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>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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His father was a famous actor,
and by the time he was 20,
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it was clear that he,
too, was gonna carve out
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a successful
career in show business.
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After starring in the
musical television program
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"The Partridge
Family," David Cassidy became
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a global sensation, a teen idol,
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selling out Madison
Square Garden in hours,
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playing to crowds of 56,000
at the Astrodome in Houston.
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He sold out Wembley
Stadium in England and ignited
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mass hysteria at
many of his shows.
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But in spite of his
enormous success in television,
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music, stage shows, and more,
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not everything went
perfectly in his life.
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He battled
alcoholism, faced bankruptcy,
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and died from liver failure
in 2017 at the age of 67,
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a sad end for a man
who was greatly loved,
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immensely talented,
and had legions of fans.
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According to his
daughter, his last words were,
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"So much wasted time."
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Think about that:
"So much wasted time."
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I can't be sure what
David Cassidy was referring to
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when he said that,
but there's no doubt
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he's not the only
person to have felt that way.
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Everyone is given
the same amount of time.
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No matter who you are,
every day contains 24 hours;
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every week is
made up of seven days;
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every year is
roughly 365 days long.
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Life expectancy in the United
States is about 78.5 years.
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That's more than 28,500 days.
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In Canada it's a
little less than 82 years,
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almost 30,000 days.
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And no matter what you're
doing, no matter where you are,
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the clock keeps ticking.
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Time marches inexorably on.
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As the Latin phrase
states, adapted from a poem
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written by Virgil
just before Jesus was born,
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"Tempus fugit." "Times flies."
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Which means that right now
you and I are getting older.
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Your next
birthday is getting closer.
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The return of
Jesus is getting nearer.
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French novelist Victor
Hugo said, "Short as life is,
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we make it still shorter by
the careless waste of time."
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Every second that ticks away
into the past is gone forever.
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Charles Darwin wrote,
"A man who dares to waste
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one hour of time has not
discovered the value of life."
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According to Albert Einstein's
theory of special relativity,
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which explains how speed
affects mass, time, and space,
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time would slow down
if you were to travel
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at the speed of light,
186,000 miles a second.
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And that's fast enough
for someone going that fast
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to circle the globe
seven and a half times
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in one second--pretty fast.
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Einstein also theorized that as
you get closer to a black hole,
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the flow of time slows down.
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And he said that time
ticks faster or slower
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at different
elevations on earth.
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Life is
absolutely governed by time.
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Without a standardized
system for measuring time,
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society just wouldn't work.
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Generations ago, the rhythms
of life were guided by nature.
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Farmer Brown rose
when the rooster crowed,
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and once it got dark,
the day was essentially done.
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There were no time
zones in the United States
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until railroads
implemented them in the 1800s
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to standardize
times for train schedules.
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Communities used to
set their clocks to noon
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based on when the sun reached
the highest position in the sky.
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So, the time in
Washington, DC, for example,
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would be different to
the time in New York City.
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The United States
today has six time zones.
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Don't forget Hawaii and Alaska.
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Canada has six.
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Russia has 11 time zones,
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while China, a little bigger
in area than the United States,
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has...just one.
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Time regulates our lives.
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Your job starts at,
let's say, 8:00 a.m.,
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not whenever you feel like it.
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A production line could
never work if people rolled
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in and out of the factory
whenever they felt inclined.
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You take the 7:15 bus
because that's the one
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that gets you to work on time.
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You work back from there to
calculate what time you have
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to get out of bed, what time you
have to set your alarm clock.
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But how do time and a person's
spiritual life intersect?
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In every way
and at every moment.
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Think of this: Life is
the time you spend on earth
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between two points in time.
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When you're born,
time begins for you.
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When you die, time is done.
The clock stops ticking for you.
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Life is that dash
you see on gravestones.
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"Here lies Joan
Citizen," 1940-dash-2020.
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Joan lived for 80
years. That was that.
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Life is a very
finite amount of time.
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The Bible speaks
about our time on this earth
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being only so long.
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Psalm 90: "For all our days
are passed away in Thy wrath:
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"we spend our years
as a tale that is told.
