Once Blind is a band of Christians, not just a "Christian Band". They are just like you - they have struggles they deal with daily. They fall down. They hurt, and hurt others. But by the grace of God, they are filled with the desire to play for a new audience. An audience of one!
Our Ministry is so excited to begin partnering with this local band, that God is using and taking places, and we know that as we both come together, and spread the news of Jesus Christ, amazing things will happen. Below Ted will be weekly updating a blog, explaining what God is laying on his heart, what is going on with his band, prayer requests, or simply checking in to encourage you! be Blessed by the and be sure to keep them in your prayer!!
From Galatians 5:
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
As I read this, I wondered to myself, "self, how much are YOU living in the Spirit? And how much are you living in your old sinful nature?"
I find it interesting that Paul doesn't say "the ACTS of the Spirit" here - because we can't DO our way into living by the Spirit. We can certainly interrupt, or stop it. By DOING things of the flesh, or sinful nature. But when we live by the Spirit, we will bear fruit. Not by what we do - but by what HE does in us. Anything we do on our own is in vain (Psalm 127:1). But anything HE does in us is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58), and will bear much fruit.
Christian, if you need evidence of this, just look at your own life honestly. Just between you and the Lord. When we look through that list - how many of those acts of the sinful nature that Paul lists do we continue to do in our daily lives? I know I have struggles with several still. As I look at the list - I struggle daily with SEVERAL.
And I'm not just talking about the "bad" ones. They are all equal, I think, as each one is an act of disobedience to the Lord. Remember what the first sin was, that had us cast out of Eden? When we look at it from our flesh, it was just a piece of fruit - Adam and Eve ate a piece of fruit. So what??? By our lowered standards, it doesn't seem like much. But by God's standards - it was blatant disobedience.
And when we look at the fruits of the Spirit - how many of them are evident in our lives? I think for me, I can see "some". And "some" is not really much. Not by his standards. We might think we are bearing much fruit - I'd like to THINK I bear much fruit. But I cannot bear much fruit as I walk in my sinful nature. I can't, because it's not me, but Christ in me, that will bear much fruit. And when I choose sin over him, I am telling him, "Thanks, but no thanks, Jesus. I got this on my own". I love this question John Bevere asks in his book "The Fear of the Lord": "Do you think the King of kings and Lord of lords is going to come into a place where he is not given due honor and reverence?"
Paul talks about our sinful nature being in conflict with living by the Holy Spirit in verse 17 of Galatians 5: "They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." This verse means a lot to me. It means I cannot be used by God as he intends to use me and as I WANT to be used. It also means that I cannot go back to my old life, and some of the things I used to do. He has a hold of me now, and were I to return to the old me, I would hate every moment of it. I would not enjoy the sinful nature of my old acts as I did in the past.
It also means there are still things in my life that I do - that I must STOP doing. I'm sure I'm not the only one who, when standing in front of the mirror of his conscience, doesn't like everything he sees. Those "things", those acts of the sinful nature that I still cling to - they gotta go. I can't even do them "well", as I used to. By that, I mean they BUG me. I hate it, and they eat away at me. God convicts me every time I choose to disobey him. I can't do it. Not well, anyway, as hard as I try.
If you have never seen the Passion of the Christ - or even if you have - the scene where Pilate releases Barabbas to the crowd - a horrible scoundrel, the way they depict him in the movie, anyone watching him is disgusted by his demeanor - and then as he's released he catches Jesus' eye. And stops. And for a moment, just a SMALL moment, you can see this man feels remorse for the life he's led. That is how we feel every time we sin, isn't it?
This is not to say that I'm a horrible person, or have no esteem for myself. Not at all! And I'm not nearly as discouraged as I may sound in this note, because God is working in me, and I thank him daily for this! And he promises in Philippians that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Amen, and praise the Lord! I don't envy his job.... :)
In Romans 8:9, Paul writes "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.". IF the Spirit of God lives in you...
