Tragedy

Tragedy strikes everywhere, there is no place safe in the most generic of terms. If a disaster doesn't kill you old age will. These are the cold, hard facts of our existence. So the way we meet our end should not be our greatest concern, where we spend the eternity that follows should be the concern of greater weight.
That being said, one thing I have noticed in the wake of the recent devastation in Japan is the dignity of the Japanese people! No looting was reported even in the areas where no food could be found. I heard one reporter, an American who lives in Japan, say that He and others were wondering the streets looking for an open store to buy food,  none could be found so they would wait until food was made available to them. What ! A people group that doesn't think it is their right to break in and steal when law and order is disrupted?
 I will admit that I was not at all surprised at the honorable conduct of the Japanese people.When I was a young Marine I spent six months stationed at Okinawa and the culture was indeed different, not void of crime but the people had an honorable way about them. We were warned soon after we arrived on the Island that if we got into trouble in town, off the military base, we would be in trouble with the local authority's and would probably receive no assistance from any U.S. authority. Of course some would have to try this warning to check its validity and some may still be there in a Japanese prison eating fish heads and rice. A gentle, humble people but if you were a thief or worse they would not hesitate to exact punishment on the guilty.
No dought the Japanese will recover from this tragic event and do it with class and hard work. The story has been the tragedy,  but News organizations will do well to follow their recovery. Maybe we could learn a  valuable lesson in conduct following a disaster.   I certainly hope that people around the world will take special notice of the courage and honor of the Japanese people. My prayers are with them.

The Last Days of Europe

Baptism

The issue of baptism has been a source of contention in Christian circles for hundreds of years and it ought not be so. Jesus when preaching the Kingdom of God saved His biggest criticism for the religious leaders of the day who would strain at a knat and swallow a camel. He preached that the Kingdom would not be found in the law but rather with an understanding of truth and grace. Mercy would be the key, not legalizing the spirit of God through ritual. Circumcism was the Old Testament equivalent to Baptism in the New
Testament church. A sign of the covenant with His called out people who make up the Church, His Church.                   

 In the book of Hebrews chapter eleven we learn that faith was counted for righteousness to so many who came before, will they not partake in the resurrection in the last day? Circumcism was not even established when God made covenant with Abraham, will he be left out ? Baptism is the obligation of all believers and of that you will find little debate among most Christians, but when you make it a pre-requiste of gaining eternal life you lose all credibility with those who know God and His word. For every example one may try to make for that being true one can counter with another example of why it is not true. Why the debate over something that takes place after repentance and a confession of faith in Christ, again it is the obligation for the believer and I have never met the legitimately saved refuse such a honor as to be baptized into a new life in Christ but to say that if you die on the way to the lake you missed heaven by twenty minutes is just not Biblical Christianity.

Don't want to get bogged down in a war of scripture but I will make mention of one, okay two compelling scriptures found in the book of Acts, chapter 19 vs.1-7 Paul comes across some Christians who had not even heard of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and to that point only received John's baptism of repentance, they were willing and Paul layed hands on them and were baptized into "the name of the Lord Jesus" and spoke in touges being filled with the Holy Spirit, now in Acts chapter 10 vs. 44-46 Peter was sent by the Lord to a God fearing gentile and while preaching to them of the truth about Jesus they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Peter then said can anyone keep them from being baptized with water ? Now can you tell me how in the world are you gonna be baptized with the Holy Spirit and if you can't make it to some water you are gonna miss out, or what about those who were baptized with water but not the Holy Spirit were they not yet saved ?

So is it only water baptism that closes the deal, or is it the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or the baptism that Jesus told His disciples He would endure in the book of Mark chapter 10 vs.38-39. Jesus was asked, how do we work the works of God, He replied, believe on Him who He sent, John 6:29. People will continue the debate but John 11:25 gives the answer to the question clearly. The thief on the cross did not come down and get baptized and Jesus told him he would be with Him in paradise, the idea that because it was before the death of Christ has no relevance, they were baptizing with water prior to His death and after so why did it all of a sudden become a deal breaker if you didn't get to water, cause of course it has to be immersion and they lived in a desert climate so just to make it harder I guess.

People are so afraid that someone is gonna slip by and get in Heaven without some ritual to prove to THEM that they really are saved, don't worry I think Jesus has got it covered.