I was born in June of 1947, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, into a middleclass family which consisted of my Mother, Father, an older brother and a younger sister.
On growing up, as a young boy, I was extremely ambitious, started a shoe shine business with a childhood friend, opened up my own darkroom developing photography business, then at the age of 12, built with a chum, a "closed circuit radio station" in my parents basement that was piped by wire into various houses in our neighborhood.
I had received commendations from certain agencies in the city for contributing to the welfare of young people, involving them in assisting me in the running and operation of this little neighborhood radio station. One thing that I had determined early in my life was the desire to become a radio announcer, a dream that eventually was fulfilled.
Although I was not a great scholastic in the school system, I was able to secure employment in one of the local Victoria Radio Stations in 1965, and embarked upon a professional career in Broadcasting. Having started in the business at an early age, I quickly made friends with other announcers at the station who were older than myself, when I say older, of legal drinking age, that was 21 in the mid-sixties.
Before long, in order to be part of the team, I found myself joining my new found buddies in the beer and lounges at the end of the working day. I realized that this "imbibing" in alcoholic beverage was now starting to become a pattern not only in my life, but in a wide-range of those that were in the Broadcasting Industry. It seemed that everyone I worked with, drank alcoholic beverages.
These were the days that pot and other drugs were also becoming the "in" thing to do. It didn't take me to long to get the hang of these other addictions. After a few drinks, everyone left for their homes for their wives or girl friends, while I, as a single young male ended up closing the bar, eventually this became a nightly occurrence.
While working at this Radio Station, I also worked for the local Television Station as an on-air personality, hosting a teen dance program among other duties. It was not long after I had gotten into television on a full time basis. I started the habits of not showing up for shift, to tired, too "hung over", the usual pattern for an alcoholic.
In 1972, I left Broadcasting temporarily, and branched out into management within the recording industry. This venture eventually ended up in the ditch with me following close behind. An Impaired Driving Conviction (driving while under the influence) was one of the rewards that I earned during these "foggy" days of my life. Then there was the sex. I took girls out during my teens, always trying and succeeding in sexual activity, both then and during my early days of broadcasting.
I didn't totally understand why, but came to the realization that I wasn't fulfilling my sexual desires. I always thought that something was wrong with me, "different", a desire that I continually battled, and that was that I had sexual desires for the male body. I had great difficulty trying to meet people of that persuasion, so found that I would make weekend jaunts over to Vancouver, B.C., a city where I found a couple of bars, along with after hour clubs for homosexuals.
I was not bold in seeking this kind of activity, in fact, I found that the only way I would have the nerve to journey into this forbidden territory was to get drunk. Alcohol was really starting to become a part of my life. My stint in the recording industry came to a halt in 1974 and I returned to Broadcasting, landing a job in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, on an FM Radio Station with one of the larger Edmonton Broadcast Companies.
I was hired by a man that really didn't want me at the radio station, it was my talent which I still had, that forced this man's hand, so to say. I knew however, that my time with this station would be coming to an end sooner or later, that's when I applied with a another station in a smaller British Columbia market.
It was about this time of my life that I had accepted my homosexuality and I didn't really care who knew about it. It was called "Coming Out". I quit this station because I felt that I was being targeted as what society called homosexuals "fags" or "queers", I didn't realize it at the time but paranoia from the drugs (Marijuana, acid, coke, you name it!) that I was now taking, was also controlling a lot of my responses, along with spirits of rejection.
I was brought up in a Protestant Church, the Salvation message was never taught in this church. They talked about Jesus, but there was never any talk about a "Personal" relationship with Jesus, in spite of this, I knew full well that somewhere in the Bible, that God forbid this lifestyle of homosexuality. It was at this stage of my life that I started to live the life of Cain, roaming here and there, unable to hold a job, going from city to city, no place to call home, staying in hostels, sleeping in stair wells, what ever I had in personal property, I had lost. This was a way of life that would last for over ten years.
In 1979, alone in my one room in a run down boarding house, I got down on my knees and prayed to God to forgive me for my sins, I then asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and to save me. I felt that something was different, but I couldn't explain it at that time. Not too long after this prayer, I found myself back in the same pattern, drinking, lusting, fornicating.
I eventually wound up back in Edmonton, staying at the Single Men's Hostel, this was in 1980, one Sunday there was a small bus on one of the local streets with Christians passing out pamphlets, asking the street people if they would like to come to Church, I said yes, before long we were on our way down to a Church on the South Side of Edmonton, during the end of the sermon, there was an alter call, I went forward, ended up going upstairs to there prayer room, down on my knees and prayed with a Christian man, asking God to forgive me for my sins, and asking Jesus Christ to come into my heart and save me.
I knew I had done this before, but I was of the belief that it didn't take the first time, all I knew was that I so desperately wanted this (gift of Salvation) and I wanted it now. Little did I realize then, but I would be going through this repenting again, asking Jesus Christ to save me several more times over the following years. I never realized it, but HE (Jesus Christ) heard me the first time in 1979, in my one room at that run-down boarding house, and HE came into my heart and saved me then.
I didn't understand, I didn't know. I never realized that the Lord had something else planned for me, but it would be a few more years of this kind of lifestyle before things would change. I now think of those days when I felt so unworthy of God. As I write this, the tears are flowing down my face. I never knew just how much Jesus loved me, me, a sinner, not worthy of HIM, not worthy of HIS LOVE, I finally realized just what HE did for me at Calvary. Oh how I thank Him and I Love Him!, I Love Jesus!, I Praise HIS Mighty Name.
It was 1985 that I arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia after a year of living in Seattle, Washington. I met a group of Christians that shared with me about "Deliverance" that Jesus Christ would deliver me of my addictions, my homosexuality, but not just now.
The time would be September 30th, 1987, this brother that I had met in Vancouver, drove out to Calgary where I was living at that time. We both drove in his Van down to a small little farm, located out on the Prairie, in northern Montana. That is where this Chicago Pastor name Win Worley would pray for me for almost an hour.
It was during that prayer session that I had been set free of demons of homosexuality, lust, fornication, alcohol addiction, drug addiction (just a note on my addiction to Marijuana, I Loved smoking pot, I smoked everyday, when I had the money to buy marijuana, I always had a ready supply on hand, when there was no money, I would get up about 4 o'clock in the morning and walk for miles and miles, from bar to bar, searching for "roaches" which bar patrons would toss away after smoking there joint. ("roaches" the remnants of a Marijuana cigarette) I would gather as many of these roaches in a little pill bottle, when the bottle was full, I would then make my way to some empty stairwell in a parking garage, take the pot out of the left over butts (roaches), roll them all together and smoke what would usually be an incredible joint and I Loved it! OH JESUS!, how are you ever going to set me free from this, because I enjoy the high soooooo much.
I knew it was wrong, after all, I was a born again Christian and here I was smoking my brains out with this junk and loving it. What I thought would be impossible for the Lord to do, was going to happen to me, because He Loves me so much, and HE heard my cries for help!) Many, many, in fact "Multitudes" of demons were cast out of me in the name of Jesus Christ (including those demons that convinced me that I could never live without smoking pot and getting high each and every day on that drug.) Hey! I have no need of that kind of high anymore, because I am Blessed with the "HIGH" of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Praise You Jesus, my King, my Deliverer, my Lord, my God! Oh what a happy day for me.
And oh how my life began to turn around. It all happen, little by little, bit by bit, a job, a vehicle, another job, back to the my home town, establishing myself in management in a transportation Company. I was a hell bound, homosexual, alcoholic, drug addict that the Lord Jesus Christ not only saved, but delivered. Praise You Jesus!
Am I all delivered now? NO!, there are a lot more of them critters (demons) that need to and will come out of me as I faithfully continue my Walk in Deliverance. As I reflect back upon my life, the Lord has shown me how demons entered my life at an early age, the ones that came down through my family line, (Generational Curses), as well as the involvements that I as a sinner brought upon myself. He showed me the curses that were upon me, one being the curse of the bastard, this hideous demon brings all his buddies with him, including demons of homosexuality, lust, perversion, and a hosts of others.
I now have the knowledge to break these curses and powers that have misdirected my life, through Jesus Christ our Deliverer. Sure, I still have temptations, but knowing that HE (Jesus) is there, and the information that the Lord has provided us, through His Word, about the Spiritual Battle today, and what lies ahead makes every moment of everyday so much easier to live. Jesus Christ has given us the "tools" that we can use to fight this Spiritual Battle on an on going basis.
It was a long road, but as I close in and see the "light at the end of the tunnel", I know and realize that Deliverance is not just an event, it is a "WALK", a Walk that I shall never stray from. I know in my heart that Jesus Christ had and has a plan for me, part of it, is the sharing of this testimony. Thank you Jesus! I Love you Lord Jesus! I give YOU all the Praise, all the Glory and all the Honour! Oh what an awesome God that we have. He saved a sinner like me, then set me free! Free indeed, Halleluhah! Halleluhah! to The KING of KINGS, LORD of LORDS, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!