I have a friend named Mark Antly… After College I lost track of him.
He is a VERY intelligent Guy! When I met him he was a Buddhist majoring in Philosophy and Physics. He attended his Buddhist temple regularly. He also sportingly wore a dashing reddish/orange linen scarf thing to help proclaim his Buddhism to the world. He enjoyed Helping folks “Find there way onto the path”. He was particularly fascinated with Chaos theory and was trying to link it with enlightenment so he could better understand the “Human Condition”. Specifically his…
We talked many times over lunch about faith, he with his veggie lunch and me with my Cardio Disaster Burger. The discussions were amazing examples of Cranial Overload!! He enjoyed teasing me by pointing out “how unbalanced with nature” I was. I liked reposting with statements like “Being perfectly balanced with nature profits you little, to nothing, if you don’t know and love the Living Creator of Nature.” Our discussion were like “Rockem Sockem Robots”, fun to watch, but meaningless. He meditated for the wisdom to show me a more balanced way. And I, travailed my eyes out for his “empty soul”.
One day, I saw him in the dorm lunch room passing out “Temple Pamphlets” requesting people to come visit his temple… You must understand I had been witnessing Jesus to almost every student there, for years, some of which, were teetering in the final decision to fallow Christ. I saw Holy Red! Mark (God love him) was “invading my turf”…
I walk up to him and asked “Can I see that?” he pealed off a Temple Pamphlet from the huge brick of them he was intending to distribute and held it out to me smiling in triumph. I reached out and took the Brick of pamphlets from his other hand instead and stomped off. I walked 5 stepped and slammed the entire thing into a particularly nasty trash bin. I then walked over to a table, pulled out a chair for him, and sat down in the other. I then waved me hand in a motion that requested he join me for a chat. Everyone in the cafeteria was silent with horror. Mark was awe struck and frozen in a desperate effort to “compute what just happened.” None of them had ever seen me that angry! Mark finally composed himself with all the Peace his tradition could muster and staggered up to me still clutching his, now crushed, remaining Pamphlet in his hand. I said “ please join me. “ He fell into the chair, outwardly calm, but inwardly. I could clearly see the storm raging inside him.
I told him if he “wants these souls he will have to take me first!”. He told me he was “just trying to help them start on the path to enlightenment.” I told him. he was “doing more harm to their “perfect enlightenment” then he could ever know.” He said “how could YOU know? You who have never tried the way of The Buddha!” That is when God Finally answered my prayers. Like a jolt of Lightning, I KNEW, the way to his heart was not thru his mind. I then said “Fine, I will go with you now to your temple, a will meditate with you in any fashion you like. I will even open my Heart Completely to any truth you can offer. Then, You will do the same, unto the living God, Jesus Christ, allowing me to lay hands on you. I give you my oath, as a Christian, If you are right, I will turn to Buddhism with all my heart and we will finish together that which you started here, today. BUT, if you are a genuine seeker of TRUTH as am I, you too, will be willing to Change all you are for Christ, if I am right? Are you up to the Challenge? Let’s see, once and for all, who has the divine spark…” You could here a pin drop… He picked up his jaw off the table and smiled in ecstatic victory and said “Fine let’s go!” There was a cheer from the other students that startled us both.
We when to his chosen place of meditation. There were no other Buddhist’s there. I thought I might be making God mad by fully participating in this situation and prayed silently on the way there. In a still small voice Jesus said to me “My grace is sufficient, do as he asked”… He preferred the lotus position. I could not bend my legs that way. As instructed, I sat with my legs crossed and placed my hands on my knees palms up. Mark started to chant and hum loudly, he paused and said “you must join me” I said “ok”. I then thru caution to the wind and hummed. Mark and I hummed for while and there was sort of a rhythm that began and I felt relaxed and “Kind of Groovy” feeling fall over me. We did this a while and Mark and I finally stopped.
He asked me what I experienced. I told him that I had in fact completely let myself go and that I could honestly see the appeal this experience had over him. I explained that I honestly experienced a really nice feeling of relaxation. I confessed I enjoyed sharing the experience with him.
Then I asked Mark if he was ready to “experience Jesus” as I know Him. I felt a warm shock of electric delight shoot down my spin as he agreed. He said that he could tell I was really honest about my mediation and asked “how should I sit for this?” I felt “The Veil” begin to suddenly thin and I shuttered as I felt goose bumps forming on my shoulders. I told him to sit any way he wished. He unfolded and sat there.
