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The origin of this term comes from the book of Acts:9; it is the account of the apostle
Paul's conversion.
| A trip from the dark to the light. |
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| Platform at Victoria Pk. Subway station. |
On this page I am going to share my personal Road to Damascus
story with you.
I was raised to think of myself as a Christian: the working
class schools I attended had religious classes for both Anglican, and Catholic. Beside Sunday School, the only religious
observance at home was fish on Friday: yet, I never questioned what I did learn about the Christian God, until the 60's revolution
announced that "God is dead!"
What a smack in the face: everything I held sacred was being taken away; there was no Santa Clause;
living happy ever after was a lie; was it possible that Almighty God was dead?
The great test of faith, which I didn't realize at the time, was discovering my firstborn son
had an inoperable brain tumor. Though I lived in denial of the outcome, I devoured books on the afterlife; I couldn't
give that up. My search led me into the occult, and New Age Spirituality, which I used
to shape my future.
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| In the hippy days of '72, Christian converts were tagged Jesus Freaks. |
My first encounter with Christians who were living by
the standards of the first century church, was at an outdoor rock concert held at AYC--that's the Alliston Youth Centre I
was involved in--they were so blissfully happy we assumed they had eaten Alice B. Toklas brownies, or something.
We were invited to their home for a meal,
and prayed over; but the one thing they didn't answer to my satisfaction was my queries about
how they got saved.I expected some great road to Damascus stories; none had an awe inspiring tale. They left something in my heart though; when I returned to the city, I
found myself reading the Bible; from cover to cover, for the first time.
By '91 I had done everything in my power to make life a success, but it all failed. The Gulf Crisis
that summer had me expressing my anxiety in a painting. As it progressed, I kept hearing a voice in my head say, "For
those who have ears to hear." Almost right away I recalled Jesus said it. What I saw unfolding on CNN triggered
flashes of biblical prophecy.
A new study for truth began. By late October I was desperate: with a week to find an
affordable place to live, the old crippling anxiety of the hunt was upon me; I made a deal with God! I needed
proof for myself that he was real.
I asked for a place I could afford, in Toronto's Beaches area; with the key in my hand before
the week was up. In return I would never doubt his existence again. I stood a week later, with the key in my hand to
a place at Kingston & Bingham; it had just been reduced by a hundred dollars.
I was contemplating brushing it off as coincidence, when I dinstinctly heard a male voice remind
me, "It's your turn: you promised." That's all I needed. Suddenly I realized my quest for truth took me to
the very throne of Almighty God, and he actually spoke to me! Ofcourse, some people think I'm losing it now, but I don't
care; my faith in the Lord is the only thing that gives me peace of mind.
NEXT >>
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