SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
(Proverbs 30:12) "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthiness."
(Daniel 6:4-5) (4) "Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him." (5) "Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God."
(Daniel 6:8-10) (8) "Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not." (9) "Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree." (10) "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."
(1 peter 3:14-16) (14) " But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;" (15) "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" (16) "Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ."
(Matthew 24:10-13) (10) "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another." (11) "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." (12) "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
PREFACE SUMMARY
(Proverbs 30:12) where it says that "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthiness
Dear reader, this passage of scripture speaks volumes about the kind of people we have among us today. They walk in pride and arrogance, with a narrow mind that cannot see beyond what is right in front of them. This is what I call the "microwave" generation, where everyone wants everything now, and society moves too fast, causing stress that affects people's physical health.
Did you know that this undue stress can sometimes contribute to irreparable damage in relationships? Lasting relationships must be maintained and cultivated to provide the comfort needed to survive life's many challenges. Time can be managed, invested, and even yield returns, but it can only be saved if recovered. Therefore, it's important to choose wisely what we invest our time in.
In this message, we will understand how to manage our lives wisely and make room for the things that matter, especially those that matter to our family. Living in the fast lane will not only wear us out but also take a toll on our bodies. Our bodies need adequate rest and downtime to unwind to remain healthy and keep us going.
Dear reader, did you know that this fast-paced lifestyle can produce stress, which can increase our risk of developing chronic health problems? Even the most high-performance race car needs a pit stop for maintenance to stay in the race.
Beloved reader, our bodies can be likened to office computers that require a scheduled time to dump their memory banks to keep them operating efficiently. Overload comes when we have too much going on in our lives, and we work ourselves into exhaustion until we develop health problems, which could end in permanent disability.
LEARN HOW TO SAY NO
Dear reader, don't let an unexpected heart attack or stroke catch you off guard and cause you to face unprepared hardships by allowing others to put unnecessary pressures on you that will require you to spend long hours away from your family.
Beloved, it's essential to think, relax, and enjoy the life we've been given, for what good is all your hard work if you're not around to enjoy the fruits of your labor?
Dear reader, nobody on their deathbed ever said, "I wish I had spent more time at work." Isn't it time for us to learn the power of saying "no" occasionally?
Beloved, if we don't manage our time and life wisely, someone else will do it for us, and we'll end up fulfilling their dreams instead of working on ours.
Saints, we must condition ourselves to take a break and escape survival mode, especially when we let things overload us. Many people today are overwhelmed with the cares of this world and can't find happiness.
Beloved reader, many people have neglected to make happy memories with their family, which can pay off in the long run, especially when we have time to reflect on our lives in later years, therefore beloved, it is essential that we understand that the time we spend with our family should be enjoyable and leave us with happy memories, especially when they are no longer around.
Dear reader, the bottom line is to draw a line and put some margin in our life, which will give us breathing room to think about the future we want for ourselves and our families. Investing in our lives where it counts is the space we allow between our load and limit, therefore beloved, please understand that time is valuable, so don't waste it. You can invest in your life and get a dividend from it. However, once a precious second of our life is gone, we can never return it.
FAMILY COMES FIRST
Dear reader, did you know that we can set aside a day to follow someone around and by the end of the day, we will know where they invest their time, including where their priorities lie, which would surely tell us what the essential things in their life for where we invest our time will reveal what is most important to us?
Beloved, did you know that time cannot be saved or bought but can be spent and invested? Therefore, beloved, where are you investing your time and priorities?
Beloved reader, is it not reasonable to know that we can invest our life through encouraging words to someone in need, and what about people today who say they are people of faith?
Saints, we need to invest our lives into others by giving back out of the things that we have been blessed with. Did you not know that we can use our experiences and wisdom to make a difference in the lives of others, which will not only be a testimony to those around us but leave behind a legacy that will live on after we are gone?
Dear reader, did you know that we can invest in others by becoming a true friend that they learn to know they can count on and that no matter what comes their way, we will be there for them?
Beloved, the Living God has invested his gifts in every one of us, and he expects a return on his investment. God loves to invest in familiar, ordinary people, and some have made it into his blessed book called the Holy Bible.
Beloved reader, is it not proper that sometimes we tend to place ourselves in a survival mode to make it through a busy day because, in this mode, we can only think of ourselves, which can cause us to neglect our family? However, the truth is that we tend to neglect God in this mode because we hate to think of adding something else to our busy schedule.
Dear reader, we do not have to live our life in survival mode because if we leave some room for margin in our life, we will discover that it will allow us to spend some time with our family, which will cause us to enjoy our walk with Christ and make ourself available for him to use us.
Beloved Saints, we can make ourselves useful for the master’s service, realizing that life is a precious gift we must use wisely.
Saints and fellow peers, while others living in this fast-paced world may be overloaded, we are taking time to make lasting memories while saying no to family intruders, which will allow us time to appreciate, invest, manage, and enjoy the life that the Living God has blessed us with till he calls us home to glory.
Dear reader, your family needs you, especially after being away on an extended business trip and Dad; it is essential to have family discussions and allow your children to express what you missed while you were gone.
Beloved Saints, your son needs your attention to speak of the big game you missed, and your little girl says Daddy, I broke my doll because this will make them feel essential and beloved; who knows what they will grow up and give back to society?
Beloved, did you not know that your ministry begins at home? So be the priest of your home and enjoy your beautiful family because many are losing their jobs, which places more stress on their lives, only to discover that they also lost their family.
Dear reader, did you know that people are right under our noses, living from paycheck to paycheck with barely enough money to pay their bills? Did you not know that there is always someone who has been through more than what we have? Let us be thankful for what we have together and ensure our family knows they mean more to us than anything on earth.
MY CONCLUSION
Dear reader, is it not true that we can read a newspaper and find ourselves in a barrage of negative attacks that can war against our faith, including our way of life?
Saints, is not the daily news filled with reports of confused, hurting people deciding to end it all because they feel there is no way out of their situation?
Dear reader, is it not true that life seems hopeless to them, and do we not always hear reports of someone being bullied and shamed in school?
Beloved, these are young lives; their reputation means everything to them, and because of this smear on their life, they would rather face death than go back and face these people who are ruining their lives.
Beloved Saints, where are the praying mothers that used to stay awake to watch the nightly news hoping to get a glimpse of their son fighting in a war on foreign soil, and where are the mothers that would pray over the children before sending them to school?
Dear reader, please hear me well, especially with all the murders and suicides occurring throughout our land; please know that your family needs you now more than ever and beloved; we cannot help anybody by pretending to be someone that we are not; therefore, "we need to be who God made us to be and allow him to serve his purpose through us to our generation by reaching out to a hurting world that is confused and looking for answers."
International Evangelist
Jerry W. Hulse Ph.D.
Miracle Life Church International