I began to worship Jesus out loud, with halleluiahs and Hosannas; just ushering in the presence of Glory. I asked Mark, “join me…” To my surprise he too started genuinely worshipping Jesus. I lead him to ask Jesus to show himself to him. He got up onto his knees and shouted “Lord Jesus come to me, I need The Truth! Please Jesus show me your Glory!” My hand found his forehead and I busted out worshipping Jesus in tongues! The power of God shot down my arm and into him Like I had NEVER felt before! His mouth drooped open and tears ran down his face! He began to shake and thru his hands in the air. (I remember this vividly because he accidentally scratched my face with a finger nail.) He wept and wept and even moaned once. He then drew in a breath and shouted Oh God! What must I do? I said “Just believe that Jesus died for you r sins and Repent, be baptized in His name and you shale receive His Spirit!
I lead him right there in a sinners prayer. I literally saw his shoulders drop as invisible weights fell off him. That’s when Jesus turned it up even MORE. I lifted him up to his feet and kept on worshipping out loud… He was shaking and worshipping tears flowing down his face. The Lord open my mouth and said “ I will fill you with my Spirit, NOW in this place, for YOU Marcus are my true temple not the this place made of stone and wood. RECEIVE MY SPIRIT!” A strong breeze hit the two of us and Mark’s halleluiahs suddenly changed into the tongues of Angels!!! Mark thru himself on to me in a hug and wept on my shoulder. The doors were shut in that place and to this day we never figured out how such a strong wind could have been a mere natural phenomenon.
As we left that place the head Buddhist guy drove up in his car. He saw Mark weeping and ask what was wrong. Mark stood in front of him pulled is key to the temple off his key ring and said “I just saw Jesus! and He has just shown me perfect enlightenment! I am His temple I have no need for you or this place anymore!” We drove to my church and baptized him in the "Name of Jesus Christ" late that afternoon. You guys should have seen the commotion at the Dorms, the fallowing day, when Mark showed up with a gold cross, not a red scarf around his neck...
Mark went back to that temple and won out of it many souls for Christ. Eventually, they got so sick of him, they had a judge put a restraining order on him to keep him away.
Last I heard from him Mark became an elementary math teacher at a public school somewhere. He still jokingly brags that when "He got the Holy Spirit, he also got the rushing mighty wind!"
And I an still a Christain…
He is a VERY intelligent Guy! When I met him he was a Buddhist majoring in Philosophy and Physics. He attended his Buddhist temple regularly. He also sportingly wore a dashing reddish/orange linen scarf thing to help proclaim his Buddhism to the world. He enjoyed Helping folks “Find there way onto the path”. He was particularly fascinated with Chaos theory and was trying to link it with enlightenment so he could better understand the “Human Condition”. Specifically his…
We talked many times over lunch about faith, he with his veggie lunch and me with my Cardio Disaster Burger. The discussions were amazing examples of Cranial Overload!! He enjoyed teasing me by pointing out “how unbalanced with nature” I was. I liked reposting with statements like “Being perfectly balanced with nature profits you little, to nothing, if you don’t know and love the Living Creator of Nature.” Our discussion were like “Rockem Sockem Robots”, fun to watch, but meaningless. He meditated for the wisdom to show me a more balanced way. And I, travailed my eyes out for his “empty soul”.
One day, I saw him in the dorm lunch room passing out “Temple Pamphlets” requesting people to come visit his temple… You must understand I had been witnessing Jesus to almost every student there, for years, some of which, were teetering in the final decision to fallow Christ. I saw Holy Red! Mark (God love him) was “invading my turf”…
I walk up to him and asked “Can I see that?” he pealed off a Temple Pamphlet from the huge brick of them he was intending to distribute and held it out to me smiling in triumph. I reached out and took the Brick of pamphlets from his other hand instead and stomped off. I walked 5 stepped and slammed the entire thing into a particularly nasty trash bin. I then walked over to a table, pulled out a chair for him, and sat down in the other. I then waved me hand in a motion that requested he join me for a chat. Everyone in the cafeteria was silent with horror. Mark was awe struck and frozen in a desperate effort to “compute what just happened.” None of them had ever seen me that angry! Mark finally composed himself with all the Peace his tradition could muster and staggered up to me still clutching his, now crushed, remaining Pamphlet in his hand. I said “ please join me. “ He fell into the chair, outwardly calm, but inwardly. I could clearly see the storm raging inside him.