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"The days of our years
are threescore years and ten;
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"and if by reason of strength
they be fourscore years,
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yet is their
strength labour and sorrow."
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The Bible writer says
our time on earth is limited
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and then says, "So
teach us to number our days,
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that we may apply
our hearts unto wisdom."
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It's vital to be cognizant of
the very limited amount of time
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we have on this mortal coil
and to use that time wisely.
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So, what would
your life look like
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if you gathered up
the fragments of time
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and utilized them
for your advantage?
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While one person is frittering
away time on social media,
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another person is
practicing guitar.
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After a year or two of this,
you can expect that one person
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has consumed a
whole lot of social media,
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while the other has learned some
pretty decent guitar skills--
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might not yet be a virtuoso
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but certainly at
the point of competence.
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Let's say you have a 45-minute
or an hour-long commute
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on the subway every day.
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You could play Candy
Crush or listen to music.
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Or you could read.
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The average reader can
get through a 300-page book
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in about eight hours.
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That's four days
commuting in this scenario.
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Let's call it a book a week.
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Imagine: a video
game? Or a book a week?
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Fifty books a year,
100 books in two years.
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The Bible urges us to make
the most of the time we have.
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Proverbs 20:13 says,
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"Do not love sleep,
lest you come to poverty;
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open your eyes, and you
will be satisfied with bread."
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That's an injunction against
laziness, and it's God saying,
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"Use your time wisely."
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While you're wasting
time, the clock is ticking.
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And moments frittered
away are time you've traded
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for little or nothing.
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And that's not to say a
person shouldn't enjoy downtime.
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That's important, too.
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Sometimes that's the very
best way to spend your time.
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But time is precious,
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and wasting it can
set you back spiritually.
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So, how can you
use the time you have
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to grow your
relationship with God,
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to prepare yourself for heaven?
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A saved person and a
lost person both have
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the same amount of time, but
one person invests their time
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in something that matters most,
while the other person does not.
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So how do we make sure
our lives are time well spent?
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We'll find that
out in just a moment.
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¤[music swells, then ends]¤¤
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>>Announcer: "The Hope of
Glory" is a new devotional book
00:08:29.14\00:08:31.37
written by John Bradshaw.
00:08:31.41\00:08:32.74
Written with you in mind, the
365 Bible-based daily readings
00:08:32.77\00:08:36.34
cover a wide range
of important topics
00:08:36.38\00:08:38.31
to fuel your spiritual journey.
00:08:38.35\00:08:40.15
To order "The Hope of Glory,"
00:08:40.18\00:08:41.22
call 800-253-3000
00:08:41.25\00:08:43.72
or visit us online
at itiswritten.shop.
00:08:43.75\00:08:46.79
It Is Written viewers
can use the promo code "HOPE"
00:08:46.82\00:08:49.22
when ordering
"The Hope of Glory"
00:08:49.26\00:08:50.46
to get $5 off
the purchase price.
00:08:50.49\00:08:52.83
"The Hope of Glory,"
00:08:52.86\00:08:54.03
call 800-253-3000
00:08:54.10\00:08:56.77
or visit itiswritten.shop.
00:08:56.80\00:08:58.97
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
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For most people life is busy.
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There's work and
home life and obligations
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and responsibilities that
occur outside of all of that.
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And you've got to
take personal time
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and time for friends and family.
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It's not uncommon for
students to be carrying
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a heavy class
load, as well as working
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and maintaining
friendships and so forth,
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and then finding out there's
very little time left over.
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¤[music]¤
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Sometimes it seems life
is too busy for exercise.
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Families strain because it
can be hard to find enough time
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to invest in a marriage
or to dedicate to children.
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Some people feel they don't
have enough time to eat well.
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Fast food is
such an easy option,
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and ultimately your
health suffers as a result.
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So we don't have enough time.
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Except maybe we do.
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The Washington Post
reported on a study from the CDC
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that revealed
people have, on average,
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"more than five hours
of leisure time each day."
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Between 1965 and 2003,
"the average American workweek
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"actually
declined by three hours,
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while leisure time increased."
