Category: Articles

GRACIOUSLY TIMED

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One of the existential questions I have fought within my lifetime is “why were we born?”

I did battle with this thought many times because I could not fathom the justification that I was born without my consent and now, I had to make good decisions in order to make heaven.

Needless to say, decision-making tires me out. The struggle was not about making good decisions but that I was forced into this position by no choice of mine.

Today, I think God has been gracious enough to reveal answers I think might come in handy for anyone in a similar predicament as I was.

I would like to present this answer in the same way I got it chronologically and hopefully, it will make as much sense to you as it did to me.

First, we start with the concept of original sin. The book of Genesis opens us to God’s revelation to Moses on how the world we currently live in began. It points out many fascinating ideas that I would like to dabble in but for the sake of this discussion, I would stick to specific verses that would be useful.

And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die” (Genesis 2: 16-17).

Here we see God provide the instruction our forebears were eventually going to disobey. I used to look at this instruction in very literal terms, but a new light shone on it when I considered the fact that the book of Genesis was a vision to Moses and he was probably trying to interpret heavenly mysteries in human terms.

This meant that the significance of the instruction was more worthy of note than what type of fruit was being referred to. Thinking in this line, I believe that God gave Adam a choice between letting God decide what was good for him as opposed to gaining that knowledge for himself and doing the decision-making by himself.

In effect, God was telling Adam, if you take on decision-making, you are going to be killing yourself.

This understanding built my first step towards an answer and I believe it has credence to it because the stress of decision-making is why I got into this predicament. If we take our focus off me for a moment, we find quite glaringly that humanity on its own proves that we are not great at making decisions.

Many of the sorrows we suffer on earth are the direct or indirect implications of our decisions.

It is important to note that our good intentions do not make this any better because, the flaw in our capacity to make good decisions comes from our inability to operate as God – having all the information of past, present and future.

This would then mean that our best option was and always have been to allow God to do the deciding for us. Adam and Eve should have known better.

Now, riding on that revelation, I feel I would like to have words with Eve and Adam when we get to heaven. I was inclined to think this was their entire fault, making me the innocent recipient of someone’s mistakes. I did not think God was fair to let their problem become my destiny alongside all the millions of babies born every day. For this, God provided a thought process that I would like to share with you.

Consider the language from Genesis 1: 20 – 31. A recurring phrase you would find is “…after its kind” followed by the instruction to reproduce.

Dr. Myles Munroe does a great job of explaining this phenomenon by pointing out that God put the future of the plant within it in seed form. The same he did with animals and also with man. Thus, when you hold a mango in your hand, the fact is it is just a mango, but the truth is that you are holding a potential forest.

This reasoning can then be applied to humanity and we can make the conclusion that when Adam and Eve made the wrong decision, we all did it together because we were already in them… just in seed form.

Now comes the good part:

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” (Genesis 3:22).

I know it is odd that I am romanticising the separation of man and God, but I have recently come to an understanding that makes this a bittersweet beginning to the human dilemma.

According to the vision, Adam and Eve have sinned, God has doled out the punishments (which when we study closely, is in the favour of man) and the last thing he does is create a rift between himself and man.

This rift may look like a move of anger, but the verse clearly states why it was necessary and even a move of love – if man in this state (filled with the knowledge of good and evil) were to remain in the garden, he would have access to eternal life. On the surface, it doesn’t look like much of a problem until you consider the possibility of life as we know it existing forever. If that doesn’t scare you, it scares me.

Humanity and world systems have failed too many times to prove that we are not great at this decision-making thing. We do have our moments but overall, we are barely getting by. So, it is grace – that God keeps us from eternity, for a while. This is what I believe time to be – a enclosed moment in eternity to live out the mallady of self-will.

Here is an analogy to help with this. Imagine a father warns his son to not play by the roadside. The son does not adhere and in a freak accident hurts his ankle and falls on the road in such a way that he could be killed by oncoming traffic. The father’s first reaction would be to yank his son as quickly as possible to safety first before tending to his hurt ankle. I now believe this was what God did.

