Date: 8th March, 2026
Message: Redeeming Time as Children of the Day
Minister: Pastor Laide Olaniyan
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) – “1 To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. 9. What profit hath he that worketh in that for which he laboreth? 10 I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. 11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time. Also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”
(Ephesians 5:15) – “15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore, be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(1Chronicles 12:32) (Matthew 16:1-7) One of the very things that define our survival in the natural and the spirit is the ability to know times and seasons and be able to appropriate every season. In the natural, our life is planned according to nature’s season. All our expectations are adjusted to times because time itself is held by an everlasting covenant.
(Jeremiah 33:20-21) – “20 “Thus saith the LORD: ‘If ye can break My covenant of the day and My covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season. 21 then may also My covenant be broken with David My servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne, and with the Levites the priests, My ministers.” – When God set the lights in Genesis 1, He made a covenant with them that their lights will not cease, this is why time is held by an everlasting ordinance.
(Genesis 8: 20-22) – “20 And Noah built an altar unto the LORD, and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in His heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” – This again proves that time is held by an everlasting ordinance. It is held by a covenant of perpetuity as long as the earth remains. A person who does not understand the ordinance governing time fights against it and will only be left to be changed or replaced by time. This ordinance is meant to be understood and aligned with. To understand time, you need to discern it. In the natural, discernment on what to plant by farmers comes from understanding the climate of the geographical area.
One of the laws that govern success in Ecclesiastes 9:11 is placement and timing, and these things are in the hands of the Lord. God can deliberately lead us to the right place at the right time. We don’t fight time. We align with it. It is only a silly soul that will intentionally not align with time. The analogy of keeping a bundle of rose gifted to you more than the appropriate time for survival, till it perishes and becomes dirt shows us that we should understand the time for everything, especially things that are perishable. This is because time depreciates everything that is not lasting: it has a way of weathering down things (reducing their value) that are not everlasting in nature (1 Chronicles 7:31).
One of the advancement of man is to study time in the natural and this study is used to achieve success. Men who have succeeded in the natural are mostly those who are able to spot a future or emerging trend in the way people live and are able to ride on it. This signals time mastery in the natural.
To criticize understanding times of the natural is to be a fool. Most of the time, the sons of the kingdom are not savvy or discerning of the natural time. It is not wrong to be able to discern the times in the natural. Even Jesus in Matthew 16:2-3 didn’t rebuke the Pharisees for being able to discern the time in the natural. In fact, as believers, we ought to be able to discern natural times. But much more, heavens expect us to be able to discern the times in the spirit – this is where Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in Matthew 16:3. There is another clock in the spirit over us that we are not aware of. One of the signs of wisdom is understanding what is needed today and required tomorrow, and preparing for it today.
There are some people crafting the times of the present world, but they are oblivious of the times of the spirit. We can go through our journey in the spirit and not know what time it is. We can be trapped in a world and times will pass us by. Times are for improvement and change. God gave time to man for upgrade. Time came before sin. But, sin converted time that should be for appreciation of things to depreciation of things. If we don’t discern times, we will be stuck in a state and not see the necessity for change. In the spirit, there is that which heaven is saying that a person ought to discern.
(Ephesians 5:15-16) – “15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” – A fool is one who doesn’t understand time or its demands, in the natural and much more in the spirit. To strive against time is to use your energy unnecessarily. We can use time righteously. What heaven told us to strive against is sin and the unlawful use of time – not time itself. We will be walking foolishly when we don’t make time our resource. Redeeming time is not going against time but using time according to its ordained purpose. We must go against what sin wants us to use time to do and know what God will have us use time for.
(Romans 13:11) – 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awaken out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.” Paul taught the church until they knew time.
IT IS HIGH TIME TO AWAKE OUT OF SLEEP!!!
(Ephesians 5:12-14) – “12 for it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 14 Therefore He saith: “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” One of the signs of folly is slumber and slumber is lack of awareness.
(Proverbs 10:5) – “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: But he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.”- According to the dictate of time, this son should not be sleeping. In a season of harvest, he should not be sleeping.
According to Romans 13:11, we shouldn’t be found sleeping at the time of our salvation. A son can be wise in the natural, but can’t discern the time of salvation in the spirit. But a wise son knows the times of salvation. Jesus calls us a hypocrite if we discern the rhythm of the times of the natural but are taken in slumber when it comes to the real thing – things of the spirit. We’re hypocrites because we’ve seen a greater promise in the things of the natural.