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"In one study of more
than 7,000 working Australians,
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researchers declared that
time pressure is an 'illusion.'"
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The research demonstrated
people had more free time
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in their
schedules than they thought.
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Studies show that TV is
the leisure activity of choice,
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taking up almost half
of people's leisure time,
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according to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
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A report from the CDC suggested
devoting 20 or 30 minutes
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of that time to exercising.
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And surely that
would be a good thing.
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But the question
I want to ask is,
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how much time are
people devoting to God?
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What about devotional time?
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No question, it's important
to be healthy physically.
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But how important is it
to be healthy spiritually?
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Your relationship with God is
the most important relationship
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you have, bar
none, by a million miles.
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But
relationships are made of time.
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If you're not putting time
into a connection with God,
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then, more than likely, there's
no real connection with God.
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Now, there are some people--
mothers of young children,
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for example,
maybe medical students--
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simply struggle to find
time for anything at all.
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And that's to be understood.
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These time pressures are real,
but they're typically temporary
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because little
children become bigger children
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and over time
require a little less time.
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And after graduation
or maybe after year two,
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medical students
have it a little better.
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But the vast majority of
the rest of us simply do have
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the time to invest in spiritual
growth, in experiencing God,
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in character development,
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in getting to know Jesus
as He wants us to know Him.
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Jesus invites
us again and again:
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"Come to me, ... and
I will give you rest."
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"Him that cometh to me I
will in no wise cast out."
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"Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace,
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whose mind is stayed on Thee:
because he trusteth in Thee."
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That's Isaiah 26:3.
00:12:14.10\00:12:15.90
Those verses are
speaking of a connection,
00:12:15.93\00:12:19.10
a connection built on time.
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So how do you
establish and maintain
00:12:23.17\00:12:25.34
that connection with God?
00:12:25.37\00:12:26.81
Listen to what David
wrote in Psalm 63, verse 1:
00:12:26.84\00:12:29.81
"O God, You are my
God; early will I seek You."
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Notice that David
put God first--"early."
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Before the day consumes
your time and attention,
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the key is to put God first.
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Pray before you check your
email or texts or social media.
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Read the Bible
before you read the news.
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Don't turn on the TV until after
you've spent time with God.
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Life is busy, and
if you allow it to,
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it'll overwhelm
your spiritual life.
00:13:04.31\00:13:07.35
I'm hearing somebody say,
"I leave for work at 6:00 a.m.,
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"and that means I'd have to
get out of bed earlier than I do
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so that I can
spend time with God."
00:13:12.82\00:13:14.86
Now, just a minute,
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you know what you're
talking about here, right?
00:13:16.39\00:13:18.26
A saving connection with God--
00:13:18.29\00:13:20.43
it's the most
important thing in your life.
00:13:20.46\00:13:23.20
You just can't afford to say,
"My schedule doesn't allow it,"
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or "I'm too busy,"
00:13:26.20\00:13:27.67
or "I can't be
bothered getting out of bed."
00:13:27.70\00:13:30.67
If you have an early
start, make it earlier.
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Go to bed half an
hour or an hour earlier.
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You won't regret it.
It's what everyone needs.
00:13:36.34\00:13:40.15
Better to miss a TV program
than to not spend time with God.
00:13:40.18\00:13:46.02
What's actually happening
is that people are putting
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Facebook and Instagram
and YouTube or whatever
00:13:48.46\00:13:51.26
ahead of God--which
just makes no sense at all.
00:13:51.29\00:13:55.56
Now, the person who really
does have a jam-packed schedule
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might need to get creative.
00:13:58.70\00:14:00.50
It might be that you pray at
home and then read your Bible
00:14:00.54\00:14:03.64
on the train. Or if you can't
find as much time as you want,
00:14:03.67\00:14:06.78
read your Bible when you're
waiting for an appointment
00:14:06.81\00:14:08.84
or at the doctor's office.
00:14:08.88\00:14:10.65
Gather up the fragments of time
00:14:10.68\00:14:13.01
and you'll find that they
add up to something significant.
00:14:13.05\00:14:17.02
It's imperative
we work this out.
00:14:17.05\00:14:19.15
Devote time to praying and
reading the Bible regularly,
00:14:19.19\00:14:22.52
daily, and you're investing
in the very best that there is.
00:14:22.56\00:14:26.83
You're doing yourself
the biggest favor you could,
00:14:26.86\00:14:30.20
and you're honoring God
and drawing near to His heart.
00:14:30.23\00:14:35.20
Jesus said,
00:14:35.24\00:14:36.40
"Seek...first the kingdom
of God, and His righteousness;
00:14:36.44\00:14:40.28
and all these things
[will] be added unto you."
00:14:40.31\00:14:43.11
That's Matthew 6:33.
00:14:43.14\00:14:45.51
You want to put God first.
00:14:45.55\00:14:48.28
Jesus said, "My sheep
hear my voice" in John 10:27.
00:14:48.32\00:14:53.59
But without making time for
God, you won't hear His voice.
00:14:53.62\00:14:58.43
In Mark 1, you read
that Jesus healed people
00:14:58.46\00:15:01.20
and cast out demons. Where did
the power to do that come from?
00:15:01.23\00:15:05.53
Verse 35: "And in the
morning, rising up a great while
00:15:05.57\00:15:09.47
"before day, He went out, and
departed into a solitary place,
00:15:09.50\00:15:14.91
and there prayed."
00:15:14.94\00:15:17.48
Even Jesus recognized
the absolute necessity
00:15:17.51\00:15:21.22
of quality, uninterrupted
time with His Father.
00:15:21.25\00:15:25.89
If it was necessary for Jesus,
00:15:25.92\00:15:28.99
then you know
it's necessary for us.
00:15:29.02\00:15:32.03
Daniel prayed three times a day.
00:15:32.06\00:15:35.43
You don't want to let anything
keep you from connecting
00:15:35.46\00:15:38.07
with the heart of God.
00:15:38.10\00:15:39.27
Remember, we're
in a spiritual war.
00:15:39.30\00:15:43.24
There's an enemy doing battle
against the people of God.
00:15:43.27\00:15:46.78
Paul wrote, "We wrestle
not against flesh and blood,
00:15:46.81\00:15:50.95
"but against
principalities, against powers,
00:15:50.98\00:15:53.92
"against the rulers of
the darkness of this world,
00:15:53.95\00:15:56.82
against spiritual
wickedness in high places."
00:15:56.85\00:15:59.55
Ephesians 6:12.
00:15:59.59\00:16:00.96
John wrote in Revelation
that the devil is making war
00:16:00.99\00:16:04.93
against God's people.
00:16:04.96\00:16:06.63
Your defense is
the presence of God,
00:16:06.66\00:16:09.56
which you'll experience
when you take time with Him.
00:16:09.60\00:16:14.54
And keep in mind:
00:16:14.57\00:16:16.00
A devotional life
isn't just a duty.
00:16:16.04\00:16:19.34
It's a privilege. It's a joy.
00:16:19.37\00:16:22.51
You pray so you can
know God. You read the Bible,
00:16:22.54\00:16:25.58
and you grow closer to God
as His thoughts fill your mind.
00:16:25.61\00:16:29.52
Not having enough time shouldn't
ever keep you from God.
00:16:29.55\00:16:33.92
One of the devil's
most effective tactics
00:16:33.96\00:16:35.96
is to make people so busy
00:16:35.99\00:16:37.89
that they feel that
they don't have time for God.
00:16:37.93\00:16:40.16
He'll distract you so
that your life is filled up
00:16:40.20\00:16:42.96
by other things,
many of them good things.
00:16:43.00\00:16:45.73
And as a result,
there's less and less room
00:16:45.77\00:16:48.94
for the God of heaven.
00:16:48.97\00:16:51.14
Coming up: Long ago God
saw the world as busy as it is,
00:16:51.17\00:16:56.81
and He intentionally made
plans for us to get enough time
00:16:56.85\00:17:00.92
with Him. How did He do that?
00:17:00.95\00:17:03.55
I'll tell you in just a moment.