Sin was a minor problem, but eternity would have been worse off so he yanks us off the road and places us in a capsule called time. While we are there, he tends to our wounds by offering payment for our sin that we don’t deserve and a power to overcome sin in a way that is beyond human. Then, he would eventually round up time and take us back to eternity. Only that this time, we would not receive eternal life in our failed nature but in a resurrected nature, insured by God himself.

I hope this answers some questions and hopefully raises new ones. In the end, God’s love is consistent through the scriptures and in our experiences when we let him. The key is to honestly approach him first as Saviour and then as Lord. It does make sense when you wholly experience it.

 As for me, I am so glad God cares enough to provide answers to the ramblings of my mind.

GODSWILL EZEONYEKA

WHAT BEGAN AS A DILEMMA

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Part II

Usually, I have everything in my life fixed including how I want to live and move and have my being. I do not need further help except for this one: I am in a dilemma—
Running marathon on a steep path and finishing adorned; or sprinting along a smooth lane only to come out alive.

But why is it that in this life of mine, I always almost have just two options?

Well I do not need any help from this man standing before me, who hails from nowhere like Melchizedek—This man who promises me a better portrait of myself.

Then a song begins to play from his chancel lamp. No wonder it looks just like a home theatre. I watch the orange flourescence dance like disco light as the song plays:

I want God’s way to be my way as I journey here below for there is no other highway that a child of God should go.Though the road be steep and rough, if he leads me it’s enough, I want God’s way to be my way everyday.

The voice is sweet but the words are quietening my nerves. I am uneasy about the ease I am experiencing. I am not used to calmness because in my philosophy, a man must be up and doing or else how does he prove to be up to task? This is why most times, it’s either I’m up or I’m doing.

The words of the song are taming my soul further into stillness. They are like tranquilizer, vanquishing the spasmodic discomforts in my gut. My whole body is heavy yet light, and it seems I can’t feel anything anymore, as if somebody else, a presence, is living on my behalf.


I find my face turned toward him, my gaze fixed on him. I startle at what I see on his face: Words are displayed on his forehead like a computer screen:

Better is it to (stand) as a doorkeeper in thy tent than to dwell(at ease) in the tent of the wicked.



I am wondering what the tent of the wicked is and before I can take the next breath, he has answered me as though he is hearing my thought.

The tent of the wicked pitches in the heart of a man who chooses ease at the expense of God’s way.

It is as Sodom to Lot, a place that a man appoints for himself because of splendour and comfort without seeking to know if it pleases his maker. Many men opt for their own choice without caring whether it is the portion allotted to them from above, just in a bid to escape the seemingly perilous pathway to glory.

To dwell in the tent of the wicked is to be like the servant who hid his master’s talent under the ground, damning the consequence of an unfulfilled destiny, thinking his master is a hard man subjecting him to a rigorous and unattractive lot.

You see, I make beautiful portraits with both dark hues and bright colours, with both broken lines and straight lines. I need them all combined to create my pleasure and make art of men.

My perfect will is a blend of the good and what you term the bad. In the end, I bring light out of darkness and turn crooked paths straight, but first there must be pain before gain, suffering before satisfaction, peril before pleasure.

As lucid as the message of a simple poem, everything is now making meaning to me. First, the song, then his words. What began as a dilemma is diving out of the deep.

Suddenly, I am no longer in a dilemma! I am no longer in a dilemma!

My heart melts into brokenness. The tears are already forming bubbles on my cheeks. Wobbling, I fall into his bosom. This time around, I am not up and doing, I am down and done. I can no longer lift up my face before him and my tremulous hands can no longer hold the pencil.

The man is now sitting on a big throne and not on my chair, he’s making my portrait on a mighty wall erected before him. All of this is taking place in a room where an altar is burning and not in my art gallery.

In the portrait that he’s making, I begin with plenty dark hues but I am gradually evolving into bright colours. Also, there are many broken lines but the straight lines are becoming superimposed on them such that the broken lines are hardly noticeable. He is still working on the art while I am set to begin my marathon race upon the steep path.

It is the last week of the year but what began as a dilemma this morning has transpired into the divulgence of a mystery capable of ministering strength to me every morning.

One day, soon, when I finish this race, which I’ve embraced with hope and joy, I hope to change the inscription on the entrance of my art gallery to:
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined out.

Ayooluwa Olasupo (Imisi)

WHAT BEGAN AS A DILEMMA

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Part I

It is the last week of the year and I am in a dilemma—

Running marathon on a steep path and finishing adorned; or sprinting along a smooth lane only to come out alive. But why is it that in this life of mine, I usually have only two options?

It doesn’t seem I’ve got a way out of this dilemma yet, so I stroll into my art gallery. I have not been there in a while. I draw the curtains to allow light rays fall into the room, then I pull out a chair and start to sketch a portrait of myself— the kind I have longed to possess for ages.

I do not like to see dark hues in a work so in that drawing, I am appearing bright and beautiful and my face is beaming with all the colours of the rainbow.

I do not like broken lines too, so with my eraser, I clean the broken lines where a pair of glasses sits on my nose, carefully converting them all into perfect lines with my ruler.

My canvas will soon be wearing that perfect portrait of me.

I look at this work of art again with great enthusiasm; it is almost complete. I feel so satisfied that I do not know when my lips part to drip smiles from the corners of my mouth.

Then a man approaches me whom I do not know. He’s old enough to be my father but his own face glows. He doesn’t knock nor turn the knob and I can’t fathom which way he entered through.

Apart from the chancel lamp in his hand that gives off warm light and resembles a mini home theatre, there’s something about him that surpasses my understanding and even his stance sends ounces of awe down my spine.

I am admiring him until he says I should let him hold my tools, let him have my canvas, let him own this art gallery and he’ll make a better portrait of me. I giggle. What is better than my own “perfect”? My own “perfect”.

I am angered. I am nervous. I can feel my intestines twisting, hear the gush of acid pouring into my chest from my stomach at the sound of his request. It seems I can even hear as my valves are opening to pump blood out of my heart because both of my legs are now becoming warm.

But, there is something about him that makes me have a rethink about refusing to give him chance. I look at him again with uncertainty. He doesn’t look like someone who can violate my work yet I’m afraid.

I’m afraid he might alter, alter this piece in which I am almost becoming a perfect portrait of my dream self….

Ayooluwa Olasupo (Imisi)

THE CHOSEN REVIEW: INDESCRIBABLE COMPASSION

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The sixth episode of The Chosen comes fully packed.


The miracles, the dialogue, the acting, everything blends together in this episode to make the character development and subplot unravel perfectly.


The two miracles we witness happen in controversial situations. Jesus could have easily walked away from healing them but defied the odds and showed them compassion.

This reiterates the fact that the love and mercy Christ has for humanity is indescribable.


One major scene in this episode is shot in Zebedee’s house and it features the healing of the paralytic.

It would seem like an ordinary scene with different components and conflicts going on but surprisingly, the chaos blossomed into a bursting delight.


We see through the eyes of Matthew and Nicodemus how the miracle they witnessed created a quest, a yearning for truth, much of which will be depicted in the coming episodes.


Indescribable Compassion portrays Jesus as a friend, teacher, the saviour and most importantly, the son of God.


PS: To watch this episode, download The Chosen app here.


Please read our review of The Chosen’s Ep 3, The Wedding Gift.

THE CHOSEN REVIEW: THE ROCK ON WHICH IT IS BUILT

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Desperate times calls for desperate measures and this is the situation Peter finds himself; owing taxes and defaulting on the deal he made with Quintus, the Roman Praetor. However, the toughest challenge is telling his wife, Eden, about his present situation. “Maybe God will get your attention now!” These are the words Eden tells Peter as tears run down her cheeks.

But how did he get here? How did he put himself in a mess only God can pull him out from? Will he be able to save his house and family, how will he pay his taxes? Don’t ask me; watch this 48-minute packed episode!

The series of events in this episode builds up to the beginning of Jesus’s ministry; the miracle of the fish and selection of Jesus’ core disciples. Andrew is shown running with a burst of excitement to tell Peter that he has seen the Messiah; the man they have been praying for but he (Peter) is unbothered and has lost his faith in God. The only thing on his mind is settling their debts.

