three years conditional discharge and not
a prison sentence.
Since
then David has combined his work as a lecturer in electronics with his mission
of spreading the word of God. This is a scrupulously honest book recording both
the difficulties he has faced as well as the successes in his life since 1970.
A continuing worry is the fat of his brother, currently serving a long prison
sentence in a Philippine jail who himself has recently found God.
“This
is an inspiring story of a life that has been turned from crime to a positive
account and may be of help to others who find them selves directionless and
involved in crime and drug misuse”.
Dr.
Philip M. Fleming. MA. BA, Bch. FRCPsych. DPM.
Consultant
Psychiatrist with special responsibility for drugs and
alcohol services. Kingsway House is the base for these services in
Portsmouth. May 2001
David Clarke is currently a lecturer at Fareham College teaching
Electronic Servicing and has taught there since 1989.
Since leaving Borstal in 1968, he had a 3-year career of undetected
crime until 16th January 1970, when he experienced a Christian conversion
whilst suffering from the effects of LSD.
He trained as a lecturer at Wolverhampton Polytechnic and commenced
teaching at Luton College of Higher Education in 1978. He has taught hundreds
of students during his 21 years as a lecturer.
When moving to Fareham in 1990, David turned away from God in unbelief
and went through divorce and remarriage. However he returned to God in faith
and repentance and since 1994 he has spoken to many of his friends all about
what Jesus has done for him.
David believes it is now time to complete his students’ education. He
now wishes to make known to all his former friends and students and their
friends that his bad experience on LSD is nothing compared to the experience of
Hell. He wants to tell them all how they too might be saved through faith in
Jesus Christ.
Like Oscar Schindler and his list, all that were on that list were
saved, so too this David has a list of over 250 former students and friends who
he is seeking and will contact shortly. He wishes to persuade them to listen
and hear in full all that Jesus Christ has done for him and what he can do for
them. Many of his friends have found life difficult and gone through marriage
break ups, been made redundant and are without work. Some are without hope;
some in drink dry out centers. Some are ill and hopeless and some have died.
David conducted the funeral of John Sawyer of Titchfield in 1997, a student of
his who had no one left in the world to help in his death. The police only had
David’s name and telephone number written down by John to contact when he died.
David wishes to bring a message of hope to all his friends showing them Jesus
still saves today. David believes he has had a word of encouragement, from the
Lord, about this testimony it is:
“And
he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of fishes which
they had taken”: Luke 5 verse
New Bilibid Prison
(Maximum Compound) Muntinlupa City
“The Big House”
This is an amazing collection of life
giving testimonies of former convicted criminals housed in one of the largest
National Penitentiaries in the Far East
Some hardened criminals are struck
with fear when they learn their sentence is to be served in this jail. It
houses over 33,500 inmates, in three compounds. The Maximum, Medium and Minimum Compounds. The Maximum Compound houses
over 13,000 men in a most unique way, In this compound there are over 1200 “Death Convicts”, one of which is Alfred R. Nardo,
a “Trojan Warrior”. He was converted
from crime to Christ and scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on the 16th
October 2002. He is the Mayor of “Death
Row”. And is now a fisher of men, seeking to direct men to Christ and
freedom, which is the message of this book. His is the first of the 66 testimonies recorded for your
reading.
In October 2001, a Teacher Training
College was formed, from the original NBP Theological Institute, which was run
exclusively by reformed convicted criminals. Some of which are the most
notorious in the world. Some were murderers, killers, kidnappers, terrorist, drug
traffickers and rapists. They too have been converted from crime to Christ and this book contains their testimonies. This is
the fulfilment of the ancient prophecy; Rev. 12 verse 11: And they over came
him by the blood
of the lamb and the word of their testimony and they loved not their
lives unto the death.