00:17:03.59\00:17:05.79
¤[music swells, then ends]¤¤
00:17:05.82\00:17:12.79
>>Announcer: "The Hope of
Glory" is a new devotional book
00:17:14.83\00:17:17.03
written by John Bradshaw.
00:17:17.07\00:17:18.43
Written with you in mind, the
365 Bible-based daily readings
00:17:18.47\00:17:22.00
cover a wide range
of important topics
00:17:22.04\00:17:23.94
to fuel your spiritual journey.
00:17:23.97\00:17:25.77
To order "The Hope of Glory,"
00:17:25.81\00:17:26.88
call 800-253-3000
00:17:26.91\00:17:29.34
or visit us online
at itiswritten.shop.
00:17:29.38\00:17:32.45
It Is Written viewers
can use the promo code "HOPE"
00:17:32.48\00:17:34.88
when ordering
"The Hope of Glory"
00:17:34.92\00:17:36.22
to get $5 off
the purchase price.
00:17:36.25\00:17:38.49
"The Hope of Glory,"
00:17:38.52\00:17:39.69
call 800-253-3000
00:17:39.72\00:17:42.46
or visit itiswritten.shop.
00:17:42.49\00:17:44.66
>>John Bradshaw:
There are some things
00:17:45.99\00:17:47.10
you don't want to forget,
and there are some things
00:17:47.13\00:17:50.03
God specifically
tells us to remember.
00:17:50.07\00:17:53.13
At the dawn of time,
the Creator of the universe
00:17:53.17\00:17:56.20
gifted to the human
family a divine prescription
00:17:56.24\00:17:59.84
for combating stress, busyness,
and the pressures of daily life,
00:17:59.87\00:18:04.51
a regular blessing of
time spent in the heart of God.
00:18:04.55\00:18:07.68
¤[soft music]¤
00:18:07.72\00:18:08.68
Don't miss "A Day to Remember."
00:18:08.72\00:18:11.29
We'll travel to the largest
Ten Commandments in the world
00:18:11.32\00:18:14.46
and rediscover
heaven's purpose for your life.
00:18:14.49\00:18:17.79
"A Day to Remember,"
00:18:17.83\00:18:18.86
a personal God seeking
a meaningful connection
00:18:18.89\00:18:21.73
with His children, a way
forward for spiritual renewal.
00:18:21.76\00:18:25.83
We'll open the Bible together
and learn that God has blessings
00:18:25.87\00:18:29.47
for His children that are
being overlooked and neglected.
00:18:29.50\00:18:33.61
Get more from God;
go deeper in your faith.
00:18:33.64\00:18:36.78
"A Day to Remember,"
00:18:36.81\00:18:38.55
watch now on It Is Written TV.
00:18:38.58\00:18:41.45
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:18:41.48\00:18:42.48
>>John Bradshaw: Several
years ago, construction began
00:18:45.55\00:18:47.76
inside a mountain in west
Texas on a 10,000-year clock.
00:18:47.79\00:18:53.36
That is, the clock is intended
to keep time for 10,000 years.
00:18:53.40\00:18:57.43
It'll tick once a year and
chime once every 1,000 years.
00:18:57.47\00:19:03.34
The purpose of the
clock-- ah, well, who knows.
00:19:03.37\00:19:06.21
Funded by Amazon's Jeff
Bezos, when it's completed,
00:19:06.24\00:19:09.44
it's going to be 500 feet tall.
00:19:09.48\00:19:11.78
It'll be powered by
the earth's thermal cycles,
00:19:11.81\00:19:15.05
and it'll cost tens
of millions of dollars...
00:19:15.08\00:19:17.69
to mark time almost 2,000
feet above the valley floor
00:19:17.72\00:19:22.19
inside a mountain, hours
from the nearest airport.
00:19:22.22\00:19:26.70
On the campus of the
University of Colorado Boulder,
00:19:26.73\00:19:29.60
there's a strontium
optical atomic clock.
00:19:29.63\00:19:33.17
It's one of the most
accurate clocks on the planet.
00:19:33.20\00:19:36.74
It's said to be
accurate to within a second
00:19:36.77\00:19:40.01
over 15 billion years.
00:19:40.04\00:19:43.01
That's a long way
from obelisks and sundials.
00:19:43.04\00:19:45.95
And it
demonstrates, in some sense,
00:19:45.98\00:19:47.78
humanity's
fascination with time.
00:19:47.82\00:19:50.79
There have been oodles of books
written on time management.
00:19:50.82\00:19:54.02
Some of them have
probably been somewhat useful.
00:19:54.06\00:19:56.19
But real time
management is more than likely
00:19:56.22\00:19:58.86
real project
management or self-management.
00:19:58.89\00:20:03.00
You can learn to be efficient.
00:20:03.03\00:20:04.77
You can't stop time.
You can't pause time.
00:20:04.80\00:20:06.90
You can't delay time.
00:20:06.94\00:20:08.64
And even when
you're managing your time,
00:20:08.67\00:20:11.31
the clock is still ticking.
00:20:11.34\00:20:15.64
So what's so important
that you'd allow it to keep you
00:20:15.68\00:20:18.65
from spending time with God?
00:20:18.68\00:20:21.02
Between work and sleep and
TV and the internet and shopping
00:20:21.05\00:20:24.82
and eating and drinking
and household responsibilities,
00:20:24.85\00:20:28.62
you need to find time for God.
00:20:28.66\00:20:30.69
God said long ago, "And
you will seek me and find me,
00:20:30.73\00:20:35.43
when you search for
me with all your heart."
00:20:35.46\00:20:38.70
But if you're
spending a day a week online
00:20:38.73\00:20:40.74
and several hours a
day in front of the TV,
00:20:40.77\00:20:43.74
it's hard to imagine
there's a whole lot of time left
00:20:43.77\00:20:47.18
to seek for God.
00:20:47.21\00:20:48.64
But, nothing
takes God by surprise.
00:20:48.68\00:20:51.61
At the very
foundation of this world,
00:20:51.65\00:20:54.05
God took steps to help
us prioritize time with Him.
00:20:54.08\00:20:59.15
He gave us a regular
reminder of how important it is
00:20:59.19\00:21:02.72
to spend time in His presence.
00:21:02.76\00:21:05.06
What did He do?
00:21:05.09\00:21:06.46
We go way back to
Genesis, chapter 2, to find out:
00:21:06.49\00:21:10.50
"Thus the heavens and
the earth were finished,
00:21:10.53\00:21:13.20
"and all the host of
them. And on the seventh day
00:21:13.23\00:21:16.77
"God ended His work which
He had made; and He rested
00:21:16.81\00:21:20.78
"on the seventh day from
all His work which He had made.
00:21:20.81\00:21:24.48
"And God blessed the
seventh day, and sanctified it:
00:21:24.51\00:21:27.48
"because that in it He
had rested from all His work
00:21:27.52\00:21:30.25
which God created and made."
00:21:30.29\00:21:32.42
And knowing humans might just
forget to take this time out
00:21:32.45\00:21:36.06
for God, He went so
far as to write it down
00:21:36.09\00:21:39.96
in the Ten Commandments:
00:21:40.00\00:21:41.63
"Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
00:21:41.66\00:21:44.00
"Six days shalt thou
labour, and do all thy work:
00:21:44.03\00:21:46.74
but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord thy God."
00:21:46.77\00:21:50.51
At the foundation of the world,
00:21:50.54\00:21:52.17
God impressed
upon the human family
00:21:52.21\00:21:55.18
the importance of
taking time for Him.
00:21:55.21\00:21:58.95
Knowing we'd be
pressed, He carved a day
00:21:58.98\00:22:02.05
out of the rock of time
and told us it was imperative
00:22:02.08\00:22:04.92
that we connect with Him.
00:22:04.95\00:22:06.72
But fewer people than
ever are taking this seriously.
00:22:06.76\00:22:10.33
God actually gives you a
day out each week, a day off,
00:22:10.36\00:22:14.83
a release valve--
time, time with Him.
00:22:14.86\00:22:19.13
Who wouldn't want that?