Peter sets out to the sea, troubled, and with no hope, he needs a miracle and he is desperately counting on it. With no fish caught, Peter and his friends head to the shore where they meet Jesus. The moment he tells Peter to cast his net, Peter explains the ordeal he faced all through the night but Jesus did not flinch, so he cast his net and he couldn’t believe his eyes! (Yes, no spoilers).

Peter, a man who needed a miracle to save himself, got one of the most referenced and talked about miracles when all hope was lost.

Do you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t fret, God is still in the business of doing miracles!

PS: The miracle of the miracle of the fish is one behind-the-scenes video you should watch. You can find it on The Chosen App here.

Please read our review of The Chosen’s Ep 3: Jesus Loves The Little Children.

The Chosen Review: Shabbat

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How would you feel if the President of a country, whom you hold in high esteem pays you a visit uninvited? Especially when he passes by other houses and decides on your unspectacular house?

Sounds unbelievable?

That is exactly how Mary must have felt in Episode 2 of The Chosen when the doctor who healed her of her infirmity without collecting a dime showed up at her doorsteps for Sabbath. More important was the fact that she did not invite him, yet, He found her.

I want such an August visitor, who wouldn’t?


But just before Sabbath, we witness the events of the day in the lives of Mary, Nicodemus, Simeon Peter and Matthew. We observe as Matthew display a matchless level of courage before the Praetor of Judea, Quintus, from whom he went to confirm if Simon Peter and his brother’s taxes had indeed been waived by the Roman Officer as alleged by Peter in exchange for a job for the officer.

Read The Chosen’s S1 Ep1 Review

Matthew learnt that their taxes had been waived for a job which required Peter to spy on his brethren and bring names of those who worked on Sabbath and were tax evaders. An act considered as betrayal and greatly disapproved by his brother, Andrew.

In the same episode, Nicodemus to his uttermost dismay got information that Mary Magdalene upon whom he had earlier performed religious rites to deliver her from demonic possession, though unsuccessful, had been miraculously healed, a task which he had earlier deemed humanly impossible. He embarks on a quest to find out how this came to be.

They all seemed to have had a busy day but what was much more interesting about these characters was how they celebrated Sabbath.

One had so much friends all around for the events. Isn’t that what we all want? Another chose money above his family, the one who wanted to spend time with his family was not wanted by them while Mary had an august visitor! From all these, what can we learn?


So what makes Sabbath so different from every other day and how did these people prepare towards it?

How should we celebrate what we consider to be the “day of rest” in our society? Episode 2 offers us the requisite answers to these.

Download The Chosen App here to watch the series for free.

Watch Season One’s trailer here.

The Chosen Review: I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME

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“You are mine.”

Those words cut dip into her soul as it escaped his lips. It has been over two decades with only memories of those soothing words of peace from a man, her father. Lilith (Elizabeth Tabish) wakes up with no knowledge of what she had done this time. She sees blood in her hands and realizes it has happened again. It is already daylight and she hears as her victim screams outside and accuses her of a crime she couldn’t remember.

On the other side of town is an old Jewish leader (Erick Avari) entering the streets of Galilee. He is stopped by some Roman soldiers. One would not easily forget the dry sense of humor mixed with sarcasm as Roman soldiers communicated with the religious leaders in the streets of Galilee such as “What could be under the water but never drown?” Such a question from a Roman soldier would mean another rise in taxes on the Jewish citizens or “teacher of teachers” and “our fire of fires” as would be a warning of an impending danger done by these Roman soldiers.

You could see the finesse in which Dallas Jenkins portrayed the uniqueness in each character, allowing the viewers see a part of them displayed in every next scene. One would attest to the reason for the name of this series, The Chosen.

I was quite impressed at how the series’ creator opened each scene with a new character and one is left with the curiosity as to how these new characters, although known from the Scriptures, were all going to meet.  I have been wary of movies that had series of episodes for a long time because of the shallow depth of some seasonal movies and the complexity with little or no message from some others.

However, the playwright did a good job portraying the behaviors of the pharisees at who lived at that time leaving viewers with lively memories which when not read consistently in the Scriptures, will otherwise be forgotten or ignored.

Nico, as fondly called by his wife, when faced with a strange problem in the Red Quarter, could be seen listing out the needed tools as one who had little or no practical knowledge as to solving this particular problem. He is left embarrassed in front of his students and his journey towards seeking for answers will begin as he is faced with a miracle that only God could perform.

One would not take off eyes from Peter (Shahar Isaac) as he exhibited different bright colors of a sanguine character. Is it his cunning way of escaping Roman taxes or his poor skills in gambling with his brother-in-law? One could tell why his brother was closer to the kingdom of heaven as he tries to dissuade Peter from a plan that would ruin their career and eventually, their lives.

I’m thrilled at this scene as Lilith is stopped in her tracks when he (Jesus) called her, “Mary” as she tried to flee from his grip.

This first episode The Chosen’s Season 1 is so rich as every second captivates the hearts of its viewers wanting for more than just a movie but an encounter with God.

Download The Chosen App here to watch the series for free.

Watch Season One’s trailer here.

THE CHOSEN: Retelling The Story of Jesus Christ

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If you are a person who nitpicks your way through movies only going for those that you are sure would prove to be eternally and critically relevant, then we have something for you. This movie series is a Loaves and Fish production, co-produced and distributed by Angel Productions. In a time such as ours, when old movies and screenplays are being rewritten and reenacted using more contemporary equipment, time-honed skills and modern techniques, the great stories of the Bible are not left behind.

Meet The Chosen. The Chosen is a story of a man on a mission to tell his people about God in the face of Roman colonization. It is set in 20-30 AD Israel. The characters are familiar to those who may have read the Autoptic gospel of John or the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The slow storytelling and great acting make for a compelling story by Dallas Jenkins. The plot of The Chosen is non-fiction and based on the life of Jesus Christ. The series aims to showcase Christ “through the eyes of those who met him”.

For anyone who has seen any movie about the life of Christ while he was physically on Earth, the plot will prove enchanting and fully immersing.

The Chosen is a Vidangel adaptation of The Shepherd, a short film also created by Dallas Jenkins. The Chosen is a massively crowdfunded project. Infact, The Chosen is now the top crowdfunded filmed project, having raised over $16.2 million from 316,000 investors.

Yes, there are long moments and the progression is quite slow, but it all adds to the reverence with which Christ is portrayed in this record breaking screenplay. Dallas Jenkins has said that he wishes for the movie series to reach the eyes of a billion people, so it is safe to say that everyone is the target audience.

In a time of a full spectrum of intellectual and cultural perspectives, The Chosen appears to be the chosen Jesus’ story of our time.

Unlike other depictions of the life of Jesus, such as A.D., Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus, The Passion, Jesus: His Life; The Chosen comes away from the usual technique of following Jesus around as he delivers analogies, dissertations and life-changing miracles. The Chosen series also takes the dynamic perspective of portraying Jesus as a shared character in the lives and stories of characters like Matthew, Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, Andrew, John, James and others.



From wide shots of the choice locations, mid shots of threatening Roman soldiers and close shots of thoughtful Jews; the cinematography is quite engaging, coupled with a rural ambience and sounds that leave you “waking up” from each episode.

The Cast features Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, Paras Patel as Matthew, Shahar Isaac as Simon Peter, Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene, and Erick Avari as Nicodemus. The Cast is succinctly chosen and proves their mettle from episode to episode; and you can watch the other movies mentioned in this article for a sort of template for the characters. From December 24th 2017 till now, the Chosen has been distributed by Angel Studios.

All in all, The Chosen is a serious project and its impact is just beginning to be felt beyond the circles of cinema enthusiasts, internet explorers and critics.

With Season 2 airing its last episode in July, we are starting a new series of reviews on The Chosen’s season 1 episodes. We hope our perspective on the series’ storytelling will enjoin you to watch it and more importantly, read up The Synoptic Gospels for more understanding on the life of Jesus.

Download The Chosen App here to watch the series for free.

Watch Season One’s trailer here.