3.0 The Story
This is a true story of two brothers born in Oldham Lancashire, Michael John Clarke (1947) 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 16 Th 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 Centres , 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 Aylsebury.
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 head-hunter 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 which 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”.(Psa 51 4) . It also could be said he became a “prodigal son” (Math 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: Micheal has become a Christian and was baptised 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 slidden 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 Micheal (God willing) are available to talk of these things freely to any one in need. See contact page 233.