For some reason, it's common for the men of God to want to wriggle our way 
into the holy spirit's job, acting as gate keeper and guard of the real 
church, or the job of angels, even though neither is what we're given to do.

We like to build complex fences around the table, heaping on it purposes 
that although *may* be biblical, are not what communion itself was given for 
achieving.  We forget that the Lord reserves the separation of wheat from 
tares for the angels, and wrestle to ensure none are allowed in the field to 
begin with.
I think the devil loves to keep us distracted in this battle, as it deceives 
us into believing we are waging valuable kingdom war against him, when in 
fact we're playing into his trap of distracting our focus away from Christ 
and the commission of discipling and baptizing that He gave us.

We fail to understand the parable of the Mustard Seed, that although the 
weeds grow bigger faster, in the end the mustard grows into a tree so large 
and strong it is unaffected by the weeding the **angels** will do around it.

Mat 13:25 "But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed 
**tares** among the wheat, and went away.
   26 "But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became 
evident also.
   ...
28 "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves said to him, 
*****'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' 29 "But he said, 
*****'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat 
with them. 30 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the 
time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares 
and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my 
barn."'"

   31 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven 
is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 and this 
is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger 
than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come 
and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES."
..39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end 
of the age; and the reapers are angels.
   40 "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall 
it be at the end of the age.

   41 ***"The Son of Man will send forth His angels****, and they will 
gather out of His *kingdom* (His field - the church) all stumbling 
blocks***, and those who commit lawlessness,


We easily fall into the same deceived trap as the church at Ephesus, and are 
warned by the letter to them in:

Rev 2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ...
   2 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot 
tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves 
apostles (messengers of Christ - every believer) , and they are not, and you 
found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My 
name's sake, and have not grown weary.
   4 'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love 
(Christ).
   5 'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the 
deeds (making disciples/baptizing/teaching - pointing others to Christ) you 
did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand (the 
Gospel) out of its place--unless you repent.
   6'Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which 
I also hate.

In other words, I know what you've been working at, and it's right to hate 
the *deeds* of the tares, but you're not commissioned to be God's lawn 
service fighting them.  The Angels are given the task of weeding.  When you 
do it, you're just distracted from the job I DID give you.  You lose your 
witness because your gospel no longer points to Christ, and unless you 
repent I will take the light of the real Gospel from your midst.

So what are we called to?  *Spread the gospel *making disciple of every 
nation *baptizing them... with the assurance that He will surely be with us, 
all the way to the very end when He sends the angels and weeds the garden.

Finally...

Acts 2:40 And with many other words he [Peter] solemnly testified and kept 
on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!" 41 So 
then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were 
added about 3,000 souls.


3,000 baptized in the day they heard and received the word.  There's no 
possible way Peter and the rest of the apostles verified every confession 
over time.  That very day they baptized 3,000.

Certainly the words we testify and exhort people with should accurately 
point out sin and their need of salvation, the same as Peter's rather than 
sugar-coated lures for a better earthly life, but if they receive the truth 
about their sin and needing salvation from this world, how can we justify 
delaying baptism?

Steve
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Roundrocke@...>
To: <soundofgrace@...>
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2005 7:27 AM
Subject: Re: [soundofgrace] the ugency of baptism


> Chris, just a few of my thoughts/beliefs regarding believer's  baptism.
>  Baptism is the first act of Christian obedience,  demonstrating the
> believer's commitment to follow Christ is all things.   The mode of 
> baptism,
> immersion, shows the death, burial and resurrection of  Christ - as we 
> were dead in
> sin, die to sin, buried in Christ, raised to walk a  new life in Him.   It 
> should
> be a public act (if possible) as an open  testimony to all who are 
> present.
> As far as making people "wait", I personally  see that as a time of making 
> sure
> that the "decision" is not simply the  emotional response to one of those
> 'alter calls' so prevalent today, or "peer  pressure" - you know what I'm 
> talking
> about, I'm sure.   "Make your  calling and election sure" - a brief time 
> of
> soul-searching and prayer,  study of God's Word.   This should not 
> normally be
> weeks or months,  but perhaps a few days.
> Because we know that the Baptismal water does not regenerate  the person,
> time is not of the essence, however, obedience should not be  unduly 
> delayed.
>
> I could probably go on - but my 2 3yr old grandkids have  arrived for the
> day, and computer time is over.   smile - I love these  interruptions!
> Blessings
> Charlene
>