Redeeming The Time

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This is not an 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.440 offer to buy yourself security snor is it investment Legal 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:00.640 or taxi by He'll. 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:02.800 Forget about the video game you gave him on his birthday. 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:04.680 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:07.200 But he'll never forget how you invested in his future 0:01:07.280 --> 0:01:08.240 with the units stapp. 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.400 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.560 The unit stap makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.280 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.720 a limited time. Download the uns stapp and use the 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:20.800 code I heeart fifty at sign up to receive a 0:01:20.840 --> 0:01:23.319 fifty dollars bonus when you find your account. That's code 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:26.320 iHeart fifty when you sign up at unest dot co 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:29.280 for a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:33.959 Hi. This is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:36.759 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:39.240 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:40.800 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:43.840 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:43.920 --> 0:01:58.760 your life. Well, God bless you always a joy to 0:01:58.800 --> 0:02:01.640 come into your homes. We love you. We know God 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:03.840 has great things in store for each one of you. 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:06.160 If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:08.440 by and see us. I promise you we'll make you 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:10.800 feel right at home. But thanks for tuning in today. 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:13.320 I like to start with something funny each week. And 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:16.880 I heard about these two famous baseball players. They were 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:19.959 discussing whether or not there would be baseball up in heaven. 0:02:20.480 --> 0:02:23.239 They made an agreement that whoever died first would come 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:26.360 back and tell the other if indeed there was baseball 0:02:26.360 --> 0:02:28.919 in heaven. A few months later, one of the players died, 0:02:28.960 --> 0:02:31.440 and just like he promised, he came back said to 0:02:31.480 --> 0:02:34.720 his friend, I've got good news and bad news. The 0:02:34.760 --> 0:02:37.840 good news is there is baseball up in heaven. The 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:43.000 bad news is you're scheduled to pitch next Thursday. All right, 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:45.280 hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:48.600 This is my Bible. I am what it says. I am. 0:02:49.120 --> 0:02:51.480 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:54.160 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:58.239 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:02:58.320 --> 0:03:01.760 is alert, my heart is perceptive. I will never be 0:03:01.840 --> 0:03:06.720 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:10.560 to talk to you today about redeeming the time. Time 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:13.359 is one of the most valuable commodities that we have. 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:17.240 It's more valuable than money. You can make more money, 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:20.720 but you can't make more time. Queen Elizabeth said on 0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:24.360 her deathbed, I would give my entire kingdom for just 0:03:24.440 --> 0:03:28.160 one more day. When you woke up this morning, God 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:32.600 gave you a present is called today. With that gift 0:03:32.760 --> 0:03:37.560 comes a responsibility. The scripture tells us to redeem the time. 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:41.400 That simply means don't let it go to waste. Don't 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:47.280 live this day unfocused, unhappy, negative, defeated. Make the most 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:50.880 of each day. Things may not be perfect. You may 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:54.400 have some obstacles, but you can never get this day back. 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:57.720 If you will learn to see each day as a gift, 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:01.840 you will live more intentional. You will realize when you 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:05.600 spend your time, you are spending your life. You can 0:04:05.640 --> 0:04:09.720 either invest it or you can waste it. Imagine every 0:04:09.800 --> 0:04:14.440 morning a bank deposited eighty six thousand, four hundred dollars 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:17.680 into your account. That money was yours to use however 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:21.000 you would like. The only catch is at the end 0:04:21.080 --> 0:04:24.600 of the day, what you didn't use, you lose. It's 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:27.080 taken out of your account. That would get your attention, 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:30.840 you'd be focused, you'd make sure you took full advantage 0:04:31.000 --> 0:04:34.400 and not let one penny go to waste. Why it's valuable, 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:38.920 It's the same principle with time. Every day God gives 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:43.400 us each eighty six thousand, four hundred seconds. You can 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:46.400 spend it as you would like. You can invest it 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:51.239 by living positive, hopeful, pursuing your goals, being a blessing 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:59.560 to others, or you can waste it by being disorganized, unhappy, negative, discouraged, worried. 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:02.200 But the principle is the same. At the end of 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:05.280 the twenty four hour, it goes away. We can never 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:09.600 get it back. When we fully understand the value of 0:05:09.640 --> 0:05:12.680 our time and we see each day as the gift 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:16.600 that it is, it helps us to keep the right perspective. 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:21.440 We realize there are some battles that are not worth fighting. 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:25.120 You don't have time to get involved in things that 0:05:25.160 --> 0:05:28.920 are not between you and your God given destiny. If 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:31.880 somebody has a problem with you, as long as you're 0:05:31.920 --> 0:05:34.960 being your best, doing what you believe God put in 0:05:35.000 --> 0:05:38.920 your heart, with all due respect, that's their problem and 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:43.159 not yours. You don't have to resolve conflict with every person. 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:45.599 Some people don't want to be at peace with you. 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:49.559 That's just a distraction. And when you realize your time 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:53.400 is limited, you don't respond to every critic. You don't 0:05:53.440 --> 0:05:56.440 waste your time trying to convince people to like you 0:05:56.880 --> 0:06:00.080 that are never going to like you. You accept the 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:03.960 fact that not everyone is gonna understand you. Not everyone 0:06:04.120 --> 0:06:06.400 is going to give you their approval, but that's okay. 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:10.200 You just run your race when you're redeeming your time. 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:13.640 You're not trying to keep someone happy that's never gonna 0:06:13.640 --> 0:06:16.680 be happy. There are people that no matter what you 0:06:16.800 --> 0:06:19.680 do for them, it's not going to be enough, no 0:06:19.720 --> 0:06:22.560 matter how many times you rescue them, no matter how 0:06:22.560 --> 0:06:26.240 many favors you do, sooner or later, they're gonna find 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:30.120 fault with you and end up being unhappy. But understand 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:34.599 their happiness is not your responsibility. You should be kind, 0:06:34.640 --> 0:06:37.760 you should be respectful, but your attitude should be If 0:06:37.839 --> 0:06:40.479 you don't want to be happy, that's fine, but you're 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:43.240 not gonna keep me from being happy. I know this 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:47.280 day is a gift and I'm not gonna waste it 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:50.520 trying to fix somebody that doesn't want to be fixed, 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.440 or trying to change something that I cannot change. Friends, 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:58.560 you have a responsibility to redeem the time that God 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:02.680 has given you. He's entrusted you with his life, He's 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:06.320 breathed his breath into you. He's put gifts and talents 0:07:06.360 --> 0:07:10.280 on the inside. You have seeds of greatness. You didn't 0:07:10.320 --> 0:07:13.920 just show up on planet Earth. You're a person of destiny. 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:18.240 You have an assignment with a purpose to fulfill, and 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:22.600 with this gift of life comes a responsibility to develop 0:07:22.640 --> 0:07:26.360 your talents, to pursue your God given goals, to become 0:07:26.480 --> 0:07:30.560 everything that He's created you to be. On a regular basis, 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:34.040 you need to reevaluate what you're doing and how you're 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:39.520 spending your time. Refocus your life, let go of any distractions, 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:44.320 shake off any self pity, any discouragement, any disappointments, and 0:07:44.480 --> 0:07:48.240 run your race with purpose. Friends, God did not put 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:51.920 you here to be controlled by somebody else. He didn't 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:54.480 put you here to drag through the day and barely 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:58.040 make it. You were not created to have to constantly 0:07:58.080 --> 0:08:01.679 try to convince someone to like you. If somebody doesn't 0:08:01.680 --> 0:08:04.160 want to be your friend, let them go and God 0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:06.720 will bring you some better friends. You don't have to 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:10.840 talk to somebody into loving you, or coming to see you, 0:08:11.680 --> 0:08:15.200 or calling you. God already has arranged the right people 0:08:15.440 --> 0:08:18.520 that will celebrate you, people that can't wait to be 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:21.960 around you, people that appreciate who you are and what 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:24.920 you have to offer. When we come to the end 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:27.280 of our days, we're going to have to give an account. 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:30.520 God is going to ask how did you spend your life? 0:08:31.360 --> 0:08:33.640 What did you do with the gifts I put in you? 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:37.080 How did you use the time I gave you. We 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:40.800 can't do like Adam and make excuses. God. This woman 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:44.680 you gave me, she got me off course. Or yes, God, 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:48.720 I wasn't very happy, but I didn't have a good job. Yes, 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:51.439 I worried all the time, but the economy was so bad. No, 0:08:51.600 --> 0:08:54.240 shake that off and make the most of each day. 0:08:55.120 --> 0:08:56.880 I believe you and I are going to be able 0:08:56.920 --> 0:09:00.200 to say God, I live my life to the full. 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:03.880 I recognized each day was a gift. I developed to 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:07.840 my talents. I wasn't controlled and manipulated. I didn't get 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:11.600 involved in battles that didn't matter. I didn't let disappointment 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:15.440 stop me. I didn't lose my integrity and compromise. I 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:18.000 was a giver and not a taker. God. I gave 0:09:18.040 --> 0:09:21.320 it my very best. I redeemed the time. When you 0:09:21.400 --> 0:09:24.800 have that kind of attitude, God will increase you. He'll 0:09:24.840 --> 0:09:29.400 give you more influence, more opportunity. The Apostle Paul said, 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:33.720 we should run with purpose in every step. That means 0:09:33.880 --> 0:09:36.880 when you get up in the morning, on purpose, set 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:40.760 your thoughts in the right direction, positive, hopeful, this is 0:09:40.800 --> 0:09:43.199 going to be a great day. On purpose, put a 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:46.200 smile on your face, a song in your heart, a 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:49.079 spring in your step. And then, on purpose, go out 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:53.400 each day with a plan, with a goal, not distracted 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:56.640 by every phone call, running here and there, upset in 0:09:56.679 --> 0:10:00.720 the traffic, too stress to enjoy the day. No redeem 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:05.520 your time being on purpose person. And yes, I'm all 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:08.760 for be inflexible and certainly for taking time to help others. 0:10:08.920 --> 0:10:11.520 But if we're not focused, if we're not running with 0:10:11.640 --> 0:10:15.160 purpose in every step, we will allow distractions to get 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:17.960 us off course and keep us from God's very best. 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:22.120 When you realize your time is limited, you don't get 0:10:22.160 --> 0:10:25.920 offended every time you turn around. You don't let little 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:29.680 petty things and politics at the office sour your day. 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:35.520 You don't go around offended with unforgiveness because somebody mistreated you. 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:38.240 You let it go and trust God to make your 0:10:38.280 --> 0:10:41.320 wrongs right. I talked to a lady recently and she 0:10:41.440 --> 0:10:44.280 told how a family member had done her wrong. She 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:47.440 was so upset and starting to get so bitter. I 0:10:47.520 --> 0:10:50.480 told her what I'm telling you, life is too short 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:52.920 to live it that way. Just let it go and 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:55.920 trust God to be your vindicator. She wouldn't hear it. 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:58.720 She said, no, Joel, I'm not going to be happy 0:10:59.040 --> 0:11:02.960 until they apollo. What she didn't realize is she is 0:11:03.040 --> 0:11:08.160 wasting valuable days. That person hurt her once. Now she's 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:11.959 allowing them to hurt her again and again because she 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:14.920 will not let it go. And I wonder how many 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:18.880 of us like her have wasted valuable days. We can't 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:23.480 say we redeem the time. We just drug through the day, offended, upset, worried. 0:11:24.400 --> 0:11:29.760 Some people have lived like this for years, with bitterness, unforgiveness, 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:33.800 nursing an old wound. Instead of moving forward to the 0:11:33.840 --> 0:11:37.000 great things God has in store, they keep going back 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:40.160 to the old. It's just like a scab. Every time 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:43.400 you pick it, it reopens the wound. It's never going 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:46.520 to heal until you leave it alone and stop going back. 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:50.240 What am I saying? Quit reliving the hurts and pains 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:53.240 of your past when those pictures come up on the 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:56.440 movie screen of your mind. The good news is you've 0:11:56.440 --> 0:11:59.920 got the remote control, change the channel. You can chew 0:12:00.240 --> 0:12:03.920 what you want to dwell on. Do you realize how 0:12:04.000 --> 0:12:07.240 much energy it takes to be bitter? Do you know 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:10.439 how much emotional energy it takes to hold a grudge. 0:12:11.080 --> 0:12:14.480 We only have a certain amount for each day. If 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:18.320 we use our emotional energy for the wrong purposes, focused 0:12:18.320 --> 0:12:21.000 on the negative, dwelling on who hurt us, we're not 0:12:21.040 --> 0:12:23.640 gonna have the energy we need for the right purposes. 0:12:23.960 --> 0:12:26.600 We're not gonna make the best decisions. We're not gonna 0:12:26.640 --> 0:12:29.360 be as creative. Our gifts and talents won't come out 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:32.800 to the full. We're not only doing ourself a disservice, 0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:35.640 but we're doing our family, our friends a disservice. We're 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:38.520 not redeeming the time. Well you said, Joel, I'm not 0:12:38.559 --> 0:12:41.040 gonna be happy until they get what they deserve. That's 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:44.040 only fair. Or I can't enjoy my life until my 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:47.920 coworkers stop talking about me. Listen, we can't control any 0:12:47.960 --> 0:12:51.360 of that. You cannot control what people do or what 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:55.120 they say. You can only control yourself. If you're allowing 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:57.400 that to upset you, to cause you to go around 0:12:57.440 --> 0:13:00.920 bitter and angry. Then you are giving way your power. 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:05.200 You're letting them control you. The scripture says, don't let 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:09.480 the sun go down on your anger. The reason many 0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:13.200 people have no joy, no enthusiasm, is because they go 0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:17.720 to bed every night with unforgiveness, dwelling on their hurts 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:21.760 and pains, reliving their disappointments. When you go to bed 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:25.240 like that, with a cluttered mind focused on the negative, 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:28.760 then when your sun comes up the next morning, it's 0:13:28.840 --> 0:13:32.600 clouded by all these things you brought over from yesterday. 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:35.880 It's just like in the natural when it's overcast outside 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:38.800 and the clouds are blocking the sun. It's kind of 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:42.600 dark and gloomy. That's what happens when we go to 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:46.440 sleep with bitterness, with resentment, focused on the negative. Some 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:49.720 people have not seen the sun shine in their life 0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:52.360 for years and years, not because it's not up there, 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:55.600 not because God doesn't have great things in their future, 0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:59.720 but simply because they keep letting their sun go down 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:03.440 with all these negative things on it. The problem is, 0:14:03.679 --> 0:14:06.800 if it goes down with resentment, it comes up with resentment. 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:09.920 If you go to bed with self pity. You're gonna 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:14.000 wake up with self pity. That's what's blocking God's blessings. 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:17.360 It's stopping you from seeing the bright, clear future that 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:20.760 God has in store. If you want those dark clouds 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:23.560 to go away, if you want the sun to shine 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:27.800 brightly in your life. Once again, it's totally up to you. 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:31.840 You control the weather, you control the clouds. Here's the key. 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:35.280 Every night, before you go to bed, just look up 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:39.080 and say, Father, I am releasing every negative thing that 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:42.840 happened to me today. I'm forgiving every person that hurt me. 0:14:43.400 --> 0:14:48.080 I'm forgiving myself for mistakes I've made. I'm releasing every disappointment, 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:51.960 every worry, every herd, and I'm not going to bed angry, 0:14:52.200 --> 0:14:54.960 upset in self pity. I give it to you and 0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:58.280 I lay down in peace. When you do that, your 0:14:58.320 --> 0:15:01.080 son is going to go down with nothing blocking it. 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:04.560 Maybe over the years you've had things build up, and 0:15:04.600 --> 0:15:08.040 today it looks like there's layer after layer of overcast 0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:11.280 guies in your life. The good news is if you'll 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:15.480 just be diligent, keep releasing this every night, little by little, 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:18.320 the clouds are gonna break up and the sun will 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:21.240 start to shine through You'll have a new spring in 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:24.800 your step. Your goals and dreams will come back to life. 0:15:24.920 --> 0:15:28.320 You'll have more energy, You'll feel better, You'll meet new friends. 0:15:28.360 --> 0:15:32.080 God will open up new opportunities. What's happening. Those clouds 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:35.720 are breaking up and the sun, God's goodness is starting 0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:38.720 to shine through once again. No matter what you've been 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:40.880 through in the past, you need to draw the line 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:43.240 in the sand and say that's it. I'm not going 0:15:43.280 --> 0:15:47.480 to bed anymore with something blocking my son. That means 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:52.080 you're not gonna go to bed dwelling on unanswered questions. God, 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:54.720 why did my loved one not make it? Why did 0:15:54.760 --> 0:15:57.680 my marriage not survive? God? Why didn't I get that 0:15:57.680 --> 0:16:00.640 promotion that I prayed and worked so hard for? No, 0:16:00.880 --> 0:16:03.600 just let it go when you lay down to sleep, 0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:06.840 don't take any baggage with you. Don't go to bed 0:16:06.920 --> 0:16:09.760 thinking about the disappointments of the day and what you 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:12.760 didn't get done and what somebody said. Just clear your 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:15.920 mind and say, God, I'm giving it all to you. 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:19.600 I'm releasing it right now. If you'll get in a 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:22.080 habit of doing that every night before you go to bed, 0:16:22.520 --> 0:16:25.080 then nothing is going to block that sun. It's going 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:28.640 to shine brightly in your life. I saw an interview 0:16:28.680 --> 0:16:30.960 with a lady. She was supposed to be on the 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:35.000 flight to Buffalo that recently crashed. None of the passengers 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:37.640 or the crew survived. She had been booked to be 0:16:37.680 --> 0:16:40.400 on this flight, but at the last minute something came up. 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:43.800 She missed it and took one. Thirty minutes later, she 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:47.560 realizes she has been given a second chance that could 0:16:47.560 --> 0:16:51.640 have easily been hurt. She talked about how that changed 0:16:51.640 --> 0:16:56.640 her perspective. Now she appreciates each day much more. She 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:59.760 sees it as a gift. She told how she doesn't 0:16:59.760 --> 0:17:04.040 get upset as easily. Little things don't bother her, she 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:08.200 doesn't get offended. She is much more forgiving, much more understanding, 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:11.080 much more loving. You know what she's really saying. I 0:17:11.080 --> 0:17:13.840 don't go to bed anymore with things that are blocking 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:18.000 my son. I realize how limited my time is, and 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:21.280 I'm not gonna waste it in unforgiveness or in things 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:23.439 that I can't change. I'm gonna make the most of 0:17:23.480 --> 0:17:26.880 each day. That's the attitude I want us to have. 0:17:27.320 --> 0:17:30.040 We don't know how long we're gonna be here. The 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:33.360 scripture says, our life is like a mist. We're here 0:17:33.400 --> 0:17:36.200 for a moment and then we're gone. And I wonder 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:39.120 how long we'd stay offended if we knew we only 0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:42.360 had six months to live. I wonder how many times 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:45.160 we'd get upset and go around worried if we knew 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:47.760 we just had a few more weeks, Or how many 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:50.600 days would we drag through with no passion? If we 0:17:50.640 --> 0:17:53.440 knew our time was coming to an end very shortly, 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:57.960 most likely that would change our perspective. I saw sign 0:17:58.040 --> 0:18:00.480 on the freeway the other day. It said, do you 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:03.879 have any reason to be grateful? Just check your pulse. 0:18:04.800 --> 0:18:08.320 What's it saying? As long as you're alive, you've been 0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:12.720 given a gift. Every morning you wake up with air debris. 0:18:12.960 --> 0:18:16.479 Every day, you can see the sunshine, every time, you 0:18:16.520 --> 0:18:19.640 hear your kids laughing and playing. Every evening you see 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:22.000 the stars, you hear the crickets, you feel the warmth 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:25.600 of your spouse. Let that be another reminder that God 0:18:25.640 --> 0:18:28.800 has blessed you with a gift of today. Don't take 0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:32.200 it for granted. It's funny sometimes the things we complain 0:18:32.240 --> 0:18:35.160 about are the very things other people would love to have. 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:37.879 We complain about, the children. Oh man, these kids are 0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:40.560 so much work. All I do is cook and clean. 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:44.040 Do you realize some couples aren't able to have children. 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:46.760 They do anything they could to have children like yours. 0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:49.919 Don't take it for granted. Or this job, Joel, it 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:52.320 is so stressful and I just don't like my boss. 0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:54.080 Do you know how many people would love to have 0:18:54.160 --> 0:18:57.840 your job? Learn to appreciate it. Or how about this, Joel, 0:18:57.920 --> 0:19:00.560 this husband of mine, he just gets on my nerves. 0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:03.760 We don't get along. This may surprise you, you may not 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:06.720 even believe it, but there are some ladies that would 0:19:06.760 --> 0:19:10.080 love to have your husband. And now I know some 0:19:10.119 --> 0:19:11.960 of you are thinking, can I give you a phone 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:18.680 number right now? It says in Second Corinthians, don't squander 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:22.320 one bit of the marvelous life God has given you now, 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:26.480 just that saying, don't waste one tiny bit. Don't waste 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:29.720 another second focused on the negative and what you don't 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:34.520 have in life. Don't waste another minute being discouraged and depressed. 0:19:34.960 --> 0:19:39.119 Don't go another day with unforgiveness and bitterness in your heart. 0:19:39.480 --> 0:19:41.879 I have people say to me all the time, Joel, 0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:44.359 if I'd have known back then what I know now, 0:19:44.800 --> 0:19:47.399 I would have sure lived my life differently. I wouldn't 0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:50.240 have got upset so easily. I wouldn't have tried to 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:53.199 reconcile with somebody that didn't want to reconcile with me. 0:19:54.040 --> 0:19:57.200 I wouldn't have gotten distracted and not pursued my god 0:19:57.280 --> 0:20:00.359 giving goals. You know what they're really saying. I would 0:20:00.359 --> 0:20:03.760 have been more careful and more deliberate about how I 0:20:03.840 --> 0:20:08.320 spent my time. I would have maximized each day. That's 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:11.480 what I'm asking you to do. Take inventory of how 0:20:11.480 --> 0:20:15.119 you're spending your life. It's very sad to come to 0:20:15.160 --> 0:20:17.399 the end of our days and have to say if 0:20:17.440 --> 0:20:21.200 I would have only chosen better friends, who knows where 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:24.520 I would have ended up. If I'd only forgiven this person, 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:27.520 gotten out of self pity and gone on with my life. 0:20:28.160 --> 0:20:31.400 If I'd only taken more time for my family and 0:20:31.440 --> 0:20:35.480 not worked so much. Friends, now is the time to 0:20:35.520 --> 0:20:38.919 make adjustments. We can't do anything about the past, but 0:20:39.000 --> 0:20:41.760 we can do something about right now. We can start 0:20:42.000 --> 0:20:46.600 redeeming the time. Understand I'm not redeeming the time if 0:20:46.640 --> 0:20:49.440 I go around with a chip on my shoulder focused 0:20:49.440 --> 0:20:53.080 on my disappointments. Now, when you go through setbacks and 0:20:53.119 --> 0:20:56.840 we all do. Don't waste the time by thinking about 0:20:56.840 --> 0:21:00.720 what you've lost. Invest the time by thanking God for 0:21:00.800 --> 0:21:03.080 what he has come in thank him for the new 0:21:03.119 --> 0:21:05.760 doors he's about to open. I talked to a young 0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:08.959 lady recently. She was a reporter at a local television 0:21:09.000 --> 0:21:13.360 station during Hurricane Ike. She was covering the story. Her 0:21:13.400 --> 0:21:17.160 assignment this particular day was to find people that were 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:21.080 really struggling and having a tough time finding food. Basically, 0:21:21.240 --> 0:21:24.000 it was to find sad stories. So she went to 0:21:24.040 --> 0:21:26.160 one of the local food drops where they were giving 0:21:26.160 --> 0:21:28.720 away free food, and she talked to the people in line, 0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:32.600 but nobody had a sad story. They were all grateful 0:21:32.640 --> 0:21:34.760 and believed that they were going to make it. It 0:21:34.840 --> 0:21:37.359 just so happened that Victoria and I were there with 0:21:37.440 --> 0:21:40.560 some of the Lakewood volunteers helping out, and she brought 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:42.960 the camera over to me said, Joel, tell me the 0:21:43.000 --> 0:21:46.159 worst thing that you've seen today. I said, yes, some 0:21:46.200 --> 0:21:49.320 people are struggling, but they have faith, and they know 0:21:49.359 --> 0:21:52.560 they're going over and not under. They know they're victors 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:54.600 and not victims, and this is going to be their 0:21:54.640 --> 0:21:57.720 best year in spite of the hurricane. She took the 0:21:57.760 --> 0:21:59.760 microphone away and said, I knew you wouldn't tell me 0:21:59.760 --> 0:22:05.120 any negative. She went and found Victoria. Victoria was worse 0:22:05.160 --> 0:22:08.080 than me. She said, these people are fired up. They 0:22:08.119 --> 0:22:10.600 know God's in control. Their best days are still out 0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:13.919 in front of them. She went back to the station 0:22:14.080 --> 0:22:17.440 and told her boss, I couldn't find any sad stories, 0:22:17.560 --> 0:22:20.720 but I got Joel and Victoria osting. She was so excited. 0:22:20.760 --> 0:22:23.200 She thought the boss would be thrilled, but he wasn't 0:22:23.240 --> 0:22:26.080 thrilled at all. He didn't want me in Victoria. He 0:22:26.160 --> 0:22:30.280 wanted sad, depressing stories. Long story short, that young lady 0:22:30.400 --> 0:22:33.919 got terminated over that incident. She was let go and 0:22:33.920 --> 0:22:37.080 at first she was kind of discouraged, but she understood 0:22:37.080 --> 0:22:40.520 this principle that every day is a gift from God. 0:22:40.840 --> 0:22:44.399 Instead of dragging around defeated and discouraged, she started thanking 0:22:44.440 --> 0:22:46.480 God for the new doors he was going to open, 0:22:46.680 --> 0:22:50.199 thanking him that he had a better plan. What was 0:22:50.240 --> 0:22:54.520 she doing redeeming the time, not complaining and not feeling 0:22:54.560 --> 0:22:57.320 sorry for herself. She knew she wouldn't be alive if 0:22:57.320 --> 0:23:00.119 God didn't have another victory in front of her. And 0:23:00.119 --> 0:23:02.520 it wasn't long after that that she got a call 0:23:02.560 --> 0:23:06.440 from a very prestigious organization. They said, we saw your 0:23:06.480 --> 0:23:09.199 report on the hurricane, the same one that caused her 0:23:09.240 --> 0:23:11.520 to get let go. They said, we were just wondering 0:23:11.560 --> 0:23:14.040 if you'd like to come work for us and head 0:23:14.080 --> 0:23:17.840 up our whole media department and produce documentaries. That was 0:23:17.880 --> 0:23:22.520 a dream come true for her. She smiled and gave 0:23:22.560 --> 0:23:24.520 me a big hug and said, Joel, I just want 0:23:24.520 --> 0:23:29.320 to thank you and Victoria for getting me fired. I 0:23:29.359 --> 0:23:35.520 heard somebody say disappointments are inevitable, but misery is optional. 0:23:36.080 --> 0:23:38.640 No matter what kind of setbacks you face, no matter 0:23:38.680 --> 0:23:41.200 who does you wrong, you do not have to drag 0:23:41.240 --> 0:23:46.240 through the day defeated, upset in self pity. Redeem the time. 0:23:46.640 --> 0:23:49.280 Thank God that he's still in control. Thank him for 0:23:49.320 --> 0:23:53.080 the new doors he's going to open. Understand, every person 0:23:53.160 --> 0:23:56.120 goes through the valleys, but the valleys are what lead 0:23:56.200 --> 0:23:59.080 us to higher mountains. If you never go through a valley, 0:23:59.160 --> 0:24:01.960 you'll probably not get to a higher level. The key 0:24:02.160 --> 0:24:05.399 is when you're in the difficult seasons in those valleys, 0:24:05.400 --> 0:24:08.479 you got to redeem the time. Just like her, instead 0:24:08.480 --> 0:24:12.320 of complaining, instead of feeling sorry for yourself, go out 0:24:12.400 --> 0:24:15.919 and do something good for somebody else. Sow a seed, 0:24:16.520 --> 0:24:20.040 Volunteer while you're in the valley, give somebody a ride 0:24:20.080 --> 0:24:22.239 while you're in the valley. Pray for others while you're 0:24:22.280 --> 0:24:25.120 in the valley. Usher while you're in the valley. When 0:24:25.160 --> 0:24:27.720 you sow a seed, when you invest it the right 0:24:27.760 --> 0:24:31.560 way in helping others, then those seeds that you sow 0:24:31.960 --> 0:24:34.879 are going to create the harvest you need. Not just 0:24:34.920 --> 0:24:36.800 to take you out of the valley, but they're going 0:24:36.840 --> 0:24:39.240 to lead you to a higher mountain, to a level 0:24:39.320 --> 0:24:42.400 you've not been at before. David put it this way 0:24:42.520 --> 0:24:45.919 in Psalm ninety, verse twelve. God teach us to number 0:24:46.080 --> 0:24:50.880 our days and realize how few they really are. Help 0:24:50.960 --> 0:24:54.600 us to spend them like we should. I'm forty five 0:24:54.720 --> 0:24:58.040 years old. It seemed like it was just yesterday that 0:24:58.119 --> 0:25:01.480 I was graduating from high school. Spend twenty something years. 0:25:01.680 --> 0:25:04.160 I don't know where the time is gone. A few 0:25:04.240 --> 0:25:07.119 years ago, I made a decision that I was not 0:25:07.240 --> 0:25:13.239 going to live another day negative, discouraged, worried, offended. I 0:25:13.280 --> 0:25:16.080 have plenty of opportunities, just like you, but I do 0:25:16.160 --> 0:25:19.119 my best not to go there. That's what I'm asking 0:25:19.359 --> 0:25:22.440 you to do today. We should pray with David every day. 0:25:22.640 --> 0:25:25.800 God help us to realize how short our time here 0:25:25.840 --> 0:25:29.440 on earth really is. I read a story by Jeffrey 0:25:29.520 --> 0:25:32.800 Davis called One Thousand Marbles. It's about a man that 0:25:32.920 --> 0:25:36.280 was listening to the radio early one Saturday morning. He 0:25:36.359 --> 0:25:40.040 was a young executive, very busy in his career. He 0:25:40.080 --> 0:25:43.000 didn't spend much time with his family. He wanted to, 0:25:43.320 --> 0:25:46.200 but he just had so much to do. This Saturday 0:25:46.280 --> 0:25:49.160 was no different. He couldn't go to his children's ballgames. 0:25:49.480 --> 0:25:52.520 He had extra work at the office, plus some projects 0:25:52.560 --> 0:25:54.680 at home he needed to take care of. He was 0:25:54.720 --> 0:25:57.200 eating his breakfast as fast as he could, about to 0:25:57.280 --> 0:26:00.879 rush out for the day, when he became at a 0:26:00.920 --> 0:26:05.080 story an older gentleman was telling on the radio about 0:26:05.119 --> 0:26:09.040 how he learned to appreciate each day. This gentleman told 0:26:09.080 --> 0:26:13.080 how when he was fifty five years old, he calculated 0:26:13.400 --> 0:26:15.560 that if he were to live to be seventy five, 0:26:16.040 --> 0:26:20.280 he would have approximately one thousand more Saturdays left in 0:26:20.320 --> 0:26:23.320 his lifetime. So he went to the local toy store 0:26:23.640 --> 0:26:26.760 and he bought a thousand marbles, put them in a jar, 0:26:27.240 --> 0:26:30.720 and placed them on a desk at home. Every Saturday, 0:26:30.800 --> 0:26:34.720 without fail, he took one marble out month after month, 0:26:35.040 --> 0:26:38.600 year after year, he watched the marbles go down. Before 0:26:38.640 --> 0:26:42.480 he signed off on his radio program. After telling this story, 0:26:42.880 --> 0:26:46.240 he said to his listeners today, I have taken out 0:26:46.359 --> 0:26:50.240 the final marble. I'm seventy five years old. If I'm 0:26:50.280 --> 0:26:53.040 back here next week, as far as I'm concerned, God 0:26:53.080 --> 0:26:57.240 has given me extra time. That young executive listening that 0:26:57.400 --> 0:27:00.320 touched his heart. He knew God was speaking to him. 0:27:00.720 --> 0:27:03.199 He ran upstairs, woke his wife up, gave her a 0:27:03.200 --> 0:27:06.800 big kiss, said, honey, let's go eat breakfast together this morning. 0:27:07.359 --> 0:27:10.439 She was pleasantly surprised. She said that'd be great. But 0:27:10.480 --> 0:27:13.280 what got into you? He said, Oh, nothing, I just 0:27:13.359 --> 0:27:16.680 haven't spent a Saturday with you and the kids lately. 0:27:17.280 --> 0:27:19.359 And by the way, while we're out, can we stop 0:27:19.359 --> 0:27:22.160 by the toy store. I need to pick up some marbles. 0:27:23.160 --> 0:27:26.240 What happened? All of a sudden he realized how short 0:27:26.480 --> 0:27:29.600 his time here on earth really is. Let me ask you, 0:27:29.920 --> 0:27:33.479 how are you spending the eighty six thousand, four hundred 0:27:33.520 --> 0:27:36.760 seconds God gives you each day? Are you investing it? 0:27:37.160 --> 0:27:39.639 Or are you wasting it? Are you taking time for 0:27:39.680 --> 0:27:42.879 the people you love the most? Are you allowing bitterness 0:27:42.880 --> 0:27:46.720 and unforgiveness to block your son, to cloud your life. 0:27:47.080 --> 0:27:50.840 Are you letting others control you, or perhaps distractions keep 0:27:50.880 --> 0:27:54.080 you from your God given destiny. Now make the most 0:27:54.160 --> 0:27:56.359 of each day when you get up in the morning, 0:27:56.640 --> 0:28:00.000 learn to accept the present God gives you, Thank you 0:28:00.119 --> 0:28:02.720 Him for another gift of today, and then go out 0:28:02.760 --> 0:28:05.760 and live it to the full. Things may not be perfect, 0:28:06.000 --> 0:28:08.560 but that doesn't have to stop you from enjoying the day. 0:28:09.000 --> 0:28:11.359 Look at all the good things that are in your life. 0:28:12.000 --> 0:28:15.880 Enjoy the beauty of God's creation. When you go through disappointments, 0:28:16.240 --> 0:28:19.600 remember don't let the sun go down on that disappointment. 0:28:19.800 --> 0:28:22.639 Before you go to bed. Just clear out your mind 0:28:22.760 --> 0:28:25.320 and turn it over to God. If you'll run with 0:28:25.440 --> 0:28:29.840 purpose in every step, accepting and appreciating the gift of today, 0:28:30.119 --> 0:28:32.879 then you are redeeming your time. You're not only going 0:28:32.920 --> 0:28:35.440 to enjoy your life, but God is going to increase 0:28:35.520 --> 0:28:38.640 you and promote you. You're going to overcome your obstacles. 0:28:38.800 --> 0:28:41.240 You'll see your gifts and talents come out to the full, 0:28:41.800 --> 0:28:43.680 and when you come to the end of your days, 0:28:43.840 --> 0:28:46.479 you'll be able to say, I have no regrets, I 0:28:46.520 --> 0:28:51.480 have spent my life. Well, amen, do you receive that today? Well, 0:28:51.520 --> 0:28:54.080 we never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:28:54.120 --> 0:28:56.920 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:57.120 --> 0:29:00.840 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:29:00.960 --> 0:29:05.280 repent of my sins, Come into my heart. I'll make 0:29:05.360 --> 0:29:08.760 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:29:08.840 --> 0:29:11.560 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in 0:29:11.600 --> 0:29:14.800 a good Bible based church, Keep God first place. He's 0:29:14.840 --> 0:29:16.920 gonna take your places you've never dreamed of. 0:29:17.800 --> 0:29:21.240 Thank you for listening to the Joelus Deine podcast. Help 0:29:21.360 --> 0:29:24.080 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:24.160 --> 0:29:28.080 all over the world. Visit jolostin dot com slash give 0:29:28.160 --> 0:29:29.840 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:31.120 --> 0:29:34.040 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:34.040 --> 0:29:37.400 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:37.520 --> 0:29:40.680 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:40.880 --> 0:29:43.320 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:43.400 --> 0:29:43.880 next time. 0:29:50.960 --> 0:29:52.959 Summer is here and our sleep is just as important 0:29:52.960 --> 0:29:53.920 as our weekend plans. 0:29:54.040 --> 0:29:55.719 So get the sleep you deserve with Lisa. 0:29:55.840 --> 0:29:57.800 For a limited time, save up to seven hundred dollars 0:29:57.840 --> 0:30:01.000 off Select mattresses plus two free pillows during our summer sale. 0:30:01.120 --> 0:30:03.480 Check out our hybrid mattress designed to keep you cool 0:30:03.520 --> 0:30:06.400 during those hot summer nights. 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