Just before that in verses 7 and 8 Paul writes "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
We've been given the gift of free will. We can choose one or the other. But we can't have both. If you are like me, and are always feeling like you're moving one step forward, two steps back - don't get discouraged. Stand firm on his word; keep taking that one step forward. THINK before taking that step backward. And PRAY. And cry out. His word says "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles".
Get that? ALL of our troubles. Cry out. He does hear. And trust that he'll complete the good work in you that he's already begun.
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: March 16th, 2010 04:57 PM
I had the distinct pleasure of sitting in a dentist chair for almost three hours today, as I had a crown put in. My jaw now feels like I got in a fight - and lost. Anyone who knows me knows that if I were to get in a fight, I'd probably lose. But I digress....
First of all, I must say the dentist and assistant, and really everyone in this particular office were amazingly wonderful, kind, and took care to make sure the pain was limited at worst. Thank you dentist peeps for that, and thank you Sweet P for recommending this place to me.
I want to also note that three hours goes by pretty quickly when you talk with God. Now - it wasn't a steady conversation with God. The dentist, as nice as he was, kept interrupting my convo. And I was in that odd predicament where I was trying to answer with four hands inside my mouth. I felt like Bill Cosby, as he describes his experience at the dentist in his comedy film "Himself". But that made me laugh, so it's all good.
But finding God in the dentist chair? Pretty cool stuff. And he held my hand the entire time. Psalm 23 and John 15 (the Vine and the branches) were recited to me, and from me to him over and over in my head, as well as my little quirky thoughts as I was worked over. I did tell God about my Bill Cosby thoughts, as well as the memories of Steve Martin and Bill Murray in Little Shop of Horrors - I didn't hear him laughing, but I'm sure he was. :)
I should go back and state that I've historically HATED going to the dentist. I know most of us do. Maybe not all of us. And I will say it's not a hatred that is justified. They're only doing their job, and the pain is for our own good.
Much like pain in our lives. Which is why John 15 kept running through my head.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes] so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:1-2)
Pruining. Hurts. Not fun. Some times it's something or someone we love, that is taken from us. Some times it's being out of work. Some times it's discipline. Yes, God will discipline those he loves, just as any parent would. It's for our own good. We just need to trust in that, and be thankful. I mean - if it weren't for pruining, a plant cannot continue to flower or bear fruit. Without discipline we'd all do whatever we please, no matter how it affects us or others. Without a little pain, we might never take our hand off the flame, even if this flame continued to burn our hand off.
God is not a vindictive, hateful God. He loves us. He corrects us, disciplines us, pruins us, so that "our joy may be complete". As James says:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
This is not to suggest God CAUSES the pain in our life, or the bad things that happen in our world. Sin does that. He didn't introduce sin. Satan did, and we allow it. And God allows us to make these decisions, even though it breaks his heart. So that our joy may be complete. He loves us that much.
Sounds odd, I know. If he loves me so much, why did he allow me to mismanage my teeth, which in turn means I needed to crown a tooth I had filled from a cavity when I was a child? Well - if I were to blame anyone, it would be my parents. But - they did THEIR job. They made sure I brushed and flossed regularly. They rationed my sugar intake. And we didn't get to drink a lot of soda, etc. Yet I got the cavity anyway. I found a way. So I can't blame them, anymore than you could blame your parents.
So - why could I then blame God? He didn't introduce the things that caused the decay in my tooth - I did. And - he felt everything I felt today. Every scrape of my gums, every drill grind, every shot. All of it. THAT is how much he loves us. He's willing to feel every ounce of pain we do - EVERY bit of it. With us. And - FOR us. Remember - he died for OUR sins. Pretty deep. How many of us would do the same?
All this from a dentist chair. With no laughing gas. God is good indeed.
Oh - I'll leave you with this. It'll make you smile. Even makes me smile, with my sore jaw. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqY6cJD3CE
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: December 29th, 2009 12:13 PM
Lord, it seems so common - and it's actually a little refreshing - to know I'm not the only one who struggles with finding you. With dealing with repercussions of my decisions. With fear, doubt, anxiety. How do I deal with with my debt? My divorce? My lust? My anger? My selfishness? How do I become a submissive wife? A loving husband? A godly father or mother? A respectful son or daughter?
James tells us in his letter, "Submit yourselves, then, to God" (James 4:7). How do I become a submissive wife? Submit to God first. How do I become a loving husband? Submit to God first. How do I resist the devil, so that he will flee from me? Submit to God first. How do I find you? Submit to God first. Your word also says "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Yeah - I want to do that. With all my heart.
Lord, your word, your promise, is SO MUCH BIGGER than all of our fears, doubts, concerns. I thank you for that. I thank you for never failing us. For never turning away - even when we turn away from you. I thank you for your love - that you loved us first. SO MUCH that you gave your only Son to die for us!
I praise your name, my Lord and King! Let me praise you not only with words and song - but also with my very life. Let my life be an offering to you - holy, pure, and pleasing to you.
Thank you Father, in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: December 28th, 2009 08:46 PM
We've all heard that term - "It's better to give than to receive". And for the most part, that is true, sort of. I guess. I'm not so sure, to be honest. I mean - We feel better when we give. It's the RIGHT thing to do. It makes us feel like we did our part. It IS better to give than to TAKE. But than to receive? Have we become a people who are afraid of receiving a gift now? Do we owe people something if they give us something? Did they give us something expecting something in return? Is that really a gift? Doesn't sound like one, does it....... Sounds like a transaction.....
I know this time of year we ALL want to be good for Santa or whomever, and giving and being nice is what we do. That's cool. I actually think it's neat to see people being kind to each other, EVEN IF they don't normally do it all year lomg. But that's not the point. Even if you could be kind and generous all the time - that's not the point. And let me explain.
First of all - NOBODY can be kind and generous all the time. I know some wonderful, loving people. They are so kind, they would never say a bad word about anyone, and would always do what is right. Which is completely untrue. They can't in and of themselves be that way every moment of their lives. Not possible. We all have selfish tendancies. We all judge someone or something. We just can't give WITHOUT expecting something. Even a thank you, or some sort of acknowledgement.
Don't get me wrong - We all WANT to give, or be loving, compassionate beings, but we have our limits. Our well will run dry without something to replenish us. We'll try our best - but we will get tired. Or frustrated. Or dejected. Or simply have a bad day. We just can't give of ourselves, without burning out.
But God can. He does. He did. He gave his only Son. For all of us. So that we can have eternal life. All we need to do is - RECEIVE him.
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelations 3:20)
Notice he mentions if anyone hears my voice and OPENS THE DOOR. He's not just going to come in. Which means if you don't receive this gift - you don't get the gift. You can't buy this one on your own. You can't earn it either.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Yeah - if we could earn our own salvation, wouldn't that make us gods? What would we need God for then? We really wouldn't. LUCKFULLY, that is not the case. We DO need him. And he loves us so much, that he humbled himself, became a man, took on our sins - all of them - and died for us. INSTEAD of us. He defeated sin and death, and saved our lives. That's a pretty amazing gift, if you ask me.
So - is it really better to give than to receive?
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: December 15th, 2009 02:47 PM
My good friend Marty said that to me last week. And it just struck me. Yeah! I'm a whosoever too!
John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life".
Me? Really? Little old me?
Yes - ME. I'm a whosoever. I confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I'm who He came to die for. I'm who He conquered death for. ME.
And YOU. And it's unconditional. All you have to do is accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
But wait - isn't that a condition??? I have to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior??? How then is this unconditional????
Free will. One of the greatest gifts God gave us (other than grace maybe? Or salvation?). We can CHOOSE not to recieve this gift of eternal life. All we have to do is - NOT believe. NOT accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. NOT allow Him in to our heart. Revelation 3:20 says "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me". See - He will not just open the door and come in. But He IS knocking. I know He was knocking at my door for many, many years, before I finally opened it. But I did open it. And my life has been changing daily ever since.