00:22:19.17\00:22:20.70
He set it aside as a blessing,
telling us the weekly rest day
00:22:20.74\00:22:25.27
was made for the human
family, made with you in mind.
00:22:25.31\00:22:29.94
Now, many of our grandparents
took that seriously,
00:22:29.98\00:22:33.01
but as the years have
passed, we've kind of got away
00:22:33.05\00:22:36.02
from the importance of
time set aside for God.
00:22:36.05\00:22:41.32
And what day is
that, the Sabbath day?
00:22:41.36\00:22:43.19
The Bible says
it's the seventh day,
00:22:43.22\00:22:45.36
the day that
today we call Saturday.
00:22:45.39\00:22:48.06
Sunday is the first day
of the week, not the Sabbath.
00:22:48.10\00:22:51.53
Jesus clearly recommended
we keep the Sabbath day holy.
00:22:51.57\00:22:54.34
The early
Christian church did so.
00:22:54.37\00:22:56.20
It's all through
the book of Acts.
00:22:56.24\00:22:57.87
The book of Revelation says
God's people in the end of time
00:22:57.91\00:23:01.38
will be keeping the
commandments of God.
00:23:01.41\00:23:03.85
And Sabbath rest is so important
00:23:03.88\00:23:05.58
and so good for us and
our relationship with God
00:23:05.61\00:23:08.68
that God included it
in the Ten Commandments.
00:23:08.72\00:23:11.32
God commands us to
rest, to take time out,
00:23:11.35\00:23:14.66
to pause and rest a while.
00:23:14.69\00:23:16.32
It's important to Him because
He wants the best for you.
00:23:16.36\00:23:19.76
Instituted at Creation, it
seems the Sabbath is one thing
00:23:19.79\00:23:22.96
that has become even more
relevant as time has gone on,
00:23:23.00\00:23:26.67
as society has become busier,
00:23:26.70\00:23:28.74
as demands on
families have increased.
00:23:28.77\00:23:31.51
God says, "Time matters. Be
sure to take time every week,"
00:23:31.54\00:23:37.28
God says, "Sabbath
rest on the seventh day."
00:23:37.31\00:23:41.82
You can think
of time as a talent
00:23:41.85\00:23:44.55
that should be dedicated to God.
00:23:44.59\00:23:46.62
The value of time is
greater than we can calculate,
00:23:46.65\00:23:49.69
and time is short.
James wrote that life is
00:23:49.72\00:23:54.30
"a vapor" which appears for a
moment "and then vanishes away."
00:23:54.30\00:23:58.77
We've barely begun living,
00:23:58.80\00:24:01.04
and we're facing the
end of our time on earth.
00:24:01.07\00:24:03.47
We're on this earth
to prepare for heaven.
00:24:03.51\00:24:05.37
That's why we're here.
00:24:05.41\00:24:07.08
In the parable in Luke 12,
00:24:07.11\00:24:09.34
a man's fields
were very productive.
00:24:09.38\00:24:12.21
So he built bigger
storehouses to store his wealth.
00:24:12.25\00:24:15.78
God said to him,
00:24:15.82\00:24:17.35
"This night your soul
will be required of you."
00:24:17.39\00:24:21.62
He died a lost man.
00:24:21.66\00:24:23.66
He had the same amount
of time as anyone else,
00:24:23.69\00:24:26.56
but he didn't put that
time into what really mattered.
00:24:26.59\00:24:29.16
And when his time was up,
it all came crumbling down.
00:24:29.20\00:24:33.77
Every moment we're given
by God is preparatory time,
00:24:33.80\00:24:36.91
time that we're going to
invest one way or another.
00:24:36.94\00:24:40.11
Think of the last 24
hours or maybe your last week.
00:24:40.14\00:24:44.45
How much of that time
have you invested in eternity?
00:24:44.48\00:24:47.98
The Bible says we
should "redeem the time,"
00:24:48.02\00:24:50.12
which means, make the
most of the time we have.
00:24:50.15\00:24:53.76
You have time? Use it for good.
00:24:53.79\00:24:56.22
Use it to invest in
yourself and in others.
00:24:56.26\00:24:58.43
Use it to better the world.
00:24:58.46\00:25:00.36
Use it to grow your
relationship with God.
00:25:00.40\00:25:03.83
Time wasted is
time you can't get back.
00:25:03.87\00:25:07.34
Like so many others,
00:25:07.37\00:25:09.10
David Cassidy
understood that, too late.
00:25:09.14\00:25:13.94
Is it time for you to reassess
the way you're using your time?
00:25:13.98\00:25:18.28
Are you spending
adequate time with God?
00:25:18.31\00:25:20.55
Without that time, you'll
fall when temptation comes,
00:25:20.58\00:25:23.52
and it'll be impossible to
reflect the character of Jesus.
00:25:23.55\00:25:26.82
Without time in
the presence of God,
00:25:26.86\00:25:28.86
transformation
doesn't take place,
00:25:28.89\00:25:31.66
and your mind isn't anchored
in the things of heaven.
00:25:31.69\00:25:34.50
Instead, it's
all over the place.
00:25:34.56\00:25:37.87
God calls you to
time with Him every day
00:25:37.90\00:25:41.10
and to weekly rest where
the world takes a back seat
00:25:41.14\00:25:44.94
and you're liberated to focus
on God and the things of heaven
00:25:44.97\00:25:47.88
and to enjoy His presence.
00:25:47.91\00:25:50.35
If you've not been taking
time for God like you should,
00:25:50.38\00:25:53.92
we'll pray and ask
that that will change.
00:25:53.95\00:25:56.22
We'll ask God to
lead you in working it out
00:25:56.25\00:25:59.05
so that you're
spending quality time with Him.
00:25:59.09\00:26:02.26
Through time in His presence,
you can grow unto "the measure
00:26:02.29\00:26:06.36
of the stature of
the fullness of Christ."
00:26:06.39\00:26:09.73
Only with Him, never
without time with Him.
00:26:09.76\00:26:15.60
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:16.60\00:26:18.57
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:18.61\00:26:21.98
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:22.01\00:26:25.25
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:25.28\00:26:29.48
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:29.52\00:26:30.95
to the address on your screen,
00:26:30.99\00:26:32.45
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:32.49\00:26:36.32
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:36.36\00:26:39.13
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:39.16\00:26:43.23
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:43.26\00:26:46.27
>>John: Let me pray for you.
00:26:47.57\00:26:48.70
Let's pray together
that your time on this earth
00:26:48.74\00:26:52.31
would be time well spent.
00:26:52.34\00:26:53.64
¤[soft music]¤
00:26:53.68\00:26:54.81
Our Father in heaven,
thank You for the gift of time.
00:26:54.84\00:26:57.75
We all have the same
amount of time every day--
00:26:57.78\00:27:00.22
different responsibilities,
different lives,
00:27:00.25\00:27:03.12
but the same amount of time.
00:27:03.15\00:27:05.19
Teach us, Lord, to invest our
time wisely, putting You first,
00:27:05.22\00:27:09.46
not giving You the
leftovers of our lives.
00:27:09.49\00:27:12.63
And we thank You that
You always take time for us.
00:27:12.66\00:27:16.43
You're always present,
always near, always listening.
00:27:16.46\00:27:20.37
And, Lord, we thank You
that Jesus came to this earth
00:27:20.40\00:27:22.84
and gave all of His time for us.
00:27:22.87\00:27:25.97
Give us grace to
honor His investment in us,
00:27:26.01\00:27:28.78
that we'll have an eternity
of time to spend with You.
00:27:28.81\00:27:32.85
Friend, can you ask
God now to guide you
00:27:32.88\00:27:36.82
so that you have time for Him?
00:27:36.85\00:27:38.89
Quality time.
00:27:38.92\00:27:41.12
Bless us to that
end, Lord, we ask of You,
00:27:41.16\00:27:44.03
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:44.06\00:27:47.40
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:27:47.40\00:27:49.23
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:49.26\00:27:51.53
Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:53.77\00:27:58.41
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:58.44\00:28:02.18
¤[dramatic theme music]¤
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¤[music ends]¤¤
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