For a couple of years prior to the elections of 1984, I had been asked by a number of people to run for the Office of Sheriff.  I was a Commander with the City of The Dalles and I was well-known from my activities in the community.  I worked hard, studied, trained and did my job well; I had good management skills.  I had my detractors, but many thought I would be a good Sheriff.

The citizens that urged me to run were very dissatisfied with the current Sheriff.  Many did not like how he was relating to the Rajneesh Cult in Southern Wasco County, they believed he was too lenient on them.  Some of those that approached me were genuinely afraid of the Rajneesh – they had been harassed and they felt threatened by them and their display of weapons on the ranch.  It wasn’t the religion they feared; it was the attitude of those in authority in the sect.

He, like a lot of elected officials, had been hood winked by the sect and because of his lack of experience he didn’t know how to address some of the problems.  They saw that and took advantage of it.

    Early in his term he had taken some bad advice from some of the supervisors and made some decisions in other areas that hurt his and the Office’s credibility.

    There was some very good law enforcement deputies in the Office, but several were less concerned with doing the work and more concerned with getting a paycheck.  Unfortunately, some of these were in key positions and they became the anchor that pulled him down.

Personally, I liked the man, I felt he was honorable and doing his best to run the Office, however, I also felt he was in over his head.  I felt that discipline was lacking within the Office and that I could help bring a more professional demeanor to the Office.

    His background was as an engineer – and from all I hear he was good at it.  He had been a Reserve Deputy but had no real law enforcement or administrative experience.  Many of his deputies took advantage of that and it resulted in some things happening that were not good.

    It was a direct result of his election four years before and some of the decisions made by him – at the advice of his key people – that an Oregon law was passed that required a Sheriff must qualify for the office with at least 2 years of full-time experience and a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, or 4 years of full-time experience if he didn’t have it.

    While it didn’t guarantee the Office would be more professionally run, the Sheriff would at least have an understanding of what law enforcement was all about.

    At one point there had been a move on to recall the man and I was asked if I would accept the office if he was recalled.  I said no.  From what I could see what he was doing was not worthy of a recall process.  I am not sure how many others were approached, but I do know that after discussion they decided not to follow through on the recall.  A recall takes time and the general election was coming up in a few months; it just wasn’t worthwhile.

    The Wasco County election process in 1984 was a year of challenge and intrigue for everyone, especially the County Clerk’s office.  But even before 1984 there was a vote on the Antelope Ballot that created stir around the county and the state and portend the intrigued and battle that was to come.

Next we will discuss Antelope:

Philippians 1:28-30 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

²⁹ For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

³⁰ Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;"

And suffer is exactly what is happening to millions of Christians throughout the world. 

For fifty years, ever since I accepted Christ, I have heard and read about the ‘end times.’  I have heard that Jesus Christ is coming back, soon!

I have heard that the Christians will be lifted up before the time of tribulations, and I have heard that we will suffer through it.

Nothing written in God’s Word is unimportant.  God chose to have people write what He wanted said to His people, both the Jews and the rest of us.  I realize and don’t minimize that fact.

However, I have not studied that much about the last days and the Second Coming of Christ.  While it IS important to the Church, there are a lot of things in the Bible that are also important.  My focus has always been that we could be called home at any time, we are not promised tomorrow.

I have seen lives snuffed out in a moment from horrendous accidents.  These people were living one moment without considering death or even injury, and they were killed the next.  To these people it was their last day.

So, to me, it is important to send that message out – I let the scholars and theologians try and approximate when Christ’s physical Second Coming will occur.

Right now, if you were to ask many of those that are going through terrible persecutions around the world if they believe they are in the time of tribulation, I imagine many would say if they aren’t then it is close – and it will get worse if Christ doesn’t take them out of the situation.

And I believe that there were many times in years past that Christians were saying the same thing.  But our concern is now and the near future.

Yet, despite all of the turmoil around the world, God’s Church is still growing.  Despite all the torment and persecution; despite having to worship in secret, people are still being touched and risking their lives for God.  Just as they have for thousands of years.

Around the world governments are either outright condemning Christians, the Bride of Christ – and God’s Chosen People, the Jews – for their beliefs, or allowing and encouraging their citizens to persecute them.

Suffering comes in many forms, and to some degree we have all suffered, at times, for our stand for Christ.  Even in America we have had Christians suffer loss of livelihood, loss of jobs and homes and even injury and death for their stand for Christ.

Most of us here in America, though, are hit with ridicule and derision and we are afraid of that – and unfortunately, many will not speak of their faith because of it.  We don’t want to be embarrassed!  Is it as bad as what is happening elsewhere in the world, absolutely not, but it is a form of suffering.

We don’t have to stand on a street corner, we don’t have to challenge everyone we meet, we don’t have to point at sinners and tell them they are going to hell, but, we do have to proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ even if it means people will turn their backs on us – or worse.

I have a good friend, Jon, who used to work in a construction job where dirty jokes and obscene comments are often the demonstration of one’s manhood.  If you didn’t participate you were a target of their pranks and derision.

This friend was and is a solid Christian.  He didn’t exclude himself from the rest of the men; he didn’t chastise them for their language and stories.  Yet, the culture of the workplace around him was changed because of his stand for Christ.

He was a good employee.  He did his job well and his work was never in question.  His co-workers knew they could count on his experience and that he would go out of his way to help them.

He was respected for his work ethic and willingness to help others.  It gave him status.

He never cussed.  It wasn’t long before the men realized that and didn’t cuss around him.

He didn’t drink alcohol and eventually the men understood and respected that fact – of course another sign of manhood for many of these men was how much you could drink and still stand up – they didn’t require that ‘test’ of him.

He never laughed at the stories.  A short time after one was told, he told his own – clean stories – since he had a good sense of humor his stories were usually better and well received.  He didn’t try to embarrass the story tellers or ‘forcefully’ challenge the vulgarity, but challenged he did – quietly, and it wasn’t long before they didn’t tell stories around him.

They saw that something was different about him and when they talked to him he never shied away from talking about Jesus.

Yes, there were those, through the years, that would challenge him and deliberately do all they could to make him suffer – but he continued his stand for Jesus.  Sometimes co-workers would also stand up for him and tell the bully to back off.

If he was asked how many of his co-workers he influenced he would say he didn’t know, a couple came to Christ – but he doesn’t know how many others, at a later date, accepted Him.

Jon didn’t preach, he just WAS; and the Holy Spirit used him.

When we serve God, no matter where, there will be an attack on us.  We are in a spiritual war and satan doesn’t like losing a battle; but, neither does God.  WE may feel we lost a battle and it may indeed look like it, but it made a difference to someone, if only ourselves to learn that we could fight.

Christ suffered, the Apostles suffered, Christians throughout the ages have suffered and died that you and I can hear about Christ and accept Him as our Savior.

Right now, Christians are suffering from many forms of abuse, and they still stand for Christ.

We need to pray for those that are in desperate straits around the world.  We need to not let them down by allowing our suffering to keep us from standing for God.

Many of you reading this are Americans and it is to you I address this comment:  Don’t water down the Gospel, don’t let a fear of what will happen when you tell others about Jesus, stop you from taking a stand for Christ.  You will be threatened, you might even be physically assaulted, but Christ and the rest of the world need you to stand for Christ and not let Him – and them - down.

America, at one time, was a shining example of what people, dedicated to God, could accomplish.  Out of complacency, out of a desire for a life that is not challenging, out of fear of ridicule, out of refusal to BE a follower of Christ, we have let our predecessor’s down. 

We need to see what is happening in our world, and turn in love, trust and hope to God for His Compassion and Grace to once again help this country, this world.

Let us pray, believe and act as if we can rebound and have a true spiritual reawakening – we need a revival, we NEED God.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again