NIGERIAN PARENTS LOVE WHATSAPP… because they love you.

Whatsapp the cross platform messaging app is probably the most popular social messaging platform in existence today. The platform was originally viewed especially by the youth as an alternative to the now defunct Blackberry Messenger (BBM), an alternative to “pinging” , today the platform has grown through leaps and bounds, it has transcended generations and is the number one option for all demographics. Nigerian parents are not the ones to be left out of anything and have jumped on the phenomenon as well and are probably its most active participants.

However what Whatsapp means and represents to the youth differs entirely to what it means to our Parents, the first distinction is noticeable in the way Nigerian parents generally pronounce its name, they unanimously christened the platform “Wazzap” or “Wussup”. The social platform is somewhat an addiction as well, once the average Nigerian Parent gets a new mobile device the first duty of the mobile savvy child or ward around is to download wazzap which is every child’s nightmare because this guarantees constant broadcast messages (mostly fake and unsubstantiated news about danger), misleading viral images, unexciting videos of over 15mb, status update monitoring, being added to unwanted groups and profile picture criticism.

 

WHAT ATTRACTS NIGERIAN PARENTS?

The advent of the digital/social media age has vastly limited personal interaction and caused a communication strain among people with interpersonal relationships, suddenly kids who used to play around the house and tell their parents everything  are now constantly “pressing phone” 24/7 (which Nigerian parents blame for every sickness). Parents feel locked out of their children’s reality, they inevitably begin to realize that they no longer know much about their children, they are no longer “cool” to them or  control their music/movie tastes or even their choice in friends who no longer have to visit as friendships are formed over calls and chat messaging. This social age has left parents clueless……then came Whatsapp to the rescue.

Whatsapp offers Nigerian parents two opportunities, the first opportunity is the ability to coexist in the same trendy digital space with the younger generation and do what they do i.e. if the kids share videos, funny images and trendy news the parents observe and try to replicate as well so they can feel hip to the culture. Secondly it presents an opportunity to observe their children’s persona outside the now veiled real world and continue to exert parental wisdom and authority over them, this is why every time you change your profile, mum or dad will be the first contact to message you to change it and remind you that “you’re a child of God”. These opportunities provided by the platform ensures that Nigerian parents have found the perfect digital haven.

At the end of the day we are the biggest draw to the platform for our parents, all they want to do is find ways to be present and active in our everyday lives, once we find an alternative platform to be the new cool thing where we can express ourselves freely trust our Parents to abandon wozzop and follow us there.

IS CHRISTIANITY BORING?

​

As a brand new Christian or a Christian being weaned from worldly activities, we often find ourselves in a state of boredom, we don’t have the old habits that we regularly enjoy to fall back to and we do not also have an idea of any activity to replace them. The Christian music, reading the Bible, praying don’t seem as fun as our past activities and most times we conclude that Christianity is not fun.

There is a reason for this though, the flesh and mind is not subject to the things of God neither can it be Romans 8 v 7. The flesh would not at first enjoy spiritual activities with God but with time continuing with this activities the spirit takes over and with illumination our walk with God becomes exhilarating and enlightening.

Consistency is rewarded by God and with that comes revelation, and that is the fun of Christianity because it excites the spirit.

For Christians finding the walk unexciting, remain consistent and see that the Holy spirit is intoxicating than new wine. 

WHY DOES GOD FORGIVE ME ALL THE TIME?

​As a Christian who is fully aware of how inconsistent I am in contrast to the faithfulness of God, how I fall into temptation and trials that I thought I could overcome, a Christian who always falls back to his knees more often than not asking for  forgiveness and grace for my shortcomings, I find myself asking this questions why does God forgive me all the time. I know fully well that I have been saved and that I am a child of God transformed into everlasting life but when I do acts inconsistent with my status I wonder why does God even put up with me knowing fully well I may still fall tomorrow.

In Meditation the LORD led me to Matthew 18 v 21&22 where Peter asked God how many times a day can he forgive his brother who sins against him, seven times? And Christ responded SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN.

 I thought to myself can God tell us to do what he can’t or doesn’t do? NO. The LORD told us that we be holy because He is holy, He told us we  should love because He is love and in that vein He told us to forgive our brother who offends us 70×7 times a day because He will do same for us and even more, because he is Just and Faithful in doing so.

While I am quite certain nobody will offend me 490 times a day ( that’s is about 20 offences an hour) i know it is possible for my imperfect self to do that to Him even without me knowing, His willingness to even forgive me for all that makes me fall in love with Him more and be more confident in HIS love for me.

