Can pleasures of this life hinder our Christian growth?

Nearly everyone likes some sort of pleasure. The Lord is not against us having pleasure. The danger lies when pleasure becomes the focus of our life.
Job 36:11
If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
From the above scripture the Lord is not against us having pleasure. Also to mention that they are different types of pleasures, and for the Christian, pleasures in His presence are much more satisfying than pleasures of this life.
Psalm 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 36:7-8
How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures
This article is referring to pleasures of this life. So when can pleasures of this life become a danger to us?
Pleasures of this life will become a danger to us under these circumstances:

• When we are given to pleasure:

Isaiah 47:8

Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:
When we are given to pleasure, we will live careless lives. Not giving regard or time to things that are more important than pleasure.

• When we love pleasure more than God.

2 Timothy 3: 1- 4

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
How careful we need to be. Being lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God is a sign of the last days. All you need to do, is look around and see the abundance of entertainment and pleasures we have. We will all agree that if these are not managed they can become major distractions and hindrances to our Christian growth.
You have an urge to pray, but you choose to finish watching the movie on TV before responding. That action could have cost someone their life. Or you feel an urge to go into your closet and spend time with the Lord, but o no, the computer game is getting interesting. We need to judge ourselves and be very careful.

• Allowing pleasures of this life to choke the Word sown in our hearts

Luke 8: 5- 14
A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
What choked the Word was cares, riches and pleasures of this life. And because of that no fruit was brought to perfection.
I think it is safe to say that most Christians are right here. We go to church or hear a good word, get back to the dinner, watch TV, go to bed then work the next day. In the middle of the week we go and play tennis, as the week goes by, we have not even opened the notes taken at church talk less of study them. We then go back to church the next Sunday to get more. How are we ever going to bring any fruit unto perfection with such a life style?
Each one of us have to count the cost of what it will take us to bring fruit unto perfection. When we count the cost we must be prepared to pay the price..
Are pleasures good? Yes to a certain extend, however if we are to be serious Christians that want to fulfil our purpose and understand His ways, we must be prepared to lay aside some pleasures and pay the price for eternal values.

Bisi Oladipupo

Good men still need the Lord

Have you ever come across someone that you thought, ‘ what a good person’, or are you a ‘good’ person yourself?


Do you know that you can be a very good person, but have someone very serious missing in your life.

Lets have a look at this scripture:


Acts 10


1There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

3He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

4And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

5And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

6He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.


This is Peter telling the brethren what happened:

Act 11

12And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:


13And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;

14Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.


15And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.



The above verse states why Peter was told to go to Cornelius, ‘ to tell them words that he and all his house shall be saved’, WOW!!


Corenelius was a good man, but he needed to be saved. Look at how the bible described him:


■A devout man,


■One that feared God with all his house,


■He gave much alms to the people,


■He prayed to God always.


He feared God with all his house, he gave to others, he prayed to God yet not saved until Peter was sent to him.

With all this, if he had not been saved he would have spent an eternity without the Lord. A place called hell.

While we don’t hear much about hell today, hell is a real place for those who have not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour because it is our Lord Jesus Christ that paid the price for our sins.

The above account shows that ‘good men’ still need the Lord. Don’t be deceived, everyone that has breath needs to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour to make heaven after the last breath.

If prayers, giving to people and even fearing God was good enough to get us into heaven, the Lord would not have sent Peter to Cornelius.

Are you a good person? You need the Lord! Do you think you are not good? You still need the Lord, for Jesus paid for all our sins, it doesn’t matter how bad you think they are Jesus has paid the price. All you need to do is to receive the finished work on Calvaryby making Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour of your life. What a bargain, just receive the one who loves you.

When we come across ‘good; people, let us not forget that if they don’t know the Lord, they need Him, for ‘good people still need the Lord’.

The above account is evident and the scriptures declare that this:



Acts 4: 12


Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Don’t be intimated by the good works, share the good news to the people you come across. The precious blood was shed for all.



Bisi Oladipupo

23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese

Bill Wiese saw the searing flames of hell, felt total isolation, and experienced the putrid and rotting stench, deafening screams of agony, terrorizing demons, and finally, the strong hand of God lifting him out of the pit. ?Tell them I am coming very, very soon!? Wiese's visit to the devil's lair lasted just twenty-three minutes, but he returned with vivid details etched in his memory. Since this life-changing ordeal, he has spent the last seven years studying the Scriptures to find answers and has listed more than 150 Bible verses referencing hell. http://books.google.com/books?id=QdSLAAAACAAJ&dq=23+minutes+in+hell&hl=en&ei=Btw8TLW5NN-L4gb4oPzzCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6wEwAA

Rescue Service

Flowing slowly with the traffic on my way to work one morning I could not help noticing a van with the inscription RAC Rescue Service pass by.


The sight of the van reminded me of the experience I had a few weeks before, and how I had to wait helplessly in my vehicle for the car rescue service man to arrive.

If you have ever been vulnerable to danger before, you will appreciate the need for help.

Whether it is an ambulance, a policeman or just a passer-by, you will receive them gladly, more so, if it is a matter of life and death.

If we accept rescue from people who try to help us when we have a broken-down vehicle in the middle of nowhere, or when we are in danger, why do we reject people who are trying to rescue us from eternal judgement?

God has an international Rescue Service, made up of His Word and His people.

He is constantly prompting people with His Spirit to help them out of danger with His Word.

The stranger who passed you this tract, the work colleague, neighbour, relative or friend at school are all part of Gods Rescue Team.

Do you accept their help gladly, or do you reject it flatly?

Maybe you do not appreciate how much danger you are in if you died without Christ. God does. That is why He is sending help to you again and again.

The Bible declares that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Indeed, He is our only hope of escaping eternal separation from God.

Respond to Him today, by saying this prayer from your heart; Father I come to you in Jesus name, Jesus come into my life.

I receive you now as my Lord and saviour. Amen Now look for a good bible believing Church that would help you grow in this new walk with God.



Bisi Oladipupo