Well, now then there, Portland experienced some real winter over the past few days.  First such storm in two years; and it, virtually shut down the city.

Central Oregon snow is different that Portland’s – and the Gorge.  CO’s snow is light and fluffy – there may be more of it, but it doesn’t have the moisture that we have.

The dangers in our neck of the world, and in ‘big brother, Portland’ is the amount of moisture, the snow packs down quicker and turns to ice.  A lot of the time freezing rain is involved and it makes for roads that re literally covered with sheets of ice.

We were watching the news yesterday morning.  They were at a scene of a bus sitting crossways in the road, from one shoulder to the other.

The bus had chains, but they were the gripping kind, they were the cable kind, they are absolutely worthless on ice.  They ‘roll’ over the ice and don’t dig into it like ‘good’ chains do and in many ways make the tires more dangerous.

As I watched them try to free the bus, and didn’t have a tow truck with a good operator at hand, I just shook my head.  Every time the ‘expert’ from the company tried to move it, it just got worse.

I have no idea how they got it out, we didn’t continue watching, but it did remind me of an icy winter many decades ago here in the Gorge.

I don’t recall whether it was 1971 or 72.  We had a heavy snow storm that settled in during the night.  I was working for the city and they had their road crews out plowing and sanding.

About 0400, or so, we received a request from the Sheriff’s Office to assist their deputy at a spot a few blocks outside the city limits.  The city didn’t like us outside the city limits, after all it was city taxpayers paying our salary. 

However, there were times is was acceptable and since we could make that decision the sergeant sent me to help.

There was a spot on the road where several, and I mean well in excess of 10, cars were piled up alongside the road.  It was on a part of the road that was on a curve and downward slope on a bridge – a very nasty combination.

The first cars slowed down too much and slide down the road into the ditch – going both ways – subsequently the next cars had to slow down so they could avoid the others, it was a sight.

I got there and was helping the deputy make sure that everyone was safe.  We blocked the street down and up the road to prevent anyone from coming into the curve.

I remember the traveled portion of the road was pure ice.  There was a thin slice of snow in the middle of the road.  We would have to run a bit on the shoulder to get some momentum to get to the center, and then run a bit on the center to get to the upper side. 

The deputy had called for the county road department to bring sand, but that required the authority of the county judge who said, it was okay when they closed shop the day before and they will get someone out there at 0800 when the guys came to work.

It proves that even local government heads can be idiots.

Evidently one of the cars on the side of the road got a hold of a tow truck – not sure how, no cellphones back then – and the owner of the company’s son – late 20’s to early 30’s - arrived to help them. 

When he arrived he told us he was there for that specific vehicle, didn’t matter that there were plenty more and his customer was buried behind and between others.

The truck was new, large and had all the bells and whistle of those times.  He hooked up his customer’s rig to get it pulled out and started sliding down the road towards the other cars.

Now we had a real mess.  Not only was the road slick, but now we had a large tow truck in the middle of the road and he couldn’t move.

A few minutes later, as we were trying to figure out what to do, another tow company arrived.  This company’s property was outside the city limits (actually just across the street – but still out) so we didn’t use them and I had no idea whether the driver was any good or not.

In addition I was looking at this bright big beautiful truck stuck in the middle of the road not being able to move and this driver was in a 1940’s truck with a single bar (no supports) coming off the back – I am thinking, what can this guy do.

Out steps this older man – probably in his late 60’s, or even older.  He tells us that one of the cars had requested his assistance.  He then latches onto the car and pulls it out of the ditch.  He started helping us get some more out and going.

The young driver (whose rig was still stuck in the road and didn’t dare move because it would slight down) came up to the older driver and said, “Pappy, can you help me?”

Pappy didn’t make fun of him, he just said, Yep.

Pappy got all the vehicles safely out of the ditch, helped the other driver and then went on home – no charges.  By this time we did get some sand for the curve and after a couple of hours helping, I went back into the city.

It was a good lesson for me, don’t judge a person’s capabilities by what they are driving or how they look – those old guys have been around and know a thing or two.

Mathew 4:24  And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Amazing what happens when you read verses and have read them for years, and yet something pops out at you.

Those that would downplay Jesus’ miracles and healings tell us that ‘demon possession’ was just a form of mental illness.  They do not believe in the power of satan and many don’t believe that God even exists – so they must put their own spin on the scriptures to validate their belief system.

Frankly, I never really cared, one way or another.  Because even if these people wanted to believe that ‘demon possession’ was a mental illness, Jesus healed them from their afflictions – and that was the key.

Yet, as I read this verse it reminded me that satan does work in this world; there are people, for one reason or another, who become possessed by satan’s demons and act accordingly. 

This verse makes a clear distinction – possession of devils is not the same as mentally ill (lunatick) they are two distinctly different ‘maladies,’ for the want of a better word, two different conditions.  The people in Jesus’ time understood that!

One is of the mind – the other, which is far more insidious, is of the spirit.

It IS IMPORTANT that we recognize the difference AND that the difference was known as Jesus healed the sick in body, mind AND spirit.

Today the world says we are too ‘sophisticated’ to believe in demon possession.  We are more educated and our knowledge is much greater than these ‘peasants’ of by gone years.

The world holds itself up as the expert in these things and downplays the role of God in both creation and authority.  It minimizes spiritual warfare and tells us it is all in our heads.

It is precisely this attitude that God warns us about in Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

So, if that is the case, where demon possession was clearly a problem when Christ walked the earth – why isn’t that occurring now?

I think part of that is because we have been taught so long – at least through the past century and probably longer – that everything is a mental illness and demon possession doesn’t happen or at least not anymore.

Can we point to that person and say they are demon possessed instead of mentally ill – I would have a difficult time saying, preciously, just that – however,

I have seen alcohol effect people in such a way that they do things that a reasonable person does not – the phrase ‘demon rum’ has some foundation.  It grips them, tightly, they become addicted and can no longer function without alcohol, if you call them functional.

Yes, I know, alcoholics dry out, they turn from the alcohol and there is a so called ‘gene’ that most if not all alcoholics have that cause them to become alcoholics – however, those that truly give up and overcome alcoholism will point to ‘higher power’ that helped them.

If you throw other ‘mind altering’ drugs in the midst you see even more bizarre behavior and dangerous actions from the user both to society and themselves.

How much of this behavior is demonic and how much is physiological I cannot say – but I can say I believe that satan uses these things to possess, even if only temporarily the minds and souls of these people.

Have you ever experienced a mob – where men, women and children, become violent and in unison destroy property and injure – even killing – others? 

Many of these people, on their own, would never commit these acts.  There is a binding of their spirits – they can call it whatever they want – that allows them to justify their actions and it overtakes them like a fog, striking at the very hearts of their reasoning ability and makes them part of a lawless crowd incapable of thinking on their own.

Satan, cleverly, uses the world to disguise him.  The world views him as a red colored person with horns, a tail and cloven hooves – easily identified.  When in reality he masquerades as a reasonable idea that discredits God’s Word and hides his motives in terms the world, in its sin, readily accepts.

I haven’t seen the TV show that is being advertised here recently entitled ‘Lucifer.’  But the very thought of it’s being on television tells me that satan is attempting to ‘humanize’ himself, making it look like he is not that bad of a guy.

Just as Christ is alive and working in this world, so satan is alive and actively trying to destroy anything that will allow people to understand their sin and seek God’s forgiveness through His Son.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Satan, is literally, in our world seeking those that he can turn away from God.  In this day and age where so many things can occupy or minds and keep us from focusing on God, we really do have to be vigilant – lions lay in wait for the ideal time to attack.  They attack at the most advantageous time for them, and with a swiftness and ferocity that destroys the prey.

He wants us to be the prey, but, we have Christ as our shield and our warning system to keep us from harm and to defend us – either fight or flight – when it comes to those attacks.

Vs 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Satan convinces the world that his danger isn’t real, that he doesn’t exist – that the world’s (and man’s) condition has nothing to do with disobedience to God, it is just nature’s way.

We know better, and we need to help others recognize that there is real evil in this world and it can only be overcome by following and obeying God’s Word.

Later, Art :-)  

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again
Dad :-) to some, Art to the rest of ya!
Art :-) and Carla Labrousse
The Dalles, OR USA