Jesus Wasn’t in the Military

It’s no secret that Teen Mania has a fascination, perhaps even obsession, with the military. In a blog post from 2006, Dave Hasz talks about where some of this fascination comes from: (2021 Update: blog has since gone down)

This summer I experienced some interesting shifts in my relationship with God. These started after I visited Jeff B. in California a former Navy Seal. Upon visiting the Seals training facility I started asking myself why these men could be so focused and disciplined to fight other men and I was not focused and discipline while fighting the rulers of the unseen world on behalf of Jesus (Eph. 6). I decided to get focused and disciplined this summer…While I was wrestling through those I also physcially got radical about discipine.Starting June 7, I began a running program. To this day I have not missed two days back to back running if at all possible…This change in my heart translated into a change of focus in the internship. No intern class since I have been here has been pushed so hard physcially, mentally, or emotionally in their first 8 weeks. ESOAL was last weekend and lasted 90 hours. 145 interns of the 500+ who started finished finished but so many more had incredible breakthroughs…

Notice the not-so-subtle focus of this post: my discipline, my focus, my commitment. What I need to do, what I need to change.

Where is the Jesus in that? We can never grow spiritually through human effort.

Dave also references “fighting the rulers of the unseen world on behalf of Jesus.”

we don’t do anything on behalf of Jesus. AGAIN, We can’t do anything on behalf of Jesus. It is impossible. Otherwise, we could take the credit.

He works through us, totally at His initiative and through His power. If we think there is anything we can do in our own strength for Him, we are sadly mistaken.

What’s born of the flesh, is flesh. What’s born of the spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)

Questions, statements, etc welcome in the comments.

Lauren said…

This is really revealing of the motives at TM (which I have often wondered about)… and the deception that it appears Dave Hasz may be living in himself.
April 23, 2010 9:59 AM