(Romans 13:12) – “12 The night is far spent; the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” – This is a response to an understanding of the times. The soul doesn’t understand times. There is a demand of the times in the spirit. Heaven is saying to be relevant in the days of salvation that are coming, we have to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
(Romans 13:13-14) – “13 Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in lewdness and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.” – It is unfortunate that honesty is something that has become scarce. It is unfortunate that we don’t have brethren that are honest. When you still walk in the night, it is a sign that you don’t know that salvation is drawing closer, you can’t discern. We can riot against the laws of life because we want freedom (liberty to sin or allocation for
lasciviousness).
One of the things that you see about those who are approaching salvation is that they are regulated under the law of Christ. Even though they can operate under every other circumstance, one universal law that is over them is the law of Christ or the law of charity.
(I Thessalonians 5:1-10) Paul taught this church to the time that they grew perfectly. When we understand the times, there is a watchfulness in the soul. The Thessalonica church was a church that was discerning of time. When you understand the times, there’s a watchfulness in the soul. The armour of light referred to in the verse is the amour of God referred to in Ephesians 6:10-11.
To not be drunken is to not be carried away by things that this world prioritizes. A person can be so carried away by the times in the natural that he is oblivious of the times of the spirit. He might be preparing for a time in the natural but oblivious of a higher time (in the spirit). Why are we putting on the breastplate of faith and love? It is to obtain salvation because it is nearer. If we do not wear it, we won’t be able to obtain salvation. So, we must put it on in readiness to receive salvation. And we need to do it painstakingly so we don’t become fools or hypocrites.
(1 Timothy 5:11-14) – “11 But the younger widows refuse, for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry, 12 having damnation because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. 14 It is my will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” – There is a way responsibilities make us sober. That’s why Paul pointed out here that young widows and women should be given to marriage so they can be responsible. Responsibility bridles the soul. Sometimes, when we get tangled in the works of the flesh, it is due to idleness. When we run away from responsibilities that have been assigned us by the spirit of God, we’ll have room to take some thoughts. Some daunting tasks and responsibilities are our actual passage to break free from some habits.
There are unbridled passions that can be tamed by responsibilities. Having energy that is not channeled properly is what makes us sin. The reason why Satan gets some of us is because we make provision for the flesh, and this can come sometimes due to our negligence. Because we’re still familiar with our sinful past, we accept it into our present.
Sin has taught us how to make provision for the flesh. But the Lord desires that we make no single room or allowance for flesh. This can be as simple as not allowing an opposite sex to visit you alone, not keeping money for fleshy things. These are the things that are not making us prosper in the journey of salvation. Some indulgence or excuses are provisions for the flesh – they are opportunities to fulfil lust. We must be discerning of opportunities Satan creates to strengthen flesh. Some opportunities of not being accountable is a provision for the flesh. Making ourselves accountable comes with willful submission to our Pastors or leaders to ensure flesh is given no room. It is undeniable that a time is over us, but the question is: Are we seeing it?
(2 Corinthians 6:2) – “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Many of us know how to make provision 2 (For He saith, “I have heard thee at an accepted time, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee.” Behold, now is the accepted time! Behold, now is the day of salvation!”
(Proverbs 10:5-6) (John 4:35) The season of salvation is also the season of harvest. The season God is declaring as the time of our salvation is also the season He is declaring the harvest. Why? Part of not slumbering is also being ready to gather. Part of the instructions of wisdom are seen in the preparation of the heart for the harvest. Readiness is a sign of wisdom.
(1 Peter 4:2-4) – “ 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries; 4 wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same dissolute excess, speaking evil of you.”
(Ephesians 2:3) – “Among these also we all had our manner of living in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
(Ephesians 5:17-18) – “17 Therefore, be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” – If they have to wean us, we have to be filled to do the will of God. We have previously worked according to the cause of flesh, but when you put an end to it, you get mocked, others who are still walking according to that cause become bitter because you have found a life and you have become obsessed with God’s will – in knowing and doing it. You have become content in pleasing God such that you only seek to do what He wills and not your own will.
It’s not wrong to discern the times of the natural, but much more, we must discern the times of the spirit and the dissimulation of salvation. There are times when the Lord will allow us to leverage the times of the natural to our profiting, but some of us don’t take advantage of it and become envious or bitter towards a brethren that did. Sometimes, some people don’t progress in the natural because they are comfortable with the flesh. They don’t want to be diligent nor allow anyone to demand anything from them. Sometimes, this set of people are usually filled with offence, because if you’re where the Lord will have you be, the spirit of grace and glory will rest upon you and you’ll work joyfully. When it’s the high time, it’s like there is a peak in the spirit, and if we snooze on this crescendo in the spirit, we lose. We can’t afford to fall into slumber at this time. God will make us wise in the natural and wiser in the spirit. We will put on Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh.