Living a lie all in the name of faith

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We are living at a time when people not only tell lie but are living a lie. Living a lie is living an escapist life, not wanting to face up with reality.
       An escapist don't tell lie but lives a lie. He is afraid of facing up with reality. He will go to any length to cover up. Among today youth ( and adults) one of the ways that escapist runs away from reality is addition. Drug addiction, sex addiction, pornographic addiction, alcoholic addiction etc. They do all these to deny or disown an unpleasant situation and persuade themselves that it does not exist. Facing up with reality may be presently painful but it does have in built mechanism to accelerate a healing process. Biblical fault does not deny reality rather it faces reality with great fortitude because of his or her gaze on jesus.

The sin of unbelief

Text: Heb 3: 19, 4: 1 - 10

A promise was left but men for whom it was kept for could not because of unbelief. Although the walk was finished from the foundation of the earth. God frans at unbelief this because unbelief reduce or diminisize to make him look like a man.
     Men who are afflicted with the sin of unbelief often find themselves reducing God in there imagination to a mere man. Whatever unbelief cannot imagine or comprehend he says it is impossible for God to do.
On the contrary, biblical faith simply defined is letting God be God and letting man be man. Man and God do not operate on the same level. Man operate on level of possibility but God operate at the level of impossibility.
     God is incomprehenable, unfathomable and insuperable. His ways are past finding out. He is wondrous to perform.  God can hardly work with a man who is always downsizing him. So I cry out "let the lord be magnified ....." psalm 70: 4, psalm 35: 7, 34: 3
" that a man cannot imagine or comprehend something does not mean it is impossible for God "     Joshua Odeyemi
Classical cases of unbelief
1. Zachariah - Lk 1: 5 - 22
2. The officer at the Gate of Samaria - 2kings 7: 1 - 5, 18

Redeeming the time

Introduction
On this side of eternity, time is the most valuable asset we have as believers.

How to maximise our time is this Message.
Text: Eph 5: 14 - 18
1. The nature of time
a. Time is inelastic.
b. Time is fleeting.
c. We have equal amount of time .
d. Time is useful but it can be used or misused. 
   The above are the reasons why we must redeem the time. 

2. How to redeem the time
a. Discern this will of God for you per time. 1Chr 12: 32, John 4: 34.
b. Time budgeting.  Planning your time to maximise it.
c. Repent and be zealous.  Rev 3: 19
d. Walking illuminated path. Following a leader who knows the way. John 14: 16, palsm 25: 4-5, 10
e. Walking in wisdom. Col 4: 5-6
f. Cast away our time wasting habits. 

How we waste our time
i. Procrastination.
ii. Frivolous pursuit.
iii. Labouring without priority.
iv. Taking lightly God's calling on our lives. 
v. Too much sleep.
vi. Watching movies, social media's, political discussion, watching football etc
vii. Habitual lateness.  Not doing things to time.

CONCLUSION
Eph 4: 16
To redeem means - Buy up - ransom or rescue from loss.
Why - evil days