MARK

AUGUST 18
Ashland Oregon

My mentor and friend, [now] Petra Strickrod celebrated her last hours as Petra Noble the morning of her wedding day, a small group of us went to spend the afternoon in Ashland, Oregon, a hippy town near her home.

While on our way to grab coffee we walked through the park and passed a shirtless man playing guitar in the grass next to walk he called a 'love shrine." It was a collection of hearts and crosses but among the bible there was also books of Buddha and the Torah, etc. Surrounding the 'shrine' were pieces of paper with other peoples ideas of love written on it.

Curiosity caused us to stop and ask what inspired this 'shrine' and what he wanted to come of it. His name was Mark and he began to share his worldview with us, which was new age, about "how we are all 'God'" and "all ways lead to heaven." As he shared with us we each wrote out our idea of love on the papers, mine read, John 15:13, True love is sacrifice. Mark spoke about his spiritual encounters and even talked about how he had experienced Jesus, how Jesus held him in his arms while he wept, but he also talked about seeing other prophets of old and talking with them.

It caused me to realize that the enemy doesn't mind if we encounter God, as long as he can deceive us into believing that Jesus is just another 'spiritual experience' and not let us know that the truth is He is the only way.

Mark is deceived just enough that he will not do anything for the Kingdom.

PRAY that the Lord visited him in a new way and that Mark would begin to question his new age beliefs and find the truth of the cross, that Jesus is the only way to the Father.