My visitation with those Youth Groups was my last contact with the Ranch.  When my son was Youth Pastor of Life in Christ Center, he would take his Youth Group to the ranch for a winter retreat – he speaks very highly of what he and his young congregation experienced.

I still see, from time to time, articles and documentaries about the Rajneesh in Oregon – while there is some facts that are correct, there is always a lot of misinformation on those programs.

It is, however, part of the history of Wasco County.  It is a part that, even thirty years later, brings a lot of pain to thousands of residents who suffered through those years when they think about it.

I have been asked if I have any souvenirs from those times.  I do not. 

To have taken something – without permission of those who owned it - would have been theft.  For many of them, it was also a time of betrayal and heart break, I wouldn’t think of adding to their pain by asking for something to remember the ranch by.

My mindset was that I was the Sheriff, Chief Law Enforcement Officer for the County.  Those things I did, while some I have to admit did please me, were professional, not personal.  To have taken something as a souvenir would have diminished, in my mind, my role in those trying times.

For now, that is the end of my tale.  I have been asked if I am going to put this into a book.  I am thinking about it.

I have wanted to get this in writing for some time.  More for my own benefit of writing about it and so my children and grandchildren will have it as part of their history, than anything else.

To put it into book form will take a great deal more time.  As I wrote these stories, some of what I wrote earlier has been modified to a degree, so that will have to be fixed.

While my memory serves me fairly well, there are a few things I may need to verify.  I have used very few names, I am wondering if that is okay, or should I identify the people in a book.  Their identity, for the most part, is really not pertinent, to me anyway, but I don’t know about how publishers or potential readers might feel.

Then ----- editing -- as you can tell I don’t edit my own writing very well.  I am estimating that I have written over 60,000 words in telling the story.  However, I want it to be in my words and style – not sure that will interest anyone else.

Thank you for walking with me this far as I told my story.  If you have thoughts or questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

2 Chronicles 14:9-12 And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.

¹⁰ Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

¹¹ And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee.

¹² So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.

Asa was attacked by an army that was much large than his; most of the time the battles of old were won by weight of force.

The more men you have, the more men you could lose and if you had a greater number you ended up with more alive and thus win the battle.

There were many variables, however, position of battle – the high ground was usually the best ground.

Types of weaponry, those that had mechanical weapons that enable them to strike at a greater distance were able to kill before the enemy could reach their battle lines.

Commanders who were able to lead and inspire their soldiers were often able to overcome greater forces.

The ability of the commanders to plan and put into practice their knowledge of battle was a big issue, the veteran over the novice made a difference.

Where the battle took place, an invading army rarely had the resolve of an army defending its homeland and its people.

Skill of soldiers, the better trained were more able to stand together forming a more cohesive team.

Spies were an element that gave information to the countries.  It could determine the course of battle.

Revenge, anger, fear, desperation, desire to attain riches or land or power, all had an impact on the opposing forces.

But the children of God – the Israelites and then the Jewish country of Judah against even the Israel for a time – who bowed before God and worshiped Him had a ‘Secret’ ally, a secret weapon that could protect them.

it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us,

Asa was asking for help in a battle with the Ethiopians; but his prayer is valid for all of us – whether with many or with them that have no power; help us.

There has been many times in my life that I felt surrounded by the enemy, unequipped and unprepared to do battle.  I wanted to hunker down and let life sweep over me.  I didn’t want to fight and I didn’t have the stamina to run.  I just wanted to crawl into a hole and hope it would blow over.

For a time I would forget that I had but to ask God to take charge, when I finally did ask Him, things happened.  Not necessarily a victory in of itself, but a change and strengthening within me to face what needed to be faced and do what needed to be done.

Every single day – and sometimes every hour, every moment of the day – we battle satan.  We may not recognize the enemy as he disguises himself in many things.  It could be in using a co-worker’s attitude to get to us; a machine that will not operate correctly and seems to defy our abilities, little things to try our patience and frustrate us.

Whether large of small the trials of a day can impact our relationship with God.  If we continue to let it, we start pulling away from Him.  Any stumbling block satan can make us trip over is a victory for him; especially if others see our retreat, even to a small degree, and it impacts our testimony to them.

Even the mundane can be a stumbling block for many of us.  We get used to doing things and pretty soon we do it without thinking, there is no meaning in what we do, we just do.

The story of a stone mason comes to mind. 

The church had decided they needed a new building and the design was of a grand sanctuary.  When asked what they were doing, a carpenter said, “I, am making a frame.”   Another said, “I am making doors.”

When each worker was asked that question it was basically the same answer, whatever they were working on is what they were doing.

The question was asked of a stone mason, with a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face he said, “I am building a great cathedral.”

Each was doing something, minor, doing something they did every day and they forgot what the reason was, what was important; only the stone mason knew what the result of his daily grind was all about.

Most of you reading this have or had jobs that were challenging, in as much as you did not do the same thing day in and day out.

When I worked for a grocery store, I could tell you how my day was going to go, with little variance.  One day I would order stock, another day I helped stock shelves, on certain days I was in charge of closing out the till and locking up.

It was the same, week in and week out.  I could even tell you what customers would be coming through the door, when they would come and what they would buy.

I could do the work in my sleep – so to speak.  I worked to get the job done, the bigger picture of a store making a profit, feeding the citizens, having the best produce and meat departments, having a good selection of merchandise for them I rarely thought about.

The danger of living that way is complacency.  It can happen in our life for Christ.

This day we go to church, this day we have this outreach, this day we get together for a fellowship breakfast, etc.

We pray before we eat, we read the Bible, we pray for others.

NONE of that is bad; what can happen though is that we do it just because it is what we do; the challenge is no longer there.  Satan has stolen our joy little by little until we are like a robot, doing things without a mindful purpose – we forget why we are doing something and just do it, when that happens we lose focus and purpose in our life - it is a small battle that God can help us overcome.  

For us, as Christians, it doesn’t matter if the battle we wage is against an empowered enemy who can whisk us aside with one sweep of its ‘arm,’ or a feeling of despair or discouragement, or a mundane lifestyle that seem devoid of joy – God is capable of helping us.  Indeed, He wants to help us.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

The key is to take time to be with Him.  Not asking that He ‘do’ something, but just being in His presence.  Letting the grace of God through His Holy Spirit blanket us with His Love.

Even trying to be in His presence we may have to do battle, satan knows that when we have this kind of time with God we become a great warrior against him – so he will try and interfere with that time.

He will try and distract us with thoughts, with noises, with people demanding our time.  With the pace of the day making us feel like we don’t have the time to get things done, especially just to sit quietly before God.

He tell us these things must be accomplished, we have to get them done – now.  God understands and will wait for us to come to Him another day, satan tells us.  He knows if he can disrupt this time and make us believe it is not as important as other things we must do, then we will falter.

Let us take time, each day, to be with God, to allow Him to quiet our hearts and minds.  Take time to read from His Word so we can understand His heart.  Take time to just ‘be’ with Him. 

Then, we shall go forth and conquer.  “it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us,”

Later, Art :-)

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

Back to the ranch.  I don’t recall just when it occurred, but there was a wildfire in south county that covered tens of thousands of acres – it passed through the ranch area.  It burned the compound of the Rajneesh and a bit more before continuing on its journey.  The bulk of the buildings remained untouched.

Eventually Washington donated the camp to a Christian Organization called Young Life Ministries; their base is in Seattle, although they have camps all over the northwest.

They focus on being an outreach for young people in the large cities.  The county allowed them to use the camp, but have restricted occupancy to a little over 1000 people (I think it is around 1500) at any given time.

They have temporary help from volunteers.  Some come for a year, others for a few weeks and others that bring their groups down and help with preparing food, etc. for them.

There have been groups that went down to help and some individuals that have taken root and live in their RV’s as they do volunteer work.

Washington has donated millions of dollars to the rebuilding and upkeep of the property.  The camp has been named in his honor, it is now call the Washington Young Life Camp.

While it purpose is to serve its own needs, during the summer, it also opens the property up to other organizations.  It quietly goes about its business and except for the busses coming and going, is hardly noticeable.

My grandson and I took a road trip about 7 years ago, I took him down to the ranch.  We stayed on the main road and talked to a couple of the workers.  They were volunteers.  Most of the ranch was quiet.

The buildings looked to be in better repair.  The first thing I noticed, however, was that many of the signs and posts the Rajneesh had erected were gone.  I could still tell were most had been, but only because I had seen them there.

To a person coming into the ranch proper where the buildings are, the only real sign that it had been owned by the Rajneesh was the two doves on the dam.

My last trip to the ranch was about 5 years ago.  During the summer many churches send their youth to another area to help missionaries for a short time. 

Someone came up with the idea that The Dalles should be treated as a Missionary field.  Several youth groups from area churches came together to do just that.  I don’t recall all they did, but they worked in the community.

One of the local ranchers (who is also a physician at the hospital) opened up his grounds so housing, restrooms, shower areas, food areas, etc. could be set up.   The kids would work in the community then come back to the ranch to bond together, etc.

The first week though, was to be a history lesson of the area.  Since their focus was to be on missions, they did not go home at night. 

I was asked to come in one of those evenings and give a ‘15’ minute talk on the Rajneesh.  It turned into about an hour or so discourse and questions and answers.

Bright and early the next morning I met with the group, we were going to take a pre-arranged tour of the ranch.  The kids were still eating when I got there; they were running a tad late.

Just before we got into the two vans taking us down, I told them to think about how long it was going to take to get there – to especially consider the time on the county roads that were just gravel.

We left Antelope and a couple of miles further we turned onto the county road – gravel – that led south.  We came to the narrow county road leading down to the ranch; much to my surprise it had been paved by the Center.

We met up with our tour guide.  I helped him fill some holes in the history of the ranch and gave him some more information as to what occurred.  He told us they don’t talk much about the Rajneesh when they give tours, preferring to focus on what the ranch stands for now.

The downtown mall area has been turned into dormitories for volunteers that come in.  There is an area for those that are just there for a short time, and some set aside for those that come for a year.  There are also quarters for those that are married.

Most of the activity takes place in the area that used to be Jesus Grove, the hotel and the ‘green house.’  They have a large cafeteria where food is served family style.  In that building there is also a large laundry room.

Volunteers, from the groups that come down, and usually appointed ahead of time, do the bulk of the work their group creates as they are supervised by staff.

The hotel has been turned into a dormitory for the groups coming in – the leaders of those groups are responsible for their charges.

They moved the visitor’s center from the south part of the ‘city’ which was across from the Fire hall, to the activity compound and use it for an intake center for the kids to check in as they arrive.

The “green house” has been turned into an indoor activity center.  The floor is now wood and several basketball courts as well as an indoor skate board area has been set up.  There is still quite a bit of room left that hasn’t been designated yet and was being used for storage when we were down there.

The Young Life people have done an amazing job of turning the ranch into a Christian retreat. 

Ephesians 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Everywhere we look there are terms and utterances, examples and innuendos that are being used that would never have been acceptable 10 years ago.  Too many of us are being caught up in it without thinking.

While I don’t use swear words, I do use substitutes – which, as I think about it, may not be as offensive, but a substitute is just a word in place of.....

In the past few months I have become more and more aware of my tendency to use exclamations that are indeed offensive, when I think about it.

The world seems to be more and more ‘mean’ spirited as the anonymity of the social media allows people to make rude and obscene comments without any censor, self or otherwise.

All you have to do is get a code name for the account and no one knows who is saying these things.  The prior restriction of not wanting to say something that might come back to someone, or at least be attributed to them is literally non-existent. 

Now, whether it is true or not people can pass along information with a few clicks of an electronic device.  Others pick it up and spread it to others and pretty soon it is being viewed as the ‘truth.’

Kids are being terrorized by classmates as they post comments about them, anything from looks to out and out lies about their moral character are being sent across the internet.

Kids take these to heart, they need to be part of the system if they hope to be part of their world – and the system lets them down, destroying their sense of safety and well-being.

We have lost the spirit of civility and replaced it with speech that is hateful.  If you disagree with someone and try to make a statement as to why you believe what you believe, it is labeled hate speech and then true hate speech is directed at you.

It is becoming more and more difficult to have an honest conversation between people that disagree. 

Some go too far the other way.  Some people think that any criticism is too much.  Everything is said and done so the person doesn’t feel bad about themselves.  In their desire to encourage and build esteem, these actors actually diminish it.

What is okay for a two year old as you encourage them to learn and try is not okay for other age groups.  Instead of being more critical and pointing out what needs to be corrected as the child grows into an adult, the world is using the same mentality.  If we don’t allow our children to grow with corrections and disciplines that take into account what their age is, then they remain a two year old.

The world is either allowing hate filled comments, or allowing statements that may make the speaker feel better, but does nothing to improve the conduct and vitality of those he is trying to help.  Neither is productive.

In an effort to make those people who do not have skills, who are not really trying, too many are demanding that those that do have the skills and give their all to be successful should not be recognized – it makes the others feel bad.

And of course it takes away incentives to improve – when mediocracy is acceptable, too many will use that as how they should perform. 

While I am sure it is taken somewhat out of context, at least one ‘educator’ has said it isn’t fair that those children whose parents read to them have an advantage over those that do not get read to; parents who read to their children should ‘think about that.’

What?  It is okay to over praise, but not okay to actively help your child achieve?  While many have condemn that opinion, too many have said, yes that is right, they shouldn’t have that advantage.  Then let’s make sure the parents who don’t read to their child DO; not tear down those that read, trying to make them feel bad about themselves.

We want to give people encouragement.  We want to see people succeed.  We want people to learn and expand their abilities.

To do that we must also be willing to tell them when they are not doing what they should be doing.  Tell them that their activity, while maybe lawful, is not acceptable to God.

We need to take care in what we say, how we teach or instruct.  We must use our communications to assist them, not destroy them.  But at the same time, we must not be afraid to evaluate them and explain what they are doing wrong and how it can be done better.

And we can do that while obeying the commands in this verse.  We need to take the time to formulate our thoughts so when we speak it comes out as a means help a person improve.

When we start focusing on how God wants us to act and speak, we can be better examples to others as a person that has Christ within us.

The world is full of hate; we can help it tone down by being committed to Christ.  When we speak from a heart that is dedicated to God, we speak with love that is felt by the recipient.

Later, Art :-)

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

The setting was beautiful.  Incased in a ‘grove’ of the spindly rock formations prevalent in the area, was the funeral pyre and a large grassy hill.  The formations towered over the scene by over a hundred feet. 

The funeral pyre was enclosed in a Plexiglas wall several feet high; there was a small entrance on the southwest side.  Directly over the pyre, maybe 2’ X 3’ above the pyre, was a chimney.  It was wide at the bottom, and narrowed down to just a foot or two at the top; a good 20’-30’ feet tall.

It was made of a brown metal, matching the color of the rocks with a lighter brown metal holding the corners together.  It was a good match for the surrounding area.

The pyre itself was about 2’ high X 10’ long and X 6’ wide.  It was made of cinder block and a heavy meshed metal screen over the top – it reminded me of a large barbecue pit.  Inside were tubes and gas jets.  There was a walkway around the base of the pit – if I recall correctly it was concrete.  The Plexiglas wall was about 2 – 3 feet away from the pit on all sides.

To the east of the pit was a bunker with eye slits at the height of the pyre.

We went around to see what the insides looked like.  It was the ‘control room’ of course.  There the slits were at eye level, about 5 – 6 feet from the ground. There were a few dials and knobs on the wall facing the pyre.  The one dial showed a temperature range of up to 2500 degrees.

The Fire Chief said that would be about right for an outside pyre.  The fuel for the fire was propane, although all tanks had been removed. 

On the rock formations were small ledges, I have been told that the Rajneesh sat on the grassy hill and on these ledges during the singing, dancing and other actions as bodies were cremated.

Afterwards we left, had lunch in Shaniko and headed on home.

The one thing that really astonished me was there had been no vandalism.  Building and grounds were starting to deteriorate, but no one had come down and tried to break things.  The locals were glad to see the Rajneesh gone, but weren’t interested in committing the criminal actions of vandalism.

At first Washington tried to give the ranch to the State of Oregon, but they refused to accept it; it would cost money to renovate and keep up.  The people living around the ranch were skeptical and concerned.  They didn’t know what he planned to do and some were afraid he may sell it to another cult.

While he was making a decision as to what to do, he had a caretaker live in the farm house with his family.  A young man from a local ranching family he did the best he could to keep things in order.

This was not my last trip down to the ranch.  The Dalles Chamber of Commerce sponsored a leadership class for area business people; I was a member of that first class.

The Chamber Director had lived in Maupin for a lot of her life.  Her father was the person in charge of the local mills down there.

Part of her curriculum was to expose the business people of The Dalles to the other areas and communities in Wasco County.  The field trip through some of these smaller communities in the county included a visit to the Ranch – I was the tour guide for several of these classes.

When we started out either the Director or I asked how many of the people had been to Dufur – about 16 miles south of The Dalles a few raised their hands – when asked how many had gone farther south there was only one or two hands raised.

The Director wanted them to see there was more to Wasco County than The Dalles – and reminded them that they had customers that came up from these areas to conduct their business in The Dalles.

I was surprised that so many had never gone down there.  Of course I had been there several times including being a supervisor in the boys’ dorm, and clerking among other things at the County Fair in Tygh Valley.

I had enjoyed this area, and its people, long before I decided to run for Sheriff.

If I had given it some thought, though, I would have realized that Wasco County wasn’t much different than other areas.  The people in the larger communities often don’t get out and around to the rural areas.  They focus on their life in the city and forget there is more country out there.

I have always admired the fortitude and strength of those that live off the land.  They work hard, they get their hands dirty, they speak their minds and for the most part they are good people.  They contribute to the community and endure what many other businessmen would close shop over.

As I write I am reminded of a breakfast meeting for the Chamber of Commerce.  Several of us would meet each week and discuss the bills that were being considered by the State legislature.

On this particular morning a bank president came in, obviously tired.  He had purchased a home that was built next to a Cherry Orchard.  He was complaining because the Grower had been out at about 0230 spraying his orchard that morning and had been working out there for over a week getting his orchard ready.

Farming can be noisy, particularly when everything else has been quieted down.

I laughed and told him that he might take a look at how many orchardists had accounts in his bank – putting money in them while working those long hours starting at 0230.  He looked at me, and that was the end of his complaining.  Most of the orchardist banked at his institution.

Psalm 103:17-18 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

¹⁸ To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Not doing real well today, in A-fib and just funky, but I know that the mercy of God is still here.

We may not know why God doesn’t just ‘do’ something, but we do know that in His mercy we can rest assured that He is here with us.

Later, Art :-)

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

After a couple years of trying to find a buyer the mortgage company sold it to a man named Dennis Washington, a wealthy industrialist from Montana, in the early 1990’s. 

The report of the sale had been posted in the local paper.  Not sure just how it started but four of us, The Dalles Fire Chief, our Personnel Director, our Communications Director and I decided to go down the day he took possession.

We arrived mid-morning and made contact with some employees of Washington.  I asked if they minded if we looked around.  They said, no go ahead.

They weren’t sure why their boss bought the ranch they said that he had purchased another cult’s property in Montana a few years before – “I guess he just likes buying cult property.”

None of us had thought to bring along a camera; but it is still, a good 20-25 years later, pretty clear in my mind.

First, we explored the “Jesus Grove” housing where Sheila and her closest captains resided.  This was modular housing.  Several units had been put together, in a hub, to form the unit.

Most of the rooms were empty, but the round bed that Sheila used was still there.  She used to plan her nefarious schemes sitting there.  I remember thinking that it was probably one item that none of the followers wanted anything to do with, even to destroy it.

She had an escape tunnel into a small ditch.  The tunnel was about 10 -15 feet long as I recall and about 4 feet in diameter.  It was a corrugated drainage pipe.  The bottom had a floor about two feet wide made of wood with a rug covering it.

The two directors’ couldn’t wait to check it out.  I let them get about halfway, when I told them to look closely at the rug, you never know how many bodies were pulled through there.

They stopped and looked back at my smiling face, and continued.  As they got close to the outside covering, I reminded them they should be watching out for rattle snakes – that grew a tad bit more concern, but, like curious cats they HAD to go on, they opened it up to see the ditch it led into on the other side.  No snakes.

We continued our self-guided tour and went into the Bhagwan’s complex.  It was empty.  His housing, again modular units, included a stainless steel emergency room where the doctor could take care of almost any problem.

He had a large swimming pool in a section.  There were several garages that once housed his Rolls Royces.  Other than that there wasn’t much to it.

The complex, ten acres +/- if I recall correctly, was fully enclosed by a deer proof (8 -10 feet high) fence.  The grounds around the garages were graveled.  There was a lot of open space between the complex and most of the fencing.

We went over to the large ‘green house,’ turned meeting arena.  The south doors were open and we went inside.  It was a massive building.  Dominant were the stage where Bhagwan gave his lectures and a full wall of window at the north end. 

The landscape, through that well placed window, was the beautiful natural and rugged stone columns, brown and yellow.  Beyond was a glimpse of the John Day River area.

As we walked around inside, the Fire Chief noted that they sprinkler system was up to code. 

The grounds of the property were returning to the native grass and weeds.  We drove north on the road and saw where the Rajneesh had grown grapes and a medium sized barn.

We then drove through the downtown area.  Everything was closed up and empty.  The book store, where there used to be a few articles of clothing sold and lots of books and paraphernalia with Bhagwan’s picture on everything, was now empty with some overturned furnishings. 

Driving on through the ‘city’ and into the back area, everything was turning back to the native grass.

We then decided to visit the funeral pyre.  We located the road and then followed it to the site; this was the same pyre that was used to cremate the Japanese drowning victim – giving them that fireworks display on July 4^th, 1985 that the Antelope Peach officers thought was so funny.

1 King 6:1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

When we read about the instructions on how both the tabernacle and temple of God were to be built, we find them very specific.

Basically they are a blueprint in words. 

Everything was done by hand.

The materials used were of the finest available at the time.

For the temple, Solomon called in skilled craftsman who hewed the wood, formed the metal and cut the stone.  It was all done by hand, using hand tools with the finest material available.

The stones were so finely cut that even though they were cut a great distance away from the temple, so the noise would not be heard at the site, they were flawlessly fitted as the stone workers laid them.

Nothing was too good for the temple.  Craftsmen had to be the finest, the best in the business so their work would be as close to perfect as humanly possible.

It took them seven years from start to finish.

1 King 6:38  And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

The temple was huge, even by today’s standards; it took time to lay out the blue prints.  It took time to bring all the materials into one place and organize it so everything was done in it proper time.  It took time to then put everything together to form the temple.  Seven years.

My father-in-love was a master carpenter, I have no doubt he would have been qualified to work on the temple.

I helped him, a bit, as he built a home for one of his daughters.  It took time; it took time to get the materials, to lay out the land, to do every little thing – and they had to be done in the right order.  AND his since of pride meant, they everything had to be done right!  Since he did the majority of the work himself he could control the timing and quality of the work.

It took several months to complete the house.

Most construction today, however, is done by a multitude of workers who use power tools to perform their work.  It takes someone to oversee the work, schedule the workers and insure the work is done correctly.

We have buildings now that are much larger than the temple.  We look at stadiums and skyscrapers, where a massive amount of material and manpower is needed to complete the project.

Even with all the power equipment they take years to complete. 

It takes money, so either the money is available or it has to be obtained somehow, that takes time.  It takes time to form the idea, locate a site suitable for what you want to build (which today often includes parking for a specified number of vehicles for the number of people who will use the facility,) design a building that takes into consideration the land and the regulations on building the building.

Then timing of which tradesman are going to do what in what order; what heavy equipment needs to be used, schedule it and make sure the right people and right materials are available at the right time.

It is choreography, when done right, worthy of a composer of ballet or classic music. 

And when done correctly it is a beautiful rendition as all the workers come together to accomplish the feat.

It must have been quite a site to see the skilled craftsman as they built the temple.  I often wonder how often Solomon came down to just watch as his dream came together.

When man builds something it takes a great deal of time.  Even with power tools, building is a lengthy process.  Even then there are flaws in his work, some people take great pride in what they are doing, others will take shortcuts that undermine the perfection of the building.

It took time to build the temple, but only the best craftsmen were used and all took pride in their work.  They used their professional and time honed skills to produce as perfect a building as man can create.

To build a great building takes years and everything is done in order, everything is planned, it doesn’t just happen.

As we look at the complexity of nature, of how finely tuned everything is – how everything comes together to perfect the plant, insect, animal or man – how can it be said that it all just happened?

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

God is God.  We don’t know if He took time to develop a blue print for His creation, like an Architect or if He just created, like a painter when he is painting a scene – AT the scene – sweeping his hand over the world and speaking it into existence.

He is God.  He could have done it either way.

Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Six days to create a universe and all that is within it.  He started with nothing. 

Yet all the things man creates, starts with the mind of man and his ability to conceive and develop whatever it is he is doing – from God’s resources, starting with the mind of man.

Later, Art :-)

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

In 1989 the ranch was foreclose on by its mortgage holder.  During the preceding years it had gone into bankruptcy and receivership.  A lot of the items left behind were sold to pay off debts.

When Sheila left and it became clear, that fall, that the ranch was going to go down, our county Treasurer posted notices on the portable items that were taxed by the county, such as the trailers, so that they had to have the taxes paid if/when sold, before anyone could take possession.

I remember meeting with one of the bankruptcy trustees on one of my trips down to the ranch.  He said he was impressed with the quality of the workmanship – everything was built to code, even if they had built it illegally.

The Rajneesh had used a lot of local (meaning The Dalles and Madras) businesses to purchase needed items; it was one of the ways they were trying to endear themselves to people.

To begin with they paid cash on delivery, once they established their willingness to pay, they had some of the items and work done on credit.  There were several businesses that lost a lot of money because the Rajneesh didn’t pay them.  If I recall correctly, some went out of business because they couldn’t sustain the loss.

One business that did not; was a Propane dealer in Madras.  He was a friend of my dad.  One day, he and I had a conversation about his contacts and business dealings with the Rajneesh.

He had several propane tanks on the property.  He rented them to the Ranch and was paid every time gas was delivered – which included the rental on the tanks.

He was in his office one day when some Rajneesh came in wanting him to help them with heating the ‘green house,’ turned meeting hall. 

There are formulas for determining what is needed to heat a building and where the best location of those heaters would be – it changes only so much as the type of building, how high are the ceilings, what is the insulation and other issues that need to be factored into the answer.

When he asked them the size, they said, ‘two acres.’

He said, he thought about that for a couple seconds then said, “I don’t know, I have never been asked to figure heat by the acre before.”

Of course that broke down to almost 90,000 square feet and he was more than happy to help them with their heating of the ‘green house,’ it brought in more money for him.  And since it was cash on delivery, he was never at risk of losing any money.

When the Rajneesh declared they were closing the ranch, he had his crew go down and get all the tanks back to Madras.  It took a bit of time and more than a trip or two, but he got them all back.

From the Fall of 1985 until Fall 1988 there was a small group of Rajneesh left at the ranch to do maintenance.  There were not very many, so they could only concentrate on a small area – that area was the house, outbuildings and immediate area surrounding Rajneesh’s compound.

The Fall of 1988 all the legal work for the foreclosure had been done.  The ranch was to be sold on the steps of the Wasco County Courthouse.

The week before the sale, some of the Rajneesh invited the public, mainly news media, to come down to the ranch for one last meeting with those that were still there and a few that would come from outside the ranch.

Bill told me about the meeting and wanted to go down one more time.  We left that morning and drove down to the ranch.

While we were there, waiting for the Rajneesh to open the area up for the meeting, I received information that there was someone close to the area with a gun.  They had already called the Sheriff’s Office.

One of our deputies was close by and made contact with the person, I stayed outside for a few minutes – we had radio contact with each other – to make sure he was okay.  He was.  The man was a hunter on BLM property.

The rest of the people, and Bill, had gone into the meeting area.  I came into the room and saw Bill sitting back in a corner and joined him.  He admonished me, “Don’t ever leave me alone with these people.”

After all he had gone through I couldn’t blame him.  I had told him what I was doing, but he didn’t hear, went into the room thinking I was just behind him and then he realized I wasn’t.

I don’t really recall just what all was said, the speaker was upset that they were losing the ranch; upset that Bhagwan had been forced off and some general statements of other complaints.

There was no apology, however.

The following week, at the appointed time, I stood on the court house steps and sold the property – back to the mortgage lender.

But that was not the end of the history of the ranch itself.

John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

¹⁸ No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

No man taketh it from me, I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.

What would have happened if Jesus, after walking around down here on earth and seeing all the corruption first hand, decided mankind wasn’t worth saving?

I know, He was well aware of it since He Himself was God, but still...

Christ was a willing participant in His death.  He could have prevented it.

He could have refused to come down here in the first place.

He could have decided, once down here, that we were not worth His death and gone back to heaven.

He could have decided, after His agonizing prayers to God the Father that He didn’t want to go through the physical pain He had to go through and called down angels to take out those that arrested Him.

He could have done whatever He wanted to destroy those that put Him on trial, that beat Him, that put Him on the cross.

He could have called out to God to condemn those that were torturing Him.

He did not do any of that.

He CHOSE to go through all of these things.

He CHOSE to become the sacrificial lamb for all mankind that would accept Him.

He CHOSE to DIE a physical death.

I lay down my life, that I might take it again.   No man taketh it from me,

What would have happened if instead of being the sacrificial lamb He went back home?

All mankind would have been lost, forever.  Our only hope was that the only begotten Son of God, gave up His life for us.

We look at the thousands of Jewish people that were held by Abraham in his bosom – they were not in heaven.  They were in limbo, waiting for the Christ to free them.

They would still be there.

And us, most of us were not of the Jewish faith, nor our fathers, their fathers, and so on for millenniums before us.

The Jews were God’s chosen people.  The Jews had at least a hope of not facing hell – the rest of us, unless we accepted the Jewish faith, did not.  Few people converted to the Jewish religion, they were a minority whose were persecuted and destroyed at every turn.

Why would a non-Jew want to enter into such a religion that required submission to a God that could become angry when you transgressed?  Who, through the ages, became the scape goat for what was wrong in the world?

If Jesus had decided to forgo His execution and go back to heaven, I would not be writing this.

I would not have received the forgiveness of sin that comes only through His sacrifice.

I would not have the Holy Spirit to guide me and to lift me up, holding me tight so that I will not fail God.

But, of course His decision was to do what He had been sent to do; to obey His Father that we all should have the opportunity for eternal life with Him.

Hebrew 2:3-4 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

⁴ God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Yet to billions and billions of people in this world they are, indeed, neglecting this great salvation.

Some because they have not heard of His Saving Grace.

Others, who have heard, do not understand that this is offered to them, free.  There is no cost to obtain salvation although there is a cost in living for Christ.

Some because of that cost of living for Christ decide it is too high a price to accept salvation – they would rather relish their life in sin than turn their life over to God.

Some, because they hate God and all He represents.

Some, because they feel the sins they have committed are so heinous that God would never forgive them.

Some, because they feel that salvation is something that is earned, not given freely.

They do not realize or do not care about the state of their soul nor the depth of God’s love.

If a man is stranded in a deep well, and someone throws a ladder down for him to climb out – few would not accept that gift, they would accept it and climb out of their hole.

It is up to us to share Christ’s magnificent gift with mankind.  While Jesus is the ladder and God is the one that sent it, we can stand at the top and encourage the one in the well to come up.

Better still we can follow the path the ladder takes, showing trust in its strength and meet with the person where they are, and encourage them to climb out of their hole, into the light.

At the very least, they need to hear the truth so they can make a decision to obey God, or not.

In love, Christ CHOSE to die for us, I lay down my life, that I might take it again.   No man taketh it from me,

May we choose to declare and share that great love with others.  Living our life so they can see Christ abiding within us and desire to listen as the Holy Spirit touches them.

Later, Art :-)

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

I cannot have stories on the Rajneesh without including Bill Hulse, County Judge.

Bill grew up in Wasco County outside the small community of Dufur.  He was a wheat rancher and was extremely well-respected.

In November 1982 (election night) I stopped in, while on patrol, at the Wasco County Court house.  I wanted to see who had won in the different positions. 

I saw where Bill had been elected.  I talked to several people then, looking for another person, I found Bill in one of the court rooms surround by friends.  I had never met him, but knew several of the people in the room and started talking with them.

Bill was in his sixty’s and a bit stooped over.  As I shook hands with him, my first thought was “This man is so frail, can he take what the Rajneesh are dealing out?”

During the next two years I didn’t have contact with Bill.  He was in the news because of his position, but he was the County Judge (Administrator) of the County Commission and I was a City Police Officer.  The two entities were in the same town, but my only contact with the county – most of the time – was with the Sheriff’s deputies.

From what I could read in the papers and what I was hearing around town, Bill was holding his own, but he was being hammered by the Rajneesh – as was one of the other Commissioners - every chance they got. 

But, just as I was wrong on my first assessment, so too were the Rajneesh; Bill was a ‘tough old bird’ from pioneer stock.

But Bill was also a gentle soul and one of the most humble men I have ever met. 

After I was elected, I had contacts with Bill on a regular basis, sometimes several times a day.  I soon learned why Bill was so respected.

A quiet man, he spoke with the authority of wisdom, experience and confidence.  He loved people and his desire was to serve the citizens of Wasco County to the best of his ability.  He wanted to treat EVERYONE, including the Rajneesh, equally and it grieved him that they didn’t see that he was genuinely interested in them.

The Rajneesh saw his gentleness as weakness and his patience as a thing to be despised, made fun of and exploited.

Bill didn’t wear his Christianity on his sleeve, but it didn’t take long to see that Christ did indeed live within him.  Christ was his strength as he went through these and other challenges in his terms of office.

I remember one time, not sure how we started the conversation, but he was telling me that he had some bad years as a Wheat Rancher – all farmers can give that same story – one year he had to borrow money from the bank to PAY HIS TITHES.  It was said matter of factly.  No fanfare, boasting or thumping of his chest, just a statement made on how he fulfilled that obligation.

It is hard to explain how that statement impacted me, it wasn’t meant as a lesson, it wasn’t a teaching moment, it was just a statement of fact by a Christian who had Christ living within him to another Christian.

By the time of this conversation, I had learned to appreciate Bill, his wisdom and his service to Christ; but this lifted Bill to a whole new level in my eyes.

Bill tried to work with the Rajneesh, I have already talked about how he tried to help them one day and instead of allowing him to do so, they shoved him aside so they could look in the filing cabinet drawer themselves.

A couple of weeks after the 1985 festival he and I went down to the ranch.  They were supposed to have everything cleaned up and all temporary housing removed, there was still some set up – he looked at me and said, “Now, don’t ‘holler’ at me, but I am giving them additional time.”

He understood when I said, “Bill that is one of the reasons they try and take advantage of you, you give too much leeway.”  The thing is, he was trying to treat them like any other citizen – need extra time, no problem.

The problem, of course, is that you give some people a leash and they run with it and the Rajneesh were famous for that.  You couldn’t let them take the bit between their teeth and run with it.  However, by the next week they had them down.

K.D, aka Krishna Diva, aka David Knapp, had been a thorn in the side of Wasco County ever since he arrived.  Soon after the ranch was purchased, he and a couple of others had sat down – wearing non-Rajneesh attire – with the County planner and told him about all the great agriculture ideas they had – carefully not mentioning the new city they wanted to form.

When they went beyond the laws and were caught in it, they became aggressive doing whatever they could to make the lives of Wasco County Citizens and their elected and appointed official miserable.  K.D. was a ring leader who seemed to take great joy in his role in the disruption.

During the investigations of the ranch, K.D. became a star witness against the other leaders, turned state evidence and went into the witness protection plan.

K.D. was an arrogant person.  He was the Mayor of the ranch when I met with the Chief in 1985.  He had a demeanor about him that showed he thought he was superior to everyone else.  More than once, Bill had been the recipient of K.D.’s sneers and sarcasm.

He was a key figure in the operation of, guidance of, and planning of the violence against the citizens.

One day, a few years after the investigation, he was brought back, to the courthouse to give a deposition.  He was in our basement meeting room with the Marshals, who had brought him, and the state attorneys.

Bill asked me to go with him to see K.D.  I did so.  Nothing was said between the two men. 

Bill knew of the criminal assault against him personally and that on several other people.  He knew that they deliberately put the citizens of Wasco County and many in other parts of Oregon, at risk. Bill knew K.D. was a large part of that illegal operation.

Yet,

As we went back upstairs, Bill said, “Art, I just cannot stand that man.  I have prayed about it for years, but I still cannot stand him.”  This genuinely bothered him, on a level that I still cannot understand – to me it speaks so many volumes about the man.  He didn’t like feeling that way about another person.

That was Bill; that was why I respected his leadership and the life he lived in Christ so much.

John 9:28-34  Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.

²⁹ We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.

³⁰ The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.

³¹ Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

³² Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.

³³ If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.

³⁴ They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

What an interesting dialogue between ‘learned men’ and a pauper who had been blind, but was healed by Jesus.

What I really found interesting was: Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.  ²⁹ We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.

Moses came back into Egypt at the command of God.  It took a while for the people to accept him and that indeed he was from God – however, he had to fight with them until his death to convince them that they needed to focus on God.

They followed him into the wilderness only to build a golden calf within a few days of his being absent.

They were not satisfied with the manna and demanded meat.

What convinced them – whenever they acknowledge it – was the miracles performed by God through Moses.  And still and yet, they rebelled against him and God.

But these ‘righteous people’ were disciples of Moses because they knew God spoke to him.  Yet, here was Jesus, teaching them about God, performing miracles in front of them, yet they didn’t know where Jesus came from....

They refused to accept He could be from God – in doing so they would have to acknowledge that what He taught them was correct.  They would be accountable for not doing what He commanded.

Then there was the man who had been blind, but now could see.  He knew that this man who helped him had to be of God, basically telling them that a man who could heal was a messenger of God and calling them out for their unbelief: 

Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.

³¹ Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

If a person doesn’t want to believe in Jesus as the Christ and the Lord and Savior of mankind, any excuse will do.  These men had the very evidence to show them who Christ is, but they refused to believe it.

And not only did they not believe, but took offense when this man called them out and they cast him out.

The world doesn’t want to accept Christ.  They don’t want to be told that their behavior is sinful.  They don’t want to accept that there is a God who created them and therefore deserves and can command allegiance.

They are happy in their ignorance which allows them to do whatever they wish to do, without condemnation.

If they can convince others that what God says is sin isn’t, then they can cast out the messenger thus feeling they have won.

When we look at what the world and America has become these past few years as they have cast God out of public life, disallowing even private enterprises from standing for Christ, we can see we are no different.

Satan’s time is short and grows shorter all the time.  He is doubling his efforts to destroy God’s Word and His messengers. 

He doesn’t even have to be subtle anymore; he is making frontal attacks on anything that relates to a person’s faith in God.

Christians worldwide are being persecuted; churches are being destroyed; Christians are being forced from their home and their country as satan’s minions attack them.  Christians are being incarcerated, tortured and killed because they dare to stand for Christ.

Yet, America and much of the world sits back and either ignores it or encourages it. 

The evidence of what happens to a world turning away from God, of denying His Word and condemning those that would preach it is all around us.

Yet, they deny Him still and even more vociferously, and they cast out the messenger.

Things haven’t changed – they could if every Christian stood together for Him – but many of us are too afraid to take up our cross and march forward for Him.

We need to pray that the Holy Spirit gives us guidance and then the strength to do what He tells us.  We need to pray that God will move across America and the rest of the world so that those that would deny Him are shown for the liars of satan that they are.

God’s Word will prevail; we just want to make sure we are on His side when He decides enough is enough.

Later, Art :-)

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