In conclusion all I can say is I love You LORD but even more I’m grateful for Your love for me.

I’M JUST PASSING THROUGH.

​

…This world is not my own I’m just passing through, the old but gold tune, a staple at funerals and obituary announcements, a constant and sober reminder that we will not live on this earth forever plays in my subconscious, leaving me analysing the implications of this song and people’s extreme perspectives on our earthly journey

The first and the most common extremity is the need to be all you can be, get all you can get In this present world without recourse to the next, this entails doing anything necessary by any means necessary  to get by, it involves an endless, anxious rat race to prepare for life which is ultimately ended by death unprepared for.

The second perspective is that of those so fixated on the aftermath of life, present realities do not concern them at all, the unknown is so Germaine that the present and tangible is left to suffer, for death so prepared for they live a life unprepared.

In a world where these two extremities co relate, I wonder which of them to align with. To get answers I look up to the one who lived both the tangible and the unknown, of the first perspective this what was he had to say. 

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”. Matt 6:19 & 20. For the second perspective he also said

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”.Matt 5:14-16.

While marrying both statements on the perspectives I came to the realisation that God doesn’t want us to live in the extremity of a position to the neglect and detriment of the other. God doesn’t want us to be so rich on earth that we will be poor in eternity, He would rather we be rich in eternity than over here, but in the same stride He doesn’t want us so extreme on eternity that we would neglect to do good works to “men” which would in turn give glory to him, while He wants us to be rich in Heaven he also wants to be the light of the world, as we are His representatives in it. Simply put God wants us to be and have the best of both worlds.

Charis.

GOD’S PRESENCE

​Finding God’s presence or should i say being in God’s presence. 

The Bible says do not be equally yoked with unbelievers, but many believers has failed in this aspect.

 We can’t do the things of the world and yet do the things of God. 

It is not possible you can’t be in the middle, you have to be at one side either with God or with the world.

 The young adult of the church fail to understand this, they want to serve the Lord yet do the things of the world it won’t work out. 

If you’re serving the Lord serve him totally in truth without a but. 

But this is where the problem lies the young adult want to serve the lord with a but which does not tally at all. 

What does darkness have to do with the light, what do the word of the Lord have to do with the word of the world,what do the children of the Lord have to do with the children of darkness.

AUTHOR: VICTORIA ALABI

F A R

Does God hear my prayers?

Do you think he is aware?

Sometimes I wonder why I share

It seems God is far
There has been another disaster

They killed another Child here

Does our heavenly father care?

Where is God?, HE is far
Is he far because I cannot see him?

He said I should walk by faith and not sight 

Though I looked left and right

Only by faith could he be seen 
So the devil may put the seen all over my face

I know I’ve come this far only by faith

His hands and ears are not too short

I know this so I fear not.
So when I pray I know he hears

Even if my eyes tell me otherwise

I no longer judge distance with my eyes

The blood of Jesus has brought me near.

DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS LIKE THESE?

In the city of Capernaum laid a paraplegic

Lost almost everything he had

Lost his body function, money, family all he had

But one thing he had left

He had friends
In the city of Capernaum there was a buzz

Word spread that the Man God was home

And without recourse to his strength a crowd had gathered

Seeing the crowd Jesus began to teach
The solution is here said one of the paraplegic’s friends

And to HIM they brought the Paraplegic

But the crowd was at the door no one could come in or out

No way to God left or right the only place left was up
The paraplegic the friends did lower

With their faith removed the roof and impressed the LORD

Cause of their faith HE healed him and forgave his sins

Watching all of this through the crowded window I wondered, “do I have friends like these”?

DENY JESUS?

 

 

Hi Guys, it has been a while since our last post. How are you all doing?

Today’s topic was inspired by a conversation that was raised in my place of work. Different parties had their opinions, some said they would not, some said they would, while some were on the fence.  Am sure that we have heard different stories of people who did not deny Christ and of those who did.  I read about the story of one of the Chibok girls who was buried and stoned to death because she did not deny Jesus. The 21  Ethiopian Christians who were also killed for not denying Christ. There are different stories of Christians who are being persecuted and killed for not denying Jesus.Many people are of the opinion that it requires a certain amount of grace to be at the point of death and not deny Jesus. I agree with this theory because i believe grace is needed when making important decisions that has to do with your life. While discussing this topic, someone said that if Peter the disciple of Jesus and firsthand witness of Jesus’ Miracles and his transfiguration could deny Jesus even when he was not face with death then a special kind of grace is needed.

If you study your bible you will see that there is a reward for those who do not deny Jesus. An example is Stephen (Acts 7: 55-56), God gave him a clear vision of Heaven and he saw the glory of God and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (probably waiting to receive his faithful servant). Another example is in Matthew 5, the beatitudes where Jesus said “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. I was told of an event that happened in an European country where twelve prisoners were being frozen to death for not denying Christ. When it got to the twelfth person, he denied Christ after seeing what the other eleven people had gone through. God opened one of the soldiers eyes and he saw a chariot of fire coming to pick the eleventh person who had just died, immediately the soldier started removing his uniform and said he wanted to die too because he wanted the kind of reception the eleventh person got. I still wonder how the twelfth person would have felt after hearing the soldier’s revelation.

As Christians, i believe we should always pray to God to give us the grace and strength to always serve and stick with him during periods of persecution and when our lives are at risk.

P.S. Let’s pray for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted wherever they are

SHALOM……..

Peace Ekpo

THE VERY BEST OF 2015

Dear readers its been a long year, and though most of you I may not know or have come across physically but through the vehicle of this blog together we have journeyed this year spiritually, mentally and critically.
Majority of my blog posts are often inspired and shaded in ongoing circumstances and situations, others are pure spiritual and intellectual light bulbs or guest blogged.
This post is my ranking of my top 7 posts. These posts were ranked according to preference, audience reactions and inspiration, lets view together.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
I love him, I love him not: A tragic tale of rejected love – This post was a loose adaptation from a friend’s short story. It was in a prose narrative with a tragic plot, but an easy read and with a messsage.
Read the post here     http://wp.me/p2GX8M-5n

IS VIRGINITY COOL? – This post after being written had my friends either wondering why or in awe of the bravery for this post, but i believe it was a message that had to get out, especially to our generation.
Read the post here http://wp.me/p2GX8M-5l

SHOULD CHRISTIANS GET TATTOOS – This post wasnt and isnt meant to discredit or judge anybody but was just an opinion with scriptural backing on the increasing trend of tattoos among christians
Read post here http://wp.me/p2GX8M-5s

7) LIFE IS A GAME – This post, a poetry was written at the darkest period of my life this year, hence its my post with the most emotions. It was like a silent cry for help.
Read post here http://wp.me/p2GX8M-6e

6) MY OPEN LETTER TO HOMOSEXUALS – This post was my view and a response to homosexuals and homophobia, insightful deep and sincere.
Read post here http://wp.me/p2GX8M-57

5) SO IS LOVE SCIENCE ? – I love this post a lot because of its inspiration. Science seems to have an answer to almost all human questions, does science have an answer to love?
Read post here http://wp.me/p2GX8M-5c

4) SO WHAT ABOUT GAY CHRISTIANS ? – This post arose out of the conflict of views and opinion between christians and homosexuals after homosexuality was made legal in the United States, in this battle what of those caught in the middle?
Read post here http://wp.me/p2GX8M-5E

3) Excuse my French – Diaries of a toy soldier pt.1 – A fictional hypothetical prose about a young general and his tragic flaw. This post had the best critical reception this year and has a sequel
Read post here  http://wp.me/p2GX8M-5L

2) THE RAPTURE WILL NOT BE TELEVISED or go viral – A personal favorite of mine, loosely adapted from the piece “The revolution would not be televised” it factors the difference of the rapture to contemporary lifestyle. The post got discussed on forums and websites, it was a blessing.
Read post here http://wp.me/p2GX8M-4d

1) WHEN SHOULD I HAVE SEX – The amazing thing about this post is that it is a guest blog. This post drew the most reactions and sincerely i learnt a lot from this post. A timely message to our generation and a radical standview, i personally recommend this a must read.
Read post here http://wp.me/p2GX8M-5v

So there we have it, my best 7 posts of the year. You can feel free to share, reblog, Comment on your favourite and tell a friend about.

Special thanks to you all who made this blog a success this year from my audience to my followers to sharers to voters to guest bloggers, mentors, friends and family, to my “blog partner” check his blog here http://osawords.wordpress.com/author/ezsblog/ and my special friends (you know yourselves). Finally to Jesus Christ, for life and inspiration, you are the best.
I hope we continue to learn and grow together in 2016.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

To my readers and Christians worlwide i wish you and join you in celebrating the birth of our saviour JESUS CHRIST. THE KID, THE KING, THE LAW, OUR GRACE. MERRY CHRISTMAS. GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO