"The Children's Teeth Are Set On Edge"

I have always been uncomfortable with the doctrine of Original Sin. The idea being that because Adam sinned we are all sinners. Why should I be judged for what Adam did? Yes he is my physical father but I didn't have a choice. This is a very important question especially when you deal with the death of a child. Say an infant. If we are all condemned with Adam evcn those who have not had the ability to sin then are all going to hell is we don't have Christ.

It is for this reason that the Catholic Church and others baptize infants. They view Baptism as the sign of the covenant (A view already expressed here) and so to allow the infant to escape eternal punishment they baptise them thereby saving them. The ones not baptised are supposed to have gotten a measure of grace to either be in Pergatory (Catholic) or perhaps they escaped judgement altogether.

These doctrines have a great difficulty when they come into contact with the book of Ezekiel. In particular Ezekiel Eighteen. In verse 2 it begins

"What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: " 'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?

We have here an introduction to the idea of Original Sin. A man being judged for the actions of another in his liniage. A Son being held responsible for the sins of his Father. The Father Adam has eaten grapes but we are the ones with the sour taste in our mouths. God responds that it will not be so.

The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. -Ezekiel 18:21

Then this doctrine of original Sin is mute is it not? Romans 7:9 confirms this that Paul was once alive apart from the law but when the command came he died. That is once he knew right from wrong and was held accountable (for Jewish culture around the 13th birthday) he died. That is he sinned and it brings death and separation.

Salvation was never based upon obedience but on relationship. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. It was in his belief in God that God choose to save Abraham. It was God's Hesed or loyalty to those that he is in relationship with that saves. In the Old Covenant we must be proven faithful to be blessed. In the New Covenant because Jesus who was God/man has been proven faithful we are accorded his righteousness and the relationship due it.

Remember Galatians 2:15 reads "...by observing the Law no one will be justified." Paul clarifies this in great detail Romans 1-4. Romans 7 shows that the purpose of the Law was not to save but to show us our sinfulness that we might call out to God and be saved by him. What then do we say to verse 21?

²¹ "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.

There is here the basic question are you going to follow after God and do what he commands. Under the Old Covenant you were saved by God not your own righteousness. You merely committed yourself to his way. It is the same in the New Covenant except for "the Way" is Jesus. You can not be considered anymore to be in the way unless you accept the son.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6

It is by accepting him that you are saved.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. - John 3:18

What does this all mean. It means God is just and does not condemn children who do not yet understand sin. But for us who know what is right and wrong we stand condemned because that which we know is right we do not do. What then should we say to those of you who are old enough to know Jesus. Give up your unbelief and follow after Jesus. In the words of Ezekiel vs 31-32

Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

New Covenant

I have been spending my time lately in Ezekiel lately. I have preached for a long time that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise of a New Covenant. A Covenant that was denied for a time by Israel but confirmed in the Gentiles. I have said these things but to be honest I only had a passing knowledge of these things.

It was Ezekiel 36:24-28 that opened my eyes to this lack of knowledge.



" 'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God."

Here was a clear presentation of much that I had been taught concerning the Covenant but never understood from where it came. From here we can understand why John was baptizing and the early Church understood it to be the sign of entering into the New Covenant (like circumcision before). He will cleanse us of our sins. He will give us a new heart that is receptive to God. Here we understand that God will give us a new spirit to enable us to follow his decrees. Likewise he promises to send his Spirit to lead us into righteousness.

This is further explained by Ezekiel 11:19-20 which seems to suggest that this heart he put within us will be "one heart." Which I take as being bound together in our affections for God and one another to follow God's decrees.

So much in such a small passage. A great deal of understanding granted to those who read. So it caused me to wonder. What else is there to be heard and seen. Would it not be profitable for all of us to understand these basic tenets of the faith and from where they can be preached in the Old Testament?

I would like to share a few of my findings in Ezekiel. I encourage you who read this to share any passages that God may lay on your heart. Especially as it ties into the New Covenant. But I will terry for a little while in Ezekiel. My next passage is from Chapter 16:60-62.

"Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. ⁶¹ Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. ⁶² So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD. ⁶³ that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,” says the Lord GOD.’”

From this we understand that to come to God is to repent of our evil deeds (vs 61). There is also a prophetic uniting of the Church with Israel (vs 61-62). Each united with one another on the basis not of the old covenant but the new. Verse 63 points to the necessary atonement that is provided by God. As Christians we recognize that this comes from Jesus and his death upon the cross.

If you have further insights please feel free to post them. I hope that we can all grow together in the Lord.

Baptism in The Field

I didn't know what to expect when I prayed for God to move upon this people. All I knew was the truth that is found in Genesis 11. That it is better to be united with God and pray he come down to us instead of us being united against him and fear his comming.

So I prayed and I did the things my hands found for me to do. This is God's way. To follow him and seek his will not your own. I have been preaching about a faith of your own. That is to Stand before God on the firm foundation of Christ. To build upon this foundation in faith.



Three wanted to here more. More then this requested a weekday service. One I preached on trusting in God. The three who wanted more asked to be baptised. I asked if they believed in Jesus and had taken him as their personal Lord and Savior. So we set the time and started the work. They to reading the word and prayer. Myself to figuing out how to bapise them.

Just take them to the Pond you might think. No that would be to easy. Preventive Medicine had tested the pond and while they did not know everything that was in the pond everything they tested it for it had.

Praise God I have faith but I do not want to put the lord to the test! So we looked at a portable baptimal. They give me a plastic bag for these king of things. The idea is to dig a whole, line it with a bag and then fill it with water. The ground is hard as a rock. So it was time to build a box. DPW helped out and we were good to go. Or so I thought.


100 gallions of water isn't too much right? Well you would think so but not without some heartache. The decision put ice in it. It will melt right? Good plan meet the Cold Snap. Suddenly we went through a series of cold days and guess what? The ice did not melt.

They finally poured water in there to melt it. Still had ice. Two hours prior we had ice. Ice meets persistent preacher.

So its not me getting in the water but its their decison. So I ask them. Is it time to take the plunge. Their beautiful responce is yes Chaplain lets get it done.
So I invite some of their fellow soldiers over and get prepared. What happened next was a suprise.



I was expecting one or two extra maybe. Perhaps it would even itself out. Who knows. Thirty-five of their friends joined in to see their brothers in arms sealed for the kingdom to come. God is good!!!!!



They were able to make proffession of faith. A faith in the covenant proclaimed in Ezekial 36:24-28. Instituted by the Lord in his own baptism. Professed by him in John 3 which is confered by faith but represented and walked out in baptism.

Jesus be praised for you are doing this work. Be blessed you the congregation for the Lord walks in your midst. Please I pray God be poured out upon these who are here.

I'm Going to be a Dad

On Wednesday I found out I was going to be a Dad. This was the first month trying so we were a little suprised that it happened so quickly. To say I am in shock is an understatement. I am excited but very much afraid. To think God would entrust another human being into my care is awe inspiring.

You might say, "God already entrusts other human beings to you. You are a Chaplain. You talk and enfluence soldiers all the time." A soldier or realy anyone besides your own young child has a system of defences. If you say something wrong or do something wrong they have their own system in place to kick it out. Their mind is able to determine for itself or others that watch over them can protect them can expunge the thought or concept.

With parrenthood especially fatherhood it is different than any other type of influence. God places you as a father in such a position of trust that for the most part it becomes difficult to distinguish between your words and the words of your child. Your thoughts and the thoughts of your child. I can not count the times that I have opened my mouth only to here my father speaking through me.

Is it any wonder that Paul considered Timothy his son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul had moved to such a place of influence within Timothy's life that the words of Paul flew indiscrimanetly from the mouth of Timothy. Timothy was sent by Paul to represent Paul and Christ to the city (1 Timothy 1:3). Paul was considered Timothy's father because he had almost completely supplanted the role of father to Timothy.

So here I am with God's trust placed upon my life. With the very ability to speak thoughts into my Child's mind. A trust I will be held responsible for. What should I do?

Timothy was in a similar situation. A situation where he was charged to duplicate what Paul had done for him.

"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."

So what should I do but teach him the truth as I have recieved it and as those before me have recieved it. To guard the deposit or truth that has been made in me (1 Timothy 6:20).

Starting A New

So I am in a good unit and its time to begin again. I have already set my goals (see previous entry). But I have to ask the question, "What does this ministry look like?" You see whenever you have a goal you need a vision or an image of what it looks like.

I guess the first part of my vision is presence. I want to do what they do and go where they go. Why? So I can speak from there perspective. I want to be recognized as both one of there's and one of God's. By this I hope to introduce God to there presence. I want them to recognize that they are in the presence on the divine (Gen 28:16). That this be used as a bridge to belief.

Secondly I want to aid or partner with the Holy Spirit in affecting the soldier's culture and their person. I recognize that these are (for the most part) not Church boys. I recognize that they might not in the time that I am here go to Church. They can still however be influenced by the divine. They might not all make it to Jesus on my watch. They might not all make it from Genesis to Revelations (from sin to glory) but they can make it from Gensis to Liviticus (the Law Giving) if not to Deuteronomy (the reaplication of the Law or God becomming ingrained into the culture).

What would this look like? It would be the introduction of a moral cumpus. It would mean that they gain knowledge of the divine. That they might taste and see that the Lord is good. It means coaxing soldiers into Bible studies, apolagetics discussions and good works. It means a little bit of cross polishing, to present Christ in the best possilble light whether in public prayers, counseling, retreats or soldierly pressence. Here the goal is to put the power of Christ on full display.

Finally the challenge is to take advantage of the seasons of the soul to reap a harvest. I must learn to recognize them and to work within them. To speak peace to the angry. To tear down the proud and lift up the humble. To wipe away tears and to strengthen the weak. God is good and I pray that he uses me to show himself good to the soldiers.

Goals

For those that don't know I can be a little bit competitive (no really?). The one that I compete with the most is myself. I remember in basic training the Drill Sargent would say doing your best only gets you to the fight. You have to do better to win it.

Well that work ethic has served me well this year. I made the deans list at Liberty University and finally scored 270 on my PT test (a goal I have had for 10 years) at CH BOLIC (the Chaplain Officer Course). Not that there isn't room for improvement. Still its good to make progress on your goals. With my accession board convening on the 12th I can't help but be hopeful.

What are my goals? I want to hit the remainder of CH BOLIC hard and heavy. Pour it on until all else is drown in the flood. Steam role my final 2 courses at Liberty and take my first battalion. There develop a systematic comprehensive ministry plan to overcome every obstacle.

Bring God to soldiers and soldiers to God. Its easy to claim 100% effectiveness (they get there somehow) but I would prefer they did it on this side of the river. Unto that end I dedicate myself.

Family? Well I want a healthy and productive one. My children growing in strength and purpose and my wife loved and cared for.

Spiritually? Here I want depth and application. I want to take the whole word and let it sink into my life. I want to explore my sacred pathway. I want to dig down so far into the rock to build my life in application and character that they cannot determine where the rock begins and I end.

So hear I am finally with my goals set for my hope filled future.

This Day Five Years Ago ...

On this day five years ago I quit smoking. Some of you might not even remember me as a smoker but it's true. Some of you might never have known.

I started out as a casual smoker in my senior year of College in 97. Before that I would swipe an occasional cigarette (2-3 a year) from Ken and before that Ronald. I did it when I wanted to feel like a bad boy. Well when I joined the Army it became a when I go out occasion. I mean I was going to smell like cigarettes anyway so why not get the filter.

Then three things happened the encouraged the habit. First SFC Lewis was replaced by SFC Tessie Coe. What does that have to do about it? Well SFC Lewis was perhaps the best NCO I have ever known. SFC Coe the opposite. The stress was enormous. Second I was not selected for Officer Candidate School. Third I had a change of friends. Amy Wood and PFC-PVT-SPC Randy Holtzapple. Well I don't blame any of them but lets just say my life was unique at that point and I started smoking all the time.


I tried quiting after a year or so and figured out that I was hooked. I quit for over a month before PLDC (Primar Leadership Development Course, Now WLC Warrior Leader Course). I hit the stress of training and folded. I quit again as soon as I hit Fort Belvoir.

Well then I got serious about it. I remembered a few sermons I heard. One was from Paul Wagner about how some trials in our life require two people or more to help conquer. He gave the illustration of how foot soldiers would take out a knight. One would block the lance therby creating the opening and the second with his pike would dismount the rider. This sunk in. I needed help but what kind I already tried a support group.

The second sermon I remember was from Dr George. I attended his Sunday school class back at Liberty. He suggested that to stay at the cutting edge spiritually there were six relationships that you needed to maintain. Three were from each area of your life, work, family, church. The remaining three were three roles that were needed, the encourager, the mentor and the disciple.

The third thing was from my father. Mark Spooner is one to fast. If you see him dealing with a big issue in his life that he can't seem to get his hands around he fasts. I had heard of people who fasted a great many things. William VanDyke a friend of mine fasted all sorts of things. So I tried to convince six people to pray and fast for me for a month. Not a full fast but give up for one month what they enjoyed the most. When ever they craved that item they would refrain and then pray for me.

Well there was a lot more to it then that. I fasted prior (favorite thing) and I did what I could to prepare. I would like to say it was easy but it wasn't. It was hard but it got easier. It continues to get easier. Well tomorrow I go to CH BOLIC to finish the Army part of my Chaplain training. I just celebrated my third Wedding Anniversary and I will finish Seminary in the fall. My relationships are now stronger and have greater meaning. I am happier, healthier and have a better hope for my future. Was it worth it? You bet.

I hope to post again soon but CH BOLIC as most Army trainings can be strenuous so it might be a little bit. So until then I hope you stay heading toward that hope filled future.