Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW022246S
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00:16 ♪[music ends]♪♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 His father was a famous actor, and by the time he was 20, 00:27 it was clear that he, too, was gonna carve out 00:30 a successful career in show business. 00:33 After starring in the musical television program 00:35 "The Partridge Family," David Cassidy became 00:38 a global sensation, a teen idol, 00:42 selling out Madison Square Garden in hours, 00:44 playing to crowds of 56,000 at the Astrodome in Houston. 00:49 He sold out Wembley Stadium in England and ignited 00:53 mass hysteria at many of his shows. 00:57 But in spite of his enormous success in television, 01:00 music, stage shows, and more, 01:03 not everything went perfectly in his life. 01:06 He battled alcoholism, faced bankruptcy, 01:09 and died from liver failure in 2017 at the age of 67, 01:14 a sad end for a man who was greatly loved, 01:17 immensely talented, and had legions of fans. 01:20 According to his daughter, his last words were, 01:24 "So much wasted time." 01:27 ♪[soft music]♪ 01:28 Think about that: "So much wasted time." 01:32 I can't be sure what David Cassidy was referring to 01:34 when he said that, but there's no doubt 01:37 he's not the only person to have felt that way. 01:41 Everyone is given the same amount of time. 01:44 No matter who you are, every day contains 24 hours; 01:49 every week is made up of seven days; 01:51 every year is roughly 365 days long. 01:55 Life expectancy in the United States is about 78.5 years. 01:59 That's more than 28,500 days. 02:02 In Canada it's a little less than 82 years, 02:05 almost 30,000 days. 02:08 And no matter what you're doing, no matter where you are, 02:11 the clock keeps ticking. 02:14 Time marches inexorably on. 02:18 As the Latin phrase states, adapted from a poem 02:20 written by Virgil just before Jesus was born, 02:23 "Tempus fugit." "Times flies." 02:28 Which means that right now you and I are getting older. 02:31 Your next birthday is getting closer. 02:33 The return of Jesus is getting nearer. 02:36 French novelist Victor Hugo said, "Short as life is, 02:40 we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time." 02:44 Every second that ticks away into the past is gone forever. 02:50 Charles Darwin wrote, "A man who dares to waste 02:53 one hour of time has not discovered the value of life." 02:57 According to Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity, 03:01 which explains how speed affects mass, time, and space, 03:05 time would slow down if you were to travel 03:07 at the speed of light, 186,000 miles a second. 03:12 And that's fast enough for someone going that fast 03:14 to circle the globe seven and a half times 03:16 in one second--pretty fast. 03:19 Einstein also theorized that as you get closer to a black hole, 03:23 the flow of time slows down. 03:26 And he said that time ticks faster or slower 03:29 at different elevations on earth. 03:32 Life is absolutely governed by time. 03:36 Without a standardized system for measuring time, 03:40 society just wouldn't work. 03:41 ♪[soft music]♪ 03:43 Generations ago, the rhythms of life were guided by nature. 03:47 Farmer Brown rose when the rooster crowed, 03:49 and once it got dark, the day was essentially done. 03:52 There were no time zones in the United States 03:55 until railroads implemented them in the 1800s 03:58 to standardize times for train schedules. 04:01 Communities used to set their clocks to noon 04:04 based on when the sun reached the highest position in the sky. 04:08 So, the time in Washington, DC, for example, 04:11 would be different to the time in New York City. 04:14 The United States today has six time zones. 04:18 Don't forget Hawaii and Alaska. 04:20 Canada has six. 04:22 Russia has 11 time zones, 04:24 while China, a little bigger in area than the United States, 04:28 has...just one. 04:31 Time regulates our lives. 04:34 Your job starts at, let's say, 8:00 a.m., 04:36 not whenever you feel like it. 04:38 A production line could never work if people rolled 04:41 in and out of the factory whenever they felt inclined. 04:44 You take the 7:15 bus because that's the one 04:47 that gets you to work on time. 04:49 You work back from there to calculate what time you have 04:52 to get out of bed, what time you have to set your alarm clock. 04:56 But how do time and a person's spiritual life intersect? 05:02 In every way and at every moment. 05:08 Think of this: Life is the time you spend on earth 05:12 between two points in time. 05:15 When you're born, time begins for you. 05:18 When you die, time is done. The clock stops ticking for you. 05:24 Life is that dash you see on gravestones. 05:26 "Here lies Joan Citizen," 1940-dash-2020. 05:31 Joan lived for 80 years. That was that. 05:35 Life is a very finite amount of time. 05:40 The Bible speaks about our time on this earth 05:41 being only so long. 05:43 Psalm 90: "For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath: 05:47 "we spend our years as a tale that is told. 05:50 "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; 05:53 "and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, 05:57 yet is their strength labour and sorrow." 06:00 The Bible writer says our time on earth is limited 06:03 and then says, "So teach us to number our days, 06:08 that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." 06:12 It's vital to be cognizant of the very limited amount of time 06:16 we have on this mortal coil and to use that time wisely. 06:22 So, what would your life look like 06:25 if you gathered up the fragments of time 06:27 and utilized them for your advantage? 06:30 While one person is frittering away time on social media, 06:33 another person is practicing guitar. 06:35 After a year or two of this, you can expect that one person 06:38 has consumed a whole lot of social media, 06:42 while the other has learned some pretty decent guitar skills-- 06:45 might not yet be a virtuoso 06:47 but certainly at the point of competence. 06:50 Let's say you have a 45-minute or an hour-long commute 06:53 on the subway every day. 06:54 You could play Candy Crush or listen to music. 06:58 Or you could read. 06:59 The average reader can get through a 300-page book 07:02 in about eight hours. 07:03 That's four days commuting in this scenario. 07:06 Let's call it a book a week. 07:08 Imagine: a video game? Or a book a week? 07:12 Fifty books a year, 100 books in two years. 07:17 The Bible urges us to make the most of the time we have. 07:21 Proverbs 20:13 says, 07:23 "Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; 07:25 open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread." 07:28 That's an injunction against laziness, and it's God saying, 07:33 "Use your time wisely." 07:35 While you're wasting time, the clock is ticking. 07:38 And moments frittered away are time you've traded 07:41 for little or nothing. 07:43 And that's not to say a person shouldn't enjoy downtime. 07:46 That's important, too. 07:47 Sometimes that's the very best way to spend your time. 07:50 But time is precious, 07:52 and wasting it can set you back spiritually. 07:56 So, how can you use the time you have 07:58 to grow your relationship with God, 08:01 to prepare yourself for heaven? 08:03 A saved person and a lost person both have 08:05 the same amount of time, but one person invests their time 08:08 in something that matters most, while the other person does not. 08:13 So how do we make sure our lives are time well spent? 08:17 We'll find that out in just a moment. 08:20 ♪[music swells, then ends]♪♪ 08:29 >>Announcer: "The Hope of Glory" is a new devotional book 08:31 written by John Bradshaw. 08:32 Written with you in mind, the 365 Bible-based daily readings 08:36 cover a wide range of important topics 08:38 to fuel your spiritual journey. 08:40 To order "The Hope of Glory," 08:41 call 800-253-3000 08:43 or visit us online at itiswritten.shop. 08:46 It Is Written viewers can use the promo code "HOPE" 08:49 when ordering "The Hope of Glory" 08:50 to get $5 off the purchase price. 08:52 "The Hope of Glory," 08:53 call 800-253-3000 08:56 or visit itiswritten.shop. 08:59 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 09:02 For most people life is busy. 09:05 There's work and home life and obligations 09:08 and responsibilities that occur outside of all of that. 09:12 And you've got to take personal time 09:13 and time for friends and family. 09:15 It's not uncommon for students to be carrying 09:18 a heavy class load, as well as working 09:20 and maintaining friendships and so forth, 09:22 and then finding out there's very little time left over. 09:26 ♪[music]♪ 09:27 Sometimes it seems life is too busy for exercise. 09:30 Families strain because it can be hard to find enough time 09:33 to invest in a marriage or to dedicate to children. 09:36 Some people feel they don't have enough time to eat well. 09:39 Fast food is such an easy option, 09:42 and ultimately your health suffers as a result. 09:47 So we don't have enough time. 09:49 Except maybe we do. 09:52 The Washington Post reported on a study from the CDC 09:55 that revealed people have, on average, 09:58 "more than five hours of leisure time each day." 10:01 Between 1965 and 2003, "the average American workweek 10:06 "actually declined by three hours, 10:08 while leisure time increased." 10:11 "In one study of more than 7,000 working Australians, 10:14 researchers declared that time pressure is an 'illusion.'" 10:19 The research demonstrated people had more free time 10:22 in their schedules than they thought. 10:24 Studies show that TV is the leisure activity of choice, 10:28 taking up almost half of people's leisure time, 10:32 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. 10:35 A report from the CDC suggested devoting 20 or 30 minutes 10:38 of that time to exercising. 10:41 And surely that would be a good thing. 10:43 But the question I want to ask is, 10:46 how much time are people devoting to God? 10:50 What about devotional time? 10:53 No question, it's important to be healthy physically. 10:57 But how important is it to be healthy spiritually? 11:00 Your relationship with God is the most important relationship 11:03 you have, bar none, by a million miles. 11:08 But relationships are made of time. 11:11 If you're not putting time into a connection with God, 11:14 then, more than likely, there's no real connection with God. 11:18 Now, there are some people-- mothers of young children, 11:21 for example, maybe medical students-- 11:23 simply struggle to find time for anything at all. 11:26 And that's to be understood. 11:28 These time pressures are real, but they're typically temporary 11:32 because little children become bigger children 11:34 and over time require a little less time. 11:36 And after graduation or maybe after year two, 11:39 medical students have it a little better. 11:42 But the vast majority of the rest of us simply do have 11:46 the time to invest in spiritual growth, in experiencing God, 11:50 in character development, 11:52 in getting to know Jesus as He wants us to know Him. 11:56 Jesus invites us again and again: 11:59 "Come to me, ... and I will give you rest." 12:04 "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." 12:09 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, 12:10 whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." 12:13 That's Isaiah 26:3. 12:15 Those verses are speaking of a connection, 12:19 a connection built on time. 12:23 So how do you establish and maintain 12:25 that connection with God? 12:26 Listen to what David wrote in Psalm 63, verse 1: 12:29 "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You." 12:36 Notice that David put God first--"early." 12:41 Before the day consumes your time and attention, 12:45 the key is to put God first. 12:48 Pray before you check your email or texts or social media. 12:53 Read the Bible before you read the news. 12:56 Don't turn on the TV until after you've spent time with God. 13:01 Life is busy, and if you allow it to, 13:04 it'll overwhelm your spiritual life. 13:07 I'm hearing somebody say, "I leave for work at 6:00 a.m., 13:10 "and that means I'd have to get out of bed earlier than I do 13:12 so that I can spend time with God." 13:14 Now, just a minute, 13:16 you know what you're talking about here, right? 13:18 A saving connection with God-- 13:20 it's the most important thing in your life. 13:23 You just can't afford to say, "My schedule doesn't allow it," 13:26 or "I'm too busy," 13:27 or "I can't be bothered getting out of bed." 13:30 If you have an early start, make it earlier. 13:33 Go to bed half an hour or an hour earlier. 13:36 You won't regret it. It's what everyone needs. 13:40 Better to miss a TV program than to not spend time with God. 13:45 What's actually happening is that people are putting 13:48 Facebook and Instagram and YouTube or whatever 13:51 ahead of God--which just makes no sense at all. 13:55 Now, the person who really does have a jam-packed schedule 13:58 might need to get creative. 14:00 It might be that you pray at home and then read your Bible 14:03 on the train. Or if you can't find as much time as you want, 14:06 read your Bible when you're waiting for an appointment 14:08 or at the doctor's office. 14:10 Gather up the fragments of time 14:12 and you'll find that they add up to something significant. 14:16 It's imperative we work this out. 14:19 Devote time to praying and reading the Bible regularly, 14:22 daily, and you're investing in the very best that there is. 14:26 You're doing yourself the biggest favor you could, 14:30 and you're honoring God and drawing near to His heart. 14:35 Jesus said, 14:36 "Seek...first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; 14:40 and all these things [will] be added unto you." 14:43 That's Matthew 6:33. 14:45 You want to put God first. 14:48 Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice" in John 10:27. 14:53 But without making time for God, you won't hear His voice. 14:58 In Mark 1, you read that Jesus healed people 15:01 and cast out demons. Where did the power to do that come from? 15:05 Verse 35: "And in the morning, rising up a great while 15:09 "before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, 15:14 and there prayed." 15:17 Even Jesus recognized the absolute necessity 15:21 of quality, uninterrupted time with His Father. 15:25 If it was necessary for Jesus, 15:28 then you know it's necessary for us. 15:31 Daniel prayed three times a day. 15:35 You don't want to let anything keep you from connecting 15:37 with the heart of God. 15:39 Remember, we're in a spiritual war. 15:43 There's an enemy doing battle against the people of God. 15:46 Paul wrote, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, 15:50 "but against principalities, against powers, 15:53 "against the rulers of the darkness of this world, 15:56 against spiritual wickedness in high places." 15:59 Ephesians 6:12. 16:00 John wrote in Revelation that the devil is making war 16:04 against God's people. 16:06 Your defense is the presence of God, 16:09 which you'll experience when you take time with Him. 16:14 And keep in mind: 16:15 A devotional life isn't just a duty. 16:19 It's a privilege. It's a joy. 16:22 You pray so you can know God. You read the Bible, 16:25 and you grow closer to God as His thoughts fill your mind. 16:29 Not having enough time shouldn't ever keep you from God. 16:33 One of the devil's most effective tactics 16:35 is to make people so busy 16:37 that they feel that they don't have time for God. 16:40 He'll distract you so that your life is filled up 16:42 by other things, many of them good things. 16:45 And as a result, there's less and less room 16:48 for the God of heaven. 16:51 Coming up: Long ago God saw the world as busy as it is, 16:56 and He intentionally made plans for us to get enough time 17:00 with Him. How did He do that? 17:03 I'll tell you in just a moment. 17:05 ♪[music swells, then ends]♪♪ 17:14 >>Announcer: "The Hope of Glory" is a new devotional book 17:16 written by John Bradshaw. 17:18 Written with you in mind, the 365 Bible-based daily readings 17:21 cover a wide range of important topics 17:23 to fuel your spiritual journey. 17:25 To order "The Hope of Glory," 17:26 call 800-253-3000 17:29 or visit us online at itiswritten.shop. 17:32 It Is Written viewers can use the promo code "HOPE" 17:34 when ordering "The Hope of Glory" 17:36 to get $5 off the purchase price. 17:38 "The Hope of Glory," 17:39 call 800-253-3000 17:42 or visit itiswritten.shop. 17:45 >>John Bradshaw: There are some things 17:47 you don't want to forget, and there are some things 17:49 God specifically tells us to remember. 17:53 At the dawn of time, the Creator of the universe 17:56 gifted to the human family a divine prescription 17:59 for combating stress, busyness, and the pressures of daily life, 18:04 a regular blessing of time spent in the heart of God. 18:07 ♪[soft music]♪ 18:08 Don't miss "A Day to Remember." 18:11 We'll travel to the largest Ten Commandments in the world 18:14 and rediscover heaven's purpose for your life. 18:17 "A Day to Remember," 18:18 a personal God seeking a meaningful connection 18:21 with His children, a way forward for spiritual renewal. 18:25 We'll open the Bible together and learn that God has blessings 18:29 for His children that are being overlooked and neglected. 18:33 Get more from God; go deeper in your faith. 18:36 "A Day to Remember," 18:38 watch now on It Is Written TV. 18:41 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 18:45 >>John Bradshaw: Several years ago, construction began 18:47 inside a mountain in west Texas on a 10,000-year clock. 18:53 That is, the clock is intended to keep time for 10,000 years. 18:57 It'll tick once a year and chime once every 1,000 years. 19:03 The purpose of the clock-- ah, well, who knows. 19:06 Funded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, when it's completed, 19:09 it's going to be 500 feet tall. 19:11 It'll be powered by the earth's thermal cycles, 19:14 and it'll cost tens of millions of dollars... 19:17 to mark time almost 2,000 feet above the valley floor 19:22 inside a mountain, hours from the nearest airport. 19:26 On the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder, 19:29 there's a strontium optical atomic clock. 19:33 It's one of the most accurate clocks on the planet. 19:36 It's said to be accurate to within a second 19:39 over 15 billion years. 19:42 That's a long way from obelisks and sundials. 19:45 And it demonstrates, in some sense, 19:47 humanity's fascination with time. 19:50 There have been oodles of books written on time management. 19:53 Some of them have probably been somewhat useful. 19:56 But real time management is more than likely 19:58 real project management or self-management. 20:02 You can learn to be efficient. 20:04 You can't stop time. You can't pause time. 20:06 You can't delay time. 20:08 And even when you're managing your time, 20:11 the clock is still ticking. 20:15 So what's so important that you'd allow it to keep you 20:18 from spending time with God? 20:20 Between work and sleep and TV and the internet and shopping 20:24 and eating and drinking and household responsibilities, 20:28 you need to find time for God. 20:30 God said long ago, "And you will seek me and find me, 20:35 when you search for me with all your heart." 20:38 But if you're spending a day a week online 20:40 and several hours a day in front of the TV, 20:43 it's hard to imagine there's a whole lot of time left 20:47 to seek for God. 20:48 But, nothing takes God by surprise. 20:51 At the very foundation of this world, 20:53 God took steps to help us prioritize time with Him. 20:59 He gave us a regular reminder of how important it is 21:02 to spend time in His presence. 21:04 What did He do? 21:06 We go way back to Genesis, chapter 2, to find out: 21:10 "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, 21:13 "and all the host of them. And on the seventh day 21:16 "God ended His work which He had made; and He rested 21:20 "on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. 21:24 "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: 21:27 "because that in it He had rested from all His work 21:30 which God created and made." 21:32 And knowing humans might just forget to take this time out 21:35 for God, He went so far as to write it down 21:39 in the Ten Commandments: 21:41 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 21:43 "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 21:46 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." 21:50 At the foundation of the world, 21:52 God impressed upon the human family 21:55 the importance of taking time for Him. 21:58 Knowing we'd be pressed, He carved a day 22:01 out of the rock of time and told us it was imperative 22:04 that we connect with Him. 22:06 But fewer people than ever are taking this seriously. 22:10 God actually gives you a day out each week, a day off, 22:14 a release valve-- time, time with Him. 22:19 Who wouldn't want that? 22:20 He set it aside as a blessing, telling us the weekly rest day 22:25 was made for the human family, made with you in mind. 22:29 Now, many of our grandparents took that seriously, 22:32 but as the years have passed, we've kind of got away 22:35 from the importance of time set aside for God. 22:41 And what day is that, the Sabbath day? 22:43 The Bible says it's the seventh day, 22:45 the day that today we call Saturday. 22:47 Sunday is the first day of the week, not the Sabbath. 22:51 Jesus clearly recommended we keep the Sabbath day holy. 22:54 The early Christian church did so. 22:56 It's all through the book of Acts. 22:57 The book of Revelation says God's people in the end of time 23:01 will be keeping the commandments of God. 23:03 And Sabbath rest is so important 23:05 and so good for us and our relationship with God 23:08 that God included it in the Ten Commandments. 23:11 God commands us to rest, to take time out, 23:14 to pause and rest a while. 23:16 It's important to Him because He wants the best for you. 23:19 Instituted at Creation, it seems the Sabbath is one thing 23:22 that has become even more relevant as time has gone on, 23:26 as society has become busier, 23:28 as demands on families have increased. 23:31 God says, "Time matters. Be sure to take time every week," 23:37 God says, "Sabbath rest on the seventh day." 23:41 You can think of time as a talent 23:44 that should be dedicated to God. 23:46 The value of time is greater than we can calculate, 23:49 and time is short. James wrote that life is 23:54 "a vapor" which appears for a moment "and then vanishes away." 23:58 We've barely begun living, 24:00 and we're facing the end of our time on earth. 24:03 We're on this earth to prepare for heaven. 24:05 That's why we're here. 24:06 In the parable in Luke 12, 24:09 a man's fields were very productive. 24:12 So he built bigger storehouses to store his wealth. 24:15 God said to him, 24:17 "This night your soul will be required of you." 24:21 He died a lost man. 24:23 He had the same amount of time as anyone else, 24:26 but he didn't put that time into what really mattered. 24:29 And when his time was up, it all came crumbling down. 24:33 Every moment we're given by God is preparatory time, 24:36 time that we're going to invest one way or another. 24:40 Think of the last 24 hours or maybe your last week. 24:44 How much of that time have you invested in eternity? 24:47 The Bible says we should "redeem the time," 24:50 which means, make the most of the time we have. 24:53 You have time? Use it for good. 24:56 Use it to invest in yourself and in others. 24:58 Use it to better the world. 25:00 Use it to grow your relationship with God. 25:03 Time wasted is time you can't get back. 25:07 Like so many others, 25:09 David Cassidy understood that, too late. 25:13 Is it time for you to reassess the way you're using your time? 25:18 Are you spending adequate time with God? 25:20 Without that time, you'll fall when temptation comes, 25:23 and it'll be impossible to reflect the character of Jesus. 25:26 Without time in the presence of God, 25:28 transformation doesn't take place, 25:31 and your mind isn't anchored in the things of heaven. 25:34 Instead, it's all over the place. 25:37 God calls you to time with Him every day 25:41 and to weekly rest where the world takes a back seat 25:44 and you're liberated to focus on God and the things of heaven 25:47 and to enjoy His presence. 25:50 If you've not been taking time for God like you should, 25:53 we'll pray and ask that that will change. 25:56 We'll ask God to lead you in working it out 25:58 so that you're spending quality time with Him. 26:02 Through time in His presence, you can grow unto "the measure 26:06 of the stature of the fullness of Christ." 26:09 Only with Him, never without time with Him. 26:16 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 26:18 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 26:21 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:25 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:29 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:30 to the address on your screen, 26:32 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:36 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:39 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 26:43 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:47 >>John: Let me pray for you. 26:48 Let's pray together that your time on this earth 26:52 would be time well spent. 26:53 ♪[soft music]♪ 26:54 Our Father in heaven, thank You for the gift of time. 26:57 We all have the same amount of time every day-- 27:00 different responsibilities, different lives, 27:03 but the same amount of time. 27:05 Teach us, Lord, to invest our time wisely, putting You first, 27:09 not giving You the leftovers of our lives. 27:12 And we thank You that You always take time for us. 27:16 You're always present, always near, always listening. 27:20 And, Lord, we thank You that Jesus came to this earth 27:22 and gave all of His time for us. 27:25 Give us grace to honor His investment in us, 27:28 that we'll have an eternity of time to spend with You. 27:32 Friend, can you ask God now to guide you 27:36 so that you have time for Him? 27:38 Quality time. 27:41 Bless us to that end, Lord, we ask of You, 27:43 in Jesus' name, amen. 27:47 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:49 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:51 Until then, remember: 27:53 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:58 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:02 ♪[dramatic theme music]♪ 28:25 ♪[music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2022-04-25