It's kind of sad really, to think that some would turn down this gift. Or some would think they are not worthy of this gift.
But that's the thing - NONE of us are worthy! Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". ALL have sinned. Every one of us. And just one sin removes us from the glory of God. Just one sin ensures our spiritual death. And know that this death isn't here on earth. This life is short - and we all know we will die some day. But this death mentioned ("None shall perish") is an eternal death. This death is Hell. One sin is all it takes......
Yet God does think we are worthy! He SO loves us, that He came to earth, humbled Himself - the King of all Kings - became a man, just like you and me, and DIED an excruciating, painful death. For us. For ALL of us. For whosoever believe with their heart - TRULY believe with your heart - and confesses with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. To pick up your own cross daily and follow Jesus. To allow Him to transform you - oh, how you will be AMAZED at how He'll transform you! All that garbage in your life - it's not what is meant for you. You CAN put it down. His way is easier. Jesus says in John 8 "If you hold on to my teachings you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free".
And better yet - He conquered death! Yeah, He's God, so He's all powerful. So big deal - of COURSE God can conquer death. But the point is - He was fully man while on earth. This means He was subject to all of the temptations we are subject to. Yet He overcame. Read Matthew 4 for an account of how satan tempted Jesus, and How Jesus prevailed. WE can do that too. We can, in Jesus' name. And we can have eternal life in Jesus' name as well! For God SO loves us!
I'm a whosoever. And I want you to be one too. Will you? I pray that you will.
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: September 14th, 2009 10:11 AM
Yesterday morning I took my kids to meet Carlos Gomez. Dylan is a big fan of Gomez, and wants some day to be that fast base-runner/stealer (He's on his way in Little League).
We left the house a little later than planned, but no worries, right? We got to the place before the signing was scheduled to start. We got in line. A LOOOOONG line.... But once it started moving, it moved farily quickly. Was it going to move quick enough to get a chance to meet Carlos, to get his autograph, to generate super cool memories in Dylan's life? Hmmm.....
Well - No. We were close. But Gomez had to leave, and we were left with only a Gomez sighting. Bummer. But - I was quite impressed with how easily Dylan shrugged it off. Wow - no tears? No disappointment? No pouting all day long???? That's kinda cool, if you ask me, that a ten year old can adapt so well to disappointment. The whole experience got me thinking about a few things.
1. Would we have stood in line that long for Jesus? Would we even have gotten out of bed, drove all the way to Blaine, and stood in line to meet Jesus?
If we say no - why not?
If we say yes - why don't we? Heck - He'll even make it easier for us.
In Revelations 3:20 Jesus says "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me". Wow! We wouldn't even need to drive to Blaine to meet Him! He'll come to us! We just have to open the door, let Him in. And He'll stay as long as we want. How amazing is that! And He won't have other obligations that take Him away after an hour - every kid would get that autograph, and so much more.
Don't get me wrong - I don't fault Gomez for having to leave. There were obviously arragements made. And I don't really want to get in to a debate about whether or not he should have stayed to sign all the kids' paraphanalia. And secondly, it's not that Jesus isn't busy. He's got more on His plate than any of us could ever imagine. But He's God. And we are His favored. So He'll make and keep time for us, if we ask.
2. How prepared are we to meet Jesus?
You know - had we left the house a half hour earlier, we would have met Gomez. I wasn't prepared. Sort of reminded me of the parabale Jesus tells in Matthew 25:
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
I felt like one of the "foolish virgins" yesterday morning. Had we left earlier, we would not have been "left outside". But what does that mean, when we always hear "come as you are"? Why do we have to "prepare" to meet Jesus?
This parable isn't about "cleaning house" before we can ask Jesus in to our hearts. He WILL meet us where we are. We CAN come as we are. This parable is about the Kingdom of God. Either at our time of death, or right here on earth when Jesus returns. Are we ready for that? Have we asked Him into our hearts? Have we heard the knock, and will we open the door? How long would you be willing to wait in line to meet our Lord and Savior?
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: August 30th, 2009 02:45 PM
Guys - God has been speaking to me in word and message the last couple days. About unity. And this is for us. And we are blessed that He loves us, and is there to guide us, so that we strive always to glorify Him by what we do and how we live.
Last night, you guys heard in scripture Ecclesiastes 4:9, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return on their work". Eric used it as an example of how serving as a team - in unity - gives us a chance to be part of something bigger than ourselves. That is what we are part of - something bigger than ourselves. Not that we are the thing. He's so right in that serving in your church is something bigger than ourselves. But it applies to us as a band of brothers as well.
I went home last night and read that verse in context - amazing. You've read or heard it before, I'm sure:
Two are better than one, because they have a good return to their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Guys - that's us! We've all been there for another when they fall. I've single-handedly experienced God's grace through each one of you at one point or another. It overwhelms me!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? (Ecclesiastes 4:11). Now - this one is probably more appropriate for a married couple, if you take it in literal terms. But as I read it, I thought of the scene in Forrest Gump (Alex, I know you will know this), where Bubba leans up against Forrest Gump in the jungles of Viet Nam, so they both wouldn't fall in to the mud and rain as they slept. Brothers. Holding each other up. Providing a base to stand on, or lean on. God gives us that!
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiates 4:12). Again - I've experienced this. I've also felt the enemy creep in to my mind from time to time - trying to divide us. I know he's made me want to just give it all up, because maybe something is not going as I planned, or someone can't make it to practice - whatever. How easy we make it for him to come in and break us down! But in those moments, God has used one or more of you to lift me up. And I know he's used me to do the same for you. Praise the Lord for that!
And - read again the 2nd part of that verse: "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken". WOW. So this verse is talking about two, and suddenly there is a cord of THREE strands. Jesus Christ is present whenever we come together. He's that third strand! Or - in our case, the fifth strand. "For where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20).
Now - here is the odd part of this, and why I was led to write this to you - this morning, I attended a completely different service at a completely different church. And - the message was on unity. And the pastor used Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 as one of the supporting pieces of scripture for his message. Coincidence? I thnk not. God is telling us something here. Let's not ignore it.
He also used another verse in his message, Philippians 1:27. I read this one a bit further when I got home for more context, and it applies incredibly as well:
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come to see you or only hear about you in my absence, I know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved - and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him. Since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have (Philippians 1:27-30).
We all are struggling. And there are circumstances that are pulling us apart in a physical sense. We simply don't have time to jam like we want to, can't get the shows booked due to time, etc. But we need to trust in God that it will work out in HIS time, and NOT LET the enemy sneak in and divide us! It's not a race, we're not out to conquer the world. We're out to further His kingdom, and that is it. And thank God for that - we don't have to do anything but live our lives to glorify Him! And He's already shown us how to do that! Amen!
The pastor this morning mentioned the verse in Philippians, where Paul describes the church of Philppi as "contending as one man". He described how an army of men would stand and march in unision, surrounding themselves with their shields as armor - the fronts covering the front, sides covering the sides, middle covering the top, and rear covering the rear - to protect from arrows, rocks, whatver. They were totally covered. It was a very cool picture that he painted - how we are to stand and march as one, with Christ as our sheild!
Troy, Seth and Alex - I know the struggles you guys are going through. And you know mine. We are to lift each other up through all this - in prayer, first and foremost. As brothers in Christ. In the way we live our lives. We need to be impenetrable. We need to stand on God's word, and live our lives in accordance to His desires, so that we as individuals and as a body glorify His name. Let's start living this, guys, every moment of every day.
Love ya tons.
T.
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: August 23rd, 2009 12:53 PM
Two things immediately come to mind:
1. No, not like Patty smyth!
2. If you know me, you know I can't even fight.
But I am a warrior. I have a battle to fight. The good thing is - it's already won! But that doesn't mean I can slack off, or cower behind my Savior. He trusts me to go to battle for His glory! And I do not take that lightly.