I told him if he “wants these souls he will have to take me first!”. He told me he was “just trying to help them start on the path to enlightenment.” I told him. he was “doing more harm to their “perfect enlightenment” then he could ever know.” He said “how could YOU know? You who have never tried the way of The Buddha!” That is when God Finally answered my prayers. Like a jolt of Lightning, I KNEW, the way to his heart was not thru his mind. I then said “Fine, I will go with you now to your temple, a will meditate with you in any fashion you like. I will even open my Heart Completely to any truth you can offer. Then, You will do the same, unto the living God, Jesus Christ, allowing me to lay hands on you. I give you my oath, as a Christian, If you are right, I will turn to Buddhism with all my heart and we will finish together that which you started here, today. BUT, if you are a genuine seeker of TRUTH as am I, you too, will be willing to Change all you are for Christ, if I am right? Are you up to the Challenge? Let’s see, once and for all, who has the divine spark…” You could here a pin drop… He picked up his jaw off the table and smiled in ecstatic victory and said “Fine let’s go!” There was a cheer from the other students that startled us both.
We when to his chosen place of meditation. There were no other Buddhist’s there. I thought I might be making God mad by fully participating in this situation and prayed silently on the way there. In a still small voice Jesus said to me “My grace is sufficient, do as he asked”… He preferred the lotus position. I could not bend my legs that way. As instructed, I sat with my legs crossed and placed my hands on my knees palms up. Mark started to chant and hum loudly, he paused and said “you must join me” I said “ok”. I then thru caution to the wind and hummed. Mark and I hummed for while and there was sort of a rhythm that began and I felt relaxed and “Kind of Groovy” feeling fall over me. We did this a while and Mark and I finally stopped.
He asked me what I experienced. I told him that I had in fact completely let myself go and that I could honestly see the appeal this experience had over him. I explained that I honestly experienced a really nice feeling of relaxation. I confessed I enjoyed sharing the experience with him.
Then I asked Mark if he was ready to “experience Jesus” as I know Him. I felt a warm shock of electric delight shoot down my spin as he agreed. He said that he could tell I was really honest about my mediation and asked “how should I sit for this?” I felt “The Veil” begin to suddenly thin and I shuttered as I felt goose bumps forming on my shoulders. I told him to sit any way he wished. He unfolded and sat there.
I began to worship Jesus out loud, with halleluiahs and Hosannas; just ushering in the presence of Glory. I asked Mark, “join me…” To my surprise he too started genuinely worshipping Jesus. I lead him to ask Jesus to show himself to him. He got up onto his knees and shouted “Lord Jesus come to me, I need The Truth! Please Jesus show me your Glory!” My hand found his forehead and I busted out worshipping Jesus in tongues! The power of God shot down my arm and into him Like I had NEVER felt before! His mouth drooped open and tears ran down his face! He began to shake and thru his hands in the air. (I remember this vividly because he accidentally scratched my face with a finger nail.) He wept and wept and even moaned once. He then drew in a breath and shouted Oh God! What must I do? I said “Just believe that Jesus died for you r sins and Repent, be baptized in His name and you shale receive His Spirit!
I lead him right there in a sinners prayer. I literally saw his shoulders drop as invisible weights fell off him. That’s when Jesus turned it up even MORE. I lifted him up to his feet and kept on worshipping out loud… He was shaking and worshipping tears flowing down his face. The Lord open my mouth and said “ I will fill you with my Spirit, NOW in this place, for YOU Marcus are my true temple not the this place made of stone and wood. RECEIVE MY SPIRIT!” A strong breeze hit the two of us and Mark’s halleluiahs suddenly changed into the tongues of Angels!!! Mark thru himself on to me in a hug and wept on my shoulder. The doors were shut in that place and to this day we never figured out how such a strong wind could have been a mere natural phenomenon.
As we left that place the head Buddhist guy drove up in his car. He saw Mark weeping and ask what was wrong. Mark stood in front of him pulled is key to the temple off his key ring and said “I just saw Jesus! and He has just shown me perfect enlightenment! I am His temple I have no need for you or this place anymore!” We drove to my church and baptized him in the "Name of Jesus Christ" late that afternoon. You guys should have seen the commotion at the Dorms, the fallowing day, when Mark showed up with a gold cross, not a red scarf around his neck...
Mark went back to that temple and won out of it many souls for Christ. Eventually, they got so sick of him, they had a judge put a restraining order on him to keep him away.
Last I heard from him Mark became an elementary math teacher at a public school somewhere. He still jokingly brags that when "He got the Holy Spirit, he also got the rushing mighty wind!"
And I an still a Christain…