I never really knew what that meant. Being a warrior. I mean - I like war movies. But come on. I don't have what it takes! I know guys who are serving, or have served - and they have what it takes. They are warriors. Not me.
Yes me. And you. God knows we have what it takes. He's made us to be warriors. To fight for His glory. He's equipped us with the armor of God, as it says in Ephesians:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
I love this scripture. But I used to look at it as "God's protection". And don't get me wrong - it is. But not so that we can hide behind it, much like the coward would try to hide behind a flimsy sheild. If you think of Saving Private Ryan, when the soldiers were on the beach, trying to hide behind anything they could. If they did that, they were sure to be killed. They had a better chance of survival if they got up and pushed forward. So do we. God gives us this armor, so that we can be bold and stand our ground. We don't have to be decieved by the enemy, who tells us we are not worthy, that we are sinners, losers, we don't measure up. I bind these lies up in the name of Jesus Christ! satan has no dominion over us! It's time we stopped believing in the lies, and stand on the truth. We are warriors, and this is a battle. And in Jesus Christ we are victorious! Amen!
Oh - and one more thing. For the non-believer. You are not the enemy. I am not fighting with you. I am fighting for you. May God bless you.
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: August 20th, 2009 11:09 PM
I was praying today, about how I so often fail. Fall. Stumble. Over the same stupid little stumbling blocks in life. The same ones. Over and over. And - I don't want to do that. So I asked God to help me to overcome this. And He said "I am. Just accept my help." And very weird, but John Mellencamp's "Weakest Moments" started playing in my head.....
Yeah - weird. Now - he was John Cougar at the time. But that has nothing to do with the story. But the chorus just goes "I'll be with you in your weakest moments". And God IS with us in our weakest moments. He's always providing a way out. How often do we take Him up on it? I know I've turned Him down too often. Thanks God, but I kinda like wallowing in my sin. It's comfortable. Familiar.
And - He'll let me wallow. But that hand is always there. Think about that! If it were me, I'd get fed up with me and tell me to take a hike. You're on your own buddy. But no - Not God. He's always faithful. When you follow Him. And even when you don't.
This doesn't mean we should expect this, or gamble on the fact that He'll get us out of trouble when we are in a bind. No - His desire is for us to desire Him and His ways, to follow Him. To leave our life of sin and selfishness. But when we stumble - we all do - He's there to pick us up. And we are tempted - we all are - He's providing a way out.
God, I praise You for the way out. I praise You for Your patience with me. I ask for Your strength, Your mercy, Your will be done in my life. I ask the same for my friends, loved ones, enemies - all your children. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
I found an amazing verse in Romans - Romans 15:30, goes like this:
I urge you, brothers (and sisters), by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, to join my in my struggle by praying to God for me.
I ask you to pray for me, as I will be for you. And may God bless you.
T.
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: July 26th, 2009 02:49 PM
1 Samuel 15:22-23 reads like this:
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He has rejected you as king."
This is Samuel telling Saul what God revealed to him ABOUT Saul. Saul was annointed king, when the Israelites cried out for one. He was good at it too, and Samuel loved him.
But he turned. He went his own way, disobeyed the Lord. And he didn't even see it coming! He was proud, and he continually disobeyed God, and justified his actions. Read his justifications throughout 1 Samuel 15, just some examples.
How often do we do that? How often do we disobey God, ignore him, and justify our actions? Oh, God would want me to be happy. Or "God is a LOVING God, He'll forgive me". Not exactly the right way to be.
Now, if you read in to this, you see how obedient Samuel was. He loved Saul like a son. Yet he had to be the messenger here. He had to tell him God was rejecting him. And he himself sort of rejected him - he never saw Saul again as long as he lived. But he mourned him the rest of his days.
And - if you read on, chapter 16 talks about how Samuel listened to God as He selected His next king. He didn't put his opinions first. He didn't go off his gut. He waited on God, listened to His counsel.
Oh, how I want to be like that. No, I don't need the job of appointing kings. I am happy where I am. But I want so bad to be obedient. I pray for it. Some day I'll get there. :)
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: April 14th, 2009 09:57 PM
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." (Matthew 23: 27-28)
That's a pretty harsh attack coming from Jesus. And it's just part of his verbal attack on the Pharisees. Crack open Matthew 23 and read the entire chapter. It had to be tough for them to hear. Tough on their egos.
And it's tough for me to hear too. You see - I too am a whitewashed tomb. All pretty on the outside, rotting on the inside. Oh - I don't mean to be. And - I'm a "pretty good person"! Several of you would say "No, Ted, you are a great person. Don't beat yourself up". I'm not beating myself up here. I'm just not going to justify some of my actions, by saying I'm a sinner and God loves me anyway. I, like many, so often do that.
I love God. More than anything. I try to live a life that honors and glorifies Him. I "preach" that via these blog posts. I write love songs to Him. I try to put Him first. Mostly when it's still convenient for me......
I'm easily distracted, when it comes to my relationship with God. I do not spend nearly enough time focusing on Him. I put Him on a shelf, and bring Him out when I need Him, or I can make time for Him during the day. Reading my bible in the morning. Saying a prayer before bed, or in the car. I do not consult in Him my every action. I should - but I don't...
This is not what I intend to do. But it ends up happening. Most every day. HOW can He love us so much, given the way we treat Him??? I do not understand this love.
LUCKFULLY - I don't have to understand. I just have to accept His love. And I do pray that He'll continue to work in me, and continue to transform me. I don't want to be a whitewashed tomb any more. I want to be clean on the inside as well.
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: March 9th, 2009 07:58 AM
I always wonder why we have such a hard time accepting something from another person.
A favor - we tend to think we owe someone if they do us a favor. We don't just accept it for what it is. Consequently, we tend to feel like others owe us if we help them out. That is just not right. Why don't we help someone out, and not expect anything in return? Where did we get our sense of entitlement from? It's kind of disturbing to me, and I think it sets parameters around a friendship that definitely do not help foster a healthy relationship.
A gift - more of the same here. Have you ever given someone a gift just because? it's kinda cool, actually. Maybe you do it anonymously, so they don't know where it came from. You can make their day, and you don't need to get some sort of "glory" out of it.
A compliment - Most of us just don't know how to accept this. And we often feel uncomfortable giving them. So it seems more often than not they are given to make yourself points, not just when someone impressed you in some way. This is kind of sad. Maybe we should all try and make a point to give someone - anyone - a compliment, at least once a day. Doesn't have to be big. Can be a quick email that says "I think you're pretty cool", or "you know, when you did this at work I was really thankful". Or you could take a moment to thank your husband/wife/mother/father/daughter/son for them being them? If we did this more often, we'd get over the uncomfortable feeling eventually - and we'd probably (hopefully) become more comfortable receiving a compliment too!
Forgiveness......
Grace.....
So hard for us to forgive when we've been wronged. I wonder if it's because we just don't know how to forgive ourselves. If we can't forgive ourselves, we can't accept forgiveness. If we can't accept forgiveness, how could we ever expect to be able to forgive others? It's a vicious, painful cycle - one that has spawned the mentality of "do on to others as they have done to you". So sad.... Not what God intended. If God lived that way, He would never have sent us His Son to die for our sins. We'd be forever condemned. I certainly don't want that. So why do I condemn myself whenever I've done wrong?
This is not to say we should not feel remorse - quite the opposite. We SHOULD feel remorse. We SHOULD feel a little pain for our wrongs. We SHOULD NOT use this remorse and pain as an excuse to hide even further in our shadows of sin. And we should accept forgiveness when it happens.
I know - accepting any sort of graceful gesture is hard to do. We are prone to suspect the worst in each other, so there must be some motive behind your action. I think we should try and let that suspicion go. I'm not saying there aren't people who do in fact have an ulterior motive. But you'd be pleasantly surprised in how God can work in people, and use circumstances to show you even the smallest gestures of kindness. Just need to open your heart to it.
And so do I.
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: February 23rd, 2009 12:55 PM
Today was an odd day, to say the least. Definitely not what I'd call a typical day.
This morning was a horrible morning for Minnesotans trying to get to work. Last night's snow was followed by a deep freeze overnight. VERY VERY cold. This caused several of us to have to struggle with cars not starting, or not liking to be started, cars in ditches, accidents. Not a great morning for Minnesota commuters.
This morning, I got a bit of a late start. But once on the road, things seemed normal. I was going to hit Caribou on my way to a client visit downtown. Then - I remembered the tv commercial where the Police officer pulls the guy over for going some expensive coffee shop when gas station coffee is just as good for much less. Not sure I agree with that - but I decided I need to give that a try. Wasn't bad, by the way. It wasn't Caribou, but not bad. Probably more like Dunn Brothers to me.
Back on the road, but not for long. I was heading east on 5. Some poor lady going west hit a patch of ice, and her truck just spun out of control. I think it was like three or four times she spun around. I was so sure she was going to hit me, and several other cars (It was still pretty busy on the roads). But she didn't! She didn't hit one single car, thank God! That would have been messy, for sure.
But it wasn't over yet. The girl behind her tried to slow down to avoid what we all thought was going to be a big accident. When she did, she hit the ice too, and came right at me.
There were several things that went through my mind during what seemed like forever, but was actually just a few seconds - Maybe her car won't hit me too; Oh no - she's gonna hit me; HEAD ON!!! ; My God, I'm gonna die....
Then the impact. I remember screaming. Kind of like a primal scream. I remember yelling f***. Not proud of it - but it happened. I remember wondering if I could move my legs. I remember the smell of sulfur (is that what they put in the airbags???). I remember wondering why airbags are so small - I thought they would consume the entirety of the front of my car? (Maybe they do on impact, and then compress - it honestly happened so fast, I can't remember). I remember seeing smoke. I remember trying to open my door, thinking for a moment when it wouldn't just open easily that I was going to burn alive right there in my car..... Please God help me.....
Of course, the car wasn't actually on fire, as I realized once I forced the door open and ran out in the street. I saw fluid dripping from one or both cars, smoke coming out of my engine and into the cabin of my car. I heard the other car horn blaring. I remember liquid all over my calves and feet - wasn't sure what it was, but later found it was the gas station coffee. The girl was already out, on the phone to 911. I asked her if she was ok. Then kind of buckled over. I felt a lot of pain in my chest. Not like anything was broken. Just like I got smacked down really good, and had the wind knocked out of me. And my right knee was throbbing.
Once the girl was off the phone, we talked a bit, made sure each other was ok. Then she gave me a hug, and said she was so glad I was ok. I asked her if we could pray - and we did. We thanked God that we were both ok, that the other girl wasn't harmed, and that nobody else was hurt or in the accident. We prayed for all other commuters on the road. We gave thanks and glory to God for having His hand on us at that moment, calming us. It was beautiful.
This girl told me she had prayed for me as we collided. I felt bad, because all I did was think about myself......
But I can't beat myself up about that. God took this tragic thing and really showed me how to trust in Him, even when it seems He isn't around. He's always there, as was evident to me that morning. This accident could have been so much worse - we should have been severely injured at best with a collision like this.
But it wasn't about us being kept safe. Not just that.
As we were sitting in the back of the Police car to keep warm, the officer said something to us that took us both back for a bit - he noted that there was NO salt on the roads yet, and that the trucks were just now coming through. He said "It's a shame it sometimes takes an accident to get them to salt roads, but your accident could very well have prevented several others".
Wow - God may have used our accident to prevent others. Others that could have been much more severe. And - the girl in the truck - I don't know if she realizes how close she was to getting pegged by every one of us on the road. Thank God for His protecting hand on her this morning!
I really do thank God that I'm ok. I'm a little sore. But the pain is just a reminder that He loves me and has plans for me. It makes me smile when I think of that......
Posted by Ted Hajnasiewicz on: January 13th, 2009 09:20 